1885.] Traces of Prehistoric Man on the Wabash. 969 
winter months, chiefly in the capture of halibut, which they carry 
to New York. These vessels, however, take also a considerable 
quantity of codfish. In addition to the Gloucester vessels already 
mentioned, which fish for halibut throughout the year, there were 
eight vessels, of 647 tons, which fished for halibut in the winter 
season and engaged in other fisheries, generally the cod fishery, 
from May to November. 
The vessels of the George’s fleet, though their chief object is 
the capture of cod, take considérable quantities of halibut, which 
are brought to Gloucester fresh ; a few also are sometimes taken 
by the Western bank cod fleet, and a still smaller quantity by 
the Boston market fleet. In 1879, and probably in 1880, there 
were a few small vessels on the coast of Maine which engaged in 
the fresh-halibut fishery for three or four months in the summer, 
carrying their fish chiefly to Portland. The total catch of hali- 
but on the New England coast for 1879 is estimated at 14.637,- 
000 pounds, distributed as follows: 
Gloucester halibut fishery . 8,300,000 
Gloucester vessels fishing in winter only . 1,000,000 
mew York halibut Catchers. 005 7.4 s.40<5 cous arahi 3,000,000 
Gloucester, George’s fleet (incidental)... 2,000,000 
Western bank cod vessels (incidental). ... 37,000 
Small vessels on the coast of Maine and Massachusetts........ 300,000 
Total 14,637,000 
In 1885 the halibut fleet of Gloucester is reduced to one-fourth 
of its former size, and the total catch is estimated at from three 
to five million pounds, 
It is evident that within a few years the American off-shore 
halibut grounds will be so depleted that the fresh-halibut fishery 
on our coasts will be abandoned. We shall then derive our chief 
supply from the waters of Greenland and Iceland, where several 
vessels go each year to bring back cargoes of salt “ flitches.” 
Halibut will come into our markets only in a smoked condition, 
and the species will be as unfamiliar in our fish-markets as it is in — 
those of the old world. The life-history of the species must be 
recorded now, for it can never be made so completely hereafter. 
This is the writer's excuse for having presented in this place so 
full a biography of the halibut. 
— om 
TRACES OF PREHISTORIC MAN ON THE WABASH. 
BY JOHN. T. CAMPBELL. 
p oone the year 1884 I was employed as civil engineer for 
the construction of a levee from the mouth of Big Raccoon 
Creek on the east side of the Wabash river, which is the west 
boundary of Parke county, Indiana. The levee was built as close 
to the river bank as practicable, and was aimed to be the height 
