68 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW 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 1 peninsula formed by the Sheepscott and Damariscotta Rivers. It was first settled about 

 1G30, and was known as Cape Newagen for many years. Later the name was changed to Towns- 

 hcud, 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 17G4, 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 followed 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 1805; and the first vessels were sent South to 

 engage in the spring mackerel fisheries in 1807. During the early days the mackerel were sent to 

 Boston, Gloucester, and Portland for inspection ; later they were landed at Southport j and it was 

 not until 1804 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 I860 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, 



