68 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



Statistics. — There were in 1885 twenty- three men, with seven pounds, 

 one gill-net steamer, and one seine, employed here, the capital amount- 

 ing to $25,455. The catch consisted of 576,500 pounds, valued at $23,500. 

 This included 300,000 pounds of fresh and 89,500 pounds of salt white- 

 fish, 148,000 pounds of fresh and 26,000 pounds of salt trout, and 

 13,000 pounds of herring, sturgeon, and other fish, 6,000 pounds of 

 which were salted. 



31. SAULT DE SAINTE MARIE AND VICINITY, CHIPPEWA COUNTY, 



MICHIGAN. 



Description of the village. — Sault de Ste. Marie, a village of about 

 3,000 inhabitants, is situated at the extreme eastern end of Lake 

 Superior, opposite the St. Mary's Eapids. It is the county seat of 

 Chippewa County, surrounded by an agricultural region, with small 

 lumber interests. Thus far it has no railroad, the nearest station being 

 at St. Ignace, 55 miles distant. Its lack of railroad facilities is some- 

 what offset by the frequent opportunities for shipment by steamer to 

 all lake points. 



Indian dip-net fishing. — The region is a famous fishing-ground for the 

 Chippewa Indians, who formerly came in considerable numbers from 

 the interior to the vicinity of the rapids, smoking and carrying away 

 with them the fish which they caught. During the spring and early 

 summer large numbers of Indians were often located here and great 

 quantities of fish were taken. As late as 1865 crude smoking and dry- 

 ing frames, covered with cedar strips and hung with whitefish, were not 

 an uncommon sight along the bank of the river in the vicinity of the 

 rapids. The dip-net fishing in the rapids by Indians is still important, 

 and there were in 1885 about twelve canoes on the American side and 

 six additional ones on the Canada shore. They have dip-nets about 3 

 feet in diameter, and canoes 18 or 20 feet long, provided with poles and 

 paddles. One Indian sits in the stern to guide the craft, while the 

 other stands in the bow, with a pole, by means of which he pushes the 

 canoe well up into the rapids while looking out among the rocks and 

 bowlders for fish. When one is seen he seizes his dip-net, with which 

 he quickly lands it in the canoe. According to Mr. Roach, fourteen 

 hundred whitefish, making when salted forty half-barrels of 100 pounds 

 each, have been taken in a single day by one canoe. On May 18, 1885, 

 the crew of one canoe dipped 1,115 pounds, worth between $40 and $50, 

 and four days later about 5,000 pounds were lauded by Indians fishing 

 in this way. During the year 1885 the twelve crews from the American 

 side secured about 75,000 pounds of fine whitefish. They begin dipping 

 as soon as the ice will permit in the spring, and continue uutil late in 

 November, the best fishing occurring between the middle of Jlay and 

 the middle of July. 



Other fisheries on the American shore. — The other fishing from the vil- 

 lage in American waters is of little importance, there being no gill-nets 



