The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1890-06-06
Ghcprmnrraf~S Star
ORIGIN OF CiNIAR.
An Appetiziug Chapter on Fish, Frogs
and Fish Eggs.

DTOluUtI dlICt III VIC NNh''i " wv
spots are found il. the rivers and
lakes of North America on the Al
lantic as well rs on the Pacific
coast, while those winch have the
protuberance at the extremity Of
the spots are confined almost al.
together TO The basins of The Back
and Caspian seas and in The fresh
water lakes farther to the east,
even as far as the frontier Of Chi
ma. The sturgeon inhablts gener
ally the colder parts of The tenn
perate zones. Occupying, like the
shad and salmon, the large bodies
of water in winter, it ascends the
river to spawn in the spring. In
Russian waters it is often twenty
feet in length and weighs from
200 TO 300 pounds. or course this
great slz Is exceptional. 1t is
found in all the rivers of southern
Russia, in the Danube, which 1t
ascendS as far as BuGa-PeSth ; in
the rivers of France, not so often
as formerly-and elsewhere along
the coast of Europe. 1t lives al
ternately in salt and fresh wafer,
but has been known TO survive for
many years when no longer able
In return 10 the sea. Some placed
by Frederick the Great in one OF
the inland lakes of Prussia were
found alive in 1866, or eighty years
later. The %sterlet, so highly es
teemeG by gOurmetS, is a small
sturgeon. 1t is found IN The Black
and Caspian seas and the rivers
that empty into them, and along
the coast Of the Arctic ocean. Ii
is found in The Danube as far up as
Viena. The Sturgeon-fShing along
the Russian rivers has very inter
esting features. The right to fish
along portions of these streams be,
long exclusively TO The CosSacks.
When the ice begins to form eX.
perts marks the places where the
fish group and imbed themselves
in the mud. When the fishing
season approaches in winter the
people are assembled according to
certain usages. Those participant
ing are enrolled and each given his
ticket. They assemble in their
sledges before sunrise, and are
placed in order by chosen brethren
who see that they are properly
armed and equipped. The signal
10 start is given by the discharge
Of two cannOns. Then all set off
at full speed for the river. Each
chooses his place, makes a hole in
the ice, into which he inserts his
pole, armed at the end with a
hook Before starting each man
has vowed to give The first fish to
the church. If a frog is found at
tached to the end Of The hook the
fishing is given up at once, there
being a superstition that further
efforts will be useless. If a fish is
caught too large to be taken out
by the fisherman he calls on one
of his band, little companies hav-
ing been formed to equalize the
game. This Is the first fishing.
The second is in the spring, with
nets having two sets OF meshes,
one set allowing the fish TO pass
Ihruugh. There is a third season.
about October 1st, by means of
fixed nets that cross Tie stream.
-Four hundred miles of the lower
Volga and the coast of the Caspi. |
an adjacent have been given to
$4,000 COssacks in return for their
military services. There are six
teen fishing places from which The
fish are taken in autumn with nets
and in the winter with poles, 10
which are attached large hooks.
The fishing is dore under the d.
rection Of a properly appointed Of
ticer and with military precision
The parts of the sturgeon that
chiefly enter into foreign com
merce are the air bladders, which
are beaten together to form what
is called fish glue, and the eggs,
which are made into CAVIAR. One
method OF making caviar is as fol-
lows: To separate the roe flom
The Ovary the mass is placed ON a
large sieve aud worked with the
The grains fall into a cask
and are mingled with fine salt, if
It is desired 20 make liquid caviar,
II The proportion of tYO pounds
o the p0od (thnriy-six pounds.
When the caviar Is stirred, the
Eggs separate from one another
and gain a certain consistence.
The caviar Is then done. The {
east sailed is considered the best. I
If solid caviar is desired BRINE is s
poured on the roe, which are stir.
with a shovel, always in the same
direction. The mass is then pass I
ID through a sieve, put in sacks, $
PRESSED hard and put in barrels. I
As many of the eggs are broken in
his process, the caviar is less del
cate. Ii it is put into boxes olive ;
Ill is added. If an extra quality |
S desired, IT is flaYored with CHINA.
non, cloves or nutmeg. The best p
comes frum Aslrakhan. i
he region of the Caspian exports
annually over fl,000,0 900. Caviar is
nov principally by The Rus. .
lans and Germans.-LORdOn Star.
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