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  fisheries 
  to 
  make 
  as 
  tliorough 
  examination 
  of 
  Albemarle 
  

   sound 
  and 
  its 
  tributaries, 
  as 
  possible 
  to 
  be 
  made 
  during 
  

   the 
  winter 
  montiis, 
  when 
  no 
  fishing 
  operations 
  are 
  conducted. 
  

  

  Accordingly, 
  by 
  appointment, 
  I 
  met 
  Col. 
  L. 
  L. 
  Polk, 
  

   Commissioner 
  of 
  Agriculture, 
  also 
  having 
  charge 
  of 
  the 
  

   Department 
  of 
  Fish 
  Culture 
  of 
  North 
  Carolina, 
  and 
  Dr. 
  

   Wm. 
  R. 
  Capehart, 
  and 
  together 
  we 
  visited 
  the 
  several 
  fish- 
  

   eries 
  on 
  the 
  sound, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  those 
  on 
  the 
  Chowan 
  and 
  

   Roanoke 
  rivers. 
  On 
  investigation, 
  v/e 
  found 
  the 
  most 
  favor- 
  

   able 
  circumstance 
  surrounding 
  these 
  great 
  fisheries 
  ; 
  the 
  

   accompanying 
  map 
  will 
  show 
  the 
  location 
  of 
  the 
  fisheries, 
  

   and 
  the 
  lengths 
  of 
  seines 
  used. 
  

  

  Almost 
  all 
  of 
  the 
  fisheries 
  laid 
  down 
  on 
  the 
  map 
  are 
  oper- 
  

   ated 
  by 
  the 
  owners 
  of 
  the 
  adjacent 
  farms, 
  who 
  are 
  men 
  of 
  

   intelligence 
  and 
  culture, 
  of 
  enlarged 
  and 
  liberal 
  views, 
  and 
  

   we 
  are 
  assured 
  of 
  the 
  hearty 
  co-operation 
  of 
  the 
  entire 
  com- 
  

   munity 
  of 
  fishermen. 
  

  

  The 
  Albemarle 
  sound, 
  65 
  miles 
  in 
  lengtli, 
  and 
  from 
  5 
  to 
  

   15 
  miles 
  in 
  widtli, 
  receives 
  from 
  its 
  tributaries, 
  the 
  Roanoke 
  

   and 
  Chowan 
  rivers, 
  the 
  entire 
  water-shed 
  of 
  the 
  northern 
  and 
  

   eastern 
  portion 
  of 
  North 
  Carolina, 
  and 
  the 
  southern 
  portion 
  

   of 
  Virginia, 
  east 
  of 
  the 
  divide 
  in 
  IMontgomery, 
  Floyd 
  and 
  

   Carroll 
  counties, 
  besides 
  the 
  contributions 
  of 
  fresh 
  water 
  

   from 
  the 
  shortei- 
  eastern 
  rivers 
  of 
  North 
  Carolina, 
  flowing 
  

   through 
  Bertie, 
  Perquimans, 
  Pasquotank, 
  Carroll, 
  Tyroll 
  

   and 
  Washington 
  counties. 
  

  

  This 
  immense 
  supply 
  of 
  fresh 
  water 
  is 
  spread 
  out 
  over 
  the 
  

   comparatively 
  shallow 
  sound, 
  which 
  affords 
  admirable 
  

   spawning 
  beds 
  for 
  Shad, 
  Herring 
  and 
  Rock. 
  The 
  brackish 
  

   water 
  does 
  not 
  find 
  its 
  way, 
  even 
  in 
  the 
  dryer 
  months 
  of 
  

   summer, 
  higher 
  than 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  the 
  Pasquotank, 
  for 
  the 
  

   communication 
  with 
  the 
  salt 
  water 
  of 
  the 
  ocean 
  is 
  limited 
  to 
  

   Oregon, 
  New, 
  Loggerhead, 
  Hatteras 
  and 
  Ocracoke 
  inlets, 
  

   all 
  narrow 
  and 
  comparatively 
  shallow. 
  

  

  The 
  salt 
  water 
  entering 
  these 
  inlets 
  to 
  replace 
  the 
  fresh 
  

   water 
  discharge! 
  from 
  the 
  S(:>und, 
  must 
  pass 
  through 
  the 
  

  

  