FISHERIES OF THE PACIFIC COAST. 
93 
fishing business in the North Pacific, and in 1865 six vessels sailed from 
San Francisco to the Okhotsk Sea in pursuit of cod. These were the 
first American vessels to visit that region on cod-fishing trips ; and 
their sailing evidenced a resolution to begin the business upon a broad 
commercial basis. 
But Captain Turner, who seems to have possessed the spirit and 
enterprise of a pioneer or discoverer, determined to look for cod-fishing 
grounds nearer home. Not disheartened by the ill success of the Alert 
in 1863, he sailed for Alaska on the schooner Porpoise , of 45 tons, 
March 27, 1865, and arrived at the Shuruagin Islands May 1. He began 
fishing the same day. Cod were abundant and close inshore. As a 
result, he returned to San Francisco on July 7 with a fare of 30 tons of 
fi s h_something less than a full cargo, which might easily have been 
secured, only for the desire to market the catch in advance of the arrival 
home of the vessels that had sailed to the fishing grounds on the Asiatic 
side of the Pacific. This was the first fare of cod from the Shumagin 
Islands, a locality since famous in the annals of the Pacific cod fishery.* 
The cod-fishing fleet of 1864 was composed wholly of rather small- 
sized schooners, most of which were originally built in New England 
for the Atlantic fisheries, but had sailed around Cape Horn to find em- 
ployment iu the business of the Occident. It is remarkable that one 
of those that crossed the Pacific, sailing about 5, $00 miles from home, 
was only 20 tons, a mere boat in which to make such a voyage, and to 
return loaded “ nearly decks to the water.” Following are the names 
and tonnage (in round numbers) of the fleet: Equity, 63 tons; Flying 
Dart , 84 tons; H. L. Buggies , 75 tons; J. D. iSanborn, 71 tons; Mary 
Cleveland , 91 tous ; Porpoise , 45 tons, and Taccon , 20 tons. 
The Okhotsk Sea fleet all secured full fares and returned in safety. 
The fish were small, averaging only about 3 pounds each when dry. 
But in those early days they were in demand, and sold for from 12J to 15 
cents per pound, a price that gave remunerative returns and the prom- 
ise of future success for the fishery. There was no lack of cod, and even 
with the method of fishing with hand lines over the vessel’s side then iu 
vogue no difficulty was experienced in filling moderate-sized schooners 
iu a reasonable time. 
During the years succeeding the events narrated the Pacific cod 
fishery has been subject to many fluctuations, changes in methods, etc., 
until, in 1889, it employed the smallest fleet that has found occupation 
iu it since the catching of cod became a recognized industry of the 
west coast. These changes are discussed in detail elsewhere; it is 
only necessary to say here that amoug them may be mentioned the em- 
ployment of larger vessels, the discovery of new fishing grounds where 
somewhat larger fish can betaken, the establishment of fishing stations 
*The statements given above concerning the early history of the Pacific cod fishery 
were obtained by Wilcox from Captain Turner, to whom we are indebted for many 
interesting facts not heretofore published. 
