134 EEPORT OF COMMISSIONED OF FlSH AND FISHERIES. [18] 



9. None. 



10. Eight hundred thousand. 



11. One and a half millions. 



12. Eighteen hundred thousand. 



13. L. H. Irvin & Co. 



14. Eight hundred thousand. 



15. Length, 115 fathoms. 



16. One season. 



17. Tes ; a few tailors. 



18. Ten men. 



19. There is no difference. 



20. As far as Baltimore. 



On the same date, July 7, 1883, Captain Almy visited the menhaden 

 factory of Mr. E. T. Bosman, in Mob Jack Bay, who made the follow- 

 ing statement, viz : 



" These works were built sixteen years ago, and since then have been 

 in constant operation. Menhaden were formerly very plentiful, but there 

 has been a gradual falling off until the present season. They are now 

 more plentiful than at any time during the past seven years. Two and 

 sometimes three gangs are employed, the average catch being two mil- 

 lions by each gang. The fish make their appearance about the 1st of 

 April, remaining till the latter part of ISfovember. I have seen full- 

 grown flsh in the bay in winter, and great masses of young fish also ; 

 the latter I am confident remain in the bay. I have seen fish taken in 

 November which had just spawned. Five years ago great numbers of 

 young menhaden were driven on the shore by a northeast gale. There 

 are numerous stake-traps here (Mob Jack Bay) catching in their season 

 shad, alewives, hickory shad, weakfish, Spanish mackerel, sheep's-head, 

 pogies, &c. There has been a general decrease from year to year in the 

 quantity offish taken in the traps. The greatest falling off is in Span- 

 ish mackerel, sheei)'s-head, and weakfish ; shad hold their own better 

 than any other fish. Whales are someti mes seen ten miles or more in- 

 side the capes, and porpoises come in about the 1st of April, remaining 

 till November. The average yield of oil is about 2^ gallons for 1,000 

 fish. The scrap is sun-dried, this establishment using no sulphuric 

 acid. 



" There are numerous factories in the Chesapeake, one in Back Eiver, 

 one at Cherry Point, and two on Piankatank Eiver. The Back Eiver 

 works is one of the largest in the Bay, running ten gaugs, and using 

 20,000,000 fish annually, the other works using about two millions on 

 the average. The fishermen of the Chesapeake are in high spirits over 

 the abundance of menhaden found in the bay this season." 



On July 9, at the Delaware Breakwater, the following replies were re- 

 ceived upon boarding fishing vessels, viz : 



1. Sloop J. W. Luce. 



2. New London. 



