THE FROZEN-HERRING INDUSTRY. 441 



fined to Newfoundland voyages, but of late years an extensive herring business has grown up with Grand Manan, and 

 a few cargoes are brought annually from Nova Scotia. This herring industry enables our vessels to prosecute the 

 Uaiik fisheries in February and March, when immense schools of fish resort thither, and the largest fares are brought 

 in. It furnishes a valuable article of nourishing food for the New York, Boston, and other markets at low price. 



NEW BETJNSWICK FROZEN-HERRING- TRADE. From the beginning of the present century 

 Grand Manan is known to have been a favorite resort for the herring, and the waters oft' its 

 southern head have been one of the principal spawning grounds on the entire coast. Mr. M. II. 

 Perley, in his report of the fisheries of New Brunswick for 1850, describes these grounds as of 

 peculiar importance, and speaks of the herring as " striking in" in such vast quantities as to com- 

 pletely cover the sandy spots, while immense numbers were compelled to drop their spawn on the 

 rough, rocky bottom beyond these limits. It seems that the fisheries of this region early became 

 mportnnt, and, according to the same authority, there were in 1849 one hundred and twenty ves- 

 sels engaged in the herring fisheries of the region. A part of this fleet came from Nova Scotia, 

 while the remainder belonged to the various fishing ports of Maine and Massachusetts. 



The fisheries soon became so extensive that laws were passed to protect the spawning fish, 

 and vessels were limited to the use of nets of 30 fathoms each, while the boats were not to have 

 them more than 15 fathoms in length. These laws were soon changed so as to entirely do away 

 with the fishing in the vicinity of the spawning grounds between the 15th of July and the 15th of 

 September. 



Though the fish were peculiarly abundant about Grand Marian, and also appeared in consid- 

 erable numbers along the shore at different seasons, they were not known to frequent the shore 

 grounds in any considerable numbers during the winter months prior to 1850. Mr. Perley speaks 

 of their appearance at this time as something extraordinary. He says : 



"In November last fine cod, averaging about thirty to a quintal, were taken by the hand-line 

 fishermen between Musquash and Le Preau. At that time fine herring made their appearance, 

 requiring nets with 2^-iuch mesh. These continued to increase in numbers until January. While 

 this report is being written (February. 1851,) they are taken daily in considerable quantities. The 

 appearance of large bodies of herring so close to the shore during the depth of winter is an unusual 

 circumstance. In general they do not approach the coast until the latter part of winter or in early 

 spring, and then in only moderate quantities." 



Notwithstanding these statements, it does not seem improbable that the fish might have been 

 abundant in these waters during the winter months for many years, and that the fishermen failed 

 to learn of their presence on account of the lack of a market and the cold, stormy weather, which 

 interfered to a great extent with the prosecution of the fishery. However this may be, little was 

 done in the capture of herring in this locality prior to I860, and even then the business was so 

 small as to attract no attention, the greater part of the catch being used for bait by the local fish- 

 ermen. Gradually, however, as the Newfoundland fisheries developed and the value of frozen 

 herring became more generally known, the fishermen engaged to a limited extent in their capture, 

 freezing the fish and selling them to Eastport dealers, who distributed them by wagons to the 

 towns in the vicinity, and shipped them by steamer to the principal fishing ports, to be used for 

 bait and food. 



The shipping began in a small way as early as 1864, and in 18CG the first Gloucester vessel 

 visited the region to engage in the fishery. Up to this time the fishery had been so unimportant 

 that little was known of the abundance of the fish and of the extent to which the business might 

 be prosecuted. It soon became apparent, however, that immense numbers offish could readily be 

 taken, and that the business could be made a very profitable one. Some vessels from Portsmouth, 



