THE SHEIMP AND PKAWN FISHERIES. 805 



Two men go out in each boat, one to paddle, the other to manage the net. Captain Fisher records 

 one unusual catch of 7 bushels made by two men in three hours' time. 



The shrimp after they are taken are washed very clean, so as to rid them of any mud or sand 

 that may have remained upon them, and are then put into a kettle of strong boiling brine, which 

 is made thick enough to hold up a common potato. About 1 bushel of shrimp is allowed to 3 gal- 

 lons of brine, aud the shrimp are not put into it until the froth and dirt, which usually rises to the 

 surface during boiling, has been skimmed off. After the shrimp have been boiled about ten min- 

 utes they are taken from the pot, put into a covered basket or barrel, and allowed to steam for ten 

 minutes more. They are then spread out in a thin layer upon a platform of boards to dry. It is 

 very essential that they should be thoroughly dried before being collected together for shipment, 

 but once in this condition they can be kept for weeks, if always retained in a dry place. 



As to the shrimp industry at Fernaudina, Captain Fisher states that shrimp and prawns are 

 exceedingly abundant there year after year, and a few years ago he entered into the business of 

 preparing them for market. He had no trouble in obtaining materials, and worked hard to build 

 up a trade. Meeting with some losses and with bad returns from dealers, to whom he had been 

 shipping, he was finally obliged to abandon the project, but, as he says, " from no want of shrimp." 

 He continues : " I have never found any trouble in getting as many as I wanted along the entire 

 coast from North Carolina to Florida, except during severe stormy weather. 1 have found them 

 just as abundant one year as another, and they furnish a much greater supply of food along the 

 coasts of the States mentioned than is generally supposed." With a cast- net 15 feet in diameter 

 two men can catch on an average 2 bushels per day during the entire fishing season. In 1879 

 quite a business was carried on, some 300 bushels of the dried shrimps having been sent to New 

 York, Philadelphia, Savannah, Atlanta, and Macon, Ga., and Charleston, S. C., in crates or bas- 

 kets. Since then only enough fishing has been done to supply the home trade, with a very few 

 sent away. 



According to the statements of the fishermen shrimp and prawns are very abundant in the 

 vicinity of Saint Augustine, Fla., during the months of July, August, September, and October. 

 They are most commonly taken on the mud flats, being seen less often on sandy bottoms. Some- 

 times they school at the surface, but generally they remain at or near the bottom. The shrimp 

 season is during July and August, and the prawn from the middle of August to November. Fish- 

 ing is carried on mostly in the night-time, the men going out either at early twilight or at low tide, 

 and remaining until about half-flood. Each trip realizes on an average about 4 bushels. Three 

 trips are usually made a week. The nets used in this fishery are the so-called shrimp-nets, being 

 the same as the English cast-nets, and measuring from 4 to 5 feet long, with a one-half inch mesh. 

 They are valued at from $12 to $15 apiece. 



The quantity of shrimp and prawns taken during a season is about 600 bushels, valued at 

 not more than $700. None are shipped away, and not over 15 or 20 bushels are dried. At the 

 beginning of the season they sell readily at 10 cents a quart, but the price soon falls to 5 cents a 

 quart, and then to 10 cents for 3 quarts. After the season is well advanced or during times when 

 the catch is unusually large, 10 to 15 cents per peck becomes a fair price. 



THE GULF COAST. The shrimp fisheries of the Gulf coast of the United States are carried 

 on mainly to the west of the Mississippi River, and especially in Barataria Bay, Louisiana, and 

 Matagorda and Galveston Bays, Texas. The season lasts about six months, from October to 

 April, and during this time the shrimping crews establish temporary stations at different points 

 along the shrimping region. Some shrimp may be taken, however, during the entire year. Both 

 seines and cast-nets are employed, aud the work goes on as in the same fisheries on the Atlantic 



