FISHERIES OF THE PACIFIC COAST IN 1899. 571 
armor with air pump came into use in 1900. Divers in armor work 
throughout the year in from 20 to 75 feet of water, when the weather 
is favorable. The diver takes down with him a netted bag into which 
he puts the abalones as he pries them from their rocky attachment. 
When the bag is filled it is hauled up on signal, emptied into the 
anchored boat, and returned to the diver. Divers work a full day, 
remaining below as long as two hours at a time. 
As soon as the abalones are received at camp they are taken from 
their single shell and all refuse matter gremoved. The meat or solid 
portion is then prepared for market as follows: After washing, it is 
placed in a weak salt pickle overnight. In the morning it is removed, 
washed, and boiled for a few moments, then placed on trays, each tray 
holding an average of 100 abalones. These are exposed to the sun and 
air for half a day and are then placed in a smokehouse for three hours, 
BLACK-BANDED ROCK FISH (Sebastichthys nigrocinctus). 
charcoal being used in the smoking. They are next given a second 
boiling for half an hour, when they are again placed on trays and 
exposed for two to three weeks in drying. Finally they are placed 
in lukewarm water for two to three hours and then given two weeks’ 
drying, which leaves them very hard and solid. The meat is cleaned 
and packed in cases lined with parchment paper to exclude moisture, 
the cases holding 200 pounds each. Only the best shells are saved. 
As the abalone comes from the water the shell and soft parts are of 
about equal weight, one-half of the latter being waste. As finally 
cured, only 10 pounds of meat is produced from 100 pounds of shells 
and meat fresh, a shrinkage of about 90 per cent. 
In San Diego County the preparation of abalone meat here consists 
simply in boiling the abalones once for two to three hours in sea 
water. After the one boiling they are sun-cured for several weeks 
