268 BULLETIN OP THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
from 10 to 20 cents apiece. As the vessels were bound home some of them fell in 
with fish east of New York and made fair-sized catches, which were landed at Boston, 
Gloucester, Proviucetown, and Portland. The largest trips consisted of about 20,000 
fish. Among the mackerel taken to Gloucester were some exceptionally large ones. 
A fish from the cargo of the Norumhega weighed 5^ pounds, and 3 fish from the fare 
of the James A. Garfield weighed 4^, 4^, and 5 pounds, respectively. 
The 64 fares of mackerel landed in 1896 A-rere taken by 23 vessels, 16 of the fleet 
making no catch. Two vessels landed 6 fares each, 3 vessels had 4 loads, 8 vessels 3 
loads, 6 vessels 2 loads, and 4 vessels 1 load. The fishery yielded 2,872 barrels, or 
about 317,000 fish, having a value of $41,790. The average catch '^ler vessel was 74 
barrels and the average stock per vessel was $1,072. 
The southern mackerel season of 1897 was one of the most noteworthy in many 
years. While the catch was small compared with that of the years preceding the 
close-time law, it was so much in excess of the production in any season since 1892 
that it will go down in history as a remarkable year. The fleet Avas unusually large 
for this period, numbering 84 sail, of which 61 hailed from Gloucester, 6 from Prov- 
incetowu, 4 each from Boston and Portland, and 2 or 3 from each of 4 Maine and 
Massachusetts ports. 
The first vessel to start south was the JJtkel B. Jacobs, which sailed March 26. 
This schooner, on April 1, landed the first fare of the season at Fortress Monroe, Va., 
consisting of 20 barrels of tinkers, having an average Aveight of one-quarter of a pound ; 
these fish brought 3 cents each. The catch was made on March 29, in latitude 31°. No 
other fish were bi’ought iu until April 17, when the same vessel lauded 90 barrels at 
New York; these fish were 12 to 14 inches long and sold for 10 to 12^ cents each. 
From this time until the latter part of May there were almost daily arrivals at 
NeA7 York, Philadelphia, and other places. Fish were found iu great abundance off 
the coasts of North Carolina, Yirginia, Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey. Some 
of the vessels sighted fish Avhen only a few hours out from New York, and landed new 
fares Avithin two days after discharging their iirevious loads; one vessel made the record 
of taking 3 cargoes to Noav York within a week. The mackerel were for the most part of 
medium size, although there was a good proportion of large fish, some of them being 
exceptionally fine and denominated “bloaters.” 
Between April 19 and 30, 20 fares of fresh mackerel were landed at New York 
and Philadelphia, the Ethel B. Jacobs bringing another load of 250 barrels on the 24th, 
and the schooners Harvard, Lottie Gardner, and Carrie E. Phillips each securing two 
fares. The largest cargoes were the fare of 250 barrels referred to and another of the 
same size taken by the schooner Elsie M. Smith. During this month the catch as 
landed amounted to 2,597 barrels, or 421,000 fish, valued at $19,752. The fish were 
mostly of medium size and the prices on certain days Avere as Ioaa^ as 3 cents apiece. 
The first two weeks of May Avituessed remarkable activity of the mackerel fleet. 
Seventy-three fares were brought iu from the coast between Yirginia and New Jersey. 
On the 6th and 7th 17 cargoes, aggregating 3,754 barrels, or about 402,300 fish, valued 
at nearly $39,000, were taken to NeAv York and Philadelphia; these comprised the 
largest catches of the season, 3 of the vessels having 400 barrels each and 5 others 
from 250 to 350 barrels each. Many of the fish were large, 75 or 80 filling a barrel; 
these sold for 15 cents each, Avhile the medium-sized fish brought from 6 cents 
upAvard. 
