HISTORICAL REFERENCES: MASSACHUSETTS. 735 



celebrated Plymouth Rock. It was, however, some thirty or forty years after the above landing before a permanent 

 settlement was made by the English. The settlement was called Dartmouth and purchased from the Indian chief 

 Massasoit, and his son, Wamsutta, in 1654. This may be seen by a perusal of the following deed : 



"BRADFORD, GOVERNOUR. 



"NEW PLYMOUTH, November 2V, 1652. 



" Know all men by these presents that I, Wesamequeu, and Wamsutta, my sou, have sold unto Mr. William 

 Bradford, Captain Standish, Thomas Southworth, John Wiuslow, John Cooke, and their associates, the purchasers or 

 old comers, all the tract or tracts of land lying eastward from a river called Ciishewagg, to a certain harbor called 

 Acoaksott, to a flat rock on the west side of the said harbor. Aud whereas the said harbor di videth itself into several 

 branches, the westernmost arme to be the bound, and all the tractor tracts of land from the said westward arme to 

 the said river of Cushewagg. 3 miles eastward of the same, with all the profits and benefits within the said tract, with 

 all the rivers, creeks, 'meadows, necks, and islands that lye in or near the same, and from the sea upward to go so high 

 that the English may not be annoyed by the hunting of the Indians in any sort of their cattle. And I, Wesamequen, 

 and Wamsutta, do promise to remove all the Indians within a year from the date hereof that do live in the said 

 tract. Aud we, the said Wesamequeu and Wamsutta, have fully bargained and sold unto the aforesaid Mr. William 

 Bradford, Captain Standish, Thomas Southworth, John Winslow, John Cooko, and the rest of their associates, the 

 purchasers or old comers, to have and to hold for them and their heirs and assigues forever. And in consideration 

 hereof, we the above mentioned are to pay to the said Wesamequen and Wauisutta as followeth: Thirty yards of 

 cloth, 8 morse-skins, 15 axes, 15 hoes, 15 pair of breeches, 8 blankets, 2 kettles, 1 cloak, 2 pounds in wampaiu, 8 pairs 

 stockings, 8 pairs-shoes, 1 iron pot, and 10 shillings in another commoditie, and iu witness hereof we have inter- 

 changeably set to our hands the day and year above written. 



"JOHN WINSLOW. 

 "JOHN KING. 

 "In tLe presence of 

 "JONATHAN SHAW. 

 "SAMUEL EDDY. 



"WAMSUTTA, M'M" 



mark. 



Another old record gives the boundary of Dartmouth (this embraced the present towns of Westport, New Bedford, 

 Dartmouth, and Fairhaveu) as made with the Indian, John Sassamon, agent for Phillip Sagamore, of Pokamockett, &c. 



GIVEN THE NAME NEW BEDFORD. As the little settlement grew into quite a village belonging to Dartmouth, it 

 was thought best to give it a name to distinguish it from the other part of the town, and on a public occasion, Mr. 

 Joseph Rotch suggesting it should be called " Bedford," iu honor of Joseph Russel, an old citizen, who bore the family 

 name of the Duke of Bedford, it was adopted, and the old gentleman was after known as the duke, and for many 

 years the place was known as Bedford. On ascertaining that there was another town of the same name in the State 

 it was called New Bedford, and on February 22, 17b7, it cast loose from Dartmouth .and was duly incorporated as a 

 town, embracing the present town of Fairhaven until April 22, 1812, when that town withdrew and was duly 

 incorporated. A large number of ships were formerly built at New Bedford, the first having been launched in, 1767 ; 

 this was named "Dartmouth" and has become historic from having been one of the vessels which came into Boston 

 Harbor loaded with tea which was thrown overboard December 16, 1773. 



NEW BEDFORD IN 1792. A description follows, written in 1792, of New Bedford and its fisheries; " There are also 

 several other islands in the river, most of them small, yet yielding some pasturage, and very commodious for several 

 purposes, particularly for those who make a business of salting fish. There is good fishing in the river for the smaller 

 kind ; aud not far distant from the mouth they catch the larger sort. But few markets in any of our sea-ports are 

 equally supplied with variety of fish, and such as are very excellent. Here are sold cod, bass, blackfish, shcepshead, 

 &c."' 



SALT AND FRESH WATER FISHES. In 1858 the varieties to be found in the waters of New Bedford were: 



"Fish. Salt water: Smelt, torn-cod, herring, shad, menhaden, flat-fish, lump-sucker, whiting, chogsot, bass, tautog 

 or blackfish, scup(scuppang, pogies) cod, mackerel, haddock, pollock, bluefish, rock bass, sheepsbead, flounder, perch, 

 eel, sculpin, scate, stingray, bellows-fish, rudderfish, sqnetteague, squid, swellfish, toad-grunter, shark, dogfish, frost-fish, 

 skipjack. Shell-fish : Oysters, quahaugs, clams, lobsters, crabs, scallops, winkles, razors, mussels, star-fish or five- 

 fingres, barnacles. * Fresh water : Trout, perch (white, red, yellow), pickerel, chub, carp, silverfish, minnow, 

 hornpont, eel, clam. 2 



THE FISHERIES IN 1870. Mr. Welcome A. Almy stated to the fishery committee of the Massachusetts legislature 

 in 1870: "I should think there ware as many as 25 fishing boats which make a regular business of fishing 

 from New Bedford. Some carry two men and some carry four. There are probably one 100 men engaged in the 

 business. Some go in smacks. There are several hundred who will go fishing more or less. There are some laboring 

 men who go fishing to get food for their families. Formerly there were more men who went for that purpose than now." 



THE WHALE-FISHERY. A brief sketch of the whale-fishery from New Bedford has been given on pages 271, 272, 

 aud a much fuller history of this industry will be given in Section V of this report. 



1 ColL Mass. Hist. Soc., vol. iv, 1st series, p. 233. 

 1 Kicketson's History of New Bedford, 1858, p. 403. 



