HISTORICAL REFERENCES: MASSACHUSETTS. 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, &c. 



" It appears from the custom-house quarterly accounts of Salem from Michaelmas, 17-17, to Michaelmas, 1748, that 

 the number of vessels that cleared out upon foreign voyages was 131, and the number of (hose entered was 96, viz : 



" In which were shipped off to Europe 32,000 quintals of dry codfish; to West Indui Islands, 3,070 hogsheads (at 

 6 to 7 quintals refuse codfish per hogshead) for negro provision. New England shipped off no pickled codfish." 1 



Eight schooners went out of Salem during the year 1749. This number was not so largo 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." 



TUB FISHERIES or SALEM FROM 1755 TO 1794. In 1750 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 the 

 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 Causo, 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 Salem fishing vessels oft' (he banks, some of them returning without cables, anchors, &e. 



The subjoined letter will evidence the feeling shared by all the New England fishing 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, 176G : "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, 1707. a committee reported that the fishery and trade ot 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 same 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 1m 

 instructed by Congress to make the right of the United States to the fishery an indispensable article of the treaty. 



Between 1786 and 1799 the annual average of bunk 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 fiOO quintals 



Salem's fleet from 1790 to 1794 is thus recorded : In 1790 there were 7 fishing schooners; 1791, 17; 1792, 24; 1793, 

 26; thus far schooners included boats; in 1794 there were 13 schooners and 3 boats. 



1 Douglas's Xortb America. I'.oston nncl London : 1755. Vol. i, p. 589. 



