EXPLANATION OF CHAETS. XVII 



XIX. The Gully is a celebrated halibut region. It extends from 58° 58' to 59° 57' west lonsitude, and from 

 44° 04' to 44° 27' north latitude. In its southern part, between 44° 04' and 44° 10' north latitude, there is 

 located a small but important bank, described below. The crosses in the western part of the Gully, numbered XIX, 

 indicate localities where halibut were found in abundance from 1874 to 1876, inclusive. The other crosses all refer to 

 large catches of halibut made from 1877 to 1879, inclusive. In the three years last mentioned, enormous quantities 

 of haUbut were taken from this region, and to such an extent were its resources exhausted thereby that 

 in the three or four years immediately following 1879 halibut were exceedingly scarce in the Gully, and during 

 some seasons the fishing was quite unprofitable. In 1684-1885, however, a few good fares were obtained. The 

 smaU bank in the southern part of the Gully, above mentioned, is separated from Banquereau and Sable Island 

 Bank by narrow gullies, about 150 fathoms deep, the average depth of water upon the bank itself being about 

 100 fathoms, and the bottom consisting of coarse pebbles, gravel, and stones. Toward the northward the watei 

 deepens to 150 fathoms, and toward the south the bottom rapidly falls off to depths of 500 or 600 fathoms. Fishing 

 was carried on in the Gully some years before the bank was discovered, and as it had never been surveyed or 

 plotted on the charts, the fishermen supposed its position was occupied by deep water. It was probably first noticed 

 about 1877, and during a few subsequent years exceedingly good halibut fishing was obtained along its southern 

 edge ; but the fish are much less abundant now than they were in the beginning. 



Banqnereau.—Tb.^ cod obtained on this bank are, as a rule, small, and it is not as much resorted to now as formerly 

 by fishermen from the United States. A limited number of hand-line dory fishermen and a few trawlers comprise the 

 American fleet of cod fishermen. P'rench vessels, using trawls, fish extensively on the bank north of 44° 30' north 

 latitude, but are seldom seen farther south. This bank is celebrated for its valuable halibut fisheries, which occur in 

 the deeper water along the edges. The most noted of these are the "Southwest Prong" and the deep plateau off the 

 eastern end. 



XX. The-first deep-water halibut caught on the Southwest Prong were taken in this position in 1876. The other 

 crosses indicate where large catches were made from 1876 to 1879, inclusive. 



XXI. Nearly 500,000 pounds of halibut were taken in this position, on a spot not more than one mile square, in 

 the summer of 1879. 



XXII. This locality, called the "Stone Fence" by the fishermen, is noted for the great abundance of corals grow- 

 ing ou the bottom. On the Stone Fence and immediately to the north of it, many large fares of halibut have been 

 caught in depths of 150 to 230 fathoms. This locality has shown less signs of becoming depleted than any other 

 lying to the west of it. 



XXIII. Halibut were abundant at this place in April, 1879, and several good fares were obtained. 



Mieaine Bomk. — Scarcely anything has been known respecting the fisheries of this bank, and it has generally been 

 regarded by the fishermen as comparatively barren ground. In the summer of 1885, the U. S. Fish Commission 

 steamer Albatross, while engaged in explorations in this region, made a series of trials with hand-lines across the bank 

 from its eastern to its western edge, and found cod fully as abundant as on any of the adjacent fishing grounds, and 

 of as large size and good quality as are taken on Banquereau. 



Chakt No. 5.— The Fishing Grounds of the Gulf of Saint Lawrencb. 



I. The first halibut taken on the coast of Anticosti Island were caught in this vicinity in 1869. 



II. On this coast, between 61° and 62° west longitude, halibut were sometimes moderately abundant, close in 

 shore, in the summer season prior to 1875. Since then no important catches have been made. 



III. In the immediate vicinity of Bed Island the fishing schooner Ocean Belle made a fare of 80,000 pounds of 

 halibut in the summer of 1870. As explained in the text, however, this region is controlled by the French, and is not 

 now resorted to by United States vessels. 



IV. Moderately large fares of halibut were obtained at the Bay of Islands by American vessels in 1872 and 1874, 

 but nothing of importance has been done since then. 



V. The first catch of halibut at Green Point was made in June, 1871, by the schooner William T. Merchant, aud 

 in June and July of 1878 and 1879 several very large fares were obtained at the same place. 



VI. A few small fares of halibut were obtained in the summer season about Bryon Island and on the shoal between 

 the island and Bird Eocks. This region, however, has never been an important one for any of the Gulf fisheries. 



VII. The area inclosed in the dotted Une is the so-called "Flint Island Halibut Ground," on which fares of hali- 

 but were obtained from 1861 to 1875, especially during the months of May and June. Since the latter date, however, 

 this ground has been practically abandoned by the halibut fishermen, 



VIII. In 1861 the schooner Centre Point obtained a fare of 60,000 pounds of halibut in the narrow strait between 

 Scatari Island and Cape Breton. This is supposed to be the first fare of halibut taken in this vicinity. 



