, 1854-11-04
Pncifc Fisheries.

In an article upon the variety and i'm
mense quantities Of fish on our coast, the
ease with which an extensive fishing inter
est can be built up on the Pacific, and the
certainty that such q branch of industry
must, at some future time, be called into
existence, which we find in the Gan Fran
cisco Sun, that paper thus describes the
quality and mode Of catching mackerel and
sardines -
"Trne, our mackrrei do not compare in
fatncSS and flavor with those on the Allan
tic coast, at least those that are taken in
the mouths of our harbors, and into the
mouths Of our cpicures, are not as fine, al
though the sea at greater distance from
land, may possess these fish equal in every
respect to those caught on the coasts Of
Massachusetts and Maine. In this conncc
ton, it might be as well to state, that the
art of catching mackerel as practsed al
the present day, was not known twenty
years ago The method formerly employed
was TO let out eight or ten lines from either
side of the vessel which kept under way
during the process. This was called drail-
ing, or trailing, and from three to five bar
rels per day was considered a good catch.
A native of Harpswell, Maine, by the
name of Robert Sole, was the first to try
for mackcrel with his vessel hove to- By
gradually feeding out quantity Of ground
/ bait, made from finely cut herrings and
clans, the fish were induced to follow it up
nearly to the surface, when the crew ranged
themselves along the weather side, and be-
ing supplied each with two lines and two
hooks on each line, succeeded to their eS
treme aStonishment aud delight, in secur'
ing two hundred barrels in one day. The
practice soon became universal.
Now it follows that if the mackercl fish
cries Of the Atlantic coast, which have
since supported thousands ofhardy men and
/ their families, were allowed to remain So
long in a. state of comparative insignif'
cance, the mackcrel fishery, of the Pacific
coast, if properly prosecuted, may also be-
come very important branch of business
The fish are here Then why not try? O.
Sardines are most abundant, and Of q
quality much superior to those taken on the
French coast, and we have hundreds Of
people among us perfectly au fait in the
art of catching and preserving them. Cod
and hallibut are also plentiful, and sell
readily in our markets at high prices. The
latter fish are found farther to the north.
ward, and are said to abound in the neigh
borhood Of Townsend Harbor, Port Oxford,
and off Vancouver's and Qneen Char.
lotte's Island"
In this connection, should be mentioned
the salmon of Oregon and Washington,
which will some day be the source Of an
important trade. Likewise our shell-Gsh.
We presume that the world cannot pre-
sent better fishing ground for salmon, cod,
hallibut, and numerous other fish, than is
afforded along the harbors of Puget Sound,
and the Straits of Fuca. Although due
credence might not be given to the asser-
ton, yet we arc assured by business men,
lately from the Atlantic side, that were the
fisheries in our vicinity entered into by the
Nantucket and New Bedford fishing
smacks, aided by the hardy sons Of Cape
Cod, and other "down casters, salmon and
other fish could be taken, and shipped
to the Atlantic side on profitable terms.
Our fisheries are, as yet, undeyeloped. But
few have ever ventured in the enterprise,
and these only on diminutive scale, and
with slender means and appliances for its
prosecution. The waters Of the Sound and
Straits are alive with almost every species
Of the fish kind, from the muscle through
out all the testacea, crustacea and cetace-
GUS species. No very inconsderable guam
tity Of oil from the latter having been ex-
tracted by the Indians for expectation in
their own crude way, in making exchanges
with our white population.
Oyster beds, clam grounds and crab re-
sorts may be found at almost all convent
ent points on the Sound; the which, to be
brought to Chesapeake Ray perfection, on
ly awaits due attention and proper cultiva-
tion.
A species Of fhe sardine family, are ta-
ken are in immense quantities in many Of
our bays which for richness, and delicacy
Of flavor are perfectly excruciating.
Ia In letter addressed to the Roman
Catholics of the United States, December,
1889, George Washington, then President,