590 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [100] 



There was a stiff to fresh breeze from northeast by east in the early 

 morning of the 8th, with a sharp sea, the weather being misty and 

 rainy. The vessel was "jogging" from 12.30 a. m. until daybreak, 

 when the sheets were trimmed and we stood inshore towards Newport. 

 Anchored in Newport Harbor at 9 o'clock, where we found four or five 

 fishiug vessels. Other mackerel schooners arrived during the day until 

 late in the afternoon, when there were twenty -seven sail of fishing ves- 

 sels in the harbor. Some of the captains visited us for the purpose of 

 learning what news we had of mackerel, and they were informed of the 

 results of our investigation. Their reports acquainted me with the 

 recent catches of mackerel by the vessels of the fleet. 



The captain of the Robert Pettis reported that the schooner Active 

 took 1,500 large mackerel on June 4 about 5 miles southwest of Block 

 Island. Also, that four barrels Of salt mackerel were taken bv the 

 schooner Colonel French, and one barrel by a Portland schooner in the 

 same locality. Mackerel were seen off Cox's Ledge on the 3d, and some 

 of the later arrivals in the harbor reported that mackerel were seen in 

 the vicinity of Montauk Point. 



On account of a calm we lay at anchor in Newport Harbor until 8.30 

 o'clock on the 9th, when we got under way, in company with other fish- 

 ing vessels, with a light southerly breeze. At 10.15 Brenton's Reef 

 Light-ship bore abeam, the fishing vessels working towards Block 

 Island. 



It may not be out of place to mention here that when we left Newport 

 Harbor most of the fishing vessels were outside of the harbor, where they 

 took advantage of the breeze as soon as it came along, which gave them 

 a start of 4 or 5 miles of us, and when we were off Brenton's Reef Light- 

 ship they still had a lead of 4 or 5 miles dead to windward of us. We 

 gained quite rapidly on the fleet and at 4 p. m. our vessel was to the 

 windward of them all, with the exception of the schooner I. J. Merritt, 

 jr., of Gloucester, and another schooner hailing from Wellfleet. 



At 4.30 o'clock, when about 5 miles south by east from Block Island, 

 we hove-to and spoke with the fishing schooner Elizabeth Smith, of 

 Portland, Me., her captain desiring information in reference to mack- 

 erel, which was furnished him. The captain reported having sailed 30 

 miles to the southward of this position, but had seen no schooling fish. 

 The purse-seine was transferred to the seine-boat, and at 6.40 p. m. we 

 kept off on a southeast course, with four or five vessels of the mackerel 

 fleet in company. We hove-to for the night at 7.45 p. m. 



The fishing schooner Gertrude Summers, of Provincetown, made in- 

 quiries of us concerning mackerel in the early morning of the 10th. 

 From her captain I learned that he had been along the south side of 

 Long Island, where he saw schooling menhaden, but no mackerel. 



Got uuder way, steering east-northeast, at 9.55 a. m., with cloudy and 

 foggy weather; changed course to north at 10.15 a. m., and steered to 

 the westward at 10.50, The schooner G. A, Sanford, of Dennis, spoke 



