Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1862-08-09

shaded down to a yellow belly, and
covered with reddish brown spots or
ffeckles. Some are a scpia brown CO..
lor marked with blue spots. The color
Of the flesh is like that of the cultus
cod, from pure white to greenish
blue. This color, although repulsive
to some persons, is no objection, as the
flavor is not affected, and it is an excel
lept table fish. Another popularity
about this fish is that it will bite at a
hook while trotting. They are caught
this way during the salmon season by
the natives.
Tom Cod, Smells, and Hcrrings, are
also caught by the Indians here. The
smelts and true cod precisely like those
caught in Massachusetts--the herring
similar to those taken further up the
Sound, very poor, and only valued by
these Indians as bait for salmon.
HALIDCT.-SHoo-YOULr.
This is the most important fish taken
by the Macahs. and next to the whale.
is more highly priced than any other
product OF the ocean. 1t is taken from
Cape tlattcry to Port Townsend, and,
although DR.. Suckly and Mr.. Gibbs
must not only have seen but eaten of
them, yet lind no mention of the fish
in their report. When speaking Of the
cod found on the bar off the mouth of
the straits. DR.. Suckley states that
"halibut is found in the same situa>
tons IIalibut arc taken by the Ma.
cah Indians principally during the sum-
mer months, when the weather enables
them to go in their canoes to the banks
some fifteen or twenty miles off the
mouth of the straits. They usually
start Just after midnight aud return
the following afternoon. The halibut
taken here arc usually small. tho larg-
est have seen did not exceed one hum
drcd and fifty pounds. They are re.
markably fine Favored aud very fat.
After they arc taken ashore and cleaned
they are cut up in thin slices and dried
on the roofs Of houses where the sun
shines, or 10y means of smoke in the
house, when it rains. After being
dried they arc packed iii baskets for
trading with other Indians on the Sound.
Farther north the halihut attains large
size. l have heard fabulous tales of
the immense size of haIibut taken
north of Queen Charlottc's Island, but
the stories were rather too tishy for me
to repeat. have the evidence, how
ever, of some of the old northwestern
traders that have cOnversed with in
Boston who have assured me that the
Halibut on this coast about the latitude
of Sitka are fully equal to the largest
ever taken on the coast. A few ener-
gctic men of capital are all that is
wanted to develope species Of indus
try that may be increased to rival the
fisheries OF the eastern States. The
wealth that now exists in the waters
that wash this coast is as dormant as
was our coal and gold and lumber prior
to the settlement of the Territory, but
it exists aud only waits for some enter
prising mon to turn to it with deter
imination to make business of it, and
it will be seen that our fisheries are not
the least important element in our Ter
ritorial prosperity. have no doubt
from all the evidence I have heard that
if parties suitably equipped, would
make the experiment, they would find
that cod and halibut abound along this
coast in quantities that will equal the
tar-famcd banks Of New Found!and.
ScULp1N Corrus. (KABDIs.)
Among the edible fishes that abound
about Cape Flattery are the Cottoids,
or Sculpins. There appear to be num-
Der of varieties of this genus, Of which
Suckley, Cooper and Gibbs mention
eight. There is still another variety
taken at Neah Bay, which attains
large size, called by the Machahs elsa
dairtch," which has not been described
by those gentlemen. The specimen !
examined measured 81 inches in length
aud weighed ten pounds. 1t Is repnl-
sive looking fish as are all the sculpin
tribe. but unlike their brethren in the
Atlantic, they are excellent eating. The
other variety most common here, are
the buffalo sculpin - Kabb:ss - the
prickly skinned, rough and the bar
eyed.
SKATE. B1LLAcH1E.)
The Skate is common from Cape
Flattery to Port Townsend, and are
taken by the natives, either with spears
in shoal water, or by hooks in deep wa
ter, fishing for halibut. DR.. Cooper
who has described some dead spcci-
mems he found at Shoalwoter bay, says
he never saw one alive. DR.. Snckley
mentions species Of stingaree skate III
Puget Sound. Cooper's variety meas