154 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
within about 200 feet of the shore the launch casts off the seine rope, which is picked 
up by the boat and taken to the shore and placed in snatch blocks which lead to a 
steam winch and are arranged along the beach. As the seine is hove in, the circle 
becomes smaller, and in order to have the rope at all times pull from the right direction 
the seine rope is shifted as the seine comes in, from the outer to the inner blocks. By 
this means the seine is landed on the beach at the desired spot. During this operation 
a man is stationed at the post from which the seine rope leads, aud gives tlie necessary 
signals; he also shifts the seine rope from block to block when necessary. 
After the end of the seine is lauded on the beach, half of the seine has still to be 
drawn into a small compass in order to accommodate the size of the catch. This is 
done by hitching the hauling line around the body of the seine, fluting it as it comes 
home, and shifting the leads as may be required. In this way the entire seine is hauled 
in; the hauling is all done from one end. As soon as the seine is dragged into as 
narrow compass as desired, a dory is anchored a short distance outside the seine, the 
rode line is paid out until the dory reaches the cork rope, which is taken over the 
stern of the dory aud made fast. This is called a “snag tender.” A man is stationed 
on the outside of the corks to be ready to clear the foot line should it come in contact 
with anything on the bottom. When the wind is blowing on shore and any consider- 
able surf is heaving in on the beach, the dory keeps the seine in iiosition, preventing 
it from being thrown into a heap. The catch having been gathered into a bag formed 
by tlie net, the corks are made fast to the gunwale of two or more dories, as may be 
required, and the fish pitched into them with siugle-tiued forks called “pews.” When 
a large haul of salmon is taken, dip nets holding 18 to 20 fish or more are used; this 
is called “bailing out.” 
By the time one seine is half in, another is being set, and at no time when the 
weather is suitable and tish plentiful, except from Friday night to Sunday morning, 
is tbe flshing-ground free from seines. Frequently three and four are in the water 
at once. 
It has been the custom not to set seines directly across the mouth of the outlet, 
but the manner of operation often makes it almost imi^ossible for fish to ascend 
except in the early spring. Those that escape one haul are likely to be captured in 
the next. It is true that one day in each week no fishing is cai’ried on. and during 
that time a considerable number of salmon pass in by the mouth of the outlet, but the 
majority of these are captured before ascending very far. If fishing in the outlet 
were entirely prohibited, it would aid very materially in keeping up the supi^ly. 
SHIPS AND BOATS. 
A fishery so large as that carried on at Karluk requires many boats of different 
types. The expense of keeping these in repair and supplying new ones when needed 
is considerable. These cannery ships, like all others connected with the salmon 
fishery of Alaska, on leaving the home port in the spring are loaded with the raw 
material to be used during the season, which consists largely of box boards, tin, rope, 
and machinery; also the required amount of provisions. In most cases the superin- 
tendents, foremen, and bookkeepers of the canneries take passage in these vessels; 
the fishermen, and Chinese help are also included among the number. 
In all parts of Alaska where drag-seine fishing is carried on, the style of boats 
varies but little, they being about the same shape and build. Those used at Karluk 
are from 28 to 30 feet long and 9 feet wide, flat on the bottom, and square across the 
