MASSACHUSETTS: NEW BEDFORD DISTKICT. 273 



a year cau now be caught throughout the whole 3 miles from the "Point" up to the bridge, which 

 sell at $1.50 to $2 a bushel in New Bedford. There is reputed to be good planting ground near 

 the bridge. 



"A few miles west of Westport is the Dartmouth Eiver, where, it is said, an oyster-bed has 

 recently formed, but, as yet, is of little account. The bottom there, however, is regarded as very 

 suitable for planting upon. Fifty bushels a year would cover the whole supply from here." 



DARTMOUTH. This port is situated on the western side and about half-way of the length of 

 Buzzard's Bay. Four vessels of 1G3.03 aggregate tonnage fish from this port two of them, on 

 Banquereau and Western Banks for cod, and the other two near home, off Block Island and the 

 New England shore, for cod and swordfish. Eight men are engaged in the lobster catch, setting 

 their pots to the west of Cuttylmnk Island, 12 miles from home. Funnel-pounds (or bass-traps, 

 as the fishermen call them) are set along the shore as follows: Apponagausett Bay, two; near 

 Dumpling light, two; 1 mile west of Dumpling light, two; Mishaum Point, three. These pounds 

 cost from $200 to $400 each, according to size, and are made of twine, with the exception of the end 

 of the funnel, which is of wood. Some large pounds are in use at Dumpling light from April 

 until August. They are owned by Mr. George Suell. By August the season is considered over 

 and the pounds are taken up. The twine is made fast to poles driven into the ground. The poles 

 are replaced each year, and the twine is not good for much after having been used for two or three 

 seasons. The fish caught are alewives, menhaden, flounders, scnp, and tautog, proprotionately iu 

 the order mentioned, with a few bluefish and shad. A State law forbids the taking of salmon. 

 They are very seldom seen. At Dumpling light only two have been observed during the past five 

 years. Menhaden are sold to the farmers at the rate of 30 cents a barrel for fertilizing purposes. 

 Large quantities of unmarketable fish, such as skates, sharks, dogfish and others are taken and 

 sold to the farmers for the same purpose at the rate of 85 cents a hundred fish, large and small. 

 The livers of the dogfish, however, are removed and saved for their oil. The eatable fresh fish are 

 sold fresh at New Bedford, New York, and Philadelphia, and the cured fish at Boston. The catch, 

 by the pounds, during 1880, has been fully 75 per cent, larger in amount and value than that for 

 1879. The lobsters taken are shipped to New York. 



There are salt works at South Dartmouth which manufacture 12,000 bushels of salt yearly 

 from the water of Buzzard's Bay, which is pumped by windmills to the evaporating works. A 

 much larger amount has been produced in past years. Most of the salt is used for home consump- 

 tion, selling for 35 cents a bushel. 



Dartmouth once owned a number of whaling vessels, but there is now only one vessel in this 

 business. This vessel measures 231.59 tons and is valued, with outfits, at $20,000. The total 

 amount of capital invested in the fisheries of this place in 1879 was $3S,CG8, including the value 

 of 1 whaling vessel, 2 bankers, 2 shore-fishing vessels, 4 shore boats, 9 traps and pounds, 238 lobster 

 pots, and $4,100 iu salt works. The products, exclusive of the whale fishery, were worth $20,050 

 and consisted of 598,000 pounds of fish, 50,000 lobsters, and 12,000 bushels of salt. 



WESTPORT POINT AND WESTPORT. Westport Point, situated on the western side, and near 

 the mouth of Buzzard's Bay, was formerly of some note in connection with the whale fishery, and 

 had a fleet of seventeen vessels engaged iu it. Since 1870 that fishery has been abandoned at this 

 place. Previous to the last three years more attention was paid to the near-home fishery than at 

 present. The people here now engage in both fishing and farming. From April 15 to November 

 1, twenty-eight men, including the minister, fish between Sakonnet Point and Gooseberry Neck. 

 They fish with hand-lines from the deck of small, sloop-rigged sail-boats, 13 to 20 feet long. From 

 18GRF 



