274 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. 



September 15 to November 15 these men are joined by forty others, farm- work then being over foi 

 the season. The catch is composed chiefly of tautog, with a small proportion of bluefisb, 

 squeteague, rock-bass, striped bass, and others. In 1879 the first tautog was caught on June 21. 

 During that season the largest striped bass captured weighed 00 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 River and New Bedford. 



On both sides of the Acoakset River clams are plentiful. Six men were engaged in 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 

 up to the average. 



The fisheries of this place in 1879 gave employment to 71 men, and the amount of capital 

 invested in 20 boats, 100 lobster traps, and other apparatus was $1,350. The value of the catch 

 was $5,054, 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: 



"GREAT 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 20 

 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 S 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 $045.50, and consisted of 

 10,020 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. 



