NOTES ON THE CRAB FISHERY, 
107 
of the scrape are dumped upou tlie board, and the crabs are separated with the hand 
from the mass of mud and grass in which they have been rolled by the movements of 
the boat. With a moderate wind the boats can sail under full headway. 
The use of the dip-nets is easily understood. The men use their oar as a pole, 
pushing the boats slowly around the edges of the marshes, and in other shallow locali- 
ties, and adroitly handle the net when a crab is seen. 
The opinion prevails at Crisfleld that the crabs are most active during the night 
and that they then frequent much shoaler water in larger numbers than during the 
day. The fishermen usually make their best catches shortly after daybreak, and there 
is sometimes considerable rivalry among them in making an early start to reach the 
shallows and put out their dredges for the crabs that during the night have come up 
to feed and moult. 
Generally long before sunrise the harbor of Orisfield and the adjacent creeks and 
marshes are alive with the crabbing crafts. At 6 o’clock on the morning of August 
14, 1888, 215 canoes and bateaux were counted between Crisfield and the mouth of the 
short river upon which it is located. As the sun shone upon their glistening sails of 
uniform size the sight was a striking one. 
It is not an uncommon thing for an industrious crabber to return home to an early 
breakfast, having taken enough crabs by that time to satisfy him for the day. Ordin- 
arily, however, the men remain out until the afternoon, putting in to the shore once or 
twice, perhaps, to unload their catch. 
9. The yield in 1887 and 1888. — The daily catch varies considerably at different 
times, depending on the weather. A stormy period will not only cause the crabs to 
remain in the deeper water, but will also prevent the fishermen from following the fish- 
ery to any great extent. Taking the season through, however, the average daily catch 
to a boat in 1887 and 1888 was between 75 and 100 crabs, the former year being a 
rather more favorable one than the latter. While a large majority of the fishermen 
probably never exceeded these figures, except on rare occasions, a few, possessing en- 
ergy and tact, did much better and for extended periods during each season took as 
many as 1,500 crabs weekly. 
The total yield in 1887 was 2,199,931 crabs, and in 1888 3,928,308 crabs, an increase 
of 1,728,477 crabs. The value of the catch to the fishermen was $38,502 in 1887 and 
$69,743 in 1888. These figures would reiiresent an average annual catch of about 
3,300 and 5,000, respectively, to a man, or 4,000 and 6,275, respectively, to a boat. Al- 
though these averages are correct, they fail to show the fishery in the best light, since, 
in computing them, it has been necessary to include a considerable number of men and 
boats that were not steadily employed throughout the crabbing season. If deductions 
were drawn based simply upon the men who devoted themselves more or less regularly 
to the fishery, the results would be nearly doubled as compared with the foregoing fig- 
ures. 
10. Disposition made of the catch . — The fishermen do not shij) tbeir own crabs, but 
dispose of them to regular dealers, who pack the soft crabs for immediate shipment 
and place the “ peelers ” in floats provided for the purpose until the shedding process 
’ is over. As the fishermen bring in their crabs the dealers or their agents count them 
in the presence of the crabbers, separating the soft crabs, the “short-comers,” and the 
“long-comers,” and paying for them at the time in cash, or, as is the more general prac- 
tice, giving a ticket or check, redeemable at any time. 
