THE SPRING SOULHERN MACKEREL FISHERY. 273 
2.—THE SPRING SOUTHERN MACKEREL FISHERY. 
The spring mackerel fishery is in reality a branch of the mackerel-seine fishery, and the 
methods employed in it are identical with those described in the previous section of this chapter. 
In this place it is necessary only to add a history of this fishery, a description of the grounds 
frequented by the southern fleet, and a few statistical notes. 
1, FISHING GROUNDS. 
The fishing grounds frequented by the southern mackerel fleet lie between Cape Hatteras and 
the South Shoals of Nantucket. The fishing scason is in the months of April and May. The first 
vessels go south about the middle of March or soon after; but until] 1878 no mackerel were ever 
taken before the 1st of April.* 
2, EARLY CATCHES OF MACKEREL, 1878 TO 1881. 
The earliest results of the southern fishery in the years 1878 to 1881 were as follows: 
FIRST CATCHES IN 1878, 
March 30.—Schooner Lilian, of Noank, Conn., Captain Latham, off Chincoteague. 
April 16.—Schooner Sarah M. Jacobs, of Gloucester, Capt. Solomon Jacobs, caught her first mackerel in latitude 
36° 10’ N., longitude 74° 45’ W. 
April 18.—Schooner Alice, of Swan’s Island, Me., Capt. Hanson B. Joyce, master, caught her first mackerel 25 
miles southeast from Cape May. 
April 25.—Schooner John Somes, of Swan’s Island, Me., Capt. J. 8. Staples, master, caught her first mackerel 50 
miles southeast from Cape May. 
FIRST CATCHES IN 1879. 
April 12.—Schooner Sarah M. Jacobs, of Gloucester, caught first mackerel in latitude 36° 35! N., longitude 74° 
50’ W. . 
April 13.—Schooner Augusta E. Herrick, of Swan’s Island, Me., Capt. William Herrick, caught first mackerel 
(130 barrels) in latitude 37° 37' N., longitude 74° 23’ W. 
April 13.—A few fish taken by schooner 8. G. Wonson, of Gloucester, 75 miles south-southeast from Cape 
Henlopen. 
April 14.—Schooner Charles Haskell, of Gloucester, caught first mackerel in latitude 38° 08’ N., longitude 73° 
, 67 W. , : 
April 19.—Schooner Alice, of Swan’s Island, Me., caught first mackerel (140 barrels) in latitude 37° 50’ N., longi- 
tude 74° 03/ W. 
FIRST CATCHES IN 1880. 
April 1.—Schooner Edward E. Webster, of Gloucester, Capt. Solomon Jacobs, caught the first mackerel of the 
season in latitude 35° 30’ N., longitude 74° 15’ W. 
FIRST CATCHES IN 1881. 
March 20.—Schooner Edward E. Webster, of Gloucester, caught the first fish of the season, and the earliest on 
record, in latitude 37° 10’ N., longitude 74° 05’ W. A second trip was caught by the same vessel on April 18 in lati- 
tude 38° 38’ N., longitude 74° 00’ W. 
May 16.—The schooner Alice, of Swan’s Island, caught 30,000 mackerel off Block Island. 
3. THE VESSELS, APPARATUS, AND METHODS OF FISHING. 
The southern mackerel fishery is participated in by thirty or forty of the Gloucester mackerel 
schooners and a number of vessels from Cape Cod and Maine. The total number of vessels 
*Schooners Edward E. Webster, Nellie N. Rowe, and Ivanhoe sailed for the south on Saturday (March 11) in 
pursuit of mackerel, the Webster getting the start by sailing at 4 o’clock a. m., and the others following at 4 o’clock 
p.m. This is the earliest start ever made in the mackerel fishery. Last year the Edward E. Webster sailed March 
15, which was unusually early, and obtained a fare within a week thereafter. (Cape Ann Advertiser, March 17, 1882.) 
SEO y¥——18 
