558 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. 



Speaking generally, the catch is divided into thirds, one of which the owner of the boat and 

 net draws, each of the crew taking one of the remaining two-thirds. 



SEINE FISHING AT OCKLOCKONEE BAY. The seining crews arrive at their station in October, 

 and are then provided by the owiier of the station or his representative with fishing gear, salt, and 

 food. The whole crew, consisting of ten or twelve men, is then generally hired by the mouth. 

 Only one seine is used at a station, and that is permanently arranged so as to be hauled only in 

 front of the station. This hauling place, before alluded to in this chapter, is called a "seine-yard." 

 In fine weather, when the fish may be expected in shoal water along their shore, the seine is kept 

 all ready half-set in the yard. The net is set straight out from the shore until the bag is reached, 

 and then the boat containing the other half is fastened to a buoy, which is moored there for the 

 purpose. When a school of mullet approaches and finally comes within the radius of the seine, 

 the seine-boat is quickly unmoored and rowed to the shore. If the haul is a success, the next 

 operation is that of hauling the net and fish ashore. These hauls are never so large as at many 

 other places on the coast, and from 25 to 75 barrels are considered a large catch. Many other 

 kinds of fish are of course taken with the mullet. The valuable ones are saved for food, and such 

 fish as sharks and alligator-gars, and porpoises are killed, and either buried or utilized for their 

 oil, which, as manufactured at these stations, is a very inferior article. 



DESCRIPTION OP APPARATUS. A short description of the boats and nets will not be out of 

 place. The seines are made in Boston or New York and shipped here by freight via Savannah. 

 They are all of strong cotton twine, and are coated with tar, which is obtained from the native 

 pines. The style of knot used, manner of mounting, and forms of floats and leads are the same as 

 those in use on the Atlantic coast. The nets are from 100 to 120 fathoms long, and from 16 to 20 

 feet deep at the bag. The wings at their extremities are, of course, much shorter. One of these 

 nets, well taken care of, will last for three or four seasons, and costs, when new, about $1.20 a 

 fathom. 



The gill-nets are also made in the North. They are of light cotton twine, generally of 12 

 threads, 50 fathoms long, and 8 or 10 feet deep. They have a mesh of 3 inches in length, or H 

 inches from kuot to knot. They cost about 50 cents a fathom. When not in use the gill-nets are 

 either spread out on the grass or are rolled up on large reels, which are built at the water's edge 

 for the purpose v . These reels are easily made and are the most convenient and effective arrange- 

 ment that can be had for drying nets. 



The boats used by both gill-netters and seiners are long, sharp, and fiat-bottomed. They 

 average 20 feet in length and about G in width. They are roughly built of piue or cypress boards, 

 and are not calculated to last more than one or two seasons. They are not calked or painted, a 

 coating of pitch taking the place of both. They cost, when new, $10 or $12. 



When the mullet are running it is necessary to have a lookout stationed at a point whence the 

 fish can be seen for a great distance. For this purpose a kind of observatory is built on the highest 

 laud near the shore and station. This building is 20 or 25 feet high and commands an excellent 

 view of the shores for half a mile either way. 



DISPOSITION OP THE CATCH. The disposition of the fish when caught will now be treated of. 

 The object of most of these fishermen is to provide themselves with food for the winter, and to 

 obtain some ready money by selling what they can spare to the Georgian and interior Floridian 

 planters, who come as regularly to the coast every year as the mullet do. When the gill-netters 

 begin fishing none of the planters have arrived, and all fish caught in October are dry salted and 

 carelessly packed in old boxes or barrels for home consumption, or arc held until the customers 

 arrive. The roes in these fish are undeveloped, and are, therefore, not often saved. Soon after 



