FISHERIES OF SOUTHERN DELAWARE. 537 
The method of setting the haul-seines in Indian River and Bay is as follows: The end of the 
first line, the “land rope,” is left with one man on the shore and run out its entire length by the 
men in the boat, two of whom pull away with the oars, the other one paying away on the rope, 
which is from 150 to 200 fathoms in length. After the line is out the seine is set in a semicircle up 
or down the stream or bay as the tide happens to run; the last end of the seine being always 
carried out somewhat farther from the land than the end first set. The net being out, the “water- 
line” is then run to the shore and the men divide themselves up, two pulling away on the “land- 
rope” and two on the “water-line.” After the ends of the seine have been drawn to the shore, two 
men take hold of the lead-line and two others pull in on the cork-rope. The net is then gathered 
in slowly, the foot-rope being hauled in more rapidly than the cork-line; hence when it reaches 
the dry beach the fish are finally turned out on the sand. The fish are rarely if ever seen before 
the seine is set, the fishermen putting their apparatus where they think the best results may be 
obtained. The wade-seines are set in precisely the same manner as has been described in the 
notes on the trout fishery. 
4. DISPOSITION OF THE CATCH. 
The fishermen of Milford occasionally take the spot, principally for their own use, but when 
a larger quantity than they need is caught they peddle them through the villages and rural dis- 
tricts in their immediate vicinity. The fishermen of Milton, who engage regularly in the spot fish- 
ery, a8 has been stated in- another paragraph, form themselves into gangs of two each, one of 
these men making a specialty of peddling the fish which are caught by his partner. In this way 
two-thirds of the fish taken are sold in a fresh condition, while one-third is salted. According to Mr. 
Morris, the average price of the fresh fish at Milton is two cents per pound, while those which are 
salted bring $10 per barrel. All of the latter are sold to the country trade. It takes about 
600 of these fish to make a barrel when they are salted. “They are dressed in much the same 
manner as our common mackerel, being first split and then soaked in water for a considerable 
length of time until all the blood is removed, after which they are salted. At Lewes, Mr. Burton 
tells us, the fishermen take their catch to the village in the morning and peddle the fish out during 
the day, selling as many of the fresh ones as they can. When they get a surplus and cannot sell 
them fresh, the fish are salted down. Mr. Marshall, of Lewes, estimates that one-third of the catch 
at that place is shipped in a fresh condition to New York and Philadelphia, one-sixth sold fresh 
at Lewes and adjacent towns, and one-half salted and sold to the country trade. He gives the 
average price as eight cents per pound. The spot which are taken iu the towns south of Cape 
Henlopen are either consumed by those who take them or are sold to the residents of the region 
near which they are caught. A small quantity are sold to the summer residents at Rehoboth 
Beach. The chief part of those which are peddled are disposed of in a fresh condition, but most 
fishermen and farmers salt down a quantity sufficient for their own use, which may vary from one 
and one-half to three or four barrels. 
5. FINANCIAL PROFITS AND LAY. 
The financial profits of the fishermen engaged in the spot fishery are difficult to determine, 
since the capture of the different. species is so interwoven with each other that no reliable or accu- 
rate data could be obtained. We are told by Mr. Marshall that the average yearly stock of the 
professional fishermen at Lewes is about $175, and that of a man fishing at “odd jobs” would aver- 
age about $50. It is perhaps safe to say that one-half or one-third of this amount would be earned 
in the spot-fishery. As +be fishermen own their nets, that is, those who use only gill-nets in 
