UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION 
AT WOOD’S HOLE. 
W E who are about to spend the Summer ut Wood’s 
Hole begin to think that good fortune was on our 
6ide when it was so arranged. Our daily papers aud let- 
ters tell us of temperatures from 00" to 100 ’ in the favored 
spots we have left behind us, while with us hot weather 
seems to be a rarity. Wo are absolutely wishing for it. 
This sleeping under a blanket overy night, and wearing 
still our Spring overcoats, is something novel for midsum- 
mer, when but three hours away, in .Boston, people are 
suffering with the heat. However, we don’t complain, 
and won’t, if we have freedom from fogs, which are the 
bane of fishermen aud dredgemeu. To be sure we have a 
pilot, native und to the manor born, who, it is said— and 
he does’nt deny it— can, in the darkest night or the thick- 
est fog and strongest tides, take us safely through the 
whirls and rapids, the sunken rocks and deceitful eddies 
of "the Hole.” It is well that he can, for it’s our mission 
to seek what others avoid, and the deep, safe channels, 
are but crossing places to the rocky ledges and banks, 
which the creatures who furnish fish food inhabit, and 
where naturally the various fish congregate, and where we, 
who seek both, have to follow them home. 
The Bluelight has begun her work, and we have bottles 
and pails full of dredge fruits, and before this letter is fin- 
ished will have tried with the trawl the sandy bottoms of 
Nimshe Island . Last week our naturalist corps became 
complete by the arrival of Profs. Verril and Smith, Messrs. 
Clarke, Thatcher, and others, whose names I will enclose 
in a complete list. The Molly, a roomy, comfortable 
yacht, placed at Prof. Baird's service through the obliging 
courtesy of Mr. Fay, her owner, has made trips and re- 
turned with sundry sharks and goose fish ( Lophius Ameri- 
canufi) and a great torpedo ray, collections from pounds 
off Nausha and the Vineyard; but our main excitement 
has been our black fish. News came on Tuesday evening 
that a school had beou driven ashore in Dennis Harbor, 
and the next morning a dozen of us, accompanied by the 
Rev. and genial Mr. Treadwel Walden, of Boston, and his 
two bright boys, started on a trip for our share of the 
sport and the spoils. We did’nt get the sport, but they 
weie rather spoiled— that is, for perfumery purposes; they 
were in prime order for scientific research. We occupied 
the smoking car on the Boston bound train in deference to 
our costumes, and reached Cohasset Narrows in half an 
hour or so, having in the meantime passed through a suc- 
cession of Falmouths, three or four, yes five of them; viz- 
Falmouth; North do.; West do.; South do, and Falmouth 
Heights. At Cohasset Narrows there is a junction with a 
branch line that extends aloug the cape to the extreme at 
Provincetown. We waited two hours for the train, but 
passed the time pleasantly. A number of the club men 
who have a most delightful little club house on the beach 
were engaged on the bridge, fishing in the rapid tide— 
which, from Buzzard’s Bay, here runs into a narrow re- 
sembling a river— for striped bass and blueflsh. Their gear 
opened my eyes; my efforts in that direction had been with 
big lines, big hooks and big squids; they were using geai 
delicate enough for trouting, with long gut snells, small 
hooks and a single shrimp for bait, using, however, reed 
poles aud large reels. The (lay, though, was not favora- 
ble, for some one of the many reasons which produce such 
results, and but one bass was taken while I was there, and 
that but a four pounder. The skill with which he was 
handled and lunded, two hundred yards off on a bit of 
beach, showed that there was a* times good enough fishing 
to give practice. I borrowed a home made pole, with a 
home made reel that a lively horse would have experienced 
difficulty in turning, and fortunately struck and lost noth- 
ing. It is at this point that it is proposed, by a three mile 
cut, to join the waters of Buzzard’s Bay with Massachu- 
setts Bay, and I think that auy one who has had to go 
around Cape Cod in rugged weather and a small vessel, 
will wish the projectors of the plan and the company 
success. 
From Cohasset it was a thirty mile ride to the eastward 
to one of the "Dennis’,” (there are four of them and five 
Sandwiches, and four Y armouths— names are scarce up 
this way and they have to make the best of what 
they have)— but we fouud that even the station man who 
sold us our tickets had got mixed a little, and after passing 
through the third Barnstable, found that one of the Yar- 
mouths was a nearer poiul to the right Dennis thau 
the other Dennis; (I hope you cau keep track of us.) so 
we got out there, aud with vehicles we had telegraphed 
for, started across to the beach, a five mile ride. As we 
passed the natives wo made inquiries as to the number of 
blackllsh, and as we neared the scene the number swelled 
to seven or eight huudred und more being driven. Alas 
for the veracity of flshermeul of Cape Cod fishermen par 
excellency we found but one huudred and twenty-eight, 
lying stiff and stark in a long row ou the beach, side by 
s >de, heads in shore, and moored with ropes. A few were 
still rolling to aud fro helplessly from the surf, for they 
ind been lanced aud drowned! I have seen many black- 
. ,u seil > and had formed too groat au estimate of their 
size, and these, although as I was told were a fair average 
ot, looked small; the largest was 10 feet 8 inches long— 
>o great portion about 14 feet, aud one newly born baby 
was the smallest; it was 7 feet 8 inches long, while its 
mother was but six foot longer. Our party secured several 
at different stages of growth and of both sexes, aud they 
were transported to our fish house, aud for a day or two 
Kept busy the ftrtluta, tlw dUaeolow, aud 
395 
with plaster, procured fine molds of all of them, which- 
or rather the casts from which-will enrich our National 
Museum at tho centennial. Our photographer, Mr. Smiley, 
was unable to exercise his art upon them, as his instru- 
ments had not yet arrived; but with Blake’s drawings no 
photograph is necessary. 
I have had at last a fair afternoon’s fishing. I had 
about given up, for bluefish seemed to have become nearly 
extinct; but "still fishing” in an eddy last week I hooked 
and secured a fine striped bass weighing 17* pounds, and 
shortly after, on the same bait— the tuil of a shedder lob- 
ster-an eight pound blueflsh. I have lost my faith in the 
gamy qualities of the bass. Mine was, as I said, nearly an 
eighteen pounder, measuring three feet in length; vet my 
eight pound blueflsh gave me twice the work that he did. 
Two or three times I had to give him line; not once did the 
bass require more than checking. My bass was a good one 
but the day before one of forty six pounds had been taken 
in the same eddy. The bass make their appearance here 
three or four times in the Summer, when, for a day or 
two they are taken, aud some pretty big ones; then they 
disappear entirely. They have been caught and brought 
to market as large as seventy pounders; they have been 
hooked and "got off," if I am to believe all I hear, weigh- 
ing twice as much. As there were no scales but those of 
the bass present, I have my doubts. 
The Commission are well underway at their work. Our 
wind mill is up and working, and our tank of salt water, 
ever changing, ready to supply the aquarium. The pounds 
are sending in sword fish, sharks of all sorts, and other 
rare fish, and to-day we got a splendid gar fish four feet in 
length. I will tell you some of these days of all the inter- 
esting ceremonies with which a rare fish is treated when 
he falls into our hands, but want to see the photographer 
at work first, with his unique apparatus, to desciibe the fitst 
impression. 
I did not do full justice to this place in my hist. I de- 
scribed it as I then understood it— as a "hole.” I find that 
the word is a corruption, and that in reality it should be 
known by a more dignified appellation— one that connects 
it by au interesting link to ages beyond out familiar his- 
tory. I am indebted to Mr. Joseph Fay, who has pub- 
lished a monograph on the subject, for the information : 
"In the tenth century the Norsemen visited this country, 
and coasting down from Greenland, passed aloug Cape’ 
Cod through the Vineyard Sound to Narragauselt Bay, 
where they settled; that a knowledge of the history ami 
migrations of such tribes, the Celtic-Norwcigans, and others, 
must be recovered from the study of names of the places 
they once inhabited; that in Shetland, without exception, the 
local names ure Norweigan, tlie names of farms end with 
seter, aud the hills are called ‘holl;’ that coming through 
the souud, at such places where they would naturally Re- 
sort, harbors and roudsteads aud passages, all overlooked 
by hills, we find now the name of Hole. Powder Hole, 
with its high, sandy hills; Wood’s Hole, with hilly bluffs,’ 
both sheltered harbors; Robinson's Hole, a passage through 
from Narrtguust-tt to Buzzard's Bay, prominent hills 
marking its boundaries; and below Pasque aud Nasliawe- 
uec Islands the high hills of the former are a distinguish- 
ing mark for Quick’s Hole, which is but a channel. It is 
recorded in their sagas that their intercourse with the na- 
tives was friendly, aud it is probable that, familiarizing 
themselves with the localities by the prominent laud marks, 
they gave to the Indians the word “holl,” which has again 
by them been passed down to later generations. 
‘Thetr names are on our waters, 
Ye may not wash them out.’ ” 
If this theory be correct— and it seems well substantia- 
ted— for in the sixty miles of their probably dallying voy- 
uge, stopping first in the harbors on the south shore, then 
when they ceased, following along the northern coast aud 
leaving their names among the Elizabeth Islands, we have 
five places named "Hole,” or "Holl," while to the’eastward 
there are nine— then it is shown that to the Old Bay- 
State belongs the honor of priority of discovery and of 
settlement; but, with a few exceptions, the ludian names 
still adhere to the many islands of this neighborhood. 
Cnttyhunk, Penikese, Nashuaua, 
Preaqulneese, Grout Naushou, Nonumessoit, 
Aesouet und Sukkonessett, 
Uncadna and Weepecket 
is a bit of thrilling poetry, familiar to those who heard it 
from childhood, but very hard to quote in an emergency. 
1 don’t wouder the Indians took the new and easy word 
for their hills, nor that the English explorers under Bar- 
tholomew Gosnold adopted it with pleasure, prefixing, as 
is still a common practice, (see Arclic charts) their own 
name to distinguish them. Piseco. 
CREEDMOOR. 
nr7J'. Je , Hem i Dg, r ,)inm0nd ™ "hot for on Sat- 
urday i as t under favorable conditions of wind and weather 
The trophy was held by Mr. I, L. Hepburn, a member of 
ZlZ Z I ern , a "°r al ,eftrn ’ wh0 appeared, from the 
score made at the first two ranges, likely to repeat his 
clory; but at the 1,000 yards his score fell off. and 
‘ i ' S ‘ jL ‘ We ! ’ Wh ° dld somc ve T flntt shooting, 
ti “ -u.«co£. 
II. S. Jewell. . 
SOO-5 4 5 5 It 5 4-33 I 
- 800 -5 4 5 5 4 A 5—33 V. 
I WO' -3 4 5 3 5 5 5-30 \ 
87 
87 
82 
—New postage rates, which took effect July 1, are ns 
follows: Money orders not exceeding $15, ten cents; over 
$15 and not exceeding $30, fifteen ceuts; over $30 and not 
exceeding $40, twenty cents; over $40 und not exceeding 
$50, t weuty-five cents. Postage to Germauy, Great Britaiu, 
Luxembourg, Norway, Swedeu and Switzerland, five cents 
for each half ounce. Postal cards to same countries, two 
cents; uewspapers, two cents for euoh four ounces; mer- 
chandise, two ceuts for each four ounces or fraction thereof; 
registration, eight cents. Prepayment is optional, but 
double rates will be collected at place of destination, when 
payment is not made. Maximum weight of merchandise 
allowed to bo sent, eight aud three-quarter ounces. These 
rates will bo applied to France after January 1, 1870. 
< a'v - o 1 •> O O O O — iJU 
LL SttSISgSilS 
1000 — 0 0 2 4 * 4 8-18 
L Geiger ®00-5 5 5 4 5 6 5—34 
8 1 800- 5 1 3 5 5 6 5-32 
( 1000—2 2 5 8 2 2 5- 21 
Captain W. Lindt ay 
| 1000-3 5 4 3 0 5 3 -23 
E j 800—4 8 5 8 9 4 4^28 
| inoo— 0 5 5 0 4 3 5-22 
n , r r I „u m „. I 50 °-° •* s 5 5 5 4-28 
Dr. J. L. Lstlmc ' 800-3 0 5 6 5 3 5-28 
I 1000-4 5 3 3 5 3 4 -27 , 
A ( 500 -5 4 5 8 3 5 5-801 
A. Anderson J m _ 4 A 4 , 4 4 4 _ )W I m 
1 1000— 3 5 0 2 4 3 4—22 J 
The American Team Abroad.— T he 21st was the day 
fixed for the match for the American Cup presented to the 
American riflemen by the National Rifle Association foi 
competition— first, among the members of the team, and 
subsequently, ou its arrival in this country, by our rifle- 
men generally. A heavy rain, now a familiar visitant, 
prevented the match being announced at the appointed* 
time, but later in the day the shooting commenced. The 
sky was lowering and the wind light. The range was 
1,000 yards. Each man had thirty shots, and the highest 
possible score was 150. Bodine and Yale did not take 
part in the contest. The scoring was remarkably fine, 
considering the distance and weather, and excited general 
admiration. Fulton made eight consecutive bullseyes and 
Canfield six. The following is the score: — 
Name. Score | Name. g CO re 
Ful'O" 133 Brace 
( anlleld 128 Ballard .. ins 
Coleman IWlUilder-lecve .""".'Aos 
Mr. Samuel Remington gave a bauquet to the American 
team on Friday. Major Leecli and other members of tlie 
Irish team were among the guests. Speeches were made 
by, and the heartiest congratulations exchanged between, 
the Americuus and Irishmen ou their respective victories 
at Dollymount and Wimbledon. 
On Saturday the members of the American rifle teum 
witnessed the concluding shooting of the Wimbledon 
meeting. Major Fulton received the Wimbledon Cup 
from the Princess Louise. The Americans were personally 
visited by the Duke of Cambridge, Earl Spencer, the Mar- 
quis of Lome, and the Earl of Kingston. Monday, they 
•hey visited Eton with Sir Henry Halford. General M6- 
Murdo lias promised to arrange for a visit by the team to 
Woolwich this week, after which the Americans will go 
to Paris. They will sail for home on the steamship City 
of Berlin, which leaves Liverpool for New York on the 
12th of August. 
The Elcho Shield. — T his, the most important match 
of tho Wimbledon meeting, was decided ou Thursday. 
The Irish term, coached by their recent American antago- 
nists, were victorious by the closest as well as the best 
score ever made for this trophy, adding sixty-six points to 
the best made before, but still inferior to that made ut 
Dollymount. The telegraphic report gives the following 
summary: — 
The contest was limited to the teams of England, Scot- 
land and Ireland. The teams consisted of eight members, 
each of whom had fifteen shots at ranges of 800, 900 and 
1,000 yards. The highest number ofpoiuts (o' for each 
shot) that could be made at any one range was 600, aud the 
highest total score was 1,800. 
The shooting opened at the 800 yard range, the Ameri- 
can team keeping the targets for the Irishmen aud super- 
intending the shooting. At the close the score stood : — 
Team. Points. Highest. Percent. 
England 515 CdO tag 
Ireland 502 600 (f36 
Scotland 43S 000 .830 
At the 900 yard range the English fell behind from 515 
to 504. The Scottish team warmed to their work and made 
some splendid shots, increasing on their previous scores 13 
points. The Irish team went to the front with a rush, and 
a lead of 10 over England aud 20 over Scotland, increasing 
their score from 502 to 52 7 . At the close the scores stood: 
Team. 
Points. 
Highest. 
Ireland 
600 
.878 
Scotland 
511 
600 
.651 
England 
504 
600 
.840 
1,019 
•—Tlie London Tinuu approves of the L'euteuuial cele^ra* 
Uoa. Now gas go wUU iuipuuity, 
The shooting at the third (1,000 yards) range was very 
excitiug and watched with breathless interest. Point by 
point the English team recovered its lost ground, but the 
shooting of tlie Scottish team was the best of all. Stead 
ily they gained on the English, gained the leu points dif- 
ference, aud attacked the score of the Irish team, now but 
ten of the twenty points ahead. Bui the odds were too 
great, or the match too short. Wheu the last rouud was 
tired they still lacked three points of a tie, having short- 
ened the gap seventeen points. The scores for the 1,000 
yards range stood : — 
T. am. 
Points. 
Highest. 
Per cent. 
Scoilund 
4M 
600 
.822 
England 
4S3 
6.0 
Ireland 
600 
785 
The score of the tliree ranges was as follows — 
Total 
Team. StOyda. 900 yds. 1,000 yds. :873 
Ireland 602 82? 477 1,506 
Scot land 498 611 494 1,50-1 
.niM.mi.llll 60* W 1,002 
Total 
1.0ft* 
1,51 *2 
1.506 
Total 
is:.. 
1.373 
1,487 
1,404 
