720 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. 



one hundred anil eighty persons. The inhabitants had erected a salt work ; and this year they freighted a ship of 

 a hundred ami eighty tons.'" 



The journal of oue of the settlers, under date of June 17, 1624, says: 



"The ship carpenter sent us is an honest and very industrious man, quickly builds us two very good and strong 

 shallops, with a great and strong lighter, and had hewn timber for two hetches ; but this is spoilt ; for in the hot sea- 

 son of the year ho falls iuto a fever and dies, to our great loss and sorrow. But ihe salt man is an ignorant, foolish, 

 and selfwilled man ; who chooses a spot for his salt works, will have eight or ten men to help him, is conlident the 

 ground is good, makes a carpenter rear a great frame of a house for the salt and other like uses; but finds himself 

 deceived in the bottom ; will then have a lighter to carry clay, &c., yet all iu vain ; he conld do nothing but boil 

 salt in pans. The next year is sent to Cape Ann, and there the pans are set up for the fishery ; but before the sum- 

 mer is out, he burns the house and spoils the pans, and there is an end of this chargeable business." 2 



THE FISHERIES NOT SUCCESSFUL. Under date of March, 1024, Governor Bradford says: 



"Shortly after, Mr. Winslow came over, and brought a prety good supply, and a ship came on fishing, a thing 

 fatall to this plantation. Ho brought 3. heifers & a bull, the first beginning of any cattle of that kind iu y e land, 

 with some cloathiug & other necessaries, as will further appear; but withall y e reporte of a strong faction amongst 

 the adventurers against them, and especially against y e coming of y e rest from Leydeu, and with what difficulty this 

 supply was procured, and how, by their strong & long opposision, bussiness was so retarded as not only they were 

 now falne too late for y fishing season, but the best men were taken up of y e fishermen in y" west countrie, and ho 

 was forct to take such a M r . & company for that iniployment as he could procure upon y present." 3 



Among a number of objections answered and sent to England in 1(124, by Governor Bradford, was the following: 

 "-. ob: The fish will not take salt to keepe sweets. Ans: This is as true as that which was written, that ther is 

 scarce a foulo to be scene or a fish to be taken. Things likely to be true in a cuntrie whcr so many saylo of ships 

 come yearly a fishing; they might as well say, there can no aile or been 1 in London be kept from soweriug." 4 



The story of a fishing trip to the coast of Maine in 1624 is thus told by Governor Bradford : 



"They having with some truble & charge new-masted and rigged their pinass, in y" begining of March, they 

 sent her well vitalcd to (he eastward on fishing. She arrived safely at a place near Damarius cove, aud was there 



well harbored iu a place wlicr ships used to ride, thrr being also s e ships allready arived out of England. But 



shortly after ther arose, such a violent & extraor'linario storme, as y e seas broak over such places in y e harbor as was 

 never seeue before, and drive her against great roks, which beat such a hole in her bulke, as a horse and carte might 

 have gone in, and after drive her iuto deep-water, wher she lay suuke." s 



Governor Bradford thus writes of the colonists in 1C25 : 



"This storme being thus blowne over, yet sundrie sad effects followed y c same; for the Company of Adventurers 

 broake in peeces here upou, aud y e greatest parte wholy deserted y e colony in regarde of any further supply, or care 

 of their subsistence. And not only so, but some of Layfords & Oldoms friends, and their adherents, set out a shipe 

 on fishing, on theire owue accounte, and getting y e starte of y e ships that came to the plantation, they tooke away 

 their stage, & other necessary provisions that they had made for fishing at Cap-Anne y e year before, at their great 

 charge, and would not restore y" same, excepte they would fight for it. But y" Gov r sent some of y e planters to help 

 y e fisher men to build a new oue, and so let them keepe it. This shipe also brought some small supply, of little value ; 

 but they made so pore a business of their fishing, (neither could these men make them any returns for y e supply 

 scute,) so as, after this year, they never looked more after them." 6 



PERMISSION TO FISH AT KEXNEBEC. The Patent of the Old Colony of Plymouth, granted January 13, 1629, 

 has these items concerning the fisheries: "And forasmuch as they have noe convenient Place, either of Tradings or 

 Fishinge within their owuo precincts, whereby (after soe longe Travell aud great Paines) so hopefull a Plautacon 

 may subsists, as alsoe that they may bee incouraged the better to proceed in soe pious a Worke, * * * The said 

 Couucell have further given and granted * * * the Space of fifteeneEuglishe miles on each Side of the said River 

 called Kenuebek, and all the said River called Kenebek, * * *" and all Grounds, Fishiuges, &c. ; * * * with 

 Liberty of fishing upou any Parts of the Sea-coaste and Sea-shores of any of the Seas or Islands adjacent, aud not, 

 beinge inhabited, or otherwise disposed of by Order of the said Presidents aud Councell; 7 



THE FISHERIES IN 1629. Under date of the year 1629 Governor Bradford writes: 



" This paying of 50 p r cent, aud dificulty ot having their goods trasported by y" fishing ships at y e first of y B year, 

 (as was beleeved,) which was y e cheefe season for trade, put them upon another projecte. M r . Allerton, after y 

 fishing season was over, light of a bargan of salte, at a good fishing place, and bought it; which came to aboute 

 113 tt . ; and shortly after he might have had 30 ". cleare profite for it, without any more trouble aboute it. But Mr. 

 Winslow coming that way from Kenebeck, & some other of ther partners with him in y e barke, they metfc with Mr. 

 Allerton, and falling iuto discourse with him, they stayed him from selling y 6 salte; and resolved, if it might please 

 y e rest, to keep it for them selves, and to hire a ship in y e west countrie to come on fishing for them, on shares, accord- 

 ing to y e coustome ; and seeing she might have her salte here ready, and a stage ready builte & fitted wher the 

 salt lay safely lauded & housed. Iu stead of bringing salte, they might Etowe her full of trading goods, as bread, 

 pease, cloth, &c., and so they might have a full supply of goods without paing fraight, and in due season, which 

 might turne greatly to their advantage. Coming home, this was propounded, aud considered on, and aproved by all 

 but y" Gov r , who had no mind to it, seeing they had allway lost by fishing; but y e rest were so ernest, as thinkeiug 



1 Holmes' American Annals, 1805. Vol. i. p 131. 6 Ibid., p. 156. 



J Prince, New England Chronology. Boston, 1736, p. 227. 6 Ibid., p. 190. 



3 Coll. Mass. Hist. Soe., vol. iii, 4tli series, p. 157. ' Hazard's " State Papers," vol. i, pp. 300, 301. 



*Iliid., p. 102. 



