THE S E A-B AS S K, AC . 
215 
is taken, and cotillion parties aro made up on the upper deck. 
A skilful harpooner sometimes makes one of the party, and 
gives excitement to the scene by striking and taking a por- 
poise. The boat touches at Coney Island, giving the passen- 
gers an opportunity of a sea bathe and a clam bake ; and also 
at Fort Hamilton, allowing an opportunity to view the fortifi- 
cations of the harbor. 
In addition to this mode, schooners and sloops are char- 
tered by private pleasure parties, who speud two or three 
days on an excursion down the bay and sound, affording op- 
portunity for ocean and inland fishiug, and often return with 
an assortment of the finny tribe, consisting of perch, trout, 
rock, tautog, blue-fish, flounders, cod-fish, sea-basso, and por- 
gees, enough to stock a Bmall-sized fish market. 
The proprietors of the steamboats endeavor to accommo- 
date the passengers with bait and tackle, and sometimes suc- 
ceed; but to insure success and satisfaction, the seeker 
of this description of sport should procure his own. The line 
should be of stout flux or hemp, from ten to twenty fathoms 
in length, (generally for sale, ready furnished, at the fishing 
tackle stores,) with two or three hooks attached, about a foot 
apart : those for porgees should be the round bent black- 
fish No. 3, described on plate 2. For sea-basse, the hook 
should be a stout Kirby No. 1. The assortment should al- 
ways consist of both kinds, and plenty ol them, as they aro 
sometimes taken off by shark and blue-fish, or are broken 
against the side of the boat in hauling up. The sinker should 
be of common lead, and weigh from oue-hulf to one pound 
(the latter size, if only one is taken, is the best.) Clam bait 
is the only kind used, and necessary : these can be purchased 
at the markets, ready openod. To render them tough and 
hard, add a little salt, which will make them cling to the 
hook much better. When luck favors these excursions, two, 
three, and even four fish are taken at a haul. It is necessary 
