528 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. 



Aside from tbe vessel and turtle fisheries already mentioned, there are no fisheries of impor- 

 tance, and the fishing is wholly for family use, each man securing his own supply. Mullet and 

 other species are occasionally salted by the farmers for home use, but they have such crude ideas 

 of the proper methods of curing fish that they are seldom able to keep them for any length of 

 time. Their poor success has caused many to believe that fish cannot be saved with salt in that 

 climate. It is, indeed, a prevalent idea all along the coast south of Charleston, S. 0., that the salt- 

 ing of fish in pickle is only an experiunnt at best, and almost no one thinks of salting any beyond 

 those for use on their own tables; for this reason, though many edible species, including the 

 mullet, sheepshead, aud trout, are abundant, the fisheries are of little financial importance to the 

 people of this region. 



193. THE VARIOUS FISHING CENTERS OF THE SAINT JOHN'S RIVER. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE FISHERIES OF THE SAINT JOHN'S RIVER. Fishing in the Saint John's 

 is confined largely to the capture of shad (C. sapidissima), mullet (M. albula and M. braziliensis), 

 and trout (C. maculatuni), though many other species are taken for both pleasure and profit iu 

 various localities. The banks of the stream are, as a rule, low and swampy, and the fishing is 

 therefore confined to the few higher areas, where small settlements usually occur. Only eight or 

 ten of these are large enough to merit the unpretentious title of village, while but two are towns of 

 any note. The principal fishing centers on the river are Mayport, New Berlin, Jacksonville, 

 Palatka, Lake George, Lake Monroe, and Lake Harney. The fishing interests of these places will 

 be described separately. 



MAYPORT. Mayport is a village of about one hundred and thirty inhabitants, at the mouth 

 of the river. It is settled largely by people of Spanish descent, and has few attractions other than 

 those due to location. The principal business during the summer months is fishing, and nearly all 

 are more or less dependent upon it for a livelihood. Mayport boasts the oldest shad fisheries io 

 Florida, and was the only place in the State prior to the rebellion where this fishery was prose- 

 cuted. The shad were first taken at this point in 1858 by Capt. Charles Waterhouse, of Saybrook, 

 Conn., who had fished regularly in the Savannah River for several years. Owing to the scarcity 

 of fish at this particular time he decided to try the Saint John's, whither he proceeded with two 

 nets. From the first the fishery proved very profitable, and it has been continuously prosecuted 

 to the present time, with the exception of the "war period." In 1879 there were fourteen shad- 

 nets, two mullet-nets, three haul-seines, and five trout-nets. The total value of the fishery products 

 for 1879, at local rates, was $7,320. The shad are now taken in gill-nets from the last of November 

 to the 1st of April, and the entire catch goes to the fish dealers of Savannah, who own an interest 

 in the nets. 



The bulk of the mullet are taken with haul-seines between the 10th of August and the middle 

 of December, when they are passing out of the river. Three-fourths of the catch goes to Savannah 

 and the remainder to Jacksonville. 



The trout fishing is with gill-nets in April and May, the catch going largely to Jacksonville. 



There is also a limited amount of "stop-fishing" in summer. This consists simply in stopping 

 the mouth of a creek or lagoon with netting at high water to prevent the fish from escaping, and 

 in taking them out of the deeper holes at low water by means of cast-nets. 



NEW BERLIN. The little village of New Berlin, locally known as "Yellow Bluffs," is situated 

 on the Saint John's River, about 9 miles above its mouth, and is, next to Jacksonville, the largest 

 fishing town in East Florida. It was settled largely by fishermen from Connecticut, who came to 

 this point with gill-nets in 1866 to engage in the shad fisheries during the winter months. It has, 



