484 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [48] 



stout manilla warp called the net-swing, that is commonly made fast near 

 the middle of the schooner somewhere about the mainmast. The nets 

 may be set at different depths, according to the judgment of the com- 

 manding officer, or the person having charge of the investigation, so 

 that while the upper edge of some of them may be on a level with the 

 surface of the water others may be sunk from 5 to 10 fathoms deep. 



The nets are sometimes hauled in the night, but quite as frequently 

 are left out until morning. Generally, the crew are able to pull them 

 in, hand over hand, without difficulty, but if this can not be done the net- 

 swing can be taken through a block and led to the windlass, where 

 more purchase can be obtained for heaving it in. 



c. Seine. 



For obtaining mackerel for the purposes of propagation, the purse- 

 seine is the best form of apparatus to employ, since, if a school of fish 

 can be found, they may be surrounded and quantities of them dipped 

 alive into the well, where they can be kept until transported to one of 

 the coast hatching-stations. The method of catching mackerel with a 

 purse-seine on the Grampus is precisely similar to that adopted on board 

 of the vessels employed in the purse-seine mackerel fishery. Briefly 

 stated, it consists of keeping a sharp lookout from aloft for schools of 

 fish. When a school is seen, the crew, with the exception of the ship- 

 keepers, who are generally an officer and the cook, jump into the seine- 

 boat and the dory and pull away toward the fish. When the seine-boat 

 approaches the school, if the fish are not moving too rapidly, some of 

 the men immediately begin to throw out the net, while the others pull 

 the boat as rapidly as possible around the school, the object being to 

 make a complete circuit of the fish with the apparatus. As soon as the 

 first end of the net is thrown out, it is taken hold of by the two men in 

 the dory, who are ready to run a small line to the seine-boat in case she 

 fails to complete the circle with the net. When the seine is out all (the 

 men in the dory, as well as others) immediately proceed to purse up the 

 seine, that is, to gather in on the purse-line which reeves through blocks 

 at the bottom of the net. This closes the lower part of the seine and 

 forms it into a purse, or bag, which securely holds the fish from escape, 

 providing they have not already taken fright and sunk out of sight be- 

 fore the operation of pursing is completed. If they still remain in the 

 net the slack web of the seine is gathered in and the fish are " dried 

 up," as it is termed. When this has been sufficiently accomplished, the 

 captain and several of the men go on board of the vessel, which has been 

 lying by in the immediate vicinity, and after filling away, shoot her to 

 alongside of the seine-boat in such a manner that her headway is nearly 

 done by the time she reaches the boat, to which lines are thrown $ the 

 edge of the seine is then got over the rail of the schooner. The fish are 

 " dried up " as much as practicable so that they are brought into a com- 

 pact mass, when they can be dipped out of the seine with a large dip- 

 net and transferred to the well. 



