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 in 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 Penobscot 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. W T ordiug informs us that Belfast was interested in the fisheries to a limited 

 extent only prior to 1820, 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 Castiue. 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, 



