98 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1884. 



vessels, &c. This catalogue contains, in addition to the notes already 

 alluded to, concise descriptions of much of the material in this depart- 

 ment which more particularly relates to the fisheries of the United 

 States. 



Under the title of " American commerce" the Newburyport Herald, 

 of November 7, 1884, published an article upon the collection of models, 

 &c, in the Museum, and made special mention of builders' models, pict- 

 ures, &c, which had been obtained at Newburyport, Mass 



PRESENT STATE OF COLLECTION. 



The collection in this department probably contains the largest 

 amount of material illustrative of the fishing craft of this and other 

 countries, and the various accessories for rigging such vessels, to be 

 found in any museum in the world. In this direction, as well as in that 

 of the more primitive types of water craft in use in various parts of 

 the globe, the National Museum may fairly claim to be in an excellent 

 condition. There is not, however, so great an amount of material repre- 

 senting the merchant marine and naval vessels, of even our own coun- 

 try, as might be desired. 



So far as the models of boats and ships are concerned, nearly all of 

 them have been placed on exhibition, but with the materials for the 

 equipment of vessels, &c, the case is far different, as has already been 

 indicated. With few exceptions, owing to lack of time and other causes, 

 it has been found necessary to put these, temporarily, in storage. As 

 soon, however, as it is practicable, this collection will be properly clas- 

 sified, arranged, and displayed in the Museum. 



STATISTICS. 



Owing to causes which have already been alluded to, I find it impos- 

 sible to give anythiug more than an approximation of the statistics of 

 this department, with the exception of the material now exhibited. 

 There are now on exhibition (including a whale-boat at the New Orleans 

 Exposition) 28 full-sized boats, canoes, corracles, &c; 54 builders' mod- 

 els, which, with 32 now at New Orleans, make up a total of 86; 305 

 other models of vessels, boats, canoes, &c, are displayed in the Mu- 

 seum, and 8 models of this description are now at New Orleans, making 

 313 in all; 4 water-color sketches of ships of the fifteenth, sixteenth, 

 and seventeenth centuries ; 5 oil paintings of modern types of fishing 

 vessels; 1 photograph of an English North Sea beam trawler; sketch 

 of a full-rigged brig ; 2 prints of naval vessels ; 19 sketches and photo- 

 graphs of fishing vessels, &c. ; and 88 specimens of vessel fittings and 

 apparatus. 



There are held in storage, or what might be, perhaps, called the re- 

 serve series, about 25 models and some 350 specimens of boat and vessel 

 fittings. 



As to the future development of this department there is much to 

 be hoped for. With the space now at command it would not perhaps 



