The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-05-03

A Profitable Industry Pursued in Winter
on Cape Hatteras.

MoREHEAD CITY, n. c.. May 1.-During the
summer porpoises are scattered: all over the
seas. and are a familiar sight to the m
passenger. but when cold weather comes the
prey upon which they feed, menhaden, herring,
and other small fish that associate in schools,
90 southwark. and assemble by millions In the
shadows lying between Ocracoke and Hatteras
inlets. Cape Hatteras affords n barrier against
the fierce winds from the north. and In the
waters below II these little fishes see a shelter.
There. accordingly. thousands OF porpotses con.
gregate. There, too, men gather 10 fish for
porpoises.
Usually there are about twenty men In a por-
poise fishing camp. There must be a sufficient
number to manage four boats and as MANY
seines. The boats are distributed at three sta
lions along shore. Two of them are together
in one spot. while the third 1, a mile above, and
the fourth a mile below. Each boat has a seine
on board. Lookouts are continually stationed
upon high bluffs to watch for game. and they
signal with flags when a school of porpoises Is
coming.
Suppose the p~orpoises are coming down the
coast. Warned in time by the signals. the
men at the station furthest south RAPIDLY row
their boat out to sea, dropping their seine as
they 20. II the thing has been properly man.
aged, they have been in time with their net to
head OF the first of the animals. As soon as
tion furthest north, the boat from that point
y run out. dropping It's seine on the way. Thus
the p%orpoises find themsolvep hemmed in be-
tween Two FENCES OF net. each stretching a mile
out into the ocean.
They might easily escape b, swimming sea-
TWO boats from the middle station, have put
OUT on a. 2 mile from land. not dropping their seines
ward extremities of the other seines. In this
way is made within a few minutes a rectangu'
u pCh tWO mile long and one mile broad. In
which the luckless beasts are confined. They
t tbudn eastly get out. OF course. by breaking
ENORMOUS, bnt they do not think OF that.
Inc porpoises thus enclosed are surrounded
With smaller seines and drawn inshore, where
Wish to XIII HiPt them ss a p sS%a,i nns,I t as isnsy"G an
400 WIN be scored at a single haul. The nsh-
eral products OF The ao porp oeSsu Which, Igsr are er ysi1S Ss
bic. The skin affords an excellent leather.
b S9Sn being stripped from tho animal. the
shipped e Northern markets. where they are
Used In the manufacture OF shoes, travelling
tIcfaiiariyN hne Sraai Eou and boot boots ,g Ssds from rSn |. DE.
p RYE t + WATERPROOF quality from the natural oil
tanned from the unborn young, It is Of a most
delicate texture and oSquisitely notified in
admirable material.
Every one has heard of ~porpoise oil, which is
II Is one Of the most costly oils known. be-
cause only a few ounces OF It are got from each
Snhmai, y Is obtained from the laws only,
being tried out from the bones after the skin
and hesh have been removed, There is an
other sort Of oil, OF very little value, procured
"a, cents 70 $3.50 apiece, The latter prics being
school OF 200 representa- about S6oo to tho Ash. /
eTmen. Nobody has ever attempted 10 make
BY tess OF The tSos sss1esSons o wS's ho are sSos ssats sIod
Cape Hatteras.