504 



HISTORY AND METHODS OF THE FISHERIES. 



means ot which it is slowly moved about among the fish until it is nearly full, when the lower rim 

 is brought oxer the gunwale of the boat; it is then "righted up" and two or three men begin pull- 

 ing on the upper part of the net, until the fish are brought out of the water, and begin sliding into 

 the boat. The process is called " rollin' 'em in." When fish are plenty two men can easily roll 20 

 hogsheads, or 100 barrels, in an hour. If the catch is large several boats are brought alongside 

 and quickly loaded by their respective crews, but when few herring are secured all are taken into 

 one boat and the others return to the shore empty. 



The boats used for this purpose vary both in size and number, from two to five belonging to 

 each weir. These are from 18 to 25 feet long, 7 to 10 feet broad, and are valued at from $75 to 

 $300. The more expensive ones are used for general purposes at other times, and are therefore 

 much better than would be necessary for ordinary fishing purposes unless the weir happens to be 

 in a position where it is exposed to the sea. The average boat is valued at about $150. 



QUANTITY OP HERRING TAKEN IN WEIES. The catch is very irregular and uncertain. The 

 fish are not caught every day, and sometimes an entire month, or even more, may pass during 

 which not a herring may be taken. Again, when the " darks are on" and "the tides serve" they 

 may sometimes be caught in immense quantities for several consecutive nights. 



The following tabulated statement, kindly furnished by Mr. Benjamin Green, of Eastport, 

 shows the catch of his weir, located at Flye's Island, during the seasons of 1878 and 1879: 



SEASON OF 1878. 



SEASON OF 1879. 



We learn that enormous quantities have been taken at different times. Four hundred hogs- 

 heads, equal to 2,000 barrels, were secured at one tide by one of the weirs on Grand Marian, and 

 frequent catches of 200 to 250 hogsheads in a day are reported to have been made at Treat's Island 

 weir, near Eastport, in former years. During our stay at Eastport, a weir at Flye's Island is said 

 to have taken 150 hogsheads at a single tide. The largest quantity taken by any weir in 1880 was 

 secured by Mr. McLain from his weir, located at L'Etete Passage. Prior to the middle of Sep- 

 tember, he had realized over $5,000 on fish sold fresh, while large numbers of small fish had been 



