[99] OPERATIONS OF SCHOONER GRAMPUS. 589 



that they had been searching for mackerel for the past week, but, so 

 far, had not succeeded in getting any. On the 4th instant they took a 

 school of menhaden about east by north 20 to 25 miles from Bamegat. 

 Finishing our interview with the captain of the Rowe, we steered a course 

 to the south-southeast, in which direction wesailed a distance of 13 miles. 

 At 1.45 p. m. the small "surface net was put out, in which we took noth- 

 ing. (Position, lat. 40° 27' N., long. 69° 47' W.) We then tacked 

 and stood to the west by north, and ran a distance of 13J miles. At 

 3.53 p. m. used the small surface-net in lat, 4(P 29' K, long. 70° 04' W., 

 and obtained an abundance of the red crustacean. Our next course was 

 west, in which direction we sailed a distance of 4 miles, when we tacked 

 to south-southeast. At 6.20 p. m., in lat. 40° 22' K, long. 70° 04' W., 

 put out the small surface towing-net for twenty minutes, and took the 

 largest quantity of the red crustacean yet obtained. The wind increased 

 to a very fresh breeze with a sharp sea, which was unfavorable lor noting 

 the presence of schooliug fish at any distance from the vessel, unless 

 they should " show up " very plainly at the surface. At dark the vessel 

 was hove-to on the port-tack. 



In the early part of the next day (June 7) there was a stiff breeze 

 from south-southwest, with cloudy weather. At 4.40 a. m. sounded in 

 48 fathoms of water and took bottom temperature; put out the small 

 surface-net, in which were collected a lot of sea-fleas and other Crustacea, 

 (Position, lat. 40° 13' N., long. 69° 58' W.) At 6.40 a. m. kept off to 

 the northwest by north, on which course black hagdons were seen at 

 intervals. The small towing-net was put out at 3 o'clock and collected 

 some fish eggs and two young fish. (Position, lat. 40° 57' N., long. 

 71° 03' W.) At 3.20 p. m. sounded in 26 fathoms of water and took 

 bottom temperature. At 3.30 changed course to north-northeast one- 

 half east, and in a few minutes steered to the northeast. 



We spoke with the fishing schooner Elisha Baker, fishing for cod-fish 

 on Cox's Ledge. Her captain reported not having seen any schooling 

 fish, but that several mackerel vessels had recently beeu in this vicinity. 

 He gave us the head of a large mackerel which he had taken from his 

 trawl-line, and he supposed that sharks had eaten the body. 



After speaking with the Baker we changed our course and steered 

 north-northwest one-half west. The small surface net was towed between 

 6 and 7.30 o'clock, and in it was obtained a large quantity offish eggs, 

 copepods, and other small Crustacea, our position being about 8 or 10 

 miles southeast from Block Island. About dark the captain of the 

 schooner IStowell Sherman, of Provincetown, boarded us to learn news 

 about mackerel. We furnished him with what information we had, and 

 in return learned that he had been cruising for mackerel since June 2, 

 covering a region between Shiunecock and South Shoal Light-ship, but 

 in the whole of the cruise had not seen any schooling fish. He also 

 said that several weirs at Truro had caught mackerel just previous to 

 his departure from port. We hove-to for the night at 7 o'clock, 



