86 
scale began to rise, though somewhat irregularly ; and 
about 1850 mackerel were plenty again. 
Now, let me say right here, that the introduction of 
the purse-seine in the mackerel fishery began in 1839, 
and about 1860 it was pretty generally used. But in 
1884, forty-five years after the adoption of the purse- 
seine as an implement for the capture of mackerel, and 
a quarter of a century after it was almost universally 
used by mackerel fishermen, mackerel were as abundant 
off the coast of New England as they have ever been at 
any time since the settlement of the country. Who will 
believe that the purse-seine is instrumental in causing a 
decrease of the abundance of this fish when it had no 
such influence during the twenty-five years ending in 
1884. 
Now, immediately after this great plentifulness in 
1884, history began to repeat itself. There was a 
decline the next year in the capture of mackerel. The 
yield of salt mackerel in New England for 18go, 
according to the report of the Boston Fish Bureau, was 
between nineteen and twenty thousand barrels. Then 
it reached its low water mark again. And one reason 
that the mark was so low is ascribable to the small 
number of vessels engaged in the fishery as compared 
with 1841, when a large majority of the fishing fleet of 
New England was thus employed. Well, sir, starting 
from that low point there has been a gradual upward 
tendency in the yield of the mackerel fishery, and last 
year the New England catch of salt mackerel, according 
to the authority I have quoted, exceeded 55,000 barrels, 
notwithstanding a less number of vessels was employed 
than in 1889, when the catch was not quite two-fifths as 
great. The catch last year was almost three times as 
much as it was in 1890. I do not know what success 
this year may bring. Iam nota prophet, nor the son 
of a prophet, but think one would not risk his reputation 
very much if he took upon himself the responsibility of 
