MAINE: DISTRICT OF PORTLAND AND FALMOUTH. 83 



the beginning of last century a limited trade sprang up between Portland and the West Indies, 

 and large quantities of lumber were shipped to that region. 



In addition to lumber, according to Mr. Gould, these West Indiamen soon began carrying 

 out soap, candles, and dried codfish in "drums" of the weight of 500 to 800 pounds each. These 

 were consigned to the captain, who sold his cargo, bought another of sugar, molasses, and rum, 

 and returned, paying no commission to the foreign merchant. 



The business continued to increase, and soon a greater part of the Portland fish were sent 

 there for a market. 



"After the war," says Mr. Gould, "the West India trade, which had grown before the Revo- 

 lution to be an object of considerable importance, was revived, and a profitable business was done 

 in exchanging lumber and fish for rum, sugar, and molasses." 



This trade was extensive up to 1850, and even later a few vessels were sent, the last one 

 going in 1878. 



From the first, Portland has taken a leading rank as a fishing port, and by the beginning of 

 the present century she had a fleet of vessels engaged in the Grand Bank cod fishery. A little 

 later she sent vessels to Labrador for cod, and in 1832 the first vessel from the town started for 

 the Gulf of Saint Lawrence for mackerel. She has had no vessels regularly engaged in the 

 George's Bank cod fishery, and has been interested only to a limited extent in the fresh-halibut 

 fishery ; but aside from these her fishermen have been engaged in all the leading sea-fisheries of 

 the New England coast. 



Space forbids a review of the Portland fisheries during the years of their development, and 

 though it might be interesting to trace each branch of the business through its various stages of 

 growth, and to show the causes that have led to the transfer of many of the fishing vessels from 

 the smaller towns of the State to Portland, we must confine ourselves to a description of the fish- 

 eries as they are found at the present time. 



THE VESSEL FISHERIES. In the summer of 1879 the Portland fishing fleet numbered seventy- 

 nine sail, valued at $114,775. These vessels aggregated 3,004.13 tons and carried six hundred 

 and sixty-one men. Of the entire fleet sixteen visited the more distant fishing grounds for cod, 

 twenty-one were provided with purse-seines for catching mackerel, thirty-two engaged in the 

 shore fisheries, four were employed in the halibut fisheries to a limited extent in summer, and six 

 carried lobsters to the Portland market. Six of the codfish fleet, after returning from their first 

 trip, were "fitted out for the matcfcfcrel fishery, and nineteen of the shore fleet joined them during 

 the height of the season, making a total of forty-six vessels engaged in the mackerel fishery during 

 the summer months. About the 1st of November nine of the vessels are fitted for the winter 

 haddock fishery, continuing the business till the following spring. 



The vessels are usually owned by a number of parties rather than by a single individual. In 

 most cases the ship-builders, riggers, sail-makers, fitters, and packers each own a part, in order 

 that they may control the trade of the vessel in their respective lines. It is also customary to 

 induce the captain of the vessel to buy a small part, thus causing him to feel a deeper interest in 

 the work and to give more attention to the interests of all concerned. One of the owners is 

 selected as the "managing owner," and it becomes his duty to act as agent for the vessel and to 

 keep full and accurate accounts of all expenditures and receipts. This party is usually selected 

 on account of his knowledge of the business, and is frequently the captain of the schooner or the 

 merchant who furnishes the supplies. 



The vessels are usually " fitted at the halves," the owners furnishing provisions, gear, and 



