The sun. (Wilmington, Del.) 1897-19??, 1898-04-24
COMING OF MACKEREL
They Appeareat Two Points on the
Atlantic Coast and Nobody Knows
Whence They Come,

J. Whence They Come.
The 'keenest interest now centres in
the mackerel fishery. The first fare of
the season was landed at the Fulton
Fish Market slip on Tuesday of last
week, ten days in advance OF the first
cargo last year and only five days behind
the earliest catch on record. Not for
years has the outcome OF the seasons
operations been SO widely discussed as
now.
There are reasons for it. of course.
They are to be found in the fact that of
late years the supply of salt nackerel
has been inadequate for the needs of
consumption. Prices, owing to tie
scarcity of the fish, have gradually risen
to point above the means of the poorer
classes the largest consumers OF salt
mackepl--and the fish have become a
luxury, almost, on the tables of the
Wel|-to-do
Year after year since the season of
1889 (the year when the fishery first Le-
gan to show signs of decline) fisher
men and fish dealers have watched the
advent OF each season hopefully.
The movements of the fish as they ap-
piouSiiSb viz StttsV lliNC DccIl CilItlully
observed. and signs that in the seasons
of greatest success foreshadowed or
attended the coming of the schools have
been NOR" or less in evidence.
Old fishermen who have followed the
schools up and down the coast until their
hair has grown white as the foam.capped
wave gravely read the riddle of these
signs, and have fitted out their craft and
pursued the capricious fish throughout
each season with only partial success.
They know the wary fish only by
vague sort of intuition which they can
not impart Its movements are to them
a mystery. They know something of its
habits zen it may be expected to APP
pear II lie coast, and that is about all.
IL rs respect the fishery department
is 10 better off, It is known that the
fish have migration along the coast
northward in the spring and southwark
in the autumn.
1t is believed that their appearance
EACH year is due to the marvellous in
stinct OF reproduction which they pos
sess in common with other fishes; but
what has caused the alarming diminu-
ton in the size of the schools that an.
1liltHIN NlSlt Dul SHOlts Is u JllcSuIOll Oh
which science and fishermen are mute.
1t is not little disappointing to know
that with the much-vnunted power of
our nineteenth century scientific know
ledge the apparent mystery OF the mack
erel has not been solved.
This much we do know. In the early
part of March the fish in greater or less
numbers strike the Southern coast in the
vicinity OF Cape Henry; by the middle of
April the schools reach the Capes of Del
aware, and slowly advance past Barne-
gat and Sandy Hook.
About the middle of May, according
to the movements of the fish in past
years, a school will arrive off Yarmouth,
n. S., but whence it comes is buried in
deep mystery. From the size and gem
eral character Of the fish composing the
school, it is apparent that they do not
belong to the great littoral schools which
advance from the South. Therefore it is
presumed that they come from some
where to the eastward in the deep sea.
simultaneously with the appearance of
this latter school the host of Southern
visitors, having by that time gone as far
North as Nantucket, will vanish with a
suddenness quite as mysterious as the
appearance OF the school off Yarmouth,
only to reappcar again perhaps, i'll the
shores of Massachusetts,.
Thenceforward until well into the month
of August the waters will be more OF less
frequented by the fish.
The rowing habits of the fish are well
known. They appear in and disappear
from certain localities and leave no sign,
so that it is impossible to say with any
degree OF certainty that the rowing
schools which first visit the bays of New
England are identical with those that re-
main throughout the season. Of this
much we are positive; the movements of
the fish are practically the same now as
they we've during the period when the
nackerel fishery first assumed any degree
Of importance, about the year 1870.
While certain details and important
lata concerning the early years of the
fishery are lacking, enough is known of
he business to establish the fact that
between the years lS25-pcrhaps earlier,
md 1870 the method Of capture was
argely with Gigs little hooks, with
heavily loaded shanks.
Ii is known, too. that for aglpat many
IcuTS tlle llSIclN was CttllIt't WI
by New England fishermen.
from the hamlets and fishing villages
ound and about Cape Cod from 600 to
OO craft of various sizes engaged in the
apture of the fish. In those days, and
veil down to within few years, the
'oats rarely went further south than
Ibsecom Light.
Rich harvests of the fish were found
breast OF Sandy Hook and about the
hores of Block Island. The darting, fins
t cleaning millions of the fish rippled
he waters for miles along the coast,
One ignorant Of the immensely OF the
cas- vast resources and the wonderful
,clndity OF the fishes therein would
oubtlcss listen with inCredulous amaze
tent il told Of the number of fish one of
ne large schools contains.
Mackerel fishermen of less than gen.
ration ago describe the schools as seen
Y them AS being 'windrows OF fish hun:
reds of yards wide and miles long"
nd one school seen off Block Island in
Ne seventies was estimated to contain
pward of million barrels of fish.
1t is idle to remark, perhaps, that
hools like these are never seen nova
AIS. The mighty multitude coming in
ON the sea is broken up into countless
81 I,pu bnfnrn tina fisb