262 



GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. 



bouse, aud the buildings of the Cuttyhunk Club. About forty fishermen live here, many of thein, 

 however, only in summer. Three or four men fish for tautog with hook and line. The fishing 

 begins in October aud continues until snow comes. The total catch is usually about 3,500 or 4,000 

 pounds. Two small pounds are set at Cuttybunk. They are usually put iu position about the 1st 

 of May (in 1880, on the 26th of April), and are taken up early in August. Four men tend them. 

 The catch consists of scup, bonito, and sea-bass. "In 18SO, 350 barrels of fish were shipped to 

 market, about one-half the quantity being scup and the remainder bonito. The catch in 1879 was 

 about the same. In addition, in 1880, 10 barrels, aud in 1879 CO barrels, of sea-bass were taken. 



The majority of the fishermen, about thirty, are engaged iu the lobster fishery. I u 1880 sis little 

 smacks, with two boats each, and twelve other boats were employed. From each of the boats from 

 40 to 120 pots are set, the total number nstd being about 2,000. The fishery is carried on during 

 four months. In 1880 the total catch of lobsters was between 200,000 and 240,000. The Cutty- 

 hunk Club also sets about 120 pots. The large lobsters caught in these pots are sold, but the 

 small ones are used by the club for bait. 



K. THE DISTRICT OF NEW BEDFORD. 



85. GENERAL REVIEW OF NEW BEDFORD DISTRICT. 



THE FISHERIES OF THE DISTRICT. The New Bedford customs district comprises the towns 

 of Wareham, New Bedford, Westport, and intermediate places on Buzzard's Bay. As will be seen 

 by reference to the remarks on the various towns in this district, there are several kinds of fishing 

 carried on, the most important being the whale fishery, which has had its headquarters iu this 

 region for many years. New Bedford is the principal place in the district and owns most of the 

 fishing fleet. There is one small vessel in the district engaged exclusively in the lobster fishery. 

 The fishery for cod, tautog, and other food-fish employs 22 vessels, the menhaden fishery 8, the 

 seal fishery 1, aud the whale fishery 128; the total tonnage of the entire fleet is 33,576.07 tons. 

 The shore fisheries employ 210 boats, used in connection with the traps, or in the capture of 

 lobsters aud shell fish in various parts of Buzzard's Bay. The total capital invested in all branches 

 of the fisheries and shore industries is $4,329,638, and the value of the various fishery products is 

 $2,053,944. The number of persons employed is 4,287. 



STATISTICAL SUMMATION FOR 1879. The following statements give iu detail the extent of 

 the fishing interests of New Bedford district: 



Summary statement of periods <mjjloy<d and cajiital iiinsted. 



aCash capital, $1, 2CO, 000 ; wharves, storehouses, anil fixtures, $270,500 ; factory br.ililings and apparatus, $165,100. 



