632 HISTORY AND METHODS OF THE FISHERIES. 







4. FISHERIES OF PAMLICO SOUND. 



PHYSICAL AND HYDROGRAPHIC FEATURES. At some distance from and stretching along 

 the coast of North Carolina is a narrow chain of low sand reefs and islands, between which and 

 the mainland lies a broad sheet of water, called Pamlico Sound. Communication between this 

 water and the ocean is possible only through certain narrow openings between the reefs and 

 islands. The three principal passages are known as Oregon, Ocracoke, and Hatteras Inlets. 

 Through these openings is discharged the entire volume of water pouring into the sound from 

 those sections of North Carolina and Virginia which are drained by the Neuse and Tar Rivers, and 

 also those streams, such as the Roanoke and Chowan, which empty directly into Albemarle River 

 or Sound, * and thence into the Pamlico. The result of this continual influx of fresh water into 

 Pamlico Sound is to counteract the effect of the natural ebb and flow of the ocean tide. For this 

 reason there are no tides in Pamlico Sound except such as are produced by heavy winds. During 

 certain seasons of the year, therefore, the water in these sonnds is at most brackish, and after the 

 rivers have been swollen by rains sometimes quite fresh. 



MOVEMENTS OF THE FISH. By reference to the statistics of the fisheries of the Neuse and 

 Tar Rivers, and of the tributaries of the Albemarle, it will be seen that immense numbers of shad 

 and herring ascend those streams annually, and it is equally manifest th it these fish enter those 

 rivers from Albemarle or Pamlico Sound. A question here arises, and it is of the highest moment 

 to the fisheries that a positive solution be arrived at, as to whether these fish winter in one or 

 both of these sounds or pass into the ocean through the inlets already referred to, returning in 

 the spring for the purpose of making their annual ascent of the rivers. If the former be the case, 

 it is only necessary to find out their winter quarters in order to establish valuable winter fisheries 

 for the shad and herring. If the latter theory be true, then at the time of their passage through 

 these exceedingly narrow inlets, millions of fish might with ease be captured. To this end seine 

 fisheries have repeatedly been established at these passage-ways, but the results, so far at least 

 as shad and herring are concerned, have in no case been such as to make the theory tenable. In 

 the discussion of the relations of the migrations of the fish to water temperatures in general, 

 arguments will be advanced in support of the theory that these fish winter in waters between the 

 reefs and the mainland, be it in Pamlico or in Albemarle Sound. 



FISHING GROUNDS. The only important fisheries for shad and herring conducted on the 

 waters of Pamlico Sound are at its upper end, or, more strictly, in that narrow sheet of water con- 

 necting Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds, and named, as already stated, Croatan Sound. At this 

 point large numbers of stake-nets and several haul-seines are in operation. The statistics relative 

 to these fisheries will be given in the summation of the fisheries of the Albemarle and its tribu- 

 taries. 



5. ALBEMARLE SOUND AND ITS TRIBUTARIES. 



The magnificent sheet of inland water known as Albemarle Sound stretches east and 

 west from the coast to a distance of about 40 miles into the interior. Through Croatan Sound it 

 discharges all of its waters into the Pamlico Sound. At its head it receives the waters of the 

 Roauoke and the Chowan Rivers, two of the principal streams on the Atlantic slope. The head- 

 waters of the Roanoke drain a considerable portion of Western North Carolina and Southwestern 

 Virginia, the extreme sources of both of its principal tributaries being in the Appalachian range. 



"* Albemarle Sound is formed by tho confluence of the Chowan and Roanoke Rivers, audits waters are discharged 

 into the upper end of Pamlico Sound through Croatan .Sound. 



