THE COD FISHERY OF ALASKA. 217 
The Shumagins fleet is made up of schooners, and these frequently of small tonnage, while the 
Okhotsk vessels are large schooners, barks, and barkentines. Fishing about.the Shumagins is 
done in the narrow passages, and harbors are to be made through these straits; for this reason 
small fore-and-aft schooners are employed in preference to large vessels, and for this reason alone, 
it seems to me, the large craft go to the Okhotsk in spite of the established fact that the fish 
secured there are not so plump and tender as the Shumagins fish when fresh and are vastly inferior 
by reason of the treatment they receive on the vessels after being salted. Again, the round trip 
to the Okhotsk involves two months of time and 2,000 miles in distance more than the trip to the 
Shumagins. The Okhotsk fisherman is cut off from fresh provisions and good harbors; he rides 
out storms “hove to” or trusting to his anchors, and, in the end, brings back cod which ought not 
to command as high a price as the Shumagin fish. Why should vessels go to the Okhotsk at all? 
If the Shumagin cod are superior, which is admitted; if bait, provisions, fuel, and good harbors 
are present, and fish are plentiful, what is the motive for going farther? Small fore-and-aft 
schooners are required for the island fishing, and the larger vessels, if they fish at all, must hunt 
sea room. Is it because some men have formed the habit of going to the Okhotsk and simply 
keep on going from force of habit? There are certainly more than enough fish about the Shuma- 
gins to supply the wants of the San Francisco dealers for years to come. The fishermen agree 
that if the demand were larger plenty of fish could be found. Even with the large demand in 
Gloucester and Boston the famous George’s Bank did not become a great resort until in 1850; 
and at the Shumagins we have fine fish and favorable conditions for their capture and preservation, 
so that when the call comes for increased and accessible supplies we shall find the industry active 
there. 
4. THE VESSELS AND THE FISHERMEN. 
THE FISHING FLEET.—The following tables show the name of each vessel, the rig, tonnage, 
and other details of the Pacific Ocean codfish fleet for the years 1878, 1879, and 1880: 
San Francisco codfish fleet of 1878. 
3 3 
& ; a 
5 a ‘ Place of build-| . ‘Where fish- P ¢ Disposition of | 2.4 
Name. Rig. E Built. ing: E Outfit. ing. Sailed. : Posh, aL 10) ce 
a 15) Fa PA 
Alaska....-..---- Sch...| 32 | 1870......... Rogue River..| 7 |...-..------ Shumagins.| Mar. 18 | June 15 | Lynde & Hough, | 34, 000 
an Francisco. 
Alfred Adams*...| Sch...) 64 a}: 5) eee Essex, Mass...| 7 |....--..006- -0--GO ..... Apr. 4 | June 22 | McCollam &Co., | 148, 000 
: San Francisco. 
Arielt..-..-- soowe| SCM wee] sends Yeeciseweatee sels cesscasensecees dave] seeeeemmaese pe GO: deere lotecag meas eo eers ects ci cceseecdceS eases 45, 000 
General Miller...) Sch...) 108 IBTB ccicieniavs San Francisco.| 15 |.......--..- -02-d0 -..-. May 18 | Sept. 25 | N. Bichard, San- | 23, 000 
- os Francisco. 
J. H. Roscoet .--.| Sch...| 79.99 | 1851......-.. Amesbury,| 18 |..-.......... Bee Ceres Apr. 9| Aug. 30 | Johnston & Vea-| 20,000 
Mass. sey, San Fran- 
cisco. 
May Queen....... Soh .. | ---- 200] esas eee eeee [ones ceeeeenneeee|eees[eeeseeeneees|-oe Go .....[ Apr. 3] Aug. 7 |... eee 75, 000 
Sarah §......-...-| Sch...| 105 1867......--. Puget Sound.. Lynde & Hough, | 78,000 
San Francisco. 
Three Sisterst....| Sch ..] 62.06 |...........---]--2+----2+-eeeee sees pi licas acibe mens es di 85, 000 
Wild Gazelle. .--. Sch. ..} 114 1868.......-. Kennebunk, atl McCollam &Co.,| 66, 000 
Me. San Francisco. 
Adelaide Cooper |j | Bark-.| 300 About 1852..) Pittston, Me-.| 82 |..........-. Okhotsk ..) Apr. 16 | Oct. 2 | Lynde & Hongh, | 216, 000 
San Francisco. 
Constitution .....| Bktn | 257 Rebuilt about] Philadelphia; | 30 |............ onl ¢s000 Apr. 11 | Sept. 12 | N. Bichard, San | 140, 000 
1870. rebuilt in San * Francisco. 
Francisco. 
Fremont ......... Bktn .} 345 Rebuilt about)....do -.......- pr Meeree coerce seeedO sicce Apr. 20 | Sept. 29 | Lynde & Hough, | 250, 000 
aes 1876, i si San iencon| 
PRES kavaswnexvens Sch ...) 125 1820; rebuilt | East .......... 18 |wsccseyeeue- [noe O ewes’ Apr. 9 | Sept. 10 | N. Bichard,San-| 60,000 
several times.| Francisco. - 
* A tender for the fishing-station at the Shumagins. py. 
{Bronght fish caught Uy others: Wreoked at Wilmington, Cal., winter 1879. 
t Quit the business in 1379. 
