[101] OPERATIONS OF SCHOONER GRAMPUS. 591 



with as at 11.10. She had cruised as far as 40 miles south-southwest 

 of Fire Island. Saw menhaden, but no mackerel. 



When about 5 miles south by east from Block Island, at 1.50 p. m., put 

 out band-lines for bottom fish, and in an hour caught five cod-fish and 

 eighteen cunners. The fog cleared at 4.45 p. ra., when we laid a course 

 for Block Island and came to anchor on the northeast side of the island 

 at 5.35 o'clock, where also were twenty -three sail of mackerel schooners. 

 At the time of anchoring the wind was fresh from south-southwest, 

 with threatening weather. 



We laid at anchor off Block Island during the 11th, the fresh south- 

 southwest wind continuing, accompanied by foggy weather until G a. 

 m., and low barometer. I visited the schooner Jennie Seaverns, of 

 Gloucester, in the afternoon. From her captain I learned that on the 

 previous day he cruised 60 miles southeast of Block Island, during 

 which he saw ^several schools of herring. He said that the schooner 

 David F. Loiv 1 of Gloucester, caught GO barrels of small mackerel on 

 the 4th, about 35 miles from Fire Islaud. These fish were marketed in 

 .New York, but they brought a low price, on account of their small 

 size. The captain of the Loio reported that small mackerel were 

 numerous in that locality at the time. I also learned that two or three 

 small schools of large mackerel had been seen near Shinnecock recently. 



At 4 o'clock on the morning of the 12th got under way on the port 

 tack, steering to the southward, in company with the whole mackerel 

 fiert. When about 3 miles southeast from Block Island Light 

 changed course to south-southwest. We ran into numerous schools of 

 fish about 5 miles southeast of Block Island, which had the appear- 

 ance of menhaden, At 6 a. m. left the vessel, iu the seine-boat, to set 

 the purse-seine around a school of fish, but on finding them to be men- 

 haden did not shoot it. It was noticed that none of the fleet succeeded 

 in getting any fish, although several of them set their seines. Menha- 

 den steamers were seen inshore, to the westward of Montauk Point. 

 At 10.55 a. m. there were numerous schools of menhaden in sight, 

 all of which seemed to be moving to the eastward. Made another 

 trial with the purse-seine, but did not succeed in getting fish. After 

 this trial we stood off-shore on a south-southeast course, the wind having 

 veered round to the southwest. We sailed in this direction for 20 

 miles aud occasionally passed schools of menhaden. At 5.40 p. m. we 

 saw several schools of fish which appeared to be mackerel, and captured 

 a school containing about six barrels, in the purse-seine, about 6 o'clock. 

 Upon examination, the largest were found to be only 8 inches in length 

 and were not spawning fish. We saved about a barrel of them and 

 liberated the rest. These fish were captured in lat. 40° 36' N. long. 

 72° 00' W. It was noticed that the vessels of the fleet, which were to the 

 southward aud westward of us, were apparently among the fish, though 

 it is impossible to say whether they took any. Near the position where 

 the small mackerel were caught the small surface net was used and in it 



