BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 171 
annoyance to the weir fisherman, as after a school of herring has entered 
a weir the squid may put in an appearance and drive every fish out, 
the herring darting quickly through the openings in the brush in order 
to escape. The presence of mackerel also is injurious to the weir fish- 
ing, though to a less extent than the squid. For the past few years they 
have not been sufficiently abundant to interfere with the fishing to any 
extent. 
IV. — TORCHING AND SEINING FOR HERRING. 
Torching.™ Up to the last two or three years a favorite method of 
catching the herring was by u torching ” or “ driving, 57 as it is locally 
called. This method has for many years been extensively employed by 
the inhabitants of the region during the winter months for securing her- 
ring for smoking, and prior to the passage of the law which forbids the 
canning of sardines between December 15 and April 15 almost the en- 
tire supply of herring obtained during the winter for canning purposes 
was secured in this way. Torches have long been used in fishing by the 
savage and semi-civilized races in many parts of the world, and were 
employed by the Indians of this locality prior to its first settlement by 
the whites. The white man soon adopted the method and has continued 
it to the present time. 
A 16-foot lap-streak boat, with 4 to 6 men, is required for u driving.” 
An iron frame or basket projects from the bow of the boat, in which 
is kept a quantity of blazing birch-bark. One man at the stern steers 
the boat ; another, armed with a dip-net, stands at the bow ready to 
secure the fish, which gather in large numbers, keeping just in front of 
the light, as the remainder of the crew rapidly row the boat along the 
shore. It is said that the fish will not readily follow a light in summer, 
and torching at this season is seldom attempted, but by the last of No- 
vember the driving begins and continues without interruption until the 
following spring. Formerly a good many herring were obtained in this 
way in the vicinity of Eastport, but within the last few years the prin- 
cipal torching grounds have been along the north shores of Passama- 
quoddy Bay between L’Etang Harbor, New Brunswick, and Lepreau, 
New Brunswick, and between 8 and 10 hogsheads of herring are often se- 
cured by one crew in a single night. 
Year by year the supply of birch-bark in the vicinity has decreased, 
and the fishermen have been obliged to go farther and farther after it. 
Many of them have of late substituted for it cotton batting saturated 
with kerosene. This has excited the prejudice of the weir fishermen, 
who claim that the continual dropping of oil upon the water is liable 
to drive the fish away from the shore and beyond the reach of their 
weirs, and a Canadian law which has remained inoperative for some 
time is now revi ved, and driving is now practically discontinued,* though 
* Mr. R. C. Green, one of the leading sardine packers of Eastport, stated in Sep- 
tember, 1886, that “the torching has increased a good deal here this season. In the 
late fall [October and November] the factories are getting a large part of their fish in 
this way.” 
