[35] WOEK OF FISH COMMISSION STEAMER ALBATROSS. 151 



stood for Mount Desert ro«k, where we came up with the mackerel fleet 

 about 2 p. u]. One hundred and thirty-five schooners were in sight at 

 one time. W(J saw no schooling fish during the trip, and the fishing 

 vessels spoken on George's and Brown's Banks had neither seen nor 

 heard of any in that region during the season. They had appeared on 

 Grand Manan for three days about a month since. The fleet were 

 cruising between Mount Desert Eock and Jefl'rey's Bank, but were meet- 

 ing with poor success. Having passed the fleet, we stood for Jeflrey's 

 Bank, Piatt's Bank, Jeffrey's Ledge, and thence to Portsmouth, N. H., 

 where we arrived at 9 a. m. on the 25th. 



Capt. Jacob Almy, fisherman expert, reports as follows : 



" We left Wood's Holl on August 20, and passed out of Vineyard 

 Sound to the southward ; at 3 p. m. Gay Head bore abeam. Did not 

 see any surface fish in the sound. Passed sis smacks engaged in tak- 

 ing bluefish. There was a fresh breeze from the southwest. At 4 p. 

 m. No Man's Land bore abeam. As night came on and the weather be- 

 came foggy, we stopped the engines and lay to until morning. At 8.30 

 on the morning of the 21st, the fog lifted, with moderate breeze from 

 the southwest. Saw this morning one whale of the hump-back species, 

 the first sign of marine life seen since leaving port. At noon saw a 

 school of porj)oises. Passed one fishing vessel at anchor and several 

 under way, supposed to be engaged in the cod fishery. At 2.30 p. m. 

 saw two fin-back whales. At 3 changed course and passed between 

 Cultivator and George's Shoals. Saw a fisherman running to the east- 

 ward. Towards sunset we were enveloped in a dense fog, which cleared 

 away about 9 p. m. 



The morning of the 22d was clear and pleasant, wind from WW. We 

 are bound to the northward along the eastern edge of George's Bank. 

 The tide rips around these shoals are very peculiar in appearance and 

 would generally be taken for breakers in shoal water. Saw only one 

 school of porpoises and one swordfish during the day. Saw two fishing- 

 vessels in the afternoon, one of which, the Anna H. Mason, of Glouces- 

 ter, Mass., was visited. Capt. Joseph Lyle stated as follows : 



" I struck fish this morning, although 1 have been two days on the 

 bank ; have about 100 fish on deck. Codfish are local here, and can 

 be caught in any month of the year. They go in schools on the bottom 

 and never appear on the surface. They spawn here in January and do 

 not take the hook while that season lasts. The reason, I believe, that 

 they do not feed while spawning is that they are easily caught in nets 

 when they will not touch a hook. The male fish are larger than the 

 female. Consider the practice of throwing gurry overboard on fishing 

 ground injurious. Vessels anchoring to windward and throwing over- 

 board their oflal spoil the fishing for vessels to leeward. Vessels en- 

 gaged in bank fishing are generally worked with the agreement that 

 the vessel and outfit take half, and the crew the other half of the pro- 

 ceeds. Eight men constitute a crew. There are no officers except the 



