UNITED STATES COMMISSION OF FISH AND FISHERIES SPENCER E\ BAIRD, COMMISSIONER, THE FISHERIES AND FISHERY INDUSTRIES OP TITK UNITED STATES PREPARED THROUGH THE CO-OPERATION OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES AND THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE TENTH CENSUS BY GEORGE BROWN GOODE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION AND A STAFF OF ASSOCIATES ~ ^ foHIV] SECTION II A GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES INDUSTRIES AND FISHING COMMUNITIES FOR THE YEAR 1880 WASHINGTON QOVEUNMENT FEINTING OFFICE 1887 ' ASSOCIATE AUTHORS. JOEL A. ALLEN Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge. TAULETON H. BEAN U. S. National Museum, Washington. JAMES TEMPLEMAN BROWN U. S. National Museum, Washington. A. HOWARD CLARK U. S. National Museum, Washington. JOSEPH W. COLLINS Gloucester, Massachusetts. R EDWARD EARLL U. S. Fish Commission, Washington. RICHARD H. EDMONDS Baltimore, Maryland. HENRY W. ELLIOTT Cleveland, Ohio. ERNEST INGERSOLL New Haven, Connecticut. DAVID S. JORDAN Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana. LUDWIG KUMLIEN : Milwaukee, Wisconsin. MARSHALL MCDONALD U. S. Fish Commission, Washington. FREDERICK MATHER N. Y. Fish Commission, Cold Spring, New York. BARXET PHILLIPS Brooklyn, New York. RICHARD RATIIBUN U. S. National Museum, Washington. JOHN A. RYDER U. S. Fish Commission, Washington. CHARLES W. SMILEY U. S. Fish Commission, Washington. SILAS STEARNS Pensacola, Florida. FREDERICK W. TRUK U. S. National Museum, Washington. WILLIAM A. WILCOX Boston, Massachusetts. m LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. WASHINGTON, D. C., March 1, 1883. Prof. SPENCER F. BAIKD, U. 8. Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries : SIR: I have the honor to submit herewith a geographical review of the fisheries of the United States, including the fishery districts of the Atlantic, the Gulf, and the Pacific coasts, and of the great lakes. This report has been prepared by the following-named census agents and assistants of the United States Fish Commission : Dr. Tarleton H. Bean, Mr. A. Howard Clark, Capt. Joseph W. Collins, Mr. li. Edward Earll, Mr. Kichard H. Edmonds, Mr. Ernest Ingersoll, Prof. David S. Jordan, Mr. Ludwig Kumlien, Col. Marshall McDonald, Mr. Frederick Mather, Mr. Silas Stearns, Mr. Frederick W. True, and Mr. W. A. Wilcox. The manuscript of this volume was prepared for the press by Mr. R. E. Earll, and has been printed under the editorial supervision of Mr. A. Howard Clark. This report constitutes Section II of the Special .Report on the Food Fishes and Fishery In- dustries of the United States, prepared through the co-operation of the Commission of Fish and Fisheries and the Superintendent of the Tenth Census. Section I, the Natural History of Useful Aquatic Animals, has already been published. The accompanying statistical statement gives a summary of the fisheries of the country in 1880. We find that the total number of persons actually employed in the fishery industries, either as fishermen or in preparing the products for market, was 131,426, of whom 101,684 were fisher- men, and the remainder shoresmen. The fishing fleet consisted of 6,605 vessels (aggregating 208,297.82 tons) and 44,804 boats, and the total amount of capital invested was $37,955,349, distributed as follows: Vessels, $9,357,282; boats, $2,465,393; minor apparatus and outfits, $8,145,261 ; other capital, including shore property, $17,987,413. The value of the fisheries of the sea, of the great rivers, and of the great lakes was $43,046,053, and that of those in minor inland waters was $1,500,000; in all, $44,546,053. These values were estimated upon the basis of the prices of the products received by the producers, and, if average wholesale prices had been considered, the value would have been much greater. v VI LETTEll OF TEANSMJTTAL. STATISTICS OF THE FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES IN 1880. (a) 1 2 3 4 5 g 7 1 9 10 11 12 111 It 15 1(1 17 18 1!) 20 21 22 23 24 25 M 27 28 29 States and territories. GBAKD TOTAL. PERSONS EMPLOYED. APl'AIiATUS AND CAPITAL. Persons em- ployed. Capital in- vested. Value of products. Fisher- men. Shores- men. Vessels. Number. Tonnage. Value. The United States - - - Number. 131, 426 $37, 953, 349 $43, 046, 053 Number. 101, 684 Ifumber. 29, 742 6, 605 208, 297. 82 $9, 357, 282 37, 043 14, 981 52, 418 5,131 1C, 803 5,050 19,937,607 4, 426, 078 8, 951, 722 545, 584 2, 748, 383 1, 345, 975 14, 270, 393 8, 676, 579 9, 602, 737 1, 227, 544 7, 484, 750 1, 784, 050 29,838 12,584 38, 774 4,382 11, 613 4,493 7,205 2,397 13,644 749 5,190 557 2,066 1,210 3,014 197 56 62 113, 602. 59 23,566.93 60, 886. 15 3, 009. 86 5, 463. 42 1, 768. 87 4, MJ2, 131 1, 382, 000 2, 375, 450 308, 051 546,450 183, 200 Middle states, exclusive of great lake fish- G-ulf states 635 8,130 3,094 3,131 1,979 2,480 899 300 52 1,597 11,071 26, 008 20, 117 1,781 35 186 414 6,220 7,266 5,274 1,046 6,835 552 2,310 1,005 601 18,864 744 800 38,200 447, 000 1, 139, 675 1, 421, 020 268, 231 406, 117 78,770 83, 400 29,360 93, 621 3, 375, 994 6, 342, 443 14, 334, 450 442, 665 10, 160 8,800 209, 465 1,492,202 2, 629, 585 506, 561 473, 800 1, 131, 350 119, 810 596, 678 0«, 275 42, 400 1, 914, 119 30, 358 222, 840 119, 275 2, 661, 640 1, 860, 714 1, 456, 866 997, 695 643,227 119, 993 60, 100 32, 740 392, 610 3, 614, 178 5, 221, 715 8, 141, 750 716, 170 5,200 22,540 176, 684 3, 176, 589 4, 380, 565 845, 695 518, 420 2, 781, 021 320, 050 880, 915 212, 482 128, 300 3,124,444 181,372 253, 100 545 6,000 2,089 2,585 1,662 2,284 809 265 45 1,300 8,110 15, 873 17, 165 1,600 M 110 376 5,659 5,650 4,729 025 2,795 511 1,602 964 491 1(5, 051 729 730 90 130 1,005 546 317 196 90 35 7 297 2,961 10, 135 2,952 181 5 76 38 561 1,616 645 121 4,040 41 708 41 110 2,813 15 70 24 317. 20 14,585 Alaska California . .... 49 291 69 124 1 3 1 49 606 1,450 1,054 36 1 5, 246. 80 9, 215. 95 1, 226. 00 2,152.97 12.00 209. 73 21.90 539. 69 17, 632. 65 43, 500. 00 83, 232. 17 914. 42 33.59 535, 350 514, 050 51,600 372, 645 450 8,500 2,500 20, 821 6:13, 542 1, 750, 000 3, 171, 189 98, 500 5,000 Illinois Maine 23 590 541 95 1 1, 019. 05 10, 445. 90 11, 582. 51 1, 457. 90 359.51 51,500 545, 900 777, 600 39, 000 38,400 New York Ohio 11 92 22 321.99 2, 502. 77 337. 32 10, 500 191, 850 15, 000 Virginia 1,446 7 11 15, 578. 93 216. 62 220. 25 571, 000 11,100 28, 700 a The value of fishery products taken by unprofessional fishermen in the minor inland tvaters of the United States is roughly estimated nt $1,500,000. It was impossible daring the fishery investigation to obtain details of this industry. LETTER OF TRAXSMITTAL. Vll STATISTICS OF THE FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES IN 1880. AFFAP.ATU8 AND CAPITAI^COntinUed. VALUE OF FllODUCTS BY FISHERIES. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 13 13 14 15 in 17 18 19 20 21 22 2:t 24 25 20 27 28 29 Boats. Valne of minor appa- ratus and outfits. Other cap- ilal, includ- iug shore property. General fish- eries. (6) Whale fish- ery. Seal fish- ery. Menhaden fishery. Oyster fish- ery. Sponge fish- ery. Marine- salt in- dustry. Number. Value. 44, 804 $2, 465, 393 $8, 145, 261 $17,987,413 $22, 405, 018 $2, 323, 943 $2, 289, 813 $2,116,787 $13,403,852 $200,75" $305, 890 14, 787 8,293 13, 331 1,252 5,547 1,5'J4 739, 970 54G, 647 640, 508 50, 173 404, G95 83,400 5, 038, 171 674, 951 1,145,878 52, 823 467, 238 766, 200 9, 597, 335 1,822,480 4, 789, 886 134, 537 1, 330, 000 313, 175 10, 014, G45 2, 882, 294 2, 217, 797 713, 594 4, 792, 638 1,784,050 2, 121, 385 111, 851 539, 722 1, 261, 385 315, 680 1, 478, 900 4, 532, 900 7, 068, 852 313, 200 10, 000 3,890 408 200, 730 202, 150 2, 177, 962 302, 000 119 3,000 853 1,173 839 1,058 358 101 15 165 5,920 2,825 G, 749 454 10 58 211 4,065 8,441 2,714 487 1,300 15G 734 501 1C7 G, CIS 334 819 10, 215 60, 000 91, 485 73, 585 33, 227 28, 508 15, 425 2,000 3,630 4,800 245, G24 186, 448 351, 736 10,345 900 4,600 7,780 223,963 289, 885 123, 175 29, 830 2)6, 600 13, 272 01,245 9,790 15, 000 292, 720 6,610 24,075 7,000 7,000 205, 840 375, 535 70, 324 39, 927 18,445 11,900 20, 210 18, 000 934, 593 297, 145 3, 528, 925 272, 920 3,760 1,600 CO, 385 232, 339 390, 200 225, 436 253, 795 l'i.1, 730 40, 538 138, 733 25,985 4,400 5GO, 763 8,648 145, 165 6,400 380, 000 307, 000 457, 850 113,080 05, 037 44, 4oO 61, 000 5,000 50, 000 1, 562, 235 4, 1C8, 850 7, 282, 600 60, 900 500 2,000 89, 800 490, 000 1. 171, 900 118, 950 151,775 G39, 000 55, 500 204, 850 35, 500 23,000 489, G36 4,000 26, 000 74, 325 564, G40 1,341,314 383, 887 309, 029 426, 527 84, 993 60,100 32, 740 192, 610 3, 576, G78 479, 388 5,581,204 716, 170 5,200 12,540 170, 634 949, 678 1, 689, 357 785, 287 518, 420 2, 776, 724 132, 550 302, 242 192,189 81,000 602, 239 109, 960 253, 100 44,950 500 201, 650 32, 048 2, 096, 500 15, 750 111, 851 302, 000 256, 205 941 672, 875 687, 725 15, 950 35,000 200, 750 200, 000 37, 500 4, 730, 476 405, 550 » 11,851 ni,7G9 2, 089, 337 3,890 10,000 6,050 2, 080, 625 1, 577, 050 60, 000 146, 286 1,114,158 408 4 300 187,500 356, 925 20, 000 47, 300 221,748 303, 829 2, 218, 376 10, 000 61, 412 t Includes fisheries for all food species except oysters. Vlll LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. Since 1865 the fisheries have greatly increased in extent and value, chiefly due to improved methods of preservation of products and means of transportation. The fisheries of the New England States are the most important. They engage 37,043 men, 2,066 vessels, and 34,787 boats, and yield products to the value of $14,270,393. In this district the principal fishing ports, in order of importance, are : Gloucester, Portland, Boston, Provincetown, and New Bedford, the latter being the center of the whale fishery. New England was settled in 1620 by colonists chiefly from the western counties of England, who selected that portion of the coast on account of its peculiar fitness for the prosecution of the fisheries, and by the middle of the seventeenth century there was a considerable fleet of ketches and snows engaged in the cod fishery on the off-shore banks, where — especially on the banks of Newfoundland — France, Spain. Portugal, and England already had a fleet of several hundred large vessels. Just before the war of the Kevolution New England had 665 vessels and 4,405 men employed in its fisheries. Next to New England in importance are the South Atlantic States, employing 52,418 men, 3,014 vessels (the majority of which are smalt and engaged iu the shore and bay fisheries), and 13,331 boats, and returning products to the value of $9,602,737. Next are the Middle States, employing in the coast fisheries 14,981 men, 1,210 vessels, and 8,293 boats, with products to the amount of $8,676,579. Next are the Pacific States and Territories, with 16,803 men, 56 vessels, and 5,547 boats, with products to the amount of $7,484,750. The fisheries of the great lakes employ 5,050 men, 62 vessels. and 1,594 boats, with products to the amount of $1,784,050. The Gulf States employ 5,131 men, 197 vessels, and 1,252 boats, yielding products to the value of $1,227,544. ' Forty-three distinct fisheries are recognized by American writers, each being carried on in a special locality and with methods peculiar to itself. Among the most important of these are thw oyster fishery, the off-shore cod fishery, the whale fishery, the fur-seal fishery, the mackerel fishery, the menhaden fishery, the halibut fishery, the'antarctic seal and sea-elephant fishery, the west-coast salmon fishery, the lobster fishery, the shad and alewife fisheries, the swordfish fishery, and the clam fishery. The off-shore fisheries are carried on by citizens of the New England and Middle States, and are prosecuted on the great oceanic banks extending from Nantucket to Labrador, and upon the ledges and shoals between these and the coast. The great purse-seine fisheries for mackerel and menhaden are carried on north of Cape Hatteras, at distances from the shore varying from 1 mile to 150 miles. The fishing-grounds in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, formerly frequented by many hundreds of American vessels, have been almost entirely abandoned since the introduction of the purse-seine, and in 1882 only one vessel visited those waters, returning with about 200 barrels of mackerel. The oyster fishery is located for the most part between Cape Hatteras and Cape Cod, chiefly in the great inland bays. In all the great rivers of the Atlantic coast are fisheries for the anadrornous shad and the two species of alewife. About the keys of Southern Florida is an extensive sponge fishery, and on the shoals of the Gulf of Mexico the red-snapper and grouper fisheries are yearly increasing in value. The fur- seal fishery is chiefly located upon the Pribylov islands of Alaska. A small fleet of vessels yearly penetrates to the ice-bound islands of the Antarctic for seal-skins and sea-elephant oil. The whal- ing fleets, with headquarters at New Bedford and San Francisco, frequent all oceans, the larger vessels cruising chiefly iu the North Pacific, while the smaller ones pursue their prey throughout the Atlantic and South Pacific. The salmonfishery is seated upon the Columbia River and its trib- utaries, though other rivers iu Oregon and California produce large quantities of salmon, which is extensively canned and exported. The most valuable product of the great-lake fisheries is the whitefish. The swordfish fishery of Southern New England, though employing but 40 vessels and perhaps 160 men, produces 1,500,000 pounds weight annually. The export of American fishery products is comparatively small, owing to the fact that the demand for such products for home consumption is really greater than the supply, and is constantly on the increase. In 1880 the total value of exported fish products amounted to $5,741,580, of which, according to custom-house records, England received $2,601,017. Of the quantity sent to England, $1,596,007 was iu canned preparations, find $303,790 iu fresh oysters, the remainder LETTER OP TBANSMFTTAL. IX being chiefly products of the whale fishery. In former years there was an extensive export trade in dried cod with Spain and Portugal. Large quantities of canned salmon are sent to China, Japan, and Australia. At present no subsidies are allowed to fishermen, except that the duties on imported salt used in the preparation of fish are remitted. This practice was begun in 1866, at which time the old bounty law was repealed. The United States, with the intention of aiding its fishermen, has paid to Great Britain the sum of $5,500,000 for the privilege of fishing in the British provincial waters from 1873 to 1885. Since 1871 the United States has appropriated over one million dollars to be used by the United States Fish Commission in behalf of the fishermen and fish consumers, and under the direction of the Commissioner, Prof. Spencer F. Baird, very important results have been accomplished. All the State Governments, with the exception of six, have established State fish commissions, and most of these have been liberally supported by grants of money. The undeveloped fishery resources are very great. Many of the fishes and invertebrates which in Europe are highly valued by the poorer classes are never used here. Only about 150 of the 1,500 species of fishes known to inhabit the waters of the United States are ordinarily found in the markets. Yours, very respectfully, G. BROWN GOODE, Special Agent Tenth Census, in charge of Fishery Investigation. TABLE OF CONTENTS. PAUT I.— TOE COAST OF MAINE AND ITS FISHERIES.. By It. EDWAKD EARLL. PAKT II.— THE FISHERIES OF NEW HAMPSHIRE By W. A. WILCOX. PART III.— THE FISHERIES OF MASSACHUSETTS By A. HOWARD CLARK. PAKT IV.— THE FISHERIES OF RHODE ISLAND By A. HOWARD CLARK. PART V.— CONNECTICUT AND ITS FISHERIES By A. HOWARD CLARK;. PART VI.— NEW YORK AND ITS FISHERIES By FEED. MATHER. PART VII. -NEW JERSEY AND ITS FISHERIES By R. EDWAKD EARLL. PART VIII.— PENNSYLVANIA AND ITS FISHERIES By R. EDWARD EARLL. PART 1X.-DELAWARE AND ITS FISHERIES . By J. W. COLLINS. PART X.— MARYLAND* AND ITS FISHERIES By R. EDWARD EARLL. PART XI.— VIRGINIA AND ITS FISHERIES By MARSHALL MCDONALD. PART XII.— NORTH CAROLINA AND ITS FISHERIES By R. EDWARD EARLL. PART XIII.— THE FISHERIES OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND GEORGIA ... By R. EDWARD EARLL. PART XIV.— EASTERN FLORIDA AND ITS FISHERIES By R. EDWARD EARLL. PART XV.— THE FISHERIES OF THE GULF OF MEXICO ..By SILAS STEARNS. PART XVI.— THE FISHERIES OF THE PACIFIC COAST By DAVID S. JORDAN. PART XVII.— THE FISHERIES OF THE GREAT LAKES By FREDERICK W. TRUE. REFERENCES TO FISHERIES By A. HOWARD CLARK. 3 PA.KT I. THE COAST OF MAINE AND ITS FISHERIES. By R. EDWARD EARLL. ANALYSIS. A. — GENERAL REVIEW OF MAINE AND ITS FISHERIES: 1. Descriptive and statistical recapitulation of the fisheries of the State. B. — THE PASSAMAQUODDY DISTRICT: 2. General review of the fisheries of the dis- trict. 3. The fisheries of Calais, Robbinston, and Perry. 4. Eastport and its fisheries. 5. The fishing towns between Eastport and Lnbec. 0. Lubec and its fisheries. 7. The fisheries of Trescott and Whiting. C. — THE MACHIAS DISTRICT: 8. General review of the fisheries of the dis- trict. 9. Cutler to Jonesboro', inclusive. 10. Jonesport and its fisheries. 11. Millbridge, Steuben, and other towns in the vicinity. D. — THE FRENCHMAN'S BAY DISTRICT: 12. General review of the fisheries of the dis- trict. 13. Gouldsboro' and its fisheries. 14. Sullivan, Hancock, and Lamoine. 15. Mount Desert Island and its fisheries. 16. Trenton, Ellsworth, and Surry. E.— THE CASTINE DISTRICT : 17. General review of the fisheries of the dis- trict. 18. Blue Hill, Brooklin, and Swan's Island. 19. Deer Island and its fisheries. 20. Isle an Haut, Sedgwick, and Brooksville. 21. Castine and its fisheries. 22. Penobscot, Orland, and Bucksport. F. — THE BELFAST DISTRICT : 23. General review of the fisheries of the dis- trict. 24. Belfast and adjacent towns. 25. Camden and its fisheries. ' 26. The Fox Islands. G.— THE WALDOBOEO' DISTRICT : 27. General review of the fisheries of the dis- trict. 28. Rockland, Thora.aston, and Saint George. 29. Matinicns Island and its fisheries. 30. Gushing, Friendship, Waldoboro', and Bre- men. 31. Bristol and its fishery interests. 32. Mouhegan Island and its fisheries. 33. Damariscotta and adjoining towns. II. — THE WISCASSET DISTRICT : 34. General review of the fisheries of the dis- trict. 35. New Castle and Edgecomb. 36. Booth Bay and its fisheries. 37. Southport and its fisheries. 38. Wiscasset and Westport. I.— THE BATH DISTRICT : 39. General review of the fisheries of tbo dis- trict. 40. Georgetown and its fisheries. 41. Bath and other less important towns. J. — THE DISTRICT OF PORTLAND AND FALMOUTH : 42. General review of the fisheries of the dis- trict. 43. Harpswell and its fisheries. 44. The fishing towns of Casco Bay. 45. Portland and its fishery interests. K.— THE SACO, KENNEBUNK, AXT> YORK DISTRICTS : 46. General review of the fisheries of the dis- tricts. 47. Mr. Wilcox's account of Scarboro' Beach, Pine Point, and Saco Bay. 48. Mr. Wilcox's account of Biddcford Pool and its fisheries. 49. Mr. Wilcox's account of the fisheries of Kcn- nebunk and Kennebunkport. 50. Mr. Wilcox's description of the fisheries between Wells and Kittery. UNIVERSIT? THE COAST OF MAINE AND ITS FISHERIES. A.— GENERAL REVIEW OF MAINE AND ITS FISHERIES. 1. DESCRIPTIVE AND STATISTICAL RECAPITULATION OF THE FISHERIES OF THE STATE. LOCATION AND EARLY SETTLEMENT. — The State of Maine includes an area of 32,000 square miles in the extreme northeastern corner of the United States. It is claimed that the region was visited by the Northmen in the latter part of the tenth century. An attempt was made to settle a colony on Neutral Island, on the Saint Croix River, under a grant from the King of France, in 1604. In 1G13, French Jesuits established a mission at Mount Desert Island, but they were driven away by the English the following year. About this time Capt. John Smith with a company of fisher- men took possession of Monhegan Island, from which point he made visits to different portions of the coast for the purpose of making maps of the region. In 1C20 the territory was granted to the Plymouth Company, and three years later the first permanent settlement within the pres- ent limits of the State was established near the month of the Piscataqua River. From that time onward the province grew in importance and many colonists were soon comfortably settled within its borders. The eastern portion was for many years under the control of the French, who made little effort to develop its resources, but the western part was from the first in the possession of the English, and by 1650 a number of important settlements, some of them founded fifteen to twenty years earlier, were scattered along its shores. The Massachusetts colony obtained control of the region west of the Keuncbec River iu 1077: nine years later its jurisdiction was extended to the Penobscot, and in 1G91 all of the territory west of the Saint Croix, as well as Nova Scotia, was transferred to it by the Provincial charter. The treaty of 1783 ceded to Massachusetts all of Maine's present territory, and she continued her super- intendence over it until 1820, when Maine became a separate State, at which time it had a population of over 298,000. In 1860 the State had 628,279 inhabitants, the number increasing to 648,936 iu 1880. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE COAST. — Geologically considered, the region is one of peculiar interest. With unimportant exceptions, as at Perry on the Passamaquoddy and Rockland on the Penobscot, the coast is one huge bed of metamorphic rocks, including granites, syenites, and mica schists. These are everywhere scraped and grooved by huge glaciers which descended from the no.rthward and extended many miles into the sea, and which were of sufficient thickness entirely to cover Mount Desert and of such weight as to plow out enormous valleys and ravines in the hard granite floor. The principal furrows and ridges extend nearly north and south, the shore- line being made up of a series of long rocky peninsulas separated by deep and narrow fjords, which 7 8 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF TEE FISHERIES. give to Maine a peculiarly ragged and uneven coast with hundreds of excellent harbors, in many of which the largest vessels of the world can find safe anchorage. Beyond the headlands are scat- tered innumerable rocky islands and sunken ledges having the same general trend as the penin- sulas of the mainland. In addition to these we find large rocks and bowlders scattered over the surface of the land and the ocean bottom, where they have been left by the receding glaciers. Enormous quantities of these fragments are frequently piled together, many of the well-known fishing banks, and even the famous George's Shoals being, according to Prof. N. S. Shaler, made up of glacial deposits. These sunken ledges and rocks are covered with marine animals, which constitute the favorite food of many of our most important food-fishes, and the locality is a favorite resort of the cod, haddock, hake, and other species known as "bottom feeders." The distance along the ocean shore of the State from Quoddy Head to the mouth of the Piscat .aqua River is only 250 miles in a straight line, but, owing to the peculiar features already men- tioned, Maine has 2,500 miles of sea-coast exclusive of the outlying islands. The rocky character of the country forbids extensive agricultural interests, and the majority of those living along the coast are necessarily dependent upon the various industries connected with the sea, such as ship- building, the vessel-carrying trade, and the fisheries. ORIGIN AND GEOWTH OF THE FISHERIES. — With so extensive a coast-line and such excellent harbors for vessels and boats in the near vicinity of the more important fishing grounds, Maine enjoys many advantages, not possessed by other States, for the prosecution of the fisheries. In fact these advantages led to the settlement of the country, and for two and a half centuries continuously the fisheries have been prosecuted by a large percentage of the people. For many years foreign ships made annual visits to the coast to secure cargoes of cod, many of them bringing small colonies which were left at some convenient harbor to continue the fishing during the absence of the vessel. These began to build for themselves comfortable dwellings and to clear a limited amount of land on which to raise products for their own tables. In this way were founded a number of important settlements, which, in a few years, became quite independent, of the Europeans. Their resources being limited they found that the construction of large vessels was impracticable, and they there- fore contented themselves with building small craft, ranging between 15 and 40 tons, in which they visited the nearer fishing grounds, some of them venturing as far as Cashes' and Jeffries' banks, and the Seal Island ground. This condition of affairs practically continued until the beginning of the present century, when in some localities larger craft were built for engaging in the offshore fisheries, and by 1825 the Maine fishermen, in common with those of Massachusetts, frequented Grand aud Western banks, the Magdalen islands, and Labrador. Between 1830 and 1870 the fisheries were peculiarly important, nearly every coast town having its fleet of vessels in addition to a considerable number of small boats. Occasional seasons during these years resulted disastrously, bat the period was on the whole a prosperous one, and in many localities tbe small vessels were replaced by larger aud better ones. From 1870 to 1879 the fisheries were less remunerative, and, owing to the unsatisfac- tory results, many of the vessels were fitted for the coasting trade, and others were allowed to remain idle, so that the fishing fleet was reduced to less than three-fourths of its former size. The crews soon turned their attention to other pursuits, or provided themselves with boats for prosecu- tion of the shore fisheries. This decrease in the vessel fisheries was most noticeable in" the smaller towns. Another season of prosperity has just begun, but, though signs of renewed activity are everywhere manifest, no considerable increase in the size of the fleet has yet occurred. THE PRESENT CONDITION OF THE SEA FISHERIES.— During the season of 1880, 11,071 per- MAINE : GENEEAL EEVIEW OP ITS FISHEEIES. 9 sons were actively engaged in the capture or preparation of fishery products. Of these, 3,630 belonged to the vessel fleet, 4,480 fished from small boats, and the remaining 2,961 were employed as shoresmen in preparing the products for the markets. In addition to these, 1,591 persons were, according to Mr. C. G. Atkins, engaged in the river fisheries, making a total of 12,662 persons directly dependent upon the fishery industries. Not less than 2,500 others were engaged in trans- ferring the fish to the larger markets, in the manufacture of fishery apparatus, or in other depend- ent industries, which brings the total for those directly and indirectly engaged in the fishery indus- tries up to 15,000. A majority of these have families dependent upon them for support, and, allowing for these, we find that fully 48,000 persons, equal to 7£ per cent, of the total population of the State, are, to a greater or less extent, dependent upon the fisheries for a livelihood. The total capital invested in the various industries connected with the sea fisheries for the same period was $3,375,994, of which $633,542 was in vessels and $245,624 in boats, the remaining $2,496,828 representing the value of gear and outfit, shore-property, and floating capital. During the year, the Maine fishermen landed 202,048,449 pounds of sea products, valued at $1,790,849 as they came from the water. These products received an enhancement in value of $1,823,329 in process of preparation, making them worth $3,614,178 when placed upon the market. Of the entire catch of sea products, 42,548,008 pounds were sold fresh, 93,195,430 pounds were used for drying, 39,690,615 pounds were pickled, 9,038,242 pounds were smoked, and 17,576,154 pounds were canned. The principal species taken were cod, herring, mackerel, hake, haddock, and lobsters; these constituting seven-eighths of the entire catch. The following quantities of each of the above- named species were secured: Cod, 56,004,325 pounds, valued at $656,753; herring, 34,695,192 pounds, valued at (including sardines) $1,043,722; mackerel, 31,694,455 pounds, valued at $659,304; hake, 24,447,730 pounds, valued at $278,336; haddock, 17,728,735 pounds, valued at $225,393; lob- sters, 14,234,182 pounds, valued at $412,076. The vessel fleet numbered 606 sail, aggregating 17,632.65 tons, valued at $1,413,361, including apparatus and outfit. It was divided into two classes, the larger vessels being engaged in the offshore, while the smaller were employed in the inshore fisheries. Of the offshore fleet, 94 engaged in the offshore cod fisheries for a greater or less period. Some of them fished for cod during the entire season, while others, after making one or two trips to the banks, joined the fleet engaged in the mackerel fishery, bringing the total for this fishery up to 81 vessels, manned by 1,042 fish- ermen. Four vessels were employed in the halibut fishery, and twenty-six fished for haddock during the winter months. The smaller craft were in the shore fisheries, taking cod, herring, mackerel, or lobsters, as might at the time seem most desirable. The catch of the vessel fleet reached 212,747 quintals of dry fish, worth $618,025, and 96,350 barrels of pickled fish, worth $510,052. In addition to these, oil and sounds to the value of $109,119 were saved, making the total value of the catch of the vessel fleet $1,359,376. THE LOBSTER FISHERIES. — One thousand eight hundred and nine men, with capital to the amount of $189,219, were engaged in the lobster fishery. The catch for the season amounted to 14,234,182 pounds, netting the fishermen $268,739. Of the entire catch, 9,494,284 pounds -were sold to the twenty-three canneries of the State. These furnished employment to 782 persons, including smackmen, tinsmiths, and factory hands. The product of the canneries amounted to 1,542,696 one-pound cans, 148,704 two-pound cans, and 139,801 cans of other kinds. The enhance- ment in canning was $143,337, the total value of the canned products as placed upon the market amounting to $238,280. A description of the lobster fishing and canning interests will be found in another part of this report. 10 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. THE SARDINE INDUSTRY. — The sardine industry, which is now one of the most important fishery industries of the State, began in a small way in 1875, since which time it has grown enor- mously. In 1880 it furnished employment to 1,896 fishermen and factory hands, including 372 belonging to New Brunswick. Eighteen canneries, valued at $89,500, were in operation, and 46,000 barrels of herring and 775 barrels of mackerel were put up. The product of the canneries amounted to 7,550,868 cans of the various brands, in addition to 8,365 barrels of Russian sardines and anchovies. The total value of the canned products amounted to $817,654, $776,704 of this amount representing the enhancement in process of preparation. A full description of each of the more important fisheries in which the Maine fishermen are interested will be found in another part of this report. RECAPITULATION FOR 1880. — The following statements show in detail the extent of the marine fishery interests of the State for 1880. The fresh-water fisheries will be considered in fl separate chapter by Mr. C. G. Atkins : Summary statement of persons employed and capital invested. Persons employed. Number. Capital invested. Amount. 3 630 $1 552 959 4 480 260 800 894 ol 56° 235 Number of factory hands 2,067 Total . 11 071 a Other fixed and circulating capital. — Cash capital, $652,473 ; wharves, shorehouses, and fixtures, $417,925 ; factory buildings and apparatuf $491,837; total, $1,562,235. Detailed statement of capital invested in vessels, boats, nets, and traps. Vessels and boats. No. Tonnage. Value. Valne of gear, exclu- sive of boats and n«ts. Va'ue of outfit. Total value. Nets and traps. No. Value. Yetselt. In food-fish fishery : 5*>9 15 367 64 $550 867 $110 568 $406, 595 $1 158 030 Nets. Gill nets: In vessel fisheries 1,935 $30,828 Idle 32 1 102.99 34 650 34 650 In boat fisheries 3,520 42, 280 In menhaden fishery 6 320. 98 20, 000 20 000 Purse-seines : 39 771 08 25 025 600 6 380 39 005 In vessel fisheries 127 69,750 1 69 96 3 000 150 3 150 In boat fisheries 1 300 TTn 1 *n Total 606 17 632 65 633 542 111 168 503 125 1 247 835 seines. In boat fisheries 134 5.4JO Boats, Total 5 717 148 596 2 102 64 950 64 950 Weirs 132 27, 502 Total 5,920 245, 624 4rt, 100 16, 400 305, 124 104 456 78 342 Total 105 683 112 'J04 Detailed statement of the quantities and values of the products. Products specified. Pounds, fresh. Pounds, prepared. Bulk. Valne as sold. Grand total 202, 048, 449 $3 614 178 Froth fish. For food .. .• . 16, 597, 300 207 965 Forbalt ... 17 330 000 86 650 barrels 64 988 For fei-tilizc-r . 2 790 000 13 950 barrels 6 575 Total 36 717, 300 279 5"8 MAINE: GENERAL REVIEW OF ITS FISHERIES. Detailed statement of Hie quantities and rallies of the products— Continued. 11 Products specified. Pounds, fresh. Pounds, prepared. Bnlk. Value as sold. Dry fish. Cod 52 494 3°5 18 090 352 $565 32^ 23 597 730 9 788 688 131 098 9 917 775 3 526 3'fl 70 341 Pollock . 5 220 000 0 01G 000 36 000 1 9G5 600 846 720 20 790 Total 93 195 430 34 268 080 824 054 FicUedJlth. 27 34 *> 000 18 2^8 000 524 055 Ucrringi 6 11C 250 4 £03 000 24 465 barrels 73 395 2 703 G°5 1 673 000 29 078 1, 747, 100 1, 035, 400 5,177 barrels 25 885 Xotal 37 908 975 25 829 400 129 147 barrels 652 413 Smoked fah. Herring: 3 751 942 2 710 778 318 915 boxes 63 783 2 387 000 1 723 333 36 190 2 899 300 1 414 500* 78 175 Total 9 038 242 6 848 611 178 148 Canned JUh. 1 252 455 814 608 cons 96 749 6 490 375 7 500 084 cans 772 176 21 660 12 996 cans . 1 928 Total , 7, 770, 490 8,327,748 cans 870, 853 Lobsters. Fresh 4, 739, 898 173, 796 9 494 284 1 831 201 cans .. 238,280 Total 14, 234 182 412 076 Olnmt. 1 090 810 109 081 bushels 38 178 1'orbait . 1 781 640 178 164 bushels — 12 726 barrels 63 630 311 380 31, 138 bushels— 456 028cnns 47 318 Total 3 183 830 318 383 bushels 149 1"6 Miscellaneous. 168 732 gallons 07,492 Sounds 131, 098 117, 983 25,000 Enhancement in value of southern oysters in transporting; nnd 37,500 Total . 247,080 B.— PASSAMAQUODDY DISTRICT. 2. GENERAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES OF THE DISTRICT. ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE FISHERIES. — The Passamaquoddy customs district, ex- tending from Calais to Cutler, is in many respects the most important fishing region in the State. Though its general fisheries are limited and its vessel fleet is quite small, the shore fisheries are of peculiar importance, and there are certain special industries which are either peculiar to the district or in which its interests are more extensive than those of any other locality. The coast is peculiarly 12 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. bold and rugged, and the waters, which are very deep, are greatly affected by tides and currents. The district contains few villages of importance, the principal ones being Calais, Eastport, and Lubec. Smaller settlements are found at various points where coves or harbors afford shelter and anchorage for boats and small vessels. The fisheries began with the settlement of the region, about 1780, and during the latter part of the last century and the first half of the present one they were of considerable importance, a large fleet of vessels visiting the more distant fishing grounds for the capture of cod, mackerel, and other species. Later, owing to various causes, the offshore fisheries were largely discontinued, and the residents turned their attention to the shore fisheries, selling their large vessels and providing themselves with smaller craft for engaging in the work. Even at the present time the offshore banks are little frequented by these people, nine-tenths of all the fishermen being provided with boats and small vessels for fishing along the shore. IMPOETANCE OF THE HEBEIN« FISHEEIES. — The herring is the principal fish of the region, and immense numbers are taken annually. Special industries depending on this fishery, as the smoking of herring, the frozen herring trade, and the preparation of sardines, constitute the prin- cipal business, and thousands of persons find employment either in catching the fish or in preparing the various products. The shores are everywhere lined with brush weirs in which small herring are extensively taken during the summer months, and in winter, when the weirs cannot be fished, .the most of the men are provided with nets, in which immense quantities of large fish are secured. In the smoking of herring this district leads all others, and probably three-fourths of the herring smoked within the limits of the United States are prepared by the fishermen of Lubec and East- port. The business began early in the present century, and continued to increase till in 1865 between 400,000 and 500,000 boxes were smoked annually at Lubec, and large numbers were put up at other places. Since that time the quantity has gradually fallen off, and fewer herring are smoked now than for many years, though the dilapidated and weather-beaten smoke-houses every- where present give unmistakable evidence of the importance of the work in former times. The frozen-herring trade originated at Newfoundland, and for some years it was confined exclusively to that island. About fifteen years ago the first cargo was shipped from Eastport, and the business has since that time grown to enormous proportions, the quantity shipped in the winter of 1879-'80 reaching 28,000,000 fish, valued at $90,000. Though a majority of the fish are caught by the New Brunswick fishermen, our own citizens are also engaged in the work and secure large quantities during the season. The Passamaquoddy district is at present the only one within the limits of the United States where herring are extensively frozen for shipment. The sardine industry is of very recent origin, having been started in 1875. Up to 1880 it was confined exclusively to the village of Eastport, and though a few canneries are now operated else- where this district still practically controls the industry for the entire country. THE POLLOCK FISHEEY. — In addition to its herring interests the Passamaquoddy district is noted for its pollock fisheries. The most important pollock grounds in New England are within its borders, and large numbers of these fish are secured annually by the hand line fishermen, who devote considerable attention to their capture during the summer months. MAINE: PASSAMAQUODDY DISTRICT. 13 STATISTICAL RECAPITULATION FOR 1880.— The following statements show iu detail the extent of the various fishery interests of the Tassamaquoddy district: Summary statement of persons employed ami capital invested. Persons employed. Number. Capital iu vested. Amount. Number of vessel-fislienneu 179 TCninliftr nf Imnl-fisliPT-mfM) 596 Number of curers, packers, fitters, &c 273 Num bcr of factory liauds 1,390 Total 2 438 6U9, 230 a Other fixed and circulating capital.— Cash capital, $324,125; wharves, sborchouses, and fixtures, $46,025; factory buildings and apparatus, $91,500; total, $4«4,250. Detailed statement of capital invested in vessels, boats, nets, and traps. Vessels ami bouts. No. Ton ii a go. Value. Value of gear, exclu- sive of boats and nets. Value of outfit. Total value. Nets and traps. No. Value. Vessels. Iu food-fish fishery: 25 650 37 $30 '>75 $5 570 $18 4r>5 $54 300 Nets. Gill-nets: In vessel fisheries 250 $3,750 Idle 3 70.78 1,900 1 900 In boat fisheries 200 2,400 1 2° 88 500 10 160 Purse-seines: T 1 O \. Total 29 744 03 39 675 5 580 Haul-seines: Boats. In boat fisheries GO 3,000 Iu vessel fisheries 90 1 835 1 835 Total Traps. Total 468 5° 350 2 775 2 081 Total 2 842 17 956 Detailed statement of the quantities and values of the products. Products specified. Pounds, fresh. Pounds, prepared. Bulk. Value an sold. Grand total 31 515 588 Fresh fish. For loud 4 188 000 Forbait 480 000 For fertilizer 1 900 000 Total 6 568 000 Dryfah. Cod 2 627 C95 905 590 Hake- 2 021 7GO 838 656 Haddock 906 255 322 224 6 473 Pollock 1 460 440 064 03'? 10 07° Cusk 52 000 92 400 550 Total 7 068 us I1 2 65° 832 Pickled fish. Herring: Ordinary 1 7'>5 000 1, 380 000 °0 700 2,703 625 1 673 000 29 078 401 100 267 400 1 337 barrels 6 685 Total 4 829 725 3 320 400 60, 163 14 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. Detailed statement of the quantities and valius of tlic products — Continued. Products specified. Pounds, fresh. Pounds, prepared. Bulk. Value as sold. Smoked fish. Herring: Ordinary 2 710 000 1 96° 310 Bloaters 1 987 000 1 490 000 Haddock (Finnan baddies) 492 500 211 500 Total 5 195 500 3 603 810 Canned JUh. Mackerel 37 650 6 496 375 Total (j 534 0'*5 7 512 420 cans Lobsters. Fresh 351 343 Canned , 953 910 Total 1, 305, 258 31, 676 Clams. For food 15 000 1 500 bushels MisceUaneout. Fish-oil 27 593 gallons Sounds 11, 232 10 109 Marine products used for fertilizers 1 000 Total 22 146 3. THE FISHERIES OF CALAIS, ROBBINSTON, AND PERRY. CALAIS. — Calais is a town of 6,000 inhabitants on the west bank of the Saint Croix River about 30 miles above Eastport. It includes the city of Calais, the village of Milltown, and a scat- tered settlement known as Red Bank. The residents of Calais and Milltown are engaged in the manufacture and shipment of lumber, having extensive saw-mills and a large vessel fleet. Red Bank is iu the midst of an agricultural region, in the lower part of the town, with granite quarries and plaster mills. Having so extensive a water-line, the town has naturally a certain interest in the fisheries; but, with the exception of a few lobsters and clams taken along the shore, the fishing is confined largely to the capture of salmon (Salmo solar) and alewives (Pomolobus vernalis) in small weirs. A few salt-water species are taken, chief among which is the herring (Clupea liarengus), which is used as a dressing for the land. The section is too far removed from the fishing-grounds of the coast to have any boat-fisheries of note, though a few of the inhabitants go occasionally to the outer headlands to catch a supply of pollock (Pollachius carbonarius), hake (Phycis chuss and P. tennis), and cod (Gadus morrhua) for family use. Prior to 1878 it is said that no fishing-vessels were owned in the town. At that time parties bought small schooners and engaged in the Bay of Fundy cod and hake fisheries. At the present time (1880) there are four vessels, of 25 to 50 tons each, fishing from the town. These employ forty-three men during the fishing season, which lasts from April to December. One of the vessels is sailing under British papers, and for this reason is omitted from the list of American fishing vessels. In 1879 there were cured at the city of Calais, where the vessels are owned, about 2,125 quintals of cod, 2,175 quintals of hake, 700 quintals of pollock, and COO quintals of haddock MAINE: PASSAMAQDODDY DISTRICT. 15 (Melanogrammus ceglefinus). In 1880 the catch will probably be abont 5,825 quintals, of which 50 per cent, will be hake, 25 per cent, cod, and the remainder, pollock and haddock, in about equal quantities. Abont half of the fish are sent to Boston for exportation, and the rest are sold to the country trade. BOBBINSTON. — Eobbinston is a town of 900 inhabitants on the west side of the Saint Croix Eiver, just opposite the village of Saint Andrews. It has two post-offices, one called Kobbinston and the other South Eobbinston, but neither is a Tillage of any size. At present little business is done, though ship-building was formerly carried on in a small way. The people are mostly farmers, but a few living1 along the river bank are engaged in weir- fishing and lobstering, while men go occasionally in small open boats to the lower fishing-grounds for pollock, cod, and herring. The catch is largely for home consumption, and is so small as to be of little importance. No fishing- vessels are owned in the town. There are ten weirs for the capture of herring, which are sold to the sardine cannery of Hart & Balcome, built in the spring of 1880, and now employing about forty hands. The catch of these weirs is considerably less than that of those a few miles further down the river, and beyond this point the capture of herring as a business ceases to be profitable. Salmon are occasionally taken with the herring. PERRY. — The town of Perry, lying to the west of Saint Andrews Bay, and to the north of Cobscook Bay, has about 1,450 inhabitants, mostly engaged in farming. Formerly a number of the people were interested in the weir-fisheries, and many had large smoke-houses for curing their catch of herring. Now, however, but two weirs are fished in the town, and less than 2,000 boxes of herring are smoked annually. No fishing- vessels are owned, and but few of the people interest themselves in the fisheries. Occasionally, during the height of the season, a few men go for pollock, selling their catch to Eastport dealers. These cannot be called professional fishermen, as they spend a greater part of their time in farming, and do not average over twenty-five quintals of pollock to the man during the season. There are two post-offices, called Perry and North Perry respectively, but neither are villages of any note. 4. EASTPOET AND ITS FISHEEIES. ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OP THE FISHERIES. — Eastport, the most easterly settlement in the United States, is situated on a small, rocky island, lying between Cobscook Bay and the Passa- maquoddy Eiver. The island, formerly known as Moose Island, was first settled by traders about 1780, and was incorporated as a town under the present name in 1798. It soon became prominent as a trading-post, and both foreign and American vessels resorted to the region in considerable numbers. The place continued to grow in importance for many years, and in 1850 had a popula- tion of 4,125. From that date, owing to various causes, its commercial interests gradually declined, and, in 1875, the town had less than 3,500 inhabitants. About that time, the first successful exper- iments were made in the preparation of herring as sardines, and as soon as it became certain that the small fish could be utilized in this way, and that a market could be found for the prod- ucts, large canneries were erected, and parties engaged extensively in the work. The industry has since grown to enormous proportions, and to-day it constitutes the principal business of the place, making it one of the liveliest settlements on the coast of Maine. From its earliest settlement the people of Eastport have been largely dependent upon the fish- eries. The location of the village at the western entrance to the Bay of Fundy, in the center of a large fishing district, gave it a decided advantage as a market; and the abundance of rocks, 16 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. which forbade any extensive agricultural interests, compelled its people, in common with those of the adjoining British islands, to depend almost wholly upon the sea for their support. Its spacious harbor warranted the inhabitants in investing largely in vessel property, and they soon built or purchased quite a fleet of fishing schooners. These, in addition to the fleet owned at other points in the district, depended chiefly upon Eastport for their supplies, and also found it a desirable market for their catch. THE MACKEREL FISHERY. — As early as 1820, the merchants of the place were extensively interested in the mackerel fisheries. In 1830 the business was at its height, when, according to Mr. D. I. Odell, there were fully forty sail of " mackerelmen," averaging CO to 70 tons each, fitting and selling at Eastport. These vessels carried a total of nearly 600 men. Mackerel of large size were very abundant in the vicinity at this time, and, according to Mr. S. B. Hume, it was not uncommon to catch individuals weighing upward of 2 pounds within a few rods of the wharves; while 100 dressed fish would often fill a barrel. From 700 to 1,000 barrels is said to have been an average catch for a vessel during the season. In connection with the mackerel fishery, which did not begin till midsummer, most of the vessels went to the outer banks or fished in the Bay of Fundy for cod, usually landing 700 to 800 quintals each before the mackerel season opened. THE LABRADOR COD FISHERY. — As early as 1820, a number of the vessels, after making a short trip to some of the nearer grounds for cod, " fitted" for Labrador to engage in the cod fish- eries of that region. They usually started in June and returned in September. By 1830 there were from six to ten vessels engaged regularly in the Labrador fisheries. A few years later, this branch of the fishery began to decline, and by 1855 it was wholly neglected. THE TRADE WITH BOAT-FISHERMEN. — Seeing that both the mackerel and Labrador fisheries were being abandoned, the merchants were obliged to turn their attention to the shore fisheries. They soon began to cater to the trade with the local boat-fishermen, and to that of the vessels employed in the Bay of Fundy cod fisheries. A number of large curing stands were built, and a considerable business was done in drying fish, the greater part of which were purchased from the boat and vessel fishermen of the surrounding islands. Then, as now, the bulk of the catch of the fishermen of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia was consumed in the United States, and the duty levied on their importation not only seriously affected the extent of these fisheries but also greatly reduced the value of the fish taken. As a result, Eastport controlled to a considerable extent the catch of the Bay of Fundy, and most of the men living within a convenient distance sold their fish either fiom "kench" or "from the knife;" while others often landed dried fish on the island to be carried to Eastport in small quantities from time to time, in order to avoid the payment of duties. With such intimate relations existing between the Eastport fishermen and their foreign neighbors, it was very difficult to distinguish between foreign and domestic products, and thousands of quintals of cod and other species were annually smuggled across the line. THE MAGDALEN ISLANDS HERRING FISHERY. — Before the decline of the mackerel fishery, a number of vessels were sent to the Magdalen Islands in the early spring for herring, which they salted and brought to Eastport and Lubec for smoking or pickling. This business began as early as 1830, and continued to be important till 18C8, since which time only an occasional vessel has been sent. In addition to the " Magdalen trade," the shore herring fisheries were very extensive, and next to Lubec, Eastport prepared the largest quantity of smoked herring of any town in the United States. MAINE: PASSAMAQUODDY DISTRICT. 1? THE FISHERIES IN 1850. — Mr. M. H. Perley, in his Report of the Fisheries of New Bruns- wick for 1850, gives seven firms, with a total capital of $33,500, engaged in the fish trade at East- port. These, according to the same authority, employed 238 men; used 18,900 bushels of salt; cured 18,000 quintals of fish and 3,500 boxes of smoked herring; put up 12,000 barrels of pickled herring, SCO barrels of mackerel, and 3,503 barrels of other fish (probably co.d, haddock, and hake), in addition to 450 barrels of oil and a quantity of canned goods, the whole having a value of $85,800. ORIGIN OF THE CANNING INDUSTRY. — Eastport claims the honor of putting up the first can of hermetically sealed goods within the limits of the United States. The process originated with the French, and was first employed on the American continent at Halifax, Nova Scotia, by Mr. Charles Mitchell, of Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1840. About this time Mr. U. S. Treat began experi- menting in the same line at Eastport, and in 1843 Mr. Mitchell removed to Eastport and joined him in the work. It was here that lobsters were first canned. From this beginning the business has developed to its present enormous proportions. There are now three lobster canneries at Eastport, and two others a few miles distant, on British soil. The products of the three canneries in 1880 amounted to nearly 130,000 one-pound and 5,000 two-pound cans. In addition to those canned several hundred barrels of lobsters were shipped fresh to Portland and Boston. THE EFFECT OF FREE TRADE WITH CANADA.— Eastport was seriously afleeted by the treaty that admitted foreign fish free of duty, and from that time its fishing interests, owing to a tendency of the New Brunswick fishermen to send their catch to the larger markets, gradually declined. Alany of the dealers soon gave up the business, while others removed elsewhere. The larger fishing- vessels owned in the town were one after another sold from the district, and most of the fishermen turned their attention to the boat-fisheries, taking a considerable quantity of pollock, haddock, hake, herring, and other species along the shore. Pollock and herring have long been more abundant in this region than on any other portion of the entire coast. THE FROZEN HERRING TRADE. — Iii the winter of 1854-'55 a Gloucester vessel secured a quan- tity of frozen herring in Newfoundland, and carried them to Gloucester, to be used as bait in the George's Bank cod fisheries. This was the beginning of a trade in frozen herring which has since assumed important proportions. In the winter of 18GC-'G7 a vessel engaged in the business made a trip to Eastport and obtained a full cargo of herring. The following year a number of vessels visited the region for a similar purpose. From that time the business has rapidly increased, until Eastport has come to control the frozen-herring trade of the United States. The fishing begins as soon as the fish can be frozen, usually about the middle of November, and lasts until the weather becomes "soft" in spring. From the first the fishing has been quite important, and has gradually increased, until in the winter of 1879-'80 there were ninety five cargoes, averaging 250,000 fish each, in addition to 9,500 barrels of 450 fish each, shipped from the region, making a total of 28,000,000 herring, valued at $90,000. These were mostly taken by the fishermen of New Brunswick and sold to American fishing-vessels, that carried them to Boston, New York, Gloucester, Portland, and other places. UADDOCK SMOKING. — About 1SC8 Eastport parties began smokjng haddock, and a number have continued the work to the present time. The height of this business was in 1875, since which time it has been less extensive. In the winter of 1879-'80 there were 210,000 pounds of ''Finnan haddies," valued at $12,000, smoked in the town. All of them were sent to Portland for distribution. ORIGIN AND GROWTH OF THE SARDINE INDUSTRY. — In the fall of 1874 New York parties 2GEP 18 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. conceived tbe idea of usiug small herring for "Russian sardines." They at once ordered a supply of these fish from Eastport for their experiments. The herring were found to answer the purpose admirably, and the following summer parties went to Eastport to engage in this business. It was soon found that the herring could also be utilized in the preparation of oil sardines, and, after various experiments, methods were hit upon by which a fine quality of sardines were prepared. From the first the demand for American sardines lias rapidly increased and other establishments soon located at Eastport, and several canneries have recently been built elsewhere along the shore for utilizing the small herring that are found iu considerable quantities. In the fall of 1880 there were iu the town of Eastport alone thirteen canneries, employing nearly 1,500 persons, for the capture and prepara- tion of sardines. These put up during the season about 7,000,000 cans, valued at upwards of $725,000. EXTENT OF THE VESSEL AND BOAT FISHERIES IN 1880. — An examination into the present condition of the fishing fleet shows that in 1880 Eastport had fourteen vessels, with a total of 358.56 tons, valued at $13,000. These carried ninety-two men, and landed about 8,750 quintals of fish. In addition to these there were five or six small vessels, owned by Eastport parties, sailing under the British flag. There were seventeen herring weirs, valued at $4.000, at Eastport and adjacent small islands. These caught about 1,200 bogheads of fish, worth over $5,000. Between thirty and forty additional boat-fishermen were engaged in the capture of pollock, hake, and haddock in summer, the greater part of these, with a few others, turning their attention to the herring fisheries in winter. EASTPORT TRADE IN FISHING PRODUCTS.— There were eleven firms dealing extensively in fishery products which they bought from the American and Provincial fishermen. They furnished constant employment to twenty-seven men, and required fifteen additional hands during the busy season. These firms occupied property worth $27,000, aud required a cash capital of $52,000 for carrying on their business. They handled in 1879, according to estimates by Mr. S. B. Hume, Paine Brothers, Mr. B. F. Milliken, and others, 50,000 quintals of dry fish, 13,700 barrels of pickled fish, 375,000 boxes of smoked herring, 45,000 boxes of bloater herring, 210,000 pounds of smoked haddock, 53,000 pounds of dry fish-sounds, 3,600 barrels of liver and herring oil, aud 5,000 barrel* of pomace, the whole having a value of $330,000. The frozen-herring, sardine, and lobster interests mentioned elsewhere foot up about $840,000 more, making the total trade iu fishery products at Eastport $1,170,000. 5. THE FISHING TOWNS BETWEEN EASTPORT AND LUBEC. PEMBROKE. — Pembroke is a town of about 2,500 inhabitants, lying to the north of Cobscook Bay. It is traversed throughout its entire length by Peumaquan River, which in its lower half is of considerable width aud is known as Penmaquan Bay. The lower part of its western boundary is formed by the north branch of the Cobscook River, an arm of Cobscook Bay, into which the Dennys River empties. The water in the vicinity of the town is quite salt, and is much atfected by the tides, which an-, unusually strong. The town has two post offices. The principal one is at Pembroke, a village of over a thousand inhabitants, with extensive lumbering interests, and a large iron mill ; the other, called West Pem- broke, is at the head of navigation of the river, a mile or more above Pembroke village. The latter was formerly engaged in ship-building and had a small lumber trade, but it is now an agricultural section, with no business of note. The fishing for salt water species is of little importance. The fishing fleet consists of two ves- MAINE = PASSAMAQUODDY DISTRICT. sels, the Josie L. Day and Beauty, of 15.88 aiul 26.25 tons, respectively. In 1879 these vessels furnished employment to sixteen men, and landed about 2,200 quintals of fish, two-thirds of the catch being hake. They also engaged in herriug netting on the coast of New Brunswick during the winter season, selling their catch to the vessels employed in the frozen-herring trade. In addition to the vessel-fishing, a number of farmers and mechanics living in the lower part of the town go in small boats to the pollock grounds of 'Quoddy River at intervals during the summer and catch fish for family use, often selling a few quintals to their neighbors. Aside from the parties mentioned, few persons are interested in the fisheries, as the fishing grounds are too far distant. DENNYSVILLE. — Dennysville is a town of about 500 inhabitants, near the head of the northern branch of Cobscook Eiver. It has a village of the same name, with about 300 inhabitants, at the head of navigation on the Dennys Eiver. The residents are engaged chiefly in farming and lum- bering, and there is no salt-water fishing of note, though a few parties go down the bay in small boats for a few days during the height of the pollock season, catching a supply for their own tables. A small business is done in river fishing and several weirs have been built for catching salmon and alewives. EDMUNDS. — The town of Edmunds has a scattered population of 450 inhabitants, engaged chiefly in agricultural pursuits. It forms the west bank of one of the arms of Cobscook Bay, but has no fishing interests, if we neglect the few farmers that occasionally resort to the pollock grounds of 'Quoddy River for local supply. G. LUBEC AND ITS FISHERIES. GENERAL STATEMENTS.— The town of Lubec is made up of a series of irregular peninsulas, separated from each other by the various branches of Cobscook Bay. It has a shore-line greater in proportion to its area than almost any other town on the coast. It was settled about 1780, and was a part of Eastport up to 1811, when it was incorporated as a town and named in honor of Lubec, Germany. In 1850 its population numbered nearly 3,000, but of late it has been gradually losing in numbers from year to year, and at present has only 2,136 inhabitants. There are three post-offices in the town, called Lubec, North Lubec, and West Lubec, respectively. The first-named is the only village of importance. It is situated at "The Narrows," on the main ship channel of 'Quoddy River, and is, next to Eastport, the leading commercial center of the region. In other por- tions of the town the people live along the shores, and divide their time about equally between farming, fishing, and herring smoking. ORIGIN AND GROWTH OF THE SMOKED-HERRING INDUSTRY. — By the beginning of the present century Lubec had become extensively engaged in the fisheries, and its people soon became largely interested in catching and smoking herriug, which have for many years been remarkably abundant in that locality. They soon took the lead in the smoked herring trade, and have retained it to the present day. In 1821, according to Mr. Jacob McGregor, there were twenty smoke-houses in the town, putting up a yearly average of 2,500 to 3,000 boxes of herring each. Prior to 1828 the herring were mostly taken by " torching." At that date brush weirs were introduced for their cap- ture by fishermen from Nova Scotia, and they soon came into general favor. As early as 1830 Lubec began sending vessels to the Magdalen Islands for an additional sup- ply of herring for smoking and pickling. In 1860 she had eleven vessels engaged in this fishery, bringing cargoes of 700 to 800 barrels each, about one-half of the entire quantity being smoked. Since 1860 she has sent only a small fleet, but one or two vessels going yearly for several years. 20 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. The business reached its height between 1845 and 18G5, when there were about forty-five weirs owned in the town. During these years, according to Mr. P. Gillis and others, from 400,000 to 500,000 boxes of herring were smoked annually. Since that date, owing to various circumstances, the business has fallen off greatly. The principal cause of this is said to be the result of the war, which virtually destroyed the herring trade with the South, where a large part of the fish was consumed. This market destroyed, years of overproduction followed, which so reduced the price that all parties lost heavily. The business continued to decline until in 1879 the Magdalen supply was entirely cut oft', and there were but thirty-one weirs fished by Lubec parties. There were at that time seventy four smoke houses in the town, but some of them remained idle and others were little used. The total product of these smoke-houses in 1879 reached only 153,000 boxes, of which the greater part were sent to New York, the remainder going to Boston and Portland. In 1880 the quantity of fish smoked at Lubec will be even less than in 1879, though herring are more abundant. In addition to the "hard herring," a few bloaters have been put up each season for several years, the total for 1879 amounting to 3,OCO boxes of 100 fish each. TIIE SABDINE INDUSTRY. — For two or three years a part of the catch of small herring from the various weirs has been sold to the "sardine" canneries at Eastport, and considerable money has been realized by the fishermen from this source. In the fall of 1880 a sardine cannery was built at Lubec to utilize the catch of small herring, and others will doubtless be established dining the coining season. GENERAL FISHERIES IN 1880. — Aside from its herring interests, the town has never been extensively engaged in the fisheries. In 1854 a. vessels was sent to Labrador for codfish, and one or two were sent yearly up to 1858, when the business was discontinued. In 1879 eight small vessels were engaged in the various shore fisheries, but in 1880 the fleet had been reduced to six vessels, with a total of 81.42 tons. There were a few line fishermen who fished from small boats during the summer months. • 7. THE FISHERIES OF TRESCOTT AND WHITING. TRESCOTT.— Trescott is a town of GOO inhabitants, lying to the west of Lubec. Its northern part is a peninsula bounded by the various branches of Cobscook Bay, while its southern portion borders on the ocean, and has three little coves or harbors, affording fair anchorage for small ves- sels and boats. The first harbor, called Bailey's Mistake, is in the extreme eastern portion of the town. The next is a little cove known as Haycock's Harbor, with half a dozen houses near its shores. Formerly several herring weirs were owned and fished at this cove, and the catch was smoked and sold in Lubec, but for several years there has been no fishing of any kind. The third harbor is Moose River, where in 1868 two weirs were fished regularly for herring, and houses were built for s,moking the catch. At that time herring were abundant, and a profitable business was carried on for a number of years, after which it was entirely abandoned. At the present time two men are engaged iu boat fishing from the harbor, selling their catch in Lubec. According to Mr. F. Warren, there was formerly some ship-building at the place, but Niis interest has died out, and the people of the neighborhood are now engaged chiefly in farming. From the northern portion of the town a few men go occasionally in small boats to the lower fishing grounds, but no extensive business is carried on, and no fish are caught for market. WHITINO. — Whiting is a town of 400 inhabitants, lying to the north of Cutler. In its extreme MAINE: PASSAMAQUODDY DISTRICT. 21 eastern part is a small village of the same name, situated at the head of navigation of the south branch of Cobscook Eiver. The residents are engaged chiefly in lumbering and farming, and there is no professional fishing from the town, though boats go down the bay occasionally for pleasure fishing. 0.— THE MACHIAS DISTRICT. 8. GENERAL REVIEW OF TEE FISHERIES OF THE DISTRICT. GENERAL ACCOUNT OF THE FISHERIES. — The people of the Machias customs district, which includes the coast-line between Cutler and Gouldsboro', are engaged chiefly in farming and lum- bering. Large saw-mills are located on the principal water privileges, and a large quantity of lumber is prepared and shipped to other localities. The inhabitants have never been extensively engaged in the fisheries, and at the present time only fifteen fishing vessels are owned in the dis- trut. Of these vessels only one is engaged in the offshore fisheries, the remainder being small craft fishing on the inner grounds. The boat-fisheries also are of little importance, the men giving their attention chiefly to the capture of lobsters in the summer and to clamming in winter. Formerly a good many brush weirs were fished for herring, the catch being smoked or pressed for oil. Recently, however, the weirs have been neglected, and the business is now quite unim- portant, though, owing to the establishment of several sardine canneries in 1880, a new impetus has been given to this particular fishery, and many new weirs are being built, aa herring are reported very abundant. The clamming interests of Mason's Bay are quite important, and a number of small vessels from various portions of the State, and even from Massachusetts, spend several months in the region each winter, their crews being provided with small boats, in which they visit the flats at low water to secure a supply of bait for their own use during the following season, or for sale to. the fishing fleets of the larger cities. The vessel serves both as a home and work-shop during their stay in the region, and at the close enables them to transport the products to any desired locality without additional expense. Many of the local fishermen, having little to occupy their attention in winter, naturally resort to the clam flats, deriving a considerable revenue from this source. The lobster fisheries began in 1855, since which time they have gradually increased in impor- tance, until they now take the leading place among the fisheries of the region. STATISTICAL RECAPITULATION FOR 1880. — Detailed statistical statements of the fisheries may be found in the following table: Summary Ktatcmi'nl of jicmons employed and capital invested. Persons employed. Number. Capital invested. Amount. 02 $30 465 .'too 12 075 10 a 40 G43 Number of factory-hands 129 Total Total . .. 561 a Other fixed and circulating capital. — Cash capital, $26,748; wharves, shurvhouses, and fixtures, $2,245; factory buildings and apparatus, $11,650; total, $40,643. 22 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. Detailed statement of capital invested in ressels, boats, nets, and traps. Vessels and boats. No. Tonnage. Valne. Value of gear, exclu- sive ofboaU and nets. Value of outfit. Total value. Nets and traps. No. Value. Vessels. In food-fish fishery : 11 3 1 246. 17 27.97 32.97 $6,217 850 1,500 $1, 885 $4,780 $12, 882 850 1,670 Kelt GUI-nets: In vessel- nshorieb ... In boat-fisheries Haul-seines: 111 boat-fisheuus Total 45 250 23 $612 3,000 C15 Idle 10 160 Total 15 307. 11 8,567 1,895 4,940 15, 402 Boats. 318 4,227 26 281 495 9,408 495 14,568 Traps. Weirs 15 10 8, 251 1,610 50 6,188 . 3,600 1,500 Fykes Total 307 9,963 3,600 1,500 15,003 Total 8,276 7,848 Detailed statement of Hie quantities and values of the products. Products specified. Pounds, fresh. Pounds, prepared. Bulk. Value aa sold. Grand total . .. 7 496 124 $116 972 Frethfith. For food 477 200 6 361 For bait , 2 202 OIK) 11,010 barrels 8 258 For fertilizer 60 000 300 barrels 150 Total . 2 739 200 14 771 Dry fish. Cod 1 040 325 358 512 11 204 Bake 316 170 131 152 1 756 Haddock °64 915 94 192 Pollock 107 880 41 664 744 Cusk 29,640 12,768 314 Total 1 758 930 638 -288 15 010 Pickled fish. 27,900 18, COO 93 barrels 515 Herring : 42,500 31,000 170 barrels 510 29,000 16, 000 80 barrels 400 Total 99, 400 68,000 34;t barrels 1,445 Herring: Smoked fish. 74 094 5'( 5'J3 1 260 Canned fah. 41 250 3 4T7 Lobitert. Fresh ...... 107 950 3 958 Canned ...... 2 474 300 4G2 708 cans 57 729 Total 2 5go 250 01 687 Claim. For food 111 OGO 11 100 bushels . .. 3 887 For bait 9 940 355 80 000 Total 201 000 14 242 Miscellaneous. Kith-oil 2 850 "ullons 1 140 Sounds 1 7f>6 1 580 Marine products used for fertilizers 1,500 Total 4 220 MAINE: MACHIAS DISTRICT. 23 REVIEW OF a HE FISHERIES BY TOWNS. — If we except Jouesport, there are 110 important fish- ing settlements in the district, though the residents of several villages are more or less interested in the capture of the different species. Below may be found a brief description of the fishing iuteres's of the different towns. 9. CUTLER TO JONESBORO', INCLUSIVE. CULLER. — The town of Cutler lies to the eastward of Machias Bay, with the open ocean on the south. Its population, numbering less than 1,000, is scattered along the shore, the interior being nearly uninhabited. The people are now engaged almost wholly in farming, though formerly con- siderable fishing was done. Fifteen years ago more than a dozen brush weirs were fished in Little Machias Bay and Little River by the residents of the town ; but at present the fishing interests in this line are confined to one weir. Two vessels of 18.42 and 42.07 tons, respectively, furnishing employment to fifteen men, are fished from the harbor; but one of these is chartered from Jones port. About thirty men engage in Jobstering and line fishing from boats during a part of the summer. There are eight smoke-houses, but only two of them are in repair, and the total quantity of herring smoked yearly does not exceed 2,000 boxes. The vessel-catch amounted to 850 quintals in 1871), and to 600 quintals in 1880. The catch of herring in the weirs has been constantly decreas- ing until during the present season it will not exceed 15 hogsheads. According to Mr. S. B. French, Cutler was for a short time interested in the Magdalen herring fisheries, sending her first vessel in I860, and two or three each season until 1864. MACHIASPOET. — Machiasport is a town of 1,500 inhabitants, lying to the south of Machias. It is divided by the Machias River, and has a village of 300 inhabitants at the head of steamboat navigation. The region is one largely interested in the lumber trade, and it has a fleet of vessels engaged in coasting. The southern portion of the town is a peninsula, with Machias Bay on the east and Little Kennebec River on the west. The shores are indented by numerous harbors and coves, and from these twenty-three men, with 17 boats, are engaged in lobstering from April to August, selling their catch to the cannery on Little Kennebec River. There are no professional boat-fisher- men, though a number catch a few cod, hake, and haddock each season for home use and for sale in the neighborhood. The smoked herring business-amounts to less than 300 boxes yearly. Two fishing- vessels with a total of 54.37 tons are owned in the town. These are engaged in the Bay of Fundy and La Have fisheries, with trawl and nfft, during the summer months, and in the herring fisheries in winter. They carry a total of fourteen men, and in 1879 lauded GOO quin- tals of dry fish. The present season, 1880, the catch will be about 825 quintals. EAST MACHIAS. — East Machias, with its extensive lumber mills and ship-yards, is a town of nearly 2,000 inhabitants, lying to the north of Machiasport. No fishing vessels and but three or four fishing boats are owned in the town. The largest of these makes Grand Manan her head- quarters during the summer season while fishing for cod and pollock, and in the fall she is employed in the herring fishery in the same locality. Her total catch for 1879 was about 75 quintals of dried fi.sh, and 50,000 herring. The other boats go only occasionally to the fishing grounds near Cross Island in summer, catching a few quintals of cod and hake for home use. The town is supplied with fresh fish by peddlers from Jonesboro and other places. MACHIAS. — Machias is a small town of about 2,200 inhabitants, lying to the northwest of Machiasport on the Machias River. It has a village of 1,500 inhabitants at the head of naviga- tion. Many of the residents arc engaged in the coasting trade, but the majority are interested in or find employment at the extensive saw-mills of the village. It is the county seat of Washington 24 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OP T£IE FISHERIES. County, and contains the custom -house for the Machias district, which embraces the section of coast lying between Cutler on the east and Gouldsboro' on the west. The people of the place have never engaged extensively in the fisheries, as they are fully 15 miles from the fishing grounds. There are at present no professional fishermen in the town, and no fishing vessels are owned at the village. A few men go to the outer islands occasionally in small boats during the summer mouths, for cod and pollock, fishing more for pleasure than for profit. Mr. II. V. Knight, who keeps the only fish market 'in the place, estimates the total catch by these parties at 50 quintals yearly. The supply of fish, lobsters, and clams comes overland from the vicinity of .Tonesport. JONESBOKO'. — The town of Jonesboro', situated to the north and east of Mason's Bay, has a population of 550, engaged chiefly in farming in summer and in lumbering in winter. The only settlement of note is a village of fifteen to twenty houses on a small stream known as Chandler's River. There are no important fisheries in the town. Ten men fish for lobsters from April to August, and, later in the season, some of them go out occasionally with hand-lines to catch a few fish for their own tables. There are four small brush-weirs, which in 1880 caught 12 barrels of mackerel (Scomber scombrwi), in addition to a quantity of herring and other species that were used for bait or as a dressing for the land. A small vessel owned in the town took 25 quintals of fish in 1879, but in 1880 she was not employed in the fisheries. The shores of Mason's Bay, especially those of Rogue Island, are bordered by extensive mud- flats, in which clams (Mya arcnaria) are peculiarly abundant, this being a favorite resort for the clam diggers of the adjoining towns. Large quantities are dug here annually by the residents of other places, but only two of the Jonesboro people engage in the work. 10. JONESPORT AND ITS FISHERIES. GENERAL AOCOUNT. — The town of Jonesport, lying between Jonesboro' and Addison, was incorporated in 1832, and has at present 1,300 inhabitants. It is situated on Moose-a-bec Reach, an inside passage for vessels and steamers between the mainland and the outlying islands. It has a fair harbor, protected from the ocean by the ledges and islands, and is one of the principal steam- boat landings of the region, having direct communication with Rocklaud and Portland. The people of the town divide their attention about equally between the land and the water. Many of them "follow the sea" during a greater part of the year, while others catch flsli and lobsters in summer and dig clams in winter, most of them having small garden spots, on which they raise a few vegetables to supply their own tables. Seven small fishing- vessels, valued at over $3,000 and carrying thirty-two men, are owned by the villagers and the inhabitants of the outlying islands. Six of these are engaged in the shore fisheries, landing an average of $1,200 worth offish each, and one is employed in "running" lobsters to Boston and to the cannery at Jouesport. THE LOBSTER INDUSTRY. — The catching of lobsters constitutes an important business, and seventy-one men, with an average of sixty-five pots each, are engaged in the fishery. The best lobstermen make $300 yearly, while the average is about $125 for the season, which lasts from April to August. Prior to 1855 no lobsters were shipped from the town, the few secured being taken with gaffs or hoop-nets for local supply. At this time Capt. John I). Piper arrived at Jones- port in a well-smack, bringing a crew of fishermen, who were provided with pots for catching the lobsters, which he purposed taking to Boston. As soon as this fact became known great excite- ment prevailed, the loc.il fishermen fearing that the supply of lobsters would soon be exhausted. According to Captain Piper, a town meeting was at once called to consider the subject, and it was MAINE: MACHIAS DISTRICT. 25 only after he bad convinced them of the extent and importance of the lobster fisheries in. other localities, and of the advantages which they might derive from the capture of lobsters, that he was permitted to engage in the work. From the first the fishery was very successful, many of the fishermen soon providing themselves with pots, and from that date the industry has been of peculiar importance. In 1SG3 a lobster cannery was built at Jonesport, since which time it has been in successful operation. It now does a flourishing business in the canning of lobsters, clams, and mackerel, employing over forty hands during the height of the season. THE BOAT-FISHERY FOE COD.— After the lobster season is over many of the men turn their attention for several months to line and trawl fishing, catching cod and other species for local supply and for shipment. Fifty-nine men were employed in this way in the fall of 1880, seven of them being professional boat-fishermen. THE CLAM FISHERY. — In the winter the principal business of the people is clamming. Jones- port and Jonesboro' have each very extensive clam-flats, which, barring those about Sedgwick, are the most important on this portion of the coast. Small vessels come to the locality from Portland, Booth Bay, Deer Isle, and other points along the shore, and engage in clamming during the season, which lasts from December to April. Some crews dig large quantities, which they shuck and salt for sale to the offshore fishing-vessels, and others merely lay in their stock of bait for the following summer. Aside' from the non-residents above mentioned, seventy-nine of the local fishermen made clamming a regular business during the winter of 1879-'80. These dug over 16,000 bushels, a part of which were sold to the cannery at Jouesport, the remainder being shucked and salted in barrels for use as bait. THE HERRING FISHERY. — Jouesport has taken little interest in the herring fisheries of late, and at present there is but one weir within the limits of the town, though small herriug are reported fairly abundant. During the summer of 18SO a sardine cannery was built, and in the fall several thousand cans of fish were put up. The building will be enlarged in 1881, and it is thought that herring can be taken in sufficient numbers to make the business both extensive and prof- itable. An Eastport firm located at the village in the summer of 1880 for the purpose of putting up Russian sardines, and succeeded in packing several hundred barrels during the season. The supply of fish was obtained largely from Millbridge. In the spring of 1881 it intends building a large cannery for the preparation of oil sardines. 11. M1LLBRIDGE, STEUBEN, AND OTHER TOWNS IN THE VICINITY. ADDISON. — The town of Addisou is situated to the westward of Moose-a-bcc Reach, between Harrington and Jonesport. It has a population of over 1,200, composed chiefly of sea-faring men and farmers. There are two post-offices ; one, called Addison, is U village of several hundred inhabitants at the head of navigation of Pleasant River; the other, known as Indian River, is a scattered settlement of fanners and fishermen. Formerly considerable ship building was done in the town, but this business has gradually died out, and no vessels have been built for several years. As early as 1835 Addison sent two or three vessels each season to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence for codfish. In 1857 its fleet consisted of three vessels engaged in the Bay of Fundy cod-fisheries, and one "hooking" mackerel in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. In 1880 there was but one fish ing- vessel, of 10.58 tons, owned in the place. This vessel carried three men, and landed 100 quintals of cod and haddock, taken during occasional visits to the inshore grounds. There are thirty-seven semi-professional fishermen, with fifteen boats, engaged in trawling and hand- lining along the shore, at intervals, from May to October. About half of the catch is sold fresh, 26 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. while the remainder is dried for local use. Twenty-four men fish for lobsters from April to August, selling their catch to the lobster cannery that was built in the lower part of the town in the spring of 1879. Four brush weirs are fished by the people of Addison for herring, mackerel, flounders, and smelt. The catch in 1880 amounted to 350 hogsheads of herring aud 340 barrels of mackerel, in addition to a quantity of refuse fish that was used for lobster bait. There are two smoke houses, in which a few herring are cured each season; the quantity for 1880 amounted to 3,200 boxes. HARRINGTON. — Harrington, which includes the coast-line between Millbridge and Addisou, is a town of 1,280 inhabitants. Its shores are very irregular, being cut up by numerous bays, the principal ones being Pleasant Bay, Harrington River, and Flat Bay, each separated from the other by long but narrow peninsulas. There are two post-offices in the town. The larger, called Har- rington, is a village of GOO inhabitants at the head of navigation of Harrington River. Formerly there was considerable ship-building at this place, but for several years nothing has been done in that line. The other post-office, called West Harrington, is an agricultural district, with no village worthy of note. Most of the inhabitants are interested in farming, while the remainder "follow the sea" during the greater part of the year. The fisheries of the town are of little importance, as there are no vessels engaged in the business, and no boats going regularly to the shore fishing grounds. Nine men pursue lobsters during the season, selling their catch to the Gouldsboro' and Addison canneries. These men fish occasionally with hand-lines near the shore, catching cod, haddock, and hake for family use and for sale in the neighborhood. There are three brush weirs, two being fished for smelt (Osmerus mordax) and other anadromous species, while the third takes a small quantity of herring, flounders, and mackerel, the greater part being used for lobster bait and as a fertilizer. Two men engage in clamming, selling about GOO bushels yearly to the local trade. MILLBRIDGE. — Millbridge was set off from Harrington and incorporated as a separate town in 1848. It had at that time about 1,100 inhabitants. In 1870 its population had increased to 1,558. The town forms the shore-line between Harrington and Steuben, and is divided by the Narraguagus River. It has a thriving village of nearly 1,000 inhabitants, extensively engaged in coasting aud ship-building. Millbridge has never been engaged in the offshore fisheries, and only to a limited extent in boat fishing, aside from that for herring and lobsters. Its people, in common with those of Steubeu, are more or less interested in the herring fisheries, and, according to Mr. Sanborn, an old resident of the place, the first herring weir was built just opposite the village about 1820. From that date the business increased very slawly up to 1850, when parties came from Lubec and built large smoke- houses and presses for utilizing the catch. The fishery was at its height between 1158 aud 1863, when 12 weirs were fished regularly and 75,000 to 100,000 boxes of herring were smoked annually. Many herring were pressed for their oil, the pomace being used locally as a fertilizer. None have been pressed since 1870, aud the trade in smoked heiring also gradually declined, until in 1880 only 500 boxes were put up. Though large herring are abundant on the spawning grounds, a few miles of the village, and many vessels from other places catch large numbers of them, none of the local fishermen have provided themselves with nets for their capture, and for several years the weirs have been fished simply to secure bait for the lobster-men and to obtain manure for the land. In the fall of 1880 Eastport parties decided to build a sardine cannery at Millbridge for the purpose of utilizing the small herring that are said to be abundant. It is purposed to have it in MAINE: MACHIAS DISTRICT. 27 readiness for the seasou of 1881. TLis will doubtless throw new life iuto the fishery, nucl, if the herring are as plenty as the residents claim, it seems destined to assume important proportions. The shore fishing is confined largely to the capture of lobsters, which are sold to the cannery near the village and to the Portland and Boston smacks. Many of the farmers of the region devote part of their time between the first of April and the middle of August to lobstering, and other persons depend wholly upon it for a livelihood during these mouths. Lobsters are very abundant, and the catch is often large, some of the more industrious fishermen making $200 or even $300 during this short season. Aside from lobster fishing, the boat-fisheries of the town arc of little importance, and we learn of but 10 men who give any considerable portion of their time to the work. These go to the inshore grounds in large boats at intervals between May and November. A few others fish for home supply, and fully forty of the lobster fisherineu of Millbridge and Steubeu fish occasionally with hand-lines after the lobster season is over. CHERRYFIELD. — Cherryfield is an inland town of 1,700 inhabitants, lying to the north of Millbridge and Steuben, on the Narraguagus Eiver, with extensive lumbering interests. It is fully 10 miles from the fishing grounds and has no commercial fisheries, though a few people fish occa- sionally for pleasure during the summer months. STEUBEN; GENERAL STATEMENTS. — Steuben is a town of 1,000 inhabitants, lying between Millbridge and Gouldsboro'. Its southern shore is formed by two long and narrow peninsulas, which are nearly surrounded by the waters of Pigeon Hill, Dyer's, and Gouldsboro' Bays. Several small outlying islands also belong to the town. There are no villages of note, the houses being grouped together in little settlements along the country roads and about the numerous coves. The people are chiefly engaged in farming and the coasting trade, while a few find employment in the small tide-mills of the region. THE HERKING FISHERY OFF BoiSBUBERT ISLAND. — As a fishing town Steuben is of little importance, though the ledges in the vicinity of the island are noted as an important spawning ground for the herring; and weirs were built for their capture as early as 1850 by Lubec fishermen, who came to Boisbubert Island to engage in the capture of the herring, which they either smoked or pressed for their oil. This business reached its height between 1858 and 1802, and has since gradually declined until during the present season (1880) there were but two weirs fished within the limits of the town. These caught 350 hogsheads of herring and 150 barrels of mackerel, half of the former being turned out for want of .1 market. No herriug have been smoked since 1879. The herriug netting at Boisbubert begins about August 1, when the large fish "strike in" for the purpose of spawning. The first vessel that fished on these spawning grounds came from Deer Isle about 1868, and in 1874 there were twenty-eight to thirty small ones fishing in the region, some of them making two trips. In 1880 eight sail visited the locality, catching a total of 700 to 900 barrels of herring, which they sold in Boston and Portland and Booth Bay. OTHER FISHERIES. — The lobster fisheries are quite important, as the species is abundant about the southern headlands and among the outer islands. Eighty men from Millbridge and Steuben engage in this fishery from April to August, selling their eatch largely to the canneries at Mill- bridge and Prospect Harbor. Over half of these fisherineu live in Steuben. The line-fisheries for cod, haddock, and hake are of little importance, a few of the lobster fishermen going out occasionally to supply the local demand, though the greater part of the fish consumed in the district are brought from the town of Gouldsboro.' 28 GEOGRAPHICAL 11EVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. D.— THE FRENCHMAN'S BAY DISTRICT. 12. GENERAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES OF THE DISTRICT. EXTENT OF THE FISHERIES. — The Frenchman's Bay customs district, which includes the coast-line between Gouldsboro' and Blue Hill, is not an important fishing district, though several towns send a number of vessels to the distant banks for cod, and quite a fleet of small vessels is employed in the shore-fisheries. Both the offshore and inshore fisheries were formerly more exten- sive than at present. Thirty to fifty years ago several vessels were employed in the Labrador cod fishery and in the herring fishery at Magdalen Islands. The former fishery was abandoned some years since, and in 1880 no vessels were sent to the Magdalens, though up to that time a number had made yearly trips to that region. About 1810 parties came to Gouldsboro' to engage in the whale fishery, going out from the shore in small boats in pursuit of the whales whenever they came in sight. Later, small vessels were employed, and the fishery was continued up to 1860. THE FRENCHMAN'S BAY HAKE FISHERY.— A large fleet of small vessels was engaged in the Bay of Fundy cod fisheries for a number of years, but this interest gradually declined, and the fishermen turned their attention to the capture of hake in Frenchman's Bay. This fishery has been, perhaps, the most important one in the district. It began in 1840, when vessels from differ- ent parts of Maine and Massachusetts were regularly employed in this fishery, securing large fures of hake which were sold in Portland and Boston. For some years not less than a hundred sail came regularly to the region, and as many more made occasional visits, but since 18G5 few vessels have visited the locality, and the fishery is now practically abandoned. THE MENHADEN FISHERY. — It is claimed by the fishermen of Surry that the menhaden fishery of the United States originated with the people of that town. For many years menhaden were abundant in all of the shore-waters of the district, being particularly so in Frenchman's and Union Bays. At first they were taken only in small numbers for use as bait in the shore-fisheries, but later, when it was discovered that marketable oil could be obtained from them, the fishery increased enormously, and hundreds of fishermen provided themselves with nets and kettles for engaging in the work. Between 1855 and 18G3 it is estimated that not less than a hundred try-houses, with two to four kettles each, were in operation between Lamoine and Gouldsboro'. Since 1870 the fishery has been less important, and for a number of years, owing to the absence of menhaden from these waters, it has been entirely discontinued. THE LOBSTER FISHERY. — The lobster fisheries of the district have been important for some time, and the majority of the shore- fishermen devote their attention to the capture of this species. Several canneries have been built for utilizing the catch of small lobsters, while a fleet of well-smacks is regularly employed in "running" the larger ones to Portland, Boston, and New York. THE HERRING FISHERY. — The herring fisheries were formerly of little importance. At present, however, a number of brush weirs are fished in the vicinity of Mount Desert, and a good many herring are taken. The majority are sold fresh to be used as bait in the shore and bank vessel fisheries, while considerable quantities are smoked and boxed for shipment. STATISTICAL RECAPITULATION FOR 18SO. — The fishing fleet of the district at present numbers fifty-two sail, forty-six of them being actively employed. The majority are small craft, engaged in the shore- fisheries in the vicinity of Mount Desert Island. Several others are large vessels belonging at Hancock and Lamoine. These are among the largest fishing-vessels in the State, and are employed regularly in the Grand Bank cod fishery. MAINE: FRENCHMAN'S BAY DISTRICT. 29 STATISTICAL RECAPITULATION FOE 1880. — In the following statement may be found a sum- mary of the fisheries of the district: Summary statement of persons employed and capital invested. Persons employed. Number. Capital invested. A mi HI nt. 318 408 Number of cnrers, packers, fitters, &c 69 Other fixed aiitl circulating capital Number of factory Imiida 107 Total 902 a Other fixed and circulating capital.— Cash capital, $70,200; wharves, shorehouses, ami fixtures, $•24,575; factory buildings and apparatus, $11,000; ti.l.al, $105,775. Detailed statement of capital Invested in vessels, boats, nets, and traps. Vessels and boats. No. Tonnage. Valne. Value, of gear, exclu- sive of boats and nrts. Vnlno of outlit. Total v;illle. Nets and traps. No. Valne. Vessels. In fowl-flub, fisheries: 4G 1, 489. 17 $49 855 $8 245 $13 015 101 115 Nets. Gill-nets: In vessel fisheries ... 128 $1,920 Idle G 2%. 48 10 NOO 10 800 In boat fisheries 350 4,200 •> 2G. 97 GOO 20 320 940 Purse-seines : Total 54 1 812 02 01 255 8 2G."> 43 335 ] [•> 855 In vessel lisheiies . .. 7 3,800 Boott. 1 193 4,370 4,370 ]n boat fisheries 17 455 ii . ioie is i nea Trap*. Total 632 17 87G 4 080 1 500 l)3 456 Weirs 17 2,612 Fykes ^>0 100 12 9ftO 9 742 Total 13 027 li 454 Detailed statement of tlte quantities and values of the jirodiifts. Products specified. Pounds, fresh. Pounds. prepared. Bulk. Valne as sold. 17 438 857 $°50 40° Freihjuh. For food 797 800 10 637 For bait I'm ['• rtili'/er 2, 287, 000 GO 000 11, 4.15 barrels 8,576 Total 3, 144 800 19 363 Dry fish. Cod 6 534 1"5 2 251 760 70 3Gri Hako 1 64'' 950 081 5°0 9 127 Haddock 1,512,000 5.17, GOO 10,800 Pollock 210 250 81 "00 1 450 101 400 43 680 1 073 Total 10 000 7''*> 3 505 700 92 818 ' PieUed ftih. 918 900 61" 600 3 CG3 barrels 17 612 Herring: 6.11 250 505 000 2, 525 barrels 7 575 20 000 13 000 325 Total 1 57(1 fc">0 1 130 GOO 25 512 Smoked fish. Herring : 802 111 579, 547 68,182boze» 13,838 30 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. Detailed statement of the quantities and rallies of tlie product— Coutiuued. Products specified. Pounds, fresh. Pounds, prepared. Bulk. Value aa Bold. Canned fish. Mackerel 104 125 $7 095 Miscellaneous 21 660 1 9I)8 Total 12.ri 7Ar> 83 532 cans 9 023 Lobsters. Fresh 269 000 9 8G3 Canned .... 1 308 72G 31G 3R1 rims 46 587 Total 1, 037, 720 56, 450 Clami. Forfood • 63 850 9 Of{5 For bait 13 300 1 330 buslielrt — 95 barrel** 475 Canned ... .. 74 380 7 438 bualiola — 127 470 cans 13 85T> Total 151 530 16 565 JRMtOoMMU. Fisb-oil 1C 053 gallon B 6 421 Sounds.. .. 9 127 8 214 Marine product* ust-d for fertilizers 1 800 Total 16 435 13. GOULDSBORO' AND ITS FISHERIES. GOULDSBORO'. — The town of Gouldsboro' occupies a rocky peninsula lying between Gouldsboro' Bay and Frenchman's Bay. It includes several small settlements, the chief of which are Pros pect Harbor, Winter Harbor, and West Gouldsboro'. The town has a population of 1,700. Many of the inhabitants devote their attention to farming, while others " follow the sea," being engaged in the coasting or foreign trade. Fifty years ago the people of Gouldsboro' were largely interested in the fisheries, and each season a fleet of vessels was fitted for the cod and hake fisheries of the Bay of Fundy and French- man's Bay. Later a good many boat fishermen were employed in the Frenchman's Bay hake fisheries ; while others devoted their attention to the menhaden fisheries, which were, at one time, very important in this locality. SHORE WHALING. — According to Capt. George A. Clark and Captain Bickford, whaling was extensively carried on from Prospect Harbor for many years. The fishing began about 1810, when Stephen Clark and Mr. L. Hiller, of Rochester, Mass., came to the region, and built try- works on the shore, having their lookout station on the top of an adjoining hill. The whales usually fol- lowed the menhaden to the shore, arriving about the 1st of June, and remaining till September. When one was seen the men, armed with harpoons and lances, would immediately launch their boats and start in pursuit. If they succeeded in killing the whale, it was towed to the flats of the harbor at high-water, where it was secured and left to be cut up at low tide. Ten years later they began using small vessels in the fishery, and by this means were enabled to go farther from land. The fishery was at its height between 1835 and 1840, when an average of six or seven whales were taken yearly. The largest number taken in any one season was ten. The average yield of oil was 25 to 30 barrels for each whale. The business was discontinued about I860, since which date but one or two whales have beeu taken. MAINE: FRENCHMAN'S BAY DISTRICT. 31 OFFSHORE VESSEL FISHERIES. — It is stated by Mr. Curtis Stephens, that Gouldsboro' has never sent any vessels to Labrador or to the Magdalen Islands. She sent two sail to Grand Banks for several years, beginning with 18C7. The first mackerel vessels were sent to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence in 1855, from which time to 1803 four or five sail were sent annually to that locality. THE HAKE FISHERY. — Perhaps the most important fishery in which the people of Gouldsboro' have been interested is that for hake in Frenchman's Bay. According to Mr. Stephens, this fishery began about 1840, when vessels from the westward, probably from Massachusetts, first resorted to the region. The fleet increased yearly until 1858 to I860, when there were often 100 sail in the bay at one time, and fully twice that number came occasionally to the locality. Between 1800 and 1805, owing to the Rebellion, which uec< ssitated the absence of a large percentage of the male popu- lation, the fishery declined very rapidly. A few years later the hake are said to have left the bay, and for this reason the fishery has never been revived. THE MENHADEN FISHERIES. — Menhaden were formerly very abundant in the waters of this region, but for many years they were taken only in limited quantities for use as bait in the hake fisheries. When the value of their oil became known, the Gouldsboro' fishermen at once engaged extensively in their capture. The business began about 1855, and by 18G3 there were, according to Mr. D. D. Hodgkins, of Lamoine, fully one bundled try-houses, with two to four kettles each, in active operation along the shore between Jordan's River and Winter Harbor. Each of these "stands" is said to have produced an average of fifty casks of oil yearly. By 1870 the business began to decline, and now, owing to the absence of the fish from these waters, it is wholly discon- tinued. THE PRESENT CONDITION OF THE FISHERIES. — At the present time Gouldsboro' has but two vessels engaged iu the fisheries ; one, fishing for herring at Wood Island in the fall ; while the other fishes for cod and other species along the shore. In addition to the above there are two smaller craft engaged in the lobster trade. The four vessels, val ued at $1,300, neasure but 75 tons in the aggregate, and furnish employment for only twelve men. The principal fishing of the town is for lobsters. In the summer of 1880 seventy-eight men were engaged in this work, setting an average of sixty pots each. Two canneries, established in 1803 and 1870, respectively, are at present in operation. These use all of the small lobsters taken by the fishermen, and the larger ones are sold to Portland and Boston smacks. The two factories employ over fifty hands during the height of the season. Most of the professional boat-fishermen of the town have small camps and flake yards on the outer headlands or islands. When the fishing season arrives they repair to their camps with pro- visions and cooking utensils, and spend the summer in catching and curing the cod, hake, and haddock, which they often take in considerable numbers. There are fourteen of these camps, with twenty-five regular fishermen, and eight others that fish occasionally during the summer months. In addition to these, nearly all of the lobstermen fish, more or less, with handline and trawl after the lobster season is over. In the early spring, eight men make a business of clamming on the flats, near West Goulds- boro', shucking and salting their catch, which they sell to the Hancock vessel fishermen. 14. SULLIVAN, HANCOCK, AND LAMOINE. SULLIVAN.— Sullivan is a town of 1,200 inhabitants, lying to the north of Gouldsboro', with important mining interests. It is too far from the fishing grounds to have any extensive fish- eries. One small fishing schooner, of 7.05 tons, is owned here, but the captain usually makes his headquarters at other places. Aside from this, the fishing is confined to eight lobstermen, who 32 GEOGRAPHICAL KEVIEW OP THE FISHERIES. fish for the Gouldsboro' canneries during the summer months. The residents of the town go out occasionally to catch a supply offish for their own tables, but none fish extensively for profit. HANCOCK.— The town of Hancock, lying to the north of Frenchman's Day, between Gouldsboro' and Lamoine, was first settled in 1776. It has at present about 1,000 inhabitants, the majority of whom are engaged in agricultural pursuits. Comparatively few follow fishing for a livelihood, as the town is too far removed from the fishing-grounds to warrant them in making daily trips in their boats. As in many of the adjoining towns, however, a few take a supply of provisions and such other things as may be necessary and proceed to the outer islands where they spend several months each summer in catching fish and lobsters, for which they find a ready market. According to Mr. Charles Wooster, small fishing vessels were owned in the town during the early part of the present century, but they fished wholly in the vicinity of Gouldsboro', and it was not until 1845 that the people became interested in the fisheries of the Bay of Fundy. Two larger craft were sent to the Western Banks for three or four years, beginning with 1852. Han- cock vessels were first sent to the Magdalen Islands for herring about I860, one to three going yearly from that time till 1878, when the business was discontinued. The herring were mostly smoked and shipped to Boston and the West Indies. At that time from 30,000 to 40,000 boxes were put up annually in the town. In I860 the schooner Laurel was sent to the Grand Banks for codfish, this being the first vessel from the town to visit that locality; 'in 1868 and 1870 five vessels were engaged regularly in the fishery, and the business has been continued to the present time. In 1880 there were four fishing vessels owned in Hancock, of which three went to the Grand Banks, and the other fished along the shore. The vessels have a total value of $12,G50, and fur- nished employment to fifty-nine men. They lauded during the season 5,300 quintals of fish. This fleet includes the schooner Mary Jane Lee, of 128.23 tons, which is the largest fishing vessel owned in the State, and the schooner Omaha, of 116.77 tons. LAMOINE. — Lamoine, a small town set off from Trenton in 1870, has a population of 650, of whom the greater part are engaged in farming. It lies between Hancock and Trenton, to the north of Mount Desert Island. According to Mr. D. D. Hodgkins, the people of the region became interested in the fisheries about 1835, when they began sending "pinkies" of 30 to 40 tons to the Bay of Fundy, and in 1848 the fleet numbered 20 to 25 sail with six to eight men each. This fishery began to decline about 1850, and in 1857 it was discontinued, the smaller vessels being sold to the fishermen of the Fox Islands, Deer Isle, and Eastport, while the larger ones were retained and sent to the Grand Banks and other offshore grounds. The first was sent to Grand Banks in 1857, since which time this fishery has been continuously prosecuted, though for a number of years it has been on the decline. . The business was at its height about 1866, when ten vessels were sent annually; the average has been about six sail. Men employed in the Grand Bank fishery from this town have always worked for wages instead of on shares as in most localities. Two vessels went to Labrador for cod in 1850, but none have since been sent. Occasionally, after returning from the banks, the vessels have fished for mackerel along the shore for a number of wt/jks, though none have made the mackerel fisheries a specialty, and no purse seines have been use/.. Lamoine has been extensively engaged in herring smoking for about thirty years, and as the catch of herring in the brush weirs of the locality was much too small, a fleet of vessels was fitted out for the Magdalen Islands for an additional supply. The first schooner was sent by N. B. Cool- j&ge in 1855; and from that date till 1880 vessels were sent yearly, their cargoes being smoked and MAINE: FRENCHMAN'S BAY DISTRICT. 33 shipped to Boston and New York. In 18G5 or 1866 six cargoes, equal to 125,000 boxes, weie landed and smoked here. The average for the different years has been 30,000 to 40,000 boxes. Twenty- four smoke-houses arc owned in the town, though few of them are now in use. The shore fishermen of Lamoino were at one time extensively engaged in the manufacture of menhaden oil in common with the fishermen of Hancock and Gouldsboro'. At present there are five vessels, aggregating 409.93 tons, valued at $14,700, and furnishing employment to 68 men, fishing from Lamoine; while two others, formerly engaged in the fisheries, have remained idle the present season. The catch in 1879 amounted to 10,570 quintals, and in 1880 to 6,350 quintals. The shore fisheries are prosecuted by a lew men who fish from small boats for lobsters and cod during the summer months. Three small brush weirs are fished for herring, but they are not prop- erly cared for and the catch is unimportant. In the fall of 1880, Eastport capitalists, hearing of the abundance of herring in the locality, built a sardine cannery at Lamoine, and put up a small quantity of fish. They intend erecting larger buildings in 18S1 and hope to do an extensive business. A large number of weirs will be built for catching the fish. 15. MOUNT DESERT ISLAND AND ITS FISHERIES. GENERAL DESCRIPTION. — The island of Mount Desert, containing the towns of Eden, Mount Desert, and Tremont, is about 18 miles long by 12 to 15 miles wide. It lies between Frenchman's and Union Bays, being separated from the shore by a narrow channel which is spanned by a toll- bridge. It was first settled by the French in 1608, but eight years later the settlement was broken up by the Virginians. In 1760 it was resettled by the English, and in 1789 was incorporated as a town under the name of Mount Desert. Since that time it has been divided into three townships, that portion lying along the eastern shore retaining the original name. The island is peculiarly attractive on account of its native wildness and picturesque scenery, and is the most popular summer resort on the coast of Maine. It has at present over 4,000 inhabitants. Several small islands, or groups of islands, lying within a few miles of its shores are very naturally included with it. The more important of these are Cranberry Isles, and Gott's, Bartlett's, and Tinker's Islands. If these be included, Mount Desert has a very important relation to the fisheries. The northern portion, including the greater part of the towns of Eden and Mount Desert, has no fish- ing interests, aside from a few brush-weirs and smoke-houses for the capture and preparation of herring, but the southern portion has a large fishing fleet, and many of its people are wholly dependent upon the fisheries for a livelihood. The residents in the vicinity of many of the small harbors and coves along the southern shore own vessels, and nearly every cove of importance has extensive boat-fisheries. The two principal fishing stations, however, are Southwest Harbor, in the town of Tremont, and Cranberry Islands, lying two or three miles to the eastward. These places have long been noted for their fisheries, and they are still the principal fishery centers. THE VESSEL-FISHERIES. — According to J. S. Mayo, vessels from the island were engaged in the Labrador cod fisheries early in the present century, and by 1840 not less than seven or eight sail were employed in this way. The business continued to be important for a number of years, after which it gradually diminished and was wholly abandoned in 1862. Many of the same vessels were engaged in the herring fisheries at the same time, and in the early spring, before starting for Labrador, a majority of them made a trip to the Magdalen Islands and secured a cargo of herring, which were salted and brought home for pickling or smoking. Prior to 1864, no vessels from the 3 a B P 34 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. locality were sent to the Grand Banks, but from this date to 1S75, two or tliree sail were employed regularly in this fishery. At present, two fishing vessels are owned in the town of Mount Desert, eighteen in Tremont, and thirteen at the Cranberry Islands, making a total of thirty-three sail, aggregating 021.80 tons. These vessels, which furnish employment to 152 men, are valued at $16,650. All are engaged in fishing along the shore for cod, mackerel, and other species, and in 1880 none of them went beyond the limits of the Gulf of Maine. THE CATCHING AND CANNING OF LOBSTERS. — The principal boat-fishing is for lobsters, and eighty-two men were employed in this work from April to August of the present year. Each man tends about ninety pots. The lobster fisheries of the island are among the oldest on this portion of the coast. As early as 1853, a lobster cannery was built by Boston parties at Southwest Harbor. It has continued in operation to the present day, still doing a large business. In addition to lobsters, clams and mackerel are canned in considerable quantities. The first " shell lobsters'1 canned in North America were put up at this place in 1879. This brand is the outgrowth of a demand by wealthy British customers for whole lobsters for garnishing purposes. Finding it difficult to get lobsters as commonly prepared for the trade sufficiently fresh for this purpose,, the London agent for one of our leading packing establishments suggested the idea of meeting this demand, and, after a certain amount of experimenting, methods were hit upon by which satis- factory results were obtained. The "shell lobsters," as they are called, are selected of uniform size and perfect condition from the general stock, and are placed, without being removed from the shell, in long cylindrical cans, made expressly for the purpose. The method of boiling is similar to that for ordinary canned lobsters, the only difference being that they are boiled a little longer that the heat may penetrate the shell and thoroughly preserve the meat. During the height of the season this cannery furnishes employment to fifty hands. THE BOAT-FISHERIES. — The regular boat-fishermen number sixty two, and thirty-four others fish occasionally in summer. About thirty of the lobstermen also spend more or less time in fish ing after the close of the lobster season. Some of the fishermen have large boats, and venture quite a distance from the shore, while others remain constantly within three or four miles of the harbor. EXTENT OF THE FISHERIES IN 1880.— There are thirteen brush weirs, valued at $2,300, owned in the region. In these were caught, in 1880, over $11,000 worth of herring and mackerel. The principal business in this line is at Tucker's and Gott's Islands, where large weirs are fished for supplying the fishermen with bait. Some of the weir-fishermen have built ice-houses, and now furnish both ice and bait to the vessels. Any surplus of large herring taken in the weirs is smoked. In 1880 there were twenty-eight smoke houses, in which ,'58,000 boxes of fish were pre- pared, the bulk of these being put up at Bar Harbor, in the town of Eden. Five firms are engaged in buying and curing fish taken by the vessels and boats, the principal business being at Cranberry Isles and Southwest Harbor. In 1880 these parties employed thir- teen men and handled 11,000 quin'als of cod, hake, and haddock. Fully three fourths of this entire quantity were sold in Boston. 10. TRENTON, ELLSWORTH, AND SURRY. TiiENTon. — Trenton is a small town lying to the west of Lamoine and to the north of Mount Desert. It has at present no interest in the, fisheries of the coast beyond the digging of a few that are sold to the cannery at Southwest Harbor, in the town of Tremont. Formerly a few MAINE: FRENCHMAN'S BAY DISTRICT. 35 boat fishermen ami five or six small vessels were engaged in the Frenchman's Bay hake fishery, but none of its people have been employed in this way since 18C8. Two vessels were sent to the Grand Banks for cod each season from 1SC8 to 1873, after which they were sold and the fisheries were abandoned. ELLSWORTH. — Ellsworth, a town of 5,257 inhabitants was first settled in 17G3; it was incor- porated in 1800. A city of the same name at the head of navigation of Union River is next to Bangor the leading commercial settlement along this portion of the coast. Its people, in addition to their mercantile trade, arc extensively engaged in the manufacture and shipment of lumber. The town is too far removed from the sea to have any extensive fishing interests. One fishing schooner of G8.ll tons is owned by a resident merchant, but the catch is landed at Penobscot, where the fish are cured for the Boston market. The boat fishing for salt-water species is con- fined to the capture of mackerel at the month of Union River during the summer months. Two fresh-fish dealers are engaged in supplying the city and country trade. They depend chiefly upon the fishermen of the outer islands for their supply, and, on account of the distance, find it necessary to keep a steam launch plying between the city and the fishing grounds. SURRY. — The town of Surry forms the shore-line between Ellsworth and Blue Hill. Formerly some of its inhabitants were engaged in the manufacture of menhaden oil from fish taken in the locality, each fisherman being provided with nets and kettles for this work. At the present time, no fishing fleet is owned in the town, aud only four men are extensively engaged in the fisheries. These go out in small open boats for cod, hake, and mackerel in summer. During the height of the mackerel season they are joined by some of the fanners of the region. The entire catch is sold in the locality. E.— THE CASTINE DISTRICT. 17. GENERAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES OF THE DISTRICT. ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE FISHERIES. — The Castinc district, including the eastern shore of 1'enobscot Bay and the larger islands off the eastern headlands, was settled about 17GO by parties who came to the region to engage in the fisheries. The land is more arable than that of the districts further east, aud a large percentage of the population is engaged in farming. A majority of the early settlers, however, devoted their entire attention to the fisheries, and for many years fishing was the principal occupation of the people. It was sit one time the most important fishing district of Eastern Maine. A number of the towns had large fleets engaged in the Grand Bank cod fisheries; others sent a good many vessels to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence for mackerel, while nearly all had fleets of small vessels and Chebacco boats engaged in the shore fisheries along the coast of Maine and in the Bay of Fundy. Early in the present century the fishing vessels were very small, and the number was comparatively limited, a majority of the fishermen using smalt open boats for the prosecution of the work. Gradually, larger and better vessels were introduced, and, between 1850 and 1SG5, from 200 to 300 sail of the different sizes were actively employed. In 18GO, Deer Island alone sent, nearly 100 vessels to the different fishing- grounds, this fleet being larger than that of any other town in the district. About this time the vessel fisheries began to decline, and many of the larger schooners were sold to the westward, the men engaging in the boat fisheries or seeking employment on the land. By 18G5 the fishing interests of most localities had been greatly reduced, and until recently they remained in this con- 36 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. dition. At present, however, there are indications of a revival of the industry, and in some local- ities vessels are being purchased and extensive preparations are being made for the work, but in in others there is no disposition to resume the business, as the profits to be derived from it are not satisfactory. CASTING'S TRADE WITH FISHING VESSELS. — Prior to 1825, a majority of the vessels of the region were obliged to visit Portland to secure their fishing outfit, including salt and provisions. About this time a Castine merchant, knowing the importance of this trade, turned his attention to it, and began the importation of salt from Liverpool and Cadiz. He also secured such other articles as were needed by the fishing vessels, and soon built up an extensive trade with the local fleet. Other merchants soon engaged in the business, aud within a few years most of the vessels of Eastern and Central Maine came regularly to Castine to secure their outfits, and not less than 2,000 tons of salt were imported annually to be used in the vessel fisheries. It is said that between 1850-and I860, when the business began to decline, fully five hundred vessels were fitted at Castine. At present, however, the business is practically discontinued, and less than a dozen small vessels are fitted from the place, the majority of these belonging to Deer and Swan's Islands. THE LOBSTER FISHERY AND CANNERY INTERESTS. — The lobster fisheries, which now furnish employment to the boat-fishermen during the greater part of the fishing season, began .about 1850, when parties from the westward brought pots to Deer Isle to catch lobsters, which were carried to Portland and Boston. Soon a number of the local fishermen became interested in the capture of the species, and since that date the lobster fisheries have continued to increase in importance. In 1880, 311 men were engaged in the capture of lobsters during some portion of the year, many of them following the business during the entire season, while others fished only for a few weeks or months in the spring and early summer. Fifty additional persons were employed in marketing the catch, which amounted to 2,967,860 pounds. Five canneries are now in successful operation, three of them being located on Deer Island. In 1880, these furnished employment to 190 persons, .and upwards of 2,000,000 pounds of lobsters were canned, the products having a value of over $52,000. THE CLAM FISHERY. — The clamming interests of the Castine district are quite important, a large number of men finding employment on the mud flats during the winter months, when there is little else to occupy their attention. Nearly 60,000 bushels of soft clams are dug annually, three- fourths of them being shucked and salted to be used for bait in the vessel-fisheries. Nearly half of the remainder are sold to the canneries. STATISTICAL RECAPITULATION FOR 1880. — The following statement shows the extent of the fisheries of the district for 1880: Summary statement of persons employed and capital invested. Persona employed. Number. Capital invested. Amount. 623 $2?8 000 605 46 610 Number of cnrers, packers, fitters, &o 59 a 71 5.r>0 Number of factory-hands 165 Total 1 452 a Other fixed and circulating capital.— Cash capital, $44,200; wharves, shorehouses, and fixtures, $11,800; factory buildings and apparatus »lo,550; total, $71,550. MAINE: CASTINE DISTRICT. 37 Detailed statement of capital invested in vessels, boats, nets, and traps. Vessels and bouts. No. Tounage. Value. Valuo of jjear, exclu- sive of boats aiid nets. Valuo of outfit. Total value. Nets aud traps. No. Value. Vcsxelv. In food-fisb fishery : IK) *2 902 87 $81 435 $13 110 $77 505 $I79 050 Net*. Gill-uets: lu vessel fisheries 265 $3,872 Idle .. . . 10 457 18 14 500 14 500 lu boat fisheries 600 7,200 9 128 04 3 250 100 1 580 4 930 Purse-seines : I v -s • •! fisheries 25 Total lU'J 3 488 09 99 185 13 210 79 085 1 Haul-seines: Boats. In boat fisheries 8 200 In vessel fisheries 275 10, 915 16 915 Total 898 25 022 6,050 29,605 Traps. g 450 Total 931 38,470 6,056 2,000 46, 520 28 050 21 038 , Total 28 078 21 588 Detailed statement of the quantities and values of the products. Products specified. Pounds, fresh. Pounds, prepared. Bulk. Value aa sold. 24 853 257 $407 335 Fresh fish. For food 421 500 5 620 4 430 000 For fertilizer 30 000 75 Total 4 881 500 22 308 Dry fish. Cod . . 5 600 725 1 930 096 60 316 Hake . .. 1 465 21W 607 824 8 140 Haddock 486 675 173 040 3 476 Polluck 97 730 37 744 674 Cusk 22 880 9 856 242 Tofcil 7, 673, 300 2, 758, 560 72,843 l"ickUd fish. 7 130 700 4 753 800 93 7(jg barrels 136 672 Herring : 990 250 792, °00 11 883 Total .... 8 120 950 5 546 000 148, 555 Herring: Smoked JM. 117 647 85 000 10 000 boxes 2,000 Canned fink. 506 800 333 408 cans 34,730 Lobsters. Fresh 868 500 31,845 2,099 360 425 220 cans 52,387 Total 2, 907, 860 84,232 Clams. For food 75 000 7 500 bushels 2,625 445 200 44 520 bushels — 3, 180 barrels 15,900 65 000 6 500 bushels — 97 932 cans 9,385 Total 585,200 27, 910 Miscellaneous. Fish-oil 12 315 gallons 4,920 Sonnds 8,140 7,326 2,500 Total 14, 752 38 GEOGHAPU10AL 11EV1EW OF THE FJSI1EKIES. Below is given a brief account of the past anil present fishing interests of the different towns: 18. BLUE HILL, BBOOXL1N, AND SWAN'S ISLAND. BLUE HILL. — Blue Hill, a town of 1,700 inhabitants, was first settled in 17GU, and incorporated as a town in 1789. It forms the shore line between Surry and Brookliu. The principal business of the town is quarrying and mining, and at present the mining for copper and silver is more extensive here than anywhere else in the State. Blue Hill seems never to have been extensively interested in the fisheries, though about 1863 many of its people were engaged in the manufacture of menhaden oil from fish taken in nets along the shore. At the present time nothing is done in this line, and the fishing is confined largely to lobstering, clamming, and weir-fishing in the shore waters. Seven lobstermen, set an average of seventy pots each ; after the lobster season is over they fish with lines and trawls for cod and other species, lauding an average of fifty quintals to the man. Others fish occasionally during the mackerel season for home supply and for sale to the canneries. Six weirs are owned in the town, most of them being located on the outlying islands. The value of the weir catch in 1880, including mackerel and herring, was $1,850. Eleven men are engaged in this fishery. In the fall and spring fifteen men are extensively engaged in clamming. The quantity dug in 1880 was 2,900 bushels, most of them being shucked and sold as bait. There are two small vessels, with crews of two and three men, respectively, fishing on the inshore grounds. Their catch is usually very small ; in 1880 it amounted in value to only $500. BROOKLIN. — The fisheries of Brooklin are quite similar to those ot Blue Hill, though the num- ber of people employed is considerably larger. Twenty-eight men fish from April to August for lobsters, setting about one hundred and twenty-live pots each. There are no professional boat- fishermen, but a number go out occasionally for local supply. Six small vessels fish along the shore with trawls, lines, and nets for cod, mackerel, and herring. In 1879 a large schooner was fitted with a purse-seine for catching mackerel. She engaged in the southern fishery in the spring, went to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence in summer, and returned in the full to fish on the coasts of Maine and Massachusetts. She was sold to Portland in 1880. Two small vessels owned by resi- dents of the town are employed in "running" lobsters to the various canneries of the region. The entire lleet, numbering nine sail, is valued at $5,875; they aggregate 194.13 tons, and carry a total of forty two men. Brush weirs were first fished at Brookliu about I860. In 1880 there were two small ones, the catch of which amounted to 150 barrels of mackerel and C50 barrels of herring, in addition to 10,000 boxes of herring that were smoked by the weir-fishermen. There are extensive mud-flats in the region, where long necked clams (Mya arcnaria) are pecu- liarly abundant. An investigation showed that one hundred and seventeen men made a business of digging and shucking clams to be used for bait in the vessel fisheries. The quantity dug is enormous. In the winter of 1879-'80 over 13.000 bushels were shucked and salted, and ],000 more were used fresh. The value of the catch was about $4,000. The clamming season lasts from October to the middle of the following May, though little is done in midwinter. Four bushels of shell clams is an average catch for a tide, and the total for the year is about eight barrels of shucked clams to the man. When menhaden were abundant a good many small try houses were built upon the shore for utilizing the catch of the net fishermen. At present, on account of the absence of the fish, noth ing is done in this line. In 1870 a lobster cannery was built at Brooklin by Portland capitalists; it has since been in successful operation, and during the present season furnished employment, to twenty-five hands. MAINE: CAST1NE DISTRICT. 39 SWAN'S ISLAND j ITS EABLY FISHERIES. — Swan's Island, formerly known as Burnt Coat, lies a, few miles south by-west of Mount Desert. It is C or 7 miles long by 4 or 5 broad, and has about 400 inhabitants. According to Capt. John Staples it was settled in 1775. From the first the people have been largely dependent upon the water for a livelihood, though the soil is capable of producing bountifully after it has once been cleared. Formerly, in common with other portions of the coast, it had small vessels engaged in the shore and Bay of Fundy fisheries. In 1853 the first large vessel, the schooner Constitution, was brought to the island and fitted, for the Grand Bank cod fisheries. Soon three or four others were purchased and sent to the same locality, the majority fishing for mackerel after their return in the fall. THE MACKEREL FISHERY. — About 1808 the Bank fisheries were almost wholly discontinued, and the vessels turned their attention to the capture of mackerel. This fishery has continued to develop, until Swan's Island has now, next to Portland, the largest mackerel fleet of any town on the coast of Maine. Purse-seines were first used by these fishermen in 1870, and within a few years all of the vessels were provided with them. Five of the mackerel vessels go south in the spring, and the remaining four are usually hauled up till July, when the fish reach the coast of Maine ; the crews in the mean time devoting their attention to the lobster fisheries. From the beginning of the fishery to the present day, according to Mr. G. M. Staples, only three or four trips of mackerel have been inspected on the island, the vessels almost invariably landing and packing at Portland, Boston, or Gloucester. In 1879 the Swan's Island fleet landed 14,966 barrels of mackerel, two of them beii g among the high-line vessels of the American fleet. THE VESSEL-FISHERIES OF THE ISLAND. — In addition to the mackerel vessels, a fleet of twelve sail are engaged in the shore fisheries, five of them going to Wood Island for herring after the fishing for cod and hake is over. The herring are usually packed in Portland, and many -of the "ground-fish" are sold at Deer Island and Mount Desert. A summation of the vessel-fisheries of the island for 1879 shows twenty-one sail, aggregating 885.05 tons. These had a value of $30,000, and furnished employment to 186 men. The catch for the season was 14,906 barrels of mackerel, 1,055 barrels of herring, and 1,623 quintals of cod, hake, and haddock. Two menhaden oil and guano factories were built on the island in 1875, one of them being provided with boilers and hydraulic presses for doing an extensive business. They were run a portion of three seasons, after which, owing to a scarcity of fish in the locality, the business was discontinued. THE LOBSTER FISHERY. — Next to mackereling, the trapping of lobsters is the principal busi- ness of the people. According to Mr. David Smith, the first persons to engage in the capture of lobsters for profit were fishermen from Gloucester, Mass., who came to the island on a smack about 1850, bringing their traps with them. They hired one or two of the resident fishermen to assist, and the smack remained until her well had been filled, when she sailed for Boston. The fol- lowing season some of the islanders became interested in this fishery, and about 1855 ten men were regularly employed in this way during the summer months, smacks coining frequently to pur- chase the catch. Fewer lobsters were taken from this time up to 1860, when the fishery was again revived, and has continued to increase to the present time. There are now twenty-three men who devote their attention to the capture of lobsters during the entire season, with fifty-one others, who lobster from the middle of March till the lOtli of July, when they pile their pots upon the beach and ship in the vessels to engage in the mackerel fisheries. Over 8,000 lobster pots are owned by the fishermen of the island, and about 5,600 barrels of 40 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. herring, flounders, and sculpius (Coitus octodccimspinosun and C. grcenlandicus) are used for bait in this fishery alone during the season. FISH-CUHING. — A few of tbe boat-fishermen engage in the capture of cod, mackerel, &c., in the fall for home supply, selling a few to the three curing stands on the island. In 1879 these parties cured 1,000 quintals of fish, a larger part of which were bought from small vessels. 19. DEEE ISLAND AND ITS FISHERIES. HISTORY OF THE FISHERIES FROM 1800 TO 1880. — The town of Deer Isle, lying to the south of Sedgwick, is separated from the mainland by Eggeinoggin Reach. It includes Great Deer Isle, Litlle Deer Isle, and Eagle Island. The first is by far the largest and most important of the group; it is about 9 miles long by 7 or 8 miles broad. It has a very irregular coast, being indented by long and narrow bays and coves that nearly meet from opposite sides. The region was first settled by William Eaton in 1762, and was incorporated as a town in 1789. In 1790 it had 682 inhabitants; in 1812, about 1,250; in 1850, 3,037 ; and in 1870, 3,414. The following facts relative to the early history of the town were gathered during several inter- views with Mr. William Webb, for many years one of the leading officials of the town. Mr. Webb was born on the island in 1803, and was actively engaged in its fisheries as early as 1818. Up to this time there were but two vessels of over 40 tons burden and twelve to fifteen Chebacco boats fishing from the island, though many of the residents had been employed on fishing vessels belonging to Newburyport. The principal business at that time was the trade in lumber, aud half a dozen large saw-mills were in active operation. About one-fourth of the inhabitants were then dependent on the fisheries. In 1830 twelve large vessels were sent to the more distant fishing grounds, and forty smaller ones fished along the shore. In 1840 the fleet had increased to thirty large vessels (over 40 tons old measurement) aud fifty small ones. The heightof the fishing business for the island occurred between 1860 aud 1805, by which time a better class of vessels had been introduced, and about thirty- five sail of large schooners and fifty smaller craft were actively employed. The large vessels were almost without exception engaged in the mackerel fishery, most of them being employed in freighting from the close of the season iu November till the following June, when they sailed for the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. They usually lauded two trips each during the season. The first Deer Isle vessel to fish for mackerel in that locality was sent in 1834. The fishing was wholly with hand-lines up to 1873, when purse-sciiies were introduced. The smaller vessels fished on the inner grounds, some of them frequenting the Bay of Fuudy regularly for many years. Since 1868 the fisheries have rapidly declined, all of the better and larger vessels having been sold to other localities, and Deer Isle to-day owns the poorest class of vessels of any town on the entire coast. Some of the merchants claim that this decline is largely due to the difficulty of making suitable arrangements with the custom-house authorities for obtaining their salt free of duty. It seems that they made an effort to have a quantity kept on the island to supply the vessel fleet, but, failing in this, they were obliged to make the trip to Castine or pay the duty, which they often did to avoid the delay. A more probable cause for the rapid decline is found in the relations that existed between the fitters aud crews, whereby a settlement with the fishermen was often delayed for nearly a year, during which time they were subjected to all the disadvantages of the credit system in its worst forms. In this way the Deer Island fishermen were seriously inconvenienced, and they were gradually driven to seek employment on the vessels of other fishing ports, even to the neglect of their own fleet. This practice has been continued, and there are now not less than MAINE: CASTINE DISTRICT. 41 seventy-five men who go to Gloucester and Portland each spring to ship in the fishing vessels of these cities. As early as 1815 one of the Deer Isle vessels was engaged in the Gulf of Saint LawrcLce cod fisheries. In 1822, two vessels were sent to Labrador for cod, a vessel from Newburyport accompanying them and taking their catch direct to Spain. Only three vessels have been engaged in the Labrador fisheries since that time, none of them going more than four or five years. Crews from the island have, however, frequently visited the Labrador coast in vessels belonging to New- buryport. Next to Isle au Ilaut, Deer Isle was the first to engage in the Magdalen Island herring fishery. In 1830 she fitted out six vessels for this fishery, but since that date only one or two have been sent yearly. In 1821) the schooner Caleb, 54 tons, was engaged in sealing, taking her catch at the Magdalen Islands. Two vessels from Mount Desert were engaged in the seal fishery the same season. Only one Deer Isle vessel has ever fished on Grand Banks; none have fished on George's, and none have engaged regularly in the capture of halibut. Up to 1836 the vessels sailed without charts; in 1845 stoves were substituted for fire-places, and in 1849 the patent steering-wheel was introduced in place of the old-fashioned tiller. EXTENT OF THE VESSEL AND BOAT FISHERIES IN 187!).— In 1879 Deer Isle had forty-two vessels, aggregating 915.35 tons, engaged in the fisheries. This fleet, valued at $18,910, furnished employment to one hundred and ninety nine men. Four of the vessels fished wholly for mackerel; thirty-three were engaged in the shore-fisheries for cod, hake, haddock, herring, and mackerel; and the five remaining ones were employed exclusively in the lobster trade. Seven of the shore fleet carried lobsters to the canneries of the locality in spring and summer. The vessel catch was sold largely to the fish-merchants of other places; but there were cured on the island during the season about 1,800 quintals of cod and hake. In addition to these, 200 barrels of mackerel were put up by the dealers. Not less than one hundred and forty men are engaged in fishing from small boats. These, with few exceptions, fish for lobsters from March till August ; they then engage in the shore mackerel fishery for a few weeks ; and the remainder of the season is spent in fishing with line and trawl for other species. A few parties clam more or less during a greater part of the year, and by the mid- dle of November a large number of the boat and vessel fishermen resort regularly to the mud-flats, where they spend a considerable portion of their time in clamming till the following April. The fishermen of Little Deer Isle are almost wholly dependent upon the clam-flats for a livelihood, and many of them are engaged in clamming during the entire year. The clams, after being shucked and salted, are sold to the dealers on the island, or to those of Brookliu and Sedgwick. These in turn ship them to the larger fishery ports to be used for bait. The island merchants aloue handled 1,500 barrels during the season of 1879-'80. THE LOBSTER FISHERY. — The lobster ranks first in importance among the species taken along the shore. Prior to 1853 none of the residents had any knowledge of the abundance of lobsters in the locality, as up to this time they were taken only with gafl's among the rocks and sea-weeds where they had been left dry at low water. In the spring of that year Capt. John D. Piper, who owned a smack for carrying lobsters to market, brought traps to the island and hired men to engage in the fishery. The business proved very profitable, and by I860 twenty men were employed in this way, the bulk of the catch being sold to Portland and Boston smacks. In 1858 the first lobster cannery was established on the island, and in 1877 two others were built. In 1880 these canneries employed about one hundred persons, paying out $10,000 in wages. During the same season 10,500 lobster pots were fished by the residents of the town. 42 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OK THE FISHERIES. 20. ISLE AU HAUT, SEDGW10K, AND BROOKSVILLE. ISLE AU HAUT. — Isle an limit is a small island lying several miles to the southeast of Deer Isle. It was permanently settled about 1790. Being surrounded by excellent fishery grounds on three sides, it has from the first been largely interested in the fisheries; and as early as 1825, according to Capt. James Turner, there were forty sail of vessels fitting at Castine and landing their catch at the island. Several of these vessels were engaged in the herring fishery during a portion of the season, and between 10,000 and 15,000 boxes were smoked annually on the island. Later vessels were sent to the Magdalen Islands for herring, and both smoked and pickled herring were put up iu considerable quantities. The vessel-fisheries continued with but little diminution up to 1855, after which they declined very rapidly, and the fleet at present consists of three small vessels, none of which do any extensive business. A majority of the people are now engaged in the boat- fisheries. They fish for lobsters about the many rocky islands and ledges in the locality from April to August, after which they turn their attention to the capture of cod and other species with line or trawl, as is most desirable. Not less than forty persons are employed in this way. About 1800 a lobster cannery was built at Isle au Haut for utilizing the catch, but, owing to an unpleasantness between the owners and the fishermen, it was closed in 1873. According to Captain Collins, many herring were netted about the shores of the, island at certain seasons of the year up to 1850, and even in later years they have often been quite plenty. In 1874 a Sedgwick vessel anchored in one of the small harbors, and with eight nets and a crew of two men succeeded in taking 150 barrels in three weeks It is said that two schools of herring visit the locality, one arriving about the middle of July and leaving early in August, the other coming by the 15th of September and remaining about a month. Little has been done in this fishery by the islanders, beyond the capture of a limited quantity for bait, for several years. SEDGWICK. — Sedgwick, formerly known as Naskeag, was first settled in 17G3. It was incor- porated as a town, under its present name, in 1789, since which time the towns of Brooklin and Brooksville have been taken from it. In 1870 it had a population of 1,113. Mr. Samuel Wasson, of Surry, in his Survey of Hancock County, refers to it in the following language: "Sedgwick ... is another of our misshapen towns. The 'pompet' which darkens its agriculture is its maritime facility. A large portion of this town is non-arable or grazing land, the bushy acres of which should be made to turn out annually tons of superior mutton. From Sargents- ville to Sedgwick, following the shore of Eggmoggin Reach, the soil is easy of cultivation and is quite productive. Like most of our seaboard towns, the sea and not the soil furnishes the bread. The industrial establishments are mainly those which are related to the fishing industry." At the present time Sedgwick has four vessels, valued at $(>,L'00, engaged in the fisheries. Two of these are employed in the shore fishery, another visits Grand Banks for cod, and the fourth fishes for mackerel between Cape Hatteras and the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. There are extensive clam-fiats along its shores, and during five months of the year thirty-eight men depend on clamming for a livelihood. In the winter of 1879-'80 there were dug, according to the estimate of Herrick & Byard and VV. G. Sargent & Son, over 5,000 bushels of clams. Of the entire quantity about 4,300 bushels were shucked and .salted, the remainder being sold fresh in the locality. The two firms above mentioned handled during the season 2,3-0 barrels of shelled clams, all of which were bought from the fishermen of the surrounding towns. The catch was shipped to the principal fishery centers of Maine and Massachusetts for use as bait in the offshore cod fisheries. Beyond the vessel fisheries and the clamming interests almost nothing is done, though three men fish MAINE: CASTINE DISTKICT. 43 occasionally from small boats to furnish residents of tbe locality with fresh fisb, and others catch a supply for tbeir own tables. BROOKSVILLK. — Brooksville, lying to the south of Penobscot between Castiiic and Sedgwick, is almost an island, being connected with the maiu shore by two very narrow necks of land. It was incorporated in 1817, and named in honor of Governor Brooks, of Massachusetts. In 1870 it had 1,270 inhabitants. Its principal interests are in connection with agriculture, quarrying, and coasting. Mr. Samuel Wasson says of it: "West Brooksville is the Coastville of Western Han- cock [Hancock County]. Nearly every man sails, helps to man, or is part owner of a 'coaster,' which gives a peculiar idiom to their language, which is perfect Greek to a backwoodsman." At present Brooksville has one vessel of 6.50 tons with a crew of two men engaged in the shore- fisheries. About thirteen men fish for lobsters from April to August, selling the bulk of their catch to the Castine cannery. Seven men clam in winter, and an equal number make a business of line- fishing in summer. In addition to these, fully seventy five men fish for mackerel from two to six weeks in summer, most of their catch being canned at Castine. There are also extensive smelt fisheries in the town. 21. CASTINE AND ITS FISHERIES. ITS FISHERIES, PAST AND PRESENT. — Castine is a small town lying to the south of Penobscot, between the Peuobscot Eiver and South Bay. It contains the village of Castine, which is one of the oldest and most interesting settlements in the State. Members of the Plymouth colony occu- pied it as a trading post as early as 1C30, when it was known as Peutagoet; it was permanently settled by the English in 17GO. In 1796 it was set off from Penobscot and incorporated. From its earliest settlement it has been the scene of bloody conflicts, and has been frequently taken and retaken by the armies of the French, Dutch, and British. In 1850 it had 1,260 inhabitants and the census of 1870 showed a gain of only 44. Its history as a fishing town is both peculiar and interesting. Its distance from the shore fishing grounds prevents any extensive boat-fisheries, though several parties are engaged in the capture of lobsters and mackerel in summer, and a number of others dig a few clams from the mud flats in winter. In 1880 ten men were engaged for a number of weeks in the shore mackerel fishery, selling their catch to the cannery at the village. All of these "clam" to a greater or less extent in winter, and four of them fish for lobsters from April to August. Aside from this and the smelt fisheries which will be mentioned elsewhere, there is at present no fishing of importance from the town. Though the boat-fisheries have never been extensive, the excellent harbor gave Castine an advantage in the vessel -fisheries which she retained for many years. By the beginning of the present century she had a few large vessels engaged in the various offshore fisheries ; and the number continued to increase until her vessels frequented all of the important fishing grounds, including Grand and Western Banks, Labrador, Bay of Chaleur, and the Magdalen Islands. The Grand Banks cod fisheries are said to have been peculiarly important. They began early in the century, and by 1833 a large number of vessels were employed in this work. The fishing continued to be extensively prosecuted till 1855, after which it rapidly declined, the vessels being sold to other places or employed in the coasting trade. In 1878 the offshore fleet had been reduced to two sail. These returned from the fishing grounds with small fares, whereupon their owners became discouraged and decided to give up the business. Both vessels were immediately stripped and secured to the wharves, wbere^they have since remained. During the years of greatest activity a considerable number of small vessels were fitted out for 44 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. the shore aud Bay of Fuudy fisheries. These went regularly to the nearer grouuds and returned with good catches. But the causes that led to the reduction of the offshore fleet had their influ- ence upon the smaller craft, and though sonic of them were kept for a number of years they grad- ually disappeared, aud to-day not a fishing vessel sails from Castiue. True, several small ones have been granted fishing licenses, but on examination it is found that they are employed chiefly in other work, and it would be misleading to include them with the fishing vessels of the coast. THE TRADE WITH FISHING VESSELS. — While the fisheries proper of the town have been impor- tant, the trade with the fishing fleet of other places has been of much greater value to the people, and Castiue was for a number years, next to Portland, the principal fisheries center of the State. Up to 1824, according to Mr. William Webb, of Deer Isle, little attention was paid to the vessel trade by the merchants of the city, and some of them ev en sent their own schooners to Portland for their salt and other outfits. About this time the first cargo of salt was imported by one of the Castine dealers. This was the beginning of a large trade, and vessels from the surrounding country, including Deer Isle, Swan's Isle, Fox Islands, Mount Desert, and many other fishing towns along the shore, soon came to depend wholly on Castine for their fittings, including salt, gear, and pro- visions. The business continued to increase, and by 1845, according to a correspondent of the Bangor Whig, fully three hundred vessels, carrying upwards of two thousand men, "fitted" at Castine for the various bank and shore fisheries, while 2,000 tons of salt were annually imported and consumed. The most of this came direct from Cadiz and Liverpool. Mr. Webb informs us that the trade began to decrease just prior to the rebellion, aud that since 1870 "bankers" have gone elsewhere for their supplies, and the shore vessels have gradually sought other markets. At present the trade is confined to eight or ten small vessels belonging at Deer and Swan's Isles, and it is practically of no importance. Aside from the interests already mentioned Castine has one of the largest line factories in the country, where most of the cod and mackerel lines used by the New England fishermen are made. THE CANNING OF FISHERY PRODUCTS. — A largo cannery was built at the village in 1871 and is now doing an extensive business in the canning of lobsters, mackerel, clams, and various kinds of berries and fruits. About fifty hands are employed during the working season. This cannery was probably the first to use a steamer for gathering its supplies of sea products from the fisher- men of the adjoining shore and the numerous outlying islands. The change from sailing vessels to steamers has proved thoroughly satisfactory and it seems probable that steamers will soon be generally introduced for this work. 22. PENOBSCOT, ORLAND, AND BUCKSPORT. PENOBSCOT. — The town of Penobscot is too far from the fishing grouuds of the coast to have any extensive salt-water fisheries. The only business in this line is the curing of a cargo of codfish caught by a vessel belonging in Ellsworth. Penobscot has extensive smelt fisheries, and a few of its inhabitants go to the outer islands occasionally and fish for cod and mackerel for home supply. Beyond this no fishing of any kind is done. BUCKSPORT AND ORLAND.— The towns of Bucksport and Orland, situated on the eastern bank of the Penobscot, 18 miles below Bangor, are so intimately connected in their fishing inter- ests that they should properly be considered together. The region was first settled in 1762, and as early as 1825 Mr. Joseph Cook and one or two others had fair sized vessels engaged in tlie off- shore fisheries. The business continued to increase till 1855, when, according to Mr. N. II. Powers, there were about 20 vessels, ranging from 50 to 125 tons, carpenter's measurement, landing a total MAINE: CASTING DISTRICT. 45 of 20,000 quintals of fish during the season. Most of the vessels went to "the Bay" for mackerel after their return from the banks. The "ground-fish" were dried by professional curers at Orland and sold in Boston, and the mackerel were packed at various places. From 1858 the fishing interests began to decline, and in 1870, according to Mr. Powers, the fishing fleet of the two towns numbered only three or four sail, the majority of the old vessels being employed in the coasting trade. In 1877 the business again revived, and in 1880 Orland had G schooners, aggregating 373.02 tons, engaged iu the Grand Bank cod fisheries. The vessels are valued at $10,500. During the same season Bucksport had C large vessels fishing on Grand Banks, and two smaller ones engaged in the shore fisheries; this fleet was valued at $13,GOO, and aggregated 459.03 tons. About 150 men are employed in the vessel fisheries of the two towns. The crews are usually hired at wages varying from $120 to $150 for the season. The vessels, as a rule, make but one trip during the summer, starting late in the spring and returning early in the fall. Nearly all land their catch at Orland, where the fish are cured before being shipped to Boston and other places. In 1880 there were six curing-stands in the vicinity. These had an aggregate value of $3,000, and furnished employment to 27 men for two months. The quantity of fish cured was 13,200 quintals, all but 400 quintals of which were cod. F.— THE BELFAST DISTRICT. 23. GENERAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. A DESCRIPTION OF THE DISTRICT AND ITS FISHERIES.— The Belfast customs district extends along the western border of Penobscot Bay, from Stockton to Rockland. It also includes the Fox Islands, lying in the mouth of the bay, about midway between its eastern and western shores. The soil of the mainland is well suited for agriculture, which occupies the attention of a majority of the people. The residents of the Fox Islands are engaged chiefly in quarrying and fishing. At the principal harbors along the main shore are settlements of greater or less importance. The largest of these are the cities of Belfast and Camden. The people of these places, as well as those of the smaller villages, are extensively interested in the coasting and foreign vessel trade, and many large merchantmen are owned and manned by them. Camden and Belfast are the only places on the mainland that have been extensively engaged in the fisheries. The residents of these cities became interested in the fisheries about 1825, and for a quarter of a century the business continued to increase in importance, though it has since declined, and the vessel-fisheries are now almost discontinued. The residents still continue to engage in the shore fisheries to a greater of less extent in sununer, catching lobsters, mackerel, cod, and other species for local supply. The river fisheries of the region are quite extensive, many salmon, alcwives, and smelt being secured. The only islands of importance in the group known as the Fox Islands are North Haven and Vinal Haven. These were settled about 1765 by parties from other localities, who came to Viiial Haven for the more successful prosecution of the fisheries. Up to 1830 the vessels owned in this locality were small craft, most of them being under 30 tons, carpenter's measurement. A majority of these were owned at Vinal Haven, this island, owing to its nearness to the fishing-grounds, hav- ing the largest fishing interests. A little later better vessels were added to the Vinal Haven fleet, but the North Haven fishermen continued to use small ones up to 1850, since which time her fish- 46 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OP THE FISHERIES. ing interests have been constantly increasing. To-day each island has twenty vessels, those of North Haven averaging about 40 tons, while those of Vinal Haven are only half as large. The shore boat-fisheries furnish employment to 180 men, all but 10 of these being engaged in the lobster fisheries during the spring and early summer, while the remainder of the season is spent in the capture of mackerel and other fishes. STATISTICAL RECAPITULATION FOR 1880.— The following statement shows the extent of the fisheries of the district for 1880: Summary statement of persons employed and capital invested. Persons employed. Number. - Capital invested. Amount. Number of vessel-fishermen 343 $134 705 Number of boat- fishermen 490 28 468 Nnmher of curers, packers, fitters, &c 32 a 59 455 Number of factory -hands 84 Total 949 a Other fixed and circulating capital, — Cash capital, $34,200; wharves, shorehouses, and fixtures, $14, 255; factory buildings and apparatus, $11,000; total, $39,455. Detailed statement of capital invested in vessels, l>oats, nets, and traps. Vessels and boats. No. Tonnage. Value. Value of gear, oxclu- siveot'boats and nets. Value of outfit. Total value. Nets and traps. No. Value. Vessels. In food-fish fishery : 53 1 330 84 $48 375 $10 155 $43 870 $109 400 Nets. Gill-nets : Idle 3 31.90 550 550 400 5 120. 49 C 400 50 800 7 250 Total Gl 1 483 23 55 325 10 205 44 G70 In vessel-fisheries 14 7,500 TT 1 Boats, 13 325 153 4 835 4 835 474 12 770 4 900 2 000 19 670 Total 545 14, 395 T Total 627 17 605 4 900 2 000 24 505 Weirs 13 1 975 30 150 15 930 11 948 Total 15 973 14 073 Detailed statement of tlic quantities and rallies of Hie products. Products specified. Pounds, fresh. Pounds, prepared. Bulk. Value as sold. 15, 192, 662 $°47 558 Fresh ^h. For food . 472 000 6 291 For bait 1,441,000 7, 205 barrels 5 404 20 000 00 Total 1 933 000 11 747 Dry fish. Cod . . 1 898 000 G54 080 20 440 Hake 3 284 8°0 1 36° 5V 18 249 Haddock 1,004 850 357 280 7 178 Pollock .... . . I'O 930 46 704 834 disk 67 080 28 896 710 Total 6 375 680 2 449, 552 47 411 MAINE: BELFAST DISTRICT. Detailed statement of the quantities and rallies of the products — Continued. 47 Products specified. Pounds, fresh. 1'nnndn, prepared. Bulk. Value as sold. Pickled fish. Mackerel 4 476 600 •> f)84 400 $85 80° Herring: 195 000 156 000 2 340 Miscellaneous 10, 000 5 000 125 Total 4 681 600 3 145 400 88 267 Smoked fi#h. Herring: 14 118 10 °00 Haddock (Finnan baddies) ('< 800 3 000 175 Total - 20 918 Canned fish. Mackerel . .. ... 232 350 108 61°ein<* Lobsters. Fresh . . 699 000 °5 630 Canned 1 177 464 28 335 Total 1 87G 464 Olams. For food ,. 18 750 1 875 bushels 656 For bait 46 900 Canned 7 000 Total 72 650 t 081 Miscellaneous. Fish-oil Sounds 18 240 16 4°4 Mai in. pmdnrtH nst-d tor fcitili/.ers 2 000 Total °2 798 24. BELFAST AND ADJACENT TOWNS. STOCKTON.— Stockton is situated about five or six miles below Bucksport, on the west side of the Pcnobscot liiver. It has a resident population of about 1,550, including a village of 500 inhab- itants at (Jape Jellis-on Harbor. The people of the town are largely interested in agriculture, and in vessels employed in the foreign or coasting trade. Many of the inhabitants "follow the sea" for a livelihood. The fisheries of the town are very limited. One vessel of 8 tons is engaged in the shore fisheries during a part of the summer, and another of 1C tons "runs" lobsters and clams to the Castine cannery; these two comprise the fishing fleet of the town. In 1880 seven or eight men were engaged in the lobster fisheries, and twenty or more fished for mackerel for several weeks in midsummer, some of them fishing for pleasure only. A few of the residents go down the river to fish for cod and hake for home supply, but none follow the business regularly. The river fisheries for salmon and alewives are quite important. They will be described in the chapter on the fresh- water fisheries of the State. SEARsroRT. — The town of Searsport, forming the western boundary of Penobscot Eiver, between Stockton and Belfast, has about 2,200 inhabitants. It has a village of the, same name, with about 1,000 inhabitants. Many of the residents are extensively interested in the coasting trade, while others own or man larger vessels that run between the United States aud various European countries; the remainder are engaged in farming. The fishing interests of the town 48 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. are very similar to those of Stockton. It has one vessel of 18 tons engaged in the shore fish- eries, landing her catch at the curing stands at North Haven. Eight men are interested iu the lobster fisheries, and seventy or eighty fish for mackerel during the height of the season. Some catch enough for home use only, while others fish more extensively, selling their catch to the resi- dents of the village. It is estimated by Mr. W. H. Matthews that ICO barrels of mackerel were taken by the local fishermen in 1880. The salmon and alewife fisheries are quite extensive, and a number of weirs have been built for their capture by the fishermen of the town. BELFAST. — The town of Belfast, on the west bank of the Pcnobscot River, 25 to 30 miles above 'Rockland, was first settled in 1770. It was incorporated in 1773 and named in honor of Belfast, Ireland. In 1776 it had 229 inhabitants, and in 1870, 5,278. Williamson, in his History of Belfast, says : "The first settlers were of course strangers to the luxuries of living. For several years they depended for the means of subsistence almost exclusively upon their crops and upon fishing and hunting. The rich, newly-burnt land produced a plentiful supply of cereals and potatoes. Moose, deer, and even bears were abundant, and the river furnished salmon, shad, and alewives." Capt. Charles H. Wording informs us that Belfast was interested in the fisheries to a limited extent only prior to 1826, when she built or purchased a fleet of small vessels. About 1835 a better class of vessels were introduced, and soon twenty sail were owned in the town, the larger ones fishing on the nearer offshore banks for cod in spring, and in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and along the Maine shore for mackerel later in the season. Most of the cod were cured on the lower islands, and prior to 1840 the mackerel were packed in Boston. A considerable portion of the fleet "fitted" at Castine. About 1855 the business became less prosperous, and it was almost wholly discontinued before the war. Since that time Belfast has had a few vessels engaged in the shore fisheries each season, but the catch has usually been so small as to be quite unimportant. In 1879 she had five fishing vessels, averaging 20 tons each, fishing on the inshore grounds. The fleet was' valued at $1,650, and furnished employment to twenty-nine men. The boat-fisheries vary considerably, and are at times quite important. The principal fishing occurs in midsummer, when the mackerel enter the bay. They are very abundant for several weeks, and many of the inhabitants, including men and boys of all classes, engage in the fisheries to a greater or less extent for pleasure and profit. Some fish only occasionally for home supply, others devote their entire time to fishing while the mackerel remain, and realize a considerable profit from their sales. It is said that there are at times over one hundred boats, with one to four men each, fishing within a few. miles of the city. Mr. Frank W. Collins, of Belfast, sends us the following account of the boat-fisheries for 1879: "It is estimated by competent judges that, during the season of 1879, there were 1,000 barrels of mackerel caught in our bay (mostly by hand-lines) ; of this amount about one-third were shipped to Boston, and the larger cities of our own State. "The smelt-fishing has been poorer here this season than for many years. Owing to the pre- vailing warm weather, and ruling low prices, not more than half of the usual number have engaged in this fishery. (The smelts here are all caught with hand-lines.) From December 1, 1879, to the present time [March, 1880], there have been about five tons of smelts caught here; of these, nearly two tons have been shipped to Portland, Boston, and New York. " The past season there were twelve men engaged in lobster fisheries, using a total of 375 traps. Although the season was considered a poor one by the fishermen, about 75,000 lobsters were caught, one-third of them being sold to the smacks, and shipped to Boston, and towns in this State. " From the most careful inquiries among the clam-diggers, and other persons having a knowledge of our local fisheries, we learn that there have been 5,000 bushels of clams dug here the past year, MAINE: BELFAST DISTRICT. 49 though none have been salted for fish-bait this season as in previous years. Of the 5,000 bushels dug, about one-half have been shipped to other places. On account of their fine flavor the Belfast clams are considered superior to those of any other locality, and they always find a ready market in our neighboring cities and towns where they are known. It would be impossible to form any correct estimate of the large quantity of flounders taken here during the year. This branch of the fishing is followed, not only by our local fishermen, but there is a little multitude of boys who throng the heads of the piers and the bridge for weeks^ to fish fcr flounders. The fish are neatly dressed and strung in bunches (usually twelve in a bunch) for the market. Thousands of bunches are shipped to cities and towns in this vicinity. "Although Belfast is not engaged in the salmon fishery to any great extent, there is probably no place in the State where more Penobscot salmon are sold. The past season, 1879, there .were about 25,000 pounds of Peuobscot salmon sold (by the fishermen in this vicinity) to the marketmeu and inhabitants here ; of this amount not more than 2,000 pounds were shipped to other places, the rest being consumed locally. Salmon arc no longer a luxury here, to be enjoyed by the rich only, but during plentiful seasons they are now often sold by our local dealers as low as ten cents per pound. Through the untiring efforts of the Fish Commission, for the past eight 5~ears, in restocking the Penobscot River, this once rare and delicate fish has been placed within the reach of the poor as well as the rich, and to-day the Penobscot is, in every respect, a salmon stream." NOETHPOET. — Northport, lying just south of Belfast, on Belfast Bay, is a town with a scattered population, engaged largely in agriculture, though a few of its inhabitants are more or less dependent upon the sea. A number of small coasting vessels are owned by the residents and some of the men are interested in the salmon fisheries during a portion of the year. As the town has no fishing fleet, the catch of marine species is very limited, the work being largely confined to the capture of mackerel during a few weeks in mid-summer, while a number of parties take lobsters and clams to a limited extent for local supply. 25. CAMDEN AND ITS FISHERIES. The town of Camdeu, which includes the villages of Camdeu and Rockport, forms the western bank of the Penobscot River between Rockland and Liucoluville. It was settled in 1769, and incorporated in 1791. According to Messrs. J. and B. C. Adams, Camdeu was for many years extensively interested in the fisheries, and had a fleet of 15 to 20 schooners engaged in the Labrador, Magdalen, bank, and shore fisheries, with a considerable number of others from the Fox Islands that came to Cam- deu for their fittings. Later the causes that led to the decline of the fisheries of the region affected Cainden equally with the other places, and, after a few unprosperous years, the business was almost wholly discontinued. At present the fishing fleet of the town, including the two lobster smacks owned at Rockport, is made up of five sail vessels and one steamer. Three of the vessels are engaged exclusively in- the mackerel fisheries, and the others, including the steamer, are employed in the transportation of fishery products. The steamer carries herring, mackerel, and clams to the canneries at the village, and the smacks "run" lobsters to Portland and Boston. The boat fisheries are of little importance. A number of men from both Cainden and Rock- port are interested in the lobster fisheries; others go to the outer islands occasionally to fish for cod and other species; while all, with many of the shoresmen, are engaged in "hooking" mackerel for several weeks in summer. A lobster cannery was built at Cainden, by Portland capital, in 1878, and during the past season thirty hands were employed in canning lobsters and mackerel. In the summer of 1880 a sardine 4 G R F 50 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. cannery was located here for the purpose of utilizing the small herring that were reported as pecu- liarly abundant in the region. Weirs were built at different points along the mainland, and about the various islands, but thus far the catch, with few exceptions, has been so small that the cannery has not been fully supplied. A scarcity of herring has resulted iq experiments in the canning of mackerel, and Mr. Sellmann, the proprietor, has succeeded in producing a very palatable article which is now being placed upon the market under the name of "broiled mackerel." The fish are received with great favor by the trade, and the demand for them is constantly increasing. The process of preparation is radically different from that heretofore employed in the canning of this- species. Fat mackerel of small size are selected, and after their heads and tails have been removed, the fish are thoroughly cleaned and washed; they are then spread on wire trays and placed on a revolving frame in a large oven, where they are broiled for several minutes in a manner similar to- that by which the sardines are prepared. When thoroughly cooked, they are taken out, and, after cooling, packed in tin cans with tomato or other sauce and hermetically sealed. Mr. Sellmann has certainly made an important discovery, and there is every reason to believe that the business begun by him will develop enormously within the next few years. 2C. THE FOX ISLANDS. THE LOCATION AND IMPORTANCE OF THE ISLANDS.— The Fox Islands, including the islands of Vinal Haven and North Haven, are situated in the month of the Penobscot River, about mid- way between either shore. They were first permanently settled in 17G5, and incorporated under the name of Vinal Haven in 1789, North Haven being set off in 1846. The southern island is one huge mass of granite, with hardly a patch of soil large enough to warrant any one in engaging in agriculture. For this reason nine-tenths of the men arc employed in the granite quarries at Carver's Harbor, which rank among the most important on the contineut. The northern island is quite different, and though very rocky in parts has much arable land, and a large part of its people are engaged in farming. The location of the islands in the vicinity of excellent fishing-grounds has naturally led many of the inhabitants to engage extensively in the fisheries. The first settlers are said to have been fishermen who came to the region for the purpose of prosecuting their work to better advantage. THE FISHERIES OF VINAL HAVEN.— According to Mr. James Roberts, Vinal Haven had twelve to fifteen sail of Chebacco boats, ranging from 15 to 30 tons, engaged in the fisheries as early as 1817, the smaller ones fishing along the shore while the larger ones went to the Seal Island grounds and Brown's Bank. The fleet was gradually increased by purchase from Cape Ann and elsewhere,, and before 1830 a larger and better class of vessels had been brought to the town. The Labrador fisheries, says Mr. Roberts, began in 1804, and were continued to 1810, though the business was never extensive. One season two or three vessels would engage in this fishery, and for several years following none would be sent. The Magdalen herring fisheries have been peculiarly important and extensive. They began about 1830 and continued without interruption till 1858. The height of the fishery was from J840 to 1850, when eight or nine sail went yearly, starting early in April and returning late in May. The herring were lauded on the island, where the bulk of them were smoked. Some crews con- tracted their catch in advance to the Vinal Haven dealers, agreeing to land their cargoes at a stipulated price. The crews often purchased their fish from the natives, though this practice was not universal, and many of them "went on shares," catching, salting, and smoking their fish, and carrying them to Boston to be marketed. As far as we could learn, but one vessel from Vinal Daren has fished on Grand Banks, and this for but one or two years only. One vessel, the- MAINE: BELFAST DISTRICT. 51 Black Swan, made two trips to George's in the winter of 18G1-'G2, after which the business was abandoned on account of the danger attending the work. As has been said, the fisheries continued to increase from year to year from the first settle- ment of the island to the middle of the present century. They were most prosperous between 1845 and 1858, when from ninety to one hundred sail were owned at Vinal Haven, and thirty-five or forty belonged at North Haven. Probably four-fifths of these were under 50 tons, carpenter's measurement. These vessels usually fitted at Castiue, but cured their fish at home and sold them to the Boston dealers. According to Mr. David Vinal, Viual Haven alone marketed $70,000 worth of dry fish in 1S55. The first real hindrance to the prosecution of the fisheries was the civil war, which called many of the fishermen to the South. Later, large quarries were opened, and as these furnish regular employment to the men at good wages, many have sold their vessels and remain at home. Others have gradually drifted into the lobster fishery, finding it more profitable than any other branch of the fisheries of the region. THE FISHERIES or NORTH HAVEN. — North Haven continued to use small vessels and Che- bacco boats for many years. Mr. Nelson Mulliu informs us that in 1845 the largest vessel on the island was the Hawk, of 44 tons, old measurement. About 1850 a larger class of vessels was purchased, and as the fisheries of Vinal Haven decreased those of North Haven became more extensive. Soon a number of these vessels were sent regularly to the banks for cod in the spring, after which they fitted for "the Bay" mackerel fishery. By 1801 some of the larger craft were engaged in the mackerel fishery during the entire season, going south in spring and following the fish northward as the season advanced. In 1879 there were twenty vessels, aggregating G30.09 tons, fishing from North Haven. These were valued at $22,625, and required the services of one hundred and forty-five men. Of the entire fleet six were engaged exclusively in the mackerel fisheries, three of them going south in the spring. Three of the remaining fourteen fished for cod, and the rest were engaged in the shore fisheries for cod, haddock, pollock, hake, mackerel, and herring. During the same year Viual Haven had twenty vessels aggregating 390.55 tons, engaged in the fisheries during some part of the year. The fleet was valued at $15,550, and carried ninety-eight men. Two of the vessels were engaged in carrying lobsters to the local canneries, and all but two of the remainder fish on the inshore grounds. The boat-fishermen of the island engage chiefly in the capture of lobsters during the spring and early summer, and in a limited. fishery for mackerel in midsummer, and for hake in the fall. The lobster fishery, according to Mr. Viual, began about 1851, when J. B. Hamdeu, of Boston, built a cannery at Carver's Harbor. This was operated regularly up to 1859, when it was closed. From that date nothing was done till 1870, when Portland parties bought the property, and have continued the business to the present time. Mr. Mulliu informs us that a cannery was built at North Haven in 1857. Each of these canneries puts up both lobsters and mackerel, the two employing a total of sixty-five hands during the height of the season. There are now 180 boat-fishermen living on the islands. About 170 of these arc engaged in the lobster fishery from early spring till the 1st of August, some of them continuing the work throughout the entire year. The small lobsters are usually sold to the canneries, and the large ones are carried to Portland, Boston, and New York by the smacks that come regularly to the region. The men tend about sixty pots each, setting them on almost any of the rocky ledges in the vicinity of the island. When the mackerel arrive many of the above fishermen, together with a number of farmers and quarrymen, spend a few 52 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. weeks in their capture, after wlucli the landsmen return to their work on shore and the others fish for cod, hake, and haddock till cold weather sets in. A greater part of the fish caught by the small vessels and boats are sold to dealers, or landed at the stand of some professional curer to be prepared for the market. In 1879 there were uiiie curing stands on the two islands, employing an average of two men each. The quantity of fish cured during the season, including 1,060 quintals handled by the boat-fishermen, was 18,400 quin- tals, the 'greater part being sold in Boston. G.— THE WALDOBORO' DISTRICT. 27. GENERAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES OF THE DISTRICT. ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE FISHERIES. — The Waldoboro' customs district, which includes the coast line between Camden and Booth Bay, as well as the islands of Matinicus and Mouhegan, is from a historical standpoint one of the most interesting in the United States. It wis visited by European voyagers as early as 1602, and by 1G17 British merchants sent vessels regularly to Monhegau to engage in the fisheries. It was originally included under the Pemaquid patent, granted by King Charles I to Elbridge and Aldsworth in 1629. According to Williamson, the section lying between Sagadahoc and Saint George had a population of 500 as early as 1630 ; of this number it may fairly be inferred that two-thirds were within the present limits of the Waldoboro district. Nearly all of the early settlers came to the region to engage in the fisheries, which at that time formed the principal occupation of the people. The district is now quite thickly settled. It includes the cities of Rockland, Thornastou, and Damariscotta, and several small villages. Many of the inhabitants devote their attention to agri- culture, but a majority of those living along the coast are engaged in the fisheries, while not a few are employed in ship-building or are dependent upon the coasting trade. THE VESSEL AND BOAT FISHERIES. — The fishing vessels of the region have, as a rule, been quite small, and now as in the past, only a few large ones are owned in the district. Those of suitable size are sent to the more important fishing grounds, but the majority are engaged in the shore fisheries only. The present fleet numbers 111 sail, these averaging about 22 tons each. The boat-fisheries have long been important, though owing to the menhaden fisheries they have decreased somewhat in certain towns during the last ten or fifteen years. They now furnish employment to 483 men, only one hundred less than the number on the vessels. Of these, 250 are engaged in the capture of lobsters during some portion of the year. The catch for the season reached 1,695,882 pounds, of which quantity 748,182 pounds were put up at the Port Clyde cannery. The remainder of the boat fishermen are engaged in the capture of cod, herring, mackerel, and other species along the shores of the outer headlands and islands. THE MENHADEN INDUSTRY. — The menhaden fisheries of Maine began in a small way more than twenty years ago. In 1864, a factory was built at Bristol near the eastern boundary of the district. Later, the business became very important, and Bristol came to be the center of the industry for the State. In 1878, according to reliable authorities, there were eleven factories at Bristol, valued, with machinery and fixtures, at three-quarters of a million dollars. Twenty-nine steamers with five hundred fishermen were employed, and two hundred additional hands were engaged in manipulating the catch. The production of these establishments duriug the season was MAINE: WALDOBCEO' DISTRICT. 53 1,170,310 gallons of oil, aiid 12,588 tons of guaiio. In 1880 no menhaden were taken and all of the factories were necessarily closed. STATISTICAL RECAPITULATION FOR 1SSO.— The extent of the fishing interests of the district for 1880 will lie found in the accompanying statement. Summary statement of persons employed and capital invested. Persons employed. Number. Capital invested. Amount. 575 $228, 075 483 33, 542 70 a 251, 125 Number of factory hands 41 511* 742 Total 1,169 a Oilier fixed and circulating capital.— Cash capital, $10,200; wharves, shorehouscs, and fixtures, $34,125; factory bnildings and apparatus (including $190,800 for menhaden oil and guano factories not in use since 1878), $200.800; total, 251,125. Detailed statement of capital invested in vessels, boats, nets, and traps. Vessels and boats. No. Tonnage. Value. Value of Bear, exclu- sive of boats and nets. Value of outfit. Total value. Nets and traps. No. Value. Vessels. In food-fish fishery : Ill 2, 435. 79 $80 935 $18, 275 $72, 815 $172, 025 y 160 000 Total, 3 207 300 15 059 Dry fish. Cod 6 530 700 ° 257 472 70 54ft Hake 5 368 950 .1 0.17 J..Q *>9 828 1 411 515 501 872 10 08° Pollock 782 4°0 302 176 5 39C Cu-ik . 260 520 11" "4 2 756 Total 14, 374, 103 5, 400, 664 118,608 54 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. Detailed statement of the quantities and rallies of the products — Continued. Products specified. Pounds, fresh. Pounds, prepared. Bulk. Value as sold. Pickled ftih. 2, 462, 100 1,641,400 8 207 barrels $47 190 Herring : 1 012 750 810 200 4 051 barrels 1° 153 12, 000 8,000 40 barrels 200 Total 3,486 850 2 459 600 12, 298 barrels 59 543 Smoked fish. Herring : 9 118 6 588 . 155 Canned Jwh, 55, 280 38 GCi cans . 4 308 Lobsters. 947 700 34 749 748, 182 138, 264 cans 17, 790 Total 1, 695, 882 52, 539 Clams. 29, 400 2, 940 bushels 1,029 For bait 118 580 11, 858 bushels — 847 barrels 4,235 Total 147, 980 » 5,264 Miscellaneous. Fish-oil 24, 111 gallons 9,644 29, 828 26, 845 4,500 Total 40, 989 A description of the past and present fishery interests of the various towns of the Waldoboro' district may be found in the following pages. 28. ROCKLAND, THOMASTON, AND SAINT GEORGE. ROCKLAND. — Up to 1848 Rocklaud was a part of Thoinastou. At that time it was set off and incorporated under the name of East Thomaston, and in 1850 the present name was adopted. Its population in 1870 was 7,073. The principal business of the town is the quarrying of limestone for the manufacture of lime. Nearty all of the inhabitants are employed at the kilns and quarries or on the vessels engaged in the transportation of the products. Rockland has never been a fishing town and has had very few fishing-vessels sailing from its harbor. The largest fleet at any time has not exceeded ten sail. In 1879 there were four vessels engaged iu the fisheries to a greater or less extent, only one of them being constantly employed. Other small vessels were sailing under fishing license, but they fished so little that they should not be considered as dependent upon the fisheries. In 1880 a small steamer, the Hurricane, was fitted out with a purse-seine for menhaden, but not finding any of that species the captain turned his attention to the capture of mackerel. This is the first instance of a steamer being employed extensively in the mackerel fishery, and it is not impossible that this small beginning may result in such a change in the methods of fishing as to completely revolutionize the mackerel fisheries of the country. The boat fisheries of the town are very limited, and scarcely a dozen men follow fishing for a livelihood, though fully fifty fish for mackerel for four or five weeks each summer. The bulk of the catch is sold fresh, though some are salted and sold to the local dealers. Rockland is obliged to send to Saint George and South Thomaston for a large part of her fresh fish. MAINE: WALDOBORO' DISTRICT. 55 TLe merchants of the place Lave a limited trade with the fishing-vessels of the islands, aud they fit out fifteen to twenty-five sail each season. The greater part of these belong at Matinicus Island, which is a large fishing center. The merchants also buy many dry fish from these people to supply their country trade. According to Mr. E. F. Crie, there were handled by the four firms engaged in the fish trade at Eockland, in 1880, about 1,000 quintals of cod, 300 quintals of haddock, 200 quintals of pollock, and 50 quintals of hake, in addition to 700 barrels of mackerel, 250 barrels of pickled herring, and 100 barrels of smoked herring. SOUTH TnoMASTON.— South Thomastou, about 4 miles below Eocklaud, was set off from Thoni- aston aud incorporated in 1848. It has a population of 1,693, with a small village of two or three hundred inhabitants located on the Weskeag Eiver. It depends largely for its trade upon the sur- rounding country and the quarrymen of Dix and adjoining islands. There is no fishing of impor- tance from the village, a few parties going out occasionally for pleasure during the summer only. Clams are dug in small quantities from the extensive flats in the vicinity. The town gets its supply of fish and clams, mostly through peddlers, from the boat-fishermen of Ash Point aud Owl's Head. THOMASTON.— Thomaston, at the head of navigation of the Saint George Eiver, 3 miles south- west of Eockland, was known as a trading post as early as 1G30, and was permanently settled about 1719. It was incorporated as a town in 1777, and up to 1848 included both South Thomaston and Rocklaud. It has a present population of 3,092. The residents are largely engaged in ship-building, confining themselves almost exclusively to the larger class of ships, brigs, and barks; aud it is said more tonnage is owned in Thomaston in proportion to its population than in any other American city. Formerly the people were somewhat interested in the sea-fisheries, having a small fleet engaged regularly in the shore-fisheries; but, owing to the distance from the fishing grounds, this business has gradually died out, and now not a fishing vessel is owned here. Clams abound in the Saint George Eiver, near by, and several hundred barrels are dug each winter by the inhabitants. A number of parties are extensively engaged in the river fisheries, aud 15 to 20 tons of smelt, with 10,000 alewives, are taken annually by means of weirs located just below the city. Mackerel and menhaden occasionally ascend the river to this point, but none of the other important salt-water species occur. Some of the inhabitants go to the lower islands in summer for a few days' fishing, but the catch is of little importance. The town is usually supplied with fish by peddlers who drive in from the fishing settlements at Owl's Head and Cushing, while a few shore-fishermen of Cashing and Friendship "run" fresh fish to the market in their boats. SAINT GEORGE.— Saint George occupies a peninsula of land 10 miles long by 3 or 4 miles wide, lying just south of Thomaston, between the Saint George Eiver and Penobscot Bay. It includes two groups of small islands known as George's Islands and the Mussel Eidges. The town was included in the Muscongus patent, and was visited by fishermen and others at a very early date. Williamson, in his History of Maine, says : " In 103G there were a few settlers at the river Saint George and upon George's Island within the Muscougus patent, though they were principally fishermen." The town was set off from Cushing aud incorporated in 1803, and has a present population of 2,318. It has four small settlements or post-office centers. These are Tenant's Harbor, Saint George, Martiusville, and Port Clyde. The last-named, formerly known as Hciriug- gut, is the principal fishing center, while the first is a village of some note with a large fleet of vessels engaged in the coasting trade. As already mentioned, Saint George was formerly a fishing town of considerable importance, and in 1838 there were three firms that did an extensive "fitting" business, and cured annually about 0,000 quintals of fish. Many were also cured by the fishermen of the town. At that time 56 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. fish are said to Lave been very plenty in the vicinity, and the vessels, which, with few exceptions, were quite small, fished along the shore or in the vicinity of Matinicus Island. About 1845 the business began to decline and the dealers soon removed to other localities, thus compelling the fishermen to cure their own catch or to seek a market elsewhere. During the "war period," or from I860 to 1868, on account of the more encouraging prospects, the business was revived, and a fleet of 25 to 30 sail of small schooners were owned in the town, most of them belonging at Herring-gut, which, from its nearness to the fishing ground, has from the first maintained its lead in the fisheries. Gradually, however, the fisheries became less important, and the people, -who were already considerably interested in the coasting trade, turned their attention more largely to that business. In 1879 fifteen small schooners were licensed for the fisheries from the various harbors of the town. Of these, only three measured over 20 tons, and some of the smaller ones were engaged largely in other work, fishing only occasionally during the season. There were no professional dealers on the mainland, but one firm located at George's Island did a considerable business, buying large quantities of fish from the fishermen of Friendship, Bristol, Cushing, and other places. About 3,500 quintals of the various species were cured during the season. This quantity includes those dried by the fishermen, as well as those handled by the dealers. The shore-fishermen, numbering about 100, are extensively engaged in the capture of lobsters, selling their catch to the Boston and Portland smacks and to the lobster cannery at Port Clyde. Lobsters are perhaps more abundant in this district than in any other locality east of the Penob- scot River. The Mussel Ridges have been continuously fished since 1850, and have probably fur- nished more lobsters than any grounds of similar size on this portion of the coast. During the summer mouths, when mackerel are abundant, many of the fishermen turn their attention to their capture for both pleasure and profit, and a good many barrels are annually taken. Most of them are sold fresh for canning, while a few are salted and shipped to market. Other parties, including ship-builders, sailmakers, blacksmiths, and ice dealers, were-formerly dependent on the fisheries, to a considerable extent, but the business is now of little importance, and they are turning their attention to the trade with vessels engaged in coasting. 29. MATINICUS ISLAND AND ITS FISHERIES. EARLY SETTLEMENT OF THE ISLAND.— Matiuicus is an important island, situated 17 miles southeast of Owl's Head. It is the largest of several rocky islands which together constitute Matinicus Plantation. It contains about 800 acres of excellent land, and has a population, including those of Ragged Island, of 250, devoted exclusively to fishing and farming. This island, on account of its early settlement, is of considerable historic interest. Williamson in his History of Maine, published in 1832, says: "The island of Matiuicus was inhabited very early, and 'remains of stone houses are still apparent, generally supposed to have been built by French or Dutch fish- ermen,' though unknown." He also adds that " there are about 100 souls on the island, in sixteen families," saying of them: "They are a very industrious, humane, and moral people; the men are engaged mostly in fishing and farming; they own six fishing crafts from 10 to 50 tons each, and raise annually about 400 bushels of wheat and abundance of vegetables; living together in pros- perity, quietude, and happiness, without law and without rulers." THE HERRING FISHERY.— We learn from the inhabitants that as early as 1800 Matinicus vessels were engaged in the Bay of Fuudy cod fisheries. The island has been a favorite resort for the herring for many years, and by 1S40 there were seven smoke-honses, where 10,000 MAINE: WALDOBORO' DISTRICT. 57 boxes of these fish were cured ammally for the Boston market. This trade seems to have grad- ually died out, until at present there is but one smoke-house, curing in 1878 about 2,700 boxes. Herring are still quite plenty during the summer months, when 7nany of the vessels of Cape Ann and Portland come regularly to the region to procure fresh bait. In addition to the resident fishermen, many of the smaller fishing vessels from the adjoining towns are provided with nets, and their crews often engage extensively in the herring fisheries when the fish are abundant. They not only catch bait for themselves, but sell large quantities to the vessels that come only to purchase. The herring fisheries of Matiuicus yielded during the summer of 1879 about 1,870 barrels, these being used almost wholly for bait. Haul-seines were first used at the island for the capture of mackerel in 1840, and they have been employed to a limited extent in this fishery to the present time. Purse-seines were first introduced in 1870. Trawls were frequently used as early as 18GG, and are now almost universally adopted. The lobster fisheries were inaugurated in 1867, and from that time the shore fishermen have taken them in considerable numbers. THE BOAT AND TESSEL FISHERIES. — About forty of the residents engage in the shore fish- eries to a considerable extent, some of them spending a part of their time in farming. On account of the location, many of the fishermen on the mainland camp on the island during the summer mouths that they may be convenient to the fishing grounds, which they visit in small open boats during pleasant weather. Some of them fish for any species that happens to be abundant, while others devote themselves exclusively to some particular fishery. The vessel fleet, which numbers eleven sail, aggregates 248.51 tons, and is valued at $10,250. The quantity of fish cured on the island in 1879, including the catch of the boat fishermen, was about 3,COO quintals. With a good harbor Matiuicus might develop a large fishing business, but there is little shelter for the vessels, and to guard against serious loss great care must be taken in mooring them. During a gale in 1841 nine were driven ashore, where they became a total loss. After the fishing season is over most of the fleet are now taken to Carver's Harbor for the winter. BoAT-BUiLDiNG.-^During their leisure hours in winter many of the fishermen give their attention to boat- building. They build a peculiar style of boat that has won for itself an enviable reputation on account of its seaworthiness and its sailing qualities. They are sloop-rigged, open boats, of large size, and fine appearance, suitable for the prosecution of the winter fisheries in the vicinity of the various harbors. Since 1867 upwards of one hundred and fifty of these boats and twenty dories have been built on the island. 30. GUSHING, FRIENDSHIP, WALDOBORO', AND BREMEN. CusniXG. — Cushing, a small farming district lying oil. the west bank of the Saint George River between Thomaston and Friendship, was incorporated as a town in 1789, at which time it included Saint. George. Its population, numbering 704, are interested chiefly in agricultural pursuits. Owing to its location it has been interested in the fisheries from its first settlement, but the industry has been of little importance, as it has been chiefly confined to a class of semi-professional farmers who fished only during the height of the season, and few have followed fishing exclusively. Several traps or pounds are employed by people of the town for taking alewives as they ascend the Saint George River in spring, and three or four smelt-weirs are located along the shore, the catch being mostly sent to New York. The shore boat fishermen, eight in all, are engaged in fishing and lobstering; most of the catch being sold fresh to peddlers who carry them into Ihe 58 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. country. Aside from tbese a few farmers go out occasionally, retaining the bulk of their catch for their own use. There are seventeen small fishing vessels belonging in Gushing; seven of these are lobster smacks "running" to Boston and Portland, while the others are engaged in "dragging" and "hooking" mackerel, netting herring, and trawling for cod, hake, and other species. FRIENDSHIP; GENERAL DESCRIPTION or THE TOWN AND ITS FISHERIES. — The town of Friendship, which includes a number of the adjoining islands, was formerly known as Meduncook. It is located just west of Cushiug at the southern extremity of the peninsula formed by the Medo- mak and Saint George Rivers. It was first settled in 1775, and was incorporated as a town in 1807. In 1870 it had a population of 890 scattered about the town or living in the small village half a mile from the principal harbor. From the first many of the people of Friendship have been dependent upon the fisheries. They have engaged extensively in the shore fisheries, and have had r. considerable number of small vessels employed in the capture of the different species. Almost no large vessels have been owned in the town, and few of the fleet have ever ventured beyond the Bay of Fuudy. MACKEREL DRAGGING. — About 18G8 the method of "dragging" for mackerel was introduced into the region from Monhegan Islaud, where it was employed by the Cape Cod fishermen as early as 1845. Within a few years of its first introduction nearly every vessel was provided with nets for mackerel fishing. Some of them devoted their attention to this work during the entire season, while others fished for cod till late in June, when the mackerel usually became abundant along this portion of the coast. They then laid aside their trawls and turned their attention to the cap- ture of mackerel, following the fish as far south as Cape Cod in the fall. Up to 1877 they met with remarkable success, but from that date, owing partially to the smaller size of the fish and thier comparative scarcity, many of them failed to pay expenses and were compelled to abandon the work, and in 1879 only one was employed in this way. THE VESSEL-FISHERIES IN 1879.— In 1879 there were thirty-four vessels owned in the to\vn, aggregating 688. SO tons, and valued at $22,375. These furnish employment to one hundred and twenty-three men. The largest of the fleet measures but 45 tons, while the majority are under 20 tons, many of them being old and comparatively worthless. Of the entire fleet five vessels are engaged in the lobster-carrying trade, and one fishes on the Western Banks; the remainder are engaged in the shore fisheries. A greater part of the fleet " fit out'? for the herring fisheries in the vicinity of Wood Island in the fall, and some of the crews succeed in catching largo quantities, which they sell to the Portland and Booth Bay dealers. FISH CURING. — A number of the Friendship farmers make a business of curing fish at a cer- tain percentage of their value. The schooners usually take their fish directly to these persons and have them cured, after which they are sent by vessels to Portland and Boston. Including those salted and dried by the boat fishermen, fully 8,000 quintals were cured in Friendship during 1879. THE BOAT-FISHERIES. — On account of the distance from the fishing grounds, the boat-fisher- men have been obliged to build large sloop-rigged boats which arc provided with small cuddies. These are known as lobster boats, and, although too small to "paper," they are sufficiently sea- worthy to warrant the fishermen in venturing a considerable distance from the shore. In fact, during pleasant weather, they ofren remain away nearly a week at a time, though they always return to some convenient harbor at the approach of a storm. Most of the catch is ': sold from the knife" to the curers at New Harbor, Brown's Cot'e, and other places. Much of the bait used by these parties is taken from a weir owned by several of the local fishermen. The boats .already described are admirably adapted to the winter lobster fisheries, and after the fishing season is over, many of the men devote their time exclusively to the capture of this MAINE: WALDOBOEO' DISTBICT. 59 species. Oil account of tbe scarcity of lobsters in market at this season, the price advances, and the catch is readily sold at a good figure to the smack men who run regularly between Friendship aud Portland. Clams are fairly abundant in the numerous mud-flats, and many are dug for bait by the local fishermen, while a few are shelled aud salted to be sold to the Bremen vessels engaged in the bank fisheries. BOAT AND VESSEL BUILDING. — As early as 1830 Friendship parties became interested in ship- building, and from that date to the present time fourteen fishing- vessels have been built. Some of these were sent to other localities, but the majority have been purchased by the Friendship fish- ermen. A number of the fishermen spend their leisure hours, in winter, in building boats and dories; and, during the last 15 years, twenty-five to thirty lobster-boats and upwards of one hundred and fifty dories have been built by them. WALDOBOEO'. — Waldoboro' township is located about sixteen miles southwest of Eocklaud. It has a population of 4,140. This region, which was first settled in 1748 by German emigrants, has important agricultural interests but small fisheries. The principal settlement is a village of several hundred inhabitants at the head of navigation of the Medomak Eiver. The chief business of the place is ship-building aud milling, though several traders depend upon the fine agricultural neigh- borhood for a large business. Ship-building was formerly extensive, and on one occasion fifteen ships and barks were on the stocks at once. Of late, however, the industry has declined, aud in 1879 only two vessels were built. Thirty years ago twenty-five or thirty small boats from Bremen and Bristol came regularly to the village for a market, exchanging their fish for vegetables and produce brought in by the farmers; but of late there are few transactions of this kind. There have never been any vessels from the village engaged in the fisheries, though we find two or three small schooners hailing from Waldoboro' that are owned and run by parties living a few miles down the river. Six men from the village engage in the boat-fisheries in summer, selling their catch mostly to the curers at Bound Pond and Ne*w Harbor. On visiting their homes, which they do once in eight or ten days, they usually take a quantity of fish for the markets, of which there are three in the village. The principal fishing interest of Waldoboro' is the sinelt-fishery, which is carried on through the ice in winter. This began in the winter of 1876-'77, when it was accidentally found that smelt could be taken in that locality. The fishery developed with surprising rapidity, for within three weeks after the first smelts were taken over a hundred people were making a business of catching them. In the winter of 187S-'79, 103 shanties with about 225 people (men and boys) were on the ice daily during the height of the season. Some ship their fish direct to New York, others pack together and ship in larger quantities, and still others (perhaps one-half of all) sell to local dealers. Mr. G. II. Matthews estimates that during the winter of 187S-'79 not far from 1C tons were shipped. They go wholly to New York aud Boston, netting the fishermen about 5 cents per pound. The best fishing is said to be on the last half of the flood-tide, though it sometimes lasts well into the ebb. The largest catch for one person during any one tide was 45 pounds, equal to about 200 fish, while the average was 15 to 20 pounds per man. After the ice went out in the spring, some went to the shoal water near the falls and secured great quantities of the spawning smelt with dip-nets, but on account of the warm weather they could not be shipped and most of them were thrown away. One party reported his catch at 30 bushels in a single day. The law now forbids this kind of fishing. Fish ways have been built over the different dams in the vicinity, and in 1874 laws were enacted 60 GEOGRAPHICAL BE VIEW OF THE FISHERIES. forbidding the capture of alewives for six years. Assisted and protected in this way the fish have grown to be very abundant. BREMEN. — Bremen, a small town with a scattered population of 796, is located on the west side of the Medomak, between Bristol and Waldoboro'. It was first settled in 1735, and was a part of Bristol until 1828. There is no village of importance, and it even lacks the advantages of a country post-office. The fishing interests seem to have been small in early times, but they gradually increased, reaching their maximum between 1865 and 1872, when six large vessels went regularly to Western Banks and Quereau, and uiue or ten smaller ones engaged in the shore-fisheries. The first " banker " was sent from the town aboiit 1860 ; vessels began going south for mackerel in the spring of 1868; and one vessel went on a halibut-fletching trip in 1869. The only mackerel seining from this vicinity is by small vessels that fish along the coast of Maine. The present fleet consists of ten vessels, four of these being engaged in the bank-fisheries. Besides the vessel-fleet, about forty small boats are engaged in the shore-fisheries, taking lobsters, mackerel, cod, and other species. The residents dig several hundred barrels of clam-bait each season for the Bremen and Portland bankers. About 7,000 quintals of fish are cured annually in the town. For a number of years several parties have been more or less interested in boat-building, and since 1865 about eighty lobster-boats and thirty dories have been built. 31. BRISTOL AND ITS FISHERY INTERESTS. EARLY SETTLEMENT OP BRISTOL. — Bristol township including within its limits Pemaquid, one of the oldest settlements ou the coast, belonged to the Pemaquid patent granted to Elbridge and Aldsworth of Bristol, England, in 1629. It was visited by Gosnold in 1602, and settled as early as 1625, under a title from the Indian chief Samoset — "probably the first Indian deed to a white man." In the fifth volume of the Maine Historical Collections we read that "in 1607 Popham and Gil- bert had not been at anchor near Pemaquid two hours when they were visited by a party of savages in a Spanish shallop"; thus showing that the place had been visited earlier by Spaniards, who doubt- less came not only on a voyage of discovery, but also to fish in the vicinity. "Williamson, in his History of Maine, gives a table of populations of different portions of the coast for 1630, in which he claims 500 inhabitants for SagadaLock, Sheepscott, Pemaquid, Saint George, and George's Islands. He does not give the number for each place separately. The town was incorporated in 1765, and in 17GO had a population of 896, at which time it included the present town of Bremen. It now has 2,916 inhabitants. It is situated a few miles south of Waldoboro', and occupies most of the large neck of land lying between the Damariscotta River on the west and the Medomak River and Muscongus Sound on the east. The peninsula is divided in its lower half by John's Bay and River, and the larger part is again partially subdivided by the Pemaquid River, thus giving it an extensive shore-line in the near vicinity of the fishing grounds. THE VESSEL-FISHERIES. — Bristol has long been noted for the number of its small vessels and the interest it has taken in the shore-fisheries. As early as 1830, twenty-five vessels were owned there, three or four of them being large enough to visit the Gulf of Saiut Lawrence for cod, while the rest, ranging from 5 to 25 tons, were engaged in the shore-fisheries. In 1846 the first vessel was sent to Grand Banks; in 1854 the Western Bank fisheries were inaugurated; dories were first used by the Bristol vessels engaged in the latter fishery in 1868. The fishermen of the MAINE: WALDOBOKO' DISTRICT. 61 town Lave never engaged in either the Labrador or George's cod fisheries, or ill the bank halibut fisheries ; they have sent no vessels south for mackerel, and have used purse seines only to a limited extent. The fleet at present numbers thirty-three sail, all but nine being under 25 tons. Two fish on Quereau and Western Banks, one visits Cape Sable and the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, while the remaining thirty are interested in shore trawling, herring netting, and mackerel dragging. THE BOAT-FISHERIES. — One hundred and ten men are employed in the boat-fisheries from Bristol, and twenty others are engaged in lobsteriug and clamming for three or four mouths. Several fish-dealers do a large business, buying extensively from the boats and vessels of the region : and parties at South Bristol have a number of vessels engaged in the offshore cod fisheries. If we include the quantity dried for family use, there were riot less than 14,700 quintals of fish cured in the town in 1879. THE MENHADEN INDUSTRY. — During the past fifteen years the menhaden fisheries of Maine have grown to enormous proportions, and Bristol has come to be the center of the fishery for the entire State. This industry has had a decided influence iu reducing the value of the boat-fisheries of the town, which are now far less important than they were ten to twenty years ago. The first oil and guano factory was built here in 1804, and in 1878 the number had increased to eleven factories, valued, with machinery and fixtures, at $750,000. Twenty-nine steamers were engaged in the fishery, and five hundred fishermen with two hundred additional factory hands were employed. According to Mr. Luther Maddocks, secretary of the Maine Oil and Guano Association, these facto- ries produced 1,170,310 gallons of oil and 12,588 tons of crude guano from 431,000 barrels of fish; and in addition sold 8,000 barrels of bait to the fishermen of the coast. Since 1878, owing to the absence of the fish, the factories have not been in operation. OTHER FISHERY INTERESTS. — Bristol has four or five deep-water traps, in which considerable bait is taken for the shore-fishermen; and there are several small weirs in the rivers for the capture of alewives and smelts. The catch is of little importance, the greater part being used locally. Lobsters are abundant in the shore waters, and many are taken at certain seasons, the winter lobster fisheries being quite important. Clams also are quite plenty, and a good many are dug by the fishermen of John's Bay and John's Eiver; but in other localities little attention is paid to them. BOAT AND VESSEL BUILDING. — Capitalists of Bristol have been extensively engaged in ship- building for many years, and since 1853 sixty-three fishing vessels and ten menhaden steamers have been built iu the town. The ship-yards are mostly at South Bristol, and a majority of the business has been done at that village. The town probably ranks second only to Boothbay for the entire State in this particular industry. Several firms are extensively engaged in boat-building, and quite a number of dories and other boats are built yearly for the fishermen of this and adjoining towns. One party has been employed in this work regularly for eighteen years, and has built as high as twenty boats in a single season. MUSCONGUS ISLAND. — Muscongus Island, locally known as Loud's Island, is so closely con- nected with Bristol in its fishing interests as to be properly considered with that town. It is about three miles long by half to three-fourths of a mile wide. It lies a little to the eastward of the town of Bristol and has a population of 142, engaged in farming and fishing. Several small fishing vessels have been owned there from time to time, but at present the largest arc mere boats, all being too small to '-paper". The boat fishermen engage iu lobstering, trawling, and hand-lining during a greater part of the year, selling their catch offish mostly to dealers at Hound Pond and 02 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. New Harbor in the town of Bristol. The principal business connected with the fisheries was, up to 1879, at the menhaden oil and guano factory known as the Loud's Island Oil Works, built on the island in 1873. 32. MONHEGAN ISLAND AND ITS FISHERIES. REVIEW OF MONHEGAN AND ITS FISHERIES FROM ITS EARLIEST SETTLEMENT. — The island of Mouhegan, lying 12 miles southeast of Pemaquid Point, is about 1 mile wide by 2£ miles long. It is historically one of the most interesting localities in the State, and the early voyagers in their descriptions of the country refer to it as bearing an important relation to the early fisheries of America. Being situated at so short a distance from the land, with excellent fishing grounds on every side, it is natural that it should be a favorite resort for the Europeans who came both to ca'ch fish and to exchange trinkets and merchandise with the natives for furs. Capt. John Smith, in his description of New England, gives the following account of an early visit to this island : " In the month of April, 1014, with 2 ships from London, of a few merchants, I chanced to arrive in New England, a part of America, at the Isle of Monahiggan, in forty-three and a half of northerly latitude. Our plot was there to take whales and make trials of a mine of gold and copper. If this failed, fish and furs was then our refuge, to make ourselves savers howsoever. We found this whale- fishing a costly conclusion. We saw many, and spent much time in chasing them ; but could not kill any, they being a kind of jubartes, and not the whale that yields fins and oil, as we expected. For our gold, it was rather the master's device to get a voyage that projected it than any knowledge he had at all of any such matter. Fish and furs was now our guard; and by our late arrival and long lingering about the whale, the prime of both those seasons were past ere we perceived it; we thinking that their seasons served at all times, but we found it otherwise; for, by the midst of June the fishing failed. Yet in July and August some were taken, but not sufficient to defray so great a charge as our stay required. Of dry fish we made about 40,000, of corfish about 7,000. Whilst the sailors fished, myself, with eight or nine others of them might best be spared, ranging the coast in a small boat, we got for trifles near 1,100 beaver skins, 100 martens, and near as many otters; and the most of them within a distance of twenty leagues. We ranged the coast both east and west much further; but eastwards our commodities were not esteemed, they were so near the French who afford them better; and right against us in the main was a ship of Sir Francis Popham's, that had there such acquaintance, having many years used only that port, that the most part there was had by him. And forty leagues westward were two French ships, that had made there a great voyage by trade, during the time we tried those conclusions, not knowing the coast nor salvages' habitation. WTith these furs, the train and corfish, I returned for England in the barque; where, within six months after our departure from the Downs, we arrived safe back. The best of these fish was sold for five pound the hundredth, the rest by ill-usage betwixt three pound and fifty shillings. The other ship stayed here to fit herself for Spain with the dry fish, which was sold, by the sailor's report that returned, at forty rials the quintal, each hundred weighing two quintals and a half."* Mr. Lorenzo Sabine, in his Report on the Principal Fisheries of the American Seas, says: "At the time the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth the island of Mouhegan, in Maine, had become a noted fishing station. In 1G22 no less than thirty-five ships from London and the west counties of England made profitable voyages to our shores. 'Where, in Newfoundland,' says Smith, 'a common fish- erman shared six or seven pounds,' in New England he 'shared fourteen pounds.'" • Col. Mass. Hist. Sue., vol. VI, 3d series, pp. 103, 104. MAINE: WALDOBOEO' DISTRICT. 63 W. D. Williamson, who wrote in 1832, gave the following account of Monhegan : " Mouhegan Island was in ancient times, witbout exception, tbe most famous one on the sea- board of tbis State. It was tbe land aimed at and first mentioned by the original voyagers and fishermen about these waters, and was so noted a stage for the latter as to be sometimes called a plautatiou. To this the New Plymouth settlers resorted early and frequently to exchange furs for provisions. In 1C2G Abraham Shurte was sent over by Elbridge and Aldsworth to purchase the island of the owner, Abraham Jennings, of Plymouth, for which he gave £50. It is situated 9 miles southerly of George's Islands, 5 leagues east-southeast of Towuseud, and 3 leagues westwardly of Metinic. It contains upward of a thousand acres of good land, has a bold shore on all its sides, a large projection of rocks at its northeastward part, and has one good harbor. On its south side is the Menanah Island, of two acres, distant a cable's length, and the harbor is between the two islands, the entrance into it, on the southwest of Monhegan, being safe and easy. "The number of people on the island is between seventy-five and one hundred, who inhabit twelve or fourteen dwelling-houses, and are the owners of the soil, industrious, moral, and well informed. They have a school-house, where their children are educated and religious meetings are attended. Fishing and agriculture are the employments of the men. They own several vessels, and while the more able-bodied arc engaged in the former business at home and in the codfishery on the Grand Banks, the old men and boys cultivate the land, raising good crops, keeping cows, swine, and sheep. "The island, though within the county of Lincoln, belongs to no town. It is a democratic com- munity. It has no officers of any kind, not even a justice of the peace. The people's affairs are goveiued and guided by themselves conformably to certain prudential rules and usages which they have mutually established. They have paid one United States direct tax, otherwise they are stran- gers to taxation, except what they pay toward the support of their school."* THE FISHERIES SINCE 1820 — From a conversation with Mr. Henry T. Studley, cue of the oldest fishermen of the island, Captain Collins gathered the following information relative to the more recent fishing interests of Monhegan : As early as 1820 residents of the island commenced building small vessels for use in the fish- eries. This business continued till 1837, since which time little has been done. The two principal builders were Henry Trefethen and Josiah Sterling, these building eighteen vessels, aggregating about 525 tons. Some of the larger vessels built by these parties were engaged in the Grand Bank cod fisheries, while others went to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence for cod and mackerel. Mr Studley estimates that from 1830 to 1840 eight vessels were engaged regularly in the bank fisheries, and that 9,000 quintals of fish were cured yearly on the island. From this time the bank fisheries declined very rapidly, and were soon wholly discontinued. The method of "dragging" for mackerel, which has been so extensively employed by the fishermen of the island, was first introduced into the locality by Capt. N. E. Atwood, of Prov- iucetown. In the summer of 1845 he, in company with a brother, came to the island with a "gang" of nets and fished from dories, going out from the shore every night when the weather was suitable. In speaking of his work, he says: "We were gone from home four weeks, and made 890 to a share." Other Cape Cod fishermen joined him the following season, and soon the island fishermen provided themselves with nets and took part in the fishery. In 1859 there were seventeen boats, with two men each, engaged in mackerel dragging from the island. In 1SC2 four purse-seines were bought by the residents and fished from small boats. This method has been fairly successful, and three seines are still owned by the Monhcgau fishermen, who use them dur- * Williamson's History of Maine, vol. I, p. 61. 64 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. ing the height of the mackerel season. In 1868 some of the fishermen from other towns in the vicinity engaged in mackerel dragging more extensively, using small vessels and going further from the shore. About the same time a few small vessels were bought for this purpose by the islanders, who found the business a profitable cue. PRESENT CONDITION or THE BOAT-FISHERIES. — With the exception of the early Grand Bank fisheries, boat-fishing has been the chief occupation of the people. Mr. Studley places the height of this business in 1864, when $35,000 /worth of fish were taken by fifty men, the "high- liner" stocking $1,600. Few, if any, lobsters were taken prior to 1876, and now only eight men are engaged in this fishery. The catch is sold largely to the Portland and Boston smacks. There are now about 150 inhabitants on the island. In 1879 forty-two men and eight boys engaged in the boat-fisheries, while several others fished from the two small schooners that com- posed the Monhegau vessel fleet. The quantity of fish cured was 3,460 quintals, the greater part of which were sold in Portland. 33. DAMARISCOTTA AND ADJOINING TOWNS. DAMARISCOTTA. — Damariscotta is situated at the head of navigation ou the Damariscotta River, about 15 miles from its mouth. Originally a part of the Peniaquid patent, it was separated from Bristol and Nobleborough and incorporated in 1847. Its present population is 1,332. The principal village, bearing tho same name, is situated on the river two miles below the head of tide- water. It has long been engaged in ship-building, the work being confined chiefly to vessels of large size, and only five fishing vessels and four menhaden steamers have been built during the past twenty years. The town has never been engaged to any extent in the sea fisheries, and though small parts of several menhaden steamers are owned by the residents, neither steamers nor schooners make their headquarters in Damariscotta, and they may be properly considered as belonging to other localities. The fish dealers get their supply of fresh and salt fish at the mouth of the river in summer, but in winter all of the fresh fish are shipped by rail from Portland and Gloucester. Quite a number of farmers and mechanics visit the fishing grounds once or twice each sea- son, combining pleasure aud profit. They usually catch and salt enough fish to supply their families during the greater part of the year. In addition, some of the inhabitants of the place engage extensively in the winter smelt fisheries of Broad Bay, near Damariscotta Mills, sending their catch to New York aud Boston. DAMAEISCOTTA MILLS. — Damariscotta Mills is a village of 200 inhabitants at the head of tide-water on the Damariscotta River, two miles above the city. It is located on the stream that connects Damariscotta pond with the river. This pond — a sheet of fresh water twelve miles long by one-fourth to one and a half miles wide — has long been a favorite breeding place for the alewives. During their spring migrations great quantities are caught by means of dip-nets, one man frequently dipping 2,000, and occasionally as many as 10,000 fish in an hour. In 1879 it is estimated that about 600,000 fish were taken, the town letting the fishing privilege for $2,000. There is a very extensive smelt fishery in the bay just below the village. Mr. T. J. York informs us that about 25 tons are taken yearly, four-fifths of them being shipped to New York and Boston for a market. Eels are also taken from their winter quarters in the mud by means of spears. The above are the only fisheries of note from the place, as it is too far from the fishing or clam- ming grounds to admit of a profitable business. Occasionally some of the farmers aud mechanics MAINE: WALDOBORO' DISTRICT. 05 of the vicinity, in common with those of Damnriscotta and New Castle, go down the river on a fishing trip during the summer, but the catch is unimportant. NOBLEBORO'. — Nobleboro' is an agricultural section lying to the north of Damariscotta. It has a small interest in the smelt and alewive fisheries in common with the people of Damariscotta Mills. Aside from this it has no fishery interests, for the town, which is devoted almost exclusively to agricultural pursuits, is 20 miles from the sea, with only fresh water within its boundaries. It is not uncommon for some of the residents to visit the fishing grounds at intervals during the summer months to catch a supply of cod and hake for their own tables. H.— THE WISCASSET DISTRICT. 34. GENERAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES OF THE DISTRICT. ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE FISHERIES. — The Wiscasset customs district, extending from Damariscotta 'River to Georgetown, was settled as early as 1C30 by families who came to the region to engage in the fisheries. The first residents located in the vicinity of Booth Bay. We know little of the fishing interests of the district prior to 1800, but at this time a fleet of small vessels was seat to the Bay of Fuudy and to Cape Sable for cod, while vessels of similar size were engaged in the shore fisheries along the coast of Maine. By 1817 large schooners were built to engage iu the Labrador fisheries. Between 1840 and 1845 ten to twelve sail of vessels were sent annually to Labrador, and the fishery was continued to a comparatively recent date, though it is now entirely abandoned. Considerable attention has been paid to the capture of mackerel from the beginning of the century, and by 1825 jigs were introduced.' In 1837 several vessels were sent to the Bay of Chaleur for mackerel, this locality having since been visited regularly by a large fleet. The first purse seine used by the fishermen of Maine for the capture of mackerel was brought to Dauiariscove in 18GO, and in 1801 it was taken to Southport, where it was used by the boat- fishermen for one or two seasons, after which it was manipulated by the crew of a small schooner. No vessels were interested in the Southern mackerel fishery off the coasts of Virginia and New Jersey prior to 1867. THE HERRING AND MENHADEN FISHERIES.— The herring fishery in the vicinity of South port was formerly quite important, and a number of small craft from different localities came to the region to secure cargoes. A large part of the catch was smoked and many of the fishermen owned small smoke-houses for preparing their fish. By 1830 vessels were sent to the Magdalen Islands to catch or purchase herring which were to be smoked for the West India trade. This business continued to be important up to 1855, and cargoes have been landed from time to time since that date. Six menhaden oil'and guano factories are located in the town of Booth Bay. The first was built in 18GG, and the fishery was prosecuted witli much vigor up to the spring of 1879, Booth Bay having, next to Bristol, the most extensive menhaden fisheries in the State. SHIP-BUILDING. — Nearly all of the towns of the district have been more or less interested in ship building, and not less than three hundred fishing vessels have been launched during the last fifty years. The ship-builders of East Booth Bay at the mouth of the Damariscotta River have built 5 G R F G6 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. fully half of the entire number, while those of Booth Bay proper, Xorth Booth Bay, and Westport, have been extensively engaged in the work. PRESENT CONDITION OP THE BOAT AND VESSEL FISHERIES. — The fishing fleet at present numbers sixty-three sail, sixty of them being actively employed. Nearly half of the fleet arc engaged iu the shore fisheries, the remainder being employed in the offshore fisheries for cod and mackerel. There are in the district one hundred and forty-six boat-fishermeu. These spend a greater part of their time in the capture of "ground-fish," though some of them arc extensively interested in the lobster fishery, which is fairly important. STATISTICAL RECAPITULATION FOR 1880. — The following table gives a detailed statement of the fishing interests of the district : Summary statement of pertons employed and capital invested. Persons employed. Number. Capital invested. Amount. Xmnlu r of vessel-fishermen Number of boat -fishermen Number of curers, packers, litters, &c. Number of factory-hands Total .. 561 Capital in vessels and boats 146 Capital in nets and traps >7 Other fixed and circulating capital 27 !i Total ... $227, 020 23, 58C .7159,237 621 410, 4)3 a Other f.xcd end circulating capital. — Cas,h capital, $28,000; wharves, sborehouses, and fixtures, $39,100; factory buildings and apparatus, $92.137 (of this amount $88, 367 is for menhaden oil and guano factories not used sinoe 1878): total, $159,237. Detailed stalemtnt of eajtital invested in retails, lioats, nets, and traps. Vessels and boats. No. Tonnage. Value. Value of gear, exclu sivoofhoats and nets. Value of Total outfit. value. Nets and traps. No. Value. Vessels. In food-fish fishery : Active GO 2, 461. 87 $87, 275 $15, 795 $07, 385 $200, 455 Neis. 0 ill-nets: In vessel fisheries ... 51 $815- Idle 2 152. 98 4,900 4 900 In hoat fisheries 125 1,500- j 35 95 2 500 2 500 rurse-seines: In vessel fisheiiea 30 1G 500- Total 03 2, 050. SO 94, C75 15 795 97, 385 207, 855 l}oats. In boat fibhciies - 25O In vessel fisheiies 422 11,750 11,750 Total 208 19,005- 128 5 855 1 400 700 8 015 Traps. — = °0 100 Total 550 17, COS 1,40.1 700 19, 705 Total 5 915 4 521 Detailed statement of the quantities and values of tlic products. Products specified. Pounds. fresh. Pounds, prepared. Bulk. Value as sold. Grand total 17,111,600 $201, 685. Freeh fish. 198 COO 2,640- 59° 000 '' 900 barrels 2 220 100 COO 500 barrels 250 Total 890, OCO 5,110- Dry fish. Cod 7 402 325 2,571,832 so, sea 1 731 510 718, 256 9, 020 337 995 120 176 2,414 285 070 110,096 l.OGO Ctask 310, C60 130, 410 .'1, 34!) Total ... 10,133,580 3, 056, 570 97, 712 MAINE: WISCASSET DISTRICT. Detailed statement of the quantities and ruluis of the products — Continued. 67 Products specified. Pounds, Pounds, fresh. prepared. Bulk. Vjtaja. Pickled fish. 4 9C9 500 3 313 000 Herring : OQ 000 IQ 000 3 000 *' 000 * Total 4 09'» 500 3 331 000 Smoked fish. Herring: 18 824 13 COO 1 GOO boxes 320 Canned fish. 200 000 Lobsters. Fresh 4-J8 800 }r> 7°3 367 342 68 988 cans 8 S9G Total 790 142 °4 G10 Clams, 9 500 71 120 Total 80 WQ 2 873 Hiscellaneous. Fish-oil 16, 324 gallons G, 530 9 6'}0 8 G58 3 000 Total .... IS 188 35. NEW CASTLE AND EDGECOMB. NEW CASTLE. — Newcastle is practically a part of Damariscotta, though it is on the opposite side of the river and has a separate municipal government. The residents of the village, like those of Damariscotta, engage to a greater or less extent in the smelt and eel fisheries of Damariscotta Mills during the winter months. Two or three " hedges" have been placed in the river for the capture of alewives on their way to the spawning grounds, but these are fished to a limited extent only, and the catch is very small. The supply of fish is obtained largely from the towns at the mouth of the river in summer, and from Portland, Boston, and Gloucester in winter. EDGECOMB. — The town of Edgecomb, lying just north of Booth Bay, extends from the Shcep- scott River on the west to the Damariscotta on the east. It has a population of 1,050, the majority being engaged in agriculture. Two small fishing boats are owned in the town. These visit the fishing grounds occasionally during the summer months and return with small fares of cod, hake, and mackerel, which arc peddled among the residents of the region, since there are neither fish markets nor curing-stands in the town. A few of the inhabitants of the lower part of the town lobster and clam'to a limited extent, and a number of small weirs have been built along the banks of both rivers for the capture of smelt and alewives, but the catch is so small that it may be wholly neglected. 3G. BOOTH BAY AND ITS FISHERIES. EAST BOOTH BAY.— East Booth Bay, locally known as Hodgdou's Mills, is a little village in the eastern part of the town of Booth Bay, at the mouth of the Damariscotta River. It has a fleet of nine vessels. Eight of these are engaged in the shore and Bay of Fundy fisheries and one visits 68 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. the Western Banks in early summer and fishes for mackerel later in the season. Twenty-five residents of the village and adjoining shores are engaged in the boat-fisheries. The principal part of their catch consists of cod, hake, mackerel, and lobsters. The quantity of fish cured annually at East Booth Bay varies greatly. At the present time it is about 3,500 quintals. Most of the menhaden factories are situated in this part of the town. The village has long been noted for the number and quality of the fishing vessels launched from its ship-yards, and they are now found in all the principal fishing towns from Cape Cod to Eastport. Over one hundred and fifty sail have been built within the past fifty years, some of them being among the staunchest and swiftest on the coast. The subject is treated more fully under the Booth- Bay fisheries. BOOTH BAY AND ITS EARLY FISHERIES. — The town of Booth Bay occupies the southern portion of tin' peninsula formed by the Shcepscott and Daniariscotta Rivers. It was first settled about 1030, and was known as Cape Newageu for many years. Later the name was changed to Towns- bend, and in 1842 it was again changed to Booth Bay, the first name being reserved for the extreme southern point of the island of Southport and the second for the principal harbor of the town. It was incorporated in 17CJ, and at the present time includes the post-office districts of Booth Bay, North Booth Bay, and East Booth Bay, with a total of 3,200 inhabitants. The location is an excellent one for the prosecution of the sea-fisheries, and fishing has been the principal occupation of a large number of the inhabitants from the time of the earliest settle- ment. We find no records dating back of the present century, but in 1800 the fleet was composed almost exclusively of small craft fishing along the shore or visiting the grounds in the vicinity of Cape Sable. The fleet continued to increase slowly, reaching its maximum shortly after the close of the rebellion. The Labrador fisheries were prosecuted from this region as early as 1817, when the schooner Ruby was sent out from North Booth Bay. This fishery continued to be follow.ed quite regularly by a few vessels from this and other ports of the town for some time. It reached its height about 1844, when the fleet numbered eight or ten sail. Six years later it was entirely discontinued. The smallest craft that ventured to these distant grounds was the schooner Frederick, of 45 tons, car- penter's measurement, belonging at East Booth Bay. The fishermen of the town have been largely interested in the mackerel fisheries for upward of seventy-five years. Jigs were introduced from the westward by 1825. The first bait-mill was bought before 1830. Seines were first used about 1865; and the first vessels were sent South to engage in the spring mackerel fisheries in 1867. During the early days the mackerel were sent to Boston, Gloucester, and Portland for inspection ; later they were landed at Southport; and it was not until 1864 that Booth Bay firms became interested in packing and inspecting their own catch. Since that time the business has been quite important. Trawls were first introduced in 1858, when the schooner Albatross fitted out with them for a trip to the banks. In 1860 dories were first used for hand-lining on the Western and Grand Banks. The Grand Bank fisheries have never been extensively prosecuted. PRESENT CONDITION OF THE FISHERIES. — At present the town owns forty-three vessels of over 5 tons burden. These are distributed in the different fisheries as follows: Mackerel seining, eight; seining and trawling, six; Western Banks and Quereau cod fisheries, six; Grand Banks cod fish- eries, one; and shore fisheries, twenty-two. A number of the vessels are partly owned by Portland capital, and a few land their catch in that city, while others sell at Boston and Gloucester. The boat-fishermen, of which there are ninety-seven, fish during the summer for cod, hake, and lobsters, MAINE: WISCASSET DISTRICT. 69 some going to the outer headlands or islands to camp during the height of the season. The quan- tity of fish annually cured in the town is about 17,000 quintals. Lobstering and clamming are not much followed by the fishermen, as neither species seem to be as plenty as in the districts ou either side. A lobster cannery was built here by Portland parties in 1S76, and by sending its smacks as far as Pemaquid Point on one side and to Small Point on the other a fair supply is obtained. A good many mackerel are put up at the canuery during the season. THE MENHADEN INDUSTRY. — Between 1807 and 1878, the principal fishing interests of the town centered in the menhaden oil and guano factories located at East Booth Bay. In this fishery the town ranked second in importance in the State. Four of the factories were built in 1866 and a fifth the following year. About the same time another was transferred to the town from South- port, where it had been in operation but a short time. These six factories had a total value in 1878 of $146,612. At this time, the firms owned and equipped seventeen steamers at a cost of $216,800, and captured 170,380 barrels offish. They employed two hundred and twenty-one fish- ermen and eighty-six factory hands, and made 475,247 gallons of oil and 4,948 tons of fish guano. INDUSTRIES DEPENDENT ON THE FISHERIES. — The principal business depending upon the fisheries for its support is ship-building, and in the number of fishing vessels launched from the yards Booth Bay ranks first in the State, the little village of East Booth Bay alone having built over one hundred and fifty sail within the last fifty years, while those built in other parts of the town would swell the aggregate to about one hundred and seventy-five, most of them being of large size. Quite a number of schooners, ships, and brigs have been built during the same period. One firm now does a small business in boat- building. The entire commercial interests of the town are largely dependent upon the fisheries, and most of a vessel's needs, in the "way of repairs, gear, or provisions, can be supplied. There are four sail-lofts and two marine railways, with a considerable number of mechanics who are busy in keeping the schooners in repair. In 1870 store-houses were built to supply the fishing-fleet with ice for the preservation of bait and market-fish. In 1874 the Cumberland Bone Company built extensive works in the lower part of the town for the manufacture of fertilizers, and in 1878 they used 1,500 tons of "green" fish-chum, valued at $15,000, in the preparation of their products. A company for the manufacture of sea-weed fertilizers, known as the Alga? Fertilizer Com- pany, was formed in 1869; the work was continued for about three years, when the small demand for the products forbade further operations. NORTH BOOTH BAY. — North Booth Bay, including Sawyer's, Barter's, and Hodgdon's Islands is an agricultural section extending along the east side of the Sheepscott River. There is no vil- lage of note, the population being considerably scattered. Formerly quite an extensive fishing business was carried on by people living along or near the shore, and vessels were sent to Labra- dor for cod, and to Magdalen Islands for herring, beginning with 1831, only a few years after the origin of these fisheries. It has now a fleet of seven vessels engaged in the fisheries: three of these divide their time between trawling and seining; one goes only to Western Banks and Quereau, and three fish along the shore. Fifteen men are employed in boat-fishing during a greater part of the summer, and in lobsteriug and clamming in the spring and fall. The majority of the vessels are fitted and owned by two firms that cure annually about 4,200 quintals of codfish, which are sold largely in Boston and Portland. 70 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. 37. 8OUTHPOKT AND ITS FISHERIES. SOUTHPORT. — Southport, a high rocky island about G miles loop; by 3 miles wide, lying to tlie south of Booth Bay, is separated from the mainland by a deep but narrow channel. It formed a part of Booth Bay until 1842, when it was incorporated under the name of Townsend; in 1850 it received the name of South pori, which it has since retained. The island has a population of 084, all being largely dependent upon the fisheries for a livelihood. Its fishing interests have been extensive for many years, and its vessels have met with more than average success, bringing considerable money to the inhabitants, who arc at the present time in a better financial condition than those of the average fishing community. The fisheries of this island, like those of Booth Bay, originated with the earliest settlers, when boats and small vessels fished only in the immediate vicinity. The residents engaged to a limited extent in the Labrador cod fisheries, sending their last vessel as late as 1850. Vessels from this place visited the banks near Cape Sable and Sable Island before 1825, and they have continued to resort to these grounds ever since. Mackcrcling came into prominence about this time, and in 1827 the first bait-mill was brought here from Gloucester by the schooner Echo. The first vessel sent from Southport to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence was the schooner Olinda, in 1837. Mackerel were inspected here as early as 1£55. In 1801 a purse-seine was pur- chased by resident fishermen from parties living at Damariscovc ; it was used for several years by boat-fishermen, who rowed out from the shore after the fish had been discovered. In 1808 vessels from the island engaged for the first time in the spring mackerel-fisheries ofl' the shores of Virginia and New Jersey. The schooner American Eagle was the first to supply herself with dories for bank-fishing in 1858, and in 1800 trawls were introduced by the schooner Island Queen. Southport has occasionally sent vessels to engage in the winter fisheries of George's Banks; two schooners went to this locality in 1859; one in 1802; and two, several years later; but the hardships and dangers encountered soon caused the fishermen to abandon the business. The smoking of herring for family use dates back beyond the present century, and in 1800 quite a quantity of herring were smoked annually by the inhabitants of the island. Each fisher- man had a little smoke-house on the shore, and took large quantities of " Sperling" (young her- ring) from the waters of Ebeuecook Harbor, which has long been a favorite resort of the species. A little later twenty-five sail of vessels frequented this locality from different fishing towns along the shore, and either smoked their catch on the island or carried it elsewhere for that purpose. The business has not yet entirely died out, and in 1879 four fishermen smoked 1,000 boxes for the Boston market. The fishing fleet from the island now numbers thirteen sail, distributed as follows: Eight in the bank fisheries, four seining and trawling during different parts of the same season, and one employed in seining. In addition to these, half a dozen small craft just under 5 tons engage in the shore fisheries. The boat-fishermen, numbering twenty-seven men, reside mostly at Cape New- agen, near the southern extremity of the island. They usually fish during the summer months, after which they turn their attention to lobsteriug and clamming. The quantity of fish cured on the island is annually decreasing, and is now about 10,300 quintals. 38. WISCASSET AND WESTPOUT. WISCASSET. — The town of Wiscasset, on the west bank of the Sheepscott River, near the head of navigation, was first settled in 1003 under the name of Pownalboro. The present name was adopted in 1802. In 1840 it, had a population of 2,314, which in 1870 was reduced to 1,978. The business of the place is chiefly dependent on the large lumber interests. MAINE: WISCASSET DISTRICT. 71 According to Mr. W. P. Leuix-x, Wise-asset was formerly extensively engaged in the fisheries, and being the only port in the district all of (lie vessels of the region \vere obliged to go there to paper. The business began about 1822, and increased so rapidly that in 1832 $3,000 was paid in bounties to the fishermen belonging to the Wiscasset district. The fishery was at its height between 1858 and 18CO, when thirty to Ihirty-five sail of " bankers" and an equal number of shore-vessels fitted at Wiscasset. Many of them were owned wholly or in part in the town, and the rest belonged to the towns of Woolwich, Southport, Westport, and Booth Bay, where the i ulk of the catch was landed to be cured for market. The vessels usually made short trips in the early spring to Gape Sable, after which they went to "the Cape shore" for cod, returning in time to engage in the mackerel fisheries of the Xew England coast in the late summer and fall. The method of trawling was introduced into the region about 1845, and from the first was remarkably successful among the "bankers," the vessels securing full cargoes of larger and better fish in about two-thirds of the time required with hand lines. Very little bait was carried by the Wiscasset vessels, the greater part of them using herring that were taken in gill-nets from day to day while the vessel lay at auchor on the fishing grounds The vessels were "fitted at the halves," and the crews were gathered from the surrounding country. From 18CO the fishing interests of the town gradually declined, and by 1873 Wiscasset had entirely lost the trade in this line, the vessels for the most part fitting in Booth Bay and Port- land. At the present time Wiscasset has only one vessel, a schooner of 53.59 tons, engaged in the fish- eries. This vessel carries twelve men, and lands her catch wholly at Gloucester and Portland, seldom returning home during the fishing season. There are no boat-fisheries of note, and, aside from the vessel mentioned, the only fishing consists in the capture of a few fish and lobsters for the Wiscasset market by fishermen belonging at Edgecomb and other towns nearer the fishing grounds. A small part of the business of the town is indirectly dependent on the fisheries. One of the largest saw-mills is extensively engaged in the manufacture of fish-box shooks, shipping annually to Gloucester and Provincetowu from 22,000 to 25,000 in number, valued at $10,000. The mill employs about fifty men and boys, and is engaged chiefly in the manufacture of sugar-box shooks and hogshead heads for the West India trade; and it is only the refuse lumber, that cannot be used for this purpose, that is worked up for fish-boxes. The shooks are shipped by vessel, fully nine-tenths of the entire quantity going to Gloucester. About one-fourth of the business of the mill is dependent upon this trade. WESTPORT. — Westport is a narrow island forming the western bank of Sheepscott Bay. It lies just south of Wiscasset, extending to the lower part of Georgetown, a distance of 10 or 11 miles. It was formerly a part of Edgecomb, but was set off and incorporated in 1828. In 1870 it had a population of 099. Many dilapidated buildings along the shores of the island mark the location of defunct curing-stands, where formerly an extensive business was done, showing that Westport must have taken a prominent place among the fishing towns of the State. Ship-building was carried on to some extent, and two or three yards furnished a good many vessels to this and adjoining towns. Westport vessels joined the Booth Bay fleet in the Labrador fisheries in 1819, and three or four schooners were sent yearly until 1850. Vessels were sent from Westport to the Magdalen Islands for herring at an early date, the schooner Banner visiting the locality before 1830. By 1840 six sail of large vessels went regularly to these islands in the early spring, bringing their catch home in bulk, where the fish were smoked and boxed for the Boston market. Several parties engaged extensively in the business, and large smoke-houses were built in different parts of the town. 72 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. Mackerel jigging was introduced about 1820, and tbe method is still in use. Attempts were made to introduce purse-seines into tbe fisheries of the island in 1872, and again in 1875, but the experiments resulted in considerable loss to the parties interested, and the method was finally abandoned. Captain McCarty was the first to supply himself with dories in the bank fisheries, in 1872, but they have never come into general use. The present fleet consists of seven vessels, three visiting the banks with hand-lines during a part of the year, and joining the other four in the shore fisheries during the balance of the season, which with some of them lasts through a greater part of the winter. The boat-fishermen, numbering twenty-eight, generally camp on the outer islands during the height of the fishing season in summer, returning to their homes occasionally for a supply of provisions. These follow fishing during a few months only, spending the rest of their time in farming. There are at present three curing-stands on the island, only one of them doing any extensive business. The amount of fish handled varies considerably from year to year. In 1878, according to Mr. B. F. Jewett, the quantity, including those cured by the boat-fishermen, was about 3,400 quintals. In 1879 not over 2,500 quintals were handled, as a considerable portion of the catch was landed in other places. I— THE BATH DISTRICT. 39. GENERAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES OF THE DISTRICT. The Bath customs district, including the coast-line between Westport and Harpswell, contains some of the oldest settlements on the coast of Maine. It includes the Keunebec River, which was the favorite resort for the Europeans who came in early times to trade with the natives. European fishermen came to the locality during the first quarter of the seventeenth century, and the region has never since been wholly deserted. Between 1800 and 1870 the fisheries were extensively pros ecuted from a number of the more important settlements. Since that time they have been less important, and, if we neglect the residents of Georgetown, few persons are at present extensively interested in them. Bath had formerly a large trade with the fishing-vessels of the vicinity, and at present has anchor and cordage factories which supply a considerable percentage of the local fleet, besides shipping large quantities of their goods to other localities. It has also extensive ship-building interests, and many of the best fishing-schooners of New England have been built here. STATISTICAL RECAPITULATION FOK 18SO. — The following statements show in detail the present condition of the fishing interests of the district: Summary statement of persons employed and capital invested. Persons employed. Number. Capital invested. Amount. 73 $30 515- 191 7 0"C 30 o"5 600 Total ... 294 Total .. 09. 171 a Other fixed and circulating capital.— Cash capital, $13,200 ; wharves, shorcliouses, and fixtures, $12,400 ; total, $23,600. MAINE: BATH DISTRICT. 73 Detailed statement of capital wrested in rcssels, loots, nets and traps. Vessels ami boats. No. Tonnage. Value. Value of gear, exciu- siveof boats and nets. Value of outfit. Total value. Nets and traps. No. Value. Vessels. In food-fish fishery : 1C 233. 45 $10, 850 $4,550 $9, 300 $24 700 Nets. Gill-nets: 20 $300 Total 1C 253. 45 10, 850 4.550 9,300 21, 700 In boat fisheries 150 1,800 Hoats. Total 170 2, 100 In vessel fisheries 48 960 900 Traps. In shore fishei ies 140 8,225 1,800 800 10,885 Fykes 10 ro Total 188 9,185 1 860 800 11 845 3 835 2 876 Total 3,848 4,926 Detailed statement of tlie quantities and valtxs of the products. Products specified. Pounds fresh. Pounds prepared. Bulk. ' Value as BOld. 6 233 G15 Fresh fish. 522 tOO 0 967 785 000 2 944 240 000 1 547 500 Dry fish. Cod 2 134 275 735 504 22 985 Hake 967 680 40] 408 r} jyg 506 590 180 096 Pollock 380 480 146 944 Cusk 122 200 <;•> C4Q Total 4 111 155 1 516 592 35 895 Pickled fish. 227 400 151 600 4 358 Herring: 4° 500 34 000 6 000 4 000 Total 275 900 189 600 4 9C8 Lobsters. Fresh 213 400 7 825 Clams. For food 76 000 7 600 bushels o g(jQ- For bait 9 660 345 Total . . .. 85 660 Miscellaneous. Fish-oil •> 70ft Sou iids 5 376 4 838 Marine products used for fertilizers o 500 Tola! 10 046- 40. GEORGETOWN AND ITS FISHERIES. Georgetown is an island forming the eastern boundary of the Kennebec, a few miles south of Bath. It is said to have been first settled by John Parker in 1629. The town formerly included a number of islands in the mouth of the. Kenuebec and the present towns of Woolwich, Bathr 74 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. Arrowsic, and Phipsburg. It now includes only the island, originally known as Eraskohegaii, and later as Parker's Island, about nine miles long by an average of two miles wide. The locality was visited by John Smith as early as 1G14, and from his writings we learn that French fishermen visited it at an earlier date. The first permanent settlers were engaged in the fisheries, which, from that date to the present time, have been continued without interruption. Though little has been written of the extent of its early fisheries, it is said that as early as 1704 a Mr. Riggs was engaged in fitting vessels and in curing the fish landed by them. His business continued to increase, and by 1812, according to the estimates of his son, Moses Riggs, about twenty-five "bankers" and an equal number of shore vessels fitted and cured their fish at his place. Others soon engaged in the trade, and in 1843, according to the same authority, between 25,000 and 30,000 quintals of fish were cured at Riggs Cove alone. Up to this time few fish had been cured cu other parts of the island, it being the custom for the catch to be handled by the professional ciirers, who either charged one-sixteenth of the market value of the fish or reserved one quintal of fish out of every sixteen for their services. Gradually, however, the fishermen began to build small curing-stands of their own, and they usually kenched the fish that were landed from time to time until the close of the season, when they could give their attention to "making" them, or, as was not unfrequently the case, their wives and children cured the first cargo while they were out after another trip. Both the shore and bank fisheries increased in importance until 1SC8, when, according to Mr. W. K. Riggs, one of the largest dealers, Georgetown handled annually nearly $250,000 worth of fishery products, the greater part of AvLich were landed by the fishermen of Georgetown and the adjacent towns of Westport, Woolwich, and Phipsburg. The fleet has since been gradually reduced, until there are now but six fishing vessels, aggre- gating 91.05 tons, owned on the island. These arc valued at $5,GOO, and carry a total of thirty men. In 1879 there were six curing-stands, each doing a small business, the total quantity of fish cured being about 5,500 quintals, of which more than one-third were hake. The boat fisheries of Georgetown are quite varied. The fishermen of the western part of the island are chiefly engaged in the river fisheries for alewives, shad, salmon, and other species, though a few go to the outer islands to fish for cod, haddock, and hake. The residents of the eastern and southern sides of the island are more largely dependent upon the fisheries, and, while they work on land during a portion of the year, a greater part of their revenue comes from the water. About the 1st of April the trawling season begins, continuing till September, when a small school of herring reach the shore. These remain for several weeks, and the fishermen engage in their capture as long as they find it profitable, after which most of them fish for lobsters. Some continue in the lobster fisheries till the following spring, while others "haul out" at the approach of stormy winter weather, and devote their attention to clamming till the spring trawling season arrives. In 1879 there were thirty boats, with fifty-two men, engaged in the shore fisheries, the average stock to a man being about $125 to $150. This is said to have been from $50 to $75 below the average for other years. Ship-building was formerly an important business in the town. The fishermen began giving their attention to this work during the winter months as early as 1835. From that date they have built a greater part of their own vessels, in addition to a number that have been sold elsewhere. Nine different firms have been engaged in this business to a greater or less extent since 1835, and from that time to 1878 thirty-eight fishing vessels have been built, in addition to a considerable number of larger crafts for the coasting and foreign trade. MAINE: BATH DISTRICT. 75 41. BATII AND OTHER LESS IMPORTANT TOWNS. WOOLWICH. — Woolwich is a settlement of two or three hundred inhabitants, on the west bank of the Kenncbec, nearly opposite the city of Bath. It is surrounded by au agricultural dis- trict, on which it is largely dependent for its trade. About thirty or forty years ago a few fishing schooners were built at the village for the resident fishermen, as well as for those of Wiscasset, Westport, and Georgetown ; but though ship building is still carried on to a limited extent, it is now confined wholly to vessels of larger size. As early as 1825 Woolwich became interested in the bank fisheries, and about 1855 there were not less thaii twelve sail of "bankers" belonging to the town. At this time two large curing- stands were located at the village, both of which handled considerable quantities of fish. Later the fishing interests gradually declined, and by 18C5 not a "banker" remained. For the past fifteen years the people of the town have wholly neglected the sea fisheries, though they still engage in those of the river, catching considerable quantities of shad, alewives, smelt, and other species. BATH; AN ACCOUNT OF ITS COMMERCIAL INTERESTS. — The city of Bath is situated on the west bank of the Kcunebec River, fifteen miles above its mouth. The region was first explored in 1004. It was a part of Georgetown up to 1781, when it was set off and incorporated under its present name. In 1840 it had a population of 5,143, which in 1870 was increased to 7,371. It has long been noted for its extensive ship-building interests, being at one time more largely engaged in this industry than any other city on the continent. The banks of the river in the vicinity of the city are lined with large ship-yards ; but the recent depression in this business has had its effect upon them,- and at the present time they present au appearance of lifeless inactivity. THE FISHERIES AND THE TRADE WITH FISHING VESSELS.— As a fishing town Bath has never taken an important rank, though, like Wiscasset, it has served as a market where the vessels from the lower islands could secure their outfit. The merchants of the city have been interested in the fisheries to the extent of owning parts of many different vessels in order that they might more effectually control their trade; but even when the fleet was owned in this way the catch was usually lauded at the lower fishing towns, and at no time has Bath served as a market for any considerable quantity of fish. The trade with the fishing fleet began before 1840, and in 1850 fifty to sixty sail from the lower towns came to the city for provisions, gear, salt, and other necessary outfit. The height of the business was between I860 and 1SG4, when upwards of seventy vessels fitted at Bath. At that time several cargoes of salt were imported annually for this trade. The repeal of the " bounty law " is said to have virtually put an end to the business, aud at the present time few vessels resort to this place for their fittings, and the business is almost wholly discon- tinued. The local fleet has been greatly reduced, and there are now but two fishing vessels, aggre- gating 23 tons, owned in the town, and these do not fish with any regularity. INDUSTBIES DEPENDENT ON THE FISHERIES. — The people have been indirectly dependent upon the fisheries in other ways. Several of the ship-builders have been engaged, to a limited extent, in building fishing vessels, two of the firms, Thomas M. Hogan, and Deeriug & Donuell, having built twenty-four vessels each since 1S6G, when this particular branch of ship-building began. In 1843 a cordage factory was built at Bath by Mr. Donnell, of Newburyport, Mass., who had been in business at the latter place since 1804. He soon developed a trade with the Maine fishing fleet, selling au average of $2,000 worth of cordage yearly up to 1870. At this time an agency was established at Gloucester, Mass., and by 1873 the business had increased to $10,000 76 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. annually. Later a further increase was noticeable, and from 1874 to tbe present time the trade with fishing vessels alone has averaged $1G,000. In 1840 an anchor foundry was built at Bath. This from the first depended largely on its trade with fishing vessels. In 1850 its sales to this class of vessels had increased to about *5,000 yearly. The anchors averaged 100 to 150 pounds each, the largest made here up to that time being 211 pounds. This was considered too large for use by the fishing fleet, and it was held for over a year before a purchaser could be found. About 1850 the demand for larger anchors be- gan, and by 18G4 those of 700 pounds weight were sometimes made. During the height of the business anchors were shipped extensively to the principal fishing ports of Massachusetts, the sales amounting to $20,000 annually. Little is done in this line at present, and the firm has turned its attention to the trade with the coasting fleet. PHIPSBUEG. — The town of Phipsburg occupies the western bank of Kenuebec River between Bath and the ocean. It is an agricultural region with few commercial interests, and has no vil- lages of importance. Several small fishing vessels are owned in the town, these being employed in the shore fisheries, the captains selling their catch to the Georgetown dealers or "running if fresh to Bath and Portland. A number of weirs arc built for the capture of salmon, alewives, and other river species, and a few parties fish for lobsters and cod along the outer shore during the summer months. Aside from this, the fishing interests of the town are at present quite limited, though in former years they were of considerable importance. J.— THE DISTRICT OF PORTLAND AND FALMOUTH. 42. GENERAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES OF THE DISTRICT. RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF THE FISHERIES OF DIFFERENT LOCALITIES. — The Portland and Falmouth district includes the coast-line between Cape Small Point and Cape Elizabeth, which mark the limits of Casco Bay. This region, like many other portions of the State, was early visited by people interested in the fisheries. For many years fishing was the principal occupation, and the fishermen were distributed along many portions of the coast and on the principal islands, so that all sections were equally interested. Since 1840 the fisheries of the central portion of the dis- trict have decreased greatly in importance, while those of Portland have increased enormously, and this city now practically controls the fishing interests, not only of the district, but also of the greater portion of Western Maine. The people of Harpswell still continue to engage in the shore fisheries to a considerable extent, and the fisheries of that town are to-day nearly as important as at any time since its first settlement. STATISTICAL RECAPITULATION FOR 1880.— The following statement shows, in detail, the extent of the fisheries of the district : Summary statement of persons employed and capital invested. Persons employed. Number. Capital invested. 776 570 234 Number of factory-hands 71 Total ... 1.631 Amount. $343, 92(h 45, 421 a ICO, COC 755,951 a Other fixed and circulating capital.— Cash capital, $86,800; wharves, «t ore-houses, :>nd fixture*, $^'.'4,600; factory buildings and appai-.itus, $55,000 ; total, $366,600. Of the $55,000 for factory buildings and apparal us $1 ,£00 is for menhaden all and guano factories not in nso since 1878- MAINE: DISTRICT OF PORTLAND AND FALMOUTH. 77 Detailed statement of capital invested in vessels, boats, nets, and traps. Teasels and boats. No. Tonnage. Value. Value of ffear, exclu- sive of boats and nets. Value of outfit. Total Value. 1 Nets and traps. No. Value. Vessel*. In food-fish fisbciy : 91 3 259. 18 $134 050 $°3 3°5 $117 745 , $°77 7''0 Nets. Gill nets: Idle j 32.24 500 500 In boatCflslierieleS 3 203.63 10,500 10 500 10 227. 82 6,975 , SCO 1 COO 8 875 40 • Total 914 34, -ICt) Total 106 3. 793. 03 155, 025 25, fi25 110,495 300, 745 Traps. Jloats. Fykes 700 518. 14 895 14 395 ' us oro nsueiies Total 9,715 1I>,HGI Total 1 007 36 135 5 050 2 000 43, 185 Detailed statement of the quantities and rallies of the products. Products specified. Pounds, fresh. Pounds, prepared. Bulk. Valuo as sold. Grand total 42, 230, 420 $C49, 153 Fresh fish. . . For food .• 6 896 000 For bait 1 040 000 For fertilizer 80 000 Total 8 016 000 00 047 Dry fish. Cod 14 495 000 4 093 200 Hake 4 036 500 j (J74 400 Haddock . ... ] 291 500 459 200 Pollock 913 £00 352 800 disk 689 000 °96 800 Total 21 4°5 500 7 778 400 Picldr4Jish. Mackerel 6 884 400 4 588 600 J3I 951 Herring: Ordinary 600, 000 480 000 Miscellaneous 1, 260, 000 720 000 Total 8, 744 400 5 789 600 28 948 b-xrreN Smoked fish. Herring : Bloaters 400 000 233 333 Haddock (Finnan baddies) 2, 400, 000 1 200 000 Total 2,800 000 1 433 333 Canned fish. Mackerel 75 000 ......... Lobsters. Fresh . 241,000 8 830 Canned 305, 000 59 400 cans 7 7(J3 Total 546, 000 10, 599 Clams. For food 56 500 For bait 517 090 Canned 50 000 Total 623 520 °7 150 78 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. Detailed utatcment of the quantities and ralttci of the i»'oducts — Continued. Products specified. Pounds, fresh. Pounds, prepared. Bulk. Value as sold. Fish-oil Miscellaneous. 34, 725 gallons $13 890 22 425 '0 183 3 OCO Enhancement in value of southern oysters, iu transporting and 37 000 Total 74 573 43. HARPSWELL AND ITS FISHERIES. The towu of Harpswell consists of three loug aud rocky peninsulas, separated from each other by deep but narrow channels. It also includes a number of islands, some of which are quite small, while others are of considerable importance. It is situated about 15 miles from Portland, near Cape Small Point, which marks the eastern limit of Casco Bay. The region was first settled iu 1720, when it was known as Merryconeag. The town was incorporated in 1758, and in 1840 had a population of 1,440, which had increased to 1,749 in 1870. The inhabitants are principally occu- pied in farming or fishing. Those on the upper part of the peninsulas devote the greater part of their time to the land, while the fishermen live about th'e southern headlands or on the islands convenient to the fishing grounds. It seems that Harpswell has been engaged in the fisheries to a considerable extent from its earliest settlement, and many of the early writers refer to it as a fishing town. Some of its vessels were sent to Labrador as early as 1825, and it is said that others engaged in the Grand Bank fisheries for many years. EXTENT OF THE FISHERIES IN 1879. — In 1S79 there were seven curing-stands, aud 20,575 quintals of cod, hake, haddock, pollock, and cusk were dried by the fishermen aud dealers, in addition to 175,000 pounds of the same species reserved for local consumption or for the country trade. A large quantity of haddock are taken by Harpswell vessels in winter aud sold directly to the Portland dealers. In 1879 there were twenty-one fishing vessels, aggregating 451.92 tons, aud valued at $20,350, owned at Harpswell. These furnished employment to one hundred and four men, nearly all of whom were Americans. Twelve of the vessels engaged exclusively in the shore fisheries; five others, after fishing along the shore in summer, engaged iu the winter haddock fishery for the Portland market; and the remaining four were employed in "running" lobsters to Portland and to the Harpswell cannery. THE BO AT- FISHERIES. — The boat-fisheries of the region arc quite important, giving employ- ment in 1879 to one hundred and fifty-two men. Some of them fish for lobsters iu the early spring, and the remainder for cod and other species. In summer nearly all are engaged in the cod and hake fisheries with lines and trawls. Early in September the herring arrive in considerable num- bers, and a greater part of the vessels, with many of the boats, engage in their capture with nets. Part of the catch is salted, and the remainder is sold fresh in Portland. THE MENHADEN FISHERY. — Prior to the disappearance of the menhaden many of the fisher- men engaged extensively in their capture, the catch being salted and sold for bait to the offshore tieet. Between 1870 and 1878 several thousand barrels were put up annually. Casco Bay has been a favorite resort for the menhaden for many years; and in 187G an oil aud guano factory was MAINE: DISTRICT OF PORTLAND AND FALMOUTH. 79 built ou Sebascodegan Island, a few miles from Cundj's Harbor. The following season another factory was built on the same island. Each of these employed a seining vessel and two "carry- aways." The business was continued till the fall of 1878, when, owing to a scarcity of fish, both factories were closed. About 25,000 barrels of fish were landed at the two establishments while they were in operation. THE CLAM FISHERIES. — In winter many of the farmers and fishermen spend their spare hours digging, shucking, and salting clams, which are very abundant on the mud-flats along the shores. According to Mr. A. T. Trufaut, this business is on the decline and now amounts to only 12,200 bushels annually, while formerly the quantity was considerably greater. Quahaugs are said to be fairly abundant in Quahaug Bay, in the eastern part of the town. This practically marks the northern limit of the species on the Atlantic coast, for though they may be occasionally seen beyond it, they do not occur in any numbers. THE LOBSTER FISHERY AND CANNING INTERESTS. — Next to Eastport, Harpswell was the first town in the State to engage in the canning of lobsters. A cannery was located here by Boston parties about 1849, and was run for five or six years. About 1858 Portland parties came to the town and engaged in the same work for one season. From that date till 1877, when the present cannery was erected, nothing was done in this line. Since 1877 the business has been prosecuted with considerable vigor, and during the past two or three years both lobsters and mackerel have been put up. The packing-season formerly lasted from April to November, with a suspension of, work, on account of the poor condition of the lobsters, during two months in midsummer. The season, as now regulated by law, lasts from the 1st of April to the 1st of August. In addition to the canning interests, Harpswell has shipped many fresh lobsters to Portland, Boston, and New York, in smacks. This business began as early as 1830, and had assumed im- portant proportions before the fishermen living farther east had any knowledge of the value of the lobster fisheries. Owing to long continued and excessive fishing, the species is not so abundant as formerly, and few of the fishermen depend wholly npoii this fishery for a livelihood, though many engage extensively in it in the spring, and some do so at other seasons. 44. THE FISHING TOWNS OF CASCO BAY. The towns lying along the shores of Casco Bay between Harpswell and Portland, including Brunswick, Freeport, Yarmouth, Cumberland, Falmouth, and Westbrook, were in former times engaged extensively in the fisheries. BRUNSWICK AND VICINITY. — Wheeler's history of the region contains the following statement about the early fisheries of Brunswick : "The earliest business carried on here, in addition to farming and trading in furs, was salmon and sturgeon fishing. Thomas Purchase, soon after his settlement here in 1C28, caught, cured, and packed salmon and sturgeon for a foreign market, and it is stated that there were at one time 'saved in about three weeks thirty-nine barrels of salmon, besides what was spoiled for lack of salt, and about 7iiuety kegs and as many barrels of sturgeon, and that if they had been fitted out with salt and apt and skillful men, they might. have taken abundance more.' It is also stated in Douglas's history that there was a company formed in London for the purpose of importing cured or dried sturgeon, and that they had an agent at the foot of Pejepscot Falls and a building erected there. This was no doubt, as McKeen observes, a very considerable business, and it was carried on upon quite a large scale, from time to time, until into the last century ; and until the commencement of King Philip's war, in 1075, it was doubtless a great business with Mr. Purchase. The business has not been carried on to any extent within the present century, the salmon having entirely dis- 80 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. appeared from the river, ami there being fewer sturgeon than formerly and a lessened demand for the latter. Present indications betoken, however, a return of the salrnoii fishery before very many years."* One hundred and twenty-one years later, judging from another passage in the saine volume, the fisheries were still important. Wheeler says : "The town, at a special meeting in January, 1749, appointed Ensign William Vincent to inspect the fishery at Brunswick, and to regulate the same according to instructions from the selectmen ."t These statements evidently relate to the river rather than the sea fisheries. It is, however, known that the people of the region were also interested in the bay fisheries to a considerable extent for many years. But later, other industries sprang tip, and the fisheries were neglected. The inhabitants are now principally engaged in agriculture, having large and fertile fields, to which they devote most of their energies. Ship-building has been extensive, and a considerable number of mechanics have, until a very recent date, found constant employment in building large vessels for the coasting and foreign trade. None are wholly dependent upon the fisheries for a livelihood, and, barring those living on the islands, few visit the fishing-grounds with any regularity except in midsummer, when the mackerel are abundant. THE CLAMMING INTERESTS. — The shores of the bay abound in clams, and almost every cove between Portland and Harpswell has extensive mud and sand flats where the species is peculiarly abundant. During the winter and early spring the farmers have many spare hours, and the mechanic-:, carpenters, and ship-builders are out of employment. At such times many of them engage extensively in clamming, and after selling as many as possible in shell to the peddlers and to Portland dealers, they "shuck" the remainder for use as bait in the vessel fisheries. A few parties begin digging as early as October, but the majority usually find other employ- ment until late in December. From this time till the following May not less than one hundred and eighty-five men and boys engage in this work, some of them continuing till the first of June. In addition to the above, quite a number of fishermen from the adjoining towns and numerous islands engage in this business to a greater or less extent. The men build small shanties along the shore where they spend the hours of high water in shucking their clams. At about half-ebb they start for the flats, following the water line as it recedes, and gradually working back with it as it advances. Several crews often occupy the same shanty, and two or three frequently join in the purchase of a small boat, which enables them to visit the more distant flats. When the tides "serve" they can spend a greater part of the day in digging, but ordinarily only one tide is util- ized. The average clammer will dig from 2£ to 3 bushels at a tide, while a rapid worker who knows the grounds will often get twice that quantity. One of the largest dealers of the locality, Mr. Hamilton, of Chebeague Island, estimates the quantity of clams dug during the season of 1878-'79 at 40,100 bushels, over 39,000 bushels of which were shelled and salted for bait. If to this quantity we add the catch of the Portland and Harps- well fishermen it is seen that not less than 00,000 bushels are taken annually from the flats along the shores of Casco Bay. The price, according to the same authority, varies greatly from year to year, the average for shell clams being from 75 cents to $1 per bushel. The shelled, or salted clams, range from $3 to $0.50 per barrel, according to the supply and demand. These figures rep- resent the value received by the fishermen for the clam-meats, as the salt and barrels are always furnished by the dealers. In 1875 the fishermen received $0 per barrel, and in 1879 the price had dropped to $3. * Wheeler's History of Brunswick, Topsliam, and Harpswell, Maine, p. 115. t/fcirf., p. 55-2. MAINE: DISTRICT OF PORTLAND AND FALMOUTH. 81 THE FLOUNDER FISHERY. — Another business in which the fishermen of the Casco Bay islands, Portland, and Cape Elizabeth are interested, is the winter flounder fishery. The first to engage in the capture of this species for market along this portion of the coast was Mr. Fowler, of New London, Conn. Hearing of the abundance of flounders about Portland, he came to the region with twelve fyke-nets in the winter of 1871-'72, and after renting an old sloop which. was to answer both as home and packing-house, set his fykes on the soft bottom of the outer harbor in 3 to 8 feet of water at mean low tide. Finding no market for his Rounders in Portland he shipped them by rail and steamer to New York. From this beginning the business has gradually increased until in the winter of 187S-'79, according to Mr. Robert Hamilton, of Chebeague, twenty-five men from Portland, and twenty-four from the various islands of the bay were employed regularly in this fishery. The season lasts from October to April, the average weekly catch being about 1,500 pounds for each fisherman. A portion of the flounders are now sold in Portland for shipment to Canada, but a greater part still go to New York. THE CANNING OF FISHERY PRODUCTS. — Several canneries have been built along the shore of Casco Bay for putting up fruits, vegetables, and meats. One of these, located at South Freeport, began the canning of lobsters and clams in the summer of 187G. The business has been continued regularly since that time, with a gradual increase in the quantity of clams put up. In the summer of 1879 the canning of mackerel was begun at this place. The supply of clams is obtained wholly from the people of the locality, while small vessels are sent to the outer islands to purchase lobsters and mackerel from the professional fishermen. 45. PORTLAND AND ITS FISHERY INTERESTS. THE EARLY FISHERIES OF PORTLAND. — Portland, the metropolis of Maine, is located on one of the best harbors of the coast, a few miles above Cape Elizabeth. It was first settled in 1632, and was included in the town of Falmouth up to 1786, when it was incorporated as a separate town. The city charter was adopted in 1832. The place has suffered much from wars and fires, having been on several occasions almost completely destroyed. In 1790 it had a population of 2,246, which had increased to 12,815 in 1850 and to 33,810 in 1880. Its location on so excellent a harbor, in the very center of one of the best fishing districts of the coast, has given it a prominence in this; industry from its earliest settlement. Richmond's Island, but a few miles from the harbor, was one of the most important fishing stations of New England for many years, beginning with 1630j, and was annually visited by fishing vessels from different parts of Europe. A few extracts from those who have examined into the early history of the region will sufEce to show that fishing occupied the attention of a majority of the early settlers. Hon. William Gould, in -writing of the early history of Portland, says: "Of course the first business at Casco, like roost other localities in New England, was to choose a favorable place, fell the forest, and build the trunks of the trees into a habitation; and while doing this, and preparing a clearing for cultivation, the early settlers could get the quickest returns from their labor from the sea, such as wild fowl, shell and other fish, because these required no cultivation. To know how well this was improved in our harbor it is only necessary to examine the shell heaps at Cushing's Point. Some idea of the facilities for fishing and of those engaged in it may be obtained from an account of 'Two Voyages to New England; * * * * a description of the country, natives, and creatures, by John Jocelyn, gentleman, London, 1675.' The author had a brother, Henry Jocelyn, at Black Point, who was a leading man in the infant colony, whom he first visited in 1638. He was a close observer of men and things, and describes all he saw in a quaint style. He was the first European traveler who remained long enough to get a correct idea 6 a R F 82 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. of the country and people. After speaking of the immense number of alewives in all the streams iu April, he says, 'Trout there be good store in every brook, ordinarily two and twenty inches long.' He further says, 'A wonderful number of herring were cast up on shore at high water in Black Point Harbor, so that they might have gone half way the leg in them for a mile together.'"* He continues : " Our first trader established himself on an outlying island when the mainland was a howling wilderness, dealt with Indians and fishermen, and was killed for cheating his customers. * * * His successor, John Winter, was an honorable man, and carried on an important foreign trade. There is a halo of romance about those early days when dried fish, which, with skins of wild animals, were the only products of the country, were shipped direct to Spain and cargoes of wine brought back in return." In another place he again refers to Mr. Winter, who seems to have been acting as agent for an English company that had obtained a grant of Richmond's Island and the present town of Cape Elizabeth iu 1C31. He says of him : " He soon built a ship on the island and settled a place for fishing, and employed many servants in fishing and planting." In March, 1034, says Winthrop : " Seventeen fishing ships were come to Richmond Island and the Isle of Shoals." These were from Europe to load with fish cured at the several stages which must have employed n large number of men. These ships brought all the stores needed at the settlement from England. Winthrop says : "In the spring of 1635 a ship of 80 tons and a pinnace of 10 tons arrived at Richmond's Island." In 1636 (after a change iu proprietors of the land) Winter was to receive one-tenth of the profits and £40 premium in cash annually. They employed the ships Hercules and Margery and one other whose name is not mentioned. In 1638 Trelawney (the land proprietor) sent a ship of 300 tons from England to the island laden with wine, probably the proceeds of a cargo of fish sent to Spain or Portugal. The returns sent to the proprietor iu England were oak pipe-staves, beaver •skins, fish, and oil. t The site of the present city was visited by two fishermen, who made it their home as early as 1632. Mr. Gould refers to the matter as follows : " In 1630 Richard Tucker, joined soon after by George Cleaves, established himself at Spur- wink River in planting, trading, and fishing, where both remained till 1632, when they were 'ejected by Winter' and 'sought refuge on the north side of Caseo, on Fore River, and laid the foundation for the first settlement upon the Xeck, now Portland,' where they continued many years." Other trading posts were established iu the vicinity at a later date, of which Mr. Gould men- tions several. He says: " Just outside the breakwater is Cushing's Point, which was another business center. Col. Ezekiel Cushing, its owner, came here from Provincetown about 1738. He was largely engaged iu the fisheries and the West India trade, and owned several whalers, which were engaged iu the business when whales could be taken nearer home than now." As the settlement grew in size and importance its people gradually came to own a large fleet of vessels, that were sent to different parts of the United States and to foreigu countries. About • Elwell's Successful Business Houses of Portland, pp. 168, 169. \llnd., pp. 166, 170,171. MAINE: DISTEIOT OF POETLAND AND FALMOUTH. 83 the beginniDg of last century a limited trade sprang up between Portland and the West Indies, and large quantities of lumber were shipped to that region. In addition to lumber, according to Mr. Gould, these West Indiamen soon began carrying out soap, candles, and dried codfish in "drums" of the weight of 500 to 800 pounds each. These were consigned to the captain, who sold his cargo, bought another of sugar, molasses, and rum, and returned, paying no commission to the foreign merchant. The business continued to increase, and soon a greater part of the Portland fish were sent there for a market. "After the war," says Mr. Gould, "the West India trade, which had grown before the Bevo- lutiou to be an object of considerable importance, was revived, and a profitable business was done in exchanging lumber and fish for rum, sugar, and molasses." This trade was extensive up to 1850, and even later a few vessels were sent, the last one going in 1878. From the first, Portland has taken a leading rank as a fishing port, and by the beginning of the present century she had a fleet of vessels engaged in the Grand Bank cod fishery. A little later she sent vessels to Labrador for cod, and in 1832 the first vessel from the town started for the Gulf of Saint Lawrence for mackerel. She has had no vessels regularly engaged in the George's Bank cod fishery, and has been interested only to a limited extent in the fresh-halibut fishery ; but aside from these her fishermen have been engaged in all the leading sea-fisheries of the New England coast. Space forbids a review of the Portland fisheries during the years of their development, and though it might be interesting to trace each branch of the business through its various stages of growth, and to show the causes that have led to the transfer of many of the fishing vessels from the smaller towns of the State to Portland, we must confine ourselves to a description of the fish- eries as they are found at the present time. THE VESSEL FISHERIES. — In the summer of 1879 the Portland fishing fleet numbered seventy- nine sail, valued at $114,775. These vessels aggregated 3,004.13 tons and carried six hundred and sixty-one men. Of the entire fleet sixteen visited the more distant fishing grounds for cod, twenty-one were provided with purse seines for catching mackerel, thirty-two engaged in the shore fisheries, four were employed in the halibut fisheries to a limited extent in summer, and six carried lobsters to the Portland market. Six of the codfish fleet, after returning from their first trip, were fitted out for the mackerel fishery, and nineteen of the shore fleet joined them during the height of the season, making a total of forty-six vessels engaged in the mackerel fishery during the summer months. About the 1st of November nine of the vessels are fitted for the winter haddock fishery, continuing the business till the following spring. The vessels are usually owned by a number of parties rather than by a single individual. In most cases the ship-builders, riggers, sail-makers, fitters, and packers each own a part, in order that they may control the trade of the vessel in their respective lines. It is also customary to induce the captain of the vessel to buy a small part, thus causing him to feel a deeper interest in the work and to give more attention to the interests of all concerned. One of the owners is selected as the "managing owner," and it becomes his duty to act as agent for the vessel and to keep full and accurate accounts of all expenditures and receipts. This party is usually selected on account of his knowledge of the business, and is frequently the captain of the schooner or the merchant who furnishes the supplies. The vessels are usually " fitted at the halves," the owners furnishing provisions, gear, and 84 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. salt. The crew must man and sail the vessel, and catch, dress, and salt the fish. They usually pay for half of the bait and ice, and hire their own cook. Nearly all of the Portland vessels engaged in the bank cod fisheries carry dories for hand-lining, none of them being provided with trawls on account of the additional expense involved in their use. These vessels as fitted for an average trip usually carry from 125 to 150 hogsheads of salt and about 40 barrels of clam-bait. On their return the men are expected to land and wash the fish and to put the vessel in order. This done their work is completed, and they are at liberty to turn their attention to other occupations or to ship in other vessels. The fish are "made" by profes- sional curers, who take one quintal in twelve in payment for their labor. As a rule the fisherman has no ready money, and must be furnished with a certain quantity of provisions for his family during his absence. The owners usually assume the responsibility of furnishing a limited quantity of goods to each man, but care is now taken that their value shall not exceed $30. Each member of the crew keeps his fish separate, and receives a share in proportion to the number taken by him. On his return his proportional part of the trip is figured up, and more goods are advanced, if necessary, provided his share of the trip is thought to considerably exceed the value of the goods already furnished. He must wait, however, until the fish have been cured and sold, and the money has been received by the owners before he can settle his accounts in full. Some of the men being anxious to get their money immediately, will sell their interest in the catch as soon as they arrive, to the fitters or owners, at a considerable sacrifice. In the mackerel fishery the vessels fit "at the halves," the fish being usually sold at the end of each trip, though they are occasionally retained till the close of the season. Portland was among the first towns to send vessels to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence for mackerel. According to Mr. Gushing, one of the oldest inspectors in the city, she sent her first vessel to that region in 1832, and has continued the business regularly ever since. She has now, next to Gloucester, the largest mackerel fleet in the United States, having twenty-eight sail of vessels owned by Portland capital engaged in the purse-seine mackerel fishery. In 1879 sixteen of the vessels fished wholly in the Gulf of Maine; seven fished from Cape Hatteras to Mount Desert Island ; two spent a greater part of the season in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, and two divided their time between the Gulf of Saint Lawi-euce and the Gulf of Maine. In 1880, so far as we have been able to learn, none of the fleet fished in Eritish waters. In addition to the above, nineteen of the shore vessels engaged in the mackerel fishery with line or net during the height of the season. The shore-fishing vessels, numbering thirty-two sail, are engaged in the capture of cod, hake, haddock, pollock, cusk, mackerel, and herring, fishing first for one kind and then another, accord- ing to the season, or the relative abundance of the different species. The fishing season begins about the first of April and continues till late in November. Formerly many of the smaller craft fished for menhaden with gill-nets, but as none of these fish have visited the waters of the State since 1878, they have been obliged to engage in other fisheries. Early in September large schools of herring make their appearance along the outer shores, and most of the smaller vessels, with many of the boats, are engaged in their capture for a number of weeks. The herring are taken in gill-nets, and sold to the packers and smokers. During the winter mouths haddock are quite abundant, and nine of the local vessels, together with some from other places, are engaged in this fishery, selling their catch to the smokers, -who prepare them for shipment to Canada and different parts of the United States. Trawls are used in this fishery, and the catch is often enormous, while the price paid makes the profits to the fisher- men larger than those of any other fishery. MAINE: DISTRICT OF PORTLAND AND FALMOUTH. 85 THE BOAT FISHERIES. — The boat fishermen of Portland, about one hundred and forty in number, are almost wholly Americans. Few of them live in the city, the greater part being scat- tered about on the islands in the vicinity and at Cape Elizabeth, both for cheapness of living and for convenience in getting to and from the fishing grounds. They use lap-streak, keeled, and center-board boats, 18 to 22 feet in length. These are provided with two movable masts, with sprit sails, and have an average value of $50 to $75 each. The fishing begins late in March and continues till November, when most of the boats are hauled up, though a few fish more or less all winter. At first trawls are extensively used, the fishermen setting from 800 to 1,200 hooks each; but as the season advances and bait becomes scarce hand-lines are substituted for them, as the dog fish are usually so plenty at this season as to seriously interfere with trawl-fishing. " Conch" (Nati-ca clausa) constitute the principal bait in summer, the fishermen gathering them on the flats at Jow water and keeping them in live-cars till needed. The catch is composed largely of cod, pollock, hake, and mack- erel. Some of the boat-fishermen are beginning to carry harpoons for sword-fish, and nearly all own a " gang" of lobster-pots, which they fish with more or less regularly. The fish are sold to the fresh- fish dealers, or to the hawkers, at prices depending largely upon the quantity in market. The sup- ply is usually greater than the demand, and in order to be sure of a market each fisherman must find some one who will agree to take his catch at a stated price; otherwise he does not care to ven- ture out. On account of the uncertainty of finding a market much time is lost that might otherwise be profitably employed. The curers on the islands usually buy all the fish that are offered, but they require the fishermen to split them, and cannot afford to pay as much as the fresh-fish dealers in the city. For this reason many do not care to sell to the curers, though if the time gained through the certainty of a market be considered, they could doubtless make good wages in this way. This condition of affairs occurs only in summer, for at other seasons the market readily con- sumes all the fish that are offered. FISH-CUEING IN PORTLAND. — The fish landed in Portland are, with few exceptions, cured by parties making a specialty of this work. Laud in the heart of the city, where the fish-wharves are located, is quite valuable, and the fish dealers do not have curing-stands of their own, as is the case with those in smaller cities, but are dependent on the curers for "making" any fish that their vessels may bring. Two firms, however, have utilized the roofs of their buildings as flake- yards, and in this way cure several thousand quintals annually. The principal curing-stands are on the islands of the outer harbor, where suitable buildings and flake-yards have been constructed. On arriving from the banks the vessels proceed to these islands, the crews landing and washing the fish, after which they wheel them to the flake-yard, when the curer takes charge of them and prepares them for the market, taking one quintal in twelve for his services. If they cannot be cured at once, the crew pitch them out of the vessel and carry them to the buildings, where they are "kenched" until they are needed. In this case the curer "washes them out" before they are placed on the flakes, charging six cents per quintal additional for this work. In some localities the flakes are provided with cloth covers, which are spread over the fish to protect them from the heat of the sun, which is often so great at mid-day as to render them nearly worthless. In other localities the fish are "bunched" early in the day before the sun becomes too warm, and spread again late in the afternoon. In many places along the coast no attempt is made to dry the fish in summer on account of the danger of burning them, and the catch is "kenched "till fall. In Portland, however, the curers have a very simple way of overcoming the difficulty, and 86 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. continue their work with little or no loss during the hottest weather. Their flakes are built so as to run nearly east and west, and are so arranged that the tops may be easily turned on a central axis. The fish are spread in the morning, and as the day advances and the heat increases the flakes are tilted toward the north, so that the sun's rays Shall fall obliquely on the fish, and thus have little efi'ect upon them. The property devoted to the curing of fish in Portland is valued at $20,000. The business furnishes employment to twenty-one men during eight months of the year and to several addi- tional ones during the busy season. The quantity cured in 1880 was somewhat larger than for several years past, though Portland has long been extensively interested in the business. The figures furnished by Messrs. 0. & H, Trefethen, who are more extensively engaged in curing than any other firm, show the business for 1880 to have been 49,420 quintals, of which nearly seven- eighths were landed by Portland vessels. The catch was divided as follows : 21,788 quintals large cod; 10,813 quintals small cod; 6,626 quintals hake; 1,437 quintals cusk; 1,369 quintals pollock, and 1,193 quintals haddock. INSPECTION OF FISH. — Portland is largely interested in packing and inspecting fish of differ- ent kinds, including mackerel, herring, cod, haddock, sword-fish, and other species. She is more extensively engaged in. this business than any other city in the State, leading all cities in the Duited States in the quantity of herring inspected, and is excelled only by Gloucester in the quantity of mackerel packed. The mackerel are mostly taken by vessels belonging in Portland and other Maine fishing towns, though a few vessels belonging to Cape Ann. Cape Cod, and other fishing districts of Massachusetts pack in Portland to a greater or less extent. Nine firms engage regularly in this branch of the business. They occupy property valued at $89,000 and furnish employment to ninety-three men, forty-three of them being employed throughout the year. Up to 1879 the inspection charges were 81.50 per barrel, but in the spring of that year the price was reduced to $1.25. Mr. Charles Dyer, one of the leading packers in Portland, in referring to the business of the city for 1880, writes: "Portland has packed, in round numbers, 75,000 barrels [76,417] of mackerel, valued, clear of salt and packing, at about $5 a barrel. This has been a very prosperous year, and, were it not for the English mackerel coming into the country free of duty, it would have been more so." After speaking of the habit of packing English fish under American brands by the fish inspect- ors of other cities, and of the injury to the trade resulting therefrom, he continues : "Portland does not handle any English caught mackerel, and for this reason Portland mack- erel stand highest in market." The nearness to the extensive fall herring fisheries brings Portland into prominence in con- nection with this trade. She has a fleet of her own engaged in the herring fishery, and, in addition, buys nearly all of the fish taken by fleets of other portions of the coast, though Boothbay handles a small percentage and Boston secures a considerable quantity. The figures furnished by Mr. E. G. Willard show H',000 barn-Is to be the, quantity of herring handled in 1880. In addition to the above, Portland handled 1,800 barrels of pickled haddock and cod, and a few barrels of swoid-fish and alewivcs. SMOKED HERRING AND HADDOCK.— Several Portland dealers have large .smoke-houses, and are engaged in the preparation of Finnan haddies and bloater herring. These parties have a monopoly of the Finnan haddie trade of America, Eastport, the only other city extensively engaged in the preparation of these fish, is working wholly under contract with the Portland dealers, who purchase the products and distribute them to the trade. Jouesport, Vinal Haven, MAINE: DISTRICT OF PORTLAND AND FALMOUTH. 87 and Rockland, iii Maine, Portsmouth in New Hampshire, and Boston in Massachusetts have each smoked a few haddock, but their trade has been wholly local and of comparatively little impor- tance. From Messrs. Wyer Brothers and John Lovett & Co., the two largest dealers in the country, we gathered the following facts about the origin and growth of the Finnan haddie trade: The haddock was first smoked in America at Moutreal, Canada, by Mr. Thomas McEwau, a Scotchman, who had become familiar with the method of preparation before removing to this country. He began the business in a small way about I860, sending to Portland for his fish. The first few lots, consisting of only 100 to 300 pounds each, were smoked in barrels. The trade soon increased so that smoke-houses were built, and, fiudiug the expense of transportation so great, Mr. McEwan removed to Portland for engaging more extensively in the work. He soon formed a partnership with Mr. Lovett, one of the leading fish dealers of Portland, and continued the busi- ness on a larger scale than ever. At first the trade was wholly with Canada, and largely among the Scotch. Later the Americans commenced eating smoked haddock, and at the present time nearly one-third of the trade is with the United States. Up to 18G8 Portland was the only town engaged in the business. At this time Portland dealers, learning of the abundance of haddock along the eastern part of the coast of Maine, located at Eastport to engage in the work, and the business has been continued to the present time, the season lasting through the winter only. During the season of 1879-'80, according to Mr. R. C. Green, Eastport smoked and shipped to Portland dealers about 211,000 pounds of cured fish, valued at over $12,000. The following extract from a letter received from Wyer Brothers, of Portland, gives the extent of the business of that city. They write : " The quantity of haddock cured here in the season of 1879-!80 did not vary materially from that put up the previous season. Though the demand increased, the catch of haddock from which the supply must be obtained fell a little short of that of previous winters, and it was often quite difficult to get a sufficient quantity for smoking. * * * We have carefully estimated the amount of haddock used for this purpose and find it to be about 2,100,000 of fresh fisli, and, as they shrink almost one-half in curing, the wtole amount of smoked fish would be about 1,200,000 pounds." Adding to these the quantity shipped from Eastport we find that Portland now handles nearly 2,500,000 pounds of Finnan haddies annually. Property valued at $8,00 J is used by the smokers, and twenty-four men are employed for six mouths of the year in preparing the fish. Wyer Brothers place the quantity of tloater herring smoked in Portland during the winter of 1879-'80 at 2,000 barrels of 350 fish each, equal to 700,000 herring in number. These were largely sold in Canada with the haddock. No hard herring are smoked in the city. THE LOBSTER FISHERY AND THE LOBSTER TRADE. — Lobsters are caught off Portland during the entire year, though the fishing is most extensive from March to July, and again from October to December. Thirty men, living chiefly on the islands or at Cape Elizabeth, fish exclusively for lobsters, while nearly all of the boat-fishermen have a few pots which they tend with more or less regularity at certain seasons. The local fishing-grounds are around Hog, Peak's, and Cushing's Islands and near Portland light in summer, and along the outer shore of Cape Elizabeth in winter. The traps are set in from three to twenty fathoms of water, one man tending from forty to sixty-five of them, usually visiting them once a day when the weather is suitable. During the height of the season some haul their pots twice a day. . Twenty-five years ago, according to Mr. Trefethen, of House Island, an average catch was six or seven lobsters, weighing 4 to G pounds each to the pot. From that time they have gradually diminished, and, according to the same authority, the catch in 1879 averaged only one marketable lobster (which must be 10J inches long), and three 88 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. smaller ones to the pot, the average weight of the former being 2 pouuds and of the latter 1 pound. The fishermen in the vicinity of the city bring their catch direct to market, while those living farther off are obliged to depend upon the smacks. The Portland lobster market is largely controlled by two firms, while a third does a limited business. Thirteen smacks, aggregating 287.C8 tons, valued at $9,575, make frequent and regular visits to different portions of the coast between Cape Porpoise and the Grand Mauan and buy the "count lobsters" of the fishermen, carrying them to the Portland markets. Others, though not regularly employed, bring occasional cargoes to the city. The fisherman keeps his lobsters in live cars until the smack arrives, when he sorts them out, those of marketable size being purchased by the captain, while the smaller and soft-shelled ones are retained to be sold to the boats running to the canning establishments. The time required for the round trip varies from one to two weeks, according to the weather, the abundance of lobsters, and the distance traveled. The average smack carries from 4,000 to 5,000 lobsters each trip ; if the well is overcrowded, many die in transit, the loss in this way, especially in summer, being often very great. The price paid to the fishermen ranges from three to four cents each, and the selling price iu Portland averages about six cents. On the arrival of the smack, the live lobsters are transferred to the cars of the dealers, where they remain until needed. When an order is received for them they are taken out, boiled, and packed in boxes or barrels for shipment to the trade. A few live ones are shipped to the prin- cipal dealers of Boston, but this method is not usually adopted, as many are killed by the jarring to which they are subjected on the train. Live lobsters are received in considerable quantities from Eastport, the usual method being to pack them in barrels with a quantity of ice : when carefully packed iu this way they will keep from two to three days. As already stated, three firms are more or less interested in the lobster trade of Portland. These occupy property worth $12,000, and furnish employment to nine men. According to Mr. A. L. Johnson, one of the principal dealers, Portland, in 1880, handled 800,000 lobsters in number These cost the dealers about six cents each, making the total cost at first hands $48,000. The lobsters are variously estimated at from 1£ to 2 pounds each; allowing them to average 1| pounds, the total weight would be 1,400,000 pounds. Of this quantity about one-half goes to Boston, one- fourth to Xew York, and the remainder to the country trade in Maine, New Hampshire, Massa- chusetts,-and Canada. LOBSTEE-CANNING BY PORTLAND CAPITAL. — Portland capitalists are more extensively interested in the canning of lobsters than those of any other city in the United States. The busi- ness was begun at Eastport nearly forty years ago, and three or four years later a cannery was built in Boston. Before 1850 Portland people had become interested in the work, and from that date they have taken the lead in the business, showing remarkable energy and judgment. At first a good many lobsters were put up in the city, but as the demand increased the supply became insufficient, and they were obliged to establish canneries at different points along the coast, gradually increasing the number and going farther and farther from home, until to-day Portland has twelve canneries on the coast of Maine, employing about 300 laborers on shore and nearly 1,000 fishermen. These canneries, with their fixtures, are worth $38,000, and it requires an additional capital of $80,000 to carry on the business. The three firms controlling this trade are the Portland Packing Company, Burnham & Morrill, and J. Winslow Jones. These firms have consulted their books and furnished figures from which the following summary of the business for 1880 has been obtained: 4,731,988 pounds of lobsters were used, and 849,8971 one-pound and 99,371 two-pound cans were put up. In addition, 207,943 one-pound and 5,597 two-pound cans of mackerel (Scomber scombnts) were packed, 516,864 pounds of round fish being required for this purpose. About 3,500 bushels of soft- MAINE: DISTRICT OP PORTLAND AND FALMOTJTH. 89 shelled clams (Mya arenaria) were used, from which 38,400 cans of clams and 14,400 cans of clam- chowder were prepared. Over $53,000 were paid to the fishermen for their catch; 810,000 were paid to the employe's for their labor; and the manufactured products, including cans, cases, 64 09 8 100 2 500 10 goo 83 16 GOO 1 Total 1 007 81 080 49 3 171 1S9 3 050 580 6 '21 769 Total 4 602 264 468 Bnatt. 3 822 176 006 176 006 Traps. 106 76 875 2 9''7 175 730 108 475 284 905 28 527 28 b"^l Total 6 749 351 736 108 475 460 211 Total 28 633 105 403 a Does not include 47 idle vessels, of 2,151.68 tons. Detailed statement of the quantities and values of the products. Products specified. Pounds, fresh. Pounds, prepared. Balk. Value. Grand total $8 141 750 Freth fish. For food 85 650 035 1 487 864 38 451 586 192 257 barrels 120 659 Total 124 101 621 1 608,523 Dryflik. Cod 148 327 885 56 054 757 2, 176, 881 Hake 7 059 400 3 181 296 65, 182 Haddock 2 866 519 1 089 137 27, 770 Pollock 3 653 759 1 469 203 26, 778 655 050 3°7 Tj^S 11 466 Total 162 562 67:1 62 l'>2 008 02,412,077 a Includes $104,000 enhancement on fish prepared as "boueless" in boston, but accounted for elsewhere. MASSACHUSETTS AND ITS FISHERIES. Detailed statement of the quantities and values of the products— Continued. 121 Products specified. Pounds, fresh. Pounds, prepared. Bulk. Value. Pickled fish. 972 050 777 650 $15 553 Bluefish . . . 29 607 18 220 455 Cod 92 500 46 250 1 156 3 9C7 0.r>C 3 174 125 47 619 44 526 300 '9 684 200 853 420 Swordfish 217 000 124 000 99 000 66 000 Halibut fins 32 875 26 300 • 112 500 90 000 Total 50 049 488 34 006 745 Smoked fah. 266 875 160 125 Bluefish 6 000 2 000 Halibut . 5 094 700 1 973 675 Total 5 367 575 1 435 800 Canned fish. Fish balls 1... 2G4 000 cans 38 500 Total Skett-Jish. 4 315 4i(j Clams (includes 31,832 bushels, $12 305, for bait) QuiihaiiKs and sea-clams 11, 050 bushels •.-, 5 525 Scallops 7 028 gallons 3 514 Oysters 36 000 bushels Total Products of whale fishery. Sperm oil 1 209 4G9 gallons Whale, walrus, and black fish oils 698 442 gallons Whalebone Ivory Ambergris J P Total Miscettaneoui. Squid 1 125 barrels Fishoil Fish guano Fish spawn 3 725 barrels Fish sounds, dried 1°4 600 Marine salt . Irish moss 465 000 Seaweed Total 55. HISTORY OF MASSACHUSETTS FISHERIES. EARLY HISTORY OF TEE FISHERIES.— The Massachusetts fisheries date from the settlement of the colouies in the early part of the seventeenth century. The hope of acquiring gain from the pursuit of this industry was one of the inducements for the establishment of plantations at Cape Ann and other parts of the coast. In 1624, the colonists sent a ship to England laden with fish, and the next year two others followed with cargoes of fish and furs. In 1628, they were selling 122 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. fish to the Dutch at New Amsterdam. Fish were exported from Boston as early as 1G33. In 1639, for the encouragement of the fisheries, the general court passed an act which exempted fishing vessels and their apparatus from taxes and duties for eoine years, and relieved fishermen during the fishing season, and ship-builders from military duty. This act was the origin of the system of protection. Says Sabine (Report on American Fisheries, 1853) : "Such a law, in the infancy of the colony, when contributions from every State, and the personal service in arms of every citizen, were imperatively demanded by the exigencies of the times, shows the deep importance which was attached to this branch of business by the fathers of the Commonwealth." The following extracts from Sabine will show the condition of the fisheries of this State at various periods: "Of the year 1041, Lechford, in his 'Plain Dealing; or, News from New England' (printed in London, in 1G42), says that the people were 'setting on the manufacture of linen and cotton cloth, and the fishing trade'; that they were 'building of ships, and had a good store of baits, lighters, shallops, and other vessels'; and that 'they had bnildcd and planted to admiration for the time. We learn from Johnson's 'Wonder WToi king Providence', that the Rev. Richard Blimlnian had gathered a church at Cape Ann, 'a place of fishing, being peopled with fishermen'; and that 'their fishing trade would be very beneficial had they men of estates to manage it.' We read in Wiu- throp's Journal, that 'this year the men followed fishing so well that there was about 300,000 dry fish sent to the market'; and in Hubbard, that the colonists received letters from England by the English fishing ships that came to the Piscataqua. In 1G42, we find in Winthrop that the same class of ships brought news of the civil wars between the King and the Parliament, 'whereupon the churches kept divers days of humiliation'; and that 'there arrived another ship with salt, which was put off for pipe staves,' so that 'by an unexpected providence' there was 'a supply of salt to go on with fishing'; and in Holmes, that 'the settlement at Cape Ann was established to be a plantation, and called Gloucester.' Again, Winthrop records, in 1C43, the return of the Trial, 'Mr. Thomas Graves, an able and a godly man, master,' from a voyage to Bilboa and Malaga. This was the first vessel built at Boston. Her outward cargo consisted of fish, ' which she sold at a good rate'; and she brought home ' wine, fruit, oil, iron, and wool, which was a great advantage to the country, and gave encouragement to trade.' "In 1G44, we have an incident pertinent to our purpose, which is related with some particu larity in the chronicles of the time. It appears that a London ship of twenty-four guns, Captain Stagg, arrived at Boston with a cargo of wine from Teneriffe ; that a Bristol ship, laden with fish, lay in the harbor at the same time; that Stagg, authorized by a commission from the Cromwell party in England to capture vessels belonging to Bristol, made prize of this ship; and that a Bristol merchant and others interested in the vessel and cargo seized by Stagg collected a mob and raised a tumult. It appears further that some of the citizens of Boston, apprehensive of serious consequences, made prisoners of the merchant and other strangers and carried them before Wiuthrop, who confined them under guard in a public house, and that the people of the town concerned in the affair were committed to prison. Stagg was next called to an account, but it was found that he had not transcended his authority. A great excitement was produced by the occurrence, and some of the ministers, participating in the common feeling, spoke harshly of Stagg in their sermons, and exhorted the magistrates to maintain the people's liberties, which they considered had been violated by his act. A part of the magistrates were of the opinion that the Bristol ship should be restored; but the majority expressed a different view of the case, and Stagg was allowed to retain his prize. But the merchants of Boston, who, it would seem, were owners of the cargo of fish, petitioned to be allowed to test the right of the captor to their MASSACHUSETTS AND ITS FISHERIES. 123 property by a suit at law. Their request was granted; yet when tbc governor, six other magis- trates, and the jury assembled they were induced to refer the decision of the whole matter to the court of admiralty. Thus terminated an affair which, at the moment, wore a very serious aspect, and threatened to involve (he government of Massachusetts in a controversy with their Puritan friends in England. "Concluding our account of the year 1044 with the remark that one ship built at Cambridge, and another built at Boston, sailed from the latter place for the Canaries with cargoes offish and pipe-staves, we come, in 1645, to the first voyage undertaken on the distant fishing grounds of Newfoundland. The projectors of the enterprise were merchants of Boston and Charlestowu, who, according to Winthrop, 'sent forth a ship and other vessels' to the Bay of Bulls. The efl'ects of the civil war between Charles and his people, felt, as we have just seen, in the capture of the Bristol ship in Boston, were disastrous even in those remote seas; for when these vessels had nearly completed their fares the ship and most of their fish were seized by a cruiser belonging to the King's party and retained, to the great loss of the merchants. " By an act of Massachusetts, in 1047, every householder was allowed ' free fishing and fowling' in any of the great ponds, bays, coves, and rivers, as far 'as the sea ebbs and flows,' in their respective towns, unless 'the freemen' or the general court 'had otherwise appropriated them.' By a law of the following year fishermen and others were forbidden to continue the practice of cutting fuel and limber, without license, on lauds owned by individuals or towns, though during the fishing season persons who belonged to the colony might still dry Iheir fish and use wood and timber necessary for their business on all such lands by making satisfaction to the proprietors. These laws were followed, in 1G52, by another, which provided for the appointment of sworn 'fish viewers' at 'every fishing place' within the jurisdiction, who were required to reject as unmer- chantable all 'sun burnt, salt burnt, and dry fish that hath been first pickled,' and whose foes on merchantable fish were fixed at one penny the quintal, 'to be paid one-half by the deliverer and the other half by the receiver.' ********* "To supply a circulating medium, Massachusetts, as early as 1052, commenced the coinage of the 'pine-tree' shilling pieces, at which Charles the Second was much displeased. The general court, in 1077, to appease him, ordered a present often barrels of cranberries, two hogsheads of samp, and three thousand codfish.' During the same year about twenty fishing vessels were captured by the Indians on the coast of Maine. Most of them were owned in Salem, and, having from three to six men each, could have made a successful resistance had they not been taken by surprise, or, as says Hubbard, had they not been 'a dull and heavy-moulded sort of people,' without 'either skill or courage to kill anything but fish.' In fact, some vessels did make a manful defense, lost a number of men killed, and carried home nineteen others wounded. A large vessel was immediately equipped by the merchants of Salem and dispatched to recapture their vessels and punish the captors. The Indians plundered the fishing ketches, abandoned them, and eluded their pursuers. "In 1092 Salem lost by removals about a quarter part of its whole population, in consequence of the trials for witchcraft. The world rings with the enormities of this delusion. It should wonder, rather, that witchcraft in America was so nearly confined to the fishing county of Essex, at a period when all England was peopled with witches and goblins, and when the venerable and devout Sir Matthew Hale doomed two women to be hanged for vexing with fits the child of a herring merchant! The prosperity of Salem was checked from other causes. In 1097 John Iligginson wrote his brother Nathaniel, that in 1089 he had obtained a comfortable estate, and was as much 124 GEOGRAPHICAL KEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. concerned in the fishing trade as most of his neighbors ; but that, in the course of the war (then soon to be terminated), he had met with considerable losses; that trade had much diminished; that of upwards of sixty fishing vessels owned in that town at the commencement of hostilities, only six remained; and that he believed no place in Massachusetts had suffered more by the war than Salem. "At the close of the century, as we learn from Neal, the merchants of Massachusetts exported about 100,000 quintals of dried codfish annually to Portugal, Spain, and Italy, of the value of $400,000; while from another source we are informed, that, disregarding the navigation act of England, a large contraband commerce was maintained by the merchants of Boston with most of Europe. * * * ** **** "In 1731 the fisheries of Massachusetts employed between five and six thousand men. Three years later a township in Maine was granted to sixty inhabitants of Marblehead, and a similar grant was made to citizens of Gloucester in 1735. Possibly many of the fishermen of these ancient towns held become weary of the hazards of the sea, and desired repose; but whatever the motives of the grantees of these lands, the perils and hardships of the forest a century ago were quite equal to those encountered upon the ocean, and such was their particular experience. "In 1711 the cod fishery was in a prosperous condition. The annual produce was about L'30,000 quintals, and the value of the quantity exported nearly $700,000. The average size of vessels was 50 tons; and of these, one hundred and sixty were owned in Marblehead alone. The whole number of fishing vessels in Massachusetts was not less than four hundred, besides an equal number of ketches, shallops, and undecked boats. "In the twenty years that succeeded there was a sensible decline, for which the causes were abundant. The emigrations to Maine just mentioned, from Marblehead and Gloucester, the settle- ments elsewhere in the eastern country by emigrants from Cape Cod, the depopulation and almost entire abandonment of Provincetown, the expedition against Louisbourg, the general events of the two wars that occurred during this period between France and England, in the calamities of which Massachusetts was deeply involved, the demand for fishermen to man privateers and to enter the naval ships of the crown, with several minor events, combined to injure the fisheries to a very considerable degree, and at times, indeed, to render attention to them nearly impossible. After the peace of 176), maritime enterprises were again undertaken with spirit and success, and the fishing-towns shared in the general prosperity. But the controversies that produced civil war, and finally a dismemberment of the British empire, had already commenced, and soon disturbed every branch of industry. The fisheries suifered first, and at the shedding of blood were suspended. ********* "Omitting notice of the acts of Parliament which do not relate specially to the subject before us, the first law to claim our attention was passed in 1733. This act, by imposing duties on rum, molasses, and sugar imported into the colonies from any West India islands other than British, was designed to break up an extensive and valuable trade with the French, Dutch, and Spanish islands, where those products of the plantations were exchanged for fish. It is said that previous to the commencement of the trade to these islands molasses was thrown away by the planters, and that this article which is now so extensively used in food was first saved and put into casks to be brought to New England to be distilled into rum. Certain it is that on the passage of the act of 1733 the people of the northern colonies insisted that unless they could continue to sell fish to the planters of the foreign islands, and to import molasses from thence to be manufactured into spirit for domestic consumption and for trade with the Indians, they could not prosecute the MASSACHUSETTS AND ITS FISUEIUES. 125 fisheries without ruinous losses. The penalty for violating the act was the forfeiture of vessel and cargo. Yet New England never submitted, though a fleet was sent to enforce obedience; and the interdicted trade with the French, Dutch, and Spanish islands did not cease until a late period of the controversy which terminated iu the Revolution. In fact, therefore, a measure which threat- ened to ruin the cod fishery of New England produced, as I incline to believe, no serious injury to it for quite thirty years. "But in 17(>4 the act was renewed, and the collection of the duties it imposed on ruin, molasses, and sugar was attempted by the officers of the crown in a manner to create the most anxious con- cern; for the jurisdiction of the admiralty courts was enlarged, and the people were deprived of the trial by jury in all cases arising between them and the Government under this law and the trade and navigation laws generally. "•The most alarming discontents followed the collisions and quarrels which constantly occurred between ship-master and merchants on the one hand and the officers of the customs on the other in various parts of New England, and especially in Boston, Salem, Gloucester, Falmouth (now Portland, Maine), and elsewhere iu Massachusetts; and the impression became general among commercial men that their business and property were both to be sacrificed to appease the clamors of the planters of the British islands, and to test the ability of the mother country to 'raise a revenue in America' under the 'sugar and molasses acts,' as this odious law was called in the politics of the day. "Meantime the southern colonies ridiculed the madness or folly of their northern brethren in resisting taxation upon so homely a commodity as molasses, and made themselves merry over the accounts of the quarrels of the Yankees for cheap ' sweetening.'' "In truth, the South, from first to last, never seemed to understand or appreciate the North upon this question, and forbore to come to the rescue for years after the leading men of Massachu- setts had wasted their energies in endeavors to induce the ministry to abandon a policy so ruinous to Northern industry. The ' petty dealers in codfish and molasses' struggled long and manfully, but without success. "The State papers of Massachusetts contain the most earnest remonstrances against the 'sugar and molasses acts.' In the answer of the council and house of representatives to the speech of the governor, in November, 1764, it is said that 'our pickled fish wholly, and a great part of our codfish, are only fit for the West India market. The British islands cannot take off one-third of the quantity caught; the other two-tliir3, Mr. Reuben Sears, of Harwich, invented covers for salt-vats, to move on slaves, or small wheels, as in ships' blocks. Five years later, Mr. Hattil Kelley, of Dennis, constructed a new kind of vat and a new method of moving the covers. Various changes were made by different persons subsequently; and the manufacture of salt from sea-water, by solar evaporation, became extensive, and at times profitable. Capt. John Sears was assisted in the improvements in his works by Captain William, Capt. Christopher Crowell, and by Capt. Edward Sears, of Dennis. They resigned to him whatever claim they might have had for their aid; and in 171K) he obtained a patent from the Government. His right was, however, disputed by others, who asserted that he made no 'new discovery.' "In 1802 the number of salt-works in the county of Harnstable, Massachusetts, was 13C, containing 121,313 feet. These works were estimated to produce annually salt of the value, of f-!l,700. The business increased rapidly; and in 1832 the number of feet of salt-works in the same county was 1,425,000; the quantity of salt manufactured, 358,250 bushels. The reduction of the duty on the foreign article and other causes produced a great change in the value of this description of property. In 1834 the manufacture was ruinously depressed ; and salt-works, which for many years previously had been considered valuable, as affording a certain income, could hardly be sold at prices above the cost of the materials used in constructing them." 128 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. cents per quintal on dried and 5 cents per barrel on pickled fish exported, in lieu of a drawback of the duties on imported salt used in the cure, and imposed a duty of 50 cents per quintal on imported fish. Bounties were doubled. In 1792 the bounty on dried and pickled fish, exported, was discon- tinued and a specific allowance granted to vessels employed in the cod fishery. Sabine says: "Boats between 5 and 20 tons were entitled to receive $1 per ton annually; those between 20 and 30 tons, 50 cents additional; and to those more than 30 tons, the allowance was fixed at $2.50 per ton ; but no vessel could receive more than $170 in one season. By a subsequent act the same year, those several rates were increased one-fifth, to commence in January, 1793, to continue seven years, and thence to the end of the next session of Congress. " Still further to encourage the prosecution of the fisheries, an act of 1793 authorized the collectors of customs to grant vessels duly licensed permits ' to touch and trade at any foreign port or place,' and under such documents to procure salt and other necessary outfits without being sub- jected to the payment of duties. This act, which is still [ 1853J in force, has proved extremely beneficial to our fishing vessels in certain emergencies ; but it may be admitted that its privileges are liable to be abused. Four years later, the system of allowances to vessels employed in the cod fishery was revised. Under the law then passed, the smallest class were entitled to draw from the treasury $1.60 per ton annually; and vessels of upward of 20 tons, $2.40 the ton; while the maximum was increased to $272. A second revision occurred in th&year 1800, which effected some changes in details, but which provided for the continuance of the rates of allowance then fixed until March, 1811. "President Jefferson, in his message to Congress in 1802, spoke of 'fostering our fisheries as nurseries of navigation, and for the nurture of man,' as among 'the landmarks by which we were to be guided in all our proceedings ;' and made further allusion to the subject in his annual communication of the following year. His remarks, in the second message, were referred to a committee of Congress, who, in their report, said that there was too much reason to believe that both the whale and cod fisheries had been for some time on the decline, and that it was more than doubtful whether the United States employed as many men and tons in these branches of industry as when they were colonies or previous to the Revolution. As a means to reanimate them, they recommended that ships and vessels actually and exclusively employed in these fisheries should not, in future, be subject to the payment of the tonnage-duty levied on other vessc Is ; that fisher- men and other persons actually employed in catching whales and fish should le exempt from the usual charge of hospital money; and that the bounty or allowance under existing laws should be paid in cases of shipwreck or loss of vessels without deduction. ********* "The embargo and other restrictive measures which preceded the war of 1812 produced the most disastrous results in New England. In 1808, and during the existence of the prohibitory acts, a number of citizens of Boston petitioned Congress for liberty to export a quantity of pickled and dried fish in their warehouses, and liable to rot or decay if kept during the summer months. But the Government declined interference, and property of this description was allowed to perish in most of the fishing towns, to the utter ruin of many of its owners. These losses were followed by others; and as the results of the policy of our own rulers, as well as the seizure and confiscation of cargoes of fish in ports of Europe under the memorable decrees of Napoleon, the distresses of all classes of persons engaged in the catching and curing the products of the sea became in the end general and alarming." After the war of 1812, further efforts were made 5 250 15 570 2 500 Cod . . - 6 495 070 20 000 100 Cnsk - ... 14 040 98 Eels . .. 1 500 150, 000 2 050 Haddock 10, 347 300 137 G19 Hake 443 160 9 (J39 Halibut . . . 8 836 716 309 9S5 1 200 000 16 000 9 2'6 00 J 1°° 706 Pollock 415 123 1 CGI 200 30 Shad .. . 3"5 1C Smelts 1 000 25 150 5 Swordfish 99 630 9 989 Tauto"1 . . . . ''SO 9 Mixed fish Total 44 048 606 797 099 MASSACHUSETTS: GLOUCESTER DISTRICT. 139 Detailed statement of the quantities and ralurs of the products — Continued. Products specified. Pounds, fresh. Pounds, prepared. Bulk. Value prepared. Dry fish. Cod 102,313 COO 37 850, 000 $1, 521, 727 Cusk 582 CCO 291 330 10 438 Haddock 2, 250, 900 S55 344 23, 09 1 Hake . 5, 986, 000 ' 694 765 57, 398 Pollock 2, £81, 760 1 152 704 21,396 Total 114 014 020 4' 850 143 1 634 103 Pickled fith. Cod 31 500 15 750 394 2 750 000 2 200 000 33 000 23,415 000 15 610 000 448 788 105, 000 CO 000 1 950 Mixed fish . 18,000 12,000 300 25, 000 20 000 soo 62, 500 50 000 1 875 Total 26,407,000 17, 967, 730 487, 107 Smoked fish. Halibut '. 5, 000, 000 1, 250, 000 100, 000 Shell fish. 285,510 10, 468 Clams: 18 078 bushels 9 039 8 'SI bushels 2 955 . Total " 4C'"> Miscellaneous. Squid 4 800 Fish oil (4 IS 3 000 tons .. 19,500 3 200 barrels 10, 400 Fish sounds (dried) 116 500 63, 000 15 000 °50 2 520 gallons 1 000 Total 184 300 STATISTICS FOE GLOUCESTER DISTRICT, 1S69-1S7G.— The following statistics of the fisheries of this district for the years 1869 to 1876 are compiled from the annual reports of the customs col- lector of the district to the United States Bureau of Statistics: Value, of the products of the fisheries of the district of Gloucester for the years 1869 to 1876. Tears. Codfish, cured ( quintals ot 112 pounds). Mackerel, cured (barrels of 200 pounds). Herring, cured (barrels o f 200 pounds). Other fish (quintals of 112 pounds). Fresh fish. Fish oil. Shell fish. Ma- nure. All other prod- ucts. Total value of all prod- ucts. Quantity. 6 1 | A I 1 Quantity. d i > Quantity. i 2 Quantity. 1 Quantity. 1 | » 1 6 1 dj 1 I860.... 1870.... 1871.--. Quin. 250, OOfl 240, 000 320, 000 Dolls. 1, 350, 000 1, 680, 000 1, 440, 000 Sbl». 90, 000 98, 000 104, 000 Dolle. 1,350,000 1,372,000 1, 040, 000 SUs. 40, 000 12, 000 15, 000 Dolls. 160, 000 72, 000 52, 300 Quin. 25, 000 30,000 35, 000 Dolls. 09, 000 90, 000 70, COO Lbs. 8, 000, 000 7, 500, 000 8, 250, 000 Dolls. 240, 000 375, 000 250,000 Galls. 140, 000 135, 000 180, 000 Dolls. 120, 000 94, 500 108, 000 Dolls. 25, 000 20, 000 18,000 Dolls. 15, 000 15, 000 20,000 Dolls. Dolls. 06,00? 3,002,500 6,000 3,724,500 8,000 3,006,500 1872... 384,000 2,016,000 71,075 781, 825 10, 000 45, 000 25, OCO 37, 500j 8, 000, 000 250,000 225,000 129, 000^20, 000 23, 000 6133, 000 3,437,325 1873 .. 1874.... 460,000 2,070,000 475,000 2,375,000 86, 544 120,000 1, 125, 000 1, 200, 000 5, 000 23, 000 10, 000 40, 000 25, 000 50, 000 30, 000 75, 000 9, COO, 000 11, 000, 000 310, 000 450, 000 275, 000 300, 000 165, 000 18, 000 25, OCO 171,00o'l5,0002l, 000 15,000 3,801,000 C75, 000 4,425,000 1875.... 451, 100 2, 508, 000 52, 783 581,00038,000 153,000 41, 000 123, 000^2, 000, 000 816,000 300.0001 141,00010,00024,000 d268, 000 4,624,000 1876... 425, «00 2,295,000 98, 800 838, 000 30,000 127,500 40,000 120,OOOJ11,000,000 745, 000 273,000' 132,000 10, 000 25,000 e285, 000 4,627,500 a Includes $2,000 worth of oysters. <• Includes 1, OCO, 000 pounds salt halibut, $55,000. 6 Includes 2,540,000 pounds fresh herring, $125,000. d Includes 2,600,000 pounds smoked halibut, $260,000. e Includes 2.750,000 pounds smoked halibut, $275 COO. 140 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHEEIES. Statement showing tlie number of mm employed and the number and tonnage of vessels engaged in the fisheries of the district of Gloucester for the years 1869 to 1876. Years. Vessels employed. Men employed. Tonnage. 1809 Number. 510 Number. 0,120 Tom. 24 891 1870 507 6 084 25 318 1871 . 491 5 900 04 904 1872 452 5,500 22, 092 1873 . . 385 5 000 21 083 1874 40C 5,200 21,267 1875 . 397 5,100 21, 537 1876 417 5,300 22, 775 59. THE FISHEEIES OF ESSEX AND EOCKPORT. ESSEX. — Essex is situated 25 miles north-northeast of Boston, on the Essex Branch of the Eastern Railroad. It joins Gloucester on the east and Manchester on the south. The town was organized in 1819, when it became separate from Ipswich, which now bounds it on the north. The. population of Essex in 1840 was 1,450; in 1880 about 1,800. The place is not favorably located for fishing either from vessels or boats, as it possesses no harbor. The Essex River is a narrow stream that runs from the village to Ipswich Bay, a distance of 2 or 3 miles, and has sufficient depth of water at high tide to float the largest fishing schooners from the ship-yards to the sea. The principal industry of the people is ship-building, upwards of 1,200 of the best fishiug vessels in the New England fleet having been built here during the past fifty years. In the early history of vessel building the woodlands in the vicinity afforded most of the material needed, but at present the lumber is brought from all parts of the country. There are several saw-mills, black- smith shops, and a spar-yard connected with the ship-yards, and a considerable number of anchor stocks and fish boxes are annually made in the town. The only factory in the district of Gloucester for the manufacture of fishing-lines is located at Essex. The business was established in 1830, when hemp lines were used in the fisheries, but since 1845 cotton lines have taken the place of those made from hemp. The lines are tarred by steam, a process begun at Newburyport in 1875, prior to which time they were prepared in tar heated by fire. The production of the factory amounts to about $30,000 annually, all of which is sold at Gloucester for use principally in the deep-sea fisheries. The value of the buildings and machinery is about $4,000, and the number of men employed is six. Clam-digging was formerly a profitable industry in this town, the extensive flats bordering the river affording an abundance of these bivalves. Mr. Moses Knowlton states that about 1830 upwards of two hundred men and boys were employed in digging clams, and that from 1860 to 18G4 there were annually shipped from this place 3,000 barrels of shelled clams, most of which were used for bait in the cod fisheries, and sold at $13 per barrel. Since 18G5 they have been used more largely for food. During the year 1879 only ten men were constantly employed in clam- digging, though at the height of the season, which lasted from October to May, there were some- times seventy-five men and boys engaged in digging and shucking the clams. The production for the year was 11,500 bushels of clams in the shell, valued at $4,500 to the diggers. Of this quan- tity 9,000 bushels were shipped in the shell to Boston, Salem, and Marblehead; the remainder wero shelled and sold in Gloucester, Rockport, and other places. Clams in the shell are worth MASSACHUSETTS: GLOUCESTEB DISTRICT. 141 about 40 cents a bushel, while shucked they sell at $4.50 a barrel. If the shelled clams are for use as bait in the fisheries they are corned, using a peck of salt to a barrel of clams. Some of the fishing vessels built in Essex retain their ownership here, and, although fitting and landing their catch in Gloucester, are recorded as Essex vessels. In 1879 there were two such vessels; tonnage, 15C.91 tons; original cost, $11,000; present value, 89,500; number of crew, 30; gross stock for the year, $2,840. They were both engaged in the Bay of Saint Lawrence mackerel fishery, and brought home 050 barrels of mackerel. EOCKPORT. — Eockport is on the eastern extremity of Cape Ann, 30 miles from Boston, and is the terminus of the Gloucester branch of the Eastern Eailroad. It is small in area, covering only 3 miles from north to south and li miles from east to west, while the coast line, because of numer- ous indentations, is 8 miles long. It is bounded by Gloucester on the west, and by the ocean on the cast, north, and south, and is composed of two villages, situated a mile apart, and known as Sandy Bay and Pigeon Cove. These were a part of the town of Gloucester until 1840, when they were unitedly incorporated into a town under the name of Eockport. A stretch of land extending into the harbor is known as Bear's Neck. Here are located numerous small fish-houses, where hun- dreds of men were formerly employed in handling the catch of the many shore-boats that once sailed from here. Except for a few months in the year, Bear's Neck now appears like a deserted village. In the town are scores of veteran boat-fishermen who in earlier years found abundance of fish off this rocky shore. Most of the fishing is now carried on in large boats or vessels on more distant grounds. Thatcher's Island, upon which are built the twin lights, often called Cape Ann lights, belongs to Eockport, and is well known to navigators. The light-houses are but a short distance apart, and are very tall, so that the lights can be seen for a long distance at sea. The town is built on a rocky headland, and from the summit the ocean view is grand. At Pigeon Cove there is a large number of handsome cottages, and the place is a favorite seaside resort. In 1879 the fishery industries of Eockport, including vessel, boat, and lobster fisheries, and the manufacture of isinglass, were valued at $182,830, employing four hundred and sixty men and a capital of $100,100. The shore-boat fishery in 1879 employed eighty-nine boats and one hundred and twenty-two men, and the weight of fish taken was about 2,500,000 pounds. The active fishing fleet of vessels comprised twenty-three sail, measuring 737.23 tons, valued, with their gear and outfit, at $70,450, and manned by one hundred and ninety-one men. Of this fleet, three vessels were engaged in the mackerel fishery, seven in the cod and mackerel fisheries, thirteen in the cod fishery, and one in the menhaden fishery. One of the cod vessels was engaged also in the winter haddock fishery. The production of the fleet in 1879 was 0,404 barrels mackerel, 939,000 pounds salt fish, and 1,130,000 pounds fresh fish. In the winter season a considerable share of the catch of cod by the Ipswich Bay fleet is landed at Eockport and shipped fresh to Boston. This business bids fair to add new enterprise to the fishing industry of the town. Besides the active fleet, there were four fishing vessels idle throughout the year. These meas- ured 113.50 tons and were valued at $3,500. They were all employed in fishing during the year 1880. The lobster fishery gives employment to thirty men, and the number of lobsters taken in 1879 was 48,750, valued at $2,437. The number of dories in the business was nineteen, and the number of lobster pots five hundred. These pots are set along the shore and hauled daily. The bait used is generally fish heads and sculpins. 142 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. At Milk Island, and at other points off the shore, floating traps are set for the capture princi- pally of herring and mackerel. This is a recent and not extensive fishery in this region, only one trap producing any amount in 1879, the other two that Avere set proving failures because of hostile opposition to this mode of fishing. The value of the traps was $1,500; number of men employed, eight; and value of the fish taken, $1,800. The town possesses facilities for the quick distribution of fresh fish, being at the terminus of the railroad by which the fish are shipped to Boston and other places. There are five firms engaged in curing and packing fish, about two-thirds of their business consisting of salt fish that are mostly sold to Gloucester firms; the remaining third of their business is in fresh fish, principally cod and haddock. Three vessels, measuring 1G0.81 tons, and valued at $2,900, are employed in freighting fish and salt between Eockport, Gloucester, and other places. Eockport has the honor of first producing isinglass from hake sounds, which is now in great demand by the brewers all over the country. A small factory was erected here and this industry started as early as 1821 or 1822, though the business was limited until about 1870, when large factories were erected and the manufacture largely increased. The first method of making the isinglass was to reduce the sounds to a pulp by grinding and then press the mass between large wooden rollers. The rollers were at first turned by hand, then horse-power was employed, and from time to time other improvements have been introduced. The rollers are now made of iron, being hollow cylinders through which cold water is allowed to pass to prevent the pulp from sticking to them, and are turned by steam. At present the sounds of codfish, weakfish, and various imported species are used in connection with hake sounds. In 1879 there was only one factory in operation in Eockport, though there were several in other parts of the State. Another business related to this is the manufacture of glue from salt fish skins. These two industries in 1879 represented about $50,000 capital and a product valued at $64,000. The number of persons employed was forty. In the fall of 1880 some Boston parties came to Eockport and started a new isinglass factory. From the rocks along the shores a considerable quantity of Irish moss is annually gathered. During 1879 three men from Scituate, Mass., secured here $300 worth of that article. Seaweed is gathered by the farmers for fertilizing purposes. The cotton factory in the town was for many years busily employed in the manufacture of canvas for sails and tents. Since the first settlement of the villages in 1G95, when a grant of land was made to John Babson "to sett up fishing upon," Eockport has depended largely upon the fisheries for the sup- port of the inhabitants. The absence of a suitable harbor for the accommodation of larger craft led the people to engage in shore or boat fishing rather than to send vessels to the offshore banks, and this branch of the fisheries has continued the favorite occupation of the people, though within thirty years the business has greatly decreased. A few Bank schooners and a considerable fleet of small craft being owned here in 1743, a wharf was built for their safety, and in 1746 another one was constructed. As they were made on the outside of logs, filled up with stones, they went to pieces in a few years. In 1810 a corporation was formed, called the Sandy Bay Pier Company, for the purpose of constructing an artificial harbor, which was accomplished at an expense of $30,000. At the North Village or Pigeon Cove a breakwater and pier were built in 1831 which cost $25,000. According to the State census of 1865 the principal industry of the town, like that of Glou- cester, was the fishing business. We find that Eockport, in that year, employed in the cod and mackerel fisheries, thirty-seven vessels, aggregating 1,386 tons, and manned by 343 men. MASSACHUSETTS: GLOUCESTER DISTRICT. GO. GLOUCESTER AND ITS FISHERY INDUSTRIES. GENERAL DESCRIPTION.— Gloucester, the chief fishing port of the United States, is situated on Cape Ann, about 30 miles northeast of Boston. The harbor is one of the largest and safest on the whole coast, and is admirably adapted for carrying on an extensive maritime business. By railroad and by steam and sailing vessels, it is connected with all parts of the country, giving facilities for the rapid distribution of the products of the fisheries. Its line of sea-coast, exclusive of Rockport, with its 8 miles of shore, begins at Essex, on the north side of Cape Ann, and extends around to Manchester on the south side, a distance of 30 miles if measured from headland to headland, and if its frontage on the harbor and other indentations is included the entire coast line is over 50 miles in extent. The business portion of the city, commonly called "the harbor," has several outlying settle- ments, among which is Aunisquam, situated on Ipswich Bay, and having a small harbor, once the headquarters of a fleet of some fifty sail of fishing-vessels. Here are the ruins of wharves and buildings that were formerly the scene of a thriving business which is now transferred to the more capacious harbor on the other side of the cape. The Annisquam River, familiarly known as the 'Squam River, extends from Ipswich Bay to within a short distance of Gloucester Harbor, with which it is connected by a canal not much used except by pleasure boats, though large enough to admit the passage of good-sized vessels. In the river in the vicinity of Wheeler's Point and Riverdale are quite extensive clam beds, worked by some ninety men. On the opposite side of the 'Squam River is West Gloucester, known as West Parish. Some clams are dug here, and from the woods are cut many saplings, from which are made scrub-brooms and trawl buoy-staffs used in the fisheries. Adjoining Annisquam on the north side of the cape are the villages of Bay View, Lauesville, and Folly Cove, having a bold rocky shore, with no natural harbors. These places are the homes of a hardy set of boat fishermen, who find considerable profit in the capture of lobsters and all varieties of shore fish. At both Bay View and Lanesville breakwaters have been built, making small harbors, used principally for the shelter of stone sloops, that are constantly employed in transporting granite from the extensive quarries situated here. A few small-sized fishing-vessels and numerous boats used in the shore fisheries also find shelter in these artificial basins. At Folly Cove the boats are hauled high up on the rocks on inclined platforms, where they are safe from the dashing waves. The style of boat mostly used here is a large dory, partly decked and fitted specially for sailing rather than for rowing. The village of Magnolia, well known as a summer resort, and having a small fishery, lies to the westward of Gloucester Harbor. Off this shore is Kettle Island, where two or three floating fish-traps are set during the summer months. Returning to the harbor, we mention Norman's Woe, on the western side, at the entrance of the outer harbor. This is the spot made historic by Longfellow's poem, " The Wreck of the Hesperus." On the opposite side of the harbor is East- ern Point, a long and narrow projection, which keeps off much of the force of the winds and waves. A breakwater is greatly needed to protect the coasting and fishing fleets from storms that occa- sionally drive in here with great fury, and have caused the loss of numerous vessels. The inner harbor around which the wharves are built, is separated from the outer harbor by Ten Pound Island, which partly protects it from storms and makes it a good anchorage for the fleet of several hundred sail of fishing vessels. With the exception of the granite quarries, there is no important industry carried on in Glouces- ter that is not dependent upon the fisheries. The prosperity of the place fluctuates according to 144 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. Ibc scarcity or abundance of fish. There has been a steady growth iu population from 7,786 in 1850, to 19,329 in ISSO.(a) The valuation of the place, as shown by the assessors returns, was $1,035,787 in 1850, and $9,015,602 in 1877. In 1879, owing to severe losses by storms and the general depression of the fishing industry, the valuation had decreased to $8,022,023, but since 1879 an increased demand for fish, and a good catch has caused an increase to $8,977,559 valuation in 1881. The general appearance of the city .from a distance is quite inviting as it rises from the water's edge to hills of considerable size, upon which are many handsome residences. Were it not for the narrow, unpaved streets, with few sidewalks, the place would be far more attractive. There are many substantial public buildings including a fine eity hall, several churches, and commodious school houses, while in the business part of the city arc buildings well adapted to the fishing indus- try. The wharves are eighty-nine in number, seventy-four being used in the fisheries and the rest for coal and other purposes. They are well built, and have at high tide a sufficient depth of water to float large ships, a number of which annually visit the place with cargoes of salt. Close by the wharves and upon them are flake yards, where thousands of quintals of fish are daily spread to dry. Large sheds are seen on every wharf where arc stowed hogsheads of fish iu pickle or piles (a) Valuation and population of Gloucester from 1845 to 1881. Tear. Tax for $1,000. Number polls. Valuation. Personal property. Heal estate. Assessed Popula- tion. 1845 $9 80 1448 $1 15° 3°2 $11 273 00 1846 10 00 1499 1 300 265 13 00° 17 1847 9 00 1480 1 441 "15 15 189 60 1848 9 00 1519 1 541 549 16 152 44 1849 7 50 1591 1 G05 113 14 41° 85 1850 11 50 2134 1 635 787 18 811 55 7 786 1851 12 20 2026 1 705 OJ5 20 954 8° 1852 9 50 1792 2 373 488 24 967 26 1853 9 50 18G1 9 697 430 98 068 26 1834 9 00 1803 3 272 593 30 937 00 1855 10 00 1904 3 304 394 34 967 87 8 935 1856 9 60 1987 3,720 536 36 907 CO 1857 11 00 1994 3,727 214 4° 120 00 1858 9 00 2016 3 780 785 37 359 13 1850 11 50 2157 4 051 °65 43 457 00 1860 9 50 2640 4, 332, 740 44 157 10 10 904 1861 9 50 2635 4,111 304 43 Oil 20 1862 12 00 9494 4 0"! 033 53 939 33 1863 13 00 9509 4 053 397 57 698 15 1864 17 50 2499 3, 036 387 73 887 67 18C5 22 00 2464 4, 859 348 111 833 C9 11 938 1800 15 00 ''731 5 375 656 £6 C96 84 1867 19 00 2774 6, 511, 754 1"9 271 39 18G8 £0 00 3094 0, 7U7, 382 140 340 47 1869 22 00 3030 6 993 533 161 170 83 1870 20 05 3100 7, 187, 407 $3 110 493 $t 070 614 !.">:; :>:;r, <}<> 15 397 1871 20 05 34 % 7, 487, 255 3 030 695 4 430 500 100 480 73 1872 19 00 4117 7, 899, 276 o 942 834 4 956 442 158 303 67 1873 20 00 3531 7,711,006 •2 710 080 4 994 110 161 283 20 1874 21 00 3390 «, 472, 329 3 031 308 5 441 0°1 184 C99 11 1875 ... 19 00 3907 9, 238, 265 3 443 455 5 794 810 183 341 £3 16 754 1876 18 00 3907 9, 380, 948 3 4''] 548 5 059 400 170 791 07 1877 18 00 4106 9, 615, 602 3 452 122 6 1C3, 480 181,292 84 1878 .... 18 00 4128 9, 077, 744 3 101 839 5 975 905 171, 655 39 1879 17 00 3678 8, 022 6:3 9 616 238 5 406 383 142 563 63 1880 22 00 3493 8, 101, 150 2, 624, 380 5, 476, 770 185,211 30 19, 329 1881 18 00 3664 8, 977, 559 2 996, 749 5, 960, 810 168,924 07 MASSACHUSETTS: GLOUCESTER DISTRICT. 145 of the diy fish ready for market. At the head of the wharves are the offices and stores of the outfitters. Along the water front are also many large buildings where boneless fish, mackerel, and all varieties of fish products are made ready for sale. There are in the city numerous buildings used in the manufacture and repair of boats, anchors, nets, sails, rigging, and all kinds of equip- ment for the fleet. Six marine railways afford facilities for hauling up and repairing the vessels. Two factories are constantly active in the preparation of copper paint, which is commonly used on the vessels' bottoms. On the outskirts of the city are buildings devoted to the manufacture of fish glue from the refuse of the boneless-fish factories. . Those shore industries which cannot be strictly termed fishing industries, as boat and vessel building, sail-making, rigging, net-making, coopering, painting, and smithing, give employment to five hundred forty-one men and have an invested capital of about $400,000. The shore industries which are directly fishing industries, as the curing and packing of fish, handling of fresh fish, manufacture of cod oil, and other fish products, employ about seven hundred men and have an invested capital of about $1,500,000. The fishing year begins with the fitting away of the George's-men in January, when a hundred sail of stout and able craft are thoroughly equipped for a stormy season on those dangerous banks. In March the southern mackerel fleet as also the Western Bank cod fleet start on their voyages and are soon followed by the Grand Bank cod fleet. The fresh halibut vessels continue their arduous work throughout the year, only a few of them lying by for a brief period in the winter months. The fishing for mackerel in the Gulf of Maine begins in June upon the arrival home of the southern fleet, and is continued without interruption until November, when the winter haddock fishing com- mences and continues until the following April. In October the Grand and Western Bank cod fleet Lave all arrived home, and such of the vessels as are unfit for winter work are hauled up into winter quarters. In December a fleet of staunch vessels are equipped for the frozen-herring trade with Eastport and Newfoundland, those visiting the latter place being well prepared for storms on an icy coast. In this month begins also the shore fishery for cod in Ipswich Bay employing the smaller vessels of the fleet. The same vessel is often, in the course of the year, employed iu several branches of the fisheries, commencing the season's work by fishing for cod, changing later to the mackerel fishery, and closing with the haddock fishery or the frozen-herring trade. VESSEL-FITTERS AND FISHERMEN.— Most of the vessels are owned by the fitters, who run fleets of from two to twenty sail. The number of fitting firms is forty -two. These firms are owners or part owners of three hundred and seventeen schooners, which they fit out. The balance of the fleet is owned principally by the masters of the vessels, and have no regular place of fitting. Owners are expected to equip their vessels for fishing and to provision them for a cruise whether it be for a trip of a few days or six months. The common method of sharing the receipts is to subtract from the gross receipts the expense for bait, ice, and some other expenses called stock charges. The amount left is the net receipts, one-half of which belongs to the vessel owners and the other half to the crew. From the crew's half there is deducted some expenses charged to them, as for water and medicine. The balance is then divided among the men, either in equal shares or in proportion to each man's catch of fish. The captain receives an equal share with the crew and an additional percentage or commission from the vessel owners. The cook has a share with the crew and an extra amount paid by the crew, beside some perquisites. George's-men share according to the fish caught, each man cutting out the tongues of the fish as he takes them. The tongues are counted and a record kept by the captain. The best man is "high line," and the poorest or most unlucky fisherman is " low line." In the haddock fishery the fitting out and sharing is on a different basis — what is called " quarters " or " fifths." In this case the owners furnish the vessel with all her sailing 10 GBP 146 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. equipments and receive one-fourth or one-fifth of the receipts after the charges for wharfage and tonnage have been deducted; the crew pay for fishing-gear, dories, bait, ice, and provisions, and share equally in the balance. In the Grand Bank cod fishery and the Greenland halibut fishery part of the crew are sometimes hired by the mouth and have no personal share in the catch. In the frozen-herring trade the men are all hired. This cannot be called a fishery on the part of the Gloucester vessels, since the fish are all purchased. The old method of settling with the crews in the cod-fishery vessels was to wait perhaps four or five months until the fish were cured and sold. A certain amount was charged for the expense of curing, and each man received a share in the crew's half of the net receipts. This method is still practiced at Cape Cod and at some other places in New England, but at Gloucester the voyage is at once settled, often on the same day the vessel arrives, or as soon as the fish are weighed off. Salt codfish are bought from the vessel at so much a hundredweight, usually about 60 or 75 per cent, of the value of dry cod. Mackerel are bought at so much per 200 pounds in fishermen's order, called selling "out of pickle," or they are packed and inspected and the crew paid their share after deducting from $1.50 to $2 per barrel for the expense of packing, which includes the cost of the barrel, salt, and labor. The average annual amount realized by each fisherman is not over $300; those who are expert sometimes make double that amount, while many average less than $200 a year. A large proportion of the Gloucester fishermen are foreigners, including many nationalities, British Provincials largely predominating, though there are many Swedes and Portuguese, and some Danes, Frenchmen, Irishmen, Scotchmen, and Englishmen. As a class they cannot be called economical, though many are prudent and save enough in a few years to buy part or the whole of a vessel. It is very gratifying to note that the number of vessels owned by the fishermen themselves is rapidly increasing, and that the deposits of money by fishermen in the savings bank is far in excess of what it was a few years ago. A good many fishermen, especially masters of vessels, own the houses in which they live. A great deal is said about the disorderly conduct of fisheimeu while ashore. The city marshal of Gloucester, in a recent report on the public order of the place, says: "In this regard this city will not suffer by comparison with any other of equal size in the com- monwealth. It is certainly a fact of which our citizens may well feel proud, that no city or large town in the State has a better criminal record than the city of Gloucester. In no one of them has there been so few crimes committed, and none where the class of crime has been of a lighter char- acter. When it is considered that during much of the year numbers of our population consist of persons who have no permanent interests here, and come from all quarters of the world, it must be admitted that this is saying much; and no fact could be stated to prove more clearly the gen- eral regard of our people for public order, good morals, and law." The vessels are insured on a mutual plan in an organization styled the Gloucester Mutual Fishing Insurance Company. At the close of each fishing year tLe shareholders in the company are called together to reorganize and adjust the losses of the year just past. Each vessel owner holds shares enough to cover the value of his vessel or fleet, a regular rate of premium being charged for insurance, depending somewhat on the kind of fishery in which a vessel is engaged and the season of the year. Out of the gross premiums the losses are paid, and if the premiums be not sufficient to pay these losses an assessment is made on each shareholder. THE TRADE IN PISH. — The fishing business on shore, at Gloucester, is divided into several branches, including the trade in fresh fish, dry and pickled fish, smoked fish, boneless fish, oil and guano, sounds, and fish glue. The fisheries are divided into the shore boat fishery and various vessel-fisheries for the capture of mackerel, haddock, and fresh halibut, the Grand Bank. Western MASSACHUSETTS: GLOUCESTER DISTRICT. 147 Banks, George's, ami shore cod fisheries, the Greenland halibut fishery, and the bait-fisheries for herring, squid, and menhaden. THE TBADE IN FEESH FISH. — Some fish have always been sold in a fresh condition, though it is only about twenty years since any great quantities have been distributed direct from Gloucester. Vessels belonging to this port generally took their catch to Boston, instead of landing it here. About I860 a few freighters found considerable profit in buying fresh fish from the vessels, as they arrived from the Banks, and taking them to Boston. In this way time was saved to the fishermen and some profit realized by Gloucester dealers. Ice had been in use in the vessels ior some fifteen years prior to that date, but very little had been done in packing fish in ice for transportation over the country until the year I860. At that time Mr. William H Oakes and Mr. Seth Stockbridge, of Gloucester, were induced by some Boston dealers to try the experiment of shipping fresh fish from Gloucester to Boston and New York, packed with ice in old sugar-boxes. The experiment was entirely successful, and a profitable business soon developed, so that a large part of the shore catch ol haddock and the catch of halibut by the George's Bank vessels were sent in this way by rail or steamer to Boston and other places. At the present time almost the entire catch of the fresh halibut fleet, that of the boat-fisheries, and part of the catch of the haddock fleet is distributed direct from Gloucester to all parts of New England, and as far west as Chicago and Omaha. Boston remains the headquarters for the trade in fresh haddock, and most of the Gloucester vessels in that fishery go there for a market. The fresh-fish business is carried on by several companies, who own wharves and sheds with all the conveniences for quickly packing the fish. Part of the capital of the companies is supplied by Boston and New York dealers. The total quantity of fresh fish annually landed at this port and sent away in ice is from 13,000,000 to 16,000,000 pounds, the greater part of which is halibut. In 1879 the quantity of fresh halibut landed was 11,336,000 pounds. It was mostly brought here from the deep waters of the offshore banks by the fleet of some fifty vessels employed in that fishery. Part of the receipts of this fish is from the George's cod vessels, which usually take from a few hundred to some 4,000 or 5,OCO pounds of halibut, which are iced and brought home with the salt codfish. Codfish taken by the shore boats are shipped fresh whenever the demand will warrant, though much of the catch of these boats is sold to the splitters and dried. About 2,000,000 pounds of fresh cod and haddock are annually sent in ice from Gloucester. Fresh mackerel are sent from here in considerable quan- tities, though most of the Gloucester vessels in the fresh-mackerel fishery take their catch direct to Boston. There is considerable competition between the several fresh fish companies, whose agents board the vessels as they enter the harbor and make offers for the trip. A very spirited auction often occurs on the vessel's deck before the anchors are dropped. As soon as possible after a purchase has been effected, the vessel is hauled to the company's wharf and the cargo taken out by the crew, assisted by the company's men. The fish are at once weighed, cleaned, and packed in boxes holding from 300 to 450 pounds of fish, with sufficient crushed ice to insure their preservation. In the case of halibut, the heads are taken off and sold to the oil makers, while codfish heads are generally carted back into the country to be used for guano. The boxes of fish are carted to the railway station and loaded in special cars chartered by the companies. It is nothing uncommon for a trip of 75,000 pounds of halibut to be taken from a vessel, weighed, packed, and loaded on the cars within a few hours in one forenoon, and by the next morning to be marketed in New York and Philadelphia. The retail trade in fish is very small, there being only three fish-markets and four or five "fish- 148 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. carts" for -the sale of fish, lobsters, and clams. The grocery stores keep but a small amount of cured fish on band. A large amount of fresh and salt fish is consumed without being sold. It is a common practice among the fishermen and men who work at the packing stands to take to their homes a sample of the delicious fish for wbich they have toiled so faithfully; and these samples amount to a great deal in the aggregate. While on fishing trips, men who have familes lo support often cure a lot of fish, which they carry to their homes on their arrival, to be used by the family during the winter. The men cure and use in this way as much as three or four hundred weight each during a year. THE TRADE IN DKY AND PICKLED FISH. — This industry is carried on principally by the firms that own the vessels, though there are several "outside" establishments which have a large trade. At the wharves where the fish are landed are flake yards and sheds for curing and packing. Pickled fish, before they are sold outside the State, must be inspected and branded according to law. One of the firm dealing in this article is usually a deputy inspector, who is thus able to inspect and brand his own fish. " Boneless fish " is the trade name for cured cod or other fish divested of skin and bones and cut in pieces from 3 to 8 inches in length for convenience in packing. This business was begun in Gloucester in 1869, when a limited quantity of the lower grades of cod and hake were packed in soap boxes and peddled in Boston. The article soon met with a ready sale, and in a few years the packing of fish in this manner began rapidly to increase, so that in 1875 upwards of half a million pounds of boneless fish were prepared in Gloucester alone. From 1875 to 1879 the business made very rapid strides, nearly doubling itself in two years, so that in 1879 about 14,000,000 pounds were shipped from Gloucester to all parts of the United States. A shipment of boneless fish was made to Alaska in 1879, and this industry has since been started in that territory. There are twenty establishments in Gloucester in this business, employing 224 men and 16 women. "When this method of packing fish began, men were paid $1 per hundredweight for its preparation, but competition has since reduced wages to 25 and 40 cents per hundredweight, according to quality, so that the average wages of the "skinner" is now about $1.75 per day, though expert workmen sometimes make $4.50 to $5 per day. One quintal of dried fish will make 89 pounds of boneless, thus leaving 21.9 per cent, waste in skin and bone. The method employed in the preparation of this product is described elsewhere. The fish are packed in boxes containing from 5 to 70 or 100 pounds each, and large quantities are put up in 200 or 400 pound boxes, to be repacked in smaller packages in other cities. The manufacture of boxes for boneless fish has grown into an important industry employing a large number of persons in various parts of New England. In Gloucester there are two factories, with $10,000 capital, engaged in the business of nailing box-shooks together and in printing the ends with various brands. The average-sized box used in Gloucester for boneless fish contains 35 pounds, and upwards of 300,000 such boxes were used here in 1879. The preparation of " desiccated fish," so called, was carried on at Gloucester for about two years prior to 1870, during which time about 500,000 pounds of salt codfish were distributed over the country under this trade name. The article was prepared by stripping the skin and bones from salt cod and then grinding the solid substance into a fibrous mass. As the product absorbed moisture it soon spoiled and proved a failure. During the year 1880, a factory was established at Gloucester by New York parties for the manufacture of "evaporated fresh codfish." Little was done beyond experimenting as to the best methods of production. The process is a simple one and bids fair to prove a success. Fresh codfish are cleared of skin, bones, and all refuse substances and the solid flesh is subjected to heat MASSACHUSETTS: GLOUCESTER DISTKICT. 149 in large tiu pans, when the substance separates into a fine fibrous mass and at the same time gives up all its moisture, so that the dry fish in a flaky state may be packed in paper boxes and shipped to all parts of the world, it being claimed by the inventor that it will keep for any length of time in any climate. Use is made of the refuse skin and bones in the manufacture of fish-glue and guano. Mackerel are packed in barrels, half-barrels, and smaller wooden packages, also in 3 and 5-pound tin cans. As received from the vessel, the fish are not sufficiently salted, neither are they packed carefully enough to insure their preservation. They are therefore emptied from the barrels as they come from the vessel, and after being weighed, are culled into various legal grades and packed in barrels, with new salt, and the barrel filled with pickle. After being properly branded, they are ready for sale. The principal market for these fish is in the West, though large quantities are sold throughout New England. THE TRADE IN SMOKED HALIBUT. — Gloucester is the headquarters for the manufacture and trade in smoked halibut. The usual annual production of the smoke-houses is about 2,000,001) pounds, but in 1879 only 1,250,000 pounds, valued at $100,000, were made. In 1880, the amount was still less, because of the comparatively small catch of the halibut vessels. There are two firms that own large smoke-houses and do the greater part of the business, while three other firms, with small establishments, have a limited trade. The halibut to be smoked are either received in salt flitches from the bankers and Greenland vessels, or they are bought from the fresh fish com- panies as landed from the fresh halibut vessels. Such fish as are not of suitable quality or fresh- ness to send to market, are sold to the smokers and make about as good smoked fish as the best halibut. At some seasons of the year, when the demand for fresh fish is greatest, very few fresh halibut go to the smokers. Most of the smoking is done in the fall and winter. The history of this business dates back to about 1840, when a small quantity of halibut was smoked in a house on the outskirts of Gloucester. In 1855, the quantity smoked was only 400,000 pounds, and it was not until about I860 to 1865 that the business assumed any great pro- portions. At that time, some 3,000,000 pounds was the annual product. In 1870, the quantity made was 2,7oO,000 pounds. There are several grades of smoked halibut, the principal kinds being known as George's, Shore, and Greenland. The last named is generally considered the best quality, and could be sold in great quantities if the fishery were more extensive. Some Gloucester smoked halibut were sent to Europe a few years ago, but no trade developed there. A small lot was exhibited at Berlin in 1880, for which the makers were awarded a medal. THE UTILIZATION OF FISH SKINS. — Within a few years, there has been produced and invented by Gloucester parties, an article of fish-glue that bids fair to have a very extensive sale. It is made from the skins of dried cusk and codfish, the refuse of the boneless fish factories. Prior to 1876, this refuse, consisting of skins and bones, was considered worthless and was thrown away outside the harbor. The fertilizing properties found in it, and its value for making glue, has created such a demand that instead of throwing it away it was worth about $6 per ton in 1870, and is constantly advancing. Fish-glue is made from the salt skins by desalting and cooking them, when the crude glue is obtained, which is chemically treated and prepared in several qualities. The general process for makiug this fish-glue is to desalt the skins by soaking in large vats of spring water. They are then steamed or cooked in tanks, when the crude glue is drained off and subjected to a patent process for evaporating the moisture. The thickened glue is then chemically treated, to prevent decomposition and to adapt it to various uses. It has found a ready sale and 150 GEOGEAPHICAL REVIEW OP THE FISHERIES. is used as mucilage, as cement for broken crockery or wood work, in the manufacture of furniture, carriages, straw goods, floor oil cloths, and in many other ways. Fish skins have been put to some other uses than the manufacture of glue or guano. The skins of cusk have been made into boots at Gloucester and the article patented, but it is doubt- ful whether the business will ever become profitable. Dogfish skins being rough like sand-paper or emery paper have been used by the fishermen to shine their mackerel jigs. In all parts of the world, experiments have been made with skins of different kinds of fish and they have been put to a variety of uses. Some very good looking gloves were made at Berlin in 1880, from the skins of cusk and codfish sent from Gloucester. THE FISH-OIL INDUSTRY. — Fish oils are prepared at Gloucester from the livers of cod, hake, haddock, pollock, and dogfish, and from the heads of halibut. There are five fish-oil makers here with a capital of $105,300 and employing 50 men. The value of the product of these factories, in the census year, was $129,100. On the cod- vessels fishing on the Grand and Western Banks, it is the common custom to have some large casks called "blubber butts" lashed upon deck just forward of the cabin. In the bilge of each cask is cut a square hole through which the livers are dropped into the cask and allowed to remain, until by the heat of the sun they are putrefied. The oil that exudes and floats upon the surface is skimtned off and stowed in barrels while the mass of refuse blubber is allowed to remain until the vessel arrives home, when it is boiled to extract the oil that may remain. George's-men and shore cod fishermen save the livers in a fresh condition and sell them direct to the oil mer- chants at so much a bucket or gallon. An average quantity of livers for 100,000 pounds of split fish is 450 gallons, valued at from 10 to 15 cents per gallon, according to their freshness. A bucket of cod livers, holding about 2J gallons, yields 1 gallon of medicinal oil, valued, when refined, at about 70 cents a gallon. In manufacturing medicinal oil, the livers are chopped up in small pieces, and then cooked by steam in tanks. The oil thus cooked out is put in 5-gallon cans and, packed in a large trough with ice and salt, is allowed to remain for about twelve hours to chill and granulate. The granulated oil is then quite thick, and is put in bags and sub- mitted to a heavy pressure. Oil produced by this pressing is "bright," and will not congeal at 30° temperature. What is left in the bags is a sort of tallow, and is used by tanners, being sold at about 6 cents a pound. The oil weighs about 7£ pounds to a gallon, and varies in value according to the demand, ranging from 50 to 75 cents per gallon. After the oil is taken from the cooking tanks, a brownish substance remains, that is used in the manufacture of fertilizers. The principal oil manufacturer in Gloucester annually makes from 1,000 to 1,500 barrels of medicinal or cod liver oil, which is sent to all parts of the United States. The practice of chopping the livers has been in use but a few years, and it is claimed that more oil can thus be obtained from a quantity of livers than was formerly obtained by cooking them whole. Tanner's oil is made from the crude oil and blubber brought home by the Grand and Western bankers, and from livers that are not fresh enough for making medicinal oil. It is worth from 40 to 50 cents per gallon. The livers of dogfish and sharks are specially rich in quantity of oil, and these fish are some- times taken for the sake of their livers, the bodies being cast aside as of no value. Dogfish are oftentimes very abundant in the spring of the year, when considerable quantities are taken by the shore fishermen, as well as by vessels on George's Banks, though by the fishermen who are in search of cod the dogfish are counted as annoying as thieves, stealing not only bait from their hooks, but the fish as well. George's-men are therefore not at all anxious to meet schools of dogfish, and frequently change their fishing ground at the approach of these scavengers. MASSACHUSETTS: GLOUCESTER DISTRICT. 151 Gloucester fishermen have never made a business of capturing sharks, though when large ones are accidentally taken on the lines the liver is generally saved for the oil, a large specimen of the ground or sleeper shark (Somniosits microcrplialm} yielding many gallons of oil. Besides cod, hake, and dogfish oil, a large amount is annually made from the heads of halibut. This business began in Gloucester about 1870, and is principally in the hands of two concerns, which consume annually about 1,000,000 pounds of halibut heads. A limited number of these heads were formerly salted for food, but the use of them for that purpose is now abandoned. Not only the heads cut from the fresh fish, but also the backbones and other refuse of halibut obtained from the smoking establishments are utilized for the production of oil. The process of manufact- ure is simple. The entire lot of refuse heads and bones are thrown together in a large tank and there treated with steam until thoroughly boiled. They are next placed in an open cylinder, and by means of an hydraulic press the oil is crushed out and refined for curriers' use or mixed with whale oil for various uses. The quantity of oil obtained from a ton of halibut heads is about forty gallons. From the scrap left after the oil is pressed out, a valuable use is made by manufacturers of fertilizers. Herring, and also the heads and bones of fresh codfish, are used to a limited extent by the oil-makers. Occasional schools of black-fish are driven ashore on the north side of the cape and their heads and blubber sold to the oil factories. In 1879 about one hundred of these fish were captured at 'Sqnam and Coffin's beach. In the spring of 1880 several drift whales were towed into Gloucester Harbor and two of them were stripped of their blubber, which was "tried out" for the oil. Very little menhaden oil has been made in Gloucester since 1878. Previous to that date men- haden were abundant north of Cape Cod, and a considerable quantity was brought to Gloucester to be ground up for oil and gnauo. The principal use made of menhaden by Gloucester fishermen has been for bait, and great quantities were once annually consumed by the mackerel and George's fleets. "When mackerel arc very plenty inshore, as in the spring of 1880, there is sometimes an over abundance of small fish, which are cf no use except to be ground up for guano and oil. A factory has been built in Gloucester for canning fresh mackerel and herring, and many fish that were once thrown away or used only for guano now find a ready sale at this cannery. FISH SOUNDS AND SPAWN. — Cod and hake sounds are used in the manufacture of ribbon- isinglass. Several firms buy these sounds of the fishermen, paying so much a pound for them pickled in barrels. The sounds are washed, cleaned, dried, and sold to the isinglass-makers. In 1879 the Gloucester fishermen saved enough of these sounds to weigh 110,500 pounds in the dry condition, and valued at $03,600. Hake sounds are worth more than twice or three times as much as the sounds of cod, the latter being mixed with the former in the production of an inferior quality of isinglass. Hake sounds have been saved for the pas* fifty or sixty years, though in no great quantities except during the past ten years, while cod sounds were not saved at all prior to about 1870. The practice of saving the spawn of fish as a commercial product, was begun, by the Gloucester fishermen, about the year 1808, and has continued ever since, the demand for the article varying somewhat from year to year. The principal use of the spawn is for sardine bait, for which purpose it is exported to France, where there is an annual consumption of about 50,000 barrels, of which 40,000 barrels are Norwegian cod roe, and 10,000 barrels French and American roe. During the season commencing November, 1879, and ending April, 1880, Gloucester fishing vessels brought 152 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. home 3,200 barrels of roe, principally cod and pollock, valued at about $11,000. This was salted in barrels, and shipped to New York for exportation to France. The quantity of spawn saved by the fishermen is limited only by the demand. Thousands of barrels of cod, haddock, halibut, pollock, and herring spawn might be brought to market if a sufficient price could be received for it. A great part of the spawn is brought to port by the George's-men in the spring of the year. It is salted in barrels on board the vessels, and upon being landed is resalted in butts or hogsheads, then taken out, drained, and packed in ordinary fish barrels. The fishermen received, during 1879, from $1.50 to $2 per barrel for spawn, without the barrel. The dealers sold it to the exporters for $3.75 to $4 per barrel, including the barrel. THE MACKEREL FISHERY. — The mackerel fishery is perhaps the most important of any single fishery carried on at Gloucester. It employs from eighty to one hundred and fifty sail of vessels, and the annual catch is from 100,000 to 200,000 barrels. In 1879 the fleet numbered eighty-five sail that landed at Gloucester and other ports about 120,000 barrels of mackerel, including some 25,000 barrels of fresh fish sold at New York and Boston. It was formerly a hook-and line fishery, but now the entire Gloucester fleet is fitted with purse-seines. The fishing grounds are from the capes of Virginia to the Bay of Fundy. A few years ago a large part of the fleet fished in the Bay of Saint Lawrence, but that ground has been abandoned and the fishery carried on only off the American coast. In the months of March and April the Southern fleet leave home, and, fishing off the coasts of New Jersey and Delaware, market their catch fresh in New York. As the fish move northward and eastward the fleet follow them and continue their capture as long as they can be found. In the latter part of June the Southern fleet becomes a Northern fleet, fishing in the Gulf of Maine, and is largely increased in numbers. By the last of July the fish have become much fatter and more valuable than earlier in the season. From this time until the close of the fishery in November the catch is mostly salted in barrels. The improved methods of capture now in use enable an equal number of men to take many times more mackerel in a given period lhan were secured tinder the old methods. A single Gloucester vessel has been known to take over 1,000,000 pounds of fresh mackerel in a season. In 1880 the schooner Edward E. Webster, Capt. Solomon Jacobs, captured and lauded 1,300 barrels of fresh mackerel and 2,600 barrels of pickled, which were sold for $ 1 9,745. Three or four hundred barrels of these fish are sometimes taken and salted in as many days by a single vessel. So dili- gently do the crews labor that when a big catch has been made they will often keep at work for forty consecutive hours without sleep. Mackerel as they are landed in barrels from the vessels are called sea packed, and before they can be sent out of the State must be culled into grades, and inspected and branded under the laws of the State. In Gloucester a portion of the catch is sold out of pickle, or by the 200 pounds in fishermen's order. When thus sold the trip can be settled at once and the crew receive their share of the stock. The more general method of settling with the men has been to have the fish packed and inspected and charge each man a certain amount, from $1.50 to ?2 per barrel, for the expense of packing, including cost of barrels, salt, and labor. Owners of vessels supply provisions, salt, gear, and barrels for the trip, but the crew are finally obliged to bear half the cost of the* barrels and the salt for packing. Mackerel have always been more or less abundant in Massachusetts Bay. Governor Win- throp saw quantities of them off Cape Ann in 1030. The colonies made regulations concerning the capture of these fish, but the industry was confined principally to towns on the south side of the bay, and little was done at Gloucester in this fishery until after this year 1800. Small fishing boats occasionally took a few fresh mackerel to Boston for a market, and some were salted, though the MASSACHUSETTS: GLOUCESTER DISTRICT. 153 entire quantity inspected in Gloucester prior to 1812 was only 1,171 barrels. An inspector was appointed for this place in 180S, but he Lad little to do until about 1820, when the great abun- dance of mackerel then in Boston Bay induced the fishermen to actively engage in their capture. Most of the vessels packed out their catch in Boston, and Gloucester had but a small share in the inspection until 1828, -when 34,203 barrels we:e inspected here. In 1830 this port had a tonnage of 9,C43 tons employed in the fishery, and caught 51,613 barrels of mackerel entirely off the American shore. In 1831 mackerel were so plenty off Cape Ann that the fishermen, for several days together, are said to have been employed all day in catching them and all night in splitting and salting. This was one of the most prosperous years in the history of the fishery, and the catch of the Massachusetts fleet was about 383,000 barrels. Gloucester's share of this catch, with a fleet of vessels measuring about 10,000 tons, was G9,759 barrels, all caught off the American shore. From 1831 to 1839 the mackerel business of Gloucester amounted to about 40,000 barrels annually. In 1840 the catch was only 10,241 barrels, and in each of the two following years it was less than 9,000 barrels. From 1842 to 1854 the average tonnage employed by Gloucester in this fishery was 20,000 tons, and the annual catch increased to an average of 40,000 barrels. In 1851 there were 241 vessels, measuring 13,639 tons, and manned by 2,326 men and boys. In 1830 Gloucester mackerel vessels first began to visit the Bay of Saint Lawrence, and during the years 1854 to 18G6, the period of reciprocity, a very prosperous fishery was developed in those waters. Several hundred vessels annually fitted out at Gloucester and caught large quantities of mackerel, many thousand barrels of which were shipped home in Provincial vessels, thus enabling the vessels to take two or more fares. The method of fishing was by hook and line, and enormous quantities of bait was thrown overboard to attract the fish alongside the vessel. Each vessel carried as many as 75 barrels of menhaden slivers that were chopped up for bait. From 1854 to 1859, the first five years of reciprocity, the catch in the Bay of Saint Lawrence was not up to the average of some previous years, but the continual application of American enterprise and the use of large quantities of bait rendered the fishery more productive than it had ever been before. The reciprocity treaty closed in 1866, and American vessels were forbidden the privilege pre- viously granted of fishing inshore, unless they were provided with a license for which 50 cents per ton was charged. This tax was gradually increased to $2 per ton, and the consequence was that American vessels began to abandon the bay and fished in greater numbers off the coast of the United States. By the same methods used to develop the mackerel fisheries in British waters, Americans now increased the value of the fishery on our own shore, so that in 1870 the catch of the Massachusetts fleet on our coast was about 300,000 barrels, the largest since the year 1831. The share of tte Gloucester fleet in this catch was 110,000 barrels. For a few years after the abolishment of the license system in the Bay of Saint Lawrence, American vessels were much annoyed in those waters, and several were seized and condemned by the British for alleged illegal fishing. The treaty of Washington, made in 1873, gave to Americans the privilege of again engaging in the Bay of Saint Lawrence fishery without fear of cruising too near the shore. The general adop- tion of the purse seine by the American fleet kept more vessels on our owu shore, since the seine could not be used to good advantage in the Bay. The number of vessels visiting the bay conse- quently decreased until in 1879 the Gloucester fleet numbered only about twenty-five sail, and in 1881 only one or two vessels went there, and their voyages were very unprofitable. The number of arrivals of mackerel vessels at Gloucester in 1877 was 86 from the Bay of Saint 154 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OP THE FISHERIES. Lawrence and 692 from the American shore; in 1878, 113 from the bay and 280 from the shore; in 1879, about 30 from the bay and 250 from the shore. In 1880 the mackerel industry of Gloucester employed 175 vessels and about 2,500 men; the number of fares landed was 724, and the catch was 135,794 barrels. The largest quantity of mackerel inspected in this port in any one year was 164,938 barrels in 1864. In each of the years from 1862 to 1867, in 1870 and 1871, and in 18SO, the amount inspected here was over 100,000 barrels. The year 1879 was a very poor one, the inspection returns crediting Gloucester with only 48,643 barrels. The total quantity of mackerel taken by Gloucester fishermen in that year was about 25,000 of fresh and 95,000 barrels pickled. The fresh and a large part of the pickled fish were sold in Sew York, Boston, Portland, and other places most convenient to the fish- ing grounds. The total quantity of mackerel inspected in Gloucester from 1808 to 1880 was about 3,500,000 barrels, or more than one-fourth of the entire number of barrels — about 12,120,000 — inspected in the whole State of Massachusetts in the same period. THE GEORGE'S COD FISHERY.— The fishery for cod on George's Bank is one of the most impor- tant as well as most dangerous of all the fisheries carried on at Gloucester. The best season for its prosecution is in the spring, when immense schools of very large and fine fish visit this bank. The George's fleet numbers about one hundred sail of staunch schooners rigged specially for this fishery. Each vessel carries a crew numbering usually ten or eleven men. They fish entirely with hand-lines from the vessel's deck, the rail being marked off in spaces, and each man is assigned a space separated from his neighbor by wooden pegs some six or eight inches high, called "soldiers," which serve as guides in hauling in the lines that are drawn out away from the vessel's side by the current, which is at times very strong. The bait used is frozen herring, as long as they can be bought; then, as the season advances, alewives, herring, menhaden, or mackerel are taken, being purchased of trap or net fishermen along the coast. Much time is lost to the fleet in searching for bait. The vessels start out from Gloucester early in February, and make their trips of from two to three weeks' duration. They keep at this work throughout the spring and summer, meeting with less success during the warm months, and late in the fall they usually haul up for two or three months before beginning another season. Some of the fleet make as many as thirteen or fourteen trips during the year, while others follow this fishery but a short time and then join the mackerel fleet. During the summer the George's-men find better fishing in the South Channel, on Brown's Bank, off Cape Negro, or in the Bay of Fundy, than on George's. The catch of this fleet is principally cod of superior quality that have a national reputation, and bring the highest price of any cod in the market. They are usually split and salted on the vessel, though occasional cargoes are brought home round, to be split on shore. In earlier years more fish were brought home round than at present, and it is claimed by the fishermen that the present method of splitting nearly all the catch on the fishing grounds and throwing the gurry overboard has a tendency to drive the fish away. Each man receives a share in the profits of a trip according to the number of fish he catches, the tongues being cut out of the fish as they are caught, and saved to be counted each night by the captain, who keeps the record of each man's catch. Any halibut that may be taken are marked by the fortunate catcher. A greater or less quantity of halibut is taken on each trip, ranging from a few hundred weight to four or five thou- sand pounds. Besides cod and halibut, which comprise most of the catch on George's, a quan- tity of pollock, haddock, and cusk are taken, which, when weighed off, are counted as scale-fish, and bring only about half as much as the large cod. A distinction is made between large and small MASSACHUSETTS: GLOUCESTER DISTRICT. 155 cod, those measuring not less than 27 inches from tip of nose to fork of tail being called large and others small. Nearly all the George's cod are pickle-cured, being resalted iu butts as soon as landed. After remaining in pickle until needed for sale, they are slightly dried, and are then ready to be cut up into boneless or for shipment whole. As recorded by the Cape Ann Advertiser, the catch of George's cod by Gloucester vessels was 186,758 quintals in 1875, 26,975,000 pounds in 1876, 23,755,000 pounds in 1877, 24,158,000 pounds in 1878, and 23,144,000 pounds in 1879. Tbe records of the United States Fish Commis- sion give the receipts as 30,249,580 pounds in 1880. The number of arrivals in 1880 was 1,393. In the first five of the above years the catch of George's cod was more than one-half of the entire catch of cod by Gloucester vessels on all the fishing banks, but in 1880 the catch of the Western and Grand Banks fleet reached larger proportions than in previous years, and thus reduced the relative importance of the George's fishery. The largest recorded codfish fare ever received from George's was 123,115 pounds round, with 862 pounds of halibut, by schooner S. R. Lane, Capt. Solomon Jacobs, in 1875. The vessel stocked on this trip $2,554, and the crew shared $90.81. The schooner Triton on one trip took 54,000 pounds of split and 30,000 pounds of round codfish, equal to about 111,000 pounds round, and 3,000 pounds of halibut. Several othtr vessels have brought home fares of over a hundred thousand pounds round. On five George's trips in a recent year the schooner Proctor Brothers took 21,544 codfish in number, weighing 171,000 pounds. Of her crew of eleven men, Mr. George Williamson was high line, taking 2,417 fish, while the low line caught 1,431. As early as the middle of the last century Marblehead fishing vessels were accustomed to visit George's Bank for cod, making one or two trips there in the summer or early fall. They did not anchor on the fishing grounds at that date, but drifted about. It does not appear that Gloucester vessels visited that bank until 1821, when the schooners Three Sisters, Eight Brothers, and Two Friends went there, but staid on the bank only one or two days, being afraid to anchor on account of the strong current. In 1830 the schooner Nautilus anchored on the bank and secured some halibut, and may be said to have inaugurated Gloucester's share in the George's fishery. The fishing for cod on this bank was of little importance until after the introduction of frozen herring from Newfoundland in 1856. These frozen herring arrived early in the winter and were found to be an excellent bait for the great schools of cod that visit George's at this season of the year. A very successful season was made on George's by Capt. Peter Sinclair in the winter and spring of 1859, and it was not long before large fleets of Gloucester vessels were engaged in this fishery. The George's fishing vessels were generally from 80 to 90 tons burden, and were manned by the bravest of the Cape Ann fishermen. The fleet fitted out immediately after the arrival of frozen herring from Newfoundland, early in January, and continued throughout the spring, as long as fish could be found. About 1867 the George's fleet became still larger because of the greater abundance of frozen herring at this time brought from New Brunswick as well as from Newfoundland. Among the most successful trips at this period was that of the schooner Montana which took 100,162 pounds on a fouiteeu days' voyage, and in two trips the same year landed 183,362 pounds, making a gross stock of $3,417.32. Other large fares were those of 99.338 pounds, by schooner Madame Roland, in 18C6; 100,575 pounds, by schooner William J. Dale, in 1868; and 102,075 pounds, by schooner Everett Stcele, in 1869. One of the most valuable George's codfish trips ever made was that of schooner Madame Roland in 1865, when $2,833.29 was stocked. THE COD FISHERY ON GRAND AND WESTERN BANKS. — The Grand and Western Banks fishery 156 GEOGEAPHICAL BE VIEW OF THE FISHERIES. was for many years almost abandoned by Gloucester fishermen, but about I860 it was begun anew, and now a fleet of from fifty to seventy or eighty sail of vessels visit those banks for the capture of cod, bringing homo from 12,000,000 to 20,000,000 pounds annually. The vessels that fish mostly on the Western Bank start out the earliest in the year, some of them in the month of March, and fish until about October, fishing part of the time on Banquereau and bringing home several fares. Those of the fleet that go to the Grand Bank usually make one or two Western Bank trips first and then start on a long trip to the Grand Bank. These vessels all fish with trawls and carry crews of fourteen men. The bait used is mostly fresh herring or alewivcs, though in the case of the Grand Bankers some squid are used. While on the Banks sea-gulls are sometimes used for bait, being called "shack bait". The men on these vessels share alike according to the catch of each dory. Two men mate in each dory and count the fish as they are thrown aboard the vessel. The fish are sold at so much a hundred-weight as they come from the vessel, and after being landed are usually washed and then either pickle-cured or keuch-cured, most of them being prepared in the former way. A few vessels are accustomed to fish on Banquereau with hand lines from dories, using salt clams for bait. The number of Gloucester vessels that fished in this way was formerly quite large; this method was abandoned a number of years ago, but in 1880 it was begun anew. Many vessels belonging to other ports catch very fair trips with salt clams, but Gloucester fishermen much prefer fresh bait. The fishery for cod on the Grrnd Bank was one of the most important in the early history of New England. For many years it was not extensively carried on from Gloucester, but was engaged in principally from Maiblehead and other fishing ports. Just after the Eevolutionary war about sixty Gloucester vessels made Grand Bank trips, but the number of these fishing vessels at this port rapidly declined, until in 1804 there were only about ten over 30 tons burden, most of the fleet having found more profitable employment in the foreign trade. In 1819 a company with $50,000 capital was organized for the purpose of reviving this fishery, and seven schooners were fitted out, but after operating for three years the enterprise proved unsuccessful and was abandoned. The act of Congress passed in 1819, granting bounty to vessels engaged in the cod fisheries, gave a stimi lus to the fisheries, so that by 1828 the fishing fleet of Gloucester numbered 154 schooners and C8 boats. A notable fare in the Bank fishery was that of the British schooner Keelso which arrived from the Grand IJank in October, 1880, with about 320,000 pounds codfish and 1,COO pounds of flitched halibut. In one season, from March 8 to October 15, the Gloucester schooner Josie M. Calderwood made five trips to the Western and Grand Banks, and landed 400,000 pounds of codfish and 55,000 pounds of halibut, making a stock of $10,475. In a single week in September, 1880, fifteen fares, aggregating 2,037,000 pounds of Bank codfish, were landed at Gloucester. From a fourteen weeks' trip in 1872 the schooner Ben Perley Poore landed 180,695 pounds cod and 10,597 pounds of halibut. The quantities of codfish taken by this fleet in several years past has been as follows: in 1870, 18,627,000 pounds; in 1877,16,865,000 pounds; in J878, 12,202,500 pounds; in 1879, 13,'.;47,000 pounds; in 1880, C62 fares, 16,796,000 pounds. The receipts from this fishery in 1880, including the catch of Provincial vessels landed at Gloucester, were 18,922,000 pounds. THE FRESH HALIBUT FISHEBY.— The fresh halibut fishery is almost entirely confined to Gloucester, and has been found very profitable, some vessels catching over $20,000 worth in a single year. In 1879 some sixty sail of vessels were at some time of the year engaged in this fishery, and about forty vessels pursued the business all the year; but in 1880 the number was MASSACHUSETTS: GLOUCESTER DISTRICT. 157 much smaller. The principal fishing grounds are on the edges of the offshore banks, in water from 100 to 400 fathoms deep. Occasional trips are made to the southward of the Newfoundland coast, in the vicinity of Ramea Islands, and one or two vessels have taken fares in the neighborhood of Anticosti Island, in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, but most of the fresh halibut brought to Gloucester in recent years has come from Grand, Saint Peter's, and Quereau Banks. The ves- sels all market their catch in Gloucester, two or three companies making a specialty of buying these fish and shipping them, boxed in ice, to New York, Chicago, and other points. In former years, halibut were very plenty on all the inshore and offshore banks, but were considered of little value until about 1845, when ice began to be used on the vessels. George's Banks were formerly visited by a large fleet of vessels that made a specialty of this fishery. The halibut vessels all use trawls, and for bait for the first set of the trawls they purchase herring or alewives of the net fishermen along the coast of Maine or at the Provinces. After the first set, BuflQcient waste fish are caught for bait. This fishery, especially in winter, is extremely dangerous, and many lives and vessels are annually lost. The largest fare of fresh halibut ever landed by a Gloucester vessel was 140,000 pounds, by the schooner G. P. Whitman, Capt. Jerome McDonald, in 1877. Several fares of over 100,000 pounds have been lauded by other vessels, among them one in 1875, of 126,566 pounds, by the schooner Chester R. Lawrence, Capt. Thomas Hodgdon. The greatest amount of money realized from a single trip was $5,361, by the schooner N. H. Phillips, Capt. William McDonald, in 1871. The quantity of fish taken was 47,650 pounds of halibut and 9,390 pounds of codfish, on a trip lasting five weeks. The usual length of a trip is from three to six weeks, though some have been made to the banks in about fourteen days. The first trip of a Gloucester halibut vessel to George's Bank was in the year 1830, by the schooner Nautilus, Capt. J. F. Wonson. This vessel sailed from Gloucester on March 5, and returned soon after with about 20 halibut. One of the next vessels to visit the bank was the Uomeo, Capt. Henry Pew, which brought home some 3,000 pounds of halibut, and sold at 3 cents a pound. In a few years the fleet was considerably increased in numbers, and George's halibut- fishing became a regular branch of industry that has been pursued with greater or less success ever since. In 1847 this fishery was of such importance that more than 3,000,000 pounds of halibut, worth over $70,000, were taken. This was about two years after they began to use ice on the ves- sels to preserve the fish. Some of the fleet had been fitted with wells, in which the halibut were brought home alive and peddled out one at a time. Prior to 1848 nearly all the fresh halibut had been marketed in Boston, but in that year a com- pany was organized in Gloucester for the purpose of diverting the trade here. The opening of railroad communication with Gloucester in 1846, afforded facilities for sending the fish to the New England markets, and it was hoped that Gloucester rather than Boston could control the trade. The enterprise proved unsuccessful, for the catch was far in excess of the demand. A stipulated price had been agreed upon between the company and the fishermen, which proved more than could be realized in the market, and after paying out some $45,000 the company was dissolved. The George's fishery for halibut continued to be successful as a separate fishery until these fish were found more abundant on other banks. Since 1876 halibut have been brought from George's in no great amount except by the vessels fitted for cod fishing, but the aggregate amount yearly landed by these vessels has been considerable, ranging from 1,000,000 to 3,000,000 pounds per year, against 7,000.000 to 14,000,000 pounds from the other banks. In the spring of 1876 the fleet began fishing in the deep water on the edge of George's Bank, and from that time the greater part of the catch has been from the deep water on the edge of 158 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. that and other banks. The relative quantities of fresh halibut taken by Gloucester vessels on George's in distinction from that caught on the Grand, Western, and other fishing banks, since 1875, is recorded as follows by the Cape Ann Advertiser: Tear. Georpe's Bank. Other banks. Total. 1875 Pounds. 2 462 364 Pounds. 7 248 413 Pounds. 9 710 777 1876 3 005 100 11 453 000 14 458 100 1877 1 814, 000 14 319 000 16 133 000 1878 524 100 10 914 500 11 438 600 1879 995 500 11 717 400 12 712 900 1880 1 125 450 7 940 000 9 065 450 In addition to the above quantities landed fresh, a large amount of salt or flitched halibut has been brought home and sold to the smoking establishments. THE GREENLAND HALIBUT FISHERY. — Since about 1870 a few Gloucester vessels have been accustomed to visit the west coast of Greenland in pursuit of halibut which are brought home salted in flitches to be smoked. This fleet has never numbered over six or eight sail, and in 1879 there were only three vessels — the schooners Bunker Hill, Herman Babson, and Mary E. The last-named vessel fished for a few weeks on the Flemish Cap, whence she sailed for Greenland. The fishing grounds have been off the village of Holsteinberg. In 1870 the schooner Caleb Eaton, Capt. John S. McQuinn, landed 177,300 pounds of flitches taken at Greenland, and stocked $20,000. THE WINTER HADDOCK FISHERY. — Gloucester is largely interested in the winter haddock fishery, supplying the Boston market annually with nearly 12,000/00 pounds of haddock that are sold fresh throughout New England and New York. This enormous catch of fish, which is about seven-eighths of the total quantity of haddock brought to Boston, is talren between November and April by a fleet of some fifty sail of first class craft, averaging CO tons burden, manned by nearly 600 men. During a recent season the fleet was unusually successful, for although numbering only thirty-eight sail, the average stock of the vessels was $6,000, and the total catch was 14,000,000 pounds of fish. The high line of the fleet landed nearly 600,000 pounds of fish, valued at $11,232, and captured 90,000 pounds in thirteen hours' fishing, on a single trip. Haddock vessels are of the best class, such as are employed in the mackerel and bank fisheries the balance of the year. They are equipped with dories and trawls, and provisioned for trips of from two or three days to a fortnight's duration. The catch is iced in the hold, and marketed as soon as a fair amount is secured. The fishing grounds are principally offshore, from 75 to 200 or 300 miles from port, on Cashe's, La Have, and George's Banks. Fifteen years ago, haddock were abundant inshore, so that smaller vessels could engage in the business, but now the fishery has become essentially an offshore one, requiring large and able craft to carry it on. Fishermen share differently in (his fishery from any other, going on what is called "fourths" or "fifths." The vessel, with anchors and sails, is furnished by the owners who receive one fourth or one-fifth of the net stock after the stock charges for wharfage and towage are deducted. The remaining three-fourths of the net stock is shared equally by the crew, who provide dories, fishing- gear, bait, ice, and provisions. The captain receives a commission or percentage from the owners in addition to an equal share with the crew. Prior to 1864 this fishery was confined chiefly to boats from the shore or to the smaller vessels. In that year, a schooner of 66 tons was fitted out for haddocking under Capt. Daniel Douglass, MASSACHUSETTS: GLOUCESTER DISTRICT. 159 which created quite a talk, and people laughed at the idea of sending so large a vessel after haddock. Notwithstanding the derision of his neighbors, Captain Douglass was very successful, securing some excellent fares which he sold at 75 cents per hundred fish. Other vessels from time to time entered this fishery, and as the demand for fresh haddock, and their value as a table fish have been constantly increasing, a greater number of large vessels have engaged in their capture until now the haddock fleet includes many of the best vessels of Gloucester. THE MENHADEN BAiT-FiSHEKY. — Gloucester vessels were formerly engaged in the menhaden fishery, and sold most of their catch to cod and mackerel vessels, to be used for bait. In 1873 some forty vessels owned here procured CO,OGO barrels of menhaden, that made 20,000 barrels of slivers, worth $80,000. In 1879 one vessel followed the fishery with no success, and in 1880 none attempted it. The failure of the menhaden to make their appearance on the coast of Maine and Massachu- setts since 1878 has proved a serious loss to the large oil factories on the coast of Maine, as well as to the fleet of fishing vessels that formerly obtained an ample supply of bait near home, but that are now compelled to spend several days and sometimes a week or more in search of bait along the coast. During the year 1879 it is estimated that each vessel engaged in the George's cod fishery lost two months' time in searching for bait. They sometimes cruised as far south as Greenport, Long Island, and as far east as Cape Sable, before bait could be procured. The menhaden vessels were known in Gloucester as the "seining" or "baiting" fleet. They sometimes anchored in the rivers and bought the menhaden whole of the net or weir fishermen, and slivered them on the vessel, salting the slivers in barrels. The method of slivering was very simple. With the head of the fish in his left hand and a knife in his right hand, the workman cut a slice from each side of the body, leaving the head, backbone, and tail to be thrown away. When not obtained by purchase, the menhaden were taken with purse-seines, in about the same manner as mackerel. THE SQUID BAIT-FISHERY. — The common squid (Loligo Pealii Les.), found along the south side of Cape Cod and in Vineyard Sound, has been used to some extent as bait by the Gloucester fisher- men. In 1877 Gloucester vessels began visiting these localities, and after procuring cargoes of squid took them to Saint Pierre, Newfoundland, where they were sold for bait to the French fishermen. The first vessel to engage in this business was the schooner Pescadore, Capt. Charles Dagle, in the spring of 1877. About 120 barrels of squid were obtained from the traps along the coast, and after being salted were taken to Saint Pierre. The venture proved a profitable one, and in 1878 the Siime vessel made another voyage, securing about 150 barrels. In 1879 a fleet of eight Gloucester vessels embarked in this new enterprise. The season proved an unprofitable one, squid being so scarce that the entire fleet procured only about 300 barrels. The most fortunate vessels, the schooner Crest of the Wave, Capt. James Melanson, and schooner Joseph Story, Capt. Charles Dagle, obtained each 75 barrels of squid, while the remaining six vessels, schooners Cadet, Capt. James Anderson; Piscataqua, Capt. Benjamin Cook; Lizzie J. Jones, Capt. Peter Thebadau; Massena, Capt. Daniel Norwood ; Bay State, Capt. Thomas Goodwin; and Carrie F.Butler, Capt. Theodore Parsons, secured only about 20 barrels apiece, and made losing voyages. Most of this fleet proceeded to Saint Pierre, where they sold their small cargoes and obtained small fares of squid by purchase at ports in New- foundland. Several of the vessels were fitted for netting the squid in Provincial waters, but were prevented by mobs from using the seines. The schooner Bay State encountered a mob at Saint Ann's and the Cadet at Aspee Bay. Both of these vessels, as also others of the fleet, afterwards purchased squid of the natives and sold them to French fishermen, thus in a measure preventing the total failure of their voyage. In 1880 two vessels, the schooners J. J. Clark and Joseph Story, went to Vineyard Sound, secured 447 barrels of squid, took them to Saint Pierre, and made profitable trips, afterwards buying squid at Cape Breton and selling them to the French. Two or three other 160 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. Gloucester vessels proceeded direct to Cape Breton and Newfoundland, where they purchased squid and sold their trips at Saint Pierre. All these vessels were desirous of seining instead of purchasing their squid in the Provinces, but the bitter opposition of the previous year deterred them from this method of getting cargoes. The season of squidding in Vineyard Sound is during the month of May and early in June, when the squid enter the traps and pounds with other fish, and arc thus secured. The vessels purchase them of the trap fishermen and salt them, either in bulk or in barrels, in the vessel's hold. In this condition they will keep good for a number of weeks, and, although not equal to the fresh squid of Newfoundland, they are considered a good bait by the French fishermen. Occasionally Gloucester vessels have taken cargoes of squid from Cape Breton direct to the Banks and peddled them out to the Frenchmen, but the more general custom has been to sell them at Saint Pierre. Great quantities of fresh squid are purchased at Newfoundland by American Grand Bank cod fishermen, and numerous outrages have been committed by the natives of that island upon our fishermen who have attempted to catch rather than purchase this bait. In the summer of 1880 the schooners Moro Castle and Victor of Gloucester were thus interfered with, and serious trouble avoided by the yielding of the American captains, who feared to stand for their rights in the face of so much opposition. Captain Naus, of the schooner Moro Castle, stated to the agent of the United States Fish Commission at Gloucester that his vessel had been on the Grand Bank cod fishing, and having exhausted the bait went to Newfoundland to procure a supply of squid. He anchored in Conception Bay, in Job or Devil Cove, on the afternoon of Wednesday, August 4, about a mile from the shore. That afternoon Captain Naus purchased of the natives 18,000 squid, at 60 cents per hundred, paying them $108. The next morning Captain Naus left the vessel in a dory to go in search of more bait, having learned that some could be procured at a neighboring cove. While absent he saw the mainsail of the schooner start, and knowing that something must be wrong, hurried back, and found his vessel surrounded by boats, and that some two or three hun- dred Newfoundlanders had boarded and taken possession of her. He ordered the intruders to leave the vessel, but they took no notice of him, and, being all alone, his crew, mostly Nova Scotians, having been frightened and taken refuge in the cabin and forecastle, he was without means of enforcing his orders. The natives were very threatening, and the captain feared for his life if he attempted unaided to regain control of the schooner. These men had come on board because some of the crew had been seen jigging for squid, although they had taken only ten or a dozen. The squid were plenty, and it would have been easy to have secured a sufficient supply for bait if the crew had been allowed their rights to free fishing without intimidation. The invaders had broken the anchor from bottom and put the schconer under mainsail and jib, and she was fast drifting towards the rocks. Seeing that there was danger of the vessel being wrecked, the invaders became frightened and hurriedly took their departure, and she was rescued from shipwreck with consider- able difficulty. Mr. Augustus Dower, one of the crew of the schooner Victor, reports that his vessel left Por- tugal Cove, Newfoundland, at seven o'clock on the morning of August 4, in search of bait. Having secured ice in Northern Bay, the vessel got under way and came to anchor at five o'clock in the afternoon about three-quarters of a mile from the shore in Job's Cove, Conception Bay. Squid were schooling around the vessel in large numbers, and the crew commenced fishing, all hands being busily employed in hauling them in as fast as possible. The natives, perceiving the situa- tion, got out their boats and soon surrounded the vessel, ordering them to take in their lines and desist from fishing. Captain Bowie remonstrated, claiming the right to fish without molestation, but it availed nothing, and the rioters threatened to cut the cable and allow the vessel to go MASSACHUSETTS: GLOUCESTER DISTEICT. 161 adrift unless their demand was complied with, using the most violent and threatening language. Yielding to the force of superior numbers, fishing was abandoned, after which one of the natives who had seemed reluctant in joining the mob was brutally beaten by his companions. One of the crew of the Victor reminded the mob of the fisheries articles of the Washington treaty, and of the award of $5,500,000, but they replied that they knew nothing about treaty or money. The scene was a very exciting one, most of the hostile Newfoundlanders roaring at the top of their voices and gesticulating wildly. The mob consisted of about, two hundred and fifty men in boats roughly made, averaging about 16 feet in length, a few being provided with one mast and sail, though the greater part were propelled by oars. The next morning the crew of the Victor resumed fishing, when they were again attacked, the natives brandishing their oars and striking at the captain and crew. Two of the crew were struck and slightly injured. Afterwards the mob boarded the vessel and ordered the crew to heave up the anchor. The wind being from the northwest, blowing on a lee shore, the anchor was hove up and the Victor went to Northern Bay, a distance of about C miles. The schooner Mattie, Captain Foster, of Beverly, was at the same place for bait, but got under way and left before an attack could be made upon her. Job's Cove, where this assault occurred, is surrounded by high laud, shaped like a quadrant, and as the wind was blowing on shore at the time, the cove affording no shelter, the vessels were in imminent danger of being wrecked if the mob carried out their threat of cutting the cables. Capt. Charles Martin, of schooner Martha C., reports that while fishing for squid at Low Point, Conception Bay, on Monday and Tuesday, August ^ and 3, having caught a considerable quantity with jigs, a party of Newfoundlanders came on board and endeavored to prevent their fishing. Captain Martin claimed the right to fish under the treaty, and the party departed without molesting him, leaving the crew engaged in fishing. On Sunday, August 29, while engaged in catching a few squid with jigs at Ophall Cove, Trinity Bay, at daylight, a party came off in a boat and ordered them to stop, threatening to drive the vessel out of the harbor if the crew persisted in fishing. The captain told them to try it if they dared, and kept on fishing, but was not further molested. Along the shores of Cape Ann a small quantity of squid are taken in the floating traps, but little, use is made of them, the number secured not being sufficient to render them specially valua- ble for bait. During the spring of 1881 squid were very abundant in Vineyard Sound. The two Gloucester squid vessels that visited the region secured 350,000 that were taken to Saint Pierrev and several George's-meu also procured some for bait. THE TRADE IN FROZEN HERRING. — A large business has been done during the winter season: for the past twenty-five years in the Newfoundland and New Brunswick frozen-herring trade. The Newfoundland branch of this business was inaugurated in the winter of 1854-'55 by a Gloucester fishing vessel that purchased at Newfoundland a partial cargo of frozen herring and sold them for bait to George's cod- fishermen. This new kind of bait was found to be just the thing needed by the fishermen, and a large demand was at once created for frozen herring. Its introduction among the George's-men gave new impetus to the winter cod fishery, and from that day to the present time frozen herring has been almost the only bait used at Gloucester in the winter fisheries. In 1865 a similar business was begun on the coast of New Brunswick, in the vicinity of Saint Andrews and Grand Manan. As trading at New Brunswick was attended with much less expense than in making the longer trips to Newfoundland, that region became the principal trading place ot the frozen-herring fleet. The vessels bound for Newfoundland generally leave Gloucester in November, and take out an assorted cargo suited for trade with the native fishermen from whom the herring are purchased. 11 G R F 1 62 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. In some cases the crews have taken seines for the purpose of themselves capturing the herring. Sometimes the natives have been hired to take the fish with the American seines rather than with their own rude gear. About the middle of January these vessels arrive at Gloucester, and sell the herring for bait, or else proceed to New York or Boston, where there is a demand for these fish as food. The New Brunswick trade now has its headquarters at Eastport, Me., near the herring grounds. Instead of taking out general cargoes for trade, vessels in this business go from Gloucester to East- port in ballast or empty, and purchase the herring from the catchers either directly or through an agent who is sent out from Gloucester for this purpose. The business can be carried on only during cold weather, and must be abandoned in March or the early part of April. The cargoes are stowed in bulk in the vessel's hold, and sometimes the cabin is also filled full, large vessels bringing Lome from 300,000 to 500,000 herring at a time. The crews on the vessels are small, numbering from three to seven men, or just enough to navigate the vessel and care for the cargo. All the men are hired by the month, and have no special share iu the venture. In the chapter on the fish- eries the frozen-herring business is fully discussed in all its phases, and need not be further men- tioned here. It was in this trade at Newfoundland that the Fortune Bay outrages occurred a few •winters ago. The business gives employment to from thirty to fifty sail of vessels that might otherwise be unemployed during the winter, and has proved very profitable to those engaged in it. As it is a trade rather than a fishery, the statistics of product and capital are not included iu the census report. During the year 1880 there arrived at Gloucester 19,587,000 frozen herring, valued at about $100,000. Nearly all of these came from the vicinity of Grand Manan, New Brunswick, and East- port, Me. Of this great number of herring, 11,742,000 were sold at Gloucester to the fishing vessels for bait, and the balance, 7,845,000, were sent to New York, Boston, and Philadelphia to be sold for food. THE SHORE BOAT FISHEUIES. — The shore fishery includes the capture of cod, hake, haddock, mackerel, and herring. The boats are all under five tons burden, most of them simply dories, carrying two or three men each. The number of shore boats in 1879 was 256, the number of men 350, and the catch, 5,076,000 pounds of fish. Abou 125 of these men are engaged in this shore fishery the year round, while the remainder fish only during the winter season, when great schools of cod usually visit the shores of Cape Ann. From November until May the principal catch of the boats is codfish. During May and until July haddock become more abundant, and from July till the middle of September hake are chiefly taken. By the latter part of September all the shore fishermen are active in preparation for the expected school of herring that come in to spawn. For about a week at the beginning of Octob« r there is great bustle in the capture of these herring, but after they have left the coast there is little for the small boats to do but to wait for the coining of the winter cod. The larger boats during this interval go offshore a few miles for pollock that are usually abundant in tins latter part of October and first of November. Boats that have good gill-nets, especially those on the north side of the cape, find considerable profit during the summer months in taking mackerel in Ipswich Bay. At Lauesville and Folly Cove baking is a favorite pursuit of the fishermen. In favorable seasons they take from 3,000 to 4,000 quintals of these fish, and make, besides a profit from the fish themselves, an equal profit on the sounds and livers. Hake frequently sell for CO rents per hundred-weight as they come from the water, while the sounds and livers are alone worth that amount, so that fishermen who have the facilities cure their own fish and make nearly MASSACHUSETTS: GLOUCESTER DISTRICT. 163 • double wages, as they sell the dried hake for about $1.50 per quintal, and the dried sounds lor GO to 75 cents per pound, the livers being tried out for their oil. In seasons of the year when alewives, mackerel, or herring are along the shore, the boats supply themselves with bait from their nets, each boat, having usually four nets set in the harbors. They visit these about daylight and then start out on their day's fishing, to return in the after- noon in season to market their fish in Gloucester, or to send them to Boston for the next morning's trade. In the winter months the chief bait of the boats is sperling or small herring taken in the rivers, and frozen herring from Grand Mauan and Eastport. The grounds visited by the boats are mostly within a short distance of land, and have received various peculiar names, such as Old Man's Pasture, Honey Pink, Saturday Night, and Eleven Fathom Ground. Both hand- lines and trawls are used; most of the dory fishermen prefer the former, although during the haking season all use trawls. The shore fisheries from Gloucester were of considerable importance about 1832, when 799 men were employed in it. The catch, 63,112 quintals of cod, was valued at $157,780, and a Government bounty of $25,172 was received. In 1804, when the bank fisheries were almost abandoned, the shore fisheries employed two hundred sail. Most of this boat-fishing was carried on at Sandy Bay or Kockport, which was then a part of Gloucester, and that place has continued until the present day to be more or less engaged in these fisheries. The boats in use at the beginning of the century were mostly the Chebacco boats of some 15 tons burden, and carrying four or five men. They had two masts, but no bowsprit. A small cuddy forward afforded sleeping room for the men on their trips, lasting usually four or five days. These boat-fishermen seldom ventured more than 20 or 30 miles from shore. Dory-fishing began about 1825, and is still carried on off Cape Ann more or less throughout the year. In early years fish were very abundant in the harbor and all about Gloucester, so that in the haddock season in the spring there was no difficulty in securing a. boat-load in a short time. Since 18GG haddock Lave been more abundant oft'shore, and their capture has been by large vessels. Codfish, hake, and pollock have been the principal catch of the shore boats, and some good day's work have been made. Two men at Folly Cove took 3,900 pounds of codfish in one day in the winter of 1877-T8. The method of fishing since 1855 has been mostly by trawls, though hand- lines are used at some seasons of the year. THE BOAT-FISHERY FOR HERRING. — There is no extensive fishery with gill-nets in the vicinity of Gloucester except for a few weeks in the fall of the year, when the herring visit these shores to spawn. Many of the shore-boats are supplied with nets for the capture of bait, setting them in various parts of the outer harbor, and taking each day enough alewives or herring for the day's fishing. Occasionally schools of mackerel visit the harbor, when the bait-nets capture a consid- erable number. On the north side of the cape the shore-boats take more mackerel in this way than the harbor boats, but in neither case is it an important fishery. The nets in use are about four hundred in number, and are generally 20 fathoms long by 3 fathoms deep, with 1£ to 2£ inch mesh, the average mesh being 2J inches. During the latter part of September and the early part of October herring are usually very plenty along the shores of Cape Ann, and about 10,000 barrels are annually captured by a fleet of about one hundred and fifty boats and vessels equipped with gill nets. In the season of 1879 the herring made their appearance on the 20th of September. Through the succeeding week few were taken, but on Sunday, the 28th, they were very abundant, and consid- erable numbers were captured in the nets. During Wednesday and Thursday of this week the fish- ermen were busy enough. The weather was mild, water smooth, and everything favorablc*lbr a 164 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. • good catch. All the available boats in Gloucester Harbor were made use of to gather in the harvest that lay at the fishermen's door. Xets were set at night and in the early morning they were found loaded down with fish, being, in many cases, sunk by the weight of the fish, and many nets were lost in this way. Fishermen who were not provided with nets visited the spot and from the frag- ments got good boat loads. The nets used were the ordinary gill-nets of 2^ and 2f inch mesh, 25 fathoms long, anchored at each end. They were sunk about 2 fathoms below the surface of the water. The principal fishing ground was in the vicinity of Norman's Woe, on the western side of the harbor, and extending nearly a mile off from the rocky shore. The nets were set for about three-quarters of a mile in a southeast direction from the shore, and then in a northeast and south- west direction for a half mile. Within this small compass upwards of 20 miles of gill-nets were set during the two principal days of the fishery. On Friday, October 3d, the school of herring had disappeared from Norman's Woe, having moved westward toward Marblehead, where consid- erable numbers were taken, and within a few days they had left the coast. There were landed in Gloucester during that season, about 10,000 barrels of herring, for which the fishermen were paid from 75 cents to $1.50 per barrel, or an average of $1 a barrel. THE SHORE VESSEL FISHERIES. — During the winter of 1878-'79 the United States Fish Com- mission made some successful experiments off Gloucester Harbor with gill-nets for the capture of cod. The nets were from 8 to 10 inch mesh and were found eminently adapted for the winter shore cod fishery. The fishermen were at first not disposed to provide themselves with these nets, but they were afterwards generally used by the Gloucester fleet fishing in Ipswich Bay, and very successful seasons have resulted. A shore fishery for cod is quite extensively carried on during the winter months in Ipswich Bay, in vessels of from 20 to 40 tons burthen. During some winters large schools of very fine cod visit this bay, especially on the northern side toward Newburyport and Portsmouth, and a large part of the catch is marketed at those ports. The vessels nre fitted either with trawls or gill-nets. The principal trawl bait used is frozen herring. Most of the catch is sold fresh, though when more can be realized by drying the fish they are sold to the splitters. A fleet of some sixty sail of Gloucester vessels was engaged in this fishery in the winter of 1S79-'80. After the close of the winter fishing some of these vessels cruise further to the eastward, fish- ing on Cashe's Banks, off Matinicus, and other eastern grounds, capturing all varieties of ground fish. A part of the fleet fish on Middle Bank for haddock, or cruise off the south, of Cape Cod, and off Block Island. In the summer season those vessels that are large enough engage in seining mackerel, while the rest cruise on the halving grounds off the eastern coast. In the early fall pol- lock become abundant in Boston Bay off Gloucester, and are taken in large quantities. THE FISHERY WITH FLOATING TRAPS. — Until the year 1874 no attempt had been made in the vicinity of Gloucester to capture fish by the use of traps, pounds, or weirs. In that year Mr. Henry Webb, of Rockport, set a floating trap at Milk Island, on the outside of Cape Ann. The venture proved profitable, so that each year since a trap has been set at that island. This con- tinued to be the only trap in the vicinity until 1879, when four more were set at various points, and a crude stake-weir was built in Gloucester Harbor. The weir and most of the traps met with poor success, the total value of the catch of all the traps being only $3,550. The number of men employed from June to September was twelve, and the value of the traps was about $1,000. In the season of 1830 fourteen traps were set along the shores of Cape Ann from Manchester to Annisquarn, employing forty-three men. The value of the traps and boats used in connection with them was $G,500, and the value of the products was 818,000. The floating trap in use along the shore is square or rectangular in shape, and is made entirely MASSACHUSETTS: GLOUCESTER DISTRICT. 165 of netting. It is open at one eud, where it is furirished with two stationary guides that lead obliquely into it from the ends of its sides and up from the bottom. These guides are made of netting, and have an opening between their inner ends. The trap is also furnished with movable wings made of netting that extend outwardly from the trap as leaders. Floats are attached to the upper edge of the trap, the guides, and the wings, so as to buoy the trap when in the sea, and to keep the sides in a vertical position and the bottom of the trap on that of the sea. The wings are not fixed to the bottom at their lower edges, but one of them is bent around or turned inward, and, by a line, is connected with the middle of another line that extends across the mouth of the trap. The other wing serves to direct the fish into the trap, and the bent wing intercepts and turns back any that might escape from it. The guides not only guide fish into the trap, but prevent the escape of those already in it. The trap is held in place in the sea by ropes leading from the upper edge of the trap to anchors. Fixed to the anchors and to the bottom of the trap are elastic stay-lines or connections that allow the bottom of the trap to conform to the surface of the bottom of the sea and hold it down thereon. In front of the trap is a purse or pocket of netting, open at the top, where it is provided with a series of floats. The pocket communicates with the trap by an opening leading from one to the other at the upper part of the front end of the trap. To haul the trap, its bottom, at its rear end, is lifted off the bottom of the sea high enough to cause the fish to pass into the intercepting pocket. The dimensions of the traps vary; one of the most successful ones set off Gloucester is rectangular in shape, and is 25 fathoms long, 30 fathoms wide, and 5J fathoms deep, and has a leader 40 fathoms long, reaching to the shore. The peculiar, though simple, construction of the trap, by which it is supported by anchors and brace lines, makes it specially suited for deep water or places where it would be difficult, if not impossible, to employ piles or merely a single line to each anchor. The kinds of fish taken include all the species commonly found on this coast, the most important being mackerel and herring. In the spring of 1880, when mackerel were very abundant inshore, many thousand barrels were taken in the traps near Gloucester. Most of them were tinkers, and too small for salting, so that but a small part of the catch was saved. THE CLAM INDUSTRY. — The business of digging clams for bait and for food is carried on in the 'Squam River. The flats in this river are daily covered by the tide and afford good feeding ground for the clams. Ninety-two men are engaged in this business from October to May, and twenty men the balance of the year. The grounds are visited by men in their dories who wait for low tide, secure loads of the bivalves and return to shore, when the clams are sent in shell to market or "shucked" and sold for bait after being salted in barrels. Small houses arc built upon the shore for the shelter of the diggers while engaged in " shucking." The diggers pay one of their number a certain percentage to act as agent for the sale of the clams. During the year 1879 the yield of clams amounted to 13,978 bushels, valued at $5,200, and the capital invested in dories, outfits, and buildings, was $J,000. LOBSTER FISHERY. — This business is not extensively prosecuted at Gloucester. In and about the harbor and at Annisquam and Bay View during the year 1879, fifty-three men were engaged in taking lobsters, using for their capture the ordinary lobster pot, in form a half cylinder. The bait used was fish heads, sculpins, and sometimes haddock. The pots were set offshore at various depths varying from 1 to 12 fathoms. The catch was lauded by the fishermen and at once sold to buyers who transported most of the lobsters by rail or boat to Boston. The principal season is from April to November. Forty-eight dories, valued at $960, and 1,324 pots, worth $1 each, were used to capture 133,340 lobsters, making 1,778 barrels, of a total value to the fishermen of $(5,GG7. DISTRIBUTION OF FISHERY PRODUCTS. — There has been for several years a growing tendency 166 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF TEE FISHERIES. among Gloucester merchants to distribute their products directly to large dealers throughout the country. Prior to 1860 the work of distributing fish taken by Gloucester vessels was very largely done at Boston, but to-day, although Boston handles in transshipment a vast amount of fish, yet but a small part of the Gloucester catch is sent there for distribution. Dealers are directly interested in the capture and cure of the fish, so that it is for their interest to prepare them in good shape and send them to market in the best condition. The curing and packing is done on the wharves where the fish are landed, and as soon as they are ready for shipment they are teamed to the cars or the steamboat landing or carried to the latter place on lighters built specially for this purpose. Gloucester has good facilities for a wide distribution of the products of the fisheries, being on the line of the Gloucester branch of the Eastern Railroad, which connects with roads to all parts of the country. Besides the railroad communication there is a fleet of nineteen sailing vessels, 1,101 tons burthen, and a steamboat line constantly plying between here and the leading markets. The Cape Ann Advertiser states that the first steamer to sail regularly between Boston and Gloucester was the Mystic, run by the Gloucester Steamboat Company during the years I860 and 1861, when she was chartered to the Government. At the beginning of the business most of the trade freight was billed to Boston only, and was confined mostly to barrels, halves, quarters, and kits of fish, and fish in 450-pound boxes and bundles. This trade from 1S70 to 1873 warranted the running of a daily steamer carrying freight and passengers until late in the fall, when three trips were made per week during the winter. Business in 1875-'76 warranted building a new steamer making daily trips throughout the year. The steamers touch at East Boston and land their west bound freight, connecting with all the fast freight lines over the Boston and Albany road, and then • proceed to their berth at Central Wharf, where a connection is made with the Metropolitan Steamship Company with freight for New York and other points, and with the Philadelphia and Baltimore Hues and all the inside lines to the South. Bills of lading are signed in Gloucester by all routes, rail or steamer, through to any point in the United States, and rates given, so that the business of transportation is now on such a footing that the Gloucester merchants have no trouble in doing business with connecting lines out of Boston. The trade has changed, somewhat of late years, and fish is now packed for the market in all kinds of ways and size of packages, a large portion of the goods going West. Fresh fish intended for market either in New York or the West are sent by rail rather than by steamboat. The halibut companies have for a number of years chartered cars for their sole use; these are loaded with fish and taken to Boston in season to connect with night trains for the New York and other great markets. For the handling and transporting of fish in Gloucester there are employed sixty horses and a large number of low wagons called jiggers. In 1845, before the introduction of the railroad or steamboat lines, fish were shipped in sailing vessels. There was then little need for hauling fish, only two horses being thus employed. In 1850 there were not over half a dozen used for this pur- pose, but in 1880 the number had increased to sixty, valued, with wagons, at about $15,000. FISH BOXES AND BAURELS. — Fish are shipped from Gloucester to all parts of the United States, to the West Indies, and to various parts of Europe. Brine-salted fish are packed in barrels, the size and material of which are regulated by the laws of the State. Dry fish are generally packed in boxes containing 400 to 450 pounds each, though a large part of this product is now made into prepared or boneless fish, and shipped in smaller boxes containing from 5 to 200 pounds. Fresh fish packed in boxes with ice are sent to all parts of the country, even as far west as Califor- nia; such boxes usually containing 450 pounds of fish. These barrels and boxes are brought to Gloucester by rail and vessel from Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, various towns in Massachu- MASSACHUSETTS: GLOUCESTER DISTRICT. 167 setts, and from the British Provinces. It is estimated that in the year 1880 there were consumed by Gloucester packers 150,000 barrels and 400,000 boxes, of a total value of $175,000. Most of the barrels are made in Maine and shipped to Gloucester in a condition ready for use. . The boxes are brought here in the form of shocks and are nailed together by the packers, or at two factories iu Gloucester, where some score of men are constantly employed in putting the pieces together and printing brands on the box-ends by the use of printing presses. Most of the boxes are made of spruce wood, which is stronger than pine and free from any unpleasant taste. IP the early history of the business fish were roughly handled, the dried fish being tied up in bundles of 1 or 2 quintals each, for shipment to Boston, where most of the distributing was done. Few fish are at present sent from Gloucester without being packed in boxes, and these few are preserved from damage by a wrapping of tea-matting. Dried fish intended for exportation to the West Indies are closely packed in what are called drums. These are barrels made usually of soft spruce wood, and are of five sizes, containing from 2 to 8 quintals of fish. The staves and heads are made in Maine, and put together in Gloucester. FOREIGN TRADE. — Gloucester, next to Boston, has the largest amount of foreign commerce of any sea-port iu Massachusetts. Its salt trade and exports of fish bid fair to increase from year to year. During the year 1579, 70 American and 31 foreign vessels arrived from foreign ports with cargoes of salt, fish, lumber, wood, potatoes, and other merchandise. Eighteen vessels were cleared with cargoes of fish, namely, 8 for Guadaloupe, 5 for Martinique, 2 for Barbadoes, and 1 each for Porto Rico, Surinam, and Trinidad. Twenty-two hundred vessels, not including fishing vessels, were boarded and inspected during the year by the customs officers of the port. Prior to I860 there were in Gloucester several mercantile houses running fleets of barks, brigs, and schooners to the East Indies, South America, West Indies, and other countries. The commer- cial interests of the place from 1790 to I860 were mainly directed to Surinam, in Dutch Guinea. The imports were principally sugar, molasses, and cocoa, and aggregated in some years about 6400,000, while the exports amounted to about $200,000. This business has been transferred to Boston, and now but a comparatively small quantity of the products destined for foreign markets are shipped direct from this port. In 1878 an effort was made to re-establish the export trade of fish from Gloucester to the West Indies, and from March, 1878, to the close of 1879, 24 vessels took out cargoes. Seven of these sailed in 1878, and 19 in 1879, 15 of them clearing at the Gloucester custom-house and 11 at other ports. The cargoes taken by these vessels in 1878 included 1,234 casks, 867 boxes, and G25 drums, containing 2,821 quintals of cod, 1,702 quintals of haddock, 1,210 quintals of hake, 88 quintals of cusk. and 207 quintals of pollock ; 514 barrels of mackerel, and 918 barrels of herring ; making a total of G,021 quintals of dried fish, and 1,432 barrels of pickled fish. Besides dry and pickled fish they took 275 pounds of butter, 8,000 feet of lumber, 155 bags of guano, 44 kits of cod tongues and sounds, 5 barrels of dried apples, 9,197 pounds of smoked halibut, and 2 cases of copper paint. In 1879 the cargoes of the 19 vessels were 3,853 casks, 1,551 boxes, and 709 drums, containing 15,847 quintals of cod, 2,203 quintals of haddock, 1,174 quintals of hake, and 25 quintals of pollock; 1,130 barrels of mackerel, and 282 barrels of herring; making a total of 19,249 quintals of dried fish, and 1,412 barrels of pickled fish ; also 5,086 boxes of smoked herring, 80 barrels of salmon, 100 barrels of bread, 180 barrels of potatoes, 1,750 pouuds of butter, 84,724 feet of lumber, 15 casks, 48 bags of guano, 183 barrels of apples, 11 barrels of turnips, 40,000 shingles, 10 barrels of onions, 7 cords of wood, 640 bricks, 1 hogshead of tinware, and 1 chamber set. The whole amount of dried and pickled fish shipped iu the above vessels from March 28, 1878, 168 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. to November 18, 1879, was 25,270 quintals of the former and 2,934 barrels of the latter, having a total value of about $100,000. The amount of cash, exclusive of that paid for freights, charters, and commissions, brought into Gloucester from abroad by these vessels during the above period was $95,112, which, with freights of $8,000 more, makes a total of $103,912. Of this amount nearly $12,000 was paid out in Gloucester for labor and other incidental expenses. For the preparation of the fish ten men were constantly employed, and a building was specially fitted for the artificial drying of the cured fish and the manufacture of drums and casks. In 1870 there sprung up a foreign trade in pickled herring. The first cargo of these fish ever shipped to a foreign port from Gloucester was sent to Gottenburg in the spring of 187G, and within about twelve mouths was followed by ten other cargoes. The business has been continued with some success. Vessels have sailed during the past four or five years with cargoes of herring on Gloucester account from Newfoundland, bound for Sweden and other European countries. ICE FOB PRESERVING FISH. — Iri the Gloucester fisheries there are annually consumed 25,000 tons of ice, valued in 1880 at $100,000. The greater part of this ice is used on board the vessels to preserve the fish fresh for market. George's-men take on an average C tons of ice per trip, using it for the preservation of bait and for fresh halibut. The fresh halibut fleet average 1C tons per trip, though in the summer season as high as 40 tons are often taken from Gloucester and consumed •on a single trip, lasting three or four weeks. During the year 1879, Gloucester vessels made 1,132 trips to George's and 375 fresh-halibut trips, consuming about 14,000 tons of ice, while fresh- mackerel, haddock, and shore vessels used a large amount. A great quantity was also used ki the shipment of about 15,000,000 pounds of fresh fish by rail to all parts of the country, going as far west as the Pacific coast. Gloucester vessels began to carry ice about the year 1842, prior to which time halibut were brought to market largely in well-smacks. About 1845, ice-houses were built in the holds of the vessels, and the fish, as soon as caught, were dressed and preserved fresh for some days, or even weeks. Since about 1859 the fish have been shipped largely from Gloucester packed in boxes with ice, each box holding from 400 to 500 pounds of fish. The ice is usually cut from the ponds about Gloucester and stored in large houses erected for the purpose. During unfavorable seasons, as that of 1880, the supply is brought from distant places. The price varies from year to year, in 1879 the fishermen paid $2.50, while in 1880, owing to the warm winter, they were obliged to pay $4 per ton. There are two ice companies, in one of which the fishing firms are largely interested. Until 1878 one company. controlled the entire business, but the demand for ice has so increased that two companies, with an invested capital of $50,000 in buildings, fixtures, horses, and wagons, find abundant profit. Forty men and about fifty horses are constantly employed in hauling ice in wagons to the wharves, where it is received by the crews of the vessels and stowed in ice-pens constructed in the vessel's hold. SALT FOR FISH-CURING. — The fisheries of Gloucester consume an enormous quantity of salt. During the year ended December 31, 1879, 43,102,164 pounds, valued to the fishermen at $125,450, were withdrawn from the custom-house in this district for the curing of fish. In the early period of the fisheries much of the salt needed was brought from Spain and the West Indies by the fishing vessels that took their catch direct from the banks to those countries and exchanged it for salt. At the present day numerous ships, barks, and large schooners bring cargoes direct to Gloucester from Liverpool, Cadiz, and Trapaui. It is imported by two firms which have extensive warehouses in Gloucester, and who sold it to the fishermen at an average of $1.03 per hogshead in 1879. The average price in Gloucester for the past eighteen years has been about $2.75 a hogs- MASSACHUSETTS: GLOUCESTER DISTRICT. 169 bead. Cadiz salt is more extensively used than either of the other varieties. Trapaui salt is generally used by cod fishermen bound on long trips, while Liverpool salt is used in pickliug mackerel and herring. The quantity of salt taken by fishing vessels varies very much, and is determined by the kind of fishery and the length of the intended trips. Grand Bank cod fishermen absent from home from two to four months or more average 210 hogsheads, though some of the largest vessels take as high as 300 hogsheads, or about 80 tons, of salt on a single voyage, while the shore cod fishermen may take either a few bushels or none at all, their fish being cured on the wharves. Cod fisher- men carry their salt in bulk, but the mackerel catchers take it in barrels which are afterwards used for packing the fish. The quantity of salt required for curing various kinds of fi.-h is discussed in the chapter on methods of curing. Salt withdrawn from warehouses to be used iu the curing of fish is free of duty, this draw- back in a measure taking the place of the bounty formerly allowed to fishing vessels. Reference to the chapter on marine salt will show the amount consumed by the various fishing ports and the amount of duty saved during a period of years. Two concerns and twenty-six men are coustantly employed iu handling salt in Gloucester. The invested capital iu buildings for storage is $16,000, and the cash capital for carrying on the business is $25,000. For many years prior to 1861 there were very few direct importations of salt into Gloucester, but since that date many ship-loads have arrived from foreign ports. In 1870, 45,000 hogsheads of salt were imported in 7 brigs and 10 barks. In 1875 the importations were 108,486 hogsheads iu 2 ships, 12 barks, 12 brigs, and 16 three-masted schooners. Of these 42 vessels, 34 were under the American, 5 under the English, and 3 under the Austrian flag. The amount used in curing fish in the year 1875 was 106,245 hogsheads. The wholesale price of salt in Gloucester each year since 1860 has been an average of about $2.75 per hogshead of 560 pounds. The prices, per hogshead each year, were as follows: Tear. Price. Year. Price. Tear. Price. Tear. Price. Tear. Price. Tear. Price. Tear. Price. I860 $2 00 1803 $2 25 1866 $4 25 1869 $2 87 1872 $2 25 1875 2 00 1878 $1 6° 1861 2 00 1864 3 62 1867 4 00 1870 2 87 1873 2 12 1876 1 75 1879 1 63 1802 2 00 1865 .. .. 6 50 1868 3 12 i 1871 2 37 1874 2 25 1877 1 62 1880 1 75 Up to 1873 salt withdrawn for curing fish on board of vessels licensed for the fisheries was free of duty, but that used on shore for curing fish was subject to a duty of 8 cents per 100 pounds. Since 1873 all salt withdrawn for curing fish has been duty free. The amount used yearly in Gloucester for this purpose during the past eight years, and the wholesale value of the same has been as follows: Tear ended June 30 — Pounds. Value. Tear ended June 30 — Pounds. Value. 1873 38, 874, 776 48, 844, 728 50, 558, 751 56, 707, 427 $147, 390 196, 650 180, 560 177, 210 1S77... 58, 544, 962 44, 504, 477 38, 098, 454 43, 567, 922 $170, 400 138, 750 110, 864 , 135, 000 1874 1878 1875 1879 187G 1880 PROVISIONS USED BY THE FLEET. — The annual consumption of agricultural products by the Gloucester fishing fleet is very large and includes a great variety of articles, as may well be supposed when we consider that nearly 4,500 men must be fed during the greater part of the year. The value of provisions consumed on the vessels during the year 1879 is estimated at $310,000, 170 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. and included the following items: Rice, 25.920 pounds; flour, G,912 barrels; sugar, 128,640 pounds; molasses, 29,370 gallons; beef, 4,104 barrels; pork, 864 barrels; pork shoulders, 1,512 barrels; lard, 13,072 pounds ; butter, 210,248 pounds ; beans, 1,720 bushels ; peas. 864 bushels ; dried apples, 64,800 pounds; potatoes, 35,826 bushels; onions, 2,592 bushels; beets, 1,296 bushels; turnips, 1,728 bushels; cabbages, &c., $12,960 worth; vinegar, 2,592 gallons; fresh beef, 86,400 pounds. It is estimated that 1,262,888 pounds of cotton were used in sails and fishing-lines on the Gloucester fleet in 1879. THE GLOUCESTER FISHERIES, 1870 AND 1871.— The United States census report gave the following items concerning the Gloucester fisheries for the year ending June 30, 1870: The whole number of industrial pursuits was 160, of which number 48 were engaged in the fishing business; capital invested, $2,357,700; number of men employed, 4,629; amount of wages paid, $1,410,923; number hogsheads of salt used, 54,890; value of salt used, $158,246; number of barrels, 109,032; value of barrels, $110,004; value of bait, $236,011 ; number of quintals codfish, 189,033; value of codfish, $1,243,776; number of barrels mackerel, 85,834; value of mackerel, $1,186,009; number of barrels oil, 3,113 ; value of oil, $78,457 ; value of other fish, $330,128; total value of fish products, $2,838,370. . The report of the town clerk gives the following concerning the fishing business of Gloucester for the year ending December 31, 1870 : The whole number of schooners and boats fitted for fishing was 471. The value of the products of the fisheries was $3,613,105, estimated as follows, from custom-house returns and fish inspector's report: 210,000 quintals codfish, valued at $1,260,OCO; 129,595J barrels mackerel, $1,814,330 ; 12,000 barrels herring, $72,000 ; 6,560,000 pounds fresh fish, $262,400 ; 26,000 quintals other fish, $78,000; 120,000 gallons oil, $90,000; 18,000 barrels shell fish, $18,000; miscellaneous, $18,375; total, $3,613,105." For the year ending December 31, 1871, the town clerk gives the following statistics: " The whole number of schooners and boats fitted for fishing was 465. The value of the pro- ducts of the fisheries wag $2,918,022, estimated as follows, as compiled from the custom-house returns, fish inspector's reports, and other sources: 303,055 quintals codfish, valued at $1,363,747; 33,250 quintals other fish, at $66,500; 7,836,500 pounds fresh fish, $225,095; 160,000 gallons oil, $96,000; 107,008 barrels mackerel, $1,070,080; 15,000 barrels herring, $52,000; 18,000 barrels shell fish, $18,000 ; miscellaneous, $26,600 ; total, $2,918,022." THE FISHERIES IN 1872.— The Gloucester Telegraph gives the following figures of the fishing industry of the town for the year ended November 15, 1872: "In the herring fishery 18 vessels made trips to Newfoundland, 24 to Grand Menan (5 making two and 5 making three trips each) and 2 to Bay of Islands. One man was lost over- board. During the previous year 59 vessels made herring trips, and 2 vessels were lost. "The winter haddock fishery was but partially successful, owing to unfavorable weather in February and March. One vessel was lost. "The Bank fishery (exclusive of George's) employed 101 vessels (against 81 the previous year) and 339 fares were landed, an increase of one-third over the previous year. Four vessels and 49 lives were lost. Last year the loss was 4 vessels and 24 lives. "The George's fishery employed 182 vessels, and the receipts were 800 fares, an increase of 48 over the previous year. One vessel and 11 lives were lost against 10 vessels and 97 lives in 1871. " The Bank and George's fisheries were uniformly successful. "The Greenland fishery employed 6 vessels (two more than the previous year) all of which were successful and free from disaster. MASSACHUSETTS: GLOUCESTER DISTRICT. 171 " The mackerel fishery employed some 40 or 50 vessels iu the spring fishery at the South, about 100 vessels in the offshore summer fishery, and CO vessels (an unusually small fleet), in the Bay Saint Lawrence. "Seven vessels were lost in the pobageu and other offshore fisheries iu the summer and fall months." THE FISHERIES IN 1873. — The Gloucester Telegraph of November 19, 1873, gives the fishing record for that year as follows: "The fishing season will be brought to a close with Ihe arrival of the Bay Saint Lawrence fleet, of which but 12 vessels remain to arrive. The season has beeu a disastrous one in losses of life and property, though but for the unusual losses it would have been a moderately profit- able one. So far as the fishermen themselves are concerned, whose lives have been spared, the business has yielded good returns, the catch having been large and the prices fair, and the loss has fallen on the capital invested in the business, most of the establishments coming out with a small rangetof profits, if not with absolute loss. "The Newfoundland fresh herring fishery last winter employed 18 Gloucester vessels, nearly all of which marketed their catch abroad, some 1,500 barrels only being disposed of here in bait- ing the Bank fleets. The schooner Thorwaldseu, with a crew of 7 men, was lost in this business. " The Grand Manan fresh herring business gave employment to 38 vessels, 5 of which made two trips each, and 1 making three trips, during the season. The schooner Franklin A. was lest on the return trip from New York, after having disposed of her herring fare in that market. "Six Gloucester vessels engaged in the Bay of Islands salt-herring fishery. The shore fishery for cod was actively pursued during the winter months with average success, a portion of the Gloucester fleet, however, rendezvousing at Portsmouth, N. H., where, they found a ready market for their catch. "The Grand and "Western Bank fishery employed one hundred and fifty Gloucester vessels during the year ending November 15, 1873, and six vessels belonging elsewhere landed fares here. Quite a number of the Gloucester fleet continued in this branch of the fisheries throughout the year. The fleet was at its minimum during the quarter embracing the months of November, Decem- ber, and January, when the whole number of fares received was 62 in the three months; and at its maximum at the close of spring, during the summer, and opening of fall, the number of fares received being 74 in May, 41 in June, 62 iu July, 61 in August, and 46 in September. The fleet was success- ful throughout the season, the Western Bank yielding good fares of halibut, which commanded high prices, and the catch of codfish on Grand Bank being unusually large and the fish of superior quality. The number of bank fares landed during the year was 463 against 339 the previous year. "The George's fishery was followed during the year to a greater or less extent by one' hundred and seventy-five vessels, being at its height in May, in which mouth 1G9 fares were received. The total fares received for the year ending November 15, were 779 against about 800 the previous year. The catch was good, and prices ruled well. "In the mackerel fishery, the southern fleet in the spring was of usual size, embracing fifty- four vessels, and fairly successful, marketing their earlier catch in New York at good prices. The summer fishery oif the shores of Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts was of respectable size, and mostly engaged in the seining of mackerel, with a very good average success, although a few vessels did not pay expenses. Eighty-six vessels engaged in this business. 172 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. " The Bay Saiut Lawrence fleet was uuusually large, consisting of one hundred and eighty-five vessels, against sixty last year. The catch was good, and the business would have proved quite successful but for the disastrous gale in August, by which so many vessels were wrecked or tem- porarily disabled in the height of the fishing season, materially reducing the receipts. Of the one hundred and eighty-five Gloucester vessels engaged in this fishery, ten were wrecked and are total losses, and three remain ashore at the Magdalen Islands, but are not abandoned. Twenty-six vessels made two bay trips each during the season, and the whole number of fares received at Gloucester this season will be 198 against 65 last year. " The Greenland fishery employed four vessels, meeting with only moderate success. The Ice- land fishery employed one vessel, which failed to secure a fare." THE PRODUCTS OP GLOUCESTER FISHERIES IN 1875. — Prepared from actual returns obtained by Mr. George H. Proctor, of the Cape Ann Advertiser: Products. Amount. Value. Products. Amount. Value. Bank codfish quintals . . 177, 473 185 758 $998, 628 1 021 669 Mackerel — Continued. No 3 21 763 George's halibut 2 469 364 172 365 No.4 .. ... do 4 039J 24 °05 do 7 248 413 507 389 do 3 175 13 494 Hake 4 257 I9 774 Pickled codfish do 163 ) Cask . . .. do 2 349 7 047 Swordfish do 404 > 1, 097 Pollock do 9 417 32 964 Trout do 410| ) 1 38 292 153 168 do 755 <• 4,042 do °U 1 Fresh 89, 738 do .. 205 £ 2, 282 Cared 135 697 Shellfish 10 000 Oil 8 915 Other fish / 8 000 100 000 No.l barrels.. 18, 172| 327, 112 3 989 500 No.2 do 7 065i 184 780 The items of shore, fresh, and cured fish and oil in the above statement include the following : Products. Amount. Value. Products. Amount. Value. Fresh fish : Codfish pounds., do 1, 476, 755 816, 348 280, 983 195,256 40,048 14,581 246, 607 16,646 1,675 15 Cured fish — Continued. Hake 8,434 7,372 1,512 724 143 5, 276 345 273 11,040 3,610 1,240 720 Pollock do Pollock . .do Haddock Cusk do.... do Hake Cusk do do Swordfish do ... Tongues and sounds Porgy slivers OU: Dogfish oil barrels.. do.... gallons . . do . Lobsters barrels., do $9, 875 Cured fish: Codfish quintals.. 12,712 Por^v oil do do THE FISHERIES IN 1877. — From the Cape Ann Advertiser, of January 4, 1878, we have the following review of the fisheries for the year 1877: The number of fishing arrivals in the herring, cod, halibut, and mackerel fisheries, exclusive of the boat and shore fishermen, have averaged over 50 per week, the aggregate for the year being 2,080, as follows: Newfoundland, 28; Grand Manan, 37 ; Grand, Western, and La Have Banks, 556 ; George's, 1,281 ; shore mackerel trips, 092; MASSACHUSETTS: GLOUCESTER DISTRICT. 173 Bay Saint Lawrence, 86. The herring fleet met with their usual success, and the cod and halibut fisheries have been fairly profitable. The Bank and George's fleets have landed over 28,000 tons of green fish, or enough to load a train of cars 50 miles in length. Prices have been well rnain- tained throughout the year, and most of the stock has been closed out." The products for 1877, as given in the Fisherman's Own Book, exclusive of shore-fish and oil, were 23,755,000 pounds George's codfish, 16,865,000 pounds Bank codfish, 14,319,000 pounds Bank halibut, 1,814,000 pounds George's halibut, 850,000 pounds flitched Bank halibut, 100,000 pounds Greenland halibut, 49,044 barrels mackerel, 28,500 barrels herring. Eighty-six Gloucester vessels fished for mackerel in the Bay of Saint Lawrence this year. THE FISHERIES IN 1878. — The Advertiser of January 3, 1879, says: "There were 2,180 arrivals during the year, averaging half a dozen a day, from the more impor- tant fishing grounds. The arrivals do not include the boat and dory fishermen, the short trips off shore in the winter cod and haddock fisheries, while only a part of the shore mackerel arrivals in summer are reported. The number of Bank trips was 503, George's 1,234, Grand Manan, Bay of Fuudy, and Eastport (herring), 30; Newfoundland and Magdalen Islands, 18; Greenland halibut fishery, 2; Southern and Eastern mackerel trips, 280; Bay of Saint Lawrence mackerel trips, 113." The products for 1878, as given in the Fisherman's Own Book, exclusive of shore-fish and oil, were 24,158,000 pounds George's codfish, 12,202,500 pounds Bank codfish, 10, 914,500 pounds Bank halibut, 524,100 pounds George's halibut, 120,000 pounds Greenland flitched halibut, 55,742 barrels mackerel, 27,000 barrels herring. This was the year when the herring fleet was driven away from the shores of Newfoundland. One hundred and twenty-five fares, about 30,000 barrels, sea-packed mackerel, were received from the Bay of Saint Lawrence. THE FISHERIES IN 1879. — The Advertiser of December 24, 1879, gives the following review for that year: "The fishing fleet of Gloucester the present year has numbered 429 vessels, of which 338 are owned here, and 91 belong in other places, but have made this their headquarters for the whole or a part of the active fishing season. We have had during the year a fleet of 104 Gloucester schooners constantly employed in the George's fishery, many of them making over a dozen trips each, and 48 other vessels have followed the branch a part of the season, making one or more trips, the 152 vessels making over 1,000 trips, and landing at this port 23,144,000 pounds of codfish and 995,500 pounds of fresh halibut. Eighty-two Gloucester vessels have been employed all the year in the Bank fishery, some making one or two trips cod fishing and quite a number following the halibut fishery and making five or ten trips each during the season. Thirty-two other Gloucester vessels and 11 belonging elsewhere have ma-de one or more bank trips during the season, giving us a total Bank fleet of 125 schooners, making over 500 trips, and landing at the Gloucester wharves 13,247,000 pounds of codfish and 11,717,400 pounds of halibut. The shore cod fishery was active for a part of the season, and employed 47 Gloucester vessels and 47 belonging elsewhere, making a total fleet of 94 vessels, which made nearly 200 trips, and landed here 3,742,000 pounds of codfish. Concerning the rest of the fishing fleet, it is difficult to give accurate statistics. Most of the southern mackerel fleet and a portion of the offshore fleet followed the market fishery, selling their catch fresh in New York and Boston. Many of the vessels salting their catch sold them from the pickle, without inspection, so that they go to the credit of other fish markets. The mackerel inspec- tion of Glocester is estimated at 47,085 barrels of shores and 7,125 barrels of bays, making a total of 54,210 barrels. The Bay of Saint Lawrence fleet numbered about 25 vessels. About 100 Gloucester vessels and 30 belonging elsewhere made this their headquarters in the shore mackerel fishery for 174 GEOGRAPHICAL BE VIEW OF THE FISHERIES. a greater or less part of the season. The number of arrivals reported at this port in the shore mackerel industry for the season was about 250. Three vessels engaged in the Greenland fishery, bringing home about half a million pounds of Hitched halibut. Eight vessels followed the squid fishery, making two trips each, one ofl' the Southern coast and one to Newfoundland, meeting with indifferent success. Over a score of vessels were employed in the Eastport, Grand Manan, and Bay of Fundy herring fishery, and half a score made herring trips to Newfoundland. Leaving out of account the receipts of mackerel and herring, and the item of fish-oil, we cannot be far out of the way in estimating that, including the catch of boat and dory fishermen, the average weekly receipts of fish at this port for the current year has been fully 1,000,000 pounds. " This is a large showing for a single fishing port, because, as a rule, the business is only carried on elsewhere as one element of a varied industry. Gloucester gives her sole energy to this pro- ductive enterprise, practically speaking, and would be unfortunate indeed if she did not reap commensurate results, placing her at the head of the list of fish-producing communities. The returns are not excessive for the amount of capital and talent and labor and risk involved; and while in some cases vessels have been fortunate in securing large fares, moderate success from constant and patient delving has been the rule, and it is only through extensive operations that large results have been secured. The catch has found a ready sale all through the year, and, with an almost bare market, the outlook for the fishing industry in 1880 is a most encouraging one." THE FISHERIES IN 1880. — The following review for the year 1880 appears in the Advertiser of January 14, 1881: " The Gloucester fishing fleet for 1880 numbered 441 vessels, of which 334 belonged to this port, 11 in Rockport, 81 to other New England ports, and 15 to the British provinces. Some of the outside vessels visited Gloucester only once or twice, to avail themselves of the advantages of our market in disposing of their Bank, herring, or shore catch, but a very respectable portion of the number made Gloucester their headquarters during the greater part of the fishing season, or throughout the year. " We find by reference to our files that 163 vessels from this port were engaged in the George's fishery at some time during the year, a part of which made a few George's trips during the height of the season, engaging in other branches of the fisheries subsequently. One hundred and seven vessels, however, followed the George's fishery exclusively, many of them making 14 trips or more during the year. Twenty made trips to George's and the bay ; 20 made George's and mackereling trips ; 5 were in the George's and Grand Manan fisheries ; 4 engaged in the George's and shore cod-fisheries; 3 went to George's, the Banks and mackereling; 2 to George's, mackereling and Grand Mauan ; 1 to George's and squiddiug ; and 1 to George's, the Banks, and shore fishing. " The 163 vessels engaged at different times in this branch of the fisheries employed about 1,800 men, and made during the year 1,430 trips, landing 27,000,511 pounds of codfish, and 1,125,450 pounds of halibut, an increase over the previous year of 101 per cent. "The number of vessels engaged in the Bank cod and halibut fisheries during the year was 133, of which number 90, employing about 1,200 men, followed the Bank fisheries throughout the year. Twelve were engaged in Bank fishing and mackereling ; 4 in the Bank and herring fisheries; 1 in the Bank herring and mackerel fisheries; 1 in the Bank and shore cod-fisheries; 1 went to the Banks and Greenland, and 21 to the Banks, George's, &c., as above stated. But few of these vessels made the long trip, occupying all the season, as was formerly the practice, finding better returns in shorter trips and quicker handling of fares. The halibut fleet made from ten to a dozen trips each, and being considerably smaller than for the previous year made good stocks on a much smaller aggregate catch. The total Bank fleet included in our figures made 249 trips for codfish, MASSACHUSETTS: GLOUCESTER DISTRICT. 175 and 2G1 for halibut, making a total catch of 20,000,247 pounds of the former, and 7,000,940 pounds of the hitter. This shows an increase over the previous year of about 7,000,000 pounds iu the Bank codfish catch, and a decrease of about 4,000,000 pounds in the catch of I3auk halibut. " The mackcreling industry employed 175 vessels, and about 2,500 men ; the number of vessels engaging in no other fishing branch for the year, was 90. Fifteen were employed in mackereling and the shore fishery ; 27 in mackereliug and the herring fishery ; 5 iu mackereliug, the herring, and shore fisheries; and 33 in the mackerel, George's, and Bank fisheries, &c., as indicated above. The Block Island mackereliug fleet comprized 15 vessels, the Southern fleet 34, and the Bay Saint Lawrence fleet 15, all of which were also successfully engaged in the offshore mackerel fishery. Most of the Southern fleet disposed of their catch, in large proportion fresh, in the Philadelphia, New York, and Boston markets ; the Bay Saint Lawrence trips were failures ; the Block Island catch was smaller than in 1879; but the shore catch was larger thau for many years, and proved profitable. The total catch is estimated at 129,020 barrels. " The shore cod fishery was less profitable thau iu previous years, the schools of fish failing to appear in their inshore haunts. The fleet numbered 56 vessels, of which about one-half were also engaged during a part of the year in other branches of the fisheries. The number of fares lauded was 96, aggregating 1,000,720 pounds, or about one half the quantity reported iu 1879. " The herring fisheries employed 50 vessels, most of which were also engaged in other fisheries, as already indicated. The number of trips made was 79, and the catch about 30,000 barrels, or twice the quantity received iu 1S79. "There were also half a dozen vessels engaged iu squidiug, a winter fleet of large vessels in the fresh cod and haddock fishery, and a respectable fleet of small craft following the market cod and haddock fishery all the season, whose catch, together with that of the dory fishermen, if we were able to present the figures, would swell the Gloucester product to very considerable figures, and substantiate her claim to the first rank iu the list of food-producing communities on this side of the Atlantic."' THE GLOUCESTER FISHERIES IN 1881. — The following review for 1881, though not properly belonging to the census report, is given here to show the increase in the industry since 1879. It appeared iu the Cape Ann Advertiser of January 6, 1882: "The Gloucester fishing fleet for 18S1 numbered 437 vessels, or 4 less thau for the previous year. The Gloucester vessels numbered 313; 17 belonging elsewhere fished from Gloucester the greater part of the season, and 77 others made one or more trips here during the year. The George's fleet, pursuing that fishery all the season, was considerably smaller than iu 1880 — 62 against 107 — but 163 vessels, the precise number as for the previous year, were engaged at some time during the year iii the George's fishery. Twenty-six vessels coufiued their operations to the Western Bank fishery, 10 were engaged exclusively iu the Grand Bank cod fishery, 25 made Bank halibutiug trips ouly, and 29 were employed only on shore and Bay of Fuudy cod fishing trips. One hundred and eight vessels, however, made more or less Western Bank trips during the year, 24 Grand Bank cod fishing trips, 32 Bank halibuting trips, 40 were engaged iu the shore cod fishery, and 48 visited the Bay of Fundy. The summer mackerel fleet numbered 149 vessels, 81 of which confined their operations for the year to this department. The Grand Manan fleet uumbered 45 vessels. The other fishing grounds visited by the Gloucester fleet were Brown's Bank, Cape Shore, Greenland, Newfoundland, La Have Bank, Cape North, Banquereau, Seal Island grounds, Cape Sable, &c. " The table below shows the fish receipts at this port iu the leading departments of the industry for the past three years, the La Have and Brown's Bank catch being credited to the George's 176 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. fishery, the Bay of Fundy catch to the shore fishery, and the figures in the Bank fishery including Grand and Western Banks, Banquereau, the Cape Shore, and other distant fisheries: Products. 1881. 1880. 1879. 20, 955, 280 20,247 000 13 247, 000 George's codfish do 22, 510, 000 27,511,000 23, 144, 000 3 245 300 1 721 OCO 3 742 000 Total codfish do 40,710,580 49, 479, 000 40, 133, 000 7 178 800 7 940 000 11 717 400 George's halibut do 1, 087, 400 25 OCO 1, 125, 450 095, 500 Greenland halibut do 428, 290 500, 000 8,719,490 9, 065, 4r,0 13, 212, 900 Total cod and halibut do 55, 430, 070 58, 544, 4:0 53, 245, 900 Mackerel barrels . . •103, 851 13 318 000 "129, 020 9 000 000 t48, 643 C 000 000 * Sea -packed. t Inspected. " For the closing five months of 1881, the shore fleet landed at this port 983,500 pounds hake, 580,000 pounds pollock, 324,000 pounds haddock, and 40,000 pounds cusk ; total shore fish other- wise than cod, 1,933,000 pounds; shore herring catch, 8,032 barrels. "The fish receipts at this port from Maine and the Provinces during the last four mouths of the year were as follows: 9,370 quintals hake, 8,030 quintals codfish, 2,905 quintals haddock, 25 barrels herring; 32 barrels fish-oil; 5,500 boxes smoked herring." LOSSES OF LIFE AND PROPERTY. — The Gloucester fisheries have been prosecuted only at the risk of life and property. Each year has its dark record of disasters, and many are the sad hearts in Gloucester who mourn husband, father, or brother lost on the fishing banks. The George's fishery has been the most disastrous of any single fishery. In a single gale in February, 1879, 13 vessels were lost with 143 men, leaving 50 widows and 115 children to watch in vain for their return. The years 1862, 1871, 1S73, 1875, 1876, and 1879 have very dark records. The help'ess ones left behind are assisted by the generous contributions of warm hearts all over the land. A charitable organization exists in Gloucester known as the Fishermen's Widows and Orphans Aid Society, which annually distributes irioueys contributed by the fishermen, who give J of 1 per cent, of their gross earnings for this purpose. The total losses in the Gloucester fisheries during the period from 1830 to 1881, as recorded in the Fishermen's Own Book, published at Gloucester, has been 2,249 lives and 419 vessels. These vessels were valued at $1,810,710, and were insured for $1,355,418. The yearly record of losses is as follows: Year. Vessels. Tonnage. Value. Insurance. Lives. Year. Vessels. Tonnage. Value. Insurance. Lives. 1830 3 $5 600 $3 100 „ 1841 2 $" ~"a $150 8 1831 1842 3 2 000 150 1832 1 1 000 1843 3 6 000 *> 000 10 1833 1 1 000 1844 3 4 800 1 500 7 1834 1 1 500 4 1845 4 4 500 2 350 8 1835 1846 .. 3 4 900 3 600 15 1836 1,000 1S47 3 6,200 4,450 1837 5 10 100 4 300 21 1S48 1838 4 7 100 3 000 1F49 2 3 500 2 "00 10 1X19 2 3,800 3 150 4 1850 4 12, 500 10, 300 31 1840 .. 2 3.SOO 1.400 6 1851... ft 25. 300 21, 800 32 MASSACHUSETTS: GLOUCESTER DISTRICT. Yearly record of losses — Continued. 177 Yrar. Vessels. Tonnage. Value. Insurance. Lives. Tear. Vessels. Tonnage. Value. Insurance. Lives. 185° 13 $41 200 $37 100 40 1868 4 282 27 $35 000 $28 150 39 1853 3 10 000 8 800 1869 16 858 81 83 450 54 887 65 1854 4 14 600 12 650 26 1870 13 788 15 75 200 59 907 yj 1855 7 20 900 16 100 21 1871 20 1 035 93 90 560 78 253 140 1856 6 14 400 11 475 2 1872 12 576 68 55 400 49 121 63 1857 5 11 500 7 750 9 1873 31 1 624 55 118 700 100 918 174 1858 7 18 700 8 537 42 1874 10 633 17 49 100 44 975 68 1S59 6 21,900 16, 475 36 1875 16 1, 050. 91 90, 000 81, 326 123 1860 7 26, 350 20,494 74 1876 27 1,075.46 150, 000 116,222 212 1861 15 54,250 43,900 44 1877 8 722.33 45, 000 22, 000 39 1862 10 66 500 53 225 162 1878 13 907 57 64 794 49 967 56 1863 10 40 700 8 300 e 1879 29 1 893 36 111 056 90 582 249 1864 13 98 900 59 625 84 1880 7 300 44 21 000 15 972 52 1865 8 504.93 40, 300 32, 400 11 1881 8 511. 51 31, 000 20, 493 56 1860 15 1, 055. 00 114,250 82, 095 26 1867 11 844.57 82, 675 59, 069 66 61. THE FISHERIES OF MANCHESTER. MANCHESTER. — This town joins Gloucester on the east and Beverly on the west. It is 23 miles northeast from Boston, on the line of the Eastern Railroad. It has a good and safe harbor for vessels not over 120 tons burden. The population of the town in 1840 was 1,355, at which date the place was engaged in the cod and mackerel fisheries, having a fleet of eleven sail, measuring about G50 tons. In 1880 the number of inhabitants was 1,640. The fisheries have steadily declined; in 1879 not a single fishing vessel belonged here. While the fishing industry has decreased, the place has grown in wealth as a favorite sea-side resort, and many beautiful cottages and hotels dot the shores. At the entrance of the harbor there are set during the summer months several floating traps for the capture of mackerel and other fish. These are owned aud worked by Gloucester fishermen. The number of these traps in 1880 was five, valued at $2,000, and the number of men employed was sixteen. The production amounted to $2,300 worth of fish, some of which was sold to fishing vessels for bait. There has been much opposition to the use of these traps, the summer boarders claiming that they are a nuisance because of refuse fish washvd ashore. The result of this oppo- sition has provoked considerable discussion in the State legislature; but as nothing could be proved against the traps, they continue to be used. The only branch of fishery engaged in by Manchester fishermen is for the capture of lob- sters, and this only to a very limited extent. The number of men employed is 12; number of dories 11, valued at $220; number of lobster-pots, 425, valued at $425; and the number of lobsters taken, 8,250, or 110 barrels, valued at $412. The lobsters are peddled around town, being sold mostly to summer boarders. Seaweed that is driven upon the beaches is sold by the town authorities to farmers, who use it for fertilizing purposes. 120RF 178 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. D.— THE DISTKICT OF SALEM AND BEVERLY. 62. REVIEW OF THE DISTRICT. PRESENT CONDITION OF THE FISHERIES — In the customs district of Salem are included the fisheries of Beverly and Salem. The former place at one time had a large fleet of vessels in the Bank cod fishery, but the fleet is now much reduced in numbers. Salem was in former years an important fishing station, but it has now become an important manufacturing and commercial city. The number of vessels belonging in this district is thirty-six, valued, with their outfit and appa- ratus, at $105,139. The total capital invested in the fisheries is $209,784, and the value of the products is $117,444. The number of persons employed in fishing or preparing fishery products is three hundred and twenty. 1 STATISTICAL SUMMATION FOE 1379. — The following statement gives in detail the extent of the fishing interests of Salem district: Summary statement of persons employed and capital invested. Persons employed. Number. Capital Invested. Amount 208 $106 300 Number of boat-fishermen . 49 3 484 63 ttlOO 000 Total 320 Total 209 784 a Cash capital, $20,000; wharves, storehouses, and fixtures, $80,000. Detailed statement of capital invested in vessels, boats, nets, and traps. Teasels and boats. No. Tonnage. Value. Value of gear, excln- siveofboats and nets. Value of outfit. Total value. Nets and traps. No. Value. Tctielt. In food-flsb fishery : 20 1 090.63 $41 125 $7 075 $25 815 $74 015 Nett. Gill-nets : 7 *&4 Idle 14 650 68 20 700 20 700 1 130 00 5 000 100 5 100 3 1 500 Total 10 1,584 Total 36 1, 903. 56 67, 825 7,175 26,315 101,315 Traps. Boat*. Weirs &o . . . 2 600 91 2 940 2 240 In shore fisheries 29 805 690 1,250 2,745 Total 1 302 Total 120 3 045 690 1 250 4 985 Detailed statement of tlie quantities and values of tlie products. Products specified. Pounds, fresh. Pounds, prepared. Bulk. Value, prepared. Grand total $117 444 Frahfiih. Cod 491 500 7 373 6 000 30 Cnsk 800 6 Eels 1 000 50 3 000 45 Haddock 148 700 1 978 Hake . .... 26 000 156 Mackerel.. 20,000 266 MASSACHUSETTS: SALEM AND BEVERLY DISTEICT. Detailed statement of the quantities and values of the products — Continued. 179 Products specified. Pounds, fresh. Pounds, prepared. Balk. Value, prepared. Fresh fish — Continued. Pollock 3 000 *!•> Smelts 500 13 Mixed fish 130 000 Total 830 500 10 579 Dryfieh. Cod 4 144 000 1 450 400 52 214 Pickled flih. Mackerel 433, 800 289, 200 8 314 Swordflsh 3 500 2,000 65 Mixed fish 6 000 4,000 100 Total 443 300 295 200 8 479 ShtttJUh. Lobsters T.... 422 250 15 482 Oysters alG, 000 Total 422 250 41 842 JdnAMMW Squid 325 barrels 1 950 I'ish oil 2 590 Seaweed 150 tons 150 Total 4,690 a Enhancement on southern oysters. 63. THE FISHERIES OF BEVERLY AND SALEM. BEVERLY. — Beverly, situated 18 miles east from Boston, has a fine rock-bound harbor with 15 feet of water at low tide. In the early history of the State it was known as the home port of a large portion of the New England Grand Bank fleet of cod fishermen. At one time ship-building was carried on to a considerable extent at this place, large, square-rigged vessels, as well as fish- ing schooners, being launched from this port. With the exception of a few small yachts no vessels have been built here for many years, and only one of 20 tons during the year 1879. Concerning the reduction in the number of mackerel vessels and bankers sent from this port of late, Mr. Grit- tenden writes: "Beverly sends no mackerel catchers this year, 1879; she sends ten bankers, each of which makes but one trip a year. It is not long since there were seventy bankers sailing from here, each one of which made two trips a year. There is some small boat fishing carried on." The crews of the fishing vessels at one time fished on shares, receiving five-eighths of the proceeds and the vessel three-eighths, the expenses of the vessel being first paid. Of late years, however, and at the present time, there is no uniform rule as to how the crew shall be paid. The hand-line and trawl are both in use. In the case of hand-line fishing salt clams are used for bait. For a 1,200 quintal fare of codfish 45 barrels of clams are taken, costing from $5 to $5.50 per barrel. 1'or use in trawl-fishing, only a few barrels of clam bait are taken and a few tons of ice in which to preserve the fresh bait. When a vessel is provided in this manner she proceeds to Newfoundland, where a supply of fresh herring is procured at a cost of $1.50 to $2 per barrel. A full supply of ice is also laid in at this time, costing $2 a ton. Squid, which, between July 10 and August 1, sell for 20 to 75 cents a hundred or $5 a barrel, are also bought for bait. Cod roe, \vortl} oply $2 to $2.50 a barrel, is never saved, Tongues and sounds were formerly saved, when 180 GEOGRAPHICAL BE VIEW OP THE FISHERIES. the men fished on shares, they then being naturally willing and anxious to save them, but as the men are not at present so much personally interested in the voyage, some receiving stated wages, not many are saved. The livers are preserved in large vats until the vessel is within a short dis- tance of home, when, the oil having been drawn off, they are thrown overboard. If the livers are fresh and but lately caught, they are brought into port and subjected to a steaming process. The average yield of oil is one-half gallon to a quintal of fish. When the fishing is carried on by means of trawls, each boat is provided with trawls armed with from 1,000 to 2,000 hooks, the average being about 1,200, The present price of cod varies but little from that of forty years ago, when it was $2.75 to $3.50 per quintal. During 1879 the price wits $3.25 to $3.50 per quintal. Forty years ago the business was profitable, while at present, with higher prices, it hardly pays expenses, and the trips often result in a loss on account of the present rate of wages and the cost of outfit, which are proportionately larger than is the advanced price of cod. The record for 1879 shows that the active fishing fleet consisted of fifteen sail, aggregating 897.12 tons register, engaged in the cod fishery, ten of %hich went to the Grand Banks. One of the Bankers made two trips and another was lost on her second trip. No lives were lost during the year. One of the fleet made a trip to Banquereau. On account of the poor encouragement which the fishermen have received in late years, five fish- ing vessels remained idle throughout the year 1879, while five others, with an aggregate tonnage of 601.97, were engaged for a part of the year only in coasting. These make up a total of twenty- five vessels of 1,499.09 tons. The schooner D. A. Wilson made only one trip in 1879 to the Grand Banks, during which she took 1,700 quintals of fish and thereby cleared $1,000. For the past forty years or more, during which time trawl-fishing has come into general use, there has been no marked change either one way or the other in the abundance of cod. In trawling, five or six dories, with two men to a dory, are used. In hand-lining only one man goes in a dory, and eight to fourteen dories are used by a single vessel. Cod are usually taken in from 30 to 40 fathoms of water; in 5 to 20 fathoms only, on the Virgin Rocks. SALEM. — Twenty years ago this port had a fleet of vessels engaged in fishing, and twenty-five sail went to George's and Grand Banks for cod. From I860 to 1868 ten vessels engaged in the mackerel catch, besides numerous vessels which were engaged in the near-home shore fishing. A number of vessels were yearly built for fishing, and quite a large foreign demand was supplied from this port. The custom-house records of the early fishery business of this place are very imper- fect and broken. Our principal information comes from the old dealers, but from them we can get no reliable statistics. At the present time the fishing industry is almost abandoned. The wharves along Derby street, once crowded with business connected with the fisheries, are now covered with lumber and coal, or else lie idle, wearing a deserted appearance. One wholesale firm alone remains. Only ten vessels have been built here in the past ten years, and none during the past two, in which time no fish have been exported. During 1879 ten fishing licenses were granted to four vessels over and six under 20 tons each, the aggregate tonnage being 274.47. Of this number four were used only for fishing parties; one was engaged in the squid fishery off Newfoundland, supplying the fishermen with fresh bait; two went to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence for mackerel, one of which caught only 9G barrels throughout the entire season, the trip resulting in a loss; and three vessels fished near home. The lobster fishery is followed by thirty men, using fifteen boats. They use 1,000 lobster pots and fish all the year from boats, weather permitting. The pots are all set single in and about the MASSACHUSETTS: SALEM AND BEVEELY DISTRICT. 181 ledges of the harbor and from 5 to 10 miles outside. Most of the catch is secured in April, May, September, and October; only a few are taken in warm weather. The catch of late years shows a general decrease, especially in the size of the lobsters. Small lobsters are reported plentiful, and are taken regardless of the State law referring to their length. Each boat, on an average, fishes with sixty pots, and makes a daily average catch of 150 lobsters during the season. The winter fishing averages 75 lobsters a day for each boat. The total catch in 1879 was 250,000. Most of the early catch is sold in Boston, while later in the season it is boiled in the old-fashioned kettle, and the greater part of it sold in the neighboring towns. Concerning the oyster trade of Salem and vicinity, Mr. Ingersoll, in his census report on that industry, says: "The oyster business here, the next place north of Boston where there is any original trade, seems quite out of proportion to the importance of the town. The reason is found in the fact that a large surrounding region derives its supplies from this point, as well as the town itself, which appears to be highly educated in the eating of all kinds of shellfish. Two schooners, the T. A. Newcomb, 130 tons, and the Lizzie Smith, 118 tons, are engaged in the trade. They cost $22.000, but now are worth only about $5,000 each. In the summer they go on mackereling voyages, but in the winter devote their whole time to bringing oysters from Virginia. Ten years ago 25,000 bushels sufficed for the demand, and a portion of these came from New York Bay; in 1875 three vessels were employed, and Salem called for 45,000 bushels, all from the Chesapeake. At present, however, the total annual importation by sailing craft does not exceed 40,000 bushels, with about 5,000 bushels by steamer from Norfolk, in winter, added. About 500 bushels of fancy stock from New York are also sold. A large portion of these oysters are sold at the wharf; another large portion goes into the storehouse; a thjrd part are opened; and the remainder (8,000 to 9,000 bushels) are laid down in Collin's Bay, near Beverly Bar, where they are dry at each ebb-tide. No opened oysters are taken from Norfolk or Baltimore. The result is as follows: Amount Price. Total coat Btishrlt. 40 000 $0 36 $14 400 5 000 67 2 850 500 1 00 500 Totals 45 500 17 750 " Selling price of Virginia oysters, imported at wharf, 40 cents; selling price of bedded oysters, in summer, 90 cents (common), $1.20 (selected); selling price of opened oysters (common), $1 per gallon; selling price of opened oysters (selected), $1.20 per gallon; selling price of opened oysters (in winter), 75 cents per gallon; mutual amount of business, $40,000. "The firms engaged employ forty-three men from November 1 to May 1; the rest of the year about twenty men. This represents about one hundred persons supported by the business, since many of the men are unmarried. The weekly salaries will average $12, and shuckers are paid 20 cents for each solid gallon. "The old shells are disposed of to the gas company of the city at one-half cent a bushel, the purchaser paying for the carting. This does not take all of the 1,500 or so bushels a week accumu- lating, which are used by the proprietors to fill in water-lots, which they buy for the purpose of thus converting into land. To sell their shells is more profitable, however. "The leading firm in Salem, Messrs. D. B. & J. Newcornb, boasts an economic method of trans- ferring the cargo from the vessel to the shuckers' broad tables, ranged around the interior walls of their shucking-house down on the wharf. This building is two-storied, and is flush with the side of the wharf, so that the vessel moors alongside. A door iu the end of the loft opens upon a rail- 182 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. less platform or balcony 6 feet square. Here two men stand to receive the loaded tubs of oysters as fast as they are hoisted (by horse-power) out of the vessel's hold. When a tub comes within reach they seize it, overturn it into a wheelbarrow, made of one-third of a strong cask, mounted on a wheelbarrow frame, and one man sends it down while the other goes and empties the barrow, returning in time to help when the tub comes up again. The ordinary method is for two men to receive the tub upon the first floor, carry it away, lift it up, and overturn it upon the table, while two others hand back an empty tub and repeat the operation. This requires four men and much lifting. The Newcombs, however, dispense with two men and all the laborious lifting, by receiving their oysters on the upper floor and dumping them from a wheelbarrow down shutes that lead to different portions of the shucking-lable, or to the 'cool room,' where they can store 8,000 bushels at a time, if desired." Statistical recapitulation of the oyster business of Salem and vicinity. Number of wholesale dealers 3 Number of schooners engaged 2 Value of same $10,000 Number of men hired by dealers 25 Semi-annual earnings of same $2,500 lumber of restaurant servants 20 Annual earnings of same $12,000 Total number of families supported 25 Annual sales of — II. Chesapeake "plants" bushels.. 40,000 Southern, by steamer bushels.. 5,000 Value of same $40,000 III. Fancy stock bushels.. 500 Value of same $750 Total value of oysters sold annually $40,750 E.— THE DISTRICT OF MARBLEHEAD. 64. REVIEW OF THE DISTRICT. PRESENT CONDITION OP THE FISHERIES.— Marblehead is well known as one of the most important fishing ports in the early history of Massachusetts. Its inhabitants are now chiefly dependent on manufactures. In this district are included the fisheries of Marblehead, Swamp- scott, Nahant, and Lynn. The fish industry of these places now employs five hundred and thirty- seven persons; the capital invested is $207,706, and the value of the product is $230,942. STATISTICAL SUMMATION FOR 1879. — The following statement gives in detail the extent of the fishing interests of Marblehead district: Summary statement of persons employed and capital invested. Persons employed. Number. Capital invested. Amount. Number of vessel-fishermen 314 $150, 390 193 12, 316 30 45 000 Total 537 Total . 0207, 706 a Cash capital, $15,000; wharves, shorehouses, and fixtures, $30,000. MASSACHUSETTS: MAEBLEHEAD DISTRICT. Detailed statement of capital invested in vessels, boats, nets, and traps. 183 Vessels and boats. No. Tonnage. Value. Value of gear, exclu- sive of boats and nets. Value of outfit. Total value. Nets and traps. No. Value. Vetselt. lu food-fish fisheries : 39 1, 057. 52 $61,825 $12 060 39 560 $113,445 tfett. Gill-nets: 38 $45« Idle 13 470. 08 15, 300 15,300 100 1,200 1 14.12 1,000 10 160 1,170 Total 53 1 542.32 78 125 12 070 39 720 129 915 In vessel fisheries 15 8,400 Soatt. Total 153 10,056 1G6 5,770 5,770 Trapi. 153 5 980 3 300 5 4l>5 14 705 2,260 2,260 Total 319 11 750 3 300 5 425 20, 475 Detailed statement of the quantities and rallies of the products. Products specified. Pounds, fresh. Pounds, prepared. Bulk. Value, prepared. Grand total $230, 942 Fresh jlsh. 30 000 160 Cod . 5,048 946 75, 734 15 000 75 Cusk ... ... 1 000 7 Eels 6 000 300 1,000 15 Haddock 673, 279 8,955 Hake 32 000 192 35 000 175 Mackerel 2,381 400 31, 673 Pollock . ... 25 000 100 Swordfish 17 000 510 300 10 Mixed fish . . . 226 000 1,130 Total 8, 491, 925 119, 036 Dryfl,K. Cod . , 5,930 235 2 372 094 85,395 Cusk 26 356 13 178 356 Haddock 173 400 65 891 1,318 Hake 293 400 132 062 2,113 Pollock 192 800 79 069 1,344 Total 6, 616, 191 2, 662, 294 90,526 Pickled flih. 40 000 32 000 480 81,000 54,000 1,552 7 000 4 000 130 Mixed fish 7,500 5,000 125 Total 135,500 95, 000 2,287 Shettfiih. Lobsters 325,500 11, 935 JfiM&MMMMh Fish oil ... 4,283 100 barrels 325 2,500 2,250 300 Total . ... 2,500 7,158 • 184 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OP THE FISHERIES. 65. THE FISHERIES OF MARBLEHEAD, SWAMPSCOTT, NAHANT, AND LYNN. MAEBLEHEAD. — From 184G to the present time tLc fishery industry of Marblehead shows a steady decline. The system of giving bounties to fishing vessels, continued until 18G7, failed to revive the interest formerly taken in this industry. This may be seen by an examination of the following table, giving the number of vessels and amount of bounty paid during the last few years of the existence of the bounty system : Year— Number of Teasels. Amount paid. 1362 61 $14 378 20 1863 52 11 595 95 1864 43 10, 129 26 1865 . ... 43 9 336 06 1866 25 5 457 39 1867 20 4 927 37 Total 55 824 23 The bounty was at the rate of $4 a ton on the measurement of the vessel up to 90 tons, ceasing in 1866, since which time no bounty has been paid, the amount paid in 18G7 being for fish caught in 18C6. In 1879 only one vessel was sent to the Grand Banks from this port. Seventeen vessels of small tonnage engaged in the home-shore fishery with ten sail idle, or occasionally engaged for sailing parties. A total of twenty-eight sail of 807.36 aggregate tonnage represents the fishing fleet of this once celebrated port. The fishing business of Marblehead has always been mostly cod, but few have engaged in the mackerel catch, and none to make a special business of it during the past twenty years. The old-established custom of the Grand Bankers was fishing on shares; the vessel receiving three-eighths, the captain, mate, and crew five eighths; all bills for bait, stores, provisions, &c., being first paid. By the oldest living masters \ve are told that Marblehead vessels never fished in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, nor for the past twenty years in any waters of the Provinces. In the prosperous days of the past a large number of vessels were built here, but, with the exception of a few yachts, none have been built for several years. The appended statements show the extremely reduced condition of the fleet of vessels fishing on the Banks. Mr. Critteuden writes : " Marblehead sends but one Banker this year (187!)), fitted by George Knight. Less than forty years ago Marblehead sent seventy-five Bankers. There is considerable small-boat fishing. There are no large vessels engaged in the mackerel fishery." Mr. Martin, of Marblehead, wrote to Professor Baird in 1879 : "Our fleet of vessels which several years since numbered from eighty to one hundred sail (engaged in the fisheries at the Grand Banks of Newfoundland) has been reduced to one vessel of about 80 tons burden." It is sufficient to say of the fishery industry from 1877 to 1879 that there was nothing done, except by the shore boatmen. The larger vessels were tied to the wharf and the owners offered the use of them to the Gloucester men on condition that the latter pay the insurance, preferring that their vessels should be in use and taken care of than that they should lie idle at the wharf, depreciating in value every day. The eighteen vessels which were engaged in fishing in the year 1879 were, with one exception, schooners ranging from 5 to 70 tons burden, with an average of 20 tons. They were all owned in Marblehead. The largest, the Oceana, 70.94 tons burden, was the only one engaged in the cod MASSACHUSETTS: MARBLEHEAD DISTRICT. 185 fishery; tbe remainder were all shore fishing vessels, three of them, the Alabama, E. G. Williams, and Eliza, combining the mackerel fishery with shore fishing, and another, the Zeppie, the lobster fishery. The total capital dependent on the fisheries of Marblehead in 1879 was not more than $50,000, and the number of persons employed was one hundred and fifty. The product was valued at about $48,000. Under date of February 20, 1882, Mr. Simeon Dodge, collector of customs at Marblehead. writes: "The fishing business in this place increased from the year 1800 to 184G, and then gradually decreased until the present time. The loss of so many lives and vessels, the introduction of the shoe business, and, finally, the repeal of the bounty act, has reduced our fishing fleet to its present proportions. We now have in this district forty-three vessels engaged in the Bank and inshore fisheries, aggregating 1,164 tons." Marblehead is one of the quaintest as well as one of the oldest towns iu New England. It was once extensively engaged in tbe fisheries, but the people have of late years turned their attention to manufactures, and have allowed the fisheries to decline, until now there are but a very few ves- sels where formerly there was a fleet of a hundred or more sail. The people have become known as a sterling race, full of patriotism, and have always contributed their quota in time of national peril. About 1,000 Marbleheaders took active part in the Eevolution, more than half of whom perished and left behind COO widows and 1,000 fatherless children, in a population numbering less than 4,000. The famous frigate Constitution was chiefly manned during the war of 1812 by men from this town, and many privateers were sent out from here. At the close of that war nearly five hu-idred Marblehead men were held in England as prisoners of war. SWAMPSCOTT.— This beautiful seaside town, situated 13 miles northeast of Boston, from its nearness to the fishing grounds and market, has long been and continues to be the home of a large number of fishermen. It has not, however, such a desirable harbor as have many neighboring ports in which the fishing industry is now almost entirely abandoned. The harbor, being open to the sea on the southeast, is quite exposed. The vessels do not anchor, but lie at moorings which are very heavy, weighing about 10 tons, and supplied with heavy chains. The risks in this sort of a harbor are so great that the vessels are never insured. No vessels, however, have been lost in ten years, except four, which were blown ashore in 187G. Bordering the harbor are four sandy beaches, named Phillips, Whale, Blarney's, and King's. These are separated by ledges of rocks, the outcropping of the rocky bluffs, and are covered with fine residences. The fishermen own and occupy many of these houses, and for years may have been seen starting out morning after morning to engage in their daily labor, and they often, fishing within sight of home, return the same evening with from 8,000 to 12,000 pounds of fish. The two last-named benches are the ones mostly used by the fishermen, who upon their arrival home make their vessels fast to heavy moorings from a quarter to a half mile from shore, and land their fish in dories, from which they are weighed off, loaded in wagons, and carried to Boston. This is done more or less at all seasons, but chiefly during the winter. At other times vessels go direct to Boston or other ports and sell their fish. From 1830 to 1840 most of the fishing was carried on from the dories belonging to eight or ten small pinkey vessels. As the business prospered, larger and better vessels were built, until there was a fleet of 40 to 50 sail of handsome yacht-built schooners. Of late years, the fishing fleet has somewhat decreased. At present it numbers twenty-one sail of 682.48 aggregate tonnage, manned by one hundred and eighty-six American-born fishermen. During 1878, fish were very plenty off this shore. Some vessels report taking as high as 16,000 186 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. pounds a day, codfish forming the largest part of the catch. For the past two seasons fish have been scarce on the old grounds. Vessels have been compelled on that account to go to the east- ward and southward, and are away generally from four to six days on a trip. These trips have not been attended with the success of former years. During the summer season most of the ves- sels engage in the mackerel catch oif the New England shore, supplying the Boston market with fresh fish. The small boat or dory fishermen, on account of being obliged to go out further, are introducing the lapstreak boat; this is usually schooner-rigged. Most of the vessels are built at Salisbury, Mass., and measure from 50 to GO tons, and often cost $10,000. They carry a crew of ten men, all, without exception, of American birth. The crew, including the captain, have an equal share in the proceeds. All expenses arc charged to the gross stock, and one fifth of the proceeds goes to the owners. The captain and some of the crew usually own a share in the vessel. The running expenses of a vessel are estimated by Capt. King Harding to be about $1,000 a year. To pay the crew for their time the vessel should stock $10,000. This is a fair stock. In 1877 and 1878 the average stock was below this amount. In 1876 and the ten previous years it exceeded it, in some years the "high-line" reaching $20,000. The cod fishery is prosecuted from the middle of October until May, the mackerel fishery the remainder of the time. On an average, reckoning for twenty years past, the proceeds of the two have been about equal. For ten years previous to 187C, the mackerel interest predominated. In 1877 prices were poor. " The Nova Scotia imports have a ruinous effect." But few lobsters are caught; thirteen men fishing with five hundred and twenty traps through part of the season. Their catch is consumed at and near home, a few being sent to Boston. At one time fishing vessels were built at this port, but none have been built here for the past fifteen years. The fisheries of this place, in 1879, employed 320 men. The capital invested was about $50,000. The value of the product was about $140,000, and included 10,807 barrels of mackerel, over 5,000,000 pounds of cod, haddock, and cusk, 40,000 lobsters, and about 5,500 gallons of fish oil. Beside the 21 vessels, aggregating 682.48 tons, there were 21 lapstreak sail-boats and 80 dories used in the fisheries in that year. LYNN.— The city of Lynn is largely interested in the manufacture of boots and shoes and other articles, and pays little attention to the fisheries. Four small vessels took out fishing licenses in 1879, but none of them followed the business. One was sold and the three others remained idle, except when engaged by pleasure parties for fishing. The only fishing done from Lynn during 1879 was by ten men fishing from dories near shore during part of the year and supplying the summer houses of Chelsea Beach with cunners, eels, and ground fish. At Flax Pond Brook in West Lynn about 100 barrels of alewives were taken during the year with dip-nets. About 50 barrels of alewives were caught by Lynn fishermen in the river in the adjacent town of Saugua. F.— THE DISTRICT OF BOSTON. 66. EEVIEW OF THE FISHING INTEREST OF BOSTON DISTRICT. PRESENT CONDITION OF THE FISHERIES. — The fisheries in the district of Boston, which includes towns as far as Cohasset on the south shore of Massachusetts Bay, employ 92 sail of vessels and 472 boats, besides a large number of nets and other apparatus. Of the vessels, 73 are engaged in the capture of food-fish, one fishes exclusively for lobsters, four follow the menhaden MASSACHUSETTS: BOSTON DISTRICT. 187 fishery, three the oyster fishery or carrying trade, and six the whale fishery. The tonnage of the fleet is 5,422.25 tons. In the shore fisheries for cod, haddock, herring, and other fish there are employed 188 boats and 426 men. Boston, the principal place in the district, has a very large trade in fish, being one of the most important markets in New England and the center of the trade in imported fish. A large capital is invested here in buildings and wharves used in the fishery industry, aud great quantities of fresh and cured fish are annually distributed from here, as will be seen from the paragraphs on Boston. The capital invested in the district is $3,218,949, and the value of the products, the catch of fishermen of this district, is $1,026,360. The number of persons employed is 2,653. STATISTICAL SUMMATION FOR 1879. — The following statements show in detail the extent of the fishing interests of Boston district: Summary statement of persons employed and capital invested. Persons employed. Number of vessel fishermen Number of boat-fishermen Number of carers, packers, fitters, &o . Number of factory bands Total.. Number. 997 426 1,024 •-'IK; 2,653 Capital invested. Capital in vessels and boats Capital in nets and traps Other fixed aud circulating capital Total ... Amount. $376, 805 38,944 02,803,200 3, 218, 949 a('ai)i capital, $1,190,000; wharves, shorehoust-s, aud fixtures, $1,388,200 ; factory buildings and apparatus, $225,000. Detailed statement of capital inrexted in vessels, boats, nets, and traps. Vessels and boats. No. Tonnage. Value. Value of pear, exclu- sive ot'boats and nets. Value of outfit Total Value. Nets and traps. No. Value. Yfsiels. In food-flsh fishery : Active 73 3 430.94 $114,950 $14 015 $80 175 $209 140 Net*. Gill-neU: 72 $954 Idle 5 462. 30 14 500 14 500 200 2 400 1 5.77 50 10 160 220 In menhaden fishery 4 3 292.75 303 85 31,500 9 000 300 1,200 33,000 9 300 In vessel fisheries . . . 49 26,800 In wlial fi h r 5 926 64 34 000 Total 321 30,154 » Total 92 5, 422. 25 204 000 14 325 117 835 336 160 Boat*. 284 15 140 15 140 Lobster and eel pots 8,290 8,290 188 16, 575 3 430 5 500 25 505 Total 8,291 8,790 Total 472 31 715 3 430 5 500 40 645 a Includes gear. Detailed statement of tlie quantities and values of the products. Products specified. Pounds, fresh. Pounds, prepared. Bulk. Value, prepared. Grand total $1, 026, 360 Fresh fltK. Alewivea 192, 800 1,328 Cod 5, 482, 825 82,242 100, 000 SCO Cusk 313, 304 2,193 Eels ... S.OOO 250 188 GEOGEAPHiCAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. Detailed statement of the quantities and values of the products — Continued. Products specified. Pounds, fresh. Pounds, prepared. Bulk. Value, prepared. Fresh fish — Continued. 45 000 8 459 217 Hake .. 783 260 Halibut 260 000 1 163 150 Mackerel 2, 206, 421 99 345 Menhaden 221, 400 Pollock 026, 611 2 506 Shad 128 Smelts 6,000 Swordfish 15 750 Mixed fish 829 000 Total 20 709 866 Dryftth. Cod 1 46° 500 585 000 Cusk 6 500 3 250 88 Haddock 4'' 700 16 ''50 Hake 280 000 126 000 Pollock 47 500 19 500 332 Total 1 839 200 750 000 ( a 104, 000 $ 23, 821 Fielded fish. 31 '50 25 000 Bluefish 5 .'162 3 300 82 Cod 61 000 30 500 76° Herring 877 656 70° 125 6 569 700 4 379 800 Swordfish 38 500 22 000 715 Mixed fish 15 000 10 000 Halibut fins 7 875 6 300 Tongues and sounds 50 000 40 000 1 500 Total 7, 656, 343 5, 219, 025 140, 512 Canned fish, b Clam chowder 36 000 Fish balls °64 000 38 500 36 000 Smelts ... . 38 400 Total 374 400 Mell fish. Lobsters 1,390 800 50 096 Oysters < c325, C25 Clams, for food 34 940 bushels i 15, 000 . 17 470 Total 409 091 Miscellaneous. Fish oil 8 000 Fish guano G 000 Fish spawn 300 banx-ls 975 Fish sounds (dried) 2 200 1 980 Irish moss 45 000 1 575 Seaweed - Products of wlialc-fisbery — sperm oil . . 10 270 galloos 15, 438 Total 34 368 a Enhancement on dried fish prepared as " boneless" in Boston, but accounted for elsewhere. I Exclusive of salt mackerel canned in Boston. e Enhancement on southern oysters. MASSACHUSETTS: BOSTON DISTRICT. 189 67. BOSTON AND ITS FISHERY INDUSTRIES. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE CITY AND ITS FISHING BUSINESS. — Boston is the largest city in New England in regard to commerce as well as in population. It also lias the finest harbor of New England, and its shipping business, together with its foreign and domestic trade, is very extensive. It is a great railroad center, being the terminus of all the principal lines in New England. It has several historical landmarks, as the Old State House, Old South Church, Faneuil Hall, Bunker Hill, and Dorchester Heights. It was settled in 1G31, and was called Shawmut by the Indians. The settlers called it Trimountain, because of its three hills. It received its present name as a token of respect to the Rev. John Cotton, a minister of Boston in England, and afterwards minister of the first church here. The population in 1790 was 18,038; in 1870, 250,526; and in 1880 it had increased to 362,839, making it the fifth city in the country in respect to population. From the early colonial days to the present time, Boston, although never having a large fishing fleet in comparison with Gloucester, Marblehead, and other New England ports, has been recog- nized in the fish trade as a central receiving and distributing port for all points, both domestic and foreign. Many vessels from the other New England fishing ports, as well as from the Provinces, bring their catch direct from the fishing grounds to this port for a market, or, returning to their home port to land and cure, their cargoes are finally brought here. According to Sabine (Report on American Fisheries, 1852), Boston had vessels fishing on the Newfoundland Banks as early as 1645. The first exportation of fish from Boston was in 1633. The adventure was to one of the southern colonies, and Governor Winthrop appears to have been interested in it. The vessel, which was laden with furs as well as the products of the sea, was wrecked on the outward passage when near the capes of Virginia. The fishing business, which has undergone many changes within the past generation, may at present be divided into two distinct classes, the fresh and the salt or cured fish trades, of nearly equal capital. The latter branch is no larger than it was ten or twenty years ago, and has not advanced with the country and other industries. The fresh-fish trade has steadily increased, the total business showing that as much fish are caught and consumed at the present time as in the past, when the foreign and domestic shipments of salt fish were much greater. The fishing fleet belonging to Boston in 1879 numbered 76 vessels, aggregating 4,467.87 tons, and valued at $165,300, exclusive of their gear and outfit. The total value of the fleet, including the value of gear and outfit, such as boats, nets, seines, salt, ice, and provisions, was $312,974, and the total number of men in the crewe was 868. Of the total fleet, 5 vessels, measuring 462.30 tons and valued at $14,500, were idle throughout the year; 60 vessels, measuring 2,780.41 tons, were employed in the food-fish fisheries; 1 small vessel, of 5.77 tons burden, engaged exclusively in the lobster fishery; 4 steamers, measuring 292.75 tons, followed the menhaden fishery; and 6 vessels, of 926.64 tons burden, were employed in the sperm-whale fishery. The sixty vessels engaged in catching food-fish made trips lasting only a few days, fishing near home, and usually returning with fares of fresh fish. About one-third of these vessels followed the mackerel fishery from April till November, bringing their fares in fresh or curing them on board. No Boston vessels are engaged in the George's or Grand and Western Banks salt-cod fisheries, but the supply of fish from these banks for the Boston market comes from other New England ports and from the Provinces. The whaling vessels in 1879 landed 18,270 gallons of sperm oil, valued at $15,438. In addition to the fleet of fishing vessels, there were one hundred and nineteen sail-boats and row-boats, valued, with their outfits, at about $20,000, that fished in and about Boston Harbor. These boats gave employment to three hundred and thirty-five men. Their catch included all 190 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. the food species of shore fish, lobsters, and clams. During the latter part of September and the first of October they take large numbers of shore-herring, and in the winter, quantities of haddock. In 1879 forty five of the larger size boats took 1,990,062 herring in number, and 3,250,000 pounds of other fish. Comparing Boston as a fish market with its importance as a fish producing center, we find that the aggregate value of fish and fish products annually received and distributed by the fish dealers is over $5,000,000, exclusive of $700,000 worth of oysters, while the value of the catch by the fishermen and fishing vessels of Boston is about $1,000,000. The total capital invested in the various branches of the fishing industry in Boston and the neighboring towns included in the same customs district is $3,218,949. This amount includes $1,388,200, the value of wharves, storehouses, and fixtures; $225,000, the value of factories for the preparation of canned and boneless fish; and $1,190,000 additional cash capital. If to the total capital as above be added the investment in related industries, such as the net business, the oil-clothing business, and isinglass factories, the aggregate capital dependent on the fishing industry would reach a much larger figure. The total number of men directly emploj ed in the fishing industries is about 2,500, to which number may be added several hundred who are engaged in the manufacture of nets, barrels, boxes, and other articles used in the fisheries. THE TRADE IN DRY AND PICKLED FISH.— Previous to the year 1815 not a single firm in Boston was engaged exclusively in the sale of dry and pickled fish, this business all being carried on by the wholesale grocers, who bought the cured fish direct from the vessels and disposed of them mostly to the New England trade. The first wholesale fish store in Boston for the purchase and sale of dry and pickled fish was opened on Long wharf in 1815 by Mr. Ebenezer Nickerson, and for fifteen years he was the only exclusive salt-fish dealer. In 1830, two other firms engaged in this branch of the fishing industry, and as it steadily grew in importance other firms started, until at the present time there are sixteen wholesale dealers in dry and pickled fish. Of the extent of the business in those early days we have no record, except the custom-house record of exports and the meager report of the State inspector. The fishermen themselves, with very few exceptions, to the present day, keep no account of their business, even from one trip to another. An exceptional good year's business is remembered and handed down as a tradition from year to year. Through the enterprise of the late Mr. Franklin Snow (a dealer ft>r over twenty- five years), the Boston Fish Bureau was organized in 1875. It is an association of the salt-fish dealers for a bureau of information and statistics. Since its organization the records are more complete than ever before. We are indebted to it for tables of the receipts from foreign and domestic ports for the past few years. In the early history of the business it was not only confined mainly to New England trade, but to the crude article. The dry fish were tied up in bundles, with or without mats or other covering, and pickled fish were packed in barrels and smaller cooperage packages. At the present time fish are taken from the vessels into the large packing and manufacturing establishments, where they are sorted and rapidly transformed into packages of "boneless," "minced fish," "fish-balls," and various other specialties. They are put up in boxes of all sizes from 1 to 500 pounds, or are packed in tin cases of different sizes, neatly labeled and boxed, and, with the larger packages of whole, half, quarter barrels and kits, are loaded into cars at the door to be shipped to all parts of the country. This improvement over the old manner of doing business has resulted iu a much wider field and increased trade, and Boston-packed preparations of fish are now found in nearly all the grocery stores from the Atlantic to the Pacific. New England caught fish are noticed in the daily market reports of San Francisco and Oregon as much as at home, and commaml 3 MASSACHUSETTS: BOSTON DISTEICT. 191 higher price than the catch of the Pacific. Not the least among the desirable results secured by the improved methods of packing is the clean and attractive appearance of the packages as com- pared with the former loose mode of shipping. Boneless fish is dry cod, hake, cusk, or haddock, from which the skin and bones have been removed. The stripped fish is then cut up into small or large pieces, and packed in various-sized boxes. Simple as this process is, and always in use since fish have been used for food, it has been protected by patents issued in 1868 and 1869, causing an endless amount of trouble among the manufacturers, a royalty fee being charged. During the past five years this mode of placing fish on the market shows a large annual increase. Boneless fish is packed mostly in small wooden boxes of convenient sizes, holding from 5 to 40 pounds, though a small amount is put up in paper boxes of 3 to 5 pounds each. This excellent article has become very popular with all classes. Codfish commands the highest price, while cusk, haddock, and hake follow as to value. During the year 1879 the aggregate amount of fish of all kinds cut up as boneless amounted to 6,502,050 pounds. The loss or shrinkage in weight is from 20 to 28 per cent, on cod and cusk, and about .°.0 per cent, on hake, which leaves the aggre- gate net amount of prepared fish 5,201,640 pounds. The industry gives employment to one hun- dred and fifty men during the active season, or an average of eighty men during the entire year. In the infancy of the business the waste was more than a dead loss, being an incumbrance and additional expense for removal, and was gladly given away to any one who would remove it. As soon as its fertilizing qualities became known a demand sprang up, and from 50 cents to $1 a ton was paid for it. The price advanced from time to time, as the demand increased, until, in 1879, $6 a ton was paid for fish skins and bones for the manufacture of guano and fish-glue. The sixteen firms at present engaged in handling dry and pickled fish and oil occupy the whole or part of nineteen wharves in East Boston and the city proper. The amount of capital invested in this branch of the fishing business, including the value of the wharves, is about $1,500,000, and the number of hands employed is three hundred and seventy-nine. During 1879 the amount of dry fish received in Boston was 201,963 quintals of cod, haddock, hake, pollock, and cusk, about one- sixth of which came from the Provinces, and the balance from fishing ports in Maine and Massa- chusetts. The receipts in 1880 were 221,103 quintals of the same varieties of fish, and in 1881 the amount was increased to 244,967 quintals. The same firms that deal in dry and pickled fish also sell smoked herring and bloaters, that are received from Eastport and other parts of Maine and the Provinces. The total receipts of these fish in 1879 were 460,349 boxes of herring and 23,077 boxes of bloaters. In 1880 the amount was 443,597 boxes of herring and 20,603 boxes of bloaters. The receipts in 1881 reached 612,412 boxes of herring and 30,429 boxes of bloaters. The trade in pickled fish is extensive, and includes mackerel, herring, alewives, salmon, salmon- trout, and shad, received from New England fishing ports and from the Provinces. About half of the total receipts of mackerel are from the Provinces, as is also the case with the receipts of herring, while alewives, salmon, salmon-trout, and shad come chiefly from the Provinces. The total amount of pickled fish received by Boston dealers in 1879 included 167,444 barrels of mackerel, 56,844 bar- rels of herring, 6,522 barrels of alewives, 6,013 barrels of salmon, 1,437 barrels of salmon-trout, and 3,042 barrels of shad. In 1880 the amount received included 196,493 barrels of mackerel, 55,802 barrels of herring, 7,033 barrels of alewives, 2,892 barrels of salmon, 698 barrels of salmon-trout, and 1,975 barrels of shad. Of the total receipts of mackerel in 1879, 15,275 barrels were taken by Boston vessels, 34,138 barrels were landed in Boston by mackerel vessels belonging to other New 192 GEOGKAPHICAL HE VIEW OF THE FISHERIES. England ports, 33,818 barrels came by freight to Boston from domestic ports, and 84,213 barrels from the Provinces. The total quantities of dry, pickled, and smoked fish received by the Boston fish dealers during the years 1876 to 1881 is shown in the following table, compiled from the annual reports of the Boston Fish Bureau. None of these fish, with the exception of part of the mackerel, are taken by Boston vessels, but are received from other fishing ports of New England, or from the Provinces, by steamer, rail, or coasting vessels, and are sold in Boston or distributed over the country, either in the same condition as received, or otherwise prepared for use. The total value of these fish received in 1879 is estimated at $3,842,043. The Boston mackerel fleet includes vessels owned in Boston, and also several belonging to Cape Cod and other places, but that pack their catch in Boston. The following table shows the receipts of pickled, smoked, and dry fish, by Boston fish dealers, from 1876 to 1881: 1876. 1877. 1878. Kind*. Domestic receipts. Foreign receipts. Total. Domestic receipts. Foreign receipts. Total. Domestic receipts. Foreign receipts. Total. n*kledfi*h. 82, 935 43 012 c 35 529 86 356 ( 31 881 78 689 36 384 J 1C2, 931 ( *>0 459 ^ 142, 344 \ 32 458 } 143,028 17 609 76 251 93 860 19 851 58 097 910 C °G3 7 173 2 720 2 790 5 686 5 686 159 159 834 Shad do 11 541 552 893 893 1 19** Smoked fah. 266 900 65 180 H.'J2 086 •>go (KJO 180 931 10 824 10 8°4 18 495 Dryfiih. 111,690 7 818 110 508 1°6 140 20 f»09 146 649 174 6°4 Hake do 1C, 504 1 118 17 6'*2 30 149 14 7t>3 44 872 45 700 3 021 1 240 4 261 4 gig Pollock . . . do 1 288 o ->(j7 3 555 Cnsk do 2 471 2 471 Boneless fish boxes.. 7,029 7,029 7,138 7,138 3 015 3 015 1879. 1880. - 1881. Kinds. Domestic receipts. Foreign receipts. Total. Domestic receipts. ForHirn receipts. Total. Donu'st it- receipt 8. Foreign receipts. ToUl. Pickled fith. Mackerel barrels . . Mackerel, Boston fleet do 33, 818 49,413 84, 213 1 167, 444 i 30,761 ( 51 002 105, 730 1 196, 493 t 73,653 i 69 669 61,850 I 204,929 9(5 146 705 5 7IJ7 6 522 1 351 5 68'* 145 5 868 560 Trout do .. 1 437 1 437 698 698 1 147 Shad do 3 042 3 042 1 975 1 975 Smoked fish. 291 473 168 876 460 349 269 482 118 115 23 077 23 077 Dryfi»h. Cod quintals.. Hake do 128,912 27 069 21,989 6 610 150, 901 33 679 124, 338 32 222 30, 151 8 810 163, 489 41 032 125, 450 41 091 56,852 7 901 182, 302 48 9°'' 9 155 922 10 077 9 172 976 10 148 5 79° 1 631 7 423 Pollock do 1 598 3 437 5 035 1 523 2 762 4 285 1 773 Cask do... 2 059 212 2 271 1 362 187 1 549 1 469 38 1 507 5 915 5 915 9 646 54 9 700 14 293 316 14 606 MASSACHUSETTS: BOSTON DISTRICT. 193 THE FRESH-FISH BUSINESS. — From the first settlement of Boston until tbc year 1835 the fresli-fisli business was carried on only as a retail trade. Ice was not then used, so that in the summer season but limited quantities of fish could be sold, and then only to the near towns. During the winter, fresh fish were teamed inland as far as Albany and Montreal. The catch came from Massachusetts Bay and was supplied by the small fishing vessels from this and neighboring ports. During cold weather it was brought in a frozen condition by teams from Cape Ann and other ports. The oyster business was of small importance, and was carried on from two hulks covered in and used for storage below and stores above. The oysters came mostly from Cape Cod, never from south of New Tork, and were not sold during the mouths of July aud August. As the demand for fresh fish increased, better facilities were needed to handle the catch. The first wholesale fresh-fish store was opened on Long Wharf in 1835, by Holbrook, Smith & Co. Their business in fresh fish was mostly during the winter and spring months, aud through the warm weather their trade was confined to pickled, dry, or smoked fish. In 1838 this firm removed to Commercial Wharf, being the first fresh-fish firm on that wharf, which, at the present time, is the headquarters of the trade. There are now thirty-five firms on and near Commercial Wharf engaged in the wholesale fresh-fish business, and five retail dealers holding stalls in Fauueil Hall Market, receive large quantities of fish, especially fresh-water aud rare species, from first hands. The capital employed in this trade, including the value of wharves and buildings, is about $1,000,000, and the number of hands employed is two hundred and seventy-five. The total value of fresh fish received in Boston from all sources during the year 1879 was valued at $1,761,259, aud included the following species : Species. Quantities. Species. Quantities. Alewives pounds . . Blucflsh do Brook-trout do — Cod do dinners dozen.. Cusk pounds.. Eels do Flounders do Haddock do Hake do Halibut do Herring number.. Lake piko pounds . . Mackerel number. . Pickerel pounds.. Plaice do Pollock do Red snappers do pounds, do... do... 1,308,234 Salmon 1,616,735 || Salmon trout . 6,900 IJ Scup 11,013,913 | Shad, irnmber. 38,000 I Sheepshcad pounds. 956,747 j! Smelts do... 258,664 Spanish mackerel do... 289,105 Striped bass and seabass do... 17,447,962 ]! Sturgeon do... 1,658,176 Swordfish do... 3,659,285 | Tautog do... 11,799,968 Whitefish do... 6,250 , Yellow perch do... 11,724,943 Crabs, soft dozen. 144,075 Scallops gallons. 26,712 j Shrimp do. 1,360,115 Terrapin number. 12,200 ,351,905 7,500 17,500 257, 097 4,850 690, 101 15,865 118, 951 4,000 863,154 38, 887 25,004 10,500 5,000 2,000 200 2,000 About one hundred Boston vessels aud large boats, and an equal number belonging to other New England ports, landed fares of fresh fish in Boston during 1879. The Boston vessels landed 1,599 fares or 15,558,000 pounds of cod, haddock, hake, cusk, flounders, and swordfish; 30 fares or 1,749,093 fresh mackerel in number, and 120 fares or 1,998,062 herring in number. The fleet belonging elsewhere landed 1,171 fares or 17,531,174 pounds of cod, haddock, swordtish. and other ground fish; 220 fares or 9,975,250 fresh mackerel in number; 18 fares or 548,892 pounds of fresh halibut, and 30 fares or 1,935,270 shore herring in number. Besides the above quantities of fresh fish lauded by fishing vessels, there was a large amount received by rail, steamers, aud sailing vessels, including 500,000 pounds cod, haddock, and other ground fish, 3,110,393 pounds of halibut, 13 G R F 194 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. 1,351,995 pounds of salmon, and 232,229 pounds of fresh-water fish; also 7,860,030 frozen herring in number received from the Provinces. The Boston vessels are manned by men of all nationalities, but those of Irish birth or descent appear to be the largest element in the market fishery. The men generally fish on shares, the owners of the vessel being entitled to one-fifth of the gross receipts, and the men dividing equally, after the cost of stores, tackle, bait, ice, and some other incidentals is deducted. The cook has an equal share with the fishermen. The vessel owners find boats and dories. Codfish and nearly all species of ground fish are taken on trawls armed with from 500 to 1,500 hooks each, according to the depth at which they are to be used. The main line or ground lino of the trawl averages about an inch in circumference, and is coiled in a tub or half-barrel, with the hooks arranged around the edge. From one to four tubs of trawl are carried by each dory, which may be manned by one or two fishermen. Having previously baited their hooks, the men row away from the vessel and set their trawls around her at a convenient distance, usually within hail. In shallow water the trawls are constantly underrun ; the fisherman hauls in the fish caught and rebaits the hooks; but in deep water the trawls are generally visited and run only two or three times a day, owing to the great depth of water and the hard labor required to take care of so great a number of hooks and length of line. Codfish are taken in the spring by the market-boats in Ipswich Bay and on the Middle Bank, and by the Gloucester vessels on La Have and Brown's Banks, and after February 1 on George's Banks. During the summer and early fall the larger part of the supply comes from the South Channel and Middle Bank and all along the back of Cape Cod, and from November 1 to January 1 all the way froui Swarapscott to Ipswich Bay, wherever a ledge fit for the spawning fish presents itself. The total amount of fresh codfish received during 1879 was 11,013,915 pounds. The amount of fresh haddock received during 1879 was 17,447,902 pounds, by far tlie largest amount of any single species. It is a favorite fish and is preferred by many to cod or other species of ground fish. It seems hardly possible that not many years ago this fish was thought of little or no value; none were cured, and only occasionally would a person use them fresh. The fisherman on George's Banks or elsewhere, fishing for cod, on being so unfortunate as to find only a haddock on his line, with a growl and a kick would send it back into the sea. Now these fish are sought after on George's Banks as well as on other cod-fishing grounds. They are taken iu the same manner as cod on trawl or hand lines, and usually bring about the same price as cod. Hake and cusk are found in deep water on muddy bottom, around the ledges and banks frequented by cod, and are taken by the same gear, bait, and equipments. Halibut stands third in the aggregate number of pounds of fresh fish received, but leading all other single species in the value of the catch. They are taken for the fresh fish market on the borders of nearly all the banks. Many were formerly taken in shallow water, and some were gaft'ed as they followed those hooked to the surface, but the larger portion are now caught in from 100 to 250 and even 300 fathoms, on the edges of the banks. It is still related that when the first schooners fished on George's they did not anchor, but drifted across the shallows, taking several with the gaff for every one hooked, and a similar experience was met by the first vessel sent to Greenland, her crew having gaffed nearly 500 halibut in one day. Swordfish are taken off the New England coast iu considerable quantities, and during the year 1879 there were 803,154 pounds marketed in Boston. They are brought to market mostly by New Bedford and eastern vessels, and are captured with spears or lances. Salmon are sent to this market from April to August, the earliest coming from the Keunebec and Penobscot, and the latest from the Labrador coast via Quebec and Montreal or the Inter- MASSACHUSETTS: BOSTON DISTRICT. 195 colonial Railway. They are packed in large wooden boxes holding- from 200 to 300 pounds, aud during the last part of the season are frozen in large numbers for preservation until the next season's catch is obtained. Nearly all are taken by gill-nets, as the Canadian law forbids the cap- ture of salmon in weirs and pounds, although the law is far from being strictly complied with. The amount usually received here is large, often in excess of the demand, at prices that are not remunerative to the shippers, Bluefish, once almost unknown in this market, arc sent here in large numbers. Their first appearance in Boston Bay in this century was in the year 1837, when the fishermen, finding them- selves forced to fish in dories among the rocks for mackerel, "scow-banking" as it was called, dis- covered that the blue-fish invasion had drawn the mackerel to the shelter of the rocks and ledges. This fish is taken by hand-lines from Ipswich Bay to Sandy Hook, but principally in weirs on both sides of Cape Cod and along the coast of Rhode Island and Connecticut. Like the salmon it is preserved by being frozen, and can be procured the year round. Bass are not a plentiful fish in this region, but some arc shipped here from New Market, N. H., from either shore of Cape Cod, and from points south. They were formerly taken in great abundance along the shores of the old Plymouth colony and Cape Cod, principally by means of small seines, thrown from boats aud hauled ashore. Shad are supplied to the Boston market from almost every river and shore from the Potomac to the Saint Lawrence, some of the finest coming from the Bay of Fundy and Saint John River. Flounders are caught by the smallest boats of the market-fishermen. They are little valued, and are chiefly sold to the poorer aud foreign class ; but the aggregate catch is quite large. Eels are mainly supplied from various parts of Boston Harbor, and are chiefly taken in pots baited with broken clams, or chopped-up fish heads. When ascending the rivers and small streams in the fall, or leaving them in the early spring, large quantities are sometimes taken by obstructing the flow of water, aud placing in the center of the stream a strong barrel pierced with auger holes, into which the eels creep, but out of which, curiously enough, they seem unwilling to stir. The barrels have been so filled at times as to suffocate a large part of the catch before morning. Very large and fat eels are sent here in winter from certain towns in Maine, as well as from various other points, but the eel is not valued as in Europe, aud the market is easily overstocked. Smelts arc brought from Maine, Nova Scotia, aud New Brunswick, where, during the winter mouths, they are seined under the ice in large quantities. The Massachusetts law forbids the- seining of them, and but a small part of the market supply is of home catch. Over half a million pounds of eastern smelts come to this market yearly, and retail from 3 to 6 cents a pound. They often sell, in quantities, from 1 to 1£ cents per pound, and afford a cheap food-fish to the poorer classes, though these frozen smelts seldom retain the peculiar and delicate flavor of the recently caught fish. During the past winter, for the first time, quite a large amount were canned, being cooked in butter. They met with a ready sale, and a large business will probably be done in that line hereafter. Previous to 1817 mackerel were caught with hook aud line when under sail, or, as it was called, "drailing." Vessels usually carried twelve men, six being stationed on each side, and each man tended a pole from which three lines with hooks were suspended. The pole was made fast to the side of the vessel. This way of fishing always required a good breeze, and if the breeze died away no fish could be caught, although the vessel might be surrounded with them. In 1817, accord- ing to Rev. Elisha Kellogg, of Harpswell, Me., Captain Pote, of Freeport, Me., observed that the hake fishermen, by throwing the refuse overboard, called the mackerel around. From this hint he began chopping up mackerel with a hatchet and throwing it over to attract the fish to the side of the 196 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. vessel. The watch oil deck at night chopped the bait, but only the captain threw it, and with so much economy that an iron spoon was used for that purpose. Captain Pote was very successful, and, keeping his method a secret for a long time, other fishermen said he had made a bargain with the evil one. From that time it is claimed that the practice of throwing bait and using the hand- line began. Mackerel are now taken by the market fishermen and American fleet almost exclu- sively with the purse-seine in deep water, and many are brought fresh to market from as far south as Cape Henry in the spring, and later in the season from off the New England coast, and as far north and east as Halifax in July and August. They are caught in weirs and gill-nets oft' Cape Cod early in the spring and late in the fall, and by the hand-line of the shore-fisherman among the ledges all along the Massachusetts coast. During the past season they have varied in size, and ranged in value from 25 cents to $25 per hundred. During the year 1879 there were received ill Boston 11,724,943 fresh mackerel in number. Herring are principally sold fresh in winter, when the supply comes from the shores and islands of Eastern Maine and New Brunswick, where vessels fish all winter. The fall catch off the home coast in October and November freely supplies the market at that season, but the herring is not then highly valued as a fresh-fish food. Alewives are sent here to a small extent in spring from the small rivers and inlets of this State, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, but most of them go to the smoke-house or are pickled for the West India trade. Turtle and terrapin are not largely sold in this market. The former comes from the West Indies and South America, and the latter from Virginia, both of them chiefly via New York. Tautog are caught in weirs and also with the hand-line, and are chiefly taken around Cape Cod. They are highly esteemed, but seem to be much less numerous than a generation ago. Plaice are mostly caught off Cape Cod with the hand-line, with small but stout hooks. Spanish mackerel are taken from the south shore of Cape Cod to New Jersey, but are counted a southern fish, and most of the 10,000 pounds annually received in Boston are taken along the southern coast. Sturgeon, so largely handled in the Philadelphia and New York markets, are not much sought after here; but a few thousand pounds have been sold here for the past three years. Red snappers are ordered by a few dealers from New York. More are seen in this market now than formerly, from 5,000 to 10,000 pounds a year being sold. Sheepshead are even less called for than the red snapper, and are only occasionally received from the New York dealers. Scup are taken principally along the south coast of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Con- necticut. They are no longer as plentiful or as large as formerly, and during the past season have been smaller and scarcer than for many years. Striped bass is another excellent fish. Once large and plenty, they are now small and scarce in the rivers of New England, and thus far the Canadian fish are seldom sent to the Boston market. Less than the amount once annually taken at a single one of the many estuaries frequented by these fish, appeared in the Boston market last year. Salmon trout are received from Maine and the Dominion, and are sold here annually to the amount of 4 or 5 tons. The trout business is crippled by the harshness of protection laws, which refuse the dealers the privilege of importation during our close season, at which time the trout of more northern waters are in their best condition. Sea perch, or dinners, were taken in much larger quantities a few years ago than at present; 38,000 dozen were sold in Boston during 1879. The market could dispose of many times this MASSACHUSETTS: BOSTON DISTRICT. 197 amount it' they were taken, but for some unexplained cause the supply has largely decreased during the past few years. A few pompano, bouito, shrimps, soft-shell crabs, English prawns, and other species prized by epicures, are found in this market, but the aggregate quantity is small. The bulk of the fresh- fish business is in ground fish, salmon, halibut, lobsters, and clams. Salmon, shad, bluefish, mackerel, and any species that are taken only at certain seasons of the year, can be had at any time in the frozen state. During the season when they are plenty they are spread out in huge refrigerators, charged with ice and salt, and frozen solid. They are then piled like billets of wood in other large refrigerators, where a temperature of about 10° above zero is maintained. They are taken from the refrigerators as wanted, being found frozen solid even during the warmest weather. The demand for frozen fish is not large, and only one firm pays much attention to freezing them. Dealers claim that the demand for fish that are out of season is too small to justify a great expend- iture of time or money in freezing them. Soon after being landed, fresh fish are packed in boxes holding an average weight of 425 pounds, with from 40 to 50 pounds of crushed ice packed -with them. They are also packed in old flour barrels, holding from 200 to 225 pounds offish, Tvith 20 to 25 pounds of ice, the barrels being covered with tea-chest matting or sacking. They are then shipped to any part of the country, Chicago and Saint Louis being the practical western limit of destination. Dealers state that one- half of the total amount is consumed in New England, one-fifth in New York City and State, while Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, with the Middle and Western States, consume the remaining three-tenths. New England orders are mostly shipped in barrels, while the large boxes, are sent to the leading cities. THE TRADE IN CANNED FISH. — During the past few years an extensive business has grown up in canned fish. Fish-balls, chowders, and uncooked mackerel packed in tin have found a ready market, and large quantities have been packed in Boston. No lobsters or clams are canned in Massachusetts, but that industry is centered on the coast of Maine, especially in the vicinity of Penobscot Bay. It is estimated that some 2,112,000 1-pound cans of lobsters were packed on that coast in 1879. Large as this amount appears, it is a fact that in years past an equal quantity has been packed at individual ports, but owing to the present scarcity of lobsters several of the large companies controlled by Boston and Portland capital are now obliged to open establishments in Nova Scotia, Cape Breton, and other parts of the Provinces. During the year 1879, Boston firms packed in their factories in Boston and elsewhere, and distributed from Boston, 9,049 cases or 463,152 cans of lobsters, valued at $57,894; 8,400 cases or 403,200 cans of salt mackerel, valued at $33,600; 20,000 cases or 240,000 cans of fresh mackerel, valued at $90,000; 800 cases or 38,400 cans of smelts, valued at $4,800; 1,500 cases or 36,000 cans of fish-chowder, valued at $7,500 ; 11,000 cases or 264,000 cans of fish-balls, valued at $38,500 ; and 1,500 cases or 30,000 cans of clam-chowder, valued at $7,500. A large proportion of the products of the canneries controlled by Boston capital is distributed direct from the Eastern factories and does not appear in this report. The duty on tin cans from the Provincial factories is so heavy as to practically shut them out of this market. A large part of the product of these factories passes through the United States in bond to the European markets. The products of the canneries are distributed all over the country, but principally west and south. There is also a large European trade in canned lobsters and a moderate demand for other fish productions in tin. Of the various specialties, fish-balls is the only one that is protected by a patent, a Boston fish packer and dealer having obtained a patent for that article in March, 1878. They are com- 108 GEOGRAPHICAL 1{E VIEW OF THE FISHERIES. posed of nearly equal parts of choice codfish ami potatoes. The fish are uncooked or parboiled, and the potatoes are washed, boiled, and pared, with the greatest attention to quality, cleanliness, and perfect cookery. The ingredients are then chopped as fine as possible by machinery, and at the same time are intimately mixed. The mixture is then put up in cans of 1, 2, or 3 pounds each, and subjected to a steam bath. They are then hermetically sealed, and are warranted to keep in any climate. Canned salt mackerel is an old article in a new dress, being ordinary uncooked pickled mack- erel with the heads and tails cut off and packed in 5-pound tin cans, one dozen cans in a case. They were introduced in 1879, and the packages being of convenient size for family use and handsomely labeled, have been quite favorably received. In 1879 there were 20,000 dozen cans, of 5 pounds each, packed in the Boston canneries. The canning of smelts was begun late in the fall of 1879. They are thoroughly cooked in butter and packed in 1-pound cans, five dozen cans in a case. It is probable that large quantities of smelts will hereafter be preserved in tin. A large export demand is promised for the various fish preparations in tin, and some large orders have already been filled for Europe, Australia, and the West Indies. Much improvement is constantly being made in the methods and styles of packing and labeling, and good satisfaction has been given, so that a constantly increasing demand is created, especially throughout the mining regions of this country and on the Pacific slope. The canning industry in Boston employs seventy men, fifty-six women, and a capital of $40,000. The value of the products distributed from Boston in 1879, including those brought here from eastern canneries, was valued at $239,794. THE LOBSTER AND CLAM INDUSTRIES. — The lobster industry of Boston is important, though not as extensive as when lobsters were more abundant. Over-fishing is said to have largely diminished the number annually taken, and stringent laws are needed to save this fish from extermination. They are received from Maine and from ports along the northern and southern shores of Massachusetts. In 1880, 2,425,125 lobsters were received in Boston, of which number 798,571 came from Maine, 300,000 from Cape Ann and vicinity, 360,954 from the south shore and Cape Cod, 50,000 from Nahant, 319,200 from Hull, and the remainder from Boston Harbor and its immediate vicinity. They are taken with the ordinary lobster pot. and are sold to the boiling establishments, where they are boiled in sea-water in large zinc-lined wooden tanks. They are then peddled in wheelbarrows throughout the city or shipped in barrels covered with tea-matting to various parts of the country, Chicago being the practical limit of distribution. Upwards of $60,000 is invested in this industry in Boston, and about one hundred men are employed. Ninety men in and about Boston Harbor, with from forty to sixty dories, are employed during the greater part of the year in taking the soft or sand-clam, and as many more men follow the busi- ness occasionally. These clams are abundant on nearly all the flats and bottom-lands of Boston Bay. Large quantities are also received from Cape Cod, the south shore towns, Saugus River, and •other points east. In all, some 75,000 bushels or 24,000 barrels of clams, costing on an average, including freight, $2 a barrel, are annually received in Boston. The outfit for a clam digger con- sists of a dory, clam-rake, oars, rubber boots, and buckets, and costs about $15 for the boat and $7.50 for the other articles. Two men generally use a single boat, so that the individual invest- ment is about $15 each. The towns about Boston usually charge a license fee of $2 a year for the privilege of taking clains. The clams are in some cases bought up by small operators, who team them into the city, MASSACHUSETTS: BOSTON DISTRICT. though the diggers sometimes bring them to the city and sell them to the dealers from their boats at the wharves. Quabaugs are not generally taken, and but few sea-clams, razor-fish, or mussels. The supply of these bivalves and of scallops comes in small quantities from Cape Cod, no great amount being required to meet the demand. THE TRADE IN OYSTERS. — The following extracts are from Mr. lugersoll's census report on the oyster industry: " 1. HISTORY OF THE BUSINESS. When the natural beds in the Charles and Mystic Eivers gave out, Boston derived its oysters from the natural beds at Wcllfket and in Buzzard's Bay, but mainly from the first named. When, in turn, these became exterminated, toward the close of the last century, Boston dealers began to bring ship-loads of oysters from the shores of Buzzard's and Narragansett Bays, directly to the city in winter, and in the spring bedded at Wellfleet supplies for the ensuing summer and autumn. This has been explained in the account of Cape Cod, preceding this. These cargoes were taken up in the early fall, and sent in sloops and schooners to Boston. There the schooners were dismantled and tied up, or else the cargoes were transferred to hulks (old mastless vessels) and covered with so thick a layer of seaweed that no frost could get at them. These hulks were towed up into the docks close to Faneuil Hall, the recollection of which is preserved in the name of Dock Square, and there the oysters were sold to retail dealers, peddlers, and other customers, either in the shell or opened. Another favorite place for the oyster- vessels to lie was about where the Boston and Maine railway station now stands, in Haymarket square. At that time a caual, well remembered by old citizens, ran through from the Charles Eiver to the City Wharf, following what is now Blackstoue street. Another wharf for oyster- boats occupied the present site of the New England Hotel. Prices then ranged higher than now in some respects and lower in others. A bushel in the shell (at wholesale), or a gallon opened, cost $2; this was 'in liquor,' the 'solid' gallon being a recent invention. In the restaurants they charged ninepence (12i cents) for a 'stew,' and fourpence (6J cents) for a 'dozen' of fourteen; or you could buy a better quality for 7 cents. "There was a queer custom in vogue in those days, half a century ago. Besides the hawking about the streets, which has survived, a few men used to 'bag' them. Taking a bag of the bivalves on their backs, they would go in the evening to a house where there was a lively family, or, perhaps, where a company of friends had assembled. A carpet would be spread in the middle of the parlor on which the damp bag would be set, when the peddler would open the top, shuck an oyster, and pass it upon the half-shell to his nearest customer ; then another for the next, and so on. Some lively scenes must have been enacted around that busy bagman, as his knife crunched rapidly through the brittle shells, and the succulent morsels disappeared down fair throats. "Meanwhile more and more oysters were being brought every winter from Long Island Sound, Newark Bay, New Jersey, and "southern waters, mainly in Capo Cod vessels, as I have shown, but somewhat, also, in Boston's own craft, for in those days there were more mackerel- fishermen hailing from the city than there now are. "When oysters first began to be brought to Boston from Virginia, I could not ascertain with precision. The patriarch of the business, Mr. Atwood, of the firm of Atwood & Bacon, says that when he began dealing in Water street in 1826, oysters were being brought regularly from Chesa- peake Bay in small quantities. He thinks the first cargo arrived about 1824. Mr. J. Y. Baker assures me that in 1830, 20,000 bushels from all quarters sufficed for Boston. About 1840 Gould estimated that 100,000 bushels would cover the consumption of all Massachusetts. Business rapidly increased, however, as the subjoined figures of the importations of oysters in cargoes from 200 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. Virginia, by Atwocd & Bacon alone, will show. Besides tbese there were eight or teu other dealers in the city. Atwood & Bacon received — Tear. Amount. Tear. Amount. 1846 Suthels. 39 575 1853 Bushels . 1850 90 354 1855 1851 90 587 1857 S3 000 "These were by their own nine vessels alone; they had occasional cargoes otherwise. The largest lot (1853) cost them $41,853, which gives an idea of values. Freight in those days was 17 cents. "At present very few oysters, indeed, are bedded in the vicinity of Boston, while of propaga- tion there is none whatever. The grounds in the harbor were never very excellent, and became less so as the city increased in size. The encroachments of the building and filling in along the water-front overran the old limits of the bedding-grounds, and even the ancient natural beds. Where the Boston and Maine railway's car-house stands, a leading dealer not many years ago laid down 42,000 bushels in a single season. It was known as White Island at that time. The South Boston flats are being graded up into streets, and the Charles, Mystic, and Maiden rivers, Bird Island, and other places were long ago abandoned, because the wharves or the sewerage of the city has destroyed their usefulness to the oysterman. Instead of bedding in his own harbor, therefore, the Boston dealer, as a rule, now rents ground iu Buzzard's or Narragansett Bay, and lays down there (the principal grounds being about the mouth of Providence River) the Virginia oysters he proposes to use for his summer and autumn trade, or else he has abandoned the practice altogether. The process of bedding will be dwelt upon in the chapter upon the Rhode Island fisheries. "The coming on of the war of secession found the Boston oyster trade in its most flourishing condition. More cargo-oysters were brought then than ev£r since; prices were high and profits large. The shipping interests fostered by it were large, too, for the competition of railways and steamers had hardly made itself felt. Most of the large dealers ran Hues of vessels of their own, as well as chartering additional assistance in the spring. In the demand for fast sailers which the oyster business created, is found the origin of that celebrated model of sailing vessel that made America famous on the seas — the clipper ship. The first of these were made by Samuel Hall, a noted ship- builder, at his yard in East Boston, and were named Despatch, Montezuma, Telegraph, and Express. They were from 90 to 126 tons, old measurement, and carried an average cargo of 2,500 bushels of oysters. Six months in the year these clippers were devoted to bringing oysters from Virginia. There were 35 or 40 of these "sail" running, and in the summer they would go fishing. The freight tariff on oysters was then 20 cents, and during the war it went as high as 25 cents a bushel. " The war interfered sadly with the business of oystering. Often the military operations did not admit of the cultivating and raking of the beds in Virginia and Maryland, or of the schooners from northern ports going where they wished to buy. A period of higher costs and shortened sales was in store for the dealers, and they have not yet quite recovered the prosperity of 18GO. The greatest period of depression was 1874-'75, when the business was almost a failure. I think none of the dealers ' suspended,' however. " In the course of this business, as long ago as the traditions of the trade go back, a few bushels were now and then laid down in various parts of the harbor to keep them from spoiling. But this MASSACHUSETTS: BOSTON DISTRICT. 201 was not at first a regular and systematic tbing. The bedding-grounds were usually in the Charles, Mystic, Maiden, and Pines Elvers, often above the bridges, or on the Winthrop shore. Later all the dealers bedded on the South Boston flats, which arc now being wholly filled up by the New York and New England Railway. There was a large, oval, bare space here, occupied by all the dealers in the city, who had it regularly divided. Mr. J. IT. Wiley's father's portion was at the extreme end, and was bounded by eel-grass. He experimented by putting oysters over, upon, and among the eel-grass, and found that they did far better than those on the open flat, which had been occupied for a long time, and ebbed dry. Mr. Wiley supposed that the reason was, that it was new ground, from which fresh and plenteous nourishment was to be derived. The grass af- forded so much protection, also, that many oysters used to survive the winter. "At present (1S79-'SO) the only vessels, so far as I could learn, registered in Boston and en- gaged in the oyster-carrying trade, are the following schooners, all the property of a single firm: Name. Tons. Name. Tons. William H West G8 J M Ball 87 96 74 Alice . .. f9 66 95 100 "2. PRESENT CONDITION OF THE OYSTER BUSINESS.— Another great change from ancient methods of conducting the business h as been caused by the introduction of opened oysters from Norfolk. These are received twice a week (Tuesdays and Fridays) by steamer direct from Norfolk, and on other days, to a less extent, by steamer from Norfolk to New York, and thence by railway. In the neighborhood of 250,000 gallons were thus handled in Boston during the winter of 1879-'80, for they come only between September and April. They are shipped in barrels and kegs. The effect of this innovation has been very marked upon the trade; whether for good or ill there are two opposite opinions, the general verdict being that this feature works against the best interests of the trade. In their favor, it is said, in general, that they can be sold cheaper than any other oysters, and hence are accessible to the poorer class of people ; that they are as good as the cargo- oysters, and that in the increased number sold is compensation for the diminished percentage of profit. I will quote some opinions expressed to me iu this direction: "The Boston Oyster Company considered the innovation of Norfolk opened oysters not unfa- vorable to business generally, although hurtful to the cargo-trade. Although higher profits were received five or six years ago, three times as many gallons are sold now as then, and hence dealers can afford to take less. Selling more cheaply a grade of goods equal to the old stock opened here, they give better satisfaction and sell more. There is less risk, also, than with cargoes, in which they had relinquished large dealings. They washed all their oysters from Norfolk carefully, and had heard no complaint of ill-health resulting from eating them. "The Chesapeake Oyster Company deal almost wholly in opened oysters, and believe iu the Norfolk trade, for the same reason as given iu the report of the ' Boston' company, and say that, with their refrigerator barrels, they have no trouble with warm-weather losses. One of the advan- tages of this new business is, that a man can begin it with small means, since the stock may be procured in quantities as small, or large, as desired. "E. E. Higgins thought the oysters opened in Norfolk as good by the time they got here as those of the same grade opened here out of cargoes. He used them largely, and had opened a branch house in Norfolk in order to compete with Norfolk shippers on their own ground. By sendiug to his customers full packages, he avoided the complaints against the Virginia shippers, 202 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. tb;it they sent 'scant' barrels, pretending to allow for a ' swell' of the contents, which does not occur. "This, I believe, completes the list of those who would not be glad to see the Norfolk opened oysters disappear from the market. Indeed, so strong is the prejudice, that an effort was made about two years ago to induce the legislature to forbid their importation into the State; but this failed it being opposed not only by certain consumers and carriers, but by two or three of the wholesale dealers themselves. In opposition to them it is asserted that their quality is poor; that they are unhealthy; that the losses attending them are greater than with cargoes, and that they unduly cheapen all superior grades of stock. Two grades are brought to Boston, but for one of the 'selected' come ten barrels of the 'common,' the cheapest and poorest oysters brought to the Nor- folk market. The alleged iujuriousuess of them is said to arise from their too great age when they arrive. It is almost impossible, any way it is arranged, to get the stock from Norfolk to Boston's customers in less than a week. If they are put upon the steamer in Norfolk immediately upon being opened, come speedily, and the weather remains cold, little fault will be found. It is rare, however, that this favorable conjunction of circumstances occurs, and a large percentage of almost every cargo is thrown away. One firm dumped overboard 300 gallons out of a single shipment recently. Under such circumstances the wholesaler will save all he can, including now and then some he ought to throw away; and the same thing will occur in the shop of the retailer, so that frequently the consumer gets oysters not fit to eat. Rumors of sickness and death resulting are common enough, but I failed to trace any to a trustworthy origin in truth. They are often dirty, and are washed again and again, until the aroma and delectable flavor are all gone from their lacer- ated and rinsed remains. They are only fit to be cooked in a method calculated to disguise their insipidity, by the time Vermont, Maine, or Canada get them for dinner. "Nor does it appear that a large increase of sales has followed the introduction of this new stock. Trade has changed rather than amplified, while prices have been reduced in a marked manner throughout the whole list. If, now, the wholesale dealer clears 5 cents a gallon on Vir- ginia oysters, in shell or out, he thinks himself doing well. Most of the business is done on a much smaller margin. Considerable profit, however, is made on the ' superior grade' of Norfolk stock; but only a little of this is brought on. Worse than this, however, for Boston merchants, is the fact that Norfolk cuts out much of their regular custom. A man anywhere can buy 5 or 10 gallons and have them sent to him just (or very nearly) as cheap as the wholesaler who gets his thousand gallons. The natural result is, that many retailers and large consumers, like the hotels, do send direct to Virginia. With the cargo method this is out of the question. All consumers near Boston or other importing cities must go there for supplies. Take it all in all, Boston thoroughly deplores the innovation, but comforts herself with the conviction that already she sees signs of general dissatisfaction, and looks forward to a speedy abandonment of the new for the old method. "A large variety of oysters are to be found on sale in Boston from widely different points. Those from the shore of Connecticut used to be highly esteemed, but they have gone out of the Boston market. The 'Cape' and ' Providence' oysters are better of late, and the expense of bring- ing them on is much less than from Connecticut. About five years ago the very choicest brand eaten came from Wareham, at the northern extremity of Buzzard's Bay. Now these are poor, and better ones come from Cotuit, on the 'heel' of Cape Cod, and the best of all (in my judgment) are from the Sandwich shore, particularly Monument River. The size, fine appearance, and saltness of the 'Cape' or 'native' oysters recommend them for 'bench' stock, to be eaten raw. You see MASSACHUSETTS: BOSTON DISTRICT. 203 advertised also tbc Blue-point, Saddle-rock, Stamford, and Xorwalk oysters, more familiar to New Yorkers; but they are kept fora special, small custom, as 'fancy.' "3. EXTENT OF THE OYSTER TRADE. — It is not easy to get at the exact number of persons iu Boston who derive their daily support from the oyster business. The hired help of the wholesale dealers amounts to about 125 persons the year round, with the addition of about 250 more who are engaged with greater or less steadiness to 'shuck' during the colder half of the year. The majority of these persons are married ; and I believe that, including the dealers themselves, to multiply by four in each case would fairly estimate the number of souls represented — that is, the mouths fed. There are, then, in this wholesale trade, deriving their whole support, about 500 persons; deriving one-half their support, about 1,000 persons. "It is asserted that there are about 1,000 retail shops, fish markets, hotels, and restaurants in the city where oysters form a regular part of the sales. I was unable to verify this, but am in- clined to believe it rather under than over the actual number. It would be a low estimate to say, that an average of one family of 5 persons in each case is supported by the inolluscan share of the business, which would add 5,000 persons to the 750 in the wholesale department, and give a total of 5,750 persons in Boston estimated to derive their living chiefly out of the oyster aud clam. Most of the wholesalers run restaurants and lunch-counters. The wages paid vary with the kind of em- ployment and the employer, all the way from $4 to $25 per week. The lowest rates are paid to the girls in the restaurant-kitchens, who get from $3 to $5 per week and their board, and to the waiters in the restaurants, who receive about $8 a week and board. The men who pack, attend to shipments and delivery of orders, who aid in bedding, aud do the heavy work of the establishment, will average from $12 to $15 a week. The large addition employed between September and May are ' openers' or ' shuckers,' who are paid by the solid gallon, and work only when there are oysters to be opened. They are, as a rule, a rough, ignorant class of men. In summer they do ordinary laboring jobs, like working on the streets and carrying hods. Their pay has been a shilling (17 cents) a gallon for some years, but last season (1878-'79) 18 and occasionally 20 cents was paid; and in consequence of a strike on their part it is expected that 20 cents will be the ruling price in 1879-'80. It is rare that they earn more than $10 a week, and often not half that. The largest day's work at opening oysters that I could learn of was performed several years ago by a man in Atwood & Bacon's employ, who opened 45 gallons between 7.30 a. m. and 10.30 p. m.; but this was ' liquor' measurement, and he got only 10 cents a gallon for it. Most of the openers are married and have large families. " Subsidiary to the oyster business in Boston is the disposal of the empty shells. These are used somewhat for filling in, particularly along the Atlantic avenue wharves, and are largely con- sumed by the gaslight companies to be burned into lime for purifying their gas. In addition to this there are two pulverizing establishments in East Boston that take large quantities. The shells are gathered for them by carters and boys of every grade, at odd times, from the saloons, the pro- prietors of which are glad to get rid of them, and taken to the factories, a few barrels at a time. The factories pay 8 cents a barrel, and often men are thus able to profitably employ their leisure. The shells are put into a crusher and then through bolts, and are thus ground into small fragments, from which the dust is sifted. The machinery employed is precisely that used for crushing bones, &c. There is a strong prejudice against the presence of any oyster-shell in the manufactured fer- tilizer, strange to say, and the broken shell finds a market only as food for poultry iu place of fine gravel. The price is one-quarter of a cent a pound, and a barrel will weigh about 275 pounds. About 500 barrels, valued at $375, are sold annually by these factories to the henneries near Boston, 204 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. and an occasional barrel of the finer grade is sold to the bird stores, to be used in 'sanding' the floors of cages." Statistical recapitulation of the oyster trade of Boston. Number of wholesale dealers and shippers 10 Number of vessels engaged 8 Value of same $20,000 Number of men hired by dealers — Annually 125 Semi-anmially 250 Annual earnings of same $85,000 Semi-annual earnings of same 35,000 $120, 000 Number of sailors employed (three months) 40 Earnings of same $2,500 Number of restaurant servants 1, 000 Annual earnings of same $500,000 Total number of families chiefly supported 1,500 Annual wholesales of — I. Native oysters (Cape Cod) bushels.. 15,400 Selling value of same $15,000 II. Chesapeake "plants" bushels.. *457,500 Selling value of same $340,000 III. Fancy stock bushels.. 60,000 Selling value of same $100,000 IV. Baltimore and Norfolk "open stock" gallons.. 350,000 Selling value of same $250,000 Total wholesale value of oysters sold annually $705,000 EXPORTS OF FISH PEODUCTS.— In the earlier history of the fishing industry the foreign demand was looked upon a& of great importance. That it shows a decrease may be accounted for from a number of causes, among which is the fact that a constantly growing domestic demand, with a light catch during the past few years, has much of the time left the market bare for export. The home market calls for an entirely different and more profitable method of curing, that requires less labor and expense than curing for a, foreign trade. Dry fish, for home trade, have an addi- tional weight, being only lightly dried or pickle-cured, and bring as good prices as those that are hard-dried and carefully prepared for export. The lack of steam transportation between Boston and the West Indies has at times diverted trade from this port to other markets, both domestic and foreign, where there are regular lines of steamers. For this reason a large part of our exports, being cleared from Xew York, does not appear on our home clearances. During the year 1879 there were about $75,000 worth of pickled fish and .about $175,000 worth of dry fish exported from Boston via New York, and this amount added to the Boston clearances, $404,358, gives $654,358 as the aggregate value of Boston exports for that year. The value of fish exports direct from Boston was $781,621 in 1875, $783,196 in 1876, $010,325 in 1877, and $555,548 in 1878. During the five years from 1875 to 1879, inclusive, the total value of fish exported through the Boston custom-house was $3,149,050, of which $2,945,379 worth was of domestic production and $203,071 worth the production of the British Provinces or other countries. The value of each year's exportation, and the countries to which fish have been exported, are shown in the following statements compiled at the Boston custom-house: * Of these, 140,000 gallons arc sold annually under the name of Providence stock. MASSACHUSETTS: BOSTON DISTRICT. 205 Value of exports of domestic fisli from Boston during eacli year from 1875 to 1879. A.— DRIED OR SMOKED FISH. Countries. 1875. 1870. j 1877. 1878. 1879. $50 25, 701 10, 330 1,980 203, 048 83, 483 4,745 3,825 2, 957 $862 02, 479 10,200 4,050 155, 959 52, 432 4, CCS 0,499 2,880 $900 59, 031 24, 849 5,754 128, 140 23, 072 8,869 6,494 3.533 C54 38, 355 1,096 523 1,113 7,044 2,928 1,730 147 743 267 189 7,103 $29, 333 1,418 2,512 254, 280 C2, 231 1,558 C82 8,257 $15, 480 4,131 2,038 110, 234 35, 821 814 4,279 0,587 Frfnc „ ,. s . . . British G ' 5,868 120 80, 421 75 12, 388 48 31.800 r IP" ' Af-' ' 0,309 3,009 508 1,824 350 09 1,110 2,470 0,272 7.085 90 101 71 152 6,159 r • ' - tc r _, ' . y 1, 039 90 Poitu" ie»e Possessions in Africa 79 28, 626 French Guiana Total 378, 727 430, 145 : 329, 070 323, 894 240, 092 B.— PICKLED FISH. Countries. 1875. 1870. 1877. 1878. 1879. England . $1 619 $3 047 $9 808 $1 100 $5 999 7 833 8 198 17 660 14 491 5 498 3 4<>4 10 636 12 440 10 879 5 791 1 653 4C8 80 2 550 918 navti .. 119 166 104 014 88 079 53 894 51 164 7 643 9 680 5 972 2 894 4 783 1 019 4 155 8 091 5 505 4 546 21 38 141 14° Cuba 1 213 °37 1 008 30 Chili 30 21 485 11 395 10 005 7 437 497 343 1 618 4 112 2 150 8 005 715 8 635 4 196 2 782 1 250 Danish "West Indies 426 563 2 108 4 271 145 Porto Eico 4,150 472 2 917 1 837 4C9 Newfoundland and Labrador 125 1 932 Belgium 60 3 814 7 91° 5 I09 Liberia 788 715 209 Portuguese Possessions in Africa 340 French Guiana. 098 2 519 British Honduras 40 Total 181 090 164 788 104 099 123 7G8 84 301 206 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. Value of exports of domestic fish from Boston during each year from 1875 to 1879 — Continued. C.— OTHER CURED FISH. Countries. 1875. 1876. 1877. 1878. 1879. E 1 \ $120, 522 $133, 911 $73, 207 $74, 479 $35, 566 1 W tlnd' s 86 105 1,030 504 242 718 1,003 113 90 475 1,543 240 2,072 1,962 343 181 315 79 2 110 492 401 48 355 C51 CO 232 224 91 104 161 1,000 Chili 200 330 520 2 029 m 350 1,536 489 F h Fo s ssions in Africa 105 562 7,099 6,441 11,573 13, 591 11, 700 227 268 174 436 236 125 48 95 172 161 54 2,180 220 130 195 SO 453 519 108 52 Xotll 141, 589 144, 733 91,211 94, 308 51,446 D.— FRESH FISH. Countries. 1875. 187C. 1877. 1878. 1879. $340 $42 Value of exports of foreign fish from Boston during each year from 1875 to 1879. A. — PICKLED HERRING. Countries. 1875. 1876. 1877. 1878. 1679. $1, 989 5,982 $150 $48 . ' 978 4,954 $9, 088 8,949 5,104 9,088 48 B.— PICKLED MACKEREL. Countries. 1875. 1876. 1877. 1878. 1879. $162 British West Indies $3,700 $408 815 4,300 $75 434 $100 Porto Rico — 700 Total 5,277 3,700 75 1,542 400 MASSACHUSETTS: BOSTON DISTRICT. 207 Value of exports of foreign finh from Boston during each year from 1875 to 1879 — Continued. C.— OTHER FISH, FREE or DUTY, XOT ELSEWHERE SPECIFIED. Countries. 1875. 1876. 1877. 1878. 1879. $44 490 $29, 390 $12, 855 $4,372 $4,840 3 899 1,699 5,409 3,268 100 683 2 C92 Azwcs 11/ulcira &c 500 18, 692 5,945 5,462 791 461 80 3,554 1,537 616 76 500 3,022 Total 49, 709 39, 726 24,306 11,988 27, 307 D. — OTHER FISH, SUBJECT TO DUTY, NOT ELSEWHERE SPECIFIED. Countries. 1875. 1876. 1877. 1878. 1879. $11 124 $170 5 158 Total .. 16.282 170 IMPORTS OF FISH PRODUCTS. — The importation of fishery products from the British Provinces is tin important element in the fish business of Boston. From statistics compiled at the Boston custom-house \vc find that the total value of fish and fish oils received in Boston from Canada and Newfoundland during the 10 years from 1870 to 1879, inclusive, was $9,362,754, which includes pickled mackerel $4,239,992, herring $1,351,193, fresh fish $307,955, other Gsh $2,840,417, and fish oils 8023,197. The following tabulated statements show these imports in detail for each of the above years: Value of fink imported into Boston from Dominion of Canada and Xeu-foiindland daring the years 1870 to 1677. DOMINION OF CANADA. Tear. Herring. Mackerel. Fresh flsh. Other fish. Total. Value. Dnty. Value. Duty. Value. Duty. Value. Dnty. Value. Duty. 1870 $136, SC4 10, 701 $36, 5J7 50 3, 374 50 $154, 563 43, 957 $30, 175 74 8,263 00 $19, 136 Xone. Free ..do $256, 391 15,386 $14, 840 41 2, 491 22 ^ $636,438 $125, 682 37 Prince Edward Island . 1870 (total^ 147, 003 80, 434 58, 390 104,834 130,118 155, 561 114,484 77,854 39,912 00 21,611 50 17,845 50 2, 621 00 198, u'.'O 223, 889 248, 067 713,116 455, 977 489, 680 297, 800 723, 527 38, 438 74 GO, 248 50 SO, 023 00 30,101 00 19, 136 26, 145 41,544 27, 428 29, 332 28, 142 26, 005 19, 621 ..do ..do ..do ..do ..do ..do ..do ..do 271, 777 108, 402 248, 934 245, 706 415, 821 246, 796 132, 258 214, 142 47, 331 63 20, 997 76 61, 218 18 8, 861 00 1871 438, 870 596, 935 1, 091, 084 1,031,248 920, 179 570, 583 1, 035, 144 108, 857 76 165, OS6 68 41, 583 00 187° 1873 . . 1874 1875 1876 1877 Total 868, 680 81, 990 00 3, 350, 612 220, 811 24 j 217, 353 1,883,836 138, 408 57 6, 320, 481 441,209 81 208 GEOGRAPHICAL KEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. ralnc of fish imported into Boston from Dominion of Canada and Newfoundland during the years 1870 to 1877 — Continued. NEWFOUNDLAND. Tear. Herring. Mackerel. Fresh fish. Other fish. Total. Value. Duty. Value. Duty. Value. Duty. Value. Duty. Value. Duty. 1870 $20, 865 19, 439 12, 178 18, 377 24, 749 44, 468 55 392 $5,781 5,156 4,095" 5,922 270 $101 | $24 8, 844 2, 335 809 258 20 9 None 14,213 None 8 $1, 230 None. 718 4,840 2,861 39,681 7,874 Free — ..do ..do ..do ..do ..do ..do dn .. $93, 228 50, 656 CO, 528 81, 750 90, 807 62, 211 SO, 517 39, 208 $15, 004 04 8, 672 87 10, 680 81 11, 528 00 757 00 $115,424 78, 939 80, 293 SI, 993 118,417 160, 573 83, 783 96, 969 $JO, 609 04 16, 163 87 15, OJ3 81 17, 459 00 1, 027 00 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 57 753 Total i 253, 221 21,224 24, 061 2, 626 : 57, 204 1 484, 905 46, 642 72 819, 391 70, 4P2 72 Total ralue offish imported into Boston from Dominion of Canada and Newfoundland from 1870 to 1*77. Provinces. Ilerring. Mackerel. Fresh fish. Other fish. Total. Value. Duty. Value. Duty. Value. Duty. Value. Duty. Value. Duty. Dominion of Canada $868, 680 253, 221 $81, 990 21,224 $1, 350, 612 24, 061 $220, 811 24 2, 626 00 $217. 353 57, 204 Free ..do $1, 883, 836 484, 905 $138, 408 57 46, 642 72 $6, 320, 481 819, 391 $441, 209 81 70, 492 72 Total 1,121,901 103, 214 3, 374, 673 223,437 24 274,557 2, 368. 741 185, 051 29 7, 139, 8T2 I 511, 702 5.) Quantity and valueoffish oils imported Into Boston from Dominion of Canada and Newfoundland during the years 1870 to 1877. Tear. From Dominion of Canada. From Newfoundland. Gallons. Value. Duty. $5, 1S9 70 4, 291 00 8,460 15 312 00 Gallons. Value. Duty. 1870 38,766 44,594 96,229 68, 955 74, 721 96, 846 69, 076 135, 101 $20, 700 20, 101 42, 126 34, 052 44,254 49, 332 37,340 67, 141 54, 751 92,961 81, 705 47,883 56, 366 13, 449 8,556 8,940 $30, 192 52, 036 38, 817 32, 335 37,660 10, 265 9,471 6,327 $8,711 15 13, 553 40 7, 763 40 6, 429 00 1,787 00 1871 . 187-2 1873 1874 1875 212 00 1876 1877 624,308 315,046 18,46485 364,611 217, 103 j 38, 245 95 Total quantity and value of fish oils imported into Boston from Dominion of Canada and Setrfoundland from 1870 to 1877. Total importations of fi Provinces. Gal ons. Value. Duty. 24, 308 $315, 046 $18, 464 85 64,611 ; 217,103 i 38,245 95 Total '. 88,919 532,149 56,710 80 s/i and fish oils into Boston from Dominion of Canada and Newfoundland from 1870 to 1877. Products. Gall ons. Value. Duty. Fiah . $7 139 872 00 $511 702 53 Fish oils 9 88, 919 532, 149 00 .; 56, 710 80 Total 8 88, 919 7, 672, 021 00 568, 413 33 MASSACHUSETTS: BOSTOX DISTRICT. 209 Quantity and value of fish imported into Boston from Dominion of Canada and Newfoundland during the yeart 1878 and 1*79. DOMINION OF CANADA. Tear. Herring. Mackerel. Fresh flsh. Other fish. Total. 1878 Barrels. 28, 667 30, 325 Value. $96, 826 94, 800 Barrels. 75, 628 77, 338 Value. $524, 637 339, 729 Pounds. 507, 950 257, 640 Value. $17,718 11, 165 Value. $167, 896 253, 618 Value. $807, 077 699, 312 1879 Total.... 58,992 191, 626 152, 966 864, 366 765, 590 23,883 421, 514 1, 506, 389 NEWFOUNDLAND. 1878 6 657 $25, 590 2 $6 $644, 000 $1,140 $24, 5CO $54, 242 1879 5,066 12, 076 195 947 90, 000 369 25,662 39,054 Total .... 11, 723 37,666 197 953 734, 000 4,515 50, 162 93, 296 Quantity and value of fish oils imported into Boston from Dominion of Canada and Newfoundland during the years 1878 and 1879. Tear. Domiuioii of Canada. Newfoundland. Total. 1878 Gallons. 66, 581 148, 511 Value. $23, 180 52, 623 Gallons. 2,500 35, 969 Value. $512 14,733 Gallons. 69, 081 184, 480 Value. $23, 692 67,356 1879 Total .... 215, 092 75, 803 38. 469 15, 245 253, 561 91, 048 ICE AND SALT USED IN THE FISHERIES. — Ice is now considered as necessary as bait or other indispensable articles in the outfit of the market fishing vessel. Large quantities of ice are also used by the receivers of fresh fish. It is delivered at the wharf to vessels or stores in large blocks. When wanted for packing fish, it is cut up and shoveled into a crusher, where it is broken into small pieces, and is then freely used in packing fish in boxes for transportation to all parts of the country. Previous to 1845 it was seldom if ever taken to sea by the fishermen. Vessels in that year began taking ice on halibut trips, returning with the fish on ice. Although fish thus pre- served were in good condition, they found a slow sale. Dealers said, "They have been on ice and that has spoiled them." Notwithstanding this prejudice, the use of ice became general, and, with the growth of the fish business, has shown a steady increase, so that vessels now use more or less at all seasons of the year. The amount taken on a trip depends on the state of the weather, the size of the vessel, and the probable length of the trip. In winter 1 or 2 tons, and in warm weather from 5 to 10 tons, are average quantities. The price is very changeable, an open or very cold winter permitting the harvesting of a short or full supply. During 1879 the price from January 1 to May 1 was $3.50 a ton, and from May 1 to January 1, 1880, $3 a ton. The winter of 1879-'80 being mild, but a very small crop of ice was secured in Massachusetts, and the supply came chiefly from Maine. The price advanced, April 1, 1880, from $3 to $4, and on May 1 was §5 a ton. The fresh-fish stores and vessels of Boston are supplied by the Union Ice Company, that employs thirty men and has a capital of $60,000. 14 G R F 210 GEOGRAPHICAL ItEVlEW OF THE FISHERIES. According to the statement of James Emery, jr., and Charles W. Hallstram, of tbe Union Ice Company, the following quantities of ice were used in the Boston fisheries in each month of 1879: Montb. Vessels. Stores. Total. Pounds. 4,000 8,000 86, 000 108, 000 857, 370 843. 400 1, 293, 434 1, 488, 700 1, 555, 600 1, 229, 000 236, 000 128, 000 Pounds. 50, 000 Pounds. 54,000 8,000 480, 000 480,000 2, 232, 087 2, 293, 170 2, 851, 754 3, 126, 287 3, 545, 987 2, 762, 000 937,000 683, 000 Value. February 394, 000 372, 000 1, 374, 717 1, 449, 770 1, 558, 320 1, 637, 587 1, 990, 387 1, 533, 000 701,000 555, 000 April May July September — November December Total 7,837,504 11, CIS, 781 19, 453, 285 »32,410 Fishing vessels from many of the New England ports take more or less salt in bond from Boston. The Grand Bank cod-fishing vessels generally use Trapani salt ; for mackerel, salt from Cadiz and Liverpool is preferred ; while for herring Liverpool salt is mostly used. It is sold by tbe hogshead, holding 8 bushels, or 560 pounds, of salt. During 1879 prices rated very low; Cadiz salt sold at $1.25, Trapaui at $1.35 to $1.40, and Liverpool 80 cents to $1.20 per hogshead. The present season of 1880 it has advanced considerably, and prices through the spring were as follows: Cadiz $1.50 to 1.G5, Trapani $1.69 to $1.75, and Liverpool $1.20 per hogshead. Since the removal of a bounty on codfish in 1866, Congress has permitted the fishermen to use what salt is necessary for the cure of their fish free of duty. They do not seem to appreciate or consider it much of a grant to them as long as they have to pay what they think are excessive weighing fees; or, as they say, " the duty is yet on, only in another form." In 1799 Congress passed a law charging 50 cents for weighing 100 bushels of 56 pounds each. Iii 1816 this fee was increased to 75 cents, the Gov- ernment weighing each bushel and paying for the labor. The tax or weighing fee was only on bonded salt. The fishermen receiving a bounty and paying a duty had no weighing fees to pay. This old law is said to have remained dormant for over fifty years, and was brought from its retreat by the officers of the Boston custom-house some years ago. The tax was collected at this port, and no other, for some time, until a protest was made which brought forth a general Treasury order to enforce it at all ports. As the law granting fishermen salt duty free provides for their payment of the actual weighing expenses, they seem to think the present tax of 7£ cents a hoghshead unjust, excessive, and not the true intent of the law. For a vessel handling 500 hogsheads of salt this tax amounts to $37.50 as fees for a weigher who weighs only 10 or 20 hogsheads as an average, and all the labor-hire is paid by the vessel. Much complaint is heard at all ports in which the fish- eries are carried on. * The amount of salt withdrawn from the Boston custom-house in 1879 for use in the fisheries was 20,413,200 pounds, or 36,452 hogsheads, having a market value of $54,678. There are five firms in Boston, with a capital of $75,000 and employing fifty men, engaged in the importation of salt and supplying the fish trade as a part of their business. * In the spring of 1882 Congress modified tbe customs la\vs, so that this unjust tax is now removed. MASSACHUSETTS: BOSTON DISTRICT. 211 Tlie quantities of salt withdrawn in bond from the Boston custoni-house, from 3872 to 1880, for use in the fisheries, and the invoice value of the same, or the cost at the foreign port of lading, were as follows : Tear. Pounds. Invoice val'ie. 1872 12 592 600 $11,824 1873 14 08° 400 12,583 1874 16 663 600 15,084 1875 13 547 300 12, 248 1876 14 864 700 14, 415 1877 16 888 450 17, 179 1878 . . 19, 065, 040 16, 313 1879 20, 413, 200 19, 406 Total 128 147 650 119,052 INDUSTRIES RELATED TO THE FISHERIES. — The manufacture of isinglass from fish sounds is an important branch of business in connection with the fishing industry. The sounds are received from the various fishing ports and also from foreign countries. They are soaked and ground up into pulp, and the mass is then rolled into long thin sheets of excellent isinglass or glue, that is used for refining beer and for various other purposes. There are several isinglass factories in Boston, and two or three in other parts of the State, controlled by Boston capital. During the past few years more attention has each year been given to the fertilizing qualities contained in the large amount of fish waste and scrap that was formerly constantly thrown away. Three of the fertilizer factories in and around Boston use fish products, and these factories make a specialty of this line, utilizing all the scrap and waste from the numerous boneless-fish factories, menhaden chum, and the large amount of refuse from the market fishermen, such as fish-heads and all kinds of unmarketable fish, for which the fishermen receive quite a sum. In fact, everything connected with the fish that was formerly thrown away is now utilized at the fertilizer factoiies. The process of manufacture is simple, and varies but little in any of the factories. Fish scrap, bone phosphate, and sulphuric acid are the principal ingredients used by all the factories. The use of this fertilizing material has shown such favorable results that the demand is consequently on the increase. Dealers give the following as the distribution from the New England factories during 1879: New York, 40,000 tons; North Carolina, 20,000 tons; South Carolina, 20,000 tons; Virginia, 45,000 tons; Georgia, 45,000 tons; New England, 10,000 tons. Maryland and New Jersey take a less amount, and the newer States of the West as yet care for but little, if any, fertilizing compounds. A large amount is also exported to the West Indies. During 1879 the total amount of fertilizers manufactured in the three Boston factories was 14,000 tons, valued at from $25 to $35 per ton. The proportional part of the business belonging to the credit of the fishing industry is about $100,000 capital, ninety men, and $140,000 as the value of the product. Of the large number of barrels, drums, boxes, and smaller packages required in the fishing business, Maine furnishes nearly all the barrels, one-fourth of the drums, and most of the large boxes used in packing fresh and dry fish. The boxes arrive in shocks, all ready to be put together as required. Kits, half and quarter barrels, for this market are mostly made at Townsend, Mass., where there are five factories and numerous small dealers. There is also one factory at each of the following towns in New Hampshire: Hollis, Brookline, Merrimack, and Milford. One-fourth of the products of the Massachusetts and New Hampshire factories are used by dealers in Boston, and the remainder in the Gloucester, New York, Philadelphia, aixl the Western Lake fisheries. The boneless-fish trade demand for boxes, holding from 5 to 40 pounds, is supplied from Middle- 212 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. borough and other small inland towns. Boston has five small shops that manufactured 18,000 drums and 10,000 barrels during 1879. These shops employed seventeen men, a capital of $10,000, and the value of the production was $23,000. The towns of Hollis, Brookliue, Merrimack, and Milford, N. H., produced 300,000 half and quarter barrels and kits; 75,000 of which were used in Boston. The capital invested at these places aggregates $50,000, and the value of the products is $75,000. The number of men employed is one hundred. At Townsend, Mass., five factories, with numerous small dealers, employed one hundred and fifty men, with an active capital and machinery valued at $100,000. They produced 400,000 packages, worth $100,000. One hundred thousand of these packages were kits, holding from 10 to 20 pounds each; of which Boston dealers used one-third; Gloucester, New York, and Phila- delphia one-third; the lake fisheries and cities of the West one-third. Messrs. B. & A. D. Fessenden, the largest manufacturers at Townsend, also have a factory at Sandusky, Ohio, where they made 100,000 quarter and half barrels during 1879, for the fish trade of the Great Lakes. The number of boneless-fish boxes made in New England towns during 1879 was 400,000, valued at about $40,000. The capital employed in their manufacture was $20,000, and the number of men was twenty-five. The total amount of capital employed in New Hampshire and Massachusetts in the manu- facture of packages, chiefly for the Boston fish trade, is $180,000, and the number of men in the factories is two hundred and ninety-two. The number of packages produced in 1879 was about 1,128,000, valued at $238,000. There are four establishments in Boston and Cambridge engaged in the manufacture of oil clothing and hats, used in various branches of business. The proportional part for fishermen's use gives average steady employment to one hundred persons the entire year, over three hundred being engaged at times during the year. The. goods manufactured are mostly sold along the Atlantic coast north of the Potomac, though a small portion of them goes to the lake or river fishermen of the Middle and Western States. The goods manufactured are of excellent quality and design, and number over a score of varieties of suits, with as many grades and styles of head gear. The capital in this branch of business is about $42,000, and the number of hands employed is one hundred. The value of the products used in the fisheries is about $109,000. The numerous ship-chandlery and hardware stores supply the fishing vessels to a limited extent with all that is required, but most of the outfit used on the fleet is furnished by the only exclusive fishing supply store of Messrs. Nickerson & Baxter. The sales of fish lines and hooks by this single firm during 1879 will give some idea of the extent of the fishing interest. Among their sales were the following items: 7,148 dozen tarred cotton fish lines, weighing 88,053 pounds, used for trawl and hand line fishing; 300 dozen imported hemp lines, of 4,500 pounds' weight, used in cod fishing; 908,767 pounds of white cotton hand lines, used for gauging; 25,000 gross of imported Scotch hooks ; 50,000 gross of American manufactured hooks, mostly used for ground fishing. A large trade was formerly done in mackerel hooks, but at present the catch being mostly by seines, only a limited amount are used, so that of hooks for this fishing only 40,000 attached to metal jigs were sold. The aggregate sales of lines and hooks by this one firm was 1,001,320 pounds of fish line and 7,840,000 fish-hooks. We have noticed only the two leading specialties of the many numerous articles found in a supply store, in order to show something of the amount of the fishing industry. If we add to the above the amount sold by the numerous small dealers and ship chandlers, the aggregate would be much more. There is invested in this MASSACHUSETTS: BOSTON DISTRICT. 213 business about $75,000 capital, and about twenty-five men are employed. The total value of sales of fishing supplies amounts to about $200,000. The manufacture of nets and seines is an important industry, entirely dependent 011 the fisheries for its support. For many years Boston has done a lai-ge business in those articles, and at present has $300,000 invested in factories that give employment to seventy-one men and two hundred and four •women. The value of nets and seines made by these factories in 1879 was $275,000. The .first net factory in Boston was started in 1842, and until 1866 the work was done by hand. At the latter date machines were imported, and now most of the knitting is done by them. 08. MEDFOKD, BRAINTREE, AND QUINCY. MEDFOKD. — Medford is a suburban town of Boston, on the Mystic Kiver. Its history shows that it was once the seat of a quite profitable river fishery. Ten men now follow the business of taking alewivcs in the Mystic River at a point 6 miles from its outlet into Boston Harbor. The catch is small, because of the restrictions of the State law, which prohibits the use of seines or gill-nets. In 1879 the total catch was 600 barrels of alewives, worth about $1,200, sold to market fishermen of Boston for bait. BRAINTREE AND QUIKCY. — The towns of Braiutree and Quincy, situated a few miles south of Boston, are not now concerned in the fisheries, though in past years they attained to consid- erable importance as fishing ports. An excellent review of the fishing interests of these old towns in past years is given in W. S. Pattce's History of Old Braintiee and Quiucy. From this work we learn that the town took action concerning its fisheries as early as 1755, and persons who engaged in the cod fishery were exempted from poll tax. In 1836 the business amounted to about $30,000, and employed ten vessels, that caught 6,200 quintals of cod, valued at about $18,000, and 1,750 barrels of mackerel, worth $12,242. About one hundred persons were employed in the industry. About the year 1840 two or three whaling vessels were owned here. 69. FISHING TOWNS FROM WEYMOUTH TO COHASSET. WEYMOXJTH. — The fishing industry of Woymouth'is represented by one isinglass factory and one factory for making fertilizers. The former, in 1879, produced 70,000 poiinds of isinglass, valued at $122,500. It employs forty men, and has a capital of $125,000. The latter factory employs a large number of men, and has a capital of some $300,000. About one fourth of the material used in making the fertilizers is fish products, received from various parts of the coast. Six thousand tons of fertilizers, worth $180,000, were made in 1879. In former years this town had an alewife fishery; and in 1639 the General Court granted liberty to the town "to build a weare where it may not preiudice any mans p'priety." HITLL. — Hull is a little village situated in Boston Bay, at the extreme northern end of Plymouth County; it is 8 miles by water from Boston, and is almost entirely surrounded by water, being connected with the mainland of Nantasket by a very narrow causeway. For nearly 250 years the fishing business has been followed here to a greater or less extent. At the present time the only fishery receiving any attention is the lobster catch. There are 33 men engaged in this business; they own 33 boats, and set 3,240 pots about the ledges of Hull and Boston Bay. These pots arc set in trawls, each containing 25 of them. A few men, usually not more than half a dozen, follow the business through the winter. April, May, September, and October are the best mouths in which to prosecute this fishery. During June, July, and August the catch is not only lighter but the quality of the lobsters caught is poorer, the fish at that season being, as the fishermen say, 214 GEOGRAPHICAL KEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. soft lobsters. The State law, as to size, is said to be well observed ; yet the catch yeaily shows a decrease in size and number. The practice of wedging the claws of the lobsters is not followed here. The larger portion of the catch is sent to the Boston market. Occasionally large lobsters are taken in Boston Harbor. One weighing 16, and another weighing 21 pounds, were noticed among the catch of last year. A few small vessels are engaged in the shore herring fishery in October. HINGHAM. — Hingham, situated 12 miles southeast from Boston, was in past years known as a fishing port of considerable importance. To this place at one time belonged a large number of vessels engaged in the mackerel fishery. As railroads and other industries of recent date sprang up, the fishery interest decreased from year to year. The harbor has been allowed to become obstructed, and the wharves to decay ; and, by degrees, the port at last has ceased to be recog- nized as a fishing place of any importance. Three vessels received fishing licenses during 1879 ; two of them having been sold, one sail alono remains to represent the fishery industry of Hingham.* COHASSET. — Cohasset, situated 20 miles southeast from Boston, with a fine harbor, at one time had a good fishing fleet, as is seen by the records of the custom-house. Formerly, numerous firms were engaged in the fisheries, but at the present time the port is noted more for its attrac- tions as a seaside resort than for anything else. The fishing industry is now represented by only two firms, both of which are engaged in the mackerel fishery. They have been in the business for over fifty years, and in 1879 fitted out only six vessels. A few dories and small boats fish near the shore for cod and lobsters. A number of vessels formerly went from this place annually to the Grand Banks for cod ; none have been since 1845, in which year three were sent. Ten men are engaged in gathering Irish moss. Five hundred barrels of it were produced in 1879. Twenty men are occupied in catching lobsters and shore fish. Marine products secured in 1879 were worth $34,339, and included 4,783 barrels of shore mackerel, 217 barrels of Bay of Saint Lawrence mackerel, 175,000 pounds of shore fish, 60,000 lobsters, and 500 barrels of Irish moss. The fishing fleet included eight vessels, aggregating 521.51 tons, ten dories, and ten lapstreak boats. The number of persons employed was one hundred and nineteen, more than half of whom were Portuguese. G.— THE DISTRICT OF PLYMOUTH. 70. GENERAL REVIEW OF THE DISTRICT. PRESENT EXTENT OF THE FISHERIES. — The fisheries in Plymouth district, which includes the towns of Scituate, Duxbury, Kingston, and Plymouth, are not nearly as important at the present time as in past years, when a large fleet of cod and mackerel fishermen sailed from these ports. An annexed tabulated statement shows the extent of the cod fisheries from 1815 to 1879. We find that in 1853 there were eighty-nine vessels of 25,595.86 tons in this fishery, and that they brought home 5G,313 quintals of cod and 22,223 gallons of oil. In 1879 the product of the fleet was 12,500 quintals of cod and 3,465 gallons of oil. The business of gathering Irish moss is largely carried on at Scituate. This business was begun here in 1853, and Scituate has now grown to bo the headquarters in New England for that article. Shore fisheries for cod, mackerel, and other species are carried on to a small extent. A "In the summer of 1881 the schooner Exchange, the last of tlie once largo Hingham mackerel fleet, was sold to Cape Cod. MASSACHUSETTS: PLYMOUTH DISTRICT. 215 considerable quantity of lobsters and clams are also taken along the shores and from the flats iu the harbors. The total capital invested in the fisheries of the district is $133,090, and the value of the prod- ucts is $138,443. The number of persons employed is six hundred and eighty-six. STATISTICAL SUMMATION FOB 1879. — The following statements give in detail the extent of the fishing interests of Plymouth district: Summary statement of persons employed and capital invested. Persons employed. Number. Capital invested. Amount. 228 $93,700 414 7 396 44 a 32, 000 Total 686 Total 133, 096 a Cash capital, $18,000; wharves, storehouses, and fixtures, $14,000. Detailed statement of capital infested in vessels, boats, nets, and traps. Vessels and boats. No. Tonnage. Value. Value of gear, exclu- siveofboats and nets. Value of outfit. Total value. Nets and traps. No. Value. Vetsels. In food-fish fishery : 25 1, 129. 67 $33, 750 $9,250 $33, 450 $76, 450 Nets. Gill-nets: In vessel fisheries — 8 $96 Idle I 54 58 600 600 Purse-seines : Total 26 1, 184. 25 34, 350 9,250 33, 450 77,050 In vessel fisheries .... 5 2,800 Boats. 121 3 100 3 100 Total Traps. 13 2,896 241 8 320 2 130 3 100 13 550 4 500 4 500 Total 362 11, 420 2,130 3,100 16,650 Detailed statement of the quantities and values of the products. Products specified. Pounds, fresh. Pounds, prepared. Bulk. Value pre- pared. $138, 443 Frethfith. Cod 945 000 14 175 15,000 75 1,000 7 2 000 30 Haddock 273 000 3 631 Hake • - 36 000 21ft Mackerel 440 000 5 852 Pollock 5 000 29 Mixed fish 450 000 2,250 Total 2, 167, 000 26, 256 Dry fith. Cod 4 326 095 J 730,438 62, 296 Cusk 3 778 1,889 51 40 900 15, 557 311 Hake 51 860 23,336 373 Pollock 16 260 6,668 113 Total 4,438,893 1, 777, 888 63 144 216 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. Detailed statement, of the quantities and raJnes of ike products — Continued. Products specified. Pounds, fresh. Pounds, prepared. Bulk. Value pro- pared. Pickled ftth. Swordfish -- 7,000 4,000 $130 HKed fish 6,000 4,000 100 Total . ... 13 000 8 000 230 Shellfish. 721, 050 26 438 Clams for food 10 000 bushels ... 5 000 .... Total ... . 721 050 31 438 Miscellaneous. ^ 6 464 gallons 2.585 350 315 405 000 14 175 300 Total 17, 375 THE COD FISHERY FROM 1815 TO 1879. — The following tabulated statement, compiled from the custom-house records, shows the extent of the cod fisheries of Plymouth customs district for the years 1815 to 1879: Year. No. of •vessels. Bounty. Quintals of cod. Gallons of oil. Year. No. of vessels. Bounty. Quintals of cod. Gallons of oil. 1815 39 56 67 71 85 60 53 61 65 62 61 48 59 81 68 71 75 B7 09 73 76 89 87 86 04 73 60 52 72 87 77 64 57 *7, 854 48 12, 295 45 15, 014 76 15,991 36 20, 475 07 14,894 91 12,403 15 14, 302 00 15,256 70 14, 327 03 13, 450 15 9, 534 14 12,521 53 17, 929 20 15, 490 91 15, 105 86 17, 352 00 15,371 18 17, 382 80 19,165 73 20, 286 30 24, 386 50 23, 852 69 23, 067 49 27, 027 98 19, 262 76 15, 625 70 13, 562 19 18, 415 15 23, 975 40 21, 774 85 18,123 03 14, 858 91 19,560 28,150 33,580 35,560 42,530 30,000 26,500 30,000 32,500 31,000 30, 000 24,000 29,907 48, 219 35, 270 33, 218 43, 705 37, 578 48, 199 54,555 56,903 57, 965 44, 776 51, 776 02, 763 39, 601 34, 753 32, 300 48, 200 54,150 50,142 40, 526 40, 669 1848 69 63 65 71 67 89 69 73 62 67 64 64 63 61 58 58 62 54 52 $19, 123 31 17, 726 83 18,011 05 19,443 18 20,261 88 25, 595 86 19, 325 50 19,778 84 16, 012 38 16,917 50 16, 287 04 16, 377 36 16. 072 43 15, 683 02 15, 340 43 15, 548 04 J7, 074 55 10, 956 89 10, 836 99 50, 974 48,683 51,665 51, 970 49, 371 56,313 41,424 36, 670 37, 968 37, 587 32, 544 33, 353 36, 049 32, 379 34,842 37, 964 41, 706 42,590 39, 639 38, 100 37, 700 39,700 35, 300 32,000 25, 700 28,900 9,512 11,480 14, 342 13,310 12,902 12,500 19,862 19,742 23, 259 19, 742 21, 155 22, 223 13, 169 13, 73C 15, 210 16, 735 18, 192 17, 896 17,513 19, 642 19,678 19,342 22, 358 24, 593 25,165 22,300 18,490 18,553 18, 679 10,789 U.270 13, 608 3,307 2,898 4,441 3,813 3,591 3,465 1816 1849 1817 1850 1818 1851 1819 . ... 1852 18'70 1853 1821 1854 1822 1855 18^3 1856 1804 1857 1825 1858 lg-->0 1859 1837 1860 1828 18"9 180° 1830 1331 1864 183° 1833 1834 1867* 1835 .... 1868 1836 1837 1870 1838 1871 1839 1840 1841 1874 . .. Ig42 1875 1843 1844 1845 1846 jg47 20,495 • Not any bounty since 1866. MASSACHUSETTS: PLYMOUTH DISTKICT. 217 EXPORTS OF FISH FEOM 1803 to 1870. — The following tabulated statements compiled from the custom house records show the importance of the export trade in dry and pickled fish from the customs district of Plymouth, for the years 1803 to 1878: A.— Exports from 1603 to 1«19. Quarter ending — - Value per quintal. Value per barrel. To British West ludics. To French West Indies. To Spanish Eu- ropean ports. Portugal. Spanish West Indies. Madeira. > Azores. > French European ports. > Swedish West Indies. > Gibraltar. 1 1 & H H H H H H H H $4 00 4 00 4 25 4 00 4 33 4 25 4 00 $4 00 Qtli. 80 1 164 Bbls. 229 Qtli. 4,050 Ebli. 263 Qtli. 5,515 I'M*. Qtli. 90 Qtli. Qtli. Qtli. Qtli. Qtl>. Qtli. Qtli. September 30 1803 1,500 3,037 770 6 00 4 00 4 00 4 25 3,170 2,785 8,658 1,459 8,459 1,525 7,050 89 121 March 31 1804 6 792 June 30 1804 4.607 3,581 5,242 5,700 5,382 2,379 8,494 7,145 6,538 3,095 5, 159 3,584 1 950 183 78 640 December 31 1804 March 31 1805 4 00 4 25 4 25 4 00 382 146 50 10 1,150 June 30 1805 295 September 30 1805 4 00 4 25 4 00 400 December 31 1805 27, 268 1 553 25 1,020 March 31 1806 4 00 Juno 30 1806 4 00 4 50 4 25 4 50 6 00 7 00 14 00 849 2 2 4 4,370 1,310 15,840 5,000 1,460 2,682 3,420 1 800 20 25 30 821 March 31 1807 1 250 4 25 September 30 1807 4 25 3 50 25 00 2,084 5,176 170 20 December 31 1807 622 March 31 1809 1 50 807 1 900 423 6,748 10 563 June 30 1809 2 50 1 950 September 30, 1809 December 31 1809 2 00 2 50 4 00 8,332 35 500 10 290 220 1,056 400 1 0°0 700 March 31 1810 2 00 2,850 564 June 30 1810 2 00 3 00 3 50 4 00 4 00 5 00 5 00 15 00 3,560 3,207 3,495 7 2,965 September 30, 1810 39 December 31, 1810 March 31,1811 . . . 2,100 347 1,144 2,240 3,510 3,550 30 June SO 1811 1,070 2 070 September 30, 1811 3 00 December 31, 1811 3 00 3 50 1,070 1, 176 1,236 Miiivh 31,1812 5 482 .Iiiin-30. 1812 3 00 300 2,350 June 30,1815 4 00 620 1 350 September 30, 1815 4 25 4 50 December 31, 1815 1,460 1 961 2,200 Juno 30, 1816 4 00 September 30, 1810 December 31, 1816. March 31,1817 3 50 3 00 2 50 2,913 4,611 2,990 4 278 1 950 June 30, 1817 3 00 September M. 1817 3 00 1 95'? December 31,1817 Miiich 31.1818 4 00 3 00 1,675 4,500 10, 080 2,580 2,862 1,200 1,100 2,200 June' 30, 1818 4 00 September '.',0, 1818 3 50 DeO l:l!.er ill, 1818 Match 3V, 1819 3 50 3 50 90 2, 112 • l::ne :M 1819 4 03 2,000 2,200 September 30. 1819 4 00 Deee:nb.T31,1810 1(1(1 1,238 218 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. 13.— Exports from 1820 lo 1878. Quarter ending- Value per quintal. Vullio per barrel. To French West Indies. To Spanish West Indies. To Gibraltar. To Hayti. To Danish West Indies. To Nova Scotia. $4 00 4 00 3 00 3 00 2 50 3 00 3 10 3 00 3 00 3 50 3 00 2 75 3 CO 3 00 2 50 3 00 3 25 3 25 2 50 2 75 2 50 2 50 2 75 2 50 2 50 2 50 3 00 4 00 3 00 3 00 3 50 3 25 2 75 3 00 2 75 2 75 2 50 2 50 2 25 2 50 2 75 2 75 3 50 3 25 3 25 3 00 3 00 3 00 2 75 3 00 3 00 3 25 3 00 2 50 2 75 2 50 $5 00 5 00 Quintafo. 2,500 1,880 1,465 740 2,240 1,091 1,063 1,007 930 1,030 1,754 2,548 1,888 684 258 2,157 2,397 1,492 2,330 2,742 767 2,937 1,678 1,278 2,019 1,205 2,708 1,362 845 1,835 2,684 2,364 2,818 5,181 1,611 4,873 3,860 3,843 2,093 3,136 2,553 2,292 2,495 4,542 1,863 847 712 252 744 700 514 850 86X 761 471 1 514 Barrels. Quintals. 100 Barrels. 191 Quintals. 1,308 Quintals. Quintals. Quintals. 335 3 50 4 00 3 00 3 50 222 50 115 164 4 00 4 00 4 50 4 00 4 00 4 00 4 00 4 25 3 75 4 50 4 00 3 50 3 00 3 00 2 50 2 50 2 75 4 50 4 00 3 50 4 25 4 75 5 25 3 50 4 00 4 50 4 25 3 50 3 50 3 50 3 25 3 00 3 25 3 75 3 50 3 50 3 00 2 75 3 50 3 00 4 50 7 00 4 50 60 100 60 288 127 116 215 215 180 155 200 52 248 138 50 50 121 55 50 80 128 228 198 205 427 102 260 258 302 116 204 234 234 304 442 259 278 185 75 163 50 20 125 260 March 31 18°4 2,550 March 31 1831 March 31 1833 March 31 1835 June 30 1840 3 00 85 Juno 30 1841 March 31 184° 789 624 December 31 184° 2 25 5 00 4 00 9 50 50 2,978 1,626 1,500 June 30 1877 1 ! 258 *Xone exported in 1879. MASSACHUSETTS: PLYMOUTH DISTRICT. 219 71. THE FISHERIES OF SCITUATE AND DUXBURY. SCITUATE. — Scituate, a small village, situated 26 miles southeast from Boston, at one time bad a fishing fleet, of which nothing now remains larger than the small sail-boats used in gather- ing moss, taking lobsters, and shore-fishing. Mr. H. G. Reed, an old citizen, reports that prior to 1840 some forty sail were engaged in the mackerel fishery, but that fishery has gradually dwindled to nothing. A number of reasons are given for the entire abandonment of this industry, the principal one being an open and shallow harbor, where there is but 9 feet of water at high tide. The Government has in contemplation the building of a breakwater and the dredging of the harbor, which it much needs, in order that it may be of some use as a harbor of refuge or for commercial purposes. This the inhabitants most earnestly hope will be done. At present the small amount of fishing is done by 23 men, having 20 small sail-boats engaged in near-shore fishing. Eighteen men, with 1,200 lobster-pots and 18 dories, are engaged in taking lobsters. The fish and lobsters taKen are used for home consumption, and for supplying the surrounding towns. Clams were plentiful several years since, but are now about exhausted by fishermen from the islands in the vicinity. Lobsters at one time were large and plenty, but from over-fishing they have decreased in quantity and size. Irish moss (Chondrus crispus) is now the leading marine production. This is found in greater or less abundance all along the Massachusetts coast, but more abundantly about the rocks of Scituate. Prior to 1835 the small amount of that article used in this country was imported from Europe, selling from $1 to $2 a pound. In that year the late Dr. J. V. C. Smith, post physician from 1826 to 1849, and late major of Boston, being stationed at Rainsford Island, a few miles away, made it generally known that the moss which was so plenty was the same article that was being imported and sold at such a high price. From that time we date the commencement of this industry. Mr. Augustus Cole, of Scituate, was the first person to pay much attention to it at this place. Start- ing in 18.13, he and his son, Charles A. Cole, have followed the business to the present time, having seen its steady growth from its infancy. We are indebted to the latter gentleman for much valua- ble information. With the increase of the business has followed a steady decrease in price, which in 1835 was $1 a pound. In 1853 it was only 25 cents, and gradually fell to 10 cents, at which price it remained for a number of years; the past ten years, ending with 1879, 3 to 3£ cents a pound has been paid for the crop. The average annual yield is 5,000 barrels of 90 pounds each. The past season 4,500 barrels, or 405,000 pounds, has been gathered and disposed of. The crop is always considered a sure one, and is never overworked or exhausted, since a clean glean of one year is followed the next year with the usual bountiful supply. The season of gathering begins from the 1st to the 10th of June, and lasts until about the 1st of September. During this time 120 men, with women and children, aggregating 300 hundred persons, are employed in gathering it. A barrel a day is considered an average day's work for a man. The moss is gathered from the rocks, to which it grows to the tide level, at low water, by hand. As the tide rises, all hands take to the fleet, consisting of one hundred dories and fifty small sail- boats, using hands and a small rake, 7 inches wide, with 14 steel teeth 4J inches long. The handle of this rake is 3 feet long. As the tide rises higher, a larger rake, 12 to 13 inches wide, with 20 to 22 steel teeth 6 inches long, and a handle 16 to 20 feet long, is used. These rakes are made only at this place, and cost $1 each. They last for about one season. With these few and crude tools the moss is torn from the rocks, thrown into the boats, and taken to the beach, where, a gravelly bed having been prepared, it is spread to the depth of 2 inches. At this time it is of a dark green color. If the weather is fair, the moss remains on the bench 24 hours; alter which it 220 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. is raked up, aiid taken up the beach to be washed iu tubs, when its color changes from dark green to red. It is once more spread out for 24 hours. The washing, spreading, and drying operations are repeated 7 times, and each time the moss loses more or less of its color, until at last it is bleached to nearly a white or straw color. Fresh water injures it, and plenty of sunshine and fair weather is necessary for a proper cure. Should the weather indicate rain, the moss is hastily raked into heaps and covered until fair weather. After curing, it is sold to dealers, packed in barrels, and shipped to the leading markets of Boston, Xew York, and Philadelphia, a small amount being sent to Chicago and Saint Louis. The beaches, from which the moss is mostly gath- ered, are named First, Second, and Third Cliff, Jericho light-house, and Sand Hill. Irish moss is used for numerous purposes ; the first quality being taken by grocers and druggists for food pur- poses. It is also largely used for sizing. The second and inferior quality meets with a ready sale to brewers as a clarifying substance. The fisheries of Scituate iu 1879 employed 8 vessels, aggregating 70.02 tons, 170 sail boats and dories, and 1,200 lobster-traps. The total capital invested iu vessels, boats, shore property and apparatus, was 821,520. The value of the marine products was $39,575, and included 1,310,000 pounds of cod, 120,000 lobsters, and 4,500 barrels of Irish moss. The number of persons employed on the vessels was 39, and on shore or in boat fisheries, 333; making a total of 372, of which number 335 were Irish, and the rest Americans. DUXBURY. — The fisheries of Duxbury have decreased year by year since 1835. During 1879 four sail, aggregating 157.27 tons, engaged in the near home cod and mackerel fisheries. In May of the previous year a pond, by the order of the town, was stocked with herring. The result will be known about May, 1881. Clams have always been plenty here. Formerly quite a large amount was sent from here to Boston. During 1879 thirty men followed the business for the greater part of the year, the yield being 5,000 bushels. These were sold in the neighboring towns. The shell-fish industry, according to Mr. Goodspeed, is quite an item. Its average annual return is about $5,000. The earnings of the hands have been decreasing for five or six years, whereby the men became disheartened. A fleet of ten vessels was engaged iu this industry in 1860, and, adds Mr. Goodspeed, "the prospect is that there will only be two next season" (1880). He thinks that the trawls set for ground fish, and the seines and nets for mackerel, are destroying the fisheries rapidly. He also states that the fishermen about Massachusetts Bay regard the reciprocity treaty as a very heavy burden. From the same source, we learn that the lobster fishery of 1879 was pursued by six meu in open boats; each of which, on an average, stocked $300. The business is said to have declined one-half in the last five, years. A fertilizer factory was started in Duxbury iu the fall of 1879 under the name of the Standard Fertilizer Company. The same company has had a factory at Bristol, Maine, since 1874. The Dux-bury factory is ruu by a ninety horse-power engine and employs sixty men. The fertilizing compound is manufactured largely from fish products. During the fall of 1879 and the winter of 1879-'80, 1,000 tons of fish waste, the refuse skins and bones of the " boneless fish " factories, with 400 tons of menhaden chum were used. Any and all kinds of refuse fish and old bones are in demand here. Sharks, skates, and all the various fish heretofore considered worse than useless now find a ready sale, and are quietly turned to good account. The proportional parts of the compost are about one-third each of fish-waste, phosphate, and sulphuric acid. The fish-waste is one-third menhaden chum and two-thirds fish scraps. The pro- cess of manufacture is as follows : The chum aud scraps are placed in a large mixing box hold- ing 1,500 pounds, aud a revolving shaft, to which numerous spokes or paddles are attached, MASSACHUSETTS: PLYMOUTH DISTEICT. 221 keeps tlia mixture in motiou; at the same time from 25 to 30 per cent, of sulphuric acid is added by means of a feed-pipe from a tank near by. After a thorough mixture the phosphate is added, when it is once more thoroughly mixed and then taken to the drying-room, where it remains three weeks. It is then placed in a steam dryer, and after a thorough drying the entire mixture is pul- verized in the Holmes & Blanchard disintegrator. It is then packed in strong burlaps or sacks of 200 pounds each, or in barrels of 250 pounds. The demand is mainly from New England and the Southern States, the supply for the former being put up in barrels and for the latter in sacks. As the valuable qualities of these fertilizers are becoming more generally known the demand is con- stantly growing. During the short time this factory has been in operation it has produced 5,000 tons of various fertilizers sold under the trade names of the Standard Fertilizer, Superphosphate, and Food for Plants. Exclusive of the fertilizer factory the amount of capital invested in the fisheries of this place in 1879 was $27,580. The number of persons employed was eighty-two. The products of the fisheries were valued at about $16,000, and included 440,000 pounds of fresh 'mackerel, 280,000 pounds of cod, 5,000 bushels of clams, and 4,800 pounds of lobsters. 72. PLYMOUTH AND ITS FISHERIES. PAST AND PRESENT IMPORTANCE OF THE FISHERIES. — This old historic town, with all its other honors, may well claim to have been the birthplace of the fishing industry of New England. From the landing of the Puritans, December 22, 1020, to the present time, for two hundred and sixty years, the business has been carried on to a greater or less extent. From the records of the Massa- chusetts Historical Society we find petitions to the General Court in 1671 for a fishing privilege to the Plymouth Colony. There is no record of the number of licenses granted to vessels until 1793, in which year 97 vessels, mostly from 30 to 60 tons, a few 80 to 109 tons, and one each 111 and 114 tons, were granted licenses for cod fishing. The first record of a bounty being paid on fish is in 1803, when 84 vessels reported a catch of 42,000 quintals, receiving $19,987.62 bounty ; in 1804, 74 vessels, 37,000 quintals cod, bounty paid $18,063.62; from that date until 1815 the reccrd is lost. From 18J5 until 1867, during which time the bounty was paid, the yearly catch, number of vessels, and amount of bounty paid will be found in the review of this district. Separate licenses were granted for mackerel and cod until 1867, since which time it has been under one general fishing license, without any bounty. A large export trade was carried on for years ; we find in 1805 for the three months ending December 31, 36,167 quintals of cod were exported ; in 1804, same time, 23,645 quintals of cod, mostly sent to the Spanish ports on the Mediterranean. The yearly exports and value from 1803 to 1879 are given in the review of the district. The town of Plymouth has probably more fresh-water ponds and small lakes than any other town in the State. They are said to number 365, and nearly all of them are well stocked with fresh-water fish, such as bass, red and white perch, pickerel, eels, &c. The largest of these ponds are named Herring Pond, Long Pond, Halfway Pond, White Island, Great South, Boot, and Bil- liugton Sea. They are from 1 to 3 miles long and one-half to three-quarters of a mile wide, some of them very deep, Long Pond having been sounded 120' feet. Not any fish are taken from these ponds for commercial purposes, except through the ice during the winter. The last mentioned, Billington Sea, is one and a quarter miles long and one-half to three-quarters of a mile wide. It is recorded that one of the Puritans, discovering it, and thinking he had found a sea, gave it the present name. The outlet from this lake forms a small stream called the Town Brook, which is about one mile long from the lake to its mouth in the center of the village, where it empties into the ocean. Alewives, eels, and other salt-water fish formerly went up this small strenm into the 222 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OP THE FISHERIES. lake in immense numbers, until the erection of numerous factories has completely barred their progress with dams, as well as poisoned the water somewhat by the free use of large quantities of vitriol. The fishing privilege of this brook is yearly leased by the authorities for a nominal sum, the lessee being obliged to place 10,000 alewives in the headwaters each spring, usually about May 1. The brook has no fish ways, and the fish are carried in tanks past the dams. The lessee has the sole right to take fish from the brook, though the privilege is not worth much, only about 100 barrels of alewives being the annual catch. Eels were formerly so plenty as to do much damage to the dams, which had to be sheathed with tin, in many cases. The small, iron turbine water- wheels have often been choked and stopped by eels, and large quantities were caught in traps, until the passage of a law in 1877 preventing their catch, except by spearing, or in pots made of withes. But little can be said of the fishing industry at the present time. In company with most of the old fishing towns of Massachusetts, with the advent of railroads came numerous new indus- tries, the cordage, shoe, thread, nail, print, and other factories, drawing yearly from those engaged in the fisheries, so that the number of fishing vessels shows a yearly decrease, until against seventy vessels from this town in 1839, we find but thirteen in 1879. , Lobsters are taken in considerable numbers, but the catch of late years shows a decrease in numbers aud size. They are taken near shore, not over 1 £ miles out, from Cut River on the north to Sandwich on the south. One-half of the catch is marketed at home, supplying the near towns, and one-half sold to smacks from Boston, New York, and New Haven. Not much attention is paid to the law as to size. About all the lobsters found in the traps are saved, those under size being sold to the smacks from out of the State, and only those of the legal length are landed or sent to Boston. Clams were the chief support of the Puritans during their first winter here, and probably pre- vented the starving of the infant colony. The daily prayer of the devout Brewster was that they might "suck of the abundance of the seas, and of the treasures hid in the sands." The supply con- tinues good, and clam-digging gives employment at the present time to thirty men during half of the year. Boneless fi^h is cut to a small extent, 250,000 pounds the pant year. A small amount of fish is exported via Boston and New York, but not any direct from here since 1878. A small amount of cooperage, half and quarter barrels and kits, to the amount of $15,000 worth was manufactured during 1879; one-fourth of this cooperage went to New York aud Philadelphia, the rest to Boston and near home towns. It is an interesting historic fact that to the fisheries of the old Plymouth colony we owe the binh of the free-school system of Massachusetts, the Colony Court in 1603 making the following proposition: "It is proposed by the court unto the several townships in this jurisdiction, as a thing that they ought to take into serious consideration, that some course may be taken in every town, that there may be a schoolmaster set up to train children to reading and writing." In 1670 "the court did freely give and grant all such profits as might or should accrue annually to the colony, for fishing with nets or seines, at Cape Cod, for mackerel, bass, or herring, to be improved for and towards a, free school, in some town of this jurisdiction, for the training up of youth in literature for the good and benefit of posterity, provided a beginning be made within one year after said grant." MASSACHUSETTS: PLYMOUTH DISTRICT. 223 Tlie school was at once established at Plymouth, and until 1077 was supported from the pro- ceeds of the Cape fishery. From 1077 until the union of Massachusetts with Plymouth Colony, in 1092, the proceeds of the fishery revenue were divided among several towns, to be used for the same object ; since 1092 the fisheries have been free.* In 1879 the fisheries of Plymouth employed one hundred and eighty-two men, and a capital of about $02,000. The value of the various fishery products was about $53,000. These products included 9,128 quintals of dry cod, 357,500 lobsters, 5,000 bushels of clams, and 4,504 gallons of fish oil. The fishing fleet consisted of ten vessels, aggregating 649.57 tons, one idle vessel, 54.58 tons, and fifty-five boats in the shore fisheries. EL— THE DISTRICT OF BARNSTABLE. 73. REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES OF CAPE COD. CAPE COD AND ITS FISHERIES. — The county of Barnstable, which comprises the customs dis- trict of the same name, includes all of Cape Cod from Sandwich to Provincetowu and Wood's Holl. This cape has a coast line nearly 150 miles in extent, with few good harbors, and most of these are difficult to enter. The harbor at Provincetown, however, is an excellent one, easy of entrance, and well sheltered, and is much frequented by coasting and fishing vessels. Most of the towns on Cape Cod are more or less interested in the boat fisheries, though the vessel fisheries are confined to the leading ports, of which Provincetown is the most important. The entire fleet of vessels numbers 190 sail, of 12,489.19 tons. Of this number 171 vessels, of 10,355.68 tons, are employed in the capture of cod, mackerel, or other food-fish ; 2 vessels, of 123.09 tons, are engaged throughout the season in the oyster-carrying trade; and 20 vessels, of 1,938.92 tons, follow the whale fishery. The fleet of whalers is owned at Provincetown. These vessels are of the smaller class, and cruise exclusively in the Atlantic Ocean. The number owned here during the past 40 years, has ranged from 10 to 53 sail ; the latter number was in 1808; in 1850 the fleet was reduced to 10 sail. The shore fisheries of Cape Cod employ 1,100 boats, 2,262 gill-nets, 32 haul-seines, 44 weirs or pounds, and 3,000 lobster and eel traps. The catch of the shore fishermen includes a great variety of edible fish, besides numerous species used only for manure. Lobster-catching is carried on to some extent, but is not as profitable as in districts farther north. Clams were formerly taken in much larger quantities than at present. The oyster business was once an important element in the fisheries of Cape Cod, but is now comparatively unimportant, except as regards the carrying-trade, which gives employment to mackerel vessels during the winter season. In the winter of 1S79-'80 the number of Cape Cod schooners in this business was forty-six, owned at Wellfleet and Province- town. Ingersoll reports the following facts concerning this fleet : " This list of forty-six schooners comprises, I think, the whole of the Cape oyster fleet ; and there are few vessels engaged outside of these ports. They were noted in the old days, as now, for their "The custom-house records for the past one hundred years and over are in a fine state of preservation, and quite complete; are mostly large calf-bound books, such as we do not often see of that early date. For much information from them and otherwise wo are indebted to Samuel H. Doten, collector; Charles O. Churchill, deputy collector; George Harlow, and J. R. At wood, fish merchants. 224 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. swiftness in speed and firmness of structure, and were the origin and prototypes of the famous Boston clipper ships. The original cost of these fine vessels was, on the average, about $7,000; now they are not worth over $4,000 each. In summer they go on mackerel-fishing voyages, which occupy a little more than half of the year. In the winter and spring they carry oysters, varying it with frequent coasting trips. Four voyages after oysters annually would probably be a fail- average, and not more than a third of the vessels' yearly receipts, as a rule, will be derived from this source. They are commanded by captains of experience, and go back and forth quickly, safely, and profitably. Capt. Jesse Freeman, now one of the leading fish merchants of the village, told me that he had sailed between the Chesapeake and northern ports 31G times before he was forty years old, that is, 158 voyages. His opinion was that no cargo wore upon a vessel less (others say the opposite), and it was usually of much profit to the owners. In the spring, oysters for bedding are brought cheaper than those designed for market in winter. The crew of an oyster vessel usually consists of two (often three) men before the mast, with a cook, mate, and captain. One- third (as a rule), sometimes one-half, of the freight-money goes to the owners, and the remainder to pay the men and furnish food. The wages of a mate in 1879 were $30 a month ; of a cook, $25 ; and of a seaman, $15 to $16. Food for a voyage costs from $40 to $50. In addition to his share, the owners give the captain $15 a month." The total capital invested in this district in all branches of the fishing industry is $1,355,278, and the value of the product is $1,051,619. The number of persons employed is 4,004. STATISTICAL SUMMATION FOR 1879. — The following statements give in detail the extent of the fishing interests of Barnstable district: Summary statement of persons employed and capital invested. Persons employed. Number. Capital invested. Amount. 2,297 $960 550 1,507 184 Number of factory bands 16 Total 4 004 a Cash capital, $100,000; wharves, shorehouses, and fixtures, $108,000; factory buildings and apparatus, $45,900. Detailed statement of capital invested in vessels, boats, nets, and traps. Vessels and boats. No. Tonnage. Valne. Valne of gear, exclu- sive of boats and nets. Value of outfit. Total value. Nets and traps. Xo. Value. Vessels. In food-fish fishery: 171 10,355.68 $434, 550 $20, 985 $239, 150 $694, 685 Nets. Gill-nets: 484 $5 9"8 Idle 3 70 90 2 400 2,400 2 193 69 6 000 200 6,200 I w^ial fish V 20 1 938 9° 68 800 *06 350 135 150 •' Total 196 12 489.19 511,750 20, 985 305, 700 838, 435 Haul-seines : — Soutt Total 2 809 84, 178 778 33 155 33, 155 1 100 69 650 6,300 13, 010 88, 960 Traps. 44 53,650 Lobster and eel pots 3,000 3,000 Total 3,044 56, tt50 * Includes gear. MASSACHUSETTS: BARNSTABLE DISTRICT. Detailed statement of the quantifies and value of tin: products. 225 Products specified. Tonnds, fresh. Pounds, prepared. Bulk. Value, prepared. Grand total .... $1,051,619 Fresh fish. 897,495 12,300 124, 940 3, 264, 014 3, 225, 104 4,000 3,500 95, 993 116, 169 738,000 62, 869 10, 000 541,839 1, 851, 225 4,520 738 12,494 97,921 48, 376 20 25 4,800 1,743 9,815 317 350 2,709 24,621 9 918 525 64 3 18,757 2,943 1,126 60 653 2,620 2,500 Bluefiah Cod Cask Eels Haddock Hake Halibut Herring 60 275, 089 17, 498 16,000 20 625, 230 58,857 32, 175 2,000 21,750 74,849 500, 000 Perch Pollock Scup Shad Sword fish Tautog Mixed fish Total 12, 560, 976 238,627 Dry fish. Cod 24, 029, 940 23, 376 115,000 345, 600 265, 300 9, 611, 979 11,688 43, 518 155, 538 108, 795 346, 031 316 870 2,489 1,850 Cusk Haddock ^ Hake Pollock Total 24,779,216 9,931,518 351,556 Pickled fish. Alewives 232, 800 14, 495 225, 000 13, 270, 500 52,500 13, 500 13, 808, 795 186,250 8,920 180, 000 8, 847, 000 30, 000 9,000 9 261 170 3,725 223 2,700 254, 351 975 225 262 199 Bluefish ; Herring Mackerel Swordfish Mixed fish Total Smoked flsh. Alewives 20, 000 54,700 74, 700 12, 000 13, 675 25 675 300 1,094 Halibut Total Klirll fiih. Lobsters 211,230 7,745 ! a 9, 750 ( 4, 375 13,000 2,420 2,625 514 Oysters Clams: Forfood For bait Qiiahaugs and sea-clama '. Scallops 1,028 gallons • • 40,429 15 G R P a Enhancement on sonthern oysters. 226 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. Detailed statement of the quantities and v. 141. MASSACHUSETTS: BARNSTABLE DISTRICT. 243 eleven years from 18G8 to 1878 inclusive, the number of fishing licenses issued for vessels over '20 tons belonging in Harwich was as follows: 1863 33 1874 31 18G9 . . 33 187,"> 27 1870 33 187C 24 1671 30 1877 it 20 1872 28 1878 20 1873 .. . 30 DENNIS. — The village of Dennis, or North Dennis, as it is often called, is located in the north- eastern portion of Dennis Township, and is distant from Yarmouth about three miles by air-line. Between Dennis and Yarmouth is an extensive salt marsh, through which flows a creek known as the " Chase Gardner Creek." With the exception of a small and uncertain cod fishery carried on for a short time in spring and fall with boats, the pound fishery of the jSTobscusset Fish Weir Company is the only fishery prosecuted at Dennis. This company own a shoal-w.ater weir, situated near Chase Gardner Creek, for the management of which they employ four men, and from which in 1879 3G,GOO pounds of fish were shipped. Dennis Port is situated in the southeastern part of the town and about a mile from the shore. Its streets are continuous with those of West Harwich, and the two villages are separated only by an imaginary line, and, except in matters of town government, are practically one village. At present there are four firms carrying on the fishing business; three are connected with the trade in fresh fish, and two with the offshore cod and mackerel fisheries. These firms carry on their business at two wharves, known as the east and the west wharves. Twelve schooners are owned here, six of which are employed in the cod fishery and six in the mackerel fishery. Each vessel carries about sixteen men. The cod fishery begins in April and lasts until August, and about seven trips are made in this time. In 1S79 five of the vessels employed hand-lines and one used about 12,000 hooks of trawl. In 1879 3,100 quintals of codfish were taken by the six vessels. The fish are salted, and part are sent to Boston market and part sold to peddlers, who carry them in small vessels to Rhode Island and Connecticut ports. Seven such vessels are owned in Dennis Port and employ about fifteen men. They are the same that bring fresh fish from the Chatham weirs in spring. The mackerel fishery was carried on in 1879 with six vessels, each with an average crew of fifteen. Two of. the cod vessels are also employed in this fishery at the close of the cod-fishing season. All use seines. The total catch of all the vessels in 1879 was 0,125 barrels. In addition, about 3,000 barrels are brought from the weirs at Monomoy and packed here. These fish are pre- pared for market by about two hundred men. Two-thirds of them are iced and shipped to New York and Boston fresh, and the remainder are salted and barreled. This work occupies about six weeks. When it is over the men go into other branches of the fishery. The boats which have brought the fish from Mouomoy take in cargoes of 10 or 12 barrels of mackerel and a quantity of codfish, varying from 25 to 200 quintals, and peddle them at various ports in Rhode Island and Connecticut. Some of the men employed in preparing the mackerel for market, when that employment comes to an end, go into the bluefish fishery, swelling the number in that fishery to about sixty. The mackerel fishery is carried on in spring also by two men, who employ twelve mackerel-nets. In 1879 about sixty men, employing twenty boats and little vessels, were engaged in line-fishing for bluefish and for tautog, scup, and other species. The fishery lasts until the middle or last of October, when the boats are hauled up. Four of the boats also each set twelve 244 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. blueflsli gill-nets. About 150,000 pounds of bluefish and one- third as many pounds of tautog, scup, &c., are annually caught. Together with the other fish brought from the Mouoiuoy weirs, there are usually 75 or 100 barrels of shad and a number of salmon. During the winter, that is from November to April, about one hundred and twenty men belonging in Dennis Port and an equal number from the neighboriug villages are engaged in a clam fishery. They go out to the beds singly in dories. In the winter of 1878 about 2,000 barrels of clams were gathered. Twenty men are employed to open them. They are shipped fresh to Provincetowu, Gloucester, Boston, and other ports, to be used for bait. In 1877 and 1878 about three-fourths of the whole number were shipped to Boston. The total capital invested in this business is about $8,000. The amount of capital invested in vessels is about $35,000 ; in seines aud other gear, about $10,000; in wharves aud store-houses, about $8,000; in mackerel and bluefish gill-nets, $2,500; in boats and little vessels for the line fishery, $8,000; in dories and other apparatus for the clam-fish- ing, $8,000. The total amount invested in all branches of the fisheries is about $100,000. West Dennis is situated in the southwestern part of the town, on Bass River, a considerable stream, which has its source in a small pond on the northern side of the Cape and is swelled by the inflowing of the tide. Some five or six boats are employed in the bluefish line-fishery off the mouth of the river. About 150 barrels of bluefish are annually shipped. A number of gill-nets arc also employed for the capture of bluefish. In 1879 about 1,700 bluefish were taken in them. The majority of the fish are shipped through Mr. George Loriug, of South Yarmouth. A small number of alewives are annually taken in an artificial brook cut between one of the ponds in West Dennis aud the salt water. About 10,000 alewives are taken. At South Village, a small hamlet about a mile south of West Dennis, there are four men who together own and employ eighteen bluefish. gill-nets. In 1879 about 20,000 pounds of fish were caught, of which 2,000 was salted, and the rest shipped to market fresh. A clam-fishery, similar to that carried on at Dennis Port, is engaged in here every winter by about fifteen or twenty men. They secure from 100 to 150 bushels of clams each during the season. 77. THE FISHERIES OF YARMOUTH AND BARNSTABLE. YARMOUTH — Yarmouth is a quiet little village, for the most part built upon one street and continuous with the village of Barnstable. Yarmouth and Yarmouth Port are essentially the same village, being separated by an arbitrary line. At one time this was the seat of a considerable cod and mackerel fishery. Before the Revolutionary war there were said to be thirty-four fishing vessels in the town of Yarmouth, a large share of them probably belonging on the north shore ; in 1789 there were thirty-two, and in 1790 there were thirty. These were probably small vessels of 15 or 20 tons engaged in the shore cod fishery. Captain James B. Crocker, of Yarmouth Port, went into the fishing business about 1854. At that time there were about eight fishing vessels. Relics of the old fleet were there in the schooners Wave and Leo, each about CO tons old or 40 tons new measurement, shallow and poor sailers, valued at $700 or $800 each. For a time subsequent to this the mackerel fishery was prosecuted quite vigorously with a larger class of vessels, and there were ten or eleven of these when the fishery was at its height, about 1857 or 1858. Among these were the Kentucky, the Anna L., the Thatcher Taylor, the Karenhappuck, the Fillmore, the Olive Branch, the Hock- anom, the Everett, aud the Premium. The last of these vessels left Yarmouth about I860. This was the Kentucky, which was then sold at Proviucetown. Mackerel packing, according to Captain Matthews, was begun at Yarmouth about 1831. At MASSACHUSETTS: BAENSTABLE DISTRICT. 245 times when mackerel were scarce and there were few vessels that went cod-fishing, there were usually two in this business. They do not appear to have gone to the Grand Bank, but chiefly to Quereau and Cape Sables (as the fishermen call it). Captain Matthews is of the opinion that the mackerel fishery was carried on there with considerable energy from 1838 to 1840. Yarmouth does not appear to have been devoted to any considerable extent to the fishery beyond supplying capital. From 1854 to 1SCO, according to Captain Crocker, most of the fishermen and skippers came from Orleans and Harwich, and it was found difficult to hire men to ship in the Yarmouth vessels because of the hard work in getting vessels into the harbor and getting the fish ashore. The fishery was finally given up because only shallow vessels could get into the harbor, and these were not suitable to be used to advantage in the winter for nmckereling or other purposes. In 1879 twenty or thirty Yarmouth men were engaged in fishing, shipping from Harwich, Province- town, and other ports. One fishing skipper belongs here. Hitherto in Yarmouth as in Barustable, three or four men have engaged in cod fishing in spring on the bar at the mouth of Barnstable harbor, and have helped to make up the amount of 20,000 pounds of fish usually taken on that bar. This year, however, the fishery was a failure. Capt. Benjamin Lovell, half owner of the weir at Sandy Xeck (see Barnstable), has a sweep- seine, worth perhaps $100, which he uses for the capture of various kinds of fish. He also sets twelve or fifteen lobster pots. This fishery has been carried on for many years, but from 187G until the present year it scarcely supplied local demand. This year, however, Captain Lovell has caught at least 2,500 lobsters. The Yarmouth Fish Company, Daniel B. Crocker, treasurer, has a capital of $2,500, and there are 249 shares and 54 owners. They own a weir, which was put down in 1859. In 1878 about 150 barrels of fish were shipped ; in 1879, about 100 barrels, and in 1880 the same. There is no harbor except in a shoal creek flowing through the marshes between the village and the bay. Here it is said that 12 or 15 vessels were formerly laid up in winter, but it seems almost incred- ible that they could have been brought up to the wharves. The wharves and the fish stores are dilapidated and essentially useless. South Yarmouth comprises 3 small villages — South Yarmouth proper, Georgetown, and lower village. South Yarmouth itself, situate 1 mile from the mouth of Bass River, is the largest place, but contains few fishermen, and is not dependent on the fishing. Georgetown is a small hamlet of about 10 fishermen's houses, and is dependent upon the fresh fishery. It is about 1 mile above South Yarmouth, on Bass River; the lower village is but a short distance below South Yarmouth, and does not depend on the fishery. In all these villages together there are probably forty men who make a living during nine months of the year by fishing with hook and line in small cat-rig boats, off the mouth of Bass River. Twenty men, including about ten of the forty men mentioned above, make a partial living by eel fishing. It is estimated that they average 1,000 pounds of eels apiece annually, which would make an aggregate of 20,000 pounds. Some thirty men are employed in line fishing off the mouth of Bass River. They use small cat-rigged boats, worth from $100 to $300. In spring codfish are caught, and later in the season bluefish, scup, and flatfish. In 1879 about 00,000 pounds of bluefish and 30,000 or 40,000 of scup and flatfish were taken by the fisher- men. The larger proportion are shipped by two firms having a capital of about $3,000. Four sweep-seines are owned in South Yarmouth, and are used for the capture of herring off the mouth of Bass River. A number of gill-nets are used annually by five men for the same purpose. The privilege of the alewife fishery in Bass River is held jointly by the towns of Dennis and Yarmouth. The fishery is leased annually to private individuals for about $700. The alewives 246 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. are caught with sweep-seines in a pond at the Lead of the river. Fishing is allowed on four days only of each week. In 1879, 140,500 alewives were taken. Each citizen of Dennis and Yar- mouth has the privilege of buying 400 alewives at 40 cents per hundred. About 75 barrels of white perch are also caught annually in the river. Each citizen of the two towns may buy a peck of them for 85 cents. A few smelts, torn-cod, and flatfish are also caught in the river. BAENSTABLE. — The village of Barnstable is built mainly upon one long street running par- allel to and about a half mile distant from the south shore of Barnstable Harbo'r. It contains the court-house and custom-house for the county and the residences of many wealthy citizens. It can- not at the present day be classed with fishing villages, properly speaking, although until I860 sev- eral fishing vessels were owned here and sailed from this port. The village is now, seemingly, principally supported by the capital which the retired captains of whaling and merchant vessels who make their residence here have brought with them. The wharves, which, in large measure, are in decay, are located at some distance from the mouths of two creeks in an extensive salt marsh. The sand has washed in, almost filling the creeks and making it difficult for even small boats to go in and out. The only vessel at present owned in Barnstable is the Pontiac. a schooner of about 15 tons. She is employed by her owners, Messrs. James & George Smith, in a variety of fisheries. In spring and fall she has been used in setting mackerel nets, and in summer in lobster fishing in Buzzard's Bay or in bluefish fishing with nets on the outside of the cape. A weir belonging to Capt. Benjamin Lovell, of Yarmouth, and a partner, is located in a cove near Sandy Neck light-house, on the north side of Barnstable Harbor. It has riot proved very successful. During the present year (1880) no fish have been shipped for want of ice. A cod and pollock fishery has been carried on by four or five men for a number of years from March to June at the edge of the bar which closes the mouth of the harbor. This fishery has been quite successful, yielding about 15,000 pounds of cod, and 5,000 pounds of pollock annually, until the present year, when it proved an almost absolute failure. Since 1878 two men have done a considerable business in catching and shipping eels. In the year 1878 they shipped about 5,400 pounds, and in 1879 about 5,800 pounds. The fishing begins about the middle of May, and lasts until the middle of September. For three or four years a fisherman belonging in Barnstable, with the aid of a partner from Yarmouth, has set a few lobster pots in the harbor. In 1879 eight pots were set during July, and 200 or 300 lobsters taken. In 1880 twelve or fourteen pots were set, but the catch was about the same as that of the previous year. Scallops arc abundant along the shores of the harbor, and in 187G a party of men from Hyannis established themselves here for the purpose of gathering them. In 1877 the price of scallops declined very greatly, forcing these men to abandon their enterprise. The fishery was continued, however, by two men of Barnstable. In the winter of 1877-'7S the latter shipped 40 half-barrels of -'eyes," and during the winter of 187S-'79 only G half-barrels. They were sent to Boston and New York. A shoal-water weir was built on the shore of the bay, west of Beach Point, in 1870, for the purpose of catching bass and bluefish. It was not successful and was abandoned in 1870. In the spring of the latter year a deep-water weir was erected off Beach Point; 20 or 30 barrels of mack- " ercl were taken in it, but it was soon broken down by the waves, and has not been replaced. Several fishing vessels were owned in Barnstable prior to I860 by N. & W. Scudder and one other firm. Among the last employed here were tho Emma G. Latham and the Flying Fish. Hyannis is a flourishing village situated in the southern part of Barnstable Township. Its MASSACHUSETTS: BAHNSTABLE DISTRICT. 247 prosperity, however, is due, perhaps, more to the fact that it contains the residences of many wealthy retired captaius, than that a portion of its citizens arc fishermen. The wharf, at which the fishing business is carried on. is distant more than a mile from the village, and is owned by the railroad company, that also use it and have connected it by rail with the main part of their road. In 1879 the fisheries at this place gave employment to about one hundred men. The principal branches engaged in are the offshore cod and mackerel, fisheries, the boat line-fishery, and the bluefish fishery with gill-nets. The cod and mackerel fisheries are carried on by a single fir. a, which owns three schooners. Each of these vessels carries about twelve men. In 1879 only one crew was composed of Hyannis men, the others living at Chatham and Harwich. In spring and summer the vessels are employed in the cod fishery, going about 23 miles from Hyannis, off Mono- moy. In 1879 the three vessels brought in GOO quintals of codfish. In fall the mackerel fishing takes place. One vessel was stranded in the August storm of 1879, and hence only two went mackereling that season. The vessels are withdrawn in winter and the fishing is not carried on. The boat' line-fishery cmploys-about forty men, twenty-five of whom belong in Hyannis ; the others come from West Yarmouth and other places. About one-half of the boats carry two men, and the remainder one man. They are all cat-rigged, and are worth from $23 to $300 each. The first fish taken in spring is the flounder, then follow scup and bluefish, tautog and sea-bass, and in fall the flounder again. About 1.000 barrels of fresh fish are shipped to market annually, of which the larger proportion are bluefish and scup. Four firms arc engaged iu shipping the fish, but one has a much larger business than the other, and ships, perhaps, two-thirds of the whole quantity. The fishermen do not like to trust a .distant and fluctuating market for their compensation, and therefore sell the fish they catch directly to the shippers; the latter then reselling to Boston and New York dealers. The bluefish fishery is carried on by four men, who together own about twenty-five gill-nets. They also employ four other men to assist them iu setting the nets. The fishing begins about the loth of May and lasts until October. In 1879 some 12,000 pounds of bluefish were taken, and $1,200 was stocked. The fish are usually sent to New York. A net weir was erected at the west of the village in the spring of 1879, for the purpose of capturing menhaden. Only 50 barrels of menhaden were taken, however, and the enterprise failed. The weir was taken up in June. About 300 barrels of scallops are taken every winter in Hyannis Bay, by a varying number of men. They are usually shipped to New York by rail. Messrs. Hall & Thatcher, of Hyannis, have planted a few hundred bushels of oysters annually for six years in Mill Creek, cast of Hyannis. At one time they planted COO bushels. In 1879 none were planted, and all were taken up, except about 100 bushels. Seed is obtained from Long Island Sound and Buzzard's Bay. The above firm has shipped a few oysters annually to Hoston, selling them to the hotels at $0 per barrel in the shell. Twenty-five or thirty years ago about thirty vessels sailed from the west bay of Hyannis. There were six bankers; the rest were mackcrelmen. The crews cumefrom Hyaunis and vicinity. In the East Bay, or Lewis Bay, as it is called, there were two wharves, from each of which twenty vessels were sent out, mostly for mackerel. They went iu the spring to Virginia and followed the fish up to the Bay Chaleur. In the winter season they were laid up. They were from 50 to 100 tons burden, old measurement. Among the last to go out were the Blue Bock, Faithful, lied Kover, Voltaire, Splendid, Enchantress, Euphrates, William King, Shade, Adrian, Potomac, Eunice Cobb, and John C. Calhonn. All these vessels were owned in Hyanuis. During the past five years every firm formed for carrying on the salt-fish trade has failed in a few months. The men concerned have been scattered, and it is very .difficult to obtain information in regard to the cod and mackerel fisheries during and prior to this period. 248 GEOGRAPHICAL KB VIEW OF TUB FISHERIES. Blueflsli were first caught by the Hyamiis fishermen about forty-five years ago. Twenty years ago they were still plenty, but the difficulty then was that the markets were not good. The fish were commonly sold to smacks for I cent per pound. It was customary at that time to salt the bluefish. The villages of Osterville, Marstou's Mills, and Cotuit are situated in the southwestern part of Barnstable Township. Marston's Mills is located at the head, Osterville on the eastern side, and Cotuit on the western side, of a deep inlet or bay, the waters of which find their way about three miles inland. The most important fishery carried on at this point is the oyster fishery. In Cotuit and the neighboring villages there are twelve firms which have capital invested in this fishery. They employ forty or fifty men. About 2,000 bushels of oysters are annually brought from sereral places in Buzzard's Bay, Long Island Sound, and on the Jersey coast, and Norwalk, Conn., and planted here. The available ground is now almost entirely taken up. The removal of the oysters for market begins about the middle of September, but the height of the season is from the middle of October to the first of April. About $3,000 are now invested in " seed," that is, in oysters which are to remain undisturbed for one or two years, that. they may grow and fatten. The apparatus owned by the twelve companies, including scows, rakes, &c., is worth about $1,200. In addition to the men engaged in the oyster fishery, there are from twenty to twenty-five men at Cotuit who earn a living in other branches. They own and employ about fifteen cat-rigged boats. In winter they occasionally fish for cod on the Horse Siioe shoal, which is 15 or 18 miles distant from Cotuit. Only 30 or 40 quintals are usually obtained during the season. In April hand-line fishing for tautog, scup, bass, and bluefish is begun, and is continued until fall. Twenty-five gill-nets are set annually, from May to August inclusive. Six boats are employed in this fishery. Four drag-seines are also owned in Cotuit, and are used for the capture of bluefish. In 1877 twenty-five lobster pots were in use. The total catch in 1877 was as follows : Cod, 10,000 pounds ; haddock, 2,000 pounds ; bluefish, 30,000 pounds ; scup, 2,575 pounds ; sea bass, 2,000 pounds; tautog, 1,600 pounds; striped bass, 1,500 pounds; flounders, G,000 pounds; eels, 1,000 pounds ; menhaden, 1,'^00 barrels ; and 500 lobsters in number. Both soft clams (Mya arenaria) and quahaugs are to be found in the harbor, but no considerable fishery for them is carried on. In 1878 the fishing was very poor. The fishermen did not average $50 during the whole season. Purse-seines were formerly used at Cotuit for the capture of menhaden. Centreville is a small village situated about four miles west of Hyaunis. The fisheries are carried on by ten men. Each man owns three gill-nets, which are used for the capture of blue- fish. Two sweep-seines arc also in use here. A menhaden purse-seine, used in spring to secure fish to be sold for bait, is owned here. A weir, worth about $500, was erected in March, 1879. About twenty years ago an artificial alewife brook was cut in a marsh near the village, into the narrow drains of which the fish naturally came. A company was formed under the name of the Nine Mile Fishing Company. In 1877 the brook paid GO per cent, on the original capital of $1,000. In 1878, 320 barrels of alewives were taken out, a larger amount than usual. The fishing is car- ried on for two months, usually from the 1st of April to the 1st of June. The alewives are salted or smoked and consumed in the village, or sold in Hyannis, or sold fresh to the fishermen fishing on Nantuckct Shoals. 78. THE FISHERIES OF SANDWICH AND FALMOUTH. SANDWICH. — The village of Sandwich, although situated very near the water, is not and has never been, to any considerable extent, dependent upon the fisheries. There are three men who MASSACHUSETTS: BARNSTABLE DISTRICT. 249 earn their living partially by fishing. They do not ship any fish, but sell their catch in the village. They own two small blnefish gill-nets and a sweep-seine worth about $100, which is used in spring for the capture of mackerel. In fall and spring these men catch a few cod and mackerel with hook and line in the bay. The Sandwich alewife-river, which forms a part of Monument River, yields annually from 400 to 1,000 barrels of alewives. The river belongs to the town, and each citizen of Sandwich Town- ship is entitled tOiOiie barrel of alewives on payment of the trifling sum of from 35 to 70 cents, which serves as compensation for the men who catch the fish. The villages of West Sandwich and North Saudwich are inland, and do not participate in the fisheries. In the course of its history Sandwich has had three whaling vessels, the last of which was sold to Sag Harbor in 1864. Cohasset Narrows is situated in the town of Sandwich, and is at the extreme northern end of Buzzard's Bay. The fishing at this end of the bay is followed only by sportsmen and by others who thereby furnish fish for home consumption. The State law prohibits the setting of any "weirs or pounds from Bird Island light on the south to the extreme northern end of the bay. The Nar- rows is now receiving special attention, it being at the southern end of the proposed canal soon to be cut through from Cape Cod Bay on the north, the two bays being only G miles ppart. A few years ago clams were plentiful at this point, but probably from having been overworked are now nearly exhausted. The amount taken from the flats of Buttermilk Bay during the season of 1879 was 800 bushels. During the next season 400 bushels were taken and were so!d by peddlers to the inhabitants of the neighboring towns. The villages of Pocasset, Monument, and Buzzard's Bay form a part of the town of Saudwich, and are situated on the eastern shore of Buzzard's Bay, near its head. The oyster fishery is the only fishery which engages the attention of the citizens to any considerable extent. THE OYSTER INDUSTRY OF SANDWICH. — The following account of the oyster interests of Sandwich is from the report by Mr. Ingersoll : "The Cohasset River divides the town of Wareham from the adjacent township of Sandwich, its neighbor on the south and east. Flowing into Buzzard's Bay from this Sandwich side are several rivers, and the shore is indented with numerous inlets and shallow ponds. Nearly all of these inlets were found by the earliest colonists occupied by beds of natural oysters, and most of these beds are still living and supplying seed for cultivation. That the Indians used the oysters extensively is shown, not only by tradition and analogy, but by abundant traces of former feasts in the shape of shell-heaps. Some account of the oysters of this region more recently, is accessible in a letter from Dr. J. B. Forsyth, written in 1840, to Dr. A. A. Gould, and printed in the first edition of the latter's Invertebrates of Massachusetts. Dr. Forsyth says that the aged men of the vicinity assured him that oysters had never been brought there from abroad up to that time (1840) ; that they grew so abundantly everywhere along the Sandwich shores 'that at low water you could at almost any point procure a bucketfull of them from the rocks.' Dr. Forsyth also mentions Wareham as an oyster locality. There was then a statute prohibiting a man from taking more than two bushels at one time for his own use, aud forbidding their being carried out of town. ' The oysters,' says the writer, ' are generally collected by a few men, who bring them to the village and dispose of them at 50 cents a bushel for their trouble; and by selling half a bushel or a bushel to an individual the spirit of the statute is not violated. This may be repeated every day, until the desired supply is laid in. When placed in the cellar and fed from time to time with a little meal and water, they will sometimes keep good for months.' " Buzzard's Bay is the new name for the railway station on the Old Colony line, known to all the people about there as Cohasset Narrows, because it is upon the narrowest part of the neck of 250 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. tbe peninsula of Capo Cod. Tbe river flowing down past Buzzard's Bay station is the Monument, a clear, broad stream, up and down which the tide rushes with great force. 'Wild' native oysters inhabited this stream, but had been pretty nearly exhausted by constant raking, when the atten- tion of the town authorities of Sandwich was called to the matter a few years ago. They caused a survey of this ami the various other oyster waters of the township, and divided them off into 'grants' of different sizes, according to the character of the bottom, but none less than about an acre and a half in extent. These grants could be taken by any citizen of the town, under certain conditions, upon the payment of $2.50. If not improved within a year they reverted to the town. Each grant, as soon as taken, and no matter what the value of the stock upon it, was taxed at a valuation of $50. "The people were quick to take advantage of ttiesc legal permits, and it was not long before nearly all space of value was appropriated, and wild speculation began; but it is only within the last three or four years that much business has been done, or systematic efforts at transplanting and stocking have been introduced. There arc now about fifty owners on Monument Eiver, Cohasset Eiver, and in Little Bay, and a careful estimate of money invested gives $30,000 as the probable value of grants, stock on hand (November, 1879). and appurtenances. Many of the grants are as yet very slightly stocked with oysters. "The Monument River oysters were famous in olden times for their superior quality and size. 'They opened well,' Ihe oystermcn said; that is, there was a large proportion of meat to the shell, which was thin, brittle, and much scalloped. The first idea was simply to hold, as proprie- tors, the seed which were caught upon the grants from the natural bed at the mouth of the river; and, to facilitate this catching, more or less dead shells have been thrown down. But the more enterprising planters have laid down great deposits of seed oysters, purchased chiefly in Wareham, and these are just now beginning to produce their legitimate returns, having grown to a marketable size. Some fresh seed is put down every year, but in addition to this, it is expected that large accessions will be made by spawn caught from the natural bed and from the spawning of the planted oysters. Since 1874, however, very little spawn has been caught. In that year a vast quantity appeared, but arrangements were not made to avail themselves of it. " The amount of seed placed upon a grant varies with the pocket .ami theory of the owner, from 100 to 500 bushels on an acre; perhaps 200 bushels would be an average of actual planting. The seed from one to two years old is used and preferred. It is generally planted in the spring, when it can be bought for from 30 to 35 cents a bushel; but it is thought much better to plant it in the fall, although then from GO to SO cents is asked for the seed. It costs about 10 cents a bushel to throw down. The best bottom (found everywhere here) is hard sand, a little soft on top. The average depth of water on the beds is 3 feet; but some stock is planted where it is exposed or just covered at ebb-tide, the objection to this being the danger of damage from drifting ice, for the mere resting of the ice on the oysters is not usually harmful, provided they lie flat on the sand. The calculated cost of beginning business along this river now would be about as follows: Present cost of good ground (1 grant) $40 Seeding, 300 busliels at 50 cents .' 150 Sail-boat and row-boat K> Beach, shanty, and furniture 40 Rake, tongs, shovels, and tools 10 Incidentals 65 Total.. . 360 MASSACHUSETTS: BARNSTABLE DISTRICT. 251 "One who is really going into tlic matter lio])efully must expect about tbis outlay before he considers bis grant in condition to yield. If be puts down sbells for tbe spawn to catch upon, as be probably will, it will cost him about 10 cents a bushel. " Formerly Virginia oysters were planted and bedded here, but did not do well. The prices received for these oysters, which arc all picked over and shipped to Boston in good shape, vary from $3.50 to $G a barrel. In 1878, the exports from the Buzzard's Bay station by rail were 138 barrels. Up to Npvember 1, 1879, 240 barrels weie sent, making 300 barrels a probable total for that year. Besides this, in 1879, much opening was done by the oysternien to supply tbe neigh- borhood market, and about 1,000 gallons of opened oysters were carried by express companies, in small packages. '• Another oyster locality in the town of Sandwich is Red Brook Harbor, G miles south of • Monument River. The railway station is Pocasset, on tbe Wood's Holl branch of the Old Colony line. This harbor is an indentation of Buzzard's Bay, about 1J miles long by one-third of a mile wide, and it is separated from the outer bay by an island. A branch of the harbor, also, runs up to a landing known as Barlowtown. The name Red Brook Harbor is derived from a little stream which flows into it, the bottom of which is tinged with iron-rust; but this brook does not freshen the water to any considerable extent. The bottom of the main part of the harbor is hard sand, and the water is nowhere more than 8 feet deep at low tide. In some portions rocks and eel grass exist. " On the southern shore of this harbor, about a mile from its head, exists a living bed of natural oysters, some 7 acres in extent, under protection of the town for public benefit. The oysters growing upon it arc reported to be large, but not of extraordinary size, scalloped and roundish, differing in no respect from aged oysters grown after transplanting to another part of tbe bay. Excepting this natural bed, the whole harbor has been surveyed and divided into grants; all those good for anything have been taken up, and must now be bought at an advanced price, if any one desires to possess them. Tbe largest owner is a Boston firm, reputed to have 75 acres, but beside it arc a score, of other proprietors, 'inhabitants of tbe shores. It is safe to say that $3,500 would buy out all tbe home interests in tbe whole tract, and $15,000 cover the total invest- ment up to January 1, 18SO. There is a spirit of progress here, however, which will lead to a great increase in tbe value of the property within the next few years. During 1878, for example, there were shipped from Pocasset station only 85 barrels ; in 1879, 500 barrels. " 1 spent some hours on these grounds with Mr. Edward Robinson, who exerted himself to make ray visit instructive. He thought that one-half of the whole water-area was suitable for oyster cultivation, and all of tbis is now appropriated, though only a portion has yet been stocked. The seed is mainly derived from tbe native bed in the harbor and from the shores where the native spawn has 'set,' and is planted in tbe spring and fall. Tbe only outside seed brought in thus far is 300 bushels from the Weeweantit River, across the bay; and 1,000 bushels from Somerset. The latter did not seem to do well. A long, sandy point runs out into the harbor here, which ebbs dry at low tide. This does not come into any grant, therefore, and hence is public ground for the gathering of seed. I saw upon the pebbly beach, in places, how abundantly this was to be bad. Young oysters, at this season, from the size of a dime to that of a dollar, were strewed between tide-marks so thickly that you could hardly avoid stepping upon them, and they would survive the winter well in this exposure. These arc gathered by everybody who wishes and placed upon their grants. In addition to this, many thousands of bushels of old shells have been laid down, the proper time to do this work being early in July, in order to have their surfaces clear and ready to 252 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. catch the spawn which begins to appear about that time. In 1870 when there was the last good quantity of spawn emitted, the shells had been put down in May, and by July were so slimy that the spawn did not set upon them. They learned wisdom by that, but no good year for spawn has occurred since. The seed is planted in varying quantity, but Mr. Robinson said he should put it down shoulder to shoulder, so as to pave the whole bottom, if he had enough. I saw tracts where the growing oysters lay so thick as to conceal the sand, and you could gather a bushel from a square yard of bottom. The natives consider the seed here better than that at Monument River, for it is rounder and less distorted. When the oysters are three to four years old, and ready for market, Mr. Robinson takes them up and lays them upon a wooden floor near his packing shanty, in water almost wholly fresh, which takes away the very saline flavor, fills them up in size, and makes them plump and hard. It is known as the 'fattening' process, after which they are ready for shipment. Bought from the boats, a dollar a bushel is paid for these oysters, but the freight to Boston and the barreling make them cost about $1.30 a bushel to the dealer. "Here, as at Monument River, fishing is habitually done through the ice in winter. The method is to cut a large hole and use tongs. The oystermen do not complain of it as especially cold or unpleasant work. In order to keep the oysters from freezing, they dip the bag which they intend to put them in when caught, in •water, and hold it upright until it freezes stiff. It thus stands conveniently open, like a barrel, and no wind can blow through its sides fo the detriment of the contents." FALMOUTH. — The town of Falmouth is situated in the southwestern extremity of Barnstable County, and occupies a territory about 10 miles square. It contains the^villages of Waquoit, East Falmouth, Hatchville, North Falmouth, West Falmouth, Falmouth, and Wood's Holl. The southern coast line of the town is broken by many inlets, creeks, and shallow bays, through which large schools of alewives pass to their spawning grounds in the ponds above. At Wood's Holl there are two harbors suitable for vessels, and there are also two or three of considerable size in Buzzard's Bay, within the limits of the town, but they are of inferior character. Waquoit, the most easterly village of the town, is situated at the head of a large and shallow bay or fiord. The only branches of the fisheries engaged in here to any considerable extent are the weir fishery, the herring fishery, and the eel fishery. The Waqnoit weir, which, according to Mr. Thomas Phinney, is one of the oldest on Vineyard Sound, is owned by a stock company of nine persons. It is tended by five men, who, for their compensation receive one half of the fish caught. The weir is placed in position annually about the 1st of April, and is removed •when the bluefish make their appearance, early in June. The larger proportion of fish taken in this weir arc of the two kinds, menhaden and alewives. During the spring of 1880, about 350 barrels of menhaden and 140,000 alewives were taken, together with about 12 barrels of scup and 3 barrels of shad. The menhaden and alewives were sold to Gloucester fishing vessels for bait. These vessels lie off Falmouth and receive the fish fresh from the weir. The usual price obtained is from 75 cents to $1 per hundred. In 1879, 100 barrels of menhaden were taken. The weir is con- structed entirely of netting, and, including boats and other necessary apparatus, cost about $1,000. It costs annually $200 to keep it in repair. About sixteen years ago an artificial alewife-river was opened. The catch of alewives was small at first, but increased until eight or nine years ago, when the maximum quantity, about 180 barrels, was taken. In 1878 the amount decreased to 140 barrels. In 1879 and 1880 the catch was very small, amounting to only 7,000 or 8,000 fish. This sudden diminution was due, per- haps, to the fact that cranberry patches have been formed in the swamps bordering on the brook, which are flooded annually, destroying the ordinary flow of the brook. Alewives are first taken MASSACHUSETTS: BARXSTABLE DISTRICT. , 2o3 in May. The stock of tbc company is divided into fifty shares. One of the stockholders bought the privilege of exclusive fishing iu 1880, paying at the rate of 40 cents for every hundred alewives taken. The eel fishery gives employment every winter to about one hundred men, belonging in Wa quoit and East Falmonth. A large proportion of eels taken are caught in Waquoit Bay. About 300 barrels are shipped to New York annually. Quahaugs are 'plenty in Waquoit Bay, and are gathered and eaten by the villagers, but none are shipped. It is estimated that about 500 bushels of quahaugs arc annually consumed by the people of Falinouth town. At Waquoit there is some business done in "seed" oysters. According to Ingersoll, about 2,500 bushels of these oysters are annually raised here. No considerable fisheries arc carried on at East Falmouth except in winter, when about thirty or forty men engage in spearing eels. A few oysters are cultivated here. About 1,000 bushels of seed are annually planted, and about the same amount of oysters sold each year. Hatchville is 4 or 5 miles distant from the water, and cannot be classed with fishing villages. North Falmouth is a little village of about fifty families. The population is made up princi- pally of retired captains of whaling and merchant vessels and their families. Many of the people are now farmers. There has never been any fishing business at this point. A few clams arc dug and an occasional hook cast for scup or bass. Prior to twenty-five years ago the hills were covered with salt works. Very little fishing is carried oa at the village of Falmouth. A weir has been in successful operation here for about nine years, which gives employment to three or four men. The principal part of the catch in 1879 consisted of alewives and menhaden, about 00,000 fish of each species being taken. Considerable numbers of flounders, tautog, squeteague, and bluefish were also caught and sent to market. Wood's Holl is a small village of about 530 inhabitants, situated in the extreme southwestern portion of Barnstablc County. In addition to the dwellings, it contains several small churches, two or three stores, a meat and a fish market, and several other small shops. The large factory of the Pacific Guano Company is located here. Of the male inhabitants only seven are regularly engaged in fishing, the remainder being- employed in the guano factory, in farming and other minor pursuits. The total number of men employed by the guano company is about one hundred, but a large proportion do not belong in the village, and many reside here only a few weeks or months. There is one ship carpenter iu Wood's Holl, but he finds employment in his legitimate business only at long intervals. Of sail- makers, riggers, caulkers, and other like artisans there arc none. Four men arc employed by Mr. Spindel, during the height of the fishing season, iu icing and boxing fish. The boat fishery is carried on by seven men from April until September, inclusive. As soon as cold weather begins the men cease fishing and betake themselves to other pursuits — piloting vessels to the guano factory, hunting, &c. Only three species of fish are usually taken, namely, scup, tautog, and sea bass. The total catch of each fishermaii is about 15 barrels, or about 2,400 pounds. In addition about 0,720 lobsters are annually taken. Two weirs are employed annually in the southern part of the village, in Buzzard's Bay, and two others further north, in Quamquessct or 'Quisset Harbor. All four are constructed of netting attached to poles, one being arranged after the square model. About twenty men, including those who ice fish, are engaged in the fishery. A great variety of fish is taken, and the proportion of the different species to the total catch varies largely in different years, but the principal kinds are scup, tautog, striped bass, blnefish, and flounders. 254 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. I.— THE DISTRICT OF NANTUCKET. 79. GENERAL REVIEW OF THE DISTRICT. PRESENT EXTENT OF THE FISHERIES. — The county and district'of Nantucket comprises the islands of Nantucket, Tuckernuck, Muskeget, and the two Gravelly Islands. The four last men- tioned are very small, and lie at the west of Nantucket. The island of Nantucket is about 16 miles long, and has an average width of about 4 miles. It lies low; the highest point, the summit of Macy's hill, is only 91 feet above the sea. Until the year 1873 Nantucket had been, from its settlement in the seventeenth century, the seat of an important whaling business. The whaling fleet here in 1843 numbered eighty-eight sail; in 1850, sixty-two sail; in 1860, twenty-one sail; in 1870, eight sail. In 1873 only one vessel was owned here, but since that time there has been none. The fishing business in this district now employs four small vessels and two hundred boats, and the entire number of men engaged in fishing or handling the products is two hundred and eighty-five. The capital invested is $27,120, and the value of the products is $29,546. STATISTICAL SUMMATION FOR 1879. — The following statements give in detail the extent of the fishing interests of Nantucket district: Summary statement of persons employed and capital invested. Persons employed. Number. Capital invested. Amount. 9 271 5 $14, 520 5,100 al, 500 N "b f r r ackers fitters &c Total . . 285 27, 120 a Cash capital, $5,000; wharves, storehouses, and fixtures, $2,500. Detailed statement of capital invested in vessels, boats, nets, and traps. Vessels and boats. No. Tonnage. Value. Value of gear, exclu- sive of boats aud nets. Value of outfit. Total value. Nets and traps. No. Value. Yesieli. Net». i In food-fish fishery : Active 4 26.19 $1,600 $140 $800 $2, 540 Gill-nets: In boat fisheries 200 $2, 400 Boats. In boat fisheries 5 1,000 4 60 60 5 490 Traps Total 204 4,060 2,500 5,420 11,980 Lobster and eel pots 1,500 1,500 Total .. 1.501 1.700 Detailed statement of the quantities and values of tlie products. Products specified. Pounds, fresh. Pounds, prepared. Bulk. Value, prepared. Grand total $29, 546 Fresh fith. 1,500 10, 720 15 1,072 11, 820 300 394, 000 20, 000 Cod... MASSACHUSETTS: NANTUCKET DISTRICT. > 255 Detailed statimtnl of tlie quantities and rallies of the products — Continued. Products specified. Pounds, fresU. Pounds, prepared. Bulk. Value, prepared. Eels 5,000 $250 3,000 45 10, 000 133 nerriii" . 4,500 22 Pollock . 8,000 32 1,200 30 Swordfisli 1,500 45 Mixed lish 150 000 009 4"0 14 5°0 Dry fish. Col . . 750 000 300 000 10 800 131 58" 50 000 1 000 Pollock 102 439 4° 000 714 Total 084,019 392, OCO 12, 514 Pickled fish. 8 000 0 400 128 Blue fish 9 750 0 000 150 Mixed fi* 3 000 2 000 50 Tutnl 20, 750 14 400 328 Smoked fish. Eluefish G 000 2 000 100 Shell fish. 11 250 412 Clams : For food 237 For bait 1 778 busUels C35 2CO Total ; 1 484 FisU oil....' 1, 500 Callous COO so. NAXTUCKET AND ITS FISHERIES. THE FISHERIES IN 1879.— The village of Nantucket is situated at the central point of the northern shore of the island, near the mouth of a large harbor which extends in a northeasterly direction for several miles. About two hundred and fifty of the men are fishermen. The village contains churches, several hotels, numerous stores and shops, and two fish-markets. Several of the streets are paved, and a number of the buildings are of biick, so that the place, in a limited area, presents the appearance of a small city. Communication is had with the mainland by boat every day during the summer and three times per week in winter. The boat touches at Martha's Vineyard and at Wood's IIoll and New Bedford. There is a small hamlet at Siascousett, at the southeastern part of the island, and the islands of Tuckerunck and Muskegct are inhabited, at least in summer, by a few fishermen. The principal fisheries now carried on at Nantucket are for cod, haddock, pollock, bluefish, scup, eels, lobsters, and clams. The fishery for ccd, haddock, and pollock usually begins late in September, or at the beginning of October, and lasts until January if the weather permits. It ceases then, but begins anew late in March, and is continued to June. About two hundred men are engaged in it. They go 1 or 2 miles, sometimes even 4 miles, off the south shore in dories. About one-half of the men go alone in their boats, but the remainder go by twos, so that the num- 256 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. ber of dories employed does not exceed one hundred and fifty. The majority of the fishermen use hand-lines exclusively, but about forty trawls, each with 200 to 400 hooks, are brought into use, chiefly in winter. About 400 quintals of cod are annually dry-salted, 18,000 or 20,000 pounds sold fresh, and the remainder pickled. The fishery for bluefish and scup usually begins in June and continues until the latter-part of September. Some sixty men are engaged in this fishery, of \vhoui perhaps one-third use gill-nets for bluefish. About 150 gill-nets are employed. Those fishermen who set nets go alone, but those using hand-lines usually go in pairs. The principal fishing grounds are off the south shore of the island. In 1879 about 400,000 pounds of bluefish and 1,200 pounds of scup were caught. The karger proportion of the fish are shipped by two firms to whom the fishermen sell them. About .Hie-half of the whole amount is shipped to Boston, and the remainder goes to New York, Phila- delphia, Hartford, Providence, and New Bedford. Between 4,000 and 5,000 pounds of eels are annually taken at Nautucket. There are four men at Nautucket and six at Tuckeruuck who make a business of fishing for lobsters, and in addition ten or eleven others are engaged in it at different times. Each man sets from 30 to 60 or 70 pots. In 1879 the total catch was 11,250 lobsters. The lobsters are kept in live-boxes, and sold to a smack which comes from New York once in about ten days. In 1879 about 250 bushels of sea-clams, 475 bushels of shore-clams, and 150 bushels of quahaugs were gathered. In 1878 a wier worth 8100 was set in the harbor, but no fish were taken. In 1879 its shape was altered so that the bowl could be pursed, and it was set farther toward the east. The result was as before, however; no fish were taken, although the weir was placed in a spot where many fish have been caught at other times. HISTORICAL SKETCH OF NANTUCKET FISHERIES. — The fisheries of Nautucket have altered very much in character since the beginning of the last decade. In 1870 fifteen fishing vessels were owned here, and were engaged in the cod and mackerel fisheries. The business had not been prosperous, however, and in 1SG9 the question of selling the vessels was raised. At the beginning of 1870, however, there were apparent signs of improvement, and the number of vessels employed lemaiucd the same. But it seems to have been only a temporary gain, for in 1871 only five vessels were registered. The next year only three were employed, in 1873 two, and in 1874 none. The next year, however, one vessel was employed in the fisheries, but in 1870 it disappeared from the register, and the same was repeated in 1877 and 1878. In the fall of 18C9 not only did the offshore fishery prove unprofitable, but the inshore cod fishery failed to an alarming extent. Fortunately, however, for the welfare of the people, extensive beds of sea-clams were discovered on the bars and shoals outside the harbor. During the winter of 1869-'70, the fishermen found lucrative employment in gathering these clams and shipping them to Gloucester and other ports for bait. In two days in January, 1870, the steamer took from the island 9G barrels of clam bait, worth $1,000. This business is still carried on, but the clams have grown more and more scarce every year. In 1871 there were only 70 or 75 bluefish gill-nets in use, but fish were scarce, and many fish- ermen attributed the cause of that scarcity to the destructive tendency of the nets. It is a fact, however, that although prior to 1870 bluefish were taken in large numbers on the north side of the island, soon after that date they became more and more scarce there, and since then nearly all that have been sent to market have been caught off the south shore. Every year, until recently, a number of barrels of bluefish were pickled. Scup, which 15 or 20 years ago were abundant in the harbor, and were caught in abundance by the old men and boys off the wharves, are now very scarce, and few find their way to market. MASSACHUSETTS: NANTUCKET DISTRICT. The whale fishery, which has now died out at Nautucket, but which was formerly the chief source of the wealth and prosperity of the town, began in lf>90, iu boats from the shore. In 1712 the first sperm whale was taken by a vessel accidentally blown a considerable distance from the land, and a new and powerful impetus was given to the business. In 1715, an old record* tells us, six sloops, 38 tons burden, obtained about COO barrels of oil and 11,000 pounds of bone, worth £1,000. But, if we may believe the statement of Zaccheus Macy, these vessels must have beeu employed near shore. Macy says: t "In the year 1718, the inhabitants began to pursue whales on the ocean in small sloops and schooners from 30 to 45 tons." From the old record cited above we learn the tonnage, and the amount of the fares, and their value, from 1730 to 1785. The summary is as follows : 1730. 25 sail, from 38 to 50 tons, obtained annually about 3,700 barrels, at £7 per ton . . £3, 200 1748. 60 sail, from 50 to 75 tons, obtained 11,250 barrels, at £14 19,684 1756. 80 sail, 75 tons, obtained 12,000 barrels, at £18 23,600 N. B. — Lost ten sail, taken by the French, and foundered. 1770. 120 sail, 75 to 110 tons, obtained 18,000 barrels, at £40 100,000 From 1772 to 1775. 150 sail, from 90 to 180 tons, upon the coast of Guinea, Brazil, and the West Indies, obtained annually 30,000 barrels, which sold in the London market at £44 to £45 167,000 N. B. — 2,200 seamen employed in the fishery, and 220 in the London trade. Peace of 17»3. 7 sail to Brazil, from 100 to 150 tons, obtained 2, 100 5 to the coast of Guinea (iOO 7 to the West Indies... 560 3, 260 At £40 per ton 16,280 N. B. — No duty exacted iu London. 1784. 12 sail to Brazil, obtained 4,000 5 to the coast of Guinea 400 11 to the West Indies 1,000 5,400 At £23 to £24 14,,IiOO N. B. — The price fell by the exaction of a duty in London of £18. 30 sterling per ton. 1785. Now at sea: 8 to Brazil, 2 to the coast of Guinea, 5 to the West Indies. The number of vessels engaged in the fishery in 1807, is recorded in the following language:: "The rest (forty-one) of the (forty-six) ships are employed in the whale fishing, viz: Eleven on the coast of Brazil, eleven at the Cape of Good Hope, one on the coast of New Holland, and eighteen in the Pacifick Ocean." $ The absorbing attention paid by the Nautncket people to the pursuit of whaling, seems to have caused a partial neglect of other branches of the fisheries. The cod and mackerel vessels accumulated incidentally, so to speak, during the prosperity of the whaling business. With the decline of whaling, the people naturally turned their energies to other branches of the fisheries. Fish seem to have been abundant in the waters about the island. Bluefish were plenty from the first settlement of the island until the year 17G4, when, for some reason, they suddenly disap- *Progress of the Whale Fishery at Nantucket, written in the year 1785, Coll. Mass. Hist. Soc., Ill, 1st series, 1794, p. 161. tA short journal of the first settlement of the Island of Nantucket, with some of the most remarkable things that have happened since, to the present time. By Zaccheus Macy, 179:?. Coll. Mass. Hist. Soc., Ill, 1st series, 1794, pp. 157-159. {Notes on Nantucket, August 1, 1807, Coll. Mass. Hist, Soc., Ill, 2d series, pp. 29, 30. 17 G B F 258 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. l>eared. In 1807 fourteen vessels were engaged in the cod fishery, of which one was a brig; seven, schooners; and six, sloops. In a note on the condition of the town, in this same year, it is stated that bass, shad, and alewives were abundant in Maticut Harbor, at the eastern extremity of the island, where the first settlement was located, and that "a fishery might be carried on here to great advantage; at present 400 barrels are taken annually." This shows, apparently, that at this period the shore fisheries were but little developed. The manufacture of salt was attempted early in the century, but the fogs which are prevalent on the island prevented the successful carrying out of this scheme and it was abandoned. J.— THE DISTRICT OF EDGARTOWN. 81. REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES OF THE DISTRICT. PRESENT CONDITION OP THE FISHEBIES. — Martha's Vineyard, the Elizabeth Islands, and No Man's Land together constitute Dukes County, or the customs district of Edgartown. The Elizabeth Islands form a single township under the name of Gosnold. Martha's Vineyard is divided into five towns, namely, Edgartowu, Cottage City, Tisbury, Chilmark, and Gay Head. In the fisheries of this district, with the exception of the whale fishery at Edgartown, no vessels arc employed, but the entire industry is confined to the use of boats and traps. In point of value the whale fishery is the most important single fishery, the products in 1879 being valued at $47,414. The total capital invested in the district is $220,695, and the value of the products is $133,797. The number of persons employed is four hundred and thirty-four. STATISTICAL SUMMATION FOR 1879. — The following statements give in detail the extent of the fishing interests of Edgartown district : Summary statement of persons employed and capital invested. Peraong employed. Number. Capital invested. Amount. 211 $175 575 213 8,720 10 o35 400 Total 434 *H Total 220 895 a Cash capital, $20,000; wharves, shoreliousen, and fixtures, (15,400. Detailed statement of capital invested in vessels, boats, nets, and traps. Vessels and boots. No. Tonnage. Value. Value of gear, exclu- sive of boats and nets. Value of outfit. Total value. If ete and traps. No. Value. Vessel*. 7 1 446 82 $48 000 o$80 000 $128 BOO Nett. Gill-nets: Tn In t fishpriftB $600 Soatf. 18 1 800 1 800 Haul-eeinee : 6 1,200 In shore fisheries 165 37,255 *3, 195 5,325 45,775 Total 56 1,800 Total 183 39,055 3,195 5,325 47, 575 Traps. Weirs 9 4,000 • Lobster and eel-pots 3,920 3,920 Total 3 929 7 920 a Includes gear. MASSACHUSETTS: EDGARTOWN DISTRICT. 259 Detailed statement of the quantities and raluee of the products. Products specified. Pounds, fresh. Pounds, prepared. Bulk. Value, prepared. Grand total — $133, 797 Fresh fish. 473 121 2 381 Bw 12 000 720 ' stii ed 73 860 7 386 444 840 13 345 92, 000 2 760 Eels CO 000 3 000 35, CIS 534 25 000 500 26, 315 132 3,262 43 13,454 57 12,000 360 Scup 98, 827 2 965 Shad 1,612 81 13, 460 337 24,905 872 SUr n 1,000 30 6,000 180 5,544 194 392, 000 1 960 Total 1, 814, 818 37,837 Dryjbh. Cod 1 065 680 426 272 15 345 Haddock 30, 739 11,681 234 Pollock 56,980 23, 362 397 Total 1, 153, 399 461, 315 15 976 Tickled fish. Mixed fish 6 000 4 000 100 Smoked fish. Alewiree 96,875 68,125 1,4i3 Shell Jiih. 773, 100 Z8 317 Clams: 1 000 bushels 500 3 000 bushels... . .. 1 070 150 250 Total SO 317 Products of whale fiihery. 35122gallon» V> 678 Whale oil . .. 16 317 gallons 6,363 11 083 1 000 pounds 310 Total 47 414 MitcfUaneaus. Fish oil 1,500 gallons 600 100 tons 100 Total 700 82. MARTHA'S VINEYARD. EDGARTOWN. — The village of Edgartown, with 1,303 inhabitants, is situated near the north- eastern extremity of the island, at the head of a fine harbor of Ihe same name. It was formerly a whaling port, and has several wharves, which, however, arc now but seldom in use. About seventy- 260 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF TEE FISHERIES. five men are engaged in fishing. Tlie principal fishery is the boat line-fishery. About fifty boats, one-third of them carrying two men, are employed. In spring, irom April to the 1st of June, one-half of the boats are employed in the shore cod fishery, and the total catch amounts to about 250,000 pounds of cod. About the 1st of June the blue-fishing begins. All the boats are employed in this fishery for ten or twelve weeks, according to the condition of the weather and the abundance of the fish. A small number of striped bass are also taken by the bluefish fishermen. In November the boats are hauled up, and are not in use again until the latter part of March. Two gangs of seiners, each composed of four men, are engaged from the 1st of June to the last of September iu seining bluefish, bass, and other species. They employ two seine-boats, about 25 feet in length, and own four seines, each 150 fathoms long, and worth $300. Every winter about 300 barrels of eels are caught, and some 15,000 lobsters are taken annually. Bluefish are usually sent to New York either in ice or in smacks. Soft clams and quahaugs are abundant in the harbor, and are used by the fishermen for bait. The whale fishery, which has been prosecuted at Edgartown for many years, is still carried on. Seven whaling vessels are owned, which, with their outfits, involve a capital of $128,000. Oak Bluffs, a village in Edgartown, is a well-known camp-meeting ground. There are also several hotels and boarding-houses annually resorted to by thousands of people, who spend much of their time in the summer months in fishing in the neighboring waters. TISBURY. — Holmes' Hole, or Viueyard Haven, situated at the northeastern part of the town of Tisbury, is not at present extensively engaged in the fisheries, nor dependent upon them. Like Edgartown, the village is largely sustained by the wealth of the many retired captains of mer- chant and whaling vessels who have made their residence here. In April and May, and again in October and November, four boats usually go from Holmes' Hole to No Man's Laud to fish for cod. The average annual catch of each boat is about 10,000 pounds of cod. The fish are quite small, often weighing only 3 or 4 pounds. A cod weighing 40 pounds is considered very large. Five cat-rigged boats are employed in June, and also during portions of May and July, in the bluefish fishery with hand-lines. The total annual catch of bluefish 'is about 35,000 pounds. No person at Holmes' Hole makes his whole living by fishing, and even those who have been mentioned as fishing at different seasons let their boats in summer to pleasure parties. There is an alewife-river near Holmes' Hole belonging to the town of Tisbury, from which about 150,000 alewives are annually taken. One-tenth, formerly one-sixth, of the catch is reserved by the town and sold to pay for the clearing of the river. This share is annually bought by Mr. Crowell. The alewives are chiefly sold to fishing vestels for bait, and are also in part sent to New Bedford. NORTH SHORE OF MARTHA'S VINEYARD. — The uortheru shore of Martha's Vineyard, from Lombard's Cove, 5 miles to the westward of the West Chop of Vineyard Haven, to Gay Head, is occupied at irregular intervals by weirs. In 1880 there were two in Lombard's Cove, one three- quarters of a mile and one about 3 miles to the westward, and four iu Meuemsha Bight, near Gay Head. With the exception of one iu Meuemsha Bight, which has two leaders and two heart pieces, all are single weirs, having but one leader, heart, and bowl. All, without exception, are constructed of netting and poles. They are usually placed iu position every year, about the last of May or the 1st of June, and arc removed either before or not later than the 15th day of Sep- tember. From two to four men are required to tend the weirs. The principal species of fish caught are scup, squeteague, bluefish, striped bass, bouito, tautog, mackerel, menhaden, ale- wives, sea-herring, and flounders. The larger proportion of the fish are sent to New Yoik in ice, B MASSACHUSETTS: EDGARTOWN DISTRICT. 261 * via Wood's IIoll, aucl iu smacks. The managers of at least two of the pounds are accustomed to carry their fish iii their own boats to Wood's Holl, whence they are shipped to market by Mr. Spiudel. The menhaden and alewives, however, are usually sold to Gloucester fishing vessels for bait. The weirs vary in value from $200 to $400, but several of them originally cost from $800 to $1,000. There exists oa the western side of Menemsha Bight a hamlet of about 14 small temporary buildings, or shanties, as they are called, known as Lobsterville, in which a number of men, all or nearly all lobster fishermen, live during the summer. Forty boats were employed in Ihc fishery iu 1880, of which perhaps one-half carry two men. From each boat about 40 pots -are set, and the total number of pots iu use is about 1,600. Iu 1879 only fourteen boats and about 560 lobster pots were in use. Lobsters were much more abundant in 1879 than in 1880. In the former year the catch was 268,800 lobsters; in the latter year, about 200,000 lobsters. The season begins late iu April and usually lasts about four mouths. At Gay Dead there is a remnant of the former Indian possessors of the island. 83. NO MAN'S LAND AND ITS FISHERIES. No MAN'S LAND. — The island known as No Man's Laud is situated south of the western extremity of Martha's Vineyard, at a distance of about 4 miles. It is a low, sandy island of very small proportions, and is uninhabited except by fishermen, all but two or three of whom remove to Martha's Vineyard at the end of the fishing seasons iu spring and fall. WThile on the island they live in some 25 small houses, valued at about $100 each. The only fisheries are for cod and lobsters. The cod fishery, which is carried on for a few weeks iu spring and fall, was eugaged in iu 1879 by about forty men, who employed some thirty-five boats. The cod taken during that year amounted to not more than 140,000 pounds when salted and dried. This is a much less quan- tity than was taken in some preceding years, but is more than has been taken since. There has been a constant diminution. The value of the apparatus employed, including boats, tackle, &c., and the single herring net carried by each boat amounts to not more than $6,000. A number of fishermen, varying from twelve to fifteen or twenty, engage in lobster fishing every year. The number of lobsters taken has been decreasing, and in 1881 amounted to not more than 15,000 in the aggregate. 84. THE ELIZABETH ISLES. GOSNOLD. — The Elizabeth Isles is a group of sixteen small islands that together constitute the town of Gosnold. They are separated from Cape Cod by a narrow channel, and extend 1C miles toward the southwest, forming the boundary between Buzzard's Bay and Vineyard Sound. The resident population of the group in 1870 was 99. Commencing toward Cape Cod, the islands are called Naushon, 8 miles long and 1 £ wide ; Pasque, about 2 miles long ; Nashawena, 3 miles ; and Cuttyhunk, 2£ miles. A narrow channel separates the islands. The island of Cuttyhunk was named Elizabeth Island by Gosnold, but that name is now given to the group. Until 18G4 these islands belonged to the town of Chilmark. They are noted for their beauty and climate, and are a favorite summer resort of New Yorkers for boating and fishing purposes. Tarpaulin Cove, on the east shore of Naushon, is a harbor much frequented by wind-bound vessels on their way between Boston and New York. Some Noank fishermen come here in the summer for trap fishing. The product of their industry is included iu the statistics for Connecticut. Cuttyhuuk Island is the most southerly of the Elizabeth Isles, and is about 2£ miles long and a mile broad. The land is high. It contains a hamlet of sixteen buildings, including the school- 262 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. bouse, aud the buildings of the Cuttyhunk Club. About forty fishermen live here, many of them, however, only in summer. Three or four men fish for tautog with hook and line. The fishing begins iu October aud continues until snow comes. The total catch is usually about 3,500 or 4,000 pounds. Two small pounds are set at Cuttyhunk. They are usually put in position about the 1st of May (in 1880, on the 26th of April), and are taken up early in August. Four men tend them. The catch consists of scup, bonito, and sea-bass. In 1880, 350 barrels of fish were shipped to market, about one-half the quantity being scup aud the remainder bonito. The catch in 1879 was about the same. In additiou, in 1880, 10 barrels, and in 1879 GO barrels, of sea-bass were taken. The majority of the fishermen, about thirty, are engaged in the lobster fishery. In 1880 six little smacks, with two boats each, and twelve other boats were employed. From each of the boats from 40 to 120 pots are set, the total number used being about 2,000. The fishery is carried on during four months. In 1880 the total catch of lobsters was between 200,000 and 240,000. The Cutty- hunk Club also sets about 120 pots. The large lobsters caught in these pots are sold, but the small ones are used by the club for bait. K.— THE DISTRICT OF NEW BEDFORD. 85. GENERAL REVIEW OF NEW BEDFORD DISTRICT. THE FISHERIES OF THE DISTRICT. — The New Bedford customs district comprises the towns of Wareham, New Bedford, Westport, and intermediate places on Buzzard's Bay. As will be seen by reference to the remarks on the various towns in this district, there are several kinds of fishing carried on, the most important being the whale fishery, which has had its headquarters in this region for many years. New Bedford is the principal place in the district and owns most of the fishing fleet. There is one small vessel in the district engaged exclusively in the lobster fishery. The fishery for cod, tautog, aud other food-fish employs 22 vessels, the menhaden fishery 8, the seal fishery 1, and the whale fishery 128; the total tonnage of the entire fleet is 33,576.67 tons. The shore fisheries employ 210 boats, used in connection with the traps, or in the capture of lobsters and shell fish iu various parts of Buzzard's Bay. The total capital invested in all branches of the fisheries and shore industries is $4,329,638, and the value of the various fishery products is $2,053,944. The number of persons employed is 4,287. STATISTICAL SUMMATION FOR 1879. — The following statements give in detail the extent of the fishing interests of New Bedford district: Summary statement of pcrxous anjjloytd and capital iitvtgled. Persons employed. Number. Capital invested. Amount. 3 535 $2,011 010 385 23 028 2U8 al, (195, 600 Number of factory hands 109 4 3°9 638 Total 4,287 aCaah capital, $1,260,000; wharves, storehouses, nnd fixture*, $270,500; factory buildings and apparatus, $165,100. MASSACHUSETTS: XBW BEDFORD DISTRICT. 263 Detailed statement of capital invested in vessels, boats, nets, and traps. Vessels and boats. No. Tonnage. Value. Value of gear, exclu- sive of boats and nets. Value of outfit. Total value. Nets ami traps. No. Value. Vessels. In food-fish fishery 22 490. 13 $21, 575 $1, 090 $9 700 $32 365 Net*. Gill-nets: 1 7.30 100 10 160 270 66 $1,640 In menhaden fishery 8 1 520. 46 84.65 52, 500 3,000 575 7,200 5,000 60, 275 8 000 Purse-seines : 15 6,500- 128 32, 474. 13 914, 500 ol 539 500 2, 454, 000 2 600 Total ICO 33, 576. 67 091 675 1 675 1 561 5CO 2 554 910 Haul-seines: In 1 !• i fisheries Q 1 S00> Total 92 10, 74» 210 5 500 2 210 4 °50 11 960 Traps. 29 11, ICO Total 659 49, 640 2,210 4,250 56, 100 Lobster and eel-pots 1,188 1,188 Total 1,217 12, 288- a Includes gear. Detailed statement of tJtt quantities and values of the products. Products specified. Pounds, fresh. Pounds, prepared. Bulk. Value, prepared. $2 053 944 Fruh fith. 510 819 4 983 56 000 3 360 75 160 7 516 Blnefish . . 114 350 3 430 Bonito .. 5 000 150 Butterfish . «... 5 000 150 Cod 95 000 1 425 Eels . .... 199 2^1 9 961 211 663 3 175 Frostfish .. 42 434 849- Halibut 4 500 158 7 645 38 Mackerel 393 000 5 227 12 740 084 19 110- Perch . 3 476 104 296 923 8 907 Shad 9 344 467 Smelts 14 046 351 46 230 1 618 1 500 45 Swordfish . .... ......... 342 800 10 784 Tantog 292 392 10 234 Mixed fish 108 800 544 Total . 15 575 387 92 586 Dry fiih. Cod 1 516 500 606 inn 21 838 Piclcted fleh. 150 000 120 000 2 400 Mixed flsh 12 000 8 000 200 Total 162 000 128 000 2 600 Shell fith. 174, 726 6 406 1C, 200 bnshela 21,225 Clams: For food 5, 800 bushels 2,900 5 100 bushels ... . 2 550 Scallops 2 350 Total ... 35, 431 2G4 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. lictailvd statement of Hie quantities and values of Hie products — Continued. Products specified. Pounds, fresh. Pounds, prepared. Bulk. Value, prepared. Product* of whale fishery. SiKMiuoil Whale oil 595 098 gallons W ualeljono 242 476 pounds 5G7 393 Ivory 5 Gil Ambergris Total 1, *>97, 009 Jilisccttantovs. Fish oil 2 700 gallons Marine salt 210 tons Seaweed Total 4 480 a Includes $101,400 enhancement in refining. b Includes $25,000 enhancement in refining. NOTE.— The menhaden caught by New Bedford vessels were sold to oil factories in ol her States and are credited to thisdistiict at their value to the fishermen. Their enhanced value as oil and gnauo is credited to tlie States where the factories are located. 80. AGAWAM TO FAIRHAVEX. AGAWA>I STATION. — At Agawam station, iii East Wareham, 3 miles iulaud from the northern end of Buzzard's Bay, is Half- way pond River. This empties into the Wareham River, and the latter into the bay. Large bodies of alewives annually pass from the bay up these rivers to spawn, a considerable number being taken at East Wareham. The State law determines the time when they may be taken; this period is between April 1 and June 1. The exact time when they may be caught, the price at which they may be sold to citizens, and other regulations are left to a com- mittee of three from each of the towns of Wareham and Plymouth. This committee sells the exclusive privilege of the catch at auction, and $400 to $500 a season is generally realized by the sale. The -price which the citizens must pay is fixed by the committee at 16 cents a hundred fish, or 6i cents a barrel; one barrel is allowed to each inhabitant who may desire it. No fish may be sold to any except citizens for the space of two hours after the fish are caught, but after that time they may be sold to any person at such price as can be agreed upon. Provision is made that citizens shall always bo able to obtain a limited supply at the price already mentioned, namely, 16 cents a hundred. The bulk of the catch is sold by peddlers through the neighboring towns. At the present time the catch is not more than two-thirds as large as it was a number of years ago. In 1880 the fisheries of this place gave employment to six men for 2 months. The catch was 700 barrels of alewives, worth $1,050. Mr. Ingersoll gives the following report on the present condition of the oyster industry of Wareham and vicinity: "About 5 years ago no oyster was better received in the Boston market than that from Ware- ham; it held the first place. Though it has lost this distinction by 'opening' poorly of late, it is still of fine quality and in demand by the neighborhood markets. Wagon-loads are sent off to Plymouth, Middleborough, and elsewhere, frequently through the winter; and during the season of 1877-'78 the Old Colony Railway carried 780 bushels in shell from the Wareham station, and about 150 gallons of opened stock. From East Wareham (Agawam station) there were shipped, during the winter of 1S77-'7S, 924 bushels in shell, while partial accounts of the next season (1879-'80) indicate a large increase. By far the larger part of the yield, however, is sold small, as 'seed MASSACHUSETTS: NEW BEDFORD DISTRICT. 265 oysters' to be planted upon the beds along the eastern shore of Buzzard's Bay and the 'heel' of Cape Cod. This seed is never carried away to be sold, but the purchasers come after it in spring and fall in sloops of about 25 feet keel, locally known as 'yacht-boats'. This seed sells for 30 to 35 cents a bushel in spring, or GO to 80 cents in fall, and is one and two years old, mixed. Some experiments have been made in bedding Virginia oysters through the summer, but although they lived well enough it was not found prolitable. They brought only $4, while the native oysters would fetch $6, a barrel. "Oyster affairs in Wareham can hardly be called a business. The title to the grants is very uucertaiu, the impression being that the light to operate upon them exists only through courtesy of the owners of the adjacent uplands, and a vast amount of litigation would probably arise if any one chose to object to the present status. This feeling, and the jealousy of anything smacking of monopoly, has deterred capital from being invested in any considerable degree, although efforts have been made to bring money from New York and Boston to bear upon this industry. At present the poor, ignorant, and shiftless portion of the community, for the most part, Lave to do with the oysters, and have found it necessary, in order to protect each other from a common thieving propensity, to decree among themselves that no man shall fish after sunset, even upon his own grant. It would be an outside estimate to say that 200 persons live upon the oyster in Wareham, at an investment of $3,000." MAKION. — Marion, formerly known as Sippican, is pleasantly located on the western side of Buzzard's Bay. It has a large and accessible harbor, in which are several islands. From the beaches of these islands, as well as from the shore of the mainland, are gathered clams, qiiahaugs, scallops, and oysters. At one time a fleet of twenty sail engaged in the whale fishery from this place, but at present the fleet numbers only two vessels, aggregating 175.38 tons, valued, with their outfit, at $12,900. A very small amount of any kind of fishing is carried on at present, and that by fifteen sail-boats, ten row-boats, twenty gill-nets, one pnise-seiue, and one drag-seine, having a total value of about $2,500. The number of persons employed, including the whaling crews, is fifty-nine. The catch of the fishing boats consists mainly of menhaden, alewives, and bluelish. The catcli of menhaden in 1877 was 2,500 barrels; in 1878, 8,000 barrels; in 1>;79, iione; in 1880, 800 barrels. During 1879 4 shad and 11 striped bass were caught, lut none in 1880. The yield of the shore fisheries iu 1880 was valued at $3,965, and included 2,CCO busLels of quahaugs, 1,300 bushels of soft clams, 500 bushels of scallops, 75 barrels of alewives, 20,000 pounds of bluefish, and 800 barrels of menhaden. In former years numerous vessels were built here, and for 40 years quite extensive salt manufactories were carried on. Neither of these industries has been prosecuted for several years. The oyster interests of this region are thus icported by Mr. Ingersoll: "Southwesterly from Wareham the head of Buzzard's Bay contains several oyster localities of varying importance. They are: The Weeweantit Eiver, for a mile or so iu the neighborhood of the highway bridge; Wing's Cove, and the Blankinship Cove of Sippicaii harbor, iu the town of Marion. " In the Weeweuntit, natural beds of very good oysters have existed for a long time and a few years ago a large yield was obtained from them every year by Mr. Robinson and others. Lat- terly, however, the quantity has decreased, and the beds have been raked almost wholly for the sake of seed. There are grants here, but no improvement, as yet, of any consequence. " In Sippicau harbor (the harbor of Marion) it is said that no oysters were known until about the year 1804, when the shore of Ram Island, on the eastern side of the harbor, near the 266 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. entrance, was found strewn with young oysters, and the next year it was ascertained that these had lived and were growing. The whole cove rapidly filled, and the oysters at once began to be taken by the inhabitants in large quantities. " Some gentlemen, in 1875, got permission of the town to plant oysters on the bar at the entrance of the harbor, and brought a large quantity of seed oysters from Somerset, Mass., to lay down there. Taking the hint, the town surveyed a fringe of grants around the whole harbor, which were rapidly secured by the citizens for purposes of culture. The first design was that all owning grants should seed them from abroad, leaving the natural beds in Blankinship (Jove and all the channels as public domain. But this was done to a very small extent, the natural beds being raked and dredged, instead, for oysters to be placed upon the grants, until if seemed likely that no mollusks at all would be left upon the beds. Legislative measures, both of State and town, were brought forward for oyster protection, but with little avail, as restrictive measures had small support from public opinion, and now there is little attempt to restrain any one fishing to any extent. It is reported by some, as a consequence, that few oysters are left, while others say that there are as many oysters there now as ever. Meanwhile, those who had planted were not encouraged. The best grants lay in favorable spots, where the oysters had shallow water, a hard bottom, and quick tide, only lacking fresh water. One gentlemen has planted about 12,000 bushels, and has put down 6,000 to 8,000 empty shells, hoping to catch spawn ; but since these were put down there has been no year in which the spawn was plenty at Marion. (The last good year for spawn in Wareham was 1877, in Somerset, 1878.) Both of these investments have proved to be losing ones. The oysters brought here from Somerset have grown pretty well in shell, but in meat are lean and watery. Last August those of marketable size produced less than two solid quarts to the bushel. This fall (1879) there has been an improvement, but a bushel docs not 'open' more than 3 quarts. These facts are true, as a rule, over the whole extent of the harbor, and in every instance the owners consider that they have lost money on their investment, and that it is probable that no great success can be looked for in raising oysters at Marion, for unexplained reasons. Even when they succeed in getting a fair quantity of oysters, they are not as hard and plump as they ought to be, and will not sell in Boston market at prices which will repay the expense of their cultivation. Among special discouragements may be mentioned the burying of 2,000 bushels in one bed, on the outside of Ram Island Bar, by a single gale during the winter of 1878, and the sudden death of several thousand bushels up the harbor through anchor-frost. As a consequence, a large portion of the oysters which have been planted here from Somerset have been taken up and sent to Providence River, where they have been rebedded with great success. It may be that this will afford an opportunity for business, although planting will not succeed well. The seed can be bought in Somerset and laid down here for about 35 cents a bushel. Two years later it can be sold to Providence dealers for 75 cents. During these same years the natural beds near Ram Island have flourished tolerably well, although the large tracts of shells about the harbor have caught no spawn. They hare not opened as much nor of as good quality, however, as formerly; but there are great differences in the oysters of even this limited area. A bed at Rain's Island, on the sand, in 3 to 5 feet of water, 'opened handsome,' while only a few yards away oysters on a muddy bottom were of poor quality and size. ''There have been about $17,000 invested in oyster culture in this town, but I believe the whole matter could be bought now for $10,000. Perhaps 5,000 bushels, all told, have been disposed of annually for the last three or four years at $1 a bushel or gallon." MATTAPOISETT. — For nearly 125 years this place was a part of Rochester. On May 20. 1857, it was incorporated as a town under the old Indian name of Mattapoisett, which signifies "a place MASSACHUSETTS: NEW BEDFORD DISTRICT. 267 of rest." In past years, up to a comparatively recent date, the inhabitants were quite largely engaged in ship-building and in the whale fishery, but very little attention is now paid to the fish- ing industry. Clams are plentiful, but the citizens only dig the few which they require for their home consumption. Fishermen from Fairhaven and New Bedford come here with teams and boats and dig large quantities, which they sell through the surrounding towns and cities. Alewives are taken in the Mattapoisett River, which enters Buzzard's Bay at this place. One weir is located 4 miles up the river, and two more at Rochester, 4 miles further up the river. For the past 10 years the catch has averaged 900 barrels a year. The catch of 1880, the smallest for twenty years, was 500 barrels taken at the lower station, and 200 at the upper. The greater portion of them are sold fresh through the neighboring towns. A local law fixes the price for a limited supply to the citizens of Mattapoisett, Marion, and Rochester, at 25 cents for a hundred fish. At the northeast entrance to the harbor, on Pine Island, are two weirs. These are fished by four men for six months in the year. At the fishing stations of Mattapoisett, Pine Island, and Rochester, in 1880, eleven men were employed for a part of the year. The total capital invested in boats, nets, and other apparatus was $2,130. The catch was valued at $2,275, and included 800 barrels of alewives, 2,000 lobsters, 200 barrels of menhaden, 1,000 squeteague, 8,000 tautog, 9,000 scup, 500 bluefish, and 25 Spanish mackerel. FAIRHAVEN.— Fairhaven is bounded on the south by Buzzard's Bay, and on the west by Acushnet River. The various ways of spelling this name, found on the old records, arc as follows: "Cushuet," "Acushnutt," "Acoosnet," "Acushena," and "Acushuett," or, as in use at the present time, "Acushnet." The bay at this point is nearly 1 mile wide, and is in fact an arm of the sea for the 3 miles from its mouth along the Fairhaven and New Bedford fronts. Above New Bedford it decreases in size to a small stream, no larger than a brook, and takes its rise near the south shores of Long Pond and Aquitticaset Pond, in the town of Middleborough, 10 miles distant. There are several islands in the stream; the largest is named Palmer, and is at the entrance to the harbor. The next to the north arc Crow, Pope's, and Fish. This last is united to the long draw- bridge connecting Fairhaven with New Bedford. Several other smaller islands, not named, add to the beauty of the river scenery. The land now occupied by Fairhaven, New Bedford, and Dartmouth was purchased from the Indians in 1652, and was all united in the single town of Dartmouth, the part now called Fair- haven being known to the Indians as "Sconticut." On February 22, 1787, Wesrport and New Bedford were incorporated as separate towns. The latter embraced the present town of Fairhaven until April 22, 1812, when it was incorporated under its present name. The leading business of this place in past years was the whale fishery. Thirty-seven vessels, with nine hundred and forty- five men, sailed from here in 1837, and in 1858 forty-seven sail were engaged in that industry; in 1SCO, thirty-nine; in 1870, eight; in 1874, two; in 1876, two; in 1880, none. Although the bay and river have always been noted as having an abundance and great variety of scale and shell fish, and the flats and near shores for miles have long been known to abound with quahaugs and clams, until lately there appears to have been but little attention paid to them, except in a small way for home use. Within the past twenty years, as the whale fishery has declined, more attention has been paid to the abundance of fish near home. At the present time two vessels, of 110.30 aggregate tonnage, engage in the cod fishery off Block Island, the New England shore, and as far as Banquereau ; three small vessels, of 27.89 total tonnage (not registered), fish in the bay near home. At the southern end of the town, known as Scouticut Neck, within late years the business has steadily grown, the catch being made with gill nets, purse and shore seines. The weirs, of which there are fourteen located at the neck, arc worth from $400 to 8500 268 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. each. Each weir has a leader to the shore from 400 to 450 feet long. The average depth of bowl is 18 feet, with a diameter of 50 feet. The entire weir is made of twine and fastened to poles driven •into the ground. The weirs are put down about the middle or end of March and are fished until the middle of July, when they are taken up. Some of them are again put down about the middle of August and fished uutil the 1st of November. Sometimes a few remain until December 1, for the sea-herring; these do not appear with any regularity, generally only once in about every four years. The fishermen pay a laud-lease for their weirs of from $5 to $75 a season, according to the location. The catch is marketed fresh at New Bedford, New York, Philadelphia; a small part at Boston and other near cities and towns. The importance of the catch of the following species is indicated by the order in which they are named: Alewives, tautog, scup, squeteague, bluefish, and eels. The alewives bring in a half of the value of the total catch. During the season of 1880 men- haden, squeteague, tautog, and scup have been very plenty; Spanish mackerel and bonito scarce. Mackerel (Scomber scombrus) are seldom seen. They seem to know full well that there is no outlet for them at the eastern end of Buzzard's Bay, and therefore keep away. Of the immense schools that pass so near on their annual tour to the northeast, but very few ate ever seen in the bay. Thirty men, with small, unregistered sail-boats, fish from June 1 to November 1 with hand- lines in the river and in the bay near home. Their catch consists chiefly of tautog, eels, and scup, the eels being taken, for the most part, in small box-traps baited with clams. That Buzzard's Bay abounds in a variety of fish, many of them valuable for food, others for fertilizer, has been shown in the foregoing remarks. We now add a complete list, kindly given us by Mr. D. W. Deaue, who has been for twenty-five years in this business, and has for the past thirteen years been setting weirs in this locality. T: e list will be found of interest, as showing the date of the first catch of each species during the season of 1880: "March 24, caught the first menhaden, alewife, smelt, tomcod, flatfish; April 1, tautog, skate, perch; April 6, sea herring, eel; April 14, shad; April 15, striped bass; April 17, scup; April 24, dogfish, mackerel; April 26, rock bass; April 27, sea-robin; April 28, squid; May 8, butterfish, kingfish; May 11, squeteague; May 12, flounder; May 13, bluefish; June 8, stinging ray; June 7, sand shark ; June 10, shark ; June 25, bouito. On July 10 the -weirs were taken up, and put down again August 26, on which day the first seres was taken. This is a gold-colored fish about the size of the scup, a very palatable fish. It is quite common some seasons during August and September. A.ugust 30, first Spanish mackerel ; September 6, first razor-fish ; September 6, first goosefish." Mr. Deane says that striped mullet are quite abundant some years, but that there were none during the past season. No salmon have been seen this year. In 1879 five small ones were caught, but were returned to the bay, the State law not permitting any to be taken in weirs, dinners have been plenty ; hake and cod scarce. A dozen sheepshead have been taken during the season. There is an ample opportunity for a large increase in this neighborhood in the fishing industry. The abundance of fish and proximity to all the great fish markets, as well as a large demand from the numerous near inland cities, make this a desirable point, and one which is capable of producing many times the number of fish at present obtained, most of the catch being now taken in from four to six mouths. Fish of many kinds have been more abundant the past season than for several years. Their great abundance reduced the prices, which reduction, together with the effect of numerous severe storms and gales in the spring, has lowered the gross stock of the season's work of the weirs to a sura rather below that of 1879. Alga; is gathered from the shores of Scouticut Neck in great abundance at various times of the year. Twenty-five years ago but little attention was given to MASSACHUSETTS: NEW BEDFORD DISTRICT. 269 it. Only a small amount was gathered, and that without charge, by any one who wished it. As its value became known, aud more of it was gathered, a charge at the rate of 5 cents for a single- horse load was made. This was about 1860. In 18C5 the charge had increased to 12£ cents a load, aud at the present time 25 cents is willingly paid for the same amount, it is used as a fertilizer. Rock-weed and kelp are also used, aud sold for $1 a ton. The latter, wheu mixed with other sea- weed, is worth only 75 cents. All fish not fit for market are saved, and find a ready sale at 30 cents a barrel for fertilizing purposes. Thirty gill-nets are used by the fishermen at the Poiiit. The catch consists of bluefish, tautog, scup, squeteague, dogfish, and sharks. Two shore-seines and one purse-seiue are used for the capture of menhaden. The catch for the past season was 750 barrels, all of which was sold to the farmers at 30 cents a barrel. Clams and quahaugs are plentiful almost the entire distance of the west side of Buzzard's Bay from Cohasset Narrows to Scouticut Neck. Twenty-seven meu dig them at various points, some going up the bay a short distance, and others, with teams, driving along the shore and filling their wagons, and selling the contents in the neighboring towns. The catch of lobsters here is small in size and amount. Most of it is used, for bait in the capture of tautog, scup, and squeteague. Fourteen men with ten boats dredge for scallops from the middle of October to the middle of January. ' Great quantities are found in the Acushuet Eiver, as well as along all the western shore of the bay. A small dredge, holding about a bushel, is used. It is made with an oval-shaped iron frame 3J feet in length. Wire netting is used in the front part and twine at the back. Small sail-boate, each with two men, fish with from one to twelve of these dredges in tow, sailing with just enough sheet to allow a slow headway. As soon as a dredge is filled, the men "luff up," haul in, empty, and go on. These little boats take from 10 to 75 bushels a day. If the breeze be unfa- vorable, one man takes the oars while the other tends the dredges. The total number of persons employed in the Fairhaven fisheries in 1880 was 182. The capital invested iu vessels, boats, weirs, aud other apparatus was $22,725, and the value of the fishery products was $31,289. The catch of the vessels was 410,000 pounds of fish; of the weirs 375,000 pounds of fish. 'Twenty boats took 2,100 bushels of scallops, 2,800 bushels of clams, and 3,000 bushels of quahaugs. The other shore-boats, the seines, and gill-nets caught 30,000 lobsters, 200,000 pounds of menhaden, and 215,000 pounds of other fish. In the Fairhaven Star of December 14, 1880, is the following historical review of the whaling business of that town : " I will give'the readers of your paper an account of the whaling business. I have made a list of the whaling vessels that have been owned and fitted from Fairhaven since the war with England. Peace was proclaimed on the 18th of February, 18-15, and the ship Herald aud schooner Liberty were fitted on a whaling voyage in the North and South Atlantic in the following July, of 1815 ; the only whaling vessels belonging to Fairhaven at that date. The next whalers added were schooner President, brig Agenora, ships Stautou, Pindus, Leonidas, and Amazon; these, with the schoouer Talemacus, were the whaling fleet of Fairhaveu in 1821, being eight iu number. From 1821 they increased gradually until 1S37, when there were thirty-seven vessels iu the busi- ness, the tonnage being 11,054 tons. Value of sperm and whale oil imported, 8296,958.56; whale- bone, valued $25,312.86; total, $322,271.42; men employed, 945; capital invested, $957,000. Popu- lation at the above date, 3,649. From 1837 to about 1850 the ships and barks increased to fifty that were fitted and hailed from Fairhaven. Averaging 28 men to each ship would be 1,400 men in the service; the tonnage of the ships, averaging 315 tons, would be 15,750 tons ; capital invested, averaging $26,000 to a ship, would be, $1,300,000. The largest number fitted in any year were 270 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. twenty-three ships and barks, and one brig iu 1838. Allowing 165 feet from after end of spanker boom to end of fly -jib boom, fifty ships in line would be over 1 J miles in length ; 7 boats to a ship, would be 350 boats ; 2,500 barrels cask each, 125,000 barrels. " From 1835 to 1850, Fairhaven was a busy, thriving town. Persons not acquainted with the place at that time can have very little idea of the number of people employed in the ship yards, shops on the wharves, and about the village. Over one hundred mechanics and laborers were from their labor at noontime from Union wharf, and probably a larger number were employed on other wharves and in the village. In 1841 sixteen ships and three barks were fitted. In 1845 fourteen whalers arrived, with 15,525 barrels sperm oil, 11,625 barrels whale oil, and 100,300 pounds bone. The price of speim oil in 1845 was 85 cents ; whale oil 31 cents per gallon, and whalebone 33 cents per pound; value of sperm oil, $415,681.87; whale oil, $113,518.12; whalebone, $33,099 ; value of importations in 1845, $562,298.99. ''There have been some very good 'voyages both in sperm and whale oil. The most costly ship of the fleet was the ship South Seaman, costing $65,000 ; several others costing about $50,000 each. The last two owned in Fairhaveu were ship General Scott and schooner Ellen Rodman. The ship Herald made twenty-five voyages, probably the largest number of any ship from this port, averaging 1,200 barrels each ; total, 30,000 barrels. Ship Amazon made seventeen voyages, obtain- ing 5,014 barrels sperm oil and 28,980 barrels whale oil; total, 33,994 barrels. Ship William Wilt's largest cargo of sperm oil was 2,900 barrels. Ship South Seaman sent home 70 barrels sperm, 3,560 barrels whale oil, and 21,027 pounds bone. Lost on French Frigate Shoal March 13, 1859. "In 1765 sloops Industry and Dove were engaged in the whaling business. In 1767 sloops Myriad, Sea Flower, Rover, and Supply were added. "Before the war of 1812 ships Juno, President, Columbia, Herald (Samuel Bordeu, agent), Exchange (John Alden, agent), schooner Swan (John Aldeu, agent), were included in the whaling fleet of Fairhaveu. When peace was declared in 1815 only one ship and one schooner fitted for whaling — ship Herald, agent Samuel Borden; schooner Liberty, agent John Alden. * * * Since 1815 one hundred and eight vessels hailing from Fairhaveu have engaged iu the whaling industry, classified as follows : eighty -eight ships and barks, eight brigs, and twelve schooners." 87. NEW BEDFORD TO WESTPORT. NEW BEDFORD. — New Bedford is built on high ground, and the cross streets, running east and west, have an easy slope, affording a flue view of the Acushnet River and the harbor with its forest of masts of the whaling vessels. Fairhaven on the east and Buzzard's Bay in the distance on the south, make the view complete. New Bedford is the most important city on Buzzard's Bay, and iu proportion to its population of 26,845, it is said to be the richest city in the United States. In 1877 its valuation in real estate was $12,609,200, and in personal property $10,854,900, or a total of $23,464,100. The home fisheries have never been prosecuted with very great interest, although both scale and shell fish are in great abundance and close at hand. Considerable attention is now paid to supplying New York, Philadelphia, and cities nearer home with fresh fish, clams, quahaugs, and scallops. A small amount of fish is also sent to Boston. The vessels engaged in fishing are of small size, sloop or schooner rigged. They fish in Buzzard's Bay and the Acushuet River near home, where a great variety, similar to that spoken of in the report for Fairhaven. is taken. Scaled fish are caught with hand-lines, eels in box traps, and scallops with dredges. The menhaden fishery has been prosecuted from here for a number of years and has brought MASSACHUSETTS: NEW BEDFORD DISTRICT. 271 iu a large profit. Most of the catch was taken off the coast of Maine, where the fishiug was carried on through the entire season. The fish have not been seen on their usual summer grounds for the past two years in any large numbers, and neither the early spring nor southern catch has paid expenses. The usual manner of running the steamers is as follows: The owners of the steamer furnish the vessel, engineer, fishing-gear, water and coal for the motive power, and the crew furnish their provisions, wages of oook, and board of fishermen. The captain hires his crew by the mouth or they go on shares. The owners receive one-half of the catch and the crew the other half. The master also receives an additional commission of from 5 to 7 cents a barrel. Steamers on Long Island Sound usually pay so much a thousand for the fish, 3£ barrels of fish to the thousand count. During 1879 the fleet from this port caught 55,700 barrels of menhaden, which were sold at the factories of Long Island Sound and Maine at 25 cents a barrel. During 1880 five of the steamers report a catch of 45,925 barrels of menhaden and 1,800 barrels of mack- erel. The former sold at 30 cents a barrel and the latter sold fresh in the Boston market. Scallops are plenty in the Acushnet River and large quantities are taken with dredges from October through the winter. The business has of late years greatly increased. When the season opens in the fall, about 2 bushels in the shell are required to make 1 gallon of solid meats, which weighs about 7 pounds. Scallops are always sold by the gallon. Eels are found very plenty in the river and near creeks and bays. They are mostly caught in a box-trap of simple and cheap construction. This is 4 feet long, 10 inches wide, with slatted sides. There is a hole in each end 4 inches square. In the aperture are placed two small wooden slats. The eels slide in with ease, the slats opening as they glide in and immediately closing. The box is weighted with stones and baited with clams. Thirty small sail-boats of sloop or schooner rig, of less than 5 tons each, and therefore not under license, are used by forty-five fishermen in the near home fishery. They catch their fish chiefly m Buzzard's Bay; it consists of tautog, scup, flounders, and eels, with a small amount of the other large species found in .the bay. Many swordfish are caught in their season. The average amount of scallops taken every fall and winter is about 4^000 bushels. No fishing js carried on in midwinter. The food-fish fishery of New Bedford employs fourteen vessels, aggregating 189.75 tons, and valued, with gear and outfit, at $13,990. In the menhaden fishery there is a fleet of seven steamers and one schooner, aggregating 520.46 tons, and valued, with their gear and outfit, at $69,276. Several vessels which obtained licenses in the general fisheries did not engage in that industry. They were mostly yachts that under those licenses were entitled to certain privileges npt otherwise granted. One vessel of 84.65 tons, valued, with outfit, at $13,000, sailed in 1880 for the Antarctic fur-seal fishery. New Bedford has for many years been the chief whaling port of the United States. The whale fishery was pursued here as early as 1755, and in 1765 four vessels were engaged in it. At the period of the Revolutionary war there were fifty to sixty vessels, but most of them were destroyed. After the war the business revived, but was again prostrated by the war of 1812. It was renewed iu 1818, and the number of vessels gradually increased till 1857, when the New Bed- ford fleet numbered 324 sail, aggregating 110,867 tons. Various causes have led to a decline in this industry, among which were the panic of 1857, the destruction of thirty vessels by Confederate cruisers during the late war, and the loss, in 1871, of twenty-four vessels in the Arctic Ocean. Another and perhaps the chief cause of a decline was the substitution of cotton-seed oil and petroleum for whale oil. The great quantities in which these oils could be obtained made them so cheap t'-at whale-oil dealers could not enter into fair competition for the trade. New Bedford 272 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. merchants have persistently continued this fishery and have managed to make it generally suc- cessful. The demand for sperm oil and whale oil, as well as for whalebone, will never entirely cease, for there are uses to which these products can be put that cannot be met by other oils or substances. There are in this city several large oil refineries and candle factories, where the oils are refined and the spermaceti made into large cakes for use in the arts or molded into candles. The whalebone is sent to the bone-workers in Boston and New York, where it is made into whips, corset and drees bone, and adapted to many other uses. The whaling fleet of New Bedford at present numbers 123 vessels, aggregating 31,568.83 tons, valued, with outfits, at $2,414,000, and maimed by 3,226 men. The catch of the New Bedford vessels and of the five vessels belonging to other ports in this district in 1879 was valued at $1,897,009, and included 1,135,260 gallons of sperm oil, 595,098 gallons of whale oil, 242,476 pounds of whalebone, 18,100 pounds of ivory, and 62J pounds of ambergris. In 1880 the oil aggregated about 1,865,262 gallons, and the bone about 380,364 pounds. The state of this industry in the city of New Bedford at different periods during the past forty years has been as follows: Tear. Nnmbcr of vessels. Tonnage. Barrels of sperm oil. Barrels of » lullr oil. Pounds of bone. 1840 174 249 318 324 291 163 176 116 63,465 39, 298 44, 9'23 48, 108 43, 716 21, 292 42, 886 34, 430 75,411 91,627 118, 672 127,562 90, 450 51, 693 49,563 25,067 1850 81, 442 107, 512 110, 267 98, 760 50, 403 50,213 31, 691 1, 081, 500 2, 835, 800 1,350,850 1, 112, 600 376, 450 569, 861 359, 973 1853 1857 I860 1665.. 1870 1875 Exclusive of the whale fishery, the products of the fisheries for 1879 included 61,000 barrels of menhaden, 33,684 lobsters, 1,800 barrels of fresh mackerel, 824,200 pounds of tautog, flounders, and other fish, and 2,500 gallons of scallops, having a total value of about $50,000. Clark's Point forms the southerly part of the city of New Bedford, the Acushnet River on the east and Clark's Cove on the west. Its length is about 2 miles. On the end of the point are a light- house and Government fortifications. Four pounds or traps are fished here. They caught in 1880 125,000 pounds of various species of fish valued at $2,200. The value of the traps is $2,000, and the number of persons employed is eight. Concerning the oyster business in this vicinity, Mr. Ingersoll reports as follows: "The Acushnet River, just above New Bedford, has been found wanting in the qualities neces- sary to make it good planting ground for oysters. The experiment has been tried, but has failed. No cultivation exists there, therefore. "The principal dealers in the town buy yearly a superior stock of oysters in the Chesapeake Bay, bringing one cargo of 3,500 bushels for bedding, and another cargo for winter use; the schooner Hastings, of nearly 100 tons burthen, is the vessel used at present. These oysters cost 65 cents when laid down, but grow very little on these beds, since there is no fresh water to start them. In addition to this, one firm furnishes oysters from Providence River, Wareham, and else- where. The rest of the town, as calculated by them, use about 200 bushels and 100 gallons a week for five months. This makes New Bedford's estimated consumption, annually, about 13,000 bushels. Five men are employed six months as openers, at 17 cents a gallon. "Just west of New Bedford is a little stream and inlet, known as Westport River. This was the locality of an ancient bed of native oysters, which has now nearly disappeared through too great raking. They are said to be very large aud of good quality, but not more than 50 bushels MASSACHUSETTS: NEW BEDFOKD DISTRICT. 273 a year can now be caught throughout the whole 3 miles from the "Point" up to the bridge, which sell at $1.50 to $2 a bushel in New Bedford. There is reputed to be good planting ground near the bridge. "A few miles west of Westport is the Dartmouth Kiver, where, it is said, an oyster-bed has recently formed, but, as yet, is of little account. The bottom there, however, is regarded as very suitable for planting upon. Fifty bushels a year would cover the whole supply from here." DARTMOUTH. — This port is situated on the western side and about half-way of the length of Buzzard's Bay. Four vessels of 1C3.03 aggregate tonnage fish from this port — two of them, on Banquereau and Western Banks for cod, and the other two near home, off Block Island and the New England shore, for cod and swordfish. Eight men are engaged in the lobster catch, setting their pots to the west of Outtyhunk Island, 12 miles from home. Funnel-pounds (or bass-traps, as the fishermen call them) are set along the shore as follows: Apponagansett Bay, two; near Dumpling light, two; 1 mile west of Dumpling light, two; Mishaum Point, three. These pounds cost from $200 to $400 each, according to size, and are made of twine, with the exception of the end of the funnel, which is of wood. Some large pounds are in use at Dumpling light from April until August. They are owned by Mr. George Snell. By August the season is considered over and the pounds are taken up. The twine is made fast to poles driven into the ground. The poles are replaced each year, and the twine is not good for much after having been used for two or three seasons. The fish caught are alewives, menhaden, flounders, scnp, and tautog, proprotionately in the order mentioned, with a few bluefish and shad. A State law forbids the taking of salmon. They are very seldom seen. At Dumpling light only two have been observed during the past five years. Menhaden are sold to the farmers at the rate of 30 cents a barrel for fertilizing purposes. Large quantities of unmarketable fish, such as skates, sharks, dogfish and others are taken and sold to the farmers for the same purpose at the rate of 85 cents a hundred fish, large and small. The livers of the dogfish, however, are removed and saved for their oil. The eatable fresh fish are sold fresh at New Bedford, New York, and Philadelphia, and the cured fish at Boston. The catch, by the pounds, during 1880, has been fully 75 per cent, larger in amount and value than that for 1879. The lobsters taken are shipped to New York. There are salt works at South Dartmouth which manufacture 12,000 bushels of salt yearly from the water of Buzzard's Bay, which is pumped by windmills to the evaporating works. A much larger amount has been produced in past years. Most of the salt is used for home consump- tion, selling for 25 cents a bushel. Dartmouth once owned a number of whaling vessels, but there is now only one vessel in this business. This vessel measures 231.59 tons and is valued, with outfits, at $20,000. The total amount of capital invested in the fisheries of this place in 1879 was $38,668, including the value of 1 whaling vessel, 2 bankers, 2 shore-fishing vessels, 4 shore boats, 9 traps and pounds, 238 lobster pots, and $4,100 in salt works. The products, exclusive of the whale fishery, were worth $20,050 and consisted of 598,600 pounds of fish, 50,000 lobsters, and 12,000 bushels of salt. WESTPOET POINT AND WESTPOUT. — Westport Point, situated on the western side, and near the mouth of Buzzard's Bay, was formerly of some note in connection with the whale fishery, and had a fleet of seventeen vessels engaged in it. Since 1876 that fishery has been abandoned at this place. Previous to the last three years more attention was paid to the near-home fishery than at present. The people here now engage in both fishing and farming. From April 15 to November 1, twenty-eight men, including the minister, fish between Sakonuet Point and Gooseberry Neck. They fish with hand-lines from the deck of small, sloop-rigged sail-boats, 13 to 20 feet long. From 18GKP 274 GEOGEAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. September 15 to November 15 these men are joined by forty others, farm- work tbeii beiug over foi the season. Tbe catch is composed chiefly of tautog, with a small proportion of bluefish, squeteague, rock-bass, striped bass, and others. In 1879 the first tautog was caught ou June 21. During that season the largest striped bass captured weighed GO pounds. For the past few years no salmon, Spanish mackerel or bonito, and but few squeteague, cod or hake — and less frequently still, a haddock — have been taken. Tautog have always been plentiful. Bluefish, striped bass, and menhaden show a decrease in the past 2 years' fishing. Eels are abundant and are caught chiefly at night with torch and spear. Lobsters are not numerous, and but little time is devoted to catching them. The fish are sold at Fall Eiver aud New Bedford. On both sides of the Acoakset River clams are plentiful. Six men were engaged iu working the beds during parts of seven months in the year 1879. Seven hundred bushels of clams were that year sent to market, and fully 1,000 bushels were used in home consumption. The abundance of clams has varied since 1870, being sometimes large, at others small. The yield of 1879 was not np to the average. The fisheries of this place in 1879 gave employment to 71 men, and the amount of capital invested in 26 boats, 100 lobster traps, and other apparatus was $1,350. The value of the catch was $5,654, and included 3,000 pounds of striped bass, 47,900 pounds of tautog, 100 barrels of alewives, 17,200 pounds of eels, 35,500 pounds of assorted fish, 8,000 lobsters, and 1,700 bushels of clams. Most of the catch is sold at New Bedford and Fall River. Mr. David H. Bradley, who has been engaged in the fishing business at this point for twenty years, reports that not as many men are employed, nor as many fish caught, as when he first began business. The following item from the Barnstable Patriot, June 21, 1859, shows tue extent of the fisheries here at that date : "GuEAT FISHING. — Our correspondent at Westport Point writes us that the largest quantity of fish ever taken with the hook in one day at that place was taken on Friday. The fish num- bered 1,333, and when dressed weighed 4,000 pounds. Two hundred and thirty-six fish, weighing 1,200 pounds, were also taken from gill-nets on same day, making in all 5,200 pounds. Those taken with the hook average 3 pounds each ; those taken with the nets 5 pounds. There were 26 boats out, and the largest number taken by a boat was 122. The boats averaged about 50 fish." At the western side of the bay from Westport Point, and distant from the point 1 mile by water and 8 by land, is the harbor of Westport. At one time a small fleet of fishing vessels and whalers sailed from here. At present there is no fishing vessel, though one whaler is owned here and fits at New Bedford. The only attention paid in 1880 to fishing was by two fishermen during the summer. They used 500 fathoms of gill-net. The catch consisted almost wholly of bluefish, which were abundant until the 1st of August. In 1879 the catch of three men amounted to $645.50, and consisted of 16,020 pounds of bluefish, 700 pounds of striped bass, and 50 barrels of menhaden. The boats and nets used were worth $550. In 1880 two men with boats and nets worth $500 caught 17,500 pounds of bluefish, valued at $437.50. MASSACHUSETTS: FALL KIVEK DISTRICT. 275 L.— THE DISTRICT OF FALL RIVEU. 88. GENERAL KEVIEW OF THE DISTRICT. IMPORTANCE OF THE FISHERIES. — The fisheries in this part of Massachusetts are confined to the capture of menhaden, shad, alewives, and a few other species, and shell-fish. In this district, which includes the neighboring town of Swansea, the fisheries of the Taunton and adjacent rivers, and, for convenience, the shad fishery at Holyoke on the Connecticut River, there is invested a capital of $104,930. The value of the product is $G33903, and the number of persons employed is 280. The oyster fisheries of Taunton River and Cole's River are of considerable importance, and for a few days during the height of the season, give employment to 400 men. About 52,000 bushels of oysters, valued at $23,000, are annually sold from the beds in this district. These are mostly seed oysters, which are sold for transplanting, and have not been considered as an actual product of the fisheries. The amount of native eatable oysters produced is 1,000 bushels, worth $1,200. STATISTICAL SUMMATION FOR 1879. — The following statements show in detail the extent of the fishing interests of Fall River district : Summary statement of persons employed and capital invested. Persona employed. Number. Capital invested. Amount. 101 $40 585 149 9 345 15 a 55 000 Number of factory hands 15 Total 280 a Cash capital, $15,000; wharves, sborehouses, and fixtures, $10,000; factory buildings and apparatus, $30,000. Detailed statement of capital invested in vessels, loats, nets, and traps. Vessels ami boats. No. Tonnage. Value. Valne of gear, exclu- sivoofboats and nets. Value of outfit. Total value. Nets and traps. No. Value. Vessels. Nets. lu menhaden fishery 22. 410. 04 $21, 000 $S80 $0,600 $29, 380 Purse-seines: Boats. In vessel fisheries 11 $5,000 Haul-seines : 24 2 340 2 340 In boat fisheries 20 4,000 61 2 885 360 5 C20 8 865 Total 31 85 5 295 Traps. Weirs &o <3 325 Lobster and eel pots 20 20 Total 26 345 Detailed statement of the quantities and values of the products. Products specified. Pounds, fresh. Founds, prepared. Bulk. Value, prepared. Grand total $63 903 Fresh fsh. 135 000 Bass, striped 2,580 258 Eels... 19, 200 960 276 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVJEW OF THE FISHERIES. Detailed statement of tlie quantities and values of tlie products — Continued. Products specified. Pounds, fresh. Pounds, prepared. Bulk. Value, prepared. 3 000 Menhaden 12 800 000 Shad o83 134 Mixed fish 10,000 50 Total 13,052,914 25, 900 Pickled fnh. 550 000 440 000 - Mixed fish 3 000 2 000 Total ... 553 000 442 000 8 850 Smoked fish. Alcwivcs 150, 000 90, 000 2 250 Shell fiih. 1 000 bushels 1 200 3 375 bushels 3 121 Total 4 391 Miscellaneous. Scallops . . 400 Fishoil 50 400 gallons 17 640 1 971 tons 4 450 Total 22 492 a Includes 53, C36 pounds taken in the Connecticut Iliver at llolyoke, Mass. 89. THE GENERAL FISHERIES OF FALL RIVER AND NEIGHBORING TOWNS. FALL RIVER AND VICINITY. — Fall River is oil Mount Hope Bay, aii arm of Narragaiisett Bay, at the mouth of Tauntoii River, 45 miles from Boston. Its population in 1870 was 26,766; iu 1880, 48,961. It is extensively engaged in the manufacture of cotton goods, and its factories contain more spindles than those of any other city in the United States. Railroads furnish communica- tion with Boston, Providence, New Bedford, and other points, while daily lines of steamers run to Newport, Providence, and New York. The harbor is large and easy of access, and is deep enough for the largest vessels. The foreign and coastwise trade of Fall River is important. In 1873 thirty-seven vessels, aggregating 554 tons, were employed in the cod and mackerel fisheries, but in 1879 there were none. In former years whaling vessels were sometimes fitted here, but that fishery was abandoned many years ago. From 1840 to 1847 the whaling fleet numbered seven vessels, and from 1848 to 1860 two or more vessels were annually sent out; the last one in 1861. The only fishery now carried on from here is for the capture of menhaden. In this business there are employed twenty-two vessels, including one steamer, aggregating 410.04 tons, and valued with outfits at $36,720. The catch of these vessels in 1879 was 12,800,000 pounds of menhaden, worth $19,200 in the fresh condition, and was sold to the oil and guano factories in this vicinity. The shad and alewife fisheries of the Tauuton River are carried on by 108 men, who use 29 boats, 15 seines, and 1 weir, worth, with their fixtures, about $7,500. The catch in 1879 was 1,718,000 alewives, equal to about 4,000 barrels, and 6,615 shad weighing 21,498 pounds. The value of these products was $12,090. A portion of the alewives were sold fresh, the rest pickled or smoked. The shad were sold fresh in Boston and other markets. In Cole's River, in the town of Swansea, 4 miles west of Fall River, at the northern end of Mount Hope Bay, there is a small fishing station. The northern and northwestern ends of Mount MASSACHUSETTS: FALL EIVER DISTRICT. 277 Hope Bay are valuable for their scallop and clam beds, which extend from Kickamuit River on the west to Taunton River on the east, a distance of 5 miles. From 1875 to 1880 scallops were very plentiful. In 1880, however, grown scallops were quite scarce, while the beds were well supplied with the young shell-fish, thus giving promise of a good supply in the future. Nineteen men are engaged in the business, giving most of their time to catching shell-fish. When these are scarce, the fishermen visit the beds near Greenwich, on the opposite side of the bay. When these beds are yielding abundantly, other fishermen, from the Greenwich side, join in the business. In this industry small cat-rigged boats are used, each of which is equipped with four to eight dredges. The catch is opened at Swansea and forwarded principally to New York. During the summer Rocky Point and other resorts are supplied by these fishermen with clams of the summer yield, and Fall River and the local trade are furnished with clams from the winter digging. Eels are plenty in Cole's river, and are taken in a conical basket-work trap, 2 feet long. The catch is sent to New York. A few fyke-nets are used in the winter, the catch — flounders — being used at and near home. Clams are worth $1 a bushel in summer, and 70 cents in winter. At the present time as many clams are used in summer as in winter. The fisheries of Cole's River in 1879 gave employment to 19 men. The capital, invested in G small sail-boats, 40 scallop dredges, and 100 dories, amounted to $960. The products were worth $5,332, and consisted of 900 bushels of scallops, 3,375 bushels of clams, 19,200 pounds of eels, and 3,000 pounds of flounders. Besides these products there were about 1,000 bushels of oysters dug in this vicinity, valued at $1,200. 90. THE OYSTER INTERESTS OF TAUNTON RIVER AND VICINITY. The oyster interests of the Fall River district, as reported by Mr. Ingersoll, are as follows : "TAUNTON RIVEE. — There lies in the Taunton River, at Dighton, a large rock, well known to archaeologists, on account of some inscriptions which it bears; these, though untranslated, are supposed to be the work of Norse voyagers who early visited these waters. The foundation for this supposition is very fully and attractively stated in Thoreau's Cape Cod, to which the reader is referred. These earliest comers were pleased to find shell-fish abundant in the region, and the English settlers, three or four centuries later, record their thankfulness on similar grounds. From time immemorial, then, oysters have been natives of this district, and no such mistake as has been made north of Cape Cod could ever be put forward to deny that they are here indigenous. " It was long ago recognized that the Taunton River was a valuable oyster-property, and legal measures were early adopted looking toward its preservation. The present plan of opera- tions came into effect about thirty years ago, and though differing slightly in the various towns bordering the river, consists, in general, of the leasing of the ground for raking and planting pur- poses, during a term of years, at a fixed rental. Most of the towns do this under the general law of the State, but Somerset had a special act in her favor, passed by the legislature in 1847. "The oysters from all parts of Taunton River (the producing extent is about 12 miles long) arc known as 'Somersets.' Formerly they were considered extremely good eating, and grew to a large size. Within the last twenty five years, however, they have assumed a green appearance and lost quality. It is popularly asserted, locally, that this is owing to the influence of the impuri- ties discharged by the copper- works, by the rolling-mills, and by the print-works, which are situated some miles above the oyster beds. But this has been denied, on the ground that not enough of the mineral matter thus thrown into the current could get down there to affect the oysters so seriously, and also on the better ground, that chemical analyses fail to show the presence of any- 278 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OP THE FISHERIES. thing to account for the greenish stain, which is precisely that so highly esteemed a few years ago in the French oysters of Marennes, and other districts. I was assured that this greenness varied in different parts of the river, and with different seasons, and that if any oysters happened to have grown high up on the bridge-piers, or elsewhere off the bottom, they were not green at all. Just how deleterious to health these green Somerset oysters are, I could not learn satisfactorily. No- body pretends that their effects are fatal, and some say they are as good as any other inferior oyster. The general opinion, however, is, that eating a dozen raw ones is certain to be followed by violent sickuess at the stomach. No doubt prejudice has much to do with it, for there is no food which the imagination would more quickly influence the stomach to reject, than the soft, slippery, and somewhat insipid fresh-water oyster. The same green appearance occurs of late in the oysters of Seekonk River, to be spoken of later on ; and in both cases transplanting entirely removes the stain and elevates the quality, which is said to be slowly improving. In consequence of this stain, the eating of Somerset oysters, in their natural state, has been nearly given up, and the whole trade of the river is devoted to the production and sale of £eed. Of course no planting of any sort, beyond the occasional transference of 'set' from one part of the river to another, has ever been undertaken. "The number of young oysters born every fall in Taunton River varies, but there is never a year wholly without them. The season of 1877 was a good one, and about ten years previous, the autumn of 'the great September gale,' saw an extraordinary production, or 'set,' as the appearance of the young oysters is termed here. The rocks and gravel along both shores are covered to a greater or less extent, but in addition to this every owner spreads down great quantities of clean shells every summer, in the hope of catching spawn. Generally, they are successful, and some- times extremely so. Some experiments have been tried with sunken brush; but though the spawn attached itself well enough, the currents and winds are so strong and uncertain as to drift it nil away and lose it to its owner. Perhaps 25,000 or 30,000 bushels of shells are spread in this river annually. The favorites are scallop shells, because they are thin and brittle, so that the young oysters anchored to them are easily broken apart or detached. Scallop shells are somewhat scarce, and 3,000 bushels put down at Assonet in 1878 cost $300. The result, nevertheless, is often very gratifying. Mr. S. R. Higgius told me that from 500 bushels of shells placed near Fall River he took up the following year 3,500 bushels of young oysters. The annual product, in seed, of the different town fronts along the river is given approximately as follows: Bnshels. Bnshcls. Bnshels. n ooo 6 000 13,000 3 000 10, 000 Fall River 8,000 51, OOC "Putting an average value of 45 cents a bushel on this (the sales of the Somerset Oyster Company in 1879 netted them 42 cents), gives the sum of $22,950 as the value of the yearly crop of Taunton River seed. Of this, $5,400 is paid as revenue to the towns, and the balance mainly to native assistants in dredging, tonging, and transportation. The river towns may therefore be said to derive about $20,000 as the annual value of their fisheries to them, besides the oysters needed 'for family use.' This money is widely distributed. While the law permits the raking of the river during nine months of the year, it is nevertheless the fact that the main part of the work must be done in a much shorter time. As soon as the weather permits, or about April 1, the pro- prietors put gangs of men at work, and keep at it until the end of May, The catch is nearly all MASSACHUSETTS: FALL EIVEE DISTEICT. 279 contracted for before it is caught, and every owner is straining to fill his orders at the promised time. The water is from 3 to 20 feet deep, and the tongiug not very difficult. The tongs used do not work by the twisting of the grain of an oaken pivot, but on a brass swivel-pivot, known as the ' Somerset' tongs. All, however, do not approve of the invention, averring that it wears out the tongs. During the months of April and May about sixty persons are employed in Somerset alone, and in other towns in proportion — perhaps four hundred along the whole river — who, as a rule, live along the bank, and often own the boats they operate; if not owned, one is hired from their employer at 25 cents a day. The catching is all done by the bushel. Now from 10 to 15 cents a bushel is given, according to the scarcity of the mollusks, and a smart man might make $2 a day, though the average will not exceed $1.50. Formerly wages were higher, and perhaps the lowering has induced that constant effort on the part of the catchers to cheat the buyers, through false measures, &c., which is so freely charged against them. " The ground is cleaned up pretty thoroughly by the time the 1st of June is reached, and in the fall little raking is done, it being considered poor policy. A well-known lessee on the Freetown shore, however, thinking, at the expiration of his lease a few years ago, that he would be unable to renew it, resolved selfishly to dredge his whole land in the autumn, leaving as barren a ground as possible for his successor — a proceeding quite characteristic of the locality. He did so, but suc- ceeded in renewing his lease, and returned to his raking the ensuing spring rather ruefully, expecting to find little or nothing. To his astonishment, he picked off an area that had usually yielded him 6,000 to 7,000 bushels no less than 12,000 ! Hence he concluded that the thorough scraping had done the bottom good, though where he got the spawn at that late day is a mystery. This small seed, less than a year old and about the size of your thumb-nail, is widely distributed, going to beds on Cape Cod, in Buzzard's Bay, along the southern shore, and in all parts of the Narra- gansett. It is highly esteemed on account of its hardiness. Wonderful stories are told of the cold and heat, drought and exposure, water too salt and water too fresh, which it has survived and prospered under. There is no difficulty about selling to planters all that can be raised, and the present high prices are due to the rivalry which has been brought about between buyers. The vessels which come to carry it away are small sloops and schooners of 30 or 40 tons, which carry from 300 to 1,000 bushels. None, I think, is sent anywhere by rail. Starfishes nowadays are ^w in Tauntou Eiver; but the borers (Urosalpinx cinereus) are growing more and more numerous and troublesome. "SWANSEA. — After leaving Taunton Eiver, pointing westward, the first point at which oysters of any commercial consequence are met with is in Cole's Eiver, which flows into Mount Hope Bay, almost on the boundary between Massachusetts and Ehode Island. It was known long ago that oysters had inhabited this stream, and also Lee's Eiver, near by, and immense dead shells are occa- sionally brought to light, but it had almost been forgotten until a few years ago, when there was suddenly discovered near the mouth of the inlet a large bank of living oysters of fine quality. Everybody at once rushed to rake them up, evading or discarding the special law enacted in 1867 for the protection of the oyster-beds in these very rivers. "The result of this onslaught was, that two or three seasons of it nearly extirpated the colony, and the few to be obtained now are only got by hard effort on the part of a few professional river- men, who peddle them in the neighborhood or take them to Fall Eiver. "The extensive banks and tide flats of this river, however, have long abounded in young oysters, which were buried by the digging for clams, which is extensively carried on here, or frozen by the winter weather, so that few, if any, survived, and none to speak of were gathered. Lately a large gravel bank has been thrown up by the changed currents against the pier of the railway 280 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. bridge, and the number of infant inollusks attached to the pebbles here became so great as to attract the attention of Providence oystcrmen, who have created a demand for this seed. It is therefore gathered and sold now; about 1,000 bushels, it is estimated, having been collected during 1879. This is hardy, of good shape, and produces a round and remarkably fine oyster. Some attempts have been made at Cole's River to plant and rear its own oysters, and the town granted 'areas for this purpose, but they have not been successful thus far. Litigation has resulted in several cases from a clashing of alleged rights, and anchor-frost and starfishes, or drifting sand, have done the rest. I fear it is not a favorable locality for this purpose." Statistics of oyster interests in Fall River district, Number of planters (not counted elsewhere) 10 Extent of producing area ., acres.. 13 Number of men employed (a few days iu spring) 400 Value of shore property and cultch $5,000 Number of boats employed 250 Value of same $5,000 Annual sales of native oysters bushels.. 52,000 Value of same $23,000 P> A- B T IV. THE FISHERIES OF RHODE ISLAND. By A. HOWARD CLARK. NOTES ON OYSTEtt INDUSTRY GATHERED BY ERNEST INGERSOLL ; ON GENERAL FISHERIES, BY W. A. WILCOX AND LUDWIG KUMLIEN. ANALYSIS. A. — GENERAL REVIEW OF RHODE ISLAND AND ITS FISH- ERIES : 91. Description of the State and extent of its fisheries. B.— THE OYSTER INTERESTS OF RHODE ISLAND: 92. Origin and importance of the oyster in- dustry. 93. The planting grounds of Narragansott Bay. 94. Business in Southern, native, and seed oysters. 95. Extent of the oyster business in 1879. C. — GENEKAL FISHERIES OF NEWPORT COUNTY, INCLUD- ING BLOCK ISLAND : 96. Adarasville, Little Compton, Tiverton, and vicinity. 97. The fisheries of Newport. 98. Block Island and its fisheries. D. — GENERAL FISHERIES OF BRISTOL, PROVIDENCE, AND KENT COUNTIES : 99. Fishing towns from B-istol to Warwick Neck. 100. The fisheries of Apponaug and East Green- wich. E. — GENERAL FISHERIES OP WASHINGTON COUNTY: 101. Fisheries from Wickford to Narragansett Pier. 102. Point Judith to Pawcatnck River. 281 THE FISHERIES OF RHODE ISLAND. A.— REVIEW OF miODE ISLAND AND ITS FISHERIES. 91. DESCRIPTION OF THE STATE AND EXTENT OF ITS FISHERIES. GENERAL REVIEW. — The State of Rhode Island is about 50 miles long and 35 miles wide Its continental shore-line is only 45 miles, yet, with its numerous bays, 320 miles of shore are. washed by the tide. It is divided into two unequal parts by Narragansett Bay, which extends inland some 30 miles from the ocean. Throughout the State there are fresh-water ponds, and in the southern part some large ponds of salt-water. The bays embraced within the State limits are Bountifully supplied with fish; some species are fit for food, others only for the manufacture of manure. The ponds contain abundant shell-fish. The State derives its name from the island called Rhode Island in the middle of Narragansett Bay, and upon which are the towns of New- port and Portsmouth and the village of Bristol Ferry. It is claimed by geographers that Rhode Island is the Vinland of the Northmen, and that the famous Dighton Rock, on Taunton River, bearing some strange hieroglyphics is a memorial of the visit of Thorfiu, in the tenth century. The celebrated stone mill at Newport is by some supposed to be another monument left by very early visitors to these shores. Into Narragansett Bay empty the Taunton, Providence, and other rivers. The city of Provi- dence, an important manufacturing and commercial center, is on the Providence River, some 15 miles from the bay. Here is an excellent harbor. No fisheries are now carried on at Providence, though when the whale fishery was at its height this place, in common with Warren, Portsmouth, and Newport, had its whaling fleet. The colonial records of Rhode Island give evidence that the early settlers were engaged in carrying on the fisheries, especially for the capture of shad and shell-fish, and frequently whales were "cast up on the shores, and being cut in pieces were sent far and near as a most palatable present." The Indians were accustomed to use nets made of hemp, and to shoot the bass as they became entangled in the meshes of the net. Sturgeon were taken with harpoons, and were very highly prized for food. In 1731 the authorities passed an act for the encouragement of the cod and whale fisheries, and granted a bounty of 5 shillings a quintal for codfish caught by Rhode Island vessels ; 5 shillings a barrel for whale oil, and 1 penny a pound for whalebone. As a result of this encouragement the fisheries increased in importance, and at the period of the Revolution- ary war were very profitable to the inhabitants. In 1789 one hundred and one vessels, many of them whalers, were owned at Providence. The war of 1812 caused the decline of the whale fishery; after the war it revived and from 1840 to 1850 a number of whaling vessels were owned at several ports in the State, but the business is now entirely abandoned. In 1860 the general fisheries of the State yielded 118,611 barrels of menhaden and other fish for manure and oil, worth $27,817; about $25,000 worth of food fish; and $11,692 worth of clams 283 284 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF TEE FISHERIES. and other shell-fish. Besides these productions of the waters there were gathered from the shore 34,927 cords of sea-drift, valued at $37,604, and 1,540 tons of salt hay, worth $12,320. The Rhode Island State Census for 1865 gives the following figures to show the products of the fisheries for that year: Fish seined for manure and oil, 154,468 barrels, worth $126,035; fish caught for food, 2,462,360 pounds, $121,094; clams, 31,697 bushels, quahaugs, 9,241 bushels, scallops, 9,653 bushels, oysters, 72,895 bushels, and lobsters 42,900 pounds, having a total value of $118,655; sea-drift, 34,146 cords, $38,083; and salt hay, 2,116 tons, $18,545. The aggregate value of the products of the waters and shores of the State was $422,412. STATISTICAL SUMMATION OF RHODE ISLAND FISHEBIES FOR 1880. — The following state- ments show the statistics of the Rhode Island fisheries in 1880. The number of persons employed is 2,310, the capital invested is $596.678, and the value of products is $880,915. The menhaden industry employs 608 men, some of whom are also engaged in the capture of food fish; the capital invested is $304,300, and the value of products is $221,748. In the oyster business 650 persons are employed; the capital invested is $110,000, and the value of the products is $356,925. Summary statement of persons employed and capital invested. Persona employed. Number. Capital invested. Amount. 536 $296 775 1,066 95 053 708 a°04 850 Total 2 310 Total 596 678 a In menhaden factories, $77,000; in other fishery industries, $126,950. Detailed statement of capital invested in vessels, boats, nets, and traps. Vessels and boats. No. Tonnage. Value. Value of gear and out- fit, exclusive of boats and nets. Total value. Nets and traps. No. Value. Vetiels. In food-fish and lobster fish- 31 01 92 314.1(1 2, 188. 68 $20, 800 171, 050 $5, 600 24, 600 $:e, 400 195, 650 Keti. Gill-nets 70 50 52 $3,760 20,000 5,070 Total Total 2, 502. 77 191, 850 30, 200 222, 050 172 28, 830 Boats. Traps. 150 584 11,410 49,835 13,480 11,410 03, 315 166 865 2,857 56,633 7,530 2,060 Fykes Total Lobster and eel pots 734 61, 245 13, 480 74, 725 Total 3,888 60, 223 Detailed statement of the quantities and values of the products. Products specified. Pounds, fresh. Pounds, prepared. Bulk. Value. $880 915 Fresh fish. alO 838 328 184 482 1 355 000 6 775 barrels 2 432 12, 193 328 186, 914 a The proportion of different species in this quantity is estimated as follows: Alowives, 140,000 pounds; sea bass, 197, 000 pounds; striped bass, 292,000 pounds; blackfish or tautog, 468,000 pounds; bluefi»h, 738,000 pounds; cod, 652,000 pounds;, eels, 272,500 pounds; flounders and flatfish, 352,400 pounds ; mackerel, 89,000 pounds ; white and yellow perch, 30,000 pounds ; salmon, 400 pounds ; scup or porgy, 6,691, 178 pounds; sbad, 48,100 pounds; smelts, 95,000 pounds; squeteagne, 326,000 pounds; swordfish, 90,000 pounds; mixed fish, 356,750 pounds. EHODE ISLAND: GENERAL REVIEW OF ITS FISHERIES. Detailed statement of the quantities and values of the products — Coutiuucd. 285 Products specified. Pounds, fresh. Ponnds, prepared. Bulk. Value. Cured fish. 1 931 800 768 720 $°C 270 505 000 404 000 C 060 2 333 000 1 400 000 7 000 Total 4 700 800 2, 572, 720 39, 330 Shell Jifth. 423 250 15,871 Clams - - 539 COO 53, 960 bushels 48,504 124 000 17, 800 gallons 8,900 1 305 COO 1C3, 200 bushels 6356 925 2 393 050 430 2CO Miscellaneous. G8 693 800 270 482 gallons oil • 10 590 tons scrap 221, 748 Cod oil 3, 250 gallons 1,300 400 163 400 barrels 1 200 Total 224,411 b Includes $131,425 eu bane emeu t ou 274,300 bushels of southern oysters. B.— THE OYSTER INTERESTS OF RHODE ISLAND. EXTRACTS FROM REPORT BY ERNEST INGERSOLL. 92. ORIGIN AND IMPORTANCE OF THE OYSTER INDUSTRY. LAWS; STATISTICS FOR 18GO AND 1865.— Wheii the people of "The Colony of Rhode Island and the Providence Plantations" felt themselves sure of future stability, they applied to the king, Charles II, to grant them a charter, which he graciously did in the year 1683. This charter was a wonderful document for those days, because of the well nigh perfect liberty it embraced, and its hospitality to every conscientious belief, whatever the name of the religious banner it rallied under. Among the privileges and liberties it insisted upon was the right of free-fishing in every shape. The relations of the fishermen to the owners of the shores were defined with great minuteness, and were calculated to make all the fish of the sea and all the molluscous denizens of the muddy tide-flats as available as possible to every citizen. Thereafter they were jealously preserved for public benefit. In 1734-'35, for instance, the first session of the assembly at East Greenwich was distinguished by an act for the preservation of oysters, which the thoughtless inhabitants were burning in large quantities for lime; and in October, 17GG an "act for the preservation of oysters" was passed, forbidding them to be taken by drags, or otherwise than by tongs, under a penalty of £10. Parents and masters M'ere held liable for the violation of this law by their children or servants, and the owners of boats engaged in evading it were subject to a double fine. When (and it was not many years ago) the State constitution was adopted, no clause was so scrupulously worded against possible evasion as that which declared that in respect to the rights of fishing and of taking clams, &c., everything should remain precisely as decreed in the old charter. The oyster-law, therefore, is based upon the principle that between high-water mark and the public highway of the ship-channel the laud and water are controlled by the State as public 286 GEOGRAPHICAL KEV1EW OF THE FISHERIES. property, to be administered for the greatest good to the greatest number. Ehode Islanders are extremely tenacious of these shore and water rights, and there has been no little quarreling over some actions of the legislators and decisions of the courts with respect to this subject ; but, upon the whole, there has been little alteration of the original law. The general statute, in substan- tially its present shape, came into force in 1864. Previous to that time the State had let oyster- grounds at $1 rent per acre, and not much business was done. Five out of the thirty-two towns that compose the State are situated on islands. The bays embraced within the State and the extensive salt ponds near the southern coast abound with shell- fish. To ascertain the extent and value of these fisheries the Bhode Island Society for the En- couragement of Domestic Industry made great exertions, but without success, at the time of the general census of 1860. A statement, nevertheless, exists in the report of 1800 that the oysters of Ehode Island were valued at $382,170, out of a total of about $600,000 for all the fisheries, excluding whales. In 1865 this point was made a special feature, and much fuller information was gathered. " These statistics," says the report of the general assembly's committee, " must, from the nature of the case, depend to some extent upon estimates. For example, the clams on the shores are free to all the inhabitants of the State who choose to dig them. Persons come to the shores from all quarters, and often from distances of several miles, and dig as many clams as they choose to eat or carry home. Nothing is exactly known of the quantities thus removed. The only estimates which could be made were from the opinions of the owners of shore farms." The following is the table of the product of the shell fish industry as presented by the committee in 1865 : Towns. Clams. Qualiangs. Scallops. Oystera. Total value of allshell-iisli. Barriugton JluihelH. 962 Xuehtls. 457 Bushels. Bushels. $2 313 Briatol 200 200 ] 215 10 1 225 1 415 339 6 635 13 6 313 Warwick 9 I0? 2 953 1 697 242 13 949 162 6 98 Little Compton 119 232 2 200 New Shoreham 4 200 1,680 7 715 145 500 4 331 576 55 468 200 200 East Providence 3 405 830 12 100 19 662 404 2 966 3 50 450 51 122 200 1 812 1 515 North Kingston 5,740 1 480 870 6,791 257 18 3 070 :i 345 Westerly 7 11 Total 31 697 9 241 9 653 71 894 118 605 Although the amounts in the above table ought to have been doubled to represent the truth in each case, on the average, yet they show that when the new law, putting a rent of $10 an acre and organizing the oyster interest under careful control by the State, went iuto operation, the whole value of the industry was very small, compared with the present. Since the passage of this statute the oyster interest has steadily grown in importance. Nevertheless, there has always been more or less grumbling on the part of the owners of leases* who pleaded that they are paying an exorbitant rent. The general financial depression of 1873-'76 RHODE ISLAND: THE OYSTER INTERESTS. 287 heightened this discontent, and iu tbe winter of 1878-'79 it caino to tbe surface in a contest before tbe legislature, which brougbt up several mooted points. Tbe great bone of contention was tbe construction put by tbe commissioners upon wbo were suitable persons to receive leases. It was notorious tbat many Boston dealers planted oysters and operated business generally in Narragan- sctt Bay, upon ground leased in tbe name of some " inbabitant of tbe State," who might or might not act as their agent at tbe scene of operations. This practice was deemed by many native fish- ermen an infringement of law and an injury to them. They, therefore, endeavored to procure the passage of a bill through the legislature making it a misdemeanor for any lessee of oyster-beds to be interested with any person not a resident in the State, with a penalty of $100 and a cancellation of the lease for such " interested" connection. The result of tbe fight was that the bill failed to become a law. 93. THE PLANTING GROUNDS OF NARRAGANSETT BAY. EAST SIDE OF THE BAY. — Tradition says that oysters used to grow in Mount Hope Bay proper, below the mouth of the Tauntou River; though but little trustworthy testimony could be obtained on this point. Beyond tbat, on the eastern side, no oyster-beds could be found, ancient or modern, until Newport was reached, where now none are growing or planted (the city deriving all its supplies from Providence), but where, in some of the larger salt-water ponds, they formerly existed iu considerable quantities. They were described as a large, round, scalloped oyster, quite different from those anciently found in the pond on Block Island, which were said to be long, slender, and very good. It is probable that a careful survey of ponds and inlets along the eastern bank of the Sakounet River and around Sakonnet Point would disclose the remains of many extinct beds, and perhaps some living colonies of oysters. Tbe same may be said of Newport Neck and Conanicut Island. Tbe Kickamuit River is an inlet of Narragansett Bay, at the extreme eastern boundary of the State, which has an entrance only a stone's throw in width, but expands interiorly into a bay about 3 miles long and 1 wide, the narrow upper portion of whicb is called Palmer's River. Tbe water is shallow, of course, and the bottom of a very varied character. Forty-one acres have been leased, distributed among eight planters. Native oysters grew there of good size and quality, and some are got yet, but tbe chief value of the ground is for planting ; and as yet the experiment is too slight to afford much judgment. There seems good reason to expect success, since it used to be a famous place for " set." The bottom is also said to be full of fresh springs, which is highly to its advantage. Westward of the Kickamuit River are Warren, Barrington, and Palmer Rivers, joining in an inlet of Providence River. In these three streams is leased a total of 173 acres, distributed among thirteen proprietors, some duplicating Kickamuit, Drownville, Providence, and Boston names. The shell-heaps strewn upon tbe knolls along all four of these rivers show that the succulent bivalves have lived in their waters since time immemorial. Occasionally the natural oysters are still to be found; and that twenty years ago many remained is shown by the fact that in 1860 an extraordinarily large number of infant oysters. " set" on the shores. These native oysters were very large and long and slender. Their shells were not usually very heavy, and they were held in high esteem. At present there are none to be had of marketable size, and there are not enough young ones to be found in these rivers to amount to anything. Nevertheless the Warren and the Barringtou are among the best places in Rhode Island, apparently, for oyster culture. The water is wonderfully pure, sparkling, and salt, and flows in and out with a swift tide. The bottom is very hard, as a rule, and in places rocky. This fact makes the oysters there come to have a round 288 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. outline, and a firmer, better substance within, though they do not grow so fast as they would lying upon mud. A score of years ago planting was begun above the road and railway bridges, in Barrington Eiver, and among the first leases taken out was one for the acre or two of " quick-water" between the bridges; but it is only within two or three years that operations have been extended below this part into the main river, where the water is salt, and ranges in depth from 9 to 18 feet, over a hard bottom. The Virginia oysters bedded here do very well indeed. They are handled mainly by one planter. His plan is to lay 75 bushels on an area 50 feet square, distributing them by shoveling overboard from the large crafts known as "planting boats." Ten men, the usual number engaged on a single cargo, will thus unload and put upon the beds from 2,000 to 2,500 bushels a day. The Virginia oysters cost, put down, about 35 cents a bushel. On good ground the growth is gratifying, although about one-fourth of the original number put down are expected to perish. The large amount of cultch spread upon this gentleman's territory had thus far yielded him no return of consequence, since he had planted with it only a few natives. On the contrary, another prominent lessee in Warren Eiver gave his whole attention to rearing native oysters, and paid no attention atrall to "Chesapeakes." He procures his seed, like all the rest of the dealers, from Somerset, Wareham, Pocasset, &c., but mainly from the Connecticut shore. Formerly he got it much cheaper, but now it costs him from 50 to 70 cents a bushel. The several hundred bushels he put down three years ago lived well, and he now considers them trebled in value. He has adopted the plan of not planting until June. "When the weather gets warm," he says, "the slime rises from the sand and rocks on the bottom of the river and floats away. There remains a clean bottom, and I wait to take advantage of this most favorable condition of things for my young oysters, that will have a hard enough time, under any circumstances, to live through it." Being fortunate enough to have a tract where the swift tide never permits serious freezing, he is able to wait until all his compet- itors are frozen up, when he can sell his easily accessible stock at a large advance upon the ordinary price, which averages about a dollar a bushel. Eumstick Point juts out from the southern end of Eumstick Neck, a peninsula dividing the Warren Eiver from the waters of Providence Eiver. It is the site of a dangerous shoal, and the bottom is hard and in places rocky. There is only one owner of ground there, who leases 12 acres, but it is probable that a hundred acres more will be let there during 1880. PROVIDENCE AND THE WEST SIDE OF THE BAY. — Proceeding now up the eastern shore of Providence Eiver, at Nayat Point (which stands opposite Canimicut, and marks the real mouth of the river on this side), 46 acres are now planted by a Providence firm. The beds are north of the point, on the sandy bottom around Allen's Ledge. The next point above this is Drowuville, where the oyster-bottom is owned by three men, who divide 25 acres. Many other dealers, however, make Drowuville their opening and shipping point, among them several Boston firms having large opening-houses and shipping extensively. So many citizens, not less than one hundred and twenty-five, are given employment, therefore, in the winter, that the remark of one was justified: "Drownville would evaporate if it were not for the oysters." The starfishes and periwinkles have been troubling the Drownville planters of late more than elsewhere. Beaching back into the country north of Drownville, and protected from the outer bay by Bul- lock's Point, is Bullock's Cove, a shallow estuary, by many regarded as the very best place to plant oysters in the whole State. It is certain that, uniformly, the best oysters now put into the market come from this immediate neighborhood. The only reason assigned is, that the bottom has many RHODE ISLAND: THE OYSTER INTERESTS. 289 springs in it, supplying constant fresh water. In Bullock's Cove 13 acres arc taken up by two men; but the ground at Bullock's Point (239 acres) is held by twelve lessees. At Sabiue's Point, just above, there is only one owner, whose tract of G4 acres lies in a crescent between the light-house and the point. Just north, a single acre is let at Pomham Rocks; and beyond, at Fuller's Rocks, 9 acres arc divided among four persons. This brings us to Field's Point, on the western side, the northern limit of oyster-culture, and a scene of considerable operations, 23 acres being under lease to nine persons. South of Field's Point the river widens suddenly, but 'he channel hugs the opposite (eastern) shore, leaving extensive shallows all along the western shore. Southward from Field's Point to Starvegoat Island (familiarly condensed into Stargut Island) runs a reef which is pretty nearly dry everywhere at lowest tide. This reef was among the earliest tracts taken up by the veteran oysterman, Robert Pettis. When, about 1SG1, the starfishes were depop- ulating the beds all over the bay, he alone was so situated that he could get at them at low tide and destroy them, and his good luck was the occasion of great profit to him. At Starvegoat Island the beds now operated are 27 acres in extent. There were formerly natural oysters growing abundantly all over Ihis part of the river; but the main deposit was just south of Starvegoat Island, in the center of the tract of 160 acres, now known to oystermen as Great Bed. This in old times was the great scene of oyster-raking, and "it is more than thirty years since these beds were wholly exhausted. Once in a while then they used to get a few enormous specimens from there, and peddle them about town at 10, 15, and 20 cents each; but even these disappeared long ago. The owners on this bed are no less than twenty-one in number, and at Patnxent 03 acres more are taken up by five men. At Gaspe Point, 10 acres, and at'Cauimicut Point, 00 acres, both being in a little salter and deeper water than any of the rest, complete the list of plantations, except 1 acre in Wickford Harbor and another at Westerly. In former years beds grew naturally clear up to the city of Providence, and oysters were even found in the "Cove," that pretty circle of water near the railway station, the banks of which have been converted into a park. Now, however, any leasing of ground north of Field's and Kettle Points is impracticable and prohibited, because of the large amount of impurities thrown into the water by the city's drainage. The few beds up there — Long Bed, West Bed, Diamond Bed, &c. — have, therefore, now been abandoned, and are not counted, though a few leases have not quite yet expired. At its January session, in 1878, the Rhode Island General Assembly passed a resolution enjoin- ing the commissioners to visit the Great Salt Pond (also known as Powaget Pond), in Charlestown. It lies on the southern border of the State, and communicates with the open ocean by a narrow inlet, which frequently becomes closed by the shifting of the sand in the autumnal storms. In this pond the spawn of the oyster sets abundantly each year, and grows rapidly until the closing of the breach connecting the pond with the ocean cuts off the daily supply of salt water, which causes the oysters to die in immense quantities. If a permanent connection of this pond with the ocean could be secured, the natural oysters, which are of excellent quality, could be grown with great success, and large quantities of seed-oysters could be obtained for stocking the oyster-beds of Nar. ragansett Bay. Such was the report of the examining committee, and such is the opinion of the people gen- erally. Accordingly, the legislature appropriated $1,500 to defray the expense of constructing a sort of riprap wall, in such a way that the currents aud waves should help to keep the breach open, instead of closing it, aud so maintain a constant influx aud efflux of sea- water. This work is not 19 G R F '290 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. yet completed and tested. If it sbould succeed, a large i>ew territory will be added to the oyster- grounds of tbe State. PAWCATUCK RIVER. — The Pawcatuck River divides the State of Connecticut from Rhode Island, and is subject to tides as far up as Westerly, at least. From a mile below Westerly to its mouth it is inhabited by oysters, though of poor quality, and hence of small commercial impor- tance. These are of two sorts: one kind, the "rock oyster," attaches itself to the rocks along the shores and in the bottom of the stream, and grows singly to a good size; the other, called the "bed oyster," grows in dense clusters, in crowded beds, and is of very small size; it is rarely brought to market, and is considered by the fishermen worthless to transplant on account of the clustered condition. Sufficient painstaking in the matter would, of course, overcome this objec- tion. For some years the oysters of all kinds in this river have been affected by a disease which interferes with their sale, because, whether for good reason or not, they arc supposed to' be unwholesome. The disease was described to me as producing little "boils" on the body, inside the mantle, as near as I could understand. It appeared first as a greenish spot, then became yellow, and finally turned into a black, rotten pustule. Various causes are assigned, but none are satisfactory. Dry seasons, like the present, seem to augment the disease, which is perhaps a fungoid growth that finally " eats out a hole," as the fishermen say, and it is not essentially different from the " greenness " of Somerset and Seekonk oysters. A large set occurs regularly in this river, but in some years to a greater extent than in others. Three years ago was said to be an exceedingly productive year. Young oysters were found upon everything all through the river, and upon some rocky points down toward the mouth they were said to have been seen lying on the shore "in windrows a foot deep." This is an exaggeration, no doubt, but gives evidence that there was a vast quantity. This was immediately following a dredging-out of the channel. Nothing of any account was done toward saving them to stock beds anywhere. Pawcatuck River is not considered suitable for oyster-bedding to any extent, unless the ground should first be prepared by paving the mud and killing out the eel-grass. There are many impurities in the water, also, arising from drainage and the waste of many mills, print-works, and other manufactories. In Ward's Pond, on the contrary, a sheet of water affected by the tides, which lies four miles east of Westerly, is found a most excellent place for oysters, wild and culti- vated, but the people who inhabit the shores do little themselves and object to attempts on the part of outsiders. This pond contains between one and two hundred acres, and is nearly every where gravelly or sandy on the bottom, with considerable fresh water flowing in. I was told that nowhere in this whole region did oysters grow so fast, and acquire so fine a relish as here, but not having inspected the pond myself I cannot corroborate these glowing reports by personal obser- vations. The total area of pre-empted oyster-grounds in Rhode Island in 1879 was 962 acres, and it is probable that as much more ground might be found suited to oyster- plan ting. 94. BUSINESS IN SOUTHERN, NATIVE, AND SEED OYSTERS. SOUTHERN OYSTERS. — Thus far the bedding and fattening of Virginia oysters, mainly to be sold opened, has been the most profitable branch of the business. Of these oysters about 500,000 bushels are laid down annually, at present. The vessels employed in bringing them are mainly owned on Cape Cod. None, so far as I could learn, hail from Rhode Island ports. Tbe freight is about 15 cents a bushel in the fall and winter, falling to 12 and 10 cents in the spring, when quicker voyages for planting purposes can be made. What part of the Chesapeake Bay furnishes the best EHODE ISLAND: THE OYSTER INTERESTS. 291 oyster for these waters is a question that Las received iiuicli attention. One gentleman told me that he had lost the whole of two years' labor by trying to put down cargoes from the Rappahan- nock. Another planter, equally experienced, said these succeeded well enough if brought here and planted before the weather became at all warm. Oysters from the Saint Mary and Potomac Rivers are troublesome because mixed with many obnoxious mussels, and, besides, they do not grow well, as a rule. Those from Tangier Sound are pretty good, and are largely bought. The general verdict, however, is that the best Virginia oyster for this bay is to be had in the James River. These show the largest growth at the end of the season, developing a hard, flinty shell and white meats ; on the contrary, I was told that at New Haven, Conn., the James River oysters cannot be used at all. But many cargoes are planted here, the exact southern home of which is never known. The laying down of southern oysters must all be done early in the spring. If they would only survive the voyage as late as June, Mr. Bourne thought that mouth would be the best time to plant them. "When I suggested the use of steamers to expedite the transfer, he said it would not help matters, for the jarring of the cargo, caused by the throb of the engine, would kill the mollusks. He did not even allow any wood to be split on his oyster vessels for fear of this species of damage. Uf the half a million bushels bedded in Rhode Island yearly, about half are owned in Boston. During the winter of 1878-'79, the Norfolk-opened oysters were brought to Providence in large quantities, but the experiment was generally considered unsatisfactory, and but few now come. NATIVE AND SEED OYSTEKS. — The fattening of Virginia oysters is only half the business, though perhaps the most profitable part, in Rhode Island. A vast number of "native" oysters are raised in Narragansett Bay. though but a portion of them are born there. There are only a few places in the bay where a "set," as it is called, occurs with any regularity or of any consequence. In the Warren and Barrington Rivers it has not happened for twenty years, and the same is true of the whole eastern shore, except Cole's, Kickarnuit, and Seekouk Rivers. Providence River itself never produces young oysters now, nor does any part of the western shore, except Greenwich Bay and the ponds in the extreme southern part of the State, deriving their salt water directly from the Atlantic. The cause of this dearth of spawn and seed, where once every shore was populous with, it, can only be ascribed, I think, to the antecedent disappearance, through persistent raking, of all the old native oysters. In Cole's River a heavy "set" occurred three years ago, and from 500 to 1,000 bushels are obtained every year. In the Kickamuit the shores arc dotted with infant ostrea? annually, and supply the planted beds there, while old oysters of very good quality are not infre- quent. In dredging back and forth throughout the whole extent of Greenwich Bay, the scallop- fishers frequently take up large oysters, evidently "to the manor born," and they are now and then seen on the shore rocks. About 1872 there was a very large "set" here and in Potowomut River, just below. Boats came down from Providence and elsewhere and were filled again and again. But all of the crop left was swept away by starfishes, which were then very abundant, or was buried beneath drifting sand and wrack, and so no establishment of a natural bed there was possible. If these young oysters were not all picked out of Greenwich Bay in the fall, they would live through the winter, even where the ice rested fully upon them at low tide, and would soon repopnlate the bay. But now their annual value to any one is insignificant and constantly decreasing. There remains one river, nevertheless, where, under protection, the oysters arc able to repro- duce regularly every year. This is the Seekouk, which flows down past Pawtucket and Providence, 292 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. with East Providence on its left, and numerous bridges and small shipping to worry its swift tides. The Seekonk has always been a favorite home of the oyster, and year by year the river contributes its quota to the tongers, through a space from the Wicksbury pier to nearly 5 miles above. This is due largely to the fact that the oysters of the Seekouk, like those of the Taunton River, are vividly green. No better reason can be assigned than in the former case, and, like the others, this seed, when transplanted for a few months, entirely loses its verdant tint. Seekonk oysters, there- fore, never go to market, but are all caught for the seed. This catching begins November 1, according to law, and must close on May 1. These dates arc arranged with the purpose to pre- vent successful planting, and so protect the fishery; but the planters buy as long as the weather remains "open" and warm. Very little raking is done in this river in the spring. The men are rivermeu, who work at this a few weeks in November and December, and the rest of the year do other water- work. The law forbids taking more than 10 bushels in one day to each boat, but if the seed is plentiful this law is very often violated, since there is no officer to watch. Perhaps it is a direct good effect of these regulations that 1878 and 1879 have witnessed the largest yield of Seekouk seed known in a dozen years. The main buyers are Wilcox, Browne, Wall, and Adams, of India Point; but everybody buys a few bushels who can. The catchers have to take what pay is offered them, but competition sometimes produces a good rare, the usual price being 25 cents a bushel. This being public ground, and everybody having a chance at it (many of the heavy owners send spare boats and crews up this river to rake at odd times), it is impossible to come at any close estimate of the amount of seed oysters taken from the Seekouk during the last year. The truth I believe to be somewhere between five and ten thousand bushels. It is a shapely, hardy seed, open- ing well, and is in general demand, some planters putting it at the head of the list for its good qualities. One year on its new bed suffices to remove totally the green tinge, and two years to make it marketable. The remainder of the seed-oysters planted iu Narragansett Bay come from the Connecticut shore, East River, Fire Island, and the Great South Bay, Somerset (planted chiefly by those owning privileges in Tauntou River), and from various parts of Buzzard's Bay. I often asked which was best, but could never get evidence of much superiority in any one kind. The success of a planting does not depend on the kind of seed put down so much as it does upon a thousand circumstances of weather, water, and bottom. The seed which would do excellently iu one cove would behave badly in the next, and vice versa, individual preferences being founded npou these varying and unexplained experiences. The seed from the south shore of Long Island used to be cheapest of all, and good; but a Boston demand ran up the price beyond the pockets of Rhode Island planters. In general, it may be said that any seed transplanted to Narragansett Bay develops into a better oyster than it would have come to be if left in its native waters. * * * On Block Island, many years ago, there was an abundance of small oysters living iu the pond that occupies so much of the interior of the island. For some reason, however, they were rarely found in a fit condition for food, but would serve to transplant. The oystennen at Clinton, Connecticut, and elsewhere, used to buy them, the price being 25 cents a bushel, delivered at their destination. The shells of these Block Island oysters were so delicate, one planter told me, that it was easy to pinch your thumb and finger through them, and often there would be so much air and fresh water held within their half- vacant shells that they would float when thrown overboard in planting, and drift away. All these oysters long ago disappeared, and no cultivation has been tried to replace them. RHODE ISLAND: THE OYSTER INTERESTS. 293 95. EXTENT OF THE OYSTER BUSINESS IN 1879. CAPITAL INVESTED. — The amount of capital invested in this State it is almost impossible to come at. It probably approaches $1,000,000, including perhaps 8300,000 or $350,000 worth of seed oysters growing on the beds. One-third or more of this property is owned in Boston, and the necessary money for carrying on operations comes thence, but is represented by men who also do more or less private planting on their own account. Of course this is chiefly in the hands of a dozen or more planters on the list ; the forty or fifty others will not average a greater sum than $1,000 each invested in this business, which is chiefly conducted personally, close to their bay-side homes, and without hired help, by selling to home shippers. The expensive warehouses required by some of the wholesale dealers and shippers in the city of Providence count largely in the esti- mate of capital involved; and the boats used are of a good class. YIELD AND VALUE OF THE OYSTER BEDS. — The yield of the beds and its value, appears in the following table : Busbels. 1879. Native oysters produced on beds owned in Rhode Island 1.08, 200 Southern oysters, ditto 274,300 Native oysters produced 011 beds owned out of the State 40, 000 Southern oysters, ditto 238,000 Total Xarragausett production 660,500 The total value of this, and some additional annual business, will amount to at least $600,000, at the original wholesale price paid the producer. PRICES AND WAGES. — The prices at which oysters were sold by wholesale dealers in the city of Providence, during 1879, were the following: Virginias, in shell, selected, $1 to $1.25 per bushel ; Virginia plants, common, 90 cents per gallon ; Virginia plants, selected, $1.25 per gallon : natives, in shell, $1.25 to $1.50 per bushel; at retail, 25 to 35 cents a quart, of all kinds. Some "fancy'- lots, of course, brought higher rates than these prevailing market prices. In "Arnold's" and other restaurants the most palatable oysters possible are laid upon the counter to tempt the appetite. Those from Gaspe Point, purely native grown, are recognized as the very best of all, and sell for 5 cents a piece. They are delicious. So great an industry, of course, gives support to a numerous body of citizens in this district, at least during part of the year. In the summer so little is done that comparatively few are employed, this number, including only the proprietors of beds, the dealers and assistants who are obliged to keep their shops open, and the few men required for catching oysters for the feeble market, for spreading shells and planting seed, and for watching the safety of the beds. Reckoning the proprietors as perhaps 100 in all, the addition of the rest employed the year round would bring the total up to about 250; but this varies considerably from year to year. They are paid by the week, as a rule, wages running from $7 to $14, and averaging about $10. For the colder half of the year, "the season," as it is called, large additional help is needed, both on the water and in the opening houses that are placed close to the shore at various points, or on the wharves in the southern part of Providence city. Taking all the oj'ster houses together at the head of Narragansett Bay, I find about 350 openers employed. Add this to the 250 counted up as otherwise employed, and I have GOO men as the total. A very large proportion of these men are married; and I believe it would not be unfair, all things considered, to multiply this GOO by 4, which would give us 2,400 persons of all sexes and ages supported chiefly by the oyster industry in the Rhode Island district. I believe this is short of the truth. The sum of the wages pml is somewhere about $125,000 annually. 294 GEOGRAPHICAL KEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. Statistics of flic oyster interests of the Stale for 1879. Number of planters 100 Nu i her of lessees in 1879 56 Extent of ground cultivated .... acres.. 962 Valno of same (about) §15,000 Value of shore property (about) $75,000 Number of boats engaged 100 Value of same with outfit §20,000 Number of men hired by planters and dealers through, the whole year 150 Annual earnings of same §75,000 Number of men hired half the year 350 Semi-annnal earnings of same §50,000 Number of families supported, exclusive of retail trade (about) 500 Annual sales (1879) of — I. Native oysters bushels.. 148,200 Value of same $205,500 II. Chesapeake "plants" bushels.. 274,300 Value of same §200,000 III. Fancy stock bushels.. 15,000 Value of same §20,000 IV. Baltimore and Norfolk "open stock" gallons.. 8,650 Value of same §5, COO Value of oysters raised in Rhode Island, but owned elsewhere §250, 000 Total first value of all oysters produced in Narragansett Bay, annually §680,500 C.— GENERAL FISHERIES OF NEWPORT COUNTY, INCLUDING BLOCK ISLAND. 96. ADAMSVILLE, LITTLE COMPTON, TIVERTON, AND VICINITY. ADAMSVILLE. — After leaving Massachusetts, if traveling in a southern direction, the next State bordering on the ocean or its bays, is Rhode Island; and, upon crossing the line between the two States the first fishing place is Adamsville, iu Newport County. The fish caught here are chiefly tautog and eels, both of which are found plentifully throughout all seasons of the year, save winter. A small amount of fishing is done by five men a part of the season, farming being their chief employment. The catch by these men iu 1880 was 5,000 pounds of tautog and 2,000 pounds of eels, valued at $350. LITTLE COMPTON. — Sakonuet Point is the spot to which numerous fishermen of Little Compton and the neighboring places come for the purpose of fishing. This point juts out into Sakonnet River, which is an arm of Narragansett Bay. Into this bay flow the Providence, Tauu- ton, and several other rivers and streams. A great variety of fish, including shad, mackerel, Wuefish, rock bass, striped bass, tautog, squeteague, Spanish mackerel, alewives, kingfish, butter- fish, flounders, flatfish, cod, hake, pollock, sturgeon, and scup are taken iu the bay and adjacent waters. The last-mentioned species is usually caught in the greatest quantity. The Spanish mackerel, cod, hake, and pollock are rare visitors. Sturgeon arc plentiful, but, like the pollock, are not considered a food fish, being classed with the dogfish, goosefish, shark, skate, and men- haden, which are sold at 25 cents a barrel for fertilizing purposes. The fishing grounds extend RHODE ISLAND: NEWPORT COUNTY, INCLUDING BLOCK ISLAND. 295 from Church's Poiut to West Island, a distance of 3i miles. Shore fishing is carried on south of Church's Point. For pound-net fishing the shore is divided into twenty-one sets or sections of Co fathoms. Some of the sets are much better than others. No one can draw for a set unless he has all the gear required for fishing. If one man has nearly all the apparatus he cauuot draw, but a second party can go in with him under a firm name. This is to give a poor man a chance. Thus a rich fitter will furnish what is lacking and the poor man will do the fishing. No one can set nearer than C5 fathoms to another. When three draws occur in succession in one bay the one having the middle set is allowed to run his leader out till he gets abreast of the other two, but no further. The fishermen are all Americans. Two-thirds of them leave home by the loth of June and ship on the menhaden steamers and follow that fishery the season through. Most of them are said to be more intelligent than fishermen generally, and many of them are laud owners and quite well to do. Fishing is generally done on shares, rarely any other way. One-third of the gross amount goes to the fitter and the balance, after deducting board, is distributed among the men. Before the law required a close time many of the men used to go home on Saturday night and stay over Sunday, but if there were any runs of fish during this time those who staid were the only ones who shared ;. those who were away got nothing of the Sunday's catch. In one instance all were away from one gang but three men, and they got $100 each for the day's catch. Traps have been fished here for 30 years or more. On the same place where there are now seven traps there have been as high as eighteen. In the latter part of March notices are posted up in the town of Tiverton that on a certain day and place the subject of the Sakonnet fisheries will be discussed and the draws for the sets made. If there were more than twenty-one applications the distance would be divided into shorter sets, but there has. never yet been over eighteen applications. It is said that in 1879 the run of scup was very great, and came in larger bodies than ever before known. The theory is that the spring of 1879 was cold and backward, and that for this reason the fish did not appear until 3 weeks later than usual. The first scup come in schools at different times, some days apart, and when they strike the cold water they seem to stop. Other schools follow, and they keep coming till bye and bye the •water gets warm and the whole body "strike on" the shore at once. This accounts for the enormous runs of 1879. One trap took as high as 3,000 barrels. Traps were so full that they could not be raised, 1,200 to 1,500 barrels being taken at a time. One year with another, the scup are not as abundant as formerly, though in 1879 they were more numerous than at any other time during the last fifteen years. Fish seem spasmodic in their movements. The year 1880 compares only with an average year, while 1879 was an unusual one. Many of the fishermen think the great runs of fish sometimes get by before the traps are set. In 1879 seven traps were set south of Church's Point, and some heart-seines around Foglaud Poiut. The fishing is carried on chiefly by traps that are set for several miles along the river, com- mencing just north of the point. The net and leader are floated by means of corks strung together. The following are the dimensions of the traps used here: Leader, 100 to 200 fathoms long, of 5-inch mesh; the trap itself is of box shape, 10 fathoms wide, 15 fathoms long, from 4 to 7 fathoms deep, and of 2i-iuch mesh. They cost, when new, from $1,000 to $1,200 each. They are put down between April 25 and May 10, and taken up about June 15, during which interval the scup are running along the eastern shore. In lifting a net of this kind three boats, called working boats, poiuted at each end and capable of holding forty barrels offish, enter the month of the net; each 2915 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF TEE FISHERIES. of the buoy-Hues is raised by the occupants of one boat, the fish retreating to tbe farther end of the net. The pockets attached at the sides and end are movable, and when filled with fish can be detached and brought singly into harbor. The use of these pockets will readily be understood when it is learned that from a single one 3,000 barrels of fish were lauded. The end pocket is mostly used, those at the sides only coming iuto play after the end one lias been filled. In 1879 many of the nets had the three, pockets full at once. These traps are set so as to catch the fish when they are traveling eastward, the reverse being the case on the east shore of Ehode Island. In heavy blows fish "hang" to windward; the nets ou a lee shore then fail to draw. The Sakonnet traps catch only the spring fish that coine in to spawn. A single fishing gang cousists of six meu and a cook. Sometimes the gangs double and even treble up, using but one cook. When trap fishing is over most of the men go on the menhaden steamers. In 1879, 7,000 barrels of scup were taken in these traps. The assertion is made that a single trap in one season has taken 6,000 barrels. The catch is sold at from 50 cents to $5 a barrel according to their abundance. About three- sixths of the fish go to New York, two-sixths to Phil- adelphia, and about one-sixth is taken by local trade. In 1879 the seven traps numbered alpha- betically stocked as follows: A, $2,000; B, $1,500; C, $1,200; D, $1,200; E, $1,000; F, $800; G, $500; total, $8,200. During the season one salmon only and several porpoises were caught. Lobsters are taken from 5 to 10 miles off shore; four men follow this fishery, setting sixty pots. Their catch in 1880 was 12,000 lobsters. The capital invested here in traps, boats, and buildings is about $12,000, and the value of the products in 1880 was $9,040, including 12,000 barrels of scup worth $8,200. SACHUEST NECK. — The fishing at Saclui.es t Neck, opposite Little Comptou, has been carried ou for many years. Capt. Ben. Tollman has fished here for 70 years. He employs six men engaged in fishing with a trap that cost, when new, $1,000. The catch of this trap in 18SO sold for about $350 in the New York market. As an instance of the voracity of squeteague Captain Tollman says he has frequently taken from 40 to 50 and occasionally 100 young menhaden out of the stomach of one fish, and he says that bluefish are equally destructive. In 1879 the number of squeteague, bluefish, and small menhaden was extremely large. The assertion is also made that fish of all kinds are as abundant as ever, but that one kind will absent itself for a year, whose loss is usually compensated by an immense supply of another species. This alternation, often irregular, conveys the impression that fish are diminishing in numbers. The average price obtained here for scup was 50 cents a barrel. THE TOWN OF TIYEKTON. — The menhaden fishery is the principal one carried on from Tiver- ton. This fishery employs twelve steamers, owned here, and five schooners, with their large boats, to carry their catch to the factories. In the line fishery for tautog there is einyloyed an old fash- ioned well-smack of 13.98 tons, with a crew of three men. This vessel in 1880 caught 16,000 pounds of tautog, valued at $800. From 2 to 7 miles below the Tivertou stone bridge, ou the east- ern shore of Sakounet River, there are nine heart-pounds fished from the last of April until the last of June. The catch consists of scup, squeteaugue, tautog, alewives, and butterfish. Nonguit Pond, just in the rear of the pounds, is fished from the last of April until June 1 for alewives, four seines being used in the pond by sixteen men. The alewife catch of 1,200 barrels or 480,000 fish is sold mostly through the interior by peddlers. The fish are smoked, or having been well struck with a salt pickle they are strung on sticks and hung up for a few days until dry. Quite an amount are also sold to the hand-line fishermen for bait. Twelve men are engaged in working the flats and beaches in this vicinity for clams and qua- haugs, and in 1SSO dug 960 bushels that were peddled in the surrounding country for $720. RHODE ISLAND: NEWPORT COUNTY, INCLUDING BLOCK ISLAND. 297 Fyke-nets arc fished to a limited extent clnriug the fall and winter. The catch is almost entirely flounders, of little value or amount. On both sides of the river from Tivertou to the point there are forty-three fyke-nets set more or less of the time during the fall. The catch by the heart-pounds is much less than from those used on the south and west side of Newport Island. Pounds and fyke-nets are made from the old, condemned purse-seines of the menhaden fleet. The catch by pounds is marketed at Newport, New York, Providence, and Boston. The capital invested in the fisheries of Tiverton, exclusive of the menhaden interests, is $3,458. The catch of fish by the pounds, nets, and seines in 1380 is valued at $7,274, and includes 814,000 pounds of the various kinds, the catch of alewives being 240,000 pounds. The menhaden fleet took 800 barrels of mackerel in addition to their other catch. Mr. D. T. Church, of Tivertou, in a letter dated September 15, 1879, says: "Most of the fishermen from here go to Sakonnet in the spring and trap there for about a mouth, then they dry their traps and put them away for the year, and don't take them cut until the next spring. The balance are purse fishermen that take menhaden, and that is a large business. I am wrong in saying the balance, for there are some old patriarchs that take fish with a hook and line, but they are a poor class in worldly goods, and they cannot compete with the pounds or weirs ; in fact, Look-aud-line fishing in this vicinity always was a poor business, and the record proves that all families that depended on making a living by taking fish in this vicinity in this way weie always poor, and that was the fact before the weir or pound-nets were set. My father was a hook- and-line fisherman, and he educated his seven sous in that calling, and by industry he made more than a living, but we all left it when we left him and went to taking fish with nets, and I think hook ami-line fishing stands to net fishing as walking stands to railroad traveling. The trouble with hook-and-line fishing is this, that early in the spring the fish don't bite; during the hot weather the small sharks that infest this coast drive them into the eel grass for protection, and it is hard work to catch them while there. In fact it is a poor business, and always was and always will be." In Nannaquacket Pond, Tiverton Four C.oruers, four seines, worth $50 each, are used mostly for the capture of herring or alewives. Sixteen men follow this fishery and peddle the fish, which arc mostly smoked, at an average of 50 cents per hundred pounds. In the spring they get 3 or 4 cents apiece for the fish, but the price soon runs down to 1 cent or less. Nearly all the people at this place are interested in the menhaden business, cither working in the factories or runuiug on the steamers from this vicinity. When large schools of bluefish strike in, some men fish for them fora few days, and two or three men follow the hook-and-liue fishing more or less during the summer, peddling their catch about the country. PORTSMOUTH AND BRISTOL FERRY. — The fishing interests of Portsmouth, opposite Tiverton, are centered in the menhaden industry. One of the largest menhaden oil and guano factories in the United States is located here. A fleet of steamers hailing from Tivertou and Newport annually supply this factory with from 50,000 to 90,000 barrels of menhaden, that are manufactured into scrap and oil. The statistics of the fisheries of this town are included in the summation for the State. Between April 1 and May 25 two sea-traps, owned at Bristol Ferry, are set, one at Sachuest Beach and the other at the "Wash Bowl," on the west side of Rhode Island. Nineteen men in all are employed. In 1879 the nets were set a little too late, many of the schools of fish having passed by. It is here asserted that squeteague and bluefish are more destructive to the fisheries than arc the sea-traps. Tbese fish have increased immensely of late years. After the spring fishing of 298 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. 18r<9 no scnp appeared until the middle of July, when millions came; these were too small for market. As at other places, tho men go menhaden fishing when trap-fishing is over. In 1879 the trap at Sachnest Beach stocked about $200; the one at the "Wash Bowl" about $1,200. The greater part of the combined catch was shipped to Philadelphia and sold at 50 to 75 cents a barrel. 97. THE FISHERIES OF NEWPORT. PRESENT CONDITION or THE FISHERIES OF NEWPORT. — The fishing business of Newport is confined chiefly to fresh fish, and is carried on by ten firms. The catch is mostly during April, May, and June, being principally scup. Later in the season bluefish, mackerel, squeteagne, bass, and some other fish are caught. Lobsters are taken at all seasons and of all sizes. Fifty small cat-rigged boats arc used by the local fishermen in the near waters of Narragansett Bay and Long Island Sound, fishing more or less of the time until November, after which the season may be considered over until April. The leading catch by these small boats is lobsters, which are caught in the 1,500 pots set about the islands of the bay and Long Island Sound. Tautog, bluefish, squeteague, bass, and eels, with a less amount of many other species, are included in the catch of the boats. These are taken by hand-lines and nets. The largest part of the fish which are marketed or shipped from here are taken by "heart pounds and square netted traps." There arc twenty-five heart and eight square traps set in this vicinity about Newport, Conauicut, and Prudence Islands. These traps and pounds are located as follows: Location. Heart. Square. Ou Newport Island : 4 2 1 1 1 2 2 1 3 ; . 2 Total 25 8 The square traps are put down the last of April, and usually taken up about the first of June, being anchored in from 4 to 7 fathoms of water, with a leader from the shore from 100 to 150 fathoms long. The heart pounds are put down at the same time, the twine being fastened to small piles driven into the ground, in from 25 to 35 feet of water. A small part of them are fished until October, but most of them only during the spring and early summer. In case the heart-pound is located on rocky bottom, the poles are held in place by cast-iron "feet" weighing 500 pounds each. These are cast for the purpose, are of circular form, with a hole in the center for the water. In working a square trap eight men to each are usually employed. The heart trap, when used single, has three men. When two or three heart-traps arc fished by one finn, being set near one another, a single team of three to five men will tend them. The catch from these thirty-three traps during 1880 amounted to 4,185,300 pounds of eatable fish, five-sixths of which were scup. This amount of fish was distributed as follows: New York received three-sixths ; Philadelphia, two-sixths; Provi- dence, the near inland cities and local trade, one-sixth. Oue-third of the New York and Philadel- RHODE ISLAND: NEWPORT COUNTY, INCLUDING BLOCK ISLAND. 299 phia shipments were forwarded by steamer from Newport, packed in barrels of about 180 pounds of fish with 30 pounds of ice each, and boxes of 300 pounds of fish with 50 pounds of ice each ; and two-thirds by sailing vessel iced in bulk. The money paid the fishermen for the catch in 1880, $33,907.50, is quite an item, yet the chief value of the catch is in giving so large an amount of good food to the laboring classes in the cities, by whom it is mostly used, at a very low cost; the first-cost value being less than three-fourths of a cent a pound. To this of course must be added the additional expense of placing the same on the market. The Newport fleet of fishing vessels includes seven sail, aggregating 100.86 tons, and manned by thirty two men. The gross stock of these vessels in 1880 was $13,200. The catch comprised 172,000 pounds of cod, 30,000 pounds of swordfish, 130,000 pounds of tautog and other species, and 116,250 pounds of lobsters. The catch of pounds and traps was 3,487,750 pounds of scup, and 697.550 pounds of other fish, and the catch of small boats was 350,000 pounds of fresh fish and 160,000 lobsters, having a total value of $51,757. The number of men employed in these shore fisheries is two hundred and seventeen, and the capital invested is about $40.000. The value of the vessels and their outfit is included in the summation for the State. The lobsters are all sold fresh, mostly in Providence, the near inland cities, and home local trade; very few being sent to New York or Boston. 98. BLOCK ISLAND AND ITS FISHERIES. DESCRIPTION OF THE ISLAND AND ITS FISHERIES. — Of the many islands along the New England coast, Block Island is cue of the most interesting and possesses many features of origi- nality. This island is about 8 miles long, and is of peculiar formation, consisting of a succession of hills and valleys, with over a hundred fresh-water ponds scattered here and there. The hills extend all over the island, at some places reaching to the water's edge, forming high bluffs, and at other places retreating inland, thus leaving the water's edge bordered with small beaches. Some of the hills are quite high ; Beacon hill, the highest, has about 300 feet elevation. From this hill a magnificent view is obtained, not only of the entire island, but far away to the shores of Long Island, 18 miles distant, and to the main shore of Rhode Island, 12 miles away. Point Judith is a prominent landmark and Newport can be seen ?.0 miles to the northeast. The ponds are scattered all over the island, some of them near the highest points and others near the sea level. The water of the near-shore ponds, although fresh enough to be drunk by animals, is too brackish for domestic use, so that the inhabitants depend mostly upon cistern water. The largest of the ponds is named Great Pond, and was so called by Roger Williams in 1649. It is said to cover 1,000 acres, and is about 3 miles long by 1£ miles wide. Its maximum depth is 12 fathoms. A narrow roadway that is often overflowed separates this pond from the sea. By many this poud is supposed to be sustained by springs flowing from the surrounding hills ; others claim that it is supplied from the ocean by the water filtering through the sandy beach, and that its brackishness is caused by a partial evaporation of the salt. Enough salt is retained from this cause as well as from the overflow from high tides and storms to sustain oysters and other shell- fish up to about half-growth, at which time they die. A breach through the beach into the sea is much needed, and this question is now agitated by the inhabitants. With a small outlay thou- sands of bushels of fine oysters could be made to add to the yearly income of the fisheries. At present the fishing industry is, as it was two hundred years ago, the main reliance of the inhabitants. From April 15 to June 1 they fish off the southeastern end of the island, at a distance of 6 to 10 miles, and off the southern side at a distance of 2 miles from shore. Most of this spring fishing is, however, over by May 15. The catch is mainly cod, which annually 300 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. visit these grounds iu spring and fall. The best grounds are Coxswain's Ledge, The Bank, and Coggeshall's Ledge, all of them from 12 to 30 miles south and southeast of the island. Thither numerous open, two-masted sail-boats plow their ways when the cod-fishing season is at hand. The daily routine of a fisherman visiting these ledges for cod was graphically described as follows in the Providence Bulletin, April 26, 1873: "A fisherman's life is a hard life, and cod fishing iu open boats taxes physical vitality to a degree which is hardly realized by those unacquainted with its hardships. The fisherman leaves home at from 12 to 3 a. in., goes to the harbor and starts for the fishing ground. It is well if he has a breeze of wind, better if it be fair, but if perchance, as often happens in spring, during the latter part of the night there be no wind, he must get out his oar and help row the boat to the fishing grounds 10 or 12 miles away, and there is a vast difference between rowing a wherry for pleasure and rowing a heavy fish-boat capable of carrying from 2 to 20 tons. He arrives at the fishing ledges, and, if there are plenty of fish, stands up and hauls fish with a 30-fathom line and heavy lead (for there is a strong tide here) for three or four hours, and there is no harder work than hauling heavy fish. It would puzzle a novice to stand up in one of these boats in good weather, but when the wind blows and there is a bad swell running, the boat ends up and down and rolls her gunwales under in a manner that would be apt to try not only the muscles but the nerves and even the stomachs of those who were not experienced fishermen. About 2 o'clock in the afternoon he gets under way and comes home. Then his boat is to tie up, his fish to be brought ashore iu a skiff or small boat, then they are thrown out on the beach, divided, dressed, washed, carried up a steep bank in hand-barrows known as 'kids' and salted. This usually takes about two hours, and he seldom gets home before sunset. Then, if he thinks he has sufficient bait, he eats his supper and goes immediately to bed. If he has but little bait he must look up some that is fresh, sometimes traveling two or three miles to catch some alewives for the next day's fishing. In rough weather his work is increased and intensified, and the uninitiated know but little of the labor and exposure endured in 'beating in from the edge of the bank in a norther.' When the captain says 'Start,' the first thing to be done is to reef the sails and get the anchor, and in rough weather the crew of the larger boats have enough to do before the anchor is at the bow. It is not an uncommon cir- cumstance for three or four good men to be from half an hour to an hour in getting the anchor on board of one of the larger boats. Then sail must be hoisted before the boat falls off in the trough of the sea, and by the time the sails are up and the sheets trimmed aft the crew are ready to drop down with exhaustion ; but now the pumps must be manned and one man stationed at the fore- sheet (the helmsman attends to the main-sheet), while the captain, his eyes almost blinded with spray, watches the seas .and eases the boat over them as best he can. "I have only described the modus operandi of beating a boat to windward iu what would be termed,4u fishermen's parlance, a 'three-reef breeze,' but the boats are occasionally caught down to leeward iu some terrible periodical storm, and then they get home somehow, though no seafaring man not acquainted with their sea-going qualities would suppose the boats could live a minute- It would be difficult for any one to attempt to say how rough a sea would have to be or how hard the wind would have to blow to prevent .1 large Block Island boat, with a good crew, from going to windward under close-reefed sails. I know of no case on record where one of the large boats, iu good working condition, with good spars and sails, has been absolutely compelled to keep off and run to leeward. In fact, some of them would probably live as long, if not longer, on the wind than they would before it." From October 15 to November 1, dogfish are caught for their oil and for fertilizing purposes, after which date, and extending to January 1, cod again become abundant ; this time about half a EHODE ISLAND: NEWPORT COUNTY, INCLUDING BLOCK ISLAND. 301 mile from shore, oft' the northeastern side of the island. These codfish are seldom large, averaging 9 pounds; but, being thick fish and carefully cured, they stand high in the markets. The grounds above enumerated are visited by Connecticut and Massachusetts fishermen, as well as by Block Islanders. The latter always fish with Look and line, being decidedly opposed to the use of any apparatus unknown to their ancestors. They regard the fishing grounds as their own property, and only ask the "foreigners" to let them alone and to keep at a distance with trawls and other modern appliances. The spring catch is placed in pickle for four days, spread on flakes until thoroughly cured dry, and then sent to market. The fall catch is retained in pickle until it is wanted, and is then dried the same as the spring catch. All codfish are cured before i-ale; most of the catch being marketed in Ehode Island and Connecticut. Although the leading catch on the fishing grounds about Block Island is cod, yet numerous other species are found in greater or less abundance. One of the most important species outside of cod is the large bloater mackerel that frequently visit this vicinity in the spring of the year. During 1879 hundreds of barrels of these fish were caught. They measured 1C to 19J inches in length, weighed from 1J to 3 pounds each, and sold for $20 to $25 a barrel. These fish appear irregularly. The boats used by Block Island fishermen are very peculiar in construction. They are sharp- pointed at each end, 20 to 25 feet long on the keel, a few attaining 29 feet, 3£ to 4 feet deep, with open deck and lap-streak sides, of schooner or sloop rig, chiefly the former, with narrow tapering sails, small masts well forward, with no shrouds, registering from 5 to 9 tons, and worth $250 to $SOO each. From their odd appearance, which is increased by their lying very low in the water, they immediately attract the attention of a stranger. They are most excellent sea-boats, and, in the hands of a practical island fisherman, are as hard to drown as a duck, and rarely lost. There are twenty-three of these vessels, aggregating 199.35 tons and carrying eighty-five men. In addi- tion to these "double-euders" there are fifty small boats of less than 5 tons register, with crews of two men each. These follow the same fisheries' as the larger vessels. In 1867 net-fishing on a limited scale was introduced. In April, 1879, two heart-pounds were set on the west and one on the north side of the island. They remained down until September 1 to September 15. Fish were found to be plentiful; but, on account of the exposed position of the island, it is doubtful if pound-fishing will prove very profitable. lu these nets squeteague, bouito, scup, and tautog were taken in 1879. Spanish mackerel have been occasionally taken. The catch of the pounds is shipped to New York in ice usually by sailing vessels interested in the pounds. Bluefish are caught and used at home by the hotels. Lobsters are caught, but mostly by the Connecticut fishermen, only 150 pots being set by the Block Island fishermen. Irish moss • is found in abundance. This is gathered, and has been since 1850, in warm weather by women and children; then it is washed and dried (many washings being requisite before it is bleached) and sold to the grocers, who, as a sufficient quantity accumulates, ship it to the woolen and flannel mills of Connecticut. The crop in 1880 was 400 barrels. As only a small part of the year is given to fishing, ample time remains to cultivate the ground. Nearly all of the island is under cultivation or used for grazing, the laud being well fertilized by refuse fish and seaweed. The latter is gathered in large quantities for this purpose. It is esti- mated that over $30,000 worth of fertilizing products are so used each year. Each farmer or fisher- man gathers any amount he may wish free of cost, except for his time and team. The capital invested in the fisheries at Block Island iu 23 vessels with their outfit, CO shore- boats, 12 gill-nets, 3 pounds, 150 lobster-pots, and other apparatus, is $28,040. The number of 302 GEOGRAPHICAL KEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. persons employed is 263. The products in 1880 are valued at $36,824, and consist of 748,720 pounds of dry cod, 300,000 pounds of fresh fish, 120,000 pounds of refuse fish for manure, 6,000 pounds of lobsters, 3,250 gallons of fish-oil, and 24,000 pounds of Irish moss. HISTORY OF BLOCK ISLAND. — The earliest records of this island date back to the year 1524, when the French navigator, Yerazzano, reported to Francis I, King of France, that the island was in shape triangular, about three leagues from the mainland, lull of hills, covered with trees, and well peopled, for "we saw fires all along the coast." This opinion of Block Island was doubtless formed at a distance from the island itself, for the first record obtained of a landing was dated 1614, when the Dutch explorer, Adrian Block, explored the coast and gave to it its present name. In 1636 John Oldham, a trader from Boston, while landing to trade with the Narragansett Indians, was murdered by them, for which act an expedition was sent under Col. John Eudicott, to punish the Indians. After executing their com- mission they explored the island and established a claim by right of conquest. The Indians who first dwelt on the island called it Manisses, after the name of their tribe. The first explorer called it "Claudia," in honor of the mother of his king, Francis I. The Dutch maps of 1614 have it marked "Adrian's Eyland." About the same time appeared the name Block Island. In 1672 it received the additional name "New Shoreham," at which time also a charter was given to it by the Rhode Island assembly. The island was once covered with trees, but they have well nigh disappeared, so that now only a few scattering trees can be seen. A town record of April 14, 1702, states: "Capt. John Merritt brought before us one John Meeker for being a delinquent for absenting himself from out of said Merritt's employment, being his servant for the fishing season, for 40 shillings a mouth, with 6 pounds of bread and 6 pounds of pork a week, for the which considera- tions the said Meeker did promise to him his faithful service till the middle of June, or there- abouts, as by witness on oath doth appear before us. We, therefore, determine and give our judgment that the said Meeker shall perform the said conditions as above said. The 40 shillings per month is to be paid in current money of this colony, with cost of court, which is 1 shilling for the constable's fee, and 2 shillings for other charges which said Meeker is to pay. "Given under our hands. "SIMON RAY, Sen. Warden. "EDWARD BALL, Dep. Warden." In 1670 the legislature first took action for the improvement of the harbor for "incouragiug fishing designs," and in 1723 the legislature again granted aid in building a new pier "for the encouragement of the navigation of the colony, especially the fishery." In 1695 one Robert Carr was engaged "to be forward in making a harbor and promoting the fishing trade." In later years storms swept away the piers, which were in 1816 replaced with w-hite oak poles, or small piles driven into the beach. These offered little protection in rough weather, and the fishermen on stormy days were compelled to use oxen in hauling their boats out of danger's reach. The piles above alluded to were 12 to 15 feet above water, and were far enough apart to allow small vessels to pass in between. As business increased more poles were added, until in 1876 there were 750 of them, hence the name "Pole Harbor," the first object of attraction to every stranger. To these relics of old times the fishermen still make fast their boats; but the old piers are superseded by substantial breakwaters of granite, built by the Gov- ernment. On February 1C, 1870, Congress appropriated $30,000, and on October 22 of the same year the work was commenced. In 1871 an additional appropriation of $75,000 was made, and in RHODE ISLAND: NEWPORT COUNTY, INCLUDING BLOCK ISLAND. 303 1872 another of $50,000. The total expenditure, therefore, was $155,000. This pier has been of great service, yet it is incomplete, and large appropriations are still necessary. Block Island has two light-houses, one on the northwestern end, known as Sandy Point, on which spot four have been built, the first one having been erected in 1829, and the other on the southeastern end, built in 1874. This is a two-story brick dwelling, with octagonal tower, and cost $75,000. It is on a bluff, 152 feet above low water, the light being 52 feet from the ground. It was first used on February 1, 1875, and is visible 35 miles out at sea. One hundred feet to the southeast of this light is a fog-horn, blown by steam. Two life-saving stations, Nos. 2 and 3, of district 3, have been established, the one in 1872, the other in 1874. The fishermen constitute the crews. A signal station was established on July 28, 1880, and connects with, the main, land by cable. A most remarkable feature of the administration of law on Block Island is that it boasts of not a single lawyer, policeman, or jail. The total population is 1,208, nearly all of whom are natives. The same names are found now which were common in the early history of the settlement. The inhabitants are industrious, frugal, and contented. The children are well provided with schools, there being five common schools and one high school. The two churches on the island belong to the Baptist denomination. The island has lodges of Free Masons, Odd Fellows, and Good Templars, two ministers and a doctor. There are quite a number of summer hotels, some of them quite large, fine buildings, and all of them owned and managed, by the islanders. The first hotel was opened in 1842, and the first pleasure party entertained there numbered seven persons, one of whom was Martin Van Buren. Of late years the island has become well-known, nud is annually visited by hundreds for health and pleasure. D.— GENERAL FISHERIES OF BRISTOL, PROVIDENCE, AND KENT COUNTIES. 99. FISHING TOWNS FROM BRISTOL TO WARWICK NECK. BRISTOL AND WARREN. — Bristol is situated nearly at the bead of Bristol Harbor, an arm of Narragansett Bay. The fishing grounds are off Walker's Island, in the bay opposite Bristol City, at the head of Bristol Harbor, and in Mount Hope Bay. Five heart-pounds are used from the last of April until September. In the spring, alewives, scup, and shad are taken ; and later, squeteague, tautog, bluefish, flounders, and eels. In winter a small amount of fishing is carried on by fyke- nets, the catch of which consists mainly of flounders. At the northern end of Narragansett Bay fish become less abundant, possibly owing to the pollution of the water by tlie refuse from the numerous factories. A few lobster pots are set about the ledges and islands. The boats used at Bristol are all cat-rigged, with the exception of one sloop, one yacht, and small skiffs for the traps. Each of the heart-pounds requires the attention of two men. A good week's produce is estimated at 1,000 pounds. There is a small amount of hook-and-line cod fishing, also sword fishing, from a sloop at the lower end and outside of the bay. One seine and one gill-net are also in use at Bristol. About twenty-five eel-pots are set in the bays. Fishing at this place has deteriorated to such an extent that many of the men have left the business and have found employment in the Bristol rubber works. Large numbers of destructive fish are caught in the traps, and for that reason one would suppose that the smaller species would 304 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. increase yearly in abundance. One-third of the 1879 catch was sent to New York and Providence, the remainder being consumed at home. The lobsters are all sold in Bristol. The capital invested at Bristol in traps, boats, and fixtures, nets and seines, and a small sloop, is $2,053. The value of the products is $4,755, and comprise 100,000 pounds of fresh fish, 30,000 pounds of swordfish, 5,000 pounds of eels, and 23,000 pounds of lobsters. Warren represents the northern limit of the fishing industry iu Narragansett Bay, with but a small amount taken here. During the spring five heart-pounds are fished for shad in the Warren River near its outlet into the bay. The catch of 1880 averaged 1,000 shad to each pound, of an average weight of 3J pounds each. Two-thirds of the catch was sold at Providence and one-third at Warren and Bristol. Clams are found quite plenty. On an average twelve men in the summer and four during the winter work the clam flats. Six men with three small sail-boats and eighteen dredges fish the scallop-beds during the season, which by law lasts from September 15 to May 15. The State law also limits the catch of each boat to 15 bushels a day. The law as to quantity is not as generally observed or enforced at the various fishing stations as the time; the close season being quite generally observed. Scallops are sold at New York and Providence; clams at the latter city and at Rocky Point, Rhode Island. The capital invested in the fisheries of this place in five heart-traps, three scalloping boats, eighteen dredges, and ten boats with fixtures for clam digging, amounts to $1,872. The products for 1880 are 5,000 shad, 2,500 bushels of clams, and 1,000 gallons of scallops, worth $3,862.50. The number of fishermen employed six mouths iu the year are eighteen, all of them Americans. PAWTUXET. — Pawtuxet is located on the Providence River, 4 miles south of the city of Provi- dence, and is the clam town of the State. The main business of the place is the fishery for clams and scallops. Seventy-five men are engaged most of the year in that industry or iu net fishing. During the summer season nearly twice that number are engaged, and the average number for the year is one hundred. The products of 1880 amount to 40,000 bushels of clams and 10,000 bushels of scallops. The latter are always opened before they are sent to market and many of the clams. This gives employment during the busy season to one hundred persons, mostly women and children. Clams are dug on both sides of the Providence River. Of late years some complaint has been made of their not being as plenty as in former years. During 1880 large clams were not as abundant as usual, but small clams were more plenty than for years and give promise of a bountiful supply iu the future. During the summer months most of the clams are used at the summer resorts, where they sell from $1.25 to $1.40 a bushel. Providence and the local trade take any surplus. A small amount are forwarded to Boston. The price during the winter is from 75 cents to $1 a bushel. An average price during the year being $1. Scallops are shipped to New York and to Providence for a market. From April until November scup, tantog, squeteague, and bluefish are taken iu seines and nets, twelve men fishing them iu Mount Hope and Greenwich Bays. Eels arc plenty. They are caught near home and sent to New York. One smack, 20 feet long, is used ; the other boats are of the skiff pattern. Two gill-nets are fished ; each is 115 fathoms long and 21 feet deep. They are made of 4 to 4£ inch mesh. In these nets are caught bluefish and sea-trout. An average day's catch is 50 pounds, although 1,000 pounds have been taken in one day by one gill-net. The two seines are 100 fathoms each in length and 15 feet deep. The mesh is 3i inches. Three men are required to haul one of these nets, which are fished from March until September. The species chiefly taken is scup. The average daily catch is 200 pounds, taken at about five hauls of the net. RHODE ISLAND: BRISTOL, PROVIDENCE, AND KENT COUNTIES. 305 In September a hundred eel pots are fished near the town, and succeed very fairly. Six years ago the net fishing produced results six times as large as at present. The investment in this place amounts to $3,130 ; and the products, which include 40,000 bushels of clams, 10,000 bushels of scallops, and 37,500 pounds of fresh fish, are worth $47,100. The number of persons employed is 175. WARWICK COVE AND WARWICK NECK. — During the summer nine men fish in Warwick Cove for bluefi.sh and three at the Neck for tautog. Some hand lining is also carried on from the boats during April, May, and June. Most of the men here give up fishing during the summer and hire their boats to pleasure parties. This is a good indication of the state of the fisheries. Two men fish for eels. In 1879 two tons of eels were shipped to New York, where they sold for 5 cents a pound. Most of these eels were speared in the winter. 100. THE FISHERIES OF APPONAUG AND EAST GREENWICH. APPONATJG. — Appouaug is 12 miles south of Providence, at the northern end of Greenwich Bay. In past years it has done considerable fishing; of late years the business has largely de- creased. The fishermen claim that chemicals and refuse from the large print-works have driven away the fish and killed every clam in the immediate vicinity of the town. There is quite a little fleet of sail-boats owned here by the fishermen. At least one half of them are chiefly used for pleasure parties. On the average nine are used for fishing purposes. Hand-lines and seines are used by the fishermen in Greenwich and Narragansett Bays. The catch consists of bluefish, sqtieteague, tautog, flounders, and scup, mostly caught in the spring; no winter fishing. The leading products of the fisheries are clams and scallops. The same men follow line and net fishing and dredging, each in their season. The scallop beds are quite extensive and productive, extending from Wickford, on the south, along the west shore of Narragansett Bay, into and on both sides of Greenwich Bay, to Warwick Light, on the north, a distance of 20 miles. The boats average 4 dredges each, which are used in about 2 fathoms of water. The catch, from 3,000 to 4,000 bushels a year, is brought home and shelled. The opening is mostly by girls, some thirty being employed during the busy season. They receive 12J cents a bushel for shucking. Clams of the various kinds — round, long, and quahaugs — are found in abundance on Prudence and Patience islands, the shores of Providence River, and Greenwich Bay. A novel feature of the fishing industry is a small steamer of 10 tons, from this port, engaged exclusively in gathering clams, and probably the only one so engaged in the United States. The steamer visits the numerous beds along the shores mentioned, where captain and crew of from six- teen to twenty men take on their cargo direct from the beds. They also stop at points along the shores and buy from the diggers, but rely chiefly on their own digging. The cargo is taken to Rocky Point, Kent County, the celebrated resort of thousands for clam-bakes. The entire season's work of this steamer is contracted for in advance by the hotels, and to insure the clams a steamer is required. The catch of this steamer in 1880 was 5,000 bushels of clams, worth $7,000. Some idea of the amount of clams annually consumed at this celebrated roasting place may be judged by those who have often seen over 10,000 persons at a time at a Rocky Point clam-bake. There are also numerous other well-known points along the beautiful waters of Narragansett Bay that are noted for their clam-bakes, and yearly consume large quantities of shell-fish, but the one mentioned is the leading one. The catch of fish by seine and hand-line is mostly sold at Providence. In case a surplus hap- pens in that market they are forwarded to New York, all being sold fresh. Scallops are mostly 20GKF 306 GEOGEAPHICAL REVIEW OF TIlE FISHERIES. sold in Few York ; clauis, chiefly used at the summer resorts in their season and sold throughout the near towns and cities at all seasons. The investment in the fisheries of Apponaug in 1 steamer, 9 sail boats, 36 scallop dredges, 4 seines, 30 small boats and fixtures, and the fish-houses, is $4,609. The catch includes 3,300 gallons of scallops, 6,000 bushels of clams, and 37,500 pounds of fresh fish, worth $11,975. The number of persons employed is 38. EAST GREENWICH. — East Greenwich is located at the head of Greenwich Bay, in which fish- ing is carried on for six or eight months in the year. Seines, gill-nets, and fyke nets are used. The same species of fish are taken here as at Apponaug. The fishing by Greenwich men is extended as far south as Newport; but, wherever they go, a scanty living only is their reward. The gill-net fishery is the most important. These nets are set in about 4 fathoms of water. Sandy Point is a noted bluefish ground. The boats used by the gill-netters are those which have already served as seine-boats and will yet fill the place of scallop-boats later in the season. Juno and July are the two best months for gill-netting. Eleven nets are used; they are each 75 fathoms long and are made with a mesh of 4 inches. In these no fish of a less weight than 2 pounds are taken. Four seines, each 100 fathoms long and 12 feet deep, of 1£ to 2-inch mesh, are used. Each seine requires the labor of three men. April and May are the best months for this fishery, but it is kept up by some all the year round. In addition to bluefish, these seines catch squcteague and tautog. Before menhaden steamers were so extensively used one seine would at times catch 250 barrels of menhaden at a single haul. About a hundred fyke-nets are set in Greenwich Bay, close inshore, under the ice. Very little hook-and-line fishing is done. Near Greenwich numerous scallops and clams are taken. The former are obtained by dredging the beds between Greenwich and Wickford, from September 15 to May 15. Clams arc dug on the main shore and near islands at all seasons, but chiefly during the summer. The scallops are shipped to New York and Providence or are used for local consumption. The clams are sent to Providence and the summer resorts, any balance being reserved for home trade. The capital invested in East Greenwich in 16 sail-boats, 12 row-boats and fixtures for clamming, 75 dredges, 4 seines, 11 gill nets, 100 fyke-nets, and fish-houses, is $5,190. The catch is valued at $12,500 and includes 6,000 bushels of scallops, 4,000 bushels of clams, 5,000 pounds of eels, and 125,000 pounds of fresh fish. The number of persons employed is 50. B.— GENERAL FISHERIES OF WASHINGTON COUNTY. 101. FISHERIES FROM WICKFORD TO NARRAGANSETT PIER. WICKFORD. — Wickford is a small place, situated on the west side of Narragansett Bay, 12 miles northeast from Newport, a steamer from the latter port connecting with a branch of the Shore Line Railroad to this port. A small amount of fishing is carried on in cat- rigged boats and skiffs by hand-line fishermen; also by nets and traps. Four heart pounds are set on the west side of the bay, north and south of the harbor. They are fished from the 1st of May until November. Boats fish all over the bay, and during a small part of the year outside for cod. Eels are found plenty, and arc taken by traps and spears. Fyke nets are mostly fished during the winter; the loading catch by them is flounders. RHODE ISLAND: WASHINGTON COUNTY. 307 The leading catch by the traps is squeteague, tautog, butterflsh, and scup; the scup are not as plenty here as at the lower end of the bay. A few Spanish mackerel are caught. The catch is sold to Providence, Newport, and the near home local trade. Lobsters are mostly sold to the numerous summer hotels and local trade. Quite an amount of refuse fish are caught, consisting of menhaden, skates, and sculpins. These are all saved and sold to farmers for fertilizing, selling for 25 cents a barrel. Lobsters are taken from February until the next winter about Dutch Island, and in all the inlets on both sides of the bay as far north as Hope Island. The ledges in the middle of the bay are excellent lobster grounds. The flatfish fyke-nets catch some, but the modern lobster-pot is generally used, and also the old-fashioned hoop-net, made from the iron hoop of a barrel, to which is fastened a net-bag. About one hundred and fifty pots are in use. Refuse fish, called "shuck- fish," are used for bait. Crabs are also caught, either by the use of "bow," "dip," or "crab" nets, from June until August. Eels are taken by the use of pots and spears. Trap-nets are diminishing in number, there being now only four in use. They are supposed to have aided most materially in diminishing the supply of fish. The investment in this place in nets, traps, boats, and fixtures is $2,425. The production is worth $5,700, and consists of 198,000 pounds of fresh fish, 160,000 pounds of refuse fish, 10,000 pounds of eels, and 15,000 pounds of lobsters. The number of persons employed is 20. DUTCII ISLAND AND SAUNDERSTOWN. — At Dutch Island Harbor and vicinity three trap-nets are owned, two of which are set in the harbor and the other at Beaver Head from the middle of April to the 1st of September. They have been in use since 1871, and are set in 18 feet of water. The leaders are 75 fathoms long. The mesh in the leader is 5 inches, and in the bowl 2^ inches. The tunnel-mouth is G feet wide. To aid in lifting the traps three "trap-boats" are used. These are worth $25 each. Frequent repairs, owing to ravages of storm and tide to the nets, are neces- sary, and cost about $50 to the net per annum. The nets used here are similar in shape to those at Wickford. The offal fish caught in the traps are used as bait for lobsters. Only one gill-net is used here; this is 75 fathoms long, with a 4-iuch mesh. It is used through June and July. Bluefish and a few squeteague are caught. This net is also used as a shore-seine. In April and June a few eel pots are fished on the east side of the island in Sheffield Pond. From the harbor to Whale Rock some lobster-pots are set. The hook-and-liners fish from April till December; in September they chiefly seek cod and tautog; at other times blucfish and sea-bass, which latter is here called "bluefish." During the past eight years the catch of young fish has been increasing, while that of mature fish has been steadily decreasing. The fishermen here, as in most of the places already alluded to, do not confine themselves to fishing. They act as pilots, dig clams, and do anything whereby they may improve their financial condition. Most of the fish are shipped in boxes to New York, Newport, and Philadelphia. The lobsters are sent to Newport and Philadelphia. The price paid for a box containing 400 pounds of fish was, in 1879, only CO cents. The next year there was an improvement. The capital invested in boats, nets, traps, and fixtures is $2,877, and the product is worth $1,715. Sauudcrstowu lies on the coast exactly opposite Dutch Island. Three bass traps, but no gill- nets or seines, arc used here, one on the west side of Dutch Island, one at South Ferry, and one at Casy Point. They have been in use for live years, and are set in" 17 feet of water from April to November. The mouth of the tunnel is only 24 inches wide. In them are caught striped bass, 308 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. tautog, flat fish, squeteague, and a few shad, but no scup. The bass are caught only in the fall. Some lobsters are taken, and hook-and-line fishing is followed to a small extent. NARRAGANSETT PIER. — At Narragansett Pier no traps are used. Four gill-nets and two seines are fished about a quarter of a mile from the pier, during June, July, and August. Men- haden are caught almost exclusively. Ten men are engaged here for about half their time. One man catches lobsters. The traps south of this place are supposed to prevent the fish from coming further north and are therefore looked upon with jealousy. The fishermen are less energetic than some years ago ; were it not for this, it is thought, a great deal more might be done in the fishing industry. The hotel is said to require four times the amount of fish taken by all the fishermen. Between this place and Rocky Point, a distance of G miles, twenty men follow fishing, setting trawls for cod during the spring and fall, gill-nets for bluefish and squeteague during the summer, also setting 150 lobster pots about the ledges along the sound. 102. POINT JUDITH TO PAWCATUCK RIVER. POINT JUDITH.— In the rear of this promontory lies Judith Pond, C miles long and 1 mile wide ; the water is brackish and is from 8 to 12 feet deep. Formerly oysters were very plentiful, 10,000 bushels having been taken out in 1870. The mouth of the pond has become so filled up that now no oysters are to be found, the water having stagnated for want of free circulation. The bass fishery has, on that account, also failed. Ten thousand dollars have been realized by one owner on the capture of bass. Now that business is entirely at an end. A small outlet still per- mits the entrance of alewives. The fishing is carried on from December to June by farmers, mechanics, and fishermen. Last spring (1880) smelts were a little more abundant. Perch are still taken in large quantities. Most of the fishing operations are conducted by the use of fifteen seines ; traps being out of the question where the fish average so small. The average length is 100 fathoms, depth 18 feet, and mesh from 1J to 2 inches. In winter heavier seines arc used, requiring six men to haul. Perch and some bass are then taken. Twelve years ago 198 barrels of bass were taken at one haul. In spring the catch is confined to alewives of which 2,000 barrels were taken in 1880. The alewife seine has a light thread and is handled by three men. Smelts are taken from February until the end of March. One hundred and fifty eel-pots, like small fyke-nets, are set in spring and fall, being baited with crabs. The investment here in seines, eel-traps, boats and fixtures, is $3,375, and the value of the product, which consists of 500 bushels of clams, 2,000 barrels of alewives, G0,000 pounds of smelts, 60,000 pounds of perch and flatfish, a: id 4,000 pounds of bass, is $10,800. The number of persons employed is CO. FISHERIES OF CHARLESTOWN, QTJONOCHONTATJG, AND WARD'S PONDS. — In Charlestown Pond six pounds and six shore-seines are used ; in Quonochontaug Pond, three pounds and two seines; and in Ward's Pond, three pounds and two seines. Herring, bass, perch, flounders, eels, and some smelts are caught. Charlestown Pond is the largest, being about G miles long, and a maximum depth of 15 feet. The water is quite salt. About forty boats are used by the pound- fishermen. These boats are of all sizes and shapes, and are worth $20 each. The pounds are set from the middle of April until the early part of June. Some also are set in the fall. Four men work in a gang. The pot is usually about 30 feet in diameter. These nets are set in shallow water. The seines average 80 fathoms each in length, 18 feet in depth, with a IJ-inch mesh, and are RHODE ISLAND:. WASHINGTON COUNTY. 309 worth $80 each. They are used from November until June, eight meii to the seiue. There are also fifteen fyke-nets set inshore. The same kinds of fish are taken in pounds, seines, and fykes. Most of the fish, one-half of which are herring, are shipped to New York. The remainder are eels, perch, flatfish, and bass. The herring are salted, dried, and smoked, and are retailed at 1 cent each. Four days intervene between the capture and sale of the herring. Menhaden fishing in this vicinity was commenced thirty years ago, and has been increasing ever since. Until 1870 bass fishing was good, but it has been partially destroyed by the steamers fishing with purse-seines. Sixty barrels of young bass have been taken at one haul, and the whole lot consigned to the oil-works. ROCKY POINT AND SANDY POINT. — At Rooky Point, a small place on the waters of Long Island Sound, there is one square trap used, employing six men and stocking about $2,500 annu- ally. Sandy Point is the dividing line between the sound and Little Narragansett Bay. In the sound, between Rocky and Sandy Points, one hundred and two men find employment in the fish- eries, twenty being hook-and-liners, forty-two pound-netters, and forty seiners. Six pound nets are set in from 20 to 30 feet of water east and west of Watch Hill, during May. Scup and mackerel are taken. The leaders range from 200 yards to half a mile in length. The size of the pound is about 40 feet by 60 feet. The mesh in the pounds is 1£ inches, in the leaders 2 to 2J inches. Five seines, averaging 100 fathoms each, of 25 feet depth and IJ-inch mesh, are used, each requiring eight men. In the fall these seines are set for bass, in the spring for scup. They haul the seines in May and October. Formerly $1,000 was regarded as an average year's earnings for the owner of the net by the capture of bass alone. The boats used by pounders and seiners are not fitted with sails; they are called "double euders," and are about 18 feet long. Hook-and-liners catch cod, haddock, bluefish, blackfish, bass, and squeteague. In the fall only the first two species mentioned are caught. All the scup, bass, and bluefish are sent to New York Some of the cod was cured, but most of it sold green. LITTLE NAREAGANSETT BAY AND PAWCATUCK RIVER. — The varieties of fish caught in Little Narragansett Bay and Pawcatuck River are scup, eels, flounders, smelts, menhaden, bluefish, weak- fish, shad, backies, and alewives. Pound-nets are set west from Watch Hill Pier to Sandy Point Channel, and on the north from Stouington to the mouth of Pawcatuck River, and for a distance of three miles up the river. It is claimed that these pound-nets kill forty young fish for each one fit for market. If this be true, then the fisheries must decrease in importance, inasmuch as the pound-nets are increasing in num- ber every year. Of the seventeen pound-nets now in use six are in the river and eleven in the bay. They are set between the first and the middle of September, and remain down until the ice forms too great an obstruction. Some few remain down throughout the winter. They are seldom set in spring. Three men are required to lift a trap. These traps are from 25 to 40 feet in diameter, C to 12 feet deep, with a leader from 25 to 200 yards in length. The mesh is so close that none but the smallest fish can possibly escape. Four shore-seines, called also bass-seines, averaging 100 fathoms in length and 22 feet in depth, with mesh from 1 £ to 2 inches, are in use. From six to eight men arc required to haul one of these seines; bass, weakfish, and shad being the principal species caught. One or two gangs of gill-nets, altogether about 2,000 fathoms in extent, are also fished for bine- fish in summer and fall. 310 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. There are fully fifty fyke-iiets employed. These are set thus: At about the center of one, side of the heart of a pound-net a hoop-fyke is attached, opening into the heart; when the net is lifted, instead of "bunting" the net toward the further end of the bowl and then bailing the fish out, as is usually done, they are driven into one of the hearts, and thence into the fyke; the cud of this is Jifted into a boat into which the fish are emptied. The mesh in these fykes is very fine. Fyke- nets are .also set all along the shore iu shallow water, and catcli chiefly bass, flounders, and perch. There is no hook-and-line fishing of importance. Eel-pots are set all along the river. In 1879 probably $900 worth of eels were taken. The capital invested in the fisheries of this district is about $8,500, and the number of persons employed is 75. The products are valued at about $8,000. V. THE COAST OF CONNECTICUT AND ITS FISHERIES. By A. HOWARD CLARK. NOTES ON GENEKAL FISHERIES GATHERED BY W. A. WILCOX AND I-'KED. MATHEK. ANALYSIS. A. — GKNKHAL REVIEW OF CONNECTICUT AND ITS FISH- ERIES : 103. The coast towns and importance of the fishing industry. B.— FISHIXG TOWNS EAST OF CONNECTICUT KIVEU: 104. The fisheries of Stonington, Mystic, aud Noank. 105. New London to the Connecticut Eivcr. C.— CONNECTICUT RIVER TO NEW HAVEN : 106. Fisheries of the Connecticut River; Say- brook and Westbrook. 107. Fishing towns from Clinton to East Haven. D.— FISHERIES OF NEW HAVEN AND VICINITY: 108. General fisheries of New Haven. 109. The oyster industry. E.— COAST TOWNS OF CONNECTICUT WEST OF NEW HAVEN : 110. General fisheries of the district. 111. Origin and present importance of the oys- ter industry. 311 V. THE COAST OF CONNECTICUT AND ITS FISHERIES. A.— GENERAL REVIEW OF CONNECTICUT AND ITS FISHERIES. 103. THE COAST TOWNS, AND IMPOETANCE OF THE FISHING 1NDUSTEY. DESCRIPTION AND STATISTICS. — The coast line of tbe State of Connecticut, including the numerous small indentations, is from 150 to 175 miles in extent. The water adjacent to the coast abounds at certain seasons of the year with various species of fish, the more important species being menhaden and shad, while oysters and other shell-fish are more or less abundant. The fisheries of the State include the seal and whale fisheries of Stoningtou and New London, the menhaden fishery carried on by a large fleet of vessels that sell their catch to factories along the coast, the shad fishery of the Connecticut Eiver, and the oyster fishery, which is especially important in the vicinity of New Haven. The number of men employed as fishermen or shoremen in the State is 3,151 ; the amount of capital invested is $1,421,020; and the value of the products is $1,456,866 ; as may be seen by the accompanying tabulated statements. In the eastern part of the State the most important fishing town is New London, which is the principal food -fish producing port south of Cape Cod. Noajik is an important place for the cod and lobster fisheries, and several fish weirs or traps are set by Noank fishermen at the Elizabeth Isles, in Massachusetts. The oyster industry in the State employs 1,006 persons and $361,200 capital, and the value of the product is $672,875. In the menhaden fishery the number of persons employed is 631, the capital invested is $392,370, and the value of the product is $256,205. The Antarctic sea-elephant and fur-seal fishery and the whale fishery of Stoniugtou and New London employ large capital and nearly 400 men. The products of these fisheries for 1880 is valued at $143,899. SUMMATION OF THE FISHERIES OF CONNECTICUT FOR 1880. — The following statements show the number of persons employed, the amount of capital invested, and the quantities and values of the various products: Summary statement of persons employed and capital invested. Persona employed. Number. Capital invented. Amount. 1,644 Capital iu vessels and boats $871,318 Number of bout-fishermen 1 041 Capital in nets and traps - 91,852 546 0457,850 Total 3 131 Total 1,421 020 a In menhaden factories, $139,000 ; in other fishery industries, $318,850. 313 314 GEOGKAPHICAL KEV1EVV OF THE FISHEK1ES. Detailed statement of capital infested in vessels, Itoats, nets, and traps. Vessels aud boats. No. Tonnage. Value. Value of gear, oxclu- sivcofboats and nets. Total value. Nets and traps. No. Value. Teescli. 105 2 835 18 $192 100 $158 088 $350 188 Kets. Gill-nets 07 $4 395 72 2 304.76 191 950 27 COO 219 550 58 23 500 100 2 010 88 C9 000 5 990 74 990 48 9 045 5 8CG 41 04 ooo 17 000 41 000 Y g ] 199 72 Total 173 36, 940 Total 291 9 215 95 514 050 203 578 777 628 1* 1 m 1 wpirs JSoatt. Fykes 255 2 480 368 21, 365 21 365 3,900 3,900 In shore fisheries — SOS 52,220 20, 105 72, 325 Total 4,213 54,912 Total 1 173 73,585 20 105 93 C90 Detailed statement of Hie quantities and values of the products. Products specified. rounds, freah. Pounds, prepared. Bulk. Value. Graud total 83, 509, 367 $1,456 866 Fresh Juth. o7 884 982 280 %0 4 600 000 23 000 barrels 7 500 Total 12 484 982 288 4CO Pickled fah. 500,000 400, 000 6,000 1 266 900 844,600 24 282 Total 1,766 900 1, 244, 600 30 282 SheUfish. 723 885 27 145 750,000 75, 000 bushels 38,000 2, 691, 600 336 450 bushels (natives) 6672, 875 Total 4, 165, 485 738, 020 Miscellaneout. 65 092 000 256, 300 palls, oil ; 9,000 tons scrap. 256, 205 22 144 gallons 11 248 10 400 pounds 20 800 42, 000 gallons 21, 420 9, 275 skins 90,431 Total ... 65 092 000 400, 104 a The proportion of different kinds of fish in this amount is estimated as follows: Alcwives, 270,000 pounds; sea bass, 351,900 pounds; striped bass, 36,900 pounds ; blackflsh or tautog, 173,550 pounds ; bluoflsh, 514,500 pounds ; cod, 2,738,000 pounds ; eels, 80,250 pounds; flounders and flatfish, 142,000 pounds ; halibut, 830,000 pounds ; mackerel, 37,000 pounds; pollock, 20,000 pounds; seup or porgy, 930,000 pounds; shad, 1,318, 032 pounds; smelts, 27,000 pounds; squeteague, 102,750 pounds; swordfish, 73,500 pounds; mixed fish, 239,000 pounds. 6 Includes $286,250 enhancement on 515,000 bushels of southern oysters. CONNECTICUT: TOWNS EAST OF CONNECTICUT 1IIVER. 315 B.— FISHING TOWNS EAST OF CONNECTICUT RIVER. 104. THE FISHERIES OF STONINGTON, MYSTIC, AND NOANK. STONINGTON. — The harbor at Stouiugton is capacious, and is partly protected by a breakwater built at a cost of $100,000. In the first part of the present century, prior to 1835, the people of this place were profitably engaged in the seal and whale fisheries. It is stated, on good authority, that some years as many as 100,000 seal skins have been landed at this port. A few vessels con- tinued in the seal fishery until the year 1854, when the fleet numbered four vessels. In 1873 the business was renewed, and since that date from one to three vessels have been annually sent to Cape Horn and other Antarctic grounds in search of fur-seal. It was the enterprise of Stouington sealers that helped to open up the fur-seal fishery at the South Shetlands in 1819 to 1821. Nine Stonington vessels were included in the fleet of thirty sealers that visited those islands in 1820. Most of this fleet were American vessels hailing from Stonington, New Haven, Nantucket, and other ports. Captains Palmer and Fanning, of Stouington, were famous fur sealers, and there still lives here the veteran Capt. Thomas Davidson, who was one of the pioneers in this industry. For further particulars concerning the fur-seal fishery from this town, the reader is referred to the section of this report on special fisheries. The whale fishery of Stoningtou was of importance for a number of years, especially from 1844 to 185G. The last whaler was owned here in 1861. The number of vessels each year from 1840 to 1861 was as follows: 1840, 11; 1841, 8; 1842, 9; 1843, 14; 1844, 13; 1845, 20; 1846, 26; 1847, 27; 1848, 24; 1849, 20; 1850, 18; 1851, 16; 1852, 17; 1853, 16; 1854, 15; 1855, 14; 1856, 1C; 1857, 6; 1858, 5; 1859, 4; 1SGO, 4; 1861, 1. The products of this fishery in 1847 were 705 barrels of sperm oil, 18,400 barrels of whale oil, and 146,900 pounds of whalebone. In 1853 the products were 561 barrels of sperm oil, 14,142 barrels of whale oil, and 110,300 pounds of whalebone. In 1880 the fisheries of this place employed 124 men, of which number 82 were in the seal fishery and the rest in the menhaden and other fisheries. The sealing fleet numbered three vessels of 309.52 tons, valued, with gear and outfit, at $39,000. Two vessels of 55.73 tons were engaged in the capture of food fish, and one vessel was employed in the menhaden fishery. Some shore fishing is done in this vicinity by the use of gill nets, fykes, and other apparatus, but the quantity and value of fish thus taken is very small. At one time Stonington owned a fleet of vessels in the Bank cod fishery. In the fall of 1810 the largest haul of bass ever known is said to have been made here. With an enormous seine a great school of these fish was shut up in a cove and "guarded" for several days. Twenty-one vessels loaded from the catch and great quantities were sold in this vicinity. MYSTIC AND NOANK. — At Mystic the fishery interests are centered in the menhaden industry, a fleet of steam and sailing vessels being employed during the season in catching menhaden for the oil and guano factories located here. Four small smack vessels, some small boats, three haul- seines, and about forty fyke-nets are employed in the capture of sea bass, cod, bluefish, and other species. The vessel fishermen use the hook and line and cruise from Montauk Point to Block Island. There was formerly a greater number of fishing vessels owned here, but they have been sold and more attention given to the menhaden business. The fyke-nets are set in the spring as early as the ice will permit and arc fished till August. They are set again in October and kept down till winter. Some seasons they do quite well, averaging five barrels per day of flounders, 316 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. eels, squeteague, blueflsli, ami numerous other species. These fykes are set anywhere along the shore ou the flats. The haul-seines are used from November till February and are not allowed to fish in summer. They take mostly smelts and eels. Smelts sometimes come into the river here very abundantly. The village of Mystic Eiver has an interest in the menhaden industry and also owns a vessel of about 47 tons burthen employed in the capture of food fish. The village or town of Noank is a small but very enterprising place. There is owned here a fleet of fifty-one vessels, measuring 1,261.06 tons, employed in capturing lobsters, cod, halibut, tautog, aud other species. These vessels have crews aggregating 220 men and are valued, with gear and outfits, at $169,145. Several small boats, a haul-seine, about 50 fyke-nets, and 2,400 lobster and eel pots are also owned in Noauk. Four traps owned by fishermen here are set in the summer time at the Elizabeth Isles and are often quite successful. The total capital invested in tl-e fisheries of Noank is $178,165. The catch in 1880 included the following : Species. Amount. Species. Amount. Pounds. 20 000 Halibut Pounds. 340 000 189 000 27 000 63 550 930 000 Bluefish 46 000 100 000 Cod 1 445 000 Mixed fish 9 000 Eela 5 000 337 885 92 600 60 000 105. NEW LONDON TO THE CONNECTICUT RIVER. NEW LONDON. — New London is on the right bank of the Thames River, 3 miles from its entrance into Long Island Sound. The harbor is one of the best in the United States, and is defended by Fort Trumbull and Fort Griswold. The latter fort is built on Groton Heights, opposite New London, and is memorable for being stormed on September 6, 1781, by Benedict Arnold, a native of Connecticut, after he had become a traitor to his country. Here seventy men, the best in the town, were cruelly murdered after they had surrendered themselves pris- oners. A monument has been erected on the spot in memory of those who fell. At Groton is a United States navy yard. The inhabitants of New London have for many years been engaged in the fur-seal and sea-elephant fishery in Antarctic waters. Vessels from here were the first American sealers to visit Desolation Island and Heard's Island in the Southern Indian Ocean, and large cargoes of sea-elephant oil were annually obtained from these islands for many years. The fur-sealers cruise also in the Southern Atlantic Ocean at South Georgia, South Shetland, Cape Horn, and other sealing grounds. The sealing fleet of New London in 1853 numbered eight sail. In 1858 it had increased to twelve sail, and has annually numbered from five to ten vessels since that time. The whale fishery from this port at one time was of much importance, but is now prosecuted by only five vessels. In 1846 seventy whaling vessels were owned here, but in 1857 the fleet was reduced to fifty-four sail. Since that date the number of vessels in this fishery has been from five to forty -five, and the largest number in the past ten years was fourteen in 1871. The receipts of whale products at New London in 1846 were 1,307 barrels of sperm oil, 27,441 barrels of whale oil, aud 183,450 pounds of whalebone; in 1880 the receipts were only 22,144 gallons of whale oil, and 10,400 pounds of whalebone. The fishery in the vicinity of Davis Straits and Hudson's Bay has CONNECTICUT: TOWNS EAST OF CONNECTICUT RIVER. 317 been a favorite pursuit of New London whalers. The Davis Straits grounds bad been abandoned by Americans for nearly half a century when the ship McLennan, of New London, under Captain Slate, cruised there in 1846. This vessel continued her annual voyages there for several years, and was finally lost while en route to these grounds in 1852. In 1853 two vessels were fitted for this fishery, and in 1855 a third vessel was added to the fleet. In I860 the fleet numbered ten sail, and the fishery from that date became more profitable. Larger and better vessels were sent out, and the cruising grounds extended through Hudson's Straits into Hudson's Bay. It was a New London whaling vessel cruising in those northern waters that found the abandoned ship Resolute, of the Franklin search expedition, and brought it to this country. For further particulars concerning the seal and whale fisheries of New London the reader is referred to the sections of this report which treat of special fisheries. New London is the most important receiving and distributing point for fresh fish between Boston and New York. The fishing fleet is exceeded in numbers by but few ports on the New England coast. The larger class of vessels cruise on George's and other offshore banks for cod and halibut, and market their catch fresh in New York. A few vessels are engaged in the mackerel fishery and generally sell their fares in Boston. The smaller vessels fish nearer home and land their fares in New London. One-fourth of the catch of the near-home fleet goes to New York by steamer, and the remainder is distributed direct from here throughout the country, either by rail or by numerous peddlers that secure their supplies from the vessels or have their fish forwarded by rail. Most of the vessels are well-smacks, so that the fish arc generally alive when received in New York or New London. . Large floating tanks or cars, made of wood, are moored to the wharves in New London, and in these tanks the live fish are kept for days, or even weeks and mouths before they are sold. Most of the vessels use hand-lines, but those fishing on the offshore banks use trawls. Lob- sters are taken by the vessel fleet as far away as Block Island, and at the mouth of Buzzard's Bay, while the small boats set their lobster traps near home in Fisher's Island Sound. As the State has no protective law for lobsters, a large part of the catch is too small to be of much benefit to any one, and if sold in Massachusetts or New York would subject the seller to punishment. A small amount of net fishing is carried on by fykes, and the catch is mostly flounders. Four heart pounds are set near the mouth of the river Thames, one at Avery Point, one at Pine Island, and one at each end of Bushy Point Beach. From New London to Norwich, a distance of 14 miles on the Thames River, quite an amount of fish are taken during the year by men that arc farmers, mechanics, or laborers the greater part of the year. They fish more or less during the summer season and catch bluefish, bass, eels, flounders, and shad, and a few mackerel. During the winter their catch is smelts, frostfish, eels, and flatfish. The summer fishing is carried on mostly by drag nets or seines. Eels are taken in pots and with spears in the winter. The principal fishing season from New London is from April until October, but little fishing being carried on by the large vessels during the winter, and by the smaller vessels during only a small part of the year. The catch of the vessel fleet of New London in 1880 included 1,230,000 pounds of cod, 490,000 pounds of halibut, 467,500 pounds of bluefish, 73,500 pounds of swordfish, 159,800 pounds of bass, 4,223 barrels of mackerel, and 170,000 pounds of lobsters. The shore fisheries yielded about 150,000 pounds of flounders, eels, tautog, smelts, and other species, and about 30,000 pounds of lobsters. The menhaden fishery of this port is important, and employs a fleet of sixteen vessels aggre- 318 GEOGRAPHICAL KEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. gating 811.7C tons and valued at over $75,000. The statistics of this business are included in the summation for the State. Mr. Ingersoll reports as follows on the oyster interests of this region : "The extreme eastern point on the Connecticut shore, where any oysters occur, is in the neighborhood of New London. A few miles east of the mouth of the Thames, in the township of Grotoii, is an inlet and river known as Peqnonock. In 1877 several gentlemen leased about 35 acres of ponds on the east side of this river. In one of these ponds, containing about 15 acres, native oysters grew upon the rocks and around the edges. A portion of the bottom of this pond they prepared for oyster-raising, by spreading scallop-shells over C acres, and gravel and beach- sand over 2 acres. Here they planted some 2,500 bushels of seed from Stony Creek, Clinton, and Fair Haven, Conn., at a total expense of between $4,000 and $5,000. These oysters have grown finely, but as yet few have been taken to market. This year (1879-'SO) has been a comparatively poor one for them. "The oysters in Pequonock River are deep and cup shaped, not of large size, and with a thin, white, flinty shell. Locally they are very highly esteemed. Another locality where this firm has undertaken oyster-cultivation is in the Niantic River, an inlet just west of the Thames, where they have had 20 acres set off for the purpose, and have already planted some seed. In Alewife Cove, between Niautic Bay and the Thames, they have also several acres of ground which they purpose preparing in the near future. A few oysters are now being put upon the market from these ponds, and have met with a good reception, at high prices. These planters believe that a grand success awaits them ; others assert that the waters are unsuitable, and that little of importance will result. Three persons are employed. "In the river Thames, years ago, were great numbers of indigenous oysters. Thousands of bushels were annually obtained for the markets of the neighboring towns. These oysters were of good quality, and generally of immense size. Planting, however, was never a success, owing to the great freshets which often sweep down the river, and also owing to the impurities that are cast so plentifully into the stream from the drainage of the towns and from multitudinous factories along the tributary streams. Nevertheless, a few native 'Norwich River' oysters are annually caught, except in the close season, between March 1 and November 1, and there are half a dozen persons in Norwich who deal in them and in other oysters, but the whole city's trade, probably, does not amount to 10,000 bushels a year of 'natives' and ' Chesapcakes' combined, and is decreasing. "At New London the oystermen own ground at Bullock's Point and Drownville, in Providence River, Rhode Island. Upon those tracts, in 1879, they bedded about 15,000 bushels of Virginia oysters, in addition to receiving a winter's supply of 35,000 bushels. New London and its neigh- borhood also consumes about 700 bushels of fancy oysters annually, mainly brought from Provi- dence, R. I. The prices at this point, in 1879, were, for southern oysters, 80 cents to $1 a gallon ; for native stock, 50 cents a quart, or $1.GO a gallon, wholesale. Twenty cents a solid quart is paid for opening. "There are employed here in the winter mouths twelve men on oyster- vessels and twenty five men on shore, besides the principals. These are mostly heads of families, who engage in men- haden fishing in summer." NIANTIO. — Between New London and the Connecticut River there is no fishery of importance, except the menhaden industry carried on at Niantic, at the factory of Luce Brothers, where one hundred and twenty-five men are employed, and some $50,000 capital invested in vessels, buildings, and apparatus for the capture of menhaden and the manufacture of oil and guano. CONNECTICUT: CONNECTICUT RIVER TO NEW HAVEN. 319 C.— CONNECTICUT RIVER TO NEW HAVEN. 106. FISHERIES OF THE CONNECTICUT RIVER, SAYBROOK, AND WESTBROOK. THE CONNECTICUT RIVER AND SAYBROOK.— The Connecticut River, which empties into Long Island Sound at the town of Saybrook, has long been known as abounding in fish of various species, especially shad aud alewives. These are taken at different points along the river as far up as Holyokc, in Massachusetts. Within the limits of the State of Connecticut, and especially towards the mouth of the river below Middletown, there are fishing stations where gill-nets and haul-seines are used for the capture of these fish. At present the number of gill-nets used in the river is 57, worked by 114 men, and 20 haul-seines, handled by 49 men. The catch in 1880 was 92,824 shad in number, and 2,700 barrels of alewives. At the mouth of the river, on the western shore, is Saybrook, for many years famous not only for shad catching but also for the packing and shipment of shad from towns in the vicinity. Shad are taken here in pounds or traps of the usual heart shape. These are set outside of Saybrook Point and just west of the river along the sound. From Lynde's Point, at the mouth of the river, to Cornfield Point, a distance of 3 miles to the westward, there are five of these traps, as follows: One each at Lynde Point, Gardner Place, Guard House, Willard's Bay, and Gillett's Bay. It is a singular fact, that although shad were formerly taken in abundance in pounds set east of the river and near its mouth, the catch of late years has so decreased that pounds iu those localities have been abandoned, except for the capture of a few menhaden and a few squeteague, blackfish, her- ring, and bass. Just above the point, inside the river, on the western bank, small piers are built out a short distance from the shore. These are used in the shad fishery and named " Washington," "Federal," and " Jamaica." In years past they were considered to be in the best locations to be found for catching shad. As long as thirty years ago the catch from each pier averaged 20,000 shad, but of late years the annual yield has gradually decreased, and if the falling off continues, a few years more will see these old fishing piers given up. From the piers sweep-nets of 1,920 feet in length and 30 feet deep of 5-inch rnesh are used, each pier fishing two nets managed by seven men. One end of the seine is made fast to the pier with a line. The seine is then paid out from the boat aud is swept round the fish and the other end brought back to the pier and placed around a capstan by which the seine is drawn in to the pier aud the fish removed. The gill-nets or drift-nets used here are 900 feet long, 25 feet deep, and 5g-inch mesh. They are taken about 2 miles up the river and allowed to drift down with the current, catching nothing but shad. By the three methods of pounds, seines, and gill-nets the shad fishery is carried on. Most of the catch in this vicinity is outside the river in the heart-pounds. The season commences about April 20, varied a few days by an early or late spring, and continues till Juno 20, when the law requires fishing with nets and pounds to cease. The railroad station is located on the steamboat piers, at the mouth of the river, and here the fish are received, packed, and shipped. They are usually put up with snow or crushed ice in boxes holding about 300 pounds each, and in this manner sent to Hartford and New York, whence they are distributed all over the country, the entire catch being marketed fresh. The total number of 320 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. shad taken in the Connecticut River and vicinity, during 1880, was 268,608, or about 1,074,432 pounds. Striped bass and numerous other fish that were formerly plenty in the river have grown scarce, and yearly show a decrease. The cause is attributed to the pollution of the water by the large factories along its banks. Twenty-five fyke-nets are set iu this vicinity, a few outside and some inside of the river. They are fished during the fall and winter mouths, and capture flatfish, herring, bass, and a few shad. Two hundred lobster-pots are set about the mouth of the river and fished by four men. The catch of lobsters is small, and mostly sold in this vicinity. From 10,000 to 15,000 pounds of eels are annually taken. The refuse fish caught by the traps amount to about $500 worth annually. For trap or pound fishing the twine for the nets is bought and the knitting hired. The twine costs 25 cents per pound and 15 cents per pound to knit it. The work is mainly done by women. The six fishing companies average 2,500 pounds of twine per year for repairs, together with 2,000 pounds of rope at 15 cents per pound. A new pound-net takes from 800 to 1,000 pounds of twine, and costs, with stakes and all the gear, from $800 to $1,000. The men employed fish on shares, receiving one-third of the net proceeds of the fish after deducting rent, packing, cartage, commis- sions, &c. The fisheries are held by "prescriptive right." The decisions of the courts have been that persons owning the land own the fishery opposite. These fisheries are rented at from six to twenty shad in every hundred caught. The fishermen and owners of pounds here are mainly well-to-do farmers, and of a higher order of intelligence than is usually found among fishermen. They think that many shad either spawn in salt water or at the mouths of the creeks; and a small creek near by was a famous resort for shad years .ago. In proof of this theory they say that they take many shad which have spawned. These they call "racers," and they are taken in April before the temperature is high enough in the river to induce the shad to ascend for spawning, and one was caught in November. They caught small shad of 2£ to 4 inches long in salt water iu the latter part of May, 1875, and ask where they come from. In the first week in June, 1881, Mr. Denisou found among a haul of six hundred shad sixty-eight of these "racers." Mr. Samuel A. Chalker, of Saybrook, says that in 1849, the fishing was no longer profitable, and that it had gradually decreased all along the coast under seine-fishing. In that year the pounds were introduced, and since then the shad have not only increased along the coast, but in the river also. It is worthy of note that these pound-nets arc not in the river, but run out from the coast just west of it, and that the middle ones take as many as the outer ones. The fishermen think that the shad come in toward the shore at flood-tide to feed, and so run into the middle nets; and in proof of this say that fifty years or more ago there was a trap here called a " weir," which was formed by stone- walls running out from the shore on the flats, and that just before the tide fell a net was stretched across the entrance, and the shad were inclosed and taken out at low tide. Of menhaden (" whitefish ") but few are now taken for manure. There has been talk of keeping the pounds set to catch these for the oil-works on Long Island, but it has not been done. Near Saybrook there is a small stream called Oyster River that produces a variety of the bivalves after which it is named, which are said to be of superior quality. Fifteen or twenty persons engage in taking these at odd hours, but do not take more than 100 bushels a year. WESTBEOOK. — At Westbrook, the next town west from Saybrook, the shad fishery is carried on by pound fishers, using twenty-one bowls and hearts. These pounds are owned by eleven com- panies, and an annual average catch is about 12,000 shad, which are sold at Saybrook. About 200,000 pounds of "whitefish" or menhaden were taken here in 1880. In 1851, 5,000,000 of these fish were caught here, but they have gradually decreased in abundance. One hundred men fish CONNECTICUT: CONNECTICUT RIVER TO NEW HAVEN. 321 part of the year, and do other work the rest of the time. They make a scanty living. About 35,000 pounds of various edible fish are caught, and either consumed locally or sent to market. Mr. E. H. Stannard writes as follows, under date of Westbrook, June 4, 1881: "Our company has fished with pounds for thirty-two years, and occupied the same fishing ground with seines for a much longer time. The catch of shad this spring has been very good, fat, and large, owing to the great abundance of shad-food all along the shore this season. In dressing the shad we find them filled up with it. I think the shad have been the best this spring for twenty- three years. In 1860, 1861, 1862, and 1863 the shad were about the same as this spring. Our record shows for thirty-two years a little increase in catch. Since 1875 the catch by our company has been about 13,000 shad per year. The jelly-fish have been very destructive to pound fishing several times within the past thirty-two years. There have been more or less every year in the sound. In 18G1 the best part of the season was destroyed, and in 1868 half the season was destroyed by the jelly-fish taking away the twine and stakes. In the year 1878 jelly-fish were very plenty, and almost entirely destroyed shad-fishing with pounds. This year, 1881, the jelly-fish have destroyed about one-third of the catch or time, or at least one-third of the season." 107. FISHING TOWNS FROM CLINTON TO EAST HAVEN. CLINTON. — From Clinton to Gnilford there are twelve pounds, managed by fifteen men. The catch of shad at the former place is marketed at Saybrook. The oyster industry is of some importance at Clinton. Mr. Ingersoll reports on this business as follows: "At Clinton, a little village settled under the name of Kenilworth (afterward corrupted into Killiugworth), at the mouth of the Hammonaset River, the oyster business is of long growth, and is somewhat peculiar. The harbor, in old times, contained an abundance of large, succulent oysters, but these have been all but exhausted in one way or another. About twenty-five years ago the planting began in the harbor, the seed then used being caught mainly at home or brought from Block Island. The harbor at present contains about 200 acres suitable for oyster-growth. For- merly there was much more, but a few years ago the sea made a breach through the peninsula which incloses the harbor, by which the southerly storms are given so fierce an entrance into the bay, that any attempt at oyster-work, or even at navigation, over much of the water-space, is ren- dered utterly futile. If this breach, locally known as the Dardanelles, could be filled up— and the cost, I was informed, would not exceed $1,000 — a thousand acres or more would be added to the oyster-bottom. The bottom is hard, the water nowhere too deep for tonging, and of about the right degree of freshness. Mud and sand drift so badly in winter, however, that no oysters can be left down during that season. The practice, therefore, is to put down not only Virginias, but natives of so large a growth that they shall be marketable the next winter. Years ago a much larger num- ber of Virginia oysters were planted than at present — often 20,000 bushels — but the business has changed, until now only 8,000 bushels a year are demanded. The freight from the Chesapeake is 12 cents a bushel, and the following four schooners find employment: J. H. Chaffee, 130 tons; Mary Stow, 160 tons; G. A. Hayden, 108 tons; Helen P., 146 tons. "A fair 'set' occurs in Clinton Harbor every year, and in 1877 there happened a very heavy one. A certain quantity of this survives, and about 1,000 bushels are utilized annually. The majority of the 'native' oysters, however, are raised from seed bought along the shore to the west- ward, that from Norwalk being preferred. This costs from 75 cents to $1 a bushel, and is planted in April. It is ready to take up late in the following autumn, and has grown rapidly and into handsome shape. The quality, also, is most excellent, such oysters selling at from $1 to $1.50 a 21GRF 322 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. bushel at wliolcsale. The aiinual production of this stock amounts to 2,000 bushels. The only easy matter for a man who desired to cultivate native oysters extensively to get under his control a large amount of land through assignments from family and friends ; nor, in the great majority of cases, was any money consideration given for such assignments. It soon became common, indeed, for an application to be made by 'A, B, and others,' a score or more, perhaps, everybody understanding that while the 'others' were actual inhabitants of the town they had no intention of making any personal use whatever of the privileges. This, of course, was an evasion of the law, which practically amounted to its annulment, yet no one objected, for the spirit of the statute was not considered to have been broken; perhaps it ought to be said, no one objected at first, for within the last few years there has been loud murmuring against the largest dealers, who have obtained the control of hundreds of acres, and who have found it necessary to secure amendments and additions to the laws in order to make their titles sure and strong. "It will be understood by this that the business of catching and cultivating native, home- bred oysters at New Haven had grown, out of the old haphazard condition, into a definite and profitable organization by the time the last decade began. It was not long before all the available inshore bottom was occupied, and the lower river and harbor looked like a submerged forest, so thickly were planted the boundary stakes of the various beds. Encroachments naturally followed into deeper water, and this proceeded, until finally some adventurous spirits went below the light- house and invaded Long Island Sound. " Who was the originator and pioneer in this bold move is undecided ; the honor is claimed by several with about equal right. At any rate, Mr. H. C. Eowe first showed the courage of his opinions enough to take up some hundreds of acres outside, in water from 25 to 40 feet in depth, and to begin there the cultivation of native oysters. "Incessantly swept by the steady and rapid outflow of the Quinepiac and Housatonic (whose currents flow eastward), the hard sandy bottom of Long Island Sound, off New Haven and Mil- ford, is kept clean throughout a considerable area, beyond which is soft, thick mud. There are reefs and rocks scattered about, to be sure, and now and then patches of mud; but over large areas extends only a smooth, uniucumbered bottom of sand or gravel. This makes this region peculiarly adapted to oyster-culture. CONNECTICUT: NEW HAVEN AND VICINITY. 329 "This new departure, or unlooked-for expansion of the business, caused considerable excitement as it rapidly developed. It was soon seen, in tbe first place, that the existing statutes, which never had contemplated this sort of thing, would not fit all the exigencies, and after the codifica- tion of 1800 alterations and amendments rapidly followed one another, in which the conflicting interests of the deep-water cultivators and the small inshore owners were sought to be harmonized or guarded against opposition. Although recognized by law and acknowledged by clear heads since the earliest times, the rights of proprietorship under the water, and the notion of property in the growth and improvement ensuing upon ground granted and worked for oyster-culture, have hardly yet permeated the public mind and become generally accepted facts. Cultivators of all grades found many and many instances in which their staked-out ground was reappropriated, or the oysters, upon which they had spent a great deal of time and money, were taken by their neighbors even, who angrily resented any imputation of stealing. Not uncommonly the proceeding was much after the manner of mining in a new gold or silver region, such as the Leadville district of Colorado, for instance, where prospectors 'locate claims' on top of one another, and all went to digging side by side, the first one to strike 'mineral' having a right to any or all of his rivals' territory, within stipulated limits. "Having put some oysters on a piece of ground and found them to do well, a man would put in a claim for a grant of that piece, and feel greatly abused because it had previously been desig- nated to some man who knew that the only proper or safe way was to get legal possession of the ground first, and make a trial afterwards.* Then number one would claim the right to remove his oysters, and in doing so would be sure to be charged by number two with taking more than belonged to him. It was easy, too, for unscrupulous persons to dump seed or large oysters upon ground that they pretended not to know was already granted, and then, in taking their stuff' away, to rake up a large addition. "If a man neglected to take out a title to his ground, or omitted any technicality, somebody stood always ready to rob him of all the results of his work in open daylight, with the calmest effrontery. 'All that is under water is public property' was the maxim of the million, 'unless every form of law is observed'; and unless it is watched with a shotgun besides, they might have added. An authentic incident that happened many years ago will illustrate this temper; and I should not devote so much attention to this matter were it not that this false philosophy has been almost universal, has proved the greatest stumbling-block to the prosperity of efforts at oyster- culture along this whole coast, and is almost ineradicable from the 'longshore mind. "Two of the veterans of the native oyster business at this point were born and spent their boyhood on the shore, and early became accustomed to the habits and haunts of all the fishes and mollusks. When they were lads of seventeen they sought out a suitable place near the western shore, and gradually accumulated there an artificial bed of native oysters, which soon attained a merchantable size. There were several hundreds of bushels, and the young men were congratu- lating themselves as fall approached that upon the early completion of the engagements which then occupied their time they would reap a rich harvest from their labor and patience. The time when they intended to take them up was only a few days distant, and no harm by storm or other- wise had come to the bed, when one morning they went out only to find that every oyster had disappeared. It was a cruel disappointment, but inquiry soon solved the riddle. In the darkness * Perhaps some excuse or explanation of this sore feeling is found in the fact that the town of Branford allowed a mau to apply for and try a quantity of land a year; at the expiration he could pay for it or "heave it up," as he thought best. This was a purely local regulation, however. 330 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. of the preceding night several teams, fully prepared for the work, caine down from miles and miles back in the country, from away up about Westville and Woodbridge and North Orange, and their owners had raked up the whole bed and carted it away to hide in their cellars. No robbery could be plainer, and there was little attempt to secrete it; but there was no redress, and the perpetrators chuckled over it as a good joke without a scruple about the propriety of the thing. Nothing in the sea was private property. '; LEGAL PROTECTION FOR OYSTER-PLANTERS. — A vast amount of this sort of stealing and interference with proprietary rights granted by the State was perpetrated and sanctioned by the great majority of the watermen, under the plea that the locality in question was 'natural ground.' Any definition or restriction of this ground was impracticable and resisted. The only resource for the man who had invested money in oyster-culture, and wanted the opportunity to develop his investment, was to declare that no 'natural oyster ground' existed in New Haven Harbor, and that designations past and to come were valid, even though the areas so designated might once have been natural oyster-beds. This checkmated the men who 'jumped claims,' yet refused to be considered thieves; but it caused a tremendous howl against the movers, in which a large number of persons, having small information of the facts, joined, on the general principle of 'death to the capitalist.' It may have worked discomfort in a few individual cases, as all sweeping changes must, but on the whole, considering how nearly exhausted and worthless the Quinepiac fisheries had become, I think it must be regarded as not unjust. At any rate, the legislature of 1875 passed an amendment exempting Orange, New Haven, and East Haven from the enactment prohibiting the setting apart or 'designation' of 'natural oyster-beds' for purposes of planting or cultivation, leaving, however, the law intact for the rest of the State. Had this measure not been passed, systematic cultivation would have been vastly hindered, if not altogether killed, by thieves and malcontents, so far as New Haven harbor is concerned. Elsewhere, under different conditions, no such necessity exists as yet, in order to be able to prosecute the artificial raising. Instantly upon the passage of this act there was a rush by everybody for the possession of lots in all parts of the Quinepiac and West Rivers. The oyster committee of the towns decided that each owner of land abutting on the river should possess the right to the bottom opposite his land for 100 feet from high-water mark. This was a concession to popular feeling, though that opinion had no foundation whatever in law, since the title to riparian real estate in this State terminates at the high-water tide limit. Between these boundaries, or ' wharf lines,' tracts equal in width to each man's water front, and extending to the channel, wer'e allotted to the land owners at $10 to $15 an acre; but the majority of them were not more than half an acre in extent. Lucky receivers of these river grants at once found themselves able to sell for from $25 to $50, and before long there was brisk demand and little sale, at prices ranging from $100 to $150. The deep-water men found this river property of great use as a nursery for seed, and as a place to make temporary deposits of surplus stock, &c. The Quinepiac thus began to bristle with boundary stakes, much as the harbor had done for many years previous, and many of these river lots are now valued at more than $500. "In 1877 a very full set was obtained everywhere in the river and harbor; in 1878, however, there was almost a total dearth ; but 1879 again saw a partial set. '; PRESENT CONDITION OF OYSTER CULTURE IN THE VICINITY OF NEW HAVEN. — Situated on the western shore, the township of Orange (West Haven) owns the western half of the harbor of New Haven. These shores have always been populous with oysters, which were raked as public property. If any attempts at cultivation were made until within a few years, they were desultory CONNECTICUT: NEW HAVEN AND VICINITY. 331 and of small account. When the general oyster statutes were passed, Orange at ouce acted under them, but delegated to its selectmen the powers of an oyster committee instead of erecting a second board, as was done in all the other towns. This arrangement has been found to work very well. The first designation was made in April, 1SG4. and all the suitable ground in West River and in the harbor was soon set apart, amounting to about 45 acres. Mr. Samuel Smith, chairman of the selectnien, tells me that nothing was charged for this ground, but that it was put under taxation, and now pays on valuations running from $50 to $500. When, four years ago, the experiment of deep-water cultivation was begun, Orange issued designations, almost wholly to citizens of other towns, for about 2,450 acres, at $1 an acre. It is impossible to come nearer than this to the town's revenue from its oyster-lots, since no separate account is published by the treasurer. The deep- water area is taxed at a merely nominal rate at present. "Only two producers of any consequence now reside in West Haven. The small allotments in West River which they possess are nearly ruined by the drifting of sediment, and the total product of the river last year would hardly exceed 500 bushels. One planter told me he had had 12 acres in one lot in the harbor spoiled by becoming covered with mud. "Between Orange and East Haven lies New Haven, priding herself upon her harbor. She had begun to set apart oyster-planting ground for the use of her citizens. Before long,,however, it was claimed that she was allotting spaces of bottom over which she had no jurisdiction. This brought on suits at law and aroused inquiry. The forgotten fact was then brought to light that in 18G3 a joint commission (of which Noah Webster, the lexicographer, was a member) determined the boundary between New Haven and East Haven to be, in general terms, the ship-channel down the Quinepiac and down the harbor. This was ratified by the general assembly. A few years later some disputes caused the appointment of a commission to settle upon the boundary between New Haven and Orange. This was reported to be the middle of West River, and thence eastward to the ship-channel in the harbor. It seems to have been the intention of this commission that this line should intersect and terminate at the East Haven line, but by some error this was not quite done. The recommendations of this commission were adopted by the legislature and decreed to be the boundary between the two towns. This left to New Haven only the waters just about her wharves and a very narrow, wedge-shaped strip down the channel. When, by later laws, it was decided what of the deeper ground of the sound should be 'designated' by East Haven and Orange, respectively, New Haven was allowed a strip 1,500 feet wide, running southward into the sound from a line drawn from the old light-house to Savin Rock. "Although these boundaries were settled nearly a century ago, the New Haven oyster com- mittee not long ago designated ground in Orange waters, where they had no right to. Unscrupu- lous persons at once took possession, and in some cases refused to yield to the legal owners deriving their designations properly. Hence expensive suits and much personal animosity has arisen. Many lessees, however, learning their mistake in time, took out new deeds from the rightful authorities, and so saved themselves. But this was done at additional expense, for New Haven had never charged anything for her privileges. "Out of the 7,000 or 8,000 acres 'designated' in New Haven Harbor and its offing only from 3,000 to 3,500 are in actual use as yet. The largest possession is Mr. H. C. Rowe's ; he operates upon about 1,500 acres. Several other planters have from 200 to COO, while many have 100 acres under cultivation. The major part of this is in deep water, and is yet regarded to a great extent as an experiment, particularly by those who live in other parts of the State. Thus far the success has been encouraging. One gentleman calculates that he has 200,000 bushels of oysters of all 332 GEOGRAPHICAL KEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. ages oil bis offshore laud. Another planter gives me his estimated wealth as follows: On 70 acres 75,000 bushels, suitable to be sold as seed in the spring of 1830, at an average of 50 cents a bushel ; on 50 acres, shells and a good set; elsewhere, in one tract, about 3,000 bushels of young spawners, on which shells are to be thrown; on another tract, 20,000 bushels of seed useful in 1880; and, lastly, an area holding about 5,000 bushels of 'set'. A 30-acre lot yielded this firm 12,000 bushels in three years, which were sold at 70 cents." E.— COAST TOWNS OF CONNECTICUT WEST OF NEW HAVEN. 110. GENERAL FISHERIES OF THE DISTRICT. FISHERIES FROM MILFORD TO NEW YORK.— There are no important general fishing stations in Connecticut west of New Haven. At Milford there is a menhaden oil factory with a fleet of twelve vessels, aggregating 316.G2 tons, and a large capital invested in buildings and machinery. In the Housatonic River eleven seines, handled by forty-seven men, are used in the annual capture of about 28,000 pounds of shad and 165,000 pounds of other fish. At Stratford seines are hauled for menhaden for manure, and a few blackfish or tautog, flounders, and striped bass are taken. The total catch of these fish is about C,000 pounds yearly, and 20,000 pounds of eels. No one lives entirely by fishing. Ten men take eels in summer. W. D. Cook & Sons, fish dealers at Bridgeport, report that a few bluefish, weakfish, and striped bass are taken near there with lines, mainly for sport. A seine is sometimes hauled, but it does not pay. Fykes are set for flounders, and a sturgeon is sometimes caught. The bluefish seldom exceed 2 pounds. Eels are taken in pots and with spears. The market supply of fish comes from New York, Boston, and Gloucester. The above firm has sold 44 barrels per week. The catch here amounts to 2,000 pounds of eels and 5,000 pounds of other species. No one lives by fishing entirely; it is mainly done for sport. The fishermen throw small eels on shore to die. Mr. W. D. Mills has a small seine 30 rods long, 14 feet deep, and of 2J-inch mesh. He says that there are nine seines owned here, but that if a man depended upon fishing he would starve. They fish when other work is dull. Blackfish and flatfish are the main fish. A few lobsters are caught. The supply of fish for South Norwalk comes almost entirely from New York, and there is no fishing here except for sport. Some of the people take a few e«ls and flatfish, but not enough to amount to anything for market. From South Norwalk to New York the same story is told. All fish come from New York to the big markets. A few men drag out an existence by fishing when nothing else offers, but they are of an idle class who do not care to do too much of anything. A few anglers fish for sport, and an occasional big bass is taken. The following notice is from Forest and Stream of June 2, 1881: "NEW EOCHELLE, NEW YORK.— On the 24th of May, Mr. Walter J. Davids caught with a hook and line, using a squid for bait, a striped bass 4 feet 2 inches long and weighing 53 pounds. It was taken in New Rochelle Harbor, Long Island Sound, in about 12 feet of water, near the village dock.— H. W. M." Anglers find sport occasionally, but from a commercial point of view there arc practically no fisheries here. CONNECTICUT: COAST TOWNS WEST OF NEW HAVEN. 333 111. ORIGIN AND PEESENT IMPORTANCE OF THE OYSTEK INDUSTRY. MILFORD. — Concerning the oyster industry of Milford, Mr. Ingersoll says: "Leaving New Haven, the first stoppage for oyster studies is at Milford, one of the most inter- esting and beautiful places in the State. It was settled in 1639, and long ago had an extensive West India trade and ship-building industry. The business in that line declined forty years ago. The gulf, harbor, and estuaries have always been more or less prolific of shell-fish. Milford long- clams have a good reputation. Milford Point, at the mouth of the Housatonic River, was a famous oystering place many years ago. Old citizens remember a row of huts, built of wreckage and covered with banks and thatching of seaweed, which used to border this wild beach. In these huts lived fifty or sixty men, who made here their home during the greater or less part of the year, and devoted themselves to clam-digging and oyster-raking. Many of these men, who were utterly poor, thus got together the beginnings of a fortune, which, invested in active agriculture, placed them among the most influential inhabitants. But for the last thirty or forty years such sea industries as these have been declining, until nothing whatever was done on the water by Milford people, except the catching of menhaden, for the utilization of which two large factories have been built. "About eight years ago, however, Mr. William H. Merwin, knowing what had been done about New Haven, began his valuable experiments in cultivating native oysters. He and some others had once before started an enterprise of raising oysters in the 'Gulf Pond' at the mouth of the Indian River. But the other stockholders, being older men, disregarded his advice, though he had always lived by the shore, and the effort failed. They insisted upon damming the river, so that the sediment brought down by the stream was deposited upon and smothered the oysters. It is this episode that gave rise to section 10 of the oyster statute. "Eight years ago Mr. Merwin resolved to try oyster-planting for himself. He took up a few acres oft' the shore in water 8 feet deep at low tide. He had just got his oysters well planted and had high hopes of success, when a storm destroyed them all. His labor and money got no return but costly experience. He then tried again, further out toward the sea, in 18 feet depth of water, near the Government buoy. He got so heavy a set, and his young stock grew so well, that he estimated his crop at 10,000 bushels. Cultivators from Providence and Boston came down and bargained with him to take it all about the middle of April, but the last of March there came a gale which drifted so much sand upon the oysters that they had not strength, after the severe winter, to 'spit it out,' and before they could be taken up so many died that only 3,000 bushels were sold. There had been an immense excitement over the seeming success of oyster culture; a joint-stock company had been formed and the whole harbor taken up; but this storm put an end to the enthusiasm, and everybody, except Mr. Merwin and his two sons, retreated. Mr. Merwin, however, saw that the trouble lay in the shallowness of the water. He therefore went down to Pond Point, eastward of the harbor, and buoyed off 200 acres in water from 25 to 40 feet deep, upon a hard gravelly and sandy bottom. He placed upon this ground a quantity of full-grown oysters and shells and secured a large set, which has been augmented each year since, until he now has 100 acres under cultivation. In 1877 there was a very heavy set hereabouts; in 1878 less, and in 1879 least of all. "Having thus got assurance of a profitable farm, for storms no longer seemed able to affect him, Mr. Merwin saw that he needed more rapid and sure means of harvesting his crop than the row-boats and skiffs afforded. He therefore employed the firm of Lockwood & Co., of Nor- walk, to build him a steamer for the express purpose of dredging, and introduced the proper 3J4 GEOGRAPHICAL BEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. machinery for that work. With this steamer, which is to a large degree iudepeudent of wind aud weatter, he can do three times the amount of work possible for the same number of dredges worked without steam (500 bushels is not an uncommon day's result with two dredges), and do it best on the 'dull' days, when it is too calm for his neighbors' sloops to work. Its owners often find profitable employment for their leisure in chartering the steamer to other oystermeu, who desire aid in dredging or in raking oif the starfish that infest some beds. One single instance of the advantage the use of steam was to this firm will be pardoned. In the spring of 1879 a Ehode Island planter sent a sloop, capable of carrying 1,500 bushels, to New Haven to buy small seed. The Merwius were invited to contribute to the cargo, the captain of the sloop buying on the prin- ciple of 'first come, first served,' until he had filled up, haste being the great desideratum. It happened that upon the very day the sloop arrived a dead calm fell, aud not a sloop from Fair Haven or Oyster Point could haul a dredge. Meanwhile Mr. Merwiu's steamer was puffing back and forth through the quiet sea, without an hour's cessation, and in two days placed 1,200 bushels of seed upon the sloop's decks. "There are two rivers which come down to the sea at Milford, the pleasant Wepawaug, along whose banks the town lies, and whose upper waters turn numerous mills; and Indian River, which empties into the harbor close by the mouth of the former stream. Indian River debouches in an estuary called the Gulf, or Gulf Pond. Except in one little spot no oysters grow now, or ever did grow, in this inclosed salt-water pond, although it would be the best possible place to cultivate them. But the popular feeling of the town is so strongly against the utilization of these advan- tages by private effort, that no ground is permitted to be set off, and any oysters put down there are liable to be seized as public plunder. Once, indeed, the oyster committee assigned to Mr. Merwiu a tract in the gulf; but as soon as it was found out, an indignation meeting was held aud mob law was loudly threatened. Cooler judgment overruled that, but any cultivation of this valuable ground, otherwise wholly useless, was sternly interdicted. "Inspired by Mr. Merwin's success and pluck, various persons have taken up ground in the vicinity of his tract off Pond Point, amounting in the aggregate to about 750 acres, divided among eight owners. One of these gentlemen, in addition to 100 acres here, has several smaller tracts at different points along the shore to the westward; in all, about 400 acres, upon which some thou- sands of bushels of young oysters are growing. There is plenty of good bottom still remaining off this shore, however. "SEED OYSTERS AT STRATFORD AND VICINITY. — Having passed to the westward of New Haven and Milford Harbors, we come upon a new feature of the oyster business. This is the sys- tematic dredging of natural beds in the sound and along the inlets of the shore, for seed to be placed upon the artificial beds in the eastern part of the sound, in the East River, and on the south shore of Long Island. This department of the business will demand more and more attention as I progress toward its headquarters at Norwalk. The most easterly natural bed which these dredg- ers attack is one off Clark's Point, just east of the mouth of Oyster River. (In Oyster River itself, by the way, no oysters have ever been known within the memory of tradition, although that name appears in a map drawn prior to 1700.) The next natural bed consists of a reef, 5 acres in extent, on the western side of Pond Point. Beyond that, off Milford Point, at the mouth of the Housa- tonic, lies the Pompey bed, which afforded sustenance to the sea-hut colony that used to frequent Milford Point, aud where now a crop can be gathered about once in five years. "Upon the opposite side of the entrance to the Housatonic lies one of the principal seed- grounds in the sound ; that side of the Housatonic River is one vast natural oyster-bed all the way from Stratford Light up to the bridges, a distance of about 3 miles. There are many persons who CONNECTICUT : COAST TOWNS WEST OF NEW HAVEN. live along the shore in Stratford, who devote almost their whole time to the gathering of the young oysters and selling them to the vessels which in summer throng the bay. They get fiom 15 to 25 cents a bushel, and there are perhaps fifty men who make this a business. "In May sloops and small schooners begin to come after the seed, which is of a year's (or less) growth. They hail principally from Norwalk and its vicinity. This fleet gradually increases, until in mid-summer there are sometimes to be seen from seventy-five to one hundred vessels at once in the mouth of the river. These vessels do not dredge for the seed. They anchor near the bed and send out skiffs, with a crew, who tong the oysters up until their skiff is full, when they take it to their vessel to be unloaded. From one to half a dozen skiffs are employed by each vessel, which is thus able to load up quickly, go home with its cargo, and be ready to return. To avoid any loss of time, however, in voyages back and forth, some owners of beds keep one or more vessels anchored in the Housatonic all the while, upon which the crews live, who load other vessels that are con- stantly passing back and forth. The rapidity of this work is shown by the fact that one man with two assistants will put upon his sloop a full cargo of 500 bushels in two days, and be off and back in another two days, ready to go at it again. Persons who live upon the shore, and who claim to found their estimate on trustworthy facts, say that 400,000 bushels of seed were taken off these Housatouic beds between May and November, 1879. " Notwithstanding this heavy and long-continued drain these nurseries do not seem in danger of depletion. Few oysters, of course, manage to reach maturity, but there are enough to furnish spawn to repopulate the district, which the constant scraping fits in the best possible manner for securing a set. The people of Stratford, however, are beginning to object to longer allowing an unrequited privilege to everybody to rake the beds. Such an indiscriminate crowd embraces many loose characters, and frequent petty annoyances, with some serious trespasses, have occurred on shore. There seems no way to get rid of the nuisance, however, except to declare the whole ground available for culture and stake it off. This is urged by some of the shoremen, who think they see in this plan some chance of making the meadows and river bottom a valuable property, and a bless- ing instead of a curse to them. This meets with considerable opposition, however, and the old fool- ishness about 'natural beds' seems an unsurmouutable obstacle. Every year the staking off and cultivation of this river bottom is delayed Stratford loses by it in a way she will one day regret. Stratford also possesses along her front very good deep-water ground, running from Stratford Point to the Middle Ground, which remains to be utilized. The Housatonic seed, however, could not be utilized on this outer ground, since it is the long, fresh-water variety, which would not flourish in water so salt as that of the outer sound. " OYSTER BUSINESS AT BRIDGEPORT. — At Bridgeport there is a small but flourishing oyster business, participated in by three firms of planters. The natural oyster-producing ground off this harbor extended from Stratford to Black Rock, a distance of about 5 or 6 miles, but by 1850 it had become exhausted of all salable oysters, and even became of little value as a seed-producing area. Previously to that seven boats were owned at Bridgeport, all of which, since 1850, have been obliged to go elsewhere or change their work. Long ago, however, a Fair Haven man utilized ground at the point of the beach, at the mouth of the harbor, to bed down southern oysters, and his example was followed in a small degree by Bridgeport men. The first planting of native seed, however, was not until 1844, young oysters being brought from the Saugatuck and from Westport. At present Stratford and Housatouic seed is chiefly used. For opening purposes the Uousatouic Eiver seed is regarded as the best, because it becomes salable one year quicker than the sound 336 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. seed; but for shipping in the shell the deep-water seed produces more profit, though of slower growth, the mature stock being single, shapely, and of large size. "The practice of catching seed-oysters on shells prevails here with much success, but will be so fully discussed in a future chapter that I refrain from doing more than mention the fact here; and add that Mr. Wheeler Hawley, the largest planter at Bridgeport, believes himself to have been one of the first, if not the first, to adopt this method of oyster culture in Long Island Sound, putting the date of his experiments at 1853. "Replying to my questions in regard to methods and cost of following this practice in this harbor, one of the planters informed me that, in his case, he counts expenses per acre in preparation of oyster- bottom as follows: 500 bushels shells ("stools") at 5 cents 125 00 50 bushels of "spawners" (unculled) 12 00 Total cost of seeding 37 00 "From this he thought he ought to take up 1,000 bushels of seed to the acre of marketable oysters after two years, with a remainder left for the third year. The cost of taking .up would be about 20 cents a bushel. If seed-oysters are bought to be placed upon the ground, from 25 to 60 cents a bushel must be paid for them. "The total acreage under cultivation at Bridgeport, for which a rental of $2 an acre is paid to the town, is about 110 acres. On this ground there were raised in the winter of 1879-'80 about 8,000 bushels, which were mainly sold in the shell to New York buyers, at an average of about $1.12J a bushel. These oysters were large and fat, often opening six quarts to the bushel, as I was informed. In 1857 they brought $12 a barrel. "The fleet employed by the oystermen here consists of nine sail-boats, worth, perhaps, $2,500 in total; the care of the beds and running of the boats give support to about a dozen families, and occasional wages to others at the height of the season, the pay being about $2 a day. "OYSTER BUSINESS AT WESTPORT. — Westport is a little harbor on the Saugatuck River, one of the most beautiful of the many charming streams that debouch along this part of the coast. The river has long been celebrated for the abundance, large size, and excellent flavor of its natural oysters. They grew almost continuously, in favorable seasons, from the mouth of the river up to the village bridge, a distance of about 4 miles, and the farmers who lived along the river were accustomed to gather them in any desired quantity, without a thought of exhausting the supply. The depletion came at last, however, and now few marketable oysters, native to the Saugatuck, are ever procured. "Some years ago, when attention was first called to the desirability of transplanting oysters and raising them upon artificial beds, the Westport men staked off a large area at the mouth of the Saugatuck. No ground within the river, however, was allowed to be assigned, the town reserving all this as 'common ground,' where seed might be gathered by poor men and everybody, to be sold to the planters. The amount of seed thus procured annually varies greatly with different years. The highest trustworthy estimate given me for any one year (and this not recently) was 50,000 bushels. Last year, however, only about 4,000 bushels were caught; half was planted locally and half sold to outside buyers. In midsummer a score or so of men in skiffs may often be seen in the river at once raking seed-oysters, but these work only occasionally, and there are less than a dozen men who really derive their support 'by following the creek' (chiefly oystering) in the whole town. The seed used is between one and three years of age, and it is sold by the skiff- CONNECTICUT: COAST TOWNS WEST OF NEW HAVEN. 337 men for 35 or 40 cents a bushel. Smaller mixed stuff sometimes sells for 20 cents. There are only two or three sail-boats devoted to this work. "The first efforts at planting were made hi the mill-pond east of the village — a pond of salt water about 40 acres in extent. The bottom of this pond is a soft mass of mud, not barren, clayey mud, but a flocculent mass of decayed vegetation, &c., apparently inhabited through and through by the microscopic life, both vegetable and animal, which the oyster feeds iipon. Although the young oysters placed there sank out of sight in this mud, they were not smothered, on account of its looseness, but, on the contrary, thrived to an extraordinary degree, as also did their neighbors, the clams and eels, becoming of great size and extremely fat. Ten years ago oysters from this pond sold for $3 a bushel, and for one lot $16.50 is said to have been obtained. Before long, how- ever, a rough class of loungers began to frequent the pond, and the oysters were stolen so fast that planting there has almost wholly ceased, and prices have greatly declined. "Something over 500 acres of oyster ground have been set apart in the waters of the sound belonging to Westport. This ground lies in the neighborhood of Sprite's, Hay, Calf pasture, and Goose Islands. Two-thirds of it is owned by Norwalk men and other non-residents, and therefore the town has derived no revenue of consequence from it. "The principal planter in town is Mr. Eli Bradley, who gave me the most of the information obtained here. He has been long engaged in the business, and has planted many thousands of bushels of seed upon his beds, as also have his neighbors ; but there has been so much litigation concerning boundaries, so much actual thieving, and so incessant persecution by the starfishes and drills, that not much has been realized. Last year (1879) no oysters whatever of consequence were placed in the market from these beds. Outsiders, however, shifted certain oysters into Westport waters temporarily and saved a good crop, the figures relating to which appear elsewhere. All the residents at Westport assert strongly the extreme suitability of their ground for successful oyster- raising, barring the damages inflicted by the starfishes, which they think they can keep free from with sufficient labor. " SOUTH NORWALK. — Just eastward of Bowayton lies the city and harbor of South Norwalk, one of the most important oyster-producing localities in Long Island Sound, as well as one of the ' oldest.' The bay at the mouth of the Norwalk Eiver is filled with islands, which protect the shallow waters from the fury of the gales. This whole bay, in old days, was full of native oysters from the sound all the way up to Norwalk itself. Long before the elaborate means for growing oysters at present in vogue were thought of, therefore, Norwalk supplied the people of that region with fine, large, natural oysters, just as it had for centuries been a store-house of shell-fish food to the Indians, the remains of whose feasts and feasting places are still to be found. "About forty years or more ago, however, the natural beds in the vicinity of Norwalk Harbor had become so depleted that they no longer afforded to anybody employment that amounted to anything; nor was it until toward the year 1850 that any transplantation of seed, or anything in the shape of the propagation, was attempted. The business of oyster-growing here therefore, which at first sight seems of immemorial age, is only about thirty years old. The history of its growth need not be given here. It will bo sufficient to publish the statistics I have accumulated in regard to the present status of the business at this point. "The principal planters and shippers at South Norwalk (with which I include its suburb, Village Creek) are the Hoyt Brothers, Graham Bell, Oliver Weed, C. Eemseu, Eaymond & Sauii- ders, Peter Decker, the Burbauks, and several others who raise more than 1,000 bushels a year. In addition to these there are many men who have small beds which they keep increasing as fast as circumstances permit, and who make a part of their living by working at wages for planters 22GEF 338 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. whose operations are more extensive than their own. There is one firm, for instance, which employs the services of eighteen or twenty men nearly all the time, and in some seasons largely increases this number. These smaller planters sell their little crops of from 100 to 1,000 or 1,500 bushels to the half a dozen shippers, chief among whom are the Hoyt Brothers and Mr. G. Bell, wisely preferring cash, at a small discount, to the trouble and risk of themselves taking their oysters down to New York, or elsewhere, in hopes of a slighty larger price. "The total production of this locality, during the season of 1878-'79 (the preseubseasou, 1880, will probably be found not greatly to differ from it), is given at about 65,000 bushels. "These oysters, as I have said, were the property of fifty planters, which gives an average of 1,300 bushels to each one. It is probable, however, that as many more persons got their living out of these oysters, from first to last, so that I do not hesitate to say that one hundred families in South Norwalk and its immediate vicinity are supported by the cultivation and sale of oysters there. The estimate of two hundred families, which I have often heard made, is undoubtedly too high. This question is ever a hard one to answer, because, in many cases, the head of the family depends only partially upon his professional means of support, the attention he pays to it and the income he derives varying with each good or bad season. Most oystermen are also farmers or fishermen. Many of them also keep summer hotels, and thus add largely to their income during the dull season at the beds. " Every supposed available spot for oyster operations, probably, is now set apart for that pur- pose, not only inside of the Norwalk Islands, but also in the outside waters of the sound off the mouth of the harbor. Only a portion of this is in use, however; in all, about C80 acres out of 2,300, in round numbers, which have been designated in Norwalk harbor. The average production at present, therefore, is less than 100 bushels to the acre of land actually cultivated, and only about 28 bushels to the acre of bottom held for the purpose of oyster cultivation. I see no reason why future years ought not to see ten times as large a proportion. "The fleet of Norwalk used by the oystermen in their business consists of two steamboats, a dozen sloops, and about thirty sharpies and sail-boats, of less size and value than the 'sloops,' most of them being without decks. Besides this there are skiffs innumerable. This disparity in the number of large sloops between so important a place as Norwalk and some of the small ports westward is explained by the fact that the planters here do not often themselves take their goods to New York. "From a particular part of Norwalk harbor, many years ago, came to Tom Donan's famous old shop in Broad street, New York, the original ' Saddle-rocks,' named from the reef around which they grew. These oysters were so large that twenty-five would fill a bushel basket, yet they were tender and luscious, and often sold for from 15 to 30 cents apiece. But they were not very numerous, and the raking of them was so profitable that the supply was quickly exhausted. Like the generous host who gave them name and fame, they have long ago departed except from the branding-iron and sign-board of the dealer, whose 'Saddle-rocks' now may have come from any- where except Norwalk. "That is the story as I was told it at South Norwalk ; since writing it I have seen an article on the subject, taken from the New York Observer and vouched for by the Rev. Samuel Lock- wood, who speaks of the writer as 'our friend, Dr. O. R. Willis.' This article places Saddle Rock on the opposite shore of the sound. It reads thus : " ' The original Saddle rock was not only very large, but possessed a pecnliar, delicious flavor, which gave it its reputation. And it received its name because it was discovered near a rock CONNECTICUT: COAST TOWNS WEST OP NEW HAVEN. 339 known as Saddle Rock. A high northwest wind, continued for several successive days, always causes very low tides in Long Island Sound and its bays. On the farm of David Allen, situated near the head of Great Neck, on the eastern shore of Little Neck Bay, is a rock about 20 feet high, and from 15 to 20 feet in diameter. The shape of the top of this rock resembles somewhat the form of a saddle, and from that circumstance is called Saddle Rock. At low water the upper or laud side of this rock is left bare, while the opposite or lower side is in the water. In the autumn of 1827, after a strong northwest wind had been blowing for three days, a very low tide occurred, and the water retreated far below the rock, leaving a space wide enough for a team of oxen to pass quite around it. This extraordinary lov tide revealed a bed of oysters just below the rock. The oysters were very large, and possessed the most delicate flavor; we collected cart-loads of them, and placed them in our mill-pond (tide-mill). The news of the discovery spread among the oystermen, and boat-loads soon found their way to the city, where, on account of their excellent flavor, they commanded fancy prices, even reaching $10 a hundred — an enormous price for those days. In a very short time the locality was exhausted, and for more than forty years there has not been a real Saddle-rock oyster in the market.' "ROWAYTON, DARIEN, STAMFORD, AND GREENWICH. — The next point is the very important station known as Five-Mile River or Rowayton, where the cultivation of oysters has been system- atically pursued for many years. In all, at present, there are about thirty-five planters or firms, and nearly or quite as many families are supported. The little creek-mouth is perfectly filled with oyster boats, and the other conveniencies of this pursuit. I find upon my list of the oyster-fleet twenty eight sloops and sail-boats, which belong here, some of them very large and well built. I estimate the value of these 'sail' and the other floating and shore property at Rowaytou, directly concerned in the oyster trade of the port, at not far from $30,000. Rowayton produced, in 1879, which was considered a very poor year, something near 50,000 bushels. How far this is beneath occasional crops, if not beneath the recent average, is shown by the statement made to me that about five years ago a single dealer in New York City bought 32,000 bushels of Rowayton oysters. Little of the stock raised at this point fails to reach New York, and within the last three years Rowayton has supplied a large proportion of the oysters sent to Europe, partly by direct ship- ment. Like all other parts of the East River, the oysters are sold here wholly in the shell, and almost always by the barrel or bushel — the selling 'by count' belonging to the region farther west and to the Long Island shore. "At Darien about 3,000 bushels a year are sold from about 250 acres. They have ten or a dozen sail-boats, and a value in oyster interests, generally, of perhaps $5,000. "The next oyster- producing point is Stamford, where, also, I found the planters bewailing the decline of their fortunes. The number of men raising oysters is about a dozen, and perhaps as many more are employed. From about 150 acres of improved harbor bottom Stamford yielded for market, in 1879, about 5,500 bushels of oysters, the majority of which was shipped to New York. Their fleet counts up nine sloops, which, with boats, floats, and so forth, are stated to be worth about $15,000. The principal men at Stamford are A. M. Prior and Capt. John Decker. "The next point westward, and the last in Connecticut, is Greenwich, where, at Miauus, Cos Cob, Greenwich Cove, Old Greenwich, and Greenwich, a large business is done and a large number of persons is engaged, though oysters are not now raised here to as great an extent nor of so fine quality as formerly. "The mouths of all the rivers and each of the many coves that indent this rocky coast are filled with planted oysters, though a general feeling of discouragement, arising from various 340 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. causes, prevails. In all about 800 acres are under cultivation, all in shallow water, and the total annual product for last year of the whole region may be set down at 33,000 bushels, the majority of which was taken to New York in the boats of the respective owners, and sold to the dealers at •the foot of Broome street. "The number of families supported in this township out of this occupation it is hard to state. I estimate it at about forty. The craft employed amounts to one steamer, about thirty sloops, and perhaps one hundred small open boats. These, with other estimated fixtures, foot up an invested capital approaching $30,000, exclusive of oysters now growing on the beds." VI. NEW YORK AND ITS FISHERIES. By FRED. MATHER. ANALYSIS. A.— GENERAL REVIKW OF TIIK KISIIERY INTKHKSTS OF THE STATE : 112. Statistical recapitulation. 113. Introductory remarks regarding Long Island. B. — THE NORTH SHORE OF LONG ISLAND : 114. Explanatory statements with statistics. 115. Flushing Bay. 1 1C. Little Neck Bay. 117. Hempstead Bay. 118. Oyster Bay. 119. Huntiugton Bay. 120. Srnithtown Bay. 121. Conscience Bay and vicinity. C.— TIIK EASTERN END OF LONG ISLAND: 122. General description of the fisheries. 123. The fishing towns between Baiting Hol- low and Southold. 124. Greenport and its fisheries. 125. The fishing towns between East Marion and Southampton. D.— THE SOUTH SHORE OF LONG ISLAND: 12G. Explanatory statements. 127. Shinnecock Bay. 128. Moriches Bay. 129. Great South Bay. 130. .South Oyster Bay. E.— THE WEST END OF LONG ISLAND: 131. Explanatory statements. 132. Jamaica Bay. 133. Sheepshead Bay. 134. Gravesend Bay. F.— NKW YORK HARBOR: 135. General description of the fisheries. 341 T VI. NEW YORK AND ITS FISHERIES. A.— GENERAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERY INTERESTS OF THE . STATE. 112. STATISTICAL RECAPITULATION. GENERAL STATEMENT. — New York takes a prominent place in the fisheries, coming fourth on the list of the fish-producing States, with products valued at $4,380,565, and in several special branches holds a still more important position. The menhaden fisheries are more extensive than those of any other State, and in 1880 the value of the oil, scrap, and compost reached $1,114,958, being more than half the yield for the entire country. The products of the oyster fishery for the same period reached $1,577,050, representing a greater value than that of any State, except Maryland, Virginia, and New Jersey. The fishermen secure annually larger quan- tities of both quahaugs and soft clams than those of any other State. In 1880 the amount of money realized by them from the sale of these two species exceeded half a million dollars. In the shad fisheries, this State is surpassed only by North Carolina and Maryland. STATISTICAL RECAPITULATION FOE 1880. — The following statements show in detail the extent of the various fishery interests of the State for 1880: STATISTICS OF THE FISHERIES OF NEW YORK. Summary statement of persons employed. Persons employed. Number. 5,650 1,265 351 Tot.il 7,266 Detailed statement nf capital invented and apparatus employed. Apparatus specified. Number. Value. •541 3,441 87 3,950 10, 016 126 1,418 $777, 600 289, 885 43,500 6,750 93,127 50, 400 78,6irt 117,810 1,052,400 119, 500 Boats Gill-nets • rl il' " o tfit 2, 629, 585 •11,58?..51 tons. 343 344 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. Detailed statement of the quantities and values of the prodi«-tx. Products specified. 1'onmls. Vain*. 333 5"2 813 $1 380 505 Sea fisheries. Bluefiib 3 000 000 07 500 Clams (hard) 2, 79:>, 480 262,110 Clams (Mtft) 3 407 750 "."i5 581 Cod 3 .WO OHO 67 125 Crabs 1 024 583 C9 °34 135 000 5 062 288 931 200 1 114 958 7 303 100 1 V77 050 4 COO 000 120 000 11 008 100 522 1°5 325 785 '13 4 060 745 River faheries. 250 000 3 750 Shad 2 733 600 136 680 144 000 8 640 540 000 15 880 3 6G7 600 164 950 Great Lake fisheries. Trout £69 700 23 100 "White fish 1 174 000 50, 000 2 326 300 75 770 154 870 113. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS REGARDING LONG ISLAND. Long Island may be divided into four districts, which are distinct iii the character of their fisheries, as well as in their geographical position. Each one of these faces one of the cardinal points of the compass. The divisions are : (1) the North Shore, extending from Astoria to Roanoke ; (2) the East End, including Pecouic and Gardiner's Bays, the sound fisheries to the north of them, and the sea fisheries lying south ; (3) the South Side, including the bays of Jamaica, South Oyster, Great South, Moriches, and Shinnecock; and (4) the West End, including New York and Graves- end Bays and the East River. The character of the fishing in all these districts is such that it is a most difficult matter to determine how many men are engaged as professional fishermen and how many as semi-professional, from the fact that they are fishermen, oystermen, farmers, clam- mers, yachtmen, and gunners by turns, following either one of these occupations at different seasons as their interest or inclination leads. A description of these men is given in the section of this report devoted to the fishermen. Most of the wealth of Long Island has been derived from the waters surrounding it. In the western portion, where the soil is good, market gardening was once very profitable, owing to the prox- imity of New York ; but since the introduction of steam as a motor, the increased facilities of trans- portation have led other States, and even the distant Bermudas, to compete for the early vegetable trade of the great metropolis, so that the business, although still extensively carried on, now yields much smaller profits than formerly. But the sea has contributed even to this source of income, since the principal fertilizers used have always been marine products, such as fish and seaweed. The eastern end of the island is sandy and but little adapted to agriculture. The whale fish- eries formerly furnished subsistance for most of the inhabitants there, and on the decay of that industry they turned their attention to the menhaden and other fisheries. NEW YOEK: GENERAL EEVIEW OF ITS FISHERIES. 345 The oyster and clain business now exceeds in value the fisheries proper, and furnishes employ- ment to a greater number of men, and the business is increasing yearly. The demand for small oysters for shipment to Europe Las changed the market so that those which were formerly sold to "open" and market by the gallon at a small price are now sought for at a great advance; and such is the influence of fashion that the Americans have begun to imagine that they can detect the superiority of these smaller "Blue-points" to the large "Saddle-rocky" — names which formerly desig- nated oysters from particular localities, but are now applied, the former to small and the latter to large oysters, regardless of the region whence they come. The figures relating to the water products shipped by railroad to the western terminals, including New York and vicinity, were furnished by favor of Mr. H. M. Smith, general freight agent of the Long Island Kailroad. In certain localities all the products go by rail; at other points only a portion are so carried, while at some places near the city nearly all shipments are made by water. B.— THE NORTH SHORE OF LONG ISLAND. 114. EXPLANATORY STATEMENTS, WITH STATISTICS. EXPLANATORY STATEMENT. — The western half of the north side of the island, beginning on the west at Flushing and extending east to Port Jeiferson, includes all that is of importance in the fisheries. The eastern half has an unbroken coast line, without bay or indentation, and fur- nishes no point of laud to protect a pound-net from storms until Hortou's Point is reached, which, for convenience, has been included in the eastern section. The country between Port Jeftersou and Roanoke Point, which is nearly opposite Riverhead, is sparsely inhabited, and differs in character from the western half. The latter is a high rolling country, with its hills well wooded, and abounding in deep bays, which are well laud-locked and form excellent harbors. RECAPITULATION. — There are on the north side of the island 1,081 men engaged in the fisheries, of whom 1,000 are oystcrmen, aud 2,586 persons are directly dependent upon their labors. They have invested $38,650 in boats, $15,000 in nets and tools, and $342,200 in oysters. They produce, and either market or consume at home, 426,300 bushels of oysters, 156,900 bushels of hard clams, 190,600 bushels of soft clams, 0,000 bushels of mussels, 2,000 pounds of scallops, 6,000 shad, 37,000 pounds of eels, 1,405,500 pounds of other fish, and 3,106 barrels of crabs, besides $24,500 worth of menhaden for manure. 115. FLUSHING BAY. FLUSHING.— In the spring of the year about six pound-nets are set in Flushing Bay for shad aud striped bass. Each pound has a "heart-bowl" and a leader running out from 400 to 500 feet. There is no spawning place for shad here, and why they enter the bay is not known. They are said to be going cast when taken. Four thousand were taken last spring, and although this has been the average for five years past, it is considered far from satisfactory, and it would not pay to wet the nets but for the menhaden taken at the same time. The latter are used for manure here, and bring 10 cents per bushel, which contains about 100 fish. One man, Mr. O. C. Burling, says that when the northeast wind blows, more shad are taken than at other times, as they then come into the bay for shelter. Bass have been scarce this year, only .'3,500 pounds having been taken. Ten years ago the bass were plenty, but they are gradually decreasing. 346 GEOGRAPHICAL RK.YIKAY OK TIII: KISIIKRIES. Twenty men, with six cat rigged boats, measuring I or .~> tons each, arc engaged in carrying clams and o\ si. -is. Ke\\ o\ -ters are taken in the bay, the inon being mainly clammers. •• Hush- ing K.ay clams" arc larger than "Little Necks." an0t»: in oyster-beds, seed, tools, &e., $8,000. COLLEGE POINT.— Four men from this locality oyster in Hushing Hay, using two boats of 1 tons each. Daniel Dill is the principal planter. Three of the men are married, having eight per- sons depending upon them; $0,000 invested: product. S.OOO bushels. All shipments by boat. 116. LITTLE NECK HA V OYSTER GROUNDS. — The oyster grounds in the bay are tree of cost, but are staked oil in pri- vate claims and planted. This gives a man a right which is respected by his neighbors, but he has no legal claim upon it. The seed is usualh obtained from the F.ast River, and is worth '_'."• cents per bushel. Edward KadclifCe, of Great Neck, has 7 acres staked oCl. on \\hioh he plants yearly .">0 bushels of seed to the acre, lie says it takes them three \ears to mature. At the time of my visit. Deccm ber 8, it. was too cold to work the night tides, and there had been only three of the day tides in the past week when he could work. On these three he made £-'7. The clam grounds are free. Com paratively few fish are taken. Shad are caught in pounds, tykes, and seines. During the run of shad there are five pound-nets set in the bay. There is not much other fishing, except for sport. There have been no smelts, scallops, or terrapins iu the ba\ for the past ten \cai-. YVniTKSTONE. — There arc forty men here engaged in fishing, oystering, and elammin whom twenty-two are married. Them are. in all, one hundred and twelve persons dependent upon these industries for support. Seven vessels of '_'."> tons are used, one of 1.". tons, and live of I tons. Some shad are taken in the spring, but not so many as formcrh: 'J.ooo \\eic taken last \c.n, together with 3,000 pounds of bass, and $L'.000 worth of menhaden for manure: I. dOO pounds of weaktish were taken in the fall of 1879. John AVebster is a large o\ster shipper, lie ships L'.ooo bushels per year, and other parties ship 'J..")(M) bushels, making a total of I..VM) bushels, \\ilh 10.000 bushels of hard clams, and loo bushels of soft clams, shipped annually. Capital in boats. !*<;,7-">s barrels and L1 bushels of hard clams, and KM) pounds of fresh tish were carried by rail. Most of the lish taken are consumed locally. LtTTl.K NKCK.— There are two fishermen and thirt.x oystermen and clammers here. Of these, eight are married, and, including their families, there are one hundred and ten people dependent on the fisheries. Eight sloops, aggregating 7.') tons, are employed, only one of which measures o\cr L'O tons. Not o\er L'OO bushels of soft clams are taken, the principal part of these being con sinned on the island. The hard clams from this bay have a good reputation among epicures, and are in great demand at the time when oysters arc out of season. They are most esteemed when about the size of a orsons aro dependent upon tlio bnsinoss. All shipments go in boats owned at l.itllo Nock. A total of .*.'•. OOO is invested in sooil. Poi: r \\ \MUNc, PON. -This plaoo has a greater numbor of persons engaged in o\ storing than an.v other point in tho bay. Two hundred men aro on pi .cod in tho bnsinoss, about oighl\ ol whom are married: and tho whole population, numbering between six hundred ami seven hundred, is de- pendent on the fisheries. The average vc.nl.v sales are: O\ si. is. !«i;o.OOO; hard elams, $10,000; soft elams. i-L'OO. There are not tisli enough eaiighl for home eonsnmption. Some aro bought from the eodfish sniaeUs. and some aro brought from New \ .«rk to supply the demand. The- railroad does not reach this place, and all shipments go hv boat. Noovstcis .in- opened, and the greater part go to market in bulk in sloops, some coin;; in baskets and barrels hv steamer. Soft elams go in shell, and but few are taken, although in former \oars I hex were plenty. All \ossels ow nod here or in this ba\ hail from New \ork. Thoro are two sloops measuring o\ or 'JO tons. twenl.\ others ranging between 10 and '.'0 tons, ami an equal number of smaller si/o. About $:i.(HMt worth of menhaden are taken \oarlv for manure, and some orabs. perhaps 1.000 barrels, are taken for home oonslimp lion. Some taiitog, or "hlacklish" (T;iii ttiiilix) are taken, as well as a few sheopshoad. Kormerlv weaktish wore plenty, but few aieloiindal present. All those lish aro eonsiunoil heie. together with about :> tons of flounders. 117. iii-Mi-sri: \n BAT, Till l i-iir.uir.s OK I1KMP8TB1B P. \\ .— This ba\ has mn.-h Ihe same eharaetor as l.illle N. , k I'.av.bnl does not seem to be so prolific ot ' o\ stors and elams. Perhaps not o\ ei -,.\.'nt\ live men li\ o from tishing and o\ storm.;;. The people li\ in.u at the ba\ ;;i'l most of their lish from New \ oik. except flounders and lomeod i frost lisli^. (^nite a number of small bluelisli aio taken, with an i-ional largo one of ('. to 10 pounds weight. The natural growth of ovsiers heie is poor, and th«> planters send south for seed. A lew terrapins were taken some \ears ago, bnl the species has now nearly disappeared. Scallops have also been taken, but not recently. K'osi.\ N. -There is no commercial fishing here. Thirty men occasionally I ake for o\ sters and elams, but do not depend ontiroh upon this business. Tho.\ have inerolx a skilf ami a rake. Ihe entire outfit oosfing less than s i;. per man. Of these thiil.v men one half an- man led. ami ha\o forl\ children, making oight\ (ho persons paillv dependent upon Ihe business, perhaps equaling forl\ persons wholly so. Tho\ gather several thousand bushels of ovsiers and a considerable quantity of olaiiu< yearly. Mr. Thomas Clapham, a vaehl builder and well known lishcnllurist, lives here, and has a trout poml, in which )iorsons inav li^h loi an ecpiiv alent. \ oar before ! liesides his revenue from the above source, ho sold *'_'.">0 worth of trout ; last voar >"IO worth, and this vear i* SO vvoiih. One of his ponds covers L1 aoros. i.i r\ UTAH ( i i i NVV i in nV— There aio lill.v men lishin.u for clams and ovsiers in this local it. v . Thirl v li\ c of these are married, and a total of two hundred persons arc dependent on the hiisinoM. There are two sloops measuring I"-' tons each, live moasiiinm '.» Ions each, and three of I l.m-. 01 101 tons in all. Most of the products are shipped bv boat, onl.v !.'>."> b irrels of ovsiers and clams going bv rail in tho vear ending .Inne .".0, ISSO. «ii IN < "\ K. There are tiff eon men lishing for elams and oysters here; ten of these are mar 348 GEOGEAPHICAL EEVIEW OP THE FISHEEIES. ried, with sixty persons dependent upon them. About $5,000 are invested in seed oysters, and $2,500 represents the value of the boats and tools. One sloop of 15 tons and some skiffs and small boats are used. All shipments go by boat. Last year 20,000 bushels of oysters were sent. Cox Brothers also sent 1,000 barrels of hard and 250 barrels of soft clams to New York. There is no fishing, except for sport. A trout pond of 5 acres, owned by the Glen Cove Starch Company, is free to the public to fish from the shore, but not from boats. Some 2-pound trout are taken here, and one of twice that weight is recorded. At Mattiuicock Point is a pond of 100 acres, which can be made fresh or salt, owned by Mr. Charles A. Dana, of the New York Sun. This pond could be utilized for fish or oyster culture. 118. OYSTEK BAY. This bay is a famous locality for oysters, and notwithstanding the line between Queens and Suffolk Counties strikes the bay at its eastern end, leaving Cold Spring on one side and the remaining villages on the other, the same laws prevail. The oyster beds are leased by the towns at 50 cents per acre, the number of acres being unlimited. Some oystermen object to this method of leasing, and a few of the principal ones refuse to pay the rental, staking off their claims and holding them by force. About three-fourths of the bay is staked off, and the greater portion is planted. The seed is obtained at Bridgeport, Conn., at 25 cents per bushel, which counts out about 5,000 oysters. It is not necessary to buy much when the spawn "sets" as it did this year and last. A few shipments are made by rail, but most of the catch goes by boat. A few lots have been packed for Europe. Soft clams are more plenty here than in the more western bays, but hard clams are not as abundant. Menhaden are taken in the spring of the year in seines for manure; about $5,000 worth were secured last spring. Many flounders are also taken for local consumption. Every few years there is a good crop of scallops; this year great quantities about the size of a quarter dollar may be seen; if these do not " winter-kill" there will undoubtedly be an immense crop next year. The fishermen tell me that a few scallops may be found at any time, but they are not always sufficiently abundant to render the fishing profitable. They say that the young in the first stages cling to the eel-grass until their weight bends the grass down or breaks it, when they drift out of the bay with the grass which goes out in the fall. Last spring the grass came in and brought young scallops, which they claim accounts for the quantity of young ones this year. There has not been a good crop in six years. A few terrapins were formerly taken, but not many are found of late. Not many crabs are caught. No fish are sent to market. LOCUST VALLEY. — This is the terminus of one branch of the railroad, but there is no fishing here, as all of the fishermen of the region live on Oak Neck, at Bayville. One hundred and fifty barrels of oysters, 159 barrels of hard clams, and 66 bushels? of soft clams in shell were sent by rail last year. BAYVILLE. — Here we find a population of four hundred depending entirely on the fisheries; one hundred and thirty men are actively engaged, of whom seventy-five are married. About eighty women are frequently employed in opening soft clams and oysters. Mr. William E. Bell, post- master, storekeeper, and oyster planter, estimates the average yearly revenue to be from $20,000 to $30,000, claiming that it sometimes reaches $50,000, $15,000 of which is from oysters. Thirteen sloops, of from 10 to 30 tons each, are employed ; they are worth, on an average, about $1,000 each. Four small cat-boats, worth $100 each, and one hundred small row-boats are also employed. About $60,000 are invested in oyster beds. Most of the oysters go to New York and Connecticut by sail, steamer, and rail; a few are sent to Europe. James E. Ellison says that 500 bushels of hard and soft clams go from here each week; he sends 1,100 bushels of soft clams yearly, and from 300 to 500 .NEW YOKK: NOKTH SHOKE OF LONG ISLAND. 349 bushels of bard clams during the season, which lasts from April to October; $2,000 worth of men- haden are taken. OYSTER BAY. — This village has one hundred men interested in the fisheries; thirty-five of these are married, giving a total of three hundred persons dependent on the industry. Ten sloops averaging 14 tons, eight averaging 6 tons, and five of 4 tons are employed; $25,000 are invested in oyster beds and $2,000 in nets; $1,000 worth of menhaden are taken for manure in seines; 50,000 bushels of soft clams, 6,000 bushels of hard clams, and 75,000 bushels of oysters are taken. COLD SPRING. — At Cold Spring Harbor, Oyster Bay, forty-five meu are engaged in oystering during the season, and from December to April fifty others find employment on the clam flats. In this harbor there are 500 acres of oyster-beds planted under the regulations which govern the oystermen of the bay. The harbor is 3 miles long by 1 mile wide, three-quarters of the entire area being planted. Seven sloops, averaging 8 tons each, are used. In freezing weather, when the boats cannot run, shipments are made by rail. The total shipments are estimated at 25,000 bush- els of oysters, 2,000 bushels of hard clams, and 18,000 bushels of soft clams; $2,000 worth of men- haden were taken. SYOSSET. — This station, on the Long Island Railroad, sometimes receives a few barrels of oysters and clams from the bay when the boats are frozen in. For the whole of Oyster Bay it is estimated that in the past year there were taken and con- sumed at home 300,000 pounds of fresh fish and 2,000 barrels of crabs. 119. HUNTINGTON BAT. The principal products taken from this bay are mollusks. The fishing proper is almost wholly for supplying the villages of the locality, few, if any, being taken for shipment to New York, though considerable quantities are carried to the interior towns of the island. Many flounders and crabs are taken, but they are not shipped to any extent. HUNTINGDON. — This village is situated on an arm of the bay which is well land-locked, and out of a population of 2,500, perhaps ninety men are engaged on the bay, of whom forty are married, giving a total of two hundred and fifty dependent upon the waters. Two thousand dollars' worth of menhaden are sold yearly for manure. The boats owned here are small ones, mostly skiffs; $1,800 are invested in boats, $8,000 in oyster beds, and $2,000 in seines. Many of the oysters are shipped in boats belonging to other places on the bay; 15,000 bushels of oysters, 20,000 bushels of hard clams, and 35,000 bushels of soft clams were shipped last year. CENTREPOET. — Here we find one hundred men engaged in oystering, &c.; sixty are married, and not less than four hundred people depend upon the business for a living. Three sloops of 18 tons; 9 of 7 tons; and 15 of 4 tons sail from this place. About $100,000 are invested in the oyster business, and $3,000 worth of nets are employed in the fisheries ; 50,000 bushels of oysters, 75,000 bushels of soft clams, and 25,000 bushels of hard clams were shipped last year; $3,000 worth of menhaden were sold for manure. NORTHPORT. — Few fishermen live here. Most of the oyster planters in the adjacent waters live at Centreport. Mr. A. Ackley, an oysterman, resides here, but the figures of his business are blended with those of Ceutreport. EAST NORTHPORT. — Fifteen men from this town and the adjoining country are engaged in oystering. They have no large boats ; $150 will cover the investment in small boats; $1,500, in all, are invested in the oyster business. The bulk of the product is marketed in boats belonging to other places, though 363 barrels of oysters and 4 of hard clams were shipped by rail. 350 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. 120. SMITHTOWN BAY. This great bay is an indentation of the Sound into the sbore line extending from Sugar Loaf liock on the west to Crane Neck Point on the east, a distance of 7 or 8 miles in a line from point to point. It is not at all land locked. The Nissequague River empties into it, and Stony Brook Harbor, with its long inlet stretching east, called " Porpoise Channel," affords shelter for small craft. Formerly a number of pound-nets were set in the bay, near its eastern end, but on account of the scarcity of fish in this part of the sound they have been taken up. The fishing in the bay is done chiefly by men from other localities. SMITHTOWN. — The are no fishing interests here worth noting, if we except the trout ponds of Mr. Aaron S. Vail and Mr. John M. Tyler. Mr. Vail is one of the oldest trout breeders in the country. SAINT JAMES. — There are two or three fishermen here, but their catch is consumed at home. A fisherman from the next village estimated the products at 800 bushels of oysters ; 500 bushels of hard clams; 900 bushels of soft clams, and 10,000 pounds of fresh fish. STONY BROOK. — Eighty men, fifty of whom are married, live by fishing in the bay. With their children there are three hundred persons dependent on the fisheries. There are 10 sloops, aggre- gating 110 tons, used here, none of them being over 10 tons; $10,000 are invested in boats and tools and $20,000 additional in oyster beds. The shipments all go by boat; 20,000 bushels of hard clams, 30,000 bushels of soft clams, and 18,000 bushels of oysters were sold last year. About 20,000 pounds offish, including flounders, bluefish, and other species found in the sound, were caught last year, the entire quantity being consumed locally. 121. CONSCIENCE BAY AND VICINITY. Conscience Bay, and Setauket and Port Jefferson Harbors, lying between Old Field Point and Mount Misery Point, are practically one fishing ground, and it is almost impossible to separate the interests of the different villages. Port Jefferson Harbor is a favorite wintering place for pleasure, yachts of the first class on account of its depth of water and its being securely land-locked. SETAUKET. — Six men from this place devote their attention to oystering and clamming. John Sharpe and his son Charles buy soft clams at 40 cents per bushel, taking them across the island to Patchogue, where they sell them for $1. About 200 bushels were handled by them last year. There are two oyster planters, George E. Hand and William llisley; they secured 3,000 bushels of oysters last year. They employ two sloops of 500 bushels capacity. The catch is sent to Bridgeport, Conn. EAST SETAUKET. — Fifty men from here are engaged in oystering in Port Jefferson Bay. Fully $25,000 are invested in oyster beds. The oyster business was not good this year; the oyster spat has not "set" well for four years. Thirty thousand bushels of oysters and 5,000 bushels of soft clams were marketed. Hard clams are plenty, and not less than 20,000 bushels were shipped. Eels are taken in pots of basket-work; 15,000 pounds were marketed. Twenty thousand pounds of fresh fish were taken for home consumption. PORT JEFFERSON. — Thirty-five men from this town are engaged in the work on the bay; twenty are married and one hundred and thirty persons depend upon their industry. All ship- ments go by boat. Hard clams are taken in summer and soft clams in winter. Sometimes scal- lops are taken here, as well as crabs and lobsters. Many soft clams and oysters go from this place to Norwalk, New Haven, and Bridgeport, Conn. In former years oyster beds were free, but they are now leased by the town at $3 per acre, 4 acres being the limit allowed to one person. NEW YOEK: NORTH SHORE OF LONG ISLAND. 351 This season 575 bushels of seed oysters were planted by Mr. Hand and others on the west side of the bay. The seed was purchased in Stratford, Conn., at 25 to 30 cents per bushel. This is the first season that any systematic planting has been done. Five thousand dollars are invested in the oyster business, and as much more in small boats, tools, etc., used for taking oysters and clams. Four of the boats are over 5 tons. Many flatfish are taken here in fykes and gill-nets for supplying the surrounding country; perhaps 50,000 pounds of all kinds of fish, excluding eels, are taken annually. The last-named fish are taken in pots and with the spear. Herbert Dayton took 3,000 pounds and other parties took 10,000 pounds. Bluefish, seldom exceeding 2 pounds in weight, are caught outside the bay in the sound; about 10,000 pounds were taken last season, half of which were sent to New York. The bay is full of small bluefish. Some white perch are taken with hand-lines, it being contrary to law to net them. Five years ago scallops were plenty and could be taken by the boat-load, but they have never been less abundant than now; only 2,000 pounds (opened) were taken last year. Charles M. Ivines is engaged in gathering and shipping mussels; in May and June he averaged 900 bushels per week, for which he got $1.25 per barrel. They are used mainly for pickling. Mussels are exceedingly plenty, but the demand is limited, and they are "full" in the spring only. Inquiry at the shipyards of John E. Mather, and of the sail- makers F. M. and A. Wilson developed the fact that nothing is now done here in building and rigging fishing vessels, and that the few vessels which are engaged in fishing only do a local busi- ness, none going to distant waters. MOUNT SINAI. — This village is located on a bay to the east of Mount Misery Point. It con- tains six fishermen and oystennen. A little fishing is done with gill-nets for home consumption. A few hard and soft clams are taken, as well as a limited quantity of lobsters and crabs. Last year there were 800 bushels of oysters, 200 bushels of soft clams, 400 bushels of hard clams, 100 barrels of crabs, 2,000 pounds of eels, and 5,000 pounds of fresh fish taken. The brothers George W. and Samuel Hopkins have carp ponds between Mount Sinai and Miller's Place. There are no fishing towns of consequence east of the above until we approach the district included iu the next section. C.— THE EASTERN END OF LONG ISLAND. 122. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF. THE FISHERIES, This division, for convenience, will include the fisheries in Long Island Sound on the north, beginning at Baiting Hollow and extending to Orient Point, including those of Gardiner's and Peconic Bays. It will also include the fisheries of the Atlantic on the south, extending from the eastern extremity of the islands as far west as Southampton. The capture of menhaden for oil and fertilizers is extensively carried on in this region, and it is not an uncommon sight to see fifteen or more menhaden steamers lying at the wharf, at Greenport, on Sunday. Pound-nets are used. They are located as follows: On the sound shore there are three west of Horton's Point, and one just east of it; a fifth is placed just east of Rocky Point, and four others are located between that and Oyster Pond Point, at the extreme end of the northern shore. Inside of Oyster Pond Point, in Gardiner's Bay, are two other pounds, with three on Long Beach Point ; two in Orient Bay; one on Shelter Island; one near Southold; two iu Peconic Bay, between Jamesport and Mattituck ; three in Little Peconic Bay ; one on the eastern side of Hog Neck ; two on the eastern 352 GEOGEAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. side of Gardiner's Island ; two on Napeaguo Beach, and three in Fort Pond Bay; making, in all, thirty-one. These pounds are changed from place to place, their position depending largely on the run of fish. Fewer are fished now than formerly. Last year there were three more between Culloden and Shagwong Points, and a number of others on Gardiner's Island. They are usually constructed with a heart and bowl, although many have no heart but merely a funnel running into a square bowl, these being locally known as " traps." In my report I shall class them all as " pounds." They are all built in the usual manner of stakes and netting, with a leader running toward the shore, and are often owned by men who live at a distance and who own or lease the shore priv- ileges. It is proposed to build one on a larger scale with i,ron piles, running out into the Atlantic from Napeague Beach, and circulars are out soliciting subscriptions to the capital stock. I take the following notice of it from the pages of Forest and Stream of December 2, 1880, headed "A Gigantic Fish-Trap": "We have seen a circular headed 'The Long Island Fish Company,' which is now being circulated. It states that the company has been organized under the laws of the State of New York 'for the purpose of leasing and owning suitable locations for the erection of weirs, and erecting weirs or pounds (sometimes called traps) at such locations, and catching and selling all kinds of fish, and rendering fish for the oil and for fertilizers.' "We also learn that the company has become the owner of a tract of land at Napeague Beach, near the eastern end of Long Island and a few miles west of Montauk Point. Here they propose to put out a monster trap; and as one built in the ordinary manner with poles would not stand a week on this straight line of the Atlantic beach, which is so frequently storm swept, they propose to put down iron piles after the manner of the ocean piers at Long Branch and Coney Island. They have chosen a place where the island is only half a mile wide — Napeague Bay — an indentation in Gardiner's Bay being on the other side, where their vessels can load for Sag Harbor and where their factories and ice houses can be built. There is no question about the millions of fish to be captured there, as all the fish which traverse the beach coming from the east, seeking the inlets of Shinnecock Bay and Fire Island, as well as those moving to the eastward to round Montauk and enter Gardiner's and Peconic Bays, or to enter Long Island Sound, traverse this route, and the fishermen often make enormous hauls there when the weather permits. Here, too, they come nearer the shore than at any other point, for there are no sand bars outside the beach to force them out for deeper water. "This monstrous affair will fish night and day the year round, and take fish which should be allowed to fill their mission of spawning. They say 'a weir is fishing night and day, and not only catches the schools of fish accidentally seen from the shore or from the deck of a fishing smack, but catches everything that comes along, and schools of fish not apparent from the surface.' "The weir is to run 600 to 700 feet into the ocean, into 30 feet of water, and with this they suggest that persons taking stock may receive a great return, say $1,000 per annum for every $100 invested, and assert that 'with the iron weir more menhaden can be caught than the whole fleet of boats can catch.' We have no opinion to offer as to these statements, being content, for the present, to present the facts as they appear. We do not hesitate to say, in this connection, that all fish seeking our shores to spawn should be allowed to do so, and that the Menhaden Association are killing their goose by allowing the fish to be taken for manure when they come to spawn and are worthless for oil. "An article in the New York World describes the trap as follows: 'The weir will be an iron pier 10 feet wide, with bents or sections 20 feet long. It will run out 700 feet, with 30 feet of water. At the outer end will be the heart-shaped pound, the larger end of the heart inshore. NEW YORK: EASTERN END OF LONG ISLAND. 353 This heart is about 70 feet across, ami outside of it is a box of iron piles and netting about 75 feet square. The fish striking the pier netting will run out seaward to the heart, and, passing out at the lower end, will find themselves in the outer receptacle. In the sections of the iron weir storage ( for thousands of tons of fish can be provided, where they will keep alive in their native element for a mouth or longer, and need not be brought to market when the price is low.'" The waters of both Peconic and Gardiner's Bays contain scallops in considerable quantities, although there are many places too deep to dredge for them. Soft and hard clams also abound, as well as eels, crabs, and lobsters. Ou the eastern end of the southern "limb" of the island, near Montauk Point, is a large fresh-water pond. The fishing privileges of this entire point, from Napeague Bay to the -extreme end, have recently been leased to Mr. E. G. Blackford, of Fulton Market, New York. The region west of Napeague Beach, now called "Promised Land," is the site of many of the oil and fertilizer establishments known as "bunker factories." These, from Amagansett east, are the "Ragged Edge Oil Works," of Ellsworth, Tuthill & Co., Greenport; those of Jonas Smith & Co., Promised Laud; "Ranger Oil Company," owned by T. F. Price & Co., Greenport; the Oil and Guano Works belonging to H. R. Dickerson, of Staten Island; "Falcon Oil Works" of George T. Tuthill & Co., Greenport; Oil and Guano WTorks of W. A. Abbe & Co., Promised Land. On Hick's Island, east of the above, are the oil works of William P. Green & Co., Greenport; and a little farther on, in Napeague Harbor, are those of W. M. Tuthill & Sons, of East Marion, and those of William Y. Fithian & Co., of Southold. At North West, near Sag Harbor, are the factories of Henry E. Wells & Co., Greenport, and the Sterling Oil Works, of which J. M. Raynor & Co., of Greenport, are agents. On Shelter Island are those of Hawkins Bros. & Co., Bunker City, and the Peconic Oil Works, of B. C. Cartwright & Co. At Deep Hole, between Promised Land and Springs, is the factory of Higgins & Payne, of Sag Harbor; and at Southold is that of W. H. H. Glover. Near Orient, on Long Point Beach, the "Atlantic and Virginia Fertilizing Company" are building a new factory to replace the one burned last winter. Mr. W. Z. King, naval surveyor, has for some years been in the habit of gathering such statis- tics as could be obtained from all points on Gardiner's and Pecouic Bays and forwarding them to the United States Bureau of Statistics. In his report he has included the figures for the menhaden factories of Vale & Griffin and Hawkins Brothers, on Barren Island, as the owners live at Greenport. Mr. King's figures for fresh fish are made up from the boat shipments, and are doubtless below the actual catch, for at times men from Connecticut have owned pound-nets in the vicinity and have marketed their fish in their own boats without reporting them. I give below the figures as obtained by him for the past year, beginning with July, 1879 : Quarter ending September 30, 1879. Quarter ending December 31, 1679. Xnrnb of m uhaden Hlcen 75 000 000 356 350 7 500 TODS of edible fish 350 He sums up the catch of the year by estimating the total value of the products of the fish- eries of the district for 1879 at 8975,000. The total catch of menhaden by the bay fishermen is claimed to be 211,000,000 fish, producing 1,013,350 gallons of oil and 22,100 tons of scrap. The 23 art F 354 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. cutire menhaden catch for the bay, including those taken by the residents and other fishermen, is estimated at 400,000,000 fish. The figures for the first two quarters of 1880 are as follows : Quaiter ending March 31, 18SO. Quarter ending June 30, 1880. 2 300 CO 000 OCO 7,000 120 OCO Tons of edible fish . 115 C 003 Tons of edible fish (exclusive of those for home con- 330 Mr. W. S. Havens, collector of customs at the port of Sag Harbor, has gathered statistics of the fisheries for all points on Peconic and Gardiner's Bays, and for the ocean shore from Rivcrhead to Montank and Orient Points. Mr. King informed us that these figures were included in the statistics furnished by him, but as they differ in many particulars, we furnish a copy as taken from Mr. Haveus's books : Products. Quarter ending Sep tembei- 30, 1873. Quarter ending De- ccmher 3), 1879. Quarter ending March 31, 1880. Quarter ending June 30, 1680. Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value. 1,000 2,500 87B, 000 440, 250 9,400 $1,000 2,000 43, 800 124, 950 112, 800 1,000 3,000 15, 000 C30, 000 258, 750 5,750 $3,000 7,500 31,500 113, 500 09, 000 1,000 $1,000 8,100 17, COO 1,000 6,000 7CO, 000 120,000 0,000 $1, 000 4,800 30,400 42, 000 CO, 000 1,5CO Other shell-fish do ' 440,000 Oil, other than whale gallons . . Fish and scrap far fertilizers tons.. 50 COO 1,500 Total 285, 550 2°4 500 28, 700 139, 7CO The items of "Fresh fish," "Other shell-fish," and "All other products" I think too low, and in the account of the different towns of the district I give my estimate for each. 123. THE FISHING TOWNS BETWEEN BAITING HOLLOW AND SOUTHOLD. BAITING HOLLOW. — Six fishermen, four of whom have families depending upon them, reside at this place, which is an inland village with no harbor. Nearly all of them fish along the sound shore with haul-seines. The seines and boats aggregate about 81, COO. The principal species taken are flounders, bluefish, striped bass, and weakfish, the first-named being the most abundant. Last year 40,000 pounds of fish were taken and marketed in the locality at an average of G cents per pound. Very few were shipped during the season. RIVEBHEAD. — This is a place of about 2,700 inhabitants. It is situated at the head of Peconic Bay, which separates the two peninsulas of the eastern end, or, as a citizen expressed it, " right in the fork of the boot-jack." A small river empties into the bay at this point, but a dam prevents any fish from ascending. A long pond, said to be 50 feet deep in places, is formed by the dam, and contains pike or "pickerel" (Esox), which, from the descriptions, I think are E. rcticulatits. Black bass and carp have been introduced this year. One hundred of the men are engaged in fishing. Eighty-eight are employed in the menhaden fisheries, and twelve live by clamming, eeling, &c. Sixty out of the entire number are married, which, if the families be included, gives a total of three hundred and fifty persons dependent on the fisheries. Oysters were planted about (2 miles below the village last spring, but they do not thrive well. A company of six members was formed, with shares of $50 each, and 1 acre was planted with G75 bushels of seed from New Haven, Conn. NEW YORK: EASTERN END OF LONG ISLAND. 355 They have 12 acres of ground, but only 1 was planted, as an experiment. Of fresh fish, 100,000 pounds were taken last year; 1,975 pouuds were shipped by rail, 800 pounds by boat, and the remainder was consumed at home. The fish are taken in seiuea and fykes, in which $400 are invested. Flatfish constituted the bulk of the catch. Three years ago a few shad were caught here, and if it were riot for the dam it is possible that shad might become colonized in the river, as these places are suitable for spawning grounds. There is fresh water for half a mile below the village at low tide, and at high tide it is brackish up to tho. ship-yard. Charles H. Homer has been engaged in the menhaden fisheries, but lie claims the business is so poor now that he is obliged to fish for eels and clams, along with twelve others. Clamming for hard clams was good last spring, but it has not been remunerative this fall. The season lasts from March to October, and two men average 50 bushels each per mouth; the others get less. Clams are sold at $1 p.r bushel to peddlers, who take them in wagons to other places. The year's catch amounted to 2,500 bushels. The soft clams were nearly destroyed a few years ago, but they arc increasing again. The present catch is 100 bushels annually. But few scallops are taken here, as on account of the shallow water and its freshness, the river and the head of the bay close early. Eels are taken both by "firelight" (spear) and pots. The former method is practiced during July, August, and September, and the latter during the rest of the year. Charles H. Hoiner makes the pots, which are 18 inches long by 12 inches in diameter, of pine strips woven into baskets. After dyeing them with logwood to make them less conspicuous, he sells them to the fishermen at GO cents apiece. They are baited with "mummies" (minnows) in the early spring, but when the "horsefeet" (Limulus polypliemus) "crawl," in May, these arc used in preference. About 2,500 pounds of eels were taken last year; of these, 1,740 pounds were shipped by rail to the larger markets, and the rest were consumed locally. It is claimed here that Sylvester Petty, of Franklinville, invented the purse-net for taking menhaden. The old way was to take them in gill or "fly" nets. The menhaden steamers George Hudson and Nat. Strong are owned here. They cost $15,000 each, fully equipped with seines and, boats. The boats cost 8400 and the nets $500 each. The men in the menhaden fishery pay their own expenses, receiving a definite share in the catch, while the captains get an additional amount, usually a percentage of the gross stock, or so much per barrel for the fish landed. JAMESPORT. — Sixteen men take scallops and clams in this vicinity, and eleven women and fifty children are employed in opening these bivalves. About ninety people depend in part on the business, equal to about forty people entirely dependent. About $7,000 are invested in boats and houses. The scallop fishery is described more fully under the town of New Suffolk. There are eight boats here, aggregating 30 tons; 8,500 pounds of scallops were taken during the season, of which 2,080 pounds were shipped by rail, and 3,000 pounds went by- boat. Of the remainder, 1,500 pouuds were sold to peddlers, and the rest were consumed locally; 2,000 bushels of hard clams and 500 bushels of soft clams were taken. A pound-net here, valued at 8300, is estimated to take about 20,000 pounds of fresh fish during the year. FEA^KLINVILLE. — Four men from this town live by fishing. They have about $1,500 invested in boats, and nearly $300 more in nets; 8,000 pounds of scallops and 25,000 pounds of fish were taken. Nearly all of the latter were shipped by rail to New York. MATTITUCK. — Five residents of this place are fishermen. Three of them arc married, and eighteen persons are dependent upon them. Three women and fourteen children are employed in opening scallops during the season. There are three fishing boats, aggregating 14 tons. A capital of §3,000 is invested in boats and buildings for the scallop industry; 18,000 pounds were 356 GEOGBAPHICAL EEVIEW OP THE FISHEEIES. taken last year, of which 14,968 pounds were sent west by rail, and the others were distributed elsewhere. A few hard clarns, probably GOO bushels, were taken. A pound-net west of the village took 25,000 pounds of fresh fish, and about 15,000 pounds of eels were taken with spears and pots. NEW SUFFOLK. — This small place has been built to accommodate the scallop trade. Ship- ments by rail are made at Cntchogne. The scallop -fleet numbers sixteen sloop-rigged boats, raugiug from 5 to 15 tons each, the aggregate being about 120 tons. Seventy men are engaged in fishing for scallops ; while twenty men, thirty women, and eighty children are employed in opening the product, making a total of two hundred persons, the majority of whom are Americans, engaged in this industry. The fishery is carried on at any time between October and the following May, when weather and ice do not interfere. The fleet averages 100 bushels (in shell) per day, or 18,000 during the season. They "open out" half a gallon of meats to the bushel of shells, making 9,000 gallons, which, at au average of GO cents a gallon, net the producers about $5,400. They are shipped in boxes to commission merchants in New York, the selling price varying from 25 cents to $1.50 per gallon. Not less than 820,000 are invested in boats, houses, and tools. The scallops are caught with dredges (pronounced drudges by the fishermen), similar to those used in taking oysters, except that they have no teeth. The bottom part of the bag, which holds from 1^ to 2 bushels, is made of chain and the upper part of net. The boats drift with the tide, and, if possible, with the wind. The dredges are used in 2 to 30 feet of water, 7 fathoms of line being the average length in shallow water; the length is, however, varied according to circumstances, for when it is windy they must pay out more, and when moderate less, to regulate the speed and pre- vent anchoring the boat. If very deep water is dredged, additional lines must be bent on. Scalloping has been practiced here twenty-five years, and it is claimed that the discovery that the species was eatable and marketable originated here. Women and children are employed for shucking the scallops; the former ordinarily open from 15 to IS gallons per day, according to the si/e of the scallops, and it is not uncommon to see a woman standing at her place working while she is rocking the cradle with one foot. The work is all done in frame buildings and the people stand in a row at a bench. Children often come down after school and open 5 or 6 gallons. The price paid for opening was formerly 25 cents per gallon, but it was reduced to 15 cents last season, and to 13 cents this year. If the demand for scallops is good, 15 cents will doubtless again be paid. From 80 to 200 scallops fill a quart cup, equal to 320 to 800 to the gallon. Every part of the scallop is used. The hard adductor muscle is all that is eaten, and it is the only part marketed. The soft parts called "rims" were formerly sold for manure at $1 per barrel, but they are now mainly used by the dealers on their own land. Fifty thousand bushels of shells have been sold at 2J cents per bushel ; they are used for catching oyster spat and are in growing favor on account of the ease with which they go to pieces when the oysters get large. They are often taken from the beds and turned over with a shovel to separate the oysters and keep them from bunching. Some of the scallop boats are used in the "off" season for taking hard clams. About twenty- five men are engaged in clamming in the summer, averaging 4 bushels per day from April to October. They catch most of the clarns in the early spring and bed them down for summer: 10,000 bushels were taken last year ; 200 bushels of soft clams were dug for home supply. PECONIC. — Three pound-nets on the sound side are owned by residents of this place. The prin- cipal sources of revenue from the fisheries are from these nets and from the catch of menhaden and scallops. Sixty men are engaged in these fisheries, forty of whom are married, with two hundred persons depending upon them. George H. Vail, a pound fisherman, claims that the fisheries are NEW YORK: EASTERN END OF LONG ISLAND. 357 decreasing-. There arc $1,500 invested iu nets, exclusive of those used in the menhaden fishery, and 63,000 worth of fishing boats and tools are used. Most shipments of fishery products go by boat to New York or to Connecticut. Last year 18,000 pounds (2,000 gallons) of scallops, 1,200 pounds of eels, and 600,000 pounds of other fish were caught. SOUTHOLD.— Mr. W. H. H. Glover has oil works at this place, and Mr. W. Y. Fithian, owner of works at Napeague, resides here. Mr. Fithian says that now (October 1) the menhaden yields an average of 3 gallons of oil per thousand fish, but that the average for the season, up to Sep- tember 10, was only 2£ gallons. He owns a steamer worth §13,000, and two sail craft; his factory is worth $18,000. Some menhaden seining is done at Peconic iu the spring, the fish being sold for manure. Perhaps $2,000 worth were so taken last spring. Outside of the menhaden business there are six men engaged in the fisheries; three are mar- ried and twenty persons are dependent upon them. Two men, W. Maynard and John Dunkle, take scallops ; three women and ten children find employment in opening them. One boat is used in the fishery and 40,000 pounds of scallops were obtained last year, 13,025 pounds of which were shipped by rail ; 200 bushels of soft clams, 400 bushels of hard clams, and 50 barrels of hard crabs were taken. The other products were 30,000 pounds of dressed eels, of which quantity 9,290 pounds were shipped to New York by rail ; 800,000 pounds of fresh fish, four-fifths of them being consumed locally; 200 bushels of oysters and 50 barrels of lobsters. Oyster culture is being attempted here by Mr. John P. Terry, who has 50 acres planted. 124. GREENPORT AND ITS FISHERIES. GKEENPOKT. — This place, with its deep, spacious harbor, was formerly a great whaling center, but on the abandonment of that industry the capital was mostly transferred to the men- haden business. Many owners of factories live here. Mr. David G. Floyd, now seventy-nine years old, went into the whaling business in 1847, but, to use his own language, has now "got down to menhaden." He says that he remembers the first bluefish he ever saw; fifty years ago they were called " horse mackerel." In 1838, when the first Spanish mackerel were caught here, the people were afraid to eat them ; they were taken in " Narrow Bay," between Moriches Bay and Great South Bay. Between 1850 and I860 menhaden were usually plenty, with the exception of one year, when they failed. His father told him that the eastern end of the island did not raise grain enough to feed the inhabitants until they began using fish for manure; this practice began about fifty years ago. Rye was the main dependence for bread up to that time, but after applying fish they could raise wheat as easily as rye. He now has one factory and two steamers in the men- haden business. He first engaged in the business in 1865, when he bought a sail vessel, and, after putting oil works on board of it, went down to Chesapeake Bay. The business was a new one, and, having had no experience, he did but little. The next season he went to Maine, but the people objected to his fishing inside of the 3-mile limit, and thinking the point hardly worth contesting he gave it up temporarily and returned home. This year the fish have been poor and have made but littlb oil, probably not over 2J or 3 gallons per thousand, an average yield for other years being about 4J gallons. Mr. Floyd says that the fish were plenty in May, but that they were very poor, and taking the season through it lias been an unprofitable one so far; but as October and November are the best months, the fish then being fatter, it may help to bring up the average. Capt. B. F. Couklin, of Jamesport, says: " Six or seven years ago, in July, the fish iu Gardiner's and Peconic Bays were very fat and made from 12 to 15 gallons of oil per thousand." Mr. Henry E. Wells, of D. D. Wells & Sous, says that he began 358 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. fishing for menhaden oil July 4, 1850, and was the first person in the business. He put up steam oil works on Shelter Island. The fish were at first taken wholly in shore-seines. In 1852 he went into the purse-net fishing, with small boats; later he employed yacht steamers. ""We built," says he, " the first steam factory in the State of Maine, at South Bristol. The firm was Wells & Co. We also built the first steam works in Virginia, on Tanner's Point, where we staid one year, after which we returned to South Bristol." He thinks the business varies from good to bad, as other business does. The catch for 1880 was better than that of the previous year. He thinks it would be better policy not to capture any menhaden before June 1, so as to allow them to spawn. In August, 1873, he took one boat load of menhaden in Little Pecouic Bay which yielded 24 gallons of oil per thousand fish. Bluefish. aud wcakfish have been abundant this season, but Spanish mackerel were very scarce. Some shad have been caught in the pounds during the past few years. The schooner Storm Child, a well-smack running to the New York market, is owned here, and from the middle of April to the 1st of October fishes for lobsters aud then goes to Nantucket for cod. Lobsters taken at Gay Head (Martha's Vineyard) are easily kept alive in the well, but those taken from the colder waters of Maine often die. The captain says : "This season would have been a good one had it iiot been for the 10-inch law, which has -worked disastrously. If this law affected the canneries it would be an excellent one, but under it they can work up small lobsters, while the market is closed on them to us." When fishing for cod he gets his bait (sea-clams) from Eockaway. His catch being taken outside the limits of the island and marketed in New York, I have not included it here. Five smacks sail from this place, and two belonging to New York marketmen are often laid up here. They have not been out much this season, as they say it was too dull to pay expenses. Exclusive of the menhaden business there are forty men engaged in fishing here ; twenty of these are married, and, including their families, one hundred and fifty pel-sons are dependent on the fisheries ; $15,000 are invested in boats and $5,000 additional in nets and implements. Ten boats with twelve men were employed in the scallop fisheries. The season begins the last of September and ends about March 1. In the winter of 1S7G-T7 some of the boats took 50 to GO bushels per day. They are opened by boys from nine to sixteen years old and are sent to Fulton market by express ; 15,000 bushels, averaging a half gallon of meat each, were taken in the season of 1879-'SO. These sold at an average of 60 cents per gallon. In July the young scallops are as big as a man's thumb-nail. In November they have increased to the size of an old-fashioned copper cent. The fishermen think that they spawn iu June. The yield last year, including the products shipped to New York aud Connecticut, aud those consumed at home, was 3,000,000 pounds of fresh fish, 20,000 pounds of eels, 80 barrels of lobsters, 75 barrels of hard crabs, 10,000 pounds of scallops, 1,000 bushels of hard clams, aud 400 bushels of soft clams. Ten men take scallops and 14 women and 40 children devote their attention to opening the catch. The soft clams are not considered very good until snow comes; the fresh water from snow is said by the claminers to fatten them. 125. THE FISHING TOWNS BETWEEN EAST MARION AND SOUTHAMPTON. EAST MARION.— There are seventy-five men engaged iu the fisheries from this point. The pound fishers living here fish in Orient Bay, along the sound, at Niantic, Conn., and at Napeague. Capt. Henry Bellost formerly owned two pounds in Napeague Bay, just inside Rocky Point. He fished them regularly for nine years, but has now given up the business. He sent his fish to New NEW YORK: EASTERN END OF LONG ISLAND. 359 York in boxes averaging 22.3 pounds of flsli each. Tbe following are tbe shipments for the nine years, copied from his books : Tear. Xnmber of boxes. Pounds of fish. 1871 272 01, 200 187'1 3°1 72 225 1873 303 81,075 1874 320 72, 000 1873 251 m, IT:. 187G 140 32 850 1877 230 59, 175 If 78 •>51 54 223 1879 113 25 425 515,250 His fishing season was from May to October. He has no record of the Spanish mackerel caught, but gives his recollections as follows : 1871,6,000; 1872,2,500; 1873,1,000; 1874 to 1878, 500; 1879, 10 fish. He says in 1871 Spanish mackerel were plenty; in 1872 the pound-nets began to increase in numbers, and kept increasing until 1875, when this fishery was at its height; in 1878 it began to decrease, and there are not as many nets this year as last. Capt. James McDermott is now engaged in the capture of flatfish for two months in the spring, beginning about the 1st of March. He fishes ten fykes, the Lodgings to these extending fully 7 rods from the shore, while the wings are about 16 feet in length. The fykes proper have two funnels each. They are about 9 feet long and 4 feet in diameter. In the spring of 1881 he reports the flatfish much less abundant than formerly, his entire catch not exceeding COO pounds per week. This he attributes to overfishiug in the bay, where a large number of fykes are set. Capt. Willard Rackett, of the sloop Laura Thompson, is engaged in running lobsters to the New York market. In the spring and early summer he visits Deer Isle, on the coast of Maine, to secure his supply, but later, owing to the loss of lobsters in transportation, he buys them of the Massachusetts fishermen. He cau carry about 20,000 pounds of lobsters in cool weather. When the weather becomes warm only half that quantity can be taken with safety. During the season he carries about 80,000 pounds, the average weight of the lobsters being about 1J pounds each. Vessels owned here hail from Greenport, and their tonnage is included in the fleet of that port. The fresh fish caught from different waters by the men living here is estimated at 150,000 pounds for the year. In addition to these, 10,000 pounds of eels, 100 barrels of lobsters, 100 barrels of hard crabs, 200 bushels of hard clams, and 50 bushels of soft clams were secured. The fishermen report that bluefish are holding their own in numbers; weaktish decreased slightly from 1874 to 1877, since which time there has been little change; porgies (Stcnotomus chry- sops) have decreased, and butterfish (Stromateus triacanthus) hold their own. There are $4,000 invested in nets, and $G,000 in boats, by the resident fishermen. ORIENT.— This is the most easterly village on the northern peninsula. There are five profes- sional and eight semi-professional fishermen here. Two of the former are married, having nine children, giving sixteen wholly dependent on the fisheries. Of the latter, six are married, and having twenty-seven children, make a total of forty-one partly dependent on the fisheries. It has been my custom to take half the semi-professionals and add them to the others. This would make nine men, five married and thirty-six dependent. The owners of pound-nets from here to Oyster Pond Point are farmers, who own the beach. In Orient Bay are two pounds, which arc owned in East Marion, and their catch is included in the figures of that place. TLere are three pounds and 360 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. a fertilizer factory ou Loug Point Beacb, two pounds south of Oyster Pond Point, and five in the sound, between the last-named place and Rocky Point, lying to the west of Orient. There are $6,000 invested in nets, and $12,000 in boats for fishing. There are no men here engaged in fishing for either menhaden, mackerel, or halibut; all are pound-netters, here or elsewhere. The fishing- is better than last year for all kinds of fish. A few Spanish mackerel (150) were taken. Both bluefish and porgies have increased. The average cost of a pound-net is about $500. The pound proper requires 100 pounds of twine, and the leader from 100 to 150 or even 250 pounds, according to length and the depth of the water. The Atlantic and Virginia Fertilizing Company, on Long Beach Point, lost their factory by fire last .winter. When running they employed forty men all the year round. They are rebuilding. They buy fish-scrap from the oil factories and mix it with other materials, thus making an excellent fertilizer. The catch last year was 300,000 pounds of fresh fish, 50 barrels of crabs, 100 barrels of lobsters, 800 bushels of oysters, 500 bushels of hard clams, and 200 bushels of soft clams. GARDINER'S ISLAND. — Formerly ten pound-nets were fished here, but now only two remain. No fishermen live here, and the catch is therefore included in the figures of other places. MONTAUK POINT. — Here is Great Pond, a pond of fresh water containing 1,500 acres. It sometimes empties into the bay, and the owner, Mr. Benson, has talked of making an opening with a sluice-way, so as to render it brackish and make an oyster-pond of it. It contains neither yellow perch (Percn americana), pike, nor pickerel. . W. S. Gardiner, of East Hampton, once rented its fishing privileges at $100 per year. He caught white perch (Roccus americanus), a few striped bass (Roccus Imeatus), eels, and one codfish; also some menhaden, tautog or blackflsh, mullet, weakfisli, and flatfish. The white perch were the most abundant. He sounded the pond from Big Island to the south end, and it showed a regular depth of 12 feet, except very near the shores. Oyster Pond has yellow perch and oysters. FORT POND BAY AND NAPEAGUE.— There are three pounds in Fort Pond Bay, and two in Xapeague, but, being owned elsewhere, the catch is reported in the towns where the owners live. Napeague Bay and Harbor are together called "Promised Land," and several menhaden factories are located here. On the Atlantic side the great pound-net which it is proposed to build, with an iron pier, referred to in general remarks on the east end, is to be located. SPRINGS.— Here are forty professional and ninety semi-professional fishermen, equal to eighty- five men, of whom thirty are married, making fully two hundred and twenty persons depeiuleut upon the fisheries. There are $8,000 invested in nets and apparatus, and $32,000 in boats. The aggregate for the boats is about 100 tons. During the fall and winter of 1879, 10,000 bushels of scallops were taken in Three-Mile Harbor. Two men dug 800 bushels of soft clams last fall and sold them at Watch Hill, Conn. Mr. Bennett, one of the interested parties, says that men from Block Island and from Connecticut took from Three-Mile Harbor, about a mile from Springs, 4,000 bushels of soft clams last season, and that they do so every year. The entire catch was 8,000 bushels, of which fully half were shipped. One thousand bushels of hard clams were taken for consumption in the vicinity. Of fresh fish 120,000 pounds were taken; of eels, 2,000 pounds; of crabs, 100 barrels; of lobsters, GO barrels. Striped bass (Roccus lineatus) are taken in seines and traps from October until the weather gets too cold. AMAGANSETT. — Fifteen professional and thirty semi-professional fishermen live here; $20,000 ;\re invested in boats, and $5,000 in seines, traps, and fykes. Many of the farmers of the locality set fykes, and they occasionally fish with seines for striped bass and other species on the Atlantic NEW YORK: EASTERN END OF LONG ISLAND. 361 side. The bass have been scarce this year, and now (November G) the men say none are to be found. Daniel Loper lives in his boat and fishes wherever he finds fish, at Montauk Point, Block Island, or elsewhere. He reports fishing as poor this year. Many men living here are engaged in the menhaden fisheries during the season, after which they fish with seines for other species. Few fish are shipped from the place. The catch for the past season has been: Fresh fish, 40,000 pounds; soft clams, 200 bushels; hard clams, 100 bushels; crabs, 30 barrels; eels. 4,000 pounds. EAST HAMPTON. — The men here fish along the ocean shore and in Gardiner's Bay. They take scallops, clams, eels, and other fish in the latter and bass and other fish in the former. There are twenty-five professional and seventy-five semi-professional fishermen. The bass season begins in October and lasts for five or six weeks, or until cold weather sets in. Flat-fish are taken in fykes. Eels are speared, potted, and seined with a seine of fine mesh. The scallops taken are consumed locally; $10,000 are invested in nets and gear, and $30,000 in vessels and boats. The catch for the year was: Fresh fish, 50,000 pounds; soft clams, 500 bushels; hard clams, 150 bushels; scallops, 4,000 pounds; eels, 0,000 pounds. SAG HARBOR.— This is the terminus of a branch of the railroad, and many fish caught by the men living at other points are shipped from here. Sixty men are engaged in the menhaden and other fisheries; half of them take clams and scallops. Three large and ten small sloops, aggregating 150 tons, are engaged in the business. At the time of my visit, October 21, the scal- lop season was not fairly opened, as the weather was too warm for them to keep well, but the out- look was good and the scallopers were confident of a good catch. Hard winters kill the species, but last winter was an open one and there was plenty of seed and few storms to drive them ashore to perish. They go in schools, and when driven on shore they soon freeze. In a storm Capt. S. Pidgeon. of sloop F. L. Nora, says that, if possible, they will work to windward, but if not possi- ble, they are then drifted to leeward. He has seen them swimming in a crowd ten feet deep. John Talmage, who has fished for fifty years, says that the porgies are increasing both in num- bers and size; striped bass are getting scarcer every year; weakfish are not so plenty as ten years ago, but still fairly abundant, while bhiefish are increasing. In referring to Spanish mackerel he said: "They were plenty twenty- five years ago, when they first came, and I have often caught one hundred in a night near Mattituck. This abundance lasted only four or five years, and they are very scarce now." Mr. L. Palmer says : "Three years ago I was the agent of the railroad at this place, and during cold weather there were from 3 to 5 tons of fiat-fish per day shipped from this station." It may be proper to remark here that the Long Island fishermen do not distinguish the difference between the several species of PIcuroncctida', but class them all as "flat-fish." The names flounder, plaice, dab, window-pane, &c., seem to be unknown, and in conversation with fishermen in different parts of the island I observed that they knew that some had the mouth on the right and others on the left side, and that there were a few other differences, such as shape of the tail-fin, &c., but they either seemed to regard these things as accidental or not of importance. A few of them had noticed that those which lay upon a certain side of the body and had different tails grew larger than the others, but on the island the term "flat-fish" co\ers all the species found. There are $4,000 invested in nets and tools and $30,000 in boats. The year's catch was as follows: Fresh fish, 2,000,000 pounds, of which 000,000 pounds were flat-fish; eels, 40,000 pounds; scallops, 50,000 pounds; soft clams, 3,000 bushels; hard clams, 1,000 bushels ; lobsters, 200 barrels; hard crabs, 100 barrels, none shipped; oysters, 500 bushels. With the fresh fish are included some cod caught by men living here, though taken in other localities. The sloop Geor- giana sails from Sag Harbor and fishes occasionally for bass, and at other times goes for cod, 362 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. as does also the sloop Eveline, Captain De Castro. The men fish with hand-lines, and for bait use "bunkers" or menhaden, and clams. Captain De Castro says that the trawls and pound-nets have spoiled the fishing. BRIDGEHAMPTON. — At this place are ten professional and forty semi-professional fishermen. John Ltidlow fishes for bass and finds them decreasing. There are $3,000 invested in nets and 87.000 in boats. The catch last year amounted to 150,000 pounds of fresh fish, 10,000 pounds of eels, 50 bushels of hard clams, 150 bushels of soft clams, 50 barrels of crabs, and 8,000 pounds of scallops. WATER MILLS. — Twenty men fish from this place ; eight are married aud forty persons are dependent upon the fisheries. About $4,000 are invested in nets and $8,000 in boats. The catch last year was 200.000 pounds of fresh fish, 8,000 pounds of eels, 10 barrels of crabs, 20 barrels of lobsters, 180 bushels of hard clams, and 75 bushels of soft clams. SOUTHAMPTON. — Forty men fish from this place ; eighteen are married aud oue hundred and twenty-five persons are dependent on the fisheries. Six thousand dollars are invested in nets and 812,000 in boats. The fishing is done chiefly ira the Atlantic and the small bays. The yield last year was £00,000 pounds of fresh fish, 500 bushels of oysters, 1,000 bushels of hard clams, 400 bushels of soft clams, 2,000 pounds of eels, 80 barrels of crabs, and 20 bushels of mussels. Kelson Burnett claims that the bass are getting scarce, while the porgies are growing more plentiful; that tlie weakfish are decreasing, while the bluefish are increasing. D.— THE SOUTH SHORE OF LONG ISLAND. 12G. EXPLANATORY STATEMENTS. This division, beginning at Shiuuecock Bay on the east aud ending at Rockaway on the west, is flat, level, and sandy. The peculiar feature of the district is that the bays are not indentations in the coast line, as in other parts of the island, but are formed by a long sand-bar running nearly parallel to the main shore, which is locally known as " the beach." This beach being nearly straight and the shore quite irregular, the intervening strip of water varies greatly in width, expanding and contracting in turn so as to form a succession of salt water lagoons which are respectively known under the names of Shiunecoclc Bay, Moriches Bay, BellportBay, Great South Bay, South Oyster Bay, and Hempstead Bay. Here the oyster industry takes the first rank, aud comparatively little fishing is done for market. The region is, however, a favorite resort for anglers, who often take hundreds of pounds in a day of various species, chief among which is the bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix). It is also noted for the number and size of its trout streams, most of which are preserved. Many ponds have been constructed, and trout are being bred both for anglers aud for market. 127. SHINXECOCK BAY. This bay is about ten miles in length and varies from one to four miles in width. lu former times it was connected with Moriches Bay on the west, but for many years it has had an opening of its own which is occasionally closed by storms in autumn which drive the sand into it. On these occasions the inlet will remain closed until the spring storms open it, unless it is opened by the people living upon the bay. It is a singular fact that all the inlets on the south side are working westward, and Shiunecock Inlet is no exception, for each time it closes and opens -of its own accord it goes in this direction. When closed the waters become higher than those of the Atlantic, and NEW YORK: SOUTH SHORE OF LONG ISLAND. 363 leach through the sand. They become quite fresh from the influx of the streams emptying into the bay, arid the sea fish thus shut in die when the waters get cold. In this way untold millions of valuable food-fish have perished. Such a closing happened in October last (1880), and among the fish lost were thousands of small bluefish, weakfish (Cynoscion regale), porgies or scup (Steno- tomus clirysops), and menhaden (Brcroorlia tymnmts). Several public-spirited citizens offered to dig an opening at their own expense, but there is said to be a law forbidding it. They all want the inlet opposite their own houses, and so commissioners were appointed to select a location for it. These commissioners put it off until their fall farming work was done, and in the meantime the fish died. Mr. William N. Lane, at Good Ground, says that when the fish die in the bay in such quantities it seriously interferes with the fish which desire to enter it to spawn the next season, as the oil or "slick'7 which is produced upon the water is very offensive to them. In former years Spanish mackerel (Scomleromorus maculatus) were taken in this bay, but none come now. The prin- cipal species at present are bluefish, weakfish, eels, and porgies. It is claimed to be the best place for eels on Long Island. "Duck clams" come into the bay periodically and when they are here the porgies (scup) come in and feed upon them in great numbers, as do several species of wild fowl, as red-heads, canvass- backs, broad-bills, coots, boobies, and old-squaws. This clam came in last summer, after an absence of three years. Their stay is usually three or four years, when they all die from some cause unknown. GOOD GROUND. — Seventy-five men at this settlement derive their support from the water. They divide their time between fishing, clamming, wild-fowl shooting, and taking out parties of pleasure fishermen in their sail-boats. The fishing season continuing more than two-thirds of the year, the number of fishermen may be placed at fifty. Twenty of the men are married, and one hundred and thirty persons in all are dependent upon the fishery. Small boats of 2 tons are used, of which there are fifty, worth $4,000. About 8:3,000 arc invested in seines, fykes, and gill-nets. Eels are taken in great numbers. Mr. Lane, alluded to above, took eels from twelve to fifteen years ago, and averaged 25,000 pounds per year. He thinks that in the whole bay there are fifty men eeling at the present time, but their labors are not rewarded with the same success as formerly, and the entire yearly catch probably does not average more than 100,000 pounds. About 30,000 pounds of eels are taken at Good Ground, together with 1,000,000 pounds of fresh fish, including fiat-fish. Crabs are plenty, but not many are sent to market. The catch reaches about 100 dozen of soft crabs and 200 barrels of hard crabs, the latter being consumed at home. ATLANTICVILLE. — Forty men fish here, of whom twenty are married. There are one hundred persons in all dependent on the fisheries. The apparatus of capture is similar to that of the neighboring towns. Fifty 2-ton boats, worth $4,000, and $6,000 worth of nets, are used in the fisheries. The products consisted of 50,000 pounds of eels, 1,200,000 pounds of other fish of various species, 50 barrels of hard crabs. 300 dozen of soft crabs, 200 bushels of oysters, and 500 bushels of hard clams. QUOGUE. — This locality has ten fishermen, six of whom are married. Including these men and their families a total of thirty persons are dependent upon the fisheries. In the months of May and June, and sometimes in October, these fishermen devote their attention to the capture of striped bass with seines and gill-nets on the outer shore. The catch of this species has fallen off greatly in the past few years. The total production of the fisheries of this place for the last year amounted to 20,000 pounds dressed eels, 40,000 pounds fresh fish, and 50 barrels hard crabs. At Pond-Quogue, or Canoe Place, as it is otherwise designated, is a menhaden factory owned by Mr. Albert Terry, of Riverhead. 364 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. 128. MORICHES BAY. This bay is 10 miles long and from 1 to 2 miles wide, and has 5 feet of water in its channel at high tide. It opens on the west end into Great South Bay, and has no independent inlet into the ocean. Its nearest connection with the sea is Fire Island Inlet, some 25 miles to the west, and in consequence its waters are at times rendered quite brackish by the large fresh streams flowing in at Seatuck Cove arid Forge River. Most of the hard crabs shipped from Long Island come from this bay, the people of other locali- ties never having engaged so extensively in the work. They are taken from small boats by means of long lines, with short ones, or snoods, attached at intervals of 2 or 3 feet, which are baited with pieces of eel or other fish. The fisherman "overruns" the line from one end to the other, and as the unfortunate crustaceans are successively lured within reach he secures them with his dip-net. The crabs are shipped to New York in second-hand cement barrels. These cost 10 cents each, and are delivered to the shippers free of transportation from New York by the Long Island Railroad for the sake of the return freight when full. There are no oysters in the bay east of West Moriches. The water is too fresh for scallops, hard or soft clams. WESTHAMPTON.— -Forty men belonging to this place are occupied in fishing. Fifteen of these have families, which raises the total number depending upon the fisheries to one hundred. Seine fishing in the surf is carried on from May to November. Each seining crew consists of eight men, and is accompanied by two horses, which are used for hauling the seines and carting away the fish. The men fish on shares, one-third going to the owners of the net and the remainder being divided equally among the members of the gang. An outfit, consisting of nets and small boats, costs $1,200, the total amount invested in apparatus for the five gangs thus reaching $6,000. Striped bass (Roccus lincatus) and white perch (Roccus amcricanus) are taken in South Bay from November to May. Ten men devote a portion of their time to the capture of eels. An eeling outfit costs $150. This includes boats, cars, eel-pots, and shrimp-nets for taking bait. Mr. S. B. Topping, who was an eeler thirty years ago, informs. us that he has taken 300 bushels of them in a day from April 1 to July 1. At that time minnows were used as bait in this fishery, but they are now rather scarce. About forty years ago Mr. John Lawrence put some "mud-pike" (Esox amcricanus [nobilior] Gmelin) in a pond which he made for them at Mastic. A high tide overflowed the pond and let them into the bay, where they have increased to the detriment of the trout streams. They are now in all the mill-ponds, and have exterminated the trout in some places. Many are taken for market in fine gill-nets. They attain the weight of from one-half to three-quarters of a pound. The products of the fisheries of Wcsthampton amounted last year to 3,000 pounds of eels, 500,000 pounds of fresh fish, and 100 barrels of hard crabs, all of the latter being consumed locally. SPEONK. — Ten men fish from this place in the waters of the bay. Four of these are married, and have fifteen persons depending upon them for support. Five hundred dollars are invested in boats and $1,000 in nets. The yield last year was 3,000 pounds of eels and 30,000 pounds of fresh fish. EASTPORT AND EAST MORICHES. — At Eastport and East Moriches there are twenty-five fish- ermen, ten of whom fish outside and the remainder in the bay. Ten are married, and, including the families of these, seventy-five persons derive their living from the fisheries. One thousand dollars are invested in boats and $2,000 in nets. The catch last year was: Fresh fish, 100,000 pounds: dressed eels, 150,000 pounds. The crab catch is included with that of Moriches Station, below. NEW YOEK: SOUTH SHORE OF LONG ISLAND. 365 CENTRE MORICHES. — Twenty of the residents of this town are engaged iu taking bard crabs from June to November. Twelve are married, and sixty persons depend upon their labors. The men make from $10 to $15 per week during the season. Crabs are sold on commission, sometimes netting them 25 cents per barrel after all expenses and sometimes as high as $2.50. The average is about $1. The business is only three or four years old and is growing. At the approach of winter the crabs go into deep water and the men turn their attention to the capture of eels and other fish. Besides the crabbers there are thirty other fishermen here, two-thirds of whom are married. About eighty persons are dependent upon their exertions. There are two gangs of surf-fishermen, numbering six men each, who fish with seines on the outer beach from October to December. Each gang has an 18-foot boat propelled by three pairs of oars. The seines used are 175 fathoms long and 2 fathoms deep in the middle, with a 2-iuch mesh, and are hauled without the help of horses. Five hundred dollars arc invested iu boats and 82,000 in nets and traps. The year's catch was: Fresh fish, 200,000 pounds; eels, 250,000. MOEICHES STATION. — This place is quite inland, and only six fishermen live near here. It is, however, the principal shipping point for all the surrounding region. Four-fifths of the shipments of fish are made by express, and the remainder by freight. Eels are commonly shipped on Thurs- days, as many being sent on that day as iu all the rest of the week together. On October -S, 1880, 3,000 pounds of eels -were shipped, and on November 4 1,980 pounds. The figures for hard crabs in 1880 were as follows, each barrel containing from 225 to 250 crabs: Barrels. June 126 July 403 August 1,194 September 1,941 October 905 November (to 10th) 92 Total 4,661 129. GEE AT SOUTH BAY. Great South Bay is a body of water 3G miles long and from 3 to 0 miles wide. Its waters mingle on the east with those of the bays of Moriches and Bellport, extending westward to South Oyster Bay, from which it is separated solely by an imaginary line. The only direct communica- tion with the sea is at Fire Island Inlet, which opens well to the westward, opposite Bay Shore. There are but few islands, and these are near the beach or ocean side. The region is a famous resort for anglers, but its commercial fisheries arc not large. Oystering is extensively carried on in the western half and clamming iu the eastern. The winter of 1880-'81 was a severe one, the bay being frozen nearly solid, but the oysters did not suffer as much as was expected. One of the old oysterinen, Mr. Floyd R. Skinner, of Sayville, has noticed that a long hard winter leaves them weak and in bad condition, but that the losses by death are less than when the weather is changeable with high winds. The winter of 1879-'80 was mild and but little loss occurred. As no dredging is allowed in the bay, all oysters are taken with tongs except the few which are gathered with rakes in shoal water. The bay lies in the townships of Brook Haven and Islip, the oyster district extending from Brook Haven on the east to Ford's River on the west. The oyster beds in the former township are free to citizens of the town on payment of a "toleration fee" of $1 per year. The beds are places where there are deposits of old shells. The " grounds '' are staked off or buoyed into 4-acre lots, which are leased to citizens. 366 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. The price was formerly $1 per acre, but is now $3 for 4 acres. In the town of Islip, the eastern portion, which was formerly part of Brook Haven, is still under the above rules, but in the western part the grounds are leased at 81 per acre without a toleration fee for public beds. They plant under a special act of the legislature. Most of the oystermeu use cat-boats, averaging 4£ tons each, of which there are about three hundred in the bay. One thousand men ami two hundred boys, composing the entire fishing population, engage iu oysteriug during the greater part of the season, which lasts from the 15th of September to the 15th of June. The boys "cull," that is, pick over the oysters and throw back the shells. In former years more boys and fewer men were employed. On public grounds a season's work for a man is 500 bushels. The quantity was much greater iu years past, but the species has been failing for years. The oysters are sold by the " tub," holding about a bushel. It is part of a barrel, and should be 10 inches high, 17 inches across the bottom, and 19 iuches at the top, inside measurement. The price varies from 75 cents to $1.25 per tub, the average being about a dollar. The men generally sell to shippers by rail or boatmen who buy for markets. About one-half the catch goes to New York, and the remainder is divided between Norwich and Providence. Messrs. La Salle & Day buy for both the New York and the European markets. Many are now shipped iu barrels to Europe, but no special packing is done for this trade except to wash them clean, so that no mud gets in. Mr. Skinner, referred to above, says that during the third quarter of the present century the oysters in the bay spawned only once iu three years, but that during the last five years they have spawned oftener, although from causes in part unknown the greater portion of the seed have died soon after. One fruitful ageucy in their destruction is the "drill," which attacks the thin shell of the young and bores through. Their work can be plainly seen. There are very few star-fish, and the drill is the only known enemy. This is disappearing to some extent, and prospects seem better, as an unusually large proportion of the last year's crop survived. Much seed from Virginia, the Hudson River, Newark Bay, and Connecticut has been planted in the bays. The planters think that the last is best, because more likely to stand the winters and live. The Virginia seed is not so hardy; 50 per cent, dies the first winter and 30 per cent, of the remainder dies afterward. The Hudson River seed is the next best. Forty years ago the principal oyster grounds were at Blue Point, near Patchogue. They have, however, been moving westward at the rate of from one-quarter to 1 mile per year, having gone 15 miles in thirty years. Sayvillo is now the center of the "Blue Point" oyster industry. The clams are going east at the same time, a few now being taken as far east as Terry's bed, opposite Brown's Point, one-third of a mile east of Sayvillc. Seed was formerly shipped from the bay; now it is brought iu. Thirty-five years ago 10,000 bushels of seed were shipped to Boston, and sold at 10 cents per bushel. In those days the oysters grew thickly on old shells, and in selling 3 bushels the purchaser took 2 of oysters and 1 of shells. Seed is worth 50 cents per bushel, and from 1,000 to 2,800 bushels are planted on a 4-acre lot, according to the size of the seed. Mr. La Salle believes that the days of oyster-planting are numbered, unless the plants are guarded from their enemies, human and other. In the flush oyster times seed often sold from this bay for 4 cents per bushel. There are plenty of shells in the bay for oyster spat to set on, but there has not been a good catch of spat in five or six years. The "drills" have made their appearance within this period. They thrive in the salter water nearer the inlet, decreasing in numbers toward the eastern end of the bay. About 8750,000 are invested in the oyster business, and the annual yield amounts to 800,000 bushels. As has already been mentioned, 1,000 men are engaged in the fisheries of this NEW YOEK: SOUTH SHORE OP LONG ISLAND. 367 bay. One-half are married, and about 3,000 persons, altogether, are dependent upon the products of the salt water. Besides the oyster, claui, fish, and menhaden industries, a little revenue is derived from the "horsefeet" (Limuhis polyplicrnvs) and the common mussels (Mytihts edulis). Smith's Point, on Bellport Bay, is the eastern limit of the horsefeet on account of the freshness of the water. They are used to bait eel-pots, feed chickens and hogs, and for manure. Farmers pay 50 to 75 cents per hundred for them. Eelers pay 2 cents each for females, but will not buy males. The season is .May and June, when they "crawl" or come ashore to lay their eggs between tide marks. They are picked up on shore at night or speared with an iron pike in the water by day. If speared in the carapace, the juices run out and they die and are worthless. A man can load a small boat at low tide in season. There are probably 10,000 caught in a season, which, at $1 per hundred, would only net $100, and yet their actual value must be much more. Mussels are taken around the islands with oyster tongs principally, although a few are caught with rakes. They are worth 3 cents per bushel for manure. Probably 200,000 bushels are taken between Moriches and Babylon. A very few go to market for pickling, but the demand is small. Minnows, "silversides" (probably Engraulis rittatits and other species), are taken with a net made of milnet for eel bait, but usually by the eelers themselves, so that there is no regular price. Hard clams are taken from the opening of the bay in spring to its close. The season is more active when oysters are out, from the middle of June to the middle of September. The same boats are used, probably two hundred, ranging from 2 to G tons each. During the height of the season five hundred men and two hundred boys are employed. A good day's work for a mau is 1,000 clams (about 3 bushels). They sell for $2 per thousand or 70 cents per bushel. The yearly production is about 150,000 bushels, of which about 20,000 bushels are put up by the cannery at Islip. The tongs and rakes used are made rather heavier than those for oysters, and cost $5 and SO, respectively. Three-fifths of the catch is taken with tongs the heads of which are of iron. Gill nets, or set-nets as they are here called, are used, to a certain extent, in the fisheries of the bay. They are GOO fathoms long and G feet deep, being made of cotton twine, 12-thread, and having a 3-inch mesh. A "fly-net," another common kind of apparatus, is a seine not hauled to shore; one end is fastened to a stake and the boat pays it out and rows around to the starting point. Oft" Fire Island Inlet about seventy-five men fish for cod in winter. They use hand-lines and bait with sea clams and razor clams. Three or four men fish from one boat of about half a ton burthen. The twenty boats take 2,000,000 pounds in the course of a season. A portion of the catch, perhaps 500,000 pounds, goes to New York by boat, the remainder is sent by rail and is included in the figures for the different stations. In addition to the products already mentioned, 50,000 barrels of soft clams and $10,000 worth of menhaden are taken in the bay, the latter being used for manure. BBOOKHAVEN. — The shipping station on the railroad is Yaphank, 3 miles north. Twenty five fishermen live here (not included above), of whom fifteen are married, and seventy persons in all are dependent upon the water. Ten of the men fish outside and the remainder in the bay. There is no hand-lining for cod. Seines are used outside, and set-nets, fykes, and "run-arounds" or "fly-nets," inside; $500 are invested iu boats and $2,500 in nets. Eeliug has been poor this year, the catch amounting only to 2,500 pounds; 25,000 pounds of fresh fish of other species have been taken. BELLPORT. — At Bellport fifteen men are engaged in the fisheries proper; nine of these are married, and have thirty-five persons depending upon their exertions. In addition to these, fifty oystermen are numbered among the residents of the village. No fishing is done outside ; $2,HOO 368 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. are invested in nets and $500 in boats; 1,000 pounds of eels were taken for local consumption. A few clams are obtained about Fire Island. The shipments are included in Patchogue. PATCHOGUE. — Patchogue lias twelve married and eighteen single fishermen, with a total of seventy-five persons dependent on the fisheries. Besides these, one hundred oysteruien are included for this place in the general report on the bay. The yearly catch amounts to 5,000 pounds of eels, 600,000 pounds of fresh fish, 400 barrels of hard crabs, and 300 dozen of soft crabs. Fykes, seines, and eel-pots are used; 81,000 are invested in boats and 82,000 in nets. BLUE POINT. — Hero were formerly taken in great quantities the famous oysters which still retain the name of "Blue Points," although the grounds here do not yield as formerly, and the same quality of oysters are now taken at Sayville, 2i miles west. Ten men fish from Blue Point with fykes, seines, and eel-pots, and six of them are married and have twenty persons dependent upon them. The catch for the last season was divided as follows: Eels, 5,000 pounds; fresh fish, 80,000 pounds; hard crabs, 300 barrels; soft crabs, 200 dozen. About 8800 are invested in boats and $1,500 in nets. BAYPOKT. — Very little fishing is done here. The men engaged in oysteriug and other bay work set a few fykes and eel-pots. The catch was as follows: Eels, 1,000 pounds; fresh fish, 15,000 pounds; hard crabs, 100 barrels ; soft crabs, 150 dozen. There are 8000 invested in boats and 81, '-'00 iu nets. SAYVILLE. — Sayville is now the center of the "Blue Point" oyster trade. (See introductory remarks to Great South Bay.) Twenty fishermen fish and eel here, twelve of whom are married. Seventy persons in all are dependent upon the fisheries. Seines or "fly-nets," fykes, and eel-pots are used. Five thousand pounds of eels, 100,000 pounds of fish, 300 barrels of hard crabs, and 400 dozen soft crabs were taken ; $2,000 are invested in boats and 82,000 in nets. The owners of the three menhaden oil works on the beach live here. Mr. William H. Bedell, superintendent of TV. J. Terry's works, says (August 20, 1880) : ''All factories have been closed since July 1 because there were no fish. The steamers drive them off. They chase tire schools and capture or scatter them. We often take them when full of spawn, when they are of little use, as the eggs mix with the oil and 'cannot well be separated. They are only good for guano, and should be left to breed. These spawuers do not mix with the others. They spawn and go, and give place to a run of smaller fish. They struck iu about April 15 in fair numbers. The run which comes in June is best, the fish are fat, and it is our main run." Striped bass were plenty iu South Bay forty years ago, on what is called "Bass Flat." Mr. Terry has seen wagon-loads taken of fish weighing from 10 to 60 pounds. There are none there now, although the character of the ground has not changed. He attributes their absence to the increase of sailing vessels, which are continually on the grounds. Formerly there were but few nets, and no pounds. Forty years ago they took small bass of 2 to 3 pounds in winter by means of nets under the ice. The bay men hardly distinguish flounders from other flat-fish, and do not consider any flat-fish good eating. A few flounders are taken iu spring and sent to market. Wcakfish are holding their own as well as any fish excepting the bluefish. The latter are actually increasing, while all others are decreasing. Josiah Smith fishes with a fly-net 1,500 to 1,800 feet long, with meshes 3J inches. He says that no Spanish mackerel of any account have been taken since 1876. Then they were quite plenty. Few, if any, spawn here. Hon. Robert B. Roosevelt, one of the Fish Commissioners of Xew York, resides here iu NEW YORK: SOUTH SHORE OF LONG ISLAND. 369 summer. He reports that kiugfish, or barb (Menticirrus nebulosus), are not as plenty as formerly; blneflsh seldom get further in the bay than the main channel, near Fire Island, on account of pound-nets in the channel ; striped bass have disappeared ; and " Porgy Flat" is about deserted. In regard to the Spanish mackerel he says: "Seven years ago I saw a school of Spanish mackerel 20 miles wide, and as far up the beach as I cared to go." He pays $1 a thousand for menhaden for manure for his laud. C. W. Smith fishes with a fly-net 100 fathoms long, 18 feet deep, with 3J-inch mesh, made of cotton twine, No. 9, tarred. He and his father fish together with two nets, requiring four men to handle them. He says there are many young kingfish now in the bay, and he never knew of them here before so small and in such numbers. Men go from here to Oakdale to fish for eels in winter. They take them in Great River with spears through the ice. Formerly they averaged 25 pounds a day per man before pots were used. Eels are now smaller. The season is from November to March, and the average for forty men is 8 pounds per diy to the man. As has already been said "Blue Point" oysters now come from Sayville, at "Browns Point." Floyd R. Skinner and Day & La Salle are oyster packers and ship to Europe. "South Bay Oil Works," owned by Capt. W. J. Terry, of Sayville, are situated on the beach ea.st of Fire Island Inlet, and are the most western of the three works situated there ; $20,000 are invested in the factory, and in two sloops and a small steam yacht. When working, he employs twenty to twenty-five men which are paid, on an average, $22 per month, -without board. The expenses are $700 per month for wages and fuel. "Fire Island Oil Works," owned by Comstock Brothers, are next east, the middle one of the three. Twelve to fifteen men are employed in busy seasons. This year (1880) has not been a very successful one. They made 2,000 gallons of oil, now worth 45 to 46 cents. Last year it was only worth 28 to 30 cents. The scrap is worth $2.40 per unit of ammonia, per ton. Last spring it sold tor *24 a ton. The factory closed July 22. Smith & Yarriugton, owners of the third oil and guano establishment, say that the steamers are killing the business, and that Church & Brother, who own a factory on the east end of the island, and Louis C. D'Hpmergue, owner of a factory at Barren Island, both offer to burn their steamers if others will do the same. Smith & Yarrow have three boats.of 20 tons each, and buy- menhaden of others. They keep thirty-four men during a season of five and a half months. They have seen small menhaden iu the eastern end of the bay in September, but there is no more fall fishing for them. The capital invested amounts to $15,000. There are five hundred men in this town, or election district, who live partly by fishing, but none who do so wholly. They are what are known as "bay men," turning their attention in different seasons to whatever branch of the various occupations connected with the water may promise to be most profitable at the time. Captain Terry says that fish forms one-fourth of the animal food used in the district of 2,700 inhabitants, and that more fish are consumed here than are shipped to other places. The railroad agent says that for the year ending June 30, 1880, there were 95,000 pounds gross weight of fish shipped from here. Six-tenths of this was ice and boxes, leaving a net weight of 38,000 pounds. The freight rate to New York is 21 cents per hundred. Clams all go by boat. For the year as above, 3,055 barrels of oysters were shipped to New York. OAKDALE. — Few fish, except eels, are taken here. The fishermen and fish are included in other places. Many eels are taken near liere but shipped at other points. The laud is largely owned by wealthy gentlemen. CLUB HOUSE. — Half way between Oakdale and Islip the well-known "South Side Sportsman's Club" is located on the Connetquoit River. Their trout preserves are very fine, and artificial 24GRF 370 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. breeding is practiced. Their angling is mainly done in April, May, and June. The following is the catch, from their books: Brook trout, 1876, 903 pounds; 1877, 350 pounds; 1878, 1,087 pounds; 1879, 1,583 pounds. The catch of 1880 has not been drawn off, but exceeded that of any previous year. In 1881 they sent a surplus to market for the first time. It was said that it would be 4,000 pounds. The club is limited to one hundred members, who are restricted to twelve trout each, per day. The hatching-house has a capacity of 250,000 eggs. The trout are fed on "mummies" (minnows) and liver. The average amount expended for the latter is $50 per month. ISLIP. — A clam and vegetable packing establishment, belonging to Messrs. J. H. Doxsee & Low is located at Islip. Eight years ago they put up small menhaden under the name of "Amer- ican Lunch Fish," but the business not proving very profitable was abandoned. Two brands of clams are put up: "Little Neck clams," and "clam chowder." In 1880 the above cannery used about 5,000,000 hard clams in number; soft clams, none; number of men employed in factory, 10; number of women, 12 ; boys and girls, 4 ; men employed catching clams, about 80 ; number of 2-pound cans clams 75,000; number of 1 -pound cans clams, 40,000; number of 2-pound cans clam chowder, 10,000; number of 3-pound cans clam chowder, 3,000; amount of capital invested, $10,000. The packing was done during the summer months, from the 1st of May to the 1st of October. During the winter only three or four hands were employed making cans. The "Olympic Club" have their house here. They are a club of salt water anglers and employ five men. Islip is quite an angling resort, and many handsome boats are kept to supply the city sportsmen on their annual visits to the locality. This is the case with most other places, but this town is preferred by many both on account of its proximity to the inlet (to which it is nearly opposite) and of the lower price charged for boats, $3 to $4 per day. Of the fifteen fishermen at Islip nine are married. A total of fifty persons are dependent on the fisheries. The methods of fishing are the same as at other places. A few hard crabs are shipped from the village. The catch, exclusive of the clams, was distributed as follows : Eels, 7,000 pounds ; fresh fish, 350,000 pounds; hard crabs, 500 pounds; soft crabs, GOO dozen. About $1,200 are invested in boats, and $1,500 in nets. BAY SHORE. — Some pound-nets owned here are set on the south side of the bay, in the channel, although their use is unlawful. Some hard crabs are taken for market ; some are kept in boxes and fed until they shed their shells, the others are sold in the hard state. From three to six men do quite a business at times during the season in the sale of menhaden to anglers, for bluetish bait. In May and June there are forty or fifty fly-net boats taking menhaden for manure. They sell bait also. In August the demand for bait is often greater than the supply. Most of the men fishing with fly-nets for menhaden go with purse-nets, outside, later in the year. Mr. Frank Doxsee, a "bay man," says that the fishery for bluefish and weakfish was better in 1880 than for five or six years prior to that date. Older fishermen say that thirty years ago it was not uncommon to take 10-pound bluefish on the shallows among the grass where only those of 1£ pounds are now found. In the "bunker fisheries" (menhaden) there were formerly twenty to thirty boats, each carry- ing 25 to 40 tons of fish, but for the past few years, especially the last two, not much has been done in this line, only two or three schools having been seen outside the beach. No men from this place now follow this fishery, although a few menhaden were taken this spring and used as a fer- tilizer upon the land. James Wicks, seventy- three years old, says: "About fifty years ago the first bluefish was caught, and no one knew what it was. Jonathan NEW YORK: SOUTH SHOEE OF LONG ISLAND. 371 Smith, better known by the name of 'Governor Smith,' the father of Mr. S. I. Smith, now proprie- tor of the Watson House, at Babylon, caught it while pulling in a sheepshead." An observant angler, who has a summer cottage here, says that ten years ago Spanish mack- erel were plenty, although they are very rare now. He does not fish on Sundays, but notices that those who do, find the best fishing on that day because the fish are not disturbed then by the drag- ging of the fly-nets. Mr. George L. Benjamin, pouud-netter, says: "Every other year there is a large catch of por- gies; this year, 1880, they are plenty, but small, mostly under a quarter of a pound. Sheepshead have been plenty this year." The catch of eels this year amounted to 3,000 pounds; of fresh fish, 1,000,000 pounds; hard crabs, 1,500 barrels; soft crabs, 1,000 dozen. There are twenty fishermen here, of whom fifteen are married; and a total of eighty persons live from the fisheries; $5,000 are invested in boats and $4,000 in nets. BABYLON. — Babylon, like several of the preceding places, is a popular angling resort and fash- ionable retreat for summer visitors. Boats are let here at $4 to $5 per day. Fifty persons here are dependent upon the fisheries, including the ten fishermen and the families of the six married ones; §500 are invested in boats and $2,000 in nets. The catch for the past year has been: Eels, 1,000 pounds; fresh fish, 1,000,000 pounds; hard crabs, 200 barrels; soft crabs, 300 dozen. BRESLAU. — Most of the inhabitants of the town of Breslau live by cigar making. Four men devote part of their time to fishing, but their catch, which last year amounted to 800 pounds of eels, 10,000 pounds of fresh fish, and 50 barrels of crabs, is consumed locally. AMITYYILLE. — Eels form the principal product of the fisheries of Amityville. Forty men are engaged in taking this species in the bay, and cod in the outer waters. Twenty-five of the fisher- men are married, and one hundred and fifty persons in all are dependent on the fisheries ; $8,000 are invested in boats and $6,000 in nets. Four large seines are used, in addition to a number of fykes, fly-nets, and eel-pots. The pots are of the same form as those described under Kiverhead, in the chapter on the East End, and are worth 60 cents each. Oysters are planted, and some hard and soft clams are taken. Some of the men fish for menhaden at times. The catch was divided as follows: Eels, 200,000 pounds; fresh fish, 250,000 pounds; hard crabs, 200 barrels; soft crabs, 200 dozen. 130. SOUTH OYSTER BAY. South Oyster Bay is the central portion of that expansion of the coastal lagoon of which the eastern part has already been described under the name of Great South Bay. It begins at the line dividing Suffolk and Queens Counties, lying wholly in the latter, and in the township of South Oyster Bay, which extends across the island to Oyster Bay, on the north shore. A cluster of large islands serves to separate it from Hempstead Bay on the west, and numerous other groups and single islets diversify its surface. The oyster and clam interests are the principal industries on this bay. There are five hundred men engaged in the oyster and clam business, and twenty in fishing. Twelve of the latter are married, and seventy persons derive a livelihood from the fisheries proper. Five hundred boats are used of 1 or 2 tons each, worth from $25 to $100. The yearly value of menhaden taken for use as a fertilizer is $1,000. The catch of oysters per annum is 20,000 bushels; hard clams, 7,000 bushels; soft clams, 2,000 bushels; mussels, 50,000 bushels (for manure). A large part of the products are sent to New York by water. Some shipments, however, are made by rail or teams. The oyster ground is leased in three-acre lots from the town of Hempstead, at 372 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. $5 per acre. There are no free grounds or toleration fees. The beds used to be carefully watched to prevent stealing. The stealing of oysters or other products of the water is not looked on as an offense so great as stealing the products of the laud. In the prosecution of an oyster thief no oysterman can sit on the jury. It is difficult to prove theft in the night, as the location of the boat is hard to swear to. An average catch of oysters for a man is 60 bushels per week on good grounds. They are worth from $1.25 to $1.50 per bushel. Planting is increasing, although most grounds which are, fit are now planted. Not many of the animals which elsewhere prove such destructive enemies of the young bivalves frequent these waters. No borers or drills are ever found, except when brought in on foreign seed. Seed comes from Newark Bay and up the sound. The men think that seed from New Haven, Conn., grows faster, but that that from Blue Point is surer. Clams are not very plenty. Crabs are caught when hard and kept until they have shed. They are worth $1 to $1.50 per dozen in the spring, and 30 to 75 cents in summer. Eels are taken in pots mainly, aad are mostly consumed at home. Surf fishing for striped bass and bluefish was poor in the fall of 1880, but good in the previous spring. Three 10-ton sloops, carrying three men each, fish for cod from November 1 to April, having an average catch of 90,000 pounds. The total tonnage of the small boats on the bay is about GOO tons. SEAFORD, OR SOUTH OYSTER BAY. — There are six fishermen here, of whom four are married. The families dependent upon the latter contain about fourteen persons. The capital invested in boats amounts to $500; in nets, $1,500. The catch last year was as follows: Eels, 5,000 pounds; fresh fish, 10,000 pounds; hard crabs, 100 barrels; soft crabs, 200 dozen. EIDGEWOOD, OR BELLMORE. — There are five fishermen here, and ten persons are dependent upon the three who are married; $500 are invested in boats and $1,000 in nets. The following is the catch for the past year: Eels, 3,000 pounds; fresh fish, 10,000 pounds; hard crabs, 100 barrels; soft crabs, 100 dozen. MERRICK. — The settlement of Merrick has ten fishermen, of whom six are married, and a total of forty of the inhabitants are dependent upon the fisheries; $1,000 are invested in boats, and in nets $1,500. The catch last year amounted to 2,000 pounds of eels, 30,000 pounds of fresh fish, 200 barrels of hard crabs, and 300 dozen soft crabs. HEMPSTEAD BAY AND EOCKAWAY. — This bay opens into the western end of South Oyster Bay. and, like the latter, is dotted with islands. Fowr hundred men are engaged in oysteriug and clamming in its waters. The Eockaway oysters are well known in the markets, 200,000 bushels being produced annually. The capital invested in the oyster business amounts to $100,000; 15,000 bushels of hard clams and 75,000 bushels of soft clams are taken, and 400 bushels of mussels are sent to market for pickling. Three-fourths of the shipments go to New York by boats. Fishing is done with seines, fykes, hand-lines, and eel-pots. Some of the fish are hauled to New York by wagon and sold outside the markets. FREEPORT. — There are ten fishermen at this place, of whom four are married ; twenty-five persons in all are dependent on the fisheries. About $1,000 are invested in boats and $2,000 in nets. The catch for the last year was as follows: Eels, 24,000 pounds; fresh fish, 650,000 pounds; hard crabs, 100 barrels; soft crabs, 300 dozen. At times the fishermen get extra help, and form gangs of four men each for seining in the bay, or of nine men each for surf fishing in the fall or spring. A few shad have been taken here, the number last year amounting to 500. BALDWIN.— Twenty fishermen live here, and, including the families of the ten who are married, seventy-five persons are dependent upon the fisheries. There are $3,000 invested in boats and $8,000 in nets. The catch for last year was: Eels, 10,000 pounds; fresh fish, 250,000 pounds; hard crabs, 300 barrels; soft crabs, 2,000 dozen. NEW YORK: SOUTH SHOEE OF LONG ISLAND. 373 ROCKVILLE CENTRE. — Eockville Centre Las twenty fishermen, of whom twelve are married and have families, averaging five persons each; $2,500 are invested in boats and $5,000 in nets; 3,000 pounds of eels, 120,000 pounds of fresh fish. 200 barrels of hard crabs, and 300 dozen soft crabs comprised the last year's catch. PEARSALL'S. — Four men from this locality are engaged in the fisheries and twenty persons depend upon them; $600 are invested in boats and $1,500 in nets. The products for last year were as follows: Eels, 1,000 pounds; fresh fish, 20,000 pounds; hard crabs, 300 barrels; soft crabs, 1,000 dozen. FAR ROCKAWAY AND LAWRENCE. — These places, which are only a mile apart, have six fish- ermen, of whom four are married, and twenty persons in all dependent on the fisheries. About $500 are invested in boats and $1,000 in nets. The catch for 1880 was: Eels, 3,000 pounds; fresh fish, 50,000 pounds; hard crabs, 400 barrels; soft crabs, 1,000 dozen. HEWLETT'S. — At this place and Woodsburg, one-half a mile distant, are ten fishermen, eight of whom are married, and thirty-five people depend on the fisheries. There are $600 invested in boats and $1,500 in nets. The catch consisted of 5,000 pounds of eels, 100,000 pounds of fresh fish. 500 barrels of hard crabs, and 800 dozen soft crabs. E.— THE WEST END OF LONG ISLAND. 131. EXPLANATORY STATEMENT. The remaining portion of the island, which is here included in the "West End," begins on the south, at Rockaway Beach, and includes Jamaica, Sheepshead, and Graveseud Bays. The report does not include the drift and stake net fisheries for shad in New York Bay, as it is not practicable to separate the interests of the New York and New Jersey fishermen in the bay. The shore fishing practically stops at Fort Hamilton. The East River is too swift to admit of the use of nets, and it affords no fishing, except to anglers, who go out in small boats for weakfish and other species. 132. JAMAICA BAY. This bay is deeply indented in the coast and is filled with islands. Its waters are generally shallow and its northern shore is marshy. It is inclosed on the south by Rockaway Beach, a fashionable watering place. The principal villages are Canarsie and Flatlauds. The inlet has moved 3 miles to the westward within the past twenty years. Scallops and terrapin were taken in the bay in former years, but more of the former are obtained at present and of the latter only an occasional one is secured. Mussels are gathered in considerable quantities around the islands. They are not used for manure, as in the South Bay, but are sent to New York and Newark, N. J., where a portion of them are eaten fresh and the remainder are pickled. Not many fish are shipped, most of them being consumed near home. Some Spanish mackerel used to be taken, but for the last ten years only occasional specimens have been secured. Sheepshead are scarce, notwithstand- ing the splendid mussel beds, which might be expected to attract them. Eels are moderately plenty, and are taken in pots made with hoops and netting, as well as in fine-meshed seines and with spears. The fishermen say that the eels do not bed in the bay as they did formerly, some attributing it to the disturbance of the •water caused by the passing of sail and steam boats, and others to the jar of railroad trains running to Rockaway Beach and to Cauarsie. Oyster beds were 374 GEOGEAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. leased for the first time in 1880. Three acres are leased for $10 per year to each applicant. The clammers object, as the grounds have always been free; but soft clains are giving out, and the grounds are more valuable for oysters. CANARSIE. — There are one hundred "bay men" here, who take fish, clams, mussels, &c. About fifty of these fish for cod outside of the bay at certain seasons. There are forty-nine regis- tered boats here, aggregating 343 tons. These cost on an average $800 each. None of them are of over 20 tons burden. Sixteen boats, with three or four men each, fish outside with hand-lines for codfish; they use the "sea" and "razor" clams for bait. The catch of cod, which amounts to 10,000 pounds in a season, is shipped to New York by water, all other fresh fish going by wagon. The entire quantity of fresh fish, including cod, taken by the Canarsie fishermen last year, was 100,000 pounds ; of eels, 15 tons ; oysters, 10,000 bushels ; hard clams, 10,000 bushels ; soft clams, 100 bushels; and mussels, 24,000 bushels. The mussel season is from April 1 to the end of July, during which time about 100 barrels go to New York by wagon each night. They are worth 50 cents per barrel. Many hard crabs are consumed here, and a few are sent to market, in all about 1,000 barrels ; some are kept confined in pens until they have cast their shells, when they are sold at a much higher figure. The men can readily distinguish a "shedder." One dealer ships 500 dozen soft crabs per week from June 15 to October 15, the entire catch being 13,000 dozen, having an average value of 02 cents. The value of m enhadcn taken for manure is $2,000. The capital invested in nets amounts to $10,0011. FLATLANDS. — This village has forty fishermen; twenty are married and, including the families of the latter, one hundred persons depend on the fisheries. Ten boats, aggregating 80 tons and valued at $600 each, are employed ; $4,000 are invested in nets and $1,000 in oyster beds. The annual production is about 3,000 bushels of oysters, 4,000 bushels of hard clains, 100 bushels of soft clams, 5,000 bushels of mussels, 10,000 pounds of eels, 50,000 pounds of fresh fish, 200 barrels of hard crabs, 2,000 dozen of soft crabs, and $800 worth of menhaden for innnure. The methods of fishing are the same as at Canarsie. 133. SHEEPSHEAD BAY. This little bay, wLich lies to the eastward of Coney Island, was formerly a famous resort for the fish whose name it bears. It is frequented by anglers, by whom many bluefish, weaktish, &c., are taken. Two fishermen from Gravesend fish here to supply the local demand. A few men take clams. The yield of the bay, including Coney Island Creek, is es timated at 1,000 pounds of eels, 5,000 pounds of fresh fish of other species, 100 barrels of hard crabs, 200 dozen of soft crabs, 500 bushels of hard clams, and 500 bushels of mussels. This is intended to include the catch both of the fishermen and sportsmen. 134. &RAVESEND BAY. This is an indentation in the lower part of New York Harbor, formed by the western end of Coney Island on the south, and extending to Fort Hamilton, in the Narrows, on the north. Coney Island Creek (a small sound) makes in at the lower part. There are no islands in the bay. Shad are taken in pounds, fykes, and gill-nets. Two pounds stand the greater part of the year and four more are put in during the shad season, which lasts from the 1st of April to June. These pounds cost $1,000 each, including two sets of netting, one of which is used while the other is being dried and repaired. The shad fykes, which are 9 feet in diameter, are often placed at right angles to the leaders of the pounds, which are very long. The gill-nets are drifted. They have a 5-inch mesh, are 300 fathoms long, and fish 27 feet deep, being valued at $125 apiece. Small fykes are NEW YOEK: WEST END OF LONG ISLAND. 375 used for bass and fine-meshed seines are employed for eels. Crabs are taken in winter by means of rakes, similar to ordinary clam-rakes. These have a 4-foot bar with 32 to 30 fingers, and a handle 30 feet long. Hard and soft clams are taken, bnt no oysters. NEW UTRECHT AND BATH. — Forty men are engaged in the fisheries of these places, of whom 18 are married. Including the families of these, 100 of the inhabitants are dependent on the fisheries. Six boats of 10 tons each are used. These are worth $800 apiece. Last year 60,000 shad were secured; 35,000 of these were taken by 5 fyke and pound fishers, while the remainder were caught by the 25 gill-netters. In the season of 1881 a fisherman named Stephen Morris took 12,000 shad prior to May 12. There are $10,000 invested in nets in the two villages. The yield of th*e fisheries last year was: Eels, 100,000 pounds; fresh fish, exclusive of shad, 150,000 pounds; hard crabs, 1,200 barrels; hard claius, 5,000 bushels; soft clams, 300 bushels. Fifteen men fishing from an equal number of small boats average about 3 bushels of hard clams per day during the mouths of May, June, July, and August. FORT HAMILTON. — Eight of the 10 fishermen of Fort Hamilton are married, and 30 persons, are dependent upon them for support. The methods of fishing are similar to those employed at Bath. William J. Cropsey owns a pound and 20 shad-fykes, while another pound is fished by other parties. About $4,000 are invested in nets and $1,500 in boats. Two 10-ton boats are used, and many smaller ones. The catch last year was 20,000 shad, 20,000 pounds of eels, 30,000 pounds of other fresh fish, 400 barrels of hard crabs, 2,000 bushels of hard clams, and 100 bushels of soft clams. F.— NEW YORK HARBOR. 135. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE FISHERIES. This section does not include the fisheries of Graveseud Bay, which are given with those of the western end of Long Island. It refers chiefly to the fisheries of Stateu Island and the Upper Bay, though it naturally includes fishermen from New Jersey that fish in New York waters. It has been a difficult matter to separate these fisheries and to assign them to their respective States, as men living in one State fish during the shad season in the waters of both. This is especially true of the drift-netters. In this matter the only way seemed to be to credit each State with the fish caught by its citizens, no matter where taken, and this system has been followed. Another difficulty has beeu the migratory character of the fishermen who take shad in the harbor, and the impossibility of interviewing any considerable portion of them. This has been overcome by intel- ligent estimates of old and reliable native fishermen. The drift-netters come from many parts, especially from up the Hudson, even as high as Catskill. They come down and "drift" in the Narrows as long as it suits them to do so, and then follow the shad up the river to or even beyond the Highlands. Shad are taken in fykes and in gill-nets. There are two forms of gill-nets; but in the local idiom one is a "drift-net," while the stationary form of stake-net is technically a "gill- net." In drifting they use two nets. They put one in at near the last of the ebb tide and drift down until the first of the flood, when that net is overhauled and the fish taken out. The other net is then dropped in and drifted up stream. These nets are from 200 to 250 fathoms long. They are fished in deep water, and sunk about 25 to 28 feet below the surface. They are weighted so heavily that the float-lines are sunk to this distance, where they are held by occasional buoy-lines which keep them from going deeper. Even at this distance the suction of large steamboats often draws 376 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. the nets together in a mass, and even at times actually lifts them into the wheels. Three men go in one boat on a fishing trip; two are engaged in rowing and the third handles the net. The fishing season is usually from April 1 to May 15. The season of 1881 was short on account of cold weather and the men had only one mouth's fishing. During the first of the season there were 100 drift- nets in use, but at the close only 4 were employed. Mr. Joseph McLyman, a drift-uetter living at Tompkiusville, Stateu Island, says that the season of 18SO was better for this mode of fishing than that of 1881. In the latter year his highest catch ou a tide was 42 shad, while in the former it was 153. Some tides do not yield more than half a dozen fish. He thinks a fair average for 1880 was 50 shad to each net ou a tide, while it was only about 18 in 1881; a tide, in this case, meaning the last of one tide and the first of the next, two tides a day being fished. The "gill-nets" or stake-nets are made of linen, coated with verdigris, white lead, and oil. They are made of 5J-inch mesh, 80 meshes deep and 70 meshes wide. These nets are stretched between poles which are set in rows. They are weighted at the bottom with heavy rings which slide up the poles when lifted, and are suspended from the top by lines called "arm lines." None of these stake-nets are fished below Staten Island. On the island there is a company (A. Simonson & Co.) that fishes four rows of nets, with twenty in a row. They employ eight men in two boats. William Wardell, of Bay Ridge, Long Island, fishes in the same manner. Isaac Van Duzer, of A. Siraousou & Co., has fished thirty-five years, and 1881 is the lightest season he has known, though 1880 was light in comparison to former years. In the last-named season he took 16,000 shad, while in 1881 he caught only 9,500. His best season was in 1874, when he secured 21,000. He attributes the bad catch of 1881 partly to the late season and partly to the pollution of the river, which is distasteful to the fish. He thinks that sewage is the main cause of his poor suc- cess, as he fishes near the city, north of Staten Island, while 5 miles below, at New Dorp, the fykes and pounds have had the best season in twenty years. Mr. Van Duzer says that there is a coating of coal oil on the water, and he further adds that even the crabs taste of coal-tar. At New Dorp, or Cedar Grove, there are two pounds and two fykes. The catch here has been good. Robert Barnes owns the pounds, and Stephen Berger and John Kettletash fish the fykes. The fykes have brush wings which extend greater or less distances. One fyke was set from Governor's Island running from the south battery off southwest. The same parties fish for eels and flounders in winter. A few lobsters were taken in former years, but none are found now. No crabs are taken for market. One hundred men are engaged in fishing; forty are married, and two hundred and fifty persons are dependent on the fisheries; $16,000 are invested in boats and vessels, and $5,000 worth of nets are employed. NEW YORK CITY. — There are few fishing vessels hailing from New York City, though a very large fleets from Long Island and New England ports resort to this market to dispose of their catch. There are also great quantities of fishery products received by rail from all parts of the Atlantic coast, the Gulf of Mexico, and from the Great Lakes. The receipts of fresh fish in 1880 aggregated nearly 56,000,000 pounds, valued at about $3,500,000 at wholesale. The most important species, as regards weight, was cod, of which the receipts were 9,250,000 pounds. Among other species -were bluefish, 5,500,000 pounds; halibut, 3,650,000 pounds; shad, 4,002,000 pounds; large quantities of haddock, mackerel, herring, porgies or scup, smelts, flounders, bass, sturgeon, whitefish, and other salt-water and fresh-water species; besides clams, crabs, lob- sters, scallops, frogs, turtles, and other aquatic animals. The quantity of ice used for refrigerating fish in 1880 was 6,981 tons, valued at $41,055. There are some large refrigerators, occupying buildings two or three stories high, where fresh fish are stored during seasons of abundance, to be marketed throughout the year. NEW YORK: NEW YORK HAEBOR. 1377 There are about fifteen establishments for fish-curing. The principal method is by smoking. Sturgeon is more largely smoked than other species, though salmon, herring, eels, mackerel, and smelts are also cured in this way. About 3,000,000 pounds of sturgeon were smoked in 1880. and consumed mostly by the German population. Boneless cod, shredded cod, caviare, and many kinds of canned products are prepared here. Pickled eels are growing in favor with the foreign residents, particularly with the Germans, who are also very partial to caviare. The twenty-five leading salt-fish dealers in 1880 sold products valued at $3,940,000. Further details of the fish trade of New York City will be given elsewhere in this report. P J»L R T VII. NEW JERSEY AND ITS FISHERIES. Bv R. ED WARD EARLL. ANALYSIS. A. — GENERAL REVIKW OF THE FISHERY INTERESTS OF , 142. General account of the various fishery in- THE STATE : terests. 136. Statistical recapitulation. 143. Description of the more important fish- B. — THE NEW JERSEY SHORES OF NEW YORK BAY : eries. 137. Statistical recapitulation. D.— THE COAST FISHERIES OF SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY: 138. Lower Bav. 144. Statistical recapitulation. 139. Upper Bay. 140. Newark Bay. C. — THE COAST FISHERIES OF NORTHERN NEW JERSEY : 141. Statistical recapitulation. 145. The principal fishery centers described. 146. Descriptions of the more important fish- eries. 379 FA.RT VII. NEW JERSEY AND ITS FISHERIES A.— GENERAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERY INTERESTS OF THE STATE. 136. STATISTICAL KECAPITULATION. GENERAL SUMMATION. — Xew Jersey produced iu 1880 $3,176,589 worth of fishery products, taking the sixth place iu the list of fish-produciug States. Iu some special fisheries it takes a higher rank. Its oyster products, valued at $2,080,625, are exceeded only by those of Maryland aud Virginia. Its crab fisheries, from which the fishermen realize $162,612, are more extensive thau those of any other State, while its quahaug fisheries are second only to those of New York. Iu the menhaden fisheries it stands fifth on the list, the oil, scrap, aud compost produced iu 1880 beiug valued at 8146,280. Its river fisheries are of minor importance, the total yield being only 2,752,000 pounds, netting the fishermen $91,435. STATISTICAL RECAPITULATION. — The following statements show the extent of the fishery interests of the State for 1880 : Summary statement of person! employed. Persons employed. Number. Number of fishermen ' 5, 659 Number of shoremen I 419 Number of factory bands 142 Total ! 6,220 I I Detailed statement of (.uptitil intextcd and ajijaratus unployeil, Apparatus specified. Number. Value. I i Vessels (10,445.91 tons) 590 $345,900 Boats 4,065 223,963 Ponnil-nets 27 19,800 Fykes, pots, anil baskets , 3,417 I 15,966 liill-nets 852 j 25,203 Purse-seines '-'" 8, 000 llrim-sriues 415 30,570 • Minor apparatus, including outfit I 132,800 Factories and other shore property 1 470, 000 Additional cash capital 20,000 Total capital : 1, 492, 202 I i 381 382 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. Detailed statement of the quantities and values of the products. Products specified. Founds. Value. 65 151 486 $3 176 589 Sea fisheries. Hlin-tish 3 635 000 82 195 Cod 1 667 000 31 956 Clams (bard) 3 132 280 195 767 Clams (soft) 600 280 33 014 Crabs 1 470 300 160 612 150 800 5 880 29 064 600 146 °86 13 8'S 000 2 080 6°5 4 430 000 13** 900 4 358 226 214 689 6" 399 486 3 085 154 River fisheries. 1 200 000 17 335 Shad 750 000 35 000 300 000 15 000 502 000 24 100 2 752 000 91 435 B.— THE NEW JERSEY SHORES OF NEW YORK BAY. 137. STATISTICAL RECAPITULATION. In the discussion of the sea fisheries of the various localities, the State has been divided into three districts, namely, the New Jersey shores of New York Bay, the ocean shore of Northern New Jersey, including the coast-line between Sandy Hook and Barnegat, and the southern district of New Jersey, including the shore between Barnegat Inlet and Cohausey Creek, on Delaware Bay. STATISTICAL RECAPITULATION OF THE SEA FISHERIES FOE 1880. THE NEW JERSEY SHORES OF NEW YORK BAY. — Mr. Fred. Mather, while engaged in the investigation of the fisheries of New York State, visited the New Jersey shores of New York Bay and gathered the data from which the following statistics of the sea fisheries have been compiled. He has also furnished the succeeding discussion of the fisheries of the three bays which are com- prised in this division. Summary statement of persons employed. Persons employed. Number. 75 5 Total. . 80 NEW JERSEY: SHORES OF NEW YORK BAY. 383 Detailed statement of capital invested and apparatus employed. Apparatus specified. Number. Value. Boats .. 70 $4,200 5 3 000 100 7,000 Gill-nets 200 4 000 10 1 000 750 2,000 1 000 22 950 Detailed statement of the quantities and values of the products. Products specified. Pounds. Value. 664 000 $19 476 3 800 633 24 000 2 650 10 000 500 87,272 5,454 Miscellaneous products (including seaweed, 7,000 Total 35 713 a Including 150,000 pounds used for fertilizing purposes. 138. SANDY HOOK BAY. LOAVER BAY. — The fisliiug interests of New Jersey in this bay are confined to the manufacture of menhaden oil and guano. Five large factories are in active operation during the summer months, most of them doing a large business. The oil and guano factory of Day & Shipman, at Highland Park, i.s a small one which runs only part of the season. Next come the establishments of Carter & Co., Vale & Griffin, and Osborn & Vail; all of which are located near Port Monmouth. Half-way between the latter place and Keyport is the large phosphate factory of Preston Brothers. This firm makes some oil and scrap, but their main business is the manufacture of fertilizers. They buy scrap from other oil works to be mixed with phosphates, which they bring from the beds near Charleston, S. C. In early spring a good many menhaden are taken in pounds and fykes, but \vheu the water gets warm few are caught, as at this time the fish are schooling near the surface, and it is said they will then seldom enter the traps. Twenty pounds, and five gangs of fykes, with from six to ten baskets each, are fished along the beach near Port Monmouth. Each gang has a leader like that of a pound, with two fykes set opposite each other at intervals throughout its length. Various kinds of fish are taken, some of the larger ones being used for food, though the menhaden and all of the smaller and worthless fish are sent to the factories. During my visit to the locality in May, besides menhaden, I saw the following fishes go iuto the boilers at the factories: Small butter-fish, perch, and blackfish; goosefish or anglers, skates, sting-rays, and alewives; besides several species of crustaceans. Oyster-culture is practiced quite extensively at Keyport and Perth Am boy, in Raritau Bay. 139. UPPER BAY. The fisheries of the New Jersey shore of the Upper Bay are uiaiuly for shad. The fish are taken in fykes which are set at the end of hedges made of brush, and in gill-nets. Thirty hedges 384 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. with two fykes each are usually fished iu the bay. Eight ineii are engaged iu the fishery, the catch for 1880 amounting to 20,000 shad, in addition to 50 tons of other fish. Joseph Slater sets two fykes for shad off Constable Hook, and two for other small fish, while Mr. Nicholas and others have a number at Bayonne. Mr. Slater reports 12 to 15 shad a fair catch for a fyke iu twenty- four hours. The shad season usually lasts from the middle of April until late iu May, but other species, including bass and weakfish, are taken up to the middle of December. Iu 1880 ihe price of shad ranged from $8 to $15 per hundred. The principal fisheries, if we except the gill-net shad fishery, which is carried on to a limited extent by these fishermen in New York waters, are off Bergen Ridge, between Bergen Poiut and Communipaw. Bergen Ridge separates Upper New York Bay from Newark Bay, and fishermen living on it often fish in both localities. 140. NEWARK BAY. The fisheries in this bay are said to have been greatly injured by coal oil. Newark Bay shad formerly sold at high prices in the neighboring towns, but as they often taste of oil they have lost their reputation. At times even the oysters in the bay are tainted with coal oil, and the fishermen complain loudly against the emptying of such substances into the rivers, as well as against the practice of carrying oil across them in submerged pipes. Ten men fish regularly throughout the year, and in the shad season as many more fish with gill-nets in New York waters ; $1,500 are invested in nets, with $300 additional in small boats. The catch of shad for the past two seasons has been very light. In 1880 it amounted only to 4,000 in number, with 32 tons of other species. A few crabs are taken here for local consumption. The smelts which enter this bay are esteemed beyond those of other localities. They are taken chiefly about the Hackensack and Passaic Rivers. They are quite small, seldom exceeding five inches in length. The catch is now quite insignificant, but when Eastern smelts are selling in New York at from 5 to 15 cents per pound these find a ready market at 25 cents. C.— THE COAST FISHERIES OF NORTHERN NEW JERSEY. 141. STATISTICAL RECAPITULATION. THE VARIOUS FISHERY INTERESTS. — This district, which includes the ocean shore from Sandy Hook to Barnegat Inlet, has extensive fisheries. They are carried on exclusively from small open boats, and sloops and schooners under 5 tons measurement. The fishing is chiefly about the mouths of the brackish bays and coves, and along the outer beach, though a number of species are taken several miles from land. The fishing begins in early spring and continues without inter- ruption till late in the fall, after which most of the fishermen turn their attention to clamming, though a few of the larger boats are employed in the winter cod fisheries. STATISTICAL RECAPITULATION. — The following statements show the extent of the sea fish- eries of the district for 1880: Summary statement of persons employed. Persons employed. Number. Fi hennen 1,800 50 1,830 NEW JERSEY: NORTHERN COAST. 3 80 Detailed statement of capital invested and apparatus employed. Apparatus specified. Number. Value. Coats 1,331 $58, 160 13 1C 000 2 453 0,125 Gill-uets . . •2GO 5,968 111 9 130 18 000 30 500 11, 000 Total 154, 883 Detailed statement of the quantities and values of the products. Products specified. roumls. Value. Fish a 9 350 766 $°78 735 2,800 467 156, 800 5,880 1, 343, 300 150,412 630, 430 31 522 550, 720 34 420 3 000 Total 504 436 a Including 200,000 pmuiclt* nacil for fertilizing purposes. 142. GENERAL ACCOUNT OF THE VAKIOUS FISHERY INTERESTS. The material for the following description of this district and of its more important fisheries was gathered during a personal visit to the locality in the fall of 1880: THE GEOGRAPHY OF THE EEGION. — That portion of the coast lying between Sandy Hook and Barnegat Inlet, for convenience of treatment called Northern New Jersey, has, for the most part, a low sandy shore, which is interrupted at several points by shoal and narrow inlets that open into shoal- water bays or rivers, extending a short distance from the sea. The Shark and Squan Rivers are the most important ones in the section. These have extensive tide-flats along their shores. They receive a limited amount of fresh water from small and unimportant streams that reach some distance into the interior, but are affected to such an extent by the ocean tides that in their lower portion they are usually quite salt during a greater part of the year. There are also shoal-water bays or lagoons of larger size extending parallel with the coast at a short distance from it. These are fed chiefly from the sea, but they also receive a limited quantity of fresh water from the small creeks that drain the surrounding country. The bays running parallel with the coast often expand into large sheets of water, and fre- quently separate the outer shore from the main land by a considerable distance. Such is the case at Sandy Hook, where the outer shore is reduced to a low and narrow sand bar, some 10 miles in length, formed by the action of the tides and currents. This bar is separated from the main land by the waters of Sandy Hook Bay and its two important branches, known as the North and South Shrewsbury Rivers. The southern portion of the district is of similar formation, the outer shore being reduced to a low barren sand bar separated from the main laud, for a distance of 20 miles, by the northern arm of Barnegat Bay, which varies from one-quarter to -1 miles in breadth. 25 G R F 386 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. The ocean-bed slopes rapidly downward, and a deptli of 5 or C fathoms is reached within a short distance of the shore. From this point the descent is very regular and gradual, and for a considerable distance to seaward the bottom is a level plateau of sand, interrupted here and there by small patches of rocks, and larger areas of clay and mud. NORTHERN NEW JERSEY AS A SUMMER RESORT. — The district, especially in its northern portion, is one of the most popular resorts for invalids and pleasure-seekers in the entire country, and during the summer months the beaches are lined with people from the larger cities of the interior, who seek to avoid the sultry weather by coming to the seashore. Many of them have bought land and are building cottages along the shore, while a larger class take rooms at the fashionable hotels that may be found at short intervals for miles along the coast. The region is then one vast summer resort, and a large percentage of the resident population are employed in catering to the wants of the visitors during their sojourn in the locality. Owing to the nearness of New York and Philadelphia another class are extensively engaged in supplying these markets with produce and fish. NORTHERN NEW JERSEY AS A FISHING DISTRICT. — The natural advantages of the region as a fishing district are perhaps a little above the average, but the fact of having good markets for the catch and facilities for shipping are matters of much greater importance to the fishermen. The fishermen of other regions find no difficulty in catching an abundance of fish, but they are so far from the larger cities that it is often quite impossible to market their catch, while in other cases the cost of transportation is so great as to make such a course unprofitable. Under such circum- stances they are obliged to content themselves with supplying the home demand, which is often quite limited. With the fishermen of this region the case is quite different, for fish can be put upon the markets of New York or Philadelphia a few hours after they are taken from the water. They are thus in excellent condition, and bring higher prices than those sent from a distance, while the cost of transportation is proportionately less. The large local demand for the hotel and cottage trade also tends to make the prosecution of the fisheries more profitable here than in other districts. The fishing season begins early in May and continues till November, while a small number of men fish for cod in winter. The fishing is chiefly in the salt water at the mouths of the various bays and rivers, where many of the species congregate in considerable numbers in the spring, and remain throughout the season for the purpose of feeding and spawning. The crabs and clams are also most abundant in these localities, and a large number of men and boys devote the entire season to their capture. Many of the species are also abundant along the outer shore ; and along its northern portion, or in that section lying between Squan River and Sandy Uook, an extensive fishery has been developed. This coast fishing, as distinguished from that of the bays, is of two kinds. The first, called ground or bottom fishery, is confined to the capture of such fishes as live and feed at the bottom. These seem to have no special feeding grounds, but are distributed on all of the hard and rocky spots, of which there are many scattered along the entire coast. The second is confined to the migratory species living and feeding at or near the surface, and is of considerable importance. There is also another fishery extensively prosecuted by the fishermen of the region in the fresh water at the head of Barnegat Bay during the winter months. Rock (Eoccus lineatus) and perch are the principal species taken. They are caught chiefly in haul-seines, a single draught of several tons being occasionally made. Shrewsbury is one of the oldest oyster regions in the neighborhood of New York, and the oysters from this region have always stood high in the markets. There are no natural beds here, ISTEVV JEESEY: NORTHERN COAST. 38? but the stock is raised from transplanted youug, obtained chiefly at Keyport. At Shark River about 200 lots of oyster-beds are leased, but the product is only enough to supply the local con- sumption at the summer hotels. THE PKINCIPAL FISHING CENTER. — There are 110 large cities or even villages of note that can be treated separately as fishing centers. The fishermen very naturally gravitate toward the bays and rivers that have been mentioned, and toward the shore at that portion where the coast fisheries are extensive. There they usually become scattered along the water-line, owning small farms or gardens in the rural districts. The nearest approach to a fishing center is Seabright, a few miles south of Sandy Hook, which, owing to its landing and shipping privileges and its nearness to the fishing grounds, has become a popular resort for the fishermen of various localities during the fishing season. The whole section from Sandy Hook to Long Branch is an important one, and many fishermen live within these limits. There are also several settlements along the bays and rivers, where the majority of the inhabitants are dependent on the fisheries for a livelihood. The more important of these are Fair Haven, on the Shrewsbury River, and Mannasquan, on the Squan River, where crabbing and clamming are extensively carried on; and Waretown, near Barnegat Inlet, is a center for the gill-net fishing of Bamegat Bay during the summer months. THE FISH-LANDINGS NEAR LONG BRANCH.— The property along the shore between Sandy Hook and Long Branch, owing to the demand for building sites, is now very valuable, and, as the region has become more fliickly settled, the fishermen, who formerly landed their catch where it was most convenient, have gradually been driven from place to place until they are now obliged to use property set apart exclusively for this purpose. Such places are called fish-landings. A company of men now usually own or rent a piece of ground fronting on the water, and after build- ing a large number of ice-houses on it, and arranging with the railroad company to have a con- venient shipping station established, they rent privileges at the landing, together with the use of an ice-house, to any and all fishermen who may desire them. The usual price paid for the privi- lege of landing is $5 a year for each boat, equal to $2.50 per man, while the rent for the ice-house varies according to its size and the number of men that are interested in it. The ice-houses are from 75 to 100 feet in circumference, and have a conical roof. They are about 14 feet deep, with the floor usually 8 feet below the surface of the ground. The portion above ground is well banked with sawdust, tan- bark, or earth, to protect it from the weather. The aver- age ice-house costs about $200, and holds from 150 to 250 tons, according to its size. Several of the fishermen use an ice-house in common, and divide the expense of rent equally. The price paid averages about $15 a year. With the line-fisheries it is customary for eight men, or the crews of four boats, to join for this purpose, but in pound-fishing one or even two ice-houses may be required for each net. The fishermen gather their ice in winter from the ponds in the locality, doing their own work as far as possible, but hiring men and teams whenever it may be thought necessary. If the labor of the fishermen is neglected, the cost of filling the house is about $GO ; and all who have assisted in the work and contributed toward the expense are at liberty to use as much ice as is needed for the preservation of their catch until the supply is exhausted. The men, however, are never extravagant in its use, as they must pay freight on all that is shipped with the fish, and care is taken that each package shall be as light as possible. In all cases where the fish are shipped, ice-houses similar to those described are constructed and tilled from ponds in the locality. When there is a scarcity of ice the fishing is often discontinued, as it is not profitable to import it from other regions for fishing purposes. Owing to the high price for land, the fish-landings are fewer than formerly, and from ..0 .o 75 boats have their headquarters at the same point. The most important landings are at Sea- 388 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. bright, Moiiuiouth Beach, arid Long Branch. At other places along tne shore and in the bays the fishermen are more scattered and the ground is less valuable. Here they are allowed to land at various points, and they frequently use the public or other landings, or have small landings of their own. THE DISPOSITION OF THE FISH. — As a rule the fishermen ship their own fish. A few are sold to middlemen, but these arc chiefly for local supply. On reaching the shore they at once clean, box, and ice their catch, and ship to the commission dealers of New York and Philadelphia by the first train. They never weigh the fish, but merely keep account of the number of packages, trust- ing to the dealers to send correct returns. The rates charged by the dealers are 10 per cent, of the selling price, and the transportation charges vary from $1 to $1.50, according to the size of the package and the distance it has been carried. These with the cost of packages make the expenses about one-quarter to one-third of the gross sales. 143. DESCRIPTIONS OF THE MORE IMPORTANT FISHERIES. THE DIFFERENT FISHERIES OF THE DISTRICT ENUMERATED. — The fisheries of the district may be divided into branches as follows: Bluefish trolling, still-baiting, the pound-net fishery, the gill-net fishery, the haul-seine fishery, the band-line fishery, the winter cod fishery, the eel fishery, the lobster fishery, the crab fishery, the quahaug fishery, and the soft-clam fishery. Of these, all are to a greater or less extent separate and distinct, though the fishermen often engage in two or more during the year, while some may be interested in several at the same time. TROLLING FOR BLUEFISH AND OTHER SPECIES. — Trolling, or "squidding" as it is sometimes called, is chiefly confined to the region lying between Sandy Hook and Squau River, and to Bar- negat Inlet. Open boats and small sloops are generally employed for this purpose, each crew using from one to four lines. The "squids" vary considerably; some are made of bright metals in the form of a fish and are provided with a single hook, others are painted in brilliant colors and may have several hooks, while a piece of red or white cloth attached to an ordinary fish-hook some- times answers the same purpose. The lines are towed through the water at an average speed of 2 to 4 miles per hour. The principal species taken are bluefish, Spanish mackerel, and bonito. The average daily catch for a boat with two men is from 300 to 400 pounds, though the quantity varies greatly and may exceed 1,000 pounds. The method of trolling was introduced into the region at an early date, and was more exten- sively adopted by the fishermen ten years ago than at the present time, as other methods have since been introduced that are thought to be more desirable. Trolling is now extensively practiced only by the "still-baiters" and gill-net fishermen. At Sandy Hook the vessels and boats using this method usually fish a number of miles from the shore and trolling is confined largely to the months of May and June, a few following it at intervals during the greater part of the summer. At Barnegat trolling is the method employed by the pleasure-seekers during the entire season, the fishing being confined to the waters near the inlet. THE METHOD OF STILL BAITING DESCRIBED. — " Still-baiting" was not extensively followed by the fishermen of the region prior to 1870, but the method is rapidly growing in favor. It is prob- ably the outgrowth of the old method of mackerel "hooking," and, as far as known, is peculiar to the fishermen of Sandy Hook and Long Island. By this method two men usually fish from the same boat, one chopping and throwing the bait, which in most cases consists of fresh menhaden, to toll up the fish, while the other catches them on a hook baited with pieces cut from the backs of the menhaden. The season continues from the last of May till November; and the fishing grounds NEW JERSEY: NORTHERN COAST. 389 extend from one-half to C miles from the shore. Bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix} constitute about four-fifths of the entire catch, the only other species taken in any numbers being bonito (Sarda mcditcrranca) and Spanish mackerel (Scombcromorus maculatus). The "still- fishermen" also fish with hook and line occasionally for "bottom-fish," and with gill-nets for other species. The total catch of these fishermen amounts to $800 to the boat during the season. THE POUND-NET FISHEKY.— Pound-nets were introduced into the region by Mr. George Snediker, of Graveseud, Long Island, about 1855. The first used, being of small size, were set in Sandy Hook Bay for protection from the ocean storms. They did not come into general use till about 1873, when it is said they were first extensively used on the outer beach. With the excep- tion of one fished during a part of the seasons of 1878 and 1879 near Barnegat Inlet, and small ones in the Shrewsbury Rivers, the pound fishery has been confined to the vicinity of Sandy Hook. In 1879 there were six pound-nets between Long Branch and Sandy Hook, stocking an average of $10,000 each, and clearing fully $7,000 apiece on fish taken during the season. In 1880 there were eleven pound-nets in the same section, and two smaller ones in Sandy Hook Bay. These outer pounds averaged about $8,000 each, and cleared $5,500, the best one having a gross stock of nearly $12,000. The pounds are set in May and fished regularly when the weather is suitable till Novem- ber. Placing the gross stock at $8,000, the catch of each pound, according to reliable estimate, would be as follows : Weakfish (Cynoscion regale), $4,800; Spanish mackerel (S. maculatus), $1,200; butter-fish (Stromateus triacanihus), $700; bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix), $500; sheepshead (Diplodus probatocephalus), $300; bouito (Sarda mediterranca), $125; shad (Clupca sapidissima), $55; other species, $300. THE GILL-NET FISHERY. — Gill-nets were formerly used almost exclusively for the capture of bluefish in this region, and are now largely used for that purpose, but they are also extensively used for Spanish mackerel, and, to a limited extent, in the rivers and bays for weakfish and other species. Between Sandy Hook and Squan River, nets of 3£ to 4 inch mesh, 100 fathoms in length, are extensively used at a distance from the shore between August and November. These were formerly "set straight" and caught only bluefish. Later they were used as sweep-nets for Spanish mackerel with indifferent success. About 1873 it was accidentally learned that by having sharp angles in the net Spanish mackerel could be readily taken. This led to various experiments, which Jiave resulted in an extensive fishery. The nets are now set in a manner similar to that on which the pound net is constructed. Two nets are set together, one taking the place of the leader, while the other is set in various shapes as a pocket for the fish. The nets are held in position by anchors and lines. The more common "sets" are known as the square-set, t set, and harpoon-set. A gang of two nets fished in this way has stocked $1,092 between August and November. The average stock for the nets north of Long Branch is about $400 for each gang, one half of the money being for Spanish mackerel and the remainder about equally divided between blucfish and weakfish. Between Long Branch and Squan River the nets are more commonly " set-straights." A fisherman iu this locality with two nets usually stocks about $250, of which $150 are for bluefish and the balance for Spanish mackerel and weakfish in equal proportion. At Waretown nets of 31-inch mesh, 25 fathoms in length, are extensively used. These are usually anchored at one end and allowed to swing with the tide. One man fishes four of them and stocks from $200 to $L'50 in a season, three-fourths of the entire catch being bluefish. At different points along the bays and rivers, especially in the Shrewsbury Rivers, small gill- nets are used for catching weakfish and other species for local supply, but the business is unim- portant. 390 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. Gill nets of large mesh arc also used lor taking she* pshead in the vicinity of Barnegat Inlet, where they are allowed to drift over the feeding-grounds of the fish. This fishing is carried on chiefly at night. It is seriously objected to by the line- fishermen, who claim that the nets frighten the fish away and "break up" the fishing. THE SEINE-FISHERY. — Haul-seines were formerly extensively used in many of the rivers and bays of the district. They are now used at different points along the shore by the crews of the various life-saving stations for rock (Roccus Uneatus) and other species, and to a limited extent in some of the bays and rivers. In most regions, however, their use in the rivers is prohibited by law, and as the run of rock along the shore is quite small, the seine-fishery is now of little impor- tance, except in the winter rock and perch fisheries of Metedcconk Neck, at the northern end of Barnegat Bay. Here one hundred and ninety-six men with forty-nine seines are engaged in fishing from November till April, hauling their seines both in the open water and under the ice. Rock and perch are said to have been first taken in this locality about the beginning of the present century, and for the last forty years the fishery has been extensive. A single haul of 80,000 pounds is reported about 1850, while 15,000 to 25,000 pounds are occasionally taken in a day by a single seine at the present time. The total catch in the w inter of 1S79-'80 reached over half a million pounds, netting the fishermen $36,700. After this fishing is over a few of the nets are hauled for herring (Clupca vernalis and C. a'stivalis) in the locality for several weeks, while others arc taken to the Delaware Eiver, where they are used in the capture of shad and herring. THE HAND-LINE FISHERY. — The hook-and-liiic fisheries, when separated from the still- baiting, trolling, and the winter cod fishery, include only the catch of such parties as are employed in the capture of the different species with hand-lines in the bays and rivers, together with those engaged in "bottom-fishing" on the various rocky spots along the shore. The former class com- prises a large number of men and boys of all ages and occupations who fish occasionally or with considerable regularity for pleasure and profit during the summer months, together with the sum- mer visitors, who fish extensively for amusement. The catch of this class is composed chiefly of weak fish and bluefish. The second class is made up of the professional fishermen who fish for "bottom-fish" on the rocks whenever gill net fishing, still-fishing or trolling ceases to be profitable. It often happens that for some reason the bluefish are less plenty, or t>at they refuse the hook either at certain times of the tide or for days together. The fishermen usually carry lines and bait, and on such occasions spend their time in fishing on the rocks. At certain seasons of the year a considerable number of fishermen devote their entire attention to "rock-fishing," and the catch is often quite large. The principal species taken are sea bass (Scrranus atrarius), black- fish (Tautoga onitis) and porgies (Stenotomus clirysoptt}, though it is said that the last-named species is much less abundant than formerly. A DESCRIPTION OF THE COD FISHERY OF THE REGION. — About the 1st of November the cod- fish reach the shore, and the other species having mostly disappeared, many of the fishermen between Sandy Hook and Sqnan Eiver engage in the cod fishery during the winter months. This fishery is confined wholly to the locality named, with the exception of an occasional trip by the crews of the various life-saving stations further south. At first hand-lines are used, but later in the season these are superseded by trawls or scrawls as they are often called. These have an average of two hundred to two hundred and fifty hooks each, and a boat with two men usually carries two of them. They are set at a distance varying from one-half ,to C miles from the shore, and allowed to remain for an hour and a half, after which they are hauled and the boat returns. The gangings of many of the trawls are provided with corks; these were introduced into the NEW JEKSEY: NOBTHEBN COAST. 391 rog'ou about 1875, and answer the purpose of keeping the bait oil' the bottom. The fishing con- tinues during pleasant weather, the regular fishermen averaging five fishing days in each fortnight from November till the middle of April. Tlie fish leave early in May. Cod are quite abundant, as shown by the large catches that are often made. Late in Novem- ber, 1880, four men caught 1,600 pounds with hand-lines in three and one-half hours, and December 7, six men landed 2,COO pounds, as the result of four or five hours' fishing. From a careful investigation of the subject it seems quite probable that the cod fishery of this region is destined to become important, and that the number of men engaging in this fishery, both here and in other portions of the State, will increase from year to year, until many of those who now spend a greater part of the winter in idleness will find remunerative employment in this way. The present difficulties are the lack of suitable vessels, and the small size of the trawls. The limited number of harbors will, of necessity, confine the vessel fisheries to a few localities, but by the use of larger boats, together with trawls having three or four times the present number of hooks the business could doubtless be made very profitable. NORTHERN NEW JERSEY THE SOUTHERN LIMIT OF THE LOBSTER FISHERY. — Lobsters are found all along the New Jersey coast, but not in sufficient numbers in its lower half to warrant the fishermen in engaging in their capture. The lobster fishery of the State is therefore confined to its northern portion, or to the region lying between Sandy Hook and Squan Eiver, this being the southern limit of the lobster fisheries of the United States. The fishermen of Northern New Jersey have been engaged in the capture of the lobster for many years, and about I860 the fishery is said to have been quite important. From that date the business gradually declined, until in 1870 the capture of the species was almost wholly discontinued. In 1872 the fishery again began to revive, and at the present time large quantities of lobsters are taken in the region. In 1880 there were fourteen boats with twenty-eight men engaged regularly in the capture of lobsters in connection with their work in the line and net fisheries, the catch being sold partly in New York and Phila- delphia and partly to the local trade. The pots, which are covered with netting, are usually set iu May, and the fishing continues till October, though a few men begin fishing early in March, and others fish till the last of November. THE CRABBING INTEREST. — The crab fishery of this district is perhaps more extensive than that of any other portion of the entire coast. It furnishes employment to over five hundred men and boys during four mouths of the year; The crabs are very abundant in all of the shoal-water bays and rivers of the district, coining out of their winter quarters in the mud in the early spring. The season for shedding begins about the 20th of May and lasts till October. During this period all of the old boats and scows that will float are pressed into service, and many of the unemployed men and boys, and even a number of women, engage in the fishery. There is a limited trade iu hard crabs for fish-bait, but usually these are discarded by the fishermen, who reserve only the soft ones and those that arc beginning to shed. This is a very profitable employment, and the best fishermen will make $1,000 during the season, while the average for all (boys included) is fully $250. The crab fishery has been prosecuted iu this district for a long period of years. As early as 1855 cars were towed behind the boats to receive the '' busters" or such as were taken in the act of casting their shells. About twenty years ago the shedding-pens were introduced, and from that date "coiners," or those that give evidence of shedding in a day or two, have been saved. For some reason crabbing is confined largely to particular localities — Shark, Squan, and the North and South Shrewsbury Kivers being the most important places. The people of other places almost as favorably located give little attention to crabbing, probably owing to a lack of information of the 392 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. moucy made by those who engage regularly in the business. A large part of the catch is sent to New York, and the remainder is divided between Philadelphia and the local trade. THE FISHERY FOR QUAIIATJGS AND SOFT CLAMS.— The quahaug fishery of the district is con- fined largely to Sandy Hook Bay and to the waters about Barncgat Inlet, where the species is taken from low- water mark to a depth of 20 feet. The fishing is chiefly during the summer months, many small vessels from different ports of Earitan Bay fishing about Sandy Hook during the height of the season. Four methods are employed in this fishery, as follows : Dredging, raking, tongiug, and treading. Dredges are used by vessels, usually sloops of from 5 to 30 tons, and also by smaller boats; tongs, similar to those employed in the oyster fishery, are used from small boats; rakes arc used from boats, and by men who wade about upon the shoals; and treading is a method by which the men, who wade in the water up to their waists, feel the clams with their feet. The average fisherman who makes a business of clamming clears from $150 to $200 in a season. Two-thirds of the entire catch is carried to New York by the vessels, and the remainder used locally or shipped to Philadelphia by rail. Soft clams are very abundant on the sand and mud flats in the salt water at the mouths of the rivers and in the various bays ; but in the former they are occasionally killed by freshets, so that fishing in such localities often becomes unprofitable for several seasons. It is said that such was the case in Shark River in 1880, when the clammers of that region were obliged to turn their attention to the other fisheries or to visit other places in order to find clams of marketable size. This fishery is prosecuted during the entire year, but it is most extensive during the spring, fall, and winter months, as many of the fishermen turn their attention to the quahaug fishery in summer. The fishing is at present confined largely to Sandy Hook Bay, including the mouths of the Shrewsbury Rivers and to Squan River; and, though the species is very abundant all along the New Jersey coast and may be taken in fair numbers as far south ns Cape Charles, Virginia, Squan River marks the southern limit of the extensive fishing for the species for shipment to the principal markets. A few are, of course, taken at different points farther south lor bait and local use, but no extensive shipments are made to other points, though the business might be carried on with profit as far down as Cape May. D.— THE COAST FISHERIES OF SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY. 144. STATISTICAL RECAPITULATION. THE VARIOUS FISHERY INTERESTS. — The fisheries of this district, which includes the coast- line between Barnegat Inlet, on the ocean shore, and Cohansey Creek, on Delaware Bay, are less extensive than those of the district just described. If we exclude the cod fleet at Atlantic City and the small vessels from Delaware Bay that are occasionally employed in the capture of the different species, the fisheries are confined almost wholly to the waters lying between the outer sand bars and the mainland, which are the resort of immense numbers of fish during the summer months. Owing to limited shipping facilities, the commercial fisheries of many localities are little developed, the fishermen engaging in the business chiefly to supply the hotels at the various summer resorts and to furnish food for themselves and their neighbors. Nearly all of them are engaged in oystering and clamming during a considerable portion of the year, while some devote their entire attention to the crab fishery during the summer months. NEW JERSEY: SOUTHERN COAST. 393 STATISTICAL RECAPITULATION. — The following statements show the extent of the fishery interests of Southern New Jersey for 1880: Summary statement of persons employed. Persons employed. Number. 2 205 30 12 Total 2 247 Detailed statement of Capital invested and apparatus employed. Apparatus specified. Number. Value. Vessels (98 64 tons) 8 $10 500 Boats 1 812 85 003 g 800 530 2 173 Gill-nets 58 1 735 274 10 940 23 450 10 000 5,000 Total capital 149, 601 Detailed statement of Hie quantities and values of the products. I'roducta specified. Pounds. Value. Fish a 4 OGO 4GO $141 339 2 400 400 Crabs 103 000 9 550 39 850 992 2 494 288 155 893 Miscellaneous products (including 3,690,000 9 920 Total 318,094 a Including 200,000 pounds used lor fertilizing purposes. 145. THE PRINCIPAL FISHERY CENTERS DESCRIBED. THE GEOGRAPHY OF THE REGION. — The ocean shore of Southern New Jersey, including tbe coast-line from Barnegat Inlet to Cape May, is formed by a number of low sandy islands, varying from 3 to 20 miles in length and from a few rods to a mile or more in breadth. These are separated from each other by shoal and narrow inlets and from the mainland by a net-work of tide creeks forming a salt marsh usually several miles in width. In the northern portion of the district these creeks unite to form a large bay, known as Little Egg Harbor, which may be regarded as a southern prolongation of Barnegat Bay. At other points where rivers of any considerable size empty into the ocean large shoal-water bays are found, the two most important ones being Great Bay and Great Egg Harbor. On the Delaware or western shore a similar belt of low land or salt marsh extends for a considerable distance, while the water lying beyond the shore-line deepens so gradually that extensive mud and sand flats are exposed at low-tide. THE PECULIARITIES OF THE INHABITANTS. — The inhabitants are scattered along the higher lands overlooking the marshes, or congregate to form small settlements at the head of the shoal 394 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. creeks several miles inland. TLe shore islands, with tbe exception of such as Lave tecome popular as summer resorts, are almost uninhabited, and even these places are often deserted during the winter mouths. Many of the people are wholly dependent on agriculture, but the greater number of those living near the water own small patches of laud, on which they raise scarcely enough to supply their own tables. These are largely dependent on the bays for a livelihood. There is also a large class that "follow the bay" during the entire year, oystering in winter and fishing or clamming at other seasons. It is urged by some that the fisheries are a positive injury to the State, in that they encourage idleness and cause the people to neglect the cultivation of the soil. It is doubtless true that the great wealth of sea products lying at their very doors has given these people a feeling of security that works to their disadvantage, for with their knowledge that there is an abundance of fish, oysters, or clams that can be had at any time for the taking, and that these will not ouly supply food, but can readily be turned into money, they soon become improvident, spend a greater part of their time in idleness, and go to the bays only when necessity compels. THE MOKE IMPORTANT FISHING CENTERS DESCRIBED. — There is more or less fishing for local supply along the entire shore, and almost every man living near the water catches a few fish and gathers a sufficient quantity of clams and oysters for his own table, while some in nearly every locality fish to supply the country trade, except in that portion of Delaware Bay lying to the north of Dennis Creek, where the fishing for marine fishes is limited to the capture of weakfish, which occur iu such small numbers that the fishing is not extensive. The commercial fisheries of Southern New Jersey center about the larger summer resorts along the shore. These either afford au excellent market during the summer months, or, from their loca- tion, offer superior advantages for shipping. The principal centers are Bariiegat, Tuckerton, Atlantic City, and Cape May. Barnegat, a settlement of 1,100 inhabitants, is a favorite resort for the sporting classes from the larger cities of the interior. Being located near Barnegat Inlet, it is chiefly important on account of the large number of bluefish taken by trolling. It ranks low as a market, as the inhab- itants are largely supplied with fish free of charge by the pleasure fishermen. Tuckerton, a village of 1,400 inhabitants, is situated nearly opposite New Inlet, in the center of the most extensive quahaug fisheries of the entire coast. It affords good shipping facilities by both land and water, and many of the people for miles in either direction are largely interested iu clamming and fishing. There is also au excellent local market both in Tuckertou and at Beach Haven, a few miles distant. Atlantic City, the largest summer resort of Southern New Jersey, is located on one of the islands of the outer beach at Absecon Inlet. It is the principal fishing center of the district. It has a wiuter population of 5,500, which is increased during the summer mouths to many times that number, every hotel and boarding-house being packed from the middle of June till late in Sep- tember. During this season the demand for fish is very large, and six firms, with eighteen men, iu addition to a large -number of fishermen and hawkers, are engaged in catering to the trade. According to Mr. J. V. Albertson, fully $30,000 worth of fish and $35,000 worth of oysters are con- sumed iu the city each season. The principal species used are weakfish (Cynoscion rccjale) and sheepshead (Diplodus probatocepkalus), and market-boats often go 20 to 30 miles to get their supply. In addition to its advantages as a market, Atlantic City is favorably situated for the prosecu- tion of the ocean fisheries. There are two well smacks that supply the city in part with sea-bass (Serranus atrarius) in summer, and it is more largely interested in the winter cod fisheries than NEW JERSEY: SOUTHERN COAST. 395 any other city in the State. It is the only port on the entire coast south of New York where u vessel is licensed for the fisheries. Cape May, at the southern extremity of New Jersey, is also a favorite resort, and it is said that not less than 10,000 people spend their summers there. There is a large demand for fish at this season, and many fishermen, for miles on either side of the cape, are engaged in fishing for this market with seines, pounds, and hand-lines. According to Mr. J. H. Farrow, who is one of the principal dealers in the place, not less than $12,000 to $15,000 worth of fish are consumed yearly, a majority of them being taken within 15 miles of the city. 14C. DESCRIPTION OF THE MORE IMPORTANT FISHERIES. THE HAND-LINE FISHERY. — More fish are, taken with hook and line than by any other method. The summer line fishing begins about the 1st of June and continues till late in October. At this season the water of the shoaler bays and flats becomes very warm, and the fish are often driven into the deeper channels beyond the leach of the seines; while in some portions of the dis- trict seining is prohibited by law during certain months, so that the hand-line is necessarily employed. In addition to those who fish for local supply only, many of the professional net-fisher- men, oystermen, and clammers, together with a number of farmers and mechanics, engage in the line- fishing during the summer mouths, selling their fish to the numerous hotels along the shore, or shipping them to the larger markets. The average fisherman makes from $1 to $1.50 daily in this way. The catch is composed largely of weakfish and sheepshead, the former representing fully three-fourths of the money value. Weakfish are very abundant in all of the bays and creeks on both the ocean and bay sides from May till October, and the catch is governed wholly by the demand. These fish are quite small, averaging only one-half to 1 pound each, and many of the smallest are thrown away as unfit for market. In the fall, schools of larger individuals, varying from 2 to 8 pounds each, are found along the outer shore, and a few fishermen from the vicinity of the inlets are now beginning TO engage in their capture. This fishery promises to be a very important one, for, while the fishing is at present very limited, and the catch is used almost exclusively for local supply and for salting, the large size and abundance of the fish will make their capture very profitable. Sheepshead weighing from 3 to 10 pounds are very abundant about the principal inlets on the ocean side, and, according to Mr. J. E. Otis, of Tuckerton, one hundred and sixteen boats have been counted at one time fishing for them at the inlet opposite that city. At Atlantic City three men fishing from one boat have made $40 in a single day. In Cape May County sheepshead are taken in considerable numbers in the larger creeks and channels some distance from the inlets. They are seldom seen on the bay side. THE HAUL SEINE FISHERY. — Haul seines from 30 to 80 fathoms in length are extensively fished in this district for weakfish during the spring and fall. The seines are owned at various points along the shore, and fished with more or less regularity, but the more important seine fish- eries are confined to the vicinity of Atlantic City and to Cape May County. On the ocean side the fishery is confined to the inner bays, while on the bay tide the seines are usually hauled on the outer beach. A seine with a crew of four men, fished regularly during the spring and fall, will stock from $300 to $500 net, two-thirds of this sum being for weakfish, and the remainder chiefly for Cape May goodies (Liostowus xanthurus), and rock (Roccus lincatm). PLEASURE-FISHING. — The pleasure-fishing from the many summer resorts of the district comes next in importance when the quantity of fish taken is considered. 396 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. At almost every village fishermen own small yacbts for carrying pleasure-parties on fishing or sailing excursions. At Barncgat there are about twenty-five of these boats; at Tuckerton and Beach Haven, thirty ; and at Atlantic City, eighty. These, added to the number owned at other smaller places, swell the total for the district to one hundred and eighty-five yachts, with fifty addi- tional row-boats, engaged in pleasure fishing and sailing from the middle of June till late in Sep- tenber. These yachts vary in size from 1 to 50 tons, and have an average value of $400 to $000. They are fully provided with fishing-gear and bait, and carry from one to two men each to sail the boat and assist in baiting the hooks. At Barnegat trolling for bluefish (P. saltatrix) is a favorite pastime, but at other points the fishing is chiefly for weakfish with hand-lines. The catch, which is often very large, is usually given to the boatman to dispose of as lie may think proper, or taken to the boarding-house where the parties are stopping; some, however, box their fish and ship them to friends at a distance. The village of Baruegat is nearly supplied with fish taken by the pleasure- seekers, and at Atlantic City many of the cottages receive an abundance from the same source. THE EEL FISHERY. — The eel fisheries of the district are of considerable importance. In the northern portion the fishing is usually with spears during the winter months, the greater part of the catch being taken near Oceauville; but in Capo May County haul-seines, 25 to 50 fathoms in length, are employed during the summer. A small vessel, owned by Captain Mitchell Howell, of Dyer's Creek, is engaged in the fishery. She has a crew of three men, who, having provided them- selves with eel-pots, fish at different points along the shores of Delaware Bay. In addition to the above, many of the farmers, mechanics, and men engaged in other branches of the fisheries, fish occasionally for eels during their leisure hours both in summer and winter. The bulk of the entire catch is consumed locally, while a small part is sent to the New York and Philadelphia markets, netting the fishermen from 4 to 5 cents a pound. THE WINTER COD FISHERY. — The winter cod fishery comes next in importance. Codfish make their appearance in this region about the middle of November and remain till the last of April. They seem to be quite generally scattered over the bottom, and may be found along almost any part of the coast from one-half to 10 miles from the shore, though they are more abundant on the rocky and clayey spots. THE FISHING GROUNDS FOR COD. — As far as known there is but one important fishing-bank off the New Jersey coast. This lies nearly east of Cape May, about 12 miles distant, and, accord- ing to Captain George Hildreth, extends 15 miles in a northeast and southwest direction, and has an average width of nearly a mile. This is known as "Five Fathom" or "Hereford Bank." There is also a larger bank known as "The old grounds," lying to the southeast of Cape Henlopen. These banks have long been frequented by a number of the New York market-smacks during the winter months, and at the present time no less than thirty of them engage regularly in the cod fisheries here and at other points along the New Jersey coast. THE COD-FISHERMEN OF ATLANTIC CITY AND TucKERTON. — When the residents of this district only are considered, the capture of the cod is confined to the fishermen of Atlantic City and Tuckerton, though a few are taken by the crews of the various life-saving stations along the shore, and by the pilot-boats in the vicinity of Cape May. At Atlantic City the cod fishery began, according to Capt. Washington Yates, fully forty years ago, when the fishermen went out occasionally in boats or small vessels, selling their catch locally. There was no regular fishing, however, and the practice was soon discontinued, so that between 1855 and 1871 very few cod were taken. In 1871 Captain Yates, who is a harbor pilot at Atlantic City, visited the fishing grounds and, finding cod plenty, engaged regularly in the fishery. In 1875 three other boats joined him, and trawls were then introduced. From that date NEW JEESEY: SOUTHERN COAST. 397 the business has increased until, iu the winter of 1S80-'S1, there are thirty-eight men with six ves- sels and several boats engaged iu the cod fisheries from this city. This is the only point between New York and Charleston, S. C., where vessels are engaged in the shore line fisheries. The fishing is iu 7 to 8 fathoms of water, from one-half to 5 miles from the shore, the average catch being about 100 pounds of fish daily to the man. Tuckerton is also engaged in the cod fisheries to a limited extent. The fishery here is said to be of recent origin. Small opeu boats are exclusively employed, and the fishing is carried on with little regularity, the men going out only one or two days in each week. THE POUND-NET FISHERY. — The pound fisheries of Southern New Jersey are confined wholly to that portion of the Delaware Bay lying between Cape May and Dyer's Creek, and, with the exception of a pound fished for several years iu Great Bay, none are known to have been fished else- were iu the district. These pound-nets are much smaller and less expensive than those at Sandy Hook, having an average value of only $90. According to M. J. W. Gandy, of Cape May Court- House, pound-nets were introduced into the region by Mr. Holmes, of Green Creek, about 1870. In 1880 there are nine of them on the flats along the shore, some having 2 or 3 feet of water at low tide, while others are entirely dry. They differ considerably from the pound-nets of other portions of the coast. The leader is about 50 fathoms long, and in the place of the fore-bay are two wings each 25 fathoms in length. The pound proper, or bowl, is divided into two compartments, the first being intended for king-crabs (Limulus polypliemus) that are taken iu enormous numbers during the early summer. The second compartment is connected with the first by means of a funnel-shaped opening large enough to allow the fish to enter, but too small to admit the crabs. The lower part of the pound is made of stakes imbedded in the mud and extending a foot or more above it. To these stakes the netting is attached, the object being to keep it above the crabs that would otherwise destroy it. The pounds are fished only from the 1st of March to the middle of June, after which they are taken up, as the water on the flats becomes so warm that the fish retire to the deeper channels. Weakfish constitute fully three-fourths of the entire catch, the remainder being mostly rock and Cape May goodies. Often enormous quantities of weakfish are taken, the catch being so great that it is found desirable to save only the largest individuals. It frequently happens that the price is so low that the fishermen are not warranted in shipping the fish, and the entire catch is often turned back into the bay. On account of the difficulty of finding a market for their catch the net stock for each pound is quite low and in 1880 averaged only $400. THE GILL-NET FISHERY. — The gill-net fishing is quite unimportant, and there are no profes- sional gill-net fishermen in the district. A number of small nets are owned at various points along the shore, and fished irregularly, for local supply; and at several of the inlets nets of GO to 100 fathoms are allowed to drift with the tide over the feeding grounds of the sheepshead, and longer ones are used as sweep-nets in the principal channels. FISHING FOE BLTJEFISH OFF CAPE MAY.— Off Cape May there was formerly a limited amount of gill-net fishing for bluefish between the 1st of October and the middle of November. Mr. J. W. Gandy says that large bluefish may be taken within a few miles of the shore during a greater part of the summer, and that they follow the menhaden into the shoaler water in October. These fish vary from 5 to 18 pounds in weight, the average being about 10 pounds. In 1875 the fishing vessels, while en route for the bluefish grounds of the North Carolina coast, found these fish and set their nets for them. For two or thiee years the vessels fished in this locality, as many as thirteen being counted at one time. For the past two seasons, however, the vessels have abandoned these grounds as the fish have been less abundant. The boat fisher- 398 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OP THE FISHERIES. men of the shore, who formerly engaged in the fishery to a limited extent, have also giveu it up, and in the fall of 1880 there was but one net, 150 fathoms iu length, set off Cape May. This was fished but a few days and took only twenty-five fish, or an average of 250 pounds, daily. THE WINTER BOCK AND PERCH FiSHEEiES. — The winter rock and perch fisheries of the district are confined largely to Mullica and Great Egg Harbor Rivers, where these species remain in the fresh waters during the winter months. At the former place the fishing is prosecuted from Novem- ber to April by means of diving-nets, hoop nets, and haul-seines. The diving-net originated in and is peculiar to this locality. It consists of a large funnel -shaped net opening into a small bag or pocket, and is so arranged that it can be set at various depths. The hoop-net is simply a large bag attached to poles, by means of which it is raised and lowered through an opening in the ice. In Great Egg Harbor and Great Egg Harbor River seines are extensively used for the capture of the above species iu the principal channels and in the numerous creeks, and the catch is often very large. Small gill-nets of 3| inch rnesli, without lead-lines, are also fished to a limited extent along the grassy flats in the larger bays during the first of the season. There are one hundred and twenty men engaged in this fishery during a part of the winter, most of them being included with the clammers or with the summer fishermen. The catch reaches fully 200,000. It is shipped largely to Philadelphia and New York, about one-third going to the latter place. The net value of this fishery to the fishermen is about $10,400, divided equally between the two species. THE MENHADEN FISHERY. — The menhaden fisheries of Southern New Jersey are quite impor- tant. According to Capt. George Hildreth, the first oil and guano factory built in the district was located on the shores of Delaware Bay, some distance above Cape May, in 1861; but this, on account of the shoal water, proved unprofitable, and was soon abandoned. In 1874 another factory was built at Dyer's Creek, but it was run only a year or two. Mr. J. E. Otis informs us that the first factory on the ocean side was built at New Inlet, near Tuckerton, by Mr. C. N. Smith, in 1808. In 1880 there were five factories in the district, three of them being located at New Inlet and two near Great Egg Harbor Inlet, all being provided with kettles and pans for cooking the fish. These five factories employ eighty-nine fishermen, with eleven sail vessels and one steamer which was brought into the district from Long Island in 1880. The catch during the season reached nearly 19,000,000 of fish, making 1,138 barrels of oil and 1,850 tons of crude dried guano. There were sixty-two laborers employed at the factories. In addition to the catch of the factory fisher- men, a good many menhaden are taken in seines by farmeis and professional fishermen for use on the land, and many are taken in the pound-nets of Delaware Bay. A purse-seine was also fished for a few weeks near Cape May, in the summers of 1879 and 1880, by one of the farmers, who used the fish for enriching his land. The total catch, therefore, for the entire district must have reached about 21,000,000 of fish. THE CLAMMING INTERESTS. — Probably no portion of the Atlantic coast has such extensive quahaug fisheries as that at present under consideration. Almost every bay of any considerable size between Barnegat Inlet and Cape May contains large numbers of these clams. Especially is this true of Little Egg Harbor, Great Bay, and Great Egg Harbor, which are doubtless the most impor- tant clamming grounds in the United States. They occur only in limited numbers in the waters of Delaware Bay, and the fishermen of that region are obliged to cross to the ocean side to engage in the fishery. Nearly all of the fishermen and oystermcn living along the shore engage in clamming during certain months, while many follow it throughout the entire year. In some localities the fishing is chiefly in spring; in others, in the spring and full, and in still others during the summer also. It NEW JERSEY: SOUTHERN COAST. 391) is not so extensive iu the winter on account of tbe ice in tbe bays and the limited demand for clams in tbe markets, where oysters are usually preferred. Tbe only methods in use in this district are "treading" and "tongiiig," tbe latter being tbe more common. Treading is said to have originated with the Tuckerton fishermen, and to have been introduced by them into other States, both North and South. The claminers work but a few hours in a day. They usually go out at "half ebb" and return at or before "quarter-flood," thus fishing only during the four or five hours of low water. The average fisherman will "tong" from 1,000 to 1,200 clams in a day, but 4,000 to 5,000 have been frequently taken. The total value of the clams taken in this district is over $117,000 yearly. Tbe catch is usually bought by tbe captains of small vessels at from $1.25 to $2 per thousand and carried to the New York and Philadelphia markets; but at times the captains merely "freight" and sell the clams, receiving one- third of the gross sales for their services. Many are also shipped by rail to these markets and to the other cities of tbe interior. Soft clams (Mya arenaria) are quite plenty, but they are used chiefly for bait, and only to a limited extent for food, by tbe fishermen of tbe region. None arc dug for shipment to the larger markets. THE CKAB-FISIIERIES. — The crab fisheries are of little importance; and though soft crabs are very abundant in most localities, the people have not yet learned that good wages can be made in catching and shipping them. The principal fishing is by boys and men to supply the line fishermen and visitors with bait. Many are also taken and told to the hotels at Beach Haven, Atlantic City, and Cape May; though, on account of tbe small size of the crabs, many of the hotels get their supply from a distance. Hard crabs have little value, except for bait, and none are now shipped from the district. An attempt was made several years ago by the fishermen of Tuckerton to establish a winter fishery for the species, but it proved unprofitable. Tbe method of fishing was a novel one. At the approach of cold weather the crabs bed iu the mud, where they remain (ill spring, and for this reason they cannot be taken in tbe ordinary way during the winter months. The fishermen visited these bedding places in boats, and took the crabs out of the mud with clam and oyster tongs. This is tbe only instance known to us where crabs have been taken for market in this manner. At Atlantic City crabbing is a favorite pastime for tbe visitors, and from twenty to thirty men and boys are engaged in taking pleasure parties out to engage iu this fishery. On any pleasant day during the summer season from fifty to one hundred people may be seen engaged in crabbing, and it is now considered by many as better sport than fishing or sailing. Part of the catch is used for bait by tbe line-fishermen. FEW TERRAPIN TAKEN.— Terrapin, though not abundant, are occasionally taken by the fisher- men during the late summer, and after they have bedded in the mud for the winter. They are usually found on the flats, but not iii sufficient numbers to warrant any extended fishery. No traps, dredges, or seines are used in their capture. THE OTSTEE INDUSTRY.— At various points from Barnegat to Atlantic City and Lake's Bay, on the ocean side of New Jersey, and at Maurice Cove, on the shores of Dcleware Bay, tbe oyster industry is important. Mr. Ingersoll fully discusses this industry in his special report; concerning tbe abundance of oysters along the Jersey shores of tbe bay, be says: " The center of tbe present oyster industry in the Delaware Bay and River, on tbe New Jersey shore, is at Maurice Cove, iu Cumberland County, which is reached by the Cumberland and Mau- rice River Railroad from Bridgeton. This shore is bordered all tbe way by extensive marshes, through which innumerable small creeks find their way from tbe interior, and which contain many 400 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. open places called 'ponds.' Throughout these creeks and ponds, in tbe tide-ways and along the edges of the sedge-plats and islands, oysters have always grown in great profusion. In addition to this the bottom of the bay and of the Delaware River, from Cape May beach clear up to and a little above Cohansey Point, at the southern end of Salem County, a distance of not less than 50 miles, is everywhere spotted with oyster-beds. These oyster-beds are not confined to the shallow waters near shore, or to the sedge plats, but arc apparently scattered over the whole bottom of the bay. Even the ship channel, 90 fathoms deep, contains them, as experimental dragging shows. How this might have been a century ago I know not; but such is the present condition." viu. PENNSYLVANIA AND ITS FISHERIES. Bv R. EDWARD EARLL. ANALYSIS. A.— GENERAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERY INTERESTS OF THE STATE : 147. Statistical recapitulation. B. — DESCRIPTION OF THE SALT- WATER FISHERIES : 148. Extent of the salt-water fishery interests* 401 26GRF PENNSYLVANIA AND ITS FISHERIES. A.— GENERAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERY INTERESTS OF THE STATE. 147. STATISTICAL KECAPITULATION. THE VARIOUS FISHERY INTERESTS. — Pennsylvania, though consuming large quantities of fishery products, has no important fishing grounds within its borders. . The principal business connected with the fisheries is the oyster industry, for, though no oysters are produced in the waters of the State, a large number of persons are engaged in transporting oysters from the southern beds to Philadelphia, and others make a business of receiving, shelling, and packing them for shipment. From this industry $187,500 is realized by the residents of the State. The sea fisheries are confined to the capture of sea-bass and other species by a fleet of eight vessels, that make occasional trips to the fishing grounds off Cape Henlopen during the summer months. Shad, sturgeon, and other less important species are taken in small quantities in the Delaware and Susquehanna Eivers, and lake fish of different species are caught along the coast-line bordering Lake Erie. STATISTICAL RECAPITULATION FOR 1880. — The following statements show the extent of the fishing interests of the State: Summary statement of persons employed. Persons employed. Number. 511 41 Total . . 552 Detailed statement of capital invested and apparatus employed. Apparatus specified. Number. Value. Vessels (321 99 tons) 11 $10 500 Boats 156 13 272 2 107 4 334 Gill-llets . 4,792 23 244 49 8 260 4 700 5° 500 3 000 . nn sol 403 404 GEOGRAPHICAL BE VIEW OF THE FISHERIES. Detailed statement of the qiiantilies and rallies of tlie products. Products specified. Pounds. Value. Grand total for fishery products 2 933 000 $3°0 050 Sea fisheries. Blue fish 30 000 Squeteaguo 15 000 450 All other species 555 000 34 875 River fisheries, Shad 559 600 27 980 Sturgeon 150 000 7 500 All other species 370 400 17 6°0 Total rirer products 1 080 000 53 100 Great Lake fisheries. Whitefish 975 000 35 150 All other species 278 000 8 300 Total lake products 1 °53 000 43 450 B.— DESCRIPTION OF THE SALT-WATER FISHERIES. 148. EXTENT OF THE SALT- WATER FISHERY INTERESTS. THE SEA FISHERY OF LITTLE IMPORTANCE. — The State of Pennsylvania, though bordered in different portions by navigable waters, has no salt or brackish water within its limits. Its north- western portion, washed by the waters of Lake Erie, has extensive fisheries for whitefish, trout, and other fresh-water species. A description of the fishing interests of that section will be found in Part XVII, D. The eastern boundary of the State is formed by the fresh water of the Delaware River, in which there are extensive shad and alewife fisheries, while other river species are taken to a greater or less extent. THE SEA BASS FISHERY BY PHILADELPHIA VESSELS. — At Philadelphia, where the demand for marine species is large, a number of parties own small vessels, ranging from 25 to 50 tons each, for the purpose of engaging in the sea fisheries iu the vicinity of the Delaware capes. These vessels fish during the summer only. At this season they make regular trips between Philadelphia and the small fishing bank lying 15 to 20 miles southeast of Cape Henlopen. The catch is com- posed almost exclusively of sea-bass (S. atrarius). According to Mr. Charles Vezey, superintendent of the Delaware Avenue Market, at Phila- delphia, to whom we are indebted for information, there are eight vessels, aggregating 280 tons, manned by ninety-seven men, engaged in this fishery. The season begins about the middle of May, and continues until late in October. The fish are taken 'with hand-lines from the vessel's deck, an average trip consisting of 12,000 to 15,000 pounds. The vessels are provided with ice for preserving the fish until they reach Philadelphia, where they are sold at from 5 to 8 cents per pound, according to the demand. An average trip requires about two weeks during ordinary weather; but whenever violent storms occur, the vessels are obliged to seek shelter behind the Delaware breakwater, where they are often detained for several days. Mr. Vezey estimates that fully 600,000 pounds of fish, netting the fishermen about $30,000, are landed annually by these vessels. THE PHILADELPHIA OYSTER INDUSTRY. — Philadelphia parties are also extensively interested in the oyster fisheries of Delaware Bay, and many men and much capital are employed in the PENNSYLVANIA: SALT-WATER FISHERIES. 405 that industry ; but the vessels engaged are owned chiefly at various points in New Jersey and Delaware, and are, therefore, credited to those States. STATISTICAL RECAPITULATION FOE 1880. — The following statement shows the extent and value of the liinited salt-water fisheries proper of the State, exclusive of the oyster industry: Summary slatemeat of persons employed. Persons employed. Number. Fishermen Shoremen I * Total ! 101 Detailed statement of capital invested and apparatus cmployid. Apparatus specified. Number. Value. __ I Vessels (279.99 tons) 8 $9,300 Boats 8 240 Minor apparatus including outfit 2, 400 Shore property 10,000 Additional cash capital t 500 Total capital 23,440 Detailed statement of the quantities and ralues of the products. Products specified. Pounds. Value. Fish sold fresh 600,000 $36,000 I X. DELAWARE AND ITS FISHERIES. By JOSEPH W. COLLINS. ANALYSIS. A. — GENERAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERY INTERESTS OF THE STATE : 149. Description of the various fishery intercsts_ 150. Statistical recapitulation. B. — DESCRIPTION OP THE FISHERIES BY TOWNS: 151. Dover and adjacent towns. 152. Frederica, Milford, and Milton. 153. Lewes and its fisheries. 154. The fishing towns south of Cape Henlopen. 407 PA.RT IX. DELAWARE AND ITS FISHERIES. A— GENERAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERY INTERESTS OF THE STATE. 149. DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIOUS FISHERY INTERESTS. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE KEGION.— For a proper understanding of the fisheries of Southern Delaware it seems desirable to give a brief sketch of the peculiar features of the coast line. The State of Delaware, which has an area of 2,100 square miles, includes within its limits the northeast portion of the low peninsula lying between Chesapeake Bay, Delaware River and Bay, and the Atlantic Ocean. The northern part of the State is slightly elevated in some localities, but the southern portion is almost a perfect level. This flat section of country is, however, somewhat relieved by a low table-land, or ridge of sand, not exceeding GO or 70 feet in height, which extends the whole length of the State from north to south near the western boundary. Most of the small rivers which empty into the Delaware Bay, and in which a limited amount of fresh -water fishing is carried on, have their source in the swamps which abound in this table-land. The entire length of the coast line of Delaware is about 95 miles. In the upper portion of the State, however, that section which is bordered by the Delaware River, there are uo sea fisheries. The river fisheries will be described in detail in another section of this report. A brief mention will, however, be made here of the fresh-water fishing carried on in the southern portion of the State in conjunction with the sea fishery. The most northern point in Delaware at which sea fish are taken in any considerable numbers on the shores of Delaware Bay is at Kitt's Hammock, near Dover, this fishing station being about 25 miles northwest of Cape Henlopen. The stretch of coast lying between Kitt's Hammock and the Cape is low and marshy, with scattered sand beaches or hammocks slightly elevated above the surrounding swamps; from these marshes extensive flats or outlying shoals make out into the- waters of the bay. Beyond Cape Henlopen, on the Atlantic side, the coast line runs nearly south in a straight line to Williamsvillc, the boundary of the State, a distance of 21 miles. This part of the Delaware coast is composed of low, narrow sand beaches, which inclose shoal bays or lagoons of considera- ble extent. Rehoboth Bay, which is situated G miles south of Cape Heulopen, is a basin of this description, and the largest in the State, being about four miles long in the direction of the shore line and having an average width of 3 miles. Just south of Rehoboth Bay, and connected with it 409 410 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. by a channel, is Indian River Bay, which is G miles long east and west and has an average breadth of 1 mile. Both of these bays are connected with the ocean by an inlet through the beach, which has sufficient depth to admit vessels with a draught of 6 feet, and through which large numbers of anadromous fish and a smaller quantity of sea fish find their way to the sheltered waters inside. Having thus briefly outlined the principal features of the coast, it only remains to be said that the bays lying south of Cape Henlopen and the beaches bordering on Delaware Bay consti- tute the fishing grounds, where the operations of seining, netting. £c., are carried on, a descrip- tion of which will be given in succeeding paragraphs. IMPORTANCE OF THE FISHERIES. — Although the sea fisheries of Delaware suffer by compari- son with the great commercial fisheries of the Northeastern States, they are, nevertheless, not with- out importance, especially if we take into consideration the benefit derived by the inhabitants of the State iu being supplied with quantities of wholesome food at a price which is only nominal. In nearly all of the coast towns a portion of the inhabitants engage more or less actively iu the fish- eries during a part of the year — generally in the spring — though, as a rule, these men are semi- professional, depending chiefly on agricultural pursuits, the latter being the principal occupation of the people of this region. The oyster-beds of Delaware in 1880 produced 300,000 bushels of native oysters valued at $687,725. There were also planted in the waters of this State 650,000 bushels of oysters from* Chesapeake Bay and elsewhere, to be left bedded here until suitable for market. In addition there were 184,500 bushels of oysters received from other States and packed in the cannery at Seaford. Little Creek Landing is the headquarters for the native oyster business. The southern oysters are planted on beds at several places along the shore, but chiefly opposite the villages of Little Creek Landing and Mahon's Ditch, and are raised mostly for the Philadelphia trade, the beds and planting being largely controlled by the dealers of that city. Mr. Ingersoll fully dis- cusses this subject in the census report on the oyster industry. The capital invested in the indus- try iu Delaware is given at $145,500, which includes sixty-five vessels at $50,000; three hundred boats, $12,000; gear and outfit, $10,000; shore property, $73,500. The number of oyster fishermen is 820 and of shoremen 245. THE FISHERY GROUNDS.— The most important sea fishery is carried on along the shores of Delaware. Bay, where the trout (Cynoscion regale) and the spot (Liostomvs xanthurus) are the prin- cipal species taken, or at least occur in the greatest abundance. The other species of salt-water fish which frequent the shores of the bay are less plenty, some kinds being quite rare. SHIPMENTS OF FISH AND SOFT CRABS. —The following statistics of the shipments of fish and soft crabs from some of the railroad stations south of Cape Henlopen may be of interest as giving a general idea of the commercial status of the fisheries in that section of the State of Delaware. The figures here given have been obtained from the books at the different railroad stations through the kindness of the agents in charge. In 18SO the following quantities were shipped : Selby ville, 129,450 pounds of fish ; Frankford, 8,200 pounds of fish and 9,125 pounds of crabs ; Dagsborough, 9,556 pounds of fish and 29,970 pounds of crabs; Mill sbo rough, 3,707 pounds of fish and 69,220 pounds of crabs. 150. STATISTICAL RECAPITULATION FOR 1880. STATISTICS FOB 1880. — The following tables show the extent of the commercial fishery interests of Delaware: DELAWARE: GENERAL REVIEW OF ITS FISHERIES. Summary s'atement of persons employed. 411 Persons employed. Number. 1 CG2 102 215 Total 1 979 Detailed statement of capital invested and apparatus employed. Apparatus specified. Number. Value. Vessels (1 2°6 tons) GO $ril COO Boats 839 33 227 1 831 1 831 Gill-n<'ts 1 457 27 793 '245 21 330 Minor apparatus, including outfit for vessels 19, 370 105, 080 8,000 Total 268 231 Detailed statement of tlte quantities and rallies of the products. Products specified. Pounds taken. Vnlno to fishermen. 11 918 203 $997 695 Sea fisheries. Bluefish 45 800 1 030 Clams (hard) 5 544 347 Clams (soft) .. . Cod Crabs 84 951 8 389 150 6 ayy 900 1 114 12 100 000 p687 725 2 618 500 78 555 c2 245 108 73 413 Total 7 692 953 850 579 Riter fisheries. d\ 800 000 26,000 Shod .... 1 050 000 52, 500 «450 000 22, 500 /095 2DO 40, 116 Total 4 ''OS '.'50 147, 116 a Including 23,000 pounds of menhaden, valued at $173, used for food. & An allowance of 7 pounds of moats is made for eacb bushel of oysters. c This quantity includes 596,700 pounds of alewives, 25, 000 pounds of croak- ers, 137,500 pounds of drum, 124,000 pounds of eels, 16,50C pounds of flounders, 3,500 pounds of king-fish, 54,700 pounds of mullet, 326,500 pounds of perch, 1,200 pounds of sea-bass, 5,900 pounds of sheepshead, 619,100 pounds of spot, 147,900 pounds of striped bass, 120,000 pounds of sturgeon, 5,000 pounds of tautog, 30,708 pounds of terrapin, and 900 pounds of mixed fish. d In addition, 590,700 pounds of alewives, valued at $4,475, were taken by the sea fishermen. e In addition, 120,000 pounds of sturgeon, valued at $4,500, were taken by Wie sea fishermen. /Including 196,200 pounds of catfish, 150,000 pounds of perch, 100,000 pounds of striped bass, 15,300 pounds of turtle, and 533,750 pounds of mixed fish. g Includes $362,725, the enhancement in value of oysters from other States transplanted or canned in Delaware, 412 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF TUB FISHERIES. B.— DESCRIPTION OF THE FISHERIES BY TOWNS. 151. DOVER AND ADJACENT TOWNS. THE FISHEEIES or DOVEK. — Dover, the capital of Delaware, is situated on the line of tbt Delaware Railroad, in Kent County, about six miles from the shore of Delaware Bay. Although a very limited amount of sea fish are occasionally taken higher up the bay, Dover is nevertheless the most northern town in Delaware in which any fishermen are employed in the sea fisheries. Eighty-five men, residents of Dover, are engaged in the fisheries, twenty-five of these being pro- fessional fishermen, following this industry whenever any fish can be obtained, while the remainder engage in fishing more irregularly, depending largely for their subsistence on obtaining employ- ment in the large fruit-canning establishments of this section of the country and as laborers on the farms at times when the fisheries are not at their height. The same may be said of the fisher- men who reside in the small towns in this part of the State. All of the men engage to a greater or less extent in the sea fisheries, resorting for this purpose to Kitt's Hammock, Bower's Beach, and other favorite fishing stations along the shore of the bay. Some of the men, however, divide their time between fishing for the species taken in the salt water and those which may be caught iu the fresh-water streams and ponds in the immediate neighborhood of their homes. Twenty-one boats valued at $360, twenty gill-nets worth $125, and twelve haul-seines valued at $600, are employed in the fisheries of Dover. The products of the fisheries are 1,346,700 pounds of sea fish and anadromous species, 2,400 pounds of fresh-water fish, 300 terrapin in number, 50,000 clams in number, and 7,-00 crabs. The most important fishery is that for trout or weakfish (Cyno- scion regale); next to which is that for shad, herring, and perch ; and third, that for sturgeon. Of the trout 792,000 pounds were estimated by competent authority to have been taken in 1880; 31,500 pounds of shad, 180,000 pounds of herring, 120,000 pounds of perch, and 120,000 pounds of sturgeon were also caught iu 1880 by the fishermen of Dover. For the accommodation of the Dover fishermen who resort to Kitt's Hammock to prosecute their labors in the spring, five rough dwellings or shanties have been constructed, the total value of which is $150. THE FISHERIES OF LEBANON. — Proceeding in a southeasterly direction from Dover, about 3£ miles, we come to the small hamlet of Lebanon. Bordering this place is Jones' Creek, which also runs near Dover. Lebanon has twenty fishermen, who divide their time between fishing in the creek and in the waters of Delaware Bay. Fifteen boats, valued at $300, and five seines, worth $300, are employed in the fisheries of this place. The boats in use are bateaux, built on the pattern of the sharpy, which is the ordinary type employed by all the fishermen along the shores of the Delaware Bay, their average value being $20 each. Most of the fishing is carried on in Jones' Creek for shad, trout, herring, perch, &c., and here have been built five fish-houses, one at each of the several seining stations, these buildings being valued at the total sum of $150. There are taken in all 168,950 pounds of salt-water and auadromous fish, 2,000 pounds of fresh- water fish, 72 terrapin, 30,000 clams, and 3,GOO crabs. A large portion of the catch is sold in Dover and to the farmers of the interior of the State, who often go from 30 to 40 miles to secure fish to supply their wants. THE FISHERIES OF MAGNOLIA. — Magnolia is another small hamlet, similar to Lebanon, and a little less than 4 miles by the road from the latter, and about the same distance from the fishing DELAWARE: DESCRIPTION OF FISHERIES BY TOWNS. 413 station at Bowers' Beach, on the shore of Delaware Bay. Sixteen men from this place engage in the fisheries, employing themselves both in the capture of salt and fresh water species at various seasons of the year, though the principal part of the work is done in the spring and summer. Mag- nolia has ten boats, valued at $200, and four seines, valued at $400, employed in the fisheries. The catch, according to the estimates of the most intelligent fishermen of this locality, is 252,500 pounds of sea and auadromous fish, 3,500 pounds of fresh-water fish, 72 terrapin, 30,000 clams, and 3,600 crabs. 152. FREDERICA, MILFORD, AND MILTON. THE FISHERIES OP FKEDEKICA. — About 5 miles directly south of Magnolia is the village of Frederica, having between 700 and 800 inhabitants, while the town includes within its limits between 1,400 and 1,500 persons. The village of Frederica is situated on Murderkill Creek, about 7 miles from its mouth, where it empties into the Delaware Bay, on the south side of Bowers' Beach, which lies between this and Jones' Creek. Bowers' Beach, one of the principal fishing stations of Delaware Bay, and having a small resident population, is within the limits of Frederica, and its fisheries, fishermen, &c., will be considered in this connection. Frederica has seventy-two men employed in the fisheries, to a greater or less extent. Sixty- two of these are engaged principally in the spring, thirteen of them fishing wholly in Murderkill Creek for fresh-water or anadromous species, while the other fishermen depend chiefly on catch- ing such species as may be taken in the waters of the bay, though occasionally they may resort to the streams to fish when a favorable opportunity offers. Many of the fishermen of this section depend largely on agricultural pursuits for their livelihood, changing from fishing to farming and vice versa, as the prospect of making money in one pursuit exceeds that of the other. There are twelve peddlers at Frederica, who make a business of hawking fish about the villages and farming districts within a radius of 20 or 30 miles. They buy their stock from the fishermen at Bowers' Beach. According to Mr. James Wyatt, a resident of Bowers' Beach, many of the fishermen of this place are employed in catching oysters during the winter. There are three fishing stations on Murderkill Creek where shad, herring, and other species are taken with seines, and at each of these places is a small shanty for the accommodation of the fishermen and the reception of their catch and fishing apparatus. The total value of these build- ings is $00. Five small buildings have also been erected at Bowers' Beach for the same purpose, the total value of these being $150. The residents of Frederica, as well as those of the adjacent small settlements, resort to Bowers' Beach in the spring and engage in the trout fisheries, capturing at the same time a greater or less amount of other species. In the fisheries of Frederica are employed forty boats, valued at $800; twenty-nine gill-nets, valued at $89; fourteen haul-seines, valued at $1,315; and seven bow-nets, worth $7. The products of the fisheries are 1,170,750 pounds of sea fish and anadromons species, 11,950 pounds of fresh-water fish, 1,000 pounds of turtle, 120 terrapin in number, and 6,000 crabs. In addition, about 600,000 pounds of horseshoe crabs for fertilizing purposes are taken by the fisher- men of Frederica and the adjacent towns along the shores of Delaware Bay, between Kitt's Hammock and Lewes, an important part of the capture being made by the residents of this town. Like Dover, the most important fishery of Frederica is for trout (Cynoscion regale). The quantity taken by the fishermen of this town is 1,097,250 pounds of this particular species, exceed- ing that of the catch of any other locality in the State. Next to the trout fishery in importance 414 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. comes that for the spot (Liostomus xanthurus), of which 25,000 pounds are estimated to have been taken in 1880. MILFORD. — Milford, which is pleasantly situated on the line of the Junction and Breakwater Railroad where it crosses the Mispillion Creek, some 8 miles from its mouth in a direct line, is the next town south of Frederica, from which it is distant about 8 miles. Ihe village proper has a population of about 3,000, though this enumeration would be considerably increased by including the residents scattered around in the farming districts in the immediate vicinity. According to Mr. J. Lowery, of this place, the principal business is ship-building1 and agricultural pursuits. On the banks of the Mispillion, in front of the village, are seven or eight ship-yards, while iu the town are two foundries, a basket factory, and factories for the manufacture of agricultural imple- ments. Some of the iuhabitants are also engaged in the coasting-trade, fifteen or twenty vessels of this class sailing from the port. Milford has one hundred and fifty-seven men employed in the fisheries for a portion of the year. A considerable percentage of these, however, follow fishing only iu the spring and early summer, depending on other pursuits the rest of the year. Fifty-five of these men fish only for fresh-water species, while the remainder depend chiefly on catching sea fish, though they may sometimes engage in the capture of fish iu the small streams which flow through the township. Milford has employed in its fisheries fifty boats, worth $665; twenty-five gill-nets, worth $125; seventy-five haul-seines, valued at $1,700; also twelve buildings, worth $240, the latter being small roughly-constructed shanties such as have been previously described for the towns further up the bay. In addition to the fishermen employed in catching fish there are six peddlers who make a specialty of buying their stock from the fishermen and hawking it about through the adjacent towns. There are about seventy-five men iu Milford who engage iu the shad and herring fisheries in the spring, using gill-nets and seines. There are six shad "fisheries" on the Mispillion River, all of which are below Milford. At these places shad and herring are taken with haul-seines. The principal fishing ground on the bay for the people of this township is Slaughter Beach, though a few of the men occasionally resort to other fishing stations further up the bay. The products of the fisheries of Milford are 435,000 pounds of sea and anadroinous fish, 22,000 pounds of fresh-water fish, 3,600 terrapin, and 6,000 crabs. The most important fishery of Milford is that for sea-trout, of which 305,000 pounds are esti- mated to have been taken in 1880. Next to this comes the shad fishery, of which about 40,01)0 pounds were caught the same year. A large portion of the fish taken in this locality are sold at the village or to residents of the interior towns, many of whom, during the fishing season, go to the sea-shore to obtain a supply of fish which they salt for their own use. MILTON. — Passing by the small and unimportant way stations of Lincoln and Ellendale, on the line of the Junction and Breakwater Railroad, we come to the village of Milton, some 12 or 14 miles in a southeasterly direction from Milford, and the next point of interest in connection with the fisheries. The village of Milton has between 1,000 and 1,100 inhabitants. The principal industries of the place are ship-building, the pine wood trade, and farming; the fishing and oyster industries being of a secondary importance. Milton is situated on Broadkill Creek, about 7 miles in a direct line from its mouth, where it empties into the waters of the Chesapeake Bay. This stream, though comparatively narrow, is nevertheless navigable to the village of Milton. In the spring and early summer, as well as to a greater or less extent in the winter, the fisheries are carried on throughout almost its entire length. Some 5 miles below Milton, and situated on the right bank of the creek, is the post-office station of Drawbridge, which is also DELAWARE: DESCRIPTION OF FISHERIES BY TOWNS. 415 included in the same township as Milton. This latter place has a scattered population of one hun- dred and fifty persons, principally engaged in farming and fishing. There is also quite a business done at the "bridge" in shipping grain and wood on coasting vessels coming here to load. The fisheries of Drawbridge and its statistics will be included with those of Milton. Milton has fifty-eight men employed more or less regularly in the fisheries; eighteen of these making a specialty of fishing for fresh-water species, not being employed at all in catching sea fish. There are eighteen boats, worth $160; sixty-five gill-nets, valued at $505; eleven haul- seines, worth $265; and two bow-nets, worth $4, employed in the fisheries of Milton, which has also twelve small rough board shanties for the accommodation of the fishermen, these being valued at $310. The products of the fisheries are 162,050 pounds of anadromous and sea fish, 3,200 pounds of fresh -water fish, and 240 terrapin. By far the most important fishery of this place is that for spot (Liostomus xanthurus), of which it & estimated about 80,000 pounds were taken in 1880. Next to this, in quantity, is the fishery for trout (Cynoscion regale), of which 47,250 pounds were caught in 1880. The remainder of the fish taken are divided among the various species of fresh and salt- water species which visit this region. 153. LEWES AND ITS FISHERMEN. LEWES. — The village of Lewes is situated at the terminus of the Junction and Breakwater Railroad, about 3 miles above Cape Henlopen, and some 10 or 12 miles by the road from Milton. According to the postmaster, D. W. Brereton, esq., the village of Lewes has a population of 1,800. The inhabitants are engaged in a great variety of pursuits, among which may be mentioned as the most important, piloting, following the sea, wrecking, railroading, and Government work. The fisheries of the place are also of considerable local importance. The principal fishing ground of Lewes is along the beach in front.of the village, above Cape Henlopen, where, in their season, large quantities of the various species of sea fish are taken. The fresh-water fisheries of this place are comparatively unimportant, being confined principally to the capture of a limited amount of such species as may be taken in ponds and small streams. Lewes has eighty fishermen, of whom twenty-five depend wholly on the fisheries, while the remainder, though procuring the«chief part of their subsistence by fishing, also engage in other industries more or less regularly during a portion of the year. Besides the fishermen, who peddle their catch to a greater or less extent, there are six peddlers who make a specialty of hawking fish about this and adjacent towns, procuring their goods from the fishermen on the beach. Employed in the fisheries of this place are twenty boats, valued at $350; two hundred and ninety-two gill-nets, worth $3,294; thirteen haul-seines, worth $395; and fifty eel-pots, valued at $25 ; besides which there are two small boat-houses, worth $30 each. About half of the boats used at Lewes differ somewhat from those employed by the fishermen of the towns further up the bay, some of them being of the type known as the Delaware Bay shad-boat, and others the New Jersey surf- boat, both of which are described in another section of this report. The products of the fisheries of Lewes are 609,550 pounds of sea and auadromous fish and 1,500 pounds of fresh-wa-ter fish; 4,000 pouuds of turtle; 1,500 terrapin, in number; 31,980 crabs; 100 lobsters, and a few hundred clams. The most important fishery is that for spot, of which 311,000 pounds are estimated by compe- tent authority to have been caught in 1880. Second to this is the fishery for trout, of which 250,000 pounds were taken in the above-named year. Comparatively speaking, the other fisheries are unimportant. This region seems to be the southern limit where lobsters are taken by the fish- ''N^ 03T ..K. 416 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. ermen, and eveii here there is no veal fishery for them. If a man desires to obtain a few lobsters for his own table he can usually do this by setting a trap about the breakwater, and occasionally one or more of these crustaceans are hauled ashore in the drag-seines and gill-nets. Capt. W. M. Fowler, of Lewes, says that about 1873 a pound was built for the capture of the Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus maculatus) just below where the wooden pier now stands. This, however, did not prove a success, for though large quantities of other fish were taken, but few Spanish mackerel were caught, and after being kept np for about two seasons the net was removed and no pounds have since been constructed iu this locality. 154. THE FISHING TOWNS SOUTH OF CAPE HENLOPEN. REHOBOTH BEACH. — Rehoboth Beach, GJ miles distant from Lewes in a southeasterly direc- tion, is a small watering-place facing the Atlantic Ocean on the one side and Rehoboth Bay on the other. Here have been constructed about twenty-five cotfages and two hotels for the accom- modation of summer residents, many of whom come to this place to attend camp-meeting as well as to be benefited by the ocean breezes. The resident population is about sixty, all of whom depend mainly on farming and mechanical pursuits, as well as upon catering to the wants of the summer residents. There is, properly speaking, no fishing carried on by the men of this place, though occasionally the fishermen of Lewes resort to this locality to fish in the waters of Rehoboth Bay. The statistics, therefore, of the catch, as well as of the men and apparatus employed, have been incorporated with those of Lewes. ANGOLA. — The next town south of Lewes, at which any fisheries are carried on, is Angola, situated on the west side of Rehoboth Bay, and having a scattered population of about 500. It is about 9 miles distant in a southerly direction from Lewes, lying nearly midway between the latter town and Millsbourough, on Indian River. The principal occupation of the people is farming, though a considerable number of the men engage in fishing during the spring and winter months, following their agricultural pursuits at other times. There are fifty -five men in this town employed in the fisheries, two of whom depend wholly upon this industry for a livelihood. The apparatus includes sixteen boats, valued at $320; eight gill-nets, worth $40; fourteen haul-seines, worth $420; and one hundred and twenty eel-pots, valued at $60. The fisheries are carried on in the waters of Rehoboth Bay «id the streams which empty into it. The products of this fishery are 135,300 pounds of anadroinous alad sea fish, 3,000 pounds of fresh-water fish, 108 terrapin, and 4,992 crabs. The most important fishery in regard to the amount offish taken is that for herring, of which 50,000 pounds were caught in 1880, but in point of value this is exceeded both by the fishery for rock and perch, of each of which it is estimated 28,000 pounds were taken in the same year. A portion of this catch is shipped by rail to Phila- delphia and other markets. A large percentage of the fish taken are consumed locally or sold, to farmers from the interior towns. MILLSBOEOTJGH. — The village of Millsborough, situated on Indian River, is 8 or 10 miles dis- tant in a southwesterly direction from Angola, and has a population of about 300. As a rule people depend largely on agricultural pursuits; though, owing to the fact of the railroad pass- ing through this village, and its convenience to the excellent fishing grounds of Indian River and Bay, it is a center of a considerable fishery, the most important to be found in the State south of Cape Heulopen. There are one hundred and eighty-eight fishermen employed here, ten of them depending wholly on the fisheries for a livelihood, while the remainder divide their time between fishing and farming. An important feature of this place is the number of people employed in the summer season in catching soft crabs, which are shipped to the markets of New York and Phila- DELAWARE: DESCRIPTION OF FISHERIES BY TOWNS. 417 delphia. The skiffs employed iu this fishery- arc constructed especially for the purpose, aud are described under the head of apparatus as the Delaware crab-skiff; these are let out to the fisher- men, many of whom are boys, who sell their catch to the owners of the skiffs for a stated sum. There are employed in the fisheries here two hundred and twenty-two boats, valued at $776; twenty gill-nets, worth $100; twenty-two haul-seines, worth $000; and three hundred eel-pots, valued at $150. The products of the fisheries are 397,300 pouuds of anadromous and sea fish, 111,500 pounds of fresh-water fish, 500 pounds of turtle, 1,200 terrapin in number, 50,000 clams, and 180,000 crabs. The most important fishery in the matter of quantity is that for herring or alewives, of which, in the spring of 1880, it was estimated 105,000 pounds were caught. Some 70,000 pounds of men- haden are taken, about one-sixth of which are sold for food, and the remainder used as a fertilizer. The fishery for soft crabs, which is of considerable importance, as has been mentioned above, began about 1873, when two men, belonging at Long Branch, New Jersey, came to this section and engaged in the business. Since that time, however, this industry has been followed by the resi- dents of the place, the more enterprising of whom have had a large number of boats built for this purpose, which they furnish to men employed to fish for them, buying the catch at the rate of 12 cents a dozen. DAGSBOEOXJGH. — The little village of Dagsborough, with a population of about 200, is situated on the line of the Breakwater and Frankford Railroad, some 4J miles in a southwesterly direction from Millsborough. The residents of this place depend mainly on agricultural pursuits, though in the spring, summer, and autumn they engage more or less regularly in the fisheries. There are employed in this pursuit forty-two fishermen; twenty-eight boats, valued at $130; ten gill-nets^ worth $50, and eight haul-seines, valued at $240. A portion of the boats, like those used at Mills- borough, though in a far less degree, are used in the capture of soft crabs in their season ; the greater part, however, are built on the style of the ordinary batteau, and are used in the various branches of the fisheries, including seining and gill-netting. The fishing grounds resorted to are Indian River and Bay, where essentially the same species are taken as are caught by the resi- dents of Millsborough. The products of the fisheries are 71,100 pounds of sea fish and anadromous species, 13,700) pounds of fresh- water fish, 100 pounds of turtle, 204 terrapin, 15,000 clams, and 78,000 crabs. FEANKFOED. — Three miles south of Dagsborough is the village of Frankford, on the line of the Breakwater and Fraukford Railroad. This place, though having no fisheries, may be men- tioned from the fact that a quantity of the products of the fisheries are shipped from here. About 8,200 pounds of fish and 9,125 pounds of soft crabs were shipped by rail to Philadelphia and other markets in 1880. BLACKWATEE. — Some 6 miles in an easterly direction from Fraukford brings us to the post- office of Blackwater. This place has a scattering population of between 100 and 200, depending chiefly on farming. There are, however, eighteen men here employed in the fisheries; four of them depending wholly on catching fish for a livelihood, while the remainder are employed more or less regularly as fishermen, chiefly in the spring. These fishermen make use of twenty-two boats, worth $110; forty gill-nets, worth $200, and two haul-seines, valued at $80. The products of the fisheries of Blackwater are 71,300 pounds of sea and anadromous fish, of which 30,000 pounds are menhaden, used principally for fertilizing purposes; 3,000 pounds of fresh- water fish, 500 pounds of turtle, 192 terrapin, and 180,000 crabs. OCEAN VIEW. — The little hamlet of Ocean View, composed of a dozen or fifteen dwelling houses and stores, is six miles distant by the road from Blackwater in an easterly direction, 27 G E F 418 GEOGBAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. though iu a straight line it would not be more than two-thirds that distance. It has a total popu- lation of 400, the greater part of the inhabitants being scattered over a considerable area and principally engaged in farming. There is but little fishing done at Ocean View for commercial purposes, nearly all of the farmers catching fish during their spare time for their own use. But if any of them get more than enough to supply their own wants they generally peddle them through- out the country, while a few are occasionally taken to Frankford and Dagsborough and shipped by rail to Philadelphia. The fishing grounds resorted to are the waters of Indian Eiver and its tributaries, and a few fish are also caught along the beach bordering the Atlantic. There are fifteen men engaged in the fisheries more or less regularly. These employ in their work fifteen boats, worth $66; fifty gill-nets, valued at $150; twenty small haul-seines, worth $225, and fifty eel-pots, valued at $20. The products of the fisheries are 210,200 pounds of sea fish and anadromous species, of which 105,000 pounds are menhaden, these being almost wholly used for fertilizing purposes; 1,000 pounds of fresh-water fish, 200 pounds of turtle, 72 terrapin, 15,000 clams, and 14,400 crabs. It may be here stated that one gang of men, nine in number, make a specialty in the summer time of fishing for menhaden with a drag-seine along the outer beach. These men are farmers and do not devote their whole time to the business of catching menhaden, but when a school of fish is seen near the beach the crew man their boat, go out and throw their seine, and haul the fish ashore, using them as a dressing for their farms. Occasionally, when schools of menhaden are expected, one man keeps a lookout for them, being relieved in turn by some of his fellows. KOXANA. — The village of Eoxana is situated about 3 miles in an almost due-east direction from Frankford and is 7 or 8 miles distant, by the road, in a southwesterly direction from Ocean View. The total population of the place is COO, though the village contains only about 200 inhab- itants. The principal occupation of the people of this town is farming. There are, however, sixty-seven men engaged in fishing, nine of them following it regularly for a livelihood, while the remainder engage in both farming and fishing, employing themselves in either one of the two pursuits at such times as they think they can obtain the best remuneration for their labor. In pursuing the fisheries they make use of twenty-two boats, valued at $290 ; ninety-eight gill- nets, worth $490 ; twenty-six haul-seines, worth $1,205; fifty eel-pots, worth $25; and one small building and press for the extraction of menhaden oil, valued at $400. The fishing grounds to •which they mainly resort are in the headwaters of Isle of Wight Bay and along the shores border- ing the Atlantic ; though they sometimes visit the waters of Indian Eiver and the salt ponds near the beach which borders the ocean. The products of the fisheries are 467,200 pounds of auadromous and sea fish, of which 300,000 pounds are menhaden, these being almost wholly pressed out for oil or used for fertilizing the land; 39,200 pounds of fresh- water fish; 3,000 pounds of turtle; and 3GO terrapin. A considerable business is done in fishing in winter for rock and perch and in the early spring for herring, while iu summer the fishery for the spot exceeds that of any other in value. A small menhaden factory was established at Fen wick's Island in 1878 by Mr. D. N. Warrington, who carries on surf-fishing with a drag-seine to a limited extent. In 1880 he made 10 barrels of men- haden oil and 45 tons of scrap. The fish are caught as they pass along the beach bordering the ocean in their migrations to and from the feeding grounds farther north. WILLIAMSVILLE. — Williamsville, the southern town on the coast line of Delaware, is about 3J miles distant from the village of Eoxaua. Here there is a small collection of houses, though as a rule the population, which numbers some three hundred, is considerably scattered. The principal occupations of the residents of this place are farming and fishing. There are thirty-nine DBLAWAEE: DESCRIPTION OP FISHERIES BY TOWNS. 419 men who engage iu the fisheries, nine of them depending wholly on fishing for a livelihood, while the others attend to their farms in the summer season and are employed in fishing in winter, when otherwise they would be idle most of the time. In the fishery of this town are employed forty boats, worth $200; three hundred gill-nets, worth $1,500; one drag-seine, valued at $175; two fyke-nets, worth $90 ; seven hundred and fifty eel-pots, valued at $450. Eel fishing and turtle and terrapin hunting are prosecuted in this place to a much greater extent than in any other of the towns of Southern Delaware ; in fact these are two of the principal fisheries of the town. Mr. R. M. Atkins, the postmaster at Williamsville, and one of the principal dealers in fishery products, says that 70,000 pounds of eels and 5,000 pounds of turtle were taken by the fishermen in 1880. The total products o.f the fisheries for that year were 271,100 pounds of anadromous and sea fish; 12,000 pounds of fresh-water fish; 5,000 pounds of turtle; 2,196 terrapin; and 480 crabs. X. MARYLAND AND ITS FISHERIES. T3y K. EDWARD EARLL. ANALYSIS. A. — GENERAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERY INTERESTS OF THE STATE : 155. Statistical recapitulation. B.— REVIEW OF THE SALT-WATER FISHERIES : 156. Statistical recapitulation. 157. The fisheries of the ocean shore. 158. The fisheries of the bay shore. C. — REVIEW OF THE OYSTER INDUSTRY: 159. The oyster interests of Maryland. 421 X. MARYLAND AND ITS FISHERIES. A.— GENERAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERY INTERESTS OF THE STATE. 155. STATISTICAL BECAP1TULATIOK THE VARIOUS FISHERY INTERESTS. — If the sea fisheries proper be taken as a standard, Mary- laud has an unimportant place on the list of fish-producing States; but if the oyster and river fish- eries, in both of which this State is extensively interested, be included, it ranks second only to Massachusetts in the value of the- products, and stands first in the number of persons employed. The 20,008 fishermen and shoremen produced in 1880 $5,221,715, while the 20,117 interested in the Massachusetts fisheries realized $8,141,750 as the result of their labors. This is easily explained by the fact that the fishing season is much shorter in the former than in the latter State, and that the fishermen are as a rule less energetic and not so fully equipped for the work. The oyster interests are more important than those of any other State. These, according to the report of Mr. E. H. Edmonds, furnished employment to 23,402 persons, with 1,450 vessels and 1,825 boats, the value of the products amounting to $4,730,476. With so extensive a river system, the fresh-water fisheries are naturally of peculiar impor- tance, and more shad are taken by these fishermen than by those of any other State, while Maryland stands second only to North Carolina in the extent and value of the alewife fisheries. STATISTICAL RECAPITULATION FOR 1880. — The following tables show the extent and value of the fishery interests of Maryland : Summary statement of per song employed. Persons employed. Number. 15 873 1 256 8 879 Total 2G 008 ih tailed statement of capital invested and apparatus employed. Apparatus specified. Number. Value. Vessels (43 500 tons) 1 450 $1 750 000 2 825 186 448 83 13, 373 4 030 0 000 Gill-nets 1 462 44 880 30 710 1 400 139 53 550 177 (JiiO 4 104 050 6 34" 443 423 424 GEOGEAPHICAL REVIEW OP THE FISHERIES. Detailed statement of llic qiutniitits and values of the products. Products specified. Pounds. Value. Grand total for fishery products 95 71 '? 570 $5 221 715 Sea fisheries. Bluofish 10 000 Chun s (hard) 40 000 2 000 Crabs 1 16G CC7 4G 830 Menhaden 3 903 000 11 851 ' Mullet 30 000 1 200 Oysters 74 200 000 4 730 476 Spot ted sea-t rout 5 COO 150 Squeteaguo CO 000 1 200 Terrapin 30 000 4 000 i AH other species 837 000 20 900 ' Total sea products 80 281 (5G7 4 818 9^7 Hiccr fisheries. Ale wives 9 1*>8 939 139 GQ" Slmd 3 750 4"C 140 3°6 ' • 144 000 1 440 2 398 518 I'M '>"* 15 430 003 402 788 B.— REVIEW OF THE SALT-WATER FISHERIES. 156. STATISTICAL RECAPITULATION. The sea fisheries of Maryland, if we exclude the oyster industry, are quite unimportant. There are no harbors of any size along the outer shore, and the shores bordering Chesapeake Bay are too far removed from the ocean to warrant any exclusive fishing for marine species. This fishery is therefore confined largely to small boats for use in the sounds and bays at different seasons. The following table shows the extent of the sea fisheries, excluding menhaden and oysters, for 1880: Summary statement of persons employed. Persons employed. NuDiber. Fishermen " ... . ... *>60 15 Total 284 Detailed statement of capital invested and apparatus employed. Apparatus specified. Number. Value. ^Vessels (33.99 tons) 3 190 2 Fykes, pots, and baskets 1 500 1 000 Gill-nets 300 4 500 Drag-seines CO 2 225 Minor apparatus, including outfit 3 100 Factories and other shore property G 500 Cash capital 4 800 Total capital 31 050 MARYLAND: SALT- \VATEE FISHERIES. Delaihd statement of tlu: quantities and values of ike products. 425 PjO'Uicts specified. Pounds. Value. Ijhiefi-h 10 000 $')00 40 000 2 000 1 106 C07 46 8.30 JIulk-t 30,000 1, 200 5,000 150 CO (100 1,200 30 COO 4 000 ri;n i i!-i 20,900 Total . . 2.031.007 70. 000 157. THE FISHERIES OF THE OCEAN SHORE. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE REGION. — The State of Maryland, if we consider the Chesa- peake and its larger tributaries, has an enormous coast-line of salt and brackish water. Its ocean shore, however, is very limited, being only about 25 miles in extent. The outer beach is formed by a long and irregular sand-bar, varying from a few rods to a mile or more in width, extending throughout the entire length of the State. Lying between this bar and the mainland is a large and very irregular sheet of brackish water, which connects with the ocean near Chiucoteague Island, Virginia, and again through Green Rim Inlet, in the southern part of Maryland. The lower portion of this lagoon, known as Assateague Bay, is 7 or 8 miles wide and from 10 to 12 miles long. At its northern extremity it suddenly contracts into a long and narrow channel, known as Siune- puxeiit Bay, which connects it with Isle of Wight Bay, an irregular sheet of brackish water near the northern "boundary of the State. A belt of low swampy land, averaging 3 or 4 miles in width, separates the waters of these bays from the higher lands of the interior, with occasional landings connected by wagon roads with the villages and farming districts a few miles distant. A number of families have located at different points near the southern extremity of the outer bar, and in its northern portion is situated the growing village of Ocean Grove, which seems destined to be the popular summer resort of the region. The main shore, on account of the marshes, is almost unin- habited, the villages being situated on an average of 5 or 6 miles from the water. These, as a rule, are small and unimportant, the only ones of note 'being Snow Hill, the county seat, and Berlin, a small railroad center. THE FISHERIES OF ASSATEAGUE AND SINNEPUXENT BAYS. — The fishing of Assateagne and Sinnepuxent Bays is of little importance, being confined largely to the capture of mullet (M. aJlula and M. Iraziliensis) — locally known as fat-backs — eels (A. rostrata), croakers (M. undulatus), drum (P. ckromis), weakfish (C. regale), and bluefish (P. saltatrix), for local use, during the summer months, and to the capture of a limited quantity of rock (R. lincatus) and perch (R. americanus) in the fall and winter. Clamming and oystering are also carried on to a limited extent in this region. The men engaged in the fisheries are for the most part farmers living some distance from the water. These own small boats, which are kept at the various landings in the region. During their spare hours they take their seines and repair to the shore, catching a supply of fish for local use and a few mullet for salting, after which they return home. With the exception of clams, almost no sea products are sent from this region to the larger markets of the country. FISHERIES OF ISLE OF WIGHT BAY. — In the northern portion of the State, especially at Isle of Wight Bay, the fishing is much more extensive. This region was visited by Capt. J. W. Collins, to whom we are indebted for the following information. In the vicinity of Ocean City there is a limited fishery along the outer beach for menhaden and drum, the former being taken with seines 426 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OP THE FISHERIES. and used as a dressing for tbe land, while the latter are taken with hook and line by persons standing along the shore. In this fishery the hooks are baited with menhaden or crabs and thrown well out into the surf, after which they are slowly drawn to land, the fish seizing them as they pass through the water. It is said that the catch of drum in this way is frequently so large that there is a good deal of difficulty in disposing of them in the locality, and many are thrown away for lack of a market. The bay fishing is prosecuted to a greater or less extent during the entire year, though it is much more extensive during the winter mouths. A few persons may properly be called professional fishermen, as they follow fishing for a livelihood throughout the year, catching any species that happens to be abundant. With the above exception the summer fishery is prosecuted chiefly by farmers for home supply. In the fall and winter, when their farm work is over, many of these devote their entire attention to the fisheries, and, whenever the weather will admit, ship their catch by rail to Philadelphia and New York. Seines and gill-nets are used to a considerable extent, both being sometimes employed by the same parties. The meshes of the gill-nets vary from 3 to 5 inches, according to the species for which they are intended. The average net is from 25 to 50 fathoms in length and from 15 to 25 meshes deep. The seines vary greatly, according to locality, the small ones ranging from 30 to 100 fathoms, while the larger ones reach and even exceed 300 fathoms. Some of the fishermen are provided with craft large enough to furnish them shelter during their stay in the vicinity of the fishing grounds, but most have only small open boats, and are obliged to camp on shore with uo shelter, except that afforded by the trees and hills. They seldom build huts for their protection, claiming that these would.be destroyed and the lumber carried away during their absence. They often go 8 to 10 miles from home, and remain from three or four days to even a week at a time, and, being without shelter, they are often exposed to great hardships. STATISTICS OP THE CATCH. — Enormous catches are sometimes made, though as a rule the fishermen meet with only moderate success. The principal species taken in the winter are rock and perch, while in the spring ale wives, pike, and catfish are also secured. According to Captain Collins, the value of the catch of this region for both fresh-water and salt-water species amounted to $22,655 during the season of 1880, to which should be added $12,889 for the lower portion of the State; giving a total of $35,544 as the amount received by the fisher- men of Maryland for sea products, exclusive cf oysters, taken along the ocean shore. 158. THE FISHERIES OF THE BAY SHORE. PECULIARITIES OF THE REGION. — If the State of Maine be excepted, probably no portion of the entire coast is so ragged and irregular as that part of Maryland which borders Chesapeake Bay, and, though no exact figures are at hand, it would doubtless be wholly within bounds to assume that the State has upwards of 1,200 miles of coast line washed by the salt and brackish water of the numerous arms and tributaries of the Chesapeake. The saltness of the water varies greatly at different times, depending largely upon the amount of rainfall in the region. During seasons of drought it is nearly as salt as the ocean, but in rainy seasons it is only moderately brackish, while in the extreme upper portion and in the mouths of the larger rivers it is nearly fresh. As a rule, however, it is so salt that oysters, crabs, and certain marine fishes thrive in almost any part of it. THE FISHERIES. — With so enormous a coast line it would be natural to suppose that the Maryland people would engage extensively in the Chesapeake fisheries; and such is the case in certain localities, where the prosecution of the shad, herring, and oyster fisheries forms the princi- pal occupation of the people. In many sections, however, the shores are low and damp, with few MARYLAND: SALT-WATER FISHERIES. 427 inhabitants, except at small villages situated on the uplands of the river banks, and for this reason the fisheries are less important than would at first be supposed. The shad and alewife fisheries are described by Colonel McDonald in another section of this report, while Mr. Edmonds gives below a full account of the oyster industry. We shall, there- fore, speak only of the fishing for such marine species as are most frequently taken in the salter bays along the coast. Many of these, though common in the Lower Chesapeake, do not ascend to the Maryland waters in any considerable numbers, and those occurring there are found chiefly in the southern portion of the State, or in that portion lying between Tangier Island and Annapolis, where the population of the immediate coast line is very small, and where there are few opportunities for shipping. THE PRINCIPAL FISHING CENTERS. — The principal settlements in this region, and the only ones of note having railroad facilities for shipping, are Crisfield, Cambridge, Eastou, and Annap- olis. The first named is a town of considerable importance, located on a good harbor, near the southern boundary of the State. The ground on which the business portion of the town is situated is composed almost wholly of oyster shells which have been deposited by the large packing-houses of Crisfield that do an extensive business in opening and shipping oysters during the winter months. The people in this vicinity are almost wholly dependent upon the water for a livelihood. Every able-bodied man is interested in the oyster fisheries in the winter, and nearly all engage in the capture of fish, crabs, or clams during the summer season. The other towns are also more or less interested in the oyster fisheries in winter, and are the receiving ports for considerable quan- tities of fish and crabs in summer, the bulk of these, after the local trade is supplied, being forwarded to Baltimore, Washington, Philadelphia, and New York. The fisheries proper of the region are growing in importance, and in most localities they have doubled within the last five years. The principal sea fishes taken are tailors (P. saltatrix), bay mackerel (8. maculatus), trout (C. regale), sheepshead*(Z>. probatoccphalus), and eels (A. rostrata). SPANISH MACKEREL. — In 1877 gill-nets were first extensively used in the capture of Spanish mackerel iu the vicinity of Crisfield, though they had been regularly employed in the shad and alewife fisheries for many years. There are now over a hundred men employed in the gill-net fisheries in this region, exclusive of the large number that belong at Tangier Island who market their catch at Crisfield. The nets used vary from 25 to 30 fathoms in length, and from 9 to 12 feet in depth. Each man is provided with four of these nets and is actively engaged in fishing from the 1st of May till the 1st of October. TAILORS AND TROUT. — The tailors arrive early in May and form the bulk of the catch for about six weeks. They are again abundant from August 15 to October 1, after which they are less frequently taken up to the 1st of November, when they entirely disappear. They average about 1J pounds each in weight, and net the fishermen from 4 to 5 cents apiece. The trout are abundant during the entire summer, but are taken chiefly. for local consumption, few of them being shipped out of the city. SHEEPSHEAD. — A number of fishermen are employed in the capture cf sheepshead with hook and line, while others are provided with seines for the same work. They usually have small "hurdles," consisting of a dozen to twenty piles driven into the mud, among which the sheeps- head gather iu considerable numbers. The sheepshead taken in this region are very large, averaging fully 7 or 8 pounds each, while some weighing 14 to 15 pounds were seen by ns in the Crisfield market. They find a ready sale at from 7 to 12 cents per pound, the fishermen often 428 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF TUB FISHERIES. making good wages iii the business. Several instances are reported where men have made, as high as 618 to $20 in a single day. EELS. — Eels are everywhere abundant, and, though lew are taken for shipment, they are caught in large numbers with hook and line or pots and baskets, for local use, the aggregate of the catch amounting to many thousands of pounds in the course of the season. MENHADEN. — For a number of years menhaden (E. tyrannus), locally known as ellwives, alewives, and oldwives, have been taken in considerable numbers by the farmers of the region, who have used small haul-seines for catching a supply with which to manure their laud. Prior to 1880 this was the only method of fishing, but at this time an oil and guano factory was built at Crisfield, and during the course of the season 3,500,000 menhaden were taken. These, according to the statements of the managers, produced 300 tons of dried scrap and 10,575 gallons of oil, the value of the products amounting to $10,000 in the aggregate. Thus far the company has met with good success, and the outlook for the future is encouraging. It is hardly probable, however, that any extended business will be developed in the State, as even its southern boundary is so far removed from the mouth of the Chesapeake that the fish seldom occur in any considerable num- bers and the fishermen are usually obliged to enter Virginia waters in order to secure their supply. THE CRAB FISHERIES. — Crabs are very abundant in the region, and the shipping of both hard and soft crabs is now a very important business. The trade in the latter is said to have • begun in 1870, when Crisfield parties first built pens or troughs for confining the crabs until they had cast their shells. After numerous experiments proper apparatus was adopted whereby the business could be prosecuted with considerable profit. The dealers now use sheddiug-peus or troughs, about 15 feet long, 3 feet wide, and 2 feet deep. The bottom of the trough is made of inch boards, and the sides are built of laths, arranged vertically about half an inch apart, while half-way between the top and bottom, on the outer surface, is a heavy scantling or float which marks the depth to which the box shall sink in the water. These shedding-troughs are placed in the smooth water of some sheltered cove convenient to the packing-house, where they can be frequently visited by the parties in charge, who overhaul them two or three times a day, taking out such as have finished shedding, and carrying them to the shore, where they are packed for shipment. The crabs are purchased from the fishermen at an average of $1 per hundred for such as are beginning to shed. When the shell first begins to open, the crab is styled a "peeler" by the fishermen, and later, as the opening becomes larger, it is known as a "buster." The hard crabs are always rejected by these dealers, and for this reason they are seldom taken by the expe- rienced fishermen, who can usually detect a "peeler" before it is removed from the water. In case a hard crab is taken by mistake it is usually returned to the water, though some parties are in the habit of saving them and shipping them in barrels to Baltimore. The soft crabs are packed in trays 4 feet long, 18 inches wide, and 4J inches deep; great care being taken that each shall be placed in such a position that the moisture shall not run from its mouth, for if the mouth parts become dry, death ensues in a short time. ' A crate of the size mentioned will hold about nine dozen average-sized crabs. These are shipped chiefly to New York and Philadelphia, though many are sent to the interior cities of Pennsylvania at from 30 to 50 cents per dozen. The people of both Crisfield and Annapolis are extensively interested in this business, and several hundred men are engaged in crabbing from the middle of May to the 1st of October. It is estimated that not less than 10,000 cases of soft crabs were shipped by Maryland dealers during the season of 1880. In addition to these, considerable quantities were consumed locally. A company has been formed at Oxford for the canning of hard crabs, which are very abnn- MARYLAND: SALT-WATER FISHERIES. 429 dant in the waters of that region. It is said that fully 1,500,000 crabs were purchased by the company in 1880, the products of the cannery amounting to 135,000 cans, valued at 86,850. There are two similar establishments at Hampton, Va. Aside from the canning interests large numbers of hard crabs are shipped from different points to the larger markets. The crab is thus a very important species to the fishermen, who derive considerable money from its capture and sale. CLAMS AND TERRAPIN. — Clams are less abundant in Maryland than in Virginia, and most of the clammers of the former State visit Virginia waters to secure their supply, though the laws are supposed to prohibit them from doing so. The species occurs in limited quantities, however, near the southern boundary of Maryland, and some clamming is done iu that locality, the catch being used locally or shipped by rail and steamer from Crisfleld. A few terrapin are found along the salt-water marshes, but the catch is so small as to be of little commercial importance. STATISTICS OF THE FISHERIES. — The number of men directly interested iu the salt-water fisheries, excluding oysters, is 305, of whom 275 are fishermen, the remainder being shoremen and factory hands. The fishing- vessel fleet is limited to 6 sail, aggregating about 105 tons, and valued at 84,300. In addition to these, 200 boats, worth $6.300; 2 pound nets, worth $1,500; 1,500 pots and baskets, worth $1,000; 300 gill-nets, worth $4,500; 1 purse-seine, valued at $400, and CO drag-seines, valued at $2,225, are used in the fisheries of the State. Adding the value of the single menhaden factory at Crisfield and other shore property, and the cash capital of the factory and dealers, we have a total dependent capital of $43,825. The totiil quantity of fish taken for food during the year 1880 was 705,000 pounds, of which 775,000 pounds were sold in a Iresh state and 20,000 pounds wefre salted, while 4,050,000 pounds were taken to be used as a fertilizer. About 10,000 terrapin, 3,500,000 crabs, and 5,000 bushels of quahaugs, were taken during the sa,me season; these, together with the foregoing, make a grand total of 0,0*81,607 pounds of sea products taken by the fishermen of Maryland. The total value of the same to the producer is $88,451, and their estimated market value exceeds $175,000. C.— REVIEW OF THE OUSTER INDUSTRY. 159. TOE OYSTER INTERESTS OF MARYLAND. By RICHARD H. EDMONDS. The Chesapeake Bay and its numerous salt-water tributaries contain the most prolific and valuable oyster beds in the world, probably about equally divided between the two States of Mary- land and Virginia. Notwithstanding the great importance and value of the oyster trade of the Chesapeake Bay, it is a subject upon which there has been no reliable information, either as regards its extent, the amount of capital invested, or the past and present condition of the business. The legislatures of Maryland and Virginia have, at every session for many years, revised and re-revised the laws upon this subject for their respective States ; but have always been content to work in the dark, knowing nothing practically, and never seeing the value of obtaining full information upon so important an industry. There is, perhaps, no subject of such vital importance to either State that is so little understood. By some it is as greatly overestimated as it is underestimated by others. Many who have never lived near the water, and who gain their information from the rose-colored pictures drawn by correspondents who see only the best features of the trade, imagine that an oyster-bed is a mine of wealth, from which every oysterman may gather a liberal compe- tence with but little labor. Nothing could be more erroneous. 430 GEOGRAPHICAL BE VIEW OF THE FISHERIES. The present report, based upon my investigations made by request of Profs. Spencer F. Baird and G. Brown Goode, must at the best be but the basis for a more elaborate and thorough scientific examination of this subject. From the chaos in which I found the business, so far as regards statistical information, I have tried to evolve some facts and figures which, by showing the importance of the trade, may cause a more careful study to be made of the means to arrest the present depletion of the beds and provide ways for increasing the natural supply of oysters. Until this is done it is almost useless to hope for wiser laws than those now in existence, many of which are not worth the paper upon which they are written. There are so many widely differing interests, each seeking through its representatives in the State legislatures to have such laws enacted as will protect its own particular branch of the trade regardless of what may be desired or needed by other branches, that it is utterly useless to expect to please all. Politicians, however, dependent upon the votes of the unlearned as well as the learned, must seek by all means to please their constituents, however unwise may be their desires. The carrying out of this doctrine results in a conflict of opinion among legislators and, no one being willing to relinquish his own pet theories, much time is wasted in useless discussions; and at last, when a bill is proposed, it is subjected to so many amendments, that when finally passed it would scarcely be recognized by its originator. In this way the laws both of Virginia and Maryland bearing upon the oyster trade are often worse than useless ; and if by chance a law should be good, the means of enforcing it and the penalties for violating it will be so inadequate that no good results will follow its passage. It is a lamentable fact that a large part of the oystermen, many of whom are negroes, are so igno- rant as to be easily led by demagogues. I have been informed by a prominent and reliable gen- tleman in Virginia, that during a late political canvass for the State legislature one of the candi- dates, in an address to the oystermen, promised, upon condition of their voting for him, that should they desire to break any of the oyster laws, he, as a lawyer, would defend them free of cost. My own observation leads me to believe that this is by no means an exceptional case. I am inclined to think that just here lies one of the greatest hindrances to the enactment and enforcement of suitable laws. The oyster trade of the Chesapeake Bay is of vast extent, giving employment to thousands of workmen and millions of invested capital, and yet there are many intelligent men who believe that the blessings so lavishly bestowed by nature upon the tidewater counties of Maryland and Vir- ginia in the abundant supply of oysters and fish are in reality productive of more harm than good. This belief is based upon the non progressive character of the oystermen, who, as a class, are illit- erate, indolent, and improvident. As the great natural productiveness of the soil in tropical countries has tended to retard man's improvement by taking from him the necessity for constant labor, so has the abundant supply of oysters in the Chesapeake tended to make the oystermen unwilling to engage in any steady occupation. A tongman can at any time take his canoe or skiff and catch from the natural rocks a few bushels of oysters, for which there is always a market. Having made a dollar or two, he stops work until that is used up, often a large part of it being spent for strong drink. When his money is all gone he can repeat the same course. Unless spent in the indulgence of intemperate habits, a small amount of money will enable an oysterman to live in comparative comfort. He can readily and at almost no expense supply his table in winter with an abundance of oysters and ducks, geese, and other game, while in summer fish and crabs may be had simply for the catching. So long as they are able to live in this manner it is almost impossible to get them to do any steady farm work. This cannot of course be avoided, as they have a right to live in the manner which best suits their taste, although several laws have, at dif- ferent times, been enacted, which, while not so expressed, were really intended to have the effect MABYLAND: OYSTEE IISTDUSTEY. 431 of making the tougmen, and especially the negroes, engage iu other occupations. Gould this be done without restricting the rights of citizenship it would prove a great blessing to the negroes themselves, as it would lead them to regular work in the cultivation of land, and it is well known that as soon as these people are possessed of a house and a few acres of laud they become more law-abidiug and industrious. It has generally been a favorite idea of the legislators both of Maryland and Virginia that each State should derive some revenue from the natural oyster-beds belonging to it. To this end many laws have been passed, but no satisfactory results have ever been accomplished. The expense of enforcing laws over such an extensive body of water as the Chesapeake Bay is neces- sarily very great. In 1879 the entire amount received from licenses to tong, to scrape, and to dredge in Maryland was less than the cost of maintaining the oyster-police force. This, however, was an exceptional year, and very little was collected from dredgers for reasons given elsewhere. Since the oyster-police force was first established up to September 30, 1879, the amount collected from dredging licenses, measurers, and fines exceeded the expenses of the force by $235,156.59. In addition to this there is a county tax upon tongiug and scraping which averages about $10,000 a year. This amount is by law paid to the public schools of the respective counties. It would be necessary for the State to maintain the police force, even if it had to be done by appropriations from the general treasury. Disband the force, and in a few weeks the bay would be a battle-ground for tongers and dredgers. This was plainly demonstrated last winter on the Eappahannock Eiver. Virginia having abolished dredging on natural rocks, it was decided to do away witli the police force. In the winter of 1879-'80 about 40 dredging boats entered the Eappahannock and began work. The native tongmen, incensed at this depredation upon their beds, undertook to drive the dredgers away. In this, however, they signally failed. The dredgers, being well supplied with rifles, opened fire upon the tongmen. For several weeks the appearance of a tonginan at any time, was certain to draw forth a volley from the dredgers. The legislature being in session at the time, it was decided to supply the tongmen with a cannon, a large number of rifles, and a supply of ammunition. Before the arrival of these, however, the dredgers had left. Such is but a sample of what would be constantly occurring if the dredgers of Maryland were not overawed by the police. In Virginia there are some laws for taxing oysters but as there are no means of enforcing them they are worthless. The total amount of license money received during 1879 was only a few hun- dred dollars. When gathering the statistics of the oyster trade in Maryland the matter seemed perplexing enough; but when the efibrt was made to obtain the same information in Virginia the task was found to be even worse. State officials, from county clerk to auditor, knew nothing defi- nite about the business. There was no license, as in Maryland; no record of the number of boats or men; in fact, nothing upon which to begin laying a foundation. The county officials, however, willingly rendered all the aid in their power, and to many of them I am greatly indebted for their kind assistance. DREDGING. — There are really but two ways of catching oysters practiced iu this State: dredg- ing and tongiug. Scraping is but dredging on a smaller scale. Before discussing the merits and faults of our present method of dredging, it may be well to give some description of (his manner of catching oysters, which, while very familiar to Mary- landers, may not be so well understood by those who have never witnessed the practical working of it. Dredges are bags made of iron rings linked together, forming meshes similar to those of an ordinary seine, the mouth being held open by an iron frame, from the four corners of which project four iron bars converging to a point at a distance of a few feet from the mouth; to this point a 432 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. short chain is attached, and joined to the chain is a long rope which winds around the windlass. Projecting downwards from the bar, attached to the lower edge of the mouth, are iron teeth, which, as the dredge is drawn over the bottom, scrape up the oysters and guide them into the bag. Every vessel is supplied with two dredges and two windlasses, the latter being made stationary about midway of the deck on each side of the vessel. At the point where the windlass is screwed to the deck 3 or 4 feet of the rail is removed, and fastened to the side of the vessel is an iron bar over which the chain and rope run when the dredge is being worked. The windlasses are so arranged that each is worked by four men at the same time. When the boat reaches the dredging ground the captain takes the helm, and the men prepare for their laborious task. The dredges are thrown overboard and the vessel continues on her course until it is supposed that the dredge, which usually holds 2 or 3 bushels, is full, and then it is hauled up, and its contents, consisting of oysters, stones, shells, crabs, fish, &c., emptied on deck. If the vessel has passed across the bar, she tacks, and recrosses the ground and continues sailing over the same bar for houi's. If dredging is done in the day-time the oysters are at once culled, but when working at night this is deferred until morning. Culling consists in separating the oysters from the other things brought up by the dredge, and throwing the latter overboard, while the former are placed in the hold of the vessel. In this manner the work continues until the vessel is loaded, when she at once proceeds to market. A trip will generally take about twelve or thirteen days. The effect of dredging upon an oyster bar has been thoroughly studied both in this country and in Europe, and the conclusion almost invariably reached is that it is beneficial to the beds when properly con- ducted as to time and manner; and my own investigations have satisfied me that this is correct. An oyster bar when left undisturbed for a number of years has a tendency to solidify into an almost impenetrable rock. Dredging prevents this, and by scattering the oysters over a wide area greatly extends the bar. A bushel of wheat placed in one pile will never "increase and multiply," how- ever fertile may be the soil in which it rests; neither will its yield repay for the gathering thereof if the grains are dropped at far-distant points. It is only when well sown, neither too thick nor too thin, that a good harvest may be expected. Such is the case with oysters. Nature has often placed them in one large pile. Dredging, properly conducted, acts like the grain-drill in scatter- ing them over a wider field. But there is great danger that dredging may be carried to such an extent as to leave only an oyster here and there; and then, like the thinly-sown wheat, the yield is too small to be profitable. Such is by some believed to be the present condition of a large part of the bay ; and they hold that there is an abundance of oysters, although so widely scattered that it is very difficult to catch them. In a report upon the " Oyster beds of the Chesapeake Bay," made in 1872, by Mr. O. A. Brown, to the auditor of public accounts of Virginia, it is said that "The dredging of oysters is as necessary to their development and propagation as plowing is to the growth of corn ; the teeth of the dredge take hold of the rank growth of the oyster beds, and, by being dragged through them, loosen them (which is done by hand in France in the management of their oyster parks), and give them room to grow and mature properly ; moreover, beds are continually increased in size, for when the vessel runs off the rock with the chain-bags filled with oysters, the oysters are dragged off on ground where no oysters existed, and thus the beds are extended, and when the vessel is wearing or tacking to get back on the oyster beds, the catch just taken up is being culled off, the cullings thrown overboard to form new cultch for drifting spat to adhere to. Reliable oysterrnen tell me that since dredging has been carried on in Tangier and Pocomoke, the beds have more than doubled in size; and, with the moderate force that worked upon them prior to the war, were continually improving. During the war the waters were thrown open to every one MARYLAND: OYSTER INDUSTRY. 433 who would pay the military officials for a permit to oyster; the consequence was that the oyster beds were scraped bare, and it was two years before they could recuperate." While dredging, properly conducted, is no doubt beneficial to the beds, I am inclined to think that in this State it is being carried too far, and that its ultimate effect will be the same as in every European country where it has been unrestricted by proper laws. By some it is believed that the oyster beds of the Chesapeake Bay are of such vast extent, and the number of young annually spawned so great, that it will be impossible to destroy them. In view of the experience of Great Britain and France, and of the almost complete destruction of many of the once-famous beds of the Chesapeake, such an opinion is without good foundation. The history of dredging in France and in Great Britain is very instructive, and may be studied with much profit by those who are interested in the preservation of the oyster beds of the Chesapeake Bay. The most valuable records are those of the production of the beds of Cancale Bay,' on the northwest coast of France. These records extend over a period of sixty-eight years, from 1800 to 1868. The following extract in regard to these beds is from the report of Francis Winslow, master United States Navy, made to Carlile P. Patterson, Superintendent Coast and Geodetic Survey: "The beds in the bay comprise an area of about 150 acres, and from 1800 to 181G produced from 400,000 to 2,400,000 a year. This, however, was the period of the Napoleonic wars, and the fishing was much disturbed by the presence of th'e English cruisers. During this time the beds became so thickly stocked that the oysters were in some places a yard thick. After the close of the war the fishing improved and the oysters were removed in larger and increasing numbers until 1843. From 1823 to 1848 it is supposed that the dredgers were living upon the oysters accumu- lated during the period of enforced rest, from 1800 to 181G. In 1817 the number of oysters produced was 5,600,000, and until 1843 there was a constant increase, the number taken in the latter year being 70,000,000. In 1848 it was 60,000,000; thenceforward there was a constant decrease. From 1850 to 1856 the decrease was from 50,000,000 to 18,000,000, supposed to be the effect of over-dredging. From 1859 to 1868 the decrease was from 16,000,000 to 1,079,000; the oysters having almost entirely disappeared from the beds, though on account of the suffering condition of the inhabitants of the shores it was almost impossible to prevent it. In 1870 there was a complete wreck of the bottom, which could only be remedied by a total prohibition of the fisheries for several years. From the beds of the districts of Rochefort, Marennes, and island of Ole'ron, on the west coast of France, there were taken in 1853-'54 10,000,000 oysters, and in 1854-'55, 15,000,000. On account of exhaustive fishing in 1863-'64 only 400,000 could be obtained. Ac- cording to the testimony of Mr. Webber, mayor of Falmouth, England, about seven hundred men, working three hundred boats, were employed in a profitable oyster fishery in the neighborhood of Falmouth until 1866, when the old laws enforcing a 'close time' were repealed, under an impres- sion that owing to the great productive powers of the oyster it would be impossible to remove a sufficient number to prevent the restocking of the beds. Since 1866 the beds have become so impoverished from excessive and continual fishing that in 1876 only forty men and forty boats could find employment, and, small as the number is, they could not take more than 60 or 100 oysters a day, while formerly, in the same time, a boat could take from 10,000 to 12,000. Ac- cording to the statement of Mr. Messuin, an oyster dealer, and secretary of an oyster company at Emsworth, -England, made before the commission for the investigation of oyster fisheries in May, 1876, there were in the harbor of Emsworth, between the years of 1840 and 1850, so many oysters that one .man in five hours could take from 24,000 to 32,000. In consequence of over-fishing, in 1858 scarcely ten vessels could find loads, and in 1868 a dredger in five hours could not find more than twenty oysters. The oyster fisheries of Jersey, in the English Channel, afforded employment 28 aBF 434 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. to four hundred vessels. In six or seven years the dredging became so extensive and the beds so exhausted that only three or four vessels could find employment, and the crews of even that small number had to do additional work on shore in order to support themselves." The foregoing are a few of, though by no means all, the instances that may be quoted in order to show the disastrous effects of overworking the beds, and in concluding the remarks under that head it will be instructive to extract from Professor Mobius' work his prophecy with regard to our own beds, which is here introduced : "In North America the oysters are so fine and so cheap that they are eaten daily by all classes. Hence they are now, and have been for a long time, a real means of subsistence for the people. This enviable fact is no argument against the injuriousness of a continuous and severe fishing of the beds. * * * But as the number of consumers increases in America the price will also surely advance, and then there will arise a desire to fish the banks more severely than hitherto, and if they do not accept in time the unfortunate experience of the oyster culturists ot Europe, they will surely find their oyster-beds impoverished for having defied the bioconotic laws." As the best stocked and most productive beds of Europe w ere quickly destroyed by unrestricted dredging, so may the hitherto seemingly exhaustless beds of the Chesapeake Bay be depleted if the present rate of dredging is continued. An illustration of this may be seen in the almost total exhaustion of the once famous beds of Tangier and Pocomoke Sounds. Year after year these beds were dredged by hundreds of vessels, and even the summer months afforded them but little rest. The result of this has been plainly seen during the past few years, and more especially during the season of 1S79-'SO, in the great scarcity of oysters in these sounds. Vessels having found it unprofitable to dredge in these sounds since the oysters became so scarce, have turned their atten- tion to otter parts of the bay, and will thus give the beds a year or so of comparative rest. It is doubtful if they will ever again be as well stocked as in former years, for as soon as oysters again become plentiful there will be a rush of all the dredging boats in the State. Thirty years ago the depletion of these beds seemed almost impossible, and yet at the present time it is an admitted fact that oysters have decreased at least four-fifths in Pocomoke Sound and two-thirds in Tangier. If it were possible to restrict dredging so as to give every bed an occasional year of rest, the result would prove the wisdom of such a course. Owing to the great extent of the oyster-beds in the bay and their immense annual production, it may be some years before there is an oyster famine, but sooner or later it is coming, unless there is a radical change in some of the preseut phases of the business. Properly protected and cared for, the "imbedded wealth" of the Chesapeake might be increased many fold. It is a shame that the gifts so lavishly bestowed by nature upon Maryland and Virginia should receive so little practical appreciation. Dredging in Maryland is simply a general scramble, carried on in 700 boats, manned by 5,GOO daring and unscrupulous men, who regard neither the laws of God nor man. Some of the captains and a few of the men may be honest and upright, but it is an unfortunate fact that such form a very small minority. The tenure by which the captains hold their positions is such that they arc almost forced to disregard the laws. Many of the boats are owned by unprincipled men, and I am informed that a number of them are even held by the keepers of houses of ill-repute. An honest captain who complies with the law by not working on Sunday, at night, or on forbidden ground, will take at least a week longer to catch a load of oysters than one who, disregarding the law, gets his oysters whenever or wherever he can. The first captain, upon his return, is informed in language more forcible than elegant that unless he makes as quick trips as the second captain his place will be filled by some one less scrupulous. With such a system as this carried out by a large number of the boat owners, what but evasion of the laws can be expected of captains? When a premium is MARYLAND : OYSTER INDUSTRY. 435 placed upon law-breaking, and a man is taught by bis employers that oyster laws are only made to be broken, and that the greater the skill displayed in evading them the greater will be his pay, it is scarcely to be expected that many will be able to resist the temptation. It is now rarely the case that a dredger can be found who will admit that he believes there is any wrong in disregard- ing the oyster laws, and such a thing as being disgraced among his fellow-workmen by imprison- ment for violating the laws is totally unknown. In the above facts will be found sufficient reasons why it has been impossible for the ojster police since' its first organization to enforce the laws. Seven hundred well manned fast sailing boats scattered over such a large space as the Chesapeake Bay are rather difficult to watch, and especially at night. All blame for violating laws does not, however, attach to the boat owners, as some of them are prominent gentlemen of the most upright character. It is the misfortune of such men that their captains have often been trained by less honest employers, and having once acquired a love of ill-gotten gain, it is difficult to keep them from continuing in the same course. As he usually has a share in the profits, it is of course to his interest to make his trips as quickly as possible; and while the boat owner may te opposed to breaking any laws, his captain may think and act otherwise. The nnscrupulousness of the captain is well assisted by the character of his men. These men, taken as a, class, form perhaps one of the most depraved bodies of workmen to be found in the country. They are gathered from jails, penitentiaries, workhouses, and the lowest and vilest dens of the city. They are principally whites, many of whom are foreigners (almost every European country being represented), unable to speak more tban a few words of English. When a crew, which usually consists of about eight men, is wanted, the vessel owner or captain applies to a shipping agent, who then gathers these men wherever they may be found, drunk or sober. As one large boat owner expressed it to me, "We don't care where he gets them, whether they are drunk or sober, clothed or naked, just so they can be made to work at turning a windlass." The shipping agent having placed the crew aboard, is then paid $2 for each man furnished. With such a crew as this, who neither know nor care for laws, the captain is of course able to work wherever he desires to. As may be supposed, the life led by these men on board of the vessels is of the roughest kind. When sleeping, surrounded by vermin of all kinds; when working, poorly clad and with every garment stiff with ice, while the wind dashes the fast freezing spray over them, hour after hour winding away at the windlass, pulling a heavy dredge; or else stooping with backs nearly broken culling oysters. Returning from a trip, the men take their little pay and soon spend it in debauchery amid the lowest groggeries and dens of infamy to be found in certain portions of Baltimore. It is a gratifying fact, though, that even amid such surroundings as these, there are some few respectable and honorable men. This is more especially the case on the boats owned in the lower counties of Maryland. The crews of these are often gathered from the surrounding neighborhoods, and even as a class are not as degraded as those on Baltimore vessels. There are two ways in which these men are paid ; the one most generally adopted at present being to pay them a stated amount per month, although payment is usually made at the end of each trip ; the amount, of course, being proportioned to the length of the trip. The other plan is to allow the crew a share in the profits. When this is done, the vessel at the end of each trip first pays the "grub bill," wharfage, and commission merchants' charges; then, of the balance, one- third goes to the owner of the vessel and a small bonus, usually about $20, to the captain ; after which captain and crew all share alike, except the cook, who receives something less than the others. When the first plan is adopted the men receive their board and from $10 to $12, and occasionally as high as $15 a month. Those working on shares will, during the season, average 436 GEOGRAPHICAL KEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. about the same as those who are paid a certain amount. A fair average of the amount made by each man would be $11 a month, making $77 for a season of seven months. Computing on this average, it will be seen that during an oyster season the 4,900 dredgers receive about $377,300, and the 700 captains, whose wages will average $50 a month, about $245,000 — making a total of $622,300. It would also be proper to add to this amount the cost of boarding these men, since that in fact forms a part of their wages. This costs the vessels about $7.50 a month for each man; equal to $420 a season for each boat, or $294,000 for the entire fleet. This, added to $022,300, gives a total of $916,300 paid to the dredgers of Maryland during every oyster season. The law requires all boats engaged in dredging to obtain from the State comptroller a yearly license, costing $3 for each registered ton. For reasons explained elsewhere this law has never been fully enforced, and the records of the past season are entirely without value in determining, even to an approximate degree, the number of dredging boats, since more than one-half of them worked without license. Through the kindness of Hon. Thomas J. Keating, State comptroller, I have obtained the record of the past ten years, as shown in the following table : Statement showing the number of loots licensed to dredge, their aggregate tonnage, and the amount of license money paid dur- ing the past ten years, compiled from the looks of the comptroller's office at Annapolis. Fiscal year. No. of boats. Aggregate tonnage of same. Amount of license paid by same. 1870-71 637 13 862 49 $41 587 46 1871-'72 597 13 0'3 21 39 033 62 1872-73 559 17 604 23 52 812 69 1873-74 . C"l 10 075 91 30 227 73 1874-75 583 14 118 53 42 355 58 1875-76 691 16 156 23 48 468 68 1876-77 : 677 16 612 48 49 837 46 1877-78 . . . 565 14 409 46 37 408 39 1878-'79 465 10 391 10 31 173 29 1879-'80 327 6 202. 17 18 606 50 Total 391 511 40 It will be seen by examining the above table that the highest number of licenses issued in any one year was in 1875-'77, when there were 691 boats, having an aggregate tonnage of 16,156.23, or an average tonnage of 23.38 each. Since that year there has been a steady decrease in the number of licensed dredgers, although there has been no decrease in the actual number of boats engaged in the business. Knowing this to be true, and also mindful of the fact that even in 1875-'76 there were some unlicensed dredgers, I have thought it safe to place the number of dredging boats working during the season of 1879-'80 at 700. There are some well-informed persons who would make the figure as high as 800, but I have based my statement upon information gathered from many sources. Taking the average tonnage in 1S75-'7G, and multiplying it by 700, we have 16,366 as the aggregate tonnage of the vessels now engaged in dredging. At $3 per ton for license, this should have yielded the State during the past season a revenue of $49,098, instead of $18,606.50, the amount collected. The 327 vessels which, either from honesty or policy, paid into the State treasury $18,606.50, received no privileges or advantages not taken by the 373 which dredged without license. Dredging boats range in size from 5 to 75 tons, and in value from $500 or $600 to $8,000, some few owned in the lower part of the State being valued as high as $10,000. The boats owned in Baltimore are generally in every way inferior to those hailing from the counties. The present value of these boats, basing the estimate upon information obtained from all parts of the State, MARYLAND: OYSTER INDUSTRY. 437 would be an average of not less than $1,500, and it is believed by many to be much higher. At this rate, however, the seven hundred boats in the trade would be worth to-day $1,050,000. In addition to this, the winders, dredges, rollers, and chains and dredge lines on each boat may be valued at $100, although costing considerably more. Adding this to the value of the boats, we have $1,120,000 as the amount of capital invested in the dredging boats. The total tonnage of the dredging-boats being 16,366, and the estimated value of the same being $1,050,000, the average value will be $64.15 per ton. As some tonnage has lately changed hands in Baltimore at $67, the above estimate can scarcely be too great when the high class of many of the boats is considered. The amount annually expended for repairing these vessels is about $105,000. SCRAPING AND TONGING. — Scraping, which is simply dredging on a smaller scale, both as to the size of the boat and the dredge, is conducted only in shallow water; and while dredge licenses are issued by the State, scraping licenses are obtained from the counties, and hold good only in the local waters of the county in which issued. Dorchester, Talbot, and Somerset are the only counties in which scraping licenses are issued. In the first two the charge is regulated by the tonnage of the vessel (being $2 per ton), while in the last there is a uniform charge of $10 on each boat, regardless of size. The crews of these vessels average about four men each, the majority of whom are able to return home after each day's work, as the boat does not go out of the county waters, except to make an occasional run to a neighboring market. The number of scraping boats licensed during the past seven years is as follows: Counties. 1873-1874. 1874-1875. 1875-1676. 1876-1877. 1877-1878. 1878-1879. 1879-1880. No. of men employed on sami! during 1879-'80. Dorchester Talbot* 106 149 59 180 40 142 47 142 27 157 34 134 29 536 116 224 322 209 165 59 151 57 228 Total 330 530 429 354 228 342 220 880 * No scraping law until 1874-'75. The above figures have been kindly furnished to me by the clerks of the respective counties, and, while they embrace all vessels that are licensed, they by no means include all that are scraping. From personal inspection and from reports of reliable persons I feel safe in placing the number of scraping boats at 550. carrying 2,200 men. The additional 330 boats are working without license. The pay of these men will average about $18 a month each for the seven and a half months employed, amounting to $135 for the season, and making a total of $297,000 received by the 2, 200 men, including the captains, whose pay is of course larger than that of the men. The average value of scraping boats, including their outfit, is $800, which gives a total of $440,000 invested in scraping. About $27,500 is annually expended in repairing these boats. Socially and morally the scrapers are somewhat superior to the dredgers. Tonging, although employing less capital and fewer men than dredging, is probably of greater value to the State than the latter, because the men engaged in it are of a better class, are better remunerated for their labor, and are less prone to evade the laws than the dredgers. While this much may be said in the tongmen's favor, it is yet an unpleasant truth that they, like all others engaged in the oyster trade, either as catchers or shuckers, are as a class indolent and improvident. The majority of them live near the water, often owning a small house and an acre or so of land (the value of which depends upon the proximity of good oyster and fishing grounds), and a canoe or an interest in one, used in winter for oystering and in summer for fishing. Having secured a house their ambition seems to be satisfied and but little time or money is spent in beau- 438 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. tifying or improving it. It is too often the case that tongers, especially many of the negroes, who comprise about one-third of the total number, will work only one or two days at a time and then remain idle until necessity forces them again to earn a few dollars. By others, however, tongiug is pursued as steadily and systematically as the wind and waves will allow, and when this is done I think it may safely be said that the remuneration is equally as fair as in other trades. Those who pursue tonging in this way form the most intelligent class of oystermen in the State. In some cases farmers and others holding prominent social positions may be found oystering during several of the winter months when their legitimate business does not require close attention. Tonging necessitates very great exposure to the cold, but is, however, hardly as severe in this respect as dredging, and moreover the tongers suffer less from the fact that they are generally better clad than the dredgers and seldom work either during very cold or very windy weather on account of the smallness of their boats. From this cause I find that even the industrious ones will lose on an average at least two days out of every week, and when the time wasted by the idle ones is taken into account it will be found that one hundred and twenty days out of an oyster season of eight months is about the average length of time for each tonger. In this actual loss of at least one-half of their time may be seen the cause which prevents the tongers, as a class, from making any improvement in their financial condition, upon which depends their social position. While seeking information from the county clerks as regards the number of boats licensed, I also requested answers to the following questions with a view to obtaining home opinion upon the character of the tongers: No. 1. What is the moral and social condition of your oystermeu? No. 2. What is their occupation during the summer months? In answer, I received the following from Somerset County : No. 1. The oystermen, as a class, are generally poor men residing near the water-courses, living in and mostly owning small houses, with an acre or so of land, or less, attached to their premises, and in morals are equal to any body of men similarly situated. No. 2. In the summer oystermeu work on their lots and do some job- work for their wealthier neighbors; but it is still to be feared that much of their time is unem- ployed. From Worcester County : No. 1. Of a rather low order; some of them good as to morals, but a large majority reckless and improvident. No. 2. Most as day laborers ; others cultivate small parcels of lands. From Dorchester County : No. 1. As a class, only fair. No. 2. Most of them have small truck- farms to cultivate. From Saint Mary's County : No. 1. Fair. No. 2. Fishing and agriculture principally. From Anne Arundel County : No. 1. Unable to answer the question, but believe they compare favorably with other industrial classes. No. 2. Crabbing and bedding oysters. Tonging, although generally confined to shallow water, is in some of the tributaries of the bay carried on in water varying in depth from 18 to 20 feet. Engaged in touging there are 5,148 men, using 1,825 canoes or other small boats. To obtain even an approximate average of the amount of money made by each tonger is almost impossible, but I think it will be very near correct to estimate it at $225 a season, at which rate the total amount made by the tongers would be $1,158,300. Many of the larger boats are held in joint ownership by two or three parties. MARYLAND: OYSTER INDUSTRY. 439 Statement of number of longing Ucentes issued during the past ten years, and number of men employed on boats in the season of 18?9-'80. Counties. 1870-71. $ | P $ i ui ••* 00 1875-76. 1876-77. CO 1 1878-79. 1879-'80. Number of men employed on boats 1879-'80. Figures furnished by — 307 240 300 4''! 314 396 250 348 343 301 903 145 146 324 380 237 207 186 198 243 312 624 S Sollers Charles g 12 48 *>2 50 49 98 23 30 41 593 B G Stoneetreet 331 441 575 405 472 280 212 182 142 199 597 Kent* 120 101 101 106 122 123 369 118 119 178 183 210 172 146 139 144 145 435 179 252 245 125 329 239 72 59 2 Benjamin F. Lankford 267 220 362 307 325 272 244 197 212 183 549 .T Frank Ford Talbot 199 184 274 280 294 276 254 217 258 281 843 )12 106 195 125 172 98 88 133 108 134 492 S P Toadvine. 291 241 193 170 211 106 213 I T Matthews Total 1 666 1 720 2 501 2 248 2 814 2 331 1 774 1 772 1 815 1 825 5 148 * No records farther back than 1874. t No license required until 1874-75. The information contained in the above table was kindly furnished to me by the gentlemen named, who are the clerks of the circuit courts of the respective counties, and from whom all licenses to tong must be obtained. The law in relation thereto is : "Any resident of this State desiring to use any canoe or other boat in catching or taking oysters, for sale, with rakes or tongs, in any of the waters of this State, shall first obtain, by application to the clerk of the circuit court for the county wherein he may reside, a license therefor, and such license shall have effect from the 1st day of June, in the year in which it may have been obtained, to the 1st day of June next succeeding; provided that such license shall not authorize the use of said canoe or boat in taking or catching oysters in any creek, cove, river, inlet, bay or sound within the limits of any county other than that wherein the license shall have been granted, and that the boundaries of counties bordering on navigable waters shall be strictly construed, so as not to permit the residents of either county to take or catch oysters beyond the middle of the dividing channel ; * * * and every applicant for such license shall pay to the clerk of the court where such license may be granted, and before the issuing and delivery of the same, according to the following rates, viz : For any boat measuring in length 20 feet or less, the sum of $2; measuring from 20 to 25 feet, the sum of $3; measuring from 25 to 30 feet, the sum of $4; and all over 30 feet, including sloops under custom-house tonnage, the sum of $5 each; and all oysters taken with rakes or tongs shall be culled upon the natural beds where they are taken; the amount received from tonging license to be paid by the clerk to the school commissioners for the public schools of the respective counties where such license is issued; provided, the sum received from white tongers shall go to white schools, and the sum from colored tongers to the colored schools." The money arising from licenses issued to tong and to scrape during the year 1879 amounted to 88,959.89, which was turned over to the boards of school commissioners of the various counties, with the exception of $210 received by Worcester County for licenses, and which was used by the county commissioners in purchasing "plants" to be bedded in the county waters. It may be well to explain that the laws in Worcester County are different from those in the other counties in respect to the disposal of license money and also as regards the issuing of license. In this county the license is $1 on each man in the trade, and no account is taken of the boat. 440 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. Since 1874-'75 the number of licenses granted Las decreased from 2,814 to 1,825 in 1879-'80. There are several causes for this, the principal one probably being the unprofitableness of tonging for several seasons past as compared with former years. From 1865 or 1806 to 1874 or 1875 touging was quite profitable, as oysters commanded a good price, but since the latter year prices have ruled very low and many have turned their attention to other occupations. It may be that some few tongers are working without license, but from the testimony of those well posted in the business I am led to believe that 1he number is comparatively small. Mr. Benjamin F. Lankford, clerk of the circuit court of Somerset County, makes the following statement in regard to scraping- boats, which is equally applicable to tongers : " The oyster business has been gradually declining in this county since 1873; during that year the number of dredge [scraping] licenses issued was 327, and the money received therefor was $3,270, which sum was paid into the public-school treasury. I do not think, however, that the great difference exhibited between the years 1874 and 1879 shows the actual amount of the decline in the business. The present oyster law is inefficient or is inefficiently executed." By referring to the table showing the number of tonging licenses issued during the past ten years it will be seen that in Mr. Lankford's county (Somerset) there were 329 in 1874-'75, while in 1879-'£0 there was not a single license issued to tong. The size of the tonging canoe ranges from 15 or 16 feet to 30 feet or more, the larger ones being called " bugeyes." Owing to this diversity in size it is very difficult to estimate the value of these boats, but a fair average is about $100, which would cover the entire outfit, making $182,500 the amount invested in tonging-boats. OYSTER RUNNERS. — Connected with the tongers, and each dependent upon the other, is a branch of the trade conducted by vessels generally known as runners, of which there are owned in this State about two hundred, carrying about eight hundred men. The oysters caught by tongers are either sold to these vessels, and by them carried to some market in the State, or they are bought by boats owned in other States and carried to northern cities. The runner wiJl anchor near some tonging ground, and an empty basket or a small flag will be hoisted to the masthead as a signal that she is ready to receive oysters. In one or two days she will be loaded and is at once off for a market. On some occasions half a dozen or more runners may be seen in the same locality surrounded by forty or fifty canoes. As soon as a tonger has caught as many as his small boat will carry he sells out to the runner and returns to work. The men employed on runners will average about $18 a month, including their board, which, with the pay of the captains (about $50 a mouth), will amount to $166,400 for a season of eight months, that being the length of time that these vessels are engaged in carrying oysters. Reckoning the average value of the runners at $1,500, will give a total of $300,000 in this branch of the trade. About $30,000 is annually spent in repairing this fleet. STATISTICAL SUMMARY. — Summarizing the statistics of vessels, their value, &c., it is seen that there are 700 dredging boats, paying $916,300 to 5,600 men; 550 scraping boats, paying $297,000 to 2,200 men; 1,825 canoes, with 5,148 men, earning $1,158,300; and 200 runners, with 800 men, at $166,400 for the season, making a total of 13,748 men engaged in catching oysters in Maryland, with wages and earnings amounting to $2,538,000 during every oyster season, or an average of $184.60 for each man. It is utterly impossible to obtain the number of people supported by this $2,538,000. Perhaps not one-half of the dredgers support any family, but with tongers and scrapers it is different. Five is usually reckoned as the average number of a family, but as very many of these men are single, it would be too high in the present case. It can scarcely, however, be too much to reckon that for every oysterman there is an average of four individuals dependent upon him. This would give 54,992 as the number of people supported by the catching of oysters in this State. In addition to this, there are hundreds dependent indirectly, as shop- keepers and in other ways, upon the oystermen. MARYLAND: OYSTER INDUSTRY. 441 The capital iiivested in oyster-boats is as follows : 700 dredgers, at $1,500 $1,050,000 Outfit of same 70,000 f>uO scrapers, at $800 440,000 200 runners, at $1,500 300,000 1,825 canoes, at $100. 182,500 3,275 Total 2,042,500 The amount annually expended for repairs to these vessels, as near as I can calculate from reports received from ship-builders, is $102,500, of which probably $75,000 is received by carpenters, sailmakers, and other workmen. SHIPMENTS OF OYSTEKS IN SHELL.— From the prolific beds of the Chesapeake Bay immense quantities of oysters are yearly taken for bedding in Northern waters, and also for immediate con- sumption in the principal cities along the coast from the bay to Portland, Me. It is not the West alone which is dependent upon the Chesapeake for oysters, for without the supplies annually drawn from this bay the Atlantic coast from Delaware to Maine would be but poorly supplied. The Chesapeake is the great storehouse from which several millions of bushels of oysters are annu- ally carried to restock the exhausted beds of other localities. More than two hundred vessels, averaging in value about $3,000 each, are for eight months of the year engaged in the trade between the bay and Northern markets. During the winter the oysters which are taken North are used for immediate local consumption, with the exception of those carried to Fair Haven, Conn., which are packed and shipped elsewhere; those taken in the spring are used almost exclusively for bedding purposes. At Seaford, Del., there is quite an extensive packing trade — Maryland oysters being used. It is well known that oysters are eaten during the summer at the North much more exten- sively than in Maryland and Virginia. I have been told by Capt. J. T. Bolton, of Norfolk, who was for a long time in the trade, that all oysters eaten in Northern cities in summer are of those which were taken in the previous spring from the Chesapeake and bedded in Northern waters; that the change of water prevents the oysters from spawning until late in the fall, and for this reason they are considered suitable for eating. This statement may be correct so far as concerns the effect upon the oysters of change of water, but I scarcely think that has much to do with the consumption of them, for it is now believed by many that oysters are equally as good during the spawning season as at any other time. Evidence of this may be seen in the growing custom in Maryland and Virginia of using oysters very freely during the summer, and those who eat them maintain that they are in no way inferior to oysters caught in winter. While visiting Chincoteague Island, Virginia, in May, I ate very heartily of oysters, and found them as finely flavored as any I had ever eaten ; the thermometer was then about 80° in the shade. During the early part of July I was on board a bay steamer where it became necessary to eat oysters or go without supper, and preferring the former course, I found the oysters remarkably good. Among many intelligent men, both in Maryland and Virginia, there is great opposition to the shipment of oysters in shell to Northern markets. They claim, and justly, too, that the packing trade of the two States would be much more largely developed if Northern cities were unable to buy oysters in the shell, and as the shucking of oysters gives employment to such a number of people, they hold that it would be a wise policy to heavily tax all oysters shipped in the shell. It is very questionable, however, whether such a measure would be constitutional. Two great objec- tions which might also be urged against the system arc that the majority of oysters shipped North are purchased late in the spring, when the packing trade is about over, at prices necessarily low, 442 GEOGRAPHICAL ItEVlEW OF THE FISHEEIES. and that the beds are seriously injured by being disturbed after the commencement of the spawning season. The oysters purchased and taken North in the spring for bedding would, if allowed to remain until the fall and then sold for immediate use, bring nearly $500,000 more than they now sell for ; that is, there would be a yearly gain to the oystermen of Maryland and Virginia of nearly $500,000. There being in the spring no home demand for them, they sell sometimes as low as 4 cents a bushel, and from that up to 12 and 15. In the spring of 1879 a vessel loaded in the Great Choptank Eiver with 16,000 bushels, costing $640, or just 4 cents a bushel. These oysters are taken North and planted, where they grow very rapidly, and during the following fall and winter they come in competition with oysters from Maryland and Virginia packers. During the spring of 1879 Capt. Samuel M. Travers, of the oyster-police force, directed his deputy commanders to board all vessels loading with plants for Northern waters and obtain the number of bushels taken. He has favored me with the result, which is as follows: Bushels. Tangier Sound and tributaries 353,750 Nanticoke River and Fishing Bay .-. 125, 000 Little Choptank River 125,000 Greak Choptank River 375,000 Eastern Bay 62,500 Chester River 250,000 Anne Arundel County waters 112, r>00 Patuxent River and tributaries 150,000 Potomac River and tributaries 625,000 Total 2,178,750 The average price paid was 7 cents a bushel. Owing to the action of the State legislature at its last session, in forbidding the catching of oysters after April 15, the shipments from Mary- land waters in the spring of 1880 were much smaller than for the previous year. I endeavored to ascertain the shipments for immediate consumption as well as for planting during the season of 1879-'80, and through the generous assistance of many correspondents in Northern cities, and of Mr. Ernest Ingersoll, who had general charge of the oyster investigation north of the Chesapeake, I was enabled to compile the following : Shipments of oysters in sliell from Maryland waters from May 31, 1879, to May 31, 1880. To— For planting. For Immediate consumption. Total. Portland Mo Bushels. 9 000 Hiidu'ls. 75 000 Bushels. 84 000 66 000 50 000 116 000 no ooo 30 000 140 000 80 000 80 000 488 880 488 880 Philadelphia 162, 960 162 960 200 000 200 000 New York 650 000 1, 921, 840 100 000 Total 2, 021, 840 The vessels engaged in carrying oysters from the Chesapeake to the North are generally owned in the cities to which they run, and statistics concerning them are included in reports on those cities. The total number of carriers employed is about two hundred, with a present aggre- MARYLAND: OYSTER INDUSTRY. 443 gate value of $000,000. About one thousand men compose their crews, and the wages of these will amount to about $140,000 a season. The oysters taken north for immediate use cost on an average about 25 cents a bushel, while plants during the past season probably averaged 10 cents a bushel — about 3 cents more than the price during the previous season/ PACKING. — Having given an account of the oystermeu, their boats, &c., it is now appropriate to present some statistics of the number of bushels of oysters caught and the disposition made of them. The most important factor in this connection being the packing trade, I will endeavor to show the extent of this business as compiled from the books of the different firms engaged in it. About 1834 or 1835 a small packing-house was opened in Baltimore, but it foon passed out of existence, and no record of it can now be obtained. The first important enterprise in this line was the establishment of a packing-house in 1836 by Mr. C. S. Maltby, a native of Connecticut. Mr. Maltby, who, by the way, is still in the business, confined his operatious exclusively to the raw trade for a number of years. As his business increased he established a line of wagons from Baltimore to Pittsburgh, and was thus enabled to supply the West with fresh oysters long before the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad had stretched out its track to that then distant region. Mr. A. Field was the first to develop in Baltimore the steam trade. He began a few years after Mr. Maltby. His oysters were steamed and then hermetically sealed in small tin cans. Having been once established, the trade increased quite rapidly, and for some years oyster- packing, both raw and steamed, was very profitable; but as there is an abundant chance of financial success through dishonest means, with but little danger of detection, many unscrupulous firms engaged in the steamed oyster business, and by packing "light weight", i. e., putting in a 1-pound can about 6 or 7 ounces of oysters and filling the remaining space with water, and about the same proportion of oysters and water in larger cans, and either selling them under some fictitious brand, or else entirely omitting any name, they succeeded in gaining for the packing trade of Baltimore a by no means enviable reputation. To enable them to compete with these "tricks in trade," reliable houses were in some cases forced to follow their example, as in many places it was found impossible to sell standard goods at fair prices, while light weights could of course be sold at much lower figures. In answer to the question as to whether light weights were sold extensively in the West, I was lately informed by a gentleman from that section that up to within a year or so it had been almost impossible to obtain full weights, but that some improve- ment had lately taken place in this respect. The same gentleman, on returning to the West, sent me the names of three packing-houses whose names appeared on the cans and whose oysters were light weights. An examination proved the names to be fictitious, there being no such firms in Baltimore. Close competition, by causing a cutting in prices, helped on the trouble, and for several years previous to 1878 the business was very unprofitable. In 1878, to save themselves, the packers formed a combination known as the "Union Oyster Company," embracing all the leading firms engaged in the steaming business, with the exception of three or four, who, having well-known standard brands, preferred to fight it out alone. The formation of the Union Company was, in itself, an evidence that the trade was in a deplorable condition. The company was established with a capital of $300,000, the stock being divided among the twenty-three firms who entered it, in proportion to the amount of business previously done by them. The affairs of the company are inanaged by a president, a vice president, a secretary, and the twenty-three firms who constitute the board of directors. In joining the company each firm entirely relinquishes their own steaming business (although they may still conduct the raw trade) and act merely as agents for the union. All oysters are bought and packed by the union and then sold to the packers at 444 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OP THE FISHERIES. a uniform price, thus placing every firm on exactly the same level. At the same time the union may sell directly to the trade. The result of this combination has been to partially break up fraudulent packing, although it is still carried on to some extent. Outside of the union there are three or four influential firms whose oysters sell on the reputation of their brands, and it would obviously be impolitic for them to engage in packing light weights. The raw-oyster business has always been more profitable and less subject to the vicissitudes of trade, although there are many losses from spoilt oysters when the weather happens to turn suddenly warm. Saw oysters after being opened are packed in small air-tight cans holding about a quart, and these are arranged in rows in a long wooden box with a block of ice between each row, or they are emptied into a keg, half-barrel, or barrel made for this purpose. When the latter plan is pursued, the keg or barrel is filled to about five-sixths of its capacity, and then a big piece of ice is thrown in, after which the top is fastened on as closely as possible and it is at once shipped to the West, usually by special oyster trains or by express. Packed in this way, with moderately cold weather, the oysters will keep very well for a week or ten days. During the most active part of the raw season there are daily oyster trains of from thirty to forty cars from Baltimore to the West, where nearly all the Baltimore oysters are con- sumed. From the shores of the Chesapeake Bay as far as Detroit there is scarcely a city or town, connected with any of the great trunk lines, which is not supplied with Maryland raw oysters. Farther west, and to a considerable extent in European countries, the demand is supplied by steamed oysters. The oysters used in the raw trade are of a finer quality, and consequently com- mand better prices than steamed. In fact, nothing in the shape of an oyster is too small to be available for the steamed trade. And from this arises one of the great sources of injury to the oyster beds. So long as dredgers are able to sell their entire catch, regardless of the size of the oysters, it will be useless to expect any improvement in the beds. Young oysters of a very small growth can be disposed of almost as promptly as larger ones, and while this is the case it need not be expected that dredgers are going to have foresight enough to see the wisdom of throwing all small oysters back on the bars. During the past season the supply of oysters was often insuffi- cient to meet the demand, and the steamed trade was compelled to suspend work for a considerable length of time on account of a scarcity of oysters, all that were received being quickly taken by the raw men at prices which would be unprofitable for steaming. Baltimore, the great oyster market of the United States, annually packs more oysters than any other city in the world. It is the great center of the packing trade, surpassing in that par- ticular all other cities, and yearly handling more oysters than all the other packing points of Maryland and Virginia combined. During the season extending from September 1, 1879, to May 15, 1880, the number of vessels loaded with oysters arriving at Baltimore was 9,543 (or a daily average of 37 for the 257 days), bringing 7,252,972 bushels, which would make the average cargo 7GO bushels. In addition to the amount brought by sail vessels, there were 25,000 bushels received by steamers and consigned directly to hotels and restaurants, making a total of 7,277,972 bushels, of which there were packed raw, 3,769,353 bushels ; hermetically sealed, 2,689,939 bushels ; and used for city consumption, 818,680 bushels. Engaged in oyster-packing in Baltimore there are forty-five firms, with a capital of $2,338,300; their business houses and grounds having an estimated value of $1,360,966. During the summer these firms are generally engaged in fruit packing, and their capital and buildings are thus in active use during the entire year. These firms employ 4,167 males and 2,460 females — total, 6,627; and during the season of 1879-'80 paid to them in wages $602,427. The total number of bushels of oysters packed was MARYLAND: OYSTER INDUSTRY. 445 6,459,292, which required 25,546,780 tin cans and 929,614 wooden cases. The value of the oysters packed, including shucking, cans, &c., was $3,517,349. For the tin cans $794,919 was paid, and for the wooden cases $102,622. Next to Baltimore, Crisfleld is the most important packing point in the State. Had the oyster- beds in the vicinity of Crisfleld not been so greatly depleted, I think the trade at that city would have increased much more rapidly than it has. Crisfleld is literally built upon oysters, or rather oyster shells, almost the entire space now occupied by the business part of the city having been under water. The shells from the packing-houses have been utilized to make new ground, and gradually the city has pushed out nearly half a mile into the bay. At the present time some of the houses are built on piles, and are entirely surrounded by water, having no means of communi- cation with the land except by boats. From the books of the ninety-eight oyster-packing firms of Maryland, the following table has been compiled, showing the amount of business done at each city from September 1, 1879, to May 1, 1880: Statistics of oyster-packing in Maryland for the season of 1879-'80. Firms engaged in packing. Capital employed. Estimated value of buildings oc- cupied. Males employed. Females employed. Wages paid. Bushels packed, raw. Value of oysters packed, raw. 45 16 8 8 7 4 10 $2, 338, 300 39, 650 20, 300 59, 600 7,000 1,500 23, 000 $1, 360, 966 23, 800 10, 000 17, 500 5,760 3,000 15, 000 4,167 678 385 315 156 91 387 2,460 $602, 427 65, 481 28, 757 26, 482 23, 258 4,987 26, 387 3, 769, 353 427, 270 205,410 156, 703 108, 960 37, 788 224, 817 $2, 272, 740 165, 800 76,658 69,555 39, 986 14,053 86,945 Crisfield Anna olis Sundry small places iii Somerset Co . . . Total 98 2, 492, 356 1, 436, 026 6,179 2,460 777, 779 4, 930, 301 2, 725, 737 Bushels steamed and hermetically sealed. Value of oysters steamed and sealed. Total bushels of oysters. Total value of oysters packed. Tin cans required. Cost price of tin cans. Wooden cases re- quired. Cost price . of cases. 2, 689, 939 $1, 244, 609 6, 459, 292 427, 270 218, 510 176, 855 108, 960 37, 788 224, 817 $3, 517, 349 165, 800 87,978 81, 738 39, 986 14, 053 86, 944 25, 546, 780 $794, 919 929, 614 $102, 622 3,576 5,840 11,097 1,257 2,530 1,890 Crisfield 13, 100 20, 152 11, 320 12,183 f f Total 2, 723, 191 1, 268, 112 7, 653, 492 3, 993, 848 25, 546, 780 794, 919 929, 614 128, 812 Baltimore is the only place where tin cans and wooden cases are used to any extent, shipments from other cities being made almost exclusively in bulk — in barrels, half-barrels, and kegs. As shown by the table, there are 6,179 males and 2,460 females employed in oyster-shucking in Maryland. During the season they received as wages $777,779, this being an average of only $90.06. Very few of the shuckers are regularly at work, and while in one week an expert hand may make from $8 to $15, during the next week he may be idle. Of the 6,179 males, nearly all of whom are employed in the raw trade, about three-fourths are negroes, the majority of them being comparatively steady workmen, while the whites are more generally disposed to be idle and intem- perate. The few whites in the business are generally of a very low class of society. Within the past year a few females have essayed to shuck raw oysters, but their number is still very small, 446 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. and will probably so continue, owing to the nature of the work. The 2,460 females are all employed in tbe steam oyster bouses of Baltimore. Tbey are mostly white girls, of from sixteen to twenty- five years of age, the proportion of older ones, as well as of colored, being small. These girls are almost without exception of foreign birth or parentage, the largest proportion being of Bohemian origin, with Irish probably coming next. Few American girls, however poor, will consent to engage in this occupation, as in it both sexes must mingle indiscriminately, without regard to color, class, or condition. Owing to the thorough steaming, the oysters are very easily opened and the amount of physical labor required is comparatively light; but during busy seasons the work begins about daybreak and lasts until dark, and is of course exceedingly fatiguing. An industrious hand can make from 75 cents to $1 a day, but from the great irregularity in their work they are probably not engaged over one-half of the time. Considering the class of people employed in the packing-houses, I do not think it safe to estimate more than an average of two individuals dependent upon the wages of each shucker, at which rate there are in Maryland 17,278 people dependent upon oyster shucking. There are about two hundred and twenty-five men composing the ninety-five oyster-packing firms of the State. The large majority of them are of Northern birth, and many of them, espe- cially those in Crisfield and the smaller packing towns, reside in Maryland only during the oyster season, returning every spring to their Northern homes. More oyster packers have come from Connecticut than from all other States combined. Mr. C. S. Maltby acd Mr. A. Field, who respect- ively established the raw and the steam trade, were both originally from Connecticut, and both are still living, the former in active business. There are about 1,125 individuals forming the families of the oyster packers. During May, June, July, and August the packers of Baltimore are engaged in canning fruits and vegetables, and the same girls who in winter shuck oysters, in summer pare peaches and other fruits. The male shuckers of Baltimore, as well as those of the cities in lower Maryland, having no regular employment in summer, work at whatever odd jobs may be found. The manufacture of cans and cases, quite an important industry in Baltimore, is so largely dependent upon oyster packing, that an eifort has been made to obtain some statistics pertaining to it, although the exact figures will appear in the census of mcinufacturing industries. About $250,000 is invested in the business, which gives employment to four hundred men (on oyster cans), whose wages for eight months amount to about $100,000. This estimate is based on the number of cans used, as shown by the returns from the packing-houses, the workmen being paid so much per 100 cans. It was very difficult to obtain any satisfactory sta-tistics regarding the number of ship- carpenters occupied in building and repairing oyster vessels, but from an extensive correspondence with ship-builders in various parts of the State, I think it will be placing the estimate too low rather than too high to say that there are three hundred workmen, including carpenters and sail- makers, with yearly wages amounting to $156,000. As can-makers, ship-yard workmen, &c., we then have 700 men, with about 3,500 people depend- ent upon them, receiving $256,000 in wages. It was found impossible to obtain the number of people engaged in the retail trade of Baltimore and other cities, as any statistics gathered from restaurants and hotels would be delusive, since they are not engaged exclusively in handling oysters. Under the circumstances, the best estimates that can be made may be deduced from cal- culations based upon the local consumption in the cities. In Baltimore the city trade is monopo- lized by a number of commission houses, which handle all the oysters taken for local use, with the exception of the receipts by steamers. From the books of these firms it was ascertained that the sales of oysters from September 1, 1879, to May 1, 1880, for consumption in the city and suburbs, MARYLAND: OYSTEE INDUSTEEY. 447 amounted to 793,680 bushels. Add to this 25,000 bushels received by steamers, and the total retail trade is found to be 818,680 bushels. The average price paid for shucking raw oysters is 15 cents a gallon ; these being all of flue quality will open a gallon to a bushel, and hence the amount paid for opening 818,680 bushels would be $122,802. Estimating the average amount made by the shuckers at $6 a week, or $192 for the season, it is seen that there are 640 men steadily employed for nearly eight months of the year in opening oysters for local consumption in Baltimore. There is, in addition to these, a large number of men who sell oysters around the streets; others who rent a cellar room and sell from there; some engaged in driving oyster carts, and a few employed only during the oyster season in restaurants as extra help. As near as can be discovered, the number of these may be placed at 500, with wages and earnings amounting to $96,000. Of these 1,140 men about 800 are negroes. The local consumption of towns on the bay is about 200,000 bushels a season, the shucking of which pays $30,000 to 150 men. Estimating an average of five to a family, these 1,290 men who are engaged in shucking and selling oysters for local consumption throughout the State represent an aggregate of 6,450 individuals. Knowing the consumption per capita of Baltimore and suburbs, and calculating tbat the inhabitants of the tide-water counties consume proportionately at least twice as many, it is easy to obtain an approximate idea of the total number of oysters annually consumed in the State, and not found in the returns from the packers. Of course the interior coun- ties are not considered here, as they receive oysters from the packers which have already been noted. The estimate that the tide-water counties consume locally twice as many as Baltimore iu proportion to the number of inhabitants, is based upon careful inquiry among well-informed persons. On this estimate, taking the population as returned by the present census, there are about 875,000 bushels annually consumed in the counties bordering on the bay, in addition to the 200,000 bushels consumed in the towns on the bay. These oysters are generally opened by the families who eat them, and hence there is no expense for shucking. In some of the lower counties of the State oysters often pass current as money, and in one town there is a weekly paper (subscription price $1), about fifty of the subscribers to which annu- ally pay in oysters. As the editor thus receives from 100 to 125 bushels of oysters a season, all of which are used in his own family, I readily believe his assertion that he "was very fond of oysters." Summing up the total of all engaged in the oyster trade we have: Occupation. Number engaged. Wages and earnings of same. Estimated number of persons supported. 5 600 $916 300 5 148 1 158 240 2 200 297 000 54,992 800 166 400 8 639 777, 779 17,278 Can-makers and ship-yard workmen 700 1 290 256, 000 248 802 3,500 6,450 24, 377 225 8, 820, 521 82, 220 1 125 Total 24 602 83 345 In the above enumeration no account has been taken of the number of owners of the dredge, the scrape, and the running boats, as any attempt to obtain such would be futile, since not even the names of the boats can be ascertained. If it were possible to gather this information it would swell the above figures to much larger proportions. From the $1,860,000, the present estimated 448 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. value of these 1,450 boats (excluding canoes), there must be a yearly profit of at least several hundred thousand dollars. Some of the boats are owned by packers, others by the captains, and the rest are distributed among all classes of society and almost all professions and occupations. When the number of these is taken into account, it will more than counterbalance any overesti- mates, if such there be, in regard to the number of persons dependent upon the oyster trade of the State. Seaford, Del., situated on the Nanticoke .River, a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, has quite an extensive packing trade, and, as all the oysters are carried from Maryland waters, it was considered advisable to include in this report the statistics of the trade at that city. Mr. D. L. Eawlins, of Seaford, informs me that the oyster-packing business at Seaford was started by Platt & Mallory (of Fair Haven) in the fall of 1859. Hemingways, Eowe, and other eastern packers, came in 1863 and 18C4. They put nearly all their oysters in small tin cans, which they shipped in cases holding about 52 cans each, a good proportion being sent to Fair Haven, Conn., to be reshipped from there. The business not proving as profitable as was expected, by 18G7 nearly all the original packers had sold out and left, since which time a fluctuating amount of business has been kept up by various successive parties with alternating failure and success. No cans are used now, nearly all shipments being made in bulk. There are at Seaford seven oyster-packing firms, having an aggregate capital of $14,600 and occupying buildings estimated to be worth $28,500. From September 1, 1879, to May 1, 1880, 184,500 bushels of oysters were packed raw, giving employment to 170 males and 45 females, the wages of both for the season amounting to $14,230. The estimated value of the oysters, after being shucked and packed, was $71,350. "When shucked oysters are shipped in bulk, the package (barrel or half-barrel) is returned after being emptied, and then refilled. On this account only 1,400 packages, costing $1,000, were bought by Seaford packers during the season of 1879-'80. About 400 persons are dependent upon the oyster trade of Seaford. The local consumption added to the packing gives a total of 200,000 bushels handled at Seaford. General summary of the whole trade in Maryland. Capital invested, real and personal. Number of persons employed. $3 928 376 8,639 2 042 500 13 748 250, 000 700 •25 000 1,290 Total 6, 245, 876 24,377 * Estimated. Quantity of oysters caught in Maryland during 1879-'80, and the disposition made. Disposition made. Bushels. *C 653,492 2 021 840 818, 680 Local consumption in other cities of the State 200, 000 875, 000 Total . 10, 569, 012 * The total number of bushels packed iu the State was 7,053,492, but 1,000,000 bushels came from Virginia. XI. VIRGINIA AND ITS FISHERIES. By MARSHALL McDONALD. ANALYSIS. A.— GENERAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES OF THE STATE: 160. Statistics of the commercial fisheries. 101. Statistics of the sea fisheries, exclusive of the menhaden and oyster interests. B.— DESCRIPTION OF THE FISHERIES BY COUNTIES: 162. Princess Anno, Norfolk, and Elizabeth City Counties. 163. York, Gloucester, and Mathews Counties. 164. Middlesex, Lancaster, and Northumber- land Counties. 165. Northampton and Accomac Counties. C.— REVIEW OF THE OYSTER INDUSTRY: 166. The oyster industry of Virginia. 29 G E F 449 P.ART XI. VIRGINIA AND ITS FISHERIES. A.— GENERAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES OF THE STATE. 160. STATISTICS OF THE COMMEKCIAL FISHERIES. THE VARIOUS FISHERY INTERESTS. — Virginia comes seventh in the list of fish-producing States. The oyster, menhaden, and shad fisheries are the three branches in which the citizens are most extensively interested. In the first-named fishery this State ranks second only to Maryland, having 16,315 persons employed, with products valued at $2,218,376. The menhaden fisheries are of recent origin, but they have developed with remarkable rapidity. In 1880 the fleet numbered one hundred and two sail, and the oil, scrap, and compost produced sold for $303,829; 88,213,800 pounds of menhaden were utilized in this way. The river fisheries are also important, furnishing employment to 2,641 persons. Over 3,000,000 pounds of shad and nearly 7,000,000 pounds of alewives, with many other river species, were taken, the whole having a value of $272,828. STATISTICAL RECAPITULATION FOR 1S80. — In the accompanying statements will be found a statistical recapitulation of the fisheries of the State : Summary statement of persons employed. Persons employed. Number. 10, 051 828 2,185 Total ' -• 18, 864 Detailed statement of capital invested and apparatus employed. Apparatus specified. Number. Value. Vessels (15 578 93 tons) 1 446 $571 000 6,618 292 720 185 08,390 100 900 Gill-nets 3,532 35, 220 80 24, 000 73 46, 970 355 283 489 636 1 914 119 Total capital 3, 828 238 451 452 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. Detailed statement of the quantities and values of the products. Products specified. Pounds. Value. 158 874 G09 $3 124 444 Sea fisheries. Bluefish 1, 546, 417 36, 023 3G3 8°0 18 555 Crabs 2 139 200 3° 088 88 213 800 303 899 Mullet 20 000 800 47 861 240 2 218 376 3G9 000 0 930 1 107 000 19 860 105 600 18 550 4 336 468 193 605 146 122 545 2 851 616 Kii'fr ftshei'itx. 6 925 413 76 300 Shod 3 171 953 134 496 411 558 6 973 2 243 140 55 059 12 7V U>4 272 828 101. STATISTICS OF THE SEA FISHERIES, EXCLUSIVE OF THE MENHADEN AND OYSTER INTERESTS. STATISTICAL RECAPITULATION POK 1880. — The salt- water fisheries of the State, if we exclude the menhaden and oyster interests, •which are very important, are confined chiefly to the capture of fish ill nets, seines, and pounds along the bay shores and in the estuaries along the ocean shore. Clams, terrapin, and other species are taken iu considerable numbers in many localities. The following statements show the extent of the salt-water fisheries of the State for 1880: Summary statement of persons employed. Persona cinplmrd. Xumbca-. 1 411 20 318 Total 1 749 Detailed statement of capital wrested and apparatus employed. Apparatus specified. X umber. Value. Vessels (172 90 tons) 17 $13 750 Boats 1 °79 41 75° 152 89 240 100 900 Gill-nets 2 345 8 640 44 16 598 15 066 12 150 45 000 Total capital 243 09C VIRGINIA: GENERAL REVIEW OF ITS FISHERIES. Detailed statement of the quantities and values of the products. 453 Products spfciik'd. Pounds. Value. Bluefish 1, 546, 417 $36, 023 363, 820 18, 555 2, 130, 200 32,088 Mullet 20, 000 800 369, 000 9,930 1 107,000 19,860 165, 600 18, 550 4 336, 408 193, 605 Total 10,147,505 329,411 fe B.— DESCRIPTION OF THE FISHERIES BY COUNTIES. 102. PRINCESS ANNE, NORFOLK, AND ELIZABETH CITY COUNTIES. Princess Anne County was formed in 1GG9 from Norfolk. It is 30 miles long, with a mean breadth of 20 miles. It lies on the Atlantic Ocean, with Chesapeake Bay on the north, Norfolk Couuty on the west, and North Carolina on the south. The surface is level, and the land generally good. On account of the mildness of the climate and the fertility of the soil, the people devote themselves principally to truck-farming, obtaining a ready market for their products in Baltimore and Norfolk. The watershed of the county drains to the south into Currituck Sound, on the west into Elizabeth River, and on the east into Lynn Haven Bay. The extensive coast-line of the county and the fresh- water swamps of the interior furnish abundant facilities for the development of important fishing industries. The greater profit to be derived from the cultivation of the soil, however, attracts to it all but a very small part of the population. On Straight Beach, which extends from Cape Henry to the North Carolina line, several seines are regularly fished by gangs of men from Norfolk. The product of these fisheries is carried iu carts overland to Norfolk, and either sold to hucksters or hawked about the streets. FISHERIES OF BAY SHOEE AND SEASIDE IN PEINCESS ANNE AND NOKFOLK COUNTIES. — From Sewell's Point, around Willoughby Point, to Cape Henry south, are two pounds and a num- ber of haul-seines engaged in the spot fishing. Gray trout, salmon trout and tailors are also taken in considerable numbers, but spot constitute four-fifths of the catch and the motive of the fishing. The construction of the pounds presents nothing peculiar, but the mode of fishing the haul-seines is unique, so far as my observation has extended. The movement of the fish is up the beach in the spring of the year and down in the fall, without reference to the set of the currents. Again, the seine can only be hauled on the slack of the tide. It is put out on one slack and hauled on the next, and it is consequently anchored out during one tide. A single anchor at the end is all that is necessary when the tide bellies the seine. When the tide is against the back of the seine intermediate anchors are placed to keep the seine in position. The anchors are attached to the cork line and the bottom-line is very heavily leaded to prevent shifting. In fishing the seine, the sea end is first lauded so as to inclose the fish, and is then beached as in the ordinary haul-seines. These seines are fished .spring and fall; the fall fishing ending after the first big storm in October. These seines and outfits cost from $500 to $700, and average a crew often men and a captain. 454 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OP THE FISHERIES. Below is a statistical summary of these fisheries in part based upon estimates, but the- exact data are given wherever they were accessible: Catch. Value of Names of parties fishing in li>7!>. fishing apparatus. Spot. Trout, tail- ors. Mixed fish. taken. fishing equipments. 1 1 Miles Taylor (Bushels Bluff) Scino.. Buxhels. 150 Bushels. 250 Bushels. $675 $500 9 McWhorter 150 150 375 700 Griffith (Willoughbv Spit) .. ,!„ 300 300 800 4 Taylor, W. E. (Signal St. Haul) Seine do 2(0 250 100 50 675 600 a Fisher &. Williams do 1 OCO 300 200 3 000 700 7 Major Bradford (Sand Hil s) do 900 400 9 400 800 8 George Smith (Pleasure Houso) do 1 100 400 ICO 2 900 800 fSprin" Haul ] ,, < Stump Haul I 2 000 1 200 6 000 SCO f Inlet Haul 1 ' in 1 067 300 2 584 800 11 600 132 1 127 600 Tho Herbert Hauls do 600 200 1 500 500 i? Whitehurst & Godfrey (Cape Point) ... do 500 300 1 450 000 13 Straight Beacb 900 500 2 509 1 500 9,417 4, 482 800 20, CM 10, 400 The seines average a crew of ten men, and one captain or foreman. The pounds are fished by one man and a boy. The menhaden and other offal fish, which are taken in large quantities both by seines and pounds, are not included in the above estimates. They are either sold on the beach for 15 cents a bushel or carted to the compost heap. The quantity of these may be safely estimated at 600 bushels for each seine and pound, or 7,800 bushels for the whole; and at 15 cents per bushel, $1,170, which is to be added to the above total. The principal fish caught are the spot (Liostomus xantkurus) and the gray and salmon trout, all of which find a market in Norfolk. Menhaden, which are caught in considerable quantities in both seines and pounds, are carried out on the land and composted for fertilizers. The number of men employed in the fisheries is one hundred and thirty-two; total capital invested, $13,198. The product of the fisheries is 644,340 pounds of fish, having a value of $17,735. The waters of Lynn Haven Bay abound in hogfish, croakers, trout, and sheepshead, the pur- suit of which gives occupation to a number of hook-and line fishermen from Norfolk and Elizabeth City Counties. The bay is also a favorite resort for pleasure seekers passing the summer in the vicinity of Hampton Roads. Oyster planting is the most important fishing interest of the county. It is pursued in' Lynn Haven River and its coves to the fullest extent possible. NORFOLK COUNTY. — Norfolk County was formed in 1691 from Lower Norfolk. It lies on Hamp- ton Roads between Nansemond and Princess Anne Counties and extends to the north line. It is 24 miles long, with a mean width of 19 miles. The surface is nearly level; soil sandy, with clay sub- soil. Early vegetables for the Northern markets are raised in enormous quantities and bring a large amount of money into the county. In the southwestern part lies the Dismal Swamp, which, with Elizabeth River and its branches, furnishes ample drainage. On the bay shore, from Willoughby Point to Norfolk, a number of pounds and haul-seines are fished. The oysters of Elizabeth River and its branches, and those of Craney Island Flats, furnish occupation to a considerable number of VIRGINIA: FISHERIES BY COUNTIES. 455 tongers. From the Elizabeth Kiver and its branches, as well as from Nansemond, are taken during the fall and winter season very considerable quantities of rock and perch, which go to supply the local demand in Norfolk. To a much greater extent than in Princess Anne County the male population of Norfolk County (including the city of Norfolk) are engaged in fishing. Three thou- sand two hundred and seventy persons are engaged either in the hook-and-line fisheries, the seine fisheries, or the oyster fisheries, including those who find occupation in the carrying trade incident to the fish and trucking industries. The capital invested in boats, vessels, apparatus, &c., is §270,000. In Tanner's Creek and the Eastern Branch of Elizabeth Eiver there are natural oyster beds, though excessive tonging has greatly reduced their yield. In both cases, however, planting is largely resorted to, and as a consequence the yield of cultivated oysters is beginning to amount to a very respectable figure. The city of Norfolk is the principal seaboard town of Virginia. Its population, including its suburbs, is 33,422. "We quote from the work "A Hand-book of Virginia, by the State commissioner of agriculture," published in 1881 : " Norfolk, a port of entry, and the principal shipping and seaport town in Virginia, is 220 miles from the base of the Blue Eidge Mountains, and almost within hearing of the deep-toned roar of the Atlantic Ocean. Its unsurpassed harbor, which admits vessels of the largest size, and its close proximity to the ocean and Chesapeake Bay, make it the best shipping port for Virginia, North Carolina, and for a large portion of the great West and Southwest. It is the eastern terminus of the Norfolk and Western Eailroad, which has connections with lines extending to the Mississippi, and will be in union with the Texas Pacific when that great thoroughfare is completed. The Sea- board and Eoauoke Railroad, the Norfolk, Elizabeth City and Edenton Railroad, now building; and the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal, the Dismal Swamp Canal, all terminate at Norfolk. Numerous steamboat lines connect Norfolk with New York, Baltimore, Eichmond, &c., and the cities of Europe. The export trade of Norfolk in 1805 was only $11,538. It has gone on to increase until, in 187G, it was $7,825,112. In 18G5 Norfolk exported no cotton ; in 1866 there were exported 733 bales, and in 1876 106,421 bales were exported. The exports of cotton in 1876 and 1877 and since prove that Norfolk ranks as the second cotton port on the Atlantic coast. The coastwise trade for Norfolk and Portsmouth (the trade of these cities is usually considered as one) aggre- gated in 1876, entered and cleared, 2,178,781 tons, and in the bitter month of December, when all the ports of the North were obstructed with ice, we had 160,959 tonnage in coastwise trade. These interesting facts are collected from the Norfolk Landmark. We have before us an interest- ing resume of the trade of Norfolk, published in a special edition of the Norfolk Virginian, and courteously furnished us by Mr. Glennan, the editor. The export trade of Norfolk for 1880 is an increase of $4,300,000 over that of 1878. The general wholesale trade is about $12,000,000, making a total trade of $38,000,000. The export of cotton alone was $13,787,209 ; that of cattle and sheep, $104,750. The lumber business is large and is estimated at $1,698,000. The number of foreign vessels entering the port in 1880 was forty-five, with a tonnage of 45,159 ; the number cleared for foreign ports was one hundred and eleven, with a tonnage of 114,579." Ever since colonial times Norfolk has been the center of a large coasting trade. The close connection that it now has with Baltimore and other more northern cities gives a powerful impulse to the trucking business in the surrounding counties as far down the coast as New Berne, N. C., all the products of which gravitate to Norfolk, whence they are sent by railroad and steamer to the northern cities. The establishment of through railroad connections with the South has of late years made it a principal point also for shipping cotton. As to the fishing trade, it is the natural center of the fishing industries of all the lower Chesapeake, and the entrepot for tho 456 • GEOGRAPHICAL EBVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. flsli taken in the pound-nets of the eastern shore, and of the very extensive pound-net fisheries that cluster around New Point, Va. The spot seine fisheries of the bay shore, the fresh-water fisheries of the bays and swamps that lie around the head of Currituck Sound and Elizabeth River, and the large shad and herring fisheries of the Albemarle, Pamlico, and Croatan Sounds all send their products to the same place. Among the principal dealers in Norfolk engaged in this business are O. E. Maltby & Co., and Howard Brothers. The fish caught on the eastern shore and those coining from New Point reach Norfolk by sailing vessels. The product of the spot seines of the bay shore go by carts across the country, while the great fisheries of the Albemarle and Croatan utilize the Seaboard and Roanoke Railroad, the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal, and the Dismal Swamp Caual for the same purpose. Norfolk is also becoming a formidable rival with Baltimore in the oyster-packing industry, and it is probable that when she possesses direct and prompt connection with the West she will equal, if not outstrip, the latter city. At present the oysters shucked in Norfolk go almost exclusively to the Northern and Northeastern States. They are obtained, as a rule, from James River and its creeks and coves, and from the Rappahan- uock River. A small proportion of the supply is also obtained from the Broadwater on the ocean side of the eastern shore. The planting in the Nausemond, James, and Lynn Haven Rivers con- tribute a considerable proportion of the fancy stock which goes north in the shell to supply the restaurants. ELIZABETH CITY COUNTY.— Elizabeth City County occupies the southern extremity of a narrow peninsula lying between the York and James Rivers. It fronts on Hampton Roads and the Chesapeake Bay, and is intersected by numerous salt-water creeks. The surface is level and the soil fertile; some of it is highly so. The population in 1880 was 10,792, an increase of 25 per cent, in 10 years. "Trucks" are considerably raised. The following is a statistical summary of the fisheries and the industries dependent upon them: Men employed in the canning of crabs 226 Men employed in the ale wife fishery 130 Men employed in the oyster fishery 550 Men employed in the hook- and-line fishery 200 'Total number employed in the fisheries 1,100 Money value of crab-canning §16, 800 Money value of menhaden fishery (oil and scrap) 31, 620 Money value of hook-aud-liue-fishery 7,500 Product of oyster industry (in bushels): From the rocks...." 317,000 From plants 30,000 Tot al number of bushels produced 347, 000 Money value of the oyster fisheries §l>9, 400 Money value of diamond-back terrapins 1,400 RECAPITULATION. Value of crab-canning $16, 800 Value, of menhaden fisheries 31,620 Value of Jiook-and-line fisheries •- 7i 500 Value of oyster fisheries W),-ll»» Value of terrapin fisheries - 1,400 Total value of products of fisheries in Elizabeth City County 120, :i-'0 Hampton is the county-seat, and the only settlement of any size in the county. It is distinct- ively a fishing village, more than one-half of the population deriving their living from industries connected with the water. The large crab-canuiug firms of McMeuamiu & Co., and T. T. Bryce VIRGINIA: FISHERIES BY COUNTIES. 457 give employment to a considerable number of men, women, and boys. The men and boys are employed in catching the crabs, and the women and children work in the factory. Back of Old Point, at the mouth of Back River, is the large menhaden factory of Darling & Smithers, probably the most extensive on Chesapeake Bay. It gives employment on the water or in the factory to one hundred and thirty men. The value of the annual product is $31,6:20. Quite a number of diamond-back terrapins are taken in the swamps and rivers; they find a market at Old Point and Norfolk, or they are reshipped thence to Baltimore. The fish caught by Look and line are consumed mainly at the pleasure resorts lying around Hampton Roads, though some go to Norfolk. The section of the country termed the Poquosin is inhabited by a people who subsist entirely from the water. They are famous for the production of the canoe (locally known as kunuers), a sailing craft hollowed out of logs and specially adapted to the mode of fishing pur- sued by these, people. Oysters are planted quite extensively in Back River, Hampton Creek, and in Hampton Roads. Hampton Bar formerly yielded, from natural oyster-rocks, many thousand bushels of oysters, which had a great reputation in the restaurants, but the beds have now become practically exhausted. Twenty-five years ago two men with a boat could procure 30 or 40 bushels in a day. Now they could scarcely procure one or two. 163. YORK, GLOUCESTER, AND MATHEWS COUNTIES. YORK COUNTY. — York County, which is 30 miles long and 5 wide, lies on Chesapeake Bay and York River. The surface is level and the soil sandy and moderately fertile. The country is drained by numerous creeks and coves, which abound in oysters, fish, and fowl. The population in 18SO was 7,351, of which 35 are regularly engaged in fishiug and 604 in oystering. The product of the river and shore fisheries is 534,000 pounds, having a value of $22,592. The value of the oyster fisheries cannot be given, as the men of the county prosecute their work in the James and Rappahaunock Rivers, and sonic even go as far as the Potomac. York River, which bounds the northern edge of the county, was once famous for its oyster-beds, but now these are practically exhausted. Planting to a considerable extent is pursued in this river, and the product now foots up to from 200,000 to 300,000 bushels annually, which find a market principally in Boston. The product of the fisheries in York County find their way to Yorktown and the neighboring landing of Gloucester Point, whence they are shipped by steamer to Baltimore and the northern markets. GLOUCESTER COUNTY. — Gloucester County lies on the Chesapeake Bay and York River. The surface is level and the soil productive. It is 30 miles long and about 10 miles wide, and is deeply penetrated by salt-water creeks which drain into Mobjack Bay and York- River. The population in 1880 was 11,678. The numerous creeks- of the county formerly abounded in fish and oysters, but overfishing and the spoliation of the oyster beds have exhausted them to such an extent that it is 110 longer profitable to work them. The principal fishing interest is pound-net fishing for shad and Spanish mackerel, but large quantities of bluefisli or tailors are also caught. The accompanying tables show the catch and value of the pound-net fisheries from York River to Piankatauk River. The number of men engaged in the fisheries proper in Gloucester County is eighty-seven; in the oyster fisheries, six hundred and forty-two. The capital invested is $18,600. MATHEWS COUNTY. — Mathews County is a peninsula connected with the mainland by a narrow neck of laud. It lies between the Piankatauk River and Mobjack Bay. Its surface is dead level ; the soil is light and sandy, but some is quite fertile. The population in 1880 was 7,507. The number of men employed in the river and shore fisheries is one hundred and seventy ; number engaged in the oyster fisheries, six hundred and eighty. At New Point is the guano factory of O. E. Maltby & Co., which gives employment in fishing 458 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. or in the factory work to fifty men. From the 6,000,000 menhaden annually handled are produced about 12,000 gallons of oil and 400 tons of guano. The capital invested in buildings and fixtures is about $10,000 ; in vessels and outfitting $4,800. Horn Harbor and Milford Haven, deep inden- tations in the coast, furnish extensive planting grounds for oysters as well as a safe harbor to a large number of tongers who work on the oyster beds of the Piankatank and Rappahannock. The pound-net fisheries of York River and Mobjack Bay and the bay shore from New Point to the Piankatank are prosecuted in common by the citizens of York, Gloucester, and Mathews Counties. The following tables give the statistics of these fisheries for 1880 : TOO'S POINT POUNDS. PERSONNEL AND EQUIPMENT. Number of pounds. Value. Value of boats. Number of men en- gaged iu — Fishing. Carrying. 16 $9, 600 $2, 620 32 3 CATCH FOR 1879-'80. Designation of fish. Number. Pounds. Bushels. Average price per pound. Aggregate value. Shad 42 112 147 392 Cents. tt $8 106 56 64, 000 96,000 12 11 5°0 00 240 000 1 440 00 21 000 42 000 630 00 48 000 24 000 3 720 00 2 400 12 000 fl 7°0 00 160 12 800 2 256 00 Miscellaneous fish not named, chiefly trout 80, 000 16 000 2 1, 600 00 1 600 00 26 582 56 SUMMARY. Men engaged in Too's Point fishery -. 35 Capital invested $12,200 00 Aggregate annual return for these fisheries 26,582 56 YORK SPIT POUNDS. PERSONNEL AND EQUIPMENT. Number of pounds. Value. Value of boats. Number of men en- gaged in — Fishing. Carrying. 31 $18, 600 $4, 875 78 9 CATCH FOE 1879-'80. Designation of fish. Number. Pounds. Bushels. Average price per pound. Aggregate value. 80 592 282 072 Cents. 51 $15 513 96 248 000 372 000 12 44 640 00 775 000 4 050 00 40 000 80 000 1 "00 00 Blncflsh. "tailors" 93 000 139, 500 3 5, 1S5 00 4 650 23, 250 6 1, 395 00 310 23 250 2 465 00 155 000 2 3 100 00 31 000 3 100 00 79, 248 96 VIRGINIA: FISHERIES BY COUNTIES. 459 MOBJACK BAY POUNDS. PERSONNEL AND EQUIPMENT. Number of pounds. Value. Value of boats. Number of men en- gaged in— Fishing Carrying. 41 $10, 400 $6, 130 82 9 CATCH FOR 1879-'80. Designation of fish. Number. Pounds. Bushels. Average price per pound. Agaregate value. ghad 100, 700 387, 450 Cents. 54 $21, 309 75 123, 000 184, 500 12 22, 140 00 492 000 2, 952 00 \ acks'Ic^ meliocrL) 90, 200 180, 000 14 1, 353 00 123, 000 174, 500 3 5, 235 00 6,150 30, 750 6 1, 845 00 P 410 30, 750 2 615 00 205 000 2 4, 100 00 Offiil fish, used for manure 41,000 4, 100 00 63, 649 75 SUMMARY. Men engaged in the pound-net fisheries of Mobjack Bay 91 Capital invested $22,550 00 Aggregate return of these fisheries for 1880 63,649 75 POUNDS OF THE BAY SHORE FROM NEW POINT TO THE PIANKATANK RIVER. PERSONNEL AND EQUIPMENT. Number of pounds. Value. Value of boats. Number of men en- gaged in — Fishing. Carrying. 35 $21, 000 $4,000 70 9 CATCH FOR 1879-'80. Designation of fish. Number. Pounds. Bushels. Average price per pound. Aggregate value. SIi id 70, 000 105, 000 675, 000 245, 000 157,500 Cents. BJ 12 $13,475 00 18, 900 00 4,050 00 1, 470 00 2, 362 00 49, 000 52, 500 98, 000 78, 750 u 3 St •" 300 22,500 87,500 ,2 3 450 00 2, 625 00 3, 150 00 46, 472 00 Miscellaneous fish, chiefly trout 31,500 SUMMARY. Men engaged in the pound-net fisheries from New Point to Piankatank River 79 Capital invested $25,000 Aggregate returns for these fisheries for 1880 46,472 460 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. 104. MIDDLESEX, LANCASTER, AND NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTIES. MIDDLESEX COUNTY.— Middlesex County covers all the narrow peninsula lying between the Rappahauuock and the Piankatank Rivers. It is 30 miles in length, with a mean breadth of about 5 miles. The surface is mostly level ; the soil varies from sandy loam to stiff clay, and is very productive of corn, wheat, &c. The population in 1880 was 6,232. The Piankatauk, which forms the southern boundary of the county, was formerly the seat of very productive fisheries, and the bed of the river was rilled with natural deposits of oysters, but the introduction of pound-nets has almost destroyed the former, while excessive tonging and unlawful dredging has ruined the oyster beds. To some extent, however, the yield has been restored by plantings. The pound-nets extend all the way from the mouth of the Piaukatank to Stingray Point. There are also a number of them in the Rappahaunock, the larger proportion being on the north shore, as experience shows that the greater run of fish is on that side. The oyster beds of the Rappahanuock give employ- ment to a considerable number of tongers, and the numerous creeks and coves that drain into both the Rappahannock and Piaukatauk are filled to their utmost capacity with planted oysters. The following summary will be of interest: Number of men engaged in the river and shore fisheries, 52; annual product river and shore fisheries, 105,000 pounds, chiefly shad, valued at $4,470. The number of men engaged in the oyster fisheries is 998; capital invested, $13,000. The product and value of the oyster fisheries cannot be given for the county separately. The men- haden fisheries give employment to 46 men, and have $15,000 invested in boats and fixtures. The product is 10,000,000 fish annually. For the conversion of these into oil and guano there are several kettle factories between the mouth of the Piaukatauk aud the Rappahaunock. Th« guano product in these kettle factories goes almost entirely to supply the local demand; but the process of manipulation is so imperfect that a very inferior article is produced. LANCASTER COUNTY. — Lancaster County lies on the north bank of the Rappahanuock River and has the Chesapeake Bay for a portion of its eastern boundary. The surface is mostly level. The soil, which is a sandy loam, is naturally unproductive, by liberal applications of fish churn is made to yield very fine crops. The county is drained by many creeks. The Moratico, Deep, Mud, Carter's, and Musquito Creeks, and the Corrotoma River are tributaries of the Rap- pahaunock; while the Antipoisen, Tabb's, Dwyer's, Indian, aud Little Bay are tributaries of Chesapeake Bay. They all furnish favorable planting grounds for oysters, and are stocked to their fullest capacity. As might be expected, a large proportion of the people engage in occupa- tions connected with the water. Out of a total population of 0,145, there are 42 in the river and shore fisheries, 1,040 in the oyster fisheries, and 46 in the menhaden fisheries'. The total product of the river and shore fisheries is 166,000 pounds, having a value of $3,528 ; that of the menhaden fisheries is 1,000 tons of fertilizers and 18,000 gallons of oil, possessing a value of $23,200. Most of the menhaden are taken in purse-nets fished by sailing vessels ; there were seven menhaden factories in operation in 1880, the largest being that of Busscis & Co., situated in Carter's Creek. NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY. — Northumberland County is one of the five counties constitut- ing the "Northern Neck1' of Virginia, and has the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay for its eastern boundary. It is 30 miles long and about 12 miles wide. The surface is mostly level, aud the soil on the streams is a sandy loam, with clay subsoil, and is well adapted to wheat. As the county has no large fresh-water streams there is a total absence of shad fisheries, but quite a number of salt-water species, such as trout, tailors, rock, and perch, arc taken iu some of the many salt-water creeks that indent the coast line of the county. These fish, which are captured in small haul seines, pounds, or gill-nets, are either consumed in the vicinity or find their way to VIRGINIA: FISHERIES BY COUNTIES. 461 market by tbc tri-wcekly line from Baltimore, which touches at several places in the couuty. This county contains more menhaden factories (and of larger size) than any other county on the Chesapeake. The creeks and coves along the bay shore were formerly filled with natural beds of oysters, but excessive tonging has everywhere diminished, and in many places exterminated, the supply. Where, however, the conditions of the bottom render it practicable artificial planting has been resorted to, and the product is now on the increase. The main fishing industry of the people, and that which yields the largest returns, is the menhaden fishery. The catch is converted into oil and guano by some of the numerous factories in the county, and the guano is shipped to places where it is manufactured into artificial fertilizers. The number of people engaged in the river and shore fisheries is 70, the number engaged in the menhaden fisheries 243, and in the oyster fisheries 528. Of those given as being engaged in the oyster industries, very few pursue their work in the waters adjacent to the county. On the contrary, many of them go with their canoes and outfit to the Rappahannock and Potomac, and spend the winter there in oystering, returning in the spring to plant their small farms; for almost all of them combine the two occupations of farmer and fisherman. IGu. NORTHAMPTON AND ACCOMAC COUNTIES. The Eastern Shore of Virginia, comprising the counties of Northampton and Accomac, is a very low and fertile peninsula, about 55 miles long by 8 to 15 miles wide. It lies to the south of Mary- land, with the ocean on the east and the Chesapeake on the west. Its population in 1880 was 33,197. Fully nine-tenths of the inhabitants are native-born on the peninsula. Onancock, a place of a few hundred inhabitants, is the largest town on the peninsula. The region is largely an agri- cultural one, and the people own small patches of land, and devote their attention largely to raising produce for the Northern markets, the principal crops being early potatoes, seed potatoes, and corn. In addition to its agricultural interests, the region bears a peculiar relation to the salt water, and many of the inhabitants, having no interest in the land, are largely dependent upon the fish- eries for a livelihood, while a considerable percentage of the farmers give more or less attention to fishing, oystering, and clamming at periods of the year when their crops do not require their atten- tion. The peninsula, owing to its peculiar shape, has an extensive coast line, and its surface is so low and flat, that the tides and currents of the ocean have cut into it on either side, until we find no less than twelve creeks on the Eastern and seventeen on the Western Shore, each breaking up into a number of secondary ones, which communicate freely with each other, forming a complete net- work of tide channels, many of which are navigable for several miles by the small flat-bottomed vessels of the region. The tide channels extending through the northern and central portion com- municate with a large bay on the south, thus forming a continuous inside passage for small boats from Cape Charles northward through Maryland to within a few miles of Cape Henry. The back- bone of the peninsula is, therefore, a narrow ridge, only 3 to 5 miles wide, lying about midway between the ocean and the bay, and extending northward to the upper boundary of the State. Between this ridge and the ocean are a number of sandy or swampy islands, separated from the mainland at high tide by sheets of water of considerable extent. As the tide recedes large flats are exposed, and at low ebb the waters' are reduced to mere creeks, bordered by immense grassy swamps. The Western Shore is somewhat different, for the higher lands occasionally extend to the Chesapeake, while the shores of some of the larger creeks are sufficiently elevated to admit of a scattered population. Such of the inhabitants as are engaged in farming occupy the arable lands formed by the central strip already mentioned, while others extensively engaged in fishing are usually scattered along the banks of the larger creeks or live in the vicinity of the bay shore. All, 462 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. however, are within easy reach of salt water, and the majority, even of the farmers, own small boats for catching a supply of fish for their own use. The large flats and shoals in different parts of thes.e two counties abound in oysters, clams, crabs, and terrapin, while the months of the creeks and the outer shoals are the feeding and spawn- ing grounds of large numbers of fish, the supply being practicably inexhaustible. Were it not for the lack of a convenient market and the absence of suitable means of transportation, the fishing business would doubtless assume important proportions. As it is, the fisheries throughout the greater portion of the region are confined to supplying the local trade, and many of those who would follow the business regularly can fish only one or two days in the week, as they would overstock the market should they go out oftener. These, together with the farmers, often own small seines, and fish exclusively for several weeks in the fall, salting their catch for home use or for sale to people in the vicinity. In the neighborhood of the steamboat landings and about the southern end of the peninsula, where the fish can be sent to market by sailing vessels, the fishing is more extensive, and a considerable number of men follow the business regularly during the greater part of the summer; all of them, together with many of the farmers, engaging in the oyster fisheries as soon as the weather is sufficiently cold to warrant the shipment of their catch. These continue regularly in the work during the entire winter and well into the following spring, many of them deriving a large part of their income from this source. "The clam and terrapin fisheries, and such others as are not dependent upon a convenient market, have been quite extensively developed, and the fishing is prosecuted with considerable vigor, the catch being retained until such time as an opportunity presents itself for selling or shipping. About 2,300 dozen terrapins, valued at nearly $10,000, are taken annually, while over 8,000,000 of quahaugs, equal to 27,500 bushels, netting the fishermen $11,500, are shipped or eaten, in addition to over 1,000,000 clams purchased by parties at Oapeville, to be canned and shipped to the Western States. Formerly the clamming interest was even more extensive than at present, and a considerable fleet of vessels came regularly to Hog and Cobb's Islands to purchase cargoes, which they carried to Philadelphia and New York. The vessels still visit the region, but the number is somewhat reduced, and many clams are carried in small boats to Franklin City, whence they are shipped by rail. The fisheries proper of the region are chiefly confined to the bay shore, the fishing being most extensive about the mouths of the numerous creeks and near the southern extremity of the pen- insula. Many of the fishermen use hand-lines, others seines, and within the last few years purse- nets and gill-nets have been very successfully employed. The hand-line fishermen catch sheeps- head (Diplodus probatocephalus), trout (Cynoscion maculattim), spot (Liostomus xanthurus), mullet or merhead (Menticirrus sp.), and a few bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix), all along the shores from May to November. The greater part of their catch is sold fresh in the vicinity of their homes, many of them fishing for a few hours in the early morning and spending the rest of the day in peddling their catch. At certain seasons they engage more extensively in the work, salting considerable quantities for winter use. There are about three hundred men engaged in the hand-line fishing for about five months in the year, with four hundred others who fish and clam occasionally during the same season. The total hand-line catch is valued at about $39,250. Gill-nets were formerly much used in the spring shad fisheries of the eastern shore of Virginia, and they were also employed to a limited extent in the fall by the farmers for the capture of spot and other of the smaller species, to be salted for their own tables. Leaving out the shad fisheries, the business was of little importance until quite recently, when it became known that the better class of fishes, including Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus maculatvs), sheepshead, porgee (Parephippus VIRGINIA: FISHERIES BY COUNTIES. 463 faber), blueflsh or tailors, and trout could readily be taken in this way. Gill-nets were first intro- duced for the capture of mackerel about 1878, since which time they have been generally adopted in certain localities. At present they are extensively used between Hungar's Creek and the Mary- land line from May until November, with the exception of about five or six weeks in midsummer. The men often go singly, though more frequently two fish together. The boats for this work are worth about $35 apiece, each being provided with three to five nets. The nets have a mesh meas- uring 3£ inches, are about 25 fathoms long and 30 meshes deep, and cost from $5 to $7. They are set along the main shore and on both sides of Tangier Island, in from 6 to 14 feet of water. For- merly the fishing was prosecuted only at night, but within the last year it has been found that the mackerel will gill in the day time, and the Tangier fishermen often set their nets in the afternoon. There are about two hundred gill-net fishermen on the peninsula during five months of the year, and landing fish valued at $25,000, the greater part of which are shipped by steamer toJSTorfolk and Baltimore. The first pound-net was introduced into the region by Messrs. Snediker & Warren in the spring of 1877. This apparatus was found to be peculiarly adapted to the eastern shore, and a large profit was derived from its use. Others soon engaged in the work, and there are now fourteen pounds between Hungar's Creek and Cape Charles, a distance of 15 or 20 miles. There are three others at Tangier Island, situated only a few miles below the northern boundary of the State. The pound-nets in the first-named region are necessarily very large and strong, on account of their exposed position. They cost about $1,000 each, and during an average season take about $4,200 worth of marketable fish, catching, in addition, about 500 barrels of menhaden and other non-edible species, which are usually thrown away. The principal species taken are mackerel, bluefish, and trout, though at times large catches of sheepshead and porgies are reported, and numerous other species are often taken in limited quantities. The seventeen pounds require the service of sixty- four men, who receive about $18 per mouth, the value of the catch for 1879 amounting to $57,000. The law forbids the use of pound-nets prior to the 25th of Juue, and requires that they be taken up by the 1st of October. The fishermen seriously object to this law, as it prevents their fishing in the early spring and in the fall, when the catch would be very large. Haul-seines have been extensively used for many years, and prior to the war the greater part of the catch was taken in them. At that time shad were very abundant in the region, and large hauls were made during the spring and early summer. Of late, however, the shad visit the shores in much smaller numbers, and seine fishing has proportionately decreased. In the summer of 1879 there were only twelve seines, employing eighty-five men, fished along this shore. The value of the fish taken amounted to about $10,000. One other industry promises to become quite important, namely, the menhaden fishery. The first oil and guano factory in Virginia was built near Cape Charles by Gallup & Kenniston in 18C6 or 1867, but owing to its exposed location it was abandoned, and the business was for a time dis- continued. A few years later the work was revived on the western shore of the bay, and in 1875 Capt. L. Crockett, of Tangier Island, built a factory for utilizing the menhaden that were pecu- liarly abundant in the vicinity. In 1878 another factory was built at the same place. In 1879 several other establishments were located along the shore, and in the spring of 1880 there were seven factories in the region, six of them using kettles for cooking the fish, while one was provided with the more modern steam apparatus. 464 GEOGEAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. 0.— REVIEW OF THE OYSTER INDUSTRY. BY RICHARD H. EDMONDS. 160. THE OYSTER INTERESTS OF VIRGINIA. DREDGING ANP TONGING. — The waters of Virginia being in many places separated from those of Maryland by imaginary lines only, it is not to be expected that the conditions of the oyster trade and the class of people dependent upon it should show any very material difference iu the two States. Different laws have of course exerted an influence upon some features of the trade, but the essential and most important fact in regard to the trade in both States is the same — that the oystermen are generally poor and illiterate, often intemperate and reckless. Dredging on natural rocks was abolished iu Virginia in 1879, and is only allowed at present on private beds; few, however, avail themselves of this privilege. In some parts of the State where planting is extensively conducted there are a few dredge-boats; but they meet with consid- erable opposition, as it is very generally believed by planters who do not dredge that the dredgers do not confine their operations to their own beds. This belief is probably correct. The beds arc staked off with poles, sometimes 50 to 100 yards apart, and the dredgers sailing over one bed can scarcely, even if so disposed, keep from crossing the line which separates adjoining beds. The law entirely abolishing dredging on natural rocks was undoubtedly a mistake, since there are many localities in the State where, rightly restricted, it would prove very advantageous to the beds; while there are other places where the water is so deep that tonging cannot be carried on, and the beds are thus lying idle, of no value to the State or to any individual. The advantages as well as the disadvantages of dredging having been discussed in the report upon the oyster trade of Maryland, it is not necessary to refer to it here. The same course will be pursued with regard to other branches of the trade: it has not been thought necessary in the report on Virginia to repeat the discussion of subjects previously elaborated in the Maryland report. The tongiug interests of Virginia are far more extensive than the same interests in Maryland, and differ slightly in a few other respects, the most important of which is, that the proportion of negroes in the trade is greater in the former State than in the latter. Previous to the late war the oystermen of Virginia were composed of negroes working for their masters, and of a very rough class of whites; but at the close of the war the demand for oysters was very great, and high prices were paid, and many who had been reduced from wealth to poverty were glad to avail themselves of the chance to make a support by oystering, which was at that time a very profitable employment. The four years of war, during which the oysters had almost a complete rest in many parts of the State, gave them a chance for development, and when the trade revived the beds were well stocked with large, finely- flavored oysters. Men from nearly all occupations, representing all classes of society, eagerly entered the business, and soon there were hundreds of oystermen where formerly there had been but a dozen or so. Many of the most extensive farmers in the tide-water counties found that the conditions of labor had so greatly changed that to make a living it was necessary for them to devote all spare time to the oyster trade. This is still done to a considerable extent by those whose farms border on some salt-water creek or river, but the great bulk of the trade is iu the hands of a rougher class, and in certain parts of the State it is almost monopolized by negroes. A very noticeable fact in connection with the tonging interests of Virginia and Maryland, and especially of the former State, is the almost VIRGINIA: OYSTER INDUSTRY. 465 total absence of foreigners. Among the 8,860 tongers of Virginia there are, according to the statements of the county clerks; only about ten who are not Americans. These ten comprise an equal number of Germans and Irish. The entire trade may be said to be virtually in the hands of native Virginians, since there are probably not 300 tongers in the whole State who were not born and raised there. Such is not, however, the case in the other branches of the trade. As in Mary- land, all oysters caught by tongers are sold to runners, and the majority of these are owned in other States and manned principally by Northern men. The life of an ordinary tonger presents few attractions to induce strangers to enter this business. The work is very laborious, the remu- neration only fair, and the injury to health from exposure is so great that few ever reach old age. The death-rate among oystermen, as compared with other trades, is, from all that I can learn, very great. As stated elsewhere, there are no records kept in Virginia of the number of boats engaged in the trade, and it was a very difficult matter to obtain any reliable information upon this subject. After traveling through the tide- water counties and gaining as near an estimate as possible, I then sent out a large number of circulars to the officials, and also to one or more prominent oystermen of each county, requesting their aid in the work, and desiring them to give me their estimates as to the number of canoes in their respective counties. Many of these gentlemen went to consider- able trouble to work up the matter, and by their aid I was enabled to correct some of my own figures, and I am now able to present reliable figures, showing the number of canoes in each county engaged in the oyster trade and the number of men working on them. In addition to this I have succeeded in obtaining the number of schooners and sloops used for running oysters to market. It is difficult to divide these latter according to the counties in which they are owned, but I think the figures as given in the following table will be found very near correct. The number credited to Norfolk County appears somewhat large, but the figures are furnished officially by Mr. Kusha. Deuise, county clerk. The majority of these boats hailing from Norfolk County are owned in the cities of Norfolk and Portsmouth. Over three-fourths of them are quite small, being under 10 tons, register, while there are very few of the other fourth that will register as high as 15 tons. Table showing the number of canoes and larger vessels, and the number of men on each, by counties. Counties. Number of canoes and skills. Men em- ployed on canoes and skiffs. Number of larger vessels. Men em- ployed on larger vessels. Total number of men employed. 545 925 282 Elizabeth City 170 510 40 150 400 Q 24 410 530 °8 112 I»le of Wi"ht 58 250 22 88 400 900 35 140 1 040 450 900 20 80 980 475 950 12 48 958 80 240 39 225 465 235 470 700 2 800 350 700 38 144 281 420 27 108 100 130 130 200 400 20 80 Warwick . 50 80 15 80 York 250 500 26 104 275 550 5 20 Kin** William 2 5 2 7 Total 4 481 8 SCO 1 317 5 370 30 G E F 466 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OP THE FISHERIES. Of the total number of tougmen there are 5,906 colored and 2,954 whites, while of those employed on the larger vessels only 1,792 are colored. The total number of each race engaged iu the trade is, of whites, 6,538 and of colored 7,698. Tonging in Virginia is probably equally as profitable as iu Maryland, but there is more time wasted by the tongmen of the former State than by those of the latter. This is explained by the fact that the proportion of negroes is larger in Virginia than in Maryland, and these people are more generally inclined to be indolent than the whites. There were many cases last winter where tougmeu made as high as $500 during the season, but their number is comparatively small when the total number of those engaged in this occupation is taken into account. A close estimate of the average amount made during a season by each touger would give $200, or $25 less than the average amount made in Maryland. Calculating on this estimate, it will be seen that the earnings of the tongmen of Virginia will yearly aggregate about $1,772,000. Those employed on the running vessels receive during an oyster season of eight mouths $1,022,172, including their board. The canoes used in Virginia are much smaller and less costly than those in Maryland — their average value being about $50. At this rate their total value at present is $224,050. The larger vessels, exclusive of those owned in Norfolk County, average about 16.13 tons; but when the large number owned in the latter county is considered, the average is considerably reduced and amounts to only about 10 tons — making the total 13,170 tons. The aggregate value of these vessels is about $790,200, and the amount of money annually expended in repairing them is iu the neighborhood of $125,000. A large part of the running trade in Virginia is conducted by boats owned in Maryland and in northern cities; but as the statistics of these have already appeared in the Maryland report, it is needless to repeat them here. PACKING. — The packing trade of Virginia is of much later origiu than that of Maryland. About the year 1859 a Captain Fitzgerald opened an oyster-packing establishment in Norfolk ; but the war coming on, in a few years the business was greatly hampered and restricted, and it was not until 1865 that the trade gave any evidence of ever becoming very extensive. As the transportation facilities of the city increased, and the ill effects of the war began to die out, the oyster trade showed a very marked improvement, and during the last few years it has developed very rapidly. In Norfolk, as in Baltimore and other cities of Maryland, the trade is largely in the hands of northern men; one difference, however, being quite noticeable, and that is, that whereas iu Maryland the packers are principally natives of Connecticut, in Norfolk they are nearly all either New York or Boston men. The enterprise and capital of these gentlemen has largely developed this business, which now forms one of the most important branches of Norfolk's trade. The increase iu the packing trade of Norfolk has been instrumental in decreasing the shipments of oysters in shell by sail vessels from the bay to New York and Boston, as these two cities receive by means of the Old Dominion Line and the Merchants' and Miners' Transportation Company's lines the great bulk of Norfolk oysters. This important change in the course of trade has been very beneficial to Norfolk, as the shucking and handling of the oysters give employment to a large number of workmen. The trade of Norfolk has, however, beeu greatly restricted by the scarcity of oysters. During the early spring months of 1880 packers were unable to fill orders on account of the inability to obtain the oysters. During one of my visits to that city I found that for several weeks the entire receipts had been less than could easily have been used by any one of the large houses. Had it not been for this scarcity, which was felt to some extent during a large part of the .season, it is quite probable that the packing trade would have consumed several hundred thousand bushels more of oysters. The trade of Norfolk is almost exclusively in raw oysters — there VIRGINIA: OYSTER INDUSTRY. 467 having been only 3,000 gallons of steamed oysters packed during the entire season. Shipments are made in bulk, in barrels; and although, as previously stated, the largest part of the trade is with New York and Boston, there are considerable shipments to all points of the North and West. Although Baltimore is pre-eminently the great packing center of the bay, it is nevertheless true that, considering the amount of capital invested in the business, Norfolk handles proportion- ately a much larger trade than the former city. The number of shuckcrs employed and their wages are in about the same proportion in the two cities. In Norfolk the buildings are generally very plain, often mere frame structures, while in Baltimore many of the packing houses are among the finest buildings devoted to trade in the city. The packing houses of Norfolk are not, as a general thing, used during summer for fruit-packing, as is the case in Baltimore. The number of oysters packed at Norfolk during the season of 1879-'80 was much larger than the combined totals of all packing points in Maryland, excluding Baltimore. The exact figures are as follows: Place. Raw oysters. Crisfield Md Bushels. 427, 270 205 410 156 703 Oxford lid 108, 960 37 788 224 817 Total 1 160 94S 1 370 855 Difference in favor of Norfolk... 209, 907 Outside of Norfolk the packing of raw oysters in Virginia is very light. At several places a little business is done, but too small to be noted separately, since where there is only one packer in a town it would divulge his individual business to publish statistics of that town. At Hampton and at two places on the Rappahannock River quite an extensive trade in steamed or cove oysters is conducted. The word cove, as applied to oysters, has two entirely distinct meanings. When used by tougers it refers to large oysters caught in the small coves tributary to all creeks and rivers, while with packers and others it means oysters which have been steamed and hermetically sealed. The following table shows the packing trade of Virginia for the season of 1879-'80: Norfolk. Otherplaces. Total. 13 12 25 $90 350 $23 000 $119 350 $138 500 $29 000 $167 500 1,027 501 1 528 $154 584 $46 3C7 $200 951 1 370 855 58 275 1 429 130 $589 127 $°2 090 $611 147 3 000 190 000 193 000 $1,500 $119 400 $120 900 1 373 855 248 275 1 622 130 s.",-."i "71! $141 4°0 $726 693 91 000 6°0 000 711 000 $3 615 !*]S .1(111 $22 115 XimiWr of wooden cases, barrels, &c., used 16, 871 $11 119 1,000 $1 939 17, 871 $13 058 408 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. In Norfolk there are very few females employed iu tbe oyster-packing houses, but of the 501 shueiiers in other parts of the State 244 are females. The number of people engaged exclusively in handling oysters for local consumption in the cities of Virginia is about 300 (nearly all colored), whose wages will aggregate about $57,600 a season. About 200 white men, with wages amounting to $83,200 a year, are employed in building and repairing oyster vessels, making cases, &c. Summing up the foregoing statistics, we have the following tabular statement: Capital invested, icjil ami personal. Number of employes. Wages and darnings of employes. Estimated number of peo- ple dependent upon the trade, calculating 4 to each worker. $286 850 1 528 $200 951 Tonkin" 2"4 050 8 8(10 1 779 000 790, 200 5,376 1 022 172 10 000 300 57 600 50 000 200 83 200 Total 1 361 100 16 264 3 135 923 65 056 The shipments of oysters in shell from Virginia to Northern markets are still very large, although this trade is decreasing, as it is becoming more profitable to open the oysters at Norfolk and forward them by steamer. I endeavored to obtain the number of bushels carried north from May 31, 1879, to May 31, 1880, and I found that, while the number was very great, it by no means equaled the expectations of many large dealers. The fact is, as previously stated, many oyster- men have a most exaggerated idea of the extent of the trade, believing it to be far greater than it really is. The following statistics have been compiled with great care, and will, I think, be found about correct: Shipments of oysters in shell from Virginia for year ending May 31, 1880. Destination. For planting. For immedi- ate use. Total. New York 650, 000 215 820 223 940 439, 760 5 000 90 000 95 000 Providence and Providence .River Fair Haven 180, 000 133 000 50, 000 150, 000 230, 000 283, 000 9 000 75, 000 84,000 317,317 317, 317 1 000 000 1, 000, 000 21C 113 216, 113 Total 3, 315, ICO The number of bushels of oysters caught in the State during the year, and the disposition made of them, may be summarized as follows: Packed in the State 1,622,130 Shipped out of the State in shell 3,315,190 Used for local consumption in the cities of the State 275,000 Used for local consumption in the small towns ami the counties of the State 1,625,000 Total 6,837,320 The average value of these oysters from first hands would be about 27 cents a bushel. VIRGINIA: OYSTER INDUSTRY. 469 GENERAL SUMMARY. — The grand totals of the trade of the Chesapeake Bay are as follows : Capital invested— Maryland. Virginia. Total. $3,928 370 $•'86, 850 $4, 215 220 2 042 500 1,014 250 3, 058, 750 250 000 50, 000 300, 000 25 000 10, 000 35, 000 Total 0 245 870 1 301 100 7 006 976 At Seaford, Del. : 43 100 7 650,070 Jfitmber of bushels of oysters cavijlit and the ilgposition made of them. Maryland. Virginia. Total. 10 569 012 6 837 320 17 406 332 7, 653 492 1, 622, 130 2 021 840 3 315 190 1, 893, 680 1 900 000 Total 11 569 012 0 837 320 Less nuiubeif brought from Virginia — 1,000,000 Total 10 569 012 6 837 3^0 17 400 332 Xnmbcr of people tuijiujid in the trade tend llnir euriiiiign and wayes. Number. Earnings and wages. Maryland, Virginia. Total. Maryland. Virginia. Total. Employes of packing bouses 8,0«0 13, 708 1,990 1,528 14, 236 500 10, 107 28, 034 2,490 $777, 779 2, 537, 940 504, 802 $200, 951 2, 794, 172 140, 800 $978, 730 5, 332, 112 645, 602 AH others Total 24, 427 16, 264 40, 691 3, 820, 521 3, 135, 923 6, 956, 444 The total value of all oysters caught in the bay, as sold from first hands, is about $4,000,000. The product of the packing houses, which are, of course, classed as manufacturing industries, was valued at $4,610,995 for the year ending May 31, 1880. PLANTING. — The natural beds of the Chesapeake Bay are so very extensive and productive that they have hitherto been able to stand the immense drain annually made upon them, and thus the necessity for cultivating oysters has never been forcibly impressed upon the oystermen of either Maryland or Virginia, although in the latter State this branch of the business is gradually attracting increased attention. In Maryland there are comparatively few planters. The time is rapidly coining when, to supply the constantly increasing demand, it will be absolutely necessary for the oystermen to engage in the cultivation of oysters. The beds are being depleted, and it is yearly becoming more difficult to obtain oysters enough to meet the wants of packers. Fine oysters especially are getting very scarce, and it is often impossible to obtain them at any price. One of the largest packers of Baltimore was compelled, during the winter of 1879-'80, to employ an agent in New York to purchase fine oysters for orders which could not be filled in the former city. About 1,000,000 oysters were bought by the agent and shipped from New York to the points from which the orders came. 470 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. The natural advantages for cultivating oysters afforded by the Chesapeake, with the innu- merable erects and rivulets tributary to it, are probably not surpassed in the world. The trade is but in its first stage of development. It can, and eventually will, be increased many fold. With proper attention paid to cultivation the bay may be made to furnish an inexhaustible supply of oysters. Where the trade now gives employment to one workman it should in the future give still more remunerative employment to at least a dozen. The capacity for increase is practically unlimited, and the demand is yearly increasing. The sooner the oystermen are forced, by the exhaustion of the natural beds, to engage in planting, the better it will be for all concerned, as the trade will then enter a healthier and more prosperous condition. There are many difficulties in the way, however, which should receive the most thorough scientific investigation. The selection of the best planting-grounds, the causes of success or failure, the reason for the fact that sometimes for several consecutive years the oysters of an entire river may be very poor, and hence unsalable, and then suddenly, in one season, attain unusual excellence, are questions of absorbing interest, but little understood by the oystermen. The influence of salt or fresh water, according as the rainfall may be great or small, the tides and the winds, may all be studied with great pecuniary benefit to those concerned in Ihe oyster trade. A statement made by one of the most experienced oystermen of Virginia, and confirmed by my own investigations, is to the effect that tongers rarely, if ever, accumulate money by their own labors unless they engage in planting. It is very true that planting is by no means always profitable. Its results are as uncertain as the cultivation of land, if not more so; but it is still, in the long run, far more profitable than tonging from natural rocks. It offers almost the only possible hope to the tonger of ever acquiring even a moderate competence. The work of Professor Brooks, of the Johns Hopkins University, in attempting the artificial propagation of oysters, has not yet progressed far enough to demonstrate the practicability of restocking the bay with an unlimited number of oysters by this means; but after all he has accomplished, it is safe to believe that he will continue the work until he has met with complete success. Planting will then prove still more profitable, as it will always be possible to obtain an abundance of oysters to be used as plants, which is not now the case. Chincoteague Bay, covering perhaps about the finest planting grounds in the world, has a very extensive business in this branch of the trade. The whole bay is staked off in small plats, which are always salable should the owner desire to retire from the business of planting. Oysters are bought in the Chesapeake Bay at prices ranging from ten to twenty cents per bushel, carried by vessels to Chincoteague and there planted, and allowed to remain undisturbed for two or three years. Sometimes they will remain very poor for several successive seasons, and at times it happens that the entire bed will be found on examination to be dead. The winter of 1879-'SO was the most profitable one that Chincoteague Bay has known for many years. The oysters were large, fat, and finely flavored, while for several preceding years they had been poor and almost entirely unsalable, and the trade in consequence had been very unprofitable. Chincoteague oysters are shipped almost exclusively to New York and Philadelphia, and during good seasons command high prices. From September 1, 1879, to May 15, 1SSO, the shipments from the bay amounted to 318,113 bushels, of which 166,113 bushels passed over the Worcester Railroad and 152,000 bushels were shipped in sail- vessels. Of those shipped over the Worcester road, 71,184 bushels were taken directly from the bay; while 94,929 bushels were taken from small creeks on the Maryland shore, where they had been transplanted and allowed to stay for a day for the purpose of fa ttening. It is a fact well known to oystermen that when an oyster is taken from salt water and placed in fresh, it will in two tides be bloated up very much; and thus, having the appearance of being fat, it commands a large price. If allowed to remain in fresh water longer than a day it soon becomes VIRGINIA: OYSTER INDUSTRY. 471 sick and dies. This bloating process is often tried -with very successful results, but has never proved to be as important as was supposed when it first became generally known. A few years ago it was tried by the packers of Baltimore, and, for a time, aroused great expectations; but at present it meets with little favor among them. A few of them have persisted in their efforts, but with indiiferent success. To succeed well, the oyster must be taken from very salt water and placed in fresh. In the Chesapeake Bay the water is In many parts merely brackish, and it is supposed that on this account the oyster does not improve much upon a change to fresh water. During the season of 1879-'80 Chiucoteague oysters were in active demand at high prices, the aveiage for the winter being not less than 60 cents per bushel, and in the latter part of May 90 cents was readily obtained. A feature of the Chincoteague trade is that all oysters are sold by the thousand, and not by the bushel, as in other parts of Maryland and Virginia. This custom has been adopted in conformity to the uses of Northern markets. Capt. Barney Jones, probably the most experienced oysterman on the York River, and who for years has handled such quantities of oysters as to have acquired the title of "Oyster King," states that from his experience he is convinced that continued planting will in five or six years exhaust the fattening powers of oyster grounds, just as the fertility of any soil will be destroyed by attempting to produce the same crop for several consecutive years. This belief is said to be erroneous by Capt. Isaac M. Bussells, of Carter's Creek, Virginia, who has been engaged in the oyster trade, either in the North or on the Rappahanuock River, since very early in life. He bases his statement upon the fact that in Connecticut there are certain oyster-grounds on which, during the past thirty years, oysters have never failed to fatten, and also upon his belief that oysters get their food from the water, and not from the ground. Captain Bussells has devoted considerable time to the study of oysters, and his convictions are the result of many years of experience in con- ducting a very heavy trade in all branches of the business. It often occurs that oysters when caught will have green gills, and hence the name, now so common, of green-gill oysters. Up to a few years ago, I am informed, these oysters were unsalable, as by many persons they were considered poisonous. An oyster planter of Northampton County, Virginia, finding that for several years his oysters were green gills, determined to try to overcome the opposition to them. Whenever he or any of his workmen visited any city, they would go into different saloons and call for green-gill oysters, refusing to take any others. After a few visits to restaurants he succeeded in exciting some curiosity as to what was considered a very strange desire. He then explained that the popular belief was entirely wrong, and that green-gill oysters were perfectly safe, and were always fat, and stated that the green color was caused by a certain weed which is sometimes found at the bottom of the bay and its tributaries, and on which the oysters feed. In a short time no distinction was made against green-gill oysters, and in cities where known they are as much in demand as the ordinary oyster. On the Rappahannock, the James, and the York Rivers planting is now being conducted quite extensively, although by no means on as large a scale as the advantages and likelihood of success would warrant. Fears are very generally expressed that in a few years the oyster-beds of these rivers will be exhausted if the present rate of shipments continues. That these fears are not groundless may be seen from the result of over-oystering in several of the creeks near the Rappa- hannock. Prom 18G5 to 1871, during which time I was living in Virginia, the beds of Indian, Dividing, and Dymer's Creeks were well stocked with very fine oysters, the catching of which gave profitable employment to a large number of men. At the present time oysters are so scarce in these creeks that it is impossible to obtain even enough for planting. A few of the oystermea still eke out a poor living, but many have been compelled to give up the business entirely. The 472 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. laws of Virginia upon planting are so often changed that they tend to discourage this important industry. If an oysterman rents from the State a certain extent of planting ground, he is never sure that he will be able to keep possession of it, and, of course, should it pass out of his hands, he loses on account of having to sell his oysters before they fatten, or transfer them to some other ground. During the last session of the Virginia legislature it was proposed to sell all planting grounds belonging to the State; and so long as this subject remains unsettled it would certainly be unwise for oystermen to rent and plant on State grounds. The vacillating and changeable policy hitherto pursued by the legislature in its treatment of the oyster question, if continued, will certainly result in incalculable loss to the oyster interests of Virginia. In planting oysters in Maryland and Virginia, the plants are merely thrown broadcast over the ground, and then allowed to take care of themselves. This system is so far different from the course pursued in Europe that, merely to show the contrast, I append an extract from a letter lately received from Mr. George Walker, United States consul-general at Paris, upon oyster culture at Arcachon, France: "The oyster production takes place each year, from May 15 to July 15. During this interval each cultivator disposes upon the concession accorded to him — i. e., upon what is called his park — a certain number of tiles, called collectors, plastered or covered with a mortar composed of sand and lime. These tiles are inclosed in wooden cages, so constructed as to pxevent the access of fish, which, without this precaution, would cause great damage to the young oysters. Then begins the formation upon the submerged tiles of small brown spots, which slowly become transformed into the shell-fish. In the month of January of the following year the shells usually attain a diameter of from 1 to 3 centimeters. "At this period the cultivators proceed to the operation of detrocage which consists in detaching the oysters from the tiles. This operation is rendered easy by reason of the plaster covering, which, by the way, prevents deterioration in the shells. The detrocage lasts gener- ally until April. This operation terminated, the young oysters are disposed in square basins or pools, scooped out in the sand in the same parTc. These basins are called claires, and serve to keep the oysters under the water at low tide, to prevent them from drying. Here they remain until attaining a diameter of 5 to 7 centimeters, when they are ready for market. To reach this final stage they remain in the claires usually from sixteen to eighteen mouths. A portion of the Arcachon oysters are then sent to La Tremblade, near Mareuues, where they are placed in special claires to become what are known as green oysters (Imitres rertes). The remaining portion is sent directly to domestic markets or exported to England, which country absorbs at least 36,000,000 per annum." From other sources I have learned that oyster farming iu France is steadily on the increase, and that there are now 36,933 oyster-cultivating establishments, owned by 40,C86 persons. Perhaps in future years the cultivation of oysters in the Chesapeake Bay will be conducted with the same care as in France, and then the trade will be of incalculable benefit to Maryland and Virginia. The following letter from Mr. J. W. Hipkins, of Milton, oyster-inspector of Richmond County, Virginia, is of such an interesting character that I take the liberty of giving it iu full : "In front of this village there is a line of oyster rocks, in length about 2 miles, half mile in breadth, called Sycamore Drain Eocks, famous for hundreds of years for the superior quality of oysters, much esteemed for restaurant purposes in all the large markets. Fifteen years ago, to the boat of two hands, with ordinary oyster tongs, 20 tubs per day could be taken; at this time 4 tubs per day is about the average catch. These oysters are round, single, hard shell, and rarely poor. They command here from 60 cents to $1 per tub. If we could have a law enacted giving VIRGINIA: OYSTER INDUSTRY. 473 a respite of four years to these rocks, they would be restored to their status of 1865. Probably the most destructive enemy to the young oyster, while the shell is comparatively soft, is the drum nsh. They come up in large schools, and are also destructive to the soft-shell planted oysters of full size. "There is a peculiarity attending the oyster in this section which has never been explained., (Can you give us an elucidation ?) Probably once in a period of ten years the gills of the oysters are marked by a distinct green color, which remains with them nearly or quite a year. This change, 1 think, is general in this locality; yet I think the quality of the oyster is not in the least impaired by this discoloration. After heavy rains in the mountains, the water coming down from the Upper Rappahauuock and Rapidan, being of a red color and thick, has a very bad effect on the oysters of the large rocks; it makes them sick, as the oystermen say, and they lose much of their muscular power, with their mouths open, constantly ejecting the offensive water. Many die after one of these heavy freshets." xn. NORTH CAROLINA AND ITS FISHERIES. By R. EDWARD EARLL. ANALYSIS. A.— GENERAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERY INTERESTS OP THE STATE : 167. Geography of the coast. 168. Statistics of the commercial fisheries. 169. Statistics of the sea fisheries, exclusive of the oyster interests. B. — THE MORE IMPORTANT FISHERY DISTRICTS: 170. The fisheries of Currituck Sound. 171. The fisheries of Albemurle Sound. 172. The fisheries of Roanoke Island. 173. The fisheries of Parnlico Sound. 174. The fisheries of New Berne. 175. The fisheries of Beaufort and Morehead City. 176. The fisheries of Wilmington and vicinity. 177. History of the menhaden fisheries of North Carolina. 178. The -winter bluefish fishery off the North Carolina coast. 475 T XII. NORTH CAROLINA AND ITS FISHERIES. A.— GENERAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERY INTERESTS OF THE STATE 167. GEOGRAPHY OF THE COAST. GENERAL DESCRIPTION. — The coast of North Carolina, which is about 300 miles in length, resembles somewhat in its general characteristics certain portions of New Jersey. Its outer shore in the northern and central portions is simply a bar of sand separating the waters of the ocean from those of an enormous inland sound system. This bar is constantly changing in form and shape under the action of winds and waves, and within the memory of many of the residents a number of new inlets have "cut out," while others have been completely closed. At the present time there are but six openings through this bar between the Virginia line and Cape Lookout, all of them being shoal and barred on either side so that vessels of small size only can enter. The region is thus practically cut off from direct communication with the ocean, though it is connected with the Chesapeake by means of canals. In the central portion of the State the inland sounds are much smaller, most of them being shoal and narrow lagoons running parallel with the coast. Farther south we find a wide belt of low, marshy islands, separated by numerous tide channels and salt-water creeks. The outer bars, or "banks," as they are locally called, average about half a mile in breadth, and with the exception of a few isolated spots where shrubs and trees occur they are bald ridges of drifting sand, almost destitute of vegetation. Owing to this fact they have few inhabitants, these living in small isolated communities and depending largely upon the water for their support. The mainland bordering the coast region is, for the most part, low and swampy, the scattered population living in the more elevated portions, where the land is well adapted for farming. A few live in the vicinity of the wooded tracts, and during a portion of the year devote their attention to lumbering interests, cutting and shipping large quantities of pine timber. There are few settlements of any size along the shore, the only ones of importance within the limits of the State being Wilmington, New Berne, Beaufort, and Morehead City, the last two being sepa- rated from each other only by a shallow bay scarcely a mile in breadth. The fisheries of the region are quite important, as every oue living near the water catches fish enough for family use, while many salt considerable quantities to be shipped to other portions of the State in exchange for corn. Within the last few years a trade has been developed in fresh fish; shad, mullet, and trout being sent to Baltimore and Norfolk from Wilmington, Beaufort, and 477 478 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. the larger settlements on Albemarle Sound. Each portion of the coast has fishing interests pecul- iar to itself, and as the fisheries of the different sounds are so unlike each other, it is thought desirable to describe each section separately. 168. STATISTICS OF THE COMMERCIAL FISHERIES. THE DIFFERENT FISHERIES. — The large rivers and brackish sounds of North Carolina arc visited annually by immense quantities of shad and alewives (commonly called herring), and in spring and early summer the fishing is extensive in many portions of the State. The principal fisheries, however, are near the junction of the Roanoke and Chowan Rivers, at the head of Albe- marle Sound, and in the Neuse and Tar Rivers. In the alewife fisheries the State ranks first on the list, with 15,5^:0,000 pounds, netting the fishermen $142,784. The quantity of shad taken in 1880 was 3,221,263 pounds, being a little below the Maryland catch, but the price realized is so much greater that the value of the catch is more than double that for the Maryland fishery. Its sea fisheries, when compared with those of the more northern States, are of little importance, though in the bays and sounds between Beaufort and' Wilmington many follow fishing for a liveli- hood and secure annually large quantities of the various species. The mullet fisheries of the State are second only to those of Florida. In 1880 the catch of mullet amounted to 3,368,000 pounds, valued at $80,500. The oyster industry is confined almost wholly to the Neuse River, Beaufort, and Wilmington. In 1880, according to Mr. Ingersoll, it gave employment to 1,020 men; the invested capital was $68,500, and the value of native oysters produced was $60,000. STATISTICAL RECAPITULATION.— A detailed statistical review of the North Carolina fisheries will be found in the following statements : Summary statement of persons employed. Persons employed. Number. 4,729 520 25 Total 5,274 Detailed statement of capital invested and apparatus employed. Apparatus specified. Number. Value. Vessels (1 457 90 tons) . . . 95 $39,000 Boats .. . 2,714 123, 175 117 30, 800 230 1,150 18,796 43,290 522 1,594 835 95, 982 52,620 99, 100 19, 850 506, 561 NORTH CAROLINA: GENERAL EEVIEW OF ITS FISHERIES. 470 Detailed statement of the quantities and values of the products. Products specified. Pounds. Values. 32, 249, 488 $845, 695 Sea fisheries. Bluefiah 600, 000 12, 000 309, COO 15, 575 Crabs - 11,200 450 Mullet 3, 368, 000 80, 500 1, 190, 000 60,000 Shrimp 63,000 4,500 950, 000 23, 000 170, 000 2,550 123 000 10 850 4, 572, 500 71, 320 11, 357, 300 280, 745 River fisheries. 15, 520, 000 142, 784 Shad 3, 221, 263 329, 569 436, 900 18, 094 1, 714, 025 74, 503 20, 892, 188 564, 950 169. STATISTICS OF THE SEA FISHERIES EXCLUSIVE OF THE OYSTER INTERESTS. In the following statements the statistics of all of the fresh-water fisheries are neglected, and the figures relate only to the salt-water fisheries, exclusive of the oyster industry. The statements have been carefully compiled from notes made during interviews with many of the more intelligent fishermen and dealers in the various localities, and the figures are thought to be sufficiently accu- rate for all purposes for which they are intended. We are under obligations to the fish dealers of Wilmington, Beaufort, and New Berne for information and assistance which have made it possible to give to the public a general account of the fisheries of each district. Summary statement of persons employed. Persons employed. Number. 1,707 118 25 Total 1 850 Detailed statement of capital invested and apparatus employed. Apparatus specified. Number. Value. Vessels (117 90 tons) 4 $11, 600 Boats 1,110 56 500 Pound- nets .,.. 3 1,800 230 1 150 Gill-nets .' 850 13 250 1 400 538 22 200 100 550 17 900 27 60^ 19 850 Total 172 800 480 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. Detailed statement of the quantities and values of the products. Products specified. Pounds. Value. Bluefish 600 000 $12 000 Clama (hard) 309 600 15, 575 Crabs . . .. 11 200 450 Mullet .... 3 368 000 80 500 63 000 4 500 950 000 23 000 170 000 2,550 123 000 10 850 4 672 500 71 320 Total 10, 167, 300 220, 745 B.— THE MORE IMPORTANT FISHERY DISTRICTS. 170. THE FISHERIES OF CURRITUCK SOUND. A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OP THE REGION. — Currituck Sound is a shoal body of water beginning near the northern boundary of the State, and extending about 40 miles southward in a direction nearly parallel with the coast. It has an average width of 3 or 4 miles, and is separated from the sea by a belt of low sand-hills less than a mile in breadth. Formerly it communicated freely with the ocean through a large inlet, and, the water being salt, it was a favorite resort for the various species of marine fishes common to this portion of the coast; but the inlet has been closed for many years, and the water has gradually freshened until now only the fresh water and anadromous fishes occur. Chub (M. pallidus) and perch (E. americanus) are particularly abundant in these waters, while other species, including rock (Roccus lineatm) and "herring" (Clupea vernalis and C. mtivalis), are found at certain seasons. The region is also visited each winter by enormous numbers of wild fowl, including ducks and geese of several species, and it is one of the most popular resorts of the entire coast for the sportsmen of the larger cities. THE FISHERIES. — The country has a scattered population depending largely on farming, gun- ning, and fishing. It is quite isolated, and up to 1869 had no regular communication with any of the larger cities. At that time a steamboat line was established between Poplar Branch and Norfolk for the purpose of carrying the game and fish that might be taken. Prior to that date a few fish had been carried to market in wagons, but the distance was so great that not many were caught beyond those needed for local supply. With good shipping facilities the business at once assumed important proportions, and the steamer often carried 15,000 pounds of chub and perch at a single trip. The fishery reached its height about 1872, when, according to Captain Walker, nearly 1,000,000 pounds of these species were taken, the bulk of the catch being shipped to the Norfolk market. In 1875 the catch had fallen off one-third, and in the winter of 1879-'80 it reached only 350,000 pounds of chub and 83,000 pounds of perch, from the sale of which the fishermen realized about $13,000. The fishing begins in October and continues till the following April. The fish are taken chiefly in small drag seines. These are fished in the grassy bays both along the shore and at a considerable distance from it. In fishing the men remain constantly in their boats. After properly stowing the seine in the stern they proceed to the fishing grounds, and, when a suitable locality is reached, a pole to which one end of the seine is attached is imbedded in the mud of the bottom, after which the seine is "shot" in the form of a circle in order to surround and retain the fish. NORTH CAROLINA: THE MOKE IMPORTANT DISTRICTS. 481 When the ends have been brought together the men begin "hauling in" one of them, and they continue their work till the circle has become very small and the fish are brought together in a limited space. The seine with its fish is then quickly lifted into the stern of the boat. In warm weather this method would be hardly practicable, for in hauling the lead-line is frequently raised several feet above the bottom, and the fish have an excellent opportunity to escape; but the fishing occurs chiefly in winter when the water is cold; at this time the fish are so sluggish that they make little effort to escape. The fishing is not confined to any particular region, but extends over the entire sound, and even as far south as Kitty Hawk Bay, a few miles above Roanoke Island. In the winter of 1879-'SO there were two hundred and eighty men with one hundred and forty boats and a like number of seines engaged in this fishery. 171. THE FISHERIES OF ALBEMARLE SOUND. THE FISHING WHOLLY FOE FEESH-WATEB AND ANADEOMOUS SPECIES.— Albemarle Sound, a sheet of water 50 miles long by 7 to 10 miles wide is the center of the shad, herring, and rock fisheries of the State. Its only communication with the sea is through Oregon Inlet, situated some distance below Roanoke Island. The water of the sound, under ordinary circumstances, is fresh, but during seasons of extreme drought it becomes more or less brackish, especially in its lower part. The fishing is confined wholly to the capture of shad, herring, rock, and perch. Formerly haul-seines were almost exclusively used; as the fishery increased in importance these were made larger and larger, until, at the present time, they average 2,000 to 2,500 yards in length, being among the largest in the country. Within the past three or four years small steamboats have been introduced into the fishery for the purpose of "laying out" the seines, and horse and steam power are frequently employed in hauling them to the shore. In 1870 the first pound-nets were introduced into the region by Mr. J. P. Hetterick, of Huron, Ohio. They have proved very successful in this fishery, and are not only coming into general favor, but seem destined to revo- lutionize the fisheries of the Albemarle. Stationary gill-nets, or stake-nets, are also extensively used in the lower part of the sound; and, according to Col. M. McDonald, the first drift-nets were introduced into the region in 1880. A large part of the shad, rock, and perch are shipped in ice to New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore; but so many herring are taken, that no market can be found for them fresh, and nearly all are salted. A detailed account of the fisheries of this region will be given by Colonel McDonald in the chapter on the shad and alewife fisheries. 172. THE FISHERIES OF ROANOKE ISLAND. Roanoke Island, lying between Albemarle and Currituck Sounds on the north, and Pamlico Sound on the south, has a population of about 1,100, largely dependent upon farming and fishing. Capt. J. W. Etheridge estimates that fully three-fourths of the total earnings of these people come from the water. Probably 223 men are extensively engaged in fishing, while the others fish occa- sionally for local use. THE FISHERIES OF THE REGION. — The principal fishing is for shad (Clupea sapidissimd), herring (Clupea vernalis and C. cestivalis), and rock (Roccus lineatus), in spring; for mullet (Mugil albula), hogflsh (Diabasis sp.), spot (Liostomus xanthurus), and terrapin, in summer; and for bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix), rock, and terrapin in the fall and early winter. Oysters and quahaugs are also gathered for local use and for sale in the interior. 31 G E F 482 GEOGEAPHICAL EEV1BW OF THE FISHERIES. The shad arrive about the middle of February, when fully one hundred men begin fishing with stake-nets; a little later the others seek employment at the various seining beaches of the region. One seine is owned on the island, and three others are fished on the opposite side of the channel. After the shad season is over, many of the islanders fish for other species, exchanging their catch for corn with the people of the mainland. Early in September quite a number go to Oregon Inlet to fish for mullet ; and a little later they turn their attention to the capture of bluefish. THE PURSE SEINE USED IN THE CAPTURE OF ROCK. — So far as we can learn, Eoanoke Island is the only place on the entire coast where the purse-seine has been used for catching rock. This method was first employed by Mr. Samuel Terry, of Rhode Island, in 1873. He came regularly to the region each fall for three or four years with a purse-seine, and succeeded in taking large num- bers of rock, which he sent to the Northern markets. It is reported that during the first season the catch was so large that only the largest fish were marketed, the others being used as a dressing for the land. Though remarkably abundant for a time, the fish were soon caught up, and the business was abandoned. HISTORY OF THE ROANOKE ISLAND TERRAPIN FISHERY AND A DESCRIPTION OF THE METHODS OF CAPTURE. — Eoanoke Island has an important terrapin fishery, and, with the exception of Beaufort, it is the only place in the United States where dredges and traps are extensively used in the capture of the species. Until 1849 the fishing was wholly for local supply, as the fishermen were not aware of the market value of the terrapin. About that time Capt. J. B. Etheridge caught 4,150 during the months of February and March. These he sold in Norfolk and Baltimore for $750. The news spread rapidly, and many at once engaged in the fishery, prosecuting the business to such an extent as to nearly exterminate the species. The terrapin-dredge was invented about 1845, by Mr. William Midgett, of Roanoke Island. It is arranged on the plan of an oyster-dredge, being simply an iron bar 36 to 40 inches long pro- vided with stout iron teeth. Either end of the bar is fastened to the base of an iron ring. The rings are connected at the top by a thick bar of wood. To this frame a large-mesh net, or bag, of netting 3 or 4 feet in length is attached. The dredges are used chiefly in the fall and winter, when the terrapin are "bedded" in the mud. A vessel or boat takes from one to three of these in tow, and drags them back and forth along the bottom where the terrapin are thought to be abundant. The trap is a cylinder of netting somewhat resembling a New Jersey lobster pot, having a funnel-shaped opening at either end. After being baited with fish, it is fastened to a stake at the surface of the water, or placed on the flats where a portion of the upper part is exposed. It is used only in summer when the fish are moving about in search of food . The method of hunting terrapin with dogs is also peculiar to this region. The dogs are trained to track them from the water-line to the place where their eggs are deposited during the breeding season, or to follow their trail through the marshes in summer. There is also a large terrapin pound on the island, in which the experiment of raising terrapin from the egg to a marketable size is being tried. This pound is an inclosure of several acres, through which a tide-stream passes. It also includes a salt marsh where the terrapin may "bed" in winter, and a bank of sand in which their eggs may be deposited. At present the experiment has not progressed far onough to warrant an opinion as to its practical value. 173. THE FISHERIES OF PAMLICO SOUND. THE GEOGRAPHY OF THE REGION.— Pamlico Sound is an irregular sheet of water, CO miles long by 15 to 25 miles broad. Barring Long Island Sound, it is the largest salt-water sound between Maine and Florida. It is nearly surrounded by laud, being separated from the ocean by NORTH CAROLINA: THE MORE IMPORTANT DISTRICTS. 483 a long and narrow strip of sand kuown as "The Banks." It communicates with the sea through several narrow openings that have been cut through the bar by the waves and currents. The water varies greatly in saltuess in different localities. In the vicinity of the iulets it is as salt as that of the ocean, but in portions more remote it is usually quite fresh. During certain seasons of the year a large part of it becomes brackish. It may, however, be considered as a sheet of salt water, with a fauna similar to that of the adjoining sea-coast. On the west the land is low and marshy, and the settlements are small and widely separated. The fishing of this region, with the exception of that in Croatau Sound and in the larger rivers for shad, is limited to the capture of a few mullet (M. albula and braziliensis), spot (L. xanthurus), and hogfish (Diabasis sp.), for family use. " THE BANKS" AND 'JHEIR INHABITANTS.— The land along the eastern side, locally known as "The Banks," is for the most part a ridge of low and barren sand hills, with only here and there a small ''hummock" or wooded district, having a thin layer of vegetable mold. It is separated from the mainland by distances varying from 3 to 30 miles, and is quite cut off from communica- tion with the outside world. Formerly this region was the home of a class of wreckers, who lived chiefly by plunder, but owing to the. establishment of light-houses and life-saving stations along the shore, the number of wrecks Las been greatly diminished, and the people have been obliged to turn their attention to fishing, clamming, and oystering. Most of the men own boats and nets, while others have small vessels for trading with the inhabitants of the mainland. Those who are unable to own a fishing outfit usually share that of a neighbor, giving him a part of the catch as an equivalent. THE VARIOI^S FISHERIES OF THE REGION. — The fishing is not extensive, and there are no large seines or pounds requiring the labor of any considerable number of men. The people do not fish with any regularity, many of them going out only during the height of the season, or when neces- sity compels. The region is so far removed from any market, that, with the exception of the blue- fish taken in winter, all the fish are salted. The catch is usually taken to the mainland and exchanged with the inhabitants along the larger rivers for corn or other produce. Barter is the common method of trade, and many a man with a large family has less than $50 in money during the entire year. In January, parties having vessels or large boats are engaged in gathering oysters and clams, which they exchange with the people of the mainland for corn, at the rate of a bushel of oysters to a bushel of ears of corn. This business continues till April, when nearly all turn their attention to their small garden patches, where they raise such vegetables as are needed for their family nse. The summer fishing is quite small, and only for local supply. A few of the vessel owners engage in a traffic called "shelling" at this season. This consists in the gathering of small oysters, which are sold for fertilizing purposes at from 3 to 5 cents a bushel. Early in September the fishing becomes quite extensive, and all of the fishermen are soon engaged in the capture of hogfish, spot, mullet, trout (Cynoscion regale), and small bluefish, for salting. Gill-nets and seines, 75 to 125 yards in length, are used in this fishery. When a good fishing ground is reached, several of the fishermen work together setting their nets in the form of a circle around a school of fish. The size of the circle is then gradually reduced until the fish are confined in a small area, after which they are driven into the nets by the fishermen, who wade or row about inside of the circle, keeping up a continual splashing with the oars. When seines are used, several are often tied together, so as to give a greater length; and in fishing for mullet a second line of them is often drawn behind the first, to catch the fish that jump over the inner net in their efforts to escape. The catch in this 484 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. fishery averages about 10 to 15 barrels of salted fish to the man. Early in November nearly all resort to the ocean shore for bluefish, where they are usually engaged till Christmas. THE QUAHAUG INTERESTS, INCLUDING THE CANNEKY AT OCEACOKE INLET. — In addition to the above, there is an extensive fishery for clams or quahaugs to supply the clam cannery of Maltby & Edwards at Oci acoke Inlet. This cannery was located at Elizabeth City in 1876, but on account of the distance to which the clams must be carried it was removed to its present site the following season. It is the most southern of the three American canneries engaged in the packing of quahaugs. A large business has been done yearly since its establishment. During the season of 1879 forty fishermen and laborers were regularly employed in catching and packing the clams, and fifty others fished occasionally for the cannery. In addition to the clam business, a few turtle, crabs, and Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus maculatus) were put up by way of experiment. THE EXTENT OF THE TERRAPIN FISHERY. — The trade in terrapin is not very extensive, though a good many are found along the western shore and a few are picked up on "The Banks." The bulk of the catch is taken by farmers and others for their own tables, and comparatively few are shipped. Parties at New Berne, on the Nense River, buy and ship a few, and one or two mer- chants of the smaller settlements do a limited business in the same line. At Sladesville there is a small pound for keeping the terrapin during the summer months, or until the price is sufficiently high to warrant their shipment to the Northern markets. The total catch, including that of Roanoke Island, is 4,000 "heifers", 4,000 counts, and 9,000 "bulls", valued at $3,250. THE SHRIMP FISHERY. — Shrimp are often quite abundant in some localities, especially in the southern part of the sound and at the mouth of the Neuse River. The seine fishermen have some- times taken 20 to 30 bushels at a haul while fishing for trout or mullet. There is no market for the species in the region, as the dealers have not yet learned how to prepare them for shipment. Very few are eaten by the fishermen or other residents, and no one has yet learned their value. 174. THE FISHERIES OF NEW BERNE. No PROFESSIONAL FISHERMEN AT NEW BERNE PRIOR TO 1840. — The city of New Berne, situated on the south bank of the Neuse River, 20 miles above its mouth, is a settlement of 6,000 inhabitants. Its location on one of the largest rivers of the State, within a few miles of the salt water, with excellent shipping facilities by rail and boat, gives it an advantage in the fisheries over any other settlement in the region. Prior to 1840 it had no professional fishermen, and the supply of fish, consisting chiefly of perch and "robins," was taken in small gill-nets called "fly-tails." About this time Capt. Isaac Lewis removed to New Berne from Beaufort, to engage in the river fisheries. He introduced the drag-net into the locality, and was the only professional fisherman of the town for several years. THE ORIGIN OF THE SHAD FISHERIES. — In 1844, according to Captain Lewis, gill-nets were first used for the capture of shad at New Berne, and then for the first time was this species exten- sively taken. In 1846 haul-seines were introduced by Richard Felton, a fisherman from Albemarle Sound. The first vessel was used in 1858. At present, there are two small vessels acting simply as "tenders" for the seine fishermen at the mouth of the river. At the present time New Berne has one of the most important shad fisheries in the State, and most of her fishermen engage regularly in the work during the fishing season. At other times many are employed in taking herring (Glupea vernalis and C. cestivalis), gizzard shad (Dorosoma oepedianum), rock, red-fins (Perca americana), robins (Centrarchus sp.), welchmen (Micropterws pallidm), catfish (Amiurus sp.), and gars (Lepidosteus osseus), all along the river bank. NORTH CAROLINA: THE MORE IMPORTANT DISTRICTS. 485 THE FISHING FOR MARINE SPECIES OF LITTLE IMPORTANCE. — At times the fishermen visit the salt water of the sound with seines, and catch blnefish, mullet, trout, spot, and sheepshead; but there is no regular salt-water fishing, and, according to Mr. C. F. Watson, the yearly catch of marine species does not exceed 100,000 bunches, or 300,000 pounds, valued at $5,000. A description of the river fisheries of the place will be found in the chapter on the shad fish- eries of North Carolina. THE WHOLESALE FISH TRADE OF NEW BERNE. — As a fish market, New Berne ranks among the most important in the State, and, if credited with the fish shipped from Beaufort by firms hav- ing branch houses in that city, it stands at the head of the list. There are six firms, each doing an extensive business in the shipment of fresh and salt water fishes, oysters, and clams. Formerly the trade was small and confined to the immediate locality, but within the last ten years, owing to the energy of the dealers, it has increased fourfold. Many fish are now sent to all of the larger cities of the Southeastern States, except Florida, and in addition a large number are consigned to the principal dealers of New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. The supply of salt-water fish comes chiefly by rail from Beaufort and Morehead City, where several of the dealers have branch houses for buying and packing. A few of the oysters are obtained from this source also, but the greater part come direct from "The Banks" by vessel. New Berne has also a trade in salt-water terrapin and "loggerhead turtles" (Chelydra), and in 1879 shipped about 280 dozen terrapin that were taken in Pamlico Sound. The shipping of turtles began about 1873, and has gradually increased until in the fall of 1879 fully 8,000 pounds were sent to the Northern markets. Most of the turtles are gathered in the rivers and creeks dur- ing the months of September and October. THE RETAIL FISH TRADE. — The retail fish trade of New Berne is controlled wholly by negroes. There are eight fish-stalls in the market at the dock, and four or five men and boys peddle fish about the streets. Probably no city on the coast is so peculiar in its retail trade as New Berne. The coarsest species are not only seen in the markets, but they make up the bulk of the sales. The gar (L. osseus), not seen by us in any other market in the country, is one of the princi- pal food-fishes here, where it is highly prized by the negroes. The other important species are catfish, eels, sturgeon, gizzard-shad, herring, perch, robins, and welchmen. Any surplus of fresh fish at times of over-supply is salted and dried or smoked, and it is not uncommon to see even catfish and other of the coarser species that have been prepared in this way exposed for sale in the market-stalls. 175. THE FISHERIES OF BEAUFORT AND MOREHEAD CITY. THE GEOGRAPHY OF THE REGION. — Lying to the southward of Pamlico Sound, and communi- cating freely with it, is a long and narrow sheet of water, running parallel with the coast for a dis- tance of 50 miles. It varies in breadth from 1 to 6 miles, and on account of its shoalness is navi- gable for vessels of small size only. It communicates with the ocean through Beaufort and Bear Inlets, the former being situated near its center, and the latter at its southern extremity. The portion lying to the north of Beaufort Inlet is known as Core Sound, and that to the south as Bogue Sound. The land on the east is merely a continuation of the sandy banks that occur farther north, and, with the exception of a small portion in the vicinity of Beaufort, it has almost no inhab- itants. Carteret County, which forms the western shore, is very irregular in shape. It is long and narrow, reaching from the Neuse River, on the north, to Bear Inlet, on the south, and extend- ing but a short distance into the interior. Its shores are so frequently interrupted by bays, rivers, and creeks, and the whole country is so cut up by water-channels, that wagons are almost wholly 486 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. dispensed with, and the communication between different sections is carried on by means of boats. Indeed, such is the peculiar relation of land to water, that, according to Sheriff J. D. Davis, one can go in a boat to within a mile of any house in the county. The principal settlements are Beaufort and Morehead City. These are situated on opposite sides of Newport River, just abreast of Beaufort Inlet, with a population of 1,600 and 400, respect ively. THE INHABITANTS LARGELY DEPENDENT UPON THE FISHERIES. — Fully three-fourths of the people of the county are largely dependent upon fishing and oystering. For many years large quantities of mullet, trout, hogfish, and spot have been annually salted for shipment to the interior. Prior to 1858, when the railroad was completed to Morehead City, the fish were salted and carried in vessels to Norfolk, or to various points on Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds, where they were exchanged for corn; but now many are sent by rail to the markets of the interior. THE SHIPPING OP FRESH FISH IN ICE. — Up to 1870 no fresh fish were shipped, and at that time only an occasional box was sent out in midwinter to some of the larger cities of the State. In 1874 the iced-fish trade was inaugurated by Mr. George, N. Ives,- of New Haven, Conn. Mr. Ives came to Beaufort to engage in the oyster trade, but finding that fresh fish of excellent quality could be readily obtained, he decided to establish a business in this line. From that date this branch of the business has grown very rapidly, and though most of the larger dealers have found it con- venient to locate in New Berne, the fish are usually packed and shipped direct from the station at Morehead City. During the year ending May 30, 1880, there were 250,000 bunches of fresh fish, equal to 892,000 pounds, netting the fishermen $25,500, either shipped from or consumed in Car- teret County. Of these, 90,000 bunches were trout (Cynoscion maculatum), 40,000 were mullet (Mugil albula and M. braziliensis), 20,000 were bluefish (Pomatonms saltatrix), 5,000 were sea-mullet (Men- ticiirus alburnus). The remaining 100,000 bunches included red drum (Sciccna •ocellata), spot (Liostomus xanthurus), star-fish (probably a species of Trachynotus), Spanish mackerel (Scombcro- morvs maculatus), and other species. There are five firms engaged in the fish trade at Beaufort, and four additional at Morehead City. These occupy property worth $3,000, require a capital of $5,000, and furnish employment to thirty men and boys for eight months of the year. The ship- ping season lasts from the middle of August to the middle of December and from the 20th of Jan- uary to the 1st of May. EXTENSIVE SHIPMENTS OF SALT FISH. — The combined salt-fish trade of Beaufort and More- head City is more extensive than that of any other city on the Southern coast. These places handle nearly all of the fish put up by the fishermen living between Ocracoke Inlet, on the north, and New River, on the south. The trade is confined to no one class, but is open to general com- petition, so that the regular fish dealers, the merchants, and many of the citizens buy and ship a considerable quantity, while thirty-three vessels, ranging from 5 to 20 tons each, are engaged in carrying salt fish to the various river towns and to Norfolk to exchange for corn. THE BARRELS USED FOR PACKING THE FISH. — Formerly the fish were salted in almost any barrel, keg, or kit that would hold pickle, and there was no uniformity in the size of the package. To overcome this difficulty, the State legislature, in 1879, passed a law requiring the fish barrel to have a stave 25 inches long and a head 13 inches in diameter. This regulation barrel, which is quite generally, though not universally adopted, is calculated to hold 100 pounds. The difficulty, however, is that the law does not state how many pounds it shall contain, and people inclined to dishonesty, by packing the fish with the backbone toward the center, can make a barrel seem full when it contains but 85 or 90 pounds; when the fish are carefully packed with the backbones outward the barrel will hold about 11.0 pounds. NORTH CAROLINA: THE MOKE IMPORTANT DISTRICTS. 48? KINDS OF PISH SALTED.— The principal species salted, arranged in the order of their import- ance, are mullet, spot, hogfish, trout, bluefish, drum, Spanish mackerel, and sheepshead. Mullet arc by far the most important species on the list, and, including all that were eaten, shipped, and carted into the country, there were not less than 13,000 barrels salted by the fishermen of this district. These net the fishermen about $3 per barrel. The total quantity of other fish salted is about 3,000 barrels. The trade in salt fish is largely with the eastern portion of North Carolina, though a few find their way to other parts of the State and to South Carolina and Virginia. THE SALT FISH USUALLY EXCHANGED FOE CORN. — During former years the fishermen de- pended wholly upon small vessels to carry the catch to market, and it became customary for the captains to exchange the fish with the farmers of the river towns for corn. This practice grew almost universal, and the fishermen thus laid in their "bread" each fall as regularly as the ice merchant of the North cuts and houses his stock of ice for the following summer. The same prac- tice is still quite common, even though it frequently results to the disadvantage of the fishermen, who argue, and with considerable force, that if they sold for money they would spend it for other things, and come to want for bread before the close of the winter. DIFFEEENT SPECIES TAKEN AT DiFFEEENT SEASONS. — About the 20th of January many of the fishermen of Beaufort and vicinity go to the Neuse, Tar, and Cape Fear Rivers and to Albe- marle Sound to fish for shad and herring. By the 1st of February one hundred others resort to the outer beach to engage in the shore whale fisheries, which continue till the 20th of April or the 1st of May. The remainder are engaged in oystering and clamming. Early in March the salmon- trout (C. maculatum) appear and are captured with drag-nets. This fishery lasts till the middle of May, when the drag-nets are laid aside and those owning drop-nets begin fishing for mullet, hogfish, and spot for salting. Others catch a few terrapin and crabs, and the remainder seek employment on the shore. About the middle of August the mullet seines are "set in," and most of the fisher- men, with a good many farmers, are employed in the capture of mullet till the 1st of November, while others continue to fish with drop-nets and drag-nets for mullet, trout, hogfish, and spot till the middle of December. At this time the fish become scarce in the sounds, and most of the fisher- men turn their attention to oystering and clamming, while others go to Cape Lookout and fish along the outer shore with seines for red drum, which are quite abundant at this season. Those living at a distance from the markets are engaged, to a greater or less extent, in farming. They fish but little during the early summer. When the mullet arrive in August, however, they engage extensively in their capture, and after the season is over they turn their attention to oystering and clamming till time for the spring trout fishing. A DESCEIPTION OF THE MULLET FISHERIES. — The mullet fisheries of this region are very im- portant, and the fishermen of Carteret County put up more salt mullet than those of all the other counties of the State combined. In fact the shipments of salted mullet from this region exceed the total shipments from all other portions of the Atlantic coast. The small mullet first appear in June, the number gradually increasing till August. At this time they begin to gather in schools, but no tendency toward migration is noticeable till the middle of the month. They then move slowly southward, and the schools follow one after another, the size of the fish constantly increas- ing until the middle of September, when the old or roe mullet arrive. The largest of them are said to weigh from 4 to 5 pounds and to measure fiom 24 to 26 inches. These gradually work southward, and at the approach of the first cold storm usually disappear. A school of smaller individuals called "frost" or "winter" mullet follow in their wake, and by the 1st of January the greater part have left the region, though a few may be taken at any time till the following spring. 488 GEOGEAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. Iii the early summer a few are taken in drag-nets, but the fishermen soon lay these aside and pro- vide themselves with gill-nets, locally known as drop-nets, those of larger mesh being used as the fish increase in size. The mullet are surrounded by these nets, four or five of them often being set together in the form of a circle, after which the fish are driven into them by splashing. This method of fishing continues till the middle of August, when the fish start south. The fishermen then take their large seines and boats, and, after providing themselves with salt and barrels, start for the Banks, where they build small shanties, one for sleeping and cooking, and another for storing the fish. Schools of mullet follow each other in rapid succession through the sound or along the outer shore, and large hauls are often made. The fishing begins about the middle of August and continues till November. In the fall of 1879 there were thirty-seven crews, averaging fifteen to twenty men each, engaged in the mullet fisheries of the region with haul- seines, in addition to a large number that fished with drag-nets and gill-nets at different points. The catch averaged about 300 barrels of salted fish to the seine. THE FISHERY FOE SALMON TROUT. — Next to the mullet the, salmon trout is the most impor- tant fish of the region, and Carteret County has the largest fishery for this species also of any county on the Atlantic seaboard. Trout are present in the waters of the sound during the entire year, but they are most abundant in the spring and fall. They are taken most extensively in the deeper channels of the sounds, though large hauls are occasionally made along the outer shore. The fish- ing begins about the middle of March and continues till late in May, when the fish are thought to retire into the cooler water of the ocean. In September they are again quite abundant in the sounds, and many of the fishermen fish for them in preference to the mullet that are also very plenty. The fall fishing lasts till late in December. THE DRAG-NET As USED IN THE TROUT FISHERY. — The fish are taken chiefly in seines locally known as "drag-nets," though a few are caught in gill-nets in the fall. Drag-nets seem to have originated with the fishermen of this region about the beginning of the present century, and they are now in use only in the northern portion of Forth Carolina. These nets are 80 to 110 yards in length, of 3-inch mesh, and about 12 feet deep. The method of hauling known as "footin' 'er up" is quite different from that employed with the ordinary seine. Two men go in a boat, and after reaching a shoal bank on the edge of the main channel with 2 to 4 feet of water, one of the fisher- men jumps overboard and holds one end of the net, while the other "shoots" the seine in the form of a semicircle so as to include as much of the channel as possible. When the net is out he brings a line to the shoal, and jumping into the water draws the net and boat toward his companion, who in turn is advancing toward him. They soon meet, and, after firmly pressing the staff of one end into the bottom, begin hauling in on the line, and later on the net, care being taken to have it con- stantly against the staff. When the area inclosed by the net has been sufficiently reduced, the captain takes his position beside the staff and passes the lead-line under his left foot, thus keeping it close to the ground, as he continues to haul it in; the other man is pulling in the cork-line at the same time. The fish are thus gradually brought together at the end of the net, and by a quick movement they are lifted from the water and thrown into the boat. AVERAGE DALLY CATCH OF TROUT. — The catch varies considerably from day to day. The wind is said to have considerable influence on the movements of the fish, and porpoise drive them about from place to place. At one time the trout may be abundant near the inlets, and the next day a school of porpoise may enter and drive them to the shoal waters at the farther end of the sound. Thus a man may fish a number of days without catching a trout, and again he may catch several hundred or even a thousand at a single haul. The average catch is fifty to sixty fish daily to the net. NORTH CAROLINA: THE MORE IMPORTANT DISTRICTS. 489 THE DIFFERENT MARKETS FOE TROUT. — The trout average 1£ pounds each, and find a ready sale at 2 to 4 cents apiece in Beaufort or Morehead City. The fishermen living at a distance from the market are obliged to salt their catch, while fish taken at the southern end of Bogue Sound and at New River go fresh to Wilmington. When the supply is large the surplus of those pur- chased by the dealers is salted; but it is difficult to overstock the market, as there is an outlet for a large quantity in Baltimore, which is the best trout market in the country. The shipments to this port are so large at times that, according to the dealers, the transportation companies have been obliged to limit the daily shipment to 40 barrels. THE VALUE OF TROUT SOUNDS. — The sound of the trout is very valuable, and at the present time not less than 4,500 pounds are handled annually in this locality, which is the only district south of Delaware where fish sounds are extensively saved. Prior to 1872 there was no market for them in the region, and none were saved beyond the few that were gathered by the fishermen's wives for use iu their kitchens. None of the residents of the region knew that they were even a salable article. In the spring of 1872 Mr. D. Bell, of Morehead City, having learned that fish sounds were saved in the North, decided to ship a few by way of experiment. Those sent, though not properly cleaned, netted him nearly a dollar a pound. On learning their value, he at once went through the county and contracted with the fishermen for the sounds of the trout taken by them at 15 cents a pound. Competition soon brought them up to 25 and later to 75 cents. From this date to the present day all of the fishermen have saved the sounds when salting their fish. THE INVENTION OF THE TROUT SOUNDER. — In 1878 the fresh-fish trade had grown to such proportions that a large part of the trout were shipped "round" in ice, and the value of the sounds was lost to the dealers. This led Mr. Bell to consider the question of removing the sound without opening the fish. Accordingly he soon invented a simple apparatus, by means of which he could draw it out through the gill-opening without injuring the looks or sale of the fish. The instrument is called a " sounder." It consists simply of a thin piece of wood C or 7 inches long and three- fourths of an inch wide, to which a small wire hook is attached. The stick is inserted at the gill- opeuing and passed along the backbone to detach the sound from the body. When it has been loosened the sound is easily drawn out through the same opening by means of the wire hook. At the present time all of the trout are "sounded" before shipment. Boys are usually employed for this work, and many of them have become so expert that they can sound forty fish iu a minute. The sounder is at present used only at Beaufort, Morehead City, and New Berne. The fishermen of Wilmington, the next most important trout market on the coast, have never used it. The general use of the sounder throughout the State would result in an annual saving of many thou- sands of dollars to its people. THE INTRODUCTION OF POUND-NETS INTO THE REGION. — The first pound-net was introduced into Core Sound in the spring of 1879, by Mr. Harrison, of New York, who was employed by Messrs. Lamphier & Haff, of that city. It was located about 6 miles north of Beaufort, but the fishermen of the region, with a characteristic dislike for any new method of fishing, especially by a non-resi- dent, cut it to pieces before it had been fairly tested. In the fall of the same year Mr. D. Bell, of Morehead City, put one up in Bogue Sound, and another was added the following spring; but it is said that the trout, the species for which they were intended, did not enter them, and though abundant in the waters, but one individual was secured. Later they were taken up and removed to the Neuse River, where they were successfully used for herring and shad. So far as we know, this is the most. southern point on the coast where pound-nets have ever been successfully used, though there was an unsuccessful attempt to introduce them into the shad fisheries of Florida, probably by men who did not fully understand setting and fishing them. 490 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. WHALE AND PORPOISE FISHING FKOM THE SHORE — The oldest residents of Beaufort state that the whale and porpoise fisheries of that region began prior to their earliest recollections. There seems never to have been any extensive fishery, and, with the exception of two vessels (the Daniel Webster and the Seychelle, of 24.15 and 47.07 tons, respectively), it has been prosecuted only from small open boats, manned by fishermen living along the shore. The Daniel Webster came to Beaufort in the winter of 1874-'75, with a crew from Provincetown, Mass., but after three months' cruising she returned to the North, having taken nothing. The Seychelle came in the winter of 187S-'79, but was lost in the summer of 1879, before taking a whale. The shore whalers resort to the outer beach with their boats and other apparatus about the 1st of February, and after building a camp for cooking and sleeping, they establish a " crow's-nest" or lookout station on one of the highest sand hills, where some of their number are stationed to watch for the whales that follow the shore in their migrations toward the north. The season lasts till the 1st of May. A camp usually consists of three boat crews, of six men each, and while wait- ing for whales some of the men fish with seines for such fish as happen to be moving along the shore. A lookout is kept constantly in the crow's-nest, and when a whale comes in sight the signal is given and the boats start in pursuit. When the whale is overtaken the harpoon is plunged into it. A wooden drag is usually attached to the iron by means of a short line. This is at once thrown out, and the animal is allowed to "have its run." Harassed by the drag, the whale soon turns to fight, when the boats quickly overtake it, and one of the gunners shoots it with an explo- sive cartridge. When the creature has been killed it is towed to the shore, where it is cut up and the blubber tried out. The number of men engaged in the whale fishery varies from year to year. Formerly there were two to three camps of about eighteen men each. In 1879 there were four camps, with a total of sev- enty-two men. Five whales were taken during the season, the products of which sold for $4,000. In 1880 there were one hundred and eight men stationed between Cape Hatteras and Bear Inlet, which mark the limits of this fishery, but the season being unusually open, most of the whales had passed before the fishermen arrived. One small whale was taken, from which the fishermen real- ized $408.46. The stretch of coast above referred to is also a favorite " run " for porpoise (Plioctcna amcricana), and often immense herds of them may be seen moving along within a few rods of the shore. Dur- ing a visit to the region in April, 1880, they were very abundant. Droves of 50 to 100 of them were frequently seen together, and the fishermen assure us that they were even more numerous earlier in the season. As early as 1810 parties engaged in the porpoise fishery, and from one to three crews followed it quite regularly each winter up to 1860, when the fishery was discontinued. The fish were taken in heavy seines, about 800 yards long. These, on account of their weight and bulk, were in sections of 200 yards each. They were shot simultaneously from four boats, the ends being securely fastened after they had been brought together. The seine was then hauled in as far as convenient, after which the porpoise were landed with a smaller and stouter seine. The crews usually numbered from fifteen to eighteen men, and the fishing season lasted from late in December till the following April. The average catch was about 400 or 500 porpoise to the seine, each yielding 5 to G gallons. There is a growing disposition on the part of the people of the region to resume this fishery, and were it not for the expense of "fitting out" (which, according to their statements, would be about $400), many would doubtless engage in the work. There seems no reason why this fishery should not be very profitable to any who would engage in it; on the contrary, there is reason to believe that, if properly managed, it would be more remunerative than almost any other fishery on NORTH CAROLINA: THE MOEE IMPORTANT DISTRICTS. 491 the Southern coast. In order to lessen the cost of outfit, guns similar to those used by the Passa- maquoddy Indians in the porpoise fisheries of Eastport might be introduced with advantage, or, better still, the fishermen might be provided with both guns and seines. So far as we have been able to ascertain, no one has yet attempted to combine shore whaling and porpoising. These might be combined with little inconvenience and doubtless with excellent results. The men engaged in whaling are obliged to remain constantly on the shore where the porpoise are most abundant, and there are days and weeks together when no whales are seen. At such times the fishermen, with the exception of one ortwo who should be kept on the lookout for whales, could devote their attention to the capture of porpoise, and when a whale came in sight they could at once leave off porpoising and start in pursuit. NOVEL METHODS EMPLOYED IN THE CAPTURE OF TURTLE AND TERRAPIN. — Prior to the war no terrapin were shipped from the district, and the local demand was very light. The fishery was then confined to the capture of a limited number for family use by the fishermen. Recently an extensive business has sprung up and many terrapin are now taken annually and sold to the resident dealers, who confine them in large pounds until it is found desirable to send them to market. They are usually bought from the fishermen at a nominal price during the summer and kept till the market advances in the fall. The catch in 1879, if we include those consumed in the locality, amounted to 1,200 dozen, netting the fishermen $3,500. In winter they are chiefly taken by means of dredges, though we are told that the marshes are occasionally burned, and the terra- pin feeling the warmth are induced to leave their bedding places in the hope that spring has come. In summer they are gathered by boys and men who wade through the marshes and paddle about in the shallow water in search of them. They are also hunted with dogs that are trained to follow their trail from the water to their breeding places in the sand. Loggerhead and hawk-billed turtles are also present in small numbers in the sounds during the summer months. A few are taken and sold in the State at 50 cents to $2 each, but the demand is very limited. Formerly they were caught with spears, but, as they must be kept alive for the market and the wound inflicted by the spear frequently caused death, Capt. Joshua Lewis con- ceived the idea of diving for them, and this mode of capture is now quite common in this vicinity. THE CRAB FISHERIES. — Crabs are very abundant in Core and Bogue Sounds. They occur in such numbers in the waters about Beaufort as to be a serious annoyance to the fishermen. There is little sale for them, however, beyond the few tubs that are sent to the larger cities of the State. Both hard and soft shelled crabs are eaten, and a few are occasionally shipped, the latter some- times being sent to the Northern markets. The crab trade of the region is, however, in its infancy, though it is destined to become an important branch of the fishing interests. In 1879 the total value of those eaten and shipped amounted to about $450. THE SHIPMENT OF QUAHAUGS. — Beaufort is the most southern point on the coast where quahaugs are extensively taken for shipment. It is said that they occur here in great abundance, and that a man can rake from 3 to 10 bushels at a tide. The local price is 20 to 25 cents a bushel. The clamming season lasts from November to April. The quantity shipped depends wholly on the severity of the winter. During cold seasons, when the bays and sounds farther north are covered with ice, many are shipped by steamer and rail to New York and Philadelphia, but during open winters, when clamming can be carried on in New Jersey, Beaufort, owing to the distance from the markets and the high freights, then abandons the trade. The winter of 1879-'80 was an unusually mild one and few were shipped. The average year's catch amounts to 5,000 or 0,000 barrels. 492 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. SCALLOPS TAKEN IN LIMITED QUANTITIES. — Just opposite Morehead City, in the waters of Bogue Sound is a large scallop bed. The species has been taken for local supply from this region for many years, and small quantities have been shipped north from time to time. The business reached its height in the winter of 1876-'77, when over a thousand gallons are said to have been shipped, a few going as far north as New York. Since that date the fishing has been wholly for local supply, the price realized by the fishermen being from 40 to 60 cents a gallon. It is said that one can readily secure from 5 to 7 bushels of them at a tide, and that the average yield is 5 or 6 quarts of meats to the bushel. 176. THE FISHERIES OF WILMINGTON AND VICINITY. WILMINGTON AS A COMMERCIAL CENTER. — Wilmington, the principal seaport town of North Carolina, is situated on the fresh water of the Cape Fear River, about 30 miles above its mouth. It has long been prominent as a market for naval stores, and as a shipping point for the produce of the surrounding country, including cotton, rice, and peanuts. Its trade in lumber is of consid- erable importance. The city has a population of 17,000, the larger part being negroes. WILMINGTON'S RELATION TO THE FISHERIES.— Wilmington's relation to the fisheries differs considerably from that of any other city on the coast. Its location on the fresh water at a consid- erable distance from the sea renders a vessel fleet impracticable, and its distance by land from the nearest salt -water bays is too great to warrant its people in engaging in the capture of marine species. The fisheries of the city are therefore confined wholly to the capture of shad, herring, sturgeon, and a number of fresh- water species in the river. But the fact that Wilmington has no men engaged in the salt-water fisheries does not prevent it from being a market for marine species. On the contrary, it receives fish, oysters, clams, and shrimp from the inhabitants along the coast for 30 to 40 miles in either direction. A DESCRIPTION OF THE FISHING DISTRICTS TRIBUTARY TO WILMINGTON. — While the city is nearly 30 miles from the mouth of the river, the shore-line curves inward, so that a few miles north of the cape the salt water is but 7 to 9 miles distant. As in other localities, the coast is bordered by a marshy belt, which is separated from the ocean by a ridge of sand, and there are a large number of inland sounds communicating with each other through diffusely branching tide- creeks. These creeks and sounds extend for miles along either side of the cape, being larger and more numerous on the north than on the south. There are no villages of any size in the vicinity of these sounds, but the higher ridges overlooking them are thickly settled by a class of people who divide their time between the water and the land. At certain seasons, when the fishing is poor, they devote their entire attention to farming, and again, when fish are abundant and the weather is suitable for marketing the catch, they spend most of their time in fishing. At a dis- tance from the city the fishing is most extensive during the winter months, as the catch can be sent to market fresh at this season only. Many fish are also taken in the fall and spring for salting. In the nearer bays the business is prosecuted to a greater or less extent throughout the entire year. THE EXTENT OF THE FISHERIES.— Prior to 1870 the fishing was confined largely to the cap- ture of mullet from August to December, and the bulk of the catch was salted in barrels, there being at this time no market for fresh fish. Within the past few years, however, Wilmington has developed a large trade in both fresh and salt fish, and the fisheries of the region have gradually increased until in 1879 there were four hundred and forty men, with seventy additional teamsters, engaged in some branch of the fisheries, exclusive of those engaged in the capture of shad, herring, and other fresh- water species, and those in the oyster fisheries. The fish are usually taken in seines 150 to 200 yards long, in the various creeks and lagoons NORTH CAROLINA: THE MOEE IMPOETANT DISTEICTS. 493 above described. The spring fishing begins about the 1st of March, aud a greater part of the small seines engage in the capture of trout (C. maculatum and C. regale), skip-jacks (P. saltatrix), thorny-backs, mullet (M. albula and M. braziliensis), croakers (Hicropogon undulatus), jimmies (Liostomus xanthurus), and fat-backs (B. tyrannus), till June, when the water becomes so warm that most of the fish leave the sounds. In June and July there is little fishing in the bays. About the middle of August the mullet make their appearance, remaining in considerable numbers till December. During this season the fishing is at its height, aud all of the small seines, with one hundred and fifty additional gill-nets, are employed in their capture in the bays and sounds, while larger seines are fished along the outer shore. Salmon-trout are also abundant at this season, and many are taken by the mullet fishermen. In some localities the trout remain longer than the mullet, and many, especially those living at New River, engage regularly in their capture. Next to the mullet the trout is the principal food-fish of the district. ARRANGEMENTS FOR MARKETING THE CATCH. — The absence of water communication between Wilmington and the sounds renders it necessary to cart the fish overland. Accordingly, each crew of seiners must have a "marketman," who will be ready with his horse and cart at any time to carry the fish to Wilmington and to sell them to the best advantage, either at wholesale or retail, as he may think proper. For his services he generally receives from 20 to 25 per cent, of the gross sales. There are no less than seventy carts and drivers employed in this way during a greater part of the year, and when the fishing is at its height one hundred and twenty-five fish-carts may often be seen in market at one time. The captain of the "gang" sometimes owns a horse and cart, in which case he usually acts as marketman ; but he must furnish a driver, as all of the crew are expected to hold themselves in readiness to haul the seine at any moment; and while one lot is being marketed they are frequently catching another. THE SUMMER LINE FISHERY ALONG THE OUTER SHORE.— During the summer season, when the seines are laid up, quite a number of the fishermen go to the blackfish banks, several miles from the shore, and fish for blackfish (Serranus atrarius), grunts (Diabasis chrysopterus and D. formosus), and pig-fish (Pomadasys fulvomaculatus), for two or three mouths. It seems from their statements that the fishing banks lying along the South Carolina coast are prolonged as irregular patches and small ridges as far north as New Eiver, and fish are reported all along the southern portion of the State. From three to six men go in a boat, starting at or before daylight, and going 1 to 13 miles from the shore. On reaching the ground, one man is employed in holding the boat in place with the oars, while the others fish, as it is a common belief among these fishermen that they would frighten the fish away by anchoring. On account of this peculiar notion the catch is considerably less than it would otherwise be, for the time of one man must be taken in steadying the boat against the wind and tide. THE VESSEL FISHERY OF WILMINGTON. — Prior to 1860, Captain Watson, of Wilmington, owned a small smack, and visited the various fishing banks along the outer shore, selling his catch in Wilmington. From that date there were no vessels fishing for this market till the fall of 1879, when the schooner William Tell, of Atlantic City, N. J., came to Smith ville, a small settlement at the mouth of the river, and began fishing on the outlying banks for blackfish and trout. She landed her fish at Smithville, and shipped them to Wilmington by steamer. The captain reports fish very plenty as far north as New Eiver, and thinks the business could be made profitable if well followed. THE LOCAL AND SHIPPING TRADE IN FRESH FISH. — All of the fish taken by the fishermen of the district, with the exception of a few that are salted for family use, are sold in Wilmington. No license is required of the producer for the privilege of retailing his catch. As a result, each market- 494 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. man usually backs his cart into line at the market, aucl disposes of bis entire load a bunch or two at a time. In this way he realizes considerably more than he would by selling directly to the dealers. The city trade is thus largely controlled by the producers, and the dealers must confine themselves to a wholesale shipping business, and, when there is a local demand for the catch, it is difficult for them to get their supply at reasonable rates. There are but two firms engaged regularly in the trade, and these, with a few others who buy at intervals during the height of the mullet and trout season, control the shipping trade of the city, which, if the anadromous and fresh- water fishes are omitted, amounted in 1879 to about 60,000 bunches. THE TRADE IN SALT FISH. — Wilmington has long been an important market for salt fish, and, next to Beaufort, it has the largest trade in salt mullet of any city on the Atlantic coast. The business reached its height about 1871, when, according to Messrs. Hall & Pearsall, 6,000 barrels were handled by the dealers. On account of a growing demand for fresh fish the trade has gradu- ally declined, and for the past eight years has averaged only 4,000 barrels annually, while in 1879 there were but 2,800 barrels of mullet and 200 barrels of other fish brought to the city. The trade is controlled by the wholesale and retail grocers, who get their supply from the fishermen living between Bear Inlet and Little River. Over one-half of the catch comes from New River. The price realized by the fishermen ranges from $1.50 to $4.50, according to the season and size of the fish. A fair average would be $2.50 to $3.25 for packages of 100 pounds. The city has also a small trade in salt and dried mullet roes. According to Hall & Pearsall, 6,000 dozen were handled in 1871, and 2,000 dozen in 1879 ; but the average annual trade does not exceed 1,500 dozen. Two thirds of the entire quantity arc brought to market in pickle and sold at 40 to 50 cents per dozen ; the remainder are dry-salted and bring a trifle more. THE TERRAPIN TKADE. — According to Mr. W. B. Davis the terrapin taken in the vicinity of Wilmington are quite small, and not more than one in twenty is large enough for a "count." It seems that no terrapin were shipped prior to 1875, when a steamboat captain began buying for the New York market. In 1878 a party living on Wrightsville Sound began buying and shipping to the Northern market. In 1879 about 500 dozen were shipped, and as many more were consumed locally. THE SHRIMP FISHERIES. — Shrimp and prawn are said to be very abundant in the sounds and bays near Wilmington from the middle of May till October, though comparatively few are taken. TJp to 1872, when the first shrimp-seine was introduced, the catch was wholly with skim-nets, and not over 100 bushels were marketed yearly. From this date the business rapidly increased, and in two or three years eight seines were fished in the locality, the catch being sold in Wilmington at 10 to 25 cents a quart. No shrimp were shipped at this time, and the market was so often over- stocked that the business became unprofitable and a number were obliged to turn their attention to other fishing. The first shipment of shrimp from Wilmington, according to Mr. Davis, was in 1878; since that time a trade with the neighboring cities has sprung up that seems destined to become very important. At present (1880) there are four shrimp-seines owned by the fishermen of Middle Sound, each landing about 500 bushels during the season. In addition to these, fifty men are engaged in the fishery with either cast-nets or skim-nets during the height of the season, catch- ing about 60 bushels to the man. Only the largest are saved, and of over 5,000 bushels taken less than half are marketed. The shrimp are usually boiled by the fishermen, after which they are brought to market where they are retailed at 10 cents a quart or sold to the dealers at about $2 a bushel. The sales for 1879 reached about 1,800 bushels, valued at $4,500. STATISTICS OF THE FRESH AND SALT WATER FISHERIES TRIBUTARY TO WILMINGTON. — The catch of salt-water species for the district lying between New and Little Rivers was 595,000 NORTH CAROLINA: THE MORE IMPORTANT DISTRICTS. 495 bunches or 1,950,000 pouuds of fresh fish; 3,730 barrels of salt fish; 1,800 bushels of shrimp; 1,200 dozen terrapin; 2,000 barrels of clams, and 2,000 dozen mullet-roes; the total value of these sea-products was about $82,000. According to Colonel McDonald the fresh-water products were as follows: 5,250 sturgeon in number, eqiTal to 262,500 pounds of dressed fish, valued at $15,750; 45,500 shad, valued at $13,650; 12,000 pounds of rock, worth $720, and 25,000 pounds of mixed fish, valued at $1,000. The above figures make the fisheries of the region worth $113,1-0. 177. HISTORY OF THE MENHADEN FISHERIES OF NORTH CAROLINA. CAN THE MENHADEN FISHERIES BE MADE PROFITABLE IN NORTH CAROLINA?— North Caro- lina is practically the southern limit of the menhaden fisheries of the Atlantic coast. An attempt was made to establish an oil and guano factory at Charleston, S. C., a few years since, but the plan was abandoned after the first day's fishing on account of the abundance of sharks in the water. Several attempts have been made to locate factories on the North Carolina coast, and some parties have prosecuted the business with varying success for several years. Thus far, however, no one has succeeded in making it profitable. It is, therefore, an open question whether this fishery can be successfully prosecuted in the State. The chief difficulties are the abundance of sharks along the shore and the shoalness of the various inlets, which will not admit a menhaden steamer of ordinary draught without risk of loss. Again, the currents at the inlets are so strong that sail vessels are often unable to enter them when the tide is unfavorable, and they are thus frequently delayed so long that the fish spoil before they reach the factory. Menhaden are quite abundant in the inner sounds, but the water is usually so shoal as to interfere seriously with the use of purse- seines, and the fish are so scattered that only a few barrels can be taken at a haul. THE FIRST MENHADEN OIL AND OUANO FACTORY IN NORTH CAROLINA BUILT IN 1865. — It is said that the first oil and guano factory in the State was built on Harper's Island, in Core Sound, in 1865. It was supplied with kettles, and hand-presses were used for pressing the fish that were taken in gill-nets. Later a steam boiler was secured, and both haul and purse-seines were used in the fishery. The business was continued at this point till 1S73, when the apparatus, valued at $3,000, was removed to Cape Lookout as a more desirable location, but the machinery was never set up and the business was discontinued. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE EXCELSIOR OlL AND GUANO COMPANY IN 1866, AND THE DIF- FICULTIES ENCOUNTERED. — A large factory was built about I860 by a stock company from Rhode Island, known as the Excelsior Oil and Guano Company. We are indebted to Mr. S. H. Gray, the business manager of the company, for the following facts. The idea originated with some of the soldiers of the Northern army that were stationed in the region during the war. These gave glow- ing accounts of the abundance of fish in the North Carolina sounds, and a party of capitalists, having satisfied themselves from personal observation of the truth of the statements, formed a company with a capital of $50,000, and built a factory at Portsmouth, near Ocracoke Inlet. The factory was supplied with modern apparatus for cooking and pressing the fish, and had experienced northern fishermen to handle the seines. The menhaden were soon found to be less plenty than had been expected. The average school contained less than 25 barrels, and the largest haul of the season was only 125 barrels. It was also found that under the influence of the hot summer weather the fish would begin to decompose in a few hours, so that the fishing was limited to 25 miles on either side of the factory. Another difficulty was that "outside fishing" could not be prosecuted on account of the shoaluess of the water at the inlets, and the frequency of sudden storms, which might come up during the hours of low water, when the vessels could not enter. Again, the fish taken in the sounds were found to be very poor, and, according to Mr. Gray, the average yield of oil was only 2 quarts to the barrel, and the largest did not exceed 8 quarts. At the close of the 496 GEOGRAPHICAL BE VIEW OF THE FISHERIES. third year, when it had been thoroughly tested, the business was abandoned, with a loss of the original capital and $25,000 additional. Mr. Gray gives it as his opinion that it would be impos- sible to make the menhaden fisheries profitable along this coast. CHUECH BROTHERS' FACTORY AT OREGON INLET.— The next factory was built at Oregon Inlet by Church Brothers of Rhode Island, who later associated with themselves Mr. J. W. Etheridge, of Roanoke Island, North Carolina. According to Mr. Etheridge, this factory was built about 1870, and, after running two seasons, it was closed on account of the strong current that prevented the vessels from passing in and out of the inlet. The first season a menhaden steamer, the Seven Brothers, was used, and the following year the fishing was prosecuted by means of small sail vessels. A FACTORY BUILT AT CAPE FEAR IN 1871 BY THE NEVASSA OlL AND GUANO COMPANY OF WILMINGTON. — In 1871 the Nevassa Guano Company, of Wilmington, established a menhaden fishery at the mouth of the Cape Fear River, for the purpose of supplying their factory with fish- scrap, to be used in the manufacture of fertilizers. They had two vessels that were provided with purse-seines, and two carry-away boats; but, after two seasons, the business was abandoned with a loss of $8,000 to $10,000. The president of the company says that the principal obstacles in the way of success were the scarcity of fish, and the limited amount of oil to be obtained from them. Not over 500 barrels of fish were taken in any one week, and the average yield of oil was but three pints to the barrel. RECENT EXPERIMENTS BY CAPTAIN CAIN.— In 1878 Capt. I. Cain, of Roanoke Island, made some experiments that satisfied him that the menhaden fishery could be carried on with profit. Accordingly, in the spring of 1879, he provided himself with kettles and presses, and fitted out a small vessel to engage in the fishery, but the fish did not enter the sounds in sufficient numbers to warrant him in beginning the work. The present season (1880) he intends to purchase a steam boiler and hydraulic presses for engaging extensively in the business. 178. THE WINTER BLUEFISH FISHERY OFF THE NORTH CAROLINA COAST. THE BLTJEFISH VISIT THE SHORE TO FEED UPON THE SHAD, MENHADEN, AND OTHER SPECIES. — The winter bluefish fishing of North Carolina is confined to that portion of the coast lying between Ocracoke Inlet and Cape Henry, the bulk of the fish being taken between Cape Hatteras and Currituck Sound. The fish seem to be drawn to the shore by the large schools of shad, herring, menhaden, and other species that visit the different sounds during the summer months. The coast has but few inlets, and these are often widely separated from each other, while the water for miles to seaward is so shoal that the fish have little chance to escape, and fall an easy prey to their pursuers. At those seasons of the year when the fish are approaching or leaving the inlets — namely, in the spring and fall — the bluefish are said to gather in immense numbers to feed upon them, and the presence of a school of fish of almost any of these species is a strong indication that the blue- fish are not far distant. In the fall the menhaden that have been feeding in the sounds during the summer months are gradually driven to the outer shore by the decreasing temperature of the water; here they remain in considerable numbers for several weeks before leaving for their winter quar- ters. At this time the large bluefish gather for the feast, and remain until the school on which they are feeding is completely destroyed, or till the fish leave for the deeper water. When the shad, herring, and menhaden return in the spring the bluefish are said to be still among them. When feeding they are often so greedy as to strew the water with fragments of the fishes that they have mutilated, and to even redden their path with the blood of their victims. They occasionally surround their prey and drive them into the surf, where many are caught by the waves and thrown upon the shore. During a visit to the region in May, 1880, the fishermen reported finding many NORTH CAROLINA: THE MORE IMPORTANT DISTRICTS. 497 shad, lying npou the beach where they had been driven by their pursuers, and bluefish were sakl to be abundant in the water. THE FIRST LARGE BLUEFISH TAKEN IN 1842. — It seems that little was known of the presence of large bluefish in the locality prior to 1842, though small ones had often been seen and takea in the sounds. At this time Mr. Adam Etheridge, of Roanoke Island, saw and captured a school of 350 of them near New Inlet with a haul seine. These fish averaged 12 to 15 pounds apiece. A few were taken from time to time from that date, but no extensive business was done till 1849, when Capt. J. B. Etheridge made a seine of heavy twine expressly for bluefish, and in 1850 he claims to have landed between 4,000 and 5,000 large fish at a single haul. In 1852 there were three bluefish seines in the locality. This method of capture has continued to the present -day, though gill-nets are now more extensively used, as they are thought to be far preferable to seines. The first gill- net was introduced by Mr. Midgett, of Roanoke Island, in 1S53, and from that date their number has gradually increased. NORTHERN VESSELS FIRST VISITED THE REGION IN 1866. — As nearly as can be ascertained, no vessels engaged in this fishery prior to 1806; but at the close of the war the Northern fishing vessels began to visit the locality with nets and boats, carrying their catch in ice to the Northern markets. They also bought a large part of the fish taken by the residents, and within a few years the business assumed important proportions. The fishery reached its height between 1870 and 1876, when, according to Mr. J. W. Etheridge, fully one hundred crews, averaging five men each, fished along the shore between Hatteras Inlet and Cape Henry. At this time about twelve sail of Northern vessels came yearly to the region to catch and buy; while local dealers bought extensively for shipment to the Northern markets. For the past three years few fish have been taken, and the vessel fleet has been greatly reduced. In the fall of 1879 not a single vessel visited the region. The boat fisheries have also been reduced to seventy crews of five persons each, making a total of three hundred and fifty men. Many of these are parties employed at the various life-saving: stations along the shore. Such are permitted to fish within the limits of their respective districts. They fish only occasionally or at times when the fish are unusually abundant. THE EXTENT AND METHODS OF THE FISHERY. — The fishing begins about the 1st of November and continues till Christmas, when the bluefish follow the menhaden into deeper water. During the fishing season the men remain constantly on the shore and those not employed in the life-saving service build small shanties for cooking and sleeping. Two crews, or ten men, usually occupy a camp together. Each crew is provided with a boat and two or three nets. The nets are 100 yards in length, with a mesh varying from 4 to 6 inches, arid have an average depth of fifty meshes. They are set on the bottom at a distance of one quarter to four miles from the shore, and the mesh is so large that the small fish pass easily through them, while the bluefish are "gilled" in attempt- ing to follow. The catch varies considerably from year to year and also from day to day during the season. At times very few fish will be seen, and again they will be so plenty that a crew may secure a large part of their season's catch in two or three days. In 1850, as has already been stated, between 4,000 and 5,000 fish, averaging 12 pounds each, were landed at a single haul of the seine, and on December 28, 1874, the crew of one boat took 1,700 in three gill-nets. During the height of the fishing an average catch was 3,000 to 4,000 fish of 10 to 12 pounds' weight to the boat each season. In 1879 bluefish were more plenty than in either 1877 or '78, but they were so small that many passed through the meshes of the nets; and the average of those taken did not exceed 6 pounds. The total catch for 1879, according to Capt. J. W. Etheridge and others, was about 40,000 fish, valued at $6,000. 32 GRF XIII. THE FISHERIES OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND GEORGIA. Bv R. EDWARD EARLL. ANALYSIS. A. — GENERAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND GEORGIA: 179. Description of the more important fishery interests. B. — THE FISHERIES OF SOUTH CAROLINA : 180. Statistical recapitulation. 181. Georgetown and its fishery interests. 1H2. Charleston and its fishery interests. 183. The fisheries of Beaufort and Port Royal. C.— THE FISHERIES OF GEORGIA: 184. Statistical recapitulation. 185. Savannah and its fishery interests. 186. Brunswick and its fishery interests. 499 IP .ART XIII. THE FISHERIES OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND GEORGIA. A.— GENERAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND GEORGIA. 179. DESCRIPTION OF THE MOEE IMPORTANT FISHERY INTERESTS. DESCRIPTION OF THE COAST.— The States of South Carolina and Georgia, with a coast-line of 250 miles, are bordered by a belt of rich grassy swamp-land separating the ocean from the higher ground of the interior. This belt, comprising the famous Sea Island region, extends almost without interruption along the entire coast of both States. It varies iii breadth from 5 to 30 miles, and is broken up into an almost innumerable number of islands, separated from each other by a vast network of channels or tide-creeks varying from a few feet to a mile or more in width. These channels communicate freely with each other to form a continuous inland passage. In fact the tide-creeks are everywhere so numerous along this portion of the coast that a small boat can readily pass from the lower part of North Carolina to Florida without once venturing outside. Many of the channels are deep enough to be navigable by shoal-draught steamers for a consid- erable distance, but they are often too narrow and crooked to admit of the extensive use of sail vessels. The general evenness of the shore is interrupted at short intervals by large bays and sounds. These vary greatly in size, some being simple indentations of the coast without any tributaries of importance; others are formed by the expansion of a single stream at the point where it empties into the sea, while still others receive the waters of several of the more important rivers of the State. The mouth of each sound is obstructed by a bar, but in most cases the currents have cut out channels deep enough to admit the ordinary coasting or fishing vessel of the region. In this manner excellent harbors are provided where the trading-vessels and fishing-smacks may find safe anchorage during stormy weather. Some of the islands are so low and damp as to be nearly worthless. Others are dry, and have a soil that is remarkably rich, and well adapted to the growth of cotton. Prior to the war the larger islands, especially those in the southern portion of the district, were extensively cultivated by wealthy planters, and a large number of their slaves were kept in the region; but since obtaining their freedom many of the negroes have removed to the higher lands of the interior, and some portions of the coast appear quite deserted, though in other localities a good many blacks and a few whites still remain. On the South Carolina coast the only places of importance are Georgetown, Charleston, and Beaufort; while in Georgia, Savannah and Brunswick are the only sea ports of over five hundred inhabitants. 501 502 GEOGEAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. THESE SHORES A FAVORITE SPAWNING AND FEEDING GROUND FOR VARIOUS FISHES. — The waters of the district, like those of Florida, abound in fish of various kinds during the entire year, and the sounds and their river tributaries are the spawning and feeding grounds of a large number of edible species. The salt-water creeks along the shore abound in shrimp, and the extensive marshes and inuddy bays are the homes of large numbers of terrapin. THE OUTLYING CORAL BANK AN IMPORTANT FISHING GROUND. — At a distance of 10 to 20 miles from the shore, in from 10 to 18 fathoms of water, we find an irregular coral bank extending along the entire coast. It is broken up into patches several miles in extent; these are separated from each other by broad areas of sand. The patches are covered with various species of corals and sponges common to more southern latitudes, and among them are large numbers of moHusks and articulates. The abundance of food on the banks, together with the shelter afforded by the corals, make them the favorite feeding grounds of immense schools of fish, chief among which is the blackfish (8. atrarius), from which the banks derive their name. They have long been visited by the smack fishermen of New England, who come south each winter to engage in the capture of blackfish to supply the Charleston and Savannah markets. At present the smack fisheries of the district are confined almost wholly to Charleston, and they will be treated more fully under the fisheries of that city. THE BOAT FISHERIES. — The shore fisheries of the district are very limited. They are confined largely to the vicinity of Charleston and Savannah, where a market is found for the catch. There are a few other points, also, where Northern fishermen, together with those from Charleston and Savannah, engage extensively in the capture of shad and sturgeon (Acipenser sturio), shipping their catch either by water or rail to these markets or through them to the larger cities of the North. In addition to the above many of the inhabitants of the more isolated regions depend largely on the water for their food, and most of them have small boats in which they visit the larger creeks with hook and-line or cast-nets to catch a supply of fish for their own tables, as well as for those of their neighbors. Few fish, if any, are salted by these people, even for home use, but at certain seasons, when some particular species is unusually abundant, some of the men fish more extensively for several weeks, sending their catch to market. KINDS OF FISH TAKEN. — The principal species taken along the shore are mullet (Mugil albula and M. braziliensis), spotted trout (Cynoscion maculatum), yellow-finned trout (Cynosdon regale), whiting (Henticirrus alburnus), croakers (Micropogon undulatus), bass (Scicena ocellata), drum (Pogo- nias chromis), blackfish (Serranus atrarius), sheepshead (Diplodus probatocepJialus), porgies (Stcno- tomus chrysops and Pagellus sp.), bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix), shad (Clupea sapulissima), and sturgeon (Acipenser sturio). THE STURGEON FISHERY. — According to Colonel McDonald, who has given special attention to the subject, the sturgeon fisheries are prosecuted in many of the larger rivers of South Carolina and Georgia by both Northern and resident fishermen. The fishing begins on the Satilla River, in southern Georgia, about the middle of February, and extends northward as the season advances, closing at Georgetown, S, C., about the 1st of May. The sharp-nose sturgeon (Acipenser sturio) is the common species of the locality. These fish average 150 pounds each. They arc taken wholly in gill-nets of 12-inch mesh, 80 to 150 fathoms in length. The men live in camps on the river bank, and when fish become scarce in one stream they move to another. The principal stur- geon rivers are the Satilla, Altamaha, Ogeechee, Savannah, and Combahee, in Georgia, and the Edisto and Waccamaw in South Carolina. The outfits are usually owned by capitalists who hire their crews at from $25 to $40 per month. An outfit for three men, including net and boat, costs about $130. An average catch for the season is 100 fish to the net in Georgia and 125 to 200 in SOUTH CAROLINA AND GEORGIA: GENERAL REVIEW OF FISHERIES. 503 South Carolina. The fish are sent either to Savannah or Charleston, where they are dressed and packed for shipment to New York and Philadelphia. In some localities the roe is saved and pre- pared for market under the name of caviare. Four Savannah firms were interested in the sturgeon fisheries of Georgia in 1880, and 109 men with 48 nets were engaged in the capture of the species. The catch amounted to 4,800 sturgeon in number, or 312,000 pounds of dressed fish, having a local value of $21,840; 42,000 pounds of roe, worth $2,940, were also saved. In South Carolina there were 44 men, with 21 nets, engaged in this fishery; these marketed 3,825 sturgeon in number, equal to 229,500 pounds of dressed fish, and 38,250 pounds of caviare, valued at $13,770. The shad fisheries of this district are quite extensive. A detailed account of them will be found under the shad fisheries. The catch is marketed wholly in Charleston and Savannah. THE TERRAPIN FISHERIES. — Just when and where the terrapin fisheries of this district were inaugurated we have been unable to learn, but prior to the rebellion a large number of men engaged regularly in the fishery, and several thousand dozen were shipped annually to the Northern markets, the fishermen receiving an average of $6 per dozen for their catch. It is said that the fishery was at its height, both as to number of men employed and capital- invested, in 1860. At that time a few Northern fishermen visited the region in small sloops, and parties from Charleston and Savannah had vessels and boats for the same purpose. During the war the fishery was wholly discontinued, but in 1866 it was again pushed with a good deal of vigor, and from 5,000 to 6,000 dozen terrapin were caught between April and November. One vessel with six men landed 870 dozen. Terrapin have been and are still quite abundant in most of the sounds and tide-creeks of the district, but are said to be most numerous in Bull's Bay, and in Saint Helena and Saint Andrew's Sounds. They are usually caught in haul-seines 60 to 90 fathoms long, and 18 to 20 feet deep. The vessel, with a crew of three to six men and one or two boats and seines, enters the larger sounds, and the fishermen visit the little creeks in their bateaux in search of the terrapin. On entering a stream they often pound on the gunwale of the boat, and if terrapin are present they are said to rise to the surface to learn the occasion of the noise. If none are seen the net is seldom set; but if plenty, one staff of the seine is stuck in the mud of the bottom and the net is thrown out in the form of a circle, after which it is rapidly hauled into the boat. This method is locally known as "bucking." When the surroundings are suitable the net is often hauled upon the shore. The fishing season usually lasts from the time the terrapin make their appearance in April till the middle of October, when they bed in the mud for the winter. Occasionally these winter beds are discovered and whole colonies are captured. Bucking was formerly the principal method employed in the capture of the species, but as the fisheries have declined a method known as "torching" has been extensively adopted by the negroes of the locality, who visit the sandy beaches at night with large fire-brands, and catch the terrapin as they crawl out on the sand to deposit their eggs. For the past ten years this fishery has been on the decline, owing largely to the lack of a suit- able market and to a growing scarcity of terrapin. At present no one follows this fishery during the entire year, but a number engage in it for a few weeks when the terrapin can be most easily secured, after which they seek other employment. The price now paid by the terrapin dealers varies from 10 to 35 cents each for " counts," with a proportionate reduction for smaller sizes down to 5 inches. " Bulls" measuring less than 5 inches have little value, and are usually not considered marketable. In 1879 there were thirty-seven men, with sixteen nets, engaged in this fishery, in addition to the " torchers ; " and the total catch was about 1 ,200 dozen, having a local value of $3,600. 504 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. THE BULK OF THE FISHING NEAR THE LARGER CITIES. — The fisheries are confined chiefly to the vicinity of the larger settlements. A description of the fisheries of the principal cities, includ- ing Georgetown, Charleston, and Beaufort, in South Carolina, and Savannah and Brunswick, in Georgia, will therefore include everything of importance connected with the fisheries of both States. B.— THE FISHERIES OF SOUTH CAROLINA. 180. STATISTICAL RECAPITULATION. South Carolina comes twentieth in the list of fish-producing States, with 1,005 fisJiermeu and products valued at $212,482. This State is, however, noted for its shrimp fisheries, which are more extensive than those of any other State, and nearly equal to those of all other States combined. In 1880 the fishermen secured 18,000 bushels, valued at $37,500. The principal sea fisheries are about Charleston, where several hundred negroes, with an occasional Spaniard, are engaged in fishing •with hand-lines from vessels and small boats to supply the city with whiting, blackfish, and other species. A limited fishery occurs in the sounds about Beaufort, from which point a few fish are shipped to the interior cities. Beyond the places mentioned no sea fishing of importance occurs, though there is more or less fishing for local supply along all portions of the coast. About 400,000 pounds of alewives, 207,600 pounds of shad, and 201,250 pounds of sturgeon, with consid- erable quantities of other species, were taken by the river fishermen, the largest fisheries being on the Edisto River and in the tributaries of Winyah Bay. The extent of the commercial fishery interests of the State are fully shown in the annexed statements : Summary statement of persons employed. Persons employed. Number. 96i 41 Total . 1,005 Detailed statement of capital invested anil apparatus employed. Apparatus specified. Number. Value. Vessels (337 32 tons) 22 $15 000 Boats 501 9 790 10 800 20 100 M 3 415 440 2,565 44 2,725 16 380 11,550 3,950 Total capital 66, 275 THE FISHERIES OF SOUTH CAROLINA. De.taih'd i>ta!ei>d (Qadus morrhua), haddock (Melanogrammus ccglefinus), and halibut (Hippoglossus americanus) are brought from the North during the winter mouths by one of the firms, and red snappers and other species are occasionally brought from Savannah; but aside from these the market is supplied wholly by the Charleston fishermen. The fish dealers of the city, however, control but a small part of the retail trade, for the bulk of the catch is taken directly to the consumer by negroes, who go about the city with trays offish and shrimp upon their heads. About the beginning of the present century the city government passed a law imposing a tax of one cent on each and every bunch of fish sold by peddlers, and considerable money was gath- ered into the treasury from this source. But as the trade increased a disposition to dishonesty became noticeable; this was carried to such an extent as to seriously affect the city's revenue from this source. In 1878 the law was repealed and another was enacted requiring each vender to pay a license of $1 a month for the privilege of selling within the city limits. This law is often evaded and already, according to the clerk of the market, many are peddling fish without a license. For the month of April, 1878, before the old law was repealed, the books of the market officials showed eighty-nine different parties engaged in selling fish during some part of the month, though some names appeared only two or three times. In April, 1879, there were but thirty-three licenses granted. From a conversation with the above officer we are led to believe that this business is not decreasing, as the books would indicate, but that many are selling without a license, and that fully fifty men are now largely dependent on this business for a livelihood, while, at times, the number is doubtless considerably larger. No license is required for the sale of shrimp and crabs, and as a result this business has been greatly overdone, there being frequently over one hundred people engaged in peddling them through the streets. CHARLESTON AS A DISTRIBUTING CENTER. — The shipping trade, as has been said, is controlled wholly by the five market firms. Those doing the largest business are J. S. Terry & Co. and C. C. Leslie. The business is confined chiefly to the larger cities of North and South Carolina, though a few fish are sent to Georgia, Tennessee, and Kentucky. A few shad and bass are sent North each season, but in 1879 the quantity was unusually small. The shipping season is from September to May, the extreme heat preventing any trade with the country during the summer mouths. Accord- ing to Mr. C. C. Leslie, the shipments from Charleston during the season of 1879-'SO were about 80,000 bunches of " string fish," 7,000 to 8,000 shad, 230,000 pounds of dressed sturgeon, and 38,000 pounds of sturgeon roe. The sturgeon and sturgeon roe are simply repacked in Charleston on their way from the sturgeon camps on Winyah Bay and the Edisto River to the New York and Philadelphia markets. 183. THE FISHERIES OF BEAUFORT AND PORT ROYAL. ADVANTAGES OP LOCATION. — Beaufort, a village of one thousand five hundred inhabitants, is situated on a river of the same name, a few miles above the point where it empties into Port Royal Bay. It has long been noted as a summer resort, and many of the people of the interior spend several months of each year in this locality. The village has a small trade in lumber and is the commercial center of a large agricultural section. About 4 miles below Beaufort is Port Royal, a village of three hundred inhabitants, situated THE FISHERIES OF SOUTH CAROLINA. 511 on a branch of the Beaufort River at tlie head of navigation for large vessels. It has an excellent location as a shipping point; and though 20 miles from the bar, it has the deepest water of any harbor between Chesapeake Bay and Southern Florida, and seems destined to become one of the leading seaports of the South. THE EXTENT OP THE FISHERIES. — The fisheries of the region are of little importance except for drum (P. chromis), though the location is good and fish are reported very plenty. At Beaufort there seems to be no organized fishery^ and it is often quite difficult to get a supply for local con- sumption. Six men calling themselves fishermen fish with more or less regularity, while others go out occasionally for pleasure and profit. Two crews come to the region from Charleston in the spring to secure fish and shrimp ; but they usually send the bulk of their catch to Charleston for a market. At Port Royal two seines are owned and fished along the river banks in the spring and fall ; and twenty to twenty-five men from the vicinity are engaged in taking shrimp and prawn with cast-nets. Part of the catch is sold locally at Beaufort and Port Royal and to the fleet of naval vessels stationed there, but the greater part are sold to the "train hands" who peddle them out along the line of the railroad. THE MORE IMPORTANT FOOD-FISHES OF THE LOCALITY. — The principal species taken are drum (P. chromis), mullet (M. albula and M. braziliensis), whiting (M. alburnus), trout (C. maculatum), bass (S. ocellata), sheepshead (D. probatoccphalus), blackfish (8. atrarius), and croaker (M. undu- latus). DRUM FISHING IN BROAD RIVER. — Probably no portion of the Atlantic coast is visited by such large schools of drum as Port Royal Sound and Broad River, and the drum fisheries of this section are more extensive than those of any other locality in the United States. The fish receives its name from the peculiar drumming sound which it makes during the breeding season; at all other times it is said to be mute. Broad River has long been a favorite spawning ground for this species, and thither the fish resort in immense schools each spring. They are said to arrive early in March and are soon very abundant on all of the hard clayey and rocky spots in the river for a distance of 20 miles from its mouth, where they are taken in considerable numbers till the middle of May. If present at other seasons they are seldom caught with a hook. The drum taken in this section are quite large, the smallest individuals seldom weighing less than 25 pounds, while the average weight is fully 55 pounds. The largest specimen of which there is any authentic record was taken -by one of the crew of the United States steamship New Hamp- shire, in the spring of 1880. It weighed 108 pounds as it came from the water. Prior to the war many of the planters of the interior came to Beaufort each spring to enjoy the sport of drum fishing. They often brought their negroes along to catch a supply for plantation use. Many were taken in this way. In curing, the fish were first "slivered," after which they were dry-salted for future use. Few, if any, were shipped fresh to the larger markets. Since the war the fishery has passed largely into the hands of the negroes, who bring most of their fish fresh to Beaufort and sell them to the dealers or residents of the village at from 25 cents to $1 apiece. A few are occasionally salted by the fishermen. The principal fishing grounds are in Broad River, between Paris Island and Skull Creek. The fishing is wholly with hand-lines in 20 to 25 feet of water. It begins early in March, when many of the negroes from Beaufort, Port Royal, and the various islands engage in the fishery from small bateaux, while a few larger craft come from Savannah. Soon the fishery is at its height, and from seventy-five to one hundred boats, with one to six men each, are engaged to a greater or less extent. Some fish only a few days, while others fish constantly, when the weather will permit, 512 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. from the arrival of the fish to the close of the season, which usually lasts about eight weeks. A fair estimate wxmld be about one hundred and twenty men, with fifty boats, engaged regularly during the entire season. The catch will average about four or five fish a week to the man, or one for each fishing day. This, it must be remembered, is an average catch, for instances have occurred within a few mouths where ten to twenty good-sized drum were taken in two or three hours by an expert fisherman, while again several days may pass without a fish being secured. The total catch for the season of 1880 was 3,850 fish, or about 211,000 pounds, valued at $2,700. Three-fourths of the catch goes to Beaufort, one-fifth to Savannah, and the remainder to Port Royal and the islands along the shore. About 700 drum are shipped from Beaufort, the greater part going to Charleston. HON. WILLIAM ELLIOTT'S ACCOUNT OF THE DRUM FISHEBY. — Since the above was written our attention has been called to the admirable little book entitled Carolina Sports, by Hon. William Elliott, in which the drum fisheries of Broad River are described. Though the volume was not published till 1859, portions of it — the chapter on the drum fisheries among others — were written long before, some of them appearing in one or more of the leading periodicals as early as 1837. As the fishery as it existed at that time is shown in detail, it will be found of considerable interest historically. I reproduce here a greater part of the article : " In the month of April they [drum] abound on the seacoast of South Carolina, and great numbers penetrate our inlets for the purpose of depositing their spawn. The large bay or sound known on the maps as ' Port Royal Harbor,' but locally as ' Broad River,' is their chosen place of resort, and constitutes the best fishing station. If you ask me tohy they give the preference to this particular spot, I answer you — conjecturally — because, while it is the deepest and most capacious bay along our whole southern coast, it is at the same time the saltest, there being no important streams from the interior emptying themselves into it and neutralizing the properties of the sea water. ******* " It is the largest scale fish in America. It measures ordinarily 3 feet in length, and weighs from 30 to 40 pounds. It is beautifully marked on the sides by broad, dark transverse stripes, alternating with silver, or else exhibits a uniform bright gold color, which fades, soon after it is taken, into the hues already described. I give the medium weight and size of the fish, not the extreme. I have taken one which measured 4 feet G inches in length, and weighed 85 pounds. Out of 20 taken by me on a particular day during the present season (April) there were 3 weighing from G5 to 70 pounds each. The smaller sized fish are excellent for table use — their roes, especially, are a great delicacy; the larger are only valuable when salted and cured like codfish, from which, when dressed, they are scarcely distinguishable in flavor. The planters of this vicinity are skillful fishermen, and much devoted to the sport. They succeeded in taking during the last season at least 12,000 of these fish: and when I add, that except the small number consumed in their fami- lies, the remainder were salted and distributed among their slaves, not in lieu of, but in addition to their ordinary subsistence, you will perceive that this is a case wherein the love of sport and the practice of charity, are singularly coincident. "And now for the manner of taking them. "The sportsman must provide himself with a substantial boat impelled both by oars and sail, and with at least 15 fathoms of rope to his grapnel. His line must be 30 fathoms, and furnished with two pounds of lead, distributed in movable sinkers which draw up or let down, according to the strength of the tide. He must lay in a good stock of crabs, clams, and prawn, for bait; and having launched his boat on the bosom of this beautiful bay, and come to anchor in about five or six fathoms of water, on gravelly or rocky bottom, he has done everything which can be consid- ered as prerequisite to a successful fishing. Having baited your hook with either or with a mixture THE FISHERIES OF SOUTH CAROLINA. 513 of these different baits (the prawn, though thirty years ago unknown as a bait for drum, are decid- edly the best), let out your line until it keeps the bottom, and stand prepared for a bite. The nn- pacticed sportsman who supposes that their bite will be iu proportion to their size and strength, will draw up many a naked hook before he draws a fish. They approach cautiously, and almost as if they expected a snare. As soon as you feel him certainly at your hook, jerk with your utmost strength, aud draw quickly upon him until you have fixed the hook in his jaws. The instant he feels the smart he dashes off with all his force; and this is the critical moment, for if you resist him too.forcibly, he breaks your tackle or tears out your hook, and if you give him slack line, he darts toward you, and shakes the hook out of his mouth. A just medium, as Sterne says, pre- vents all conclusions. In medio tutissimus ibis. You must give him play, keeping your line tight, yet not overstrained; preserving an equable pressure; managing your line with one hand, and keeping the other in reserve, either to draw in rapidly when the run is toward you or to regulate the velocity when the run is against you, and severe. By degrees the efforts of the fish relax, and he is drawn to the surface. At the sight of the sun he makes a final effort to escape, and plunges till he has reached the bottom. The fatal hook still adheres to his jaws, and when he reappears exhausted on the surface of the water, it is only to turn on his back and resign himself to his fate. A barbed iron, fastened to a wooden staff, is then struck into him and you lift your prize into the boat. Generally speaking, you are occupied five minutes in taking a fish ; but if the tide be strong, and the fish large, your sport may last fifteen. " There is great uncertainty attending this sport ; the patience of the fisherman may be severely tested. Sometimes you have the mortification to hear them drumming beneath your boat, while they stubbornly refuse to be taken, rejecting uutasted the most tempting baits you can offer; at other times they are iu better humor. As a general rule, with five lines in your boat, you may count on 15 or 20 fish as the result of a day's sport. Occasionally, you have memorable luck : 63 were taken during the present season, by a boat with seven lines, and I once knew a boat with ten lines to take as many as 96. The best success I have met with personally was to take 40 to three lines; 18 fish fell to my share of the sport; my two oarsmen took the remainder. Thirty fish were all that the boat could conveniently contain ; her gunwale was but a few inches above the water, and we slung the 10 (which were de trop) alongside by a rope. ******* "I love all sports whether by flood or field, and have engaged in many an animating scene of sylvan and aquatic amusement, but I have found none, devil-fishing alone excepted, possessed of so absorbing an interest as successful drum fishing. Imagine yourself afloat on our beautiful bay, the ocean before you, the islands encircling you, and a fleet of forty or fifty fishing boats (their white awnings glistening in the sun) riding sociably around. Suddenly a school of fish strike at some par- ticular boat ; second is engaged; the direction of the school is indicated ; the boats out of the run of the fish draw up their anchors and place themselves rapidly alongside, or in the rear of the successful boats, and soon they participate in the sport. And now, two, three, a dozen, nay, twenty boats, are engaged ; in some boats 3 at a time are drawn alongside ; the fish dart across each other ; the lines are entangled; the water foams with the lashing of their tails, and the fisherman scarce knows, while they flounder on the surface, which fish belongs to his own hook, which to his neigh- bors; the barb is dashed hurriedly and at random into the yet struggling fish, and each one is burning with anxiety to secure his fish and return to the sport before the favorable moment has passed. The interest is intense. Isaac Walton knew nothing like this. If he had, he must have disdained all smaller fry, and have abandoned the impaling of minnows and the enticement of trout, to indulge in the superior pleasure of drum fishing."* * Carolina Sports. W. Elliott, pp. 123-129. 33 GRP 514 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. SEINE FISHING IN THE LOCALITY BY THE CREW OF A NORTHERN VESSEL. — Iii addition to the local fisheries, a Northern fishing smack caine to Port Royal in 1877 to seine fish for shipment to the Northern markets, but after a year's fishing at various points between Charleston and Fer- nandina the business was abandoned by the crew, who pronounced it a failure financially. A NEW BEDFORD WHALER VISITS THE REGION. — A whaling vessel, the Charles W. Morse, Captain Hazard, of New Bedford, came to this region in the fall of 1878, to cruise along the shore, making her headquarters at Port Royal. Meeting with good success, she returned the following season and was again fairly successful. Whales are said to be now more plenty along the coast of South Carolina and Georgia than they have been for many years. C.— THE FISHERIES OF GEORGIA. 184. STATISTICAL RECAPITULATION. The sea fisheries of Georgia are as yet almost wholly undeveloped, and the State comes, next to Eastern Florida, lowest on the list of the Atlantic bordering States. Immense quantities of edible fish of various species gather in the numerous sounds and bays, and along the outer shore, but comparatively few are taken, and the people are largely dependent upon the fishermen of Western Florida for their supply. In 1880 the value of all sea products, exclusive of oysters, was only $19,225. The oysters taken were valued at $35,000, making the total value of the sea products $54,225. The river fisheries are more fully developed, and the Savannah, Ogeechee, and Altamaha each yield considerable quantities of fresh-water and auadromous species. The principal fish taken are shad and sturgeon; of the former 252,000 pounds and of the latter 364,000 pounds were caught in 1880. The following statements show in detail the extent of the fishery interests of the State for the year 1880 : Summary statement of persons employed. Persons employed. Number. 809 H Total £09 Detailed statement of capital invested and apparatus employed. Apparatus specified. Number. Value. Vessels (I9 tons) -- 1 $450 Boats •• 356 15,425 110 1 650 90 050 Gill-nets 231 9,120 1!7 685 17 800 5,540 32 750 11, 700 78,770 THE FISHERIES OF GEOEGIA. 515 Detailed statement of the qiiant'Mts and values of Hie products. Products specified. Pounds. Value. 2 27° 500 $119 993 Sea fisheries, Bluufish 5 000 100 Clams (hard) 24 000 1 650 Crabs . . . . 7 200 125 Mullet 106 000 4 100 490 000 35 000 56 000 4 000 90 000 1 800 32 000 480 19 800 1 650 15° 000 5 320 98° 000 54 °°5 River fisheries. 195 000 3 750 Shad. 25'' 000 17 941 354 000 °4 780 559 500 19 °97 Total liver products 1, 290, 500 65 768 The following statements give the statistics of the salt-water fisheries of Georgia, exclusive of the oyster industry: Summary statement of persons employed. Persons employed. Number. 1°1 40 Total.... • 161 Detailed statement of capital invested and apparatus employed. Apparatus specified. Number. Value. Boats 66 $2 250 50 250 Gill-nets 40 800 17 800 115 625 200 27 000 11 700 Total capital 43 625 Detailed statement of the quantities and values of tlie products. Products specified. Pounds. Value. ^ Bluefish 5 000 $100 04 0oo 1 6^0 Crabs 7 200 Mullet 106 000 56 000 00 000 32 000 480 19 800 1 650 152 000 5 3°0 Total . 516 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. 185. SAVANNAH AND ITS FISHERY INTERESTS. SAVANNAH AS A COMMERCIAL CENTER. — Savannah, the metropolis and only important com- mercial city on the Georgia coast, is located on the south bank of the Savannah River, about LO miles from the sea. It was settled by General Oglethorpe in 1733 and incorporated as a city in 1789. In 1850 it had a population of 15,300, and in 1870 of 28,200. Since that time it has grown very rapidly, and has now come to be one of the principal seaports of the South, ranking third in the United States in the exportation of cotton, and doing considerable business in the shipment of lumber and naval- stores. SAVANNAH AS A FISHING TOWN. — The city has a peculiar relation to the iisheries, for its large trade with the interior, together with its excellent shipping facilities by either land or water, make it an important point for the fresh-fish trade, while its distance from the sea renders the capture of ocean species a laborious, though we may safely say, not an unprofitable employment. THE VESSEL, FISHERIES OF SAVANNAH. — One or more smacks have been employed in fishing for the Savannah market from time to time, but as the water in the vicinity of the city is fresh it is found impossible to keep the fish in cars. The nearest salt water is five miles from the city by land and considerably farther by water, and the inconvenience and expense of keeping the fish at so great a distance render the smack-fisheries unprofitable. Occasionally smacks have fished on the various banks between Charleston and Fernandina, running their fish direct to the city and transferring them at once from the vessel's well to the ice-boxes of the dealers. In 1879 there was one vessel, the Lillian, of Noank, Conn., fishing for the Savannah market. She caught her fish at Indian River Inlet, Florida, with a haul-seine, and carried them to market in ice. THE EXTENT OF THE COAST FISHERIES. — The boat fisheries of Savannah are very limited. They are confined largely to the fresh-water and anadromous species, though the sounds along the shore are well filled with excellent food-fishes. Formerly several crews from Charleston came regularly to the region with seines and gill-nets, and fished for the Savannah market, meeting with excellent success; but nothing has been done in this line for several years. The only coast fishing at the present time is by parties living on some of the shore islands, and by fishermen from the city, who visit the sounds occasionally for the purpose of fishing. The business is, however, of little importance. THE SHRIMP FISHERIES. — Shrimp are abundant in the waters along the shore, and, during the height of the season, twenty to twenty-five men go to Saint Catherine and Osabaw Sounds, where they camp for several weeks for the purpose of engaging in the fishery. They carry a com- plete outfit, including seines, cast-nets, boats, and kettles for cooking the shrimp. After cooking and drying the catch of the day, one boat is detailed to carry it to market. The price paid by the Savannah dealers varies from $5 to $1.50 per bushel according to circumstances, $2.50 being a fair average. During the summer of 1879 about 1,400 bushels, valued at $2,500, were landed; but the catch could easily have been increased to many times that quantity had there been a market for them. Of those taken part are sold locally, others go to the interior cities, and the remainder are packed in crates and sent to the Northern markets. THE LOCAL FRESH-WATER FISHERIES. — The fresh-water fishing is with hook-ami line and trawl in the Savannah River, for 10 miles on either side of the city, and in the Ogeechee River. The bulk of the catch is catfish and rock, though a few fresh-water trout (Micropterus pallidus), sun trout (Ghccnobryttus gulosus), spotted trout (Pomoxys nigromaculatus). jacks (Esox americanus), and several species of bream are taken. THE SHAD FISHERIES OF GEORGIA. — Savannah has long been an important center for the THE FISHERIES OF GEOEGIA. 517 shad fisheries, and as early as 1834, according to Captain Larkin, a number of Connecticut fisher- men came to the region with gill-nets and took shad for shipment in sail vessels to the North. When the first line of steamers between Savannah and New York was started, the fishing assumed important proportions, and it continued to increase till about 1870, when it reached its height. Since that date it has gradually declined, though at the present time a number of Northerners, with others from the locality, fish regularly in the Savannah, Ogeechee, and Altamaha Eivers, a greater part of the catch going to Savannah. Many of the nets and boats are owned by the city dealers. According to Colonel McDonald the catch for 1870 was 17,500 white shad (C. sapidissima) and 7,500 "hicks" (Glupea mediocris) for the Savannah; 15,000 white shad and 7,400 hicks for the Ogeechee; and 3,750 white shad and 3,750 hicks for the Altamaha. A detailed account will be given in the chapter on the shad fisheries. THE WHOLESALE AND RETAIL FISH TBADE OP SAVANNAH. — Savannah, on account of its location, is more important as a distributing center for the Georgia and Florida catch than as a fishing town. Formerly the supply was obtained almost wholly from Charleston, but with the opening of Florida by the railroads large fisheries were established in that State, and Savannah was the natural market for the catch. At the present time the supply comes largely from the rivers of the Stater and from various localities in Florida, the principal ones being Cedar Keys, Saint Mark's, and the Saint John's and Indian Eivers. The principal species of the market are shad, sturgeon, catfish, red-snappers, groupers (Epine- plielus morio and E. Drummond-llayi), mullet, sheepshead, spotted trout, and crevalle (Caranic pisquetus). There are three firms extensively engaged in the shipment of all kinds of fresh fish, with two others that handle sturgeon exclusively. Some of the marketmen also ship a few barrels to different parts of the State. Formerly no fresh fish, with the exception of shad, were sent beyond the limits of the State, but the trade has gradually increased until Savannah has come to be the largest fish market of the South Atlantic States, and now sends a few fish as far west as Chicago and Saint Louis, while many go to Kentucky, Tennessee, and South Carolina. Owing to the warm weather the business is continued only from October to the middle of May, and few if any fish are sent out in summer. THE CITY TRADE. — The city retail trade is largely under the control of the marketmen. Ten parties, including the three large dealers, rent stalls and keep a full assortment of both fresh and salt-water species. Several of the smaller firms get their supply direct from Florida and from the fishermen of the locality; but the majority depend wholly upon the wholesale dealers for their salt-water fish. There are also a few negroes who make a business of vending fish through the streets. The number varies considerably according to the season. The average is about nine or ten for the year. The peculiar feature of the market is the large number of catfish consumed. Saturday is known as catfish day, and many of the local fishermen, who devote their attention to the capture of the species with line, trawl, or trap, keep their catch in cars till Saturday, marketing them on that day only. The catfish are sold chiefly to the negroes, who usually buy them in preference to any other species, both on account of their cheapness and flavor. Fifteen hundred to 2,000 bunches are sometimes sold in a day, and it is estimated that not less than 30,000 bunches are sold yearly, at an average of 15 cents a bunch. A few hard crabs and clams are sold by negroes from little stands in other parts of the market, but, according to Mr. George Witte, the business is very limited, and the clam trade of Savannah does not exceed 150 to 200 bushels yearly. 518 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. STATISTICS OP THE SAVANNAH MARKET IN 1879. — In 1879 the fish-dealers of Savannah handled about 45,000 shad from the various fisheries of the Saint John's, Ogeechee, and Savannah Rivers. In addition, they received 50,000 pounds of red-snappers, 65,000 mullet, and 700,000 pounds of mixed fish from different parts of Florida; and 120,000 strings of mixed fish, 1,400 bushels of shrimp, and 400 dozen terrapin from the coast and rivers of Georgia. According to Colonel McDonald, the amount of sturgeon handled in Savannah daring the same season was 312,000 pounds of dressed fish and 42,000 pounds of roe, valued at $24,800. About one-half of the shad were sent to New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore ; and one-fourth of the remainder to the principal cities of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee. The sturgeon, red-snappers, terrapin, and about one-third of the shrimp go to New York and Philadelphia. The remainder of the catch is sold to the city trade, or sent to the larger cities of Georgia and South Carolina. 186. BRUNSWICK AND ITS FISHERY INTERESTS. Brunswick is a town of two thousand inhabitants, on one of the branches of Turtle River, about 12 miles from the mouth of Saint Simon's Sound. It has railroad communication with the interior, and the weekly steamers between Savannah and Fernandina touch at its wharves. It has the best shipping facilities of any town on this portion of the coast ; its principal trade being in lumber, while cotton and naval stores are handled in considerable quantities. The waters of the harbor and adjoining river abound in fish and oysters, but no fishing of importance is done. Three gill-nets are fished for trout and other species, between October and May, and the negroes of the vicinity go out occasionally with hand-lines, bringing their catch to Brunswick. In addition, the negroes for miles on either side, especially those of Cumberland Island, catch a good many fish, and, when the price will warrant, they often send them to Bruns- wick for a market; but the price is usually so low that the fishing is not followed with any regu- larity. The catch is sold for local consumption or to the railroad men who peddle it out at the various stations along the line of the road. FISHING AT DAKIEN AND SAINT SIMON'S.— The settlement of Darien on the north and of Saint Simon's on the south of Brunswick have also extensive lumber interests, and a large fleet of vessels come regularly to these points and remain for weeks at a time while securing their cargoes. These purchase their supply of fish from the negroes of the locality, and a small business has sprung up in this way. There is also a shad fishery on the Altamaha, near Darien, but the catch is quite small and few are shipped. WHALING FROM BRUNSWICK BY MASSACHUSETTS VESSELS.— Formerly, and for a number of years, a portion of the New Bedford and Provincetown whaling fleet, while cruising on the "Bahama Grounds" during the fall and winter, made a practice of running into Fernandina, Fla., to ship their cargoes of oil and bone instead of taking the time to carry them home. While in this vicinity they frequently sighted whales and occasionally succeeded in taking some of them. The yellow fever at Fernandina several years ago caused some of the vessels to change their lauding place to Brunswick. In the winter of 1875-'70 the schooner Golden Eagle, after landing her cargo, remained in this region to cruise for whales, making Brunswick her headquarters for over two months. During this time she secured one whale. The next year two vessels came to cruise in the same locality and met with fair success. Others followed, and in the winter of 1879-'80 five whalers made Brunswick their headquarters while cruising along the shore, and up to March 1 they had taken five whales, yielding 226 barrels of oil and 2,750 pounds of bone, all of which was shipped to the Massachusetts whaling ports. XIV. EASTERN FLORIDA AND ITS FISHERIES. By R. EDWARD EARL I,. ANALYSIS. A. — GENERAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES: 187. Topography of the region. 188. Statistical recapitulation. B.— THE PRINCIPAL FISHERY DISTRICTS DESCRIBED: 189. Fernanclina and its fisheries. 190. Saint Augustine and its fisheries. 191. The fisheries of Mosquito Lagoon. 192. The fisheries of Indian River. 193. The various fishery centers of tho Saint John's River. 519 PA.RT EASTERN FLORIDA AND ITS FISHERIES. A.— GENERAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. 187. TOPOGEAPHY OF THE KEGION. GENKRAL CHARACTERISTICS. — Florida, the southernmost State of the Union, has an area of 59,268 square miles. It is a peninsula of sand and shells, 400 miles long, separating the waters of the Atlantic from those of the Gulf of Mexico. It is for the most part a sandy waste, with a level surface gradually rising toward the center where it attains a height of several hundred feet. The evenness of the surface is occasionally interrupted by low ridges of sand running parallel to each other. These are often separated by immense shoal water lakes, rivers, or swamps, covering hun- dreds or even thousands of square miles, while the surface of the higher lands is everywhere dotted with land-locked lakes and ponds of smaller size. In its southern portion the land is particularly low and becomes simply a large grassy swamp, known as the Everglades, which is wholly sub- merged during a considerable portion of the year. Continuing southward the peninsula is broken into an almost innumerable number of sandy islands and coral reefs, some of them quite small and others of considerable size. The peculiar shape and position of the peninsula gives to Florida a more extensive sea coast than that of any other State ; on the Atlantic there are over 450 miles of coast line and there are fully G50 on the gulf, making a total of 1,100 miles. This distance, though enormous, is vastly increased by the numerous salt-water lagoons and bays along the shore. DESCRIPTION OF EASTERN FLORIDA. — The eastern portion of the State, which is the one at present under consideration, is a remarkably level section, rising but a few feet above the sea. The land is composed wholly of sand and broken shells, covered here and there by a thin layer of vegetable mold. The higher ridges of the region are covered with a scattered growth of pine, while the intervening depressions, which are submerged to a depth of from a few inches to several feet, support a rank growth of various swamp grasses, or are covered with dense thickets of cypress, paloietto, magnolia, and ash. Even in the higher pine lauds one finds a great number of land locked ponds and lakes varying from a few rods to several miles in extent. Along the ocean shore the current has thrown up low sandy bars for nearly the entire length of the State ; and behind these are shallow lagoons or arms of the sea, with here and there an opening to the ocean. These lagoons, called by the inhabitants rivers, are often broad sheets of salt or brackish water, extending continuously for many miles along the coast, and with but few interruptions along the entire eastern shore of the State. They usually connect with the ocean by means of shallow inlets, which are separated from each other by a considerable distance; these, 521 522 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. although very shallow, are often navigable by boats and shoal-draught vessels for their entire length. In the still water of these lagoons many of the salt-water species find an agreeable change from the rougher water outside, some coming in to spawn, while others are led to enter the inlets in pursuit of food. During the winter months immense quantities of fish may be found in these places, but in summer the water becomes so warm that most of them are driven out into the sea. The saltness of the water varies greatly, being -wholly dependent upon the amount of rainfall in the locality. During seasons of continued drought the lagoons are fed from the ocean, when they become very salt. During the rainy seasons, however, they arc often quite fresh, except at and near the inlets. It is said that in 1SG3 Indian River was even salter than the ocean, and salt- works were established on its banks; but daring our visit, in the fall of 1880, after two rainy .- casons, the water at Titusville was so fresh that we failed to detect any brackish flavor, and the ;; iiimals of the region drank it freely. The freshening of the water has a decided influence on its fauna. The oysters of an entire bay are at times wholly destroyed, while the fish are driven to the inlets, where the water is always more or less salt. An excellent opportunity is thus given for extensive fisheries, as immense quantities of fish can readily be taken with suitable apparatus. THE SAINT JOHN'S RIVEE. — Just beyond these salt or brackish lagoons of the shore, at a distance varying from 10 to 30 miles, lies the Saint John's River. It is fed by thousands of square miles of shoal grassy swamps, in which the river takes its rise. It is a sluggish stream, extending through nearly 3° of latitude, and by means of its numerous and intricate windings the water is carried about 400 miles before it reaches the sea. It is navigable by small inland steamers for fully 350 miles. In its central portion the river often expands into small lakes several miles in extent, and as suddenly contracts into a mere creek only a few rods wide. In its lower third it is merely a succession of shallow lakes, from 2 to 15 miles in breadth. It is said that the river has but 4 feet of fall during its entire course. For this reason the current is usually quite sluggish, and the ocean tide extends to Lake George, situated 158 miles from the sea, while the water is usually brackish for a considerable distance beyond Jacksonville. 188. STATISTICAL RECAPITULATION. The fisheries of Eastern Florida are so different from those of that portion of the State bor- dered by the Gulf of Mexico that it has been thought desirable to treat them separately. If the entire State be considered, Florida takes the fifteenth place on the list, having, in 1880, 2,480 fisher- men, producing $636,378 worth of fishery products. The principal fisheries are at Key West, where a fleet of twenty-one vessels is employed in the capture of groupers and red snappers for the Havana market. The sponge fisheries of the United States are confined exclusively to the west coast of Florida, where, according to Mr. Silas Stearns, special agent in charge of the fisheries of the Gulf States, one hundred sail of vessel are engaged in the business, the value of the sponges taken in 1880 amounting to $200,750. The mullet fisheries also are of peculiar importance, the catch for the Gulf coast of the State, according to Mr. Stearns, being over four times that of Eastern Florida. The eatch for the entire State in 1880 reached 3,494,333 pounds, valued at $123,508. Nearly half of the mullet taken in the United States are caught in Florida waters. Along the Atlantic coast the fishing is chiefly with hook and line or cast-nets for local supply, though in the Indian River 88,250 pounds of green turtle, valued at $6,000, were taken, the major- ity being shipped to the Northern markets. The shad fisheries of the Saint John's River, though of recent origin, are quite extensive, 251,700 pounds, worth $20,136, being taken in 1880. A full statistical account of the fisheries of Eastern Florida is given in the following statements : EASTERN FLORIDA: GENERAL REVIEW OF ITS FISHERIES. Summary statement of persons employed. 523 persons employed. Number. 348 20 Total 368 Detaihd statement of capital invested and apparatus employed. Apparatus specified. Number. Value. Boats 315 40 172 271 16 $12, 950 200 11, 915 1,229 1,060 3,700 9,000 3,500 43, 554 Detailed statement of the quantities and values of the products. Products specified. Pounds. Value. 2, 286, 750 $78, 408 Sea fisheries. 25, 000 500 4,800 330 Mullet 6C3, 000 20, 787 140, 000 5,000 71, 750 3,500 100, 000 2,000 15, 000 225 3,000 200 596, 750 13, 530 1, 619, 300 46, 072 River fisheries. 10, 000 200 Shad 251, 700 20, 136 3,000 150 402, 750 11, 850 667, 450 32, 336 THE SEA FISHERIES. — In the following statements is given a summary of the salt-water fishery interests of this portion of the State, exclusive of the oyster industry : Summary statement of persons employed. Persons employed. Number. 223 15 Total 238 524 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. Detailed statement of capital invested and apparatus employed. Apparatus specified. Number. Value. Boats 245 $8 650 40 200 GUI-nets 93 12 460 231 1 029 2 200 Factories and otber shore pioperty 7,800 Cash capital 3 500 Total capital 27 794 Detailed statement of the quantities and values of flic products. Products specified. Pounds. Value. Blnefish . . : 25 000 $500 4 800 330 Mullet 663,000 20 787 71, 750 3 500 100 000 2 000 Squeteague 15, 000 225 3 000 200 596 750 13 530 Total 1 479 300 41 072 B.— THE PRINCIPAL FISHERY DISTRICTS DESCRIBED. 189. FERNANDINA AND ITS FISHERIES. THE FISHERIES OF FERNANDINA. — Fernaudina, tbc principal coast towii of Eastern Florida, is situated on the west shore of Amelia Island, and has about 3,000 inhabitants. It was settled by the Spaniards in 1632, and still has a large Spanish population. Its harbor is one of the largest and among the best in the South. The fisheries of the place are of little importance for other than local supply, and the fishermen use only the cast-net and hook and line in the capture of the dif- ferent species. They fish wholly from small boats in the harbor and river, seldom crossing the bar to fish along the outer shore. There are about twenty-five men in the two settlements, or the upper and lower towns as they are called, who depend largely on the water for a livelihood, with twenty others who fish occasion- ally during the winter months. In addition to the boat fisheries of the place, several Northern vessels occasionally visit the region, and fish along the outer shore between Savannah and Saint Augustine, selling their catch in Jacksonville and Savannah, or shipping it to the Northern markets. These usually make their headquarters at Fernandiua. In the winter of 1879-'80 there were three smacks engaged in this fishery for a few weeks, but the business was soon discontinued, not from any scarcity of fish, as we are told, but from the lack of any suitable market and the want of energy on the part of the crews. One of the smacks is said to have stocked $472 between the 7th and 27th of January. There are excellent fishing banks a few miles outside of the harbor, extending along the coast for miles in either direction. Parties from Jacksonville and Fernandiua occasionally resort to these banks in vessels or steamers for pleasure-fishing, and bring in large numbers of blackfish and EASTERN FLORIDA: PRINCIPAL FISHERY DISTRICTS. 525 red-snappers, but, aside from the fishing by Northern smacks already mentioned, there is no "outside fishing" for profit. QUANTITIES OF FISH AND OTHER SEA-PRODUCTS TAKEN BY THE FERNANDINA FISHERMEN. — Not over 25 green turtle are caught in a season. These are taken with cast-nets in the river, their average weight being about 10 pounds. Loggerheads and hawkbills are very abundant, but no use is made of them. According to Capt. T. E. Fisher, shrimp and prawn are abundant in the harbor directly opposite the city during the entire year, and a man can readily secure 3 or 4 bushels with a small cast-net on any pleasant night. The catch, which is not less than 450 bushels, is boiled and dried for shipment to New York, Philadelphia, and Savannah. In the winter of 1879-'80 the fishermen for the first time became interested in the sturgeon fisheries. They have just established a camp on the Saint Mary's River, at Tampa Bluffs, where two nets are fished regularly. The catch is brought to the village, where the fish are iced for shipment to New York. During the winter of 1879-'80, according to Captain Fisher, 3,000 strings of fish were shipped to Atlanta and Macou, in Georgia, and about 1,000 red-snappers, 40 groupers, and 3,000 bass were sent to other markets along the coast. THE PRINCIPAL, FOOD-FISH AT FERNANDINA. — The principal species taken in the river are mullet (Mugil albula and M. braziliensis), trout (Cynosclon maculatum), blackfish (Serranus atrarius), drum (Pogonias cJtromis), bass (Scicena ocellata), sheepshead (Diplodus probatocephalus), croakers (Micropogon unditlatus), flounders (Pseudorhombtis dentatus), yellow-tails (Bairdiella chrysura), sailor's choice (Layodon?), and eels (Anguilla vulgaris). On the outer banks all of the species common to the region are abundant. 190. SAINT AUGUSTINE AND ITS FISHERIES. EARLY SETTLEMENT OF SAINT AUGUSTINE. — Saint Augustine, a city of 2,600 inhabitants, was founded by the Spaniards in 1565. It occupies a portion of a peninsula, formed by the Saint Sebastian and Matauzas Rivers, lying nearly opposite Saint Augustine Inlet. Its harbor is simply a portion of the Matanzas River separated from the sea by a long and narrow strip of laud known as Anastasia Island. Though the inlet has 10 to 13 feet of water, no steamers run regularly to the city, and the vessel fleet of the place consists simply of a few pleasure yachts owned by Northern gentlemen, who spend their winters in the South. Thousands of people visit Saint Augustine each winter, both on account of its historic interest and its delightful climate, and it is fast coming to be the Saratoga of the South. THE PRIMITIVE CONDITION OF THE FISHERIES. — Saint Augustine boasts the oldest fisheries in the United States, if not on the Western Continent, for the colonists who came over in 1565 must have drawn largely on the water for their food, and it is not improbable that the introduction of the Spanish cast-net, which is still in use in the locality, could be traced to this colony. The fish- eries, like the town, have remained stationary for many years, and we still find them under the control of the Spaniards, who paddle about in their log canoes or dug-outs, throwing their primitive cast-nets over the heads of the fish. The men have become very expert in the use of these nets, and readily secure more fish than can be sold fresh. They seem satisfied to fish only for the home market, and it never occurs to them to catch an additional quantity for salting or shipping. The favorite fishing grounds are about Matanzas Inlet, 17 miles distant, and in winter the bulk of the fish are taken in that locality; but in summer, and to a certain extent at other seasons, many are taken at various points along the river bank. There is no fishing for profit along the outer shore, 526 GEOGEAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. and maiiy fishermen never cross the bar. When Matanzas Inlet is visited only three trips are made in a week, but when fishing nearer home it is customary to go out oftener. After securing as many fish as can be sold the fishermen start for home, and by daybreak each has his catch spread out upon his stall in the market. As the customers arrive they make their own selections of such fish as they desire. These are at once strung in bunches of 4 to G pounds each, the average price being only 10 to 15 cents a string, while the hotels are supplied at an average of 81.50 per bushel. EXTENT OF THE FISHERIES AT SAINT AUGUSTINE. — There were ten men, with five boats, engaged regularly in the fisheries during the winter of 1879-'80, and the average daily catch was about 50 strings to a boat. In addition to the regular fishermen a few negroes go out occasionally, selling their catch in the same manner as the others. As the season advances the visitors return to their homes in the North, and the demand becomes so much lighter that some of the fishermen naturally turn their attention to other work, and a few engage in the capture of turtle or shrimp. THE GREEN-TURTLE FISHERIES. —The green turtle make their appearance in the waters of Saint Augustine Harbor in May and remain till November; they are most plenty during the mouths of July, August, and September. During this season two gill-nets are set for them in the waters opposite the city. It is said that in 1878 about 700 turtle, weighing 16,000 pounds, were taken, and 350, weighing 8,000 pounds, were caught in 1879. The turtle here are smaller than those farther south, averaging only 20 to 25 pounds apiece. They are usually sold at once to the residents of tlie city at from 15 cents to $1.50 each. For the past two or three years a few have been penned and saved for the winter trade, when they bring about 10 cents per pound. THE SHRIMP FISHERIES. — Shrimp and prawn are abundant during the summer months on the various mud flats in the locality. Three men are engaged regularly in this work, catching their supply chiefly during the hours of low water at night. The yearly catch is about 600 bushels, valued at $700. The shrimp are sold locally. At the beginning of the season the price is 10 cents per quart, but it soon drops to 5 cents, or 3 quarts for a dime; and when the season is well advanced they sometimes sell for 15 cents a peck. None are shipped, and not more than 20 bushels are dried. 191. THE FISHERIES OF MOSQUITO LAGOON. Lying to the southward of Saint Augustine is another lagoon, some 60 miles in length, con- necting with the ocean through a small inlet. This opening, known as Mosquito Inlet, and situated about midway from either end of the lagoon, is so shoal that even vessels of small size can seldom enter. The northern arm of the lagoon is known as Halifax River, and the appropriate name of Mosquito Lagoon has been applied to the southern one. Until recently the country was almost uninhabited, and there are now but four or five settlements in the region, all of which are very small and unimportant. The waters abound in fish of various kinds, and mullet are said to be remarkably abundant. Owing, however, to the lack of transportation, the fisheries are little developed, the only products shipped from the locality in 1879 being 150 green turtle, a few barrels of salt mullet, and 300 or 400 dried mullet roes. The fishing is wholly by means of cast-nets, each farmer going to the vicinity of the inlet in November or December to secure his yearly supply of mullet, which he salts and packs for family use. Seven men are engaged in the green-turtle fishery with gill-uets for about two months. The catch in the winter of 1879-'80 was about 200 turtle, equal to 7,000 pounds, valued at $770. These were sent to New York and Philadelphia through Jacksonville parties. EASTERN FLOEIDA: PRINCIPAL FISHERY DISTRICTS. 527 192. THE FISHERIES OF INDIAN RIVER. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE IKDIAN RIYER COUNTRY. — Indian River, lying just south of Mos- quito Lagoon, and connecting with it by means of an artificial canal, is a sheet of water 150 miles in length. It has two inlets in its lower portion, the first known as Indian River Inlet and the second as Jupiter Inlet. These are obstructed by shifting sand-bars, where the water varies in depth from year to year. The inlets are at present too shoal to admit the ordinary coasting vessels, and in 1879 even the smaller fishing vessels could not enter. The section is quite isolated from the outside world. It is cut off from the ocean by the shoal- ness of the water, and has communication with Jacksonville by means of small river steamers during only a portion of the year. Until 18G5 the country was little better than a wilderness, and at present there are but six post-offices along the entire shore, some of the settlements having only five or six families, while the largest have but fifty. THE GREEN TURTLE FISHERIES. — The first fishing in the region was for green turtles { Chelonia mydas). This began at Indian River Inlet prior to the war, the catch being exchanged for merchandise with the coasting and Government vessels that visited the locality. Turtles are more abundant at this point than at any other on the Atlantic coast. They are said to be present in the river during the greater part of the year, but it is only in winter that the absence of saw- fish (Pristis antiquorum) and several of the larger species of sharks will warrant the fishermen in engaging in their capture. They are taken In nets similar to the ordinary gill-nets, though neces- sarily of heavier material. These have 11-inch mesh aud are set directly across the channel, the turtle being entangled in them while moving back and forth. The fishing begins early in September and lasts until late in December. The best catch was made in 1878, when eight men caught 1,600 turtle. In 1879 sixteen men caught 1,400 in number, weighing about 75,000 pounds, and netting the fishermen $8,000. Of late the catch is being shipped to the Northern markets through Jack- sonville agents', and the price realized, after deducting expenses of transportation and commission, averages about 11 cents per pound. The largest turtle taken in Indian River, according to the fishermen, weighed 275 pounds, but the average for those taken in 1879 was only 50 or 60 pounds. UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT TO ESTABLISH A CANNERY AT THE INLET. — The first fishing business of importance in this locality was in 1866, when a company was formed in New York for the purpose of establishing a cannery on Indian River for putting up turtles, fish, and oysters. It was also the intention to run fish in ice from this point to New York by means of a steamer. The steamer was properly equipped and sent to this region, but was wrecked in crossing the bar on her arrival, aud, after two seasons of poor management, the business was abandoned. EXTENT OF THE FISHERIES OF THE REGION. — From the date of the failure of the New York enterprise to 1878 there was little fishing at Indian River. At that time, however, the smack Lillian, of Noauk, came to the inlet with seines and boats, and began fishing for the Savannah market. Pens, in which the fish could be kept alive during the absence of the smack, were built in the water, and a crew of men were stationed on the shore to seine the fish. Another crew remained on board the smack to " run " the catch to market. When the vessel could not enter the inlet the fish were towed out in cars and placed in her well. In 1879 another vessel accompanied the Lillian to the inlet, but she soon abandoned the fishery and returned to the North. This season the smack had but one crew, and was anchored off the shore in charge of the cook, while the captain and men went inside to seine the fish. On account of the lack of time no attempt was made to keep the fish, and they were usually packed in ice for the trip. The fishery has been very profitable, and there has usually been no difficulty in securing a load in two or three days. 528 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. Aside from tbe vessel and turtle fisheries already mentioned, there are no fisheries of impor- tance, and the fishing is wholly for family use, each man securing his own supply. Mullet and other species are occasionally salted by the farmers for home use, but they have such crude ideas of the proper methods of curing fish that they are seldom able to keep them for any length of time. Their poor success has caused many to believe that fish cannot be saved with salt in that climate. It is, indeed, a prevalent idea all along the coast south of Charleston, S. 0., that the salt- ing of fish in pickle is only an experiunnt at best, and almost no one thinks of salting any beyond those for use on their own tables; for this reason, though many edible species, including the mullet, sheepshead, aud trout, are abundant, the fisheries are of little financial importance to the people of this region. 193. THE VARIOUS FISHING CENTERS OF THE SAINT JOHN'S RIVER. DESCRIPTION OF THE FISHERIES OF THE SAINT JOHN'S RIVER.— Fishing in the Saint John's is confined largely to the capture of shad (C. sapidissima), mullet (M. albula and M. braziliensis), and trout (C. maculatuni), though many other species are taken for both pleasure and profit iu various localities. The banks of the stream are, as a rule, low and swampy, and the fishing is therefore confined to the few higher areas, where small settlements usually occur. Only eight or ten of these are large enough to merit the unpretentious title of village, while but two are towns of any note. The principal fishing centers on the river are Mayport, New Berlin, Jacksonville, Palatka, Lake George, Lake Monroe, and Lake Harney. The fishing interests of these places will be described separately. MAYPORT. — Mayport is a village of about one hundred and thirty inhabitants, at the mouth of the river. It is settled largely by people of Spanish descent, and has few attractions other than those due to location. The principal business during the summer months is fishing, and nearly all are more or less dependent upon it for a livelihood. Mayport boasts the oldest shad fisheries io Florida, and was the only place in the State prior to the rebellion where this fishery was prose- cuted. The shad were first taken at this point in 1858 by Capt. Charles Waterhouse, of Saybrook, Conn., who had fished regularly in the Savannah River for several years. Owing to the scarcity of fish at this particular time he decided to try the Saint John's, whither he proceeded with two nets. From the first the fishery proved very profitable, and it has been continuously prosecuted to the present time, with the exception of the "war period." In 1879 there were fourteen shad- nets, two mullet-nets, three haul-seines, and five trout-nets. The total value of the fishery products for 1879, at local rates, was $7,320. The shad are now taken in gill-nets from the last of November to the 1st of April, and the entire catch goes to the fish dealers of Savannah, who own an interest in the nets. The bulk of the mullet are taken with haul-seines between the 10th of August and the middle of December, when they are passing out of the river. Three-fourths of the catch goes to Savannah and the remainder to Jacksonville. The trout fishing is with gill-nets in April and May, the catch going largely to Jacksonville. There is also a limited amount of "stop-fishing" in summer. This consists simply in stopping the mouth of a creek or lagoon with netting at high water to prevent the fish from escaping, and in taking them out of the deeper holes at low water by means of cast-nets. NEW BERLIN. — The little village of New Berlin, locally known as "Yellow Bluffs," is situated on the Saint John's River, about 9 miles above its mouth, and is, next to Jacksonville, the largest fishing town in East Florida. It was settled largely by fishermen from Connecticut, who came to this point with gill-nets in 1866 to engage in the shad fisheries during the winter months. It has, EASTERN FLORIDA: PRINCIPAL FISHERY DISTRICTS. 529 therefore, next to Mayport, the oldest shad fisheries in the State. The town has at present a pop- ulation of about one hundred and fifty, all of whom are largely dependent on the fisheries during a greater part of the year. Many of these are Northern fishermen, who spend their winters in Florida and return to Connecticut in the spring to engage in the shad fisheries of that State. In I860 there were four nets at New Berlin; in 1876 the number had increased to fourteen, and in 1878 to forty. In 1879 there were only thirty -five shad-nets, and at the present time (1880) there are thirty shad, twelve mullet, and five trout-nets owned in the village. The total value of the catch for 1880, at local prices, was about $10,770. Two-thirds of the shad and three-fourths of the mullet go to Savannah, and the balance of the catch, including trout and mixed fish, goes to Jack- sonville, or the larger cities of Georgia and South Carolina. JACKSONVILLE. — Jacksonville, the largest city of Florida, was laid out as a village in honor of Andrew Jackson in 1822. When half a century old it contained less than 1,500 inhabitants, but within the last few years it has come to be the commercial center of the State, and has at present a population of 12,000. It is situated on the right bank of the Saint John's River, about 25 miles above its mouth, and has fair rail and water connections with all parts of the country. Prior to 1808, according to Messrs. Melton & Tait, the fishing at Jacksonville was chiefly with hook and line for local use. Two or three drag-seines were also fished for mullet during the season, and the catch was salted for exportation to the West Indies. At that time shad-nets were intro- duced into the locality, and from that date the fisheries gradually increased, until, in 1879, there were one hundred and twenty men either catching or handling fish during some portion of the year. There were forty shad, thirty mullet, and three bass nets, with seven haul-seines and a dozen or more shrimp-nets, owned in the city. The catch, according to the most reliable esti- mates, amounted to 43,000 shad, 146,000 mullet, 6,300 bass, 37,000 strings of mixed fish, and 800- bushels of shrimp, having a total value of $23,000. The shad fishing begins early in December and lasts till the following April, when about thirty- fishermen leave for the North to engage in the fisheries of the Connecticut and other rivers. The remainder, mostly colored, fish with hook and line or cast-net, or work on shore until June, when the mullet arrive in sufficient numbers to warrant them in engaging in the fishery. This fishery is prosecuted to a limited extent from this date, but the height of the season is between August and December. Mullet are usually present in small numbers during the entire year. Bass-nets are fished from December to May, the favorite grounds being Doctor's Lake, about 20 miles above the city. The bass taken average about 10 pounds in weight. The haul-seines are fished in all the little creeks and bays along the river, for 10 or 12 miles on either side of the city. The principal species of the Jacksonville market are mullet (Mugil albula and M. braziliensis). shad (Clupea sapidissima), trout (Cynoscion maculatum), bass (Scicena ocellata), croakers (Micro- pogon undulatus], sheepshead (Diplodus prolatocephalus), drum (Pogonias chromis), sailor's choice- Applied to numerous species, but more particularly to Lagodon rkomloides), flounders (Pseudorhom- Ijus dentatus), yellow-tails (Bairdiella chrusura), and whiting (Mentlcirrus albiirmut), together with fresh-water trout (Micropterus pallidus), and bream and perch of various kinds. Three-fourths of the shad and half of the mullet and bass are shipped, and the remainder are consumed locally. Of those shipped, a few shad and bass go to the Northern markets, but the greater part are sent to the interior of Georgia and South Carolina. PALATKA. — Palatka, the only village of any importance on the Saint John's above Jackson- ville, is situated about 100 miles from the mouth of the river, in the midst of a large fruit-growing- section. It is the center of steamboat navigation for the upper Saint John's and Ocklawaha 34 G R F 530 GEOGRAPHICAL KEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. Rivers. The village is near a narrow portion of the river, locally known as "The Devil's Elbow," which is one of the best points for the capture of shad and mullet in this part of the State. The first fishing of importance at this place was by Capt. 0. B. Smith, of Connecticut, in the winter of 1871-'72. He was remarkably successful, and shipped large numbers of shad to the Northern markets, and also sent a considerable number of mullet to Jacksonville. From that date he came yearly to Palatka with an increased number of men, and it is said that during the season of 1874-'7o he caught 55,000 shad with six nets. Up to 1876 he had the fishing all to himself, but at this time the inhabitants, seeing the value of the fishery, made preparations to take part in it. In the season of 1S79-'80 there were ten nets, with twenty men, engaged exclu- sively in the shad fisheries, landing about 12,000 fish. There is considerable fishing with hook and line for fresh-water trout, and several tons are brought to Palatka for market each winter. Mullet are very abundant during the greater part of the year, and especially so between July and September, though little attention is paid to their capture, and almost none are shipped. WELAKA AND LAKE GEORGE. — Welaka is a small river lauding, with two stores, in the heart of a fruit-growing region, 25 miles above Palatka. It is situated on a narrow part of the river, a few miles below the point where it ef pands to form Little Lake George. This is a shoal- water lake, 4 miles wide by 7 long. A few miles farther up the stream is Lake George, the prettiest and clearest sheet of water on the entire river. This lake is 12 miles wide by 16 to 20 miles long, and abounds in fish of various species, being seemingly the summer home of large numbers of mullet. There are several salt springs in various parts of the lake, and the fishermen claim that many of the mullet spawn there instead of taking the long trip to the sea. Between Welaka and Lake George there is a limited fishery for shad, mullet, and "foul-fish,'' employing twelve men during a portion of the year; but the fishing, with the exception of that during the shad season, is very irregular, and the chief aim is to catch "foul-fish" (including catfish, gizzard-shad, and gar-fish, and other worthless species), which are sold as a fertilizer at $8 a ton. The fishing for mullet and foul-fish is not confined to any particular locality, the nets being- set either in the lake or river; but the shad are principally taken in the narrower places along the stream. In 1879 there were three shad-nets, six mullet-nets, and one haul-seine fished in this section. The catch was about 4,500 shad, 20,000 mullet, and 600 barrels of foul-fish, the whole having a value of $1,800. Probably no point on the Saint John's River affords better facilities for an extensive mullet fishery than Lake George. Fish of large size are reported to be remarkably abundant during the entire year, and it is said that they can be taken in any quantity desired. At present, as has been stated, there are but six small nets, and these are fished only occasionally, a few mullet being sent fresh to Palatka, the others being consumed locally. The distance from a suitable market might interfere with any extensive shipping of fresh mullet, but it seems probable that any party familiar with the proper methods of salting and curing fish could establish a very profitable business in the salting and shipping of mullet to other States, especially to those of North and South Carolina. LAKE MONEOE. — Lake Monroe, a sheet of water 5 miles wide by 10 long, is simply another expansion of the Saint John's River, 240 miles above its mouth. On the banks of this lake are the settlements of Melonville, Sanford, and Enterprise, all villages of small size, although among the largest in this portion of the State. They are coming into favor as winter resorts, and several good hotels have been recently built. The first fishery of importance in this region was in 1874, when parties from Palatka estab- lished a shad fishery on the bar at the upper end of the lake, salting their catch or shipping it to EASTERN FLORIDA: PRINCIPAL FISHERY DISTRICTS. 531 Jacksonville and Palatka in ice. This fishery has been occasionally prosecuted by Northern fish- ermen since that time, and during the winter of 1879 one seine was fished regularly on the bar, the catch, which amounted to 2,500 shad, being sold to the hotels in the locality. The fishing season lasts from the 1st of December to the middle of April. Another seine and two or three gill-nets are owned in the region, but the fishing is very irregular and mostly for family use. LAKE HARNEY.— Lake Harney, about 2G5 miles above the mouth of the Saint John's, is the highest point on the river where the fisheries have been prosecuted, and even here the fishing has been very limited. The lake, which is only 5 or G miles in diameter, is so shoal that a common seine will scrape the bottom in almost every part. It was first visited four or five years ago by Palatka parties, who were successful in taking a large number of shad and mullet, which they salted and shipped to Jacksonville. In the winter of 1S79-'80 two crews came from Jacksonville, with seines and other necessary apparatus, to catch fish for shipment in ice to that market; but after three or four weeks they gave up the work, owing to the unusually high water which covered the surrounding country and allowed the fish to escape into the grass of the swamps. The catch amounted to almost nothing, though under ordinary circumstances the lake is said to be an excellent location for a fishery. FISHERIES OF THE GULF OF MEXICO. By SILAS STEARNS. ANALYSIS. A. — GENERAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES or THE GULF STATES : 194. Extent of the fisheries. B. — THE FISHERY INTERESTS OF WESTERN FLORIDA : 195. Statistical recapitulation. 190. The fisheries of Key West. 197. The lisherii'8 of Monroe, Mauitee, anil Hillsboro' Counties. 198. The fisheries of Hernaudo and Marion Counties. 199. The fisheries of Cedar Keys. 200. The fisheries of Lafayette, Taylor, and Jef- ferson Counties. 201. The fisheries of Wakulla County. 202. The fisheries of Appalachicola. 203. The fisheries of Saint Andrew's Bay. 204. The fisheries of Pensaeola. C.— THE FISHERY INTERESTS OF ALABAMA. 205. Statistical recapitulation. 206. The fisheries of Mobile and vicinity. D. — THE FISHERY INTERESTS OF MISSISSIPPI: 207. Statistical recapitulation. 208. General description of the fisheries. E.— THE FISHERY INTERESTS OF LOUISIANA: 209. Statistical recapitulation. 210. The fisheries of New Orleans and other places. F. — THE FISHERY INTERESTS OF TEXAS: 211. Statistical recapitulation. 212. General description of the fisheries. 213. Professor Jordan's account of the fisheries of Galvestou and vicinity. 533 T XV. FISHERIES OF THE GULF OF MEXICO. A.— GENERAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES OF THE GULF STATES. 194. EXTENT OF THE FISHEEIES. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS ON THE FISHERIES AND FISHERY RESOURCES OF THF. GULF COAST.— Almost a third part of the entire coast of the United States, excluding the Territory of Alaska, borders on the Gulf of Mexico, the waters of which, under the benign influences of a tropical sun, teem with an almost endless variety of animal life. Nowhere do the rich Southern fauna find a more genial habitat, and in few localities could man levy upon the sea a heavier tribute of deli- cious fish and mollusks to supply his table. But, strange as it may appear, the fisheries of these 1,550 nautical miles of coast line fall short in value of those of the single State of New York by 8450,000; and the States of Massachusetts, Oregon, and Maine have fisheries, respectively, five times, four times, and thrice as great as those of the entire American coast of the Gulf. Among the Gulf-bordering States, Florida holds the first rank, the people of its western shores taking marine products to the value of $426,527. To Western Florida the entire sponge fishery of the United States is confined, and over $200,000 per annum accrue to her citizens from this source alone. This State also excels all others in the extent and value of its mullet fisheries, while Louisiana holds the same pre-eminence with respect to the shrimp, of which species Texas also obtains a goodly share. Eeturning again to the Gulf coast as a whole, it will be observed that the principal products are oysters, sponges, groupers, mullet, shrimp, and red-snappers. These are named in the order of their monetary importance, the value of the oysters taken exceeding by over 35 per cent, that of any other species obtained by the Gulf fishermen, although very insignificant when compared with the production of the oyster industries of many of the Atlantic States. It is to be hoped that the inhabitants of these shores will soon awaken to a realization of the sto're of wealth which beneficent nature brings to their very feet; if they do not, others will step in before them and bear away the first-fruits, for these well-nigh limitless sources of material pros- perity cannot much longer remain unnoticed. When there shall be a fuller knowledge of the importance of these resources and better facilities of transportation have arisen, the fisheries of the American side of the Gulf of Mexico will take an enormous stride and compete even with those of enterprising New England. STATISTICAL RECAPITULATION. — The following statements give the statistics of these fisheries for the year 1880, and on the subsequent pages will be found a detailed account of their present condition : 535 536 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. Summary statement of ptrsons employed. Persons employed. Number. Fishermen 4. 382 Shoremen j 749 Total 5,131 Detailed statement of capital invested and apparatus employed. Apparatus specified. Number. Value. Vessels <3;009.SG tons) 197 $308,051 Boats 1,252 50,173 Other apparatus, including outfits 52, 823 Canneries and other shore property j 134,537 Total 545,584 Detailed statement of the quantities and values of products. . Products specified. « Blnefish 44,250 : $885 Crabs 324,000 8,100 Crawfish 24,000 800 Green turtle 234,000 9,120 Groupers 1,764,000 141,120 Mullet 2,217,750 a 108, 421 Oysters | 4,051,075 313,200 Pompano 14,212 1,421 Redsnappers | 1,483,293 j 66,757 Shrimp • 1,171,500 ' 69,300 Sponges 207,000 200,750 All other species I 12,026,130 307,670 Total i 23,561,210 1,227,544 a Including 13,325 dozen roes, irorth $5.867. B.— THE FISHERY INTERESTS OF WESTERN FLORIDA. 195. STATISTICAL RECAPITULATION. Summary statement of persona employed. Persons employed. Number, Fishermen . Shoremen.. 1,936 176 Total . 2,112 Detailed statement of capital invested and apparatus employed. Apparatus specified. Vessels (2,152.97 tons) Boats Other apparatus, including outfit ... Canneries and other shore property. Total... Number. Value. 124 743 $272, 645 15,558 21, 823 52, 537 3G2, 563 GULF OF MEXICO: WESTEBN FLOEIDA. 537 Detailed statement of the quantities and values of the products. Products specified. Founds taken. Value to fishermen. Bluefish 44, 250 $885 180, 000 7,200 1,704,000 141, 120 Mullet 2, 028, 250 a 102, 721 410, 200 10, 950 14, 212 1,421 223, 293 8,932 207, 000 200,750 3, 505, 130 90,840 Xotal 8, 370, 335 564, 819 a Including 13,325 dozen roes, worth $5,667. 19C. THE FISHERIES OF KEY WEST. ADVANTAGES OF KEY WEST FOR A FISHING STATION. — That Key West should be aii important fishing community is quite natural from its geographical position. It is a coral-limestone island, situated far from the mainland, almost entirely surrounded by reefs of coral which afford shelter for myriads of fishes and their food, and its proximity to the water of the Gulf Stream causes a congenial temperature for most of the southern forms of marine life. Key West is equally convenient to the fishing-grounds in winter, when fish are likely to be away from the coast and near the edge of the Gulf Stream, and in summer when the fish are near the shore. The larger fish, living at or near the bottom, can always find harbor and food among the reefs; and the smaller ones are equally well situated in the still shoal water between this key and those to the immediate east. The fishing grounds for smacks in search of large fish, such as the grouper and red snapper, are chiefly north of Key West and the Florida reef, along the mainland shores, and about the western end of the reef, in the vicinity of the Tortugas. The vessels engaged in the sponge fishery find grounds among the reefs eastward from Key West to Cape Florida and off the Florida coast from Auclote Keys north to Saint Mark's, and the fishing grounds for the smaller fish lie near and around Key West. Key West derives great advantages from being convenient to the large markets of Havana and New York. The former is only a fourteen hours' sail and the latter is directly and frequently communicated with by steamships. DESCRIPTION OF FISHING VESSELS. — The Key West market fishery is carried on by a fleet of vessels and boats which fish on the coral reefs at the edge of the Gulf Stream, usually at a distance of 5, sometimes 10 miles from Key West. With the exception of two vessels sloop-rigged, all the larger smacks engaged iu the fishery from the port of Key West, are schooner-rigged. These smacks may be divided into two classes: those built in Connecticut, and those built at Key West in imitation of New England fishing vessels. The Key-West-built vessels are considered much more durable than those which come from New England, which, however, they resemble in general appearance. The various kinds of wood obtained in the South are regarded as being much better adapted for use in the construction of vessels for Southern waters— being less liable to decay— than those from which the New England vessels are made. The arrangement of the wells iu these smacks is the same as that followed iu the boats engaged in the New York market fisheries. A Key- West built vessel of 40 tons costs about $10,000. LAY. — With the exception of two vessels, the crews of the smacks fish on shares. The owner of the vessel receives 40 per cent, of the gross proceeds of the catch, and out of that he pays 40 per 538 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. cent, of all bills for port charges, food, ami apparatus, the last two being furnished by the owner previous to the sailing of the vessel. The crew receives the remaining 60 per cent, of the gross proceeds, from which they pay CO per cent, of all the bills for port charges, food, and apparatus, dividing the remainder among themselves. The captain, in addition to his share, receives from the owner 5 per cent, of the total paid to the owner, or, in other words, 2 per cent, of the gross stock of the voyage. Some shippers, instead of receiving this 5 per cent., are paid by the owner a certain amount per mouth, generally about 815. BOATS IN MARKET FISHERY. — The boats used in the Key West market fishery are, with few exceptions, built upon one model and adopt a uniform style of rig ; that of the sloop. The mast is placed well forward so that the jib, which is a small sail, can be furled during heavy winds without affecting the management of the boat. The mainsail, which has no gaff, runs up to a point at the masthead, and is of the shape known as "leg-of-mutton sail." The foot of the main- sail is cut convexly,* and is fastened to the boom only at the extreme ends, leaving the "roach" to hang below the boom. It is thought that a sail cut in this manner conduces to the greater speed of the vessel. In rough weather the jib is not used, and is of but little consequence at any time. In all there are about forty boats, manned by seventy-five men. The average length is about twenty-four feet, with a width of eight or nine feet and a depth of four or five feet, All of these boats are provided with wells. This provision is absolutely necessary in hot climes in order that the fish may be brought alive to market. They are built very sharp on the bottom, with large draught,' so that the hull may be submerged to such a depth as to afford a •supply of water in the well sufficient for the preservation of the fish. These boats have but little shear; they are made with raking steins and sterns and a deep keel. They draw more water aft than forward. The interior of the boat is divided into three compartments. In the bow is a cabin or "cuddy," in which dry clothes and spare gear are kept. The entrance to this cabin is through a small hatch just aft the mast. Xext comes the well, occupying about one-fifth of the entire length of the boat. Last iu order is the " cockpit," which is of the same width as the well, extending to within a few feet of the stern. As a rule these boats present but a rude appearance and furnish little evidence of fine work- manship. They are very strong and seaworthy, and answer admirably their purpose. They are purely Bermudian or Bahamian in type, and many of them have been brought over on the decks of vessels from the Bermudas, and some few have sailed across to Key West from the Bahamas. These boats are employed in the fisheries throughout the year. The men fish in them at a distance of from one to four miles from shore with hand-lines. The fish caught represent all the common species of these waters. The average value of each day's catch for the whole year is $1 for each man. Of course, on some days one man will take enough fish to realize from the sale of them as much as $20. During several weeks in the year the fishing is extremely irregular on account of rough weather. The proceeds of the catch are divided into a eertain number of shares, one of which belongs to each fisherman, one share being given to the owner of the boat. There is no distinction iu the share of the captain and that of any one of the crew. SEINES. — There are three seines in use at Key West throughout the year. Their average length is 45 fathoms and depth 12 feet, with a mesh of 1 to 1| inches. From four to six men are required to haul a seine of these dimensions. The catch includes all the common species, of which, on an average, half a barrel to the seine is taken each day. The yearly average catch for each seine amounts to 150 barrels, worth $1,500. * A sail whoso foot is thus shaped is called by the sailors a "reaching sail." GULF OF MEXICO: WESTERN FLORIDA. 539 PRODUCTS. — The fleet of boats comes borne at iiigbt arid lies at tbe -wharf until morning, when the sale of fish takes place. The species most esteemed for its food qualities is the " grunt," next to which comes the "small snapper," of which there are several kinds; groupers, and moonflsh. All palatable fish sell readily. The prices obtained vary greatly, being high when fish are scarce and low when plentiful. The average price per pound is about 5 cents. Turtles brought to this market in the shell are sold for 4 cents a pound. This price varies but little. The favorite baits are crawfish and conchs. The crawfish is preferred to all others and is found in the crevices among the rocks or on the sand-flats about Key West. Conchs are found on the shoals about Key West or on the reefs outside. Sometimes, when the fishermen have used up all their bait, they dive to the bottom, frequently 5 fathoms deep, and bring up coiichs. While the fishermen are engaged in fishing they often scatter broken crawfish, by which method they attract the fish to the surface. All unmerchantable fish are thrown back into the water. Great quanti- ties of kingfish are taken at certain times — generally most abundant during "northers" — by troll- ing lines as the boat sails. A good day's catch is 100 small fish or 25 kingfish. Sometimes, how- ever, more than twice that number are taken. DISPOSITION OF CATCH. — The object of this boat fishery is to supply the people of Key West with fresh fish, which are sold alive at the wharves from the boats. When an unusually large amount has been taken into the market a portion of the catch is bought by the fishing smacks and taken to Havana, where they are disposed of. As soon as the fish'are sold, which is usually the case by 9 o'clock in the morning, the fleet of boats starts in diiferent directions for the reefs of coral which extend along the edge, of the Gulf Stream. Sometimes these boats go ten miles from Key West to fish, but usually not over four miles. When they reach suitable fishing grounds they anchor and commence work. "BAITING UP." — Here, as also at the Bahama Islands, a curious method is adopted for the purpose of insuring a good supply of fish at any given spot. This is called by the fishermen " baiting up," and is performed thus : A large supply of crawfish, having been collected by the fishermen, is mashed up into a pulpy mass called "chum," which is then placed in ordinary gunny- bags and carried to the selected spot where the bag is placed in the water. The bait in one bag will last several days, oozing out but slowly, and thus attract the fish. When the fishermen come back to this spot, four or five days later, they usually find a plentiful supply of fish in good con- dition. HAVANA MARKET. — It has been already stated that the larger class of smacks take fish to Havana. At that port there is a great variation in tht. price paid for fish, ranging from 4 to 20 cents a pound. The original price was 50 "cents apiece for all groupers and snappers weighing over 5 pounds, those of less weight counting two for one. From 1850 to 1860, 12, 15, and 20 cents a pound were paid, but the trade was crippled during the war and never regained its former standard. After the war the price fell as low as 4 cents a pound. The period during which this low price was paid was of but short duration. The fishermen refused to carry their catch there unless the value was increased, in consequence of which the Cubans agreed to take all that could be brought for 8 cents a pound. For a few months, during 1874, the price rose to 12 cents a pound, after which it fell to the old price, S cents, at which it still remains. There are no duties on the fish carried alive to that port, but the port charges and other expenses average nearly 8100 a trip for each smack. 540 GEOGRAPHICAL KEV1EW OF THE FISHEEIES. 197. THE FISHERIES OF MONROE, MANITEE, AND UILLSBOEO' COUNTIES. TOPOGRAPHY OF THE KEGION. — The extreme southwestern coast of Florida is au almost uninhabited section, seldom visited and but little explored. Viewed from the sea the coast appears high and the coast-line seems to be without a break, but upon closer examination the coast-line proves to be cut up into countless numbers of small, low, mangrove-covered islands. In most places the country is broken up into this form by shoal lagoons for a distance of 5, 10, and even 20 miles inland. The seaward sides of these islands generally have narrow beaches of white sand, overgrown with sedge, according to the degree of their exposure to the waves. The Gulf waters touching this coast are extremely shoal, being only 10 or 12 feet deep at about an equal number of miles from the laud. The soil is generally good, the climate almost unexcelled, and fish and game abound, but settlers find the constant presence of tormenting insects and the extreme seclusion unbearable. Higher up the coast the waters of the Gulf become deeper, the islands larger and higher, and are formed of sand which is blown into exposed places, where it forms into dunes. The upper portions of the bays along the coast preserve the shallowuess of the water and the small size of the islands noticed above as occurring off the coast of Monroe County. In these shoal waters are found, as will be seen in the history of the fisheries, immense schools of mullet, the shoal water affording almost inexhaustible feeding grounds which are exceptionally free from predaceous fishes. Between Charlotte Harbor and Sarasota Bay the coast is bold, with a broad sand-beach, and is covered with a thick growth of tall pines. At Palmasola and Sarasota Bays the shores are higher and drier than at any point farther south, and are heavily wooded with palmettos and mangroves on the islands and with pines on the mainland. The outer sides of the islands are sandy and hilly. Outside of the channel the waters are rather shoal. The Little and Big Sarasota Bays are connected with each other, and, by means of Palmasola Bay, also join Tampa Bay. On the shores of these bays many fruit-growers from the West and North have settled. FISHERIES OF CHARLOTTE HARBOR. FISHING STATIONS OF CHARLOTTE HARBOR. — In Monroe County there are no fishing stations worthy of notice. The first four on the coast and on the islands off Manitee County are: Captiva, on Captiva Island; two at the north end of Lacosta Island, near Boca Grande, carried on by Span- iards, and one at the northern end of Gasparilla Island. These fisheries are all carried on in Char- lotte Harbor. They are engaged in supplying the Cuban market, and the methods of fishing, style of buildings, mode of curing the fish, &c., are much the same as at the Sarasota Bay fisheries, concerning which all details will be given, and from which a correct idea may be easily formed of the arrangements and methods followed out at the Charlotte Harbor fisheries, when no differ- ences are specially noted. The profits of the fishing at these four stations have been diminished both by the political troubles in Cuba and by the glutting of the Cuban markets. The stations are all occupied every year, but seldom by the same parties. The Gasparilla fishery is an exception; this one is carried on by Beacon Brothers, and managed by Captain Beacon. The money made by the fishermen is less than in former years, when both fish and roes were worth more ; yet, even with the present prices the men do well, if the business is properly managed. The trade with Cuba is now more extensive than formerly, more parties being interested in the work. It was reported that Spaniards had come from Cuba and fished in the bays under the Spanish flag. This was false. Sometimes, however, Cuban smacks fished off the coast, but were quickly prohibited by the revenue officers. GULF OF MEXICO: WESTERN FLORIDA. 541 Captain Beacon thinks that the supply of mullet has in no way diminished, and that they are as plentiful as they have ever been. Many experiments have been made at these stations, resulting very often in failure. The raen engaged there of course profit by the accumulated experience gained by the exertions of others. The buildings are now of a more permanent character, and, if possession can be obtained of the islands or ground which the stations occupy, this trade will probably increase and assume an important shape. CHARLOTTE HARBOR FISHING BOATS. — There is a peculiarity in the Charlotte Harbor boats. They are built so as to carry a large load in very shallow water. They resemble, in some respects, the Jap-streak boats of Maine. In fact they are a kind of lap-streak boat, having planks of cedar or white pine, knees and timbers rather large and of oak, and fastened with galvan- ized iron. Their usual length is 24 feet, and their width 8 feet. In shape they are somewhat awkward, being full at bow and stern, flat-bottomed, stem and stern raking, and quarters over- hanging. They are, however, able boats, and well adapted for the work. Besides carrying a large seine and six men, they will carry G5 tubs of mullet. While fishing they are rowed by two or four men, the captain standing in the bow to guide with a pole. These boats are made to order in New York, and cost $150. There are not over a dozen on this coast, and these are continually changing hands. Each of these four fisheries has two boats and two seines. CAPTIVA FISHING STATION. — At the Captiva fishing station, managed by Captain Pierce, of Key West, are thirty fishermen. All of them are "Conchs," natives of the Bahamas, or Ameri- cans. The seines are 120 and 100 fathoms long, and each is 18 feet deep. The stretch of mesh is 2J inches. During 1879, 3,000 quintals of salted mullet and 225 quintals of dried mullet roe were sent from the Captiva fishery to Cuba. FISHING STATIONS ON LACOSTA ISLAND. — AtLacosta fishery No. 1 are twenty-six fishermen, all Spaniards from Cuba or Key West, excepting one American. Jos<5 Sega is the captain. The two seines at this place are each 100 fathoms long, and 24 and 18 feet deep, respectively. The stretch of mesh is about 2 inches. In 1879 1,500 quintals of salted mullet and 120 quintals of mullet roe were sent to Cuba from this station. At Lacosta fishery No. 2 are twenty-four men, all Spaniards, excepting one American, as at No. 1. Captain Papy commands the station. The two seines used here are 100 fathoms and 75 fathoms long, and 10 and 12 feet deep, respectively. From this place 2,100 quintals of salt mullet and 250 quintals of mullet roe were shipped to Cuba in 1879. GASPARILLA FISHING STATION. — At the Gasparilla fishery, managed by Captain Beacon, are thirty fishermen, either Conchs or Americans from Key West. The Conchs here, as elsewhere, are very ignorant, and are the drudges and laughing-stock of the others. From Gasparilla, in 1879, 2,500 quintals of salted mullet and 200 quintals of mullet roe were shipped to Cuba. In 1877, 2,400 quintals of salted mullet and 175 quintals of dried roe were shipped, and in 1878, 2,000 quintals of salted mullet and 300 quintals of dried roe. The seines here are 80 and CO fathoms long, and 24 and 18 feet deep, respectively. The stretch of mesh is about the same as that of the others already mentioned. SEINES. — The seines above referred to, and varying considerably in size, require from four to twelve men each to handle them. The fishing is carried on from the middle of August to the middle of January, and the variety chiefly taken is mullet. Ten to twenty thousand fishes are frequently taken at a haul. More are often surrounded by the seine than can be hauled out. There is no bag or pocket to these seines, and therefore they are hauled out on the beach. LAY. — The "lay" arrangement at the Gasparilla fishery differs from that at the other three fisheries. At the first-named fishery all the gear and the carrying vessel belong to one company, 542 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. the Beacon Brothers. This company, having provided the outfit, receives 35 per cent, of the catch and pays 35 per cent, of all the bills. The other Co per cent, is divided equally among the two captains and the crew, who pay the remaining 05 per cent, of the bills. At the other three, the two Spanish fisheries on Lacosta Island and the Captiva fisheries, their vessels are hired, and this arrangement is in practice. The bills are paid from the total proceeds and the remainder is divided thus: Vessel, 20 per cent.; fishery, 15 per cent.; and crew, G5 per cent. The crews in either case receive the same. DISPOSITION OF CATCH. — The prices obtained in Cuba for the fish are: Salted mullet, 3£ cents and 4 cents a pound ; dried mullet roe, 3£ cents, 4 cents, and 4£ cents a pound. The duties on the fish and roes amount to $1.40 on the quintal. The markets to which shipments are made are Havana, Matanzas, Cardenas, and Sagua la Grande. FISH-CURING. — The curing of the fish is thus effected: On one side of the table are the "splitters," ten in number; on the other side are seven men arranged as follows: The second and third men from either end remove the gills and entrails; they are the "gillers." The end men scrape the black lining from the inside, and the fourth or middle man is an expert, who takes out the spawn; he is called the "spawuer." Five of the splitters, as they finish splitting the fish, throw them in a pile to the gillers, who do their work and turn the fish with spawn over to the spawner, and those without spawn to the scraper. As soon as the spawn is removed, the fish go to the scraper and by him are finished with, so far as dressing them is concerned. The fish are now thrown into a trough of salt water and allowed to remain in soak until they are all split, when they are removed to be salted and packed away. The salting process is described below in the paragraphs on the Sarasota fisheries. The roes, noticed by the writer at the Spanish fisheries in process of being dried, were maggoty, but the fishermen seemed to think they were all right, remarking that that condition was "nothing unusual." At the other two fisheries the roes were in excellent condition, clean and sweet. Their fish and roes were superior to those at the Spanish fisheries. The process of drying roes at these four fisheries was the same as that adopted at the Sarasota fisheries, and which is described below in detail. FISHERIES OF SARASOTA BAY. FISHING STATIONS OF SARASOTA BAY — The next group of fisheries are those of Sarasota Bay, comprising Hunter's Point fishery, Roberts fishery, and Sarasota fishery. The first named is on the dividing line between Sarasota and Palmasola Bays. The buildings there are owned by Sweetzer & Thomson. At Hunter's Point are eighteen fishermen. Many are natives of the Bahamas, and are called here, as also at Key West, "Conchs"; the rest are Americans. The men employed in carrying to market the fish which the regular fishermen catch are counted as belonging to the fishery gangs, and receive either a share of the catch or wages. SEINES AT HUNTER'S POINT.— At Hunter's Point fishery there are two seines in use. One of them is 100 fathoms long and 16 feet deep, with a 2-inch mesh, requiring eight men to handle it. The other is 75 fathoms long, 12 feet deep, and has a mesh of 1£ inches stretch. Four men handle this net. These seines are used in October, November, December, and January. Mullet is the fish most largely taken. In 1879, 10,000 pounds were caught at a haul. The catch is frequently so large that the fish cannot all be saved. In one instance the fish carried away the seine from the men. HUNTER'S POINT FISHING BOATS.— The boats used in this fishery are larger and of a better GULF OF MEXICO: WESTERN FLOEIDA. 543 build than those of the average size. They are of two sizes, the larger ones used by tie men while handling the seines, and the smaller ones serving as tenders to the former. The seine-boats are 26 feet long and 7 or 8 feet wide. They are built as flat as possible on the bottom, but retain the form of a round-bottom boat. The bow in these boats is very sharp; the stern wide and overhang- ing on the quarter. The wood of which they are made is strong, but light. Their carrying capacity is very great, and they are well adapted for their work. The smaller boats are about 1C feet long. HUNTER'S POINT CAST-NETS. — Of the two kinds of cast-nets — the "bag" and the "bail" — so generally used on the west and southwest coasts of Florida, the "bail" net is in more general use at Hunter's Point and at all other fisheries mentioned in this section. This net is circular in shape, with a diameter of 12 or 14 feet. Leads are strung at equal distances around its edge, and in the center is a horn ring, through which a cord may play. From the end of this cord (which is the hand-line), and inside of the net, radiate ten or twelve smaller cords or bails, which are all fastened to the lead liue at regular distances. This style of net is always free from tangles. When it is to be thrown, it is lifted by the center, the leads thereby coming together and giving the net a cylin- drical appearance. The hand-line and a portion of the net is gathered in the left hand, the lead- line being held in the teeth and the majority of the leads in the right hand. In launching, both hands are swung from the left side to the right; at the same time a quick turn is given to the body in the same direction. If the net is well thrown it will strike the water flat at a distance of 12 or 15 feet from the "caster." As soon as the leads reach the bottom tho net is hauled in by jerks on the hand-line, this having been retained in the hand of- the fisherman. There is no trouble in haul- ing up this kind of cast-net, as there is in the case of the bag-net, which will be described in speak- ing of the fisheries where that type is in favorite use. In the case of the "bail" net, the net has only to be raised by the horn ring when the leads have snnk, and with it is raised whatever may be caught. The cast net is used only in shoal water. Its value ranges from $5 to $15, dependent upon size of mesh, material used, &c. The average size of mesh is 1 inch, and cotton twine of nine threads is preferred. BUILDINGS, ETC., AT HUNTER'S POINT FISHERY. — The Hunter's Point fishery, one of the most important on the coast, is prosecuted with a special view to supplying the Cuban markets. The arrangements are very complete. The building where the fish are cured and stowed is about 30 feet long by 12 feet wide, and is built out from the shore on piling. There are two other rooms : One, built of boards, is used as a kitchen and dining-room and dwelling for the captain's family; the other, a palmetto-thatched shanty, is used by the men as a sleeping apartment. Among the apparatus owned here are seine-reels, frames on which to dry mullet-roe, and machinery for hauling up the boats from the water. The buildings at all the fishing places on this coast resemble each other, with the exception that at different places their relative positions and sizes may be changed. Flocks of turkey-buzzards hover about these buildings and feast on the decomposed fish-refuse when carried out into the woods or back of the ranch. MULLET. — The fishermen at Hunter's Point were found to be obliging and ready to give all the information they possessed. Their knowledge of the habits of the mullet appeared somewhat limited, only three or four months being passed by the men at the fishery. Their captain was then absent in Key West. The present abundance of mullet is considered equal to that in former years, the 1879 catch being considered larger than for four or five years past. When leaping from the water in great numbers, they make a noise like the sound of thunder; this continues day and night. LAY. — At this fishery, as at all otheis engaged in supplying the Cuban markets, the "lay" 544 GEOGEAPHICAL KEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. arrangement is as follows, subject to slight variations: After all bills Lave been paid, duties, tonnage, fees, provision bills, salt-bills, &c., the owners of the fishery apparatus receive 15 per cent., the owners of the vessels employed in taking the fish thence to Cuba, 20 per cent., and of what is left, each fisherman receives one share; the boys, if any, are allowed only half a share. The captain receives a share and a half. The general complaint is that there is no money to be made in the business and that the fishermen always come out in debt. The vessel's expenses are quite heavy and are paid from the common stock; but undoubtedly more profit is realized by the vessel than by any of the men engaged in the fishery or the owner or owners of the apparatus. The continued political troubles in Cuba have injured these fisheries, for the Cubans have no money, and so, to save themselves from being worsted, imposed heavy duties on all imports. CUBAN MARKET. — The market prices in Cuba are as follows : Salt fish, 4 cents a pound, or $4 a quintal. This price has not varied for several years, but is not more than two-thirds of what it was six years ago and before that time. Mullet roe, dried in Cuba, 50 cents a dozen. This price has not varied for the last six years. The duty on salt fish imported into the Cuban markets is $1.40 a quintal. The principal markets are Havana, Matanzas and Cardenas, and occasionally Sagua la Grande. Some of the dealers buy fish by the vessel load upon arrival. An average load for a fish-carrying vessel is 300 to 400 quintals. METHOD OF CURING MULLET-ROES. — The mullet-roes are thus cured: Having been collected from the fish in a vat with a weak solution of brine over them, and allowed thus to remain over night, the roes are taken out the next morning and carefully spread on boards in the sun. After one day's exposure other boards are laid on the roe. They are now between boards and in a shape which will admit of rapid handling in case of rain. If the sun is shining brightly and there is a good breeze, a week will suffice for the roes to become dry and thoroughly pressed. Afterwards they are handled in baskets, tubs, &c., and are sent to market en masse. There is a greater demand for mullet-roe in Cuba than Florida. If a spawning fish is bruised or other- wise injured in the seine the roe is worthless, turning a dark-red color. Again, if too much salt is put upon a spawning fish at first, the sac cracks and the eggs are burned out on being exposed to sun and pressure. Eaiu is injurious to mullet-roes, hence the threat of a shower causes much uneasiness in a drying camp. KENCH-CURING OF MULLET. — The method of curing mullet, known as the "kench-curing," and referred to in the section on the Charlotte Harbor fisheries, is practiced at Hunter's Point fishery, Eoberts's fishery, and Sarasota fishery. The treatment of the fish at any of these places is thus described : The fish, when taken from the boat, are carried to the cleaning-house and piled on the floor near the cleaning-table. There are two, four, or six splitters, who first take the fish in hand and split them from nose to tail through the back. These men shove them along to others who "score" or cut them along the backbone, removing gills and entrails. Other men are ready to give them the finishing touch by scraping out the black stomach-lining. They then pass the fish to the sal ting- table, where they are rubbed with Liverpool salt, after which their iusides are filled with it and closed up, leaving the natural shape of the fish. There are others, men or boys, employed in packing the fish away as soon as they are salted. They are packed in regular order, heads out, in one corner of the house, and, when the pile becomes large, present a most peculiar appearance, resembling a work of masonry more than anything else. On the occasion of a big haul, especially, is great life and activity displayed at a fishery, all hands, and as much help as can be temporarily secured from the surrounding country, being kept busy until the fish are all packed away. At such times the cleaning is first performed, then the salting, unless the haul be enormous, in which case a large number, instead of all, are cleaned before any salting is done. By GULP OF MEXICO: WESTERN FLORIDA. 545 reason of the difficulty encountered in procuring all the help necessary in case of an exceedingly large catch, thousands of fish are often wasted, one-fifth, perhaps, containing spawn. Before going to sleep, 50 barrels, however, are often cleaned and packed away after the boats have returned from the day's fishing. The first fish, thus carefully put up, arc in a first-class condition for any market. It is only in the warmest weather of August and September that the mullet are known to rust or turn red. A peculiar feature in the Cuban markets is that the people prefer to buy fish with their heads on. At the fisheries where the fish are treated in this way no barreling or brine-salting is done. ROBERTS'S FISHERY.— Roberts's fishery is situated on Sarasota Bay, at Big Sarasota Pass. It is managed by Mr. Roberts, of Key West, who supplies the Cuban markets. At Roberts's fishery about half the twenty-two fishermen are Conchs, the others come from Key West, and are mostly of American birth. As at Hunter's Point, the men on the carrying-vessels are regarded as forming part of the fishing gang. The two seines in use at Roberts's fishery are respectively 110 and 75 fathoms in length and 16 and 10 feet in depth, with meshes respectively of 2 and 1J inches. The former requires eight men; the latter, four. Several hauls with the seine have proved larger than twenty-two men could split, in consequence of which large numbers were spoiled. One haul contained at least 20,000 fish. The boats used here are similar to those in use at Hunter's Point. The bait-net is also preferred here to the bag-net, as at Hunter's Point. The fishing is a success, although the buildings, &c., may not be quite so conveniently arranged as at Hunter's Point. There are three houses built of poles, with palmetto-leaf thatching. In one of these buildings the fish are cleaned and stored. The second is used as a kitchen and the third for sleeping-quarters. The apparatus is practically similar to that at Hunter's Point. SARASOTA FISHERY. — In the vicinity of the last-mentioned fishery is Sarasota fishery. This is managed by six men, Americans, all of whom are equally interested. Their fish are sold only in the home markets. At this point there is only one seine in use. This is 75 fathoms long and 15 feet deep, with l^-iuch mesh. The boats used are of a smaller type than those already alluded to. Here, as at the other smaller fisheries, 30 per cent, of the proceeds is given to the fishery, and the other 70 per cent., after paying for salt, provisions, &c., is divided equally among the men. The price of fish in the home markets is 3 or 4 cents apiece, or $6 a barrel. Mullet roes sell for 25 cents a dozen. FISHERIES OF PALMASOLA BAY. FISHING STATIONS OF PALMASOLA BAY. — TYLER FISHERY.— The first fishery in Palmasola Bay, as one travels north, is called the Tyler fishery and is the smaller of the two situated on this bay. Here three men. Sharpe, Tyler, and IJoane, fish entirely with cast-nets ; their catches are small and their requirements correspondingly few. They fish for several months and catch quite sufficient for their own use and have a few barrels to sell. Throughout this bay there is a great deal of cast-net fishing; few, however, prove more remunerative than to supply the fishermen with food. PICKLE-CURING OF MULLET. — At this place and Bishop's fishery, next in succession, a peculiar mode of preserving fish is practiced. The fish are split as for kench-curing, and after being washed are packed away in large barrels, dry-salted. In a few days they have made their own brine, and with some of it are finally packed away in barrels made of cypress wood and so 35 G R F 546 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. sent to market. Several specimens offish thus cnred were badly treated; tbey were haggled with knives, did not have the black stomach-lining removed, and were made more disgusting by the unclean brine. These fish are sold to inland settlers all over the State of Florida. BISHOP'S FISHERY. — The latter of the two fisheries on Palmasola Bay is named Bishop's fishery, being managed by a man of that name. The fishermen, five in number, are all Americans. One seine is used here; it is CO fathoms long and 12 feet deep, with IJ-inch mesh. Fonr men are required to handle it. The only boat here is a flat-bottomed one. The conveniences for handling and curing the fish are very limited. At this place are a couple of palmetto shanties, one of which is used as a kitchen, and the other as a sleeping apartment, in which also they clean and store the fish. The fish put up here are barreled for home use only. The market prices are the same as at Sarasota. FISHERY AT PALM KEY. APPALACHICOLA FISHERY AT PALM KEY. — At the north end of Palm Key, or Anna Maria, is the Palm Key fishery, called also the Appalachicola fishery. In 1879 it was occupied by men from Appalachicola; hence the latter name. They had a shanty for storing and cleaning the fish, and a smaller one which they used as a kitchen. The men lived on board the vessel which accompanied them. In this gang were seven men ; their boat and seine were much smaller than those in use at other fisheries near by. MULLET-CURING AT PALM KEY. — Their method of curing was similar to that practiced at Appalachicola, but differs from the methods used in South Florida. As soon as cleaned, the fish having been split down the back, beheaded, and washed, they are dry-salted and packed in large pork or beef barrels, in which they are allowed to remain several days. They are then taken out and carefully packed in the white-pine barrels of Boston manufacture, furnished at Appalachicola by Mr. Murat. The brine, which has formed around the fish while in the pork barrels, is placed in a large kettle, boiled and strained until it is quite clear and pure, having been separated from the bloody and slimy matter which comes from the fish. As soon as cold, this clarified brine is poured into the box in which the fish are packed. The Appalachicola fishermen are noted for their neatness and dispatch in handling salt-fish, and their crew at this place is no exception to the rule. In 1879 the mullet appeared to avoid the north end of Palm Key, where they usually collect in large numbers, and therefore the men had no chance to exhibit their skill and speed just referred to. In three months of that year they only put up 35 barrels of fish. The amount of fish caught here is included in the statistics of the Appalachicola fisheries. FISHERIES OF TAMPA BAY. FISHERIES OF TAMPA BAY. — The shores of Tampa Bay differ but little from those of the bay? lying to the south. The waters are deeper and broader, and therefore the shores more generally terminate in sandy beaches and little bluff's, where the waves and currents have acted with unusual force. There are some points where the features of the coast off Monroe County are reproduced, the shoals extending a considerable distance into the bay, the shores being cut up into small, low, mangrove islands, separated by shoal channels of water. The land is everywhere covered with a dense growth, in the dry places, of pines, oaks, palmettos, and other trees peculiar to the climate, and in the wet places, of mangroves, for the most part. About Ihe lower part of the bay, and GULF OF MEXICO: WESTERN FLORIDA. 547 touching the Gulf, are several quite large sand islands. These are flat and bear a growth of pal- metto and pine trees and coarse grass. On the shore of Tampa are more people than on any other part yet mentioned. Tampa, at the head of the bay, is a thriving town, and the northeastern and southwestern ends are quite thickly settled. Only two individuals were found who caught more iisli than were necessary for their own food. These were Mr. Deshoug, who lives at the head of Tampa Bay, and Mr. C. S. Jones, living at Catfish Point. MULLET-FISHING AT TAMPA BAY. — Mr. Deshong has been living on the bay for thirteen years, and has iishcd every season for mullet. lie uses a small seine and gill-nets. In 1874 he salted 150 barrels of mullet. Fish were then very plentiful, and there was a good demand for them. In 1876 he put up 130 barrels; that year fish were not so abundant. In 1877 he packed 50 barrels; fish were scarce that year. In 1878 he also put up 50 barrels; during that year fish were a little more plentiful than in the previous year. In 1879 he only packed 28 barrels; fish were very scarce and the demand was limited. He put up his fish in cypress-wood barrels and half-barrels, and sold them to the inland settlers, either direct or through the Tampa storekeepers, at the rate of $7 a barrel. Mr. Deshong estimates that 100 barrels of fish are annually salted about Tampa Bay. Mr. Jones's opinion is that this estimate is twice too large. In speaking of the increase or decrease in the abundance of fish in Tampa Bay, Mr. Deshong says that several species, daily under his notice, have been decreasing in numbers steadily for the last five or six years. The mullet comes under this head. He thinks that the amount of spawn wasted with the mullet that are caught influence this decrease, and that the fish are frightened off by those fishing for them. Like many other fish- ermen on this coast, he is confident that many kinds of fish have lately been less abundant. Under that head comes also the white perch (Roccus americanus). In past years it has been the practice of Mr. Deshong every year to stop up the creeks and bayous with gill-nets and seines, thereby catching nearly every fish in them. He still tries the same expedient, but seldom succeeds in catching more than his family can eat at one meal. This sad truth is realized all over the bay. SHARK AND PORPOISE FISHING AT TAMPA BAY. — Mr. Deshong has also been engaged in shark- fishing, and from him the following facts relative to that pursuit were learned : The winter and spring months are the best, for then the sharks are very fat. The fishermen provide themselves with an able and stout yawl-boat, a lily-iron, lances, coils of line, and large kettles. They then start for some point where sharks are known to be abundant. The boat car- ries three men, two to row and one to stand in the bow and strike the fish. When a shark comes near the boat it is harpooned with the lily-iron, and the line is kept taut, lest it should be bitten off. When able to pull the fish alongside of the boat the men kill it with a lance. The sand or yellow sharks and the leopard-sharks are full of fight, and, when large, are difficult to manage. The other kinds give but little trouble. Porpoises are often struck, and, although very powerful and tenacious of life, are easily han- dled and brought within reach of the lance. Mr. Deshong has caught 25 or 30, large and small, in a day, but 8 or 10 is an average day's catch. A medium-sized shark will yield 2 or 2J gallons of oil from the liver and fat stomach coating; very large ones have been known to yield 10 gallons from the liver alone. Their bodies are not used, except to bait up others with. Mr. Deshong says that their flesh is watery, and, when allowed to dry, leaves but little bulk. Sharks kept for several days in alcohol shrivel up until nothing is left but the skin and frame. Five or six weeks in a season is about the limit of time during which this business is carried on. The average produce of oil for that period is about 300 gallons. 548 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. POUND FISHING AT TAMPA BAY. — Statements made by Mr. Jones on certain points connected with fish and fishing in Tampa Bay will now be given. He has the only pound owned on the Gulf coast. It is a small, crude affair, but does duty for cast-net and seine in providing Mr. Jones with all the fish he requires for his own consumption, and leaving some for sale. The pound is made from piles, boards, and small poles. The piles are driven as near as convenient to each other, the spaces being filled with boards, strips, or poles, this making a strong, solid wall. The " leader" is 100 yards long, running out over a sand-shoal in only 2 feet of water at ordinary tides. The "bowl" or "heart" is V-shaped, and is 20 yards across the arms and 30 yards long, and is set in water only a few inches deeper than the leader. The entrance to the heart is a foot wide, and in the outer corner of the heart is another partition and entrance leading into a small pocket where the fish are supposed to finally stop. When this pound was first set, fish would not approach it, but when the stakes had become covered under water with barnacles and oysters, the fish collected about it in considerable numbers. He states that all the common fish in the bay now enter his pound; and small red-snapper and small jew-fish have occasionally been found in the pocket. The largest catch made by him consisted of 300 mullet in one night; all of them were in the pocket. An average night's catch brings him a dozen or two fish of various kinds. Sheepshead, rcdfish, and salt- water trout seem to enter this pound more readily than any other fish. Many old fishermen have stated that mullet would not enter snch an arrangement, but will, when they strike the leader, turn away. It is thought that if Mr. Jones was in a position to exper- iment in deeper water the results would be very satisfactory. Mr. Jones does not attempt to bar- rel any fish, but sells them kench-salted to any who come for them. He sells annually from 2,000 to 3,000 fish, for each of which he receives about 3 cents. He also thinks, with Mr. Deshong, that many fish, and among them mullet, are yearly decreasing in numbers. He makes particular men- tion of the white perch, saying that they will not take the hook in Tampa Bay. 198. THE FISHERIES OF HERNANDO AND MARION COUNTIES. TAMPA BAY TO CEDAR KEYS. — The coast between Tampa Bay and Cedar Keys is but thinly settled, there being no large towns, and is, on that account, not remarkable for its fishermen. In- deed, the native fishermen are so few and so unsuccessful in their attempts that we have con- fined our remarks on the fisheries of Hernando and Marion Counties to those fishermen who come there from other places for the purpose of fishing. It would be difficult from a passing glimpse to learn who they were, whence they came, or how many fish they had caught, inasmuch as gangs are constantly cruising along the coast engaged in fishing, here one week and there the next, just as the abundance of the fish may warrant. They have complete outfits for their work, sometimes living ashore in camps, but more frequently on board the vessel which brought them, which same is used in taking away their fish. The number of these gangs varies with the season. Appalachi- cola generally sends one or two vessels to this district; Cedar Keys one or two, with ice on board so that the fish may be preserved fresh, and Key West usually sends several with the object of salting the fish for the Cuban markets. It is here reported, as on the coast of Manitee County, that smacks from Havana under the Spanish flag sometimes fish for mullet about Anclote Keys and Boca Ceiga Bay. We could not find any such vessels or any person who is positive that the vessels in question were Spanish. The amount of fish caught and cured on this part of the coast by men from Appalachicola, Cedar Keys, and Key West, as well as the capital invested, &c., appears in the accounts for those places. FISHING STATIONS OF BOCA CEIGA BAY. — On the coast at the south of Hernando County is GULF OF MEXICO: WESTEEN FLORIDA. 549 Boca Cciga Bay, which, after leaving Tampa Bay, is the first point where fishing stations are found. The fishermen here come from Key West and sell their fish to dealers in the Havana trade. There are two stations, one at Turtle Crawl Point and the other at Pass & Goille. These are not permanently occupied ; they are visited only during the mullet season in the fall. They are conducted in better style than those farther up the coast and the fish are much more neatly cured. The fall mullet at Boca Ceiga are unusually large and fine, and are far superior to those at Crystal Biver and vicinity or at Cedar Keys. The statistics relative to the fishing at the two above-named places, Turtle Crawl Point and Pass & Goille, will be included with those for Key West. CLEARWATER HARBOR. — Following the coast northward, the next indentation of any importance is Clearwater Harbor, which is a long, narrow sheet of water lying between a chain of islands and the mainland. The Gulf, outside of this harbor, becomes shallower than at Tampa Bay. Inside the harbor also the water is very shoal, the channel affording the only passage for large boats. The islands forming the sea barrier are the only ones in the harbor, and these are low and sandy, bearing a scrubby growth of palmetto and mangrove trees. The mainland is probably one of the highest points on the whole southern coast of Florida. It rises quite abruptly from the water's edge and is heavily wooded with pines, oaks, &c. The soil is good, and a great part of the land along the shore, which is quite thickly peopled, is under cultivation. At the southern end of the harbor there is living a man named Kilgores, who is as much a professional fisherman as any on the coast. He has a house and farm, and, being located at a good point, is able to combine farming with fishing. lu the mullet season he employs several men to assist him in working his seines, salting, &c., and they do much better work than is done at any of the fisheries immediately to the northward. Their nets and modes of fishing are the same as at Crystal Eiver and vicinity, but the fish are handled more carefully during the process of curing, and are therefore far superior both to keep and eat. The fish are sold to the country people, either kench-salted, at 3 cents apiece, or are put up in barrels with brine and sold at $6 a barrel. In 1878 Mr. Kilgores put up 45 barrels of mullet. The salt used by him is procured from Tampa or Cedar Keys ; he pays $2 or $2.50 a sack for it. ANCLOTE KEYS. — The next fishing point is Auclote Keys. Behind the Keys is a favorite resort for Key West smack fishermen, spongers, turtle and "salt- fishermen," and every year one or two gangs of the last are stationed there. In 1879 there was a vessel from Appalachicola and one from Key West fishing for mullet there, but they came and went with so little ceremony that it would be difficult to learn much of their success. The Key West spongers have a series of sponge crawls, some eight or ten, at the North Anclote Bay, and the harbor is much used by smack fisher- men in bad weather. HOMOSASSA AND CttESSEHOWiSKA EiVERS— On the Homosassa and the Chessehowiska Eivers no fishing, except with a few cast-nets (and that by non-professional fishermen), is done. At Bay Point a few fish are caught with cast-nets and an old seine, the total catch of both cast-nets and seine probably amounting to 25 or 30 barrels in a season. These fish are sold to farmers who come prepared to cure their own fish and sometimes also to catch them. The farmers also buy from fishing boats or vessels that chance to pass by. CRYSTAL EIVER FISHERY. — Next in order comes the Crystal Eiver fishery, situated on Crystal Eiver Bay. Here two and sometimes three seines are used. The object of tnis fishery is to obtain a supply of fish for the country trade and for their own use, and the mode of carrying it on is similar to that at Chambcrs's Mill, next to be described. The fish are either carried up the 550 GEOGRAPHICAL HE VIEW OF THE FISHERIES. Crystal River to the inland settlers, or are exposed for sale at tbe fishing station, which is just at the mouth of the river. About GO barrels of mullet are here salted annually. CHAMBERS'S MILL FISHERY. — A few miles north of the mouth of the Crystal Kiver, on the coast of Heruaudo County, is found the last fishing station before Cedar Keys is reached. This station is behind the Crystal River reef. There has been a saw-mill at this point, and the fishery is known as the Charabers's Mill fishery. It is used every season, sometimes by one party, some- times by another. There is in use at Chambers's Mill a seine 70 fathoms iii length, handled by four or five men. Fishing is carried on there through October; seldom later, as by that time they have used up all their salt and money, or credit for provisions. The men composing the crew work for a share of the catch. The object of this fishery is the same as that of the fishery at Crystal Bay. The curing at Chambers's Mill is a second-rate operation. This place is not of much importance as a fishing station, but it is a good spot, and is annually visited. Cedar Keys men stop here for a few weeks as a rule. The average amount put up by the natives is about 25 barrels. These are sold at $5 a barrel cash, or $G and $7 a barrel in trade. TOPOGRAPHY OP THE REGION BETWEEN CLEARWATER HARBOR AND CEDAR KEYS. — Between Clearwater Harbor and Cedar Keys the land is low, in some places swampy, and every- where heavily wooded. The sea between the above points is shoal, only 12 or 14 feet deep at as many miles from land. The sea bottom and several small islands near the coast are of coral lime- rock. This formation is also prominent about the rivers, entering the sea between Clearwater Harbor and Cedar Keys, for some distance inland. The coast and coast islands are covered with mangroves and sedge, but a few miles inland palinettoes, oaks, and pines take their places. THE "BAG" CAST-NET. — Between Clearwater Harbor and Cedar Keys, as also from the Mississippi to Appalachicola Bay, the "bag" cast-net is used in preference to the "bail" cast-net described and already stated as being in use from Clearwater Harbor to Key West. Its preference is also apparent at and in the vicinity of Saint Mark's. The "bag" cast-net is described as being a net, circular in shape, 12 or 14 feet in diameter, having leads strung on its edge at equal distances, and in the center a stout cord is attached. On the under or inner side of the net, just inside of the leads, is a series of tangling lines, which form pockets wherein the fish become fouled. 199. FISHERIES OF CEDAR KEYS. SEINE FISHERY AT CEDAR KEYS. — Off the coast of Levy County, immediately north of 1 ler naudo County, and running parallel with the coast line, are the Cedar Keys. The fisheries carried on from these Keys are very extensive. There are two hundred and sixty professional fishermen employed throughout the greater portion of the year. The fishing, which is prosecuted in spring, summer, and winter, is called " bottom fishing," probably because nearly all the fish are taken below the surface. The methods employed differ altogether from those used in the mullet fishery. Iii the fisheries of the three seasons above named very little gill-netting is done. The quantity of fish caught by their use would not be sufficient to satisfy the dealers. The adoption of seines is therefore greatly urged. There are twenty-eight seines in use, averaging about 80 fathoms in length. They are about 12 feet long in the bag. The average stretch of mesh is about 2 inches. From four to six men are required to handle one seine, dependent, of course, on the sixe of the net and the nature of the bottom over which the net is to be dragged. These seines are used from December to May, inclusive. The fish caught are of Kich varieties as are usually seen in the mar- GULF OF MEXICO: WESTERN FLORIDA. 551 kets. The, daily catch of a seine is estimated at 2.33 fish, placing the animal catch at about 41,000 lisli. No fish-pots or baskets are in use at tbis place. The webbing, out of which the seines are made, is of northern manufacture, but tbe lines, leads, &c., are prepared by the man. who is to use the net. In the boat are four or more men, with the seine, the captain standing in the bow, watch- ing for fish. One man is perched on the net, holding one end in bis hand, and ready to jump over with it at a word from the captain. The boats have already been described. The most common way of fishing is to set the net around holes or deep places which appear likely to contain fish. Such hauls are sometimes very productive. From the uncertainty attend- ing this mode of fishing they are called "blind hauls." The winter fishing is almost entirely car- ried on in this manner, for the fish are then huddled together at the bottom, the surface water being too cold for them. In spring schools of migratory fish appear, and at that time "blind hauls" are not made, for sufficient quantities can be caught from among the schools in clear water on the sand-flats. Gill- nets are not used extensively in the spring, but are universally employed in the fall mouths, when the mullet fishery is being prosecuted. As the weather becomes warmer and the demand for fish decreases, the nets and seines are laid by, one by one, until but one or two remain in use, fishing for the Cedar Keys local trade, or perhaps to supply a few neighboring towns. Until the last six years seine fishing was considered impracticable in this vicinity, and then it was undertaken as a matter of necessity rather than of choice. There are but few places where the bottom is not more or less covered with "coon" oysters, sharp rocks, or a dense growth of weeds. The "coon" oysters are as sharp as razors, and so are the rocks in some spots. It would seem ridiculous to drag a seine over such a bottom and expect to find the net worth anything after- ward. The grass and weeds are also great obstacles, for they raise the lead-line and thus give the fish a chance to escape; or, if the net is heavy enough to pull up the weeds, they would accumu- late to such an extent as to render dragging an impossibility. In spite of all these difficulties seines are successfully used. Good judgment is necessary and heavy lead-lines are requisite. GILL-NET FISHING FOR MULLET. — In the months of October, November, and December, when the roe-mullet are running, they are the only object of the fisheries, and all fishermen, excepting the oystermeu, are engaged in their capture. The gill-nets, so extensively used in this fishery, were introduced by Northern men about six or eight years ago. They are of Boston or New York man- ufacture, and are made of light cotton twine, hard laid, six threads. There are sixty-five stationary gill-nets in use. Their average length is about 75 fathoms and depth 10 feet. The average stretch of mesh is 3 inches. They are in use for six mouths, from September to February, inclusive. Each boat takes charge of one net. The average daily catch of the gill-net is placed at 85 fish, and the same for the year at 17,000. Nets made of linen are considered inferior to those made of cotton, because the linen is said to rot much quicker. Many of the fishermen object to the manufacturer's plan of mounting the nets with double lines for the corks and leads, and therefore buy the material, but make the net to suit themselves. Each man, of course, has his peculiar ideas of the way in which the nets should be made, so there are always slight, but generally inconsiderable, differences in the nets of different men. This kind of fishing is done only at flood-tide, which occurs as often in the night as in the day. At the first of the flood the boats start out; in each boat is a net and a man. The men fish in pairs, so that the schools may be the more readily surrounded, or a channel may be" stopped up with greater ease and dispatch. This plan benefits both men. Sometimes there are three or four boats in company surrounding a school. In such cases, also, all are benefited, being jointly able 552 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. to catch more than they could if they were fishing separately. In some instances they miss their fish, and the loss is as general as the gain might have been. One man, Lewis, has six or seven helpers, ami is very successful, catching more fish than any other united band of the same size. His men fish on shares, each receiving an equal amount at the end of each week. Another man, employing a number of helpers, is stationed at the mouth of a creek where mullet are very abundant. At high-tide, when the fish are likely to be inside, he runs a couple of gill nets, amounting to nearly 200 fathoms, across the mouth of the creek. At low tide, when the flats are bare, excepting in the channels or holes, he drags all the imprisoned fish out with a small seine. These, together with what were gilled in the net, constitute nearly all the fish that were in the creek at the time of the setting of the nets. The gill-nets being made of light twine are badly torn every day, especially those that are left standing a long time in the water. Large fish do much damage to the gill-nets, but crabs are the worst enemies. These climb up the nets, biting the twine as they go. A rent several feet in length is thus frequently made by them. On the shoals and reefs about the islands mullet are caught, whose movements are to an extent dependent upon the changes of the weather; at times they are most abundant offshore, at other times, most abundant inshore, and again plentiful every- where. The boats being swift sailers, a large expanse of water may be searched in a day with the prospect of delivering the fish in a good condition at night. DISPOSITION OF CATCH. — The fish are turned over to the dealer, who counts the mullet and weighs the "bottom fish," namely, all other marketable kinds of fish. Settlements are made every Saturday night. The fish are sold fresh, only those that remain over being salted. The demand for fresh fish is good, and the difference in the price does not pay for salting. The greater part of the salt fish which appear in the Cedar Keys market comes from more southern fisheries, the remainder being those which are salted lest they should spoil. They are packed in rough boxes and barrels and are seldom prepared with brine. Those that are shipped go to the poorer classes in the interior. For salted mullet the fishermen receive 2 or 3 cents apiece. The fish not to be salted, after having been -washed in icewater, are packed away with ice in barrels, tierces, and hogsheads. Mullet in their season are bought for so much each, small ones being counted as two for one, or three for two, as the size may be. "Bottom fish" include the varieties known as spotted trout, sheepshead, red fish or channel bass, sailor's choice, grunts, flounders, crevall6, blackfish, and all other common food fishes. These are bought and sold by the pound. Choice fish, such as pompano, Spanish mackerel, and bluefish, are also bought and sold by the pound, but for a somewhat higher price than the more common kinds. The hogsheads in which the fish intended for shipment are packed will hold 500 or GOO mullet, or 700 or 800 pounds of " bottom" fish. A tierce will hold half as much as a hogshead, and a barrel half as much as a tierce. Wooden heads are put on all the packages. Shipments are made by express. Savannah is one of the principal markets; some shipments are made to all the largest towns of Georgia and Florida and to New York. OYSTEK BEDS. — Several years ago there were some very prolific oyster beds at Cedar Keys; these are considerably reduced in importance on account of their having been exposed to cold weather. About one hundred men are employed in this fishery, using fifty boats. The oysters are all sold to the fish dealers at Cedar Keys, who ship them in shell to the interior in barrels. The tongs are the only implements peculiar to the business, but need no description, being similar to those used at other places. A few pairs of cheap tongs of inferior material have been tried and GULF OF MEXICO: WESTERN- FLORIDA. 553 condemned. The oystermou prefer to pay a higU price aud obtain the best article. These are steel-toothed and cost $9 a pair. MARKET PKICES. — The Cedar Keys market prices are: For large roe mullet, fresh, 2 cents each; salt mullet, each, 2| cents; choice fish, 3 cents a pound; bottom fish, 2 cents a pound; turtles (elsewhere discussed) not exceeding 40 pounds, 4 cents a pound ; and oysters, 50 cents a barrel. The above are the prices paid to the fishermen. The dealers' prices are now given: Large roe mullet, fresh, 4 cents apiece; salt mullet, 3 and 3J cents apiece; choice fish, 5 and 6 cents a pound; "bottom fish," 4 cents a pound; turtles, 8, 10, 12, and 15 cents a pound; and oysters, $1 a barrel. The prices for fish four or five years ago were about one-fourth more than at present. 200. THE FISHERIES OF LA FATETTE, TAYLOR, AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES. MULLET-FISHING. — Along the coast of Florida between Cedar Keys and Saint Mark's there are no good harbors or large settlements; the land being low and swampy, is hardly habitable. There are a few places where fishing is carried on by men coming from the interior. No attempt is made to catch any other fish than the mullet, which, in its best season, is as plentiful here as at other places along the coast. The men who carry on this fishery, owning the boats, nets, salt, and provisions, are the most thrifty class of planters, living inland along the rivers. They fish through October, November, and perhaps a part of December. Their o bject is mainly to get a good supply of fish for their own use and a few over for sale. The crews are of the poorer classes, generally white, who are quite ready to work a couple of months to secure a small supply of salt fish for their families. The points near the river mouths, which are known to be in or near the path chosen by the spawning mullet, are the places where the fishermen pitch their camps. Such are the fisheries of Suwannee River, Blue Creek, Finhalloway River, Enconfina River, aud Ocilla River, at which last-named place are two fishing camps. Those who use gill-nets have a certain spot for camping grounds, but fish anywhere within several miles of their camps. For seine-fishing suitable points are selected, called "seine-yards"; at these alone do the seine-fishermen fish. These seine-yards are more fully described in the section upon the fisheries of Ocklockonee Bay. The apparatus, consisting of boats and nets, is in every way similar to that in use at Saint Mark's and vicinity, with the exception that the seines used at the fisheries, now being discussed, are smaller and made of lighter twine than those in use at Saint Mark's. The lack of means is the only reason for this difference. The methods of catching and curing the fish are also the same as at Saint Mark's. PRODUCTS OF THE FISHERY. — The majority of the fish are subjected to the operation of kench-salting alone. Some few are packed with brine in cypress-wood barrels, the object of this being the preservation of the fish for a long time. The fish salted are roughly handled and unskillfully treated. Their appearance is other than clean and wholesome. At one time there was quite an extensive trade in these fish; but the low price for which fresh fish can always be obtained, coupled with the slovenly manner in which the fish were sent from these points to market, has had the effect of cutting it down, so that now but few are sold. In 1875 the catch was double that of 1878, fully one-half being sold for cash or exchanged for groceries. Since 1875 the amounts have been annually smaller. When "salted" fish are sold they bring 3 cents apiece. 554 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF TUE FISHERIES. The following is a fairly correct estimate of the amount of mullet caught ami cured at the above named places in 1878. Probably three-fourths of the sum total were eaten by the fishermen and their families, not more than one-fourth being sold: Place. Barrels. 35 55 28 56 Ocilla River 42 Or i ] la Slue 21 Total 237 According to the above proportion, this would give about 59 barrels as the number sold, and the remainder, 178 barrels, as the amount consumed by the fishermen. 201. THE FISHERIES OF WAKTJLLA COUNTY. SAINT MARK'S RIVER. — The principal fisheries of this county are carried on at the mouth of the Saint Mark's River. Ten miles above this point is the town of Saint Mark's, situated at the junction of two streams, which rise but a few miles above the town. These are fresh water streams, deep, pure, and clear. The average temperature of the water in the summer is about 70° Fahr. Many salt water varieties of fish have been observed at Saint Mark's, such as the sheeps- head, sailor's choice, mullet, and silver gars. There are no white shad in either of these rivers. All the fishing which is prosecuted by the fishermen of Saint Mark's is carried on at the mouth of the river which is formed by the combined streams above mentioned, and to which tho, name of Saint Mark's River is still preserved. At this point, i. e., the mouth, the water is always salt. The shores are low and weedy here, as they also are throughout the coast-line of the entire bight, called Appalachee Bay. The water is shoal for several miles out into the bay, only 3 fathoms being found at a distance of 4 or 5 miles out directly opposite the mouth of the river. On either side the water is only half that depth, and continues so for a long way farther out. On these shoals all the fishing is done with either gill- nets or hook and line for sheepshead and sea-bass, or, as the people there call them, "blackfish." On the west side of the month of Saint Mark's river are many shoal bays. Journeying west- ward, they are met with in the following order: Goose Creek, Purity Creek, Spring Creek, Skipper Creek, Oyster Bay, Dickinson's Bay, and Ocklockonee Bay. These are all bays of consid- erable size, and are, without an exception, very shoal, and therefore very difficult of navigation, except with a flat-bottomed boat. The water in these bays is quite fresh at low tide and brackish at high tide, and has a rise and fall of about three feet. METHODS EMPLOYED AT THE SAINT MARK'S FISHERY. — The number of professional fisher- men at Saint Mark's is twenty; nearly every one of them is American born, white or colored. The most profitable season at this place for fishing is the summer, for then the coast is teeming with all kinds of salt-water fishes. Immense schools of bluefish, Spanish mackerel, jackfish or jnrel, and cavalli are then passing by. The fishing is carried on as long as practicable, until about the beginning of June. During the warmer months in which fishing is done the well-boats are used with very great success. Many of the twenty boats at Saint Mark's are provided with these wells. All the boats are flat, sharp skiff-boats, from 18 to 20 feet in length and C in width. They are of the same model GULF OF MEXICO: WESTEliN FLOKIDA. 5J5 as those built at Ocklockouoe Bay, aud are roughly made of pine or cypress boards. The well is simply constructed: a portion of the boat, about 4 feet of its length, 2 feet forward and 2 feet aft of midships, is tightly partitioned off from the rest of the boat from side to side. If the boat has a center-case the well is built around it, holes an inch in diameter being bored through the case as well as through the bottom in order to allow a free circulation of water. When the well is not being used boards are laid over it. The gill-net season is divided into three parts : The mullet fishing, from September to some time in December : the bottom-fish season, thence till some time in March ; and the summer season, comprising the mouths of April, May, June, and parts of September. There are twenty gill-nets in use, all of which are stationary; their length averages 125 yards. The average depth is 8 feet and stretch of mesh 3J inches, or If inches from knot to knot. As above stated, they are used throughout the entire fishing season, which means, whenever fish can be profitably caught and shipped without spoiling. The principal kinds of fish usually taken in the gill-nets are mullet, sheepshead, trout, redfish, and bluefish. The average catch for each boat is estimated at 100 pounds, or 15,000 pounds per annum. No seines are owned or used at Saint Mark's. MULLET FISHING AT SAINT MAKK'S. — When the mullet are beginning to appear in schools on the coast in September, all arrangements are made by the fishermen for their capture. The outfit is simple and but little time for preparation is necessary. One man, usually the owner, goes in a boat and handles one piece of a gill-net. Fishing is done only at high tide, and the fishermen take advantage of that flow of the tide which takes place ten or twelve hours before the train comes. All start to the fishing grounds together ; upon arrival they pair off. When a school is sighted in shoal water, two fishermen row so as to inclose the fish between their boats. They then row their nets out in opposite directions so that when both nets are out there is a man at each of the two points where the nets come together. The catch is equally divided. The fish are taken to town in wells or in the bottom of the boat without any other attention being paid to them than that they are covered with canvas. In warm weather, if fishing in the daytime, the fish sometimes spoil, and in such weather it is safer to split and salt them on the fishing grounds. For that purpose knives and salt are carried. A colored man, named Thomas Ellisen, contracts for all the fish caught and agrees to receive and pay for all the fishermen bring, in whatever condition they may be, provided only that they are delivered to him at the appointed time, and, also, that the fishermen must not go out fishing sooner than twelve or fifteen hours before the train is expected. While fishing for mullet, trout and red- fish are often taken ; these are sold with the mullet. WINTER PISHING. — In the winter months, such fish as redfish, trout, sheepshead, and bluefish— in fact, any fish except mullet — are here, as at other points, called bottom-fish, because they keep more closely to the bottom during those months. They are taken on the same grounds as the mullet, but the plan of fishing is somewhat different. The gill-nets are set either across a channel or around a deep hole aud the fish are frightened into it by splashing the water with poles. Good catches are often made in this manner, especially of redfish and trout. In winter it is better to carry the fish dead than attempt to keep them in a well. These fish are sold at Saint Mark's to Mr. Thomas, a dealer, who ships them on ice. OYSTER BEDS. — At Saint Mark's there are many worthless oyster reefs, and only one or two whose oysters are marketable. These profitable beds are situated about 5 miles west of Saint Mark's light-house, near Shell Point. The beds are small and the oysters of ordinary size. In this fishery there are but four men at present employed. They own two boats. The oysters are sold to saloon keepers in Tallahassee aud in many of the towns of Georgia. The oyster boats are the 556 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. sumo as those used iu gill-net fishing, except that they are a little larger and are provided with a sail. The tongs are the only peculiar piece of apparatus used by the oystermen. Two pairs iu use at this place in 1879 were wooden imitations of the iron ones usually seen in the market. The handles were, of course, made of wood and were perfectly straight. On the larger and heavier end of these was bolted, at right angles, a piece of oak or other hard wood, about 2 feet long and 2 inches in width and thickness. These pieces formed the back, or jaw, and through them iron spikes were obliquely driven to form teeth. Between October 1, 1878, and April 1, 1879, 1,000 bushels of oysters, valued at 50 cents a bushel, were shipped from this place. DISPOSITION OF PRODUCTS. — Nearly all the fish shipped from Saint Mark's in a fresh condition are put on ice. The dealers at Savannah agree to pay so much per pound for the fish and furnish ice in which to pack them before shipment. This ice is shipped by rail in hogsheads and tierces, holding from 300 to 500 pounds each. The ice is shipped three times a week, that being as often as the train runs between Saint Mark's and Tallahassee. When the train arrives at Saint Mark's it finds the fishermen and oystermen assembled with their products, which need only to be iced in order to be ready for shipment. The fresh fish, from boats either with or without wells are weighed or counted and are then packed in old flour barrels with several layers of broken ice between and a quantity of ice on the top. The packages are finally covered with a gunny-bag which is nailed down securely. If, as is often the case, the ice does not arrive, the fish are split and salted on the spot, reserving a few, if the weather is cool, to be sent to Tallahassee without ice. All responsibility on the part of the fishermen ceases as soon as the fish are on board the train. At any time when there is likely to be a call for salted fish, men are hired and the process of splitting and salting is quickly performed. In this shape they are allowed to remain until sold, when they are counted, packed in boxes 2 or 3 feet square, and shipped off. These fish, being the largest ones and carefully salted, present a very inviting appearance. The shed in which the fish are packed is the property of the railroad company and is used by the fishermen free of charge. There is but little expense attending this branch of the fish trade and it is estimated that $200 a year will cover the expense of salt, and of hiring men to do the splitting and salting. The principal markets for the fish caught at Saint Mark's are Tallahassee, Ancilla, and Monti- cello, Fla., and Savannah, Ga. The greater portion of the fish goes to Savannah. The prices obtained by the fishermen for their fish during the last three years were: For fresh fish, 3 to 4 cents a pound; and for salt fish, 5 cents a pound. Before that time the prices were as follows : Fresh fish, 2 to 2£ cents a pound ; and salt fish, 3 cents a pound. The skipper aims to clear 2 cents a pound on all fish, fresh or salt. Mullet are never weighed but are counted, each fish being considered as 1 pound. In this way the purchaser in buying a large quantity gains an immense advantage. Sometimes many of the mullet thus sold in a lot weigh 4 pounds each. All other kinds are weighed and sold by the pound. The present price of oysters to the oystermen is 50 cents a barrel. The shippers receive 75 cents a barrel. In the deep shoal bays enumerated above as lying to the west of the mouth of Saint Mark's lliver, the mullet fishery is the only one worthy of special consideration. THE FISHERIES OF OCKXOOKONEE BAY Ocklockonee Bay is everywhere cut up with large reefs of "coon" oysters which are worthless and are an obstruction to navigation. The other bays are avoided on account of the mud flats. Fish of all kinds seem to be abundant and the section generally is believed to be a splendid one for all fish which go into fresh water to spawn, such as redfish, menhaden, cavalli, and trout. At those points where small fresh water streams enter into the bays the bottom is covered with weeds and grass and occasionally a coarse sponge may be seen. There are not a great many people living on the shores of these bays, but they are found up GULF OP MEXICO: WESTERN FLORIDA. 557 the rivers and creeks where the land is rich enough to allow them to carry on a small plantation successfully. Even those whose living depends entirely on fish and sponges prefer to spend their leisure time on the banks of these little creeks and rivers. In Ocklockonee Bay there are quite a number of men who are engaged iu the sponge fishery, and also several small schooners which are in the trade and belong to parties in the neighborhood. These vessels are registered at Appalachicola or Saint Mark's and their whole business is done at those places. The men employed on these or Appalachicola vessels are numbered in the report of Saint Mark's or of Appalachicola. Those of the sponge-fishermen who are engaged in the mullet fishery in its season, are the only professional fishermen who are engaged in the mullet fishery for less than its entire season; all others who fish for mullet are the farmers. These farmers are the genuine Florida "crackers" and, with but few exceptions, are a wretched lot of men. They are lazy, ignorant, and unhealthy, not having proper food, or taking proper care of their persons. In the fishing season there are about one hundred and twenty persons engaged at the various stations on these bays. The mullet season begins in October and ends in December. During October and November gill-nets are used, and in December both gill-nets and seines. It is only at certain points that mullet are easily obtained by the use of seines. By continued experiments these spots have been decided upon. No one is allowed to fish on the ground usually occupied by another without his permission. The owner of a good fishing station either fishes there himself or rents it out to some one who wity give him a share of the catch. Not more than one seine is used at one station, but the seiners often allow one or two crews with gill-nets to fish from their station for the sum of $5 per season for each net. It frequently happens that a station may not be suitable for seining but excellent for gill- netting. At Dickinson Bay there are four gill-net stations; at Ocklockonee Bay there is one seining station, which is also used by gill-netters ; at Skipper Creek are two seining stations ; at Spring Creek are three gill-net stations ; at Purify Creek, two gill-net stations ; at Shell Point, one fine seining station; and at Goose Creek are two seining stations and one gill-net station. FISHERMEN OF OCKLOCKONEE BAY. — The fishermen live in a small, roughly made shed, occa- sionally provided with a chimney and fire-place, with no other floor than the dirty sand on which it is built; no table at which to eat; no bunks or other arrangements for sleeping; no dishes or any accommodations which give the slightest suggestion of comfort. These dwellings are merely a shell, in -which there is a confusion of barrels of salt, barrels of fish, fishing gear, and a lot of uninviting-looking men. The fleas can be both seen and felt. The food of the men is of the poorest quality and not as abundant as they desire. They sometimes take a few raw sweet pota- toes out in the boat with them as a luncheon. Such food is calculated to make them thin and unhealthy. GILL-NET FISHING AT OCKLOCKONEE BAY.— Those fishing with gill-nets, as before stated, go to the fishing grounds first, because they can fish profitably when the seiners cannot; and they, therefore, make a much longer season than the seiners. Two men constitute a crew for a boat; each boat carries one net. At the commencement of the season the mullet are found only in small schools, feeding on the grassy shoals. All the fishing is then done at high tide, be it in the night or day. The usual method is to hem in a school so that they run against the net, and gill themselves. This is somewhat strange, for when interrupted by a seine or even a single line, they invariably jump out of the water over the obstacle. From one hundred to three hundred fish are called a good catch for one net at a tide. Sometimes, when two crews are fishing together, both nets are run around the same school of fish, each crew taking only those fish which are found iu its own net. 558 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. Speaking generally, the catch is divided into thirds, one of which the owner of the boat and net draws, each of the crew taking one of the remaining two-thirds. SEINE FISHING AT OCKLOCKONEE BAY. — The seining crews arrive at their station in October, and are then provided by the owiier of the station or his representative with fishing gear, salt, and food. The whole crew, consisting of ten or twelve men, is then generally hired by the mouth. Only one seine is used at a station, and that is permanently arranged so as to be hauled only in front of the station. This hauling place, before alluded to in this chapter, is called a "seine-yard." In fine weather, when the fish may be expected in shoal water along their shore, the seine is kept all ready half-set in the yard. The net is set straight out from the shore until the bag is reached, and then the boat containing the other half is fastened to a buoy, which is moored there for the purpose. When a school of mullet approaches and finally comes within the radius of the seine, the seine-boat is quickly unmoored and rowed to the shore. If the haul is a success, the next operation is that of hauling the net and fish ashore. These hauls are never so large as at many other places on the coast, and from 25 to 75 barrels are considered a large catch. Many other kinds of fish are of course taken with the mullet. The valuable ones are saved for food, and such fish as sharks and alligator-gars, and porpoises are killed, and either buried or utilized for their oil, which, as manufactured at these stations, is a very inferior article. DESCRIPTION OP APPARATUS.— A short description of the boats and nets will not be out of place. The seines are made in Boston or New York and shipped here by freight via Savannah. They are all of strong cotton twine, and are coated with tar, which is obtained from the native pines. The style of knot used, manner of mounting, and forms of floats and leads are the same as those in use on the Atlantic coast. The nets are from 100 to 120 fathoms long, and from 16 to 20 feet deep at the bag. The wings at their extremities are, of course, much shorter. One of these nets, well taken care of, will last for three or four seasons, and costs, when new, about $1.20 a fathom. The gill-nets are also made in the North. They are of light cotton twine, generally of 12 threads, 50 fathoms long, and 8 or 10 feet deep. They have a mesh of 3 inches in length, or H inches from kuot to knot. They cost about 50 cents a fathom. When not in use the gill-nets are either spread out on the grass or are rolled up on large reels, which are built at the water's edge for the purposev. These reels are easily made and are the most convenient and effective arrange- ment that can be had for drying nets. The boats used by both gill-netters and seiners are long, sharp, and fiat-bottomed. They average 20 feet in length and about G in width. They are roughly built of piue or cypress boards, and are not calculated to last more than one or two seasons. They are not calked or painted, a coating of pitch taking the place of both. They cost, when new, $10 or $12. When the mullet are running it is necessary to have a lookout stationed at a point whence the fish can be seen for a great distance. For this purpose a kind of observatory is built on the highest laud near the shore and station. This building is 20 or 25 feet high and commands an excellent view of the shores for half a mile either way. DISPOSITION OP THE CATCH.— The disposition of the fish when caught will now be treated of. The object of most of these fishermen is to provide themselves with food for the winter, and to obtain some ready money by selling what they can spare to the Georgian and interior Floridian planters, who come as regularly to the coast every year as the mullet do. When the gill-netters begin fishing none of the planters have arrived, and all fish caught in October are dry salted and carelessly packed in old boxes or barrels for home consumption, or arc held until the customers arrive. The roes in these fish are undeveloped, and are, therefore, not often saved. Soon after GULF OF MEXICO: WESTERN FLORIDA. 559 this primary stage of the season the farmers begin to arrive at the fishing stations with their teams and sometimes their families. Some of them bring 25 or 50 sacks of salt to exchange for fish, or to use in preparing fresh fish themselves. Others bring country produce, and a few bring nothing but money. They all have their favorite trading stations, at the most popular of which it is said not to be uncommon to see 100 or 120 teams drawn up at a time. When a haul is made with the seine, or when a gill net crew comes in, all these people flock down to the shore and buy the fish at so much apiece, or make some arrangement for a certain number salted. During the season there are often weeks when the -mullet do not come into shoal water, and not unfrequently two weeks pass at the height of the season without any great amount of mullet being taken. Then, again, with a change of weather, they come within reach in such numbers that there is not a sufficient force of men to handle them before they have all passed, and the fishing for that season may be said to be over. It is said by several of the leading men that the supply falls short of the demand. The fish are dressed here as at Appalachicola and Saint Andrews, hereafter to be described. None are brine-salted or shipped in tight packages. The cured fish which were examined at these places — provided that they were fair samples, and there was no reason to suppose that they were not — were far inferior to those cured at Appalachicola, where they presented a clean appearance and looked as though they were intended for food. All the salt used here in the curing of the fish comes from Georgia by teams, or from Talla- hassee. It costs the fishermen $2.50 or $2.75 a barrel, delivered at their stations. It is a fine quality of Liverpool salt. There have never been any salt works at these bays. The catch of a seine will average 150 barrels per season at these points, and of a gill-net 20 barrels a season. It is estimated that the fish will average in value $5 a barrel. Out of the proceeds must be paid the cost of the salt, and the wages of the men and their food, for idle days as well as busy ones. Twelve to fifteen dollars a month are the usual wages paid to seiners. The results of different years vary but little. The fish are sold mostly by the individual, or by the lot, when fresh. For fresh mullet in the "round," as it is called, 2 cents each are paid; for "dry-salted" — those which have lain several days beneath a sprinkling of salt — i'rom 2 to 4 cents, according to size, are paid. 202. THE FISHERIES OF APPALACHICOLA. COMPARATIVE SCARCITY OF FISH IN APPALACHICOLA BAY. — Although situated off that part of the Gulf coast which is being constantly passed by migratory fishes, and is so largely frequented by more southern species of fish, Appalachicola Bay and the adjoining waters of Saint Vincent's and Saint George's Sounds are without any abundance of the former or extensive variety of the latter. This is probably due to the freshness and muddiness of the water, for which two reasons are offered in explanation: First, the Appalachicola River, a river of considerable size formed by the junction of the Chattahoochee and the Flint Rivers, is constantly discharging its waters, fresh and muddy, into Appalachicola Bay at a point 8 miles distant from the sea; and, second, the water which flows westward through Saint George's Sound bears with it the emptyings of all the rivers in the bight extending from Saint Mark's to Cedar Keys. The freshness and thickiiess of the water in Appalachicola Bay can hardly be attributable to any other causes. In this bay, although it is but a poor summer resort for most of the sea fishes, some species — the greater part of which are anadroinous — thrive, and at certain seasons are very abundant. MULLET FISHERY OF APPALACHICOLA. — At Appalachicola there are one hundred and sev- 560 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OP THE FISHERIES. euty-five professional fishermen. There are thirteen fitters and owners, and three dealers, who, for the most part, provide the fishermen with salt for the curing of their fish. The mullet fishery of Appalachicola claims the greater part of our attention in dwelling on the fisheries of Franklin County. In this trade no large boats or vessels are used, and only one style of small boats, and by the aid of these the seines and gill-nets are carried and set. These boats are of about the same model as the "dingy" boat used in sponge fishing, but are much, larger, being often 20 or 22 feet long, with 0 or 7 feet beam. The forward part is decked over, and wash- boards on either side are run aft to the stern. This decking has, like that of many small open yachts, a high combing on its edges around the cockpit. These boats are propelled with oars and sail. The sail is of the lateen pattern, being a triangular sail arranged with a long yard and a very short and stubby mast. Rigged in this manner the boats are very fast sailers and are easily managed. Of such boats there are ten engaged at Appalachicola in the salt-fish trade, where also they were built and are owned. The material used in their construction is much the same as that of which the "dingies" are made. When examined closely, they look rough and plainly show poor workmanship. The same may be said of all the boats and vessels made in this neighborhood. When complete, these boats are worth $100 each. There are twelve or fifteen seines at Appalachicola, but some of them are old and unfit for use. Ten only, one for each boat, are used in the fisheries. The men who own the nets also own the boats. The seines range from 75 to 150 fathoms in length, and from 10 to 16 feet deep, with a mesh of 2, 2J, or 2£ inches long. These nets are brought from Boston, unmounted as a rule, as the fishermen prefer to hang their lead-lines according to their fancy. When complete, the net entire costs at a rate of $1.25 a fathom. It is estimated that there are 1,000 fathoms of seine in use by Appalachicola fishermen. Gill-nets are but little used here ; not more than three are hauled by men who make a business of putting up salt fish. All the gill-nets are stationary, and are about 100 fathoms long and 6 to 10 feet deep, with a 3-inch mesh. These, also, are of Boston manufacture, and cost, when ready for use, 50 cents a fathom. One hundred fathoms are in use. Some of the crews of fishermen are stationed at regular fisheries, while others move from place to place in the bay, putting up the fish, sometimes in camp and sometimes on the wharves in town. There are two fisheries, occupied every year, which deserve special attention : one, owned by a man named Pickett, is at the mouth of Crooked River, on Saint George's Sound. This is the best fishing station in the vicinity, for when the fall run of mullet comes into the bay it will surely pass that point. The other is at Cat Point, a few miles east of Appalachicola ; this, although a fine station some seasons, is not so reliable as Pickett's. In September and the first part of October, the boats, seines, and other gear are overhauled and supplies of salt and barrels are procured. Then all the crews go to their camps at their respective stations in order that all shall be in readiness when the mullet come. At the fisheries, or regular stations, eight or ten men are engaged, and at each of the others roving gangs of four or five constitute a crew. In the latter part of October and in November the mullet are running and the fishermen are then busy. Sometimes two or three weeks are passed in waiting for the fish to come along, but if the station is a good one the fishermen do not go away nor lose confidence in the advent of the fish sooner or later. When they arrive they sometimes come in such numbers that one or two hauls constitute the catch for that season. From '20 to 150 barrels are caught at one haul of the seine, and with larger seines twice or three times that amount could be taken, for the fish often come iu GULF OF MEXICO: WESTERN FLORIDA. schools 1 to 3 miles long and 400 to 500 yards wide. As soon as one of these large hauls is made all hands are busy cleaning and salting. The fish are first beheaded, then split down the back, scored under the backbone, and, finally, washed clean, all blood, fragments of entrails, &c., being carefully removed. They are then packed in pork barrels, kept for the purpose, with plenty of salt sprinkled over them, and are thus allowed to remain several days, after which they are taken out and nicely packed in the packages, described below, with an abundance of boiled pickle over them. Any roe of good size found when splitting is carefully saved and packed up in pickle in quarter barrels or kits. In this way a great many barrels are put up in a season. The heads of the mullet are also saved and boiled for the oil which they contain. In 1878 two barrels of oil were obtained in this way at Pickett's fishery. It is, however, said to be of poor quality, and therefore is not valuable. At'the end of November, by which time the fall run is over, the crews carry their fish to town, and, having sold and settled up, scatter until the ne,xt season. It is seldom that any other fish are so abundant that they would sufficiently remunerate these crews were they to remain at the fish- eries after the mullet season is over. From 200 to 500 barrels of mullet are caught by one gang in a season. In 1878 the catch amounted to 300 barrels. The value of this quantity was $1,275, selling at the rate of $4.25 a barrel. As soon as the catch is turned over to the dealer a settlement is made. First of all he deducts the amount of his bill for salt and provisions, and then gives each man his share in money, or, as is usually the case, in provisions for his family. The boat and seine have an equal share with the men ; therefore, if there are ten men in a crew, there must be a division of that which is left, after said deductions are made, into twelve equal parts. The men engaged in these fisheries clear from $50 to $100 in a season. Those crews which have no regular station get what they can out of the mullet run and then fish through the mouths of December and January for bluefish, sheepshead, redfish, &c., which they put up in the same style as mullet. In April and May one or two crews fit out for the poinpano fishing, and go to Saint Joseph's Bay (a large bay 25 miles farther west) for that purpose. The pompano are salted, as are the other varieties. There is always good sale for the pompano, and the supply falls short of the demand. FISHING SEASON.— The last of May is the extreme limit for salting fish. It is affirmed that fish cannot be prepared with salt in summer so as to remain sweet any great length of time. In order that no mistake may be made, we here state that the same crews are not fishing throughout the entire fishing season, from October until May. Those who fish at the regular sta- tions are through their work by the 1st of December, after which, as stated above, the men scatter and work at various occupations until the following October. The small cruising gangs, already alluded to, fish for mullet only as long as there is any chance of success, and then break np, only, perhaps, to form another crew in a few weeks, when they start after some other kind of fish that may be running at that time or may bo unusually abundant in the vicinity. February and March are the poorest mouths for the fishermen, and very few who fish then have any success. The only kinds then found are small schools of redfish, bluefish, and sheepshead. The fishermen, of course, prefer a mild season, as then, especially if there is a prevalence of light southerly winds, all kinds of fish come into shoal water in abundance, and also the migratory kinds appear some weeks earlier in the spring. If, on the other hand, the season is stormy, the fish are, for the most part, driven into the deep waters of the sea and bay. GILL-NETS. — The gill-nets are used by men who stop in town. They use the same kind of boat as the seiners. Two men can handle one of these gill-nets and cure all the fish which they can catch. But little can be caught in them until the water becomes cold (which condition may 36GRF 562 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. be said to last from December until March), when the fish retire to the deep water or among the thick grass. The method of using a gill-net is to set it around a hole or grassy place and then, by splashing with a pole, frighten the fish into the inclosure. The catch thus effected is never large. There are only three equal divisions, however, to be made of the catch, namely, one to the owner of the boat and net and one to each of the two men; consequently, the men often make more money in this way than in seining, in which latter business so many shares must be taken out of the proceeds of the catch. DISPOSITION OP THE CATCH. — The packages used for "putting up" the fish are of white pine, either barrels, half barrels, quarter barrels, or kits; these come by freight from Boston. Formerly cypress packages were used, but were discarded because they were not so neat or cheap as those of pine. With the freight included, these barrels, half barrels, quarter barrels, and kits cost, respectively, $1.00, 65 cents, 45 cents, and 30 cents. In the fishing outfit salt is a very important item. To salt one barrel of fish properly, about one-third of a sack, or one bushel, is needed. This salt is bought chiefly of Mr. Murat, the prin- cipal dealer in salted fish, at the rate of $1.50 a sack. Other provision dealers supply salt to the fishermen who do business with them. When a person is fitting to go on a fishing expedition he first makes a verbal contract with his dealer to take all his fish. The dealer furnishes the pack- ages and promises to pay so much for the fish, generally from $4 to $4.50. The fisherman buys the salt. Mr. Murat controls the bulk of the trade by furnishing in advance salt, barrels, and provisions. The fish are shipped by river to nearly all the towns and cities of Georgia and Alabama, in which States his traveling agent procures orders throughout the fishing season. Mullet, bluefish, sheepshead, and pompauo are certainly very attractive looking fish when properly prepared in pickle. They are said to be superior in flavor to the mackerel which have been in the southern markets during the past few years. Mr. Murat warranted his fish to remain sweet for a year. This business of salting has grown immensely during the last five years, having been taken up by a most enterprising set of people. It promises to become a business of much greater importance. Mr. Murat says that for the past five years the number of barrels of salt fish shipped from Appalachicola has averaged about 1,000 barrels a year, thus, at $5 a barrel he has shipped ofi' $25,000 worth of fish in that space of time. He now receives $7 a barrel, the fish delivered on board of the boat. As the majority of the inhabitants of Appalachicola are fishermen, to some extent, it is not to be expected that there is a very large trade in fresh fish. Those, who are not occupied at all on the water find leisure to fish sufficiently to supply themselves with fish for their own consumption, when fish are very abundant. A few fish are offered for sale on the wharf every morning: sheeps- head, trout, mullet, redflsh, small "grass-fish," and frequently fresh-water fish from the rivers above, such as black bass, perch, bream, &c. The salt-water fish are caught during the night in cast-nets and the fresh-water fish with hook and line the day before. The sale. does not exceed ,1 barrel a day, and they sell for very little. During the fishing season (fall and winter) one or two of those crews which are engaged in salting fish secure several hundred pounds of ice from Columbus or Chattahoochee; this ice they use to preserve such mullet, sheepshead, &c., as they intend to ship back on the boat which brings the ice. The fish thus shipped are packed in flour barrels with broken ice, and a sack is then nailed over the top. Twelve or 15 barrels are often sent to Eufala, Ala., and Baiubridge and Columbus, Ga. If the means of transportation were surer or more regular, a much larger trade of this kind would be carried on. GULF OF MEXICO: WESTERN FLORIDA. 563 The fishermen receive $5 or $5.50 a barrel for all good food-fishes delivered oil the steamboat, packed carefully. They clear about $3 on a barrel. Last winter, iu this trade 450 barrels, worth $1,350, were packed and shipped. THE OYSTER INDUSTRY.— This neighborhood has been highly favored with a large number of beds furnishing oysters of large size and fine flavor, which are easily procured and distributed by means of river steamers from Appalachicola, through a wide area inland. Besides a number of large reefs in Saint George and Saint Vincent Sounds and Appalachicola Bay, there are scattered all through the deeper waters a great many small beds. The depth of water here averages 7 feet, and it is brackish and full of sediment. The oysters from these beds are of superior flavor; there are few better in any part of the Gulf. The reefs, or beds, are only an hour's sail from town ; therefore the outfits or preparations for a trip need not be very great. When the tide is high the boat anchors over a bed, on which there arc from 5 to 10 feet of water, and both men use tongs to bring up the oysters with. As each tong- full comes up, the worthless ones are culled out and the good ones are thrown into the hold. The tongs in use here are made of iron, some galvanized and some not, in the same shape as those used on the Chesapeake. With these tongs, o»a spot where the oysters are abundant, and need but, little culling, two men can put 50 barrels of good oysters into the hold in one day. If the tide is very low, as is the case during " northers," the boat is run aground on an oystcr- rcef, a gangway plank is placed over the side, and the oysters are picked up by hand and carried aboard in tubs. Oystering in this manner is said to be harder and slower work than tongiug them. When the boat is loaded she goes to town, and, if there be a steamboat there, the oysters arc turned over to the dealer on board of her ; if not, they are not delivered until one does come. The oysters sell for 50, GO, and 75 cents per barrel, all ready for shipment, that is, in barrels and covered with gunny sack at the top ; but the oysterinen seldom get barrels or sacks, which have to be furnished by the dealer, at the rate of 10 cents for sacks and 20 cents for barrels, leaving the oysterman but 20, 30, or 45 cents per barrel for the oysters. It sometimes happens that barrels cannot be bought for any price at Appalachicola, and immense quantities of oysters must either be thrown away or lie over until barrels can be brought from neighboring towns. There arc four steamboats running on this river in the winter, two of which carry the mail ; but it frequently happens that the mail is not received here for two or three weeks, and large amounts of oysters and fish have to be thrown away in consequence. A few vessel loads of oysters are taken to Saint Mark's during t he- winter, but it is a trade of not much consequence. The shipping season lasts from November to April. The boats in use are all small sloops of 20 or 25 feet length, carrying each two men. Last year (1878) there were twenty of these boats engaged in the oyster fishing. With their outfit of tongs, &c., they are thought to be worth about $2,500. Between forty and fifty men are engaged in this business, out of which they make but little more than what they spend for food while earn- ing it. If two men who are running a boat have a good contract with the dealer, good wages, can easily be made ; but if they have no contract they are obliged to cut the prices down in order to sell at all, and also are kept lying at the wharf about half their time. From $5 to $8 per week, therefore, is an oysterman's wages when working. The principal dealer at Appalachicola states, that he and other dealers there shipped up the river, during the winter of 1878-'79, 15,000 barrels. These, at the rate of 30 cents a barrel, yielded to the oysterinen $4,500. In addition, owners of vessels disposed of about 2,000 barrels at Saint Mark's at 50 cents a barrel, equal to $1,000. The total value of the trade that winter, therefore, was 564 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OP THE FISHERIES. $5,500. It is only within five years that the trade has approached even this amount. Now it is improving, and new markets, such as Eastern Florida towns (by steamer and rail), arc opening. 203. FISHERIES OF SAINT ANDREW'S BAY. HISTOKY AND EARLY CONDITION OF THE FISHERIES. — The fisheries of Washington County are twofold in their history. Both past and present, however, were, and are carried on in the waters of Saint Andrew's Bay, the capital for the prosecution of the same being furnished by par- ties living in or near the city of the same name. The past fisheries, dating from the year 1850 to the year 1863, which was the year of the bombardment of Saint Andrew's city, will be treated of first. Between 1850 and 18GO Saint Andrew's was a lively, active place, containing at least 1 ,200 or 1,500 people. There were saw-mills in operation and shipping was carried on to an important extent. The city in summer was visited by many people from Alabama and Georgia, who, of course, circulated money in the place. There, as in nearly every seaport town, fish formed the chief article of diet. As the place became more thrifty and continued to grow in size, the demand for fish increased in proportion. At this early stage of -its history a large quantity of salt fish was sold to the planters living in the interior of Alabama and Georgia, and this trade was of no little importance to the fishermen. The fishing then, as now, was done entirely with the drag-seines, which were from 50 to 75 fathoms in length, and from 6 to 12 feet deep, having a bag in the middle, at which point the seine attained its greatest depth. This net is described above on p. 550. In setting these seines sharp and flat-bottomed boats were used. Four or five men handled one seine, which was attended to from a single boat. The captain stood in the bow, guiding the boat by means of a pole and watching for signs of the approach of fish. These boats were often rowed along the bay shore, over the best fishing grounds at a venture, dragging the seine over a spot known as a good fishing ground without any fish having been seen. This was called a "blind" haul. In winter two or three barrels were considered a fair day's catch; in spring, about twice that amount, and in fall as many as the boat could carry in one or two journeys — perhaps 25 or 30 barrels. The greater part of these fish were salted ; for this purpose such fish as Spanish mackerel, jurel, pompano, trout, redfish, sheepshead, bluefish, and mullet were selected. The majority of other varieties were given away or fed to the hogs. For convenience in salting, small sheds were built. These were 15 or 20 feet square and were provided with benches on which to clean the fish; they also contained salt- bins and troughs in which to mix the pickle or soak the fish. The manner of dressing the fish was as follows : Two persons at the head of the bench cut off the heads and shoved the fish along to another pair who split them down the back and then passed the fish to others who removed the entrails, blood, &c. In this operation men, women, and boys helped. The fish were then ready for salting. The head fisherman usually performed this opera- tion, for the amount of salt used depended largely upon his skill and care. When dry salted, the fish were allowed to remain for two or three days in that condition, after which they were taken out and packed away nicely in barrels and half barrels with plenty of pickle. Each barrel would hold certainly 200 pounds, and the fish were guaranteed to remain sweet and good for at least one year. The barrels were, and are now, made and provided by a cooper who lives near the bay and combines this work with that of farming. The principal market for these tish was in the interior. Some of the fishermen preferred to carry the fish to market themselves, but the majority sold them at their own doors. Those who chose the former plan would start np the country with their barrels of fish loaded on an ox-cart GULF OF MEXICO: WESTERN FLORIDA. 565 and stop at every town and plantation until all their fish were sold. This mode was much more profitable to the fishermen than the other, for, of course, if the buyers sent after the fish, they did not expect to pay as much for them as they would if they were delivered at their houses, and the value of the time spent in peddling the fish was not considered, for the summer months in that region were of but little practical use to the professional fisherman. When several wagons had preceded a later comer, it was frequently necessary to go as far as Columbus, Georgia, before sell- ing all the fish. The best inland customers were planters, who bought the fish to feed to their slaves, whose diet was half bacon and half fish. After the fish caught by a crew were sold, the division of the proceeds was made. The seine and boat drew one share, the captain two, and each of the crow one. Some men from Alabama not accustomed to fishing, but owners of a fishing outfit, would often hire by the month captain and crew to fish for them during the season. For such work there was no regular proportion paid, but the men who were hired usually managed to make more than they could have made had they been fishing on the ordinary plan. There were at least two crews of this kind here in the year 1879. Of the crews working on shares, there were only five in 1879, but when the war broke out there were many more. Some of these were not fishing for market, but in order to catch fish for their own consumption. It was impossible to find out the exact amount of fish taken and the number of boats employed between 1850 and 1860 ; an estimate has been made which, owing to the care taken in forming the same, is probably not far from correct. The total number of barrels of fish salted and sold at Saint Andrew's Bay and vicinity is reckoned at 21,000. The fish included in this estimate were such as have been already named in this section, and, with the exception of pompano, were of equal value. The pompano were then much more plentiful than now, and even at the present time they form one-eighth of the total catch of fish. Value of the Saint Andrew's fisheries for the ten years from 1850 to 1860. Kind of fish. Barrels. Price per barrel. Value. 2,625 $10 $26 250 Mullet &o 18, 375 8 147 000 173 250 It is readily seen that the 21,000 barrels above given is in the table divided thus : One-eighth pompano and seven-eighths mixed fish. PRESENT FISHERIES OF SAINT ANDREW'S BAY. — In the year 1863, as above stated, Saint Andrew's city was bombarded and destroyed by the Federal gun-boats, as also were the fisheries and salt-works about the bay. This event, and the continued presence of the gun-boats, stopped all fishing in this bay until after the close of the war. The fishermen still resident were without outfits ; the greater part of them had heard of or experienced better fields elsewhere, and had gone away. In a few years after this the poorer classes of the inland country began to call on those living at the bay for fish, for which they paid by giving in exchange sirup, corn, sweet potatoes, &c. The new class of fishermen was formed from the people who, since the war, had come there for the purpose of farming. They found but a scanty living and were only too glad to be thus called on by those living in the interior of the country for fish. Those who were able to buy seines, did so immediately, and every spring and fall they spent two or three months in fishing, the profits of which exceeded those realized from farming for the remaining nine months of the year. 566 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. Tliere are now sonic twenty-five or thirty families near the bay, out of which juunber about thirty -five men and boys fish during the season for a livelihood. None fish throughout the year. Among these few people many nations are represented: There is a Dane, a German, an Irishman, a Scotchman, a Spaniard, and there are also three Englishmen; the rest of them are Americans and negroes. As a class, these fishermen are a hardy set. Socially, they are very hospitable in their manner to a stranger, always entertaining him as well as their mode of living will permit. The astonishing feature is that men who have traveled, and have, therefore, seen something of the world, should set'le down to lead such a lazy, shiftless sort of life. Their homes, often containing but two rooms, are the regular "Hoosier" log cabins; in these live the fishermen, their wives, and children. Life in one of these houses must be truly miserable, suggesting naught but poverty and laziness. The women, all of whom are natives and of the most ignorant class, are as intellectually inferior as they are superior energetically to the men. Considering how few advantages these women have, their conduct of the household affairs reflects great credit upon them. The children seem to be smart and intelligent until they reach maturity, at which stage they either fall into the careless habits of their fathers, or, if girls, take upon themselves the drudgeries of a mother and wife. Near the bay there is no school, but those who can afford to do so send their children to the county school at Marianna ; few being able to do this, the majority of them grow up in painful, ignorance. The same is the case for the most pait with their religious instruction, as there are no regular services held near the bay and none of the people there profess any religion. The fishing trade has gradually been improving since the war and has now regained its former position. The same kinds of boats, seines, &c., are used as of old and the fish are cured in the same way as they formerly were. The fresh fish trade, however, has not amounted to much, except in 187G, when about two thousand poicpano were sold to smacks belonging to Pensacola and Mobile for 8 cents apiece. Instead of the fishermen peddling their fish through the country, as was once the custom, the planters now come to the bay and carry home a mixed load offish and oysters. In 1878, 555 barrels of fish valued at $3,470 were sold from the bay. In addition to this, 1,500 barrels of oysters were sold at CO cents a barrel, making the total value of fish and oysters $4,220. The oyster beds are scattered all over the upper parts of East, North, and West bays, and are most abundant in the deep and open water. These oysters are the favorites of the Georgia inland towns, where they chiefly find their way. 204. FISHERIES OF PENSACOLA. FISHERMEN AND APPARATUS. — The only fishing town in Escambia County is Pensacola, the fisheries of which are of great importance. The red-snapper fishery has been elsewhere detailed and is here omitted. The professional fishermen of Pensacola number seventy-five, and are either Creoles or negroes. With them fishing is an hereditary profession. But few vessels belong to Pensacola. The smacks are of New England build and the two or three small vessels which carry ice were built at Pensa- cola or Mobile. The boats used by the seine fishermen are of the open yawl pattern, 22 feet long and 6 feet wide. They resemble the boats carried on large schooners and other merchant vessels. They are propelled chiefly by oars, of which two or three pairs are used. In addition, they carry small sprit-sails when long trips are to be made. There are ten seines in use at Pensacola for one-half the year and five during the other half. Their average length is 75 fathoms, with a depth of 12 feet. The length of mesh ranges from 2 to GULF OF MEXICO: WESTERN FLORIDA. 567 3 inches. Four or five men are required to manage a seine. The fish taken are poiiipauo, blue- fish, mullet, redfish, spotted trout, Spanish mackerel, sheepshead, and many other kinds of shore fishes. The average annual catch of a seine here is estimated at 1,000 barrels. FISHING BY PILOTS. — The pilots living near the mouth of the harbor, whose daily duty it is to go to sea to look for vessels in need of pilots, own four or five open boats. They generally catch with hook and line and bring homo in the evening large loads of fish. These boats are very small, not over 10 feet long, and carry a crew of four or five men. The boats are anchored on the " snapper bankr," some 6 or 8 miles from Pensacola Bar. Their daily average catch is placed at 500 pounds, and this would amount (for five boats fishing two hundred days in the year) to 500,000 pounds of fish. These fish are sold at the navy-yard, or to the dealers at Pensacola. THE SALT-FISH TBADE. — The salt fish trade at Pensacola has been of no importance since the close of the war of the rebellion. For twenty years, from 1840 to I860, a nourishing trade of the kind was prosecuted by New England fishermen who spent the winters on the coast of Florida. They traded with the planters of Alabama and Georgia. When this trade was most prosperous, about 700 or 800 barrels of fish were annually sent inland, and, as good prices were paid, such a trade must have represented $8,000 or $10,000 per annum. Now, there is but one man, Captain Leonard Distin, at Choctawhatchee Inlet, who puts up salt fish. He has been in the trade from its start and is well informed on the subject. Much of the information acquired concerning the fishermen of Pensacola has been given by him. He now puts up about 50 barrels a year, receiving small prices, part of which he is forced to take in country produce. The principal kinds of fish salted are sheepshead, bluefish, pompauo, redfish, mullet, sea trout, and Spanish mackerel. FRESH-FISH DEALERS. — At Peusacola the only dealers arc the Pensacola Ice Company and W. C. Vesta, the former of which is the older and larger firm, having been in the business seven or eight years. Their trade has increased year by year. This company owns a large packing- house with good arrangements for handling fish, ice-boxes capable of caring for 25,000 pounds of fish. Connected with the packing-house is the ice-house with its conveniences for handling ice. The dealers do not keep fish on hand for a long time, not more than four or five days at any time. They pack the fish in barrels to be shipped into the interior, and in casks to go to New Orleans. For two winters the Pensacola Ice Company ran refrigerator cars, loaded with fish, to all points on the railroad as far north as Cincinnati, where they were reshipped in barrels to more distant markets, but the high rates of the railroad company brought that business to a close. LAY ON VESSELS. — On vessels where the crew are fishing on shares, the following is the understood arrangement regarding the division of the proceeds of the catch : The vessel receives 40 per cent., 5 per cent, of which is paid by the owner to the captain. The crew receive the remaining CO per cent, which, after store expenses, &c., have been paid, they share equally, captain and men. The owner pays dockage bill and bills for the vessel's gear. When crews are paid wages, the captain receives $75 to $100 a month; the mates, $40 to $50 each; the cook, $30; and each of the crew, $20 to $25. In this case the owners pay all bills. LAY AMONG THE SEINE-BOAT CREWS. — In the seining boats the proceeds of the catch are divided into equal shares, the boat and seine taking one each, and each of the crew one. The seiners are never paid wages. THE OYSTER INDUSTRY. — The oyster season here begins in September and ends in April. The banks worked (only with tongs) lie in Escambia Bay, and are scattering and very poorly stocked — not so well as formerly. The absence of shell-heaps on the adjacent shores show that the Indians did not resort to this for a supply of molluscan food to any great extent. The boats serving here are open, flat-bottomed, roughly-made skiffs, not exceeding 24 feet in 508 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. length, cat-rigged or sloop-rigged. Two men form tlie crew, and consider from 5 to 12 barrels a load, satisfying themselves with one trip per week. As there are about seven boats, an averaged estimate of the season's total production would give about 2,500 bushels. The selling price being only 35 or 40 cents per bushel, the cash proceeds will hardly exceed $1,000, to be divided among about fifteen fishermen. A system of sharing is in vogue, by which the proceeds of each day's catch are divided into equal thirds between the boat and each of the two men who constitute her crew. The catch at Pensacola often fails to supply the local demand, and additional oysters are obtained from Mobile and Saint Andrew's Bay. Nothing of consequence has been done here in oyster-culture. STATISTICS OF THE FISHERIES. — In the Pensacola fisheries $5,300 are invested in vessels, boats, and seines. To this sum may be added $1,200, which represents the amount invested in shore apparatus. A bunch of fish weighs from 20 to 25 pounds. These bunches were sold wholesale from 1850 to I860 at $2 to $2.50 apiece. From 1860 to 1870 the value per bunch was $1.50 to $1.75, and from 1870 to 1880, $1.25 to $1.75. The former retail prices of salt fish, packed in brine in barrels, at Pensacola, were, per barrel: Mullet, $10; sheepshead, $10; bluefish, $12; pompano, $12; hard- tails, or jurels, $10; redfish, $10; Spanish mackerel, $12. The present wholesale prices are $1 per bunch of 25 pounds, or, by weight, 3£ cents per pound for all fish under 7 pounds, and 25 cents apiece for all fish weighing 7 pounds and over. The present retail prices of salt fish, packed in brine in barrels, are, per barrel: Mullet, $7; sheepshead, $7; bluefish, $8; pompano, $9; jurel, $7; redfish, $7; Spanish mackerel, $8. The present price of oysters in the shell is $1 a barrel. The total value of the yield of the Pensacola fisheries, from January 1, 1877, to January 1, 1878, was $23,970.84 for 555,977 pounds of fish. For the next twelve months it was $22,638.43 for 660,154 pounds of fish. 0.— THE FISHERY INTERESTS OF ALABAMA. 205. STATISTICAL RECAPITULATION. SALT-WATER FISHERIES OF ALABAMA. Summary statement of persons employed. Persons employed. Number. Fishermen .... MS 90 Total 635 Detailed statement of capital invested and apparatus employed. Apparatus specified. Number. Taluo. Vessels (317.20 tone) 24 $14 585 Boats. . 119 10 215 Other apparatus, including outfits 7 000 G 400 Total 38 200 GULF OF MEXICO: ALABAMA. 569 Detailed statement of the quantities and values of tlte products. Products specified. Pounds. Value. Mullet 125, 000 3,750 731, 500 44, 950 360 000 12, 825 2, 325, 000 57, 750 Total . 3, 541, 500 110, 275 206. FISHERIES OF MOBILE AND VICINITY. THE UNION FISHERY COMPANY. — In the year 1873 great energy was displayed by some of tbe citizens of Mobile City, whoso object it was to form a company for the purpose of buying up and preparing for sale all kinds of fish taken along the shores and in the public waters of Alabama. Notice of this intention was given in the Montgomery Mail, under date of December 11, 1873. I* reads thus : "UTILIZING THE FISHING PRIVILEGES OF THE STATE. — A company of citizens, most of them well known and highly respected, have organized themselves, as the law directs, into a private cor- poration, under the name and style of 'The Union Fishery, Salt, and Manure Manufacturing Com- pany,' for the purpose of taking and preparing for consumption and sale all kinds of fish, oysters, and other shell-fish along the shores and in the public waters of Alabama, and for the further pur- pose of manufacturing oil and commercial manures from said fish. They have the further purpose of manufacturing salt along or near the shores of the State by solar evaporation or otherwise. They design all of these articles for private use and for sale in the public markets. The incorpora- tors are James W. Coleman, Francis W. Dansby, Smith D. Hale, James H. Houston, Gary G. Thomas, Eobert Christian, and Daniel C. De Jarnette. The capital of the company is $2,800,000." That the citizens of the State of Alabama were anxious that such a company should be formed, whereby the State revenue would be enlarged, is evident from the following: " We understand that a bill has been or will be reported to the legislature, in which the rights and privileges of this company shall be defined. It is time that the State of Alabama should be drawing a considerable revenue by taxation in the shape of a royalty on her extensive fishing, salt, and fertilizing wealth. Such a company as ' The Union Fishing and Salt and Manure Manufact- uring Company of 'Alabama' might be made, by a proper bill, a source of considerable revenue, all of which is now lost to the State, and we trust that a bill, properly guarded, such as is now sought by this company, may become a law. The State wants every dollar of tax, and all the revenue it can possibly raise, by means which will not further incumber the farming interests of the com- monwealth." LOCATION OF THE CITY. — Mobile, the only town of Alabama extensively engaged in the fish cries, is situated at the mouth of Mobile Eiver, on Mobile Bay, 28 miles from its junction with the Gulf of Mexico. FISHERMEN. — More than one-half of the professional fishermen of Mobile are employed in the oyster business. Forty gather oysters, and one hundred and thirty-five carry them to market. There are twenty smack fishermen and one hundred seine and gill-net fishermen. At the oyster- canning establishments one hundred and fifty men are employed. APPARATUS AND METHODS. — The fishing smack in use in these Southern waters having been described, it is here only necessary to say that there are but two of them at Mobile, and they are of New England build. 570 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. At Mobile there are twenty stationary gill-nets, whose average length is from 30 to 50 fath- oms, and depth G to 12 feet. The mesh of their central web measures 2 to 2| inches, and their outer web 12 inches. These are in use for nine months of the year, from September to May. The principal varieties caught in them are mullet, trout, redfish, sheepshead, pompano, croakers, and other bay fishes, and black bass, bream, and perch from the fresh and brackish bayous. Each boat carries from one to four of these nets, according to the size of the boat and of the nets. The average catch for one net is 100 pounds a day, that is, one basket, making the annual catch 24,000 pounds. There are fifteen seines, averaging in length CO to 100 fathoms, and in depth 10 to 12 feet. The average stretch of mesh is 1 to 1 £ inches. Four or five men are required to each seine. These nets are used chiefly in summer when the fish are schooling. In them all kinds of bay fish arc caught, but no fresh-water varieties. The average annual catch of each is 35,000 pounds. There are two distinct fisheries, the catches of which are brought to Mobile — the open sea hook and-line fishery and the inside net fishery. The former of these has already been detailed in the paragraphs on the fisheries of Pensacola, since the smacks fishing for the Mobile market form a part of the Peusacola fleet of fishing boats. THE INSIDE-WATER FISHERIES. — In the inside- water fisheries an open yawl-boat, about 20 feet long, is used. The net may be seine or sections of trammel-netting. Those who use trammel or gill nets fish about the marshes at the mouth of the Alabama River. They camp anywhere along the shore, and are gone from one to six days. The result of their trip is as uncertain as is the length of the time for which they may be absent. They work their trammel-nets thus: When a school of fish, or, more generally, a good feeding place, is found, the nets, in one, two, or three sections, are placed around the fish or the likely spot, and the fishermen beat the water inside the nets, in order to frighten the fish so that they will run against the net and become entangled. Large fish are caught by the outer web of the net, while the smaller ones are gilled or entangled in the inner web of small mesh. Trammel-nets are never dragged as seines are. Another method of using these nets is to set three or four sections from the shore outward in a straight line, and to leave them so set for several hours. Bottom fish, such as redfish and trout, arc the principal kinds taken in this way. Set-nets do not, however, work well in these waters, for as soon as a fish which has been caught in the net is dead, the alligator-gars, small sharks, and crabs, which are always present in large numbers, begin to eat it, and while doing so often cut holes in the net. Trammel fishermen usually carry cars with them. In these they keep all the uninjured fish alive. The seine fishermen go much farther from the city than the gill-netters, for by so doing they find better places at which they can drag their seines, and probably also a greater abundance of fish. These fishermen camp along the shores from Bon Secour Bay, which is to the east of Mobile Bay, to the Chandeleur Islands, fishing at one place one week and at another the next week. Some of these men have small farms near to the fishing grounds, and thus combine fishing with farming. They display but little energy in their work, and consequently make a poor living at it. In the day-time they fish for school fish and in the night for bottom fish, doing neither when there is no supply of ice at hand or some safe mode of sending their fish to market. One or two small ves- sels carry fish from the camps to the city. These are not the only means whereby the men can transport their fish to market, for there are oyster-boats, smacks, and steamboats constantly passing. DISPOSITION OF CATCH. — The kinds of fish which they catch are always sold by the basket, GULF OF MEXICO: ALABAMA. 571 holding about 125 pounds. The price per basket varies from $2 to $20— the former when fish are plentiful, and the latter price when the reverse is the case. Most of these iuside- water fishes are bought by J. F. Maybury & Co. and by F. Kuppersmith, who ship them inland. Some are also bought by the inarketmen, who retail them in the Mobile market-house. Very few of the fish which come to Mobile are iced. The market-men only ice them when they have a larger amount than can be sold off immediately or when they have a supply of snap- pers for shipment. At such times they pack the fish in rough boxes or in barrels and intersperse broken ice. Maybury & Co. is the only firm which has regular ice-boxes or handles any large amount of iced fish. They own boxes enough to pack away 10,000 or 15,000 pounds of fish. They also have an arrangement for freezing fish, but it does not work well in so warm a climate where in the transit the fish may thaw out ; so the arrangement is seldom used. The plan of it is similar to some of the Northern freezing houses, and is as follows : In a large box made of matched boards, with charcoal lined walls, is a zinc cylinder which is filled with finely-broken ice and salt. When fish are to be frozen they are piled around the cylinder, and the box is then shut up tight. There is no really first-class establishment for icing fish in Mobile. LAY ON VESSELS. — The crew on a fishing smack fish on shares. They pay the provision bills and receive GO per cent, of the proceeds of the trip. The captain, who receives an equal share with the rest of the crew, also receives from the owner or owners 10 or 15 per cent, of his or their share, which is the remaining 40 per cent, of the proceeds of the trip. THE OYSTER BUSINESS. — About one hundred and seventy-five men are engaged in gathering and hauling oysters to market. They own sixty-two vessels and boats, and sell the oysters to the Mobile dealers. The boats are small, open, flat-bottomed, of the simplest and roughest style. The tongs are those in ordinary use. The knives for opening them are of steel, with heavy flat handles and wide, thick blades, rather more rounded than pointed at the end. On the oyster-carrying vessels, where there are but two or three men as crew, the profits are divided as above described on the fishing smacks, excepting in a few cases where the captain is the owner and may prefer to pay his crew wages, $20 and $25 a month. The "gatherers" of oysters are independent, selling whatever they catch at the regular rate of 10 cents a box or 40 cents a barrel. The oysters that are brought to Mobile are obtained from natural and artificial beds in Mobile Bay. Those from the natural beds are called " reefers," which are slightly inferior in size and quality to those from the artificial beds, which are called "plants." They are obtained in a portion of the bay called the "gully"; the only place where they are naturally abundant. The planted oysters are originally obtained from the salt water, near Cat Island, between Mobile Bay and Biloxi, Miss., and are deposited in front of the oysterman's land. The State laws provide that any settler on its bay shores shall have the right to use for oyster culture the water surface in front of his lands from low-water mark 600 yards outward. About thirty vessel-loads, or more than 2,500 bushels, are usually planted at first on new grounds, and are allowed to remain two years before they are gathered up to be sold. The next and following times that deposits are made it is not necessary to plant as many as at first; for there are many small oysters that escape the tongs which will soon grow large enough for market. It is calculated that in two years the small salt-water oysters will have so grown in size and so increased in numbers that there will be about twice as many as when transplanted; but this ratio can hardly be depended upon, for it often has been proved that, to realize an increase of 50 per cent., the location and circumstances must be most favorable. 572 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. Oysters as taken from salt water are in very poor condition, but in an incredibly short time, in fresh or brackish water, they become large and fat. Still there are times, when the bay is almost purely fresh, that certain injurious qualities in it (perhaps from the extensive swamps) either destroy oysters or turn them so red that they are unfit for market. Invertebrate animals are probably the cause of many oysters being killed, though the oystermen seem to be ignorant of it. Drum-fish are also very destructive. Besides the "reefers" and "plants," there is a kind of oyster called here "sharpers," from the fact that the ends of their shells are unusually sharp. They are a natural-growth oyster of very large size (shells averaging 8 or 10 inches long) and superior flavor, that are found growing sepa- rately along the bay shores, not far from the place where "reefers" are gathered. " Sharpers" are always in demand, though there is some objection to them on account of their being so hard to open. "Reefers" and "sharpers" are caught by men who follow no other pursuit, and who are a quite distinct class from the oyster-boatmen. They have small, flat-bottomed skiffs of the roughest description, in which they go "a-tonging," two men occupying a boat and taking turns at tongiug and culling. As fast as the stock is culled it is placed in shallow, oblong boxes holding one-fourth of a barrel each, and in these measures is sold to the boatmen or carriers at the rate (during the winter of 1880-'81) of 10 cents a "box," or 40 cents a barrel. The carriers having obtained a load for their sail-boats, proceed at once to the city and deliver them to the dealer, by whom they are employed to buy or with whom they have contracts. The measure, in this transaction, is the same box as before, but the price has nearly doubled, holding all last season at 75 cents a barrel. While the gatherers are paid per measure for what they catch, the profits of the boatmen are divided among the crew by a "lay" arrangement of sharing, by which the crew pay provision bills and receive 60 per cent, of the proceeds. Of the owner's 40 per cent, remaining, the captain gets 10 or 15 per cent, additional. In a few cases the captains own their vessels, and prefer to hire their crew at $20 or $25 a month. There are only two or three men in the whole crew of an oyster-boat. The oysters, having been deposited in a pile in the dealer's warehouse, are next taken in hand by the " openers," who are placed in a circle around the pile, each with his stool, bucket, and oyster- knife. These men are principally negroes and Creoles of the worst character, who find it hard to obtain other employment. Still they are very expert at opening oysters, and often make fair wages. The knives used by them are all of steel, about 6 inches long, with heavy, flat handles, and wide, thick blades, rounded at the end. To open an oyster it is held in the. left hand, lower shell down and lips outward, and the shells are quickly pried open at the hinge, the upper shell being thrust off. One more stroke severs the oyster from the lower shell, and into the bucket it goes, liquor and all. Some kinds of oysters cannot be easily opened in this way, so they are broken first on the lip edge and entered from that side with the knife. The majority of Mobile oyster openers are very quick while opening either of these ways, but are probably more practiced in the first. The shells are thrown one side in a pile, and the "openers," if left to themselves, will throw away many good, unopened oysters, in order to hasten through their barrel, if they are opening by the barrel, or to get rid of small oysters, if they are opening by the gallon ; therefore it is necessary to have a man employed to watch them and prevent this waste. When an "opener" has filled his bucket he takes it to a clerk to be emptied into a strainer, when the oysters are measured and placed to his credit. The customary price paid for opening oysters is 35 cents per barrel, or 20 cents per gallon. At certain times of the year a barrel of oysters in shell will yield more opened oysters than at others; GULF OF MEXICO: ALABAMA. 573 for instance, in the fall hardly 2 gallons are obtained, while in the winter and spring 2 to 3 gallons are taken from one barrel. As soon as the oysters have been opened, measured, and drained of their liquor, they are emptied into a large vat that has a strainer-like bottom and are kept cool by means of ice until needed for shipment or canning. To be shipped to any place not far inland they are usually placed in cans varying from 1 to 10 gallons, according to the order, that are not hermetically sealed, but are kept in contact with ice. To be shipped to more distant parts they are placed in square cans, containing from 1 quart to 1 gallon, and are hermetically sealed. This manner is more costly to the purchaser, but is the safer way, for oysters so put up will keep a long time. Pickling oysters has been of some importance here, but there is very little done at it now. The method of treatment was, first, to steam the oysters, and then to place them in small, square tin cans with spiced vinegar, the cans afterward being soldered up air-tight. It is said that this busi- ness failed because of much poorly prepared goods being put on the market. In pleasant weather, wheu the gatherers can work and the boats can easily get to the city with large loads of oysters, the Mobile market becomes overstocked, and it is then difficult to dispose of the catch at any price; but in stormy and cool weather the market is good, for then but few boat-loads come in, partly owing to real difficulties and partly to the indolent indisposition of the oystermen to work when discomfort attaches to it. The oysters of Mobile Bay have a high reputation for excellence. The water and soil of the bay, particularly in the eastern arm, called Bon Secour, seem especially well adapted to their growth. The planting-beds are all higher up, where the seed thrives better than below. THE GULF OF MEXICO OYSTER COMPANY. — Early in 1880 a new concern, to be known as the Gulf of Mexico Oyster Company, began oyster canning and shipping at Mobile, for though their factory was many miles distant, at Scranton, Miss., yet the officers were in Mobile, and the busi- ness contributed to the city. About ninety to one hundred hands, of all ages and sexes, are employed. These live in a little village, which the company has built for the purpose, in the neigh- borhood of their factory. While this company does something in the fresh-oyster trade, their main business is in cooked and canned oysters, which are steamed and sealed in substantially the same way as at Baltimore. One specialty, however, is the putting up of canned fried oysters, after the following patented method : From the supply vat, where they are kept cool, the oysters are taken and rolled in meal and fine cracker-dust, and then are dropped, a gallon at a time, into a large kettle of hot fat, which is a mixture of lard, tallow, and stearine, where they are allowed to fry crisp and brown. Next, while still hot, they are packed in small, flat, square tin boxes of about a quart capacity, and the unoc- cupied space is filled with hot fat. The opening in the top of the box is round, and has a cap to fit, which is firmly soldered down, making the box air-tight. Afterward these boxes are labeled and packed in cases, a dozen boxes in a case. It is asserted that oysters prepared in this manner sell readily in all parts of the country, and the demand is much larger than was at first expected. The "cove oysters" of this company are simply fresh oysters hermetically sealed in cylindrical cans. The capital stock of this company is $25,000. (Another company has recently been projected with a capital stock of $50,000.) Though the capacity of the Scranton factory is no less than 30,000 one-pound cans per day, the product at the time of my visit had been insignificant, owing to various delays in getting well under way. The company will also can shrimp, fruit, and vegetables in season, so that not all the force, capital, and fixtures can be credited to oysters alone; and, inas- much as operations have only begun, I have not added these figures to my totals. The stock which 574 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OP THE FISHERIES. they receive for canning is the wild "reefer" oyster, that grows in immense profusion all along the coast of Mississippi. STATISTICS OF THE FISHERIES. — In the fisheries of Mobile it is estimated that there are $25,500, in all, invested; $22,500 in the fisheries proper, and the other $3,000 in the oyster business. The market prices paid to the fishermen are, for red snappers, groupers, &c., 3 or 4 cents a pound; for mullet, trout, redfish, &c., $2 to $15 per basket, equal to about 2 to 15 cents a pound. The oysters range from 75 cents to $1.75 a barrel, "reefers" selling for 75 cents a barrel; small "plants" and "sharpers," $1; plants, $1.50; selected plants, $1.75. D.— THE FISHERIES OF MISSISSIPPI. 207. STATISTICAL RECAPITULATION. Summary statement of persons employed. Persons employed. Number. Fishermen 110 Shoremen 76 Total 186 Detailed statement of capital invested and apparatus employed. Apparatus specified. Number. Value. Boats 58 $4,600 Otli IT apparatus, including outfits 1, 600 Canneries and other shore property 2,600 Total 58 8,800 Detailed statement of the quantities and rallies of the products. Products specified. Pounds. Value. Mullet 1,500 $00 Oysters 175,000 10,000 All other species 612,000 12,480 Total 788,500 I 22,540 208. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE FISHERIES. MEN AND METHODS. — Tlic majority of the three hundred fishermen on the coast of Mississippi are engaged in the oyster business and fish for the New Orleans market, using boats and nets belonging to that city. Sixty more are engaged in fishing and oystering for Mississippi dealers. There is only one fish dealer in the State, and he is the station agent at Biloxi. There are four seines owned in the State which are used by professional fishermen, and the number of trammel or gill nets thus used is seveu. The seines are used about the islands and shoals and the trammel nets in the rivers, bayous, and bay channels. Those fishing for New Orleans, Mobile, or their town market, iiish chiefly with seines, and, for the most part, catch red- lish, trout, mullet, sheepshesid, drum, and croakers. Those fishing for the inland shippers use, GULF- OP MEXICO: MISSISSIPPI. 575 trammel nets, in which they catch fresh-water fish, such as black bass, perch, and bream. All of these are on this coast called "green-fish." DISPOSITION OF THE CATCH. — The salt-water fishermen charge such high prices for their fish that only a very few are shipped inland from the coast. At their rates the fish cannot be shipped inland cheaply enough to compete with Pensacola prices. Such is not the case with the fresh- water catches which come from the bayous and streams. These fish are sold at so much per "hand," or "bunch," according to the quantity to be sold. The fishes are strung together with fibers of palmetto leaf into bunches containing about 5 pounds. These are usually called " hands," four of which are tied together to make the "bunch" proper. These "bunches" are sold whole- sale for $1 to $3 each, according to the abundance of fish at the time. The trammel fishermen average about six of these bunches a day, and the seine fishermen about twice as many. The season for shipping fish inland does not exceed five months out of the year, and during that time there are many days on which no fish are caught. The amount shipped to New Orleans by fishermen from that city amounted in 1879 to an average of 2 barrels a day, or about 108,OQO pounds per annum. A great many fish shipped for New Orleans are landed at Biloxi, Pass Christian, and Bay Saint Louis, The fish intended for Mobile are principally landed at Pas- cagoula. OYSTER FISHERIES. — There are eighten oyster boats belonging in this State and seven oyster-dealers. The supply of oysters is obtained from the natural reefs all along the marshes about the Chaudeleur Islands. The oysters are very large and abundant, but are not always as good as they might be, even in the season. They have been improved by having been transplanted into brackish water near Biloxi and Pascagoula. The boats carrying oysters to market 'are all small, carrying a crew of two men. Here the boatmen gather the oysters, and in some cases open them for the dealer. Oystermen receive 75 cents a barrel for oysters in the shell delivered at the dealer's wharf, or else 35 cents per hundred opened. If sold to the dealer unopened the latter- pays a shucker at the rate of 75 cents for opening a. thousand oysters. Oysters to be shipped inland from the coast markets are opened and placed in 5 and 10-gallon baskets and sold invariably by the count. There are forty men and about eighteen boats engaged in gathering and bringing to market. The boats make two, sometimes three trips a week. At Pascagoula are two oyster- shippers; at Ocean Springs, one; at Biloxi, three; Mississippi City, one. During 1879,18,920 gallons, at 35 cents a gallon, were shipped inland. Total value, $0,022. E.— THE FISHERY INTERESTS OF LOUISIANA 209. STATISTICAL RECAPITULATION. Summary statement of JICTSOHS employed. Persona employed. NunibtT. 1 300 207 Total ..... 1 5U7 576 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. Detailed statement of the capital invested and apparatus employed. Apparatus specified. Number. Value. 49 $•20, 821 Boats 165 4,800 18, 000 50,000 Total 93, 621 Detailed statement of the quantities and values of the products. Products specified. Founds. Value. 288 000 $7 200 Crawfish 24 000 800 30, 000 1,200 Mullet 55 000 1 650 2 065 000 200 000 900, 000 45, 000 534 000 41 760 3, 100, 000 95, 000 Total 6 096 000 392 610 210. THE FISHERIES OF NEW ORLEANS AND OTHER PLAGES. FISHERMEN. — There are on the coast of Louisiana three hundred and thirty-two professional fishermen, of whom one hundred and twenty-nine are engaged in the oyster business. Of the remainder, one hundred and eighty-eight ply the seine and gill-net, and the other fifteen are smack fishermen. APPARATUS — The seines and gill-nets are used to catch the small inside-water fishes and those of the sea that are found along the shores. In different localities they are set with different objects in view. Along the outside shores of the islands which separate Mississippi Sound from the sea, and about the Chandeleur Islands, seines of medium size are used to catch the passing shoala of bluefish, pompano, Spanish mackerel, bonito, &c., while among these islands small seines and trammel-nets are employed to catch the so-called "bottom fish"; these have already been specified. They are found at the bottom feeding among the grass and weeds. There is also the lake and bayou fishing, carried on in Lake Poutchartrain, in winter only, and in the many bays and coves in the extensive marshes of this neighborhood at such times as fish are very abundant, but on account of extremely shoal water, muddy bottom, and the numerous chances of the escape of the fish, the nets used at other places would be of little service here, and for that reason long, shallow, and lightly weighted seines are prepared, and these can be successfully dragged through such places. In some of the deeper bayous and lake channels trammel-nets are used with good results. Seines and casting-nets are used in the shrimp fishery. The net fishermen are stationed at different points along the coast from Mobile Bay to the western extremity of the Louisiana coast. Some have their homes on islands near the fishing grounds, while the majority of them camp at various points throughout the fishing season. For the transportation of their catches they depend upon railroads, passing steamboats, and oyster- boats ; occasionally they have a boat engaged for the purpose. The greater part of their fish go to market on ice; those, however, caught near home are sent without any preservative. SHRIMP. — The shrimp fishery and canning industry are of groat importance. They are described in another section of this report. GULF OP MEXICO: LOUISIANA. 577 CRABS. — The mode of catching crabs is very simple; they are picked up by hand-net or scoop-net along the beaches of the outside islands, and from among the grass in the marshes. A long line, perhaps measuring 200 fathoms, is sometimes used, to which shorter lines are attached at intervals. To the end of each of these short lines is fastened a piece of bait. The long line is then stretched along the water's edge and the baited lines are thrown into the water. The crab, having caught hold of the bait with its claws, is pulled up softly and slowly and is landed by means of a dip-net. CRAWFISH. — Crawfish are also picked up from among the sedge grass, along the lake and canal shores and on the levees. It is said that they are very plentiful at such places, and that great quantities of them can be secured without much trouble. The crawfish live in little holes in the muddy banks, and, it is reported, build a sort of chimney of mud over and around the hole. TURTLE. — Now and then the seine fishermen catch a green turtle or a " loggerhead,1' which they send to market, but very few of these are caught in the year. Some few fresh- water turtles are also taken, as, for example, the "mobiliau" and "soft shell" and occasionally a snappiug- turtle. THE NEW ORLEANS MARKET. — In New Orleans there are twelve markets where fresli fish are retailed. The most important of them all is the French market, for there all the fish intended for distribution among the smaller dealers are sent. The other markets are supplied from the French market, but few of them do any business. They are under the control of the city, whose property they are. The city rents the stalls at from 50 cents to $2 a day, dependent upon the situation of the market and of the stall to be rented. The city is also responsible for the cleaning of the markets after business hours. In most of the markets the fish stalls are few and in the most secluded corners. In the French market, however, more space and better advantages are given to the fishmongers. In the French market are two dealers — Bartholomew, Tallon & Co., and Felisado & Co. They each have several stands, upon which are displayed quite a large amount and variety of fish on the best market days. How and whence these fish come into the hands of these dealers will now be explained. The sea fish (red-snapper, grouper, &c.) come by rail from Pensacola and Mobile packed with ice in hogsheads. They are caught chiefly by New Orleans smackmen, who find it more, profitable and satisfactory to deliver their fish in this way. The supply of these fish is kept up throughout the year, but in summer the demand is not so great, and consequently less are shipped. The small fish already specified and the smaller fresh-water fish come from different parts of the Mississippi and Louisiana coasts, where they were caught in seines and trammel-nets. Some fish come iced in barrels and some from the nearest points by rail without ice. Railroads, steamboats, sailing vessels, and "luggers" are all media through which these fish arrive at market. Each lot comes consigned to a particular dealer, or is sent in fulfillment of a contract. Snapper* are sold by the fishermen at so much for a "bunch," weighing 25 pounds; bay fish at so much a "hand," consisting of four small bunches, with an aggregate weight of about 20 pounds. Spanish mackerel, bluefish, and other choice varieties also sell by the "hand," but at a very much higher price than the common varieties command. Pompano alone are sc : 1 by the count, or so much apiece. Many of the fish are in a very bad condition by the time they reach the market stand, and nowhere else would they be allowed to be placed on the stalls and sold, as they are day by day, to people who know nothing about fish, and therefore buy ignorantly. The small fish caught in the vicinity of the Mississippi marshes are really in very fine condition on the stalls, and are far superior to the same class of fish found on other parts of the Gulf coast. The reason, probably, is, that on the Florida coast, for instance, these small fish cannot find convenient food and are much worried 37 G R F 578 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OP THE FISHERIES. by destructive fishes, such as the shark, alligator-gar, and crevalte; they are, therefore, in a thin and poor condition for market. It seems as if some secluded spot were necessary for their attaining the greatest perfection, which they do find among the Mississippi marshes. Here, too, are more favorable conditions of water and better food. Besides these salt-water fishes there are some brackish-water species — the black bass, perch, and bream — which are taken in the trammel-nets and seines in marshy bayous along with salt- water fish, with which they are shipped and sold. Some fresh-water catfish and " buffaloes" also appear in the markets. They are chiefly caught by negroes in traps or by line up the river and its tributary streams. This is of small importance, and cannot be included as one of the regular fisheries. The few shad found in these markets come from Charleston, S. C. The demand for them is small. The crabs are sent to market alive and in that way are sold. The marketmen pay 50 cents a basket for them ; a basket is supposed to contain five dozen. Few crawfish are seen in the markets, being not thoroughly appreciated, and other fish being much more abundant. The men who gather the crawfish receive 40 cents a basketful. These crustaceans are chiefly used for soup. Part of the fish, &c., come to the retail merchan t and part to consignees who receive them at the French market for distribution among the smaller dealers. The work, on the part of the stall fishmongers, of buying stock for the day and preparing their stalls commences at midnight, so that they may be ready at an early hour for customers. Many of these stall fishmongers have no store- houses in which to keep their fish, but depend on the larger dealers, such as Bartholomew, Tallou & Co., for their daily supply. Only five dealers pretend to keep a supply of fish independent of other dealers. As a rule, fish, &c., sell for about twice as much at retail as the fishermen receive for them. The fish are not sold at retail by the pound, but at so much each. Shrimp are sold at so many haudfuls for so many cents. Crabs sell by the dozen, small turtles by the piece, and large ones by the pound. Crawfish are sold in the same way as shrimp. A very small portion of the fish sold in New Orleans is eaten by the citizens. The trade is principally with the hotels, restaurants, steamboats, and the shipping, so that, really, strangers and travelers are the chief consumers of fish at New Orleans. It seems as though those of the popula- tion who are able to buy fish care nothing for it, while, at the present prices, those who would eat fish cannot afford it. THE OYSTER- TRADE OF NEW ORLEANS. — At New Orleans centers the most extensive oyster- trade of the Gulf of Mexico, and some of the stock sold in that city is of very high quality. There is no locality in the whole United States where the busiuess presents so many picturesque feat- ures, and the oyster-landing at the levee is one of the most spirited and entertaining sights of the many half-foreign pictures to be got in that polyglot city. The market is supplied with oysters from an extent of coast comprising the whole water-front of both Mississippi and Louisiana, and embracing numerous tonging-grounds. The great majority are taken from the natural and luxurious growth of the "reefs," but the transplanting and conse- quent improvement of oysters is being more and more engaged in. The delta of the Mississippi River forms a partition between the two classes of oysters and oyster-localities tributary to New Orleane — a distinction which is perpetuated in the city markets. The first of these divisions to be considered, is that which lies eastward of the delta, extending from Lake Borgne, Point a la Hache, and the Chandaleur Islands to Pascagoula and the end of Mississippi Sound. Though the Chandaleur Islands, and some other points, produce an oyster of good reputation, the general quality and size of the stock from this eastward portion is inferior to that from the western district. They are used for cooking chiefly, and it is this stock which is being bought by the canning com- GULF OF MEXICO: LOUISIANA. pauies lately started in the city. The best grounds seem to be the Chandaleur Islands, Bayou Muscle, Bayou Boulfeu near Mobile, aud the shell bank outside of Biloxi. " The Bayou Muscle oyster is peculiar. It is large, very black, aud the shells are covered with hair and barnacles. The Boulfeus are round, rich, and fat, and sell very high." The Picayune stated that thirty boats came to the city from Biloxi and along the sound, iu the winter of 1879-'SO, but this seems to have understated the case, for our careful inquiries registered fifty boats of 5 tons and upward, and two hundred boats of less than 5 tons, as trading along the eastern coast; many of these, however, are otherwise engaged during a portion of the year. The boats are generally small, rarely having more than two men. Turning to the district west of the delta, we find that oysters are procured from all the marshes and bayous, nearly as far as Galveston, Texas. The Picayune, in an article during the winter 1878-'79, gives a fair account of this source of supply, as follows : " This portion of our State seems best suited to the propagation of the best, and Bayou Chalons, Four Bayous, and Fontenelle are known only for their oysters. Yesterday a representa- tive of the Picayune, in order to place before its readers something more definite than the confused ideas generally prevailing about our oysters, visited a number of veterans in the trade. Even among them there is still some confusion regarding the merits of certain oysters, but what was agreed upon by all was taken as the basis of what we gi ve. "There are engaged iu the business of supplying the city about one hundred and twenty lug- gers, with a carrying capacity each of 75 to 100 barrels. From Barataria, which comprises Bayou Cook, Chalons, and Four Bayous, there are eight, making at least one trip a week. From the Southwest Pass, Saliua, or the Salt Works below Fort Jackson, about thirty boats. From Tim- balier. including Bayou Cyprian, Fontenelle, and Lake Peliot, about fifteen. These vessels, and the labor at the fishing banks, give employment to over four thousand five hundred men. * * * There has been a general impression here that Bayou Cook furnishes our best oysters, but that little water course has long since given up its natural supply, and those that are now received from there are only a few that are planted. " Our best oysters come from Bayou Chalons, Four Bayous, Bayoue Fontenelle and Cyprian, and a small supply from Lake Peliot. These rank the highest and are called the first-class. The Bayou Chalons oyster is a large, long oyster, with a clean shell; the Four Bayous are middling, round, and firm ; the Bayous Foutenelle and Cyprian are small, hard, and round, and much pre- ferred by connoisseurs. The Lake Peliot is a round oyster, very fat and salt, and on account of the hardness of its eye preferred for frying. The second-class oysters are the Timbaliers, where they are taken from the reef, not the one planted in the bay. They are in bunches and are long. In the same class are the Salinas, or those taken at the Salt Works near Fort Jackson. They are what are called the 'summer,' and by restaurateurs the 'kitchen' oyster. They cook well, but are not as rich in flavor as those of the first-class. At the Southwest Pass, proper, all the bivalves are dead now, but near there, at East Bay, they have a very good kind, with a light-colored shell and very white inside. Then there are the Great Lakes, from the viciuity of Fort Livingston, near Grand Terre. Although the supply is not very great there is always a demand far them, as they have a peculiar flavor." METHODS OF GATHERING OYSTERS. — Most of the oysters brought to New Orleans are from naturally growing, uncultivated reefs, with which the whole coast is barricaded, and to wrhich, in a large measure, it owes its preservation from the teeth of the ocean. These reefs are ridges of oysters, packed one above another, each generation supported on the compact and dead shells of the preceding. In general the oysters are found not singly but in great clusters, some of which 580 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. are half as large as a barrel. When gathered in this shape there is a great waste of young oysters, for those that are attached to the large ones are not separated until after the boat has left the grounds or is at town, when they are thrown away as useless. At certain stages of low water snch oysters as these can be picked up by hand. In other places, ordinarily in the open bays, oysters are found in a more scattering condition, but are more readily gathered and require less culling. In most cases they are procured with oyster-tongs from the lugger, as she lies at anchor over the bed. One man uses the tongs while the other culls them ; or, if there are three in the crew, two use tongs and the third culls for both. Tliis is the method with all the smaller boats which toug their own cargoes. They have to go far from home, and often the men do not get home once a week, or even every two weeks, and must lie exposed to many hard storms, both wheu'at the reefs and in going back aud forth the 40, 60, or 100 miles to market. The owners of the larger vessels, however, generally buy their cargoes direct of the men who live in the vicinity of the reefs, and by making more trips, having fleet vessels, can in a season make considerable money. • In the summer time, those who have been prosperous sometimes take their vessels down the river about 65 miles, and pass through tortuous channels into Mississippi Sound, and lay up for the summer season in the vicinity of Biloxi, Mississippi. There is a "lay" system in vogue in many of these boats for the distribution of profits, by which the boat and each man receives an equal share, after the bills are paid. The number <.>'•' boats bringing and catching oysters in this region is counted at two hundred and five, of which forty are of over 5 tons burden. Their business is mainly done during the winter, and in summer they are largely engaged in transporting fruit from the coast plantations to the city, though some "lie up" for repairs. These oyster- vessels are all of one class and are known, from their Mediterranean rig, as "lug- gers." They are in model much like the common light-draft American center-board sloops, and vary in size from 10 to 40 feet in length, the largest measuring about 8 tons. They are further described in another section of this report. THE OYSTERMEN. — In. going to the lower coast, writes Mr. Ainsworth, the luggers run down the Mississippi generally for about 60 miles, and then through smaller outlets and bayous into Grand Lake Bayou and the various grounds on the coast. The men who are employed in this fishery, and also the sailors who own the luggers, are almost altogether Italians and Sicilians, gen- erally of a low order. Their swarthy faces, long, curly hair, unfamiliar speech, and barbaric love of bright colors in their clothing and about their boats, give a perfectly foreign air to the markets. There is not an American style of rig seen, nor hardly a word of English spoken, in the whole gayly- painted oyster fleet of Louisiana. OYSTER-CULTURE. — Oyster planting amounts to very little along the coast now under view, and what is done is of the simplest character. I can form little uotiou of its extent or the number of planters. The reef-oysters are taken from the natural beds by tongs in June and carried up the half fresh bayous, or inshore, where they are laid out between tides until time to sell them in the fall. This improves them somewhat, but seems to be chiefly serviceable in making them more readily accessible for market, and so saving time. The Picayune said that in 1878 4,500 men were employed in making and assisting in making such trausplantings. OYSTER MARTS IN NEW ORLEANS. — There are three separate landing places and marts for oyster-boats in New Orleans, the Old Basin, the New Basin, and the French market levee. To the Old and New Basins (chiefly the former), in the rear of the city, reached by canals from Lake Pontchartrain, come the boats from the eastward, bringing "lake" and "reef" oysters, gen- GULF OF MEXICO: LOUISIANA. 581 erally of inferior quality, and intended to be sold to the canning establishments, or to be opened for cooking purposes. The boats average smaller than those used in the river westward, and usually carry only two men. The price of the oysters— frequently measured out in quarter-barrel boxes similar to those in use in Mobile — depends upon the state of the market as governed by the supplies received from the West, and often goes down to 50 or 60 cents a barrel, at which price there is no profit, and the oystermen stop running until a rise occurs. The average price, however, is said to have been 81.50 per barrel last winter; and 65,000 barrels are said to have been the total oi receipts on this side of the city. This would equal about 170,000 bushels, at 39 cents a bushel. The men who bring oysters from the eastward say they must have higher prices than formerly, on account of the growing scarcity of oysters, and the longer time it takes to get their load. Many more are oystering now than before the war. At the levee opposite, or just below the famous old French market, is the other and greatest oyster landing place, mustering about two hundred and live boats, with six hundred and fifteen uii-n or more in the crews. The estimate of annual receipts there at present gives 50,000 barrels, or 125,000 bushels, commonly sold at 82 to $3.50 per barrel. All of these coine from westward of the delta, and being larger and finer are, as a rule, bought by the saloons and restaurants, and served to their customers on the shell. WIIAEFMEN ON THE LEVEE. — A peculiar feature of the business on the levee consists of an organization of wharfmen, who form a species of close corporation to do the work of carrying the oysters from the boats to the wagon of the purchaser, who pays them 15 cents a barrel for the service. The boatman having sold his cargo, he then has no further concern ; his boat being taken in charge by the carrier, who might be called a 'longshoreman, and who delivers all the oysters and sweeps the vessel and puts her in proper condition for the crew. While there is no society of these carriers, strictly speaking, they manage to make their business a close corporation, since no one is allowed to discharge a cargo of any kind from the luggers — oysters, oranges, or fruit — except one of the members of the body. There is a man who is called the foreman, who receives all the money for the carriers and who divides the proceeds equally among the different carriers, but just how this is regulated, as well as many other of the details of this quasi organization, is kept as mysteriously secret as possible. The body is au old one and now consists of about fifty meu iu all, mostly Sicilians and low-grade Italians, and, as near as I can judge, the annual receipts for the carriers amount to about $35,000, levied on the oysters, oranges, melons, and various fruits. Some years ago the city designated a man to act as foreman, and he held the post for 22 years, not giving it up until his death, when he was succeeded by his son, who now has the place. The system is beginning to be felt as an unwarrantable incubus on the trade, and a monopoly which should be opposed. In consequence it doubtless will soon be broken up, and each pur- chaser will land his own oysters, or the boatmen deliver them to the wagons at less cost than now. The levee is leased by the city to a firm, which collects $20 a year wharfage from the luggers. SHIPMENTS OF OYSTEES FB03I NEW ORLEANS.— The shipment of oysters inlaid from >e\v Orleans has hitherto been of very small account, and principally of fresh oysters. Now, however, at least two canning establishmnnts have been started in the city, which make a large item in their general preserving business of cooked and hermetically sealed oysters, prepared substan- tially as in Baltimore. Several brands have been put upon the market with good satisfaction, selling at $2.50 per doxen two pound cans for first quality, and $1.80 for second, and at $1.10 for one-pound cans. About $100,000 worth of these canned oysters are said to have been put up during 1880, nearly all of which weie taken by the trade of the city and immediate neighborhood. 582 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. Tbe capital invested is, perhaps, $75,OuO, but is applied to shrimp, lobster, and fruit canning as well as oysters. In these establishments only about thirty male adults are employed, the openers being girls, about 100 in number, all white and chiefly German and American in nationality, who are paid from 4 to G cents for each kettlei'ul, a "kettle" holding two quarts. Work is irregular, because of the difficulty of getting oysters in sufficient quantity and when needed (owing mainly to the indisposition of the oystermen to work in bad weather), and the total earnings of the openers and employe's during the "oyster run" in the factories, will probably not exceed $20,000. These factories have not been long enough in progress to furnish more exact information than is here given. Their capacity is far in advance of their present product, and they anticipate a highly suc- cessful future, confident that they can secure the trade of the Lower Mississippi Valley, to the exclusion of oysters canned in northern cities. STATISTICS.— In the fisheries of New Orleans it is estimated that $38,360 are invested. The average price here paid to the oysterman is $1.25 a barrel. The yield of the New Orleans oyster fishery for 1879 was estimated at 116,100 barrels, valued at $145,125. F.— THE FISHERY INTERESTS OF TEXAS. 211. STATISTICAL RECAPITULATION. Summary statement of persons employed. Persons employed. Number. Fishermen 491 Shoremen 110 Total 001 Detailed statement of the capital invested and apparatus employed, Apparatus specified. Number. Value. Boats 107 $15,000 Other apparatus, including outfits 4,400 Canneries and other shore property 23,000 Total 42,400 Detailed statement of the (jitatititits and rallies of the products. Products specified. Pounds. Vnlue. __^_ ___^ i Crabs 30,000 $900 Green turtle 24,000 720 Mnllet 8,000 240 Oysters 069,375 I 47,300 Shrimp 637,500 27,540 All other species 2,484,0001 51,000 Total I 3,858,875 128,300 GULF OF MEXICO: TEXAS. 583 212. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE FISHERIES. FISHERMEN. — On the coast of Texas there are 290 professional fishermen. Of this number 126 are seine fishermen and 1C5 oystermen. APPARATUS.— The boats used on this coast, both for fishing and oystering, are very roughly and simply built. Those used for carrying fish and oysters to market are sloop-rigged, flat bot- tomed boats, decked over forward and aft, but open in the center where the cargo is stored. They are built as flat and beamy as possible in order that they may float in the very shoal water so common in all the bays on the coast of Texas. They average 24 feet in length and 8 in width, and draw but a few inches of water. It is to the decided interest of the fishermen not to allow their boats to register 5 tons, for, by so doing, they escape the duty which otherwise would be imposed by the custom-house officers. Besides these boats, the seine-fishermen have smaller boats with which they lay out their seines. They are built on the same model as the sloops and are similar to those in use on the Florida coast. These latter boats are so roughly made that they are not deemed worthy of receiving a coat of paint, and, as a substitute, a covering of coal tar is smeared over them. There are 42 seines in use. Their average length is 100 fathoms, and their depth 5 feet, with an average mesh of 1 inch. Each seine is handled by three or four men. The nets are in use for about nine mouths of the year, from September to May. lledfish, sheepshcad, and sea trout are chiefly caught. The annual catch of each seine is 20,000 pounds. OYSTERMEN. — There are some oyster beds on the coast, employing, as before stated, one hun- dred and sixty-five men, who own fifty-five boats and sell their oysters principally at Galveston. RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF THE FISHERIES. — There is comparatively very little done in the fishing business on the Texan coast, and very little variety in the modes of fishing or in the variety of the fish caught. Fishing at sea with hook and line for the deep-water fishes, such as red snap- pers, groupers, &c., has never been attempted by Texan fishermen, although there is every reason for supposing that such an experiment would be successful, as the above named species are known to occur off the coast. Nor have the attempts at sea-beach seining been very great, partly because the same kinds of fish which can be caught there are found in greater abundance in the bay waters, and partly because the seines used in inside waters are not suitable for fishing in the surf outside. Consequently there are but few of the deep sea fish and of the migratory coast species to be found in the Texan markets. Among the common Gulf fishes wanting, the following are the most conspicuous: Pompano, which are but very rarely taken; bluefish, these are extremely rare; Spanish mackerel, taken occasionally with hook and line; red snappers, these are never brought to the markets; groupers, all kinds of this fish are unknown to the majority of the fishermen; and bouito, which are almost unknown. APPARATUS AND METHODS. — In the vicinity of Galvestou the seine-fishermen work steadily from September until May for fish, devoting the summer mouths to the capture of shrimp. At other points on the coast the seiners are not professional fisljermen, but are farmers and men who fish for their own provision when other work is not pressing. The seines are of peculiar shape, as the water is very shoal and the bottom muddy. There are no leads or weights attached to tlio bottom lines of the net, as before noticed ; they are set from small boats, and these act as tenders to the sloops which carry the fish to market. A gang is absent about a week on a trip; its success is varied; sometimes 20 barrels are brought home and again only 1 or 2. Those fishing for the Houston market make daily trips. 584 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. At ludianolu and Matagorda Bay are several crews of Galvestou fishermen; these send tbeir catches home twice a week by the steamers plying between those points. Gill-nets are never used on this coast, the seine being the only contrivance that has ever proved a success. A pound net was brought to Galveston from New England and was thoroughly tested. It proved a complete failure, for the crabs, &c., destroyed the netting taster than it could be repaired. The parties who made this experiment — Messrs. Sadler and Murnnr — think that a pound constructed of wire netting would pay. At present the G.dvestou dealers find it difficult to fill their orders received from the inland country, and the packing establishments have the same trouble. In Galveston Bay fish are quite scarce, while at Matagorda Bay, where there are only a few fishermen and nets, they are plentiful. The negroes and boys catch some fish from the wharves with hook and line or with cast-net. These are sold about the adjacent town or village, and, if summed up, would, in the course of a year, amount to a considerable number. The fish markets are supplied entirely by seine fishermen, who fish in the bayous and bays. The principal kinds of fish caught are redfish, sheepshead, sea-trout, mullet, and croakers. The redfish arc the most abundant and appear to be the favorite food-fish of the State. They remain in the shoal water throughout the year, and at certain seasons are in most excellent condition. OYSTEK FISHERIES. — The oyster supply at Galveston and a few other points on the western part of the coast is very good, and the oysters are of very fine quality. In the north and eastern parts of the bay the oysters are unfit for the market, being small and poor, but in the west arm of the bay they are unsurpassed. The inferiority of the oysters in some parts is supposed to be the result of very sudden and decided changes in the character of the water; that is, from clear salt water to muddy fresh water, and vice versa. Until a few years ago all Galvestou oysters were liable to these changes. Since the canal was cut from Brazos River to the M-est arm of Galveston Bay, the stream of fresh water constantly flowing into the bay has preserved at that point an equality in the character of the water which has effected a great improvement in the quality of the oysters at that point. The whole supply now comes from west bay, and there is said to be an abundance for years to come. In Matagorda Bay oysters are not found in any great abundance, excepting in the extremities farthest removed from the mouth of Colorado River, whose waters are impregnated with a yellow mud which is considered detrimental to the growth of oysters. Yet in some places quantities of fine oysters are to be found. These points are seldom visited by oystermen, there being no regular trade at the villages near by. Farther down the coast plenty of oysters may be found, but there is only in that region a small demand for them. Nothing has been done on this coast towards the cultivation of oysters. At Galveston oysters are brought to market in small sailing vessels of 2 or 3 tons measure- ment. Three men accompany each boat. The oysters are gathered by means of tongs, which are the only instruments used. They are sent to the dealers in barrels. Some few are shipped inland out of the shell, in tin cans, and a few to the nearest places in the shell. The supply at this market does not meet the demand. LAY. — Among the seine fishermen the proceeds of the catch are divided into equal shares, the seine and boat receiving one share and each man one share; there being usually four men in the crew, the proceeds are divided into five equal parts. Oystermeu work on a similar "lay'1; their boats, however, receive a full share, and the tongs and full outfit are furnished as a part of the boat. GULF OF MEXICO: TEXAS. 585 STATISTICS.— It is ' estimated that $9,000 are invested iu the fisheries, $10,000 in the oyster business, and $12,000 in packing establishments; this gives as the total sum invested $31,400. The fishermen receive from 3 cents to 5 cents a pound for their fish, and the oysterrnen, 011 an average, $1 a barrel. Green turtles sell at 3 cents a pound, and shrimp at 25 cents a bucket. The canning of shrimp at this point is elsewhere described. 213. PROFESSOR JORDAN'S ACCOUNT OF THE FISHERIES OF GALVESTON AND VICINITY. APPARATUS AND METHODS. — There are in Galveston about fifty boats and ten "wagons" engaged in the capture of fish and shrimp. Some of these are idle from time to time, so that an average of perhaps forty are steadily employed. The boats are all, or nearly all, of the "Italian" style — the deck half covered. They are all cat rigged, and range in size from about three-fourths of a ton to li tons. None of them are specially adapted for rough water, and they do not venture outside the bay, except in very calm weather. There was formerly a single "lateen" or "lugger- rigged" boat here, but the style has been discarded. The fishing is nearly all done by means of seines, and these seines are very shallow, ranging from 4 to 7 feet in depth, and probably not averaging over 5 to 5J. The net is not "paid out" from the boat in most cases, but is taken out by wading and hauled in over shallow sand-flats. As a result, only species remaining very close to shore are usually taken, and there is therefore very little variety in the markets. The boats go to various distances from 1 to 30 miles from Galveston, the best fishing grounds now being around the west end of the island of Galveston, nearly 30 miles from the city. The " wagon-fishing " is chiefly done ou the south coast of the island, in the surf. The wagon is used to haul the nets out from town and to bring back the fish. The nets are put out by wading in the shallow surf. Most of the fishing from the boats is done in the latter half of the night; from the wagons, in the afternoon. Occasionally hand-fishing is done on the sand reef outside the bay, and a few red snapper, jewQsh, and similar species are taken here. In the summer, Spanish mackerel are taken with hook. There are also numerous persons, chiefly negroes, who fish with hand-lines in the surf, using mullet as bait. They catch redfish (Scicena ocellata), Arius felis, and Menticirrus littoralis chiefly, the redfish being always the species desired. Casting-nets (circular, with a lead-line around the outer margin) are occasionally used, but chiefly to secure mullet as bait. No gill-nets are in use. There was formerly a pound-net, but the large fish, sharks and tarpum (Mcgalops), tore it up so much that it was removed. FISHEEMEN. — About one hundred and fifty men iu Galveston are employed more or less regularly as fishermen. Nearly all are of the race known here as "Dagoes," men from the Mediter- ranean (Genoa, Palermo, Malta, Trieste, Dalmatia, and Greece). There are two Americans, and so far as known to me, no negroes and no persons from northern Europe. Most of them work on shares for the owners of the boats and nets. In some cases, the boat takes two shares and each of the two fishermen one. PRODUCTS.— A fair estimate of the total annual catch at Galveston is 300,000 to 350,000 pounds. A little less than half of this (150,000 pounds) is brought into the fish market in the morning and sold, wholesale and retail, at an average price of 7 cents per pound. About as much more is shipped into the interior of Texas on ice. Some 2,000 pounds a week are received on the 586 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. steamers from Indianola. Most of this is also shipped into the interior, but little coming to the Galveston market. The fish brought to the market are placed ou the stalls by the fishermen and are soon bought up at prices varying with the supply, by a number of Italians known as speculators, who sell them to the public ; all left unsold at 9 o'clock a. in., being put on ice till the next day. The demand and supply are far greater on Sunday and Friday than on the other days of the week, and very small on Saturday and Monday. The species seen in market in spring are the following, given in order of their abundance : Scicena ocellata. Redfish of the Colorado. (Up to 38 pounds.) Cynoscion maculatum. Speckled trout. Hlngil albula. Mullet. (Little esteemed.) Pogonias chromis. Drum. (Cheap.) Bairdiella punctata. Yellow-fin. Micropogon undulatus. Croaker ; ronco. DipJodus probatoccphalus. Sheepshead. Liostomus xanthurus. Flat croaker. Pomadasys fuhomaculatus. Pigfish. Menticirrus alburnus. Whiting. The above of daily occurrence. Tylosurus longirostris. Needle-fish. Paralickthys dentatus. Flounder. (Mostly speared.) Arius fells. Sea-cat. jUJluricJitliys marinus. Sea-kitten ; blue-backed cat. (Rarely except by negroes.) Menticirrus littoralis. Surf whiting. Cluetodipterus faber. Half-moon. Trygon sayi. Stingaree. Diplodus rhomboides. Centropomus undecimalis. Robalo. (A magnificent fish when baked.) TricMurus lepturus. Silver eel. Hemirhamphus unifasciatus. Smear. Clupea chrysockloris. Skipjack. Brevoortia, patronus; and other fish little esteemed, occasionally brought in, as also some- times different river fish. To this list the pompano, the Spanish mackerel, the crevalle", and some species of eel are to be added in summer. STATISTICS FOR DIFFERENT LOCALITIES. — At Indiauola, on Matagorda Bay, are some seventy- five to eighty fishermen, who take about 200,000 pounds of fish yearly, nearly half of this being shipped by steamer to Galveston, the rest being consumed in ludianola or sent by rail into the interior. At Rockport and Corpus Christ! Bay some fishing is done, perhaps 50,000 pounds per year. At Brazos Santiago, on Laguna Madre, a number of men fish for the markets of Brownsville and Matamoras, about 100,000 pounds being taken yearly. From Brazos Santiago, the robalo (C. undecimalis), which is there one of the most important food-fish, is often sent by steamer, on ice, to Galveston. It reaches a weight of 20 pounds, and is justly prized. There is no fishing of importance elsewhere on the coast of Texas. GULF OF MEXICO: TEXAS. The total catch at the various places is as follows: 587 Location. Pounds. Galveston 300, 000 200, 000 50 000 100 000 050, 000 Value, as sold by fishermen, $32,500. There are also some 100 pounds of shrimp taken daily at Galveston. The oyster trade is also important. XVI. THE FISHERIES OF THE PACIFIC COAST. By DAVID STARR JORDAN. ANALYSIS. A.— GENERAL STATISTICS: 214. Extent and relative importance of the fisheries. B. — CALIFORNIA AND ITS FISHERY INTERESTS: 215. Statistical recapitulation. 216. The fisheries of San Diego, Los Angeles, and Ventura Counties. 217. The fisheries of Santa Barbara anil San Lnis Obispo Counties. 218. The fisheries of Monterey, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, and San Mateo Counties. 219. The fisheries of San Francisco County. 220. The fisheries of the sea-bordering counties between San Francisco and the northern boundary of the State. C.— OREGON AND ITS FISHERY INTERESTS: 221. Statistical recapitulation. 222. The fisheries of the Oregon coast. D. — WASHINGTON TERRITORY AND ITS FISHERY INTER- ESTS : 223. Statistical recapitulation. 224. The coastfisheriesof Washington Territory. E.— ALASKA AND ITS FISHERY INTERESTS : 225. Statistical recapitulation. 226. The fisheries of Alaska. 589 T XVI. THE FISHERIES OF THE PACIFIC COAST. A.— GENERAL STATISTICS. 214. EXTENT AND EELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF THE FISHEEIES. PRELIMINARY REMARKS. — The fisheries of the Pacific coast, like those of almost every part of the United States beyond the limits of New England, are still in a low degree of development. About 7,000 miles of the territory of the United States border upon the Pacific Ocean, and its northernmost arm, the Sea of Kamtchatka, but the income derived from the fisheries of this exten- sive tract is about $5,000,000 per annum less than the revenue which New England, with her 500 miles of coast line, draws from a similar source. EELATIVE IMPORTANCE OP THE FISHERIES OF DIFFERENT PLACES.— The most important of the Pacific States and Territories, considering the amount of capital invested in the fisheries, is California, which is directly interested in the products of the water to the extent of nearly $1,140,000, and much of the capital which will be credited to Alaska and other places is really controlled by the citizens of that State. The California fisheries give much smaller returns, how ever, than those of either Oregon or Alaska. The city of San Francisco is the metropolis of the Pacific fisheries, and almost all the products of every sort, which are not consumed locally, come hither for use or shipment. EELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF THE FISHERIES FOR DIFFERENT SPECIES. — One of the leading fisheries of the region under consideration is that for salmon. The value of fish of this species taken in the Columbia Eiver, where the fishery is most extensively prosecuted, is $2,728,602. The entire catch in 1880 was no less than 53,844,000 pounds, for which the fishermen received $1,054,027. Nearly 43,400,000 pounds were canned before being placed upon the market, and their worth was thus increased by $2,345,547, which, being added to the former amount gives them value ill market- able condition of nearly $3,400,000 at first hands. It will be noticed that this amount is over one- third of the entire production of the west coast fisheries. The marine salt industry, which is confined to the State of California, has products amounting to $302,000. The returns from the whale fishery of California amount to $202,000. No whaling is done in Oregon or Washington Territory, and $500 worth of oil is the only contribution from the bulky cetacean towards the wealth of Alaska. About $2,172,000 accrues from the fur-seal and other pinnigrades, with their neighbor, the sea-otter. The capital invested by the Alaska Commercial Company in this trade comprises nearly one-fifth of the entire amount dependent upon the fishery industries of the Pacific. 591 2 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. The statistics of the fisheries of the Pacific coast are detailed in the following statements: Summary statement of persons employed. Persons employed. Number. Fishermen 11,613 Shoremen 5, 190 Total 1 16.803 Detailed statement of capital invested and apparatus employed. Apparatus specified. Number. Value. Vessels (5,463.42 tons) 56 $546,450 Boats 5,547 404,695 Other apparatus, including outfits 467, 238 Cash capital and shore property 1,330,000 Total j 2,748,383 Detailed statement of the quantities and values of the products. Products specified. Quantity. fl Sea-otter skins number.. 6,075 $603.750 Seal-skins do.... 155,718 1, 5411,012 Seal-flesh pounds.. 1,000,000 10,000 Whalebone do 61,000 122,000 Whaleoil gallons.. 158,685 80,150 Fish pounds fresh.. I 17R,Ot8,920 a, 4, 596,330 Crabs and other crustaceans pounds.. 2,500,000 66,358 Oysters and other mollusks 138, 250 Marine salt pounds.. 60,400,000 302,000 Otherproducts 625,000 Total... 7,484,750 a Including enhancement in the value of salmon in process of canning, $2,345,647. b Including fish oil, seal oil, seaweed, and eggs of sea-birds. B.— CALIFORNIA. AND ITS FISHERY INTERESTS. 215. STATISTICAL RECAPITULATION. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. — The fisheries of the California coast, which are to be considered in detail in the following pages, are summed tip in the two tables given below. The first, which is the result of a combination of the county tables given further on, shows the coast fisheries, properly so called. They are carried on .vithin a few miles of the shore by means of small vessels or boats too frail to face the dangers of the open sea. These are of diverse patterns, and the pre- dominating types come from the central seats of antipodal civilizations. Side by side with the Chinese junk may be found the lateen-rigged sloop of the Mediterranean. The presence of boats of these kinds is explained by the fact, which will hereafter appear, that most of the fisher-folk are either Chinese or Europeans of the Romanic races. Italians and Portuguese are very numerous, and, if we may trust the etymology of the word, it is to the former nationality that the invention of the lateen sail, the voile latine, as the French plainly call it, must be credited. Those who man PACIFIC COAST: CALIFORNIA. 593 these little crafts do not usually confine their operations to any particular species, but refuse nothing for which they are sure of finding a market, from the whale to the abalone. The second table is the summation for the fisheries of the State in all their branches. It includes not only the result of the toil of the coast fishermen, but also the products of the river fisheries for salmon and the outcome of the voyages of the vessel fleets to the distant haunts of the codfish and the whale. The salmon fishery is vigorously prosecuted in the waters of the three rivers, Sacramento, Eel, and Smith, and the products in 1880 had a value, to the fishermen, of over $180,000. The cod is abundant in the Northern Pacific and many large vessels make annual expeditions in its quest. There are two fleets of cod-vessels, one of which fishes in the Okhotsk Sea and the other in the vicinity of the Shumagiu Islands, a group at the eastern extremity of the Aleutian Archipelago. At the latter place a fishing station is established, and a vessel is kept constantly employed in carrying to San Francisco the catch of several vessels which remain in the vicinity throughout the season. Of the sixteen vessels engaged in the off-shore cod-fishery in 1880, ten fished in the Okhotsk Sea and five belonged to the Shumagin Island fleet. The other went no farther than the Cordell Banks, off the California coast. The catch amounted to nearly $200,000. The whaling grounds in the Sea of Kamtchatka and the Arctic Ocean were visited by five vessels from the port of San Francisco. These vessels averaged 200 tons burden and had an aggre- gate value of $27,000. The products consisted of 116,550 gallons of oil, worth $59,440, and 61,000 pounds of whalebone, worth $122,000. Although its own fleet is quite small, San Francisco is the center of the whale fishery of the North Pacific. From this port are shipped to their destination the products of nearly every American vessel whaling in those waters; in its docks the battered hulk and broken spars, which witness the severity of northern tempests, are repaired; and by its merchants is furnished the outfit for each new cruise. Thus the position which the city occupies with regard to this fishery is much more important than the statistics would lead the reader to believe. The seal business of the Alaska Commercial Company is omitted here, as it has been thought better to include it in the statistics of the fisheries of Alaska. The following statements show in detail the extent of the coast fisheries of California: Summary statement of persons employed. Persons employed. Number. 1,039 Detailed statement of capital invested and apparatus employed. Apparatus specified. Number. Value. 294 $33, 485 32 340 t>5, 825 38 GBP 594 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. Detailed statement of the quantities and values of the products. Products specified. Quantity. Valne. Food products. Fresh fish 8, 460, 200 $349, 171 Dried fish do 111 000 2,275 Shark fills do .. 6 000 300 Crawfish do.... 190, 000 2,858 do.... 1, 250, 000 62,500 58, 000 545 787 COO 38 880 Other products. 75 3 750 do 2,000 10,000 Seal oil 4,725 2,250 Whaleoil do.... 47, 135 20, 210 Shark oil do 1,920 595 3, 383, 500 88, 825 . do 277, 000 170 Total 582, 329 The following statements show in detail the extent of the commercial fisheries of California: Summary statement of persons employed. Persons employed. Number. 2 089 1,005 Total . . ... 3 094 Detailed statement of capital invested and apparatus employed. Apparatus specified. Number. Value. Vessels (5 246.80 tons) 49 $535 350 Boats 853 91 485 205 840 307 000 Total 1 139,675 Detailed statement of the quantities and values of the products. Products specified Quantity. Value to fishermen. 75 $3 750 Seal-skins do.... 2,000 10 000 61 000 122 000 Whaleoil Fish gallons.. 153, 685 24, 577, 920 79,650 ol, 145,006 Crabs and other crustaceans pounds.. 2,500,000 66,358 1°8 250 Marino salt pounds. . CO, 400, 000 302, 000 13 700 Total 1 SCO 714 a Including euhiinci-mnnt in the value of salmon in processor canning, $394, 045 /> Iih-lniiiiig Hsh oil. sral nil, seaweed, and eggs of sua-liirds. PACIFIC COAST: CALIFORNIA. 595 21G. THE FISHERIES OF SAN DIEGO, LOS ANGELES, AND VENTURA COUNTIES. SAN DIEGO COUNTY. — This county is in the extreme southern part of California. Its coast is conspicuous for bold heartlands of sandstone, at the foot of which is a smooth beach extending fully half a mile into the sea. Beyond this is a stony area covered with kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera), stretching out irregularly about 5 miles. All along the coast are numerous lagoons or bays of salt water, forming broad mouths to the streams entering the ocean. These bays have been washed out by the ocean and nearly, and in some cases wholly, filled up by the formation of sand-bars. One of these bays, that of San Diego, forms an excellent harbor. It is about 10 miles in length from north to south, and from 1 to 2 miles in width. Its entrance is on the north end. just south of Point Loma, and it is separated partially from the sea by a low, sandy peninsula, running in a northerly direction. San Diego Bay is shallow along its edges, deepening in the center. Between Point Loma, the termination of a rocky ridge north of San Diego, and the Point of Rocks 15 miles farther south, the coast line is concave. In the bay formed by this recess most of the outside fishing of the county is carried on. There are no authentic accounts of the productiveness of the past fisheries of this county. There is no doubt that the number of fishes in San Diego Bay has been greatly reduced by the constant use of fine-meshed seines by the Chinamen. Large fishes of all species are becoming rare. This is especially noticeable in the case of the "bastard halibut" or flounder (Paralichtkys maculosus). Large individuals of this species are now very seldom caught, but numbers from 2 to G incL.es long are daily taken and dried by the Chinamen. There is no reason to believe that the abundance of the outside fishes has been materially changed by fishing. The fisheries carried on at San Diego ten years ago were more extensive than at the present time. The advent of the Chinese fishermen, who compose three-fourths of the total of fishermen in this county, and the non-construction of the Texas and Pacific Railroad to San Diego may be regarded as two causes of the decreased interest in the fisheries. All the fishermen of this county, excepting four Americans and their employe's, are Chinamen. Two Americans and assistants are employed in seal-hunting, the rest in gathering kelp, and, in their seasons, bonito and barracuda fishing. The bonito appears in August and disappears in November or December; the barracuda comes in April and leaves in October or November. The modes of fishing peculiar to each race of fishermen are described elsewhere. Pound, traps, weirs, and fyke-nets are not in use at San Diego, the poor state of the fish market not warranting the expenditure of much capital; nor are there any gill-nets in operation. Statement showing the several apedes and amounts of each kind ofjtuh taken in San Diego County during 1879. Name. Pounds. Name. Pounds. Redfish 50 000 Mullet GOO 39 000 Porch 1 500 G 000 500 500 White fish 2 000 300 1 000 1 000 600 Bhteflab 3 500 1 500 Koucartor 1,300 Smelt 12 000 Total 1 13, 200 000 596 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OP THE FISHERIES. Smelt, mullet, herring, roncadores, and flounders are taken by means of seines, and in all parts of the bay throughout the year. These fisheries are prosecuted chiefly by the Chinese. Redfish are caught with hook and line at a distance of one-half to 3 miles from the shore. Jig-fishing for bonito and barracuda, practiced by Americans only, is carried on during the summer and fall at one-half mile to 10 miles from shore. All the fish, excepting smelt, mullet, and roucadores (which are sold fresh for home consump- tion), are salted and exported. The boats used were built in San Francisco, excepting some of the Chinese junks. The whale fishery, once of importance, is now abandoned, Ballast Point having been taken possession of by the Government for the storehouses in connection with the fortification of Point Loma. Oysters and clams occur, the former in small quantities, the latter, especially the "Razor Clam," in great abundance; and quantities of crawfish are taken by the Chinese fishermen. The chase of the fur seal is more extensive at San Diego than the fisheries proper. The result for 1879 was 2,000 skins, worth $10,000. Great interest is taken by the Chinese in abalone fishing. The shells of the young of the species Haliotis splendens are treated with a solution of hydrochloric acid. The shells of the adult individuals of the same species and those of another species are ground down on stones by hand. Steam grinding, from the rapidity of motion, wears holes through the shells, unless the operator is extremely careful. The shells, when ground down, are varnished. During the first week of Jan- uary, 1880, 10 tons of abalone shells were sold in San Francisco at $45 a ton. Their value is at times $75 a ton. From San Francisco they are shipped eastward for mantel ornaments. The meat of the abalone is salted and dried, and sold at 5 cents a pound in San Francisco. Thence much of it is shipped to China. The dried abaloue is nearly half as heavy as the shell. The abalones taken in this and other southern counties of California are less eaten by worms than those taken farther north, therefore more valuable. The Americans do not eat the meat of abalones, but certain Indian tribes at some of their secular feasts consume large quantities of it. The abalone industry is combined with the redfish fishery by the Chinese. Sea turtles are occasionally taken along the coast. Their capture is not sufficiently frequent to have established a market. Los ANGELES COUNTY. — Los Angeles County lies directly to the north of San Diego County. Its coast is similar, except that headlands and bays are less numerous, and there is an increase in number of level sandy stretches with small lagoons. There is no harbor of any importance on the whole coast, the only one being at Wilmington, and little better than a narrow, muddy inlet. Most of the fishing is done at a great distance from shore, the most favorite ground being in the neighborhood of Santa Catalina, a mountainous island about 20 miles from the coast. This island is 22 miles long, and from a half mile to 0 miles wide, its length being parallel with the coast line. The water about Santa Catalina is very clear, and where the most fishing is done the water is from 10 to 20 feet deep. The bottom is rocky and in places covered with kelp. On these grounds gill- nets are the commonest means of capture. In the summer trolling for bonito, albicore, barracudn, yellow-tail, &c., is followed largely. In the winter the following species are taken : Media-luna, Oirella nigricans, Scorpccna guttata, rockfish, and Hypsypops rubicundus. At this island are some resident fishermen who salt and dry their fish and ship them to San Francisco. One of these, with his associates, fishes with seines, the others with hook and line. There are perhaps ten fishermen, altogether, on the island. More men fish in summer than in winter. PACIFIC COAST: CALIFORNIA. 597 The other fishing grounds, chief among which are San Pedro, Anchorage, and tho^Creek, are visited by fishermen from Newport, Anaheim Landing, Wilmington, Salinas Ranch, and Santa Monica. The most important of these is Wilmington. To this port belong four lateen-rigged boats, two or three skiffs, which go to the "creek," and three Chinese junks, aggregating G tons, which combine hook-and-line fishing with the gathering of abalones. At Newport the only regular fishing is that prosecuted for the capture of the oil-shark, in which fishery men from Wilmington, Westminster, and elsewhere join. At Anaheim Landing there are five persons employed by the Lighter Company; these fish when not otherwise occupied. They catch smelt, flounders, cabrilla, surf-fish, &c., which are ped- dled in the neighboring towns. In a lagoon near the landing, at a certain time of the year, oil- sharks are captured. Statement showing the amounts in pounds, of the various species caught in Los Angeles County during 1879. Name. Pounds. Name. Pounds. 100 000 Bonito 40 000 75 000 Surf-fish 15 000 75 000 Whitefish 8 000 Kedfish 40, 000 10,000 Kockfish 15, 000 Flying-fish 1,000 Cabrilla 20 000 Others 75 000 Boncador 30, 000 . t The men employed in the salt factories at Salinas Ranch engage in fishing when time permits. Their fish are peddled in Los Angeles. The hotels and residences at Santa Monica are supplied by semi professional fishermen. They ship occasionally to Los Angeles. The tourists and winter visitors fish here with hook and line. There are at present no pounds or weirs in this county; one is reported to have been used at Wilmington some years ago. The Italian and French boats owned in this county carry a large mainsail and a small foresail. There is a deck of rude construction in the forward part of the boat, upon which, in lieu of a live- box, are thrown the fish. The fishermen use. gill-nets in the winter and seines in summer. There is so little demand for fish that the owners of the boats are ready at almost any time to charter their boat to an excursion party. In the winter, herring and sardines are taken near the shore. The fishermen own eight gill-nets, about 300 feet long, with a 2-inch mesh. These nets are used chiefly in the winter, when the fish swim low. Two persons can easily manage a net. The average annual catch of each boat is 25,000 pounds of fish. Twelve seines are also in use, each 500 feet by 12 feet, of 1-inch and 1^-inch mesh. Three men manage a seine. They are used chiefly in summer. Some oyster-beds, almost valueless, occur, and a few clams and scallops are to be found. There is no regular market for them. A whale fishery formerly existed at Portuguese land, north of Wilmington ; this fishery was abandoned some five years ago on account of the difficulty of obtaining water at that place. Sea-lions abound along the coast and are a source of considerable annoyance to the fishermen in robbing the nets of fish. They are occasionally shot for their oil. One man is engaged in fishing for crawfish ; there is no regular market or price for his catch. About 250 tons of abalone shells are sent to San Francisco by white men residing in this county, and 150 tons by the Chinese. They sell for about $45 a ton. 598 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. The oil- shark fishery, which is confined to the lagoons, was at one time largely carried on in this county. Five years ago some 3,000 gallons of oil were made at Newport, and a largo quantity at Anaheim Landing; the amount produced has lately fallen off very much. The oil is simply tried out and strained through coarse sacking. The oil-shark (Galeorhlnus galcun] enters the lagoon for reproductive purposes, and is taken with hook and line. Any small fish will do for bait. Large hooks are used in order to prevent small sharks and other fish from swallowing them. The products of this fishery could be greatly increased by the use of seines, but the expense would also be increased, and lack of capital forbids the attempt. These sharks average 4 to 4£ feet in length and weigh about 40 or 50 pounds each. They yield from two- thirds of a gallon to a gallon of oil. They breed in June, July, and August, runs taking place from May to August. In 1880 the run was a small one, only 170 having been taken at Anaheim Landing up to July 20. In 1870, 150 were taken at one haul of the seine. The fins of this shark alone are dried and sell for 12J cents a pound. VENTUKA COUNTY. — The coast-line of Ventura County runs northeast and southeast, and consists of a narrow plain, somewhat sandy and bordered by high mountains. This county is separated from Los Angeles by the lofty ridge of the Sierra Santa Monica, which terminates in the rocky points of Duma and Conversion, and from Santa Barbara by a spur of the Santauez Range, which forms the headland of El Rincon. Through this county flows the Ventura River. This is the most southern river on the coast of California which is not alkaline at its mouth. Into no stream, therefore, to the south of this does the salmon enter. Brook trout are, however, found in the headwaters of the Los Angeles and San Luis Rey Rivers, and even in some streams in the San Jaciuto Mountains, in San Diego County. There are but two coast towns in Ventura County — County — San Buenaventura and Hueneme. The fishing in each of these is unimportant. In Hueneme there are no fishing boats and no fishermen. Occasionally some of the villagers catch a few fish from the wharf, simply to pass the time away. At Point Magu, 9 miles south of Hueneme, is a party of Chinamen, who combine the two labors of fishing and gardening. At this point is a considerable lagoon into which various sorts of fish enter. These are caught in seines. Some of the fish are peddled with the vegetables in Santa Paula, Hueneme, and San Buenaventura. The others are soaked iu salt water, dried and shipped to San Francisco in the usual fashion. Near Hueneme is a lagoon from which salt is occasionally obtained. There is now no fishing of any importance at San Buenaventura. Some few Chinese and Californians fish from the wharves, and two or three farmers at Laguna Ranch, near by, fish occasionally with a seine. The proceeds of these catches are bought up by an Italian, who sells or exchanges them for vegetables, &c. At this place there is but one professional fisherman, who lias in his possession two gill-nets and one seine. The average price per pound which he receives for his fish is C cents, but, even at that figure, the market is very limited. There is no good market in this thinly-populated county, and the harbor is too exposed to south winds to make it a safe anchorage for small boats. Some crawfish are taken iu lobster-pots and dip-nets, These crawfish are sold in Ventura for about 5 cents apiece. PACIFIC COAST: CALIFORNIA. 599 Statement showing the number of fishermen, the amount of ca}>ilal invested, and the quantities and values of the product* of the fisheries of San Diigo, Los Antjelcs, and Ventura Counties. San Diego County. Los Angeles County. Ventura County. 1 H 47 53 7 107 Capital. Vessels and boats: 29 13 2 37 Value $9 100 $1 055 $300 $10 455 Value of other apparatus and outfit. . . $700 $950 $400 $2,050 $9 800 $2 005 (700 $12 505 Products. Seal-skins: 2 000 •> ooo Value $10 000 $10 000 Fish: 113 200 504 000 36 000 653 200 Value $3 396 $20 160 $1 080 $°4 636 Shark-fins: 2 000 2 000 Value . . $100 $100 Shark-oil 1 000 " 1 000 Value $310 $310 Crawfish: 7 500 1 500 1 000 10 000 Value . . $'13 $25 $20 $158 Clams and mussels: 10 000 2 500 500 13 000 Value . .... $100 $25 $10 $135 Abalone meats: 280 000 160 000 20 000 460 000 Value $14 000 $8 000 $1 000 $°3 000 Abalone shells: 1 400 000 800 000 100 000 2 300 000 Value .. . $30 000 $18 000 $2 500 $50 500 $57 609 $46 620 $4 610 $108 839 217. THE FISHERIES OF SANTA BARBARA AND SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTIES. SANTA BARBARA COUNTY. — The land in Santa Barbara County consists of a rather fertile strip of coast, with a smooth, sandy, and, in some places, rocky beach, indented by few lagoons. On the north the county is bounded by the ragged Sierra Santa Ynez, which forms the rocky headlands of El Rincon on the east and Points Argueles and Concepcion on the west. At a distance of about 25 miles from the coast, and parallel with it, lie the rocky islands of Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, and Anacapa, and behind these, San Nicolas, San Miguel, and Santa Barbara. At a distance of about half a mile from the shore begins a belt of kelp, which extends out perhaps a half mile farther. Between the shore and Anacapa is a small reef, which is a favorite place for trolling. The Santa Barbara Channel is remarkably well stocked with fish, and the fisheries at Santa Barbara might be very extensive if there were any market. But insignificant as the present fisheries are, the supply exceeds the demand since the decline of real estate speculations. Santa Barbara is the most important fishing town in the county. Goleta and Carpentaria come 600 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. next iu order of importance. There are a few small places in addition, where scarcely any fishing is done. No stationary apparatus is used by the fishermen of Santa Barbara. There are about fifteen gill-nets, the greater number of them about 240 feet by 15 feet, having a 2 inch mesh. These are chiefly used in winter, when the fish stay in deep water. Among the fishermen belong three or four baskets of set lines, each, with 146 hooks. They have six seines, averaging 300 feet by 12 feet, with a half-inch mesh. These are used chiefly from April to October. The best bait is craw- fish flesh, and for the capture of crawfish bonito is preferred as bait; any flesh, fresh or salt, will do. Their own species makes a very good bait. There are five small sail-boats at Santa Barbara. These are usually laid up from November until March, the winter fishing being done in smaller boats with gill-nets. In the summer they fish extensively for barracuda. The fishing is usually carried on between Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz Island, about 25 miles from shore, and also along the shore from Carpenteria to Los Pueblos, at which point the hook-and-line fishing is said to be the best. Carpenteria is & small farming village, 12 miles east of Santa Barbara. Its name is derived from the timber — liveoak — which was formerly very abundant there. The fisheries are of little importance. Occasionally a man fishes from the wharf or drags a seine on the beach. Mr. A. Mclntyre, of Carpenteria, is a ship's carpenter by trade, and is chiefly engaged in the building of fishing smacks. He does all the work himself, and in the past eight years has built two, besides an abalone boat, and is now at work on the third — a fishing boat of 4 tons burden. These boats are the Restless, built 1877, now belonging to the fishermen on Santa Catilina, worth $500 when new; the Virginia, built 1872, now gone to pieces, worth $1,000 when new; and the Rosita, engaged somewhere in the freight and abalone business. When such work offers, Mr. Mclntyre builds houses; spending time, otherwise not engaged, in boat-building. At Goleta, on the site of the former whale fishery, a little fishing is carried on with the seine. The fish are taken in Santa Barbara County, (a) in winter, near shore, by seining; (b) in gill- nets, near shore; (c) by hook and line, in the kelp; (d) by gill-net, off the islands; (e) by trolling, iu summer; (/) by hook and line from the wharf, in winter; (g) by hook and line, in summer; and (ft) by seining, near shore, in summer. The fish caught by trolling in summer are chiefly barra- cuda, bouito, albicore, yellow-tail, jewfish, and sea-bass. The following list shows the comparative importance of the several fisheries of this county : Pounds. Santa Barbara 110,000 Santa Cruz Islands 50,000 Goleta 15,000 Guadaloupe 2,000 Lompoc 2,000 Carpenteria „ 1,000 And by species roughly as follows : IHIrara jackioni 15,000 Other surf-fish 20,000 Barracuda 42,000 Kedfish 10,000 Bonito, albicore, &c 18,000 Smelt 8,000 Flounders 5(000 Rock-cod 3,000 Pompano, &c 10,000 PACIFIC COAST: CALIFORNIA. 601 The abalono fishing at Santa Barbara is important. This is discussed in the chapter on tbe Chinese fishermen. A few men at Santa Barbara hunt the sea-otter. It is not an extensive business. The hair-seal and sea-lion are very abundant on Anacapa and other adjacent islands. They are hunted only for their oil. Two or three species of eatable clams occur at Santa Barbara. The Californiaus, when hard pushed, eat these. No scallops or oysters are taken. There are no factories of salt or fishing apparatus in this county. Nearly all the crawfish sold in San Francisco come from Santa Barbara. About 90 tons are taken annually. A cannery for the purpose of canning crawfish was started at Santa Barbara in 1877. It failed because the managers did not understand their business thoroughly. Fifty-one miles west of the town of Santa Barbara is Cajo Viejo, where is established the only whaling company in the county. One at Goleta in former years is now abandoned. The company at Cajo Viejo consists of twenty men in winter and eighteen in summer. Captain Anderson is the commander. From October, 1879, to February, 1880, this company captured twenty whales, yielding oil to the value of nearly $8,000. More details concerning this company will be found under the head of the whale fisheries. The fisheries of this county are of recent origin, probably not having been started earlier than 1872. SAN Luis OBISPO COUNTY. — The long rocky coast of this county, without islands and unbroken by bays, is not favorable for extensive fisheries. The distance from San Francisco, too, renders the shipment of fresh fish impracticable, and the local market is very limited. At Port Harford, which is the port for San Luis Obispo, the principal town of the county, there is a fisherman who owns two skiffs and has a seine of 1-inch mesh, 300 feet long and 1C feet wide. His fish are sold in San Luis Obispo for about 6 cents a pound. The neighboring farmers are glad to exchange produce for fish for their own consumption. His summer catch exceeds his winter catch by 100 pounds. Still fishing and trolling is carried on in the summer by three of the whale fishermen in the San Luis Bay. On Pecho Kancho, 2 miles north of Port Harford, an abalone fishery is carried on by two men, and five miles farther north is another one of the same sort and size. At Port Harford also are eight persons engaged in catching and drying fish. The chief species taken by them is holeontus. At Moro is a shallow bay with a very narrow entrance. Into this bay mullet, flounders, smelt, and surf-fishes run in considerable numbers during the spring and summer. The seine and hook and line are then vigorously plied. There is a carp pond at Moro which has been very successful. At Cayucos there is a little hook-and line fishing. The same may be said of San Simeon. The gathering of abalone shells is quite an important industry in this county. It is carried on chiefly at Port Harford, San Simeon, and Cayncos. The amount gathered — meat and shells— is seen in the following statement : Place. Shells. Meats. Pounds. 12 840 Pounds. 10 650 Port Harford 7 638 4 000 3 000 1 000 There are two companies of whalers in San Luis Obispo County. One of these is at San Simeon, and is commanded by Captain Clark; the other is at "Whaler's Point, about half a mile north of the landing at Port Harford, and is commanded by Captain Marshall. The first mentioned consists of twenty men, most of whom are from the Azore Islands. They are hired by Captain Clark, who owns the entire outfit. This camp has been in existence since 602 GEOGBAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. 1805. Their outlit consists of four whale-boats, two of wLicli are worth $150 each, and the others $175 and $200 respectively. They also have two swivel guns, made in England, and worth, when new, $200 each, and two bomb guns, made in New Haven, and worth $50 each. Their bomb lances are made in Norway, and the harpoons are manufactured by G. W. Proctor, of San Marco. The entire outfit is worth from $1,000 to $1,500. The other camp, at Whaler's Point, consists of twenty-one men, all of whom, save one Amer- ican, are from the Azores, as are the men at the other whaling station. They own three boats of New Bedford make. The other items of their outfit are identical with those of San Simeon, the whole being worth about $1,500. This company was established in 18G8 or 38G9. The men belonging to both companies are discharged in summer and a new set is hired in the fall. Since 1865 whales have been scarce and shy. Table showing the catch of whales at San Simeon since 1865. Year. Number. Year. Number. 1865 25 1873 22 1866 23 1874 .. 16 1867 24 1875 12 1868 25 1876 7 18C9 20 1877 13 1870 23 1878 3 1871 22 1879 14 1872 21 1880 13 At Whaler's Point in 1878 eleven whales were taken; in 1879, nine. The season of 1880 began very poorly. There was a whale fishery carried on at Point Surbut some years ago, but it is now abandoned. Statement of the fisheries of San Luis Olispo and Santa Barbara Counties, shotting the number of fishermen, the amount of capital invested, and the quantities and values of the products. 1 I «9 «! P 3 § •JO •3 OJ H Number of fishermen 104 GO 173 Capital. Vessels aud boats: 12 5 Value $1 °30 $1 400 $° G30 $3 000 $•"> 9r>0 $8 9r>0 Total capital invested . . $4 230 $7 350 $11 580 Prodtictt. Sea-otter skins : Numl>er 75 75 Value •. $3 750 $3 750 Seal oil: Barrels 150 150 Valne $2 250 $*> °50 Whale oil: Gallons 18 000 17 135 Value $7 500 $7 710 Fish: 84 000 180 000 Value t $2 520 PACIFIC COAST: CALIFORNIA. 603 Statement of tlte fisheries of San Luis Oliispo and Santa Barbara counties — Continued. a s £ J . oi? 5i « g M g '3 § 5$ 26 •a 1 1 H Crawfish: 180 000 ISO 000 Value $2 700 $2 700 Abalone meats: 15 600 100 000 115 600 $780 $5 000 $5 780 Abalono shells: 23 500 50 000 73 500 Value $575 $12, 500 $13, 075 Sra-weed: 237, 000 237, 000 $150 $150 $11 525 $41 110 $52, 635 218. THE FISHERIES OF MONTEREY, SANTA CRUZ, SANTA CLARA, AND SAN MATED COUNTIES. MoN'JKREY COUNTY. — The loug coast of this county stretches southward and consists of a rocky neck, similar to the coast of San Luis Obispo. There are no towns along this stretch and no harbors. The coast is shut off from the interior by a high range of mountains (Sierra Santa Lucia), running parallel with and close to the sea. No profitable fishing is possible along this region. Farther north, however, these mountains terminate in the Point Carmelo, behind which the Carmelo River flows into the Carmelo Bay, whose coves form a harbor for whaling and fishing boats. North of this bay the range of hills forming the eastern watershed of the Rio Carmelo approaches the sea, ending in two points, Cypress and Pines, which separate the small bay of Carmelo from the much larger but very similar bay of Monterey. The lower end of Monterey Bay is, then, sheltered by the Point of Pines from southern and western storms, and makes a fair harbor. It is well situated for fishing and whaling. There is now a railroad from Monterey to San Francisco, a seven hours' journey. The catch of one day is sent to San Francisco the next day. Monterey is now, next to San Francisco, the most important salt-water fishing station in Cali- fornia. There is no regular fishing done at Carmelo. In the river of that name a great many trout are taken and sold in Monterey at 12£ cents a pound. In the spring salmon ascend the river and are taken by the fanners. In the summer the water in the river is low and a bar is formed across its mouth, causing many young salmon to become land-locked. These are easily caught by the farmers and whalers at Carmelo. At Pescadero is a colony of Chinese, who settled there twelve years ago. They have twelve boats, all home-manufactured, broad, flat, and clumsy. In the fall they salt and barrel quantities of anchovy, which are used for bait the next season. Most of this bait is furnished by the colony at Soquel. At Puuta Alones, a mile and a half west of Monterey, is another Chinese settlement, somewhat larger than that at Pescadero. Both men and women catch and dress the fish. This last is per- formed with a heavy, hatchet-like knife. This colony has been settled seventeen years. One of 604 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. the colony is an American citizen, and speaks English well. From 200 pounds to SCO pounds of fish are shipped daily to San Francisco. They consign their fish to the Clay-street dealers. Both of the colonies now considered dry an immense quantity of abalone meats and sell the shells. At certain seasons many tons of devil-fish, squids, and other ccphaloids, etc., are thus prepared. In 1873, fish were very abundant at Monterey, but the bay has been overfished, and there is a great decrease in the abundance of certain species, especially the flounder. Before the completion of the Monterey railroad, which has been referred to, the fish were shipped to some point whence they were sent by stage to Salinas and on by rail to San Francisco. The excessive handling and length of time requisite for transportation were the causes of many lots being spoiled. There is a colony of Italians and another of Portuguese. The former has five sail- boats and three skiffs. They own two hundred pieces of seine, each 240 feet long. With some they catch smelt; with some, barracuda; and with others, salmon. They have twenty gill-nets and forty bunches of set-lines. In the gill-nets are chiefly caught rockfish, blue-cod, and rock-trout. With the set-lines the red rock is taken in deeper water. This mode of fishing is chiefly practiced by the Portuguese and Chinese. The Portuguese colony have the same number of boats as that settled by Italians. Most of their fishing, as above suggested, is done with set-lines; hence the species most commonly taken by them is the red rockfish. The price per pound for this fish, cleaned, is G cents. Most of the others obtain only 3 and 4 cents per pound. The common bait is the flesh of Hypsurus caryi, which is caught around the wharves iu a dip- net baited with crushed crab. At Moss Landing, two miles from Castroville, there are one or two fishermen with a boat. The fish caught are sold in Castroville or shipped to San Francisco. Monthly shipments offish to San Francisco from Monterey from February I, 1879, to February 1, 1880. Month. Founds. Month. Pounds. February 18, 075 6 Oil 23 388 31 450 April 18 659 31 600 Mav 37 852 7 9Q4 July 36 873 Gross weight 264,831 26 303 Boxes, weight 44,135 Net weight 220t 696 These figures are from the books of Wells, Fargo & Co. The above total represents about one- fourth of the total catch for the county. Two-thirds are rockfish. In Monterey County are two whaling companies — one at Carmelo, the other at Monterey. Captain Mariano commands the former. This company owns three boats. In 1879 they took one finback, three humpback, and three gray whales. There are a great many fine whales on this part of the coast, but the sea is so rough in winter that for months the men dare not venture out. The company at Monterey is commanded by Captain Verissimo. It was started in 1855. In 1879 fourteen whales and two basking sharks were captured. Three boats belong to this com- pany. At Monterey various sorts of crabs are abundant. They are never shipped, and seldom eaten. PACIFIC COAST: CALIFORNIA. 605 At the Poiiit of Pines mussels abound on the rocks exposed to the sea. Five sacks were sent to San Francisco in 1879. At present they are not worth gathering. Crawfish are not met with north of Point Concepcion. SANTA CKUZ COUNTY.— This county lies along the north shore of the bay of Monterey. Its beach is, for the most part, sandy or shaly, and running parallel with and north of the beach are bluffs of considerable height; these in some places are extended as ledges or reefs under the sea. About the reefs most of the gill-net and hook-and-line fishing is done. There is no harbor along the coast of the county. During the prevalence of northerly winds or during calm weather, a landing may be made anj where. During the southwest winds the surf is very heavy at all points and no one ventures out in small boats. In severe storms even steamers cannot land at Santa Cruz. There are three fishing towns on this coast — Santa Cruz, Sequel, and Aptos. At Santa Cruz are five lateen-boats, two sloop-rigged boats, some skiffs and dories. Little fishing is done in winter by the fifteen fishermen located here. They take advantage, however, of smooth, and therefore favorable, intervals. In summer, great quantities of rockfish, sea bass, and barracuda are taken and shipped to San Francisco per Wells & Fargo's Express. The Santa Cruz market, important in summer, is also supplied. There is now an entire lack at this place of abaloues, seaweed, and other similar products. Very little seining is done here. Surf-fish, barra- cuda, etc., are taken in gill nets, and rockfish on set-lines. In 1878, 102,733 pounds of fish were caught here, the largest catch being in September; none were taken in January, February, or March. The above number netted 85,G11 pounds. The amount of fishing done at Sequel is greater than at Santa Cruz. There are altogether about ten boats in use here. Most of the fishing is done with gill-nets, and the bulk of the catch consists of sea bass and barracuda. Sharks are very abundant here and many are taken for their oil, especially the two species Gakorhinvs and AJopias. Two specimens of the great basking sharks, having become entangled in the dip-nets, were taken this year. A basking shark yields from 130 to 1GO gallons of oil. Occasionally a man-eater (Carcharodon) is obtained. One taken a year or two ago contained a sea lion weighing 100 pounds. Shad have become quite abundant on Soquel Keef, and most of those sent to the San Francisco market come from this place. The average profits of the fishermen are greater here than at any other place on the coast, except, per- haps, at Monterey. At Soquel there is one large gill-net, 450 feet long and 45 deep, with a 4-inch mesh. In 1878, 61,045 pounds of fish weie caught here, netting 50,871 pounds. The largest catch was in December; no fish were taken during January, February, and March. At a point between Soquel and Aptos are about fifty fishermen. They ship their catch to San Francisco and San Jose", especially in summer. Fish not so shipped are dried and sent by steamer from Soquel to San Francisco. In 1878, 80,818 pounds were caught at Aptos. These netted 67,349 pounds. The largest catch was in September; there were none taken in January, February, or March. Thus it is seen that in 1878, 244,596 pounds were taken in Santa Cruz County, netting 233,831 pounds. 606 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OP THE FISHERIES. Statement of tlie number of pounds of fish slapped ly rail and steamer from three faking towns to San Francisco, ly months, in 1879. Month. Santa Cruz. Soquel. Aptos. Poundt. 1.3GC 4,2Ct 10, 572 0,500 ] 0,201 20, 000 21, 000 18, 500 12,500 14, 000 12, 000 8,500 Pounds. 2,818 7,031 11, 100 6,800 0,251 20, 000 17, 000 15, 000 1 -l.tiiili 22, 000 8,000 3.000 Pounds. 360 2,000 1,500 4,000 8,000 4,000 6,000 9,000 7,000 2,540 April . . May July . . Total by rail 139, 400 40, 600 133, 000 44, 400 Total shipped 180, 000 133, 000 44, 400 By redaction: 160, 000 70, 000 230, 000 110, 000 10, COO 120, 000 38, 000 112, 000 100, 000 Total Grand total catch equals 500,000 pounda net. SANTA CLARA COUNTY. — The short coast line of Santa Clara County consists entirely of a shallow mud-flat at the head of San Francisco Bay. At Mayfield, the only coast town, no fishing is done. SAN MATED COUNTY. — The fisheries of this county are very inconsiderable. The towns along the ocean — Pescadero, San Gregorio, Purissima, and Half Moon Bay — are all too small to offer any local market, and their means of communication with the interior are so imperfect that they cannot compete with Monterey and Santa Cruz in supplying the San Francisco markets. The towns along the bay shore are small, and the shore itself is unfavorable for fishing. In supplying the San Fran- cisco markets they could not compete with fishermen living in San Francisco, who go down the bay in their boats and return when they have a load. On the bay side of San Mateo County there is only one town which contains any fishermen. Here a company of seven Chinamen seine in the bay and salt and dry their fish for the Chinese mar- ket of San Francisco. Both San Mateo and Redwood City are principally supplied by fish peddlers from San Francisco, who sell along the road from San Francisco to San Jose. Nearly all of the bay shore of this county consists of a mud flat, bare at low water; behind this flat lies a salt-marsh. This marsh renders fishing unfavorable to the local fishermen. At Pescadero there is only one professional fisherman. He fishes with a gill-net at the mouth of Pescadero Creek. An attempt is being made here to stock ponds with native salmon and trout. These ponds are located 3 miles up the creek. They will also be stocked with carp. These are easier to raise and bring a good price, being preferred especially by the Germans. Tourists from San Francisco fish here for salmon in its season. The run of salmon up the creek is said to have been lessened, owing to the seals, 20 or 30 of which are often observed, in spawning season, to take up a position at the mouth of the stream, almost entirely preventing the salmon from run- ning up. Those who escape alive, when (taught bear marks of the seal's teeth. At Purissima there are no professional fishermen, but a great deal of hook-aud line fishing for PACIFIC COAST: CALIFORNIA. 607 salmon is done in Purissima Creek by tourists from San Francisco, and also by inhabitants of Half Moon Bay. In Gregoiio Creek there are no professional fishermen, but some hook-and-line fishing is done at irregular seasons. At Half Moon Bay are about ten incn, who fish when they can find nothing else to do. They use hook and line and fish off the rocks. The statistics regarding the fisheries of Monterey, Santa Cruz, and Sail Mateo Counties are given in the following table: Statement of thefsheries of Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Mateo Counties * showing the number of fishermen, the amount of capital invested, and the quantities and values of the products. Monterey County. Santa Cruz County. San Mateo County. 1 106 83 8 197 Capital Vessels and boats: 44 39 3 86 $*> 000 $1 950 $150 $4 100 Value of other apparatus and outfit .. $3, 000 $1,000 $100 $4,100 $5, 000 $2, 950 250 $8, 200 Products. Fresh fish : 900 000 500 000 25 000 1 425 000 Value $45 000 $25 000 $1 250 $71 250 Dried fish : 10 000 1 000 11 000 Value $250 $25 $275 Shark fins: 1 000 1 000 Value $50 $50 Sliarkoil: 300 600 900 $93 $186 $279 Wbale oil: 12 000 !*> 000 Value $5 000 $5 000 Mussels: 5 000 5 000 Value $10 $10 Abaloiie meats : 12 000 12 000 Value $COO $600 Almloiie shells: 60 000 60 000 Value $1 500 $1 500 Seaweed : 40 000 40 000 Value $20 $20 $.72 473 $95 201 $1 250 $78 984 *The connty of Santa Clara has no fisheries, vide ante. (308 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. 219. THE FISHERIES OF SAN FRANCISCO COUNTY. GENERAL STATEMENT. — Most of the fish, other than salmon and sturgeon, sold iii the markets of San Francisco and neighboring cities are obtained by fishermen resident in the city of San Francisco. The salt, canned, or otherwise preserved fish used on the Pacific coast, except that consumed by the local markets or shipped directly from Astoria, pass through the hands of San Francisco firms. For fishing products generally, on the Pacific coast, the market of San Francisco is the only one of importance. Four principal modes of fishing are carried on here. (1) Ordinary fishing by means of seines, gill nets, and hook and line in San Francisco Bay and along neighboring shores of Marin and San Mateo Counties, outside of the bay. The great majority of the San Francisco fishermen arc engaged in this mode of fishing, but the profit is very small, as the bay has been almost depleted of fish. (2) The fishing with trawl lines out- side, chiefly in the neighborhood of the Farallones. This fishery is still profitable, although the fishermen go every year into deeper water, which shows that the more shallow bottoms have been overfished. The fish taken in this manner are chiefly the different species of red rockfish. (3) The "paranzella" fishing, at present the most productive of all, which is discussed below: and (4) the purse-net fishing for shrimp and small fish, pursued by the Chinese colonies. Before presenting a discussion of each of these four modes of fishing, a short account of the boats engaged is given. Also will be added a general history of the San Francisco fishermen, each nationality having been treated separately elsewhere. THE BOATS. — There are at present about eighty-five fishing boats in San Francisco; fifty-five are lateen-rigged boats of various sizes, but all are called large, as distinguished from small ones rigged with sprit-sails, and used only for hook-and-line fishing. The large boats pay $6 per month for wharf privileges ; the small ones $1 per month, with the understanding that boats pay nothing when not working. There are about five or six large boats engaged in line fishing for rockfish. These prosecute no other fishery. During the summer, and when not too rough in winter also, they go to the Farallones. When they dare not venture so far, they fish along the coast or do nothing. The small boats never venture out so far, but in summer they often run north along the coast as far as Point Reyes, and on the south to Half Moon Bay. During the winter they rarely ven- ture out of San Francisco Bay. Many of the boats suit their fishing to the time of the year. At present there are from twenty-five to thirty-five seines in use on the bay, most of these hauling on the Contra Costa and Alameda sides. The San Francisco fishermen constantly violate the State law concerning the size of mesh in their seines. THE FISHERMEN. — The fishermen of San Francisco all live near the end of Vallejo street, about the Vallejo street wharf. The most of them are Italians, with some Slavonians, Greeks, Portuguese, and Spaniards. Scarcely any are Americans or of Germanic races. Few of them can read ; two-thirds or more are unmarried and live in mean lodgings about the wharf and eat in the different chop-houses and other places of low grade in the neighborhood. This region has been the fishermen's quarter since about 1850 ; the population changing greatly each year, some shipping as seamen and others taking their places, and others leaving entirely the San Francisco fisheries. The present great depression is driving many away. Every spring a considerable number go to the Columbia River. There are about 200 men in San Francisco who depend entirely on fishing for support, 300 or 400 others who live chiefly by fishing, and nearly 1,000 more who occasionally fish in the intervals of other jobs. About 200 fishermen own interest in the boats, the rest are hired by the trip, and are at other times waiting for a job. About 1,500 women and children are dependent on fishermen. The fishermen who have families rent rooms in the fishermen's quarter and cook for themselves. PACIFIC COAST: CALIFOENIA. 609 The others board at the "Fisherman's ITome," "Dalniazia Chop House," &c., paying 25 cents a meal, or $3 a week. There are many who cannot pay at all, and owe already from $20 to $150 to the coffee-house owners. The latter trust and charge accordingly. We are told that $3,000 is already due to the proprietor of the "Fisherman's Home" from fishermen whose earnings are insufficient to pay. Breakfast at the "Fisherman's Home" consists of an egg, biscuit, and wine or coffee, and is served on a long pine table unpainted. BAY FISHING. — The fish taken in the bay are chiefly herring, surf-fish, brown rockfish, sturgeon, salmon, smelt, &c. For many years the bay has been systematically overfished with nets of such small mesh that probably the bay does not contain one-twentieth the number of fish that it did twenty years ago. One immediate result of this was that fish became scarcer in the markets of San Francisco, and the price rose accordingly. This rise has been neutralized by the bringing of fish in large quantities from Monterey and Tomales Bays, and by the inauguration of the trawl- line and "paranzella" fishing outside. The wages now earned by the bay fishermen in San Francisco are pitifully small, very few of them earning more than the $3 per week necessary to pay their board bill. Boats which cost $400 a few years ago can now be bought for $150. The fishermen lay most of the blame for the destruction of their business on the "paranzella" fishermen who catch and throw away great numbers of small fish, besides enough large ones to keep the markets well supplied. The small fish thrown away by these fishermen are, however, not the young of fishes on their way to enter and stock the bay, as the fishermen usually claim, but, for the most part, deep-water fishes of no economic value, which do not enter the bay. EOCK-COD FISHING. — Six or eight lateen boats, of about 5 tons each, go out about the Faral- lones, Point Eeyes, and elsewhere, fishing with trawl-lines for rockfish. Each boat has thirty to thirty-five bunches of these lines, of which number froju five to thirty bunches are laid out at a time, each hook being baited. These are anchored to buoys. The bait used is smelt or sardines. To prepare the smelt the head is cut off, the insides are all removed, including the dark peritoneum, the scales are all rubbed off, and the vertebral column; taken out. Only the two boneless slices are considered suitable for bait. From 500 to 1,000 pounds of this bait are taken on each trip. All the various red species are obtained in this way, rosaceus, pinniger, and ruler in the largest numbers. Flounders of different species, cultus cod, and also halibut are sometimes taken. PAKANZELLA FISHING. — Previous to 1876 fishermen working with seines for the San Francisco- market made very good wages, occasionally running as high as $25 per night for each seine. In 1876 some of the fishermen secretly ordered a drag-net to be made, and took it out for trial without the other fishermen knowing it. The experiment was entirely successful, and the drag-nets have been used in San Francisco since. Their introduction naturally created quite a stir among the other fishermen, especially among those who had previously supplied the market with torn-cod and flounders. Threats were made to burn both drag-nets and the large boats which were used to pull them, and for several months it was necessary to keep watch over the "paranzellas." There is still a great deal of opposition to the use of these sets, fishermen complaining that by means of them so many young fishes, especially flounders, are destroyed that the fishing around San Fran- cisco is thereby greatly injured. Fishermen tell me that they are in very general use along the shores of the Mediterranean. San Francisco is probably the only place where they have been introduced into this country.* * "Paranzella diminutiva di Parauza. 1'uranza souo grosse barche, a vela latiua, che a due trascinano in mare, assai lunge dalle coste, immense reti, per for grossa pesca." (Italian Dictionary.) The Spanish name for the same is I'areya. but, although recognized, it is never used in San Francisco. 39 GRF 610 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. COMPANIES. — There are uow two companies usiug these drag-nets. They used to work in opposition, but now form a sort of pool or partnership and divide the profits equally. Each com- pany owns three boats, about five or six nets, and employs twelve or thirteen men, one of whom is constantly engaged selling the fish in the market. The stock is mostly owned by persons not them- selves fishermen. It is seldom that the actual fishermen own any part of the stock. As it is, stock is divided in the most irregular manner, one man owning a net, another a boat, &c. Out of the gross profits are paid first the entire expenses, including provisions for the men and the wear of boats and nets. The remainder is divided into shares, one share to each boat, one to each actual fisherman, and a half share to each net actually in use. In the two companies, therefore, as there are six boats, two nets (in use), and twenty-five men, the net profits would be divided into thirty- two shares. The men are mostly Italian, Greek, and Spanish. Like all other fishermen of these nationali- ties they are improvident, spending their money as soon as earned. But, although without money, they have plenty to eat, drink, and wear, and seem to have a good time. The captain of the boats is sometimes given one and a quarter shares. BOATS AND NETS. — The boats are similar to those employed by Italians in other fishing, but larger. They are keeled, decked-over lateen, or, as some insist, " catalonia "-rigged, and from 6 to 9 tons burden. They are intended to be stanch enough to stand the rough winter weather- outside the harbor. When new, the boats, with rigging and everything complete, cost from $700 to $1,000 each. The nets are simply seines with short wings and very long bag. They vary from 15 to 25 fathoms in length, the bag being usually a little longer than the combined length of both wings. The wings have a mesh of about 1 J inches; the mesh of the upper part and sides of the bag is about three-quarters of an inch, becoming larger towards the bottom. The lower side, which drags in the sand, is made of very coarse twine and has a mesh of from 2 to 4 inches. The bag has, above or on one side, n, lengthwise slit of about 2 feet, this slit being knitted up while the net is dragged and afterwards opened for the fish to be scooped out. The lead and cork lines are so adjusted as to keep the net vertical in the water, with the lead line on the bottom. When being dragged the wings are 6 feet high; the bag about 8 feet high. The nets are worth from $250 to $300 each. The present value of each company's stock approximates $3,500. FISHING GROUNDS. — For this kind of fishing it is necessary to have a smooth sandy bottom, with a convenient anchorage, affording sufficient protection from the prevalent winds. The only suitable grounds within reasonable distance of San Francisco are from Point Eeyes 10 miles to the southeast. During the winter, when southerly gales may be expected, the anchoring-grounds are at Point Reyes, which affords sufficient protection from the storms. During the settled summer weather, when prevailing winds are from the northwest, a good anchorage is found near a group of small islands about 8 miles nearer San Francisco. They fish every day but Saturday throughout the year. One boat of each company remains on the grounds all the time, and is manned by three men, or, in winter, sometimes four. The other two boats, with four men each, alternate in carrying the fish to market. METHODS OF FISHING. — The boat that has carried the fish to market starts from Sail Fran- cisco with the low tide the following morning, and reaches the anchorage sometime during the day. Nothing is done till early the next morning when, with the other boat of the same company, it proceeds to the fishing grounds. As soon as the morning breeze springs up, the net is set in the water and allowed to sink to the bottom in from 20 to 40 fathoms of water. Each boat takes a line, — but little sail is made at first, — and pulling obliquely away from each other they stretch tlm PACIFIC COAST: CALIFORNIA. 611 net. They then go slowly ahead, letting out rope according to the strength of the breeze. When the net is well " set" on the bottom, full sail is made and the net dragged for 3 or 4 miles. The sail is then lowered and each boat pulls in one wiug of the net, running the rope over a block temporarily rigged up in the stern of the boat. As soon as the bag is reached it is pulled up alongside of one boat, the slit in the bag is opened and the fish scooped out with a dip-net and ranged along the deck on each side. The marketable fish are then chosen out and sorted and the remainder thrown overboard. On Thursdays the net is dragged twice, to procure an extra supply for the Friday's market ; on other days but once. FISH CAUGHT. — Comparatively few of the fish are alive when taken from the bag, and prob- ably none of those thrown overboard live. More than half the flounders caught are less than 8 iuches in length and are thrown away. Most of these, however, are Hippoglossoides exilis, a small and nearly worthless species, and are adult fish. I saw very few flounders less than 6 inches long; in fact, there were but few of the very young of any species in the net. The single catch I saw, I estimated roughly at 3 tons ; their catches often far exceed this in weight. Fear of glutting the market is the only limit placed on the amount they take. A rough estimate of the proportions in which the various kinds were caught would be : Por- ichthys porosissimus, one- third ; flounders, one-third ; tomcod and OpModon, one-sixth; small cottoids and chiroids, &c., one-sixth. The drag-nets destroy and waste immense quantities of fish, doubtless amounting to several hundred tons per year. Comparatively few of these, however, are immature fish, and the greater part is composed of species unmarketable, either through small size or repulsive appearance. Their fishing cannot yet have interfered with the fishing carried on in the immediate vicinity of San Francisco, as their grounds are from 25 to 35 miles from the city. The reason that the other fish- ermen are so bitterly opposed to the use of these nets is that, by means of them, a few men can bring such quantities of fish to market as greatly to reduce the price, the drag-nets alone capturing more fish than all taken in the bay by other modes. The drag-nets however, do not interfere in the least witli the trawl-line fishing for rockfish in deep water. Although considered as a temporary method, these nets do but little harm and have as yet probably not materially decreased the amount of fish in the vicinity of San Francisco, there is no doubt that, if continued long enongh, they will do so. It is certainly the most wasteful method of fishing I know. The use of such nets should be discontinued altogether, or the nets required to be of such coarse mesh as to allow the small fish to pass through. As soon as the " paranzellas " were introduced a large reduction took place in the price of such fish as they caught. Before their introduction tomcod sold, wholesale, for from 25 cents to 40 cents per pound, and they never reached a lower price than 8 cents per pound in the summer. Parophryu vetnliis sometimes in the winter brought as high as 80 cents per pound, and in summer sold for from 10 cents to 15 cents per pound. Wholesale prices now never range higher in winter than 20 or 25 cents for Parophrys, and 8 or 10 cents for tomcod, and in summer, 4 cents per pound for the former and 3, 4, or 5 cents for the latter. Of course part of this is due to the same causes that have lowered the prices of all articles, but the greater part of the reduction was caused by the drag-nets. They have thus far been rather a blessing than otherwise to the people of San Francisco. The following species were seen in the nets of the '' parauzella" fishermen : Hippoglossoides exilis. Pleuronectes stellatus. Hippoglossoides jordani, Psettichthys melanostictus. Parophrys rctuhts. Citharichthys sordidus. 612 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. Ophiodon elongatus. Leptocottus armatus. Zaniolepis latipinnis. Hemilepidotus spinosus. Odontopyxis trispinosus. Poriclithys porosissimus. Brachyopsis verrucosus. Microgadus proximus. Artedius megacephalus. Lycodopsis paucidens. Artedius quadriseriatus. CHINESE PUKSE-NET FISHING. — The Chinese fishermen in San Francisco County devote their attention to catching shrimp by means of purse-nets. Some small fisli (herring, tomcod, sculpins, &c.) are taken with the shrimp and afterwards salted and dried. The amount of all other fish taken excepting shrimp is, however, inconsiderable. THE SHRIMP FISHERY. — The Chinese settlement at Bay View, in South San Francisco, con- sists of about twenty-four men, who, with one hundred seines and six junks in use, and five hauled up for repairs on shore, are engaged in catching shrimp, and incidentally some fish. The seines are bag-shaped, deeper than wide, mostly about 10 by 25 feet, though some of them are larger. The mesh is 1 to 1£ inches above, diminishing gradually to J inch in the rear part or bag, which, as in all Chinese nets, is closed with a "puckering string." The boats are long, rather narrow and sharp, flat- bottomed, very thick-sided, and heavy, being built by the Chinese themselves out of redwood lumber. They range from 12 to 25 feet in length. The shrimp are, when caught, put into live-buckets made of basketware, with a covering of netting, also home-made. As elsewhere, the opening in the netting is closed by a sphincter or puckering string. These live shrimp are taken to the Vallejo-street market and sold at 5 cents per pound. Those unsold are brought back and put into boiling brine. They are then taken out and put on the ground to dry, being spread out and turned over with a sort of broom, with the broom part at an angle with the handle, like a hoe. The ground is denuded of grass, and made bare and smooth, like a croquet ground, for the purpose of drying the shrimp. When dry they are taken and crushed under large wooden pestles, and then put through a fanning mill, which separates the meat from the shells. The fanning-mill is constructed on precisely the same principle as the kind used for winnowing grain. The edible part goes where the grain should, and the thin shrimp- shells go off as chaff. The fanning-mill is built by the Chinese themselves, and is unpainted. This machine is about 8 feet long and five feet high. The pulverized meats are shipped to China or consumed in Chinatown. They are worth here 5 cents a pound. The shells are used for manure, most of them being shipped to China and sent far inland for use on the tea plantations. The shrimp shells are worth here about 25 cents per hundred weight. Some fishes are taken in the shrimp-nets, the chief species being the catfish and the tomcod. The following species were noticed, all small individuals, excepting the sharks and rays, of which no use is made : Leptocottus armatus. Heptrancldas indicus. Microgadus proximus. Osmerus thalcichthys. Parophrys vetulus. Myliobatis californicus. Pleuroncctes steUatus. Mustclm canis. Psettichthys melanostictus. Uraptera l>inoculata. Cymatogaster aggregatus. Syngnat/tus griseolincatrs. Stolephorus ringens. Triads scmifasciatus. Jelly-fish sp. PACIFIC COAST: CALIFORNIA. 613 These fishes are iiot taken to market, but are soaked in briiie and spread 011 mats to dry in the sun. When dried they sell at less than 2 cents per pound, the Leptocoltus being nearly all head. The catch on hand during my visit must Lave contained fully half a ton of these small fish. Besides the fish, which are merely incidental, and the shrimp, the amount of which, no esti- mate could be formed, many clams ( Mya sp. ?) and crabs are sent to the city market, and sold in the same way as the shrimp in the Vallejo- street market. Another similar colony of ten Chinamen exists 2 miles farther south, and various others are farther up the bay, in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties; still others in Marin and Contra Costa Counties. It is said that no diminution in the number of shrimp results from the continuous fishing, but the fishes are nearly exterminated in the bay. Some prawn or large shrimp are prepared in Chinatown, and sold at 30 cents a pound, by removing the carapace and arranging them on two sticks of cane, which pass through the flesh, eight or ten on a string, arranged ladder fashion. Others are sold with the carapace and legs removed, simply as meats. The total catch of shrimp and prawn is estimated at 30,000 pounds. THE CRAB FISHERY. — The details of this fishery are discussed by Mr. Eathbun in another section of this report. The principal species marketed in San Francisco is the common crab (Cancer magister). Both the red crab (C. productus) and the rock crab (G. antennarius) are good for food, but the common crab, being the most abundant, is more largely taken. The yellow and purple shore crabs, which are of small size, are eaten only by the Chinese. The common crabs are caught along the sandy beaches on the San Francisco side of the bay, especially on the south side of the Golden Gate, between the city and the sea. They are taken in immense numbers in seines, together with many shoal- water species offish, yet the supply seems to be undiminished. Three or four good-sized crabs sell in the market at retail for 25 cents. The annual sales are estimated at 300,000 by count, weighing on an average about one pound each, and netting the fishermen about §15,000. The large red rock crab of the Farralone Islands is sometimes marketed in San Francisco as a curiosity. These crabs were formerly sold as high as $10 each. SAN FRANCISCO As A MARKET. — A description of the markets of San Francisco will be found in another chapter. A little more than half the total amount of fish brought into the San Francisco market comes from the counties of Monterey, Santa Cruz, Contra Costa, Solano, and Marin. It is difficult to make an exact estimate, but it is probable that the total amount taken annu- ally by fishermen living in San Francisco County does not vary far from SjoOOjOOO1 pounds. THE SEA-TURTLE AND OTHER FISHERIES. — About 600 sea-turtles are annually brought up to San Francisco from Mexico on steamers, and occasionally on schooners. They average 175 pounds in weight apiece, and sell for about $4 each. One schooner in 1879 brought 190 sea-turtles. Part were peddled out, and the balance were sold to San Francisco dealers at S7£ cents each. Frogs are collected by two or three Frenchmen in Marin, San Mateo. and Kern Counties, and sell for $1.75 to $4 a dozen. The terrapins of the San Francisco market come principally from the San Joaquin Valley. No satisfactory estimate of the abalone business can be made. Many coasting boats from San Francisco take in cargoes of them, and many men in various trades occasionally buy up a load on speculation. There will be this year (1880) about twenty or thirty boats fishing for salmon in the bay, as soon as the season commences. Very little attention is paid to the law concerning the close season 614 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. for salmon. There can be no doubt that the law is constantly violated on the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers. The fish are caught and salted in large numbers. Behind the stalls in the San Francisco market salmoii have been seen in process of being salted down in barrels. In 1862 and 1863 salmon often brought $1 a pound in the San Francisco market. At that time $5 was a small price for a salmoa. An exchange of food and clothing for sharks' fins is carried on by A. Crawford & Co., ship chandlers, Market street. They send their trading vessels to the Marquesas Islands. Thirty or forty cases are thus obtained in a year, 30 pounds to the case, and are sold at 20 cents a pound to Wung Chung Lung & Co., Sacramento street, near Dnpout. Cleaned shark-fins from China are worth $2.25 a pound, and uncleaned from San Diego 30 cents a pound. GATHERING THE EGGS OF SEA-BIRDS. — The Pacific Farralone Company own the Farraloue Islands and owned them before the United States claimed them. The present company was formed in 1855, buying out another that was formed in 1852. The first had a charter for twenty years ; in 1875 this was renewed for fifty years. Twenty years ago the supply of eggs (Murre eggs) exceeded the demand, although the demand was then very much larger than it is now, as chickens were at that date scarce, and these eggs had the whole market. From 30,000 to 40,000 dozen were sold annually in the flourishing time, but the demand has now fallen to about 10,000 dozen, and the supply does not exceed the demand. The Murre never lays more than two eggs unless disturbed, in which case she continues laying one at a time until she has laid five or six. If not looked well after the gulls take them. These eggs have no fishy flavor when fresh, but do not bear keeping so well as hen eggs. They make good omelettes. When the secretary of the company (Goodmur) first went out to the islands in 1852 he gathered 1,000 dozen and sold them at $1 per dozen. In the early days of the company eggs sold at 75 cents per dozen. Now they sell at from 15 to 20 cents per dozen. . At the What Cheer House, R. B. Woodward (one of the company) used in early times to use 9,000 dozen in the season. All the miners came to him, and he fed them on eggs in all styles. He had a contract for all the cracked eggs at half price, and when there was an unsold surplus the boys would sit up at night to crack them for him. A DESCRIPTION OF THE SAN FRANCISCO FISHERIES AS THEY WERE IN 1875. — The history of the fisheries of California has been so short and full of changes tlat it is a matter of considerable interest to place on permanent record any accounts of their methods which may have been written in past years. The San Francisco Bulletin of January 12, 1875, contained a description of the fish- eries of the city as they were at that time, which is here reproduced: "There are engaged in the fish business of San Francisco at this time about one hundred boats, both large and small, although all of them are not constantly employed. Some of these boats are of about 3 tons burden, and are what is termed lateen-rigged. They are fast sailers and able to encounter quite a heavy sea. These, however, are used principally for deep-sea fishing outside the Heads, which we shall notice more fully further along. About thirty boats are engaged in the herring fishery in the bay. These boats are much smaller than those used outside, and are manned usually by two men. They are propelled through the water by oars, and carry about one-quarter the weight of the larger vessels. The herring season begins about the 1st of November and con- tinues until the last of January. At the beginning of the season the price of herring is very high, ranging from $5 to $6 per box, the boxes holding about 80 pounds of fish. As the season advances the price declines until near the close, when the fish become very cheap. The price now is from $1 to $1.50 per box. The business is a very lucrative one while the season lasts, as the fishi-rmc-n do not have far to go, and have no trouble in securing a boat-load of fish in a few hours. PACIFIC COAST: CALIFORNIA. 615 "The manner of catching herring is simple. Each boat, manned by two men, though occasion- ally there are three in a boat, is rowed out into the deeper parts of the bay. The fishermen then cast their nets over into the water. These nets are about 240 feet long and 14 to 1C feet in width. On the upper side there are cork buoys at intervals of about 2 feet the entire length of the net, which serve to keep it floating. On the opposite side of the nets are pieces of lead, which serve to keep the net perpendicular. The herrings move in vast schools and run against the tide. When they meet the nets they experience no difficulty in running their heads through the meshes, but owing to the peculiar shape of the fish and the size of the meshes in the nets they can get no farther. To go back is equally impossible, as when they try this their gills expand. Struggle as he may, the fish is fast. After the tide has run against the nets for a certain length of time, they are hauled slowly into the boats, and in one net are frequently found enough fish to load a single craft. It is then rowed to the dock, and the fish, after being put into the boxes, are carried either to the wholesale fish market on Clay street, from whence they are distributed among the retailers, or are sold to the persons who are engaged in salting, drying, and smoking them. "Besides the herring fishing in the bay, there are caught vast numbers of smelt, flounders, tomcod, sturgeon, shark, &c., all of which are generally relished for food, except the latter. Even the fins of the shark are eaten by Chinamen, before and after drying, and are by them esteemed a great delicacy — as much of a delicacy as a Chinaman would be to a shark. The sturgeon is unwit- tingly confounded with sea-bass by restaurant keepers, as many people can testify. The nation- alities of those engaged in bay fishing are represented by Austrian, Italian, and Greek, of whom, perhaps, there are over one hundred constantly at work. They are a hardy, vigorous people, who despise fear, and are only perfectly at home when on the water. "The larger boats spoken of are those engaged in deep-sea fishing, which is a very different thing from bay fishing. These boats do their work outside the Heads in the ocean, and sometimes they run as far down the coast as Santa Cruz. The boats are stanch crafts and can live in almost any sea, although they sometimes meet with a serious disaster, as we shall presently see. They are almost entirely decked over, so that they can come very near rolling over without shipping any water. On these there are from three to five men who fish with long, stout lines. These lines are from 300 to 500 feet in length. To each line is attached innumerable hooks, which are very strong. The hooks are placed about 2 feet apart, and to the end of the line is attached a heavy stone, which will sink it to the bottom. When the fishing ground is reached the boats are brought to, or, if possible, anchored, and the lines, after the hooks have all been baited, are thrown overboard. A large tin can is attached to the lines, and, when sealed tightly, serves as a good float. After a while the float will indicate to the fishermen that something is fast and the line is pulled into the boat; and it rarely happens that there is not from half a dozen to thirty or forty large fish on one line. After the fish have been unhooked the hooks are again baited and thrown overboard. When the day is good and everything is propitious, one boat's crew is kept very busy, as each one has half a dozen or more lines out at once. The fish caught outside are rock cod, California cod- fish, sometimes halibut, and a few other kinds. "These outside fishermen, as they are termed, are Greeks, Spaniards, and Italians. They, too, are hardy and venturesome, and will brave old ocean in his wrath when necessary, without the slightest fear. But one fatal calamity has taken place among these fishermen in the past year. The story of the affair is related by G. Copollo, the wharfinger, and is as follows : Last season ono of these boats was out on the ocean near Point de Eey, when in the afternoon a sudden squall came on and the waves ran so high that one came aboard and nearly filled the boat with water. So much was she loaded and so near sinking did she come, that the three men who were in her had (316 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. all they could do to avoid being swept overboard. The wiiid blew bard and chilly and tbe poor fellows were nearly frozen, but they held on to the boat, hoping that succor would come from some- source. When it was nearly dark one of the men bade his comrades good bye, and with a groan of despair sank out of sight beneath the waves. The other two held on through that dreary night, but early in the morning another one said to the survivor, 'I cannot hold on; I, too, must go.' In telling it the survivor said, 'I was lying on my breast across the bow and saw him as he sank away far down in the clear, deep waters.' He said also that soon after his last comrade disappeared the sun came up, and as the sea had gone down the warm rays beating on his back infused warmth and life in him so that he was enabled to cling fast. Aboutl o'clock the schooner Haskell came along, picked him np, and brought himself and the boat into the harbor. A rather singular part of the story is, that after being at the dock for about one mouth, the same boat, with the same man and two others, went again outside to the same fishing ground, and about the same place where she was picked up when water-logged. The fishermen saw a schooner bottom-side up with five or six men clinging to the keel. They immediately went to the rescue and found that it was the Haskell, the identical schooner that had saved this boat and one of the men. She had been herself capsized in a squall. Her crew were saved by the very boat that had been saved by her. This tale will prob- ably be recalled to mind by some of our readers. "There is another kind of fishing that has attained considerable proportions recently that should be noticed, that is the shrimp and sturgeon fishing. A short time ago the shrimp fishing was carried on by white men exclusively. There were about fifteen boats manned by thirty men who made this a specialty. Then shrimps were sold in this city for from 7 to 10 cents per pound, and those who caught them made a good living at the business. Now, however, the entire business is iu the hands of the Chinamen, of whom there are as many as fifteen hundred engaged in the trade. Their manner of catching them is simple and effective. The operations of the Chinamen extend all along the bay from Mare Island to Angel Island, wherever there is a flat or level beach. They stick long poles through the water and into the bottom, to which very fine nets are attached. These nets are so fine that they will retain the smallest minnow. They are spread when the tide is at ebb, and arranged with the lead-line on the bottom. When the tide comes in and the water flows against the net it will form in the center a huge bag and prevent anything from passing through. When the water is slack the Chinamen take up the net and empty all its contents into their baskets. In this manner they make a perfect trap, which, although it catches thousands of shrimp, also destroys a vast number of minnows which would otherwise in time grow up to a proper size for food. The shrimps are then taken ashore and laid on the beach, and the shells are beaten and broken off them with sticks and separated from the meat. The meat is dried in the sun and sold to Chinese consumers in' this city or sent to the interior of the State or Nevada, or wherever there are any Chinamen. The bulk of the prepared shrimps is shipped to China in sacks. Many shrimps are also sold alive to the oyster houses in this city, who, after boiling them, have them set out as lunch for their customers to nibble at while their oysters are being prepared. The shells of the shrimps are preserved by the Chinamen, and after being put into sacks are also shipped to China, where they are extensively used as a fertilizer. Under the Chinese regime in shrimp-catching the price has fallen from 2 to 5 cents per pound. Each Chinaman pays to the owner of his fishing ground a tax or rent of from 50 cents to $1 per month for the privilege of working them. From 700 to 800 tons of shrimps and shells are caught every year in the bay, and the greater part is sent to the Celestial Empire. "A great many Chinamen also catch sturgeon by means of a trap that is very destructive to this species of fish and many others. They will select a flat over which the water rushes when the PACIFIC COAST: CALIFORNIA. 617 tide is flowing and will so arrange their nets tbat the lead-line will be 2 or 3 feet from the bottom. As the water rushes in the sturgeon conies with it and when the water is slack the line is loosened and sinks to the bottom. When the water recedes the fish cannot get out, and they are either gilled in the nets or are found gasping on the ground which has been left bare by the receding waters. The Chinaman cuts open the largest sturgeons that have been thus caught just back of the head, and with a hook made for the purpose pulls out the inside nerve of the fish's backbone. It resembles in appearance, when thus taken out, a piece of macaroni, nearly a yard in length. This is dried and is also shipped to China and is regarded by Chinese epicures as a rare tit-bit. In this manner also are destroyed thousands of small fish of all kinds, which will in time have, a marked effect on the supply, unless the criminal waste be checked. The Fish Commissioners are intending to procure some legislation on the subject, which will probably be all that is needed. "A tax is paid by all the bay and ocean fishermen to the State, and a wharfinger is employed by the State to give his exclusive'attentiou to this branch of industry. The docks of the fisher- men are at the foot of Clay street. As an article of food, the fish that come to our markets are next in importance to the meats, and the trade in them gives employment directly to thousands of industrious people. The fish should be preserved as much as possible and the business so regu- lated that a penalty may be promptly inflicted on the Chinaman or white man who shall wantonly destroy edible fish." THE PREJUDICE AGAINST THE CHINESE FISHERMEN OF SAN FRANCISCO ON THE PART OF THOSE EMPLOYING EUROPEAN METHODS OF FISHING. — The Chinese methods of fishing are un- doubtedly extremely destructive, and have occasioned much protest among the other fishermen of the region where they are employed, as well as a general feeling of alarm among observing persons interested in the future of the fisheries. In January, 1876, the Italian Fishermen's Union, of San Francisco, addressed an open letter to State Senator Nunan, on the subject of the destruc- tion of fish by Chinese, in which the following presentments are made: "The Chinese modus operandi is as follows: They set their traps (mandraghe) in many portions of the bays and rivers, the poles proving obstructive and dangerous to small-sized boats and schooners, and the nets being so fine and so numerous that fish even of the smallest size are caught. In this way the Chinese are destroying very rapidly these useful members of the finny tribe. These Chinese traps swing with the tide, and the Chinese leave them in position all the year round. The modus operandi of the Italians and other members of the Fishermen's Union, who are Spaniards, Greeks, Slavonians, and Maltese, is to throw their drag-nets into the water and leave them there only 5 or 6 minutes. The nets used by the Chinese fishermen are as tightly woven as a mosquito net, and retain all sizes of fish, even the spawn — none escaping. • The nets used by the Italians and other fishermen in the union have the apertures fifteen times as large as those used by the Chinese fishermen. The fish caught by the Chinese — those which are too small to be eaten, or not of the quality worth preservation or to bo sent to China — are cast upon the beach to perish, sometimes within a couple of yards of the sea. The fish caught by the Italians and others of the Fishermen's Union are all sold in our market. The Chinese are fishing night and day, and they catch all they can, regardless of season, place, size, damage, quality, or quantity. The Italian and others of the Fishermen's Union do quite the contrary. They only catch enough fish to supply our market day by day, and when said amount is obtained they give up their daily work. The Chinese fishermen catch continually the sturgeon in an enormous quantity, for the only purpose of taking away from the fish that nerve, which is like marrow and extends horizontally down the middle of the spine from the head to the tail, and which forms the one-twentieth part of the fish. The rest is thrown on shore to rot, or to be fed to poultry. This way of proceeding on the part of the Chinese 618 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. fishermen iu regard to sturgeons, as well as their system of traps and tightly- woven nets, is nothing more nor less than wanton destruction. Already the young salmon, sturgeon, and trout are becom- ing scarce, and unless measures are speedily taken to suppress this wholesale destruction by the Chinese a scarcity of fish may be apprehended. The Chinese fishing companies are conliuaally/ sending to China an average of $12,000 worth of dried fish and shrimps per month. The Italian and other union fishermen have been fishing on the California coasts, bays, and rivers for over a quarter of a century, never giving cause for a complaint about their trade. They have adopted the same system of fishing practiced in the Mediterranean Sea, which system, above all others, insures the non-destruction of small fish. The Italians and other union fishermen have no ill-feeling against the Chinese fishermen; neither do they fear their competition. All that they desire is a. less destructive system of fishing on the part of the Chinese, and a law which will compel all the fishermen to adopt a similar system of fishing."* STATISTICS OF FISH TKADTC OF SAN FRANCISCO. — The following estimate of the amount of fish sold in San Francisco for the years 1879-'80 was made with great care by Mr. Garibaldi, bookkeeper for Pardini & Silvestra, fish dealers : Varieties. Amounts in pounds. Amounts in tons. Varieties. Amounts in pounds. Amounts in tons. 3 640 000 1 820 2 700 000 1,350 1 658 000 829 16 000 g 1, 440 000 720 126, 000 63 Codfish 252 000 126 Soles 188 000 94 Rockfish e^a ooo 313 Catfish 6 000 3 26 000 13 Shad 600 Halibut 122 000 61 Trout 36, 000 18 Perch 152 000 76 Skate 38 000 19 Smelt 568 000 284 22 000 11 Toracod 552, 000 276 200, 000 100 Salt saluion .barrels of 200 pounds.. 1,300 Salt salmon half-barrels of 100 pounds.. 3, 200 Smoked salmon .pounds.. 140, OCO1 Salt herring half-barrels of 100 pounds.. 2, 100 Smoked herring boxes.. 25,000 Smoked halibut pounds.. 12,000 Suckers, chubs, and pike 80,000 Statement of the coast fisheries of San Francisco County, showing the number ofjhliermen, the amount of capital invested, and the quantities and rallies of the products. • San Francisco County. San Francisco County. 39 1 Capital. Shark-find: 3 000 90 $150 $11 000 $15 000 *>50 000 Total capital invested $°6 000 .?() 000 Aba lone shells: 950 000 Value ?-j:t, :;»o Total value of products $26G, 300 "San Francisco Weekly Bulletin, January 6, 1878. PACIFIC COAST: CALIFORNIA. 619 220. THE FISHERIES OF THE SEA-BORDERING COUNTIES BETWEEN SAN FRAN- CISCO AND THE NORTHERN BOUNDARY OF THE STATE. ALAMEDA COUNTY. — This county lies along the east shore of the Bay of San Francisco. The shore is for the most part a mud-flat, bare at low tide, and no profitable fishing is there possible. The markets of the principal towns — Oakland, Alameda. &c. — are supplied from the wholesale mar- kets in San Francisco. There have been Chinese fishing colonies in the neighborhood of Oakland,* but there are none now in the county, and the total catch of fishermen residing in the county will not exceed 2,000 pounds per year. The salt works in Alameda County are the most extensive on the Pacific coast. They are discussed in another section of this report. CONTRA COSTA AND SOLANO COUNTIES. — The counties of Contra Costa, on the south, and Solano, on the north, are separated by the Sacramento River. The fisheries of both counties are considerable, comprising most of the salmon fishing of the Sacramento, both for the canneries and for the city markets. Most of the sturgeon sent to the San Francisco market also come from this region. As most of the fishing of the lower Sacramento is done by fishermen who move from place to place and have no permanent residence in either county, it will be convenient to consider these two counties together. Both fishing towns and fisheries of these two counties will be discussed under the head of the " Salmon fishery of the Sacramento River." SONOMA COUNTY — The coast of Sonoma County has no bays especially suitable for fishing, and there are, so far as we know, no persons who make their entire living by this means. At Fort Ross and at Duncan's Mills are several men who fish during the summer, and who occasionally send boxes of fresh fish by rail to the San Francisco market. In the fall, salmon run in Russian River and are taken in some numbers. The total annual catch of Sonoma County cannot exceed 10,000 pounds. In the interior of the county are many carp ponds, some of which have proven very profitable. MARIN COUNTY. — The proximity of Marin County to San Francisco affords a steady market for its fisheries, which are, therefore, of considerable importance. Nearly all the fish taken are shipped directly to San Francisco. They are placed in long wooden boxes, head up. These boxes are a foot deep, and are capable of holding from 100 to 150 pounds of fish; the average capacity is 125 pounds. Over the fish are placed large wet cloths or sacks; the object of these is to keep the fish moist. The fish are shipped to dealers in the Clay -street market. They are sold on commission, either retail or to the smaller dealers in Oakland, San Jos6, Alameda, or other markets. Most of the fish are taken in Tomales Bay, a long and narrow inlet extending length- wise through the county. The fish taken in this bay are chiefly the different embiotocoids and the flounders and smelt, with some black rockfish. In this county there are seven active fishing towns, San Rafael, San Pedro, Angel Island, Bolinas, Point Reyes, Marshall's, and Hamlet. The fisheries of San Rafael, the largest town in the county, are of but little importance, the * How THE CHINAMEN FISH. — Nearly auy day Chinese fishermen may bo seen catching young smelt and herring in the old ferry slips at Alameda wharf. They have very fine square nets, through which the smallest minnows can- not escape, and at each corner of the net ropes are fastened and passed through pulleys on the wharf. The nets are dropped about every twenty minutes. When hauled up, the boat is pushed out under the trap in the center of the net, which is opened and the fish clumped into the boat. Thousands of young fish are caught daily, taken away, dried, and are then ready for Celestial consumers. — Alameda Encinal, January, 1870. 620 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. town being placed at the head of a very shallow, muddy bay, most of which is bare at low tide. The market of this place is supplied almost entirely by San Francisco. At the town of San Quentin there are no fisheries, the market of that place, as also in part that of San Rafael, being supplied by three Italians, who fish on the Estrero, a mile or two south- west of San Queutin, with gill-nets and seines. Along the coast, near Point San Pedro, are two colonies of fishermen, numbering in all about one hundred, who fish chiefly for shrimp. These shrimp are sent to San Francisco. A colony formerly located north of San Quentin, toward San Rafael, is now abandoned. The following paragraph is taken from the San Francisco "Weekly Bulletin, November 7, 1873: "The business of fishing at Point San Pedro,-Mariu County, is entirely in the hands of China- men. About two hundred and twenty-five men are employed. The Mariu Journal gives informa- tion, from which the following is taken: 'The land occupied by the fishermen is owned by McNear & Brother, and leased to Richard Bullis for $1,000 a year, and by him leased to the Chinamen for $3,000. From 10 to 15 acres are occupied, the shore line serving for houses, boat-building, shipping, &c., and the side hill for drying the fish and preparing them for market. Shrimps con- stitute the principal catch, and of these from 20 to 30 tons per week are taken. The shrimps are dried on the hillsides, threshed a la Chinois, to get off the hull, winnowed through a hand-mill, an J sent to market. The fish sell for 8 to 14 cents per pound in the San Francisco market at wholes lie, and the hulls are shipped to China and sold for manure, where they bring $20 per ton, affording a profit over all expenses of $5. It is said to be an excellent fertilizer. Other kinds of fish are taken in great quantities, as flounders, perch, &c., and some of which are used only for dressing soil. The stakes to which the fishers attach their nets extend out into the bay a mile or more. There are thirty-two houses on the beach, and more all the time building. Two boats are now on the ways, one 40 feet long and the other 30. Nine hundred cords of wood have been used this season, which they buy in Redwood City and ship themselves to their fishing grounds. Captain Bullis makes a weekly trip to San Francisco with a cargo, the law requiring a white captain on a 40-foot craft. Point San Pedro is reached from San Rafael by a hard, smooth road, which affords an exceedingly agreeable drive of a half hour's duration, presenting several charming views of the bay and many interesting landscapes. The road skirts along San Francisco Bay for some distance, then, turning northward, leads to the shore of San Pablo Bay.'" If the writer was anywhere near the truth in his estimate of the number of Chinese fishermen engaged at Point San Pedro, which may fairly be doubted, the extent of this fishery has undeniably decreased during the past seven years. At Angel Island is a colony of about a dozen fishermen, who are engaged in shrimp-fishing. About Angel Island, Richardson's Island, and Saucelito the Italian fishermen from San Francisco haul their nets, but none of them, it is believed, make their home on the north shore of the bay. The fisheries spoken of as being prosecuted at Point Reyes are, more strictly speaking, carried on all the way from Point Reyes to the Golden Gate and the Farralones, the fishermen rarely going ashore at Point Reyes. Between these points fishermen from San Francisco fish with sweep-nets and set-lines. Near the head of Drake's Bay also fishing is carried on by four men with seines and gill-nets. These catch about 50,000 pounds a year. Their catch is chiefly smelt. At Marshall's are ten fishermen, and a mile farther south are ten more. These men, fishing principally at night, send their fish to the city on the morning train. The water here is very clear. They own altogether twelve boats, lateen-rigged, and averaging three-fourths of a ton register. The fisheries have been extensive on this (Tomales) bay since 1874. For six years previous to that date the fish were sent from Tomales Bay to San Francisco by way of Petaluma. Overfishiug has PACIFIC COAST: CALIFORNIA. 621 of late caused a great decrease in the abundance of the fish. In summer from 1,000 to 2,000 pounds of fish were daily shipped to Marshall's, the yearly average being 150,000 pounds. The fisheries of Hamlet are carried on by three companies, chiefly Italians. There are alto- gether twelve men and six boats. The fish, of which 48 boxes a day have been shipped, are sent from Hamlet to San Francisco. A box holds about 120 pounds. When fish are plenty more are packed in a box. Statement of monthly shipments of fish from Hamlet to San Francisco from April 1, 1879, to April 1, 1880. Mouth. Pounds. Month. Pounds. 8,640 12, 000 May 7,200 9,600 5,760 8,640 9,600 February 5,160 17 400 7 200 September 21, 600 16 800 About 90 sacks, or 7,200 pounds, of clams are shipped yearly to San Francisco from Hamlet. They are also peddled at Tomales at the rate of 50 cents a bucket. It is to be noted, in connection with the following statement of yearly estimates for 1879, that the fish taken by boats from San Francisco are not included. It is certain that at least one-half of the fish taken by such boats are caught in the waters of Marin County. Yearly estimate by towns for 1879. Towns. Pounds. Towns. Pounds. 10 000 500 75 000 150, 000 30 000 129,600 10 000 500 Boliuas 15, 000 _ . Point Reyes 50, 000 In addition to this amount there is a large home consumption and waste of fish. Whales occasionally come ashore at Point Eeyes. Sea-lions are also abundant there, and occasionally parties from San Francisco kill them for their oil. MENDOOINO COUNTY. — The coast of Mendociuo County is rocky, without indentations or large streams. There are no fisheries of any importance anywhere within its borders, and prob- ably no regular fishermen. The total annual catch cannot exceed 3,000 pounds. At one time a man living at the light-house at Cape Mendocino owned a whale-boat, and in smooth weather went fishing for halibut on a reef that runs out from the cape. He sent them to Eureka to be retailed, and also shipped a few to San Francisco-. The opinion seems to obtain that there are plenty of halibut in that vicinity, but it is nearly always rough around the cape, and there is no good way of disposing of the fish when caught. It is not probable that any considerable fishing will ever be done for halibut in the vicinity of Humboldt Bay. Cape Mendocino is noted as a rough point. Jfo fishing boat owned in Eureka could be sure of getting in and out of Humboldt Bay, because of the bar. The distance from San Francisco, about 230 miles, would render it unprofitable, in the present state of the market, for a schooner from that city to make trips to Cape Mendocino, load with fish, and return. (322 GEOGRAPHICAL BEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. HUMBOLDT COUNTY. — The fisheries of Huinboldt County are chiefly carried 011 iii Huiiiboldt Bay, about Eureka, and in Eel River. Three kinds of fish are principally taken, flounders, salmon, and sharks. Each of these industries may be taken up separately ; that of the salmon, having place elsewhere, will not be described here. Humboldt Bay is a laud-locked harbor, with a narrow entrance, obstructed by a dangerous bar. Its foundation somewhat resembles that of Sail Diego Bay, being shut off from the open ocean by narrow sand-spits. At the beginning of the rainy season the small streams that empty into the bay pour out such quantities of fresh water as to render the entire bay brackish. Some fishermen think that this kills the fish, but there is no tangible evidence of its doing so. The bay is evidently gradually filling up with deposits. It Las now a series of mud-flats, some entirely bare, others partly so, at low water, with deep channels between them. The bottom is composed of sediment, there being no rocks excepting some ballast heaps, and on these rocks the fish are caught. The mud-flats and channels serve as spawning grounds for great numbers of flounders. This bay can be easily and rapidly exhausted of its fish, and had it a more ready market it soon would be. The history of the flounder fishing, dependent entirely on hook and line, suffi- » cieutly shows this. As it is, although the bay produces at certain seasons of the year great quan- tities of fish, it is lacking in variety. It is claimed that the fish are of poor quality (except the salmon), owing to the nature of the bottom. Fishing in Humboldt Bay is good during only the fall and a portion of the winter, and in con sequence there are but few resident professional fishermen. Two Americans working with a seine to supply the local market of Eureka, and during the flush season shipping to the San Francisco market, come under this head. About six or eight others living in the vicinity of Eureka fish during the salmon season and do little or nothing the remainder of the year. Probably an equal number have families and are semi-professionals, fishing during two months of the year. Quite a number of the inhabitants of Eureka fished at one time, and hold themselves in readiness to do so again should other business fail. There are but three Italian fishermen on the bay, the majority being Americans (including a few English, Irish, and Scotch). Often some of the Columbia River fisher- men come here during the salmon season. Since 1857 and before, there has been a colony of Chinese fishing in the bay with nets. Last year their net was destroyed. Fishermen claim that they fished all the "sole" (Parophrys vetulus) out of the bay. Most of their fish were dried in thu usual way and sent to San Francisco. Flounder-fishing begins about October. Humboldt Bay used to be the spawning grounds for immense numbers of the large flounder (Pleuronectes stellatus). The fish were so abundant as to completely line the bottoms of the deep channels between the mud-flats, and would bite at a hook with extreme voracity. In 1874 the first experiment was made by a young American, who caught and shipped to San Francisco from Eureka a few flounders. The "paranzella" had not then appeared. These few flounders brought a high price, retailing from 30 cents to 35 cents a pound. Finding it highly remunerative he increased his operations, keeping the fish in live-boxes until the day on which the steamer sailed for San Francisco. As many as 2 and 3 tons were sent at a time. Before long not less than one hundred people were at this work, fishing day and night, their business causing quite an excitement in Eureka. Flounders soon became a drug on the market and their retail price diminished so much as to leave for the fishermen a profit of only 2 cents a pound, instead of 12 and even more, the profit per pound before so many entered into the fishery. Another cause of small profits to the many engaged in the work was that the steamer was often unable to cross PACIFIC COAST: CALIFORNIA. 623 the bar for several days, in which case the fish were liable to spoil. When this happened they were thrown overboard, proving a dead loss to the fishermen. At the present time there are not more than fifteen or twenty men engaged in fishing for flounders during the best of the season. In the winter they bring from 5 to 10 cents a pound. Some flounders are caught weighing 10 pounds. It is possible that, owing to the small number now caught, this species will hold its own, but it can never be so abundant as it once was. Small numbers of other varieties of flounders, such as Parophrys and Cithariclitlnjs are also caught, but Pleuronectes stellatus is the common flounder of Hnrnboldt Bay. The shovel-nosed shark (Notorliynclius maculatus}, caught for its oil, was in the early days of Eureka, from 1858 to 1868, extensively caught in Hurnboldt Bay. This fish entered the bay at " bulling" season, about the middle of April, and remained until the end of August. At one time fifty or sixty men were engaged in the capture of the fish and the trying out of the oil from its liver. This oil, in the absence of coal (not then discovered), was used largely for illuminating purposes. Much was shipped to San Francisco, where it was used for oiling machinery and adul- terating other oils. In one season a man made 700 gallons of oil, which he sold for the average price of $1.25 a gallon. These sharks are from 6 to 8 feet long and yield from 3 to 8 gallons of oil apiece. The females yield more oil than the males, and females with eggs yield more than at any other season. The sharks can only be caught at highest tides, when they are taken with hook and line in the deep channels between the mud flats, or they may be harpooned in shallow water. The best bait for sharks of this kind is salted seal. Seal meat is full of oil, which spreads out over the water's surface and attracts the shark's attention. They have been seen to follow a narrow streak of oil till they reached the line, when they instantly went down for the bait. It is thought that their sense of smell guides them. There is now only one man engaged in this business on Humboldt Bay. He has made only 20 gallons this (1880) season. The oil is now worth only 75 cents a gallon and is used by lumber-mill owners around Eureka for lubricating-oil. No other sharks are caught here for oil. The species Squahis acantkias is absolutely unknown at Eureka, and RMnotriacis and Triads, besides being too small, furnish a very poor quality of oil. DEL NORTE COUNTY. — In Del Norte County, California, there is no sea-fishery of any impor- tance. There is a fall salmon fishery in Smith Eiver, which is discussed in the chapter on the west coast salmon fishery. About 500 barrels of salmon are salted. The total annual catch of fish outside of the salmon fisheries does not exceed 3,000 pounds. STATISTICAL RECAPITULATION.— The fisheries of the foregoing counties are fully detailed in the following table: 624 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. Statement of the fisheries of the sea-bordering counties between San Francisco and the northern boundary of the State, showiiiy the number of fishermen, the amount of capital invested, and Hie quantities and values of the products. Alamcda County. ilarin County. Sonoma County. Mondocino Connty. Humboldt Connty. Del Norte County. H 2 150 3 1 10 2 168 Capital. Vessels and boats : 42 °0 2 64 Values $4,200 $1 000 $100 $5 300 $20 $1 650 $50 $500 $20 $2 240 $20 $5 850 $50 $1 500 $120 $7 540 Products. Fresh fish: 2 000 500 000 10 000 3 000 100 000 3 000 618 000 Value ...... $100 $"0 000 $300 $75 $3,000 $90 $23 565 Dried fish : 80 000 80 000 Value .. $1 600 $1 600 Shark oil: 20 20 Value $0 ti Shrimp and prawn: 1, 000, 000 1, 000, 000 Value $50 000 $50 000 Clams: Number 40, 000 40, 000 Value $400 $400 Total value of products $100 $72 000 $300 $75 $3,006 $90 $75, 571 C.— OREGON AND ITS FISHERY INTERESTS. 221. STATISTICAL RECAPITULATION. Summary statement of persons employed. Persona employed. Number. 2 795 4,040 Total 6 835 Detailed statement of capital invested and apparatus employed. Apparatus specified. Number. Value. Boats 1,360 $246, 600 245, 750 639 000 Total 1, 131, 350 PACIFIC COAST: OREGON. Detailed statement of the quantities anil values of the products. 625 Products specified. Quantity. Value. 39, 500, 000 a $2, 766, 724 18, 000 4,300 610,000 10, 000 Total 2, 781, 024 a Including enhancement iu the value of salmon in process of canning, $1,911,422. 222. THE FISHERIES OF THE OREGON COAST. GENERAL STATEMENT. — The fisheries of the coast counties of Oregon have as yet very little importance. The coast line is little indented by bays and is therefore in itself unfavorable for fishing. There is, moreover, no available market for any fish taken, except salted or canned salmon. The various tribes of Indians along the coast derive much of their support from fishing, but no statistics are obtainable. A single salmon cannery is now in operation in this region, at Rogue's River, and salmon are salted on some of the other streams. With these exceptions there is no systematic fishing anywhere on the coast of Oregon south of the Columbia River, the salmon fisheries of which are very important. These will be described in detail in the chapter on the " Salmon fishing and canning interests of the Pacific coast." The entire salmon catch of the coast, including that of Rogue's River, excluding the fish taken by the Indians, will not vary very far from 1,000,000 pounds. In the report of the river fisheries of the State will be found some items upon the bays and fisheries at mouths of rivers. D.— WASHINGTON TERRITORY AND ITS FISHERY INTERESTS. 223. STATISTICAL RECAPITULATION OF THE COMMERCIAL FISHERIES. Summary statement of persons employed. Persons employed. Xumber. 729 15 Total .. 744 Detailed statement of capital invested and apparatus employed. Apparatus specified. Number. Value. 7 $11, 100 Boats . 334 6,610 8,648 4 000 Total 30,358 40 GRP 626 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. Detailed statement of the quantities and value* of the products. Products specified Quantity. Value. 350 000 a $16 820 Other fisli Pounds fresh 5 357 000 93 140 Seal skins Seal and fish oil Ovsters Number.. Gallons. . 6,268 24, 200 56,412 5,000 10 000 Total 181 372 a Including enhancement of value in process of canning, $13,440. 224. THE COAST FISHERIES OF WASHINGTON TERRITORY. THE PRINCIPAL FISHERIES ENUMERATED. — The whole Puget Sound region is very abun- dantly supplied with fish, but for want of a market the fisheries are little developed and have as yet little commercial importance. The only species of special value are the halibut (Hippoglossus vulgar-is), which abounds everywhere in the deeper waters and main channels, but chiefly about Cape Flattery; the five species of salmon (Oncorhynchus chouicha, nerka, kisutch, gorbuscha, aud beta), which run up all the streams, large and small, in summer and fall, and which are taken in the salt water at all seasons; the dogfish (Squalus^acanthias), which is largely sought for the oil obtained from the liver; the herring (Chtpea miraMlis), and the eulachou (Thaleichthys pacificus), which is considered when fresh as the best pan- fish of the region. Besides these, are many species of Chiroids, Pleuronectoids, Salmonoids, Scorpcenoids, &c., used as food, but no one species of any great value. The fishermen are chiefly Indians, who fish for their own consumption and live in small colonies or "raucherias" scattered about the entire sound. Nearly all the sound Indians live by fishing. No record of their number can be obtained by us and no material for any sort of accurate estimate can well be had. A few Indians in the vicinity of the towns fish for the market and peddle their fish at low prices about the streets. Some also fish for the salmon canneries. There are also a few •Chinese colonies, wholly similar to those south of San Francisco, where they salt and dry a con- siderable amount of fish. Around the larger towns (Victoria, Seattle, Port Townseud, Tacoma) are a few Italian or Dalmatian fishermen, and at Tacoma some Americans. OLYMPIA. — No fishing is done at Olympia, the harbor being nearly bare at low water and lined with oysters. The shipment of these oysters to San Francisco is the only fishing industry of the town. The first shipment of these oysters was made two or three years ago, after the decline in quality and quantity of the Shoalwater Bay product. This matter is elsewhere discussed. STEILACOOM. — No regular fishing is done here. Various Indian raucherias are scattered along, where the "Shvashes" fish for their own use. Fishermen from other places often come to Steilacoom during the salmon season. NEW TACOMA. — This place is connected by rail with Portland, and the chief supply of the Portland market of all fishes except salmon and halibut comes from New Tacoma. At New Tacoma two young fishermen from Maine have established a fishing station and are making good wages. About 200 tons of fish have been taken by them and their employe's during the past year. Most of these have been shipped to Portland, where they sell at 5i cents per pound, the salmon, during the close season in the Columbia, somewhat higher. In summer and fall a considerable number of salmon are taken and salted aud sold in San Francisco and elsewhere at 6 to 8 cents a pound. After August 1, when salmon are no longe'' allowed to be taken in the Columbia, the sale of salmon, flounders, &c., from Puget Sound in Port- PACIFIC COAST: WASHINGTON TEEEITOEY. 627 laud is quite profitable. The salmon do iiot enter the rivers in numbers at this part of Puget Sound until ready to spawn in September, when they move about the bay in schools and are readily netted while " searching for the river." Many of the salmon of the different species are then "dog-salmon," and as such not so readily sold. At first their flesh is red and not bad, and can be salted as well as that of the ordinary salmon ; later it becomes poor and worthless, the fish often half rotten in life, and no use can be made of it. A cargo of salted dog-salmon was once sent to Honolulu with a disastrous effect on the reputation at the Sandwich Islands of the Puget Sound salmon. In the fall a fyke-net is planted by Savels & Staples in Puyallup River. Most of their fishing is done with seines. Gill-nets, traps, &c., are not successful in these waters because of their clearness. Traps built of brush in a way similar to the pound-nets in the East have been built and still stand in Commencement Bay, but the salmon do not run into them and they have been abandoned. The species mostly taken are Oncorhunclius chouicha, Pleuronectes stellatiis, Lepidopsetta biline- ata, Parophrys vetulus, and Salvelinus malma, which abounds in salt water and reaches a weight of 12 or 14 pounds; the largest seen by me weighed 11 pounds. Salmo purpuratus, also abundant in salt water, Hypomesus pretiosus, &c., as well as various sculpms, "eels," &c., which have no market value. At Gig Harbor, 8 miles from Tacoina, are three Austrian fishermen, who have been there two years. Most of the fish obtained by them are salted, but some are shipped fresh to Portland. The salmon and the orange rockfish (Sebastichthys pinniger) are the species mostly sought, the latter taken with hooks in deep water. Both salmon and rockfish are barreled and shipped to Portland, San Francisco, or elsewhere. Herring are also caught and smoked, but there is little profit in it. In the summer dog-fishing is followed to some extent, the oil being "tried out" of the livers in kettles. About 100 tons of fish are taken per year, exclusive of dogfish. Opposite Gig Harbor is a Portuguese fisherman, with one or more assistants, who fishes chiefly for dogfish. In various places about Gig Harbor, Quartermaster's Harbor, and Point Defiance are Indian dog-fishing camps. The oil is chiefly rendered in kettles. Near Quartermaster's Harbor is a colony termed Kauakatowu, where four or five Chinamen, a negro, and several Sandwich Islanders fish and dry or salt the product, occasionally selling in Tacoina or sending to San Francisco. SEATTLE. — The local market at Seattle is of some importance. A company of three Italians fish with seines along the shore, obtaining young salmon, flounders, &c., which are sold in a stall in the town. A company of two or three Greeks fish in the same way, but are absent at the Columbia during the salmon season. Several Austrians fish with hook and line in the deeper waters of the bay, obtaining halibut, black bass (Selastichthys melanops), horse-mackerel (Anoplo- poma), merluch' (Merhicius), pollack (Pollackius), toincod, &c. Many Indians in the neighborhood bring in, almost daily, boat-loads of salmon-trout (Salvelinus), young salmon, and the various flounders, &c. Much fishing is done by men and boys from, the wharves, Anoplopoma and small flounders, especially Hippoylossoides elassodon, being the principal species taken. There are no fishing boats at Seattle, except small skiffs. The amount of fish taken yearly must be about 300,000 pounds. PORT BLAKELEY. — The salmon cannery of Jackson & Myers, formerly at Muchilteo, is now 628 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. located at Port Blakcley, on the west side of Admiralty Inlet, opposite Seattle. Its business is described under the head " Salmon fisheries of Washington Territory." PORT MADISON. — A colony of about fifteen Chinamen are engaged in drying fish near Port Madison. Besides fishing themselves, they purchase large quantities from the Indians. They prepare the fish in the ordinary way, soaking them for two or three days in weak brine; then dry- ing them on racks in the open air. They put up perch (Damalichthys) and different species of flounders, mostly Parophrys vetulus, Lepidopsetta bilineata, and Pleuror-.ichthys ccenosus. Flounders are valued most highly by the Chinese. The different species of Embiotocida; are dried principally for the use of the Chinese working in the mines. Chinese do not like salmon. Both Chinese and Indians at Port Madison fish with coarse-meshed nets, and throw back fish under six inches in length. A herring fishery, owned by Mr. J. P. Hammond, is in operation during the winter season from about November 1 to March 1. During the last season they worked but one fine-meshed seine, 450 feet long, f-inch mesh. Thirteen white men of various nationalities were employed, at wages of $25 to $30 per month. The herring are most abundant in February and March, when they come into the bay to spawn. They are in best condition from November to January, becom- ing poor and comparatively worthless as soon as they begin to spawn. The herring run into the bay in large numbers for shelter from heavy storms. The fishery has been at Port Madison since 1870. The business is constantly increasing, but there are as many or more fish than at first. During the herring season they catch from 1 to 1,000 barrels at a haul. The herring are either smoked and dried or used for oil. The smoked fish are put up in boxes of about five dozen each, and mostly sent to San Francisco, where they are sold for 30 to 35 cents per box. To make oil, the fish are steamed in wooden boxes and afterwards pressed. One barrel of fish produces about li gallons of oil, which is worth from 35 to 45 cents per gallon. The oil is used for rough purposes — for greasing skins in tanneries, and at log camps. During the last season (1S79-'SO) there were put up 2,500 boxes of smoked herring and 5,700 gallons of oil; in 1877 and 1878, 5,000 boxes and 17,000 gallons. UTSALADDY, SAN JUAN, AND OTHER SETTLEMENTS. — At various places in the northeast part of the sound the Indians fish for salmon and dogfish, and occasionally Italians and Chinamen engage in the same business. MTJCKILTEO. — The cannery of Jackson & Myers, formerly at this point, has been removed to near Seattle. The salmon were formerly abundant here, but have now grown scarce. It has been thought that the offal from the cannery drives them away. The salmon were netted in schools in salt water by the Indians. The species canned are the female "haddo" (0. gorbiischa) and the silver salmon (0. kisutch), The first run is in July, when the haddos appear, at first males and females similar, but afterwards the males grow dark, red, humpbacked, and hook-billed, and are rejected. They weigh but 5 or 6 pounds, and are very slimy after being taken out of water. The silver salmon here rarely weighs over 22 pounds, the average not more than 6 or 8. In alternate years the run of haddos is very small or nothing. At other times it is extremely large. PORT GAMBLE AND POUT LUDLOW.— At these points the only fishing done is that of China- men and boys from the wharves, and of the neighboring Siwash Indians. In this region consid- erable dog-fishing is done by the Indians, the oil being mostly rendered by putting the livers into wooden troughs and throwing in hot stones, finally pouring off the oil from the scraps. PORT TOWNSEND.— Three Italians fish at Port Towusend for halibut and dogfish. They have PACIFIC COAST: WASHINGTON TEEEITOEY. 629 a boat (Italian) of about 1 ton burden. The fish taken are either shipped directly to San Francisco or else salted. Some of them are sold in the town, and occasionally some shipped to Portland. NEW DUNGENESS. — Some scattering fishing for salmon, dog-fish, &c., is done at this point, and a good deal of fishing is done by Indians oa the way toward Cape Flattery. NEAH BAY.— At this point there is a considerable reservation of Indians who do nothing but fishing and sealing. The fur-seal fisheries of Cape Flattery are of considerable importance, and are elsewhere discussed by Judge Swan. Halibut fishing is here an important industry, several hundred pounds being brought in every day. Most of the halibut are taken just outside of the Straits of Fuca on a halibut bank, some 12 miles west-northwest of Neah Bay. The halibut are taken with large hooks made of an iron or bone spike, firmly bound to wood. They are taken for the whole length of the Straits of Fuca, but ihost abundantly near the sea, and in the main channels as far as Seattle and San Juan at least. Many rockfish (S. niyrocinctus, mclanops, nebulosus, ruber) are taken, also immense cultus-cod (Ophiodon), and occasionally a true cod (Gadus morrhua). Near Neah Bay was formerly a cannery, which has now suspended. It canned the halibut and the hoopid salmon (Oncorhijnchus kisutch), as well as young or suitable salmon of other species. The hooped salmon is fat and excellent. The canned halibut cannot compete with canned salmon, the boiled flesh being white and flavorless, and therefore unattractive, while the expense of manu- facture is not much less than that of canned salmon. QUINNAULT. — lu the Quiuuault Biver a small salmon runs, said to be very fat and of superior quality. This is probably 0. nerka. GRAY'S HAKBOR. — No regular fishing. A salmon cannery was formerly located here, but it is no longer in operation. SHOALWATEH BAY. — No fishermen are located here, and no fishing is done. The oyster interest has been elsewhere discussed. It is said that the bay is growing up to sea wrack, to the injury of the oysters. VICTORIA. — Some ten fishermen, chiefly Italian, are engaged in fishing at Victoria. They fish with hook and line, taking halibut, rock-cod (8. ruber, S. maliger), dogfish, and ground shark (Somniogut). The halibut is mostly bought by an American and shipped fresh on the steamers Idaho and Dakota to the San Francisco market. The chief supply of halibut at San Francisco comes from Victoria. Formerly a schooner belonging at Astoria was engaged in transporting halibut from Cape Flattery and the west coast of Vancouver's Island to Sail Francisco, but the attempt was abandoned after one season. Combinations among the Italian fish dealers in San Francisco are discouraging to shippers, as often the price of large consignments will be brought down to figures unreasonably low on perishable fish. Other fishermen use the seine and bring in tomcod (Microgadw) and various flounders, especially Paroplirys vctulus and Pleuronectes steUatus. Many herring are also taken. A large part of the supply of the Victoria market conies from Eraser's Eiver. In their season (May) the eulachon (Tlialeichthys pacificus) is the best pan-fish in this region. They run up the lower Fraser in enormous numbers, and every fish feeds on them. Even the sturgeons gorge themselves upon them. The "sucheye" salmon (Oncorhynclius nerka) is shipped to Victoria in large numbers, and a less quantity of the sawkwey (0. chouicha) and sturgeon (A. transmontanus) also find a ready gale at low prices. The green sturgeon (A. mcdirostris) is never eaten. 630 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. E.— ALASKA AND ITS FISHERY INTERESTS. BY DR. TARLETON H. BEAN. 225. STATISTICAL RECAPITULATION. Summary statement of persons employed. Persons employed. Xumber. Fishermen C, 000 Shoremen 130 Total 6,130 Detailed statement of capital invested and apparatus employed. Apparatus specified. i Number. Value. Boats 3,000 $60,000 Other apparatus, including outfits 7, 000 Cash capital and shore property 380,000 Total capital 447,000 i Detailed statement of the quantities and values of the products. Products specified. Quantity. Value. Salmon (fresh) pounds. 2,654,000 0 126 100 Smoked fish • do... 1 7°1 770 109 *>70 Secondary products. Caviare pounds. . do 230, 160 :; 'in't 34, 315 5 765 Oil ... gallons.. 5,680 2,280 Total 1 784 050 633 634 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. B.— LAKE SUPERIOR AND ITS FISHERIES. 228. STATISTICAL SUMMATION. Summary statement of persons employed. Persons employed. Number. Fishermen 414 Detailed statement of capital invested and apparatus employed. Apparatus specified. Number. Value. Vessels and boats 155 $26,150 Pounds 43 14,950 Gill-nets 4,630 25,280 Seines 32 2,010 Other apparatus, including outfit ] [ 290 Shore property | 1 2, 700 Total 81,380 Detailed statement of the quantities and values of Hie products. Products specified. Pounds. Value. Freshfish | 1,494,500 $47,780 Salt fish 1,549,500 57,755 Total... 103,535 229. THE FISHERIES OF THE NORTHWESTERN SHORE, INCLUDING DULUTH. THE NORTHWESTERN SHORE. — The northwestern shore of Lake Superior is hilly and moun- tainous in character, and for the most part deeply wooded. The small hamlets which exist here are chiefly lumbering stations, and the fisheries receive little or no attention. Fish are abundant, however, iu the neighboring waters, as is proven by the fact that they are visited by fishermen from Duluth and other towns on the south shore. DULUTH AND VICINITY. — Duluth, named after the French explorer and soldier, J. Duluth, is the most westerly village on the lakes, which is interested to any considerable extent in the fish- eries. It is situated on the side of one of the numerous hills which exist in this section, at the head of a harbor known as Duluth Bay. The Government has spent considerable money in improv- ing the entrance to the harbor and in building light-houses and breakwaters, not, however, in the interest of the fisheries, but for the grain trade and other branches of commerce in which Duluth is more especially engaged. The village was formerly chartered as a city, but has recently given up its charter. The fisheries are carried on by thirty-five men. About sixteen of them participate iu gill-net fishing, eleren in pound fishing — five being in charge of the steam-tug, and six managing the nets — and the rest in seine fishing. The gill-net fishery is the more important and about four hundred and eighty nets are iu use. GREAT LAKES: LAKE SUPERIOR 635 The boats used are Mackinaws, about 32 feet in length and worth $100. A tug also is employed in transporting products from the fishing grounds. Only two pounds are owned at Duluth, both small and set in shoal water. They are usually established about the 10th of June. The seiners fish only for a few days or weeks. The gill-net grounds visited by the Duluth fishermen extend along the south shore to the Apostle Islands and along the north shore to Isle Royale. The former are visited in spring and summer, the latter in fall. The pound-nets are set at the entrance of Superior Bay near Superior City, about eight miles distant from Duluth. Seining is prosecuted in the vicinity of Fond du Lac, at the head of Saint Louis Bay. In the pound-nets and gill-nets principally whitefish, trout, and herring are taken. The catch of the two former species amounted in 1879 to about 280,000 pounds. The seine fishery yields only pike, of which during the same year, about 16,000 pounds were caught. The shipping business was carried on by one firm until 1880, when .another made a beginning. All the fish are shipped fresh, being sent as far west as Deadwood, Dak., and south to Omaha, Nebr. The larger proportion, however, is sold in Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Minn. The fisheries of this section, as a whole, are growing in importance, although the pound- fishery seemed to have declined somewhat since five pound-nets were in use here a few years ago. There are few historical matters of importance to be recorded. No disasters occurred for twelve years prior to 1879, but in the fall of that year one fisherman was drowned. Superior City, the next town eastward, does not engage in the fisheries to any considerable extent. 230. THE FISHERIES OF THE SOUTHERN SHORE. BAYFIELD AND ASHLAND. — These villages are situated east of the Apostle Islands, the former at the mouth and the latter at the head of Chequamegon Bay. They are approximately of equal size and importance. Both are interested in the lumber trade, and each supports a local journal. Ashland is a watering place of some note. Bayfield surpasses Ashland in the importance of its fisheries, and indeed the people are depend- ent upon them. In the former village about one hundred and thirty men were employed in the fisheries in 1879, and nearly twice that number during 1880, while at the latter point only twenty- five or thirty men found occupation in fishing. The fishermen are principally Canadian French and half-breed Indians in about equal irarnbers. Gill-nets, pounds, seines, and lines are in use, but the first kind of apparatus is that most exten- sively employed. About 1,680 gill-nets are owned at Bayfield, but considerably less than one- fourth that number at Ashland. Their average length is about 65 fathoms. The pound fishery is prosecuted with 27 nets at Bayfield and 3 or 4 more at Ashland. They are of various sizes and depths, but all formed after the usual model. Seventeen or eighteen seines are employed, their average length being about 60 rods. In winter hook fishing is carried on among the islands near Bayfield. The principal boat is the famous Mackinaw, but a few clinker built boats also are in use. For the pound fishery the ordinary flat-bottomed pound-boat prevails. A schooner, used in carrying fishery products, is also owned at Bayfield. The gill-net grounds extend 90 or 100 miles eastward from the village. Pounds are set among the Apostle Islands and in Chequamegon Bay. The winter hook fishery and the seine fishery are both prosecuted among the islands, but much seining is done, also, in the shallow bays west of the Apostle Islands GB6 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. The catch consists mainly of whitefish, trout, herriug, and pike. The yield of both fisheries, in 1879, was about 300,000 pounds of fresh fish and 9,000 half-barrels of salt fish, worth together about $45,000. The shipping business is controlled mainly by three firms. At least seven- ninths of the salt fish is sent to other lake distributing points — Buffalo, Toledo, Chicago, and Port Clinton. The remainder goes to Saint Paul and Minneapolis. The fresh fish is shared about equally by Chicago and Saint Paul. The fishermen fish on shares, the outfitters furnishing boats, nets, and other apparatus, and paying a certain sum for the fish when salted. Provisions are advanced to fishermen's families on credit during the fishing season. Fish are somewhat less abundant in this region than formerly, especially in Chequamegou Bay, but the decrease is not considered at all alarming. It is the experience of the fishermen that if fishing is desisted from on a ground which has been depleted, fish will return to it in the course of a couple of years, and the catch will again be as large as previously. The year 1879 was not con- sidered an altogether profitable one, but the yield in 1880 was thought to have been larger than ever before. It must be taken into consideration, however, that more nets were used and that tin- grounds were better known than formerly. The boats now in use are not materially different from those formerly employed. They may be, however, a trifle larger and more valuable. We find record of only two disasters of recent occurrence. In 1878 a boat, with four men, was lost. In the same year another fisherman was lost while fishing through the ice. ONTONAGON, POETAGE ENTRY, L'ANSE, AND INTERVENING STATIONS.— Outouagon is situated on the west side of Keweeuaw Point, at the mouth of the Ontonagon River. Its principal industry is copper-mining, but the people are incidentally engaged in fishing. L'Ause, located at the head of Keweeuaw Bay, is also sustained by mining and lumber trade, bufcits fisheries are important. Between these villages there are a number of hamlets, the population of which is engaged in fishing to a greater or less extent. In this section we find about one hundred and thirty-four fishermen, eighty-eight of whom arc- engaged in gill netting, thirty in the pound-net fishery, and the rest in seining and other minor fish- eries. The nationalities represented, as at the villages westward, are Canadian French and half, breed Indians, in equal proportions. The owners of fisheries, however, are principally Americans. Gill net fishing ranks first in importance. About eleven hundred nets are in use, each GO fathoms or a little less in length, and with 4f or 5-inch mesh. They are in use at all seasons of the year. The catch consists principally of whitefish, trout, and siscowet and a few suckers. The pound fishery is prosecuted with twelve nets, each worth about $350. The season lasts from May to November, unless heavy storms should make it necessary to remove them earlier. The prin- cipal fish taken are whitefish, trout, and pickerel. The seiners use eight seines, worth about $75 each, and catch mainly whitefish. One small steam-tug of about 12 tons burden is employed in the gill-net fishery and in trans porting the catch to shipping points, and a little schooner is also used for carrying the products from place to place. In regard to the boats it may be said that they are not so seaworthy as those used farther west. The cause is to be found in the fact that this section of coast is not so exposed as many others. The pound boats especially are not much better than those employed at Green Bay. The gill-netters fish west of Keweeuaw Point, in Keweeuaw Bay, and eastward almost to GREAT LAKES: LAKE SUPERIOR. 637 Marquette. The pound-nets are set in dift'ereut parts of Keweeuaw Bay. The seining reaches are in the vicinity of L'Anse and Portage Entry. The yield of the fisheries during 1879 amounted to about 405,000 pounds of fresh fish and about 4,200 half-barrels of salt fish. A considerable proportion was sold at the mines in the vicinity of the fisheries and in inland towns, and the remainder was shipped to Detroit, Cleveland, Buffalo, Chicago, and Milwaukee, but the exact apportionment of the amount could not be ascertained. The fishermen consider that whitefish have decreased appreciably within ten years, and point to sawdust, increased navigation, and overfishing as the causes of the diminution. MABQUETTE AND VICINITY. — Marquette, the capital of Marquette County, is a small city, aud a summer resort of some note. It is situated at the head of a fine harbor. The iron and lumber trades take precedence over the fisheries. The number of fishermen at Marquette in 1879 was about thirty-three, twelve of whom were engaged in gill-netting, twelve in seining, and the remainder in the pound fishery. They are of various nationalities, only about one-third being native Americans. There is also one fisherman living at the south end of Grand Island, east of Marquette. Pound-net, gill-net, and seine fisheries are all carried on to a greater or less extent in difl'erent years. The gill netters fish at different points along about 50 miles of shore east of Marquette, while the pounds are set in sheltered positions in the shallow bays and the mouths of rivers between the town and Grand Island. Seining is prosecuted entirely in Marquette Harbor. Some fishing is also carried on at the trout bank, known as Stannard's Rock. About sixty boxes of gill-nets, or three hundred and sixty nets, were employed in 1879, together with eight pound-nets and four small seines. The gill-net fishermen employ several steam-tugs of the usual model and size. Larger and better boats are used than formerly. The catch consists of whitefish, trout, siscowet, herring, and lawyers. The yield in 1879 was about 450,000 pounds, of which enough to make 200 half-barrels was salted and the remainder sold fresh. About 2-5,000 pounds of the latter were shipped to Milwaukee, and of the remainder part sold to the steamboat companies and to the miners living in the vicinity and part sent to inland towns in Wisconsin and Illinois. The shipping business is entirely in the hands of three firms. The fish are caught on shares. The dealers furnish outfits, including boats, and take one-half the fish caught as compensation. They also buy the remainder from the fishermen, paying a uniform price of 7 cents apiece. Fifteen or twenty years ago trout fishing with hand-lines was the most important branch pros- ecuted, gill-nets being used only for whitefish. Pound-nets were not introduced until 1869. Seines were in use many years before gill nets were introduced, but they are now fast falling into disuse. Some fishermen hold the opinion that there has been a gradual decrease in the abundance of all species, but particularly of whitefish and trout. Others think that this theory is without foun- dation in truth. They say that the spawning grounds are not disturbed, and that spawning or young fish are rarely taken; and claim that the species which appear to have decreased in number have simply moved to inaccessible or undiscovered grounds. WniTEFisn POINT AND SAITLT DE SAINTE MARIE. — Fishing has been carried on at Whitefish Point for many years, but the fishery did not assume proportions of any magnitude until the year 1870, when it was purchased by Messrs. Jones & Trevalle, of Buffalo, 5f. Y. A pier has been con- structed aud a number of buildings erected. During the fishing season twenty or thirty persons live at the Point, but in winter the place is deserted. Communication with other places is car ried on entirely by water. Steamers stop at the pier, if the weather is sufficiently calm, and take awav the fish. 638 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. lu 1879 about twelve fishermen were employed in attending the pounds, setting gill-nets, haul- ing seines, and preparing fish for market. The gill-netters use about two hundred nets. They fish in different places about the Point, but not farther than 5 or 6 miles from land. At certain seasons the tug goes 5 or 6 miles west of the Point. Only two pounds are employed, the character of the shore being unfavorable for this kind of fishing. One is set a short distance west of the Point and the other south of it. The seine fishery is of little moment. Only two nets are employed. The catch consists of whitefish, trout, and a few suckers. The yield in 1879 was about 350,000 pounds. Three hundred and fifty half-barrels of whitefish and trout and a few suckers were salted and shipped to Mil- waukee and Chicago. The remainder of the fish was shipped fresh to Chicago, Cleveland, Erie, and Buffalo. Fishing in this region has not been very profitable during the past five or six years. The pound and seine fisheries have been the least productive, the success of the gill-uetters, on the other hand, being materially improved. The fishermen unanimously agree that the cause of the lack of success in the two former branches is to be found in the fact that the water has con- siderably receded from the shore. In 1874 about 2,300 half barrels of fish were salted and a con- siderable amount sold fresh. Pound-nets were introduced about ten years ago. At Sault de Saiute Marie the majority of the fish taken are caught by Indians, with dip-uetf in the rapids. One stands at the bow of the canoe with a net, and a second propels and steers the craft. Several hundred pounds are frequently taken in this way by a single canoe in one day. A few fish are also taken in traps set in Whisky Bay. The catch consists exclusively of whitefish, trout, and pike. During 1879 about 2,500 half- barrels of fish were shipped from the Sault, all but about 50 half-barrels of which were whitefish. They were all salted and shipped to Chicago, Detroit, and Cleveland. C.— LAKE MICHIGAN AND ITS FISHERIES. 231. STATISTICAL SUMMATION. Summary statement of persons employed. Tersoiis employed Number. Fishermen , 1 578 Detailed statenent of capital in vested and apparatus employed. Apparatus specified. Number. Value. Vessels and boats G4" $1°5 895 Pounds 476 185 4°5 Gill-nets 24 599 1°4 741) 19 o 04Q Other apparatus, including outfits 8 935 Shore property 104 100 Total 551 135 GEE AT LAKES: LAKE MICHIGAN. Detailed statement of the quantities and values of the products. 639 Products specified. Quantity. Value. Primary products. Fresh fish Salt fish ...pounds.. do.... 10, 728, 250 7 730,740 $343, 070 203, 425 do 100, 000 6,000 Smoked fish do 788, 590 52, 930 Secondary products. Caviare -• ...pounds., do ... 31, 330 26o 6,620 265 Oil 200 100 Total 612, 410 232. THE FISHEEIES OF THE WESTERN SHORE. ESCANABA AND THE NORTH SHORE OF GREEN BAY. — Escauaba, Micli., the capital of Delta County, is situated 011 Green Bay, at the moutli of the Escanaba River, and of Little Bay de No- quette. It is the center of au extensive iron and lumber trade, being on the line of the Xorth- westeru Railroad. The fisheries of Escanaba are not unimportant. A large proportion of the fishermen who visit the islands at the entrance of Green Bay reside here, and avail themselves of the facilities for ship- ping which the direct railroad connection affords. In 1879 they numbered about ninety-two, thirty being employed in the pound fisheries, fifty-three in gill-netting, and nine in seining. They belong to different nationalities, but native Americans predominate. The gill-net fishery, as appears from the number of men employed, ranks first in importance, the pound fishery taking the second place. Seining is carried on only to a limited extent. The grounds are very extensive, occupying almost the whole northern portion of Green Bay, including Little and Big Bays de Noquette. Those about "Washington and Saint Martin's Islands, which had been quite depleted, are again becoming very profitable. The fishermen disagree, how- ever, in their statements regarding the abundance of fish. At Fish Creek, near Escanaba, they asserted that the Washington Island grounds were ruined and unproductive, but it was ascer- tained later that a thousand nets were in use there in 1879, and that the catch was not small. The general impression seems to be that whitefish are growing constantly more abundant in some places. During the year 1879 about 300,000 pounds of fresh fish and 2,3CO half barrels of salt fish were received at Escauaba. The fresh fish were almost entirely whitefisk and trout. About one-half of the salt fish were whitefish and trout, and the remainder suckers and herring. The amounts given do not represent the entire yield of the fisheries of northern Green Bay. Among the islands probably seven-eighths of the amount taken is bought by traders and taken to Chicago and other centers of distribution. The fresh fish received at Escanaba are shipped to other points by rail. About two-thirds of the whole amount is sent to Chicago, and the remainder to Saint Louis, Kansas City, and other inland towns. About $40,000 are invested in boats, nets, and other apparatus. During the past decade only two disasters occurred. In 1873 two fishermen were lost off the Gull Islands, and in 1879 one fell through the ice and perished. The most important event which has taken place in the history of the fisheries is the intro- 040 GEOGRAPHICAL KEV1EW OF THE FISHERIES. dnction of steam-tugs in both gill-net and pound fishing. The smaller boats are of better model than formerly, and the fishermen have grown more skillful in the management of them. The yield of the fisheries of Escauaba was larger in 3879 than during the four or five years preceding. The increase was most noticeable on the grounds about \Yashingtou and Saint Martin's Islands. MENOMINEE, MENEKAUNEE, AND VICINITY. — The communities resident on the west side of Green Bay, between Cedar Eiver and Peshtigo Point, are more extensively engaged in and depend- ent upon the fisheries than those farther north. The fishermen, as a rule, are well fitted for their occupation, but for the past four or five years their gains have been but barely sufficient to support them. Their houses are scantily furnished and are always built near the fishery and close to the beach. A few have cleared fields of consid- erable extent about their dwellings, but the majority cultivate only sufficient land to enable them to raise a few vegetables. The different fisheries are scattered along the shore quite regularly. A few miles north of Meuominee the road is replaced by an indistinct trail which leads through the almost impenetrable pine forests which cover the shore, and is the only line of communication between the fishing stations, except by water. Between Cedar River and Peshtigo Point, we find about thirty families of professional fish- ermen, aggregating about one hundred and fifty persons. A few of the net-owners are single men, but the majority are married and have large families. The owners are principally Swedes, Americans, and Norwegians, but many other nationalities are represented among the fishermen. The Swedes and Norwegians are said to be most successful. The pound-net fishery is the most important, and occupies the fishermen during the summer. In winter the pounds are replaced by gill-nets. The summer grounds are near shore, but in winter the fishermen venture far out on the ice. The pounds increase in depth from Peshtigo Point northward. Many in use in the vicinity of the former station are only 8 or 10 feet deep, while near Ingleston, north of Menominee, they are frequently 60 or 70 feet deep. The value of fishery apparatus used in the fisheries of this section of shore is about $30,000. There are no special peculiarities in the nets or boats which demand attention. Steam-tugs are not employed. The Menominee dealers send boats along the shore to the different stations every day during the height of the season to collect fish from the pounds. There are also two vessels which cruise along the shore periodically, gathering up the fish which the fishermen have salted, and supplying the latter with salt and barrels. During 1879 about 1,500,000 pounds of fish were taken, of which 500,000 pounds were sold fresh, and the remainder salted. Whitefish and herring formed the most important factor in the amount of fresh fish, but trout, sturgeon, dory, and many other kinds were included. Few fish, except whitefish, trout, and herring are salted in this locality. The larger proportion of fresh fish is sent directly to Chicago by rail in boxes or refrigera- tors. One firm in Menominee uses about twenty refrigerators constantly, and considers this method of preparation for shipment less expensive and troublesome than packing in boxes. Salt fish are sent to Chicago and to several distributing points on Lake Erie. There have been many changes in the methods of fishing at Menomiuee and the neighboring- towns, as well as in the form of apparatus and the location of the fishing grounds. Summer gill- net fishing, which was carried on extensively in former years, has been almost entirely abandoned. In the canvass of this region in the summer of 1879, but one fisherman could be found engaged in this occupation. GREAT LAKES: LAKE MICHIGAN. 641 Gill-net fishing through the ice was begun in the winter of 1867. Prior to this time hook-and-line fishing, which is now of minor importance, was carried on quite extensively. The favorite grounds were the shoals south of Green Island. In this region, as well as all others, at the advent of pound nets, seines began gradually to disappear. At present only two seines are in use. Prior to fifteen years ago the most profitable fishing grounds of this section were in Menominee Eiver, near its mouth. Backs were constructed, in which fish were captured as they came down the stream from their spawning beds. As many as COO barrels of whitefish were sometimes taken from one of these racks during a single season. The spring run of whitefish was always light, but as great numbers of pike were usually taken at this season, the total catch assumed large proportions. Pike still run up the river in limited numbers, perhaps about one eighth as many as formerly, but no whitefish. Mr. Evelaud stated that not a single whitefish had been taken for twelve years, and gave it as his opinion that the pollution of the water by sawdust was the chief cause of their disappearance. The establishment of saw-mills upon Menominee Eiver, and the consequent deposition of great quantities of sawdust in the water has effected the ruin of the fisheries in the vicinity. There are no less than thirteen mills within two miles of the mouth of the river, in the three towns Menominee, Marinette, and Menekaunee, besides planing-mills and other similar establishments. At least two of these mills turn all their refuse into the river. Mr. Kumlien states in his notes that during his stay in Menominee he noticed that there was always a large mass of sawdust, from a quarter of a mile to two miles broad, and many miles long, floating about in the bay. According to Mr. Eveland the condition of affairs has been much the same for many years, and the spawning grounds of the whitefish for a long distance outside the mouth of the river and on either shore, north and south, have been completely ruined. It is not unusual for vessels to meet portions of the mass of sawdust 20 or 30 miles from Menominee, and the water at the entrance of the bay is often covered with it. It is said to have accumulated at the mouth of the river, forming masses in some places eight feet deep. Many of the beautiful sandy beaches of former times are now covered with spongy masses of decaying sawdust, interspersed with slabs and broken sticks. Pound nets set in 69 or 70 feet of water, miles away from the mills, become choked with all kinds of mill refuse. Bars and shoals, once the home of the whitefish, are deserted. Grounds once abounding in fish, yielding large profits, are now abandoned and new and distant ones sought, where, for the establishment of nets, increased labor and expense are necessary. Some are so far distant from any shipping point that the expenses of transportation absorb the greater portion of the profits of the fishermen. Seines were introduced at Menominee, about 35 years ago. Those first used were about 80 rods long, the mesh at the center being 3 inches, and in the wings 4 inches. It was not unusual to take 8 or 10 barrels of fish at a haul. OCONTO, PENSATJKEE, LITTLE SUAMICO, AND VICINITY. — All the communities residing on the west shore of Green Bay, between Peshtigo and Little Tail Points, are interested in and engaged in the fisheries to a considerable extent, although perhaps a larger amount of capital is invested in the lumber trade. All the larger villages are connected with Milwaukee and Chicago by rail, and, therefore, possess abundant facilities for disposing of their fishery products to the best advan- tage. The most important class connected with the fisheries are the pound owners, of which there were thirty in 1879 within the limits marked out. Besides these there are ten men who own only gill nets, which they employ in winter. The seiners, as a rule, are married, and have families of 41 G R F (542 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OP THE FISHERIES. four or five persons, making in all two hundred or two hundred and fifty people dependent upon the fisheries. For about ten weeks in spring, and for about the same period in fall, each of the net owners requires a number of assistants, varying from one to eight. Thus about seventy-five men additional find employment for five months. Not more than ten or twelve of the assistants are married, the remainder being young men. There are in all therefore about fifty families and sixty -five unmarried men dependent on the fisheries of this region. With the exception of two men, a Frenchman and an Irishman, the pound-net owners represent three nationalities — American, German, and Norwegian. Among the assistants a great number of nationalities are represented. The fishermen of this region are, almost without exception, in comfortable financial circum- stances, and some have amassed considerable fortunes. They are nearly all land owners to a greater or less extent, some possessing valuable farms in addition to their fisheries. There are few localities on the lakes where the fishermen control the business so completely. They buy their own supplies directly from the manufacturers, and in many cases ship the fish which they catch. There is one dealer, however, who buys nearly all the salt fish and a considerable portion of the fresh fish. He employs continually about five men in preparing products for market. Besides this firm there are several others of minor importance. The practice of supplying fishermen with outfits on credit has been abolished, and although there are some men who would engage in fishing if they could secure an outfit in advance, the dealers wisely abstain from yielding to their requests. As already intimated, the principal fishery carried on is the pound-net fishery. The pounds about Suamico form the southern section of that great line of nets extending all along the west shore of Green Bay. They are all set comparatively near shore, in from 10 to 34 feet of water. With the approach of cold weather and the formation of ice in the bay the pound fishery gives way to the winter gill-net fishery. There are no peculiarities, however, in the mode of its operation in this region. Seining has been almost abandoned, many of the nets having been used in the construction of pounds. The two seines still in use— one at the mouth of Suamico River, the other at the mouth of Oconto River— are small, and the amount of fish taken by means of them is insignificant. The amount of capital invested in the apparatus and accessories employed in the fisheries in 1879 was about $33,000. The principal factors in this amount are the cost of the pound-nets and the repairs made upon them, of the boats, and of the packages in which the salt fish were shipped. These items combined amount to about five-sixths of the total sum. As the result of the activities of the fishermen during 1879, about 000,000 pounds of fresh fish, worth $13,500, and 17,000 half-barrels, worth not less than $27,000, were sent to market. The profits were distributed among seven firms of shippers, and through them to the fishermen. The fresh fish consisted of whitefish, trout, and the various kinds — herring, black bass, pike, catfish, &c. — shipped together under the name of "rough" fish. The amount of salt fish was made up almost entirely of whitefish and herring. At Oconto we meet for the first time with an establishment for the manufacture of caviare and isinglass. About 65 pounds of crude isinglass were prepared here in 1879. The dealers find markets for their products in Chicago, Saint Louis, and Kansas City, the former city receiving by far the largest share. Little or no salt fish is sent to Saint Louis or Kansas City. The principal change which has occurred in the methods of fishing employed in this region is that already referred to, namely, the substitution of pound-nets for seines. GEEAT LAKES: LAKE MICHIGAN. 643 The most productive season ever known to the fishermen of this shore occurred in the autumn of 1876. A sufficient amount of fish was taken in seventy-six pound-nets to fill, when salted, 22,722 half-barrels. The catch consisted almost entirely of herring, a species which is also the most abundant at the present time. Only 500 half barrels of whitefish -were taken. GREEN BAY CITY AND VICINITY.— Green Bay City, situated on the Fox Eiver, near its entrance into Green Bay, as regards its connection with the fisheries, is in some respects one of the most important towns on the bay. A large amount of fish taken in the fisheries of both the eastern and western shores of the bay is shipped through the town, and supplies of salt, twine, netting and provisions are purchased there. The fisheries of the town itself, however, are quite insignifi- cant when compared with those of the villages farther north. The number of fishermen permanently resident at Green Bay does not exceed twenty-five. It is increased, however, during the fall and spring, by an addition of seventy-five or one hundred semi-professional fishermen. Among seventeen of the twenty five men first mentioned, the follow- ing nationalises were found to be represented: English, 2; French, 2; American, 2; Norwegian, 2; German, 3; Polish, 2; Swiss,!; Belgian,!; Swedish, 2. An equally remarkable diversity prevails in many other localities on the lakes. A few of the fishermen are in comfortable circumstances financially, while one or two are moderately wealthy. On the other hand", some are negligent and seem to have no tact in providing for their families, although their gains are usually sufficient to enable them to live well. Several different branches of the fisheries are carried on at Green Bay, but only to a limited extent. Gill-nets are set in the inlets which penetrate the marshy shores of the Fox Eiver, near its mouth, and just beyond the delta four pounds are established. About one hundred and fifty small fykes and some seventeen small pounds, technically known as ''baby" pounds, are also employed. Five large seines, hauled ashore by means of capstans, are still in use. In spring the number of nets is increased, seventy five or more being employed by fishermen from Oshkosh and other inland towns, who fish h,ere at that season. The boats are small and not so well built as those used in the fisheries of the upper part of the bay. The amount of fresh fish which passed through the hands of the dealers at Green Bay during 1879, coining partly from the fisheries of the city and partly from those of the upper portion of the bay, was about 811,500 pounds, worth $32,500. In addition, 10,850 half-barrels cxf salt fish, worth about $25,000, were shipped during the year. The fresh fish were of many kinds, whitefish, trout, herring, wall-eyed pike, and catfish being, perhaps, the most important. Whitefish of different grades, trout, and herring are the principal kinds salted. A large part of the salt fish is purchased from the fishermen in half barrels and repacked in kits of different sizes. Probably fully one-half of all the fish received at Green Bay is sent to Chicago, the remainder being sent to different cities and towns in the interior of Wisconsin. During 1879 the firms dealing in netting, twine, and cordage sold about $2,200 worth of those commodities, while the salt dealers sold nearly 2,800 barrels of salt, worth about $4,000. The boat factory located at Green Bay city has only a small and local trade. The business has decreased materially within the decade, so that that transacted in 1878 was scarcely more than one-fourth the magnitude of that carried on in 1873. At present more repairing than building is done. Three men are constantly employed, more being added when an increase of work demands it. The firm of W. D. Britton & Co., manufacturers of barrels and other packages, during 1879 sold 10,000 half barrels, 10,000 quarter-barrels, and 500 caviare barrels for use in the fisheries. (344 GEOGBAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. There has been a marked decrease in the sale of half barrels since the practice of returning the empty ones to the fishermen was originated. The demand for caviare barrels, however, is rapidly increasing. The firm employs sixty men, but not all are engaged in making fish barrels. Green Bay city having been for many years the chief shipping point for the bay, the fluctua- tions in the abundance of fish and the changes in the fishing business have been perhaps more carefully noted than elsewhere. A considerable amount of information was obtained in regard to these matters by Mr. Kumlien from Mr. Kalmbach and other dealers of the city, and may per- haps be most conveniently inserted here. Green Bay has long had an enviable reputation for its extensive and valuable fisheries, but of late years their yield has been growing noticeably less, the decrease being most marked in the case of whitefish and other kinds which are commonly salted. The fresh fish trade has not declined, but is rather on the advance, owing to the improved facilities for shipping fish in that condition. Fresh fish are at present shipped to Kansas City, Saint Louis, Saint Joseph, and other places in the hottest weather, in perfect safety. Mr. M. F. Kalmbach gives an instance of the abundance of whitefish in former years. In 1860 he began fishing with pound-nets in Bay de Noquette. Pounds were not generally in use at that time, his trial of them being, in fact, one of the first. He employed two nets, one 18 feet deep, the other 20 feet deep, and each about 28 by 32 feet square. In these nets, between the 10th of October and the 25th of November, he took a sufficient quantity of whitefish to fill 1,750 half- barrels when salted, and was prevented from preparing double the quantity merely from lack of the needed supplies of salt and packages. For more than a month the nets were so full that a simple dip-net was the only implement necessary to be used in securing a quantity for salting. The fish crowded about the nets seeking entrance. In late years pound-nets with very small mesh have been extensively employed, and largo quantities of small fish taken. In the fall of 1878, at one locality in the bay, over 5,000 barrels of whitefish, equal to fully 7,500,000 fish, were thrown away, being too small for market. The same practice having been in force in many other places, it would seem that the supply of whitefish must be considerably diminished. Another cause of the decrease of whitefish may perhaps be found in the fact that they have been driven from their old spawning grounds by sawdust and other mill refuse. Prior to 1865 there were few mills on the rivers, and large numbers of fish were hatched in them rather than at the grounds about the reefs. DE PERE AND WEST DE PEKE. — The towns De Pere and West De Pere are situated on oppo- site sides of the Fox Eiver, about 10 miles above Green Bay City. Large dams have been erected here, which give power to numerous manufacturing establishments, including many lumber mills. The river below the dams is wide and deep, and resembles an arm of a bay rather than a portion of a river. The fisheries at this point, which are now insignificant, were formerly of considerable impor- tance. The most favorable shore from which to operate was frequently rented for as much as $1,500 for the season, lasting from April to June. At this time whitefish came up the river, and were caught in abundance. Of late years the increasing settlement of the country, the establishment of mills, and other causes have combined to render these fisheries much less productive than formerly. A recent State law has made fishing in the Fox Eivcr illegal at all seasons, but nevertheless it is still carried on to a limited extent. A considerable quantity is taken by laborers and others for family use, GEEAT LAKES: LAKE MICHIGAN. 645 the exact amount of which cannot be ascertained, although it is probably not more than 5,000 pounds. The total yield in 1879 was about 14,000 pounds of fresh fish and 15,500 pounds of salt fish, worth together about $1,300. The fresh fish consisted principally of whitefish, trout, pickerel, and dory, in about equal proportions. The salt fish were whitefish, trout, herring, and skinned catfish. The apparatus consists of a number of small gill-nets, two seines, and about one hundred large dip nets. The total sum invested does not exceed $500. A large barrel factory is located at West De Pere, in which in 1879 at least 350,000 barrels and kits were manufactured. Among them were about 60,000 herring kits, a kind of package made here for the first time in 1878. The majority of the stock is shipped to Chicago, and is used by the packers of that city. The firm employs constantly about one hundred and fifty men. THE EAST SHOEE OF GREEN BAY. — The fisheries of the east shore of Green Bay are carried on at present principally by the fanners who live along the shore. The professional fishermen, who are pound- owners, are only seven in number, six living on the mainland and one on Chambers' Island. South of Little Sturgeon Bay there are about forty-eight farmers who participate in the gill-net fishery in winter, and north of it about six more. . Thus it appears that there are about sixty-two families on this shore which are more or less dependent upon the fisheries for their support. In addition, about twenty assistants are employed during the winter months. Both the pound owners and the farmers are almost without exception Belgians. The men who fish with pound-nets have made but a scanty living in latter years, but the winter fishermen are usually fairly compensated for their toil. There has been a decided decrease in the abundance of fish within the past decade. In 1873 Mr. Blakefield, of the firm of Blakefield & Minor, of Fish Creek, sold more than $4,000 worth of fresh fish from two small pound-nets, set in the vicinity of Chambers' Island. During 1879, on the same grounds, with twice the number of nets, the product was worth only about $400. On certain grounds, where a few years ago two men caught $9,000 worth of fish in their gill-nets, no fishing is now carried on. Those who formerly engaged in fishing and were successful have turned their attention to other pursuits, or have sought other fishing grounds in Lake Superior and elsewhere. The apparatus, which consists of about 1,800 gill-nets, 15 pounds, a single seine, and a number of boats and accessories, is worth about $11,000, a large amount when compared with the catch. The fact that in 18G9 at least $40,000 were invested in apparatus on this same extent of shore, the profits being more than double those now accruing, in proportion to the money invested, shows how great has been the decrease of the fisheries on this side of the bay. Some further details in regard to the destruction of the celebrated fishing grounds at the entrance of Green Bay may be interesting in this connection. The grounds between Washington and Saint Martin's Islands were probably the most productive in the bay, and the most frequented by the fishermen. Their abandonment was due to several causes, and not least to the terrible losses of nets which occurred there in the fall of several seasons. As many as three thousand nets have been lost in one autumn, carrying down with them 500,000 or 600,000 whitefish. Although the loss of the nets was a great discouragement to the fishermen, it is the opinion of all that the pres- ence of so large a mass of decaying fish on the spawning beds effected a much more serious injury in that it drove away the fish which were wont to congregate there. Many of the nets were grappled up in spring completely filled with fish, but the stench from them was so horrible that the fishermen could not take them into their boats. 646 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. The loss of nets occurred generally during the last days of the fishing season, early in Dccem ber, after the whitefish had deposited their spawn. The height of the prosperity of the gill-net fishery about Washington Island occurred between the years 1864 and 18G7. After the latter date the decline became apparent. Fifteen years ago between four and five thousand nets were in use on the grounds, and a yearly business of $100,000 was transacted there. Five years ago Chambers' Island supported nine pound-nets, in all of which large quantities of fish were taken, but in 1879 only two were established there, and both proved failures. Between 1870 and 1873 not less than 60 tons of fish were shipped from Fish Creek, all taken from within a radius of ten miles. TOKTE DBS MORTES, AT THE ENTRANCE OF GEEEN BAT, TO AND INCLUDING MANITOWOC The principal fishing stations on this shore are Jacksonport, Whitefish Bay, Clay Banks, Row- ley's Point, Two Rivers, and Manitowoc, of which the last two are the most important. During the year 1879 about fifty-three men were engaged in fishing, being distributed as fol- lows: Jacksouport, Cana Islands, and Whitefish Bay, eight; Manitowoc, four; Two Rivers and vicinity, forty-one. These, with their families, comprising in all about two hundred and thirty persons, derive their support solely from the fisheries. Besides those mentioned, ten or twelve men, principally from Two Rivers, are hired, during a part of the season at least, as assistants. The fishermen north of Whitefish Bay are Americans, but from that point southward all, with the exception of five or six Germans, are French Canadians. The French are all Roman Catholics. Their profession is handed down from father to son. The boys assist in fishing when very young, and develop into good fishermen and skillful boatmen. At Two Rivers the fishermen and their families live in one locality, forming quite a colony, which is known locally as " Canada." Most of the elder fishermen are in good circumstances, but when their business is very pros- perous they are all apt to live extravagantly and expend a large part of their gains. Intemperance, which was formerly quite prevalent here, has almost entirely disappeared. The fisheries differ in character at different points along the section of shore under considera- tion. At Jacksonport and Whitefish Bay the pound-net fishery takes precedence, the grounds opposite the latter station having been for a long time noted for their supply of whitefish. North of Clay Banks the gill-net fishery is unimportant, but the fishermen of that village and of Stony Creek, a few miles farther south, engage in that branch exclusively. At Two Rivers and Maul- towoc both gill-net and pound-net fishing are extensively engaged in. Along the entire shore, in 1879, about 2,200 gill-nets and 40 pound-nets were employed, the total value of which was about $26,000, according to the estimates of the owners. For the management of these nets and for the preparation and storage of the fish taken, boats and other apparatus and accessories, worth about $15,000, were employed. The yield of the fisheries for the year ending October 1, 1879, was approximately as follows : Fresh fish, principally whitefish and trout, 550,000 pounds; salt fish — whitefish and herring — 355,000 pounds; smoked fish, about 10,000 pounds. The total value of these products was about $33,300. The whole catch, with the exception of 20,000 or 30,000 pounds, is sent to Chicago by cars or boats. One firm at Manitowoc carries on a strictly local trade, selling to the people of the town and neighborhood. All kinds taken from their nets find ready sale, even lawyers, which are pur- chased by the Germans and Scandanavians. The fishermen of Manitowoc and Two Rivers complain of the decrease in the abundance of GREAT LAKES: LAKE MICHIGAN. 647 fish, but the statistics in the report of the late Mr. James Miluer, published by the United States Fish Commission in 1874, the only reliable ones available, do not show such an alarming decrease as, according to their opinion, exists. Nevertheless, it is undeniable that there have been im- portant changes, especially at Two Eivers. within the past fifteen years. About five years ago the salt-fish trade became so unprofitable that many of the fishermen of Two Eivers left the town in search of more lucrative grounds. The fresh fish trade, on the other Land, received a new im- petus at that time, greatly encouraging the fishermen engaged in it. SHEBOYGAN, OOSTBUKGH, CEDAU GKOVE, AND POET WASHINGTON. — These four villages, situated on the west shore of Lake Michigan, are about equally interested in the fisheries. Inves- tigation showed that the number of fishermen at Sheboygan in 1879 was about twenty; at Cedar Grove, about twenty; at Oostburgh, twenty one; aud at Port Washington, thirteen; making a total of seventy-four men. Those residing at Cedar Grove and Oostburgh are principally Hol- landers, while those at Port Washington are Americans, and at Sheboygan Germans and Ameri- cans in about equal numbers. Pound-net fishing is the only branch engaged in, except at Sheboygan, where gill nets are used exclusively. The apparatus employed, comprising 54 pound-nets, about 750 gill-nets, two steam-tugs, and a number of smaller boats and accessories, is valued at about $39,000. Four steam-tugs are, in reality, owned at Sheboygan, but two of them were employed at other places during the year 1879. The catch on this shore consists almost entirely of the four kinds, whitefish, herring, trout, and sturgeon. During 1879 not less than 865,000 pounds of fresh fish, 500 half-barrels of salt fish, and 33,500 pounds of smoked fish were shipped to market, together with about 400 gallons of fish oil. At least three-fourths of the products are sent to Chicago, the remainder being partially con- sumed in the villages about the fisheries, and in part sent to Saint Louis and other inland cities and towns. In 1866 the grounds at Sheboygan became entirely depleted, and the fishermen crossed the lake and for two years fished along the east shore. On returning, at the end of that time, they found the old grounds were again productive, and they fished there with success. Pound-net fishing was attempted at Sheboygan in 1871, but the experiment ended in utter failure, and gill- netting was consequently resumed. The principal change which has taken place in connection with the latter mode of fishing is one which has occurred along the entire shore, namely, the sub- stitution of steam-tugs for boats. At Cedar Grove gill-nets and seines were formerly extensively employed. Gill-net fishing was abandoned on account of the remoteness of the grounds and the lack of a good harbor which the boats might enter in stormy weather. Pounds were not introduced until 1862. In the opinion of some of the fishermen of this place there has been a marked decrease in the abundance of fish during the last twenty years. Pounds were introduced at Oostburgh and Port Washington about the year 1865, and have been constantly in use since that time. The fishermen state that, although the number of nets has greatly increased within a decade, the yield of the fisheries has remained about stationary, and that consequently the fish are decreasing in number. MILWAUKEE. — The fisheries of Milwaukee, although of considerable importance in themselves, do not occupy a prominent place among the industries in which the people of that city are engaged. During the year 1879 only about eighty men, one-half of them fishermen and the others dealers, clerks, and peddlers, were employed in the business. It is a singular fact, but one which shows 648 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. that the city is entirely independent of the fisheries carried on there, that the larger proportion of the fish taken by Milwaukee fishermen are shipped to Chicago and other places, while the supply for the city is obtained largely from Lake Superior. Both gill-net and pound-net fishing are engaged in, the former more extensively than the latter. In 1879 about 2,000 gill-nets and 10 pound-nets were employed, the value of which, according to the owner, is about $9,500. In the management of the nets five steam tugs, and a number of smaller boats and accessories, valued at about $13,000, are employed. As a result of the activities of the fishermen during 1879, about 980,000 pounds of fish were taken, 900,000 pounds of which were whitefish and trout, and the remainder lawyers, sturgeon, and other minor varieties. About 500,000 pounds of whitefisli and trout were sent to Chicago, and the rest, in part, sent to inland towns, and in part consumed in the city. The value of the products to the fishermen, who, it must be remembered, usually ship for themselves the fish they catch, was about $28,600. It may not be inappropriate to mention that in addition to the amount caught in Lake Michigan, about 75,OCO pounds of fish, principally bass and pickerel, were received into the city from various inland lakes in the State. The trade in fish received from other places is of considerable importance. Six dealers are engaged in the business. During the year 1879 they received an aggregate of 5,969 half-barrels of salt fish, which, with the exception of about 28 half-barrels, consisted of various grades of white- fish, trout, and herring. They were received in part from the east shore of Lake Michigan, north of Ludington, and from Lake Superior. More than 4,000 half-barrels were sold to the wholesale grocers of the city, by whom they were sent to the retail grocers in the surrounding country, the remainder being sent to Saint Louis, Cincinnati, and other inland cities and towns. The decline of the importance of Milwaukee as a distributing point is shown by the striking decrease in the amounts handled by the dealers -in 1879 as compared with those of former years. One firm, which disposed of 2,000 half-barrels of salt fish in 1879, in 1867 received 13,000 half- barrels, and in 1869, 14,000 half barrels. Another firm, which also handled about 2,000 half-barrels in 1879, received nearly 7,000 half-barrels in 1872, and over 10,000 barrels in 1873. In addition to the salt fish, about 100,000 pounds of fresh whitefish and trout, and a small amount of minor varieties, were received from outside the city, principally from Lake Superior, and sold partly in Milwaukee and partly in the neighboring inland towns. The fisheries of Milwaukee are less extensive than formerly, owing, no doubt, in part, to their being less productive than formerly. In 1865 about seventy fishermen, employing twenty-three boats, engaged in the industry, making a very comfortable living. Since that time the number has constantly decreased. Gill-nets and seines have been employed since the first settlement of the country, but it was not until 1865 that pounds were introduced. The Norwegian sloops, formerly in use, have given place, in large measure, to steam-tugs, within the last five or six years. RACINE, KENOSHA, AND WAUKEGAN.— On that portion of the west shore of Lake Michigan on which these three towns are situated, the fisheries are not so important as those farther north. Only about forty-five men — twenty-six at Waukegan, nine at Kenosha, and ten at Racine — are engaged in fishing. At Racine gill-net fishing is the only branch pursued, and at Kenosha, also, the gill-net is the most important apparatus, but at the latter place two pound-nets are owned. At Waukegau, on the other hand, pound-nets alone are in use, about twenty-seven of them being set at different points along twelve miles of shore, partly north and partly south of the village. The variety dis- played in the fisheries prosecuted is due principally to the nature of the shore. Gill-nets were for- GREAT LAKES: LAKE MICHIGAN. 649 racrly extensively employed at Waukegau, but the lack of a harbor at that place made the fishing very dangerous, and it was abandoned. At Waukegan the fishermen arc of different -nationalities, Americans predominating. At Kenosha they are Germans, and at Racine, Scandinavians. The value of the apparatus employed is large, as compared with the worth of the products of the fisheries, which would seem to indicate a decline in the abundance of fish, or lessened activity among the fishermen. The nets, boats, and accessory apparatus employed, according to the estimates of the fishermen, are worth in all, about $19,000, while the products for the year 1879 brought the fishermen but about $13,500 gross. This is probably the smallest catch ever known on this portion of the shore, by at least one-fourth. It is possible that the value given does not represent the value of the entire catch, as a considerable portion of the products are sold out of the boats as soon as the latter come in, and of this amount nothing more than an insufficieut estimate could be obtained. The catch consists of whitefish, trout, sturgeon, and pike, and several of the minor varieties. At Kenosha, few of any kinds except whitefish and trout are taken, and at Racine these two, with the addition of sturgeon, make up the whole amount. On account of the proximity of the towns to Chicago, much of the fish is sent to that city fresh in ice. About one-half the yield of the Waukegan and Racine fisheries, however, is consumed in the neighboring inland villages. At Waukegan considerable quantities of small whitefish are smoked, and during 1879, about 225 half- barrels of that fish were salted. The sturgeon taken, about 30,000 pounds in 1879, are sent to Chicago to be smoked. There are several facts connected with the history of the fisheries of this section which it may be well to have recorded. Several disasters have occurred within the last decade. In 1875 two boats, in which were eight fishermen of Kenosha, were lost during a northwest gale. The accident seriously disheartened those remaining, and many ceased fishing entirely. The only other dis- aster, of which information could be obtained, occurred at Racine, where, in 1876, one fisherman was drowned. Changes have taken place in the apparatus used and the manner of fishing, as well as in the extent of the industry. lu 18G8 the Kenosha fisheries supported eight boats, and the occupation was considered profitable, but now, according to the fishermen's phraseology and belief, it is " played out." The cause is attributed to too exhaustive fishing and the influence of the pound-n< ts established south of the city. Small-mesh gill-nets were formerly employed for the capture of ciscoes, but the custom has been almost entirely abandoned. Mr. Bergerhageu, a gentleman resi- dent at Kenosha, and conversant with the condition of the fisheries, is of the opinion that not one- fourth as many fish frequent this shore as formerly, and denounces the use of pound-nets in strongest terms. At Waukegan pound-nets have been in use for twelve years, previous to which time gill-nets aud seines were employed. Mr. D. D. Parmlee, a well informed man, residing here in 1879, stated that during the last four or five years the fishermen had not made a living by their occupation. He thought an increase was apparent at that time, however, and considered that the fishermen had no reason for alarm, as the same fluctuation had occurred in other years. The only change in the apparatus used at Racine, is the substitution of nets with fine thread for those with coarser thread. CHICAGO AND SOUTH CHICAGO. — Although Chicago is beyond all question the most impor- tant receiving and distributing point on the lakes, the fisheries carried on there are comparatively insignificant. They are more extensive now, however, than formerly, when the river, polluted with 650 GEOGRAPHICAL KEV1EW OF THE FISHERIES. the sewerage and refuse of the city, flowed into the lake. There has been little change since 1875, and in that year about three hundred men, according to Mr. Nelson (Eeport United States Com- missioner of Fish and Fisheries, Part IV, 1S75-'7G, page 785), were engaged in fishing. The majority used well-built Mackinaw boats and ventured 15 or 20 miles from the city, but some fished with hand-lines near the city and caught only the less important kinds of fish. Three pound-nets and about one hundred boats were employed, which, together with minor apparatus, were valued at about $10,000. The catch consists principally of trout, sturgeon, and catfish. Under the general head of fish markets in another section of this report, the fish trade of Chicago is treated of at length, and it will not be necessary to give more than a summary here. According to the investigations and estimates made the amount of fresh and smoked fish received into Chicago during 1879 was as follows : Description. Quantity. Fresh fish: Whiteflsh Pounds. 3 658 567 Trout 1 705 761 41 560 274 162 Eiverfisli 230 520 Smoked fish : Whiteflsh 232 000 300 000 The total amount of fresh fish was, therefore, 5,910,570 pounds, and of smoked fish 532,000 pounds. Of this amount about 2,000,000 pounds were consumed in the city and its suburbs, of which amount about 1,000,000 pounds were fresh whitefish, and the remainder river fish, trout and smoked sturgeon, and whitefish. In addition to the fresh and smoked fish, about 10,805,000 pounds of salt fish were received. The aggregate amount, therefore, handled by the dealers in 1879 was not less than 17,247,570 pounds. This amount is less .by 9,552,430 pounds than that given in the newspapers for the same year, but it is more by about 10,000,000 pounds than the aggregate given iu the tables for 1872, published by the late Mr. Milner in the Eeport of the United States Fish Commissioner. The fisheries of South Chicago are similar in character to those carried on on the west shore of the lake. They are not very extensive, only fifteen fishermen being engaged in them. The principal apparatus, consisting of one steam-tug, three sail -boats, eleven pound-nets, and about one hundred gill-nets, is worth about $10,000. To this amount, Mr. Nelson, in the Eeport of the United States Fish Commissioner for 1875-'76, adds $60,000 for the value of "ice-houses, fish-houses, wagons, and various other material and property belonging strictly to the business," but this amount appears to us very large. A letter from M. Hausler & Brother, one of the principal firms at South Chicago, contains the following information regarding the yield: "The amount of fish caught here in 1879 was about 150,000 pounds. Two-fifths were white- fish and three-fifths sturgeon and herring. All were sold fresh in Chicago." 232. THE FISHEEIES OF THE EASTEEN SHOEE. MICHIGAN CITY, IND., AND NEW BUFFALO, MICH. — Michigan City is the only community in Indiana interested in fishing in Lake Michigan. The grounds lie between the city and New Buffalo, the adjoining village in Michigan. GKEAT LAKES: LAKE MICHIGAN. 651 The number of fishermen at these two places is a varying one, owing to the fact that at certain seasons some come from other places, and have no residence here. During 1879 the whole number of professional fishermen did not exceed twenty-six, representing fifteen firms. Of these, four firms belonged in other places, one coming from South Chicago, two from Sheboygan, and one from Saugertauk. In addition there were thirty-four hired assistants, fifteen of whom have families, and eight peddlers and smokers. In all, fifty men having families, and twenty single men were connected with the industry. The majority of the fishermen are Germans, but there are also a number of Swedes and Americans among them. Pound-net fishing takes precedence in importance, twelve firms being engaged in that branch, while but three are engaged in gill-net fishing. Fishing with liook-and-line is also quite exten- sively carried on. In 1879 the apparatus of capture consisted of twenty-five pound-nets, nine hundred gill-nets, and hand-lines carrying fifteen thousand hooks. In the management of the gill- nets one steam-tug is employed, besides three sail-boats. The value of the apparatus employed in 1879, including that already mentioned, together with twelve pound-boats, twelve fish-houses, and twelve hundred shipping-boxes, and the cost of repairs made upon the pound-nets amounted to about $32,300. The yield of the fisheries for 1879 was a comparatively small one. The pound-net fishing was not very successful. The fishermen pronounced the catch to be below the average. At Michigan City the products consisted of 500,000 pounds of fresh fish, 25,000 pounds of salt fish, and 70,000 pounds of smoked fish, principally sturgeon. About 2,080 pounds of caviare were manufactured. At New Buffalo 75,000 pounds of fish were taken and all sold fresh. A large part of the fish are sent directly to Chicago, but considerable quantities are also sent to the following places, named in order of their importance: Lafayette, Ind.; Kalamazoo, Mich.; Jackson, Mich.; La Porte, Indianapolis, South Bend, Valparaiso, Peru, in Indiana; Cincinnati, Ohio ; and Sakit Louis, Mo. Besides those sent to these places, certain quantities are retailed in the towns in the vicinity of the fisheries. Twelve wagons leave Michigan City twice every week, taking loads of about 400 pounds each. Considering the distance from the shore at which the fishermen habitually prosecute their business, it is remarkable that so few accidents have occurred. There is one, however, which we must record. It occurred in 1874. One boat in which were four men was lost, and all on board perished. Another disaster occurred three years later, but fortunately no lives were lost. On the 22d of June, 1877, a tremendous northerly gale struck the shore, and tearing up all the pound- nets carried them as far as South Chicago. The amount of the loss was estimated at $18,000, fully equal to the value of the products obtained during the prior part of the season. The gill-net fishery was pronounced as prosperous in 1879 as at the beginning of the decade, lu 1862 and 18G3 it became entirely unproductive in July, while ordinarily the season lasts until August. Many years ago this part of the shore was famous as a seining-grouud. About 1860 it was not unusual to take 1,000 or 1,500 pounds of fish at a single haul, but within ten years nothing has been done in this branch, the fish having kept farther from shore than formerly. In 1874, the first year in which pound-fishing was carried on, three firms engaged in it made together not less than $19,500, clear of all expenses. SAINT JOSEPH, SOUTH HAVEN, AND SAUGERTAUK. — The fisheries of Saint Joseph are more important than those of the other two villages. In 1879 ten sail-boats and one steam-tug were employed here, carrying together about sixty-four men. At South Haven but one boat was (352 GEOGRAPHICAL KEVIEW OP THE FISHERIES. employed, and at Saugertauk tliree. In all, therefore, there were fourteen boats and oue steam- tug, employing about eighty-eight men. Besides these professional fishermen there are four or five men who fish with what are known as "plump-nets," and four or five others who make a living by oil rendering. Fifty of the fishermen have families, the rest being single. Although many nationalities are represented among these fishermen, the larger proportion are Germans. Gill net fishing is the principal branch engaged in, and during 1879 no less than two thousand eight hundred nets were in use. Pound-net fishing is not carried on extensively on account of the nature of the shore. In former years seining was prosecuted to a considerable extent, but at the present time there are no seines in use. The entire value of the apparatus employed, including boats, nets, and accessories, is about $29,000. This is certainly a large amount when compared with the yield of the fisheries of the three villages. The total catch in 1879 amounted to about 608,000 pounds, of which about 500,000 pounds were taken by the Saint Joseph fishermen. About one-third of the fish were trout, the remainder being whitefish and other species of minor value. With the exception of about 10,000 pounds the fish were sent fresh to Chicago. A small amount excepted was sent to the neighboring inland towns. The fishermen of Saint Joseph have probably suffered more from disaster than any others on the whole of the lakes. In 1869 two boats were lost, carrying down nine fishermen. On the 29th of April, 1875, while eleven boats were fishing at a long distance from shore, a sudden and violent squall sprang up from the northwest, striking the fleet with great violence. Some of the boats were returning home and had all the canvas up ; they were unable to get their sails down before the storm was upon them. Out of the whole number of boats four were lost, carrying down with them eleven of the fishermen. Not one, however, of the boats returned in safety. Some were driven upon the beach many miles from their harbor, and nearly all sustained some injury besides losing their nets, sails, and other parts of their apparatus and rigging. In 1876 one boat and one fisherman were lost, the rest of the crew being picked up by a passing vessel. These disasters, together with the decrease of fish and the low prices received, discouraged many fishermen, and numbers of them have given up the pursuit and gone into other occupations. For several years prior to 1879 the fishermen have been losing money, but the prospect fo'r that year was much more satisfactory. Mr. C. P. Haywood, the famous boat-builder, is located at Saint Joseph, but during later years he has been unable to sell any boats, as the fishermen have been too poor to invest in them. He lias, however, the reputation of being the best boat-builder on the lakes. His boats, known as the " Haywood," " Huron," or " Square Stern," have a great reputation in Lake Huron, but have not sustained it well at Saint Joseph, where they have been subjected to very severe trials. The first boat used here was the " Mackinaw," after which the unwieldy " Norwegian sloop " was in vogue for many years, the latter being finally superseded, as already mentioned, by the Haywood boat. There seems to be a determination on the part of the fishermen to return to the Norwegian sloop again, as it is considered absolutely safe in all weathers and is best suited for the boisterous offshore fishing. SAUGEETAUK TO GLEN HAVEN. — The principal fisheries on this shore are at Grand Haven, Little and Big Points Sable, Whitehall, Pent Water, Ludiugton, Manistee, and Point Betsy. The most important of these points is Grand Haven, where more men are engaged in fishing than in all of the other villages together. The following is the number of fishermen in each place : Grand Haven, 865 Pent Water, 4; Whitehall, 12; Ludington, 31; Manistee, 6; Frankfort, 4. GREAT LAKES: LAKE MICHIGAN. 653 Among those enumerated are twenty-four boys. About one bundrcd of tbe fisbernien have families, tbe remainder being young men. In addition to tbose mentioned there are about a dozen families of semi-professional fishermen, including some half-breeds who dress fish for the offal from which to fry out oil. The majority of the fishermen about Ludington are Swedes and Norwegians, but a number of those having the largest trade are Americans. As a rule the fishermen are reported to be in good circumstances, and making a comfortable living for themselves. At Pent "Water there are but two firms, one American and the other Norweigan. At South Haven the fishermen are almost without exception Hollanders, and they are said to be a thrifty and industrious class. On account of the nature of the shore very little pound-net fishing is carried on from any of these villages, and the fishermen therefore have resort to gill-net fishing. Various attempts have been made to establish pounds, but they have usually been blown ashore in a short time and com- pletely wrecked. In 1879 there were but seven in use between Glen Haven and Saugertauk. Dur- ing the same year not less than 4,400 gill-nets, worth approximately $26,500, were in use. These nets, which were formerly knit by the fishermen's wives and daughters, are now bought ready- made. A variety of boats are employed, including Norwegian sloops, Mackinaw boats, Huron boats, and the ordinary pound-boats. The Norwegian sloops are used principally at Grand Haven, where the fishermen employ a large number of nets, and pursue their occupation at a long distance from shore. The value of the apparatus in use in 1879 was about $57,000, including boats, nets, and repairs of the same, fish-houses, pile-drivers, shipping-boxes, and other minor accessories. Most of the fishermen along this shore are accustomed to ship the fish which Ihey catch, and few of them keep any record of their trade ; great difficulty, therefore, was experienced in secur- ing the statistics of the yield of the fisheries. The total product in 1879, however, yielded a return of about $70,000. Of the amount taken about 1,060,000 pounds were caught by the fishermen of Grand Haven ; this portion consisted entirely of whitefish and trout, which were shipped by boat to Chicago. Grand Haven has better facilities for shipping fish than some of the other villages, and therefore a higher price is realized here than at other points. The Whitehall fishermen are esti- mated to have taken 100,000 pounds, which were also sent to Chicago. At Pent Water there were but two boats in use in 1879; the owner of one of them shipped his fish to Chicago, the other sell- ing his at retail in the village. Both together did not secure more than 7,000 pounds of fish in 1879. At Manistee the catch amounted to about 75,000 pounds, and at Frankfort to about 37,500 pounds. About the only change that has taken place in the fisheries here has been the introduction of steam-tugs for gill-net fishing; they have not been in use more than five or six years. Many years ago a few seines were employed at different places along the shore. At these same points seines have now become abundant. The same grounds have been visited for more than twenty years. It is the general impression of the fishermen that there has been a great decrease in the abun- dance of fish. They consider that the habit of throwing offal on the grounds has had a very decided effect in bringing about this condition of affairs, and they also suppose that the capture of so many young fish has had an injurious effect. In proof that there has been a decided decrease of late, one of the fishermen stated that in 1876 he took an amount of fish worth $1,400 from one pound-net, and that from the same net in 1879 he took only $600 worth. At Big Point Sable large numbers of small fish are taken, but it is said to be the practice of the fishermen to throw them into the water again, thus giving them a chance to survive. At Little Point Sable, however, none but large fish are taken, most of them being rated " No. 1." (354 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. Mr. Putnam, of Pent Water, stated that fishing during 1879 was but little better than that of prior years, and that at no point on the shore is there a more alarming decrease than here. At Grand Haven the fishing was reported to be in as good a condition as in prior years. Between 1875 and 1877 the yield was very small, bnt since that time it has been increasing. At Holland fishing has almost entirely died out ; not, however, on account of the decrease of fish, but because the place has very poor shipping facilities, and the fishermen are able to secure but little profit from the fish which they take. LITTLE AND GRAND TRAVERSE BAYS. — The principal fisheries of this region are carried on from Traverse City, North port, Charlevoix, and Petoskey. The last-mentioned village has lately assumed new relations to the fisheries, being at present a shipping point of considerable impor- tance. An enterprising firm built a large freezing-house here early in 1878, and since that time fishing in the locality has been prosecuted with increased energy. The grounds in the two bays were visited, however, many years ago by fishermen from Mackinac, with good success, but their distance from any shipping point proved too great, and the enterprise was abandoned. For a number of years afterwards no other fishermen resorted here, except a few Indians. The firm now located at Petoskey handles all the fish taken between Cross Village on the north, and Charlevoix on the south. Sufficient has been already written to show that but little variety exists in the kinds of fish- eries carried on in different parts of the lakes, or in the manner of their operation. In the region now under consideration we find the same condition of affairs which exists in other localities. Gill- net and pound-net fishing take the lead, while seining is of minor importance. Fifteen hundred gill nets, nineteen or twenty pounds, and three seines constitute the sum of the apparatus of cap- ture employed. Two steam-tugs, one hailing from Petoskey and one from Charlevoix, together with twenty Mackinaw boats, serve in the gill-net fishery, while in the management of the pounds about sixteen of the ordinary scow-like pound-boats are employed. These nets and boats, together with the buildings established at the fisheries, and other structures and implements of minor importance, are valued by their owners at not less than $32,000. A large proportion of the fish taken in Little and Grand Traverse Bays are whitefish and trout, 7iext to which herring, suckers, and black-fins are the most important. The amount of all kinds caught here in 1879 and sent fresh to different markets was not less than 224,000 pounds, in addi- tion to which 100,000 pounds of fish were frozen, and 700 half-barrels of salt fish prepared. The fresh fish are disposed of at different points on the line of the Grand Kapids and Indiana Railroad; none, however, at least in 1879, going south of Fort Wayne, Ind. The fish frozen at Petoskey during the same season were all shipped to Philadelphia. A large part of the salt fish find sale in Chicago. What little could be learned by investigation regarding the history of the fisheries of Little and Grand Traverse Bays has been already given. THE STRAITS OF MACKINAC. — In this section it is necessary to include the northern shores of Lakes Michigan and Huron, from the entrance of Green Bay to the mouth of river Saintc Marie as well as the islands of Mackinac and Bois Blanc, and the south shore of the straits east from Point Wagoshance. Within these limits we find no less than eleven hundred persons dependent, to a greater or lesser extent, upon the fisheries, including the fishermen and their families, shop keep- GREAT LAKES: LAKE MICHIGAN. 655 ers, clerks, dealers, and others. The number of men in each branch of the fisheries and in the occupations accessory thereto, in 1879, was somewhat as follows : Persons employed. Number. 60 175 10 Clerks 5 15 10 Among these people every conceivable condition may be found from that of the poor fisher- man, -whose scanty profits scarcely furnish him his livelihood, to that of the wealthy merchant who owns extensive grounds and fishes by proxy. The tendency, however, is towards concentration of interests, many of the smaller fishermen selling out their stock and privileges to the wealthier firms, contenting themselves with giving their service as hired employe's. Firms with large capital are now fishing with many nets, where formerly the occupation was distributed among a large number of fishermen of limited means. The pound-owners, as a rule, are in very comfortable circumstances, and have considerable money invested in their fisheries, which are managed with commendable zeal and enterprise. A majority of them are Americans. The gill-net fishermen, on the other hand, are largely French Canadians, and among them many extremely shiftless people are to be found. A large propor- tion barely succeed in making a living. They often allow their nets to remain in the water for a number of weeks without removing the fish caught in them. At other times they expose them unduly to storms, and, as a result, frequently lose great amounts of twine. A principal cause of the decrease of fishermen of small means in this region is to be found in the fact that fitters refuse to supply them with apparatus and stores on credit — a practice exten- sively in use here in former years. In matter of importance, the gill-net and pound-net fisheries hold about equal rank. It is true that the whole number of nets used in the former branch, considered by themselves, are less valu- able than the pounds but when we consider the worth of all the apparatus, the nets, the boats, and accessories, employed in either fishery, the amount of capital invested appears about equal The following table shows the value of all kinds of apparatus employed during the year 1879 : Apparatus employed. Number. Value. 4 $8,000 1 3,000 75 11 250 40 2,400 150-ton lighter for anchor-fishing 1 116 1,000 58, 000 6,000 30, 000 5 000 1 500 30 1,200 6 1,800 100 2,000 30 1,200 Total 125, 350 656 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. Wliitefish, trout, and herring are by far the most important species offish taken in this region. Considerable quantities of pike, however, are also caught. The yield in 1879 was as follows : Description. rounds. Fresh fish : Wbitefiah and trout 770, 000 Salt fish: Whitefish 2, 200, 000 167, 000 162, 000 25, 000 Total 3, 324, 000 The principal markets to which these fish were sent were Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, and Sandusky. Of the fresh fish Chicago received about 540,000 pounds and of the salt fish 2,529,000 pounds, while 50,000 pounds of the former were sent to Cleveland, 75,000 pounds to Detroit, and 17,000 pounds to Saiidusky, and about 88,000 pounds to various other places ; and of the latter, 100,000 pounds to Cleveland, 75,000 pounds to Detroit, 350,000 pounds to Sandusky, and the remainder to other places. It appears, therefore, that Chicago absorbed by far the larger part. Very little in regard to the history of the fisheries was obtained at Mackinac, except so far as relates to the products of other years. According to Captain Ketchum, in 1872 about 20,000 half-barrels of salt fish and 5,000 half-barrels, containing 140 pounds each, of fresh fish. The whole amount, with the exception of about 4,000 half-barrels trout and herring, consisted of whitefish. In 1867 the single firm of Brownlow & Bates shipped about 8,500 half-barrels of fish to Chicago, selling them at an average price of $4 per half-barrel. In 1868 they shipped about 13,000 half barrels, of which 357 were herring and the remainder whitefish and trout. The price obtained during that year was about $5 per half-barrel. Another firm carried on a still more extensive business, shipping not less than 1,400 pounds of fish per week for three or four months at a time. THE BEAVER ISLANDS. — The Beaver Islands, one of the most important groups in the lakes, are located at the northern end of Lake Michigan, about midway between the shores of the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan. The island from which the group is named is the only one of considerable size in the group, and contains the village and post-office of Saint James. The shores of Beaver Island itself, and of others of the group, are suitable in nature for the establishment of pound-nets, while many of the shoals in the vicinity, particularly those about Gull Island, are noted gill-net grounds. Seining is but little attended to; in 1879 only two seines being in use. During the same year, however, the fisheries were actively prosecuted by the use of about thirty-seven pounds and not less than seven hundred and fifty gill-nets. Mackinaw boats are most in favor for gill-net fishing, thirty-eight of them having been employed and but two Hayward boats. The ordinary pound boats are used in that branch of fishing. The value of all the appa- ratus employed, according to the estimates of Mr. Albert Miller, who is well acquainted with the fisheries of the group, will not exceed $26,670. The salt-fish trade of the islands is more important than the fresh-fish trade. About 4,000 half barrels of salt fish were prepared and sent to market in 1879, while about 100,000 pounds will represent the amount of fresh fish disposed of. Whitefish, trout, herring, and suckers make up the amount. Mr. Charles R. Wright, who has been acquainted with the fisheries of the Beaver Islands for about twenty years, and who has furnished some material for this report, is of the opinion that there has been a decrease of 40 or 50 per cent, in the abundance of fish about the islands within two decades. GREAT LAKES: LAKE HURON. 657 D.— LAKE HURON AND ITS FISHERIES. 234. STATISTICAL SUMMATION. Summary statement of persons employed. Persona employed. Number. Fishermen Detailed statement of capital invested and capital employed. Apparatus specified. j Number. Value. Vessels and boats 154 $29,029 Pounds 189 49.425 Gill-nets 3.540 21,680 Seines « 12,800 Other apparatus, including outfits 6,380 Shore property 155,914 Detailed statement of the quantities and rallies of the products. Products specified. Quantity. Value. Primary products. Fresh fish pounds.. 10,354,850 i $267,300 Snltflsh do... 800,800 I 16,000 Frozen fish do... 1,165,000 63,360 Secondary products. Caviare do... 20,250 2,025 Isinglass do 300 500 Oil gallons.. 600 180 Total 349,365 235. THE FISHERIES OF THE AMERICAN SHORE. HAMMOND'S BAY TO POINT SABLE. — The principal fisheries of this section of shore are those at Alpena and the Thunder Bay Islands. During 1879 about seventy-nine men were employed in fishing, many of the assistants being " Canuck" (Canadian) Indians. Nearly all of those who own boats ship the fish which they catch. Both pound nets and gill-nets are employed here. The gill-net fishery, however, is the most important. Pounds have been in use for twenty-five years, prior to which time gill-nets and seines were exclusively employed. Except in this particular, there has been but little change in the manner of fishing for many years. In 1879, two thousand gill-nets and about twenty-two pound- nets were in use. The apparatus employed in the management of these nets, together with the nets themselves and the accessories, were valued at $35,000. The quantity of fresh fish taken in 1879 was about 2,344,000 pounds, and of salted fish about 100,000 pounds. The fresh fish consisted exclusively of whitefish and trout, while the salt fish were principally lake herring. These amounts were taken by the fishermen belonging to fourteen firms, in quantities varying from 20 to 230 tons. The fresh fish, with the exception of about 150 42 G R P (358 GEOGRAPHICAL IfEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. tons, were sent to Sandusky and Detroit. The salt fish were distributed to various inland towns in Michigan. It should be held in mind that a large number of the fish taken at Alpena were caught by the fishermen belonging at Detroit; the portion taken by Alpeua fishermen could not have amounted to more than 300,000 pounds of fresh fish and 100,000 pounds of salt fish. At Alcona, a small village near Alpeua, two men were engaged in fishing in 1879, using a boat and a pound net, together worth about $325. They took, as the results of their activities, about §550 worth of fish, principally of whitefish, herring, and sturgeon. Record could be found of but two disasters, one of which occurred in 1860, when three iibhermeu were drowned, and the other in 1877, when a similar loss of life occurred. In 1855 there are said to have been about fifty boats fishiug at An Sable, where at the present time there are but two. It is supposed that the refuse from the lumber mills has driven the fish away; at any rate the fish have disappeared, and fishing at this point is decidedly unprofitable. Several of the fishermen made statements in regard to the amounts of fish which they had taken in former years. Mr. Case, of Alpeua, stated that he was formerly able to prepare at least 1,200 barrels of salt fish, as the result of one season's fishing, but that in 1879 he did not take more than 30 tons of fish. From three pound-nets, as the result of two nights' fishing, he has taken 450 half barrels of whitefish. At another time, at Hammond's Bay, he took 100 half barrels of whitefish from one net, as the result of three nights' fishing; and besides whitefish, it was esti- mated that there were 20 barrels of smothered fish in addition. There is considerable talk among the fishermen about the fact of Canadian fish being brought into competition with American fish. One dealer from Detroit, who fishes in Canadian waters, and brings his fish to Alpena to be shipped to Detroit, stated that he would ship 1.000,000 pounds of Canadian fish into the United States daring the season of 1879. SAGINAW BAY AND THE CHARITY ISLANDS. — The fisheries of Sagiuaw Bay are among the most important on Lake Huron. During 1879 the total number of men employed in pound net fishing, according to the best information obtainable, was cue hundred and fifty-six, of whom about one-third had families. These men are employed nearly the entire year. In summer they fish with pound nets in the bay, and in winter they continue the pound net fishing in the river under the ice or turn their attention to spearing fish. Besides these, there are at least three hundred and fifty men who fish only in the winter. The fishermen are chiefly French Canadians. As already intimated, the principal branches pursued in Sagiuaw Bay are pound fishiug and , spearing. The pounds are of two kinds ; one kind being- used in summer in the bay and the other at the mouth of the river in the winter. During 1879 not less than one hundred and sixty-five pound-nets of both kinds were in use together with spearing apparatus to the value of $4,500. About ten seines are also employed and ninety or one hundred fyke-nets. The whole apparatus iu use is worth not far from $53,000. During 1879 the fishermen sold about 2,790,000 pounds of fresh fish, of which fully 038,000 were whitefish and herring, the remainder being pike and other minor varieties. During the same season about 230,000 pounds of salt whitefish, 100,000 pounds of herring, and 80,0(JO pounds of pike were sent to market. About 350,000 pounds of fresh fish were shipped to various dis- tributing points on the lake. The salt fish were sent to inland towns, principally to Cincinnati and Louisville. A number of disasters have occurred during the past decade, but it is impossible to learn any particulars regarding them. Pound-net fishing was begun here in I860, prior to which time fyke- nets and seines alone were employed. The fishermen are of the opinion that fish of all kinds are decreasing, the decrease being most noticeable among the whitefish. The decline of the fishery is GREAT LAKES: LAKE HURON. 1659 most apparent in the branches carried on in winter. The decrease has been so great that a supply can no longer be depended upon. The same is true of the river fisheries, which were at one time considered the most profitable in this locality. The principal cause for the decrease in the number of fish in the rivers is supposed to be the accumulation of a vast amount of refuse from the lumber mills. POINT ATJX BARQUES TO WINDMILL POINT, INCLUDING LAKE AND RIVER SAINT GLAIR.— The principal fishing points included within these limits are at Lexington, Port Sanilac, Forestville, White Rock, Sand Beach, Port Hope, Huron City, Au Sable, Grindstone City, Whitehall, and Port Huron. At none of these villages are the fisheries very extensive. The largest number of boats is employed at Sand Beach and Grindstone City. The total number of men employed in this section is about ninety. The seine fishermen, twenty eight in number, are, however, employed for only about two and a half mouths. Seine-fishing, outside the river Saint Clair, is insignificant. The principal branch carried on is the gill-net fishery. In 1879 one thousand five hundred and eighty nets were in use. The shore being altogether unsuited for pound-nets none are employed. The principal fish taken in the gill-nets are whitefish, trout, and herring. In the seines, sturgeon, herring, and yellow pike are the kinds most commonly caught. The larger part of the total amount was sent to Cleveland, Toledo, and other distributing points. All the fish caught in the seines are sold fresh. It is the habit of some of the fishermen to keep the fish which they catch in artificial ponds, taking out only so many as are required to supply the market. This method of preserving the fish has resulted, however, several times in considerable loss. One fisherman lost 20,000 pounds of fish at one time, the fish having died in the ponds from a lack of sufficient fresh water. As far as could be ascertained, no disaster has occurred on this shore within the past decade. The principal change in the manner of fishing has been that which has taken place at many other points, namely, the introduction of steam-tugs in the gill-net fishery. According to the statements of the fishermen, seine-fishing, especially on the lake shore, has declined, while gill-net fishing has considerably increased. Most of the boats employ less nets, but larger ones, than formerly. The boats themselves are considerably smaller than those in use ten or twelve years ago. E.— LAKE ERIE AND ITS FISHERIES. 230. STATISTICAL SUMMATION. Summary statement of persons employed. Persona employed. Number. 1 470 Detailed statement of capital invested and persons employed. Apparatus specified. Number. Value. Vessels and boats 538 $79 430 Pounds 758 933 goo Gill-nets ; ... . 5 775 22 500 Sfincs 13 1 GOO Other apparatus, includin^ outfits 38 595 Shore property 154 775 Total 660 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. Detailed statement of the quantities and values of the products. Products specified. Quantity. Value. Primary products. Fresh fish 17, 054, 670 $312,250 Salt fish do 6 712 500 125, 490 do 1 406 650 51 240 Smoked fish. .. do 933, 180 57,040 Secondary products. 178, 580 25, 670 . ...do . 3,344 5,000 Oil 4 880 2 000 Total 578, 090 • 237. THE FISHERIES OF THE WESTERN END, INCLUDING DETROIT AND TOLEDO. DETROIT. — There is no fishing carried on in the immediate vicinity of Detroit, but the city is, nevertheless, an important receiving and distributing point. The following table shows the total amount of fresh fish received at Detroit in 1879 : Description. Quantity. Whitefish Pounds. 2 260 000 Trout 1 340 000 Pike 1 100, 000 400 000 Total 5 100 000 ^ The amount of salt fish was as follows: Description. Quantity. WTiiteflsh nalf-barrele. 13 350 Trout 8 350 7 965 Pike 250 Total 29 915 Of the fresh fish about 1,165,000 pounds were frozen, all of which, with the exception of about 500,000 pounds, were sent out of the city. The entire amount of salt fish also found a market out- side of the city. Large quantities are sent to different cities in New York State, and also to Boston, Philadelphia, and other cities on the coast. One firm shipped a considerable amount to Kentucky. Toledo, Sandusky, Cleveland, and other cities of Lake Erie also receive considerable quantities, which are distributed to various inland towns. Detroit is one of the principal points at which fish are frozen. During 1879 at least 580 tons were frozen. There are several firms engaged in the business, all doing .a large trade. Regarding the amount of fish consumed in the city itself very little information could be obtained. Few of the peddlers and retailers have any idea of the extent of their business. It is probable, however, that about 500,000 pounds were consumed in 1879, 200,000 pounds of which were bought from the city wholesalers and the balance from the fishermen on the river and on Lake Saint Clair. The trade is divided among seventeen firms, most of whom have a stall in the GREAT LAKES: LAKE ERIE. 661 market. Many varieties of fish are exposed for sale, a large percentage being pike, bass, and perch. The average selling price of all kinds is not far from 6 cents a pound. The State hatching-house of Michigan is located at Detroit, and is under the management of Mr. Owen Chase. It is estimated that the house has a capacity for hatching 20,000,000 eggs. In 1879, however, they were unable to procure more than 11,000,000 whitefish eggs. The house con- tains 30 Holton boxes and 75 glass jars. The hatchery has been in operation for five years and is considered in every respect a success. Those who have the management of the establishment claim that the results from the reproduction of fish give great encouragement in the work. There is said to have been a great. increase in the catch, especially in Lake Saint Clair. There are some, how- ever, who are very skeptical on these points. DETROIT RIVER. — The fisheries of Detroit River differ in character from those of any other part of the Great Lakes. Between Windmill Point, at the head of the river, and Bar Point, at its mouth, there are no less than thirty separate stations at which fishing is carried on. The only form of apparatus in use is the seine. No pounds have ever been established in the river on account of the swiftness of the current and the comparative shallowness of the water. At each of the seining stations a small house has been built, and at each seining reach a pen is constructed of planking, varying from a few feet square to an acre or two in size, in which the fish are kept, being held for the winter market. The arrangement of ponds or pens is said to be not very satisfactory; the fish, particularly in the smaller pens, die in great numbers, causing great loss to the fishermen. The freshets, which occur from time to time in the river, bring great quantities of muddy water into the pens, and the gills of the fish become clogged with various kinds of debris, so that large numbers of them frequently die from this cause. About six of the stations are on the Canadian side of the river, the remainder being partly on the islands, which exist in various parts of the river, and on the American side. The seines used at these stations are about 60 fathoms in length, 30 feet deep, and have a mesh of from 1J inches to 2 inches, bar measurement. The boats used are simple skiffs 24 to 30 feet long, usually manned by five to seven men. The seines are hauled every hour and are drawn iu by horse- power. The greater part of the fishing is carried on in the fall, usually from about the 1st of October to the 1st of December. The number of men at each fishery at the present time is not more than ten, but formerly six- teen or eighteen men were hired for the fall work. There is usually a boarding place at each fishery, established especially for the convenience of fishermen. The catch consists principally of whitefish and pike. A few days before the appearance of the whitefish there is usually a run of herring, and at some of the fisheries a small-mesh seine is used for the purpose of taking them. Fishermen differ very much in their opinions regarding the amount of fish taken. Mr. Clark, one of the principal fishermen on the river, stated that usually not more than sixteen hauls were made in each twenty-four hours, and that usually forty fish were taken at a haul. Others, on the contrary, said that the number of fish taken at each haul did not exceed ten. Mr. David Davis, another intelligent man engaged in the fishery here, was of the opinion that at each fishery not more than 1,800 fish were taken during the' season of 1879. He also stated, however, that the season was an unusually poor one, and that formerly 4,000 fish were not considered a large catch. The value of the apparatus in use at each fishery, including seines, boats, pens, and houses, according to estimates made by Mr. J. P. Clark, would not exceed $1,000. The entire investment in fishery apparatus on the river, therefore, will not exceed $30,000. MOUTH OF THE DETROIT HIVER TO TOLEDO. — The principal villages at the east end of Lake (362 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OP THE PISHERIES. Erie, which are interested in the fisheries, are Brest, Stony Point, and Monroe. The total number of men engaged is about one hundred and fifty, one hundred and thirty-six of whom are employed in pound-net fishing and about fourteen in fyke-net fishing. Probably about three-fourths of the pound-net fishermen have families. A large proportion of the fishermen are French Canadians. During 1879 there were no less than one hundred and eighty-two pound-nets established on this shore. There were also about thirty fyke-nets and five seines in use. The value of these nets and of the boats and other apparatus employed in the management of them and for the storage of fish was about $60,000. On this part of the shore there is a somewhat different arrangement, in regard to the manner of fishing, from that followed at any other localities. Some of the pounds are in use only in spring, while others are employed exclusively in fall, and others still at both seasons. Of the whole number of nets about seventy -two are in use in fall only, thirty-three in spring, and about seventy-seven at both seasons. The spring nets are deeper than those in use at other seasons, and in fall they are usually divided into two parts, each part being used as a separate net. The fall fisheries are commonly carried on in shallower water than the spring fisheries. The small amount of seining done here is prosecuted only in winter, late in fall, and early in spring. There are no peculiarities about the fyke-net fishery. The catch in the pounds consists principally of whitefish. In the seines, what are known as panfish are taken, consisting of the smaller species of bass, catfish, and other varieties of minor value. The total yield in 1879 was about 2,480,000 pounds. Nearly the whole of this amount was sold fresh. The sturgeon were sent to Sandusky and Toledo, and about one-third of the other kinds was also shipped to Toledo. The remainder was shipped to different villages and towns in the interior. Only a very small amount of fish is salted in this locality. There have been but three men drowned on this shore within the past twenty years. In regard to the decrease of fish, Mr. Dewy, one of the leading fishermen, stated that, in his opinion, the season of 1879 was as profitable a one as the fishermen at that locality had ever known. About the only change that has taken place in the manner of fishing has been the increase in the size of the boats and a general improvement in their model and make. TOLEDO. — The city of Toledo, besides receiving large quantities of fish from other parts of the lake, has extensive fisheries of its own. The fishing-grouuds begin just below the bridges in the Maumee River, and extend to the bay and along the shore east and west. From Cedar Point eastward to Locust Point there are a great number of pound-nets, some of them being among the most productive on the entire shore. The grounds are all shoal, especially in Maumee Bay, and, being in such a sheltered locality, nets can be set at any point where they will not interfere with navigation to too great an extent. In the pounds set in the bay little else besides pickerel and saugers are taken. No herring or whitefish are caught except when the water is extremely clear. The best grounds for general fishing are said to be those of Cedar Point, and for whitefish in the vicinity of Stony Point. Investigation showed that the number of men employed in the regular pound-net fisheries in this locality i:i 1879 was about one hundred and fifteen, while in the hook and fyke-net fisheries and other minor branches about two hundred were employed. During the height of the season the proprietors of the fisheries employ a large number of men in dressing and packing the fish. One firm alone, in 1879, employed as many as one hundred men GREAT LAKES: LAKE ERIE. 663 in this part of the business. In the manufacture of caviare and in smoking sturgeon about eleven men are employed. The majority of the fishermen, as well as the owners, are Americans, but there are also quite a number of Germans among them. The greater part of the fishermen are hired by the day or month, and their profits vary, of course, according to the length of time they are employed. The boats in use at the present time are smaller than those formerly employed. Many years ago boats of over 15 and 20 tons burden were used, but it was found that they were quite too com- fortable, and that the fishermen, having taken out provisions, would stay out a much longer time than was necessary, coming back whenever they felt disposed to do so. At the present time the ordinary Lake Erie pound-boat is in general use. In all, there were about oue hundred and sixty-seven pound-nets in use in 1879, but many of them, especially those set in the bay, were small and of simple construction. They do not differ materially from those in use on many parts of Lake Erie. They are usually set in water from 8 to 12 feet deep, the leaders being of different lengths, the average being, perhaps, 75 rods. Many of them are constructed of pine that has been used in the lake nets and has become partially rotten. Their value will not exceed $120 each. The lake pounds, that is, those set between Cedar Point and Locust Point, are generally placed in water from 12 to 30 feet deep, and are, therefore, more valuable than the bay nets. They are estimated to be worth about $300 apiece. The pounds in use in this locality are set at an earlier date than those at any other point in the lake. The fishermen make it a practice to set them as soon as the ice leaves the bay. They are usually taken up again about the 1st of May, and, having been repaired, are set again late in September. A few fyke-nets are in use in the bay and river for catching "paufish," but their products are of no considerable importance. The extent of the hook fishing is estimated very differently by different persons. Mr. D. Y. Howell, however, who is well acquainted with the fisheries of the locality, estimated that fully two hundred men are engaged in this branch/ Each man employs about five hundred hooks, and the set-lines vary in length from 1 to G miles. The season for hook fishing begins usually in March and lasts until August or September. The catch consists of a great variety of fish — whitefish, herring, and saugers being among the most important. The more valuable kinds are taken in the pounds, the hook fishermen catching little except bass, catfish, and other species of minor value. The total yield in 1879 amounted to about 12,000,000 pounds. Of this amount 7,000,000 pounds were salted, 4,500,000 pounds sold fresh, and the remainder either frozen or smoked. Probably more fish are frozen in Toledo than at any other point on the lakes. In 1879 the amount thus treated was not less than 300.000 pouuds. A considerable amount of caviare, isinglass, and fish-oil are also manufactured at Toledo. In 1879 the amount of caviare was about38,000 pounds; of isin- glass, 500 pounds; and of oil, G50 gallons. One of the fishery firms at Toledo has established a private hatchery in their warehouse, in which they hatch numbers of whitefish. The capacity of the establishment is calculated to be suffi- cient for 6,000,000 eggs. It is estimated that they had 15,000,000 eggs in the boxes at oue time, but they lost all but about 4.000,000 eggs. As an experiment, they have also bought or leased for a number of years several small, deep lakes in Michigan, where they have planted large numbers of young fish. The second year after the planting whitefish of considerable size were caught, and the proprietors are very hopeful of the success of the enterprise. C64 GEOGEAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. 238. THE FISHERIES OF THE SOUTHERN SHORE. LOCUST POINT TO OTTAWA CITY. — The principal fisheries ou this section of coast are at Locust Point, Toussaint, Port Clinton, and Ottawa. As far as could be ascertained, during 1879, along the whole shore, about fifty-six men were employed in pound and seine fishing, ten in gill-net fish- ing, and thirty-six in fyke net aud hook fishing. All the firms which ship fish are also engaged in fishing, to a greater or less extent. Some of them are only owners of nets, and do not carry ou fishing themselves. During the height of the season a large number of men are often temporarily employed, one firm often adding to its force as many as fifty or sixty men. All the nets used are owned by six firms, who carry on the fisheries by mexaus of hired assistants. At Port Clinton the boats are large and well made, the average length being about 32 feet. Smaller and less valuable boats, however, are used during calm weather and also in the hook fishery. The pound-nets in use at these points are set in deeper water and are more valuable than those used at Toussaint and Locust Point. In 1879 about eighty-nine pouud-nets were in use along the whole shore, besides about five hundred gill-nets, thirty-five or thirty-six fyke-nets, three seines, and fifteen or twenty hook-rigs. The value of these nets, together with that of the boats, fish- houses, freezers, &c., according to the estimates of the fishermen, is about $37,500. A large variety of fish are taken in the pounds as well as in the fyke-nets. In spring the prin- cipal kinds taken in the pounds are saugers and pike, but in fall whitefish and herring predominate. In the fyke-nets few other kinds except catfish, river bass, and other small varieties are taken. The catch of the seines consists of black bass, pike, perch, and bull-heads. The hook fishermen catch catfish almost exclusively. The total yield in 1879 was not less than 2,790,000 pounds. Of this amount about 1,700,000 pounds were sold fresh, being distributed to inland towns aud sent to other distributing towns eastward. At least 60,000 pounds were frozen and sent to New York, Philadelphia, and other cities ou the coast. Nearly all the herring caught are salted. Information could be obtained of but one disaster by drowning since the commencement of the fisheries in this locality. In 1870 one fisherman was lost at Toussaint. As a rule, longer leaders are used for the pounds, aud, in general, larger boats are employed than formerly. The mesh of 'the gill nets has gradually been made to conform to the size of the fish to be taken, in many cases being one-half the size it was at the beginning of the decade. The fishermen and dealers generally claim that there has been a decrease in the abundance of the fish, particularly in the case of the whitefish. Some, however, among whom may be mentioned Mr. Matthews, of Port Clinton, argue that there are as many whitefish now as formerly, aud that as many are caught, but that, being distributed among a larger number of fishermen, the profit accruing to each individual is less. FISHERIES OF SANDTJSKT. — The principal fishing stations in the vicinity of Sandusky are at Cedar Point, Marblehead, Spit Island, East aud West Harbors, Mouse Island, Sugar Bluff, Moore's Point, Kelly's Island, and Put-in Bay. The fishing grounds of Sandusky may be divided into four great districts, each partaking of some peculiarity not shared by the others. The fisheries are generally spoken of as the Cedar Point fisheries, bay fisheries, island fisheries, and the main-shore fisheries. The Cedar Point fisheries, which are among the oldest and most important, occupy the shore from Cedar Point eastward toward Huron, a distance of about six miles. The bay fisheries are those which are carried on in the lower and upper Sandusky bays. Pounds, fykes, and seines are scattered along both shores and are owned aud managed by a great many diiferent parties. The main-shore fisheries occupy the shore west of the -entrance to Sandusky Bay, the nets being distributed quite equally. The island fisheries are located at Bass and Kelly's Islands, which lie out iu the lake a number of miles distant from Saudusky. The number cf fishermen engaged in GEE AT LAKES: LAKE ERIE. 665 the fisheries of these different localities is as follows: Kelly's Island, 22; South Bass Island, 23; Middle Bass Island, 15; North Bass Island, 6; the main shore, 63; the upper and lower bays, 94; Cedar Point, 56. In addition to these there are about thirteen men who fish but for a short time, and are engaged for the greater part of the year in other occupations. There are also twelve dealers and about nineteen clerks. Altogether, then, there are not less than three hundred and twenty-three men connected with the fisheries, the majority of whom are married and have fam- ilies. Probably not less than thirteen hundred people are dependent upon the fisheries carried on from Saudusky. It should be borne in mind, however, that in this estimate the men employed in the manufacture of fishery apparatus are not included. As one might expect, the nationalities rep- resented among the fishermen are very numerous. The Germans, however, predominate. As already intimated, the principal branch carried on is the pound fishery. Seines, fykes, and hook-rigs are employed, but these fisheries are of minor importance. In 1879 about three hundred and forty-eight pounds were in use, together with about ten seines, fifty fyke-nets, and five hook- rigs. The boats employed are of various kinds, some quite large and worth not less than $100; others smaller and of considerably less value. Besides the boats there are two steamers which are employed in carrying the fishery products from place to place, and also two steam-tugs used in connection with the pound fisheries. The total value of the nets and boats employed in 1879, together with the value of warehouses, ice-houses, fish-shanties, docks, freezers, and other acces- sories, amounted to about $230,000. The varieties of fish taken in the fisheries of Saudusky and vicinity are very numerous. In the Cedar Point fisheries the catch consists principally of herring, whitefish, &c. ; in fact, these grounds are among the most famous for the abundance of the herring. In the pounds set in the bay principally soft fish are taken ; herring and whitefish are never caught in them. The catch of the main-shore fisheries consists principally of herring and catfish, chiefly the former being taken in the pounds, the latter by the hook fishermen. About the islands few varieties except whitefish, herring, black bass, and sturgeon are taken. The value of the yield of 1879 was about S 180,500. A large proportion of the fish are sent to a great number of inland cities and towns. Among the most important of these may be mentioned Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, and Wheeling. Nearly all the firms located here freeze a large quantity of fish every year. A great many methods are em- ployed and an account of them will be found in Section VI. Probably a larger amount of caviare, isinglass, and fish-oil are prepared at Sandusky than at any other point on the lakes. A large proportion of the sturgeon taken in the fisheries of many other points is sent to Sandusky to the firms who are engaged in making caviare and in smoking fish. . The business of smoking sturgeon is said to be rapidly increasing and a large amount is prepared every year. The entire amount of caviare is exported principally to Hamburg; isinglass is sold wholesale to .the druggists of Few York City. A considerable quantity of fish-oil is also manufactured at Sandusky and is sold chiefly to the tanneries at Buffalo. The changes in the methods of fishing in this locality, as in others on Lake Erie, have been very few since the introduction of pound-nets in 1850. Prior to that time seines and gill-nets were extensively used, but both have gradually given place to the pound-nets, which, since their introduction, have increased in this locality at a rate of about sixteen a year. Seines are now used only iu the bay fisheries, and gill-nets only about the reefs near the off-shore islands. A great diver- sity of opinion exists among the fishermen regarding the increase or decrease of fish. The major- ity of the men assert that herring and blue pike, and, in some localities, catfish are increasing, while 666 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. whitetish, sturgeou, and black bass are decreasing very rapidly. Some i'ew, however, affirm that during 1878 and 1879 the schools of whitefish which visited the shore were larger than those during the three or four years preceding, and are of the opinion that this condition of affairs is due to the effect of artificial propagation. Others, again, have no faith whatever in "planted fish," as they call them. It seems quite evident, however, that the present supply of whiteflsh is not one- third what it was twenty years ago. H TRON. — At Huron, fishing is the most important occupation in which the people are engaged, and a large number of persons, besides those professionally engaged, are indirectly dependent upon the results of the industry. The number of professional fishermen in 1879 was about seventy- five, in addition to which about forty-six were engaged for a short period. The fisheries are con- trolled by twelve firms, who hire the necessary assistance. About two-thirds of the fishermen are married and have families. Almost every nationality is represented among them, but the Ameri- cans largely predominate. The Huron fishermen are considered a better class of men than the Lake Erie fishermen generally. As a rule, fishing is not hereditary with them, most of them having begun the business late in life. They are not so reckless and improvident as at many other places, and are said to be more energetic, hard-working, and temperate than those at Sandusky and some of the other large fishing towns. No fishing is now carried on upon Sunday, although the icverse was formerly the universal custom. The fishing at Huron is prosecuted almost entirely by means of pound-nets, no gill-nets or seines being used. There are about twenty fyke-nets set in the river, owned and operated by six or seven fishermen. The only kind of boat used is the regular pound-boat, which is about 30 feet in length. There are no steam fishing-vessels in use at Huron, although steam-tugs are occasionally used for towing the scows to and fro. In 1879 there were seventy-four pound-nets in use in these fisheries. They were set at differ- ent points along the shore for a distance of five miles east and about the same distance west from the mouth of the river. The nets are usually set in lines, six or seven together, the largest number in one line being ten. All the nets in any one line seldom belong to a single firm. The value of boats, nets, and other apparatus employed is not less than $58,000. The Huron fishing grounds are considered the most profitable for herring fishing 011 Lake Erie. There has never yet been a total failure since fishing began. Whitefish and other migratory species are only taken in transit. The catch in 1879 amounted to about 2,392,000 pounds, making an average of about 32,000 for each pound-net. Of this amount about 840,000 pounds were sold fresh; 1,462,000 pounds salted; and 90,000 pounds frozen. The greater part of the fresh fish was sold in various inland towns and also sent to the cities on the coast, New York receiving a large share of it. The salt fish were largely sent to Buffalo, New York, and to Philadelphia. Frozen fish found their principal market in Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and New York. Most of the sturgeon were sent to Sandusky to be smoked. A small amount in 1879, however, was sent fresh to Pittsburgh. There is one establishment at Huron at which caviare and isinglass are prepared. The amount of caviare prepared in 1879 was about 8,100 pounds, and of isinglass 154 pounds. There have been some changes in the fishing-boats used in this locality since the origin of the business. Twenty-five years ago the only boats employed were small row-boats; after that sloops were introduced, and they, finally, have been replaced by the pound boats. The latter have in- creased considerably in size and quality of material used since they were first introduced. In fact, the pound-boats in use at Huron are among the best and largest built on the lakes. When pound- boats were first introduced no tunnel was used, and the pot had an opening 2 feet wide, the hearts GItEAT LAKES: LAKE ERIE. 667 leading directly into it. On account of the defects in this form of pound-net great numbers of fish escaped, and, in fact, it was necessary to lift the nets two or three times each day in order to secure good hauls. There have been no disasters among the fishermen at Huron since the establishment of the business. VERMILLION. — The fisheries at this place arc of less importance than those at Huron. The pound-net fisheries are owned by a single firm who hire a sufficient number of assistants to carry on the industry. Usually about ten men are employed for three months in spring, and thirty for the same length of time in autumn. Besides, there are about twelve men who follow hook fishing for catfish during five or six months of the year. About two-thirds of all the fishermen have families. A great variety of nationalities is represented among them. The fishing grounds of Vermillion occupy a very small extent of shore, all the nets being set at one place and comparatively near together. In 1879 the number of nets in use was about 12, each of which was valued at about $400. A few gill-nets are owned at Vermillion, but they are used in fisheries at other places. Catfishiug with hook and line is quite an extensive industry at Vermillion. The total value of apparatus employed in both pound and hook fisheries, including the boats, fish-houses, ice- houses, and other accessories, is not less than $15,000. The boats used in the hook fishery are remarkably small, considering that the men often go at least 5 miles from shore, or even more. The majority of these boats are only about 18 feet long and are sloop rigged. As occurs at other places, a large variety of fish is taken in the pounds ; the principal kinds are herring, whitefish, blue pike, and yellow pike. A number of sturgeon are usually taken every season. The catch for 1879 may be divided somewhat as follows: Fresh fish, 120,000 pounds; frozen fish, 74,000 pounds ; salt fish, 146,000 pounds ; total, 340,000 pounds. The value of this amount of fish is about $10,500, of which $7,000 worth is the product of the pound-nets, and the remainder the product of the hook and fyke-net fisheries. The larger part of the salt fish was sent to Buffalo, Huron, and Saudusky. The frozen fish were sent to Port Clinton, Pittsburgh, and New York, while the fresh fish were chiefly shipped to Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, as well as a large number of small inland towns in Ohio. The fishermen state that less sturgeon were taken in 1879 than ever before. 5To other important changes have taken place in the methods of the fisheries; somewhat larger and better boats are now used than formerly, and also larger and deeper nets. The nets are also set much further from the shore than in former years. The change, however, has been so gradual that no exact dates can be given. Mr. McGraw, of the firm of Lavoo & McGraw, who is well acquainted with the fisheries, is of the opinion that blue pike and herring are increasing in abundance, while whitefish have decreased very much. He also considers that the throwing overboard of offal has had a tendency to drive the whitefish away. Twenty years ago a small seine dragged within a stone's throw of the shore would have brought enough whitefish to fill a boat. At that time small shoal-pounds with very light and thin stakes were in use, and with this simple apparatus more fish were then taken than can now be procured by the costly and elaborate forms of apparatus employed. Xo disasters have taken place among the fishermen of Vermillion since fishing was first com- menced at this point. AMHEBST, BROWNHELM BAY, AND LORAINE. — The fisheries of this section of shore yield large returns considering the amount of apparatus employed and the number of men engaged. (3(38 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. The fisheries, unlike those of Verinillion, are controlled by a large number of firms, each of which owns a few nets. In 1879 there were ten firms engaged in the fishing business, employing together about thirty-two men. Besides the professional fishermen, most of the firms living near the shore own a few gill-nets and take what fish they need for their own use, carrying on the fishery for only a few days in the best part of the season. The majority of the professional fishermen, as well as of the owners of the nets, are Germans. As a rule, the assistants are not employed for more than six months in each year. The only form of apparatus in use is the pound net ; about thirty-nine of these were in use in 1879, being set at different points along the shore. There are three gill-uetters from Erie who fish in this vicinity at certain seasons, but, besides the farmers already mentioned, there are no persons who make a regular business of gill-netting. The nets and boats employed in 1879, together with the accessories, were valued by the owners at about $22,700. The grounds of this section are chiefly noted for the abundance of blue pike. In 1879 .about 1,300 half-barrels of them were prepared for market ; herring are also very abundant, the catch in 1879 being sufficient to fill about 2,600 half-barrels, when salted. The amount of other varieties taken in 1879, exclusive of sturgeon, was not less than 185,000 pounds. All of that amount was sold in the vicinity of the fisheries. The salt fish was sent to Huron and Cleveland. In addition to the amounts already mentioned, about 3,000 sturgeon, weighing not less than 50,000 pounds, were taken and sent to Sandusky to be smoked. No disasters have occurred in this vicinity since the origin of the fisheries. The general impression among the fishermen seems to be that there has been a great decrease among whitefish during the last decade. Ten years ago not half as many nets were in use as are now employed, but a much larger quantity of fish was taken. The decrease of other species is said to be imperceptible, some even claiming that the blue pike and the herring have increased. About eight or nine years ago the prices of all kinds of fish, except whitefish, were nearly double the present prices. DOVER BAY. — These fisheries are not very extensive. The nets are scattered along six or seven miles of shore. During 1879 about twenty men were employed by the five firms who owned and managed the fisheries. The hired men are usually engaged for not more than six mouths in each year. Most of the assistants and owners are Germans. All of the net owners are also farmers, who carry on the double occupation of fishing and fanning. The fishing business is said to have been quite profitable, and many of those engaged are in good circumstances. Pound-nets are the only form of apparatus employed. In 1879 there were about twelve of these nets in use, varying in depth from 20 to 40 feet. No gill-nets are now in use at Dover Bay. They were experimented with some few years ago, but proved unprofitable. The grade of fish taken at Dover Bay is poor; most of them are classed as "soft fish." The yield in 1879 was a little more than 300,000 pounds, the greater proportion of which was sent to Cleveland, although the wholesale dealers there care very little about handling it. Pounds have been in use in this locality since the year 1802, but it has been only within the last eight or nine years that the fishery has met with much success. There has always been more or less difficulty experienced in keeping the nets in place on account of the exposed nature of the shore. By better management, within later years, however, this evil seems to have been erad- icated. The boats now employed are larger and of better model than those formerly in use, and are usually propelled by sails instead of by oars. CLEVELAND. — The fishery trade of Cleveland, in proportion to the population of the city, is GREAT LAKES: LAKE ERIE. 669 much smaller than that of many other lake towns. One reason for this condition of affairs is that there are no very extensive or important fisheries in the vicinity. The railway facilities also are such that the city is not especially important as a distributing center. The nearest fisheries are those of Dover Bay, about 14 miles distant, and there, as has already been stated, the fish taken are of a low grade, and' not abundant. As a distributing point for salt fish, however, Cleveland is of considerable importance. Supplies are received from nearly all the larger fisheries of Lakes Michigan, Huron and Superior. A large percentage of the fish received is sold to wholesale city grocers and jobbers, who sell them in small lots, usually repacked in kits, to their customers in the surrounding country. It appears that in 1853 ten times more fish were shipped from Green Bay to Cleveland than to Chicago, while at the present time the reverse is the case. The local consumption of fresh fish is large, and the city sustains several flourishing retail establishments. There are two retailers who supply the wealthy class. They sell only the very best varieties, and receive proportionately high prices. The other dealers sell cheaper grades, and receive the patronage of less opulent citizens. ASHTABULA AND CONNEAUT. — The fisheries of Ashtabula and Conneaut are somewhat differ- ent in character from those of the places immediately to the westward. The nature of the coast is such that pound-nets cannot be employed, and fishing is therefore carried on almost exclusively by means of gill-nets. In 1879 there were about thirty-four men engaged in fishing, twenty-four of whom were married men with families, and the remainder single young men. Besides these there are also eight fishermen who occupy themselves in fishing for but a small portion of the year. About one-half of the fishermen are Germans and the remainder Americans. Three tugs are employed in connection with the gill-net fishery, the value of which, according to the owners, is not less than $3,000. The nets and small boats employed, together with the accessories, are worth about $0,500; making a total investment of $10,000. It was found quite impossible to obtain exact information as to the yield of the fisheries of Ashtabula and Conneaut for the year 1879. Every man ships the fish which he catches, and only a few dealers keep any record. Mr. David Jones, of Conneaut, however, a man well informed regarding the fisheries, estimated the amount of the catch, and doubtless his figures are very nearly correct. According to Mr. Jones, the yield was about 400,000 pounds, which, at an average ship- ping price of 5 cents a pound for all kinds, would be worth about $20,000. Probably about seven- eighths of the whole were whitefish. The greater part of the catch was sent to Cincinnati and Cleveland, although considerable quantities were sold at Akron, Columbus, and other inland towns in Ohio. "When the boats and tugs fish off Erie a large share of the fish is shipped from that point; at times some are sold to the dealers. Some of the fish-offal is used in making oil; in 1879 about $200 worth of oil was extracted from this material. There has been a noticeable change in the manner of prosecuting the fisheries in this vicinity within the last twenty years. The boats have increased in size at least one-half withiu the last decade and their model has been very much improved. Twenty-five years ago fishing-nets were knit from very coarse twine, which made them heavy, and it was necessary to employ one man for every four nets. In contrast it may be stated that now two men can safely set and lift at least twenty-five nets. With these heavy nets and small, imperfectly made boats, the fishermen did not venture out more than half as far as they do at the present day. Nevertheless, at that time, they caught a great many more fish than now. It is probable that if the same kinds of nets were used now as were employed twenty years ago not enough fish would be caught to supply the wants of the fishermen themselves. 670 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. There had been no disaster at Conueaut for over twenty years, but in the fall of 1879 a boat carrying two men was lost in a gale. WILLOTJGHBY AND PA1NESYILLE. — The fisheries at these two points are operated by four firms. During the fishing season they hire about forty fishermen, three-fourths of whom are married men. In addition to this number, about twenty others are temporarily employed, usually from March to July, and from September to December. In 1879, however, on account of the unusual mildness of the winter, they were employed nearly the whole year. The fishermen receive very good wages, and most of them are in comfortable circumstances. All, except two, are Americans, the two excepted being of German descent. The fishermen who receive monthly wages seem to live better than those who fish on their own account ; they know exactly how much they can rely upon and usually live within their incomes, while those who are fishing for themselves always have in antici- pation the capture of fabulous amounts of fish which will help them out of present difficulties. The fisheries are prosecuted almost exclusively by means of pound-nets. In 1879 there were about seventeen of these nets located here, which, with the boats used in their management and the accessories, were valued at about $18,500. It would seem from these figures that the owners had placed rather too high a valuation upon their property. A large variety of fish is taken in the pounds ; they are all classified in three grades, known as, " rough," " hard," and " soft." Of the three grades, about 340,000 pounds were caught in 1879. In addition, not less than 4,200 sturgeon, weighing about 90,000 pounds, were caught. About one-third of the entire catch was frozen and sent eastward. Of the remainder enough were salted to fill 255 half barrels, and these were sent to Cleveland. The fresh fish are sold in various parts of Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh being the principal market. A large share of the sturgeon are usually sent to Saudusky ; in 1879, however, about 8,000 pounds were smoked and sold in the vicinity. There is a general belief current among the fishermen that there has been a considerable decrease among " hard fish," but none of importance among the " soft fish," during the past decade. Sturgeon are, perhaps, somewhat less abundant. In 1870 it was reported that 20,000 were caught at Painesville, and that some of them were sold at about $2 for a wagon-load. At Swanville more than seventy have been caught in one day by two men using grapnel hooks. There have been no important changes in the manner of fishing. The size of the meshes, however, in the pots of the pounds have been somewhat increased. The same kind of boats are used now that were employed when the fishery began. MILES GROVE, OHIO ; ERIE, PA. ; AND BARCELONA AND DUNKIRK, N. Y.— The professional fishermen employed at the four villages mentioned are distributed about as follows: Miles Grove 14, Eric 100, Dunkirk 4, and Barcelona G ; making a total of 124. About eighty of these men are married. At Erie the boats and outfits are owned by the fishermen, in very many cases two men being in partnership. The capitalists are the dealers who buy the fish from the fishermen and ship them; they also sell twine for nets. At Erie the nationality of the fishermen is German. The manner of earn, ing on the fisheries at these four villages is different from that of most of the .stations west of Lake Erie. The gill-net is the only form of apparatus in use. In 1879 forty-two boats, each carrying about one hundred and twenty-five gill-nets, were employed, and these together were valued at about $25,000. The only other item of the investment here is that for fish-houses, ice-houses, &c., the amount of which is not more than $3,000. The quantity of fish taken at the four villages in 1879 was about 1,350,000 pounds. The amount may be divided somewhat as follows: Erie, 1,050,000 pounds; Dunkirk, 40,000 pounds; Barcelona, 60,000 pounds; Miles Grove, 200,000 pounds. The fish caught at Eric arc sent chiefly GEE AT LAKES: LAKE ERIE. 671 to eastern and interior cities. From the other villages the fish are sent to various places in New York and Pennsylvania. Miles Grove fishermen, however, send largely to Kentucky and to Pittsburgh. Quite a large amount also is shipped in cars from Miles Grove to Columbus, Ohio. No fish are smoked at Erie, and the amount salted is very small. In 1879 only 10,000 pounds of whitefish were prepared in this way. At Eric the fishermen engage in extracting oil from fish offal. During 1879 about 800 gallons were made. It is not very carefully made, and only a small price is realized. It is sold mainly to the tanneries in Buffalo. Considering the number of men and boats employed in this locality, the disasters have been remarkably few. In the fall of 1877 three men were lost ; this was the only accident, as far as could be ascertained, for many years. The fishermen of this region, like their class generally, are poor, owing, however, more to their shiftlessness than to lack of income. Some are in quite good circumstances and four or five have made considerable fortunes. Very little attention appears to have been given to fishing at Erie, and there are no records from which information can be gathered regarding the history of the fisheries of the place. Nearly all the fishermen here have but recently engaged in the business, few having been employed for more than ten years. The number of the boats is said to have increased very much during the last half of the past decade. The year 1878 was the most suc- cessful that has occurred since 18CO, and the yield for 1879 was quite as good as that for the year 1875. There have been no very important changes in the methods of fishing, except that finer twine is used in the nets than formerly, and the boats are larger and better built. BUFFALO. — At Buffalo fishing is rather an unimportant occupation. There are a great many men who fish in winter with hooks through the ice, and during the warmer part of the year with small seines, in the river. These catch a considerable amount of fish. Mr. Johnson, one of the oldest dealers of Buffalo, stated that, in his opinion, in ordinary winters, when the ice was thick on the lake, as many as three hundred persons, a large percentage of whom were sailors, were engaged in fishing, and that ordinarily a winter's catch would not fall far short of 300,000 pounds. Very little of this amount, however, falls into the hands of the city dealers. Pike and sturgeon are the principal kinds taken. The winter of 1879 was exceptionally mild, no ice being formed in the lake, and therefore no fishing was prosecuted. Considerable numbers of sturgeon are caught by means of three-pronged grappling-hooks, which are dragged along the bottom. Pounds or trap-nets are not allowed in the waters of Lake Erie bordering on New York, so that the supply of sturgeon is much less than it would otherwise be. Some fishermen of Ohio attempted to use these nets near Buffalo, but were obliged to desist. Many fish caught in Canadian waters are shipped to Buffalo. According to the best estimates that could be obtained the amount of fresh fish received into Buffalo during 1879 was approximately as follows: Whitefish, 1,083,000 pounds; trout, 628,500 pounds; mixed fish, 420,000 pounds. Of this whole amount, about 075,000 pounds were received from fisheries lying to the westward, of which account has already been taken. About 600,000 pounds were consumed in the city. Considering the population of Buffalo, this amount is quite small in comparison with the consumption of some other cities. The whole amount of fish received, fresh, salt, and smoked, was about 4,000,000 pounds. Considering the remarkable increase in the receipts of Chicago, it seems hardly possible that the trade of Buffalo could have fallen oft since 1872 as much as 2,000,000 pounds. Nevertheless, the statistics for that year, as published by the late Mr. Milner, in the U. S. Fish Commissioner's Report, show that such must be the condition of affairs. 672 GEOGEAPH1CAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. According to the statement of Buffalo dealers, the year 1879 was an exceptionally poor one. The complaint was made that Chicago, by paying higher prices than Buffalo could afford, received a large portion of the products of the fisheries of the latter place. F.— LAKE ONTARIO AND ITS FISHERIES. 239. STATISTICAL SUMMATION. Summary statement of persons employed. Persons employed. Xumber. 619 Detailed statement of capital invested and apparatus employed. Apparatus specified. Number. Value. 167 $13 100 31 14 000 Gill-nets 6 000 *>0 000 9 1 950 5 000 Total 54 050 Detailed statement of tlie quantities and values of the products. Products specified. Founds. Value. ^ Fresh fish 3 490 000 SIS9 550 150 000 5 500 Total 138, 050 240. THE FISHERIES OF THE AMERICAN SHORE. THE FISHERY INTERESTS OF THE LAKE. — There is very little fishing carried on, at the western end of this lake and the few fish caught are taken by the fishermen for their own consumption. The only fisheries which are of com mercial importance are situated at the east end of the lake, near the head of the Saint Lawrence River. There are no records to show the number of fishermen in the different villages, but the fol- lowing summary, prepared from results of investigation, is probably very nearly correct: Place. Number. Place. Number. Oswego 8 Wilson 10 Port Ontario 23 6 Little Sandy 12 12 Big Sandy 6 250 2 10 4 47 Total 400 10 *From Fox Island to Sandy Creek. GREAT LAKES: LAKE ONTARIO. 673 Although French Canadians are quite numerous, Mr. Clark, of Sackett's Harbor, stated that at the east end of Lake Ontario, in the vicinity of Chaumout and Sackett's Harbor, the fishermen originally came from Connecticut, bringing with them the methods they had employed in that region. Various branches of the fisheries are carried on at the eastern end of Lake Ontario. At Oswego, Wilson, Fair Haven, and Chauinont, gill-net fishing is the principal branch engaged in, while at Cape Vincent and Sackett's Harbor pound-nets are also used, and at these two places and also at Port Ontario a number of seines and fyke-nets are in use. The value of the apparatus used at Oswego in 1879, including two hundred gill-nets and four boats, was estimated at $800. At Port Ontario were twenty-three boats, eighteen gangs of gill- nets, seventy-five fyke-nets, and about six or seven seines. The investment was not less than $7,500. At Cape Vincent, which, with the exception of Sackett's Harbor, is the most important station in this region, the capital invested in the fisheries is about $16,500. In this amount is included the value of about 2,250 gill-nets, five pounds, one hundred and fifty trap and fyke-nets, the necessary boats for the management of these nets, and the ordinary acccessories, such as fish-houses and ice-houses. At Sackett's Harbor the number of pound-nets is much larger. In 1879 not less than thirty-one were used here. These, together with about three thousand gill-nets, one hundred traps, thirty fykes, and about three seines, were valued at about $25,500. In operating these nets, one hundred gill-net and other boats were employed, besides a steam-tug; the total value of this apparatus was $7,400. The value of accessories was estimated at $6,000. Several disasters have occurred at the diiferent fishing villages in this region. Twelve years ago four boats carrying three men each were lost off Port Ontario. At Cape Vincent only one man has been drowned in ten years, while in Chaumont there have been but three men lost in fifty years, although as many as three hundred have been engaged from the latter place at one time. At Hudson's Bay, in 1879, seven men were lost at one time. Notwithstanding the prevailing cry of decrease of fish, the fishermen seem to be making very good profits, especially those who are industrious and attend carefully to their business. These remarks, however, do not apply to some of the older grounds on the south shore ; for example, at, Charlotte, Wilson, Fair Haven, and Poultneyville, where it is a fact that fishing is no longer profitable. Poultneyville, N. Y., has been a resort for Canadian fishermen for a number of years. They, came for the first time about 1865. At the present time, however, they have ceased coming. Mr;. Harrington, of Port Ontario, who is well acquainted with the history of the fisheries at that place, says that there has been no change in the manner of fishing for a great many years, except that the salmon fisheries once carried on in the river at that place are no longer in existence. In his opinion there is a cousiderable decrease in the abundance of some kinds of fish, especially among- whitefish. At Cape Vincent there was no fishing of importance until 1859. Prior to that date the fish, only caught in small quantities, were consumed by the fishermen. Before the building of the railroad, which now connects this village with other places, a large portion of the catch was salted. Messrs. Clark & Eobbins, of Sackett's Harbor, stated that in 1877 they salted not less than 2,447 half barrels of ciscoes, while in 1879 they obtained only 100 half barrels. In their opinion, such fish as pike, black bass, and trout have increased since alewives made their appearance, while whitefish and ciscoes have decreased. 43 G K F HISTORICAL REFERENCES TO THE FISHERIES OF NEW ENGLAND. By A. HOWARD CI.ARK. ANALYSIS. THE FISHERIES OF NEW HAMPSHIRE. Fishing by Ibe colonists. New Castle and Exeter. Condition of the fisheries iu 1791. Portsmouth from 1770 to 1870. Thelsksof Shoals. THE FISHING TOWNS OF MASSACHUSETTS. Nowbury and Newburyport. Braintree and Quincy. Brewster. Ipswich. Hull. Chatham. Gloucester. Hinghnm. Dennis. Essex. Scituatc. Yarmouth. Beverly. Duxbury. Sandwich. Salem. Plymouth. Falmouth. Marblehead. Kingston. Martha's Vineyard. Swampscott Truro. Elizabeth Islands. Nahant. Eastham. Wareham. Lynn. Orleans. Marion. Medford. Wellfleet. Xew Bedford. THE FISHERIES OF RHODE ISLAND. Ehode Island in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. 675 HISTORICAL REFERENCES TO THE FISHERIES OF NEW ENGLAND. THE FISHERIES OF NEW HAMPSHIRE. A brief statement of the condition of the fisheries of this State in 1791 is given above on page 105. The following additional references from official records and histories show the development of the industry during the past two hundred and fifty years: FISHING BY THE COLONISTS. THE SETTLEMENTS ix 1C23.— " To include the early inhabitants of New Hampshire with Puritans," writes Sabine, " and among refugees from religious persecutors, as some do, is to degrade to mere fable many of the best-authenti- cated facts in history. The sole purpose of the first and of the subsequent proprietors was to acquire wealth by fishing and trading." In 1623 several gentlemen merchants and others, belonging to Bristol, Exeter, Dorchester, Shrews- bury, Plymouth, and other places in the west of England, formed an association under the title of " The Company of Laeonia." They obtained patents from the Council of Plymouth for the country between the Merrimack and the Kenuebeck, and back to the Great Lakes and the Saint Lawrence. Being encouraged by the colonists at New Pljm- outh, and the reports of fishermen who had made voyages upon the coast, they sent over David Thompson, together with Edward Hilton and William Hilton, who had been fishmongers in London, and some others, provided with the necessary tools and provisions and with instructions to establish a fishery. The Hiltons set up their stages some distance above the mouth of the Piscataqua, near the present site of Dover. Another division about the same time established themselves at the place now called Odiorne's Point, where they built the first house and established salt works, to provide salt for curing their fish. The site of this house with three or four thousand acres of the surrounding land was assigned to Capt. John Mason, and the house took the name of "Mason Hall." Odiorue's Point received its name from John Odiorne, who resided there in 1660, and his descendants have remained in that vicinity until the present day. The point is near the mouth of the river and three miles from the present market square. Certainly no better locality could have been selected for a fishing station, since here was a safe and fine harbor, and a river which was the home of the salmon, alewife, menhaden, and other varieties of fish, while the best of fishing grounds for salt-water species were in the bay close by the mouth of the river. SOME EAKLY SETTLERS.— Mr. William Pepperell, of Cornwall, and a Mr. Gibbons, from Topsham, ijj the west of England, two respectable gentlemen, were among the first settlers at the Shoals. For a year or two they carried on the fisheries at this place. They soon found it too limited for their views and concluded to remove to some part of the main. " To determine them whither they should go they set up each a stick and left them to fall as Providence should direct. Pepperell's fell northwest, Gibbens' fell towards the northeast. Each pursued with enthusiasm the course his stick pointed him, and the former established himself at the mouth of Piscataway River ; the latter is said to have obtained a grant of the tract since called Waldo Patent. " Sir William Pepperell, the commander of the .memorable expedition against Louisbonrg, was the son of this William Pepperell. As a merchant at Kittery, the oldest incorporated town in Maine, where he was born, where he lived and died, and where strangers are still shown his large mansion-house and his tomb, he was personally con- cerned in the fisheries. Ho acquired great wealth. The dignity of a baronet of Great Britain, an honor never before nor since conferred on a native of New England, was bestowed ia reward of his military services ; and not long pre- vious to his death he was created a lieutenant-general." ' He died in 1759. GROWTH OF THE COLONY. — The building up of the colony was slow work, the colonists being absorbed entirely in the fisheries and the fur trade. In 1631 there were but three houses in the settlement. Laeonia soon fell into the hands of Mason and of Sir Ferdinando Gorges, one of his associates in the company. " Their associates," continues Sabine, " discouraged by the continual demands upon them without returns for the capital invested, relinquished their shares. Bat Gorges and Mason did nothing to change the original designs of the first patentees. They formed no government ; they merely employed men to fish and trade for them, without erecting any tribunals whatever to pro- tect their own interests or the rights of others. "Finally, Laeonia was divided into two colonies. To Gorges was assigned, in his own right, the region east of 1 Coll. Mass. Hist. Soc. ; and Report on the Principal Fisheries of the American Seas, by Lorenzo Sabine. Washington : 1852. 677 678 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. the Piscataqua, to winch he gave the name of Maine; and to Mason the territory on the westerly side of that river, which, in honor of the county in which he lived in England, he called 2?eu> Hampshire. " Mason was hred a merchant, but hecame an officer in the British navy, and in that capacity had resided at New- foundland as one of the governors of that island, of the description spoken of in the second part of this report. He was, therefore, personally acquainted with the management of a fishery. * " The history of industry upon the sea, for the century and a half that New Hampshire remained an English colony, is brief and without events of particular interest. lu 1033 Mason wrote from London to his agent Gibbens, on the Piscataqua, that 'the adventurers hero have been so discouraged by reason of John Gibb's ill dealing in his fishing voyage, as also by the small returns sent. hither by Captain Neale, Mr. Herbert, or any of their factors, as that they have no desire to proceed any further until Captain Neale come hither to confer with them, that, by conference with him, they may settle things in better order.' Again, in the same letter he remarks that ' we desire to have our fish- ermen increased, whereof we have written to Mr. Godfrey.' In July, 1633, Gibbens said, in a communication to his employers, that ' for your fishing you complain of Mr. Gibbs. A Londoner is not for fishing, neither is there any amity betwixt the west-countrymen ' and them. Bristol or Barnstable is very convenient for your fishing ships. It is not enough to fit out our ships to fish, but they must be sure (God will) to be at their fishing place the beginning of February, and not come to the land when other men have half their voyage.' The last letter is apparently a reply to the first, and both show that, after ten years' experience, the fishery was managed without skill, and afforded no profit, while the intimation of Gibbens, relative to the late arrival of his employer's ships, may be construed to mean that English merchants sent tteir vessels to our coast in mid-winter. " The colony was indeed in an unpromising condition. For years afterwards there was but little change for the better. The colonists neglected the soil, and the food necessary for their support was obtained in Virginia and England. ' Puscataway,' said the noted John Underbill, Ms a desirable place, and lies in the heart of fishing;' and such is the uniform account of the early chroniclers; but yet the capital invested there by the original patentees, and by Gorges and Mason, was entirely lost. * * » ''The colony depended upon axes and saws, shallops and fishing-lines, until necessity compelled a resort to the plow. Its first exports of corn were mid the desolations of the struggle that resulted in giving it the rank and blessings of an independent State. * * * The trade of Portsmouth was of slow growth. The number of vessels that entered the port in 1681 was forty-nine; but some were of the burden of 10 tons, or mere boats, and none were larger than 150 tons; while the whole amount of impost or customs collected was less than £62." The following extract from the council records for 1682 shows of how little value the local fisheries were at that time : " Importation by strangers is of little value ; ships commonly selling their cargoes in other governments, and if they come here, usually come empty to fill with lumber; but if haply they are at any time loaded with fish it is brought from other ports, there being none made in our province, nor likely to be, until His Majesty please to make the south part of the Isles of Shoals part of this government, they not being at present under any." THE FISHERIES IN 1715 AND 1730.— "In 1715," says Sabine, " Kittery, opposite to Portsmouth, in Maine, and the seat of an extensive fishery, was made a port of entry in consequence of the improper duties and exactions (as was alleged) which the government of New Hampshire demanded of the merchants and fishermen trading at the towns on the Piscataqua. The difficulties which caused this measure seem to have occasioned much excitement. « * « An answer was framed to inquiries of the Lords of Trade and Plantations, in 1730, which shows that the commerce of Portsmouth was still small. The exports were stated to be ' fish and lumber;' the number of vessels was only five, of about 500 tons in the aggregate ; and the tonnage of vessels trading there, owned elsewhere, even less. 'The prov- ince,' it was said, 'makes use of all sorts of British manufactures, amounting to about £5,000 sterling annually, which are had principally from Boston.' ' The trade to other plantations' was to the ' Carribbee Islands, whither we send lumber and fish and receive in return rum, sugar, molasses, and cotton; and as to trade to Europe it is to Spain or Portugal, from whence our vessels bring home salt.'" CONDITION OF THE FISHERIES IN 1791. THE COD FISHERY ON THE BANKS AND INSHORE.— Belknap, in his history of New Hampshire, thus describes the fisheries of the State in 1791 : ''The cod fishery is carried on either by boats or schooners. The boats, in the winter season, go out in the morning and return at night; in the spring and summer they do not return till they are filled. The schooners make three trips to the banks in a season. The first or spring fare produces large, thick fish, which, after being properly salted and dried, is kept alternately above and under ground till it becomes so mellow as to be denominated dumb-fish. This fish, when boiled, is red, and is eaten generally on Saturdays at the best tables in New England. " The fish of the summer and fall fares is divided into two sorts, the one called merchantable and the other Jamaica fish. These sorts are white, thin, and less firm. The Jamaica fish is the smallest, thinnest, and most broken. The former is exported to Europe, the latter to the West India Islands. The places where the cod fishery is chiefly attended to are the Isles of Shoals, New Castle, Rye, and Hampton; but all the towns adjoining the river are more or less concerned in it. The boats employed in this fishery are of that light and swift kind called whale-boats. They are rowed either with two or four oars and steered with another, and, being equally sharp at each end, move with the utmost celerity on the surface of the ocean. Schooners are generally from 20 to 50 tons, and carry six or seven men 1 \Vcst-coimtrymen of England. Nearly all the fishing vessels that came to America were from the west counties. HISTORICAL REFERENCES: NEW HAMPSHIRE. 679 and one or two boys. When tliey make a tolerable fare, they bring home five or six hundred quintals offish, split, salted, and stowed in bulk. CURING THE CATCH ; FOREIGN TRADE. — "At their arrival the fish is rinsed in salt water, and spread on hurdles composed of brush, and raised on stakes about three or four feet from the ground ; these are called flakes. Here the fish is dried in clear weather, and in foul weather it is put under cover. It ought never to be wet from the time that it is first spread till it is boiled for the table. Besides the fleshy parts of the cod, its liver is preserved in casks and boiled down to oil, which is used by curriers of leather. The tongues and sounds are pickled in small kegs, and make a luxurious, viscid food. The heads are fat and juicy ; but most of those which are caught at sea are thrown away. Of those which are caught near home the greater part become the food of swine. "The fishery has not of late years been prosecuted with the same spirit as formerly. Fifty or sixty years ago the shores of the rivers, creeks, and islands were covered with fish fiakea; -and seven or eight ships were loaded annu- ally for Spain and Portugal, besides what was carried to the West Indies. Afterward they found it more convenient to make the fish at Causeau, which was nearer to the banks. It was continued there at great advantage till 1744, when it was broken up by the French war. After the peace it revived, but not in so great a degree as before. Fish was frequently cured in the summer on the eastern shores and islands, and in spring and fall at home. Previously to the late revolution, the greater part of remittances to Europe was made by the fisheries, but it has not yet recovered from the shock which it received by the war with Britain. "It is, however, in the power of the Americans to make more advantage of the cod fishery than any of the Euro- pean nations. We can fit out vessels at less expense, and by reason of the westerly winds, which prevail on our coasts in February and March, they can go to the banks earlier in the seasou than the Europeans and take the best fish. We can dry it in a clearer air than the foggy shores of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. We can supply every necessary from among ourselves, vessels, spars, sails, cordage, anchors, lines, hooks, and provisions. Salt can be imported from abroad cheaper than it can be made at home, if it be not too much loaded with duties. Men can always be had to go on shares, which is by far the most profitable method, both to the employers and the fishermen. The fishing banks are an inexhaustible source of wealth, and the fishing business is a most excellent nursery for seamen. It therefore deserves every encouragement and indulgence from an enlightened national legislature. VESSEL BUILDING IN 1791. — " Fishing schooners and whale-boats are often built at the distance of two or three miles from the water. • * * Vessels of an hundred tons and upwards have been built at the distance of one or two miles from the water and drawn on strong sledges of timber, on the snow, by teams of two hundred oxen, and placed on the ice of the rivers so as to float in the spring."1 XEW CASTLE AKD EXETER. THE FISHERIES OF NEW CASTLE IN 1870.— The Portsmouth Chronicle of August 10, says : We are pleased to learn that the New Castle fleet is doing a big business this year, and that Harding and Doane are prospering to a very gratifying degree. One of their craft, the Velocipede, not finding fish where the rest of the summer fleet were, stood away to the southward, an unusual thing to do so late in the season, and soon took 200 barrels of mackerel in over her rails, and nearly every vessel arriving lands a good fare, schooner Pyrola, Moore, one of Messrs. Harding and Doane's fishing fleet, arriving at New Castle Monday evening, after an absence of ten weeks on Grand Bank, with 1,600 quintals of splendid fish on board. This is an immense catch, and the Pyrola claims the fishery championship; we thiuk she has won it, though, if we remember rightly, there was an old brig that once brought in 1,600 quintals of dried cod, but that was the result of a long trip to Labrador. Another of Messrs. H. and D.'s fine vessels, the schooner W. H. Y. Hackett, Eobbins, arrived Tuesday, also from Grand Bank, with 1,200 quintals of fish." EXETER IN 1792. — "There was formerly at the falls in this town an alewife fishery, which afforded an abundant supply of that kind of fish for the inhabitants of the to wn and vicinity. But for want of sluices in the dams, by which they might ascend the fresh river and gain proper places for spawning, they have for many years almost. disappeared. There was also, till within thirty years, a good bass fishery through the whole course of the river. But very great numbers having been imprudently, or rather, wantonly taken in one season, they almost totally loft it. For several years past they have been returning to their old haunts, though in small numbers. Could people be restrained from taking them through the ice, it is thought that the river might again be replenished with them and the fishery restored. The legislature has passed an act for their preservation; but, through the inattention of those whose duty it is to guard the laws from violation, it is feared that the generous intention will be frustrated. Laws of this kind not duly enforced serve only to favor the vicious and irregular at the expense of the conscientious part of the com- munity. Three or four miles below the falls are taken a few oysters of a small size but good relish."' PORTSMOUTH, 177O TO 187O. THE FISHERIES AND FOREIGN TRADE FROM 1770 TO 1806. — Some inference to the early fisheries of Portsmouth has already been given in the review of the State! Toward the close of the last century a considerable foreign trade was developed. At the wharves were constantly seen vessels loading for the West Indies, Spain, and other countries, large quantities of fish forming a great part of their cargoes. During the war of the revolution, when the hook and line were temporarily laid aside, a fleet of privateers was fitted out and soon heard from in various parts of the world. The first privateers fitted out after the declaration of war were from Portsmouth, and many of them were fishing 'Belknap's Hist New Hampshire. Boston: 1792. Vol. iii, pp. 211-216. 'Coll. Mass. Hist Society, vol. iv, 1792, 1st series, p. 95. 680 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. vessels manned by fishermen. Until 1806, Fcrnald's Island, containing sixty acres, and lying immediately opposite the city, was extensively used for the curing of fish. In that year it was purchased by the Government for $5,500 and the Portsmouth Navy-yard established there. THE PORTSMOUTH WINTER FISHERIES IN 1S70. — The Gloucester Telegraph of March 23, 1870, says: "The Ports- month fisheries employ ten vessels with forty small boats and one hundred men in the winter fisheries otf th.it harbor. It is estimated that over a million pounds of codfish have been landed at one wharf in Portsmouth during the past winter. Nearly $30,000 worth of fish have been sold this season, mostly to dealers in Boston and New York. In and about the harbor there is now sunk over 63 miles of trawls, on which are hung over 96,000 hooks. These hooks are baited mostly with herring and sometimes with clams. The cost of one baiting for this 63 miles of trawl is about $180. Next winter will probably see 200,000 temptations set for the codfish who lie in the deep water off Portsmouth Harbor." The Gloucester Telegraph of December 7, 1870, says: "The fishermen of Portsmouth, N. H., are having a great catch now. Four schooners arrived from a two days' cruise on Monday, bringing in 75,000 pounds of fish." 'The same paper for December 14th says: "The large amount of fish reported caught in Portsmouth Harbor of late were taken on trawls. One vessel, carrying fourteen men, received $1,350 for their harvest of one week, but this was very unusual." HISTORY OF THE ISLES OF SHOALS AS A FISHING STATION. ORIGIN OF THE NAME. — "Sailing out from Portsmouth Harbor with a fair wind from the northwest," writes Celia Thaxter, "the Isles of Shoals lie straight before you, nine miles away, ill-defined and cloudy shapes, faintly discernible in the distance. A word abont the origin of this name, Isles of Shoals. They are supposed to have been so called, uot because the ragged reefs run out beneath the water in all directions ready to wreck and destroy, but because of the shoaling or schooling of fish about them, which, in the mackerel and herring seasons, is remarkable. As you approach they separate and show each its own characteristics, and yon perceive that there are six islands if the tide is low, but if it is high there are eight, and would be nine but that a breakwater connects two of them."1 FACILITIES FOR FISHING. — These islands would probably never have been settled but for the excellent advan- tages they afforded for the prosecution of the fisheries. The early colonists of New England were constantly on the lookout for good fishing stations. Levott, who visited the locality in 1623 or 1624, wrote : " The first place I set my foot upon in New England was the Isles of Shoals, being islands in the sea, about two leagues from the main. Upon these islands I neither could see one good timber tree nor so much good ground as to make a garden. The place is found to be a good fishing place for six ships, but more cannot well be there for want of convenient stage room, as 1his year's experience hath proved. The harbor is but indifferent good. Upon these islands are no savages at all.'' — Levett's Voyage: London, 1028.' In Lechford's Plaine Dealing, published in London in 1642, it is remarked: " The Isle of Shoals and Richmond's Isle, which lie neere Pasquattaqua, are good fishing places."3 DISASTER.— " In 1632 a fishing shallop at the Isle of Shoals was overset."4 THE ISLANDS IN 1661 AND 1682.— "The Isle of Shoals were occupied at a very early date, and soon became places of note and of great resort. In 1661, they were inhabited by upwards of forty families. The fisheries were prose- cuted with vigor and success at that period, and subsequently, for quite a century."6 In 1C82, according to the records of New Hampshire, the fisheries of these islands were regarded as much more important than those of the settlements at the mouth of the Piscataqua. TROUBLE WITH INDIANS.— In 1688 the inhabitants of Hog Island were forced to remove to Star Island on account of the depredations of the Indians, who made plundering incursions, carrying away the women into captivity while the men were fishing. " Star Island seemed a place of greater safety ; and probably the greater advantages of landing and the conveni- ence of a wide cove at the entrance of the village, with a little harbor wherein the fishing craft might anchor with some security, were also inducements."6 THE F'ISHEKIF.S PROM 1760 to 1800.—" Before the war of the Revolution, when the islands were in a flourishing state, there were annually caught here, and cured for the market, from three to four thousand quintals of fish. At that time seven or eight schooners, besides boats, were employed in this business; and some used to extend their fishing voyages to the Banks of Newfoundland. About the year 1730, and afterwards, the fisheries on these islands increased to that degree that three or four ships used to load here, annually, with winter and spring merchantable fish for Bilboa, in Spain, and smaller vessels for other places. Besides, a large quantity of cod and scale fish were carried to Portsmouth, for the West India market. "The usual drink of the fishermen, at that period, was a liquor which they called bounce, composed of two-thirds spruce beer and one-third wine. But, in a course of years, they gradually left off the use of this -wholesome drink, and substituted in its place ardent spirits, which has been a principal means of the lamentable degeneracy of these people."7 GOVERNMENT AND RELIGION.— " The old town records are quaint and interesting, and the spelling and modes of expression so peculiar that I have copied a few. Mr. John Muchamore was the moderator of a meeting called 1 Isles of Shoals, 1873, pp. 9, 10. 6 Sabine, op. at., p. 114. * Coll. Mass. Hist. Soc., vol. viii, 3d series, p. 164. e Thaxter's Isles of Shoals, 1873, p. 47. *lbi<1., vol. iii, 3d series, p. 100. 'Coll. Mass. Hist. Soc., vol. vii, 1802, pp. 247-252. 1 Winthrop's Journal, p. 37. HISTOKIGAL EEFEEENCES: NEW HAMPSHIRE. G81 'March ye 7th day, 1748. By a Legall town meeting of yc Free holders and Inhabitorice of gosport, dewly quallefide to vote for Tiding men Collers of fish, Corders of wood. Addition to ye minister's sallery Mr. John Tucke, 100 Ibs. old tenor.' Among the 'otibrsers' of ' Gospored' were, besides ' Moderator' and 'Towne Clarke,' ' Seelekt rneeii,' ' Couu- stauble,' 'Tidoumeen ' (Tithing- men), Coulears of fish'— 'Coulear' meaning, I suppose, culler, or person appointed to select Csb — and ' Sealers of Whood,' ofteuer expressed corders of wood."1 " The fishermen of the Isles of Shoals, as a class, were moral and exemplary men during the entire period em- braced iu our inquiries. A place of worship was erected even before the year 1641, at which time the Rev. Mr. Hull was their minister. They were disturbed, however, in 1642, by Mr. Gibson, au Episcopal clergyman, who went among them, performed services according to the rites of his church, and created a disaffection towards the government of Massachusetts, which then claimed to exercise jurisdiction over them. The Rev. John Brock commenced his pastoral labors about 1650, and remained among them twelve yearn. J3.6 was au excellaut man, and was succeeded by Mr. Belcher, who was equally worthy. Mr. Moody followed, in 1700, and continued their pastor upwards of twenty-five years. His successor was the Rev. John Tncke, whose ministry terminated only with his life, in 1773. Their last spiritual guide, previous to the general dispersion, two or three years afterwards, was the Rev. Jeremiah Shaw. Thus •we have the remarkable fact that these lone islanders maintained religious worship, with hardly an interval, for one hundred and thirty-five years."* "From the year 1754 to 1771, it appears from the records that the salary of the Rev. Mr. Tucke was paid him in merchantable winter fish, a quintal a man. There were from eighty to a hundred men then on these islands, and a quintal of fish was estimated at a guinea. His salary was considered, in his situation, as one of the most valuable, at that time, in New England."3 The following extract from the town records is the official history of the transactions between the islanders and their clergymen : " MARCH 12TH, 1769. "A geuarel free voot past amongst the inhabents to cus [cause] tow men to go to the Revd. Mr. John Tucke to hear wether he was willing to take one Quental of fish each man, or to take the price of Quental in ould tenor which he answered this that he thought it was easer to pay the fish than the money which he consented to taik the fish for the year iusuing." "On March y" 25, 1771, then their was a mealing called and it was gurned until the 23rd day of Apriel. "Mr. DEEKEN WILLAM MUCHMORE, "Moderator." THE EFFECTS OF WAR. — " It is of interest to remark," says Sahine, "as showing the prosperous condition of these islands, and the means of education in ' the olden time,' that gentlemen of consideration, of some of the principal towns on the seacoast, sent their sous there for literary instruction. "The war of the Revolution produced a disastrous change. It was found by the Whigs that their enemies extorted articles of sustenance as well as recruits for their service, and they ordered the inhabitants to abandon their homes. In obedience to the hard mandate, a large proportion removed to towns orfthe main land, and never returned. A single incident that occurred early in the contest will serve to illustrate the general situation of the islanders previous to their dispersion: An aged woman, who lived on Star Island, kept two cows, which fed in winter on hay cut in summer among the rocks with a knife, and with her own hands. These useful animals were always in excellent order, and to her were invaluable. To her great sorrow, though paid lor, they were taken by the British and slaughtered for beef."4 FISH CURING IN OLD TIMES. — "The winter and summer fish," eays a writer in the Mass. Historical Society Col- lections iu 1802, "are, doubtless, of the same species. They are cured also in the same manner, except that the former, on account of the coldness of the weather, require less salt. The trouble of taking and curing the winter fish is much greater than of the summer, because the days are shorter, and the season unfavorable for drying them. The hardships endured in taking the winter fish are inconceivable by all but eye-witnesses. In summer the fishing is carried on chiefly in the night. "In the autumn of 1800, thirteen whale-boats, ten owned on Star and three on Haley's Island, belonged to these islanders. From 1,000 to 1,500 quintals offish are caught here annually; from 100 to 250 quintals of which are what is called winter or dun fish. In the winter and spring of 1800, when bait was plenty, and the season favorable, about 300 quintals of winter fish were taken ; in 1788, when bait was scarce, and the season bad, only 35 quintals were caught. "The following is the process of making the fish : The fish, in the first place, are thrown from the boats in piles on the shore. The cutter then takes them and cuts their throats and rips open their bellies. In this state he hands them to the header, who takes out the entrails (detaching the livers, which are preserved for the sake of the oil they contain) and breaks off their heads. The splitter then takes out the back-bone, and splits them completely open, and hands them to the salter, who salts and piles them in bulk, where they lie from ten to twenty hours, as is most convenient. The shoremen and the women then wash and spread them on the flakes. Here they remain three or four weeks, according to the weather; during which time they are often turned, piled in fagots, and then spread again, till they arc completely cured for the market. The winter or dumb fish lie from ten to fourteen days in salt, and are very carefully dried, and secured in bad weather. The season for catching and curiug these fish is from Feb- 1 Thaxter's Isles of Shoals, 1873, p. 57. "Coll. Mass. Hist. Soo. 'Sabine, op. cit., p. 114. NEWBTJRYPORT. EARLY HISTORY. — This part of the New England coast was first discovered by the elder Cabot iu 1497, and was visited by Captain Gosnold in 1602 and Martin Pring iu 1G03. The first regular survey of this portion of the coast was made by Capt. John Smith in 1614. In 1620 it was granted to Sir Fernando Gorges and others iu the name of the Grand Council of Plymouth, and under this patent was, by royal authority, first called New England. In 1628 another charter from King Charles reconfirmed the patent, with the additional right to exercise powers of government. In this charter the Merrimac River is mentioned as "a great river commonlie called Monomack or Merriemack." The first regular settlement was made in 1635, although two years previous to this time, on September 3, 16:33, the General Court had granted liberty to John Wiuthrop, jr., to set up a trucking or trading house on the Merrimac River. At this early date, it is claimed, sturgeon were taken from the Merrimac River and pickled, to be shipped to England. Until the year 1642 the inhabitants were mostly engaged iu farming. The House of Commons passed a law exempting the exports and imports of New England from taxation. From that time more attention was paid to commerce. Fishing iu the Merrimac was a regular business at this period. In 1656, quite a large trade having grown up with the West Indies, the first wharf was built. Vessels arrived with the products of the islands and returned with cargoes of dry and pickled fish, lumber, and beef. The export of pickled sturgeon had become iu 1674 a regular and profitable business, being taken overland to Boston and also shipped to England. It was frequently exchanged for West India rum and molasses. A keg of sturgeon was worth from ten to twelve shillings, and one sale is recorded of "fifteen kegs of sturgeon for a small cask of rum and a cask of molasses." This year William Thomas petitioned the General Court " that he may be licensed to boyle and sell sturgeon for the counties of Essex and Norfolk, being aged and incapable of any other subsistence; but was forstalled and circumvented by others who, by hooke or crooke. for strong liquor or otherwise, procured the fish from the Indians employed to catch them by the petitioner." The peti- tion was not granted, the river being left free to all without any hindrance. A description of Newbury says : "At the iiMiit h of the river Merrimac stands Newbury, pleasantly situated, where abundance of sturgeon are taken, and pickled after the Manner used in the Baltick."1 NEWBURYPORT FROM 1764 TO 1805.— On the 28th of January, 1764, the lower or coast part of the town separated from the upper part and was incorporated as a town under the name of Newburyport. At this time the population was 2,282 persons. Shipbuilding had for a number of years been the leading business of the port. During the war of the Revolution this port engaged in privateering, sending out quite a fleet, among which, it is recorded, twenty-two sail, with over a thousand men, sailed; these were never heard of again. This port and another claim to have sent the first privateer. During 1766 seventy-two vessels were at one time under construction. With the West Indies a constant and profitable trade had been carried on up to this time. The first fishing license on record was given July 15, 1793, to a vessel of 16 tons. The first license to a cod vessel was given March 20, 1794. In 1805 a large foreign trade was being carried on ; from April 14 to May 14, one month, the citizens imported goods to the value of $800,000. NEWBURYPORT FISHERIES, 1806 TO 1826.— The fishing vessels and fisheries of Newburyport in and for sonic years after 1806 are thus discussed : 1 British Empire in America. London, 1741, vol. i. pp. 191, 192. HISTORICAL REFERENCES: MASSACHUSETTS. 633 "The fishing vessels belonging to this district are not owned in the town of Newbnryport alone, but a portion of them in the vicinity. In 180(5 the number of vessels belonging to the district employed in the Labrador fishery was forty-five, and ten or fifteen more in the Bay fishery. These vessels averaged twelve men each, and caught in the sea- sou 5,000 quintals of fish each. The mackerel fishery was then very small. The latter branch of our fisheries was not commenced to any extent until the late war. The first vessel fitted out in this district to carry on the mackerel fishing for the season was in 1815; but in 1819 the number of vessels so employed amounted to about thirty, and the quantity of mackerel caught to about l.r>,000 barrels. The number of vessels employed in the year 1825 was seventy- five, and the quantity of mackerel caught was 24,000 barrels. The average quantity of fish taken in the cod fishery, by vessels belonging to this district, for the last ten years has been about 20,000 quintals, averaging about $50,000 in value. This business probably employs three hundred men. The sum paid in this district for bounties for the year 1825 was $14,998. It Las been already stated that the amount of registered tonnage belonging to this town at present (1826) was 7,503 tons; of enrolled, 12,991 tons. At former periods *ue case was reversed, and the tonnage registered was much greater than the tonnage enrolled. From this it appears that the coasting and fishing business of the town has much increased within a few years, and in proportion as the foreign commerce has diminished. The fishing busi- ness has proved highly beneficial to the south part of the town and the contiguous parts of Newbury, where it is chiefly carried on. This fact is apparent from the evidently improved appearance and increasing prosperity of that quarter. Much as we have cause to lament the diminution of our foreign trade, still the prosperity of our fisheries, and of the coastwise trade, is a subject of much greater gratulation."1 During the winter of 1816-17 the Mercantile Company of Newburyport was formed for prosecuting the Bank fishery. The fleet comprised fifty-five schooners, four sloops, and one brig; total, sixty sail, aggregating 2,847 tons. The largest vessel was 118 tons, and smallest, 8 tons. Although not considered a good year's work, $50,000 was paid for interest, and 12 per cent, profit, or 18 per cent, on the capital invested. In 1817 Newburyport had a fleet of sixty-five vessels in the Labrador fishery, including sixty schooners, one brig, and four sloops. In 1823 the fishermen of this port received $15,758.36 as bounty money. THE MACKEREL FISHERY IN 1829.— On April 17, 1829, the first mackerel license was given, and in 1831 the largest amount of mackerel ever put up at this port in one year — 36,000 barrels — was packed. THE WHALE AND FUU-SEAL FISHERIES IN 1833. — A record of 1833 shows that some attention was paid to the whale fishery, three vessels having been reported to have engaged in it for a few years, but no custom-house records can be found substantiating that statement. The fur-seal fishery is also mentioned in the history of the port at this time (1833), but there are few records showing the results of the fishery. Concerning both whale and fur-seal fisheries the following bears witness : "The whaling business at one time promised to become a permanent interest of Newburyport. In 1833 three ships, the Merrimac, Navy, and Adeline, were engaged in the business, employing a hundred men or more, and the next year another ship was added to the little fleet. The first efforts of the several whaling companies were suc'cess- ful, but some temporary discouragements arising, the enterprise was abandoned, and the fortunes which were finally made in the whale fishery went to build up the prosperity of other towns. The fur-seal fishery was also prosecuted by citizens of Newburyport for some years, but that has also been abandoned."3 THE FISHING FLEET OF NEWBURYPOUT IN 1834 AND 1835. — In 1834 the shipping interest of this port was repre- sented by 207 sail, engaged iu coasting, foreign trade, and fishing; 124 sail were in the latter class, under mackerel or cod license. In 1835 the following sail, mostly engaged in the mackerel fishery, were in the Newburyport fleet: Number of sail. Tons. 125 6, 325. 75 41 2, 059. 49 Total . 166 8, 385. 24 This is the largest number under mackerel license for any one year. NEWBURYPORT FROM 1840 TO 1851. — The year 1840 is noted as the opening of the railroad to this port, and the year 1847 is celebrated by the introduction into Newburyport of the telegraph. The list of fishing vessels from the district of Newburyport in 1851 was officially given at ninety vessels, with a total of 6,012 tons, and employing nine hundred and eighty-five men. The valuation of the vessels with their outfits was eriimated at $211,900. Ninety of these engaged in the mackerel fishery. The year 1851 is also remembered as one of severe loss. On October 5 the fishing fleet, when off Prince Edward Island, was caught in a gale, and eighteen vessels, with more than twenty men, were lost. During this year the mackerel fleet landed at this port 21,202 inspected barrels. In the same year the port received its city charter, having a population of 12,864. At this time a large part of the cod-fishing fleet took their fares off the coast of Labrador, from forty to fifty sail annually visiting that coast and securing their fares with hook and line or seines. The latter were used in the harbor and shallow water near shore, 1 Caleb Cashing: History of Newburyport. 1826, pp. 85, 86. 'History of Newburyport, by Mrs. E. Vale Smith, 1854, p. 223. 684 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. at and near Salmon River. As the fish drew off into deep water the hand-line was called into play. In the use of the seine a small boat was first sent chit to look over the ground, a water telescope being used. This was no more than a small box, some 8 to 10 inches square, with a glass bottom. By putting it below the surface waves or ripple of the water the bottom could be distinctly seen, and the cod, moving in schools, could be observed if on the fishing ground. • The cod seine was then brought out and thrown around them. The seine was usually 100 fathoms long, 55 to 75 feet deep, with mesh 3J to 3^ and 4^ to 4^ inches. After throwing around the fish the net was pursed up, as in the mackerel fishery. From 2,000 to 12,000 codfish were taken at a haul. No other fish were caught with them. The fish were always small, of an average weight of 4 to 5 pounds each. As a part of the cargo herring were often caught in nets 75 fathoms long and 32 to 48 feet deep, with 1-J to 2-J inch mesh. The herring were caught near Bradore and Assizes harbor. THE FISHERIES FROM 1857 TO 1860. — In 1857 Newburyport had a mackerel fleet of ninety sail of vessels. The Cape Ann Advertiser of September 23, 1859, quoting from the Newburyport Herald, says: " The Labrador fishermen have done well. The Spring Hill, that arrived on Saturday, brought 190,000 fish, the largest number ever brought to this port by one vessel. We believe she also had 200 barrels of herring. Favorable reports are received from the vessels yet to arrive." According to the Cape Ann Advertiser of June 15, 1860, the Labrador fleet of Newburyport that year numbered sixty vessels. It was stated in the Gloucester Telegraph of January '28, I860, that Newburyport was at that time beginning to enter the Georges Bank fishery ; a new industry for that port. THE MACKEREL AND CLAM FISHERIES IN 1870. — Concerning the prospect for the Saint Lawrence fishery of 1870, and the Newburyport clam industry, the Gloucester Telegraph for April 20 and June 15, 1870, contained the follow- ing paragraphs: "There will bo from twenty-six to thirty schooners sent from Newburyport this season for the bay of Saint Lawrence. Last year the number was twenty-six, two of which were lost; but several new ones have been added to the list, which will increase the number a little. The Race Horse, Hattie E. Smith, and a few of the larger-sized vessels will go this year." "The clamming business at Newburyport is quite profitable and increases every year. During the three mouths ending with March 31 about 7,000 bushels of clams were dng in the Merrimack for the dealers, besides what were peddled and eaten in the city. The price, at 50 cents a bushel, amounts to $3,500." THE FISHERIES IN 1871. — A statement in the Cape Ann Advertiser of January 5, 1872, says, concerning the New- buryport fisheries for 1871 : "The fresh fish brought here for the consumption of the city and country in its vicinity during the past year has amounted to over 1,000,000 pounds, valued at $30,000, for which the consumer has paid more than double this amount." NEWBURYPORT FISHERIES FROM 1872 TO 1876. — The Newburyport Herald of October 8, 1872, says: "Oar market at the present time is abundantly supplied with fish in all varieties, which are landed fresh from the sea every day by tons. On Saturday a large lot of fresh mackerel were brought in by the market boats. Two codfish were brought in by one of our fishing boats on Saturday which weighed 80 pounds each. The old fishermen said they were the largest they had ever seen. One wherry also brought in about 400 pounds of handsome sea bass." The Newbnryport Herald of March 12, 1874, says : "There are twenty-two vessels in this port classed as fishermen, and which, in former years, have made trips south and in the bay of Saint Lawrence ; five are now engaged in the West India trade and will not return till time to fit out for bay of Saint Lawrence, and some four or five other vessels are for sale. The mackerel business has not been profitable." In 1874 the Newburyport Labrador fleet consisted of two vessels, the Edward Lee and Edward Lameyer. In 1876 there were one hundred and thirteen arrivals of fishing vessels in Newburyport, the product lauded being valued at $125,000. The fishing fleet this year consisted of six baymen, six shore vessels, and two in the Labrador fishery. The Labrador cod fleet for five years previous to 1876 was not very successful. Before 1871 the average fare was 1,500 to 2,200 quintals of cod, but in 1876 the average was only about 500 quintals of cod and 200 barrels of her- ring. IPSWICH. SETTLEMF.NT OF THE TOWN. — In the year 1614 the ground on which the town of Ipswich now stands, was marked on the chart of Capt. John Smith by the name Agawam, an Indian word signifying "a place abundantly supplied with fish." The same name is, for a similar reason, given to several places along the coast. This name was changed by King Charles to Southampton. The colonial records of August 4, 1634, record a second change to its present name, after the town of Ipswich, England, "in acknowledgment of the great honor and kindness done to our people, who took shipping there." IPSWICH IN 1654. — The following description of the town and of the character of its inhabitants in 1C34 appeared in "Wonder-working Providence," published in London in 1654 : " This Towne is scituated on a faire and delightfull River, whose first rise or spring begins about five and twenty Miles farther np in the Countrey, issuing forth a very pleasant pond. But soon after it betakes >ts course through a most hideous swamp of large extent, even for many Miles, being a great Harbour for Bcares : after its coming forth HISTORICAL REFERENCES: MASSACHUSETTS. 685 this place, it groweth larger by the income of many small Rivers, and issues forth iu the Sea, due east over against the Island of Sholes, a great place of fishing for our English Nation; the peopling of this Towne is by men of good ranke and quality, many of them having the yearly Revenue of large Lands in England before they came to this Wilderness, but their Estates being imployed for Christ, and left in bauke as you have formerly heard, they are well content till Christ shall be pleased to restore it againe to them or theirs, which in all reason should be out of the Pre- lates Lauds iu England. Let all those, whom it concernes (to judge) consider it well, and do justice herein." JOSSELYN'S DESCRIPTION IN I(i63. — This town was in 1(363 also described by Josselyn: "The next Town that presents itself to view is Ipswich, situated by a fair River, whose first rise is from a Lake or Pond twenty mile up, betaking its course through a hideous Swamp for many miles, a Harbour for Bears, it iesueth forth into a large Bay (where they fish for Whales), due East over against the Island of Sholes, a great place of fishing, the mouth of that Kiver is barrM." ABUNDANCE OF SALMON AND STURGEON. — Concerning the abundance of fish at this place in early times and their comparative .scarcity now, Felt has written the following note: "Animals of this sort were very abundant when Agawam was settled. Of their number, salmon and bass have nearly, and sturgeon have entirely, disappeared from our waters. There were companies, of Matthew Cradock and others, who caught large quantities of sturgeon for the European market, in Ipswich, while it was owned by the Indians. Tlie sounds of these fish were made into isinglass. Smith remarked of Massachusetts, 'No river where there is not plenty of sturgeon or salmon or both, which are to be had in abundance, observing but their seasons.'"1 FISH WEIRS IN 1635. — The following order was entered on the town records in 1635, with reference to the build- ing of weirs: " H'ears, Hi35. — Richard Kent is allowed to build another wear on Chebacco River and enjoy the profits. John Perkins, jr., had made a wear-on the same river, to have the profits of it seven years, beginning 1636, and to sell alewivtsj at 5». for 1,UOO. He disposes of this place to Mr. Wm. Cogswell." FISH USED AS FKRTILIZEH IN 1()37.— As far back as 1637, at this place, shad and alewives were so used for fertiliz- ing the soil. Morion says, " One thousand of thepe fish were put into an acre, which would yield three times more com lhau without them." This practice was derived from the Indians, and continued until 1639, during which year the General Court passed a law "that, after June 20, no bass nor cod shall be taken for rnanuie, except their heads and olliil.'' The dogs seem to have caused some trouble by scratching iu the fields, and the following amusing town law was passed M ay 11. 1644 : " It IN ordered that all doggs, for the space of three weeks after the publishinge hereof, shall have one legg tyed up. If such a dogg should break loose and be found in any cornefield, doing any harine, the owner of the dogg shall pay the damage. If a man refuse to tye up his dogg's legg, and he be found scraping up fish in the cornfield the owner shall pay l'2x., b.-sidns whatever damage the dogg doth." THK con FISHERY IN 1641. — In 164! the cod fishery was prosecuted and it is recorded by Felt that the town raised a committee t<> dispose of the " Little Neck" for the advancing of the fishery; that leave was granted to the fishermen to inclose this Litllr Neck, where a fishing-stage had been built ; that every boat coming there was allowed room to make its tisli. and that the boat's'crew were at liberty to plant an acre of ground. Loss OK FISHING VESSELS.— In 1648 .there was one ropemaker-in the town. Several vessels from Ipswich, during the summer of this year, had lieeu fishing at Monhegan.* Concerning t he fate of one of these boats, Hubbard wrote the following episode : " In October, 1648, some shallops of Ipswich, having licen fishing all the summer at Monhiggin, in their way home intended to put in at Damarill's Cove on u Sin u rd ay night, and three of them got safe into the harbor's mouth before sundown. They in the fourth shallop were not willing to put forth their oars till it was very late in the afternoon, when they were becalmed, and so it was dark night before they could reach the harbor, the entrance of which they missed, and by that means were overtaken liy the surf of tht sea and drowned — four Englishmen and one Indian — and the goods nil perished. Their friends called to them to make haste, but the sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men that can render a reason. "* SALT-WOKKS AND SHIPBUILDING IN 1652.— Salt-works were established in Ipswich in 1652 and carried on for several \eais, receiving a slight assistance from the town. Six years later shipbuilding was commenced. IPSWICH FISHERIES FROM 167U TO 1715.— The following facts are compiled from Felt's history of the town: Permission was given to the fishermen in 1670 to take wood from the common for needed buildings and fuel. Each boat's crew bad leave to feed one cow on the common. Regarding the building of weirs in 1674, the following grant was made: " 1<>74.— Nathaniel Rust and Samuel Hunt are permitted to set np a weir about the Falls if it do not hinder the mill nor passage thereto." The foi jn of a weir was as follows- : " Stone walls were built down the stream till they came in contact at an angle of forty-five degrees. At this angle a cage was placed, composed of hoops with twigs fastened to them. The walls conducted the fish down to the cage and thus they were taken in great numbers." In lt»y(i provision was made for the construction of buildings, which should benefit the fisheries. " ll>9t> — Lots are to be laid out at Jeffrey's Neck for flake-room and stages." The whale fishery created interest a few years later, and on December 10, of the year 1706, John Higgiuson, of Salem, wrote to Symoud Epes, of Ipswich : " I hear a rumor of several whales, that are gotten. I desire you to send 1 Fi-lfB History of Ipswich, Eso«. and Hamilton, 1834, p. 47. 'Hubbard's History of New England, p. 532. 1 Ibid., pp. 109. 111. 686 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. me word how much we are concerned in them, and what prospect of a voyage. When they have doue, I desire you would take rare to secure the boats and utensils belonging to them." And in the next year, under date of September 22, Mr. Higginson wrote again about whale-boats and crews at Ipswich, and remarked : " We should be in readiness for the noble sport." In 1715 a committee of the proprietors met at Jeffrey's Neck and confirmed to the owners of thirteen fishing boats the use of the room occupied by these boats. THE FISHERIES FROM 1723 TO 1758. — In 1723 flats were granted " to set up a house ou to accommodate the fishery." The town voted in 1730 that "owners of fishing vessels shall give an account of the crews, to the clerk, on penalty of 20». for every person's name omitted." In 1747 " a passage had been made through two inill-dams for alcwives." Douglass ' states that Ipswich had six fishing schooners in 1748, and Felt records the same number in 1758. THE CLAM INDUSTRY IN 1763 AND 1771. — In 1763 " The commoners forbid auy more clams to be dug than are neces- sary for the use of the people of the town and of fishing vessels. They allow one barrel for each of a crew to the banks, and in proportion for boats in the bay." A regulation was passed in 1771, that " owners of vessels are to pay 6 human care can afford certain protection. This was early experienced by our fishermen, and the havoc of their class by storms, which has since so often shrouded the town in mourning, imparts a melancholy interest to nearly every period of our history. The first loss by shipwreck we have recorded is that of a new schooner while on a fishing voy- age at Sable Island, in 1716. In October, the next year, four of a fleet of seven were lost on the passage from the fish- ing grounds, and to these were added, in 1722, another at Sable Island, involving, in each case, the loss of all the crew." GROWTH OF THE FISHERIES, 1722 TO 1741.— "The history of our fishery," continues Babson, " from this time to the Revolutionary War, for want of particular information concerning it, may be briefly related. The vessels with which the business was first carried on were the sloops built in the town. A few schooners were added about 1720, of which class it is probable that the 'old bankers,' of recent times, were nearly exact representations. Between 1720 and 1730 as many vessels appear to have been fitted out from Squam River as from the harbor, but after the last data the preponderance was certainly with the latter place, where it has since remained. An account of those of Nathaniel Parsons has been given on a previous page. His was the largest business of his time of which we have any knowl- edge. Next to him and a few years later we find that Elias Davis was a merchant of the most extensive and suc- cessful trade, leaving at his death in 17:i4 six schooners, a wharf, and fishing-room at Canso, and a large amount of other property. "In 1741 we learn that above seventy fishing vessels belonged to the town; but the condition of the business here at that time, as reported by Rev. John White, was not such as another authority ' states it to have been in the Colony generally, nor docs it appear to have been prosperous for any considerable time during the next twenty years. In- deed, it is a matter of wonder that the discouragements of that period did not cause a total abandonment of the busi- ness. But, notwithstanding the wars between France and England, and the consequent annoyance and occasional capture of our vessels by the cruisers of the enemy, and the demand for men for the provincial armies and for the naval service, the fishery was still pursued. The truth is, it had now become the basis of a profitable foreign trade, for the maintenance of which the merchants of the town would willingly encounter great rUks, and could even atford to bear considerable losses. CONDITION OF THE FISHERIES FROM 1763 TO 1779.— According to Babson, " the peace of 1763 secured to our fathers unmolested use of the fishing grounds, and from this time to the Revolution they carried on the business with energy and success, though a terrible disaster [nine vessels with their crews were lost in 1766], which inflicted a heavy blow upon the town, occurred in the meantime. We know nothing of the relative importance of the bank and shore fish- eries during this period ; but it seems that the latter were almost wholly confined to Sandy Bay and the cove on the- outside of the cape, while the chief seat of the former was at the harbor. Neither can we ascertain the number of vessels and boats engaged in the business in any year except the last of the term here embraced. That employed in the bank fishery must have been quite large, for nineteen schooners, as we have seen, sailed at one time in the fatal year of 17i>6. Ati 'estimate of the number of fishing vessels from Massachusetts' before the war, supposed to have, been made by a merchant of the town several years after that event, gives seventy-five as belonging to Gloucester, agreeing nearly with the number stated by our selectmen in 1779 to have been owned here in 1775, which was eighty, of an aggregate burthen of 4,000 tons. The average value of these vessels, wo learn from another source, was about £300. The same estimate says that there were owned at Sandy Bay seventy boats, which landed 160 quintals offish each; but this evidently exaggerates. " Of the fisheries of Massachusetts for any period, from the beginning to the present time, we lack full reliable statistics. The earliest table I have seen is one of the cod fishery, 'from the year 1765 to 1775.' That gives, in rela- tion to the Gloucester fisheries, ' vessels annually employed, 146; tonnage, 5,530; number of men, 888;' an exaggera- tion, without doubt, in each case. In a covenant for mutual insurance of the bankers in 1774, forty-five schooners are entered; bin those of Daniel Poarce and WTinthrop Sargent, two principal merchants of the town, and of others 1 Hon. L. Sabine, in Ms Report on the American Fisheries, p. 101. Mr. White's account is contained in a letter to the Governor and Council in relation to a call upon the town for aid to the sufferers by a great fire in Charleston, S. C., as follows : "Almost our whole dependence, under God, is upon our navigation and fishery ; and onr other Navigation on onr Fishery: and that has sr, far f.iih-d by reason ,.f y<> smallness of ye price offish, and yo duarnesa of salt, broad, nnd craft, that, of above so vcuty fishing vessels there are few, if any. abo> , I,-., i:, ii.at Imsino-w. Our pi-npY m s.-altered abroad in the world to get their bread: many pressed, many serring as volnntcen in his majesty's service; and the cry of many for necessaries is very affecting. And we have had Hire.- contributions for ye reUef ot the poor the List year in onr congregation, and other Fat-lilies are very pressing for relief." 44 G R F 690 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. owning one or two vessels each, were not put in ; enough in all to make up the eighty mentioned as belonging hero in 1775. The number of our fishing-boats at that time cannot bo ascertained ; but, on the authority of the selectmen for 1779, I can state that, 'in foreign merchantmen, coasters, and lishiug-boats,' wo had 1,000 tons. I suppose that about one-half of this tonnage was in fishing-boats, averaging, as they did a few years later, 12 tons each, and making 1 lie whole number about forty. In that case we should have the aggregate of one hundred and twenty fishing-vessels belonging to the town in 1775, of the total burthen of 4,500 tons. The schooners probably carried an average number of six men each, and tho boats two, making the whole number of fishermen five hundred. Nearly all the fishermen who sailed from the town at that time belonged to it ; and when wo consider that our list of polls then numbered but 1,053, we see at once that the number of men employed in the fisheries here, given in the table above mentioned, must be exaggerated. [Pitkin gives the quantity of fish exported from Gloucester just prior to the Revolutionary War at 77,500 quintals.] PROFITS TO THE FISHERMEN. — "The business yielded a scanty support to the fishermen; and, as a class, they were poor, though then, as in a more recent period of our history, according to the natural course of things, the mer- chants who carried it on with most success were men who had themselves served an apprenticeship at the hook and line. No means exist for ascertaining the average annual earnings of these men before the war; but the accounts of a single vessel for 1773 are preserved, and show the product of her two trips to the Banks to have been 550 quintals of fish, which sold for £302. After deducting a few small expenses, one-half of this sum belonged to the fishermen. Supposing their number to have been six, we can see that the amount received by each was but a small sum for the payment of his proportion of tho provisions for the voyage and the support of his family :it home. " In these fishing voyages it was the custom for4he men to go, as it was called, 'on their own hook.' An account •was kept of the fish caught by each man, and at the end of the voyage the proceeds were distributed accordingly. The following account of a season's work by one crew on the Grand Banks a hundred years ago may possess interest for modern fishermen : Account offish taken on board the schooner Abagail, Capt. Paul Hughes, in three fares to the Grand Banks in 1757. She sailed on the first fare May 16, and fished twenty-three days ; on the second fare July 13, and fished twenty days ; on the third fare September 22, and fished twenty-four days. She left the Banks on the last fare November 5. First fare, Second fare. Third fare. _j 1 3,501 1,140 1,996 6 643 B Foster . . .. 2 890 689 1,421 5 000 2 000 758 1 026 3 784 2,209 742 1,293 4,244 Nath. Day . 2,020 615 Abm Wharf . 1 294 J3.929 Wm. Smith 1,705 609 1, 121. 3,435 Total 14 325 4 559 8, 151 27, 035 " Tho largest number taken in one day was 1886, on June 1. THE FISHERIES INTERRUPTED BY WAR.— "The revolutionary crisis approached, and the commerce and fishing of the town could be no longer pursued. A great majority of the people — comprising the merchants, mechanics, fisher- men, and sailors, who depended upon the maritime business of the place for a livelihood — could find no employment in their regular pursuits, and were the more eager, therefore, to prove the sincerity of their declaration, that they would defend their liberties at the expense of all that was dear to them. At the commencement of tho Revolutionary War eight schooners and a large number of Chebacco boats were engaged in the fisheries of Gloucester. The schooners •were, employed in distant grounds, and were therefore, during the war, useless for the business in which they had been engaged. Several were converted into privateers, a few rotted at the wharves, and some were preserved till peace again made it safe to resort to the 'Banks.' Oue of them, of 55 tons, survived every accident, to be registered in 1790, at, the venerable age of twenty-two, in the foreign commerce of the town. No means exist for ascertaining how many vessels engaged in the Bank fishery immediaiely upon the return of peace. -One statement says that 60 were employed in it in 1788 and 50 in 1789. Another, in giving an account of fish caught by vessels from the town in the fall of the last-named year, shows that 44 vessels took 426,700 fish, and that 15 of those vessels belonged to Eben Parsons and Daniel Sargent, two merchants of Boston. Seven more belonged to each of the tw,o principal merchants of Gloucester, David Pearee and Daniel Rogers. Concerning this revival of the fishery, it may be further stated that tho custom-house records show the enrollment between October 2, 1789, and September 10, 1790, of 1 brig, 16 sloops, and 40 schooners, of an aggregate burthen of 3, 108 tons. Some of the 'Bankers' made three trips in a season, and, if remarkably fortunate, landed from all, together, as many as 40,000 fish ; but all the traditions of the business report that the average earnings of the fishermen were so small that they were kept in a condition of poverty. It is not surprising, therefore, that the number of vessels engaged in it decreased from year to year till 1804, when we find that only 8 of more than 30 tons burthen were engaged in the Gloucester fisheries. This small number had probably dwindled to less in 1819, when an effort was made to put new vigor into the business by the establishment of a corporation to carry it on. In that year the Gloucester Fishing Company, with an authorized capital of $50,000, went into operation. HISTOEICAL REFERENCES: MASSACHUSETTS. 691 They built 6 schooners, and with visions, perhaps, of a renewal of the ante-revolutionary prosperity of the town, com- menced by giving their vessels names having initial letters in alphabetical order. "The Amity, Borneo, Crescent, and Diligent were of the old model, deemed best for the Grand Bank fishery, and were employed in that, while the Economy and Favorite were built according to a modern style, and sent in pursuit of cod and mackerel on our own coast. The bounty act passed by Congress in 1819, or the anticipation of that act, m.iy have added stimulus to this project; but a business which private capital avoided could hardly be expected to yield profit, even to the best corporation management, and accordingly, in the third year, this enterprise came to an end, -with a loss of all the interest on the capital and a portion of the capital itself. Since this period it is probable a year in which no vessel has gone to the Grand Bank from Gloucester has sometimes passed, and not even the high price of cod in recent years [written iu 18f>9] has tempted many of our people to send their vessels to that fishing ground. THE INSHORE FISHERIES FROM 1792 TO 1628.— "The shore fishery of Gloucester had risen to some importance before the Revolution, and upon the return of peace the enterprise of the people was again directed to this pursuit, to which some encouragement was given by early acts of the General Government. In 1792, 13!! Chebacco boats, measuring in the aggregate 1,549 tons, were engaged iu it. These boats resorted to the ledges and shoal grounds near the coast, where they found, at different seasons, cod, hake, and pollock, and pursued their fishery with such success that iu twelve years from the last-named date the number of boats engaged in it had increased to about 200, while the ton- nage had nearly doubled. At this time the boat fishing was chiefly carried on at Sandy Bay and the other coves on the outside of the cape ; but the advantage of a cood harbor for their large boats drew a few of the people away from these localities to settle on Eastern Point soou after 1800. The business, however, was not profitable enough, even with additional encouragement from the General Government, to attract many new adventurers, or even to stimulate much the enterprise of the old ones, and it bad a slow growth for the next quarter of a century, the annual average increase of tonnage during that time having been only about 125 tons. At the end of this period (iu 1828) the whole number of vessels upward of 20 tons engaged in the Gloucester fisheries was 154, measuring 5,899 tons, to which are to be added about 40 boats, of an average burden of 15 tons. The total annual product of the cod fishery of the town at this time is said to have been about 60,000 quintals." GLOUCESTER FISHEIUES ix 1821, 1827, AND 1829.— In 1821 the George's cod fishery began, and at the same time the fishery for mackerel from Gloucester began to assume considerable importance. In 1827, according to a statement iu the Gloucester Telegraph of February 9, 1828, the products of the fisheries of this port were 66,132 quintals offish, 27,225 barrels of mackerel, and 2,204 barrels of oil. The condition of the fisheries in 1829 is told in an article in the Gloucester Telegraph of that year, which says: " There are now but few vessels employed iu the cod fishery from this place, as the business of late has been no source of profit to owners, owing to foreign competition and higher rates of bounty or depression in trade. When onr vessels conld proceed from the fishing grounds with a fare to some foreign port, and there receive a full cargo of sugars, wines, &c., it was an inducement for many to engage iu the business, because such a cargo yielded an immense profit on its return to the owners and crews. The ports of Lisbon and Bilboa were the markets which generally received onr staple commodity, but the trade to those places has long since ceased. The mackerel fishing is now about all that is pursued from this port and others on the seaboard of Massachusetts and Maine, with the exception of Marblehead, from whence about titty vessels, averaging 60 tons each, have been fitted out the present season for the Grand Bank fishery." •THE GLOUCESTER FISHERIES ix 1830 AND 1837.— In 1830 the George's halibut fishery commenced, and about the same year mackerel trips were first made to the Bay of Saint Lawrence. The shore fisheries at this time were also of con- siderable importance. The year 1831 is famous for the great abundance of mackerel off the coast of New England. In 1837 the assessors of the town gave the following facts concerning the fisheries for that year: "Vessels employed in the cod and mackerel fisheries, 221 ; tonnage of same, 9,824 ; codfish caught, 55,181 quintals; value of same, $186,516; mackerel caught, 43,934 barrels; value of same, $335,566; salt used in the cod and mackerel fisheries, 113, 760 bushels; hands employed, 1,580; capital invested, $349,000." THE COD FISHERY ix 1844.— From the records of the collector of the port at that time we find that the cod fisheries of Gloucester for the year 1844 employed 1,210 men and produced 86,315 quintals of fish. The amount of bounty paid March 31, 1845, was $36,423.50. A list of the names of cod-fishing vessels belonging to Gloucester in, the year 1844 is preserved in the custom-house records. It gives the following facts concerning the fleet in that year: Number. Tons. Time employed. Months. Days. Vessels over 20 tons 189 60 8.745A 699A 1,430 536 IB 14 Vessels under 20 tons Total 249 9,4441? 1,907 30 THE FISHING FLEET ix 1846.— In the Gloucester Telegraph of January 1, 1846, is published a list of vessels then owned in the district. The list includes 161 schooners, 55 boats, and 1 slocp, aggregating 8,363.70 tons, employed in the fisheries, and 1 ship, 11 brigs, 60 schooners, 21 sloops, and 3 boats, aggregating 8,075.13 tons, employed in coasting and foreign trade. The same paper says : " Under the head of fishing vessels are placed the names of 161 sohoonsrs. 692 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. This is not the whole number of vessels that have been employed in fishing the past season, for many, after the fishing season is over, take out coasting licenses. At one time there were at least 220 schooners in the business, employing, at the lowest calculation, upwards of 1,700 rueu, and the 08 bouts at least 150 more, making, in round numbers, 1,850 men employed in tishiug. The whole number of vessels that have received bounty for the last year's fishing was 242, and the amount of bounty paid about f 37,500. Many of the vessels placed under the head of coasting have been employed iu fishing during the season, and have drawn bounty; others have been employed in fishing for only a few weeks. A large number of those under the head of fishing came into the district after the fishing season commenced, and con- sequently drew no bounty." EXTENT OF THE FISHERIES IN 1847. — In 1847, according to a reliable statement prepared by Mr. Addison Winter and published in Babson's History of Gloucester, the extent of the fishery industry of the town for that year, exclu- sive of " winter wherry fishing," was as follows : Whole number of vessels, 287, measuring 12,354 tons, employing 1,681 men and 186 boys; 28 of these vessels were under 10 tons burden, 27 between 10 and 20 tons, 29 between 20 and 30 tons, 42 between 30 and 40 tons, 26 between 40 and 50 tons, 49 between 50 and 60 tons, 73 between 60 and 70 tons, and 13 over 70 tonsj the product of the fisheries was 7,088,376 pounds codfish, valued at $181,703; 3,379,776 pounds hali- but, $70,761; 735,506 pounds hake, $12,174; 919,188 pounds pollock, $16,506; 49,779 barrels mackerel, $290,045; 337 half-barrels tongues and sounds, $1,873 ; and 39,520 gallons of oil, $16,232 ; total value of products, $589,354. GLOUCESTER FISHERY STATISTICS FOB 1854. — The selectmen of Gloucester made a report of the principal indus- tries of the town for the year 1854, which was published in the Gloucester Telegraph October 24, 1855. In this report we find the following items relating to the fisheries: Number of vessels iu the cod and mackerel fisheries, 282, meas- uring 19,374 tons; barrels of mackerel, 43,201, valued at $388,809; quintals of cod, 97,950, valued at $293,650; value of cod-liver oil, $1,020 ; value of salt consumed, $160,000: capital invested in fisheries, $989,250 ; number of persons employed in fisheries, 2,820 ; quantity of halibut smoked, 210 tons, valued at $25,000 ; quantity of fish-cil made, 23,700 gallons, valued at $13,035 ; 3 marine railways, with $37,000 capital and employing 8 men ; 6,500 tons of ice cut, valued at $15,000; capital in net and seine factories, $5,000, hands employed, 25; 2,500 fish barrels made, valued at $1,700, and 800 fish casks, valued at $1,800; 6 sail-lofts, with $40,400 capital and employing 54 men made 1,270 sails, valued at $95,250; $3,000 invested in 4 mast and spar yards; 2 boat makers, with $1,400 invested and employing 4 men, made 10-2 boats; capital in ship-yards, $10,500; hands employed, 37; vessels launched, 7, measuring 605 tons. FISHERY STATISTICS FOR 1859. — The following statement, taken from Babson's History of Gloucester, shows the condition of the fisheries in 1859: "The whole number of schooners, 20 tons and upwards, belonging to Gloucester Harbor in July, 1859, -was three hundred and twenty-two, measuring in the aggregate 23,882 tons. Of this number three hundred and one, manned by three thousand four hundred and thirty-four men and one hundred and thirty-four boys, were employed in fishing. So much we learn from a statement published in the Gloucester Telegraph. The product of the fishery for that year, as nearly as can be ascertained, is here given: Quantity. Value. Mackerel Cod Halibut Oil barrels . . quintals.. pounds. - 59,6648 114,047 4, 500, 000 1 400 $705, 833 416,271 135, 000 19 600 Total . . . 1 276 704 "If to this aggregate we add the product of the herring voyages to Newfoundland and that of the business carried on at Squam and Lane's Cove, not included in the above items, we shall find the total product of the fisheries of Gloucester for 1^59 not less than $1,400,000. The quantity of halibut given is an estimate founded upon information obtained fronrpersons iu the business, and is believed to be under rather than over estimated. The number of pounds of this fish sold in town last year to be dried and smoked is known to have been about a million and a half." CENSUS STATISTICS IN 1865 — The census report of Massachusetts lor the year 1805 gives the following items con- cerning the fisheries of Gloucester: Number of. vessels, 358; tonnage of vessels, 25,670; value of products, $3,319,458; value of salt consumed, $237,275. « STATISTICS FOR 1869. — In the report of the town clerk for the year 1869 we find that the whole number of schoon- ers and boats fitted out for fishing that year was 431 ; 32 vessels made trips to Newfoundland for fresh herring, and 8 to Newfoundland and elsewhere for salt herring ; 120 made trips in the Grand Bank cod fishery ; 272 in the George's Bank cod and halibut fishery ; 194 in the Bay of Saint Lawrence mackerel fishery ; and 151 in the shore mackerel fishery ; the estimated product of the fisheries, iu fish, oil, and manure, was $3,242,250. THE FOREIGN COMMERCE OF GLOUCESTER FROM 1783 TO 1859.— "The foreign commerce of Gloucester," writes Mr. Babson, " which before the Revolutionary war was of no great extent, rose, after the peace, to be of considerable importance. In 1790 upwards of forty ships, brigs, schooners, and sloops were employed in it; and during the twenty years succeeding, vessels belonging to the town visiled most of the principal ports in Europe and the West Indies, and a few made voyages beyond the Cape of Good Hope. One of those engaged in the latter (the Wiuthrop and Mary) was owned by an association of merchants called the India Company. She was of about 100 tons burden, originally a schooner, but was altered to a ship, and properly manned and armed to suit the dignity of the India trade. Having made two voyages safely to Calcutta, she was next sent to Sumatra, but wtis never heard from after leaving HISTORICAL REFERENCES: MASSACHUSETTS. 693 that island ou her homeward passage. This occurred about 1800. The Bilboa trade was also resumed by our mer- chants after the war. The first vessel that ever left Massachusetts Bay with a cargo of fish for a European market was the ship belonging to the Dorchester Company, which sailed from Cape Aim Harbor for Spain iu 1623, as stated in a previous chapter of this book; but of the great trade iu that article of which that voyage was the commencement wo know little more than the beginning and the end. In 1767 there were sent to BUboa from the ports of Essex County as many as 51,000 quintals of fish, of which quantity Gloucester, without doubt, furnished a considerable portion. The merchants of the town finally abandoned the trade soon after the beginning of the present century, chielly. it is said, in consequence of discriminating duties at that port iu favor of the fish of other countries. The interruption of the business of France, occasioned by the revolution in that nation, opened for a short season a profit- able market for American fish, of which some of the Gloucester merchants took advantage. One schooner, fitted out from the town in 179:1, went to the Grand Bank and took 21,000 fish, with which she sailed to Nantes, but, upon arriv- ing on the coast, was ordered to Belle Isle, where the fish were sold in a green state at a half crown apiece, producing over 10,000 crowns. This was a rare case of course, and, as might be expected, the business was soon overdone, and finally, upon the resumption of the French fisheries, abandoned altogether. "The peace iu 1783 also enabled the merchants of Gloucester to pursue the West India trade again for several years without interruption. A considerable portion of this trade — that carried on with the French islands — finally ceased to be profitable in consequence of the large bounty by which the importation of French fish was encouraged, and before 18oO was totally abandoned by the merchants of the town. About the same time the unimportant commerce carried on with some of the other islands was also given up, and Gloucester turned attention to the home market, which be«an then to be opened, and which it has ever since found to afford the best customers for its staple products. If a particular account of our West India trade should ever be written, one incident of it possessing interest in these days of huge sh ps and a vast commerce will command the attention of the historian. This was the fitting out, during the embargo preceding the last war with Great Britain, of several of the small fishing-boats of the town on voyages to the West Indies. Oue of these boats was of 13 tons burden, and the largest was not more than 20. The act was unlawful, and they departed, of course, by stealth. The fish which they carried were sold at high prices, and the boats were disposed of without great loss, though the master of one ventured home with a cargo of coffee, which he lauded at Sqnam in the night, and before morning was again out to sea to set his boat adrift in Massachusetts Bay, where he was finally picked up. "The only branch of foreign commerce which has been steadily pursued by merchants of Gloucester for a long course of years is that carried on with Paramaribo, or, as it is usually called here, Surinam, the capital of Dutch Guiana. Boston vessels traded to Surinam as early as 1713, for two arrived at the former port from that place in one week of that year; but it is not known that any Gloucester vessel engaged in the trade till about 1790, when, it is said, Colonel Pearce sent a vessel there. The chief article of export is hake, supplied in part by Maine fishermen, though other provisions, as beef, pork, lard, hams, and flour, are sent in large quantities. The return cargoes consist almost wholly of molasses and sugar, but some coffee and cocoa are also brought. Under the stimulus of the very high prices of sugar and molasses in 1817 the trade of Gloucester with Surinam for that year probably exceeded iu amount that of the whole foreign commerce of the town in any previous year of its history. '•The commerce of Gloucester began with the shipment of wood to Boston, a business which, in course of time, compelled the people of the town to seek their own supply abroad. This, according to the lapse of years, they obtained from places more and more remote, till at last they came to depend on Nova Scotia for this essential article. The wood-coasters of that province began to come to Gloucester about twenty years ago. The vessels were then of no greater average burden than 40 tons, but the size has increased with the growth of the business, and has now reached an average of 75. The number of arrivals of foreign vessels, nearly all of which were these wood-coasters, was, in 1659, one hundred and forty-two. Before the reciprocity treaty with Great Britain these vessels generally took home specie, but since that happy event they have carried provisions and other articles from the well-supplied stores of the town." ESSEX. THE GROWTH OF THE FISHERIES. — The early history of this town is included in that of Ipswich, of which it formed a part until 1819, when it became known under its present name. The following historical facts are recorded in the History of Essex by Crowell & Choate, 1865, and in Felt's History of Ipswich, 1834: "In 1732 the fishery was successfully carried ou here, and in the center of the town. The town, by a vote passed the year before, required the names of all the crews of fishing vessels iu the town to be entered with the town clerk, on penalty of £20 for every omission." " In 1770 fishing was much encouraged among us. From twenty- five to thirty Chebacco boats, with two men and a boy in each, went to Damaris Cove and brought their fish ashore here to be cured. Fish flakes were to be found on Hog Island, on Warehouse Island at the north end, on Thompson's Island, and at Clay Point." "About 1804 forty sail of boats were engaged in the fishery ou the eastern shore; a few were employed in the Bank fishery. The fishing business diminished as ship-building increased and was found more profitable. The former was mostly discontinued about 1621." "lulSCO a company became incorporated for having a canal from Ipswich to Essex. It was made navigable early in 1821. Its leng'h is about half a mile.. It commences at Fox Creek and runs to Chebacco River. It cost near £1,100. This siock is divided into twenty seven shares, of §40 each, and pays nearly 6 per cent, on the original amount. As an inlet to Essex from MiTrimack Kiver for ship timber (fishing vessels at Essex), it lias kept this article (394 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. down lower than it would be had dependence been placed solely in what the vicinity would supply. Prices of freight through this canal: Oak timber, 17 cents, and pine, 14 cents a ton. Oak sawn stuff of an inch thick, 40 cents M, and of other thicknesses in proportion." "Thirty years since [written in 1834], forty sail of boats from this place were engaged in the fishery on the eastern shore ; a few were employed in the Bank fishery. The fishing business diminished as ship-building increased and was found more profitable. It was mostly discontinued twelve years ago. Nine hundred barrels of clams are dug here annually. The persons by whom they are obtained sell them, exclusive of barrel's and salt, from $2.50 to 63. Such bait was formerly vended at Marblehead, and now in Boston for the prices mentioned with reference to Ipswich." "For the last twenty years [written in 1865] about fifty men and boys have been employed, chiefly in the spring and fall, in digging clams for fishing-bait. For this purpose, the clam-flats in each town are, by law, free to all its residents, and to no others. Five bushels of clams in the shell, it is usually reckoned, make one .bushel of 'meats'; about two and a half bushels of the latter are put into each barrel, and this quantity an able-bodied man can dig iu three tides. One bushel of dry salt is used for each barrel. During this period of twenty years, about 2,000 barrels of clams have been dng yearly, on an average, and sold at an average price of $6 per barrel. Deducting for the cost of the barrel $1, and of the salt for it 75 cents, the sum of $4.75 per barrel or |8,500 per year has been earned in this business. The bait is marketed chiefly in Gloucester." The Gloucester Telegraph, of October 18, 1865, states that "the fishing business of Essex is represented by seventy men, who secured during the past season 18,000 bushels of clams, netting $12,000. Capital invested, $400." The census of Massachusetts for 1875 gives the following figures for Essex : "Clam-diggers, 9; fishermen, 6; ship carpenters, 122; spar-makers, 6." BEVERLY. * THE FISHERIES OF BEVEKLY FROM 1832 TO 1845.— Mr. John Pickett, who has been engaged in the fishing business at this place from 1832 to the present time, informs us that the home fleet in 1832 consisted of from forty to forty-five sail. The Salem Observer of June, 1838, stated that in that year there were in Beverly fifty-eight fishing vessels, employing three hundred men. The tonnage aggregated over 3,000 tons and the rate of bounty was $4 to the ton. The Gloucester Telegraph of January 29, 1845, gives the following account of the fisheries of Beverly for the year 1844 : " Twenty-three schooners, making one fare each, and twenty-five schooners, making two fares each — aggregate, forty-six schooners, 3,356 tons— brought in 30,000 quintals fish, worth $67,333, and 313J barrels of oil, worth $4,622. The bounty was $13,650. Besides the home fleet, twenty-three schooners belonging to other ports brought in 12,494 quintals fish and 179 barrels of oil, and paid $2,000 for curing their catch." The following extract from the Gloucester Telegraph of January 21, 1846, shows the amount of income from the fisheries at Beverly for the year 1845 : Codfish caught, 26,982 quintals, at $2.40 , $64,756 80 Cod oil, 283 barrels, at $14.25 5,444 00 Amount of bounty paid by government 12, 914 00 Tongues and sounds, 420 barrels, at $5.50 2,310 00 Total 85,424 80 Number of vessels employed in the fisheries in the year 1845 42 Number of hogsheads of salt expended 3, 500 Number of hands employed 350 CONDITION OF THE FISHERIES FROM 18,";0 TO 1869. — The fishing business prospered and increased np to 1850, when it numbered seventy-five sail, employing 1,200 to 1,400 men, nearly all of whom were of New England birth. Vessels leaving home from the 1st to the 15th of March returned in July and refitted, making two and often three trips a year. The years 1857 and 1858 were financially disastrous ones, and since that time, with the exception of during the years 1863, 1864, and 1865, the business shows a steady decline. The Gloucester Telegraph of January 7, 1860, says: "The amount of fishing bounties paid for the district of Salem and Beverly for the year 1859 is $18,176.76. The amount of tonnage employed in 39, when the general court forbid it. Great favor was early shown the fishermen in Massachusetts by law, such as freedom from taxation on their stock and fish, and Irom military duty while engaged in their occupation. The early foreign trade, that is, imports of the colony, seems, during the first few years, to have been in the hands or power either of the Home Company or the government of the colony, as representing either them or the colonists; but it is doubtful if this policy ever extended over thfi fisheries, or, if so, it must have been for a very short period. The fish- eries were considered so important that, as early as 1G.)5, the general court appoint a committee to impress men who shall unload salt when it arrives. This is evidently, in a good pait, owing to the value of the salt for the fisheries. They were not hampered with the early restrictions imposed on foreign imports, so far as we can find, aud soon became profitable. After the colonists bad built their houses, cleared their lauds, established their common rights, raised enough to help support life, either in grain or animals, and somewhat settled down, their attention was more pan icularly devoted to the fisheries. [Massachusetts could not well have exported much grain before 1G40, whatever slio may have exported in fish, since in 1637 there were only thirty -seven plows in the whole colony, says^jtoalntm, the most of them being in Lynn.] It seems most probable that a certain class of men, however, devoted themselves in Salem almost exclusively to this business [fisheries], and from the commencement of the town. Winter Island was their headquarters. They obtained the use of certain lots on the island, and certain common rights adjacent, aud Ibis island continued to bo used by fishermen until and after a division of the common lauds, about 1714. It was then expressly reserved by the commoners for the fisheries, as it had ever been before. This reservation, moreover, was of a great common right, viz, the free use of this island for fishing purposes ; since the fee seems, as a general rule, never to have left the town like other grants. Those who built houses, fish-houses, warehouses, aud wharves on this island, only gained an uaufrucliiary right for the time being. Yet this island has seen a busy fishing population gathered upon it, and as late as 1731 there were conveniences upon the Aecfr, which, in all probability, means this island, for forty vessels and their fares. All this is now a tale of the past. Indeed, just before 1700, this island was a still busier sceno iu all probability, as Salem seut out over sixty fishing ketches of from 20 to 40 tons, which evi- dently discharged their cargoes in Salem, aud most likely on the common ground or land for the fishermen. In 1660 Baker's aud Misery Islands were both set apart by the general court for the free use of fishermen, and were probably intended to be especially used by the Salem, aud perhaps Marblcliead, fishermen. From the year 1629 to 1740, or thereabouts, Winter Island seems to be the headquarters of the Salem fishing trade, aud that trade itself seems to have been our staple trade down to a much later period, even to the American Revolution, aud the great change of trade consequent upon it."1 From the annexed statement of Mr. G. C. Streater may be gathered some idea of the luxuriance of the Salem waters in 1630 : " SATURDAY, JUNE 12, u;::o. " Governor John Wiuthrop and his companions, on board the Arbella, aud with the noble lady Arbella on board, ap- proached Salem Harbor. * * * After a short sojourn, Governor Wiuthrop wrote home to his wife, who remained 'Essex Institute Hist. Coll.. vol. i, pp. 67-74. G96 GEOGEAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. iu England : ' We arc here in a paradise. Though we have not beef and mutton, &e., yet (God be praised) we need them not ; our Indian corn answers for all. Yet here is fowl and fish in abundance.' They had had early proof of the abundance of fish, for Governor Wiuthrop's journal informs us that just before the Arbella reached the harbor of Salem Ihey caught with a few hooks, in two hours, no less than seventy-six codfish, 'some a yard and a half long and a yard in compass.' All the accounts returned to England by the pioneer emigrants concurred in extravagant praise of tlie nrw country, and we now read their quaint and highly-colored narratives as amusing curiosities of literature. * * * '' 'The abundance of sea fish' (says Mr. Higginson, 1629) 'is almost beyond believing, and sure I should scarce liave believed it, except I had seen it with mine own eyes.' He had seen hundreds of bass seined at one time in our own waters, and mentions lobsters as being so abundant that even boys could catch them. But of lobsters, he says, as for myself I was soon cloyed with them, they were so great, and fat, and luscious.'" ' The curing, culling, and final disposition of the fish caught are described by Mr. Cheever: "Fish being the great staple of Salem, as of the colony, was of course the early object of the care and attention of the legislature. Laws were passed protecting it as well as the fishermen. The curing of it seems to have become at least a distinct business, left to those called shoremen who received the fish on return of the fishers and cured and dried it. It then passed under the review of the cullers, who were sworn officers, certainly after 1700, and was divided into merchantable, middling, and refuse; also, scale fish. The first two went to Spanish and the first-class markets, the refuse to the slaves in the West Indies, and perhaps the poorer classes of Europe. The fish from Acadia (Nova Scotia) (Cape Sable fish) was in great demand in Bilboa, Spain, as being a superior fish, and was largely shipped there. Marblehead sent this description of fish to Spain even after our American Revolution. In 1670 the legislature denounced the use of Tortuga (West India) salt on account of its impurity, and fish cured by it was made unmer- chantable by law. Winter Island and the adjoining Neck seem to have been especially devoted in Salem to the fisheries; Winter Island being in 1695, and yet later, the headquarters, to judge by history, tradition, and old papers. How far Salem may have been engaged in the whale-fishery is dubious. Some of her sous may have gone down to Cape Cod on such an errand; for the Cape, as late as 1714, was so largely visited by cod and whale fishers that the general court that year made all the province lands there a precinct and the visitors to it (fishermen) support a settled minister at £60 per annum by a tax of 4 pence a week levied on each seaman, to be paid by the master of the boat for the whole company. This was in the days when no man was permitted to be absent from church a month, jf in health, without presentation before the grand jury, and punishment by a fine of 20 shillings."8 The same writer thus describes the fisheries and vessels used in the same, which, when developed further, led to the elevation of Massachusetts as a State noted for its prominence in the fisheries: "The English had freely used the coast of New England for the fisheries before the settlement at Salem, and the toyal charter reserved this right to Englishmen after the settlement, a right which was freely used, it seems. New- foundland had an English settlement at the time. "The early fisheries were quite profitable, to judge from Levett's account of the trade in 1623-'24, wherein ho says he has 'attained to the understanding of its secrets.' According to him, a ship of 2CO tons, with a crew of fifty men, the ordinary crew of such sized vessels in the fisheries, would be at an outlay of some £800, the cost for nine months' victualing, &c. One-third of the catch, 'fish and train,' being deducted as 'fraught' for the owners, another as a share for the crew, and the balance for expenses, the owner's one-third part of the cargo would yield £1,340 'for disbursing of £800 nine months.' • The cargo sold in Spanish,ports from 36 to 44 rials per quintal. Our Salem fishing craft were not so large as Levett's 'ship,' but were shallops of from 10 to 20 tons, say, ketches of from 20 to 40, and finally schooneis from 30 to 60, or more, carrying not more than from four to eight or ten men, say. Small boats were perhaps used at first. Still the trade was profitable, Salem and Massachusetts being built up by it in the early ' with my serviss to all my frinds I subscribe my Selfe your obedient Son to Command. "WM. HOLLINGWORTH. "pray fail not my dear Mother in sending mo half kentle of Cuske and some aples and some barberyes and ye lott of Cuske. " Barbadoes, Scptem. 19, 1687, Bridgeton. " My Serviss to Mr. Croade, Mr. Andrews, and to Mr. Adams, and to Mr. Benj. Allin." [Nora. — The oil mentioned in this letter may, in part, have been whale oil from the Cape Cod whale fisheries, or taken, perhaps, by Salem whaling-boats in Massachusetts Bay.]1 Mr. Felt, in his History of Salem, says that Janies Loper, of that town, in 1G88, petitioned the colonial government of Massachusetts for a patent for making oil. In his petition Loper represents that he has been engaged in whale- tishing for twenty-two years. PIRATES AND OTHER ENEMIES. — The interests of the fisheries being in danger by reason of pirates and other enemies, the following item appeared June, 1689 : " 1689, June 13: Our government orders a vessel to scour our coast of pirates, then carry soldiers on the Eastern expedition, and protect our fishing-vessels on the coast of Acadie.'" Certain vessels from Salem were captured by French frigates in the summer of the same year. This fact and its consequences upon owners of vessels are recorded by Felt as follows: "1689, September 17 : The ketches John and Eliza, commanded by Ezra Lambert; Margaret, by Daniel Gyles; Diligence, by Gilbert Peters; Thomas and Mary, by Joshua Conant; and, 18th, Dolphin, by Isaac Woodbury, all of Salem, are taken by two French frigates. Soon after this our merchants send a petition to the council, stating that several of their vessels had not returned with their last fares; that six of them, with thirty men, had been captured and carried into Port Royal. They also remark that they are discouraged from fitting out their fishing craft next spring, and desire that an agent may be despatched to see about those detained by the French." These acts of piracy, as Sabine says, tended to cheek the prosperity of Salem, and in 1693 the French war caused a great loss of ketches to that port, for upwards of fifty of her fishing ketches were taken by the French and Indians. A British frigate next appears to vex Ihe fishing vessels from Salem, for we learn that Joseph Sibley, George Harvey, aged 46, and Henry Harvey, 43, in 1693 were on their homeward passage from a fishing voyage to Cape Sable, and were impressed on board of a British frigate. After seven weeks' service in this vessel, the captain forced Sibley to go on board of another ship. "Susannah, wife of the latter, having four children, petitions the governor to redress the wrongs of her husband." The province expressed their willingness to assist those endeavoring to recover from a French privateer the per- sons who had been captured, and Felt records this entry made on the town records in 1694 : " 1694, June 12 : ' JVhereas some gentlemen of Salem are sending out a ketch to St. John's river and parts adjacent for fetching off some of their people, lately taken by a French privateer and carried thither,' and 'his excellency is to dispatch an express by said ketch to the captain of the frigate Nonesuch, it is voted that if the ketch miscarry by .reason of this express the province will bear the loss of her.' " The terrible loss suffered by Salem on account of the French war may be gathered from the following extract from a letter written in Ki'JT by John Higginson to his brother Nathaniel : "In the year 1(389, when the war first broke out, I had obtained a comfortable estate, being as much concerned in the fishing trade as most of my neighbours. But, since that time, I have met with considerable losses ; and trade has rnnch decayed. Of sixty odd fishing catches belonging to this towne, but about six are left. I believe that no towne in this Province has suffered more by the war than Salem." 3 [Dated, Salem, 20, 6, '97.] 1 Essex lost Hist Coll., voL i, pp. 84-85. Coll. Mass. Hist, Son., vol. vii, 3d series, p. 202. 'Felt, op ctf., vol. ii, 2 ed., p. 214. 700 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVJBW OF THE FISHERIES. In 1699 the governor gave a pass for eacli of the following vessels, ' bound ou a fishing voyage : Class. Name. Captain. Tons. Hen. 30 6 Ketch Endeavour Thomas llascoll .. Samuel Allen SO 30 5 5 Sloop Dolphin Robert Warren . . . 25 5 Ketch Prosperous Joseph Brown 40 6 Trial 35 6 Sloop Mary John Webb 3G 6 36 6 Ketch 35 6 Ketch Eonetta Martin Masury . . . 25 5 Ketch Joseph English . . . 30 & Sloop Sterlin" William Tapley .. 35 6 Ketch Ketch Blossom William Pride Joseph Tuck 35 35 5 5 FOREIGN MARKETS IN 1700. — la 1700 the foreign trade of Salem was thus described by Higginson: "Dry mer- chantable codfish, for the markets of Spain, Portugal, and the Straits. Kei'use fish, lumber, * • * . Our own produce, a considerable quantity of whale and fish oil, whalebone, ." TROUBLE WITH THE INDIANS AND FKENCU. — Four accounts of captures of Salein fishermen, between 1702 and 1706, by the French and Indians, are recorded by Felt as follows : "1702, June 2: The Secretary, Isaac Addington, addresses a letter to the Governor of Acadic. 'We have received information that fishing ketches belonging to Salem, forced by bad weather to put into port Sea Tour, near Cape Sable, were attacked by about twenty Indians, May 23, at break of day, who took three of them with their compa- nies, and killed David Hilliard, master of one of them. They detain these vessels and two of the men. They pretend to have done this under a commission from the governor of Port Royal. " 1702, July : Capt. John Harraden, taken and carried to Port Royal, returns with two Salem ketches which had been captured. "1705, August: The sloop Trial, Capt. John Collins, and sloop Dolphin, Capt. William Woodbury,- on a fishing voyage, are captured by a French privateer and carried to Port Royal. "1706, September 1 : A ketch, Capt. Joseph Woodbury, was cast away r.t Cape Sable. While her crew, assisted by others, were saving her materials, some Indians shot one of them dead. The rest escaped." The authorities of Salem, feeling the losses to which they had been subjected, stated in 1711, September 3, "that as their fishery has decayed, and they have met with losses at sea, they were unable to repair their fort, as the governor had proposed." And this statement is followed, in 1715, by a vote which, if passed, must have proved a source of gain to the town of Salem : "1715, November 22: The town vote that each fishing-vessel belonging here may dry its fish for 5s. a year on Winter Island ; and each vessel not of Salem may have the same privilege for 20s." The depredatory acts committed upon Salem boats by Indians and other parties called forth, in 1794, this petition: "1724. — Inhabitants of Salem and vicinity petition that, as Indians had taken several of their fishing vessels and made privateers of them, and it being reported that many of them had gone to the coast of Cape Sablo to continue their attacks, Government would afford suitable protection. Accordingly, August 10, Joseph Majory was commis- sioned to sail in the sloop Lark, accompanied by a whale-boat, to prevent such depredation. "* FOREIGN TRADE. — "In 172G an act was passed at Salem for the better curing and culling of fish, as by the lack of such care this article, offered in foreign markets, 'has brought disreputation on the fish of this country.'"3 The owners of Salem vessels in 1728, and on from that date, were accustomed in some instances to give instruc- tions to the captains of their vessels. This instruction, given in 1728, by Samuel Browne, of Salem, to Capt. John Tronzell, is here appended as recorded in the Essex Institute Hist. Coll. : " Trouzell is ordered to deliver his' cargo of 'Scale Fish, middling Cod, and merchantable Cod' at Bilboa, Spain, and thence get freight for Lisbon or Cadiz, and load with salt at St. Ubes for N. E. ; or he may take a freight from L. or C. to Ireland, Holland, or England, and then go to the Isle of May for salt." Felt records that in 1732 Salem had about thirty fishing vessels, much less than formerly, and the same number which went on foreign voyages to Barhadoes, Jamaica, and other West India Islands; some to the Wine Islands; others carried fish to Spain, Portugal, and the "Streights." " f n 17135 it was voted by all interested in the exporting of fish from Salem to the West Indies that D. Epes and B. Brown should be directed to make a just representation of the great decay of the fishery, and the grievous burthen 1 Felt, op. cit. vol. ii, 2d ed., p. 215. 'Ibid., p. 217. " Ibid. HISTORICAL REFERENCES: MASSACHUSETTS. 701 on the West India trade, by reason of the late net of Parliament imposing a heavy duty on the goods imported, from the islands, called foreign, &e. " It appears from the custom-house quarterly accounts of Salem from Michaelmas, 1747, to Michaelmas, 1748, that the number of vessels that cleared out upon foreign voyages was 131, and the number of those entered was 96, yiz: Cleared out. Entered in. Ships - 4 1 12 11 Brigs 21 11 31 18 • 63 55 Total 131 96 "In which were shipped off to Europe 32,000 quintals of dry codfish; to West Imlhi Islands, 3,070 hogsheads (at G to 7 quintals refuse codfish per hogshead) for negro provision. New England shipped oif uo pickled codfish."1 Eight schooners went out of Salem during the year 1749. This number was not so large as usual. " Each of them," says Felt, "was about 50 tons, carried 7 hands, caught on an average 600 quintals a year, made five fares in ' this time, two to the Isle of Sable and three to the banks along Cape Sable shore. The merchantable cod were exported to Spain, Portugal, and Italy, and the refuse to the West Indies for negro slaves." THE FISHERIES OF SALEM FROM 1755 TO 1794. — In 1755 the authorities of Salem determined to build a balanced bridge over the North River channel in the place of the one already there. The indenture for this work had a circular stamp on the top of it, which, besides having "II pence" at the bottom, had a codfish in the middle, and round the fish " Staple of the Massachusetts." Preparations were being made in 1757 for the invasion of Canada, and under date of March of that year "a call was made on one Richard Lechmere as to fishing vessels and others fit for transporting troops to New York for tho invasion of Canada, and belonging to his port, which included this [Salem] and other sea-board towns." An entry on the town records, made in September, 1762, shows the interest taken by the people of Salem in their own vessels fishing on the banks when they had been told of the intentions of a French privateer. It reads thus : "1762, September 14: The governor states that soon after the invasion of Newfoundland the inhabitants of Salem and Marblehead, who were concerned in the fishery northwest of Nova Scotia, were alarmed with advice that a French privateer was cruising in the Gut of Canso, and petitioned for the protection of their fishing vessels employed in those seas, and that he fitted out the Massachusetts sloop, that she had just returned, being gone a month, had heard of a French pirate there, and assisted the vessels there to finish their fares." The products of the Salem fishing vessels for 1762 are here given : " This year there were 30 fishing vessels owned here, which brought home 6,233 quintals of merchantable and 20,517 quintals of Jamaica fish. This account was handed, in 1764, to a committee of Boston, who were engaged to prevent the renewal of the sugar act, as detrimental to the fishery." A loss of three fishing vessels from Salem occurred in the early spring of 1766 by the fury of a storm, which drove also many other Salom fishing vessels off the banks, some of them returning without cables, anchors, &c. The subjoined letter will evidence the feeling shared by all the New England fis-hing towns in regard to the treat- ment they had received at the hands of the British Government. The letter was written by Benjamin Pickman to Will- iam Brown, of the Massachusetts legislature, in November, 1766 : " I perceive there is a committee appointed to consider the difficulties the trade of this province labors under. You have herewith the depositions of two of our shippers, who were barbarously treated by a Captain of one of his majesty's sloops of war, under the direction of Governor Palliser (of Newfoundland), which I think ought, in the strongest manner, to be represented at home." In November, 17C7. a committee reported that the fishery and trade of Salem were under great embarrassment; one result whereof was that several townsmen were appointed to unite with those of other towns to obtain relief for the fishermen from the payment of the Greenwich Hospital money. Between 1765 and 1775 an annual average shipment from Salem of 12,000 quintals of fish was made to Europe at §3.50, and the satae to the West Indies at $2.60 a quintal. Between April and September of the same year Salem's loss is thus estimated : Fifty sail of fishing vessels, fallen one-half, £7,500; in flakes, &c., for them, at £50 pounds each, £2,500; and of the fishery for one year, £5,000. In 1782 it was voted by the Salem authorities that the commissioner for peace with Great Britain should bo instructed by Congress to make the right of tho United States to the fishery an indispensable article of the treaty. Between 1786 and 1799 tho annual average of bank fishing vessels (from Salem) was twenty, making 1,300 tons and carrying 160 men. In 1788 the Salem fishermen were very successful. Some brought in 600 quintals Salem's fleet from 1790 to 1794 is thus recorded : In 1790 there were 7 fishing schooners; 1791, 17; 1792, 24 -r 1793, 26; thns far schooners included boats; iu 1794 there were 13 schooners and 3 boats. 1 Douglas's North America, Host™ nixl London : 1755. Vol. i, p. 539. 702 GEOGRAPHICAL KEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. In 1704 the people offered a petition to Congress for further encouragement to their fishery, which hud been seri- ously diminished. Fish-stalls were ordered by the town authorities to be erected that the fish might not be exposed to the sun in warm weather. THE FISHEIIU.S FI:OM 1X56 TO 1850.— The Salem rod and mackerel fishery in 183G was prosecuted by 14 vessels, aggregating 906 tons, and manned by 130 fishermen. These vessels caught 5,404 quintals of cod, worth $16,552: and 2,569 barrels of mackerel, worth $21,450. The salt used in both fisheries was 8,274 bushels. From April 1, 1844, to April 1, 1845, there were but 3 vessels, manned by 27 fishermen, engaged in cod-fishing. Their aggregate tonnage was 239; their catch, 2,650 quintals, worth $7,400; they used 2,720 bushels of salt. The salmon, sturgeon, and herring fisheries of Salem, once so prosperous, had passed away long ago. The following table, copied from the Gloucester Telegraph of March 20, 1850, exhibits a summary view of the extent of the cod-fishery of the district of Salem and Beverly for the season ending November 30, 1849: Tonnage employed 2,400 Men and boys 246 Amount of bounty paid $9, 416 Fish cured, 17,323 quintals 860,815 Oil, 11,098 gallons 5,583 Tongues and sounds, 330 barrels 1,888 Total value of product 68,286 MARBLEHEAD. HISTORY OF MARBLEHEAD FROM 1629 TO 1647. — In the town records the line of progress can be traced from the time when a few Naumkeag Indians lived on the ground on which now stands the town of Marblehead, among rocks, swamps, and forests, to the time when the annual expenses of the town, including the minister's salary, were £250; at this time Marblehead was a part of Salem, or Salem a part of it, for it was Marblehead that gave the name to the whole settlement. " Here is plentie of marblestone," wrote Francis Higginson in 1629, " in such store that we have great rocks of it, and a harbour near by. Onr plantation is from thence called Marble-harbour." This name was soon changed to Salem, but the old name was retained for the portion since called Marblehead till 1633, when its present name was generally agreed upon. Marblehead, doubtless, had settlers as early as 1626 or 1627. The first mentioned inhabitant was Thomas Gray.' Felt, in his Annals of Salem, wrote in 1845: "This settlement was so denominated from its abundance of rocks, anciently called marble, and from its high and bold projection into Salem harbor. Its bounds included Naugns Head, which, in 1629, became the site of the noted Darby Fort. It was selected about this time as well adapted for carrying on the fishery. Mr. Cradock, the first governor of the Massachusetts corporation, had one of his companies here in this business, not later than 1631. Isaac Allerton and Moses Maverick, his son-in-law, the former among the first settlers of Plymouth, were here as soon as 1634, with their servants similarly employed. Wood gives the ensuing description in 1633: 'Marvil Head is a place which lyeth 4 miles full south from Salem and is a very convenient place for a plantation, especially for Mich as will set updn the trade of fishing. There was made here a ship's loading offish the last year, where still stand the stages and drying scaffolds.'" The following account of Isaac Allerton's settlement in Marblehead and the effect of his energetic example is here given in greater detail : "In 1631 Isaac Allerton, having already made five voyages to England in the interest of the Marblehead colony, came to Marblehead in the White Angel, and in the same vessel, loaded .with fish, he soon after went to England again. Returning, he made Marblehead his home, building there a large fish-house and employing many vessels. The impulse which Allerton had given was seconded by others, so mnch so that the third vessel built in New England was bnilt here in 1636, the Desire of 120 tons burden. * » * All foreign trade2 was soon abandoned, and early in the next century fishing was the only business of the place. * * * This was the period when nearly all the tine old houses in the town were built."0 Josselyn in 1663 gave this brief description of the location of the town of Marblehead : "To the North- ward of Linn is Marvil or Marble-head, a small Harbour, the shore rookie, upon which the Town is built, consisting of a few scattered houses; here they have stages for fishermen, Orchards and Gardens, &c."4 In 1629 there was a condition made in the New England charter having special reference to the fisheries. Felt, having enumerated some of the other conditions, further says : "Another condition of the new charter was that the subjects of England should be allowed to fish on our shores; to set up wharves, stages, and houses, and use needed wood without molestation." "This condition," he continues, " was in conformity to previous and repeated resolutions of the House of Com- mons. It seems that such a condition was acted on so as to produce complaint. William Walton and other inhabit- ants of Marblehead presented a petition to General Court, in 1646, as follows : ' Whereas there come yearly into our 1 Harper's Magazine, July, I8T4, p. 197. » Harper's Magazine, July, 1874, pp. 197, 198 2 Refcrrins to the slave trade. 4 Jossi-lyn's Voyages, p. 129. HISTORICAL REFERENCES: MASSACHUSETTS. 703 plantation many fishermen y* are strangers, and Lave formerly dou vs very much damage iu ye consuming of our fire- wood, stage timber and flake stuff.' They desired that an order might be established on this subject." An order to prevent swine from wandering about the fishing-stages was made at "a court, holden at Boston, April 1, 16:M," which read : "It is ordered, that if any swine shall, in fishing time, come within a quarter of a myle of the stage att Marble Uarbr, that they shalbc forfected to the owners of the sd stadge, & soe for all other stadges within theislymitts."1 The town records of Salem. Massachusetts, the 28th of the first mouth, 1(536', contain this item : "John Peach ffisherman and Nicholas Mariott having fenced about five acres of ground on Marble Neck (though contrarie to the order of the towue) yet Its agreed that they may for present improve the said place for building or planting, provided alwayes that the propriety thereof be reserved for the right of the towne of Salem, to dispose of in processe of tyme to them or any other ffisher men, or others as shalbe thought most meet, yet soe as that they may have reasonable consideracon for any chardge they shalbe at."3 The offense, for which the above-mentioned persons were reproved by the town authorities, was committed by one John Gatchell, in 1637. He was fined 10 shillings, but half of this amount was to be abated " iu case he should cutt off his long har off his head." 3 It was probably with a view to put an end to all misdemeanors of this kind that in 163G this order was made and recorded on the town records of Salem : "THE 2d OF THE 11"' Mo: 1636. " Item, it is ordered for the better furthering of the fishing trading & to avoid the inconvenience we have found by granting of land for fishermen to plant, That none Inhabiting at Marble Head shall have any other accommoda- tion of land, other than such as is vsuallie given by the Towne to fishermen viz. a howse lott & a garden lott or ground for the placing of their flakes : according to the company belonging to their families, to the greatest family not above 2 acres : & the comon of the woods neere adjoyning for their goates and their cattle."4 For the protection of the Marblehead fishermen, lawful holders of land granted to them, from intrusion by foreign fishermen this law was adopted : "At a General! Courte, at Boston, for Election the 6th of the 3th M°, 1646. "Upon yc petition of Marblehead men ye Cot thinke fit to declare, y« howsoeV it hath bene alowcd custome for forraigne fishermen to make use of such harbors & grounds in this country as have not bene inhabited by Englishmen, & to take timber & wood at their pleasures for all their occasions, yet in these parts wch are now possessed, & ye lands disposed in ppriety to seVall townes & psons, & y* by his matlcs grant, nudr ye great seale of England, it is not now lawln.ll for any person, eithr fisherman or other, eithr forreyner or of this country, to enter upon y" lauds so apppriated to any towne or pson, or to take any woode or timber in any such places, wthont ye licence of snch towne or pprietor; & if any pson shall trespas herein, ye towue or pprietor so ininred may take remedy by action, or may pserve their goods or other interest by opposing lawfull force against such uniust violence; pvided, y' it shalbe lawfull for such fishermen as shalbe implied by any inhabitants of this iurisdiction in ye seVall seasons of ye yeare to make use of any of or harbo's, & snch lands as are necre adioyning, for ye drying of their fish, or othr needfull occasions, as also to take such timber for firewocd as they shall have necessary use of, for their fishing seasons, where it may be spared, so as they make due satisfaction for ye same to such towne or pprietor."6 Two months later this additional declaration and order was delivered: "Att a Gennerall Courte of Elections, begnnnetbe 6th of May, 1646. " In ana' to the peticon of seiiall inhabitant' of Marblehead, for redresse of many great abuses coffiitted on their inheritances by scuerall fishermen, itt is heereby declared, & ordered that howsoeuer it hath binn an allowed custome for forreigne fishermen to make use of snch harbors & grounds in this country as have not binn inhabited by English, & to take timber & wood at their pleasure for all their occacons, yett, in these ptes, wch are now possessed, & the lands disposed in ppriety to seuerall tonnes & psous, & that by his maj'» grannte vnder the greate seale of England, itt is not now lawfull for any pson, either fishermen or others, either forreiners or of this country, to enter vpon any lauds so appiated to any tonne or pson, or to take any wood or timber in any such places wthout the licence of such tonne or ppriety ; & if any pson shall trespasse herein, the tonne or ppriety eo ininried may take their rem- edy acCon, or may psecute their goods or other interest, opposing by lawfull fo'ce agnt snch vnjust violence ; provided, that it shallbe lawfull for such fishermen as shallbe imployed by any inhabitants of this julsdiccon, in the seuerall seasons of the yeere, to make vse of any of or harb'ors, & such lands as are neere adjoyning, for the drying of their fish, & other occacons, as also to take such timber or fierwood as they shall have necessary vse of for their fishing seasons, where it maybe spared, so as they make dew satisfacCon for the same to such tonne or p'prietyes. By both."6 The offenses which called forth the above laws were due in part to the neglect hitherto shown on the part of the town authorities when making grants of land. "From the bramble-bush on the north, so many feet, to the bramble- liusli on the west," &c., was no uncommon designation.7 By this time, 1647, Marblehead had become largely interested in fishing. Felt has recorded this statement: " 1647.— By the middle of January flic vessels at Marblehead had caught, in the season of fishing, about £4,000 worth of fish."8 1 Records of Massachusetts, vol. i [1628-1641], p. 104. 'Records of Maasachnsctts, vol. ii, p. 147. * Essex Institute Hist. Coll., vol. is. p. 27. •JMd., vol. iii, p. 63. 'Harper's Magazine, July, 1874, p. 198. 'Harper's Magazine, Jnly, 1874, p. 198. 'Essex Institute Hist. Coll., vol. ix [1868], p. 27. 'Annuls of Salem, vol. ii, 2d ed., p. 212. 704 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. PROTECTION OF FISH DURING SPAWNING SEASON.— For the regulation of the fisheries the following orders were passed by the general court in 1668 and 1679 : "It is ordered by this court and the authority thereof, that no man shall henceforth kill any codfish hake had- dock or politick to dry for sale in the mouth of December or January because of their spawning tyme, nor any mack- rell to barrell in the month of May or June, under penalty of paying two shillings for each quintall of fish and five shillings for each barrell of mackrell; nor shall any fisherman cast the garbage of the fish they catch overboard at or near the ledges or grounds where they take the Csh nor shall any of the boates crew neglect to obey the order of the major of the vessel to which they belong for the tymcs and seasons of fishing, nor shall they take or drink any more strong liquors than the major thinks meet to permit them, under the penalty of twenty shillings for the first offence, for the second 40, for the third three months imprisonment. * * 29 (8) 1668." ' DUTIES OF FISHERMEN. — The following order was passed by the general court Juno 13, 1679 : " For encouragement of fishing trade: It is ordered by this court & authority thereof that all fishermen that are shipt upon a winter & spring voyage shall duly attend the same according to custom or agreement with respect to time, and all ffishermeu yt are upon a fishing voyage for the whole summer shall not presume to break off from said voyage before the last of October without the consent of the'owuer, master & shoreman upon the penalty of paying all damages."3 ABATEMENT OF TAXES ON FISHING VESSELS, 1694. — The general court passed the following order November 2, 1694: "Upon reading the petition of sundry of the inhabitants of Marblehead, on behalf of said town, praying that they may be eased of the duty of tonnage for their fishing shallops, and that they may only be considered and taken in as other ratable estate: — voted — That Fishing Boats be abated of the said duty of tonnage and that they pay onely to the Publick as other ratable estate, according to the valuation set by the act or acts of the court for the granting of publick taxes and no otherwise."3 TROUBLE WITH FOREIGNERS, 1695. — The Marblehead fishermen seem to have suffered through the invasions of foreigners. Felt records the following entry made on the town records September 23, 1695 : " September 23, 1695.— As a French privateer had captured shallops at the Isle of Shoals, another in our bay, and it is said that ' Major Brown's ketch, which was taken, and other booty, are in a harbor in or near Casco Bay,' a commission is requested for a ketch and shallop, with 40 or 50 fishermen of Marblehead and Salem, to sail from this place, in pursuit of the enemy. The petition was allowed, and funds were granted for the enterprise." NAVAL PROTECTION FOR THE FISHERIES. — Concerning the protection of the fisheries, the military authorities had the following correspondence in 1696. Letter to Captain Legg, at Marblehead : "Upon application of yourself and other Gentlemen concerned in ye Fishery I was ready to gratify you with a convoy so far as might become best with ye other service proposed by his Majesty's ship into ye Bay of Fuudy, and did accordingly order Captain Paxton to attend that service, he then acquainting me only of his want of fifteen men, and I understood you were ready to supply them rather than to faile of his assistance, and I expected it had beeu done, and that he had been gone to sea. But I have this day received at Letter from Captain Paxton at Marblehead in which he advises of want of 30 men more to complete his number, and that he has not yet received any from yourself, and therefore expects positive orders, &c.'M Letter from William Stoiighton to Capl. Went. Paxton, Commander of His Majesty's ship Nncporl, dated Ilosloii, May 4, 1696. " I received yours of this date whereby I understand you are still at Marblehead and am surprised at the account you give of the want of 30 men to make up your compliment. You never mentioned more than fifteen unto me before your going hence, which I expected would be made good unto you by the Gentlemen concerned in the Fishery and you say they will provide them. I hoped that a considerable part of that service would have been performed before this. I am sorry that the Fishery should not be assisted having made provision for that design but the time is very much passed away that I fear the other service proposed for you (which is of such importance) will be disappointed in case you should pursue your order to continue with them till they make their Fare. But if you think it may be with the safety of his Majesty's ship without a further supply of men to convoy them to the Fishing Ground, and so to return back to this place, I do consent to and order your going so far with them. Let not the time run out farther, that if you are not in a capacity for this service other measures may be taken, of which give me speedy notice."6 THE FISHERIES or MARBLEIIEAD FROM 1715 TO 1790.— In the autobiography of Parson Barnard, chosen minister of Marblehead in 1715, are found these words, referring to his arrival there in 1715 : "Nor could I find twenty families that could stand on their own legs; and they were generally as rude, swearing, drunken, and fighting a crew as they were poor. I soon saw the town had a price in its hands, and it was a pity they had not the heart to improve it." 6 After giving this most deplorable account of the moral, social, and commercial state of the settlement before 1720 he states that by the middle of the century a great change had been experienced, and thus describes the rise 01 the fishery trade: "Mr. Joseph Swett, a young man of strict justice, of great industry, enterprising genius, quick appre- heii.Mon, and firm resolution, but small fortune, was the first man who engaged in it (sending fish to foreign markets). He sent a cargo to Barbadoes, and from the profits of the voyage found that he increased his stock, and wt-ut on build- ing vessels, till he was enabled to send vessels to Europe, loading them with fish and pointing out to otltei's the path to 1 Massachusetts Maritime Manuscripts, vul. i, p. 59. 'Ibid., vol. iii, p. 83. •'Ibid., vol. ii, p. 184. 'Ibid., p. 88. 'Ibid., p. 549. TJiirp.T's Mapi/inc, July, 1874. HISTORICAL REFERENCES: MASSACHUSETTS. 705 riches. The more promising ycung men of the town followed his example; and from this small beginning Marblehead became one of the first trailing towns in the bay.'' "From this time," he continues, "the town began to export its own fish. In 1740 the town had ICO vessels engaged in fithing, and at least a- third as many more in carrying them to Bilboa atd other Spanish ports. The town became, second in population and wealth to Boston, and, when the days of trial came, its port of entry and its freest benefactor." "As scon as the fishing business began to resume its accustomed activity," says Road, "a law was passed by the legislature n quiring a tax of sixpence a month for every fisherman in the province. The penalty for the non-payment of the tax vyas a fine of £20 sterling. The passage of this act was considered a great hardship by the fishermen of Marblehead, who complained that they could barely obtain a livelihood, and could ill afford to pay the tax. This occurred about the year 1735. Finally, one Benjamin Boden, a inuu more daring than his associates, determined to resist what he termed 'the imposition,' and flatly refused to comply to the requirements of the law. The collector, William Fail-child, esq., after vainly demanding the tax, brought a suit against the delinquent for the amount. This action on the part of the collector caused great excitement throughout the town, and finally a town meeting was called to consider the matter. At this meeting the tax was denounced unjust and oppressive, and the town voted to pay the penalty and the costs of any suit or suits arising from a resistance to the six-penny act."1 Concerning the condition of the Marblehead fisheries about the middle of the last century, Douglass writes: '• Marblchead, iu New England, ships off more dried cod than all the rest of New England besides; anno 1732, a good fish year, and in profound peace, Marblehead had about 120 schooners, of about fifty tons burthen; seven men aboard, and ( ne man ashore to make the fish, is about 1,000 men employed from that town, besides the seamen who carry the fish to market; if they had all been well fished, that is, 200 quintals to a fare, would have made 120,000 quintals. At present, anno 1747, they have not exceeding seventy schooners, and make five fares yearly; first is to the Isle of Sable; the codfish set in there early in the spring, and this fare is full of spawn: formerly they fitted out in February, but by stormy weather having lost some vessels, and many anchors, cables, and other gear, they do not fit out until March. Their second fare is iu May to Brown's Bank, and the other banks near the Cape Sable coast; these are also called spring fish. Their third and fourth fares are to St. George's Bank, called summer fish. Their fifth and last fare is in autumn to the Isle of Sable; these are called winter fish. New England cod is generally cured or dried upon hurdles or brush. Anno 1721, were cured at Canso, off Nova Scotia, 20, COO quintals of codfish ; but, as it is said, the officers of that garrison used the fishermen ill, and no fishery has been kept there for many years. At present, anno 1747, there is cured in all places of Britith North Ameiica about 3CO/CO quintals dry merchant- able cod."" In a foot-note Douglass adds: "Within these few years our cod-fishery, whaling, and ship building have failed much; and by peculation and depopulation wo were like to have been carried into ruin ; but it is hoped we may have better times; at present our trade is not half so much, and our taxes from 30 to 40 times more than they were a few years ago. Anno 1748 only 55 fishing schooners at Marblehead." "The depredations of the French on the sea against the commerce and the fisheries of the English colonies during; the year 1756 were severely felt in Marblehead. Several vessels, with their crews belonging here, were captured while on fishing banks, causing great distress among their families and great excitement iu town. The exposed condition of the harbor caused serious apprehensions of an attack from the enemy, when the people were less prepared to meet it, and it was finally voted to present a petition to the lieutenant-governor praying for the protection of the province. The petition prayed also for the protection of the fishing interest, and stated that ' in time of war the fishery is prose- cuted with much greater difficulty and risk than any other branch of business,' as will appear by the late capture of onr vessels by the French while on the fishing banks. " 'That, by the small extent of our town (the whole extent being little more than 2 miles square, and that rocky and barren), the inhabitants can have no prospect of exchanging this for a more profitable employment in time to come.' "During the year 1768, 9 vessels, with their crews, were lost, and the following year 14 others met with a similar fate, making a total of 23 vessels and 122 men and boys. Besides these, a large number were drowned by being washed overboard from vessels which returned. A large number of widows and orphans were thus left to the care of the town, and the grief and suffering caused by these terrible calamities was very great."3 "In the year 1766 there were 40 ships, brigs, snows, and other vessels of nearly 12,000 tons in the aggregate [belonging to Marblehead] engaged in foreign trade. Marblehead was then second only to Boston in the number of its inhabitants. It was taxed accordingly, and more hard money was imported here than into any other town in the province of Massachusetts. As its trade flourished the wealth of its inhabitants rapidly increased. Vessels loaded with codfish sailed from the town for Bilboa, in Spain, or Bordeaux, France, and came back either freighted with the products of those countries or bearing doubloons or dollars."4 The above extract will convey some idea of Marblehead's success as a port of foreign trade and as a fishing town. "For a time," writes Road, " the attention of the people of Marblebead was diverted from public affairs by tho disasters to their fishing fleet at sea. During the year 1768, 9 vessels, with their crews, were lost, and the following year 14 others met a similar fate, making a total of 23 vessels and 122 men and boys. Besides these, a large number were drowned by being washed overboard from vessels which returned. A large number of widows and orphans 1 Road's History of Marblehead, p. 50. » Road's History of Marblehcad, pp. 60-77. 'British Sottlcmcuts in North America. 1760. Vol. i, p. 302. 'Gloucester Telegraph, February 20, 1861. 45 G R F 706 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. •were thus left to the care of the town, and the grief and suffering caused by these terrible calamities was very great. There were at this time about 60 merchants engaged in the foreign trade, besides a very largo number of 'shoremen' who prosecuted the fisheries. Some of the houses built by these merchants were among the finest in the province, and one, the'palatial residence of Col. Jeremiah Lee, is said to have cost over £10,000."' "From 1708 to 1770," says Collector Dodge, of Marblehead, "the town lost 23 vessels and all (heir crews, amounting to 1(52 men, who left 70 widows and 15o children. I rind by the records of the custom-house in the year 1790, there were 103 vessels with tonnage of 0,709 tons licensed in, the cod-fishery." We find the first fishing license on record at Marblehead dated 1789. As far back as 1708 it is recorded at the custom-house there were 258 vessels belonging to this port, of which fully one-half were engaged in fishing, taking their fish on the Grand Banks of Newfoundland and near home, off the New England shore. A largo part of the catch of codfish, after being thoroughly cured, was packed in drums and exported to France, England, West Indies, and other foreign ports. "The British Parliament," says Road, "having prohibited the colonists in 1775 from carrying on fisheries on the banks of Newfoundland, it was deemed imprudent for the fishing fleet to venture out. As nearly if not quite all the vessels belonging to the town were ready for sea, a committee was chosen to wait upon the owners and shippers and request them not to proceed on the voyages until after the time of prohibition had expired. A circular letter was also addressed to the fishermen of other towns, requesting them to adopt a similar course, as the safety of their lives and the welfare of their families depended upon their prudence and forbearance." In General Washington's diary may be found this statement, referring to the people of Marblehead in 17i-9: "The chief employment of the people of Marblehead (males) is fishing. About 110 vessels and 600 men and boys are engaged in this business. Their chief export is fish. About 5,000 souls are said to be in this place, which has the appearance of antiquity ; the houses are old, the streets dirty, and the common people are not very clean." THE FISHERIES AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PRESENT CENTURY.— The Marblehead Ledger in 1860 gave the follow- ing account of the fisheries of Marblehead in the early part-of the present century : "About 50 vessels sailed to the banks in the summer of 1815, and as the markets were bare of fish they did well. * * * Seventeen new schooners were added to the fleet in 1816 or 1817 — all built at Essex. The fisheries of Mar- blehead were most prosperous during the first six or eight years of the century. An immense quantity of codfish was then exported to France, Spain, and the West Indies, if not to other countries, and those exportatious were made mostly in the winter in vessels that had been fishing in the summer, some going direct from the banks to foreign ports. To Spain the fish was carried as often wet as dry, but that sent to the West Indies was always well dried and packed in casks or 'drums.' As a general thing, no return cargoes weie brought from Spain. The fish sold at Bilboa and other Spanish ports were paid for in doubloons, and our vessels would often proceed from those ports to the Cape 3,000, and the crews $88,1540, amounting to §254.58 per share, while employed, say eight months." THE FISHING MOST PROSPEROUS IN 1839. — According to Road : "The year 1839 may be said to have been the period when the fishing business of Marblehead reached the zenith of its prosperity. At that time 98 vessels, only 3 of which were under 50 tons burden, were employed in the business — a larger number than have ever sailed from this port since the time of 'Jefferson's embargo.'" DECLINE OF THE FISHERIES. — The Revolution, the French and English wars, and the war of 1812, with the em- bargo that preceded it, goon put an effectual stop to the astonishing prosperity which Marblehead had enjoyed, for the most part uninterruptedly, since 1750. " Before the Revolution the town had 12,000 tons of shipping arid 1,200 voters ; after the war she had only 1,500 tons of shipping and 500 voters, while there were about 500 widows and 1,000 orphans in the place."1 From the year 18JO there was a gradual decrease in the fisheries until 1846, when 11 vessels were lost with 65 men, leaving 43 widows and 150 fatherless children, which seriously diminished the fleet, reducing it 937 tons. The Barnstable Patriot of April 28, 1847, contained this item : " MARBLEHEAD FISHING BUSINESS. — A native of Marblehead informs us, says the Dauvers Courier, that this business, which has been for several years the chief pursuit of the citizens of that town, is now nearly abandoned. They have determined to fit out but 15 vessels this year, while in 1837 there were 122 vessels which belonged to Mar- blehead and were engaged in the cod-fishery on the banks. They have been compelled thus to limit their interests in this business, principally by the long train of unfortunate and disastrous circumstances which has for the last few years accompanied their enterprise." FISHERY STATISTICS FOR 1856.— The Gloucester Telegraph of February 10, 1857, gives the following item: "The whole number of vessels engaged in the fishery business in Marblehead in the year 1856 was 43; amount of tonnage, 2,782 tons; number of men, 322; number of fish taken, 893,000, weighing 26,079 quintals, valued at $137,188; with 11,074 gallons of oil, valued at $10,870. The amount of the bounty was $14,598, which, added to the value of the fish and oil, made a total of $163,656." SHELL HEAPS. — To turn aside for a moment from the continuous tale of decreasing prosperity to an incident of curiosity noted in the Essex Institute Historical Collections, vol. ii, p. 12, we annex this statement : "The monstrous heap of half-decayed and broken clam shells at Throgmorton's Cove renders it certain that this charming and secluded spot was often visited by the Indians as a favorite fishing place, or a sort of aboriginal summer watering-place. The shells now remain as when cast aside l>y the Indian families, wh.i must have devoured shell-fish in immense quanti- ties. Some 30 cords have been taken away as manure, but yet a great collection remains." CONDITION OF THE FISHERIES FROM 1860 TO 1865.— The Cape Ann Advertiser of January 27, 1H50, says: "Forty- four vessels were engaged in cod-fisheries from Marblehead in 1859. They fish entirely on the Grand Banks, which is more profitable though less pleasant than the mackerel fishery." In the Marblehead Ledger of May 12, 1860, it wa8 stated that the fleet w;is that, year greatly reduced, there being but 35 vessels engaged ill the bank fishery. During the previous winter some had been sold to other places, and others put into the coasting and freighting business. 'Harper's Magazine, July, 1874, p. 201. 708 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF TDE FISHERIES. The "Ledger" of Juno, I860, says : "The arrival of tbc lust fishing vessel from tho banks shows that tins long established business is destiiu d at no very distant day to be discontinued. The schooner Florence Hooper sailed about ten weeks since for the banks and relumed on Friday, June 1, willi but 1,510 fish, and reports a great scarcity. It seems Lard for meu to leave their homes with hopes buoyant of success to go on voyages known to everyone as an occupation in which they would not engage except for the chanceof being successful in a good catch of fish ; -when to return after an absence of two months or more, knowing tLe time spent amounting to nothing, ami perhaps in debt to the vessel, to say nothing of hardships and risks, the bounty the only compensation, though small." In 1861 the business partially recovered. When the war of tLe rebellion broke out it took most of the young men out of the business and reduced the fishing fleet to 21 vessels in 1865. After the close of the war the fishing business of Marblehead fell to a low ebb. Home of tLe best vessels were sold and more were ready for sale. SWAMPSCOTT. THE FISHERIES FROM 1794 TO 1860. — The Gloucester Telegraph of January 8, 1870, contained the following item, showing the extent of the Swampscott fishing fleet in 1795 : "In 1795 but 1 vessel, the Dove, a schooner of about 20 tons, owned by James Phillips and four others, sailed from that place in pursuit of fish. This was the first vessel owned in Swampscott, and she would make but a sorry show if placed alongside the neat, trim, fast-sailing crafts that compose the winterfleet of that flourishing town." The Cape Ann Advertiser of January 13, 18GO, referring to the number of vessels in the fleet in the year 1800, states that there was only 1 fishing schooner in Swampscott at that time and its name was the "Lark." The number of vessels engaged in the fishing fleet in 1855, and the value of their catch, together with the tonnage of the vessels and the number of men employed on them, is here given : "During the week ending March 3, 1855, the Swampscott fishermen were unusually successful. TLe number of boats employed was 14 and tLe aggregate tonnage COO. The total number of men employed -was 126, and the fish which they caught sold for $5,272. None of the boats, excepting one, were out more than five days." * About the close of the next year, also, some of the Swampscott fishermen were very successful : "During the week ending December 13 the schooner Flight, Captain Stanley, with 13 hands, caught 62,700 pounds of codfish. And a short time before, the crow of the Jane caught in one day, among a large number of cod- fish of the ordinary size, 12 which -weighed on an average 56 pounds each. Capt. Nathaniel Blanchard caught one codfish which weighed 94 pounds gross, and 78 pounds dressed."8 "In 1857 haddock appeared in great numbers at times during the early part of the year. On the 13th of March about 100 of the Swampscott fishermen, in 12 boats, caught in some six Lours 160,000 pounds of fish, almost entirely Laddock."3 Lewis & Newhall record the large catch offish made by the little schooner Flying Dart, in 1860, as follows: "The little fishing schooner Flying Dart, of Swampscott, with .1 crew of 12 men, on the 25th of February, brought in 14,000 pounds of fish, caugLt by tLem that day. Tbo fisL were readily sold at an average rate of 2 cents a pound." THE FISHERIES FROM 1870 TO 1874.— The Gloucester Telegraph of January 1,1870, contains an article on the winter fishery of Swampscott for the year 1869, and the disposition made of the fish ; the article is here reproduced : "Fifteen vessels and 200 men are engaged the present season in the fishery business from Swampscott. The vessels, which vary in size from 40 to 80 tons, leave tLeir ancLorage every morning, when the state of the weather will allow, and return as early as possible in the afternoon. The fish that have been caught are sold as soon as landed upon tLe beach, and being packed in large wagons are conveyed in the night to Boston, where they are ready for the early customers on the following morning. The Swampscott fishermen have done quite well thus far the present season, there having been no very cold or extremely rough weather, while the catch has been fair and the demand steady at good prices. They well deserve all they get, for few men labor harder or suffer more in the pursuit of a livelihood than the fishermen." In 1870 the winter fishery of this place was very extensive, as will be seen by the following statement from the Gloucester Telegraph of December 3, 1870 : " Twenty Swampscott schooners are now engaged in winter fishing, being the largest number ever employed in the business. The boats are bringing in large quantities of cod and pollock, which are selling at low prices." The product of the Swampscott fisheries for the third quarter of the year 1872 is given as follows in the Gloucester Telegraph of October 12, 1872 : " During the quarter ending October 1, 1872, the number of barrels of mackerel caugLt and landed at Swampscott was 7,000, which, at $8 per barrel, amounts to $56,000. Three hundred thousand pounds of cod were taken, which, at 2 cents per pound, amounts to $6,000. Twenty-five barrels of oil were obtained, which, at $15 per barrel, amount, to $375 ; making a total of $62,375." During the quarter ending June 30, 1874, the Swampscott fishermen landed 320,000 pounds of cod, valued at $10,400; 180,000 pounds of mackerel, valued at |4,500 ; and 10,000 lobsters, valued at $600; making a total yield of §15,500. 1 History of Lynn by Lewis & Newhall, p. 443. * Ibid., p. 448. 3 Ibid., p, 450. HISTORICAL REFERENCES: MASSACHUSETTS. 709 N AH A NT. NAHANT IN 1033. — The fallowing deseiiption of the laud on winch Nahant stauds was written in 1633: " ' Vpon the South side of the Sandy Reach, the Sea hmtclli, which is a true prognostication to presage atomics and f'oule weather, and the breaking up of the Frost. For when (he storine hath been, or is likely to be, it will roare like Thunder, being heard sixo miles; and after stormes casts up great stores of great Clammes, which the Indians, taking out (if their shels, carry home in baskets. On the North side, of this Bay is two great Marshes, which are made two by a pleasant River, which rnnncs between them. Northward up this river goes great store of Alewives, of which they make good Red Herrings ; insomuch that they have been at charges to make them a wayre, and a Herring house to dry these Herrings in ; the last year were dried some 4 or 5 Last [l,r>0 barrels] for an experiment, which proved very good ; this is like to prove a gieat inrichmeut (o the laud, being a staple commodity in other Countries, for there bo such innumerable companies in every river, that I have seen ten thousand taken in two hours, by two men, with- out any weire at all saving a lew stones to stop their passage up the river. There likewise come store of Basse, which fhe English aud Indians catch with hooke and line, some fifty or three score at a tide. At the mouth of this river ruunes up a great Creeke into that great Marsh, which is called Rumney Marsh, which is four miles long and two miles broad, halfo of it being Marsh ground, andhalfe upland grasses, without tree or bush ; this Marsh is crossed with divers ereekes, wherein lye great store of Geese and Duckes. There be convenient Ponds, for the planting of Duck coyes. Hero is likewise belonging to this place divers fresh Meddowes, which afford good grassc, and fount spacious Ponds, like little Lakes, wherein is good store of fresh Fish, within a mile of the Towue ; out of which runnes a curious fresh liroocke, that is seldom frozen, by reason of the warmness of the water; upon this stream is built a water Milne, and up this river come Smelts aud frost fish, much bigger than a Gudgeon."" Tin-: CLAM INDUSTRY IN 1712. — Beyond the above little is known of the early history of Nahant. The following item from Lewis &. Xewlmll's- History of Lynn shows that the waters of Nahant furnished great quantities of clams: " 1712. — This year, all the shells, which came upon the Nahant beaches, were sold by the town, to Daniel Brown and William Gray, for thirty shillings. They were not to sell the shells for more than eight shillings a load, contain- ing forty-eight bushels, heaped measure. The people were permitted to dig and gather the clams as before, but 'they were required to open them on the beach, and leave1 tin.1 shells. The house in which I (Newhall) was born, was plas- tered with lime made from these shells." NAHANT IN RECENT YEARS. — Fur many years this romantic spot has been famous as a seaside resort. Handsome summer houses gradually replaced the fishermen's huts that once dotted the shores, until now there is scarcely a spot where the fishermen can congregate. One vessel owned here is employed for a part of each year in the lobster fishery. LYNN FROM 1G33 TO 1857. — William Wood wrote in 1033: "The laud aftbrdeth to the inhabitants as many varieties as any place else, and the sea more ; the Basse continuing from the middle of April to Michaelmas (September 2'J) which stayes not half that time in the Ba^ (Boston Harbor); besides, here is a great deal of Rock cod and Macrill, insomuch that shoales of Bass have driven up shoales of Macrill from one end of the sandy Beach to the other; which the inhabitants have gathered up in wheelbarrows. The Bay which lyeth before the Towne, at a lowe spring tyde will be all llatts for two miles together; upon which is great store of Muscle Banckes, and Clam banckes, aud Lob- sters amongst the roekes and grassie holes." In the early part of the year 1031 the resources of Lynn were very limited. We are told by Lewis and Newhall that " provisions were very scarce, and many persons depended for subsistence upon clams, ground-nuts, and acorns." In the next year the town authorities passed an order whereby the fish, bass, and alewives could ascend the Sau- gus River to the Great Pond. This order, dated October 3, and recorded by Lewis and Newhall, reads: " 1G32, October 3 : It is ordered, that Saugus plantation shall have liberty to build a ware upon Saugus Ryver; also, they have promised to make, and continually to keepe, a goode foote bridge, upon the most convenient place there." This weir w:is chiefly built by Thomas Dexter, for the purpose of taking bass aud alcwivcs, of which many were dried and smoked for shipping. The following additioual facts, recorded by Lewis and Xewhall, show the condition of the fisheries from 1633 to 1857: "At 11 town meeting on the 12lh of July, 1(!33, Edward Richards testified that Mr. Tomlins 'was not to stop or hinder the alewives to go up to the Great Pond.' " And in KiKi the following was a condition in a deed of property: "To allow sufficient water in the Ould River for the Alewive to come to the wyres before the Grantor's house." A sin ilar petition to that permitted for flic benefit of the people of Saugus was also granted in favor of the people of Reading in n spouse to their prayer of October 3, Ie79, viz: "That the alewives might be permitted to come up to Reading pond, as before; that they might find no obstruction at the iron works, but 'come up freely into our ponds, where they have their natnial breeding place,'-'' which was granted. In lG9(i immense numbers of great clams were thrown upon the beaches at Lynn by storms. The people were permitted, by a vote of the town, to dig and gather as many as they wished for their own use, but no more; and no 'History of Lynn by Lewis & Ncwball, p 144. 710 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. person was allowed to carry any out of the town, on a penalty of 20s. The shells were gathered in cart- loads on the beach, and manufactured into lime. For nearly a century and a half there is no record of the progress of the Lyun fisheries. The next fact noted is that in the year 1832 a whaling company was formed and 5 ships employed. They harbored in Saugus River, but on the crossing of the railroad, in 1838, they were removed to Boston. None of the whale-ships were built at Lyun. A ship-yard was established in the western part of the town about this time, but no vessel larger than a schooner was built there. To increase the value of the fisheries an act was passed on March 26, 1852, by the Lynn authorities, to prevent the destruction of shad and alewives in Saugus River and the tributary streams in the city of Lynn. Shad had long before disappeared, but alewives continued abundant. " In the summer of 1857 much excitement took place in many places (Lynn included), concerning the discovery of pearls in fresh-water mussels and clams. Many small ones were found in shell-fish taken from the floating bridge and flax-ponds in Lyun, but not enough to render the search more profitable than regular labor. It was quite umusing occasionally'to observe some venerable and demure citizen, who never in his life had been guilty of imagining there was such an amusement in the world, wending his way toward the ponds, and fancying his real object entirely con- cealed by the rod and Hue and other sporting gear with which he had so cunningly encumbered himself." MEDFORD AND VICINITY. VESSEL FISHERIES OF MEDFORD FROM 1629 TO 16:59. —The following interesting sketch is from Brooks's History of the town, printed at Boston in 1855: "To Medford belongs the honor of establishing the first fisheries in 'London's Plantation of Massachusetts Bay.' Careful and costly preparations for this business were made in England in 1629, by Mr. Cradock, who believed it the most promising investment then offered from the New World. In the company's 'first general letter,' under date of April 17, 1029, is indicated a course of trade which was to be pursued by the Medford fishermen. It is thus : -Wo have sent five weigh of salt in the Whelpe, and ten weigh in the Talbot. If there be shallops to be had to fish withal, and the season of the year fit, pray let the fishermen (of which we send six from Dorchester), together with some of the ship's company, endeavor to take fish, and let it be well saved with the said salt and packed up in hogsheads and send it home by the Talbot or Lion's Whelpe. At the samer time they send 'a seine, being a net to fish with. May 28, 1629; they say, 'We send salt, lines, hooks, knives, boots, Brook's History of Medford : Boston, 1855, pp. 381-388. HISTORICAL REFERENCES: MASSACHUSETTS. 713 bo set up and carried on within this town, lliat such persons either of the town or who way come into the town from other places, and shall annually, during the proper season of the year, employ themselves in their own vussels or those of others, in catching and curing of codfish, are hereby treed and to be freed from and released of their poll tax for the space of three years next ensuing the time of their commencing in the said business, and so long as they continue in it within said term upon the provision that all such persons who come from other plates shall be approved of by the selectmen of the town or a m tjor part of them, from time to time, and such of them as shall be by the selectmen disapproved of shall be still subject to be warned out of the town according to law.' To what extent the business was transacted under this encouragement of the town we are unable to say. However, this industry was carried on at that time to considerable extent, as building vessels for this trade continued to be prosecuted at the Point and neighborhood from that time to the Revolutionary War, when it was suspended, and the hardy fishermen were selected to man our impromptu navy. » » » "After the Revolutionary War the fish business was revived in Quincy. In the early part of this century Mr. Nickersou, Major Vinal, and Mr. Bramhall were engaged, to a considerable extent in this business at the Point. It continued to be successful until the embargo and the war of 1812 seriously interfered with its prosperity. At the close of the war the business was again revived, and continued to prosper with vaiied success. A largo share of the business was in the hands of capitalists of Provincetown and other Cape Cod towns. In 1833 the fish interest began to concentrate at Germantowu. Captain Brown took up his residence there that year; Captain Hodgkiuson in 1834, and Captains Prior, Rich, Holmes, and others about that period. The land at Germautowu was mostly occupied by fish flakes, as great numbers were brought there to be cured. In 1836, the business amounted to a little rising $30,000. Ten vessels were engaged in cod and mackerel fishing. The amount of codfish caught and cured was 6,200 quintals, the value of which was estimated at $18,800. '• The number of barrels of mackerel packed for market was l,7oO, the value of which was estimated at $12,242. The number of men engaged in the business was 100. The local fish trade was at first carried on by different persons, who would go out in the morning and procure fish, and in the afternoon dispose of their fine large fresh fish from their wheelbarrows for 0 cents each. In 1823 the first cart, owned by a Mr. Rice, was used for the disposal of fish. Mr. Snow, of Boston, succeeded Mr. Rice, and made a fortune out of the business. Mr. Samuel Andrews was engaged in the local trade longer than any other person, and died at a ripe old age of 75 years 10 months and 11 days." THE WHALE-FisiiKKY. — " Whale-fishery business was established at Germantown and at Quiucy Point about the same time. The first vessel fitted out, of any note, at Germantown was the Cambrian, in 1839 — a top-sail schooner, which sailed on a cruise of eighteen months under Captain Holmes, of Germantown. The Cambrian made quite a successful voyage, having procured 2U whales and secured 4~20 barrels of sperm oil. The Ontario sailed under the command of Captain Prior; also the John Rove Dodge, the Curacoa, and others, which were equally as fortunate in supplying their owners with oil from the greasy monsters. The Cambrian was probably the first whale-ship that sailed from this port. The Creole, under the command of Captain Cook, the principal owners of which were Messrs. Calvin White, of Braiutree; Simon Gillett, Ebenezer Woodward, Daniel Baxter, Isaiah G. Whitou, and Charles A. Brown, of Quincy, sailed the latter part of the year 1840, for the Western Islands, where she was fortunate in securing a fine cargo, consisting of 540 barrels of sperm oil and 10 of blaclsfish, which liberally remunerated all those connected with the vessel and voyage. She was absent nine mouths and a half. The brig Eschol also sailed as a whaler." HTJI/L. EAKLY IJISIOKY OK HULL AND ITS FISIIKIUKS. — The original name of this town was Nautascot, an Indian word, and the place was given to the fishermen by the general court of Massachusetts in 1G41 for the purpose of encouraging the fisheries. The present inhabitants trace their deeds back to the following order from the general court of Massa- chusetts, dated June 2, 1641: "It is ordered that a plain at ion for the furthering of fishing shall be set up at Nantascot, and that all the neck to the end of the furthest beach towards Ilingham, where the tide overfloweth, shall belong to it, and that such of the present inhabitants of Hiugham as will follow fishing, and will move their habitation thither, shall have land and meadow upon Nantasket Neck according to the order here established; and that all other men that will follow fishing, and will remove their habitation thither, shall have such accommodation there as the plau- lation will afford; and that it shall be lawful for any other fishermen inhabiting any other towns within the bay to set up stages at Nantaskct, or any of the islands belonging thereto, with sufficient ground for the drying of their fish. And there shall be allowed now, at the first, to every boat which shall use fishing, four acres of upland for the present, .•iiid the meadow to be disposed of in an equal portion among such as have cause; and ft is further ordered that the island called Pedock's Island, and the other islands not already disposed of, shall belong to Nantascot, to be to the iibo of the inhabitants and fishermen so soon as they shall come to inhabit there." A commission of four men was formed to lay out and dispose of the land as ordered. Among the first twelve men that availed themselves of this order we find the names of John Prince and Nathaniel Bosworth; each of these received 2 acres of land. Thirty years afterwards, iu 1G71, we find these two men presenting the following petition: "To the Right Honoured Magistrates and Deputies of the General Court of New Plymouth, now sitting: " The wise providence of the great Guide of all men and actions having so ordered, by his providence, to bring me here in this juncture of time, wherein there hath been brought under consideration that fishing design, of late years found at Cape Cod, for mackerel with nets; which, win n we came from home, I may truly say I had not the least thought to have, in the least manner, troubled; this honoured ;:ss(inbly with things about; yet, being here, and 714 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. understanding that possibly there may be brought under consideration something in order to the restraint of foreigners from fishing there, and it may seem an expedient, founded on good reason, that it should so be, I would humbly intreat this honoured court that I may, as I desire with humbleness, so I may without any offence to this honoured Assembly, present you with some particulars referring to that small town of Hull, in which we live. " May it therefore please this honoured Court to understand that my humble request is, first, whether that the honoured Court may not have or see just cause why our little place of Hull, though not out of your jurisdiction, may still enjoy the privileges we have hitherto had, though others should be denied ; and the reasons I would humbly sug- gest are these: First, because we were some of the first that were the discoverers and first bringers of it to light, as it now is attended to the profit of the whole colony here, which we would willingly think were some ground to build our hopes on for the enjoyment of such a privilege. Secondly, because we humbly conceive that those of your town who have been on that employ will say, as well as we know, that ours coming there have been a further aim and no hindrance to them. And, thirdly, let me with all humbleness say that, had it not been for some of us, we believe it had not been kept afoot to this time ; for our frieriUs in yoar patent, after the first or second voyage, had given it off again, and had not some of us kept on, and so been instrumental, beating out by evening 'there, and travelling on the shore at all times and seasons, and so discovered the way to take them in light as well as dark nights, it had not been so certain a thing as now it is; or had we kept but that one thing private, we know it had, if we may inoffensively so speak, been a great obstruction to it to this day. But we were open-hearted to jours, and told them what we knew, and we hope that your Honours, and this honoured Assembly, would be so to us. We humbly beseech your Worthies not to be offended, though we thus speak, if it may be said that as we were the first that laboured in it, so we have had the first and most profit by it: may it please you to let us freely say, without offence, that this last year, wherein your both persons and colony had the opportunity to improve it, hath yielded more profit clear that two or three years before, because we were but just now come fully to understand it; but the truth is, by reason of the dear- ness of salt and lowness of mackerel in the years before, and our gaining was not so considerable; especially add this to it, that in three, we lost one voyage for want of understanding what we have made them acquainted with, as to the light moons. But if you think that the motion, as to the whole town, may be too large, because it may be there may be very many, we humbly leave it to the honoured Court to bound the town to what number you see good, two or three, or what you see good; and so having made bold to present and trouble you with lines, I pray account it not a presumption, but an humble request in the behalfs of that little town of ours, which hath a great part of its livelihood by fishing. And so, in all humbleness, leaving these things to your consideration, I humbly take leave, and rest your humble petitioners in the half of ourselves and town. "JOHN PRINCE. "NATHANIEL BOSWORTH. "PLYMOUTH, this 8th June, 1671. "» In answer to the above petition the following grant was made, providing certain persons of Hull with means to enable them to prosecute the mackerel fishery at Cape Cod : "Att the Generall Court of Election, att Ply mouth, the fift of June, 1671. "In answare vnto the petition prefered to this Court by Mr John Prince and Mr Nathaniel Bosworth, of the towno of Hull, allias Nantaskett, in the behalfe of the said towne, to have libertie to imploy some boates and theire compa- nies for the takeing of mackerell with nets, att the season thereof, att Cape Codd, this Court doth grannt vnto them libertie for two boates and these companies, to take mackerell there att the season thereof; soe as they make payment of what is due to the collonie from forraigners, notwithstanding, any order of Court extant, prohibiting ethers to fish I here."3 For the management of the town business, as also for the greater encouragement of the fishery industry at this place, the order below appended was in 1647 directed in these words: "Att a Generall Courte of Eleecon, held y" 2Gth of y« 3 m°: 1647. "There being now diners ffreeraen & men of good abillity in Hull who may comfortably carry on the affayres of a towne, they are enabled by the authorities of this Court to order the prudential! affayres of y« towne, according to former orders of this Court & course of other plantations, pvided that, according to former orders of Court they ondevonr the advanucem* of fishing, & that such fishermen as are there already & others wch shall come thither may have all such reasonable priviledges-& encouragem' as the place will afford, & that such places as are fitt for fishermen may be reserved for that purpose ; & wtb this caution also, that Wm Parkes, Mr Glouer, & Mr Duncan, or any two of them, be appoynted to se the order of Court for advance of ffishingduely obserued."3 HINGHAM. TUB FISHERIES OF HiKGHAM IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY.— In the middle of the seventeenth century Hiugham and the employment of its inhabitants were thus briefly described : " Hingham, which is scituate upon the Sea coasts South-east of Charles River, being a place nothing iuferiour to their Neighbours for scituation, and the people have much profited themselves by transporting Timber, Planke and Mast for Shipping to the Town of Boston, as also Cedar and Pine-board to supply the wants of other Townes, and also to remote parts, even as far as Barbadoes. They want not for Fish for themselves and others also."* 1 Coll. Mass. Hist. Soc., vol. vl, 1st series, pp. 127, 128. "Records of MassachnseWs, vol. iii, p. 106. 2 1'lj month Colony Rccoids, vol. v, 1668-1678, p. 63. '•Wonder-working Providence. London, 1654, p. 85. HISTORICAL REFERENCES: MASSAGE USETTS. 715 The fishing interests of this place were thus furthered by the "General Court .at Boston, the 14th of the 4th M°, 1641 : " It is ordered, that a plantation for the furthering of fishiug shall fourth wtb bee sot up at Nantascot, &, that all the neck to the end of the furthest beach towards Hingham, where the tide overlloweth, shall belong to it; and that such of the p'sent inhabitants of Hingham as will follow fishing, and will remove their habitations thiiher, shall have land & meadowe upon Nautaskot Neck, according to the order heare established, & that all other men that will follow fishing, & will remove their habitations thither, shall have such accommodations there as the plantation will afford; and that it shalliee lawfull for any other fishermen inhabiting in any other of tbe townes wthiu the Bay to set up stages upon Nantaskot, or any of the ilauds belonging thereto, w"1 sufficient ground for the drying of their fish. "And that there shalbeo alowed now, at the first, to jv'y boate wcb shall use fishing, 4 acres of upland for the p'sent, & the mcdow to bee disposed of by an equall p'portion among such as shall have cattle ; & it is further ordered, that Mr Stoughtou, Mr Duncan, Mr Glover, Willi: Heath, & Will! Parks, or any 3 of them, Mr Stoughton to bee one, shall in convenient time repair to Nantaskot, & set out tbe lands & medow there, according to the meaning of this order; and it is further ordered, that the iland called Pedocks Hand, & the other Hands there not otherwise disposed of, shall belong to Nantaskot, to bee to the use of the inhabitants & fishermen, so soone as they shall come to iuhabite there. "And this Court, or some of the Court at Boston, shall from time to time appoint 2 or 3 able men to set out laud, & stage roome &c, to such as shall come to iuhabite or fish there ; & in the meane time the comissioners aforenamed, or 3 of them as aforesaid, shall dispose of the same; provided, always, that no p'son shalbee stated in p'priety in any land or inedowe there (though the same bee allotted to them) before hee bee a setled inhabitant there, & in a course of fishing." ' The following order, relative to payment for powder supplied to Strawberry Bank, was given at — " A Generall Cot, held at Boston, the 7th of the First M° 1643-1644. " Strawberry Bank is granted to have a barrcll of powder, paying for it in dry fish, as Dover is to do for the bar- rel] granted formerly to Northam."3 HINGHAM FISHERIES IN 1851 AND I860. — The Hingham Journal of April, 1860, states: " In 1851 there were 37 vessels, of 2,491 tons, belonging to this port, owned hero and manned by 500 persons. We cannot say that the number of vessels has much increased since that time, yet what we have constitute a very hand- some fleet. Before the end of the month some of our vessels will be on George's and other fishing grounds, looking out for schools of mackerel." The result of the mackerel fishery for 1860 is given as follows: " MACKEKKL. — Mackerel have been found plenty off the coast of Maine, and the shore fishing promises better than for many years before. They take the hook readily, as in olden times. "The Hinghain Journal gives the folio fring late arrivals in that port and Pocasset, after a short absence: Schr. Pony with 113 headed bbls ; Oasis 200 do. do. ; Omega 185 packed bbls ; Eleanor F. 205 headed bbls ; Emma 160 do. do. ; Prairie Flower do. do. Northern Light 180 do. do."3 COHASSET. THE FISIIKBIES IN 1821. — The Rev. Jacob Flint in 1821 wrote the following description of the fisheries engaged in by the people of this place, with some details as to number of vessels, men, quintals caught, &c. : " There are 41 vessels of different tonnage owned in Cohasset. Of these, 1,067 tons are employed in the mackerel fishery. They take, in a season, 2,420 barrels ; 200 tons are employed in the cod-fishery ; taking 2,590 quintals of cod- fish (average for a number of years). The fishing vessels employ 223 men and boys. Some of the largest vessels are employed in foreign trade. After the season for taking fish, a number of the fishing vessels are employed in the coast- ing trade with various parts of the United States, and some in trade with the West Indies."4 At that time, according to the same authority, there were a number of extensive salt-works, at which about 5,500 bushels of salt were annually made. TIIK MACKKKKL FISHERY IN 1860. — The following details concerning the mackerel fishery of Cohasset for 1860 are from the Barnstable Patriot: "The mackerel fishery of Cohasset has closed for the season, piling the wharves with tiers of bbls. of that aquarial llesh. One of the fleet, the Harriot Torey, has landed 1,500 bbls. William Burdick, of the above vessel, has caught 117 bbls. with his own hook, and will clear $548.00." SCITUATE. FISHING STATION AT SCITUATE ; LICENSE von OYSTER PLANTING. — In 1633 the ship William set up a fishing station at SciUiate, the object of which was, doubtless, the capture of cod. In 1639 the following license was granted to a Mr. William Vassall : " 1639, December. Licence or liberty is granted to Mr. William Vassall to make an oyster bank in the North River, 60 rods in length, and across the said river, in some convenient place, near bis farm there, called the 'West 1 KciordH of Miii-SBi'liusetts, vol. i, p. 3iU. * Bainst;ililr Patriot. August 21, IKiO. ''lliid., vol. ii, p. 57. »Coll. Muss. Hu-t. SIH-.. vol. ii, 3il series, p. 102. 716 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. New-land,' and to appropriate it to his own use, forbidding all otbcrs to use the same without his licinsc. [Colony Records.]— The inference seems to he that the oyster was not common in this river." ' EARLY HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. — The following interesting account of the mackerel fishery from 1080 to lcl'2, including certain laws regarding the capture of the fish only at certain seasons, modes of capture, and habits of the fish, appears in the Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society, vol. iv, 2d series: '•The mackerel fishery has been pursued with great success from Scituate during a long series of years. As early as the year 1080 Robert Studson, of Scituate, with Nathaniel Tbomas, of Marshfield, it appears, hired the 'Cape Fishery' for bass and mackerel of the colony. Subsequent to 1700 it was common for a vessel to take 800 or more barrels during the season within Massachusetts Bay, which were worth in those early times about 40 shillings, O. T,, the barrel. It was common, we are told in later uunals, at Boston and at Plymouth, &o., when making an outfit cargo for the Jamaica market, to tloor a vessel, as it is termed, with an hundred or more barrels of Scituate mackerel. I,t is probable tbe packing out, so termed, was usually performed in Boston in old times. In 1670, in Plymouth Colony, at the June court, this law passed : ' Whereas we have formerly seen great inconvenience of taking mackerel at unseasonable times, whereby their increase is greatly diminished, and that it. hath been proposed to the court of the Massachusetts that some course might be taken for preventing the same, and that they have lately drawn up an order about the same, this court doth enact that henceforth no mackerel shall be caught, except for spending while fresh, before tbe fir.it of July annually, on penalty of the loss of the same, the one half to the informer and the other to the colony.' In 16^4, on the motion of William Clark, a merchant of Plymouth, the court passed an order prohib it ing the seining of mackerel in any part of the colony, when the court leased the cape fishery for bass and mackerel to Mr. Clark for seven years at X'30 per annum, but which he resigned 1689. "Dr. Douglass, who wrote ou New England about 1750, says of inacker. 1 : 'They set in the second week of May, lean, and seem to cat muddy ; some are caught all summer. There is a second setting in for. autumn, fat and delicious eating. They are north latitude fish, and are not found south of New England. Beginning of July for a short time they disappear, or will not take the bait; hook mackerel, for a market, are preferable to those caught by seines, which bruise one another.' These fish, it seems, were formerly seined for the purpose of bait, a practice now disused, and all are taken by the hook. (The people of Hull, it seems, first taugHt the Plymouth colonists to take them at Cape Cod by moonlight. See Hist. Coll., vol. vi, 1st ser., p. 127.) They are a capricious and sportive fish. In cloudy, and even wet, weather they take the book with most avidity. They are very partial to the color of red; hence a rag of that hue is sometimes a bait. A small strip of their own flesh, taken from near the tail, is used as a bait with most success. " In early times the shores of our bays were skirted by forest trees quite near to the water's edge. In the month of June, when all nature is in bloom, the volatile farina of the bloom of the forest trees then floats in the air, and occa- sionally settles on tbe smooth surface of the seas. Then it is that this playful fish, attracted by this phenomenon, leaps and bounds above the surface of the water. So again, at a later period, in July and August, winged insects, carried away by the southwest winds, rest and settle ou the bosom of the ocean, a welcome herald, it is said, to the mackerel catcher. Such are the habits of many fishes, and hence the use of the fly as a bait by the angler of the trout streams. "A mackerel fishery existed in former days at Plymouth. There were perhaps twelve small schooners thus em- ployed in autumn, taking 50 barrels a week each, in the bay, about the year 1754. The people of Rhode Island and Connecticut were largely concerned in this fishery formerly, it being very common to see 20 or more small sloops from this section of New England, occasionally taking shelter under Plymouth beach in stormy periods. But the places where these fish are now taken are chiefly George's Banks, Nantucket Shoals, and Block Island Channel. In the year 1770 we are told there were upwards of 30 sail of vessels in this branch of the fisheries, from Scituate; but not so many since 178JJ to 1812. War, the scourge of national prosperity, destroys or suspends all exterior fisheries. We hope and trust a state of peace will revive and prosper them." A series of essays on commerce appeared in a Boston newspaper about the year 1784. One of them was devoted in part to the fisheries, in which the writer (probably James Swan, esq., a member of the general court for Dor- cheater), with felicity of expression, eulogized the mackerel fishery ^ saying "that it was of more value to Massachu- setts than would be the pearl fisheries of Ceylon." Kiviou FISHERIES IN 1815 AND 1831.— The kinds and distribution of fish, off and in the river close by Scituate., wore written in 1815 and recorded in the Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society, vol. iv, 2d series, as follows: " Bass, shad, alewives, smelt, and eels seek North River; cod and other sea fish common to all the bay are taken just without the harbour." Mr. Samuel De,*ne in 1831 wrote concerning the Scituate alewife fishery: "We first notice the fisheries of the streams. It is reasonable to conjecture that the first alewives were taken in the first herring brook, as some of the earliest settlements were near that stream. These fish ascended this brook to George Moore's pond, and us the stream was narrow they were easily taken in nets. They continued to ascend this brook until the mills prevented them in late years by not being provided with suitable sluices. Recently (1831) an attempt has been made to restore them, but without much success. Mr. Hatherly had ' a herring weir' on Mus- quashcut brook, near his house, in 1640. Wo believe that a few of these fish find their way through the gulf to the Miisquushcut pond at the present day. " Ou Round brook was formerly an abundant alewife fishery. As late as 1794 an act of the general court was procured by Scituate and Cohasset, for renewing the fishery, by providing sluices at the mills, regulating the time 1 C.ill. MIIFS. Hist. Soc., vol. iv, 2<1 s, rics, p. 2'J8. HISTOEIOAL KEFERENCES: MASSACHUSETTS. 717 anil manner of taking them, and removing the obstructions to their ascending to Hezekiah Towers' pond, to which 'they formerly ascended abundantly, to the great advantage of said Towers.' We believe the act was repealed in 1800, and the fishery is extinct. In the second herring brook these fish used to ascend to Black pond, but they have long since been repelled by the mill-dams. Smelts continue to visit this brook. They are taken in the latter end of March. In the third beiring brook these fish used to ascend the valley swamp. But here they have been destroyed in like man- ner as above. The shad and alnwifo fishery in the North River has long been a sulject of controversy between Seituate and Pembroke, and is so at present. In their ascending to the Matakeeset Ponds they nsed to be taken in great abundance. Since an act of court in 1701, permitting seines to be drawn in the North River, it is alleged that they have been fast diminishing. Whether this or the mills .at Pembroke, or some unknown cause has produced this eft'ect, we know not, but certain it is that these fisheries were reduced to comparatively little value in 1825, but since that time the fish have increased."1 THE MACKEHEL FISHERY IN 1831 AND 1851. — Deano wrote in 1031 of the mackerel fishery : " Wo believe there are now about 35 [vessels] annually fitted out, of various tonnage, from 50 to 150 tons, and carrying from 6 to 15 hands. The number of barrels taken by our vessels in 1828 was something more than 15,000." In 1851, according to the report of the inspector-general offish, Seituate had 13 vessels in the mackerel fishery, aggregating 715 tons, and manned by 119 men and boys. DUXBURY. THE WHALE-FISHERY. — " Schooners, sloops, and perhaps larger vessels were engaged in the whale-fishery from Duxbury as early as the beginning of the last century, and for some years quite n number of the inhabitants wore thus employed. Their resort was at first along the shore and between the capes, but by the close of the first quarter of the century they had extended their grounds, and now the coast of Newfoundland became to be generally fre- quented ; and even as late as 17(50, or perhaps later, vessels were employed in the Saint Lawrence Gulf. " On a blank leaf in the account book of Mr. Joshua Soule, of Duxbury, was found the following memorandum : 'Whale vieg begun, elisha cob sayled from hear March y° 4( from Plymouth y" 7, 1729.'"9 THE COD-FISIIEKY IX THIS LAST CENTURY.— Joshua Delano and Joshua and Josiah Soule, according to Winsor, owned vessels at Cape Sable in 1737. Three or four was the number usually on the fishing-grounds at that time. This number steadily increased, with some detriment during the Revolution, until in 1785 or 1786 there were 64 bank fishermen, averaging 7< tons each. FRESH-WATER FISIIF.IUKS.— Two ponds near Duxbury are thus described in the Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society for 1794, vol. ii: " The pond is one mile and a half from the salt water. It is half a mile wide, one and a half in length. The red and sea perch, shiners, pout, and sometimes pickerel are found in it. Half a mile northwest of this lies a smaller pond, about one mile in circumference. No streams run into it, neither is there any communication of water npon the surface of the earth from it to the larger pond. It is always very nearly the same height." THE FISHERIES IN 1849. — Concerning the state of the fishery in 1849 the following facts are given by Wiusor: "The fishing business has now engaged the people of Duxbury for nearly a century and a half, though of late years the aggregate of tonnage engaged has been considerably less than was employed about ten or fifteen years ago." KIXGSTOX. ABUNDANCE OF FISH IN 1815.— A writer in the Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society, vol. iii, 2d series, says: "The laud which the natives cultivated was easily tilled, and, aided by fish as manure, produced considerable quantities of Indian corn. The bay abounded with fish and fowl, the shores and flats with shell-fish, the streams with alewives, frost-fish, smelts, and eels, in their season. * * * xhe frequent places of their habitation are discover- able by shells and marks of tire. » • • The fishery, till the war, was in latter years wholly carried on from that place. Formerly fish were cured at Snnderland, so called, on Jones' River, one mile from the sea. Before the Revo- lutionary War the fishery was more extensive than since. About twenty schooners were owned in the town. * * * "At Rocky Nook (Kingston) are salt-works, producing about 200 bushels of salt in a season." THE FibHERiF.s IN 1837 AND 1879.— Since the early history of the State this town has had a small fishing fleet. In 1837 its fleet was larger than in any other year. At that time 7 vessels engaged from this port in the mackerel fish- fishery, and 22 in the cod-fishery. In former times quite a numer of vessels were built each year. One eccentric builder constructed 10, and named them after the first ten mouths of the year. There were 3 Kingston vessels engaged in the Grand Bank cod-fibheries in 1879, the statistics of which are in- cluded in the summary for Plymouth district. PLYMOUTH. OBJECT OF THE PLYMOUTH COLONISTS.— One of the objects of the establishment of colonies in New England was the development of the fisheries, about which wonderful stories had been told in England by the early voyagers That the Plymouth colony contemplated entering npon the fisheries wo find from the following statement in Governor Bradford's History of the Colony : 1 History of Scitunte, Mass., by Samuel Dcane, pp. 23, 24. •Winner's History of Duxbury, p. 350. 718 GEOGKAPEICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHEEIES. "After siu-li travail and turmoil and debates which they went through, things were gotten ready for their depar- ture from Leyden. A small ship was provided iu Holland, of about GO tons, which was intended, as to serve to trans- port some of them over the seas, so to stay in t!io country and to tend upon fishing and such other affairs as might be i'ur the good and benefit of the whole, when they should come to the place intended. Another was hired at London, of burden about nine score, and all other things got in a readiness."1 THE COLONISTS LAND AT PLYMOUTH. — Although the original plan of the Plymouth settlers had been to laud at some point farther south, yet they were led by circumstances to decide upon Massachusetts, and in December, 1620, made a lauding at Cape Cod, and later at Plymouth, where they found a good harbor, which they surveyed and de- scribed to be " in the shape of a fish-hook ; a good harbor for shipping, larger than that of Cape Cod ; containing two small islands without inhabitants, innumerable store of fowls, different sorts of fish, besides shell-fish in abundance."2 The inclemency of the season was not at all favorable for fishing, and as the newcomers were not well provided with provisions, they would have suffered much had it not been for the kindly assistance of the Indians, who instructed them in their methods of fishing and planting. Early in the month of January, 1621, " one of the sailors found alive upon the shore a herring, which the master had to his supper ; which put us in hope of fish, but as yet we had got but one cod; we wanted small hooks."3 THE RETURN OF THE MAYFLOWER TO ENGLAND. — Phiueas Pratt, in his manuscript narrative, written iu 1662, says: "Thay1 Shipp [Mayflower, 1620] being retcrued & safely Arived in Eiugland, those Gentlemen & Marchents, y' had vndertakeii to supply ym wth things nesasary, vnderstauding y' many of ym weare sick & some ded, maed hast to send a ship wth many things nesasary ; but so i, ludescret man, hoping to incoridg thay* freinds to Come to ym, writ Letters Couseruing ye great plenty of ffish fowlo and deare, not considering y' ye wild Salvages weare many times huugrye, y* have a better scill to catch such things then Einglish men have." * FREE LIBERTY TO FISH. — The first Plymouth patent, made June 1,1621, has this item concerning the fisheries; "Together with free libtie to fishe in and vpon the Coast of New England and in all havens ports and creekes there- vnto belonging. And it shalbe lawfull for the said Vudertakes & Planters, their heires & successor freely to truck trade & traffic} with the Salvages in New England or neighboring thereabout at their wills & pleasures without lett or disturbance [As also to have libtie to hunt hauke fish or fowle in any place or places not now or hereafter by the English inhabited.]" ° ABUNDANCE OF Fisn. — A letter of William Hilton's in Smith's New England Trials, printed iu 1622, describing Plymouth, says there are "Many great Lakes abounding with Fish, Fowlc, Beuers, and Otters. The Sea affords vs as. great Plenty of all excellent Sorts of Sea-Fish, as the Riuers and lies doth Varietie of Wild Fowle of most vsefull Sorts." 6 FISH USED AS MANURE. — Governor Bradford, in his History of the Colony, says: "Afterwards they (as many as were able) began to plant ther corue, iu which servise Squanto stood them in great stead, showing them both y" manes how to set it, and after how to dress & tend it. Also he tould them excepte they gott fish & set with it (in these old grounds) it would come to nothing, and he showed them y' iu y° middle of Aprill they should have store enough come up yc brooke, by which they begane to build, and taught them how to take it, and wher to get other provisions nec- essary for them ; all of which they found true by trial! and experience." * LOBSTERS, SHAD-SPAWN, ETC. — A journal of one of the colonists for the year 1691 says: "We set forward the 10th of June, about nine iu the morning [Mr. Prince thinks this is a mistake, and that it ought to have been the M of July], our gnide, Tisquautum, resolving that night to rest at \amasket | i. e., Middleborough. — H. ] a town under Massasoit, and conceived by us to bo very near, because the inhabitants flocked so thick on every slight occasi-m among us; but we found it to be 15 English miles. On the way we found ten or twelve men, women, and children, which had pestered us till we were weary of them, perceiving that (as the manner of them all is) where victual is easiest to be got there they live, especially in the summer; by reason whereof, our bay affording many lobsters, they resort every spring- tide thither, and now returned with us to Namasket. Thither we came about three in the afternoon, the inhabitants entertaining us with joy iu the best manner they could, giving us a ki-ud of bread called by them Maziurn, and the spawn of shads, which then they got in abundance, insomuch as they gave us spoons to eat them ; with these they boiled musty acorns, but of the shads we eat heartily. They desired one of our men to shoot at a crow, com- plaining what damage they sustained in their corn by them ; who, shooting and killing, they much admired it, as other shots on other occasions. "After this, Tisqiiantum told us we should hardly iu one day reach Pakanokick (the same as Pokauoket), moving us to go 8 miles farther, where we should find more store and better victuals. Being willing to hasten our journey, we went, and came thither at sunsetting, where we found many of the men of Namasket fishing at a weir which they had made on a river which belonged to them, where they caught abundance of bass. These welcomed us also, gave us of their fish, and wo them of our victuals, not doubting but we shpuld have enough wherever we came."8 FISHING IN 1621. — Governor Bradford states that in September, 1621, " They begane now to gather in ye small harvest they had, and to Ctte up their houses and dwellings against winter, being all well recovered in health & Btrengbt, and had all things iu good plenty; for as some were thus imployed in affairs abroad, others were excersised in fi.-Iiing, abouto codd, &. bass, & other fish, of which ye tooke good good store, of which every family had their 1 Young's Chronicles of the Pilgrim Fathers. Boston, 1844, p. 80. « Ibid., vol. ii, 4th series, pp. 100, 101. ! Bolknap's American Biography. New York, 1846, vol. ii, p. 32!. 'Hazard's " Stnto Papers." Philadelphia, 1792, vol. i, p. 120. 3 Young, up. cit., p. 371. i Coll. Mass. Hist, Soc., vol. iii, 4th series, p. 100. •Coll. Mass. Hist. Soc., vol. iv, 4tu series, p. 477. * Bulknap, op cit., vol. iii, p. 80. HISTORICAL REFERENCES: MASSACHUSETTS. 719 portion. All yc soiiier ther was no wante. And now begano to come in store of foule, as winter aproached, of which this ]>!;HV did abound when they came first ^but afterwards decreased liy degrees)."' A letter from Edward Winslow to a- friend, under date of December 11, 1621, says: " For fish and fowl we have great abundance. Fresh end in the summer is but coarse meat with us. Our bay is full of lobsters all the summer, and aftordcth variety of other fish. In September wo can take a hogshead of eels in a night, with small labor, and can dig them out of their beds all the winter. We have mussels and others at our doors. Oysters we have none near, but can have them brought by the Indians when wo will."- SCARCITY OF FOOD i.\ 1622. — One of the excursions made by Mr. Winslow "was by sea to Monahigou, an island near the mouth of Peuobscot Bay, to procure a supply of bread from tho fishing vessels, who resorted to the eastern coast in the spring of 1622. This supply, though not large, was freely given to tho suffering colony, and, being pru- dently managed in the distribution, amounted to one-quarter of a pound for each person till the next harvest."3 Freeman states that, "In the mouth of May, 1622, the provision of the settlers at Plymouth being spent, Mr. Bradford records, 'A famine begins to pinch us, and we look hard for a supply, but none arrives.' From some fishing vessels on the coast bread was obtained to the amount of a quarter of a pound per day for each person till harvest, and this the governor caused to be dealt out daily, ' or some had starved. The want of bread had abated the strength and flesh of some, and had swelled others, and had they not been where are divers sorts of shell-fish they must have perished.'"1 Winslow's " Geod News from New England," printed in London in 1624, says : " In the end of August [1622] came other two ships into our harbor. The ono, as I take it, was called the Discovery, Captain Jones having the com- mand thereof; the other was that ship of Mr. Westou's, called the Sparrow, which had now made her voyage of fish and was consorted with the other, being both bound for Virginia. • » • (i j-ipj. our owu part8; onr case was almost the same with tbeirs [Massachusetts Bay Colony], having but a small quantity of corn left, and were enforced to live on ground nuts, clams, mussels, and such other things as naturally the country afforded, and which did and would maintain strength, and were easy to be gotten; all which things they had in great abundance, yea, oysters also, which we wanted; and therefore necessity could riot be said to constrain them thereunto." 6 THE FISHERIES DECLARED FREE. — Governor Bradford thus mentions the arrival of the Paragon: "About ye later end of June [1623] came a ship, with Captaine Francis West, who had a comission to be admirall of New England, to restraine interlopers, and shuch fishing ships as came to fish & trade without a licence from y! Counsell of New Eng- land, for which they should pay a round sume of money. But he could doe no good of them, for they were to stronge for him, and he found yc fisher men to be stuberue fellows. And their owners, upon complainte made to ye Parle- uiente, procured an order y' fishing should be free."6 NEED OF FISHING APPARATUS. — Winslow gives the following good advice: "I will not again speak of the abun- dance of fowl, store of venison, and variety offish, in their seasons, which might encourage many to go in their per- sons. Only I advise all such beforehand to consider that as they hear of countries that abound with the good creatures of God, so means must be used for the taking of every one in his kind, and therefore not only to content themselves that there is sufficient, but to foresee how they shall be able to obtain the same. Otherwise, as he that walketh London streets, though he be in the midst of plenty, yet, if he wants means, is not the better, but hath rather his sorrow increased by the sight of that he wautcth. and cannot enjoy it, so also there, if thou want art and other neces- saries thereunto belouging, thou mayest see that thou wautest and thy heart desireth, and yet be never the better for the same. Therefore, if thou see thine own insufficiency of thyself, then join to some others, where thou mayest in some measure enjoy the same; otherwise, assure thyself thou art better where thou art."7 FISHING WITH A NET. — Bradford thus tells of tho struggles of the colonists in 1623: "They haveing but one boat left and she not over well fitted, thoy were divided into severall companies, 6. or 7. to a gaugg or company, and so went out with a uett they had bought, to take bass and such like fish, by course, every company knowing their turne. No sooner was ye boate discharged of what she brought, but ye next company tooke her and weuto out with her. Neither did they returne till they had cauight something, though it were 5. or 6. days before, for they knew ther was nothing at home, and to go homo emptio would be a great discouragemeute to y" rest. Yea, they strive who should doe best. If she stayed long or got litlo, then all went to seeking of shell-fish, which at low-water they digged out of ye sands. And this was their living in ye somer time, till God sente ym beter; & in winter they were helped with ground-nuts and fonle. Also in ye somer they gott now and then a dear; for one or 2. of ye fitest was apoynted to range y° woods for y' end, & what was gott that way was devided amongst them."8 ENCOURAGEMENT TO PERSEVERE. — In a general letter written to the Plymouth settlers, and brought from England on the ship Ann in 1623, is this noble sentiment: "If yc laud afford you bread, and ye sea yeeld you fish, rest you a while contented, God will one day afford you better faro. And all men shall know you are neither fugetives nor discontents. But can, if God so order it, take yi worst to yourselves, with content, & leave y° best to your neighbours with cherfnilness. Let it not be greeveous unto you y' you have been instrument to bieake y° ise for others who come after with less difficulty, the honour shall be yours, to ye worlds end, &c."a SALT WORKS AND FISHING SHALLOPS IJUILT.— " lu 1024 Plymouth contained thirty-two dwelling houses, and about 1 Coll. Mass. Hist. Soc., vol. iii, 4th series, p. 105. "Coi Mass. Hist. Soc., vol. iii, 4th series, p. 141. 2 Young's Chronicles of tho Pilgrim Fathers. Boston, 1844, p. 233. • Good News from Kcw England, in Young's Chronicles, p. :i72. ' U-lkliap, op. cit., p. 04. 8Coll. ^!ass. Hist. Sor.. \ -ol. iii, 4th srri<-s, p. 11:7. J Fivcman's llist.of Ciipu Cod. Boston. 1802, vol. i, pMOI. * Ibid., p. Ml. 'Young, op. clt., i>p. 2.1S, K9. 720 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. ono hundred and eighty persons. The inhabitants Lad erected a salt work ; and this year they freighted a ship of a hundred and eighty tons."1 The journal of one of the settlers, under date of June 17, 1624, says: " The ship carpenter sent us is an honest and very industrious man, quickly builds ns two very good and strong shallops, with a great and strong lighter, and had hown timber for two hetchcs ; but this is spoilt ; for in the hot sea- son of the year ho falls into a fever and dies, to our great loss and sorrow. But the salt man is an ignorant, foolish, and selfwilled man; who chooses a spot for his salt works, will have eight or ten men to help him, is confident tho ground in good, makes a carpenter rear a great frame of a house for the salt and other like uses; hut finds himself deceived in the bottom ; will then have a lighter to carry clay, &c., yet all in vain ; he could do nothing hut boil salt in pans. The next year is sent to Cape Ann, and there the pans are set np for the fishery; but before the sum- mer is out, he burns the house and spoils the pans, and there is an end of this chargeable business."3 THE FISHERIES NOT SUCCESSFUL. — Under date of March, 1624, Governor Bradford says: "Shortly after, Mr. Winslow came over, and brought a prety good supply, and a ship came on fishing, a thing; fatall to this plantation. Ho brought 3. heife.rs & a bull, tho first beginning of any cattle of that kind in y" laud, with some cloathing & other necessaries, as will further appear; hut withall y" reporte of a strong faction amongst the adventurers against them, and espetially against ye coming of ye rest from Leydeu, and with what difficulty this supply was procured, and how, by their strong & long opposision, bussiness was so retarded as not only they were now falne too late for ye fishing season, hut the best men were taken up of ye fishermen in y" west eountrie, and he w;is forct to take such a Mr. & company for that imployment as he could procure upon ye present."3 Among a number of objections answered and sent to England in 1624, by Governor Bradford, was the following: "-. ob: The fish will not take salt to keepo sweeto. Ans: This is as true as that which was written, that ther is scarce a foiile to bo scene or a fish to be taken. Things likely to be true in a cuntrie wher so many saylo of ships come yearly a fishing; they might as well say, there can no ailo or beore in London be kept from sowering."4 The story of a fishing trip to the coast of Maine in 1624 is thus told by Governor Bradford : "They having with some truble & charge new-masted and rigged their pinass, in ye begining of March, they sent her well vitaled to tho eastward on fishing. She arrived safely at a place near Damarius cove, and was there well harbored in a place wher ships used to ride, ther being also some ships allready arived out of England. But shortly after ther arose such a violent & extraor'linarie storme, as ye seas broak over such places in ye harbor as was never scene before, and drive her against great roks, which beat such a hole in her hulke, as a horse and carte might have gone in, and after drive her into deep-water, wher she lay sunke."s Governor Bradford thus writes of the colonists in 1625 : "This storme being thus hlowne over, yet sundrie sad effects followed ye same; for the Company of Adventurers broake in pceces hero upon, and ye greatest parte wholy deserted ye colony in regarde of any further supply, or care of their subsistance. And not only so, but some of Layfords &. Oldoms friends, and their adherents, set out a shipe on fishing, on theire owne accounre, and getting y6 starte of ye ships that came to the plantation, they tooko away their stage, & other necessary provisions that they had made for fishing at Cap-Anne ye year before, at their great charge, and would not restore ye same, excepte they would fight for it. But ye Govr sent some of y" planters to help y« fisher men to build a new ono, and so let them keepe it. This shipo also brought some small supply, of little value ; but they made so pore a business of their fishing, (neither could these men make them any returue for ye supply sente,) so as, after this year, they never looked more after them."6 PERMISSION TO FISH AT KENNEBEC.— Tho Patent of the Old Colony of Plymouth, granted January 13, 1629, has these items concerning the fisheries: "And forasmuch as they have noe convenient Place, either of Tradinge or Fishinge within their owne precincts, whereby (after soe longe Travell and great Paines) so hopel'ull a Plantacou may subsiste, as alsoe that they may bee incouragcd the better to proceed in soo pious a Worke, * * * The said Councell have further given and granted * * * the Space of fiftcene Englishe miles on each Side of the said River called Kennebek, and all the said River called Kenehek, * * * and all Grounds, Fishingee, &c. ; * * * with Liberty of fishing upon any Parte of the Sea-coaste find Sea-shores of any of the Seas or Islands adjacent, and not beinge inhabited, or otherwise disposed of by Order of the said Prcsidente and Councell;7 THE FISHERIES IN 1629.— Under date of the year 1629 Governor Bradford writes: "This paying of 50 pr cent, and dificnlty ot having their goods trasported by y* fishing ships at ye first of y year, (as was helceved,) which was ye cheefo season for trade, put them upon another projecte. Mr. Allerton, after y" fishing season was over, light of a hargan of salte, at a good fishing place, and bought it; which came to ahouto 113 1. ; and shortly after he might have had 30 ". cleare profite for it, without any more trouble aboute it. But Mr. Winslow coming that way from Kenebeck, & some other of ther partners witlx him in ye barke, they mett with Mr. Allerton, and falling into discourse with him, they stayed him from selling ye salte; and resolved, if it might please ye rest, to keep it for them selves, and to hire a ship in ye west eountrie to come on fishing for them, on shares, accord- ing to y« coustome; and seeing she might have her salte here ready, and a stage ready builte & fitted wher the salt lay safely lauded & housed. In stead of bringing salto, they might etowo her full of trading goods, as bread, pease, cloth, &c., and so they might have a full supply of goods without paing fraighr, and in duo season, which might turne greatly to their advantage. Coming home, this was propounded, and considered on, and aproved by all but y« Govr, who had no mind to it, seeing they had allway lost by fishing; but ye rest were so ernest, as thinkeing 1 Holmes' American Annals, 1805. Vol. 1, p 131. 'Ibid., p. 150. Trinco, New England Chronology. Boston, 1736, p. 227. 'Ibid., p. 196. 'Coll. Mass. Hist. Soc., vol. iii, 4tU series, p. 157. 'Hazard's "State Papers," vol. i, pp. 300,301. *Ibid., p. 102. HISTORICAL REFERENCES: MASSACHUSETTS. 721 that they might gainc well by ye fishing in this way; and if they should but save, yea, or lose something by it, y* other beueiite would bo advantage inough; so seeing their ernestness, he gave way, and it was refered to their friends in England to alo\v, or disalow it. Of which more in its place."1 TROUBLE ABOUT THE FISHING VESSKL FRIENDSHIP. — "They looked emestly for a timely supply this spring," [1630] says Governor Bradford, "by the fishing ship which they expected, and had been at charg to kcepe a stage for her; but none came, nor any supply heard of for them. At length they heard surne supply was sent to Ashley by a fishing ship, at which they something marvelled, and the more y* they had no letters cither from Mr. Allertou or Mr Sherley ; so they went on in their bussiness as well as ye could. At last they heard of Mr. Peirce ; his arivall in y" Bay of yc Massachusetts, who brought passengers & goods thither. They presently sent a, shallop, conceiving they should have something by him. But he tonld thorn he had none ; and a ship was sett out on fishing, but after 11 weeks beating at sea, she mett with shuch foull weather as she was forcte, back ngaine for England, and, y« season being over, gave off ye vioage. * * *. But Mr. Allerton had bought another ship, and was to come in her, and was to fish for bass to ye eastward, and tp bring goods, &c. * * *. Abouto ye midle of sower arrives Mr. Hatherley in y° Bay of Massachusetts, (being ono of ye partners.^ and came over in ye same ship that was set out on fishing (called ye Frendship). * * *. Bass fishing was never lookt at by them, but as soone as ever they heard on it, they looked at it as a vaine thing, that would certainly tnrno to loss. And for Mr. Allerton to follow any trade for them it was never in their thoughts. » <• * After these things Mr. Allerto:i wcute to yc ship aboute his bass fishing. * » * "Now about these ships & their setting forth, the truth, as farr as could be learned, is this. The motion aboute setting forth ye fishing ship (caled ye Friendship) came first from ye plantation, and y" reason of it, as is before remembered ; but wholy left to them selves to doe or not to doe, as they saw cause. But when it fell into consideration, and ye designe was held to be profitable and hojiefnll, it was propounded by some of them, why might not they doe it of them selves, seeing they must disburse all ye money, and what need they have any refferancc- to ye plantation in y* ; they might take y" profite thorn selves, towards other losses, & need not let ye plantation share therein ; and if their ends were other wise answered for their supplycs to come too them in time, it would be well enough. So they hired her, & set her out, and fraighted her as full as she could carry with passengers goods y* belonged to y° Massachusetts, which rise to a good surne of money; intending to send y« plantation supply in y* other ship. The effecte of this Mr. Hatherley not only declared afterward upou occasion, but affirmed upon othe, taken before ye GoV & Dep: Govr of ye Massachusetts, Mr. Winthrop & Mr. Dudley : That this ship — Friendship was not sett out nor intended for y" joynt partnership of ye plantation, but for ye perticulcr accounte of Mr. James Sherley, Mr. Beachampe, Mr. Andrews, Mr. Allerton, & him selfe. This deposition was taken at Boston ye 29, of Ang : 1639 as is to be seen under their hands; besides some other coucurente testimonies declared at scverall times to sumlrie of them." 2 THE ALEWIFE FISHERIES REGULATED IN 1633. — The following order concerning the capture of alewives and some other fish was passed at a general court held the 28th of October, in the ninth year of the reign of King Charles : " Whereas God, by his providence, hath cast the fish called alewives or herrings in the middest of the place appointed for the towne of Plymouth, and that the ground thereabout hath been worno out by the whole, to the. damage of those that inhabite the same, that therefore the said herring, alewives, or ghadde comonly used in the* setting of come be appropriated to such as doe or shall inhabite the towne of Plymouth aforesd, and that no other have any right or propriety in the same, onely for bait for fishing, & that by such an orderly cowrse as shall be thought meet by the Govr & Cowncell." 3 FISHERY GRANTS IN 1641 AND 1642.—" In 1641, Mr. John Jenny was allowed certain privileges at Clarke's Island,. ' to make salt, and which he was to sell to the inhabitants at 2 s. the bushel.' * * * " Herring wear let for three' years to three persons, who are to deliver the shares of herrings and to receive 1 s. G the thousand for their trouble- In lb'42, "Thirty acres of land were granted at Clarke's Island (the use of them) to the five partners tl-at inako salt for twenty-one years."4 PERMISSION TO FISH AT CAPE COD.—" In the month of October, 1650, the permission formerly given to John Stone, of Hull, to make use of lands at Cape Cod for bass fishing, was withdrawn by the court ; and. leave was granted 'to Mr. Thomas Prince, Capt. Miles Standish, and Mr. William Paddy, with such others of Plymouth, Duxbury, and Nawsett, as shall join with them,— they to make use of any lands, creeks, timber, &c., upon the Cane, ];iii(l, in such convenient places as they shall choose,' for the said fishing purposes."6 SCHOOLS SUPPORTED BY FISHERY. — Deane, in his history of Scituate, says: " In 1670, ' the court did freely give and grant all such profits as might or should accrue annually to the colonv for fishing with nets or seines at Cape Cod, for mackerel, bass, or herrings, to be improved for and towards a free school in some town of this jurisdiction, for the training up of yonth in literature for the good and benefit of posterity, provided a beginning be made within one year after sd grant, &c.' This school was immediately established at Plymouth, and was supported by the proceeds of the Cape fishery until 1677, when the following change was ordered, viz: 'In whatever Township in this government, consisting of fifty families or upwards, any meet men shall be obtained to teach a grammar school, such township shall allow at least twelve pounds, to be raised by rate on all the inhabitants of sd town: and those that have the more immediate benefit thereof, with what others shall voluntarily give, shall make up the residue necessary to maintain the same, and that the profits arising from the Cape 'Coll. Mass. Hist. Soc., vol. iii, 4th series.p. 126. 'Coll. Mass. Hist. Soc.. vol. iii,2d soriea,p. 183. * Una,, pp. 207 et al. * Frcnnaii'R History of Cape Coil, vol. i, p. 203. " Plymouth Colony Hceorrts, vol. i, 1633-1051, p 17. 40 G R F 722 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. fisbing, heretofore ordered to maintain a grammar school in this colony, be distributed to such towns as have such grammar schools, not exceeding five pounds per ann. to any town, unless the court treasurer or others appointed to manage that affair, see good.cause to add thereunto. * « » The Cape fishery was rented annually for from thirty to forty pounds. We observe that in 1680, Robert Stetson, of Scituate, and Nathaniel Thomas (probably of Marsh- field) hired the fishery. It continued but eleven years; for we observe that in 1689, the rent was appropriated towards the salary of the magistrates; and after the union of Plymouth and Massachusetts in 1692, the fishery was free, as we believe. The towns of Duxbury, Rehoboth, and Taunton received the five pounds, a part of the term when this court order was in force." THE FISHERIES IN 1668 AND 1670. — Freeman records that "in 1668 the colony complained of annoyance and inter- ruption of the fisheries on the part of Massachusetts, and an order was passed, remonstrating with the general court of the Massachusetts Colony against the intrusion." "A valuation of the town in 1670 states the 'fish boats' of Plymouth thus: Four at £25 £100 Two at £18 86 One at.. 12 148 "These, though called boats, we consider shallops, of some burthen, though probably without decks."' DUTIES OF THE " WATER BAYLEY." — The following order was passed by the general court at Plymouth July 4, 1672: "It is enacted by the Court that if any pson or psons that shall att any time heerafter: shipp: or load on board any : ffish into any vessell ; which shalbe canght att Cape Cod but such as hee or they shall giue an accoumpt off to the water Bayley ; all such ffishes shalbe forfeite to the Collonies vse ; And that the Water bay ley 1>? heerby impowered to make seizure of all such fifish as shall att any time become forfeite ; and to gine an accournpt 1 herof vnto the Treas- urer ; or such as shalbe appointed by the Majestrates or any four of them ; to take the said accoumpt." a DIVISION OF PROFITS. — The court at Plymouth, July 5, 1678, made the following order: "Thomas Clarke, of Ply- month, late of Boston, complaineth against Mr. Constant Sonthworth, of Dnxberry, in an action on the case, to the damage of 40", for that the said Southworth doth detaine and withhold from the said Clarke one eight pte of the yeerly proffitts of the fishing att Cape Codd, notwithstanding the said Southworth did bargaiue and contract, iu the year seauenty seanen, with the said Clarke, that the said Clarke should receiue and injoy the eight pte of (he said proffltts during the time that the said Southworth," &c. 3 MACKEREL SEINING OR NETTING PROHIBITED IN 1684. — His Majesty's court at Plymouth passed the following order July 1, 1684: "This Court takeing into theire serious consideration the great damage that this collonie and our naigh- bours is likely to sustaine by the catching of mackerell with netts and saineg att Cape Codd, or else where ueare any shore in this collonie, to the great destruction of fish, and to the discurrageinent of severall fishermen, — " ThisConrt doth therfore enact*, and bo it heerby enacted, by the authoritie therof, that noe pson or psous what- •soeuer, after the publication heerof, shall catch or draw on shore any mackerell, with nett or netts, sayne or saynes, in any pte of this collonie; and if any pson or psons shall heerafter presume to catch any mackerell by setting or shooling any nett or sayne, every snch pson or psons soe offending as aforsaid shall forfeite for his or theire said offence all such netts or saynes as ghalbe soe improned, and all such mackerell as shalbe soe caught by him or them, and shall alsoe forfeite every such vessell, and all such vessells, or boates, as shalbe imployed therin, whether satch, sloop, or boat, as shalbe imployed in taking or carrying away any such fish, if att any time the pson or psons soe offending be taken within the gov'ment, or the vallne therof, the one moiety to the collonie, and the other moyety to the informer, 'that shall procecute the same. And for the better excution of said law, power shalbo giuen by some one or more of ;t he magestrates by warrant to some fitt man to acte as a water bayliff to make soasure of any such forfeitures as afor- •bald."* And on July 4, 1G84, the court made this order: "Mr Willam Clarke, of Plymouth, came into the Court and lendered, that if this Court would make a law to prohibitt the catching of mackerell with saiues in any pte of this collonie, hee would and did engage to the Court that hee would give and pay vnto the Treasurer thirty pound pr jiunnm, for seanen yeares, in currant New England mony, for the basse fishing att Cape Codd ; whervpon this Court passed an order to prohibit sayning for mackerel], and ordered the Treasurer to make a lease to the said Clark of Cape Codd, onely for basse fishing, soauen yecr, for the said sum of 30" per annum."5 MACKEREL LAW REPEALED.— At the general court in October, 16»9, "it was ordered, that the law in our printed booke, page 31, prohibittiug saining for mackirill at Cape Cod bo henceforth made void and of no force. "Ordered, that the magistrates of the county of Barnstablo, or any two of them, be a comittee to dispose and manage the Cape fishing as pr order of Court directed, and to impower such officers as arc necessary under them to looke after the same. " Ordered that the several! acts and orders of Court about fishing at Cape Cod, in our old printed law booke, page 38 & 39, viz', so much or so many of them as are noted to be revived in the margent of b1* booke, begining at number 4 & ending at N : 5, are all of them revived and made, and hereby declared to be of full force, untill this Court shall otherwise order." ' 1 ColL Mass. Hist. Soe., vol. Hi, 1st series, p. 167. ' Plymonth Colony Records — vol. li. p. 231. 3 Ibid., vol. vii, p. 213. « Ibid., vol. vi, p. 141. »/Md., vol. vi, p. 139. 'Ibid., vol. vi, p. 218. HISTORICAL REFERENCES: MASSACHUSETTS. 723 THE CAPE COD FISHERY.— The Plymouth court ou the first Wednesday of October, 1G89, made the following order: " Mr William Clarke, having formerly hired the fishing at the Cape, & his lease not yet expired, came personally into this Court, and openly quitted his claimo thereto for the future, & desired the Court to release him therefrom, which was then granted, he satisfying what is justly due to this colony for the time past. " The Court order, that the Treasurer of this colony use such lawfull means as to him shallseemo meet for the recovery of what is due from Mr William Clarke to this colony respecting the Cape fishing, and to receive ye same for the use of this colony."1 THE ALEWIVE FISHERIES is 1730. — "The ale-wive fishery at the brook in this (own had long been considered as of considerable importance, and proper regulations were from time to time provided to prevent the destruction of the fish. This year it was ordered, that, in order to prevent obstructions to the alewives going up the pond to spawn no person shall take more fioh from the town brook, or Agawam River, than are necessary for their families' use, and no person to take any for a market, on a penalty of 20 shillings for each barrel. A committee was appointed to seo that families were reasonably provided for, and the poor supplied."-1 THE FISHERIES FROM 1670 TO 1800.— "From this period [1670] to 1770, the fisheries were doubtless progressive; at which time 70 sail may be assumed as the number of fishing vessels, from 30 to 45 tons, navigated by from 7 to 8 men. "Merchant vessels from 1755 to 1770, say, in the Liverpool trade: 1 brig of I'M tons, 1 brig of ICO tons, and 1 brig of 180 tons— total, 3 brigs of 470 tons. "Only 1 vessel, Captain Worth, sailed from Boston in this trade, except a schooner owned by S. A. Otis, esq., which made her outfits at Plymouth. Liverpool was then a small place comparatively to what it is now. Outward cargoes, liver-oil, lumber, potash, then made at Middleborough, whence also the lumber; return cargoes, salt, crates, freight for Boston. Other vessels in the merchant service, say 20. Outward cargoes, fish; destination. Jamaica, chieily, Spain, and, after the reduction of the French Islands, Martinico, and Guadakmpe. Description. One small ship (the Lion), brigs, schooners, sloops. At the peace of 1783, very few of these remained; some few schooners per- haps; subsequent to which fishing vessels increased in size and aggregate tonnage; yet it may be less in number."3 Dwight gives the following account of Plymouth in 1800: "To the inhabitants the fishery is an object of primary importance. To some it is a sou-rce of wealth and to multitudes of a comfortable, cheerful liviug. The most valuable branch of it is the cod-fishery; the next those of mackerel and herrings. All these are sold in Spain and Portugal, or on the islands belonging to these countries. Formerly they were carried to Boston market. The level margin of the ocean for about 2 miles above and below the town is, duriug the proper season, wholly devoted to this business."4 COD-FISHERY AT STRAITS OF BELLE ISLE. — In 1814 it was written : "The Straits of Bell isle fishery is of modern date in Plymouth, and was increasing previous to the present war. These vessels carry whale-boats, in which the fish are taken, and remain absent through the summer."5 FRESH- WATER FISHERIES IN 1815.— The ponds of Plymouth were thus described in 1815: "Of ponds there are perhaps fifty or more that are permanent; several of magnitude; some containing small islands; two admitting alewives from Buzzard's Bay ; and one, Billiugtou Sea, from the Atlantic side. Mr. Hearne, in his journey, tells us that ' turbot, pike, and pereh, prefer lakes and rivers bounded and shaded by woods.' If this be the habit of the alewife, as we suspect it is, perhaps it would be well to leave margins of trees on lakes to which they resort. South Pond has expanse and beauty, but no natural outlet. A water course, so called, was cut from it about the year 1701, perhaps half a mile or more, uniting it with the headwaters of Eel River, to attract alewives into it. It did not succeed, as to its primary object. This water course is always passed in going to this pond; a pleasant feature in the landscape, reflecting sands pure and white as the pearls of Ceylon. This is very deep, and contains white and red perch of the largest size.1'6 THE COD AND MACKEREL FISHERIES FROM 18:iO To 1835.— The Gloucester Telegraph of March 20, 1830, states that "during the past season the fishermen of Plymouth have taken 487,366 fish on the Grand Bank, 295,000 in the Straits, and 3,565 barrels of mackerel. The number of barrels of mackerel packed by Hingham vessels the last season is 31,8:26." The following statement of the cod and mackerel fishery of Plymouth, for the summer of 1831, is recorded by Thacher : "Schooners' in the cod-fishery 32, averaging 61J-J tons, employing 8 men each, and landing 19,165 quintals of fish. The number of barrels of mackerel inspected this season is 2,183. To the inhabitants of the town the cod- fishery is an object of primary importance. To some it has been a source of wealth, and to multitudes of a comfor- table, cheerful liviug. "The fishermen, in general, are respectable for good morals, correct habits, and civil deportment. The idea prevails with some of them that fishing employment is less honorable than foreign voyages ; but let them consider that all honest enterprise and industry is honorable, and that fishing voyages are lees liable to sickness and less exposed to dangers and vicious example ; and, moreover, that the employment prepares them for services in the navy, where they may have the honor of fighting the battles of (heir country. It is much to the credit of our fishermen that when on the banks they carefully abstain from fishing oii Sundays. " Those vessels that are employed iu the Strait of Belle Isle fishery carry whale-boats, in which the fish are taken 'Plymouth Colony Record*, vol. vi, p. 218. «Dwight's Travels, iii, 1882, pp. 113, 117. 'Thacher'a History of Plymouth, p. 173. « Coll. Mass. Hist. Soc., vol. iii, 2d series, p. 168. "Coll. Mass. Hist. Soc., vol. iii, 2d series, p. 167. 6 Ibid., p. 181. 724 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. mid kept through tho summer. To fit a vessel of 70 tons, carrying 8 men, for a fishing voyage of four mouths, it requires about 100 hogsheads or 800 bushels of salt (that from the Isle of May is preferred), about, '20 barrels of clam bait, 33 or 40 barrels of water, 20 pounds of candles, 2 gallons of sperm oil ; these articles are in the fisherman's phrase called great generals, and are paid for from the proceeds before any division of the profits is made. The stone ballast, and a suit of clothes for the men who salt the fish, are also included in the great generals. After these articles are paid for, and tho fish sold, the profits are divided in the proportion of three-eighths to the owners and livt'-ei"hths to tho crew. If the crew furnish their own provisions, each man carries from 30 to 50 pounds of ship-bread, from :i to 6 gallons of molasses, from 14 to 28 pounds of flour, some butter, lard, and vinegar, formerly 2 to 6 gallons of rum. At the present time (1835) some vessels go entirely without ardent spirits. Each man carries sis cod lines, :'.(> fathoms long, four lead weights of 5 pounds each, two dozen cod hooks, one pair of large boots reaching above the knees, and a piece of leather or oil-cloth to defend his breast from the wet. A few other articles, called small gen- erals, :ire paid for equally by each man, as two cords of wood, a barrel of beef, 1 Uushel of beans, 20 bushels of potatoes. '.! bushels of Indian or rye meal. It is custcmary for the owners to put on board two or more, spare anchors and forty fathoms of cable. The fish are brought home in the salt, and after being washed are spread on flakes to dry."' REVIEW OF THE WHALE-FISHERY FROM PLYMOUTH. — Thacher, in 1835, wrote as follows: "There were a number of schooners and sloops employed in the whale-fishery in this town previous to and immediately succeeding the war of the Revolution; but there are now uo vessels of that class so employed. In the year 1821 a number of citizens associated themselves together and built a ship of 350 tons for the purpose of fitting her for the Pacific Ocean whaling, which they named the "Mayflower" in honor of the ship that brought our forefathers here in 1620. The ship sailed in September, 1821, and after making three successful voyages, and landing rising 6,000 barrels of oil, a part of the owners sold to some gentlemen of New Bedford, whore she was transferred in 1831, and repaired, and sailed from that place in April, 1831; a part is still (1835) owned in this place. In 1821 another company was formed, consisting principally of the same persons that built the "Mayflower," and built another ship, which they called the "Fortune," in memory of the second ship that came into these waters. This ship is of C80 tons burthen, and has made three voyages, and landed about 5,700 barrels of oil, and is now en her fourth voyage. In 1830 the ship "Arbella," of 404 tons, and navigated by 35 men, was sent out, and in 1831 the ship Levant, of 365 tons, navigated also by 35 men, sailed for the Pacific Ocean in pursuit of sperm whales. The two last-named ships are of the largest class, and fitted out in a thorough manner; and it is hoped that they may meet with success to induce others of our fellow citizens to embark in this enterprise, which has brought wealth and prosperity to other towns, and is believed can be carried on here to as good advancement as from most other places. The three ships now employed in the whale-fishery amount in the aggregate to 1,060 tons, navigated by 92 officers and seamen ; the produce of this fishery may be estimated at about 2,000 barrels of sperm oil annually. Connected with this establishment are the manufacture of about 3,000 oil casks, and about 1,500 boxes, or of 4,5'. 0 pounds of sperm candles annually. A fourth ship has this year (1832) been fitted out."2 THE FISHERY FOR EELS IN 1833. — Concerning Eel River it was written in 1833: " This originates in ponds and springs back of Eel River village, crosses the post road to Sandwich, and empties into the sea near Warren's farm. It is appropriately called Eel River from the abundance of eels which it yields to the support of the industrious poor. Perhaps it will not be extravagant to say that about 150 barrels are annually taken there."3 [For a statistical review of the cod-fisheries of the customs district of Plymouth from 1815 to 1879 see page 216.] TRURO. DESCRIPTION OF THCKO AND THE FISHERIES IN 1794.— "A traveler from the interior part of the country, where the soil is fertile, upon observing the barrenness of Trnro, would wonder what could induce auy person to remain in such a place. But his wonder would cease when he was informed that the subsistence of the inhabitants is derived princi- pally from the sea. The shores and marshes afford large and small clams, quahangs, razor-shells, periwinkles, mus- sels, and cockles. The bay and ocean abound with excellent fish and with crabs and lobsters. The sturgeon, eel, haddock, cod, frost fish, pollock, cusk, flounder, halibut, bass, mackerel, herring, and alewife, are most of 1lrem caught in great plenty and constitute a principal part of the food of the inhabitants. Formerly the bluefish was common, but some years ago it deserted the coast. Beside these fish for the table there is a great variety of other fish, among which are the whale, Killer or thrasher, humpback, finback; skrag, grampus, blackfish, porpoise (gray, bass, and streaked), snuffer, shark (black, man-eating, and shovel-nosed), skate, dogfish, eunfish, goosefish, catfish, and scnlpion, to which may be added tho horseshoe and squid. The crampfish has sometimes been seen on the beach. This fish, which resembles a stingray in size and form, possesses the properties of the torpedo, being capable of giving smart electrical shock. The fishermen suppose, but whether with reason or not the writer will not undertake to de- termine, that the oil extracted from the liverof this fish is a cure for the rheumatism. "Formerly, whales of different species were common on the coast, and yielded a great profit to the inhabitants, who pursued them in boats from the shore. Hut they are now rare, and the people, who are some of the most dexterous whalemen in the world, are obliged to follow them into remote parts of the ocean. Two inhabitants of Truro, Capt. David Smith and Capt. Gamaliel Collings, were the first who adventured to the Falkland Islands in pursuit of whales. This voyage was undertaken in the year 1744 by the advice of Admiral Moutague, of the British Navy, and was crowned with success. Since that period tho whalemen of Truro have chiefly visited the coasts of Guinea and Brazil. A want 1 Tbacher's History of Plymouth, p. 316. 'Ibid., p. 317. » Ibid., p. 322. HISTORICAL KEFEREFCES: MASSACHUSETTS. 725 of a good market for their oil has, however, of late compelled them to turn their atteiition to the coil-fishery. Ill this they are employed ou board of vessels belonging to other places.''1 THE FISHERIES IN 1837.— We have another view of the fisheries in 1837, when they were about at the height of their prosperity. In Freeman's History of Cape Cod, vol. ii, p. 540, wo Cud the following statement : " In 1837 there were 63 vessels engaged in the cod and mackerel fisheries, producing 1G.950 quintals of codfish and 15,750 pounds of mackerel, and together employing 512 hands.'' EASTHAM. SHELL FISH.— As early as 1U44 the clani-fishery in Town Cove, :i great inlet which opens ou the west side of the town, became the subject of regulations by the English settlers. In the first series of the Collections of the Massa- chusetts Historical Society, volume viii, page 165, we find the following compact : " In 1644 it was agreed between the English and Indians that such of them as were natural inhabitants of the place should have liberty to get shell fish in the cove ; and likewise that they should have a part of the blubber which should be driven on shore, the proportion to be determined by the English." \Vht; n Orleans was allowed to withdraw from Eastham as a separate town, the clam-fishery was not forgotten. On page 159 of the Collections above quoted it is recorded: '•]!>• the act of incorporation which separated Orleans for Eastham the benefitsof the shell-fishery are tobemu- tnally shared. About a hundred barrels of clams for bait are annually collected in Eastham." CONDITION OF THE FISHERIES IN 1802.— The vessel fishery at Eastham, now a thing of the past, appears to have been commenced at the close of the last century. By referring to the Massachusetts Collections again, iu the same place, we find the following note: " Three fishing vessels only are owned by the inhabitants, and three coasters, which in summer bring lumber from the district of Maine, and in winter go to the West Indies. Not so many of the young men are engaged in the cod-fishery as in other lower towns of the country, but a number are employed in the merchant service, and sail from Boston." THE FISHERIES FIIOM 1830 TO 1862. — In 1830, according to Mr. Philip Smith, as many as 15 or 20 vessels belonging to Eastham lay in the cove above the town. " In 1837," according to Freeman, " the cod-fishery gave 1,200 quintals, and the mackerel 4,550 barrels." The same author, writing in 1862, states: "The fisheries are prominent. The whale fishery has become a thing that was ; the cod and mackerel fisheries are prosecuted. The benefitsof the shell-fishery in Town Cove always formed an item of no inconsiderable profit." ORLEANS. THE FISHERIES OF ORLEANS IN 1802.— The following account of the fisheries of Orleans is quoted from volume viii, 1st series, of the Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society: "The horse-foot or king-crab was formerly much used for manuring land set with Indian corn and potatoes; and it is still employed in Orleans, in the south part of Dennis, and in other parts of the county. It is chopped into small pieces, and not more than one, and sometimes not more than a quarter, put into a hill. As it contains an .abundance of oil, it affords a strong manure ; and with it the light land may bo made to yield 20 bushels of corn to an acre. It is, however, too hot a manure, and causes the land to exert itself so much that it cannot easily recover its strength. Attention of late is paid to the collection of sea-weed from the shore. When corn is to be raised, it is spread on the land, and it is put into the holes for potatoes. It is a preservative against worms, five sorts of which, in this place and in other parts of the county, are very destructive to Indian corn. " Fishes are the same as in other towns of the county. A few tautaug are caught in Town Cove. Bass enter the waters within the beach the 1st of June, and are caught with hooks. In the ocean, a few rods from the beach, they are taken with seines during the summer. Eels are so plenty that in the winter, when the coves are covered with ice, a hundred bushels are sometimes, by a company of 20 or 30 persons, collected in a day. Though no oysters are to be found on the shores, yet quahaugs and clams are in greater profusion than iu any other part of the county. " The quahaug ( Venus mercenaria), called by E. Williams the poquan and the hen, s is a round, thick shell-fish, or, to speak more properly, worm. It does not bury itself but a little way in the sand, is generally found lying on it in deep water, and is gathered up with iron rakes made for the purpose. After the tide ebbs away, a few are picked up on the shore below high-water mark. The quahaug is not much inferior in relish to the oyster, bnt is less digestible. It is not eaten raw, but is cooked in various modes, being roasted in the shell, or opened and boiled, fried, or made into soups or pies. About half of an inch of the inside of the shell is of a purple color. This the Indians broke off, and converted into beads, named by them suckanhock or black money; which was of twice the value of their wampum, or white money, made of the meteanhock or periwinkle. "The razor-shell (tolen) is so named from its resemblance in size and shape to the haft of a razor. It is said to force itself, not only upwards and downwards, bnt diagonally. This motion is affected by means of a round fleshy protuberance, as long as the little finger of a man's hand, and composed of rings. There is more irritability in this worm than in the clam. Several days after the razor-shell has been caught, if the protuberance is held between the fingers, and is touched with the point of a knife, the worm draws itself up to it with force. This worm is not common in the bay of Massachusetts, though it has sometimes been obtained there. The open shells, however, arc 'Coll. Mass. Hist, Sue., vol. iii, 1st series, p. 199. ' " Poqn.inliock, corrupted into qualiaug, urqnaulio)!, is tbe word will] a plural termination. [See Coll. Hist. Soc., vol. iii, p. 224.]" 726 GEOGRAPHICAL EBVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. to bo fouud on Chelsea beach, a few miles from Boston. The shells, with the living worms in them, can without much difficulty be procured at Orleans and other parts of the county of Barnstable ; but as they are not taken, except a few at a time, they are not often eaten. " The sea clam, which is at present called the hen, the quahaug having lost that appellation, is bivalve (as are also the quahaug and ra/or-shell) and oval. It is generally found in deep water, and is gathered with rakes, not being buried far in the sand. As it has frequently been known to injure the stomach it is not often eaten. Before the Indians learned of the English use of a more convenient instrument they hilled their corn with hoes made of these shells, to which purpose they are well adapted by their size. If a handle could be easily fixed to them they might be employed as ladles and spoons. "The clam (Mya arenaria) is of the same shape, but much smaller. This worm is buried in the sand from 4 to 18 inches deep. A small perforation, through which, after the tide has ebbed away, it ejects water perpendicularly, marks the spot where it lies. The worm has the power of thrusting upward its black head or snout, and of drawing it, down again. This snout is frequently bitten oft' by flounders and other fishes. Whether the shell moves or not the writer is unable to determine, as he has received contradictory accounts. The Indians were very fond of clams, which they called sickishuog (this is a word with a plural termination. See Coll. Hist. Soc., vol. iii, p. 224. If the author might be allowed to revive an old term he would denominate the common, or small clam, the sicki, a word of easy pronunciation, and which Would distinguish it from the fresh- water clam and the three other testaceous worms above mentioned). Being unacquainted with salt, the Indians made use of them and of their natural liquor to season their nausamp and Tjoiled maize. Many of the descendants of the English consider clams as excellent food. But they require strong stomachs to digest them, unless the whole of the snout is rejected. They would be more valued if they were less common. But as long as a peck of clams, which are sufficient to afford a small family a dinner, can bo procured with little more labor than a peck of sand they will not be much prized. The clam continues alive several days after it is taken from its hole. This is well known to fishermen, and is proved by the following singular fact. A gentleman, not far from Boston, ordered a number of clams to be dug and to be put into his cellar, intending to make use of them as bait. They remained there several days, when the shells, as is usual, beginning to open, a rat thrust his paw into one of them attempting to pull out the worm. The two shells closed together with force and held him fast. As the clam was too big to be dragged through his hole the rat was unable to make his escape ; and at length his cries excited the attention of the family, who came and saw him in the situation described. "Clams are found on many parts of the shores of New England; but nowhere in greater abundance than at Orleans. Formerly 500 barrels were annually dug here for bait; but the present year 1.000 barrels have been col- lected. Between 100 and 200 of the poorest of the inhabitants are employed in this business, and they receive from their employers |3 a barrel for digging the clams, opening, salting them, and filling the casks. From 12 to 18 bushels of clams in the shell must be dug to fill, when opened, a barrel. A man by this labor can earn 75 cents a day, and women and children are also engaged in it. A barrel of clams is worth |6 ; the employers, therefore, after deduct- ing the expense of the salt and the casks, which they supply, still obtain a handsome profit. A thousand barrels of clams are equal in value to 6,000 or 8,000 bushels of Indian corn, and are procured with not more labor and expense. When, therefore, the fishes, with which the coves of Orleans abound, are also taken into consideration, they may justly be regarded as more beneficial to the inhabitants than if the space which they occupy was covered with the most fertile soil. The riches which they yield are inexhaustible, provided they are not too wantonly lav- ished. For after a portion of the shore has been dug over and almost all the clams taken up, at the end of two years, it is said, they are as plenty there as ever. It is even affirmed by many persons that it is as necessary to stir the clam ground frequently as it is to hoe a field of potatoes; because if this labor be omitted the clams will be crowded too closely together and will be prevented from increasing in size." WELLFJLEET THE FISHING INDUSTRIES OF WELLFLEET IN 1794 AND 1H02.— In the Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society for the year 1794 (vol. iii, 1st series, pp. 119-121) is found the following account of the fish and fisheries of Wellfleet, written by Levi Whitman : "The people in this town are engaged in the sea service. A sailor is looked on as one engaged in the most hon- orable and beneficial employments. There are but few mechanics. Our vessels commonly fit out from Boston, and go thither to dispose of their oil, fish, bone, &c. Perhaps there are but few towns so well supplied with fish of all kinds as Wellfleet ; among which are some that are uncommon, such as the swordfish and cramp fish. The latter, which when touched with human flesh, give it an electrical shock, has been caught on our shores. The oil of this fish is said to be beneficial in certain cases. We also have the billfish in great plenty in the month of October. No part of the world has better oysters than the harbor of Wellfleet; time was when they were to be found in the greatest plenty, but in 1775 a mortality from an unknown cause carried off the most of them. Since that time the true Billingsgate oysters have been scarce ; and the greater part that are carried to market are first imported and laid in our harbor, where they obtaiu the proper relish of Billingsgate." Freeman gives the following account of the fisheries in 1803, but does not state whence he derived his information: " The business of the town at this date [1HO'2] was thus noted : ' Engaged in the. whale fisheries were five vessels. They carried salt, that should they not load with oil in the straits of Belle Isle or Newfoundland, they might make up their voyage with codfish. In the cod and mackerel fisheries four vessels were exclusively engaged ; in the fisheries around the cape twelve vessels were employed ; and in carrying oysters to Boston, Salem, Newburyport, and Portland, four other vessels.'"' 1 Freeman's History of Cape Cod. Boston, 1862, vol. ii, p. 078. HISTORICAL REFERENCES: MASSACHUSETTS. 727 WELLFLEKT IN 1844.— The Eev. Enoch Pratt, writing in 1844, gives the following topographical description and historical account of the town : "There are three harbors in the town, all having about the same depth of water, 12 feet at high tide. One is called the River Harbor, in the north part of the bay ; another, in the center of the town, called Duck Creek Harbor ; and the third, in the south part, called Blackiish Creek. •' These harbors are of great importance to the town, as they are safe, and afford the best facilities for canyiug ou the cod and mackerel fisheries, which have always been very extensively prosecuted. These employ the largest portion of the male inhabitants, who derive from them their principal support. " In some past years there have been more .tlian one hundred sail of vessels engaged, mostly in the mackerel-fishery, and with great success. The vessels are from 20 to CO tons. For three or lour years past they have not been able to take that fish in such quantities as formerly, consequently the number of vessels engaged has been reduced to about seventy at the present time. There are three wharfs and packing establishments. Formerly the whaling business was carried on here extensively, with large schooners, many of which were built here, of timber that grew on the shore."1 WELLFLEKT MACKEISEL-FISHEHY IN I860.— The Barnstable Patriot of August 28, 1860, gives the following account of the fisheries at Wellfleet for that year : " Number of vessels, 75 ; value, including outfit, $375,000 ; 20,000 barrels mackerel were sold last year, at $12 a barrel, amounting to $240,000. Not only does the mackerel- iishery prosper, but a new source of thrift in the oyster-fishery is open during a portion of the year that mackerel arc not taken." WELLFLEET IN 18G2.— Freeman, in his history of Cape Cod, published in 1862, in regard to Wellfleet, says : "The employment of the male inhabitants is almost entirely connected with the ocean. The cod and mackerel fisheries have always been extensively prosecuted here. More than one hundred vessels, some years, being engaged in the business. For the accommodation of those thus employed are several wharves and packing establishments. "From the table-lands of Eastham is a range of hills extending through this town, Truro, and Provincetown, to> Kace Point. West, and in range of these hills, are several ponds, namely, Duck Pond, in the center of the town, 15- fathoms deep, perfectly round, with a beautiful shore of white sand ; Hopkins Pond, one-quarter of a mile farther north, of about the same size, but not so deep; Great Pond, 1 mile in circumfirence, having several small ponds, flowing into it, abounding with red perch ; Long Pond about 20 rods distant from the last named, which also abounds! with 6sh, and has near it the village formerly known as Lewis's Neighborhood; Turtle Pond, between Long and Hopkins ; Gull Pond, large and beautiful, If of a mile in circumference, abounds with perch, and being in their season the resort of alewives, lying at the eastern extremity of Hunt's Hollow, near the east side of the cape ; Nevvcomb. Pond, also on the east side, and connecting with Great by a small stream : Herring Pond, from which issues Herring: Brook, yielding large quantities of alewives in their season ; and Squier's Pond, situated in Duck Creek village, also affording fish. Beside there are others less important." Pratt also describes these ponds, and speaks of the species of fish they contain. He says : "Great Pond is nearly round, 1 mile iu circumference, and abounds with red perch. Four small ponds are near it, the waters of which sometimes flow into it. Turtle Pond is between Long Pond and Hopkins Pond. "Long Pond is on the eastern side of Great Pond, about 20 rods distant, is 1 mile in length, and contains red perch. Near this pond are four or five dwelling-houses, and the village is called Lewis's Neighborhood. Gull Pond is the largest and most perfect pond in the town. It is perfectly round, 1} miles in circumference, and contains herring and perch. It is at the eastern extremity of Pearce's hollow, and near tbe baek side of the cape. Near it is a small pond, called Newcomb's, which is connected with Great Pond by a stream of water, and another, called Herring Brook, from which herring are taken in the spring in considerable quantities. There are three other small ponds near the eastern shore. Squire's Pond is small and round; it is situated in Duck Creek village, and affords perch and eels."* BLACKFISR AND WHALE FISHERY. — According to Freeman, "the whaling business was, in early times, carried ou extensively here, and in the taking of whales none were more expert than the Indians then inhabiting the neighborhood, whose services were always in demand. This fishery, once the chief employment, was lucrative; and and by it some large properties were acquired. But little has been done here in whaling since the Revolutionary period, except that occasionally the species of whale called blackfish make their appearance and are taken ; or peradventure a whale of the larger kind is seen to blow in Barustable Bay, possibly in Wellfleet Bay, or Provincetown Harbor, which is the signal for sport that is generally successful."3 THE OLD OYSTEU-BEDS. — From the statements of the historians Pratt and Freeeman, it would appear that at the time of the settlement of Wellfleet great oyster-beds existed in the bay, and that thj oyster-fishery, which has now almost entirely died out, during the early years was one of the most important fisheries of the town. In Pratt's history we find the following account:4 "Oysters and other shell fish were found in the bay in great abundance, at the first settlement, which not only afforded a supply for the inhabitants but in time were taken to Boston and other places for sale. This business has been carried on extensively and profitably to those engaged in it. Shops and . stands were opened iu Boston, Salem, Portland, and other places, where the oysters were sold in quantities to suit the purchasers. " In 1770 all the oysters in the bay died. What caused the destruction is not certainly known, but it is supposed 1 History of Eaathnm, 'Wellfleet, and Orleans: Yarmouth, 1844. « Freeman's History of Cape Cod. Boston. 1862, vol. ii. p. 655. 'Ibid., p. 112. « Op. at., pp. Ill, 112. 728 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OP THE FISHERIES. that, as at this time a large number of black fish died and came on shore, where their carcasses remained, producing a very filthy condition of the water, it caused this mortality. THE FII:ST OYSTERS BROUGHT FROM THE SOUTH. — "The inhabitants of the town tried the experiment of bringing oysters ('nun the south, and laying them down on the flats, which succeeded well. In the course of a year they doubled their size, and their quality was much improved. This soon became a large business, and a number of vessels have been employed in the spring of every year in bringing them here. The number of bushels which are annually brought is about 60,000. Nearly all the oyster-shops and stands in Boston and in other cities and towns in this State are supplied from this place, and are kept by persons belonging to tbis town. This business affords a living for many families." A few pages further on, alluding to the native oyster-beds, he says: NATIVE OYSTER-BEDS. — "Oysters were found in great abundance on the flats at the first settlement, but at this time (17G9) the inhabitants had so increased, and such quantities were taken for consumption and for Boston market, that it became necessary, to prevent their entire destruction, for the district to take measures to preserve and propa- gate them. LEGISLATION RELATIVE TO THE OYSTER- FISHERY.— 1772, "an act had been passed by the general court, regulat- ing the taking of oysters in Bilingsgate Bay. It was now voted by the district to ask the court to repeal the act BO far that in the three summer months they should not be taken for Boston market, nor in July and August for the use of the inhabitants. "The oyster-fishery at this time (1773) appeared to engage the general attention of the inhabitants. A vote was passed to the effect that, whereas the oyster-fishery in this district was the principal support of many of the inhabitants, and of great advantage to the province in general, and, whereas also, it has been greatly hurt and damaged by persons taking the young oysters, and, notwithstanding the law of the province, would be ruined if, not timely prevented, it was therefore agreed to make and adopt by-laws to preserve them." ' In 1774 "additional regulations were made for the preservation of the oyster-fishery, in conjunction with doings "of the towns of Eastham, and approved by the court." a In 1785 the subject again attracted attention, and among the petitions sent to the general court was one "to prevent the people belonging to other towns from taking oysters and other shell fish in our (Wellileet) Bay";3 and once more, in 1798, "a petition was presented to the general court for an act to prevent the destruction of .shell-fish." * DESTRUCTION OF THE OYSTER-BEDS. — The beds did not survive, however, the destruction which took place a few years prior to this time, and the native oyster shortly became practically extinct. Some years later a business of very considerable magnitude sprang up in transplanting oysters from southern grounds and replanting in Well- fleet Harbor. By the year 1846 this business had grown to such an extent that the supply of replanted oysters was almost sufficient to meet the entire demands of Boston market. The Gloucester Telegraph of January 21, 1846, gives the following account of the business, quoted from the Yarmouth Register: "Most of the oysters sold in Boston are supplied by inhabitants of the town of Wellflcet. Between thirty and forty Wellfleet vessels have gone south for cargoes. On their return the oysters are taken out and laid down on the flats in the harbor. Each man has a portion of the flats staked off for his exclusive use, and when wanted in Boston he goes to his submarine premises, takes up his oysters and forwards them to the city by the packets. The custom of laying them down at Wellfleet enables the fishermen to keep the market always supplied with fresh oysters. It is said their flavor is improved by being laid down a few months in salt water. On some years many of the oysters laid down die, but generally the increase in the size compensates for the loss in number." TRANSPLANTING OYSTERS. — Freeman refers to the destruction of native oysters (which, according to him, took l>lace in 1775) and then alludes to the rise and growth of the business of transplanting Southern oysters in the following words: "The town, however, is still noted for this delicious hi valve; and immense quantities are carried hence to Boston and other cities. The fish is supplied by importations from the South, brought and laid in the harbor where they soon acquire the flavor and richness of the old Billinsgate oyster, and in a single year double their size. The business is one of magnitude. In bringing the fish to the, planting-grounds, and in the removal of them after probation, many vessels are employed. Not less than 00,000 bushels was the average of oysters transplanted here annually many years since. The present extent of the business we are unable to define statistically."6 BREWSTER. CONDITION OF THE FISIIKKIES IN 1862.— Freeman, in his History of Cape Cod, commenting on the condition of Brewster in past days, says: "The fisheries were never a prominent business here. They are carried on hereto some extent, less now than formerly. About fourteen or fifteen years ago two vessels, the Emma C. Lathrop and the Miles Standish, were owned in the town. They belonged to Capt. Nathan Crosby, and were employed in the mackerel fishery. " The extensive salt works, which once formed no unimportant feature of tlio northerly portion of the town, have, •of lato years, been fast disappearing. Some remain (1862) but their numbers and importance are greatly diminished. "The alewife fishery received its annual share of attention, an agent being appointed to take care of the town's right to it. This fishery, in Stoney Brook, is less productive than formerly. Fish weirs, constructed on the flats 1 Pratt, op. cit., p. 12C. i Freeman, op. ««(., vol. ii, p. 677. 2 Freeman's History of Cape Cod. Boston, 1862, vol. ii, p. 004. ' Ibid., p. 650. 3rratt, op. ctf., p. 133. HISTORICAL REFERENCES: MASSACHUSETTS. 729 making from the shore of this and neighboring towns, now afford large quantities of alewives, bluefish, ami in fact most of the varieties found in the hay." CHATHAM. HISTORY OP THE CHATHAM FISHERIES. — The fisheries of Chatham, which at the time of the Revolutionary war had grown to very considerable importance, suffered severely during that conflict. From a description of Chatham in the Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society, vol. viii, 1st series, we learn "that in 1774 Chatham had '27 vessels in the cod-fishery. lu the year 1783, four or five vessels only were left in the harbors, but the 'town was filled with widows mourning the loss of their husbands and sons.' With the return of peace, however, the fishery revived and the tears of the wretched were wiped away." That this recovery from the effects of war was very rapid, wo may learn from the fact that " in 1790, 40 vessels, a number of them from other places, cured their fish in Chatham Harbor." In 1802, according to the description above quoted, the condition of the fisheries was as follows: "A few of the young and middle aged men are engaged in mercantile voyages, and sail from Boston ; but the great body of them are fishermen. Twenty-five schooners, from 25 to 70 tons, are employed in the cod-fishery. They are partly owned in Boston and other places but principally in Chatham. About one-half of them fish on the banks of New- foundland, the rest on Nantucket Shoals, the shores of Nova Scotia, and in the Straits of Belle Isle. On board these schooners are about 200 men and boys, most of whom are inhabitants of Chatham, and they catch one year with another 700 or 800 quintals to a vessel. Besides the fishing vessels there are belonging to the town 5 coasters, whieh sail to Carolina and tho West Indies. Fish are plenty ou the coast • » » Shell-fish are found in great abundance on the shores, particularly quahaugs and clams. Great quantities of bait are dug for the use of the fishermen. There are excellent oysters in Oyster pond, hut they are scarce and dear, selling for $1 a bushel. In no part of the county can wild fowls be obtained in such plenty and variety. Food can so easily be procured either on the shores or in the sea, that with the profit which arises from the voyages, in which it must be confessed they labor very hard, the people are enabled to cover their tables well with provisions." In Freeman's History of Cape Cod, it is stated that " there were, in 1837, when the population was much less than at present, 22 vessels owned here and engaged in the fisheries, yielding that year 15,500 quintals of codfish, then worth s 1(1, 500; and 1,200 barrels of mackerel, worth $9,600." Prior to 1845 almost or quite all of tho Chatham vessels were engaged in the Bank fishery for cod. They frequented to a large extent tho Grand Banks, Green, and Western Banks. They would make one long summer trip, and then lay up. If a man made $200 in those days he was considered to have done well. From this time the bank cod-fishery began to decline and the mackerel fishery to increase. This was largely due to the fact that the harbors of Chatham gradually filled with sand, and in time precluded the use of the large vessels necessary for the bank fishery. As early as 1840 or 1845 the fisheries were carried on at the southern extremity of Monomoy, where at that time a good harbor existed, both by Chatham fishermen and those of other towns. Fish stores, wharves, and temporary dwellings for summer use were built here. About 1850, or perhaps a few years later, more than fifty vessels were owned here by two Chatham firms. The majority of these vessels were mackerelmen. But this harbor, like the others, soon filled with sand, and tho vessels one after another were sold and went to other ports, and the business here gradually died out. Many of the vessels, however, still remained until the time of the late war, and many that were twelve or fifteen years old were sold at prices which equaled their original cost. In 1866 the business of the off-shore fishery was transferred to Harding's Beach, where at first two firms, and later one, have carried it ou to a limited extent up to the present time. When the vessel fishery had seriously declined, weirs began to be introduced, and at first were very profitable. The fish were sold to smacks which came from Connecticut. In 1842, as many as 100 boats from Monomoy employed nets for the capture of shad. At that time shad were commonly salted for market. Seines for bluefish and bass were introduced into Chatham about thirty-five years ago. "The manufacture of salt," says Freeman, "once prominent, has declined here as in other Cape towns, and from similar causes. There were, in 1837, no less than 80 establishments for the manufacture of salt here, vieldin"- 27,400 bushels, valued at i$8,220." DENNIS. DENNIS FKOM 1844 TO 1876.— It is stated1 that in 1844 the capital invested in the fisheries in the whole town of Dennis was $36,300. In 1845 or 1846 the first wharf was built in Denuis Port. Prior to this time there were curing establishments at Herring River in Harwich, and the fish were brought from the vessels, anchored at some distance from shore, in scows. The business rapidly increased for ten or twelve years after the building of the wharf. Between 50 and 70 vessels were theu owned here, about one-half of which fished for mackerel and one-half for cod. Hand-lines exclusively were used in the fisheries. Seines and trawls were introduced about ten years ago. 1 A Complete Descriptive im,l Statistical Gazetteer of the United States of America, etc., by Daniel Haskel and J Calvin Smith New York, 1844, p. 175. 730 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. Ill former years the manufacture of salt was carried on iu Denuis very extensively. In 1840 no less than 37,315 bushels were made iu the town. A number of years prior to 1811 as many as 22 mackerel vessels were sheltered in a little artificial harbor at the east of Dennis village, and as many as 10 or 12 vessels wintered there. In 1841 there were 16 or 17 mackerel vessels here. Among these were the Theater, the Isabella, and the Greek Bride. The crew of the latter vessel was lost, tak- ing 21 men out of a little district. In a few years the number of mackerel vessels increased to 22. Later, codfishing was taken up to a small ex- tent. Four vessels were employed at one time. About the year 1860 the harbor became choked with sand, and at the present time small cat-boats can hardly go in except at high tide. The fishing vessels, of course, were sold. None have been owned here since 1865. The break- water, which stood at the mouth of the harbor, was demolished about 1876. YARMOUTH. A note on the condition of Yarmouth iu 1802 gives the following facts in regard to the fisheries: "On the Yar- mouth side of Bass River there are six wharves, three near the mouth of the river, and three a mile north of it. There are here 21 vessels. One brig sails immediately to the West Indies. Ten coasters, from 30 to 40 tons burden, sail to Boston, Connecticut, or the Southern States, and thence to the West Indies. The other 10 vessels are fishermen ; 1 is of 100 tons; the rest are from 40 to 70 tons. The fishing vessels go to the' Straits of Belle Isle, the shoals of Nova Scotia, or Nantuckct Shoals. On a medium, a fishing vessel uses 700 bushels of salt a year. One or two vessels are annually built on Bass River, chiefly on the western side. "Iu Lewis's Bay, in Yarmouth, there are 4 coasters, of about 45 tons each, aud 10 sail of fishermen, from 45 to 50 tons. They catch fish on the coast from Nantucket Shoals to Nova Scotia." ' " Iu 1837," writes Freeman, " there were in South Yarmouth alone 13 vessels engaged in cod and mackerel fisheries, producing 4,300 quintals of codfish and 2,287 barrels of mackerel." Twenty years later, however, the fisheries suffered a great decline. Freeman says: "The fishing business had so far declined in 1857 that the Yarmouth Register said of it: ' It has well nigh died out. Not more than 2 or 3 vessels have been sent from this port the present season, where formerly 20 or 30 sail were employed. Our citizens have turned their attention to foreign commerce, or the coasting and packeting business, which pays altogether better than our facilities for carrying on the fisheries, compared with Provincetovvn, Gloucester, Wellfleet, aud other places on the coast.'" There was no increase in the offshore fishing business after this time, and its entire extinction followed speedily. In 1863 the " Register" announced that the last of the fishing fleet had been sold. The manufacture of salt has been carried on for about seventy years. A great many men turned their attention to this business at the time of the war of 1812, when the embargo laid upon the shipping made it impossible to carry on the fisheries, and from this time it rapidly increased. In 1837 no less than 52 establishments for the manufacture of salt existed in Yarmouth. SANDWICH. The historical documents relating to the fisheries of Sandwich are quite numerous, and furnish a more or less- connected commentary on their varying condition from the middle of the seventeenth century to the present time. THE AXEWIFE-FISHERY IN 1645. — The alewife-fishery seems to have attracted much attention from the early colo- nists, and it is to this matter that the oldest documents relate. In 1645 we have an act regulating this fishery : " Whereas notwthstanding the free liberty granted for fishing and fowleing," begins the preamble, "It manefestly appeareing that the Towiie of Sandwich hath received prj udice by stopping of the passage of the heareing or al wives to their ware by setting of netts to take Basse by private psons to the gen'all prjudice of the whole Towne. It is there- fore enacted by the Court that if any pson or psons shall prsume to sett any netts in the said River to stopp the passage of the said heareings or Alewives or hinder their comeing vp to the said ware during their season wch is from the middle of Aprill to the last of May shall forfaite teun pounds as ofteu as heo or they shall so doe, to the Colonies use." » THE WHALE-FISHING FROM 1652 TO 1702. — Seven years later, iii 1052, the inshore whale-fishing seems to have come into prominence and to have agitated the legislators of that time. "It was ordered," writes Freeman, quoting the old records, " that Edmund Freeman, Edward Perry, George Allen, Daniel Wing, John Ellis, and Thomas Tobey, these six men, shall take care of all the fish that Indians shall cut up within the limits of the town, so as to provide safety for it, and shall dispose of the fish for the town's use ; also, that if any man that is an inhabitant shall find a whale and report it to any of these six men he shall have a double share ; and that these six men shall take care to provide laborers and whatever is needful, so that whatever whales either Indian or white man gives notice of, they may dispose of the proceeds to the town's use, to bo divided equally to every inhabitant." The court subsequently appointed "agents to receive the oil for the country." "All the larger fish yielding oil are meant. So numerous were whales iu the bay, and such was the activity of the whalemen that instances were frequent of whales escaping wounded from their pursuers and dying subsequently, 1 Coll. Mass. Hist. Soc., viii, 1st series, 1802, p. 141. •' Plymouth Colony KocoruX vol. xi, 1623-1082, p. 49. HISTORICAL REFERENCES: MASSACHUSETTS 731 being washed to the shores. Besides these, the grampus and other largo fish were often stranded ou the flats by the action of the tides."1 In 1653 the town provided " that the pay of all whales shall belong to every householder and to every young man that is his own equally." "The contest for the right of whales seems to have been carried on with vigor. It was further ordered, September 13 [1653], 'that Richard Chadwell, Thomas Dexter, and John Ellis, these throe men, shall have all tho whales (hat come up within the limits and bounds of Sandwich, they paying to the town for the said fish £16 a whale.' It was also ' provided that if any of these three men have notice given them by any person who has seen a whale ashore or aground and has placed an oar by tho whale, his oath may, if required, be taken for the truth and certainty of tho the thing, and the said three persons shall be held liable to pay for the said whale although they neglect to go with him that brings them word. And if they do not go with him then said person shall hold the said whale, and by giving notice to any third man shall have paid him for his caro herein £1. And in case there come ashore any part of a whale, these four men, Mr. Dillingham, Mr. Edmund Freeman, Edward Perry, and Michael Blackwell, are to be the judges of the whale before it shall be cut off from, to determine the quantity loss a wliole whale; and then, without allowing further word, those three men, viz, Kichard Chadwell, Thomas Dexter, and John Ellis, shall make payment, for said whale one-third in oil, one-third in corn, and one-third in cattle, all marketable, at current prices, &C.'"3 In 1659 " the town appointed ' John Ellis and James Skiff to take care of the whales and all other fish that yield oil in quantity ; ' and, subsequently, sale was made to John Ellis of ' the right of all such fish coming within the limits and boumls of the town the next three years.'"3 At the beginning of the next century, however, it was thought well to divert the resources of chance into a means of supporting the clergy, and the drift-whales became tho perquisites of the minister, much as the fees for matrimonial services do at the present day. " In 1702 the town gave to Eev. Roland Cotton ' all such drift-whales as shall, during the time of his ministry in Sandwich, be driven or cast ashore within the limits of the town, being such as shall not be killed with hands.'"* THE ALEWIFE FISHERY FKOM 1674 to 1715. — In tho meantime the legislation relating to the alewife-fishery became unsettled, aud on March 4, 1C74 — "It is granted by the court, that Richard Bourne, of Sandwich, shall have 12,000 of alewives yearly, belonging to that land conferred on him at Pampaspecitt."6 In 1695 it was ordered " that 4 Burnt Coat, Maine 39- Bushy Point beach, Connecticut 317 Butte'rfish . . 1 18, 119, 249, 259, 263, 268, 294, 307, 359, 383, 38i> Buzzard's bay, Massachusetts 199, 249> C. Cables, manufacturers of 120 Cabrilla 597 Cadiz salt 36,44,168,169,210,234 Cain, Captain 1 496 Calais, Maine, fisheries of 12,14 Calf-pasture island, Connecticut 337 California — Codfisheryof 593 Commercial fisheries of 594 Fisheries of 592 Salmon fishery of 593 Saltindustry 591 Sea fishery of 593 Statistics of fisheries of 592,593 Whale fishery of 593 Cambridge, Maryland, oyster industry 427,445,467 Camden, Maine, fisheries of — 45,49 Camp, fishermen's 57,69,72 Canada — Effect of free trade with 17 Imports from 207,208,209 Canadian fish competing with American 658 Cana islands, lake Michigan 646 Can arsie, New York 373,374 Cancale Bay oysters 433 Cancer antennarius .• 613 Cancer magister 613 Cancer produclus 613 Candles, spermaceti 119,131 Canimicut, Rhode Island 288 Canimicut Point, Rhode Island 289 744 INDEX TO FISHERY INDUSTRY. Canned — Page. Clam-chowder 89,121,188,197 Clams .. 11, 22, 25, 34, 37, 47, 77, 81, 89, 93, 96, 370, 484 Crabs 428,429,456,484 Fish 11,14,30,67,119,121,188,197,198,608 Fish-balls 121,188,197,198 Fish-chowder 121,188,197 Halibut 629 Herring 10,11,25 Lobsters .... 11, 14, 17, 22', 24, 25, 30, 31, 34, 36, 37, 47, 49, 51, 54, 67, 77, 78, 79, 81, 88, 197 Mackerel .... 10, 11, 14, 25, 30, 34, 37, 47, 49, 50, 51, 54, 56, 67, 77, 79, 81, 88, 118, 119, 188, 197, 198 Menhaden. 370 Oysters 410,443,467,527,573 Quahaugs 484 Salmon 591,592,625,629 Sardines 10,11,25 Shrimp 585 Smelts 121,188,197 Spanish mackerel 484 Turtle 484,527 Cannery — Clam 44,81,96,98,370,484 Crab 429,456,484 Lobster 69,79,81,88,89,197 Mackerel 69,79 Canning industry — At Boston, Massachusetts 197,198 Of Castine, Maine 44 Origin of, at Eastport, Maine 17 Canoe Place, New York 363 Cape Ann, Massachusetts — Early history of 686 Fisheries of 115, 137, 143, 162, 163, 164, 686, 698 Cape Breton — Lobster canneries at 197 Squid fishery ,. 160 Cape Charles, Virginia 461,463 Cape Cod 115,127,146,159,230,723 Fisheries of 223 Cape Elizabeth, Maine 76,87,92 Cape Fear, North Carolina 496 Cape Fear river, North Carolina 487, 492 Cupe Hatteras 496 Cape Henlopen 403,409,415 Capo Lookout, North Carolina 487 Cape May goodies 395 Cape May, New Jersey 394, 395, 397 Cape Mendocino, California 621 Cape Neddock , Maine, fisheries of 101 Cape Negro, cod fishery off 154 Cape Newagcn, Maine 68,70 Cape North cod fishery 175 Cape Porpoise, Maine 98,99,100 Cape Sul.lr— Cod fishery 61,65,68,70,71,129,175,245 Fishery 699,701 Capo Small Point, Maine 76 Capo Vincent, lake Ontario, fishermen of 672, 673 Capelin for bait 135 Capoville, Virginia 462 Capital in fisheries of — Alameda county, California 624 Alaska 630 Capital in fisheries of— Continued. Barnstable district Batli district Belfast district Boston district .. Page. 224 72 46 1S7 California 593,594 Castine district 36 Connecticut 313 Delaware 411 Del Norte county, California 624 Eastern Florida 523 Edgartown district 258 Fall River district 275 Frenchman's Bay district 29 Georgia 514 Gloucester district 137, 138 Great lakes 633 Gulf states 536 Humboldt county, California 624 Kennebuuk district 94 Lake Erie 659 Lake Huron 659 Lake Michigan 638 Lake Ontario C72 Lake Superior 634 Los Angeles county, California 599 Louisiana 576 Machias district 21 Maine 1ft Marblehead district 182,183 Mariu county, California 624 Maryland 423 Massachusetts 118,120 Mendocino county, California 624 Monterey county, California 607 Nantucket district 254 New Bedford district 262 Newburyport district 132 New Hampshire 108 New Jersey 381 New York 343 North Carolina 478 Northern New Jersey 384 Oregon 624 Pacific coast 592 Passamaquoddy district 13 Pennsylvania 403 Plymouth district 215 Portland and Falmouth district 77 Rhode Island 284 Saco district 93 Salem and Beverly district 178 Sau Diego county, California 599 San Francisco county, California 618 San Luis Obispo county, California G02 San Mateo county, California 607 Santa Barbara county, California (-.02 Santa Cruz county, California 607 Sonoma county, California 624 South Carolina 504 Southern New Jersey :'>9:t Straits of Mackinac 655 Texas 582 Ventura county, California 699 Virginia 451 INDEX TO FISHERY INDUSTRY. 745 Capital in fisheries of— Continued. Page. Waldoborough district 53 Washington territory 625 Western Florida 536 Wiscasset district 66 York district 95 Capital in oyster trade of Maryland 448 Capital in salt-water fisheries of — Alabama 568 Georgia 515 Maryland 424 Capital in sea-fisheries of — Eastern Florida 524 North Carolina 479 South Carolina 505 Virginia 453 C'aptiva island, Florida 540,541 Caranx pisquetus 517 Cardenas market 544 Carmelo bay, California 603 Carmelo, California 603 Carmelo river, California 603 Carmelo Whaling Company 604 Carp 334,735 Carpcnteria, California 600 Carry-away, menhaden • 79 Carter & Co 383 Carter's creek, Virginia 460,471 Cartwrigbt & Co., B. C 353 Carver's Harbor, Maine 50,51 Cuscobay, Maine 76,78,79,80 Clamming interests of 81 Flounder fishery of 81 Cashe'sBank fishery 8,158, 164 Castiue district — Clam fishery of 36 Lobster industry 36 Review of fisheries of 35 Castine, Maine — Cunning industry of 41 Fisheries of 35,36,43 Trade with fishing vessels 44 Casting-nets 576,585 Cast-net fishery 522, 525, 543, 550, 562 Cast-nets, statistics of 423, 478, 479, 504, 509, 514, 515, 523, 524, 525 Castroville, California 604 Caswcll, L. 15 Ill Casy point, Rhode Island 307 Catfish 411,484,485,516,517,530,578,586, 618, 642, 643, 650, 662, 664, 665 Cat island, Alabama 571 Cavalli '. 556 Caviare 377, 503, 505, 510, 633, 639, 642, 651,657,663,665,666 Caviiros. California 601 Cedar Grove, lake Michigan 647 Cedar Grove, New York .' 376 Cedar island, Isles of Shoals Ill Cedar Keys, Florida 550 Mullet fishing at 551 Oyster beds at 552 Seine fishery at 550 Cedar point 662,663,664 Cedar river, lake Michigan 640 Page. Central Wharf Company 228 Centre Moriches, New York 365 Centreport, New York 349 Ceutreville, Massachusetts 248 Centropomua undecimalis 536 Ctcnatryttut gulosus 516 Chaitoitipterus faber 586 Chambers's mill, Florida 550 Chandeleur islands 570,575,576,578 Chandler's river, Maine 24 Channel bass 552 Charity islands, lake Huron 658 . Charles river, Massachusetts, oyster beds 199, 201 Charleston, South Carolina — Asa commercial center 506 As a distributing center 510 Boat-fisheries of 508 Fishery interests of 501 , 504, 506-510 Former importance of fisheries of 506 Menhaden fishery of 509 Mullet fishery of 508 Retail fish trade of 509 Shrimp fishery of 509 Vessel fisheries of 507 Charlestown, Massachusetts, mackerel fleet of, in 1851 , 116 Cbarlestown, Rhode Island 286,289,308 Charlevoix, lake Michigan 654 Charlotte harbor, Florida 540 Fish curing at 542 Fishing boats of 541 Fishing stations of 540,541 Charlotte, lake Ontario 673 Chase, Owen 661 Chatham, Massachusetts- Clam fishery of 241 Cod fishery of 127,240 History of fisheries of 729 Mackerel fishery of 116,240 Present condition of fisheries of 240 Weir-fishery of .1 240 Chatham Port, Massachusetts 240 Chattahoochee river, Florida 559 Chaumont, New York 67'2,673 Chebacco boats 35, 40, 50, 129,163 Chebacco river, Massachusetts 685, 693 Chcheague island, Maine 80 Cheever, George F., on Salem fisheries 695 Chelonia inydas 527 Chequaniegou bay, lake Superior 635,636 Cherry field, Maine, fisheries of 27 Chesapeake bay — Oyster beds 469 Oyster industry of 429-448 Oyster industry, statistics of 469 Oyster planting in 469 Oysters 180, 182, 204, 272, 290, 294, 325,410, 429, 457,469 Chesapeake Oyster Company 201 Chessehowiska river, Florida 549 Chester river 442 Chicago, Illinois l'J7,64i) Chili, exports offish to 205,206 Chilmark, Massachusetts 258 746 INDEX TO FISHERY INDUSTRY. Page. Chincoteague bay, Virginia 470 Chincoteague island, Virginia 425,441 Chinese fishermen 592, 616, 617, 619, 626,628 Chinese purse-net fishing 612 Chippewa bay fishermen 672 Choctawhatchee inlet, Florida 567 Chogset 735 Chondrus crispus 219 Cho wan river, North Carolina 478 Chowder — Canned •.. 197 Clam 89 Christian, Robert 569 Chub' 480,618,734,735 Chum,fish 69 Church & Brother 369 Church Brothers 496 Church, D. T 297 Churchill, Charles O 223 Church's point, Rhode Island 295 Clam- Cannery 44,81,96,98,370,484 Chowder, canned 89, 121, 188, 197,370 Diggers.... 24,198 Fishery, laws regulating 96, 98, 136 Flats 14,21,24,25,31,34,36,38, 43, 55, 59, 98, 134, 136, 277 Peddlers ,97,102,148 Steamer 44,305 Clam fishery in — Connecticut 333 Delaware 412,413,415,417,418 Maine 25, 26, 36, 38, 41 , 48, 49, 59, 60, 67. 70, 74, 79, 80, 92, 96, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102 Maryland 425,429 Massachusetts 134, 136, 165, 198, 215, 220, 222, 232, 234, 239, 240, 241, 244, 248, 249, 255, 256, 269, 270, 274 Massachusetts, early history of 684, 686, 694, 725, 733 New Hampshire 108 Now Jersey 387,388,392,398,399 New York 344,345,346,347,348 North Carolina 487 Rhode Island 284,296,304,305 Virginia 462 Clams 109, 121, 197, 216, 221, 223, 225, 265, 267, 284, 285, 314, 376, 412, 462, 485, 495, 517, 594, 596, 597, 599, 601, 621, 709, 724, 726, 7:i5 Canned .. 11, 22, 25, 34, 37,47,77,81, 89, 93, 96, 370,484 Flushing bay 346 For bait 11,22,25,36,37,38,41,42,47,54,59,67, 73, 77, 80, 93, 95, 100, 121, 133, 134, 139, 141, 179, 255, 259, 263, 686, 694, 724, 729 For cod-bait 156,231,358 For drum-bait „ 512 For eel-bait 195,271 For food .... 11, 14, 22, 37, 47, 54, 67, 73, 77, 80, 93, 94, 95, 121, 133, 134, 139, 141, 188, 255, 259, 263, 276 Hard 344, 345, 346, 347, 348, 349, 350, 351, 353, 354, 355, 356, 357, 358, 359, 360, 361, 362, 363, 3C7, 372, 374, 382, 383, 411, 424, 425, 452, 453, 479, 480, 505, 515, 523, 524 Little Neck 346* Clams — Continued. Page. Razor 367,374,596 Salted 79,96,136,694 Sea 199,367,374,726,730 Shelled .25,80,97 Soft 92, 344, 345, 346, 347, 348, 349, 350, 351 , 353, 354, 355, 356, 357, 358, 359, 360, 361, 362, 364, 367, 371, 372, 374, 375, 382, 383, 385, 392, 393, 399, 411 Clapham, Thomas, fish-culturist 347 Clark, A.. Howard 113,281,311,675 Clark's cove 272 Clark's island, Maine 109 Clark's point, Massachusetts 272 Clay banks, lake Michigan 646 Clearwater harbor, Florida 549 Cleveland, Ohio 668 Clinton, Connecticut 318,321 Oyster industry of 321 Shad fishery of 321 Clinton harbor, Connecticut 321 Club-house, New York 369 Clupea mlivalis 390,458,459,480,481,484 Clupea chrysoch loris 58G Clupea mediocris ...458,459,517 Clupea, mlrabilis t>26 Clupea sapidissima .: 389, 481 , 502, 517, 528 Clupea vemalis 390,458,459,480,481,484 Cobb's islnud, Virginia 462 Cobscookbay, Maine 15,18,19,20 Cobscook river, Maine 18, 19, 21 Cocheco river, New Hampshire, oyster-beds in 110 Cod 176,186,724,731,734,735 Blue 604 Boneless 148,188,377 California 615 Cultus 609,629 Cured for export 90 Desiccated 148 Early abundance of 695 Evaporated 148 Frosh ....89, 118, 119, 133, 138, 147, 172, 178, 183, 187, 193, 194, 215, 221, 225, 254, 259, 263, 284, 314 George's 176 Gill-nets 164 In Charleston market 510 In San Francisco 618 Method of curing 129, 135, 301 , (i78, 681 , 705 Oil 110, 145,150,285,679,692,708 Pickle-cured 155, 156 Pickled 86,91,121,139,172,1*8 Presented to Charles the Second 123 Rock 615 Roe 151,179 Salt for curing 210 Seines 135,684 Shredded :'77 Sounds 142, 151, 167, 179, 679, 694, 702, 7t>7 Tongues 167,179,679,694,702,707 Cod, catch of, in — Connecticut 314 Maine Massachusetts 118 New Hampshire - 1091 New Jersey 382 New York.. 344 INDEX TO FISHERY INDUSTRY. 747 Cod, catch of, in — Continued. Page. Rhode Island 284 Cod, dry, in — Maine 11,13,14,22,23,29,34,37,46, 53,66,69,73,77,93,94,95 Massachusetts 120, 124, 129, 130, 131, 133, 135, 139, 146, 156, 167, 172, 173, 174, 179, 183, 188, 191, 192, 214, 215, 216, 223, 225, 226, 227, 231, 255, 259, 263, 692, 700, 701, 705 • New Hampshire 106 New York 377 Rhode Island 285,302 Codd i ngton's cove, Rhode Island 298 Codfish- Exports of 124,167 Quantity sold in San Francisco 618 Cod fishery — Bounty to vessels in 128, 129, 135, 156, 184, 216,221,694,702,737 Gulf of Saint Lawrence 25,227,231 History of 124, 127, 129, 130, 131, 678, 080, 682, 683, 685, 690, 691, 692, 693, 694, 696, 701, 702, 704, 705, 706, 707, 708, 713, 715, 717, 719, 723, 725, 726, 727, 729, 730 Statistics of catch. .9, 109, 118, 127, 216, 317, 344, 382 Cod fishery at — Biddeford Pool, Maine 98 Kennebuuk, Maiue 99 Long Island, Now York ...358,361,372,374,376 Wells, Maine 100,101 York, Maine 102 Cod fishery in — Barustable district 223, 226, 227, 231, 233, 234, 239, 240, 242, 243, 245, 246, 247, 248, 249 Bath district 72,74,76 Belfast district 48,51 Boston district 187, 189, 193, 194, 214 Castine district 35, 39, 40, 41, 42, 44, 45 Connecticut 313,315,316 Edgartowu district 260,261,262 Fall River district 276 Frenchman's Bay district 28,31,32,33,34,35 Gloucester district.. .137, 141, 145, 146, 147, 154, 155, 156, 162, 163, 164, 172, 173, 174, 175, 176, 177 Machias district 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 Marblehead district 184,186 Massachusetts 116, 117, 124, 127, 129, 130, 131 Nantncket district 255, 256, 258 New Bedford district 262, 267, 273 Newburyport district 134, 135 New Hampshire 108,109,111 New Jersey 384, 390, 391, 392, 394, 396, 397 Passamaquoddy district 14, 16, 20 Plymouth district 214, 216, 221, 223 Portland district 78, 83, 84, 85, 89 Rhode Island 294,299,300)309 Salem and Beverly district : 179, 180 Waldoboro' district 52, 56, 58, 60, 61, 63, 64 Wiscasset district 65,68,69,70,71,72 Ood fishery of the— Pacific 593 Shumagin islands •. 630 CoggeshaU's ledge 300 Coggshall point, Rhode Island 298 Page. Cohansey creek, New Jersey 392 Cohausey point, New Jersey 400 Coh.isset, Massachusetts — Cod fishery of 127 Fisheries in 1821 715 Irish-moss industry of 214 Mackerel fishery in 1860 715 Mackerel fleet of, in 1851 116 Cohasset narrows, Massachusetts 249 Cohasset river, Massachusetts 249 Cold Spring, New York •. 348,349 Cole, Augustus, Irish-moss industry by 219 Cole, Charles A. , Irish-moss industry by 219 Cole's river, Massachusetts 275, 276, 277, 280 College Point, New York 346 Collin's bay, Massachusetts 181 Collins, Frank W 48 Collins, Harvey 233 Collins, J.W 407,425 Columbia River salmon fishery 591 Combahee river, Georgia 502 Comstock Brothers 369 Conanicut island, "Rhode Island 287,298 Conception bay, squid at ^ 160 Conch for bait 85,539 Coney island, New York 374 Conklin, Captain B. F 357 Conueault, Ohio 669 Connecticut — Fisheries of 313, 716 Mackerel fleet of, in 1851 116 Statistics of fisheries of 313 Statistics of menhaden industry of 313 Statistics of oyster industry of 313 Connecticut river — Fisheries of 313,319 Shad fishery of the 115,319 Connetquoit river 369 Conscience bay, New York 350 Constable hook, New Jersey 384 Contoocook river 131 Contra Costa county, California 619 Cook, Captain Benjamin 159 Cook, W. D., & Sons 332 Cooper river, South Carolina 506 Copper-paint factories 145 Cordage, manufacture of 75 Cordell Banks cod fishery 593 Corfish 62 Corker, Captain Samuel 509 Cornfield Point, Connecticut 319 Corpus Christi, Texas 588,587 Corrotoma river, Virginia 400 Cos Cob, Connecticut 339 Cottage City, Massachusetts 258 Cottua grccnlandicua 40 Cottus octodccimspinosua . 40 Cotnit, Massachusetts 202,248 Cove oysters 467,573 Cove sound, North Carolina 485,489 Coxswain's ledge 300 Crab fishery at — Long Island, New York 345,348,349 Wickford, Rhode Island 307 748 INDEX TO FISHERY INDUSTRY. Crab fishery in— Page. California 604,613 Delaware 412,413,415,416,417,418,419 Gulf of Mexico 570,577,578 Maryland 428 New Jersey 387,391,39-2,399 North Carolina 487,491 Crabs — Canned 428,456,434 Early abundance of 724,735 Forbait fi04 For drum-bait 512 For eel-bait 308 Hard 363,368,370,371,372,373, 374, 375, 383, 399, 428, 429 Herseshoo 725 King 393,725 Soft 193, 197, 3t53, 368, 370, 371, 372, 373, 374, 375, 383, 410, 416, 417, 428, 613 Crabs, catch of, in — Delaware 410,411 Georgia 515 Louisiana 576 Maryland 424,425,429 New Jersey 381,382,383,384,385,393 New York' 344 North Carolina 479,480 South Carolina 505 Texas 582 Virginia 452,453,462 Western Florida 536 Crabs, catch of, on — Long Island, New York. .345, 349, 351, 357, 358, 359, 360, 361, 3ti2, 363, 364, 365, 368, 370, 375, 376 Pacific coast 592,613 Crampfish 724,726 Cranberry isles, Maine 33 Crane Neck point, New York 350 Craney Island flats 454 Cranston, Rhode Island 286 Crawfish ...578,594,596,605 Canned 601 Fishery 536, 576, 577. 597, 598, 599, 601, 603 Forbait 539,600 CrevaHS 517,552,578,586 Crisfield, Maryland 427,429,467 Crisfield oyster-packing industry 445 Croakers 411,425,454,493,502.508,511, 525,529,570,574,584,586 Croatau sound 456,483 Crocker, Captain James B 244 Crocker, Daniel B 245 Crockett, Captain L 463 Crooked river, Florida 560 Crowoll, Captain Christopher 127 Crow's island, Massachusetts 267 Crystal Eiver bay, Florida 549 Crystal river, !• lorida 549 Cuba, exports offish to 205,206,207 Cuban markets 540,544 CuHotleu point, New York 352 Cultus cod 609,629 Cumberland Bone Company 69 Cumberland island, Georgia 518 Cumberland, Maine 79 Page. Cundy's Harbor, Maine 79 Gunners 118,119,133,138,178,183, 187,193,196,215,225,268 Curers, packers, and fitters, nuniber of, in — Connecticut 313 Maine .... 10, 13, 21, 29, 36, 46, 53, 66, 72. 76, 93, 94, 95 Massachusetts 120, 132, 138, 178, 182, 187, 215,224,254,258,262,275 New Hampshire 108 Rhode Island 284 Curing fish — InFlorida 564 Methods of 74,85,123,628 Curritnck sound, North Carolina, fisheries of 456,480 Cushing, Maine 55,57 Cushiug's island, Maine, lobster-grounds ' 87 Cushiug's point, Maine, shell-heaps at 81 Cusk 118,176,183,186,187,193,194,215,225,724 Dry. ... 13, 22, 29, 37, 53, 66, 73, 77, 93, 94, 95, 120, !•:«, 139, 167, 172, 183, 168, 191, 192, 215, 225, 691) Fresh 119,133,138,172,178 Cnsk fishery 84,100,109,118,194 Cnsk-skius, leather from 150 Cutchogue, New York 356 Cutler, Maine, fisheries of 23 Cut river, Massachusetts 222 Cutt's island, Maine 109 Cuttyhunk island, Massachusetts 261 Cymaiogaster aygregatus 612 Cynoscion maculqtum 462,486,487,493,502, 511,525,528,529,586 Cynoscion regale 363, 389, 394, 410, 412, 413, 483, 493, 502 D. Dab, flat-fish called 361 Dagle, Captain Charles 159 Dago fishermen 585 Dagsborough, Delaware 410, 417 Damariscotta mills, Maine 67 Alewife fishery of 64 Fisheries of 64,67 Damariseotta river, Maine 60, 64 Damarisco ve, Maine 65 Dana & Co 90 Dana, Charles A 348 Danish fishermen 566 Danish fishermen of Gloucester 146 Dausby, Francis W 569 Darien, Connecticut, oyster industry of 339 Darieu, Georgia 518 Darling & Smithers 457 Dartmouth, Massachusetts 267 Mackerel fleet of, in 1851 116 Mamie salt-works at 2/3 Whaling fleet in 1880 115 Dartmouth river, Massachusetts 273 Davidson, Captain Thomas 315 Davis,J. D 486 Davis Straits whale fishery 316,317 Davis, W. B 494 Day ALaSalle 339 Day & Shipman 383 Deane's History of Scititate, Mattachvaelta 717 De Champlain, French explorer 1;>- INDEX TO FISHERY INDUSTKY. 749 Page, Deep creek, Virginia 460 Deep Hole, New York 353 Deeriug & Dounell, ship-builders 75 Deer island, Maine — Boat fisheries of 41 History of fisheries of 40 Lobster fishery of 41 Vessel fisheries of 41 Delaware 407-419 Crab shipments from 410 Crab skiff 417 Fisheries of 407-419 Fishery grounds of 410 Fishing towns of 412 . Importance of fisheries of 410 Interested in whale fishery in 1846 115 Mackerel fishery off cosist of 152 Oyster beds of 410 Physical characteristics of 409 Statistics of fisheries of 410 Delaware bay 396,398,409,412 Delaware river 400,403 Del Norte county, California 623 Statistics ot fisheries of 624 Denise, Kusha 465 Dennis creek, New Jersey 394 Deuuis,Massachu6etts 116,238,243,729 History of fisheries of 729, 730 Mackerel fleet of, in 1851 116 Salt-works at 127 Dennis Port, Massachusetts 241,243 Dennj's river. Maine 18, 19 Denuysville, Maine, fisheries of 19 De Pere, lake Michigan 644 Desiccated fish 148 Detroit, Michigan 600 Detroit river 661 Devil-fish, dried 604 D'Homergiip, Louis C 369 DiabdHis cliri/sonterus 493, 507 Dickerson, H. R 353 Dickinson hay, Florida 554,557 Dighton, Massachusetts 277,278 Uipln-triim fanHcu lore 507 UiploduH iirubatuerphwi . . 389, 394, 462, 502, 511, 525, 529, 586 Diplodut rliomboides 586 Dip-net fishery 64 Dip-nets 423,478,479,504,505,514,515,523,524 Disasters to — Fishermen 649,652 Fishing fleet 137 Mackerel fleet » 172 Distribution of — Fishing products 165,166 Fresh fish 197 Ditrara javkmni COO Dividing creek, Virginia •. 471 Diving-net fishery. 398 Dodge, Simeon 185 Dogfish 626,628,724,7:55 Annoyance to fishermen 150 Fjshery 269, 627, fr.29 Oil 150,172,233 Skins, use of 150 Page. Dog-salmon 627 Donald's cove, Maine 101 Dorchester county, Maryland 437 Dorosoma cepedianum, 484 Dory 645 Building 59,60,61 Hand-lining 68 Industry of Salisbury 134 Origin of 131,134 Doten, Samuel H 223 Douglass, Captain Daniel 158 Douglass' History of North America 705 Dover bay, lake Erie 668 Dover, Delaware 412 Dower, Augustus 160 Doxsee, Frank 370 Dragging for mackerel 58,61,63,64 Drag-net fishery 487, 488, 609, 610, 611 Drag-seine fishery 480 Drag-seines, statistics of ...343,381,383,385,393,403,411, 423, 424, 429, 451, 452, 478, 479, 504, 505,514,515,523,524. Drake's bay, California. * 620 Drawbridge, Delaware 414,415 Dried— Fish-sounds 22,67 Shark-fins 593 Shrimp 618 Sounds 73, 73, 93, 94^95, 109 Sounds for isinglass 119 Squid .' (J04 Sturgeon 7;) Drift-net fishery 373 Drop-net fishery 487 Drownville, Rhode Island 288,318 Drum 502,525,529,574,586 Bait for 512 Curing of 511 Fishery 425,426,511 Salted 487 Drumfish, catch of 411 Drums — Codfish in 83,90 For packing cod 135 For packing fish 167,211,212 Dry cod in — Maine 11, 14, 22, 23, 29, 34, 37, 46, 53, 63,69,73,77,83,93,94,95 Massachusetts 120, 124, 129, 130, 131, 133, 135, 139, 146, 167, 172, 173, 174, 179, 183, 188, 191, 192, 214, 215, 216, 223, 225, 226, 227, 231 , 255, 259, 263,692,700,701,705. New Hampshire 105, 106 New York 377 Rhode Island 285,302 Dry cod, methods of curing 6«1 Dry cusk 22, 29, 37, 53, 66, 73, 77, 93, 94, 95, 120, 133, 139, 167, 172, 183, 188, 191, 192, 215,225,699. Dry fish- Exports of 167,204,205,217,218 For export, mode of packing 167 Gloucester's trade in 146, 148 750 INDEX TO FISHERY INDUSTRY. Dry fish — Continued. Page. On the Pacific coast 594,598,007,612,618,624 Receipts of, at Boston 192 Trade of Boston 190,191,192 Dry haddock 11,14,22,29,34,37,46,53,66,73, 77,93,94, 95, 120, 133, 139, 167, 172, 183, 188, 191, 192, 215, 225 Dry hake 13, 14, 22, 23, 29, 34, 37, 46, 53, 66, 73, 74, 77,91,93, 94, 95, 120, 133, 139, 167, 172, 183, 188, 191, 192, 215, 225, 692 Dry mullet-roes 494,526 Dry pollock 14, 22, 29, 37, 46, 53, 66, 73, 77, 91, 93, 94, 95, 120, 133, 139, 167, 172, 183, 188, 192, 215, 225,255, 259, 263, 692. Duck island, Isles of Shoals Ill Duck pond, Massachusetts 727 Dulnth, fisheries of 634 Duncan's Mills, California 619 Dunfish at Isles of Shoals 681 Dunkirk, New York 670 Dunstan river, Maine 96 Durham river, New Hampshire 106, 107 Durrey 's island, Connecticut 324 Dutch <3uiana, exports offish to 205,206 Dutch island, Rhode Island 307 Duties — On imported fish 128 Vessels exempt from 122 Duxbiiry, Massachusetts 115,127,214,220,717 Dwyer's river, Virginia 460 Dyer's bay, Maine 27 Dyer's creek, New Jersey 396,398 Dyiner's creek, Virginia 371 E. Eagle island, Maine 10 Earll, R. E 5,379,401,421,475,499,519 East bay, Massachusetts 247 East Booth Bay, Maine 65, 67, 69 East Brewster, Massachusetts 239 Eastern bay 442 Eastern Florida and its fisheries 519,521 Eastern point, cape Ann, Massachusetts 143 East Falmoiith, Massachusetts 252 East Greenwich, Rhode Island 285, 305, 306 Eastham, Massachusetts 116, 238, 725 East Haven, Connecticut 324,330 East Hampton, New York 360,361 East Harwich, Massachusetts •- 241 East India, exports of fish to 206 East Machias, Maine, fisheries of 23 East Marion, New York 353,358 East Moriches, New York 364 K;i>t Xorthport, New York 349 Easton, Maryland 4^7 East Orleans, Massachusetts 239 Eastport, Maine 12,15,88,145,162,173 Boat fisheries of 18 Canning industry of 17 Cod fishery of 1C Effect of free trade with Canada 17 Frozen-herring trade 17 Haddock smoking at , 17 Mackerel fishery of 16 Magdalen islands, fishery of 16 Eastport, Maine — Continued. Origin of fisheries of Sardine industry of Trade in fishing products Vessel fisheries of Page. 15 17 18 18 Eastport, New York 364 East Providence, Rhode Island 286 East River, Connecticut 322 East Setauket, New York 350 East Thomaston, Maine 54 East Wareham, Massachusetts 264 Ebenecook harbor, Maine 70 Eden, Maine 33 Edgartown district — Reviewof 258 Statistics of fisheries of 258 Edgartown, Massachusetts 258 Boat line-fishery of 260 History of 732 Whaling fleet of 115,260 Edgecomb, Maine, fisheries of 67 Edisto river, South Carolina 502, 504, 508 Edmonds, R. H 423,427,429,464 Edmunds, Maine 19 Eel fishery at Long Island, New York 350,351, 355, 356, 357, 358, 359, 360, 361, 362, 363, 364, 365, 368, 369, 370, 371, 372, 373, 374, 375 Eel fishery in — Connecticut 316,317,324 Delaware 419 Maine 64,67 Maryland 427,428 Massachusetts ... 118, 132, 178, 195, 221, 222, 245, 246, 252, 253, 255, 260,270, 271, 274, 277, 712, 724, 725 New Jersey 388, 396 Rhode Island .294, 298, 303, 304, 305, 306, 307, 309, 310 Eel-pots 120, 138, 178, 183, 195, 223, 224, 254, 258, 263, 26f , 275, 277, -^4, 314, 415, 417 Eel river, California 622 Eel River salmon fishery 593 Eels 118, 119, 132, 133, 138, 183, 186, 187,193,221, 255, 259, 263, 268, 271, 284, 304, 314, 316, 345, 425, 485, 586, 716, 724, 727, 731, 734, 735 Pickled 377 Salted 132 Smoked 377 Egg Harbor, New Jersey 236 Eggmoggiu reach, Maine 40 Eggs of sea-birds 614 Elizabeth City county, Virginia, statistics of fish- eries of 456 Elizabeth City, North Carolina 484 Elizabeth CWy county, Virginia 453,456,465 Elizabeth isles, Massachusetts 115,258,261,7:',:', Elizabeth river, Virginia 453,455 Elliott, William, on drum fishery 511 Ellsworth, Maine 34, 35 Ellsworth, Tuthill&Co 353 Ellwives 428 Embargo, effect on fisheries 128 Emery, James 210 Enconiiua river, Florida 553 England — Imports from 137 Exports of fish to 205,206,207 ESTDEX TO FISHEEY INDUSTRY. Page- English fishermen 146,566,643 Enterprise, Florida 530 Epinephclua Drummond-Hayt . 517 Epinephelus inorio 517 Erie, Pennsylvania 670 Escamljia bay, Florida 567 Escambia county, Florida 566 Escanaba, Michigan 639 Esox americanus 516 Essex county, Virginia 465 Essex Institute historical collections 698 Essex, Massachusetts 115 Clam industry at 140,694 Fishing-line factory at 140 Growth of fisheries of 693 Mackerel fleet of, in 1851 116 Shipbuilding at 140 Eulachon 626,629 Eureka, California C21 Evaporated fresh codflsh 148 Excelsior Oil and Guano Company 495 Exeter, New Hampshire, fisheries of, in 1792 679 Exeter river, New Hampshire 100,107,111 Export, mode of packing fish for 167 Exports of — Dried fish, bounty on 128 Fish from Boston in 1633 189 Fish from Plymouth district 217,218 Fish products from Boston 204-207 Export trade in fish 90, 122, 123, 124, 125, 129, 189,198,204,217,221,079, 680,682,685,700,705, 710 'F. Factory hands in the fishery industry, number of, in — Delaware 411 Maine 10,13,21,29,36,46,53,66,76,93 Maryland 423 Massachusetts 120, 138, 187, 224, 262, 275 New Jersey 381 New York 343 North Carolina 478 Virginia 451 Fair Haven, Connecticut 326, 442, 463 Fair Haven fishermen 672 Fair Haven, lake Ontario 673 Fairhaven, Massachusetts — Description of 267 History of whale fishery of 269 Weir-fisheries at 267 Whaling fleet of, in 1846 ^ 115 Fair Haven, New Jersey 387 Fair Haven, New York 673 Falcon Oil Works 353 Fall River district 115 Review of 275 Statistics of fisheries of 275 Statistics of oyster interests of 280 Fall River, Massachusetts, menhaden fishery of. .. 276 Falmonth, Maine 76,79,81 Fiilmouth, Massachusetts 252,732 Faneuil Hall fish-market, Boston 193 Fan-alone islands, California 603,609 Page. Farralone Island crabs 613 Farran, Captain Merritt 325 Far Eockaway, New York 373 Farrow, J. H 395 Fat-backs 425,493 Felisado& Co 577 Felton, Richard 484 Felt's History of Salem 695,702 Fenwick's island, Delaware 418 Fernald's island, Maine 109 Fernandma, Florida — Boat fisheries of 524 Extent of fisheries of 525 Fertilizer factories 69, 119, 220 Fertilizer, fish for 10, 22, 24, 26, 29, 37. 53, 66, 73, 77, 93, 94, 95, 108, 118, 119, 120, 307, 314, 429, 685, 695, 711 Fertilizers — From oil refuse , 150 From seaweed 69 Herring for 26,696,731 King crabs for : 393 Manufacture of -213 Marine products for 11, 14, 22, 37, 47, 67, 73,78,93,94,95 Field, A 443 Field's Point, Rhode Island : 289 Finback whales 724 Finhalloway river, Florida 553,554 Finnan baddies 11,14,17,47,77,86,87 Fire island, New York 352 Fire Island inlet, New York 365,367 Fire Island oil-works 369 Fish-balls- Canned 121,188,190,197,198 Method of canning 198 Fish-box shooks 71 Fish chowder, canned 121,188, 198 Fish creek, Michigan 639 Fishermen — Austrian 615 Belgian 643 Boat 46, 53, 66, 68, 72, 76, 93, 94, 95, 108, 117, 132, 138, 178, 182, 184,215,224 British provincial 146 Danish 146,566 Duties of 704 English, of Gloucester 146 French 146,642,643 From Mediterranean ports 585 German 5C6, 642, 643, 646, 647, 649, 665, 669 Greek 608,615 Irish 146,220,566,642 Italian 615,621 Morals of 146 Norwegian 642,643 Oyster 434,4:i5 Polish 643 Portuguese 146,214,231,608 Profits of 145,146,537,543,567, 571,584,636,690,696 Public service of 135 Scotch 146,566 Spanish 566,608 Swiss .. 643 752 INDEX TO FISHEKY INDUSTRY. Fishermen — Continued. Page. Vessel 46,53,66,72,76,93,94,95,108,117, 120, 132, 138, 178, 182, 187, 215, 224 Fishermen of — Boston 194 California 592 Gal veston 145, 585 Isles of Shoals 681 Louisiana 576 Mobile 569 Monhegau island 63 Ocklockonee bay 557 San Francisco 608 Swampscott, Massachusetts 186 Texas 583 Fishermen, number of, in — Connecticut 313 Delaware 411 Eastern Florida 523 Georgia 514, 515 Gulf states 536,568,574,575,582 Maine . . 9, 10, 13, 21, 29, 36, 46, 53, 66, 72, 76, 93, 94, 95 Maryland 423,424,429,438 Massachusetts 117, 120, 132, 138, 178, 182, 187, 215, 224, 254, 258, 263, 275 New Hampshire 108 New Jersey 381,382,384,393 New York 343 North Carolina 478,479 Pennsylvania 403,405 Ehodelsland 284 Sou th Carolina 504, 505 Virginia 451,452 Fishermen, number of, on — Great lakes 633, 634, 638, 657, 659, 672 Pacific coast 592, 593, 594, 599, 602, 607,618,624,625,630 Fishermen's Widows and Orphans' Aid Society 176 Fisher's Island sound 317 Fish-glue from fish-skins 119,142,149 Fish-guano 121, 139, 149, 188, 226, 276, 307 Fish-heads for eel-bait- 195 Fishing bay 442 Fishing island, Maine 109 Fish island, Massachusetts 267 Fish-lines 140,212 Fish-manure 284 Fish-oil ....11,14,17,22,37,47,54,67,73,78, 90, 93,94,95, 109, 121, 129, 130, 131, 133, 134, 139, 146, 150, 151, 172, 173, 174, 176, 179, 180, 183,255, 259, 264, 276, 284, 302, 569, 592, G25, 630, 633, 639, 657,663,665,694,702,707 Fish-skins, n tilization of 149, 150 Fish-sounds 11,14,18,22,37,47,54,67,73,78,109,119, 121, 133, 136, 139, 151, 183, 188, 216, 226 Fish-spawn 121, 133, 139, 151, 152, 183, 188, 226 Fish-tongues .v 145,154 Fishways at Waldoborough, Maine 59 Fithian, William J 353,357 Five-Mile river, Connecticut 339 Flake-yards for fish-curiujj 31,85,144 Flat bay, Maine 26 Flatfish 284,294,314,316,361,735 Flatfish fishery . . . .245, 307, 317, 351, 355, 359, 360, 361, 363 Page. Flatlunds, Now York 373,374 Flemish Cap, fishery on 158 Fletcher's neck, Maine 97 Flint river, Florida 559 Floating traps 142, 164,165,177 Florida — Fisheries of 535 General characteristics of 521 Mullet fisheries of 522 Sponge fisheries of £22, 535 Western 535 Western, statistics of fisheries of 536 Flounder fishery 26, 49, 81, 193, 195, 247, 248, 253, 260, 271, 272, 273, 277, 297, 303, 306, 309, 310, 315, 317, 332, 348, 349, 354, 596, 609, 615, 619, 620, 622, 627 Florida, eastern 519,521 Principal fishery districts in 524 Sea fisheries of 523 Statistics of fisheries of 522, 523 Turtle fishery of 522 Flounder fyke-nets 81 Flounders 118, 183, 188, 193, 215, 225, 268, 294, 316, 317, 411, 525, 529, 552, 586, 595, 597, 600, 724, 731, 735 Dried 628 For lobster-bait 40 Fresh 119, 133, 138, 172, 178, 255, 259,263,276,284,314,376 In San Francisco 618 Flushing bay, New York 345,346 Flushing,New York 345 Flying-fish, catch of 5'J7 Fly-tails 484 Fogland point, Rhode Island 295 Folly cove, cape Ann 143,162,163 Fonteuelle, Louisiana 579 Ford's river, New York 365 Foreign trade in fish 167 Fore river, Maine 82 Forestville 659 Forge river, New York 364 Forsyth, Dr. J. B 249 Fort Hamilton, New York 375 Fort Pond bay, New York 352,360 Fort Ross, California 619 Fortune Bay outrage 162 Foul fish 530 Four Bayous, Louisiana 579 Four Tree island, New Hampshire 109 Fowler, Captain W. M 416 Fox island, Maine 45,50 France — Fish exports to 705,706 Oyster culture in 472 Frankford, Delaware 410,417,418 Frankfort, lake Michigan 652 Franklinville, New York 355 Fraser's river 629 Fredrica, Delaware 413 Freeman, Captain Jesse 224 Freeman's History of Cape Cod cited 242, 719 Freeport, Maine 79 Freeport, New York 372 INDEX TO FISHERY INDUSTRY. 753 Page. Freetown, Massachusetts 278 Free trade, effect of, -with Canada 17 French fishermen 642,643 French fishermen of Gloucester 146 French Guiana, exports of fish to 205, 206 Frenchman's Bay district — Review of fisheries of 28 Statistics of fisheries of 28,29 Frenchman's bay — Lake fishery ., 28 Herring fishery 28 Lobster fishery 28 Menhaden fishery 28 Fresh fish 22, 29, 138, 284, 486, 607, 634, 657, 660 Catch of, in lake Ontario 672 Distribution of 147,166 Exports of 206 For bait 37,46,53,66,73 77, 93,94,95,108,120 For fertilizer 46,53,66,73,77,93, 94,95,108,120 For food 53,73, 77, 93, 94, 95, 108, 120 For oil 120 Gloucester's trade in 146, 147 Imports of 207,208,209 Industry at Pensacola, Florida 567 In Gloucester district 137,139 In Ne wbnryport district 133 Method of packing 147, 197 Of California 459 Of great lakes 633 Of lake Michigan 639 Products in Maine 19 Statistics for Massachusetts 119, 110 Trade of Boston , 193 Trade of Portland 89 Fresh halibut fishery 83,117 Fresh livers 172 Fresh lobsters in Maine 11 Fresh mackerel 243 Fresh water — Fish 221,412,413,414,415,417,418,419, 423, 481, 485, 494, 516, 570, 575, 578 Perch 712 Trout 516,529 Friendship, Maine, fishery industries of 57, 58, 59 Frogs 376,613 Frost-fish 317,710,724,735 Catch of, in Massachusetts 118 Fresh 119,259,263 Frozen — Bluefish 195,197 Fish 633,639,654,657,660,666,672 Herring 176 Herring for bait 154, 163, 164 Herring for cod-bait 155 Herring, receipts of, at Boston . 194 Herring trade 12, 17, 18, 19, 145, 161, 162 Mackerel 197 Salmon 195,197 Shad 197 Smelts 195 Funnel-traps for bass 273 Fnrbnr's straits, New Hampshire, oyster fishery... 106 Page. Fur-seal fishery .18,120,271,314,315, 324,591,593,596,683 Fyke-net fishery 297, 303, 306, 307, 310, 315, 316, 317, 320, 332, 355, 359, 360, 361, 367, 371, 375, 383, 627, 643, 658, 662, 663, C64, 6G5, 666, 667, 673 Fyke-net fishery for shad 374 Fyke-nets — Flounder 81 Statistics of 284, 314, 343, 331, 385, 393, 403, 411, 423, 424, 451, 452, 478, 479, 504,505,514,515,523,524 Fykes 22,29,66,77,93,94,95,277,419 Fykes in Maine 10,37,46,53 O. Gahorhinus galena 598 Gallup & Kennlston 463 Galveston bay, Texas 584 Galveston, Texas — Apparatus and methods of fisheries of 585 Fishermen of 585 Products of fisheries of 585 Gardiner's bay, New York ....: 351,354,361 Gardiner's island, New York 352, 360 Gardiner, \V. S 360 Gardner place, Connecticut 319 Gar-fish 484,530 Gasparilla island, Florida 540,541 Gaspd Point oysters 293 Gaspe" Point, Rhode Island 289 Gay Head, Massachusetts 258 George's bank — Cod fishery 51,61,70,83,117,145,147, 154, 155, 170, 173, 174, 175, 180,194,240,317,691,692 Cod fishery, vessels in 154 Cod-fishing ground 137 Fishery 172 Fishery, losses in 176 Haddock fishery 194 Halibut fishery 117,157,158,194,691 George's cod fishery, bait for 159 George's island, Maine 55, 56, 63 George's islands, Maine, population in 1630 60 George's men, big fares of... 155 George's shoals, geology of 8 Georgetown, Maine 71,72,73 Georgetown, Massachusetts 245 Georgetown, South Carolina 501,504,506 Georgia — Fisheriesof 499 River fisheries of 514 Statistics of fisheries of 514 Statistics of salt-water fisheries of 515 German — Fishermen 566, 642, 643, 646, 647, 649, 665, 609 Oystermen 465 Germany, imports from 137 Gerrish island, Maine 109 Gibraltar, exports of fish to 217,218 Gig harbor, Washington territory 627 Gillett's bay, Connecticut 319 754 INDEX TO FISHERY INDUSTRY. Gill-net— rage. Bluefish fishery 2:53, 239, 243 Fishery 162, 244, 256, 306, 315, 319, 388, 389, 397, 460, 462, 483, 518, 555, 557, 561, 576, 584, 596, 597, 600, 605, 634, 635, 636, 637, 639, 640, 641, 645, G46.-647, 648, 649, 651. 652, 653, 655, 656, 657, 658, C59, 664, 666, 668, 673 Fishery for mullet . 551 Fishery for shad 374,484,517 Fishery for sturgeon 502 Mackerel fishery 134, 135, 232, 234, 463 Gill-nets— Cod 164 Herring 99 Salmon 195 Statistics of 2«4, 314, 343, 381, 383, 385, 393, 403, 411, 413, 414, 415, 417, 418, 419, 423, 424, 429, 451, 452, 478, 479, 483, 504, 505, 514, 515, 523, 524 Gill-nets, statistics of — In boat fisheries of Maine 10, 13, 22, 29, 37, 46, 53,66,73,77,93,94,95 In boat fisheries of Massachusetts 120, 132, 138,183,187,223, 224,254,258,263 In boat fisheries of New Hampshire 108 In vessel fisheries of Maine 10, 13, 22, 29, 37, 46, 53,66,73,77,93,94,95 In vessel fisheries of Massachusetts . . - 120, 132, 138, 178,183,187,215,224 In vessel fisheries of New Hampshire 108 On great lakes 633, 634, 638, 655, 657, 659, 672 Girella nigricans 596 Gizzard shad 484,485,530 Glen Cove, New York . 347 Gleii Haven, lake Michigan 652 Glen Head, New York 347 Glenwood, New York 347 Globiocephalus intermedius 235 Gloucester county, Virginia 457,465 Gloucester district — Fisheries of 119,137 Statistics of fisheries, 1869 to 1876 139 Gloucester harbor, Massachusetts 143 Gloucester, Massachusetts 115,116,124,127,143 Bauk cod fishery of 170, 171, 173, 174, 175 Banquereau cod fishery of 156 Boat fisheries of 162 Clam industry of 165 Codfisheryin 1844 691 Cod fishery of, from 1765 to 1790 127 Distribution of fishery products from 165 Early history of 686 Emigrations to Maine from 124 Fish boxes and barrels at 166 Fisheries interrupted by war 690 Fisheries, 1821 to 1869 691,692 Fishermen of 145 Fishermen's profits at 690 Fish-glue factory at 149 Fish- oil industry of 150 Fish-sounds at 151 Fish-spawn for bait 151 Fish trade of 14d Gloucester, Massachusetts — Continued. Page. Floating-trap fishery of 164 Forsign trade of 167, 092 Fresh-fish business of 147 Fresh-halibut fishery of 156 From 1629 to 1663 688 From 1700tol779 689 Frozen-herring trade of 161 General description of 143 George's cod fishery of.... 154, 170,171, 173, 174, 175 Grand bank cod fishery of 155 Greenland halibut fishery of 158, 170, 172, 173 Halibut fishery of *. 117,173,174,175 Herring boat fishery 163 Herring fishery of .'. 170, 171, 173, 174, 175 Ice industry of 1(59 In 1642 688 Inshore fisheries of, 1792 to 1828 691 International difficulties 160 Lobster industry of 165 Losses of life and property 176 Mackerel fishery of - 152, 171, 173, 174, 175 Mackerel fleet of, in 1851 ._ 116 Mackerel inspection of 117 Menhaden bait fishery of 159 Mutual insurance at 146 Products of fisheries in 1875 172 Provisions used on fleets from 169 Salt industry of 168 Shore vessel-fisheries of 164 Squid-bait fishery of 159 Statistics of fisheries in 1870, 1871, 1872, 1873, 1877, 1878, 1879, 1880, and 1881 170-175 Trade in boneless fish 143 Trade in dry fish US Trade in mackerel 149 Trade in pickled fish 143 Trade in smoked halibut 149 Valuation and population of 144 Vessel-fitters of 145 Western Bank cod fishery of 155 Winter haddock fishery of 158, 170, 174 G:over,W. H 353,357 Glue, fish 119,142,149 Glue, fish, manufacture of 145 Goat island, New Hampshire 109 Goleta, California 599 Goode island, Connecticut 337 Good Ground, New York 363 Goodwin, Captain Thomas 159 Gooseberry island, Rhode Island 298 Goose creek, Florida 554 Goose-fish .- 383 Gosnold, Massachusetts 258,261 Goss,F. B 226 Gott's island, Maine 33 Gould, A. A 249 Gould, William, citad 81 Gouldsboro' bay, Maine 27 Gouldsborough, Maine — Hake fishery of 31 Menhaden fishery of 31 Whale fisheryof . 30 Governor's island, New York 376 Grampus 235,724,731 INDEX TO FISHERY INDUSTRY. 755 Grand Bank — Page. Cod fishery 28, 32, 35, 39, 41 42 43, 45, 50, 60, 63, 64, 68, 78, 83, 108, 109, 117, 145, 146, 147, 155, 156, 170, 171, 172, 175, 179, 180, 184, 189, 214, 226, 227, 245, 691, 692, 706, 717, 723, 729 Halibut fishery 11,157,158 Grand Haven, lake Michigan 652 Grand island, lake Superior 637 Grand Manan — Frozen-herring trade 162 Herring fishery 170, 171, 172, 173, 174, 175 Grand Traverse bay 654 Grants of land to fishermen 697 Gravelly island, Massachusetts 254 Gravesend bay, New York 373,374 Gravesend, New York 374 Gray, S. H 495 Gray's harbor, Washington territory 629 Gray tront 453 Great Bay, New Hampshire, oyster fishery 106 Great bay, New Jersey 393,398 Great Choptank river 442 Great Deer isle, Maine 40 Great Egg Harbor inlet, New Jersey 398 Great Egg harbor, New Jersey 393, 398 Great Egg Harbor river 398 Great lakes — Fisheries of the 344, 404, 631-6/3 Statistics of fisheries of the 633 Great Neck, New York 346,347 Great pond, Massachusetts 727 Groal pond, Rhode Island 299 Gi eat, Salt pond, Rhode Island 289 Great South bay, New York 357,362,365,371 Great South pond, Massachusetts 221 Greek fishermen 008,615 Green Bank cod fishery 729 Green Bay city, lake Michigan 643 Green bay, lake Michigan 639 Greenland bay, New Hampshire 106, 107 Greenland halibut fishery 146,147, 158, 170, 173, 174, 175, 176 Greenport, New York 159, 353, 357, 359 Green Kun inlet, Maryland 425 Green turtle 525, 526, 527, 536, 537, 576, 582, 585 Greenwich bay, Rhode Island 291,305 Greenwich, Connecticut, oyster industry of 339 Greenwich cove, Connecticut 339 Green, William P., & Co 353 Grind Stone City, Michigan G59 Groton, Connecticut 316 Ground-fish 92, 97, 99, 100, 102, -108, 111,112,164,186,193,197 Groupers 517, 525, :>3.r., 536, 537, 539, 577 Grunt fishery 493, 507, 508, 539, 552 Guadaloupe, California (>00 Guadeloupe, fish exports to 167 Guano — Factories 353 Fish 121, 139, 147, 149, 107, 1-^,2'iO, 276, 307 Menhaden 53, 61, 65, 69, 118, 276, 285, 297, 314, 324,353,354,383, 398, 458, 460, 461 Guard-house, Connecticut 319 Gi'.Hford, Connecticut, oyster industry of 321,322 Guilford river, Connecticut '•'<'}', Page. Gulf of Mexico, fisheries of 533,535-587 Gulf of Mexico Oyster Company 573 Gulf of Saint Lawrence (see also Bay) Cod fishery 25, 41, 60, 63, 226, 227, 231 Mackerel fishery 31, 35, 38, 42, 61, 63, 70, 83, 84, 134,180,184,241,684,691 Whale fishery 229 Gulf pond, Connecticut 334 Gulf states — Extent of the fisheries of the 535 Statistics of fisheries of 535 Gull pond, Massachusetts 727 H. Hackensack river, New Jersey 384 Hack-traps 514 Haddock 170,186,724,731,735 Catch of, in Maine 9 Catch of, in Massachusetts 118 Catch of, in New Hampshire 109 Curing 31 Dry 11,13,14,22,29,34,37,46,53,66,73,77, 93, 94, 95, 120, 133, 139, 167, 172, 183 188, 191, 192, 215, 225, 255, 259,263 Early method of curing 682 Exports of 167 Fishery 17, 18, 23, 25, 26, 27, 41, 51, 52, 74, 78, 84, 89, 98, 99, 100, 101, 111, 115, 141, 140, 158, 162, 163, 164,170, 175, 186, 193, 194, 248,255,309,704,707 Fishery, method of sharing in 158 For lobster-bait 165 Fresh 119, 138, 158, 172, 178, 183, 188, 190, 193, 194,215,225,255,376 Fresh, trade in 147 In Charleston market 510 Inspection of pickled 86 Liver oil 150 Pickled, trade in 91 Smoked 11,14,17,18,47,77,86,87 Smoking, method of 87 Smoking, origin of, in America 87 Trade in fresh 89 Hair-seal 601 Hake- Catch of, in Maine 9 Catch of, in Massachusetts 118 Catch of, in New Hampshire 109 Curing 31 Dry 11, 13,14,22,23,29,34,37,46,53,66,73, 74, 77, 93, 94, 95, 120, 133, 139, 167, 172, 183, 188, 191, 192, 215, 225, 692 Dry, trade in 91 Early method of curing 682 Exports of 167 Fishery 14, 17, 18, 19, 23,26, 27, 28, 30, 31, 35, 41, 51, 58, 65, 68, 74, 84, 85, 98, 99, 100, 101, 111, 162, 103, 193, 194, 227, 228, 294, 507, 691, 704 Fresh 1 19, 133, 138, 172, 178, 183, 188, 193, 194,215,225 Oil 150,172 Sounds 151,102,163,172 Trade of Portland . . 91 756 INDEX TO FISHERY INDUSTRY. Page. Hale, Smith D 569 Haley's island, Isles of Shoals Ill Half-Moon bay, California COG, 608 Halfway pond, Massachusetts 221 Halfway Pond river, Massachusetts 264 Halibut 615, 621, 626, 627, 628, 629, 69.2, 724, 731 Bank 176 Bastard 595 Canned 629 Catch of, in Connecticut 316, 317 Catch of, in Massachusetts 118 Catch of, in New Hampshire 109 Fins, pickled 121,139,172,188 Fishery 61, 83, 89, 231, 316, 317, 609, 629, 692, 694 Fishery, fletched 60 Fishery, George's bank 176, 691* Fishery, Greenland 158, 173, 174, 175, 176 Fishery, vessels in 9, 156 Fletched 176 Former abundance of 157 Fresh., 115, 117, 119, 131, 138, 145, 146, 154, 156, 157, 171, 172, 173, 174, 175, 188, 193, 194, 197, 225, 231, 259, 263, 314, 376 Fresh, distribution of 166 Fresh, notable fares of 157 Freeh, trade in 89, 147 Head oil 147,150,151 In Charleston market 510 In San Francisco market 618 Napes 172 Salt 139,146,231 Smoked 121, 133, 134, 139, 149, 225, 692 Smoked, exports of 167 Haliotis splendent 596 Hall & Pearsall 494 Hall & Thatcher 247 Hallstram, Charles W 210 Hamburg, Germany, imports from 137 Hamilton, Robert 81 Hamlet, California 619, 621 Hamlin, Hannibal, on Massachusetts fisheries 130 Hammonasset river, Connecticut 321 Hammond's bay, lake Huron 657 Hampton boat Ill Hampton, New Hampshire 678 Hampton Roads, Virginia 454,457 Hampton, Virginia 429,467 Hancock, Maine, fisheries of 31,32 Hand-line — Cod fishery 72,84,180,227 Fishery 388,390,395 Hard herring 20 Harding, Captain King 186 Hard-tails, pickled 568 Harlow, George 223 Harper's island, North Carolina 495 Harpswell, Maine — Canning industry of 79 Clam fishery of 79 Fisheries of 6,78 Lobster fishery of „. 79 Menhaden fishery of 78 Harrington, Maine, fisheries of 26 Harrington river, Maine 26 Harwich, Massachusetts — Page. Condition of fisheries in 1837 242 Mackerel fishery of... - 241 Mackerel fleet of, in 1851 116 Weir fishery of 241,242 Harwich Port, Massachusetts 241 HatchvUlo, Massachusetts 252,253 Hatteras inlet, North Carolina 497 Haul-seine fishery 316,354,388,395,463,484 Haul-seines 10, 13, 22, 29, 46, 53, 66, 120, 132, 223, 224, 254, 258, 263, 275, 284, 314, 413, 414, 415, 417, 418, 460 Havana market 539,544 Havens, W. S 354 Haverhill, Massachusetts 131 Ship-building at 134 Hawaiian islands, exports of fish to 207 Hawes, Jesse D 236 Hawk-billed turtle 491,525 Hawkins Brothers & Co 353 Ilawley, Wheeler 336 Haycock's harbor, Maine 20 Hay island, Connecticut 337 Hay ti, exports of fish to 205, 206, 207, 218 Hazard's State Papers 720 Hedges for alewives 67 nemilepidotus spinosus 612 Hemirhamphus unifastiatus 586 Herapstead bay, New York 347, 362, 372 Hempstead, New York 371 Ilrptranchias indicus 612 Hernando county, Florida 548 Herring — As anchovies 11 As fertilizer 14 As sardines 11,15,17,50 Canned 10,14,25,50 Catch of, in Maine 9 Catch of, in Massachusetts 118 Catch of, in New Hampshire 109 Dried 309,709 Early abundance at Salem 696 Exportsof 167 Fisheries of the great lakes 635,636,637,639, 640, 642, 643, 645, 647, 655, 657, 658, 659, 660, 663, 664, 665, 668 For bait 28,57,154,156,163,179 For halibut bait 157 For lobster bait 40 Former abundance in Maine 82 Fresh 89,119,133,138,139,183,188, 193, 196, 225, 255, 259, 263, 376, 650 Frozen 12, 17, 18, 19, 155, 161, 162, 164, 176, 194 Gill-nets . 99 Gut, Maine 55,56 Hard 20 In San Francisco 618 Inspection of 86 Method of packing 99 Oil 18,21,26,27,90,151,628 Pickled 1 1, 13, 16, 17, 19, 22, 29, 33, 37, 42, 47, 54, 55, 67, 73, 77, 93, 94, 95, 106, 121, 133, 139, 167, 172, 173, 183, 187, 191, 192, 225 Pickled, exports of 168,206 Pickled, imports of 207,208,209 INDEX TO FISHERY INDUSTRY. 757 Herring — Continued. Page. Pomace 18,26 Salted 10,618,640,656 Smoked 11, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 27, 28, 29, 32, 33, 34, 37, 38, 42, 47, 50, 54, 57, 65, 67, 70, 71, 77, 86, 87, 176, 191, 192, 309, 377, 615, 618, 627, 628 Smoked, exports of.... 167 Smoke-bouses 15,26,33,34,56,65,71 Smoking 12,20 Trade of Portland 91 Weirs 18,20,21,25,26,33,716 Herring fishery in — Bay of Islands 170,171 Connecticut river 319 Delaware 412,413,414 Grand Manan 170,171 Labrador 684 Magdalen islands 16 Maine 12,14,15,17,19,20,23,24,25, 26, 27, 28, 31, 32, 33, 34, 38, 39, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52, 56, 01, 65, 69, 71, 74, 84, 86, 92, 97,99,101,102 Massachusetts . . . 130, 134, 136, 142, 145, 161, 170, 172, 173, 174, 175, 176, 177, 186, 193, 196, 214, 238, 240, 252, 260, 268, 692, 720, 724, 735 Newfoundland 170,171 New Hampshire 111,112 New Jersey 390 North Carolina 478,480,481 Pacific coast 595, 596, 609, 612, 614, 626, 628, 629 Rhode Island 309 Virginia 456 Herring pond, Massachusetts 221,727 Herring river 234,729 Herrings, river 458,459 Hetterick, J. P 481 Hewlett's, New York 373 Hickory shad 517 Hick's island, New York 353 Higgins & Payne 353 Higgins, R. R 201 Higgins, S. R 278 Higginson, John, cited 123 Highland Park, New Jersey 383 Hildreth, Captain George 396, 398 Hiller, L 30 Hillsboro' county, Florida 540 Hingham, Massachusetts - :.... 214 Cod fishery of, from i?65 to 1790 127 History of fisheries of 714 Mackerel fleet of, in 1851 116 Sippogloasoides elassodon 627 Hippoglossoides exilis 611 Sippoglossoides jordani 611 Hippoglossus vulgarls 626 Hodgdon, Captain Thomas 137 Hodgdon's island, Maine 69 Hogfish 454,481,483,486,487 Hog Island, Isles of Shoals Ill Hog Island, Maine 87 Hog Island, Virginia 462 Hog Neck, New York 351 Holbrook, Smith 3, 554 Disposition of catch at 558 Fisheries of 556 Fishermen of 557 Fishing apparatus at 558 Gill-net fishing at 557 Seine fishing at 558 Ocor.to, lake Michigan 641 Ocracoke inlet, North Carolina 484 Odiorne's point, New Hampshire 110,677 Ogeechee river, Georgia *. 502, 514 Ogunquit harbor, Maine 100 Oil & Guano Association, Maine 61 Oil— Blackfish 121,151,713 Clothing for fishermen 212 Cod 145,150,285,679,692,708 Dogfish 150,172,233 Haddock-liver 150 Hake 150,172 Halibut-head 147,150,151 Herring 18,21,26,27,90,151,628 Medicine 172 Pollock-liver 150 Porgy 172 Sea-elephant •. . 314 Seal 592,594,602,626,630 Shark , 150, 151, 547, "94, 597, 598, 599, 605, 607, 623, 624 Sperm 116,121,187,189,226,229,259,264, 269, 270, 272, 315, 316, 713, 724 Spermaceti 130 Walrus .. 121 Oil— Continued. Page. Whale 30,116,121,130,139,151,226,230, 257, 259, 264, 269, 270, 272, 314, 315, 316, 518, 592, 593, 594, 602, 607, 699 Whale, production of, in 1880 116 Oil, fish- Imports of 207,208,209 In Washington territory 630 Manufacture of 569 On Pacific coast 592 - Statistics of, for great lakes . . 633, 639, 657, 663, 665 Statistics of, in Maine 11, 14,22,37,47,54,67, 73,78,90,93,94,95 Statistics of, in Massachusetts. . . . 120, 121, 129, 130, 131, 133, 134, 139, 150, 151, 170, 172, 173, 174, 176, 179, 180, 183, 188,216, 226, 255, 259, 264, 276, 694, 702, 707 Statistics of, in New Hampshire 106,109,110 Statistics of, in Oregon 625 Statistics of, in Rhode Island 284, 302 Oil, menhaden, factory 61 Oil, menhaden, in — Connecticut 314,324 Delaware 418 Maine 28,31,35,38,39,53,65,69,90 Maryland 428 Massachusetts 118,151,276 New Jersey 381,383 New York 343,353,354,369 Rhode Island 283,285,297 Virginia 458,460,461 Cil-works 230 At Loud's island, Maine 62 Okhotsk Sea cod fishery 593 Old Field point, New York 350 Old Greenwich, Connecticut 339 Old Man's pasture, off capo Ann 163 Old Orchard beach, Maine 96,97 Old Point, Virginia 457 Oldwives 428 Olivet's island, New Hampshire 109 Olympia, Washington territory 626 Olympic club 370 Ouancock, Virginia 461 Oncorh y.icli us chouicha 626, 627 Oncorliynchus gorbusuha 626 Oncorhi/nch us keta 626 Oncorhynchus kisutch 626 Oncorlujnclius nerka 626, 629 Ontonagon, lake Superior 636 Outonagon river 636 Oostburgh, lake Michigan 647 Oph iodon elongatus 612 Orange, Connecticut 330 Oregon — Fishery interests of 624, 625 General fisheries of coast of 625 Statistics of fisheries of 6M Oregon inlet, North Carolina 481,482 Orient hay, New York 351, 358, 359 Orient, New York 353,5159 Orient point, New York 351,354 Orland, Maine, fisheries of 44 Orleans, Massachusetts 239 Clam fisheries of, in 1802 725 768 INDEX TO FISHERY INDUSTRY. Orleans, Massachusetts— Continued. Page. Early history of 725 Mackerel fleet of, in 1851 116 Osmerus mordax 26 Osmtrus thalcichthys 612 Osterville, Massachusetts 248 Oswego fishermen 672 Oswego, New York 673 Otis, James, defense of the fisheries by 126 Ottawa, lake Erie 664 Otter, sea 592,504,602 Otter-skins 62 Overshore island, Connecticut 322 Owl's head, Maine 55 Oxford, Maryland 428,445,467 Oyster- Bedding, method of 237 Beds in Boston district 199 Beds of Chesapeake bay 469 Cannery 410 Canning 367,443,444 Carrying trade 223,224 Culture at New Haven 330 Culture in France 472 Culture in Taunton river 278 Dredging - 431 Interests of Rhode Island 285-294 Licenses 436 Packing 443,466,469 Peddling in Boston 199 Runners 440,465 Scraping 437 Steamers, introduction of 333 Tonging 437 Tonging licenses 439 Vessels 10, 53, 77, 107, 120, 178, 182, 187, 224, 314, 438, 441, 465, 4C6 Oyster bay, Florida..... 554 Oyster bay, New York 348 Oyster fishery in — Connecticut 308,313,318 Maine 10,53 Maryland 423,425 Massachusetts ... 118, 120, 178, 187, 223, 224, 234, 248, 249, 253, 272, 275, 712, 719, 725, 727, 731, 733 Mississippi 575 New Hampshire 110 New Jersey 381,384,386,392 New York 343, 345, 346, 347,348 North Carolina 481,487 Rhode Island 285 Texas 584 Virginia 451, 456, 457,460,461 Washi ngton territory 626, 629 Western Florida 552 Oyster industry — Statistics for Chesapeake bay 469 Statistics for Rhode Island 294 Oyster industry of — Alabama 571 Connecticut 313,321,325 Delaware 410 France 433 Great Britain 433 Oyster industry of — Continued. Page. Louisiana 579 Maryland 424,429,447,448 Massachusetts 117,181,264,205,277 New Hampshire 106, 110 New Jersey 399 N&w London, Connecticut 318 New York 348 North Carolina 478 Pennsylvania 403 Philadelphia 404 Virginia 464-473 Western Florida 555, 563, 567 Oyster planting in — Chesapeake bay 471 Connecticut 318,322,326 Massachusetts 239, 247, 248, 250, 266 Narragansett bay 287 Virginia 469 Oyster Pond point, New York 351,359 Oyster river, Connecticut 320, 334 Oyster-shells, utilization of 203 Oyster-shucking 468 Industry 445 Method of 181, 1?2 Oyster trade of — Boston 199,204 New Orleans 578 Wellfleet 236 Oystermen — Of Louisiana 580 Of Maryland 434,435,438 Of Virginia 464,465,466 Wages of 440,466 Oysters, price of, in — Alabama 571 Western Florida 553,568 Oysters, production of, in — Alabama 569 Connecticut 314 Delaware 411 Eastern Florida 523 Georgia 515 Gulf states 536 Louisiana 576 Maryland 424,442,448 Massachusetts 117, 121, 133, 139, 179, 188, 225, 263, 265, 276, 735 Mississippi 574 New Hampshire 106,109 New Jersey 382 New York 344, 345, 347, 349, 350, 351, 354, 357, 360, 361, 362, 366, 371, 372, 373 North Carolina 479,485 On Pacific coast 592,596,597,626 Pennsylvania 404 Rhode Island 284,285, 293 South Carolina 505 Texas 582 Virginia 452,462,469 Western Florida 537,551,566 Oysters, receipts of, at Boston 190,193 Oysters, transplanted 11,78 Oysters, transportation of 325 INDEX TO FISHERY INDUSTRY. 769 P. Pacific coast — Page. Fisheries, general statistics of 591 Fisheries of the 589-630 Fur-seal fishery of the 591 Marine salt industry of the 591 Salmon fisheries of the 591 Statistics of fisheries of the 592 Whale fishery of the 591 Pacific Guano Company 253 Palatka, Florida, fisheries of 529 Palniasolu bay, Florida — Fisheriesof 545 Mullet-curing at 545 Palmer, L 361 Palmer's river, Rhode Island 287 Palm Key, Florida, fishing and fish-curing at 546 Pamet harbor, Massachusetts 232 Pamlico eound, North Carolina 456 Fisheriesof 482,483,484 Qunhaug industry 484, 485 Terrapin fishery of 484 Panfish 662 Faralichth IJK denial us 586 raraliclithys maculosus 595 Paranzella fishery in California 608,609 I'arephippus faber 462 Parker's island, Maine 74 Parinlee, D. D 649 Paropliri/s rctuJus 611, 622, 627, 628, 629 Parsons, Captain Theodore 159 Pascagoula, Mississippi 575 Pasque island, Massachusetts 261 Pass a. Goille, Florida 549 Passaic river, New Jersey 384 Passamaqnoddy district — Herring fisheries in 12 Pollock fishery in 12 Review of fisheries of 11 Patchogue, New York 350, 366, 368 Patience island, Rhode Island 305 Pattee, W. L., Ilwtory of Ilraintrce and Quincy 712 Patterson, Cadile P 433 Patuxent river, Maryland 442 Pawcatuck river, Rhode Island 290,309,737 Pawtuxet, Rhode Island 304 Pawtuxet river, Rhode Island 737 Peak's Island, Maiue, lobster-grounds at 87 Pearls at Lynn, Massachusetts 710 Pearsall's, New York 373 Pebble's island, Maine 109 Pecho Raneho, California 601 Pecouic bay, New York 351,354 Peconio, New York 356 Peconic Oil Works 353 Peddlers, fish 89,147,148,504 Pedie river, South Carolina 508 Pejepscot Falls, Maine 79 Pemaquid, Maine 52 Pemaquid patent, Maine 60,64 Pemaquid point, Maine 62,69 Pembroke, Maine, fisheries of 18 Penmaqiian river, Maiue 18 Pennsylvania — Fisheries of 401-405 40 G R F Pennsylvania — Continued. Paso. Salt-water fisheriesof 404 Statistics of fisheriesof 403 Penobscot bay, Maine 35, 45 Penobscot, Maine, fisheries of 35, 44 Penobscot river, Maine 50 Penobscot salmon .49, 194 Peusacola, Florida — Fisheriesof 566 Fishing by pilots 5G7 Fresh-fish trade of 567 Lay of the fishermen 567 Oyster industry of 567 Statistics of fisheries of 568 Pensacola Ice Company 567 Pensaukee, lake Michigan 641 Pentagoet, Maine 43 Pent Water, lake Michigan 652 Pequonock river, Connecticut 318 Perca americana 360, 484 Perch- Abundance of, in Cnrritnck sound 480 At menhaden factory 383 Dried 628 F:rst appearance of 268 Fresh 119,133,172,225,259,263 Red 221,727 Sea 196 White 221,360,304,733 Yellow 360 Perch, catch of, in — Delaware 411 Massachusetts 118 San Diego county, California 595. Perch fishery in — Alabama 570"1 California. 620 ' Delaware 412,418 Louisiana 578 Maryland 425,426 Mississippi 575. New Jersey 390, 398- North Carolina 480,481,484; Rhode Island 30s, 310 Perch in — Jacksonville market 529 Lake Erie 664 Massachusetts 118, 712, 717, 734, 735 San Francisco market 618 Perkins cove, Maine, fishing station 100 Perkins, S. S 100 Perry, Maine 7, 15 Persons employed in fisheries, number of, in — Alabama 568 Alaska 630 California 593 Connecticut 313 Delaware 411 Eastern Florida 523 Georgia 514 Great lakes 633,638,657,659,672 Gulf states 536 Louisiana 575 Maine .... 10, 13, 21, 29, 36, 46, 53, 66, 72, 76, 33, 94, 95 Maryland 423 770 INDEX TO FISHERY INDUSTRY. Page. Persons employed iu fisheries, number of, in — Cont'd. Massachusetts 120, 132, 138, 178, 182, 187, 215, 224, 254, 258, 262, 275 Mississippi 574 New Hampshire 108 New Jersey 381 New York 343 North Carolina 478 Oregon C24 Pacific coast 592 Pennsylvania 403 Rhode Island 284 South Carolina 504 Texas 582 Virginia 451 Washington territory 625 Western Florida 536 Pescadero, California 603,606 Pesht igo point, lake Michigan 640 Petoskey, lake Michigan 654 Pettingell, Captain Moses 134 Petty, Sylvanus 355 Pew, Captain Henry 157 Philadelphia — Fisheries 404 Market for fresh fish 197 Oysters shipped .... 442,468 Phippsburg, Maine 74,76 Plioccena americana 490 PJiyds chtiss mid P. tennis 14 Phycis Earllii 507 Piankatank river, Virginia 457, 458, 460 Pickerel 221,354,360,648,734,735 Fresh 193,645 Salt 656 Pickled— Alewives.121, 188, 191, 192, 225, 255, 263, 276, 285, 314 Bluefisli 121,188,225,255,483,562,568 Cod 121,139,172,188 Cod, inspection of 86 Cod-tongues 121,139,172,188 Cod, trade in 91 Eels , 132,377 Haddock, trade in 91 Halibut-fins 121,139,172,188 Hard-tails 568 Jurels 568 Mullet 545,546,562,568 Oysters 573 Pompano 562,568 Redfish 568 Eoes 172 Salmon 79,172,191,192 Salmon, exports of 107 Sheepshead 562,568 Sounds 121,139,172,188 Spanish mackerel 568 Sturgeon 79,682 Sword fish .... 121 , 133, 139, 172, 176, 183, 188, 216, 225 Swordlisli, inspection of 86 Trout 172 Pickled fish- Barrels for packing 166,167 Bounty oil exports of 1C8 Pickled fish — Continued. Page. Exports of 167,204,205,200,217,218 Foreign trade in 125 In Maine. . 11,13, 18, 22, 29, 37, 47, 67, 77, 90, 94, 95, 90 In Massachusetts 119,121,130,134,137, 183,216,255,259 In New Hampshire 108 In North Carolina 483,487 Inspection of 148 Markets for consumption of 91 Method of preparing, in Florida 564 Receipts of, at Boston 192 Trade in, at Boston 190,191,19^ Trade in, at Gloucester .146,148 Pickled herring — Exports of 108, 20G Imports of 207,208,209 In Maine 11,13,16,17,19,22,29,33,37,42, 47, 54, 55, 67, 73, 77, 93, 94, 95 In Massachusetts 121, 133, 139, 167, 172, 173, 183,187,191,192,225 . In North Carolina 481 Method of packing 99 Pickled mackerel — Exports of 206 In Connecticut 314 In Maine ....11,22,29,37,47.54,67,73,77,93,94,95 In Massachusetts 1 17, 121, 130, 131, 133, 139, 146, 149, 152, 154, 167, 172, 173, 176, 179, 183, 186, 188, 192, 225, 226, 243, 692, 702, 707, 715, 727, 729 Inspection of 86 Method of packing 149 "Pickpockets", trading vessels called 240 Pidgeon, Captain S 361 Pierce's island, New Hampshire 109 Pigeon cove, Massachusetts 141 Pigeon Hill bay, Maine 27 Pigfish 493,586 Pike 354,360,618,636,638,641,642,643,649, 655, 658, 660, 661, 664, 667, 668, 673 Mud 364 Yellow 659 Pine island, Connecticut 317 Pine island, Massachusetts 267 Pine point, Maine 97 Fisheries of 96 Pino River, Massachusetts, oyster beds 201 ' ' Pink-sterns ", style of boat called 129 Piper, John D 24 Piscataqua, New Hampshire, early fisheries of... 105, 67? Piscataqua river 7,102,109,111 Plaice- Fish 361 Fishery 196 Fresh 193 Platt & Mallory 448 Pleasant bay, Maine 26 Pleasant river, Maine 25 Pleuronccles stdlatus 611,622,623,627,629 PleuronicJitliys coenosus 628 Plummer, John G 135 Plump-nets 652 Plymouth Company — Land in Maine granted to 7 Maine territory granted to 101 INDEX TO FISHERY INDUSTRY. 771 Plymouth district — Page. Defined 151 Exports of fish from 217,218 Review of 214 Statistics of cod fishery from 1815 to 1879. .. 216 Plymouth, Massachusetts — Alewife fishery of 721,723 Boneless fish at 222 Clam-digging at 222 Cod fishery of 127,723 Early history of 717 Eel fishery at 724 Fish as manure at 718 Fisheries of 127, 214, 221, 718, 720, 722 Fishery grants at 721 Free liberty to fish, at 718, 719 Lobster fishery of 222,718 Mackerel fishery of 116,722,723 Net-fishingat 719 Schools supported by fisheries 721 Shad-spawn at 718 Statistics of fisheries in 1879 215, 223 Water bay ley at 722 Whale fishery of 724 Pocasset, Massachusetts 249, 251 Pocomoke sound, Maryland 434 Pogonias vhromis 502,525,529,586 Pohegau fishery 171 Point a la Hache, Louisiana 578 Point aux Barques 659 Point Judith, Rhode Island, the fisheries of 308 Point Magu, California 598 Point of Pines, California 605 Point Reyes, California 609,019 Point Sable, lake Huron 657 Point Sau Pedro, California 620 Point Wagoshance 654 Pole harbor, Block island 302 Polish fishermen 643 Pollachius carbonarius 14 Pollock- Exports of 167 Roe of, for bait 152 Pollock, catch of, in — Massachusetts 118 New Hampshire 109 Pollock, dry, in — Maine .11, 13, 14, 22, 29, 37, 46, 53, 66, 73, 77, 93, 94, 95 Massachusetts 120, 133, 139, 167, 172, 183, 188, 192, 215, 225, 255, 259, 263, 692 Trade, at Portland -91 Pollock fishery in — Maine 12, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 23, 24, 84, 85, 98, 100 Massachusetts 164, 239, 246, 255, 691, 704, 708 Rhode Island 294 Pollock, fresh, in — Connecticut 314 Massachusetts 119,133, 138, 172, 179,183, 188,193,215,225,255 Pollock in — Massachusetts 176,724,735 Washington territory 027 Pollock-liver oil 150 Pomace, herring 18,26 Page. Pontadasys fulvomaculatus 493, 586 Pomatomus saltatrix 389, 462,481, 486,502 Pomham rocks, Rhode Island 289 Pomolobus vernalis 14 Pomoxys nigromaculatus 516 Pompano — Catch of, in western Florida 536, 537, 552, £61 Fishery 567,570,576 In Boston market 197 In California 600 In Texas 586 Pickled 562,568 Salted 564,565 Pond Quogue, New York 363 Pond Village, Massachusetts 232 Pope's island, Massachusetts 267 Popham and Gilbert at Pemaquid, Maine 60 Popham, Sir Francis, in Maine. 62 Porgee fishery in Virginia 462 Porgies — In South Carolina 508 On Long Island, New York 3E9, 360, 361 Porgy— Fishery 390, 463,507 Fresh 284, 314,376 Oil 172 Porichthys porosissimus 612 Porpoise — Bass 724 Fishery 296, 490,547 Gray 724 Streaked 724 Porpoise channel, New York 350 Portage entry, lake Superior 636 Port Blakeley, Washington territory 627 Port Clinton, lake Erie 664 Port Clyde- Cannery 52 Lobster cannery 56 Porte des Mortes, lake Michigan 646 Port Gamble, Washington territory 628 Port HarforJ, California 601 Port Hope, Michigan 659 Port Huron, Michigan 659 Port Jefferson harbor, New York ;.. 350 Port Jefferson, New York 350 Portland and Falmouth district — Review of fisheries of 76 Statistics of fisheries of 76 Portland, Maine — Boat fisheries of 85 Cod fishery of 83 Early fisheries of 81 Fish-curing at 85 Fishery interests of 81 Fresh-fish trade of 89 Haddock fishery of 83, 64 Haddock-smoking at.... 86 Halibut fishery of 83 Herring fishery of 84 Herring-smoking at 86 Inspection offish at 86 Lobster industry of 87, 88 772 INDEX TO FISHERY INDUSTRY. Portland, Maine— Continued. Page. Mackerel fishery of 83 Oysters shipped to 442,468 Portland, Maine, trade in- Dry fish at 90 Fish-oil at 90 Pickled fish at 90 Pickled mackerel. 91 Provisions and outfits 90 Vi ssel-fisheries of 83 Portland Packing Company 88 Port Ludlow, Washington territory 628 Tort Madison, Washington territory 628 Port Momnouth, New Jersey 383 Port Ontario, New York 672,673 Porto Rico, fish exports to 167,205 Port Royal and Beaufort, SoutlrCarolina, fisheries of 510 Port Royal sound, South Carolina, drum fishery of. 511 Port Sanilae, Michigan 659 Portsmouth district, statistics of fisheries of 106 Portsmouth, New Hampshire — Cod fishery of 109 Early fisheries of 679,688 Early history of 678 Fisheries of 109,679 Haddock- smoking 87 Mackerel fishery of 109 Oyster industry of 106,110 Present condition of fisheries of 109 Portsmouth, Rhode Island 283,286 Menhaden industry of 297 Port Townsend, Washington territory 626,628 Portugal- Early trade with 679 Exports of fish to 124,217,700 Portugal cove, Newfoundland, squid at 160 Portuguese — Fishermen 146, 214, 231, 604, 608, 627 Whalemen 601 Portuguese land, California 597 Port Washington, lake Michigan 647 Port Washington, New York 347 Potomac river 460 Oysters 291,442 Potoworaut river, Rhode Island 291 Poultneyville, New York 673 Pound-net fishery in — Connecticut 317, 319, 321 Massachusetts 272 New Jersey '. ... 383, 387, 388, 389, 397, 398 New York 345, 351, 352, 358, 359, 360, 374, 375 North Carolina 481,489 Rhode Island 295, 297, 208, 303, 304, 306,307,309,310 Texas 585 Virginia 454, 457, 458, 459, 460, 463 Western Florida 5.18 Pound-net fishery of — Lake Erie 662, 663, 664,605,666, 068 Lake Huron 657, 658 Lake Michigan 639, 640, 641, 642, 643, 644, 045, 646, 647, 648, 649, 651, 652, 653, 655 Lake Ontario C73 Lake Superior 635,636,637,638 Ponud-ncts — Page. Manufacture of 320 Statistics of 284, 314, 343, 381, 383, 385, 393, 423, 424, 429, 451, 452, 476, 479, 504, 514,633,634, 638, 655,657,659,672 Pounds — Alewife 57 Fish 61,120,164 Powaget pond, Rhode Island 289 Po wnalboro', Maine 70 Pratt's History of Eastliam, WeUJleet, and Orleans.. 727 Prawn — At Fernaudina, Florida 525 Catch of, on Pacific coast 594, 618, 624 Fishery 494,526 For drum-bait 512 In San Francisco market 618 Prawns, English 197 Preston Brothers 383 Price & Co., T. F 353 Price's Neck, Rhode Island 298 Prince Edward island, imports from 207 Prince's New England Chronology 720 Princess Anne county, Virginia 453,465 Privateers manned by fishermen 124 Proctor, George H 172 Products of fisheries, statistics for — Alabama 569 Alameda county, California 624 Alaska 630 Barnstable district 224 Bath district 72 Belfast district 46 Boston district 187 California 594 Castine district 37 Connecticut 314 Delaware 411 Del Norte county, California 624 Eastern Florida 523 Edgartown district 259 Fall River district 275 Frenchman's Bay district 29 Georgia 515 Gloucester district 137, 138 Great lakes 633 Gulf states 536 Humboldt county, California 624 Kennebnnk district 94 Lake Erie. 660 Lake Huron 657 Lake Michigan 639 Lake Ontario 672 Lake Superior 634 Louisiana 576 Machias district 22 Maine 10 Marbleheiid district 183 Marin county, California " <>~4 Maryland 424 Massachusetts 118 Mendocino county, California 624 Monterey county, California 607 Nautucket district 254 New Bedford district .. 262 INDEX TO FISHERY INDUSTET. 773 Products of fisheries, statistics for— Continued. Page. Newburyport district 132 New Hampshire 108 New Jersey 381 New York 344 North Carolina 479 Oregon G25 Pacific coast 592 Passainaquoddy district 13 Pennsylvania 403 Plymouth district 215 Portland and Falinouth district 77 Rhodelsland 284 Saco district 93 Salem and Beverly district 178 San Francisco county, California 618 San Luis Obispo county, California 602 San Mateo county, California 607 Santa Barbara county, California G02 Santa Cruz county, California 607 Sonoma county, California 624 South Carolina 505 Texas 582 Virginia 451,452,454 Waldoboro' district 53 Washington territory 626 Western Florida 536 WTiscasset district 66 York district 95 Products of sea fisheries, statistics for — Eastern Florida 524 North Carolina 480 South Carolina - 505 Promised Land, New York 353,360 Prospect harbor, Maiue 30 Protection of fisheries 126 Prouts Neck, Maine 97 Providence county, Rhode Island 303 Providence, Rhode Island 283, 286, 288, 442 Oysters shipped to 468 Providence river, Rhode Island 283, 287, 305 Provineetown, Massachusetts 226 Bluefish fishery of 228 Cod fishery of 127,227 Fisheries of 127,226 General^description of . 226 Hake fishery of 228 Lobster fishery of 229 Mackerel fishery of 116,227 Review of fisheries of, I860 to 1870 230 Whale fishery of 115,229 Provisions used on vessels 169, 170 . Prudence island, Rhode Island 298,305 Ptettichthys melanostictus 611 Pseudorlwmbiis dentatus 525 Public service of fishermen 128 Pnnta Alones, California 603 Purchase, Thomas, settlement in Maine 79 Pnrissima, California 606 Purity creek, Florida 554 Purse-seine — • First used by Maiue fishermen 65 Fishery for blnefish 239 Fishery for roekfish 482 luveutiou of .. 355 Purse-seines — Page. Mackerel ..40,57,63 Menhaden 159 Purse-seines, number and value of, in — Connecticut 314 Maine ,.10,13,29,37,46,53,66,77 Maryland 423,429 Massachusetts 120, 132, 138, 153, 178, 183, 187,215,224,263,275 New Hampshire 108 New Jersey 381 New York 343 North Carolina 479 Rhodelsland 284 Virginia 451,460 Put-in bay, lake Erie 664 Puy allup river, Washington territory 627 Quahaug bay, Maine 79 Quahaug fishery in — Maine 79 Massachusetts ... 234, 239, 248, 256, 265, 269, 270, 725 New Jersey 381,388,392 New York 381 North Carolina 481,491 Rhodelsland 296,305 Virginia 462 Q uahaug fishery, northern limit of 79 Quahaugs — Canned 484 In Maryland 429 In Massachusetts 121, 199, 225, 255, 259, 263, 267, 724, 734, 735 In New Jersey 383,393 In Rhode Island 284 Quarnquesset harbor, Massachusetts 253 Quartermaster's harbor, Washington territory 627 Quereau Bank halibut fishery 157 Quereau cod fishery 61,68,69 Quincy, Massachusetts 213,712,713 Quiuepiac river, Connecticut 325,326 Quinnault, Washington territory 629 'Quisset harbor, Massachusetts 253 Quogue, New York 363 Quonochontaug pond, Rhode Island 308 R. Racino, lake Michigan 648 Rackett, Captain Willard 359 Ragged Edge Oil Works 353 Ragged island, Maine 56 Railways, marine 69 Ramea island, halibut fishery at 157 Ranger Oil Company 353 Rappahannock River oysters 456 Rap pahannock river, Virginia 457, 458, 460, 467 Rathbun, Richard 613 Rawlins, D. L 448 Raynor&Co., J. M 353 Razor-clams 367,374,596,725 Razor-fish 199,268 Razor-shells 724 Red Brook harbor, Massachusetts 251 Red drum, fresh 486 774 INDEX TO FISHERY INDUSTRY. Page. Rcdfin fishery 484,567,570,596 Redfish 552,555,556,561,574,583, 584, 585, 586, 595, 597, 600 Pickled 568 Salted 564 Red perch 221 Red SDappers 510, 517, 518, 525, 535, 536, 548, 577 Catch of, iu Alabama 569 Catch of, in gulf of Mexico 536 Catch of, in Louisiana 576 Catch of, in western Florida 537 Fishery 507,566 In Boston market 193, 196 Redwood City, California 606 Reed.n.G 219 Refrigeration of fish 376,654,660 Refrigerator-cars 567, 640 Refrigerators 197 Rehohoth bay, Delaware 409,416 Rehoboth beaw.. Delaware 416 Rhode Island — Early history of 736 Fisheries of 283-310 Geueral re vie w of 283 Mackerel fishery of 116, 716 Oyster interests of 285-294 Statistics of fisheries for 1880 284 Richmond county, Virginia 465 Richmond's island, Maine 81 Ridgewood, New York 372 Riggs, W. K 74 Riggs cove, Maine 74 River bass 664 Ri verdale, Massachusetts 143 River fisheries — Depletion of, in Massachusetts 136 Product of, in New York 344 River fisheries of — Delaware 411 Eastern Florida 523 Georgia 515 Maine 9,47,55,74,75,83,97,102 Maryland 423, 424 North Carolina 479 South Carolina 505 Virginia 451,452,457 Riverhead, New York 345,354 Roach 734 Roanoke island, North Carolina — Fisheries of 481 Terrapin fishery of 482 Roanoko river, North Carolina 478 Robalo 586 Robbiuston, Maine, fisheries of 15 Robert Pettis 289 Robinson, Edward 251 Robinson, J. P. & G. C 90 lioccua americanus 360,547 Roccus lincatm 360,386, 390, 395, 481 K'liclicstcr, Massachusetts 267,734 Rockaway beach, New York 373 Rookaway, New York 372 Rock bass 268,274,735 Rock cod — pagc. Catch of (HO Fishery 609,615 Rock fishery in — Delaware 418 Georgia 516 Maryland 425,426 New Jersey 390,398 North Carolina 481,482,484 Rockfish 385, 480,596,597,604, 605, (118 Orange 6'J7 Salt 627 Rockfish fishery, in — California CU9, (>!!> Washington territory , 629 Rockland, Maine — Fisheries of 54, ,".."> Haddock-smoking -T Rockport, Maine, fisheries of 4'J Rockport, Massachusetts 115,141,103 Isinglass industry at 142 Mackerel fleet of, in 1851 1.16 Rockport, Texas 586 Rock trout 604 Rockville Centre, New York 373 Rocky Point, New York 351,:;:>- Rocky Point, Rhode Island 305, 308, 309 Roe, fish, for sardine-bait 151,152 Roe, sturgeon 503,510,518 Roes, mullet 494,495,541,544 Rogue island, Maine 24 Rogue River salmon fishery 025 Roucador 595, .197 Roncadore fishery 596 Ronco Roosevelt, Robert B 368 Roslyn, New York 347 Round pond, Maine 59, Cl Rowayton, Connecticut 337 Oyster industry of 339 Rowe, li. C 331 Rowley, Massachusetts, ship-buildiug at 134 Rowley's point, lake Michigan 646 Roxaua, Delaware 418 Rudder-fish 735 Rumstick point, Rhode Island ^ 288 Russian river, California 619 Russian sardines 10, 13, 25 Rye, New Hampshire 678 8. Sabine, Lorenzo, cited 62,122,131,189,677 Sabine's point, Rhode Island : 289 Sable Island cod fishery 70 Sachem's Head, Connecticut 324 Sachnest beach, Rhode Island 297,298 Sachnest neck, Rhode Island 296, 298 Sackett's Harbor, Now York 672, 673 Saco bay, Maine, fisheries of 97 Saco district — Fisheries of 92 Statistics of fisheries of -'- 92, 93 Saco river, Maine- Sacramento River salmon fishery 59s INDEX TO FISHERY INDUSTRY. 775 Page. Saddle-rock oysters 203,338 Sagadahoc, Maine 52,60 Sag Harbor, New York 353,354,361 Saginaw bay, lake Huron 658 Sagua la Grande 544 Sail-making 145,241 Sailor's choice 525,529,552,554 Sails, quantity of cotton used for 170 Saint Andrew's bay, Florida — History of fisheries of 5(14 Present fisheries of 565 Saiut Andrew's bay, New Brunswick 15 Saint Ann's, squidding at 159 Saint Augustine, Florida — Early settlement of 525 Extent of fisheries of 526 Green-turtle fisheries of 526 Primitive condition of fisheries of 525 Shrimp fishery of 526 Saint Clair river 659 Saint Croix river, Maine 14, 15 Saint George, Maine, fisheries of ...52, 54,55,60 Saint George river, Maine 55,57 Saint George's sound, Florida 559 Saint Helena sound 507 Saint James, New York 350 Saint John's, Newfoundland, captured 126 Saint John's river, Florida — Description of 522 Fisheries of , 528 Saint Jones' creek 412 Saint Joseph, lake Michigan 651 Saint Joseph's bay, Florida 561 Saint Louis, market for fresh fish 197 Saint Mark's river, Florida — Fisheries of 554 Methods of fishing at 554 Mullet-fishing at 555 Oyster-beds in 555 Winter fishing at 555 Saint Mary's river, Florida 525 Saint Michael's, Maryland 467 Statistics of oyster-packing 445 Saint Peter's Bank halibut fishery 157 Saint Pierre, sales of squid at 159, 160 Saiut Sebastian river, Florida 525 Saint Simon's, Georgia 518 Saint Simon's sound, Georgia 518 Saint Vincent's sound 559 Sakounet Point oysters 287 Sakonnet Point, Rhode Island 2T3,294,295 Sakonnet river, Rhode Island 296,298 Salem and Beverly district — Fisheries of. 178 Statistics of fisheries of 178 Salem, Massachusetts — Early history of fisheries of 123, 127, 695, 698,701,702 Fish and oil at, in 1687 699 Fisheries injured by war 699 Fisheries of 127,180,181,699 Grants of land to fishermen at 697 Mackerel fleet of, in 1851 116 Sa]em, Massachusetts — Continued. Page. Oyster industry of 181,182 Trouble with Indians at 698, 700 Saliua, Louisiana 579 Salinas ranch, California 597 Salisbury, Massachusetts — Boat-building at 131,134 Mackerel fleet of, in 1851 11G Ship-building at 134 Salisbury point, Massachusetts 134 Salmon — Canned 591,592,6:5,629 Catch of, in Massachusetts 118 Catch of, on Pacific coast 591,625,626,630 Dog 627 Former abundance of 1"2, 6rf5 Frozen, in Boston market 197 Gill-nets 195 Hooped 629 Pickled 79,172,191,192 Pickled, exports of 167 Salt 618,626,627 Silver 628 Smoked 377,018 Sucheye 629 Weirs 48,76 Salmon fishery iu — California 598,603,604,609,614,619' Lake Ontario 673 Maine 14, 15, 45, 47, 48, 49, 74, 79, 80, 97, 102 Massachusetts 130, 132, 136, 27;! Oregon - 6'25 Pacific coast 591,503 Rhode Island 296 Washington territory 620, 627 , 628 Salmon, fresh — In Boston market 19.), 194, 197 In Massachusetts......... 119, 138,193,194,197,225 In Rhode Island £84 On Pacific coast 618,625,623,630 Trade in, at Portland 89 Salmon river, Labrador 135,684 Sahnon-trout 191 , 192, 193, 196, 453, 488, 627 Fishery 487 Salmo purpuratua 627 Salmo salar 14 Sail- Cadiz 36, -234 Consumption of, in Massachusetts fisheries . . 120 Fish 494,633,634,636,638,630,057,660 Fish trade 247,486,567 For curing codfish 84,234 For curing mullet 559 For fish-curing 75,90,130,144,170,234,695,724 Halibut fishery 146, 147 Imports of 44,167,168,169 Industry 209,210,253,591 Liverpool :;«, 234 Manufacture of marine 127, 258, 273, 569, 597, 715, 717,729,730,734 Marine t ..121,226,592,594 Quantity of, taken on voyages 169 Syracuse 234 Used in the fisheries. . 129, 210, 211, 242, 694, 698, 707 776 INDEX TO 7ISHBEY INDUSTRY. Salted— Page. Anchovies 603 Salmon 626 Salter's island, New Hampshire 109 Salt-works in Alameda county, California 619 Salt-works, marine, in Massachusetts 127,685,728 732 Salvelinus malma 627 Samoset, deed of land from Indian CO San Buenaventura, California 598 Sand beach 659 San Diego county, California 595, 599 San Domingo, exports of fish to 205, 200 Sand, sea, gathered at Salisbury point 134 Sand sharks 268,547 Sandusky, Ohio 664 Sandwich, Massachusetts 248 Alewife fishery of 249,730,731 Early fisheries of 730 Fisheries of, from 1802 to 1862 731 Oyster industry of 249-252,731 Oysters 202 Whale fishery of 730 Sandy bay, Massachusetts 141, 163,691 Sandy Hook bay, New Jersey 392 Sandy hook, New Jersey 384,388 Sandy neck, Massachusetts 245 Sandy point, Rhode Island 306,309 Sanford, Florida 530 San Francisco, California — Cod fishery of 593 Fisheries in 1875 614 Fish market 608,613 Fish shipped to 604, 606,621 Herring fishery of 615 Prej udice against Chinese at 617 Shrimp fishery of 616 Statistics of fish trade of 618 Sturgeon fishery of 616 Whaling fleet in 1880 115 San Francisco county, California — Chinese fisheries of 612 Crab fishery of 613 Fishermen of 608 Fishing boats of 608 Paranzella fishing in 609 Rock-cod fishing in 609 Sea-turtle fishery of 613 Shrimp fishery of 612 Statistics of fisheries of 618 Terrapin fishery of 613 San Gregorio, California 606 San Juan, Washington territory 628 San Luis Obispo county, California 599,601 Statistics of fisheries of 602 Sau Luis Rey river, California 598 San Mateo county, California 603,606 Statistics of fisheries of 607 San Pedro, California 597,619 San Rafael, California 619 San Simeon, California 601 Santa Barbara, California 599,600 Santa Barbara county, California 599 Statistics of fisheries of (502 Santa Clara county, California 603 606 Page. Santa Cruz county, California 603,605 Statistics of fisheries of 607 Santa Cruz island, California 599 Santa Monica, California 597 Santa Rosa island, California 599 Santeo river, South Carolina 508 Sarasota bay, Florida — Fisheries of 542 Method of curing mullet roes 544 Mullet-curing at 544 Sarda mediterranea 389 Sardine canneries in Maine 15,21,25,26,33,50 Sardine industry of Maine 10, 12, 17, 18, 20 Sardines 595 For bait C09 Herring as 15 Quantity canned in Maine 18 Russian 10,11,25 Sargus HolbrooHi 507 Satilla River fisheries 502 "Saturday Night", fishing-ground called 163 Saugatuck river, Connecticut 336 Saugers 663,664 Saugertauk, lake Michigan 651 Saugus river, Massachusetts, clams in 198, 709, 710 Sault de Sainte Marie, lake Superior 637 Saunderstown, Rhode Island 307 Savannah, Georgia 501 , 504 As a commercial center 516 As a fishing town 516 Coast fisheries of 516 Fish trade of 517 Fresh- water fisheries of 516 Shad fishery of 516 Shrimp fisheries of 516 Vessel-fisheries of 516 Savannah river, Georgia 502,514 Saw- fish 527 Sawyer's island, Maine (>!> Saybrook, Connecticut - 319 Sayville, New York 366,368 Scale-fish 154,700 Scallop fishery in — Massachusetts . . .246, 247, 265, 269, 270, 271, 272, 277 Now York 347,348,351,353,354,355, 356, 357, 358, 360, 362, :!?:', North Carolina 492 Rhode Island 304,305,306 Scallops — In Boston market 193, 199 In California 597 Statistics of production of.... 121, 225, 259, 263, 265, 276, 284, 285, 304, 305, 306, 345, 347, 348, 351, 353, 354, 355, 356, 357, 358, 360, 362, 373, 376 Scarboro' beach, Maine, clam-digging at 96 Scarboro' clams 96 Scarboro', Maine 97 Schools, free, supported by fisheries 222,223 Schooner, origin of 689 Scicenaoccllata 486,502,525,529,585 Scituate, Massachusetts — Fisheries of 127,219 History of 715 INDEX TO FISHERY INDUSTRY, 777 Scituate, Massachusetts— Continued. Page. Irish-moss industry at 214,219 Mackerel fishery 116, 716, 717 River fisheries of 716 Scomlxromorua maculatus 389, 416, 462, 484, 486 Scomber scombrus 24,88 Sconticut Neck, Massachusetts 267 Scoop-nets 577 ScorpcBva gvttata 596 Scot eli fishermen 566 Of Gloucester 146 Scotland, exports offish to 207 Scow-banking for mackerel 195 Scrauton, Mississippi : 573 Scraping oysters 437 Scrawls 390 Scudder, N. &W 246 Sculpins , 612 Scnlpins for lobster-bait 40,141,165 Scnp — At Fairhaven, Massachusetts 268 In New York 363 Scnp, catch of, in — Connecticut 314,316 Massachusetts 118, 225, 255, 263 Rhode Island 284 Scnp fishery in— Maine 102 Massachusetts . . .196, 243, 244, 245, 247, 248, 252, 253, 255, 256, 260, 262, 267, 269, 271, 273, 731, 735 Rhode Island-294, 295, 298, 299, 301, 303, 304, 307, 309 Scnp, fresh, in — Connecticut 314 Massachusetts 119, 193, 225, 255, 259, 263 NewYork 376 Khode Island 284 Sea bass 118,316,394,411,600,605 Fishery . . 247, 248, 253, 258, 260, 262, 307, 390, 403, 404 Fresh 119,138,193,225,284 314 In San Francisco market 618 Seabright, New Jersey 387 Seabrook, New Hampshire, fisheries of Ill Sea clams 121, 199, 225, 241, 255, 259, 263, 367, 374 Sea-elephant fishery 313,314,316 Seaford, Delaware 410,441,442,448 Seaford, New York 372 Sea-gulls for bait 156 Seal— Fishery 41,262,313,315,683 Flesh 592,630 Oil 592,594,602,626,630 Skins, fur 314,592,599,626,630 Sealing vessels 120,263,314 Sea-lion 601 Seal Island ground 8,50 Cod fishery on 175 Sea-mnllct 486 Sea-otter skins 592,594, 602,630 Sea-porch 196 Sea-robin 268 Sears, Captain Edward 127 Sears, Captain John, salt manufacturer 127 Sears, Reuben, salt manufacturer 127 Searsport, Maine, fisheries of 47 Sea trout 304,567,583,584 Page. Seattle, Washington territory 627,627 Seatuck cove, New York 364. Sea turtle 596 Seavey's island, Maine 109 Seaweed 69, 121, 133, 137, 142, 179, 183, 188, 216 226, 259, 264, 268, 383, 592, 594, 603, 607 Sebascodegan island, Maine 79 Scbastivktliys melanops 627 Sebastich thys pinniger 627 Sedgwick, Maine, fisheries of 41 Seekonk oysters 290 Seekonk river, Rhode Island 291, 292 Seine fishery 306, 390, 481, 553, 570, 635, 636 637, 638, 647, 648, 656, 661, 666 Seines — Cod..., 135 Haul 10,13,22,29,46,53,66, 120, 132, 223, 224, 254, 258, 263, 275, 284, 314, 413, 414, 415, 417, 418, 460 In fisheries of great lakes 633, 634, 638, 657, 659, 672 Manufacture of 213 Purse 10,13,29,37,46,53, 66, 77, 108, 120, 132, 138, 153, 159, 178, 183, 187, 215, 224, 263, 275, 284, 314, 343, 381, 423, 429, 451, 460, 479 Selby ville, Delaware 410 Sellmau, Henry 50 Seres 268 Seriola carolinensis 507 Serranus atrarius 390, 394, 493, 502, 506, 507, 511, 525 Setauket harbor, New York 350 Setauket, New York 350 Sewell's Point, Virginia 1 453 Sliack-bait for cod 156 Shad- Drift-nets 375 Early abundance in Merrirnack river 132 Former abundance of 48, 132 Fresh 119,133,138,195,259, 263, 276, 284, 314, 376, 477 Fresh, in Boston market 193, 195, 197 From bay of Fundy 195 From Saint John river 195 Frozen 197 Fykes 374,375 Gizzard 484,485,530 Hick 517 In San Francisco market 618 In Saugns river 710 Method of packing 319 Pickled 191,192 Spawning of 320 White .- 517 Shad, catch of, in — Connecticut 314 Delaware 404,411 Eastern Florida 523 Georgia 515,518 Maryland 424 Massachusetts 118, 188, 225, 263, 276 New Jersey 382,389 New York 344, 345,347 North Carolina '. 479,495 778 INDEX TO FISHERY INDUSTRY. Shad, catch of, iu— Continued. Page. Rhode Island 284 South Carolina 504,505 Virginia 452,458,459 Shad fishery in — California 605 Connecticut 317,319,321,332 Delaware 412,413,414 Eastern Florida 528,530 Georgia 514,516,517 Maine 74,75 Maryland 427 Massachusetts 130, 132, 136, 240, 252, 258, 265, 273,275,276,686,710, 711, 712, 716, 721, 735 New Jersey 383,384,390 New York 345, 346, 358, 373, 374, 375, 376 North Carolina 478,481,482,483, 484,485,487,489,492 Pennsylvania 403 Rhode Island 283,294,303,308 South Carolina 502,506,507 Virginia 451,456, 457, 460, 463 Shagwong point, New York 352 Shaler, Prof. N. S., on geology of George's shoals.. 8 Shallops in Massachusetts 124 Shapleigh's island, New Hampshire 109 Shark-fins 594,599,607,614,618 Dried 598 Shark- Fishery 269, 547, 597, 598, 615, 623, 629 Oil . . 150, 151, 547, 594, 597, 598, 599, 605, 607, 623, 624 Shark river, New York 385,391,392 Sharks 570,578,585,605,735 Black 724 Man-eating 724 Shovel-nosed 724 Sharp-nose sturgeon 502 Sheboygan, lake Michigan 647 Shedding-troughs 428 Sheepscott bay, Maine 71 Sheepscott, Maine 60 Sheepscott river, Maine 68,69,70 Sheepshead — Catch of, in Delaware 411 Fresh 193 Pickled 562,568 Salted 487,564 Sheepshead fishery in — Alabama 570 Maryland 427 New Jersey 395 New York 347 North Carolina 485 Pensacola, Florida 567 Virginia 454,462,463 Sheepshead in — Alabama 574 Eastern Florida 525,529 Georgia 517 Maryland 427 Massachusetts 196,268,731,733,735 New York 389,394 South Carolina 502,511 Texas 583,584,586 Sheepshead in — Continued. I'age. Virginia 459,459 Western Florida 548, 552, 554, 555, 561 Sheffield pond, Rhode Island 307 Shell lobsters 34 Shells, oyster, utilization of 203 Shelter island, New York 351,358 Shinnecock bay, New York 352,362 Ship-building — By colonists 122 In Maine 26,59,61,65,68,69,71,72,74,75,80,99 In Massachusetts 132, 134, 140, 145, 685 Shoahvater bay, Washington territory 629 Shoremen, statistics of 451, 452, 479, 504, 505, 514, 515, 523, 536, 568, 574, 575, 582, 592, 594, 624, 625, 630 Shore whale fishery in — California 596, 597, 601, 602, C04 Maine 30 Massachusetts 230 North Carolina 490 Shredded cod 377 Shrewsbury, New Jersey, oyster industry of 386 Shrewsbury river, New Jersey 385,387,389,391 Shrimp 492,516,518,525,535,624 Canned : 685 Dried 618 In Boston market 19:), 197 In San Francisco market 618 Method of drying 612 Shrimp, catch of, in — California 594.G1.S Eastern Florida 523,524 Georgia 515 Gulf states 53G Louisiana 576 North Carolina 479,480,495 South Carolina 505 Texas 582 Shrimp fishery in — California 608,612,616,620 Eastern Florida 526 Georgia 516 Louisiana 576 North Carolina 484,494 South Carolina 504,509,511 Texas 587 Shucked clams 25, 42 Shuckfish for bait 307 Shumagin Islands cod fishery 59:> Siasconsett, Massachusetts 255 Sicilian oystermen 58ft Silver gar £54 Simouson & Co., A 376 Sinclair, Captain Peter 155 Sinnepuxeut bay, Maryland 425 Sippican, Massachusetts 265 Sippican river, Massachusetts 7: !4 Siscoes 673 Siscowet 636,637 Skate 268,383,724 In San Francisco 618 Skinner, Floyd R 365,369 Skins, fish — For glue 119,142 Utilization of 149,150 INDEX TO FISHEEY INDUSTRY. 779 Poge. Skipjacks 493,508,566,735 Skipper creek, Florida 554 Sladcsville, North Carolina 484 Slaughter beach, Delaware 414 Smackmen, lobster 59 Smacks — Fishing 566 Key West 538 Small point, Maine 09 "Smear", Texas fish called 586 Smelt 188,193,259,263,595,716,731,735 Canned 121,188,197,198 Fresh 119,138,179,195,284,314,376 Frozen 195 In San Francisco market 618 Smoked : 377 Smelt, catch of, in — California 597,600 Connecticut ,* 317 Massachusetts 118, 119 Rhode Island 284 Smelt fishery in — California 596,604,609,615,619 Connecticut 316, 317 Maine 26,43,44,45,48,55,59,61,64,67,75 Massachusetts 195,2-16,710 New Jersey 384 Rhode Island 308,309 Smith & Co., Jonas 353 Smith isles, Isles of Shoals Ill Smith River salmon fishery 593, 623 Smith's point, New York 367 Smith town bay, New York 350 Smithtown, New York 350 Smith ville, North Carolina 493 Smoked — Alewives 121, 225, 248, 276, 285, 296, 297, 709 Bluefish 121,255 Eels 377 Haddock 11,14,17,18,47,77,86,87 Haddock, origin of, in America 87 Halibut ....121, 133, 134, 139, 149, 167, 225, 618, 692 Herring, exports of 167 Herring, production of, in Maine 11, 12 Mackerel 377 Salmon 377,618 Smelt : .... 377 Sturgeon 377, 650, 651, 663, 666, 668, 670 Whitefish 649,650 Smoked fish — Exports of 205 In Maine 11,14,22,29,37,47,67 In Massachusetts. 119, 121, 130, 137, 139, 191,225,276 In New York 377 In North Carolina 485 Production of great lakes fisheries 633, 639, 646, 647, 660 Trade of Boston in 190-192 Trade of Gloucester in 146,149 Smoked herring in — Belfast district 47,50 Boston district 191, 192 California 615,618 Smoked herring iri — Continued. Page. Castine district 37, 38, 42 Frenchman's Bay district 28, 29, 32, 33, 34 Gloucester district 176 Machias district 22,23,26,27 New York 377 Passamaquoddy district 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 Portland district 77,86,87 Rhode Island 309 Waldoboro' district 54, 55, 57, 65 Washington territory C27, 628 Wiscasset district 67, 70, 71 Smoke-houses — Halibut 149 Herring 19, 20, 21, 33, 34, 56, 65, 70, 71 Smutty Nose island, Isles of Shoals Ill Snapper ba,nks, Florida 567 Snow, Franklin 190 Snow Hill. Maryland 425 Snows, fishing 701,705 Snuff Box island, New Hampshire 109 Sole fishery 622 Soles in San Francisco 618 Somerset county, Maryland 437, 438 Somerset, Massachusetts 251, 278 Somerset Oyster Company 278 Somerset oysters 277 Sonoma county, California ,...619,624 Soquel, California 605 Sounds — Cod 142,179,679,694,702,707 Cod, exports of 167 Fish 11,14,18,37,47,54,67 Fish, dried 22, 73, 78, 93, 94, 95, 119, 121, 133, 136, 139, 142, 151, 183, 188, 211, 216, 226 Hake 142,162,163 Pickled 121,139,172, 188 Squeteague 285 Trout 489 Weakfish 142 South America, fish imports from 137 Southampton, New York 351,362 South Bristol, Maine, cod fisheries of 61 South Carolina — Ale wife fishery of 504 Fisheries of 499, 501 River fisheries of., 505 Sea fisheries of 504 Shad fishery of 504 Statistics of fisheries of 504 Statistics of sea fisheries of.... 505 Sturgeon fishery of 504 South Carolina and Georgia — Boat-fisheries of 502 Description of coast of 501 Sturgeon fishery of • 502 Terrapin fishery of 503 South channel cod fishery 154, 194 South channels, fisheries in 129 South Chatham, Massachusetts 240 South Chicago, Illinois 649 South Dartmouth, Massachusetts 273 Southern mackerel fishery 65, 145 South Ferry, Rhode Island 307 780 INDEX TO FISHERY INDUSTRY. Page. South Frecport, Maine 81 South Georgia islands 316 South Harwich, Massachusetts 241 South Haven, lake Michigan 651 South Kingston, Rhode Island 286 South Norwalk, Connecticut 332 Oyster business of 337 Southold, New York 351,357 South Orleans, Massachusetts 239 South Oyster bay, New York 362,371 Southport, Maine 65,68,70,71 South Shetland islands 316 South Side Sportsman's Club 369 South Thomaston, Maine, fisheries of 54, 55 South Truro, Massachusetts, fisheries of 232 Southwest harbor, Maine 34 Southwest pass, Louisiana 579 South Yarmouth, Massachusetts : 245 . Spain, fish exports to ....62,124,130,135,679, 682, 693, 696, 700, 705 Spanish fishermen 504, 566, 608 Spanish mackerel — Canned 484 Fresh 193,486 Pickled 568 Salted 564 Spanish mackerel in — Boston market 196 Delaware 416 Louisiana 576,577 Maryland 427 Massachusetts 225, 267, 268, 274 New Jersey 388,389 New York 357,358,359,360,361, 363, 369, 371, 373 North Carolina 487 Rhode Island 294,301,307 Texas 585,586 Virginia 457,458,459,462 Western Florida 552,567 Sparus pagrus 507 Spa wu, fish 121, 133, 139, 151, 152, 183, 183, 226 Pickled 172 Speckled trout 586 Speonk, New York 364 Sperling — Fishery ; 70,134,136 For bait 163 Spermaceti 272 Candles 119 Oil '".'.'.".".". 130 Sperm oil, production of, in— Barnstable district 226,229 Boston district 188,189 Connecticut 315,316 Edgartown district 259 Massachusetts 121,713,724 New Bedford district 264, 269, 270, 272 1854 ne Sperm-whale fishery 229 Spirwink river, Maine, clam-flats in 96 Spit island ($4 Sponge fishery 539,537 Sponges, statistics of 536,537 Spot— Catch of, in Delaware 411 Fresh 486 Salted 486,487 Spot fishery in — Delaware 410,414,418 North Carolina 481,483,485,487 Virginia 453,454,462 Spotted— Sea-trout .... 424, 425, 452, 453, 480, 505, 515, 523, 524 Trout 502,516,517,552,567 Spring creek, Florida 554 Springs, New York 360 Sprite's island, Connecticut 337 Squalus acanlhias 626 'Sqnam river, Massachusetts 143, 165, 689 Squau river, New Jersey 385, 387, 388, 391. 392 Squeteague — Fresh 119,225,284,314 Sounds 285 •Squeteague, catch of, in — Connecticut 316 Delaware 411 Maryland 424,425 Massachusetts 118, 259, 263, 263, 733, 734, 735 New Jersey 382 New York 344 North Carolina 479 Pennsylvania 404 Rhode Island 284,301 Virginia 451,453 Squeteague fishery in — Connecticut 316, 319 Massachusetts 253, 267, 269, 274 Rhode Island 294, 296, 298, 303, 304, 306,307,308,309 Squid 121, 139, ICO, 161, 179, 268, 724, 735 Bait fishery 159 Dried 604 Fishery 118,120,137,174,178 Fishery at Cape Breton 159, 160 Fishery at Newfoundland 160, 161, 180 Fishery, vessels in 120, 138, 159, 178 For bait 100,161 For cod-bait 156 Squidding for bluefish 156 Squirrel-fish 507 Stage island, Maine 97 Stake-net fishery 373 Stake-uets for shad 375 Stamford, Connecticut, oyster industry of 339 Stamford oysters 203 Standard Fertilizer Company 220 Stannard, R. H 321 Staples, G.M 39 Star-fish 486 Stargut island, Rhode Island 289 Star island, Isles of Shoals 111,112 Stark, William, cited 132 Starvegoat island, Rhode Island 289 Staten island, New York 375,376 Statistics of — Commercial fisheries of North Carolina 478 Fishery exports from Boston 204-207 Fishery imports into Boston 207-209 INDEX TO FISHERY IXDUSTEY. 781 Statistics of— Continued. Page. Massachusetts fisheries in 1837 and 1640 130 Oyster interests of Fall River district 280 Oyster trade of Maryland 448 Persons in oyster trade of Maryland 447,448 Statistics of fisheries of — Alaska 630 Barnstable district 224 Bath district 72 Boston district 187 California 593,594 Castine district. 36 Connecticut 313 Delaware 411 Eastern Florida 523 Edgartown district 258 Elizabeth City county, Virginia 45(5 Fall River district 275 Frenchman's Bay district 29 Georgia 514 Gloucester district 137,138,139 Gloucester from 1870 to 1881 170-175 Kennebunk district 94 Lake Erie 659 Lake Huron 657 Lake Ontario 672 Lake Superior 634 Louisiana 575 Machias district 21 Maine 10 Marblehead district - 182 Maryland 423 Massachusetts in 1879 117-121 Monterey county, California 607 Nan tucket district 254 New Bedford district 262 Newburyport district 131 . New Hampshire 108 New Jersey 381 New York 3J3 New York bay 382 Northern New Jersey ... 384 Oregon 024 Passamaquoddy district 13 Pennsylvania 403 Plymouth district 215 Portland and Falmouth district 76 Rhode Island for 1880 2H4 Saco district 93 San Luis Obispo county, California 602 San Mateo county, California 607 Santa Barbara county, California 602 Santa Crnz county, California 607 Soutli Carolina 504 Southern New Jersey 393 _ Texas 582 The great lakes 633 Virginia 451 WuMoboro' district 53 Washington territory 625 Wiocasset district 66 York district 95 Statistics of iisb taken in — Los Angeles county, California !}97 San Uiego county, California 595 Statistics of oyster industry of — Page. Boston 204 Chesapeake bay 469 New Hampshire 107 Rhode Island 294 Statistics of oyster-packing in — Maryland 445 Virginia ...'. 467,468,469 Statistics of salt-water fisheries of— Alabama . . . . 568 Georgia 515 Maryland 424 Pennsylvania 405 Statistics of sea fisheries of— Eastern Florida 523 North Carolina 479 Virginia 453 Steamer — Cannery — 49 Forgathering marine products 44 Mackerel 54 Steamers, menhaden 52, 61, 69, 99 Stearns, Silas 522,533 Steilacoom, Washington territory 626 Stenotomm chrytops 359, 390, 502, 507 Sterling oil-works 353 Steubeu, Maine, fisheries of 25,27 Stevens' Point fishermen 672 Still-baiting in New Jersey 388 Stingaree 586 Stingray point, Virginia 460 Sting-rays 383 Stockton, Maine, fisheries of 4J Stolephorm ringens 612 Stonington, Connecticut — Fur seal fishery of 313,315 Whale fishery of 313,315 Stony Brook harbor, New York 350 Stony brook, New York 350 Stony creek, Connecticut 318,323 Stony Creek Oyster Company 323 Stony point, Lake Erie 662 Stop-fishing in Florida 528 Straight beach, Virginia 453 Straight-boat Ill Straits of Belle Isle cod-fishery 242, 723, 726 Straits of Mackinac 654,655 Stratford, Connecticut......'. 332,334 Streater.G. C.,on Salem fisheries 6i)5 Striped bass — Fishery 196, 248, 260, 265, 307 Fresh 119,133,193,196,225,254,284,314 Striped bass in — Connecticut 316,320,332 Delaware 411 Massachusetts 118,138,268,274 New York 354, 360, 361, 363, 364, 368, 372 Rhode Island 284 Striped mullet 268 Stromali'ita iriacanlhus 359,389 Studley, Henry T 63 Sturgeon — At Victoria, Washington territory 629 Caviar 503,505 Dried . . 79 782 INDEX TO FISHERY INDUSTRY. Sturgeon — Continued. Page. Early exports of *585 Fishing by Indians 283 Former abundance of 132, 683, 724 Fresh 119,133,138,193,196, 225,259,263,376,650 In fisheries of the great lakes . . 640, 647, 648, 649, 650, 658,659,662, 666, 670 In New Berne market 485 In San Francisco market 618 In Savannah market 517 Pickled 79,682 Roe 503,510,518 Smoked 377, 650, 651 ,663, 666, 668, 670 Trade of Savannah 518 Sturgeon, catch of, in — Delaware 411 Eastern Florida 523 Georgia 503,515 Maryland 424 Massachusetts 118 Now Jersey 382 New York 344 North Carolina 479,495 Pennsylvania 404 South Carolina 503,504,505 Virginia 452,458,459 Sturgeon fishery in — California 609,615,616,619 Connecticut 332 Delaware 412 Georgia 1 502,514 Maine 79,80 Massachusetts 132,736 Pennsylvania 403 Rhode Island 294 South Carolina 502,506 Suckers 618,639 Sugar bluff, lake Erie. 664 Sugar Loaf rock, New York 350 Sullivan, Maine, fisheries of 31 Sullivan's island, South Carolina 508 Sunh'sh 724 Sun-trout 516 Superior City, lake Superior 635 Surf-fish 597,605,609 Surf-fishing 372,418 Surinam, fish exports to ..'. 167,693 Surry, Maine, fisheries of 28,34,35 Susquehanna river 403 Suwaunee river, Florida 553,554 Swampscott, Massachusetts, fisheries of.. 115, 182, 185,708 Swan, J. G 629 Swa usea, Massachusetts 275, 276, 277 Oyster industry of 279 Swan's island, Maine- Fisheries of 38,39 Lobster fishery of 39 Mackerel fishery of 39 Vessel-fisheries of 39 Sweilen, exports of fish to 205,206 Swedish fishermen 146,640,643 Sweep seine fishery 245 Swiss fishermen (543 Swordfish 183,188,193,194,225,304 Fresh 1 19, 133, 138, 172, 255, 259, 263, 284 ,314 Pickled .. -86, 121, 133, 139, 172, 179, 183, 188, 216, 225 Swordfish, catch of, in — Connecticut 317 Massachusetts 118 New Hampshire 109 Swordfish fishery in — Maine 65,69 Massachusetts 193,194,271,273 Rhode Island 299,303 Sycamore drain rocks, Virginia 472 Syngnathus griseolineatus 612 Syosset, New York 349 Syracuse salt for fish-curing 234 T. Tabb's river, Virginia 460 Tacoma, Washington territory 626 Tailor fishery 427,457 Tailors, catch of, in Virginia 458,459 Talbot county, Maryland 437 Talmage, John 361 Tampa bay, Florida — Fisheries of £46 Mullet fishing at £47 Pound-fishing at 548 Shark and porpoise fishing at 547 Tampa bluffs, Florida 525 Tangier island, Chesapeake bay 427,434,442,403 Tanner's oil 150 Tarpaulin cove, Massachusetts 261 Tarpum in Texas ."85 Tar river, North Carolina 478 Tannton river, Massachusetts 115, 275, 276, 283 . Oyster interests of 277 Shad .and ale wife, fisheries of 276 Tannton River oysters 287 Tmitoga onitis T.90 Tautog — Fresh 119, 138,259,263,234,314 In Connecticut 317,324 In Massachusetts 118, 183, 196, 225. 26s. 78*, 731, 733, 734, 735 Tautog fishery in — Connecticut 324 Massachusetts .. .102, 196, 243, 244, 247, 248, 253, 260, 262, 267, 269, 271, 272, 273 Now York 347 Rhode Island 284, 294, 299, 301, 303, 304, 305, 306, 307, 308 Taxation, vessels exempt from 122 Taxes on vessels abated 704 Taylor county, Flqrida 553 Tenant's harbor, Maine 55 Ten Pound island, Gloucester harbor 143 Terrapin — Abundance of 462 Bucking 503 Culture in North Carolina 482 Hunting with dogs 482 Importation of 196 INDEX TO FISHEBY INDUSTEY. 783 Terrapin— Continued. lu Boston market 193 In San Francisco market 613 In Savannah market - 518 Trade 494 Terrapin, catch of, in — Delaware 411 Eastern Florida 523,524 Georgia 515 Maryland 424,425,429 New Jersey 383,385,393 North Carolina 479,480,495 South Carolina 505 Virginia 452,453 Terrapin fishery in — Delaware 412, 413, 415, 416, 417, 418, 419 Maryland 429 New Jersey 399 New York ..347,348,373 North Carolina 481,482,485,487,491 South Carolina and Georgia 503 Virginia 456, 457,462 Terry, Albert 363 Terry, J. S 506,509 Terry, Samuel 482 Terry, W. H 368 Texas — Fisheriesof 582 Fishermen of 583 Fishing boats and seines in 583 General description of fisheries of 583 Lay of the fishermen 584 Oyster fisheries of 584 Oystermen of 583 Statistics of fisheries of 582 Thacher's History of Plymouth 723 ThaMclMys pacificus 626,629 Thames river, Connecticut 316, 317 Thatcher's island, Massachusetts 141 Thaxter, Celia, on Isles of Shoals 112 Thehadau, Captain Peter 159 Thomas, Gary G 569 Thomaston, Maine, fisheries of 54,55 Thoreau's Cape Cod cited 277 Thorny-backs 493 Three-Mile harbor, New York 360 Tinker's island, Maine 33 Tisbury, Massachusetts 258,260 Tiverton Four Corners, Rhode Island 297 Tiverton, Rhode Island — Menhaden fishery of 296 Shell-fish at 286 Toad-grunter 735 Toledo/Ohio 662 Tollman, Captain Benjamin 296 Tomales bay, California C09 Tom-cod 246,268,612,615,618,627,712 Tompkiusville, New York 376 Tongues — Cod 179,679,694,702,707 Cod, exports of 167 Fish 145,154 Pickled 121,139,172,188 Too's point, Virginia 458 Topping, S. B 364 Torching — Page, For Sperling 134,136 Herring 19 Torpedo fish 724 Toussaint, lake Erie 664 Townsend, Maine 63,68 Trade in canned fish at Boston 197 Trammel-nets 570, 578 Transportation of oysters — 466 Trapanisalt 168,169,210,234 Trap fish at Elizabeth islands 261 Trap-net fishery 307,309,352 Traps 22 Deep-water 67 Floating 164,165 Travers, Captain Samuel M 442 Traverse City, lake Michigan 654 Treading clams 399 Treat, U. S., began canning industry in the United States 17 Treaty of Washington -.153, 161 Treaty, reciprocity 153,220 Treaty rights 686 Trefethen, C. & H 86 Tremout, Maine - 33,34 Trescott, Maine, fisheries of 20 Triads semifasciatus 612 Trichurus lepturus 586 Trinidad, fish exports to 167 Trinity bay, squid at 161 Trolling 388 Trout- Brook 598 Culture in New York 347 Former abundance in Maine 82 Fresh 477,486,645,650,656,657 Fresh-water 516 Pickled 172 Preserves , 369,370 Rock 604 Salmon 196,488 Salted 486,564,640,656 Sounder 489 Sounds 489 Spotted 516 Spotted sea 453,523,524 Sun 516 Trout, catch of, in — Delaware 411 New York 344 Virginia 454,458,459 Trout fishery in — Alahama 570,574 California 603 Delaware 410,412,413,415 Maryland 427 North Carolina 483,493 South Carolina 506,511 Virginia 462,463 Trout in — Eastern Florida 425,528,529 LakeErie 660 Lake Huron 659 Lake Michigan 639,640,643,645, 646, 647, 648, 649, 650, 652, 653, 654, 655 784 INDEX TO FISHERY INDUSTRY. Trout in — Continued. Page. Lake Ontario 673 Lake Superior 635,636,637,038 Massachusetts 735 San Francisco market 618 Western Florida 555 Trout-brooks 106 True, Frederick W 113,236,631 Trufant, A. T 79 Truro, Massachusetts, fisheries of. ... 116, 127, 232, 724, 725 Trygon gayi 586 Tuckernnck island, Massachusetts 254 Tucker's island, Maine 34 Tuckerton, New Jersey 394, 396, 397, 399 Tufas island, Connecticut 322 Turtle 376,539 Canned 484,527 Catch of 411 Fishery 413, 415, 417, 418, 419, 491, 577, 613 Green 525, 526, 527, 536, 537, 576, 582, 585 Hawk-bill 525 Imports of 196 Loggerhead 485,525 Sea 596 Turtle Crawl point, Florida 549 Turtle pond, Massachusetts 727 Tuthill &Co., GeorgeT 353 Tuthill & Sons, W. M 353 Two Rivers, lake Michigan 646 Tylosttrus longirostrls 586 IT. Union bay, Maine 28 Union Fishery Company 569 Union Ice Company 209,210 Union Oyster Company 443 Union river, Maine 35 United States of Colombia, exports to 205,206 Uraptera binoculata 612 Utsaladdy , Washington territory 628 V. Vale & Griffin 353,383 Ventura county, California 595, 598, 599 Venus mercenaria 725 Vermillion, lake Erie 667 Vessel-building 59,679 Vessel fisheries of — Bristol, Maine 60 Deer island, Maine 41 East port, Maine 18 Portland in 1879 83 Vessel fishermen, number of, in — Connecticut 313 Maine ....10, 21, 29, 36, 46, 53, 66, 72, 76, 93, 94,95 Massachusetts 120, 1:52, 138, 178, 182, 187, 215, 224, 254,258,262,275 New Hampshire 108 Rhode Island 284 Vessel fitters of Gloucester 145 Vessels in — Food-fish fisheries ...9, 10, 13, 22, 29, 37, 46, 53,66, 73, 77, 93, 94, 95, 108, 120, 132, 138, 178, 183, 187, 215, 224, 254, 263, 284 Vessels in— Continued. Page. Lobster fishery 10, 13, 22, 29, 37, 46, 53, 77, 120, 183, 187, 263, 284, 314 Menhaden fishery 10, 53, 66, 77, 120, 138, 159, 187, 263, 275, 284, 314, 451 Oyster fishery 10, 53, 107, 120, 178, 182, 187, 224, 314,438, 441, 465,466 Seal fishery 120,263,314 Squid fishery 120, 138,159,178 Whale fishery 120, 187, 224, 258, 2U3, 314, 593 Vessels, statistics of, in fisheries in — Alabama C68 Bath district 73 Belfast district 46 Boston district 187 California 593, 594, 599, 002, 607, 618, 624 Castine district 37 Connecticut 314 Delaware 411 Edgartowu district 258 Fall River district 275 Georgia 514 Gloucester district 138 Great lakes 633, 634, 638, 657, 639, 672 Gulf states 536 Kennebunk district 94 Louisiana 576 Machias district 22 Maine 10 Marblehead district 183 Maryland 423,424,441 Massachusetts 120 Nantucket district 254 New Bedford district 263 Newburyport district 132 New Hampshire 108 New Jersey 361,385,393 New York 343 North Carolina 478,489 Pacific coast "92 Passainaquoddy district 13 Pennsylvania 403,405 Plymouth district 215 Portland district 77 Rhode Island 284 Saco district 93 Salem district 178 South Carolina 504,505 Virginia 451,452 Waldoboro' district 53 Washington territory 625 Western Florida 536 Wiscasset district 66 York district 95 Victoria, Washington territory 026, ()29 Vinal Haven , Maine 45, 50 Haddock-smoking at 86 Vines, Captain Richard, early expedition to Maine . 98 Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts 260 Vineyard Sound squid fishery 159,160 Virginia — Alewife fishery of 451 Description of fisheries of, by counties 454 Fisheries of 449-473 Menhaden fishery of 451 INDEX TO USHEliY INDUSTRY. 785 Virginia — Continued. Pago. Oyster dredging and longing in 464 Oyster interests of 464-473 Oyster laws 431 Oystermen of 464 Oystermen, number of 465 Oyster-packing in 4G6 Oysters 251,291,293 Oysters at New Haven, Connecticut 325 Oysters at Salem, Massachusetts 181 Review of the fisheries of 451 River fisheries of 451 Sea fisheries of 452 Shad fishery of 451 Statistics of fisheries of 451, 452 Virgin Rocks cod fishery 180 W. Waccamaw river, South Carolina 502 Wages of oystermen 435,440 Wagon fishing 585 Wakulla county, Florida 554 Waldoboro' district — Fisheries of 52 Menhaden industry of 52 Review of fisheries of 52 Statistics of fisheries of 53 Vessel- and boat- fisheries of 52 Waldoboro', Maine — Fisheries of 57,59 Smelt fishery of 59 Walker, George 472 Walker's island, Rhode Island 303 Walrus oil 121 Waquoit bay, Massachusetts 253 Waquoit, Massachusetts 252 Ward's pond, Rhode Island 308 Wareham, Massachusetts 115, 249, 202, 733 Oyster industry of 264 Oysters at 202 Wareham river, Massachusetts 2C4 Waretown, New Jersey 387,389 Warren, Rhode Island 283, 286, 287, 304 Warrington, D. N 418 Warwick county, Virginia 465 Warwick cove, Rhode Island 305 Warwick neck, Rhode Island 305 Warwick, Rhode Island 286 Wash Bowl, Rhode Island 297,298 Washington, District of Columbia 468 Washington, market for fresh fish 197 Washington territory — Coast fisheries of 626 Fisheries of 625 Statistics of fisheries of 625 Watch Hill, Connecticut 300 Watch Hill, Rhode Island 309 Waterhouse, Charles 528 Water mills, New York 362 Waukegan, lake Michigan 648 WeakBsh 358,362,389,395 Fishery 309, 347, 354, 370, 374, 394, 412, 425 Sounds for isinglass 142 Webb, Henry 164 50 G E F Webb, William 40 Weeweantit river, Massachusetts 251, 265 Weir fishery 15, 234, 238, 239, 240, 241, 242, 243- 246, 247, 252, 260, 267, 268, 352 Weir, for bass 709 Weirs — Alewife 76,111,213,709 Alewife and smelt 61, 67 AtWellfleet 234 Brush 19,21,23,24,26,28,33,34,38 Fish 102,164 Herring 20,25,27,33,38,50,716 Salmon 76 Salmon and alewife 48 Weirs in — Connecticut 314 Maine 10,13,22,29,37,46,53,95 Massachusetts 138, 178, 224, 254, 258, 263,685,710,736 New Hampshire 108 Rhode Island 284 Welaka, Florida, fisheries of 530 Welchmen 484,485 Wellfleet, Massachusetts — Alewife fishery of 234,235 Blackfish fishery at 235,727 Clam fishery at , 234 Early history of 726 Fisheries of 116, 127, 232, 234, 726, 727 Mackerel fishery of 116,234 Oyster industry of 199, 234, 236, 727, 728 Weir-fishery at 234 Whale fishery of 235,727 Well smacks 168 Wells & Co., Henry E 353 Wells & Sons, D. D 357 Wells bay, Maine 99,100 Wells Beach, Maine, fishing station 100 Wells, Henry E 357 Wells, Maine, fisheries of 100,101 Wepawaug river, Connecticut 334 Weskeag river, Maine 55 West Bre water, Massachusetts 239 Westbrook, Connecticut, shad fishery of 320 Westbrook, Maine 79 West Chatham, Massachusetts 240 West Dennis, Massachusetts 244 West de Fere, lake Michigan C44 Westerly, Rhode Island 286 Western Bank cod fishery 32,43,58,60,68,69,108, 109, 117, 145, 146, 155, 273, 729 Western Bank fishery 171,172 West Falmouth, Massachusetts 252 West Florida, statistics of fisheries of 536 W-st Gloucester, Massachusetts 143 West Gouldsboro', Maine 30 Westhamptou, New York 364 West Harwich, Massachusetts 241 West Indies — Fish exports to 129, 130, 135. 1C7, 205, 206, 207, 217, 218, 682, 701, 70S Trade with 124 Westmoreland county, Virginia 465 786 INDEX TO F1SIIEKY INDUSTRY. Page. West Pembroke, Maiuo 18 Wostport, Connecticut, oyster business of 336 Westport, Maine 65,71 Westport, Massachusetts 115, 262, 267, 273 Westport point, Massachusetts 273 Weatport river, Massachusetts 272 West river, Connecticut 330 Weymouth, Massachusetts — Cod fishery of 127 Fish-fertilizer factory at 213 Isinglass factory at 213 Whalebone — At Fairhavon, Massachusetts 269,270 AtNantucket, in 1715 257 Bounty on, in Rhode Island 283 In Georgia 518 Manufacture of 119 Production of, at New Bedford, 1840 to 1875. 272 Production of, iu Connecticut 314,315,316 Production of, in Massachusetts in 1840.. .130,226, 259,264 Production of, in Massachusetts in 1879 121 Production of, in 1854 116 Production of, on Pacific coast .. 592,593,594 Whale fishery — Capital invested in 119 Encouraged by bounty 284,737 Whale fishery at — Cusbing point, Maine 82 Duxbury, Massachusetts 717 Edgartown, Massachusetts 258,259,733 Gloucester, Massachusetts 139 Ipswich, Massachusetts 685 Lynn, Massachusetts 710 Marblehead, Massachusetts 705 Martha's Vineyard iu 1775 732 Monhegan, Maine 62 Plymouth, Massachusetts ' 724 Prospect harbor, Maine 30 . Provinceto wn, Massachusetts 227, 229 Quincy Point, Massachusetts 713 Saleni, Massachusetts 696, 699 Sandwich, Massachusetts 249, 730 Stoningtou, Connecticut 315 Truro, Massachusetts 724 Wellfleet, Massachusetts 235,726,727 Whale fishery in — Connecticut 313,315,316 Georgia 514,518 New Bedford district 262, 263 , 265, 267, 269, 271, 273, 276, 735 New York 357 North Carolina 487,490 Pacific coast . . . .591, 593, 596, 597, 600, 601, 604, 621 Rhode Island 283,736 Whale fishery, statistics of — In 1846 115 In 1854 116 Products of 1 15, 1 16, 120, 188, 226, 257, 259, 263 Vessels in.. .115, 118, 120, 187, 223, 224, 258, 263, 314 Whale oil on Pacific coast 592, 593, 594, 602, 607 Whale oil, production of, in — Connecticut 314,315,316 Georgia 518 Whale oil, production of, in — Continued. Pago. Massachusetts 116, 121, 130,139, 151,226,230, 257, 259, 264, 269, 270, 272, 699 Whaling fleet of— Connecticut, statistics of 314 New Bedford, 272, 276 United States in 1846 115 Whaling fleet, statistics of, in 1880 115 Whaling grounds 115 OfthoPacific 593 Whaling vessels, statistics of 115,118, 120, 187,223, 224, 258, 263, 314 Wharves at Gloucester, Massachusetts 144 Wheeler's Point, Massachusetts 143 Wheelwright, John, deed of Isles of Slioals lo 111 Wherries, fishing 109 Whitefish— At Marion, Massachusetts 734 Fresh 193, :!76, 645, 650, 656, 657 Salt 638,640,644,651) Smoked 649,650 Wliitefish, catch of, in — Lake fisheries of New York 344 Pennsylvania 404 Whitefish in— Connecticut 320 Lake Erie 6UO, 661, 662, 663, 664, C65, 666, 667, 671 Lake Huron 658,659 Lake Michigan 639, 640, 641, 642, 643, 645, 646, 647, 648, 649, 652, 653, 654, 655 Lake Superior 635, 636, 637, 638 San Diego county, California 595 Whitefish bay, lake Michigan 646 Whitefish point, lake Superior 637 Whitehall, lake Michigan 652,659 White island, Isles of Shoals Ill White island, Fiscataqua- river 109 AVhito Island pond, Massachusetts 221 White perch 221, 284, 351, 360, 364, 547 White rocklish 659 White shad 517 Whitestoflc, New York 346 Whiting 502,504,508,511,529,586,735 Whiting, Maine, fisheries of 20 Whitman, Levi, History of It'ellflett 235 Wickford harbor, Rhode Island 289 Wickfo'rd, Rhode Island 306 Wicks, James 370 Wilcox, W. A 92,96,97,99,100, 103,105,113,281,311 Willard, E. G ....86,90 Willard's bay, Connecticut 319 Williamson, W. D., History of Maine 60,63 Williamsville, Delaware 409,418 Willoughby, lake Erie 670 Willoughby point, Virginia 4f:3, 454 Wilmington, California 597 Wilmington, North Carolina 477,492 Fish markets of 493 Line fishery of 493 Salt-fish trade of 494 Statistics of fisheries of 494 Trade in fresh fish at 493 Vessel-fishery of 493 Wilson, lake Ontario 672,673 Windmill point „. ,,,.. 659 INDEX TO FISHERY INDUSTliiT. 787 Page. Window- i>ano 361 Wing's cove, Massachusetts 265 Winipiseogee river 131 Winslow, Francis 433 Winsor's History of Duxbury * 717 Winter cod fishery 388 Winter haddock fishery 78,145,158,170 Winter harbor, Maine 30,31 Winthrop, Massachusetts, oyster-beds at 201 Wiuyah bay, South Carolina 504, 50G Wiscasset district — Fisheries of 65 Mhip-buildiiig at (55 Statistics of fisheries of G6 Wibcasset, Maine, fisheries of 70 Witchcraft at Salem, Massachusetts 123 Wonder- Working Providence cited 122 Wonson, Captain J. F 157 Wood island, Maine, herring fishery at 31, 39, 58, 92, 97, 99 Wood island, New Hampshire 109 Woodsburg, New York 373 Wood's Holl, Massachusetts 252, 253, 732 Woolwich, Maine 71,73,75 Wright, Charles R 656 Wrightsville sound, North Carolina 494 Page. Wyatt, James 413 Wyer Brothers -• 87 Y. Yaphank, New York 367 Yarmouth, Maiue 79 Yarmouth, Massachusetts — Fisheries of 116, 127, 244, 245, 730 Salt-works at 730 Yiites, Captain Washington 396 Yellow Bluffs, Florida 528 Yellow-fin 586 Yellow-finned trout C02 Yellow perch 193, 284,360 Yellow- tails 525, C29, 595, 600 York county, Virginia 457, 4(iT> York district, Maine, fisheries of 92, 95 York, Maine, fisheries of 101,102 York river, Maine, clam-digging in 102 York river, Virginia 457, 45^,471 York spit, Virginia 458 York, T. J 64 Young's Chronicles of Hie Pilgrim Fathers 719 Z. Zaniolepii latifinnis 612 . ft 0 RETURN BIOSCIENCE & NATURAL RESOURCES LIBRARY TO -^*> 2101 VALLEY LIFE SCIENCES BLDG. 642-2531 LOAN PERIOD 1 ALL BOOKS MAY BE RECALLED AFTER 7 DAYS DUE AS STAMPED BELOW MAV SUBJECT TO HtU IMMEDIATELY aec'D BIOS UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY FORM NO. DDO, 50m, 1 1 /94 BERKELEY, CA 94720 0,'87C