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under 13,000 barrels, This is a falling off of fully one-half from last year. The<br />
fishery was a good deal interrupted by gusty weather.<br />
Mackerel are so erratic in their habits, and their movements may be influenced:<br />
by so many unknown causes that no reliance is to be placed on any estimate of where<br />
they may be found at any given time. As far as can be roughly traced, the schools<br />
this year seem to have struck mainly about East Cape, thence running across in midasa<br />
towards North Cape, the other horn of the island; do not seem to have stayed'<br />
much in the bight of the bay. Hence Queen's County, which lies between the twG<br />
points, has only one-half the usual average, King's County about one-half or a little<br />
Under, while Prince County has made three-fourths of an average fisbi ng; the average<br />
of the whole Province being a little more than one-half the catch of last year.<br />
A diary of the fishing season by Islanders shows frequent times of disappointmont<br />
with occasional spurts of good luck. I have no returns of any caught in June,<br />
excepting a few taken towards the end of the month in nets to the eastward of the<br />
island, but none by seining. To 9th July very scarce, owing to prevalent easterly<br />
winds; none seined yet, From about 17th to end of' July, good times; schooling<br />
plentifully and large catches made at Cascumpeque and Malpeque; observed school—<br />
lug 'around Summerside and Charlottetown wharves; at Cavendish, 27th, so far a<br />
total failure; 29th, schooner "Emerald" arnved at Georgetown from Lauching'<br />
Bay with first fare seined, and reported hooks doing nothing. Some of the fish very<br />
fine; '10 culled filled a barrel, at more than one place. Reported that the American<br />
catch for July not half of last year. 7th August, no fish anywhere for past week and<br />
fishermen much discouraged, 8th, a fair catch seined off Charlottetown, 15th<br />
Americans to date very poor—fish still very scarce. in the latter part of<br />
August began to show up better, and, considering the unsettled state of the weather,<br />
prospects were more encouraging. About the middle of the month many observed<br />
off Souris; also, 11th and later, plentiful between Cascumpeque and North Cape;:<br />
20th, for a week past hooks did fairly well, especially around East Cape; no seining.<br />
In the early part of September some'good catches off Tracadie, and fair hooking<br />
generally throughout the month, but weather frequently cold and blustering. By<br />
the end of the month Americans had withdrawn from the upper bay; middle of'<br />
September some 5 sail of Americans arrived at Souris from Gloucester, reported no<br />
mackerel on United States' coast. 26th, some very fair catches made at Nail Pond<br />
and on the west of the Island. In October fish scarce, but with occasional dips in<br />
first half of the month; Americans one after another going home. Towards the ond<br />
of August, United States: cruiser "Osipee" was at Souris and reported two others,<br />
"Boston" and "Yantic," on the way to Canadian waters. A foolish riot among'<br />
some rowdy American fishermen happened at Souris, in which one life was lost.<br />
About 18,000 mackerel taken near North Cape were sent green to Tignish to be<br />
there preserved, and probably do not appear in the returns. At North Cape all were<br />
taken on hand lines, although it is generally a good seining locality. Only one<br />
seine was tried off shore there, but failed to catch and was discontinued early, the<br />
aeiners forming themselves into crews and continuing to fish with hand lines. None<br />
were seined by New London fishermen, all being taken by hook and net, chiefly<br />
kook. There appeared to be fish off shore in about 18 fathoms, but the weather was<br />
so bad that shore boats could venture out on only a few days. From "tinkers"<br />
(small fish) being plenty this fall it is expected there will be good fishing next season.<br />
From several points advices are of the same tenor.<br />
There are no means of ascertaining on shore what quantity of mackerel Amencans<br />
have taken at sea. Scraps of information along coast would indicate that 20<br />
to 250 sail were in the Gulf, and that they took about 30 barrels this year, where Ift.<br />
previous years they took 100. The report of the Boston fishmarket of 1th Novemher,<br />
winds up its account of the year's transactions in mackerel by saying: "The<br />
mackerel fleet of 1888 is now all in but three North Bay vessels belonging tG<br />
Gloucester. Generally the results of the season have been void of profits to the<br />
vessel owners, as well as the fishermen, for the reason that mackerel have been most<br />
?Omarkably scarce. But this has been offset in part by the fact that the few mackei ok