698 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OF TBE FISHERIES. 



All engaged iii fishing were still further favored, for in 1639, after granting facilities to Maurice Torusou and 

 others for a fishing establishment at Cape Ann, the general court ordered, that for the encouragement of other similar 

 enterprises, the vessels, stock, and iish should be exempted for seven years, from all country charges. The fisher- 

 men were declared, during the seasons for catching fares, free from military duty. 



This vote, recorded in the Essex Institute Collections, was passed in 1639 : 



" Att a generall Towne meeting in le llth moneth 1G39. 



" Voted. That the Hand Caled Winter Hand may be fenced Inn for the saftie of the ffisliiug trade &. so to Con- 

 tinue vntill the prim, of the third month Caled May vnless such as have Goats doe fence in the flakes for the saftie of 

 the fish." 



SALEM FROM 1648 TO 1670. The two next statements a grant and an order are also indicative of the interest 

 taken in the fisheries by the Salem town authorities : 



" Ac a gen'll toune meeting held the 8th day of the 5th moneth 1643. 



* * * To Richard More, lialfe au acre joyned to his liowse as a fisherman." 



"At a general! towne meetinge, held the 13 of the 4th moneth 1644. 



"Ordered, * * * . And that the doggs at [winter] neck shall be tyed vp in the day tjme & if any doggs there 

 spoile fish, that they also shall either be sent away or killed." 



The prayer for and the granting of certain islands to become, for all practical purposes, the property of the fish- 

 ermen are related in these words: 



" At the first session of the legislature in 1660, Salem applied to them for a grant of the three islands. Part 

 of their application ran thus : ' Whereas ther are certayne Hands neare our towne, comonly knowen by the names of 

 the Miserys and Baker's Hand, fit for fishinge imployments, a great part of our iniployuieut, our humble request to 

 this honored Court is, that they would be pleased to grant the propriety of those Hands to y e towne of Salem, and 

 you shall further iugage your petitioners to be thankfull to you, desiringe Almighty God to inable you with his pres- 

 ence and blessinge in all your waighty occasions.' An affirmative answer was delayed till the nest session. This 

 was thus recorded : ' Vpou a motion made in the behalfe of the inhabitants of Salem, this Court judgeth it meets to 

 graunt to them certaine Islands, knowne by the name of Miseries and Baker's Island, lying ill the mouth of theire har- 

 bor, provided that it shall be lawfull for any fishermen to make vseof them in making fish, and whatever couduceth 

 theretaso, building houses, stages, etc., as also wood and flaking in all fishing seasons.' Here we have another instance 

 of provision, made for the fishery, as ordered by the Charter. As to the Miseries, the Great one contains about 64 acres, 

 and the Little, between 3 and 4. They are united by a bar which at half tide is above water. John Lambert and 

 others petitioned the town, 166^-'(i3, that they might plant there in the course of their fishing season." 1 



Still further grants were made for the benefit of the fishermen of Salem: * * * " The fishermen were early 

 protected by law, and granted various privileges, and in 1663 were empowered to use wood from any common lands 

 for fish flakes and stages the English fishermen possessing still greater privileges being allowed to enter on to pri- 

 vate lands for the purpose, paying a reasonable sum, however, for damages. It was trespass in our fishermen to do 

 this, but the English fishermen were considered to have their privileges under the charter. The colonists did not 

 like such an exercise of their claims, but from policy perhaps forebore to deprive them of them." 3 



The Salem court iu 1670 thus gave judgment on the use of a certain salt in the curing of the fish : "Whereas, by 

 the blessing of God, the trade of fishing hath been advantageous to this country, which is likely to be impaired by the 

 use of Tortuga salt, which leaves spots upon the fish by reason of shells and trash in it," and then forbid such fish to 

 be accounted merchantable." 3 



TROUBLE WITH INDIANS IN 1677. The following account, compiled from Felt's Annals of Salem, shows the loss 

 suffered by Salem fishermen at the hands of the Indians in 1677, and the means taken to regain the captured. "One of 

 the principal men of Salem said: 'Some of us have met with considerable loss by Indians lately taking our vessels. 

 Some, lately come in, say that the Indians purposed to pursue four more of our ketches, we therefore desire, that a 

 vessel, with 40 or 00 men, may be immediately sent to protect them and retake those and the poor captives already 

 taken.' The council accordingly complied, 25th. A record of the first church follows : ' The Indians having taken 

 no less than 13 ketches of Salem and captivated the men, (though divers of them cleared themselves and came home), 

 it struck great consternation into all people here, and it was agreed, that the Lecture day should be kept as a Fast.' 

 The services were performed. ' The Lord was pleased to send in some of the ketches on the Fast day, which was 

 looked on as a gracious smile of Providence ; also 19 wounded men had been sent to Salem a little while before. Also 

 a ketch, with 40 men, was sent out of Salem, as a man of war, to recover the rest of the ketches. The Lord gave them 

 success.' This vessel was called the Supply, commanded by Nicholas Manning. Among the wounded were James 

 Vereu and Anthony Walderu, of this place. Two of our townsmen, Nathaniel Kun and Peter Petty, were killed. 

 These four appear to have been connected with the preceding vessels, while on fishing voyages at the eastward. 

 Joshua Scotlow's narrative says that, August IS, on signing articles of peace at Pemaquid, Madockawando delivered 

 up five men, who belonged to ketches of Salem and Marblehead." 



In 1681, through fear of similar invasions upon ketches fishing near Cape Sable, the military committee of Salem, 

 on May 24, "petitioned government that they might impress a vessel and men, and send her to prevent such a purpose, 

 promising that if the report were false, they would pay the cost, but if true, the Province would pay them." 

 The French also, in July, 1681, captured two Salem ketches. 4 



1 Annals of Salem, by Felt, vol. i, 2d eel., p. 238. "Essex Inst. Hist. Coll., vol. i, p. 89. " Felt, voL ii, 2d efl., p. 212. Ibid., p. 213. 



