THE HAVANA MARKET FISHERY OF KEY WEST. 593 



windward of the fishing ground, in order to make another drift across it. Those well acquainted 

 know of places where they can drift several miles and catch fish nearly the whole time. They 

 never anchor on these rocky banks, for there is every chance to lose an anchor. Fishing-lines 

 are hard-laid cotton lines, with hooks and leads of about the same size as those used in codflshing. 

 On these lines the lead is at the end, with the two hooks attached to it above by snoods that are 

 2 or 3 feet long. Groupers are strictly bottom fish, and the idea is to have the hooks as near the 

 bottom as possible. 



Baits for grouper fishing from the smacks engaged in the Havana market fishery are obtained 

 on the fishing grounds or in the bays. Usually the grouper will take any kind of meat or fish, 

 and then salt pork, beef, or salt fish is used to catch enough fresh bait groupers, snappers, or 

 sharks to serve in catching the whole load ; but there are times, winter and spring generally, 

 when the groupers cannot be induced to take any but the choicest baits. Then the fishermen go 

 into some bay and catch a quantity of mullet, which they put up in barrels with brine, to be kept 

 in reserve for such times as the groupers do not bite freely. Several other kinds of fish, such as 

 the bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix), the lady-fish (EUps saurus), and the jackfish (Garanx 

 pisquetus) are equally as good, or perhaps better, than the mullet, but are not usually found in suffi- 

 cient quantities to be much sought for. This salted bait is not soaked out before being used, and 

 seems to be as readily taken by the fish as if it were fresh. Pieces of about 2 inches square are 

 used on each hook. 



The men have to be very expert to hook the fish while drifting, and it is necessary to work 

 fast, for the vessel moves rapidly and the spots are small. The deck is kept wet, so that the fish 

 will not be " burned," as the fishermen call it, or injured by the hot deck, and the fish are thrown 

 on to it as fast as caught. One of the crew, the captain usually, stands by and pricks each fish 

 before placing it in the well. The air-bladder, or swimming-bladder, is so distended with air on 

 being relieved from the pressure of water that the fish would not live in the well, but would float 

 belly up ; so the fishermen have a small metallic cylinder which they thrust into the bladder from 

 the side, just above and a little back of the pectoral fin, whereupon the air rushes out with a hiss 

 and the relieved fish flaps into the well and swims downward. Every fish must be "pricked," as 

 this operation is called, and one of the crew does nothing else. 



No fish are put into the well that are caught in over 10 fathoms of water, as they would not 

 live until the smack reached Havana. Fish caught in over 20 fathoms of water appear at the 

 surface swollen all over, eyes pushed nearly out of the head, and even the scales on the sides 

 started and standing erect, presenting a distressing appearance, to say the least. Such fish will 

 live a day or two after being pricked, but must be handled very carefully. Those from shoal water 

 are quite hardy, and will live for mouths in a smack's well. 



The big schooners that are now in the business carry 12,000 pounds or more, and it takes a 

 week or two of fishing to fill them up. When the well is so crowded that the holes in the bottom 

 cannot be seen, it is calculated that they have enough. Sometimes when it becomes calm, and the 

 fish are not getting sufficient circulation, they have to take out a great many fish and place them in 

 live cars alongside. This does not often happen at sea, but is of frequent occurrence in Key West 

 and Havana Harbors. For that purpose each smack carries three or four cars, which are 8 feet long, 

 4 feet deep, and 4 feet wide, and made so that they can be taken apart and stowed below deck. As 

 soon as loaded the smacks come to Key West and clear for Havana. Their cargoes are all esti- 

 mated as being the same, and appear on all the manifests alike. 



Arriving in Havana the smacks are assigned a place to lie in, and have to undergo many strict 

 formulas. Their first wish is to have the fish placed in live-cars, so that they will not die. A few 

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