240 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OP THE FISHERIES. 



to one eighth of a barrel. If more than enough to supply the wants of the town are taken, the 

 surplus is soM to outside parties. 



PRESENT CONDITION OF THE FISHERIES OF CHATHAM. The town of Chatham occupies the 

 most southeasterly portion or what is commonly called the "elbow" of Cape Cod. Its territory is 

 deeply indented on all sides by arms of the sea, and in reality forms a short and broad peninsula, 

 the greatest length of which is about five miles. The township contains the villages of Chatham, 

 North, South, and West Chatham, and Chatham Port. All of these villages are removed a con- 

 siderable distance from the line of railway, and are connected with it by a stage route. 



Chatham, the most important village of the town, occupies the southeastern section. The 

 larger proportion of the dwellings are situated nearly a mile from the harbor and wharves. The 

 fishing business of the place has greatly declined within twenty or twenty-five years. A number 

 of years ago the sea broke through and destroyed the best harbor, leaving only the one to the 

 westward of Monomoy flats, known as Stage Harbor. This harbor, although of fair size, is shallow 

 in most parts, and has a very narrow channel, and a troublesome bar at the mouth. 



TLe principal fisheries at present engaged in are the George's Bank cod fishery, the boat cod 

 fishery, the offshore mackerel fishery with seines, the mackerel fishery with gill-nets, the Monomoy 

 weir fishery, the lobster fishery, and the clam fishery. 



The offshore cod fishery is carried on by a firm who have their establishment on Harding's 

 Beach. In 1879 five vessels, with crews of about eleven men each, were employed in cod fishing 

 on Nautucket shoals from about the 20th of April to the middle of August. Hand-lines are used 

 altogether. They were accustomed to come in on Saturday, and having obtained a supply of bait 

 from the flats, to depart again on the following Tuesday. During a part of the time, however, the 

 vessels made trips of two weeks' duration, and carried the fish caught into Gloucester. In 1879 

 they averaged COO quintals of codfish each, of which perhaps one-sixth was sold in Gloucester. 



The boat cod fishery off Monomoy gives employment to about one hundred and fifty men, the 

 majority of whom belong in the village of Chatham. They use small cat-rigged boats about 20 

 feet long. Sometimes two men go in one boat and sometimes but one, the number of boats in use 

 being about one hundred. The men who go alone are usually old and experienced fishermen, and 

 hence the catch of these boats is always more than half the catch of those which carry two men. 

 In 1879 the boats averaged from 40 to 150 quintals of cod. The larger portion of the fish are sold 

 to little vessels called "pickpockets," in which they are carried to Hartford, New Haven, Provi- 

 dence, and other Rhode Island and Connecticut ports. 



After the cod-fishing season is over, about the 1st of September, the five fishing schooners are 

 employed in seining mackerel off the coast of Maine. They fit out for the first trip at Chatham, 

 but after that at the port where the mackerel are sold; it may be at Portland, or any other of the 

 eastern ports. A small proportion of the fish are sold fresh in Boston. After the mackereling 

 season is over the men engaged carry on the clam fishery to some extent. 



Between 150 and 200 mackerel gill-nets are owned in Chatham, and are usually set during 

 the month of May. They are owned by twelve or fifteen men. All the fishermen except one sell the 

 mackerel caught to peddlers, the man forming the exception marketing his fish in Boston. For 

 three years very few mackerel have been taken. 



In 1879 ten deep-water weirs, all large except three, were set on the flats on the western side 

 of Monomoy Island. These weirs are first placed in position about the middle of April, and are 

 removed at the latter part of May or the 1st of June. Each employs about twelve men, two cooks, 

 and a book-keeper. The principal fish taken are mackerel, shad, sea-herring, menhaden, and 

 codfish. The mackerel are sold chiefly in Boston, but a few also go to New York. The men- 



