THE GROWTH ALONG THE COAST 189 



account of the harbor filling with sand, which prevented the 

 larger vessels from passing in and out easily. The mack- 

 erel fishery, employing smaller craft, increased as the cod- 

 fishery fell off. The people of Dennis began to catch 

 mackerel in 1836. Nine years later the town had from 

 50 to 70 vessels in the fishery. The fisheries increased and 

 prospered year after year. Harwich carried on a pros- 

 perous business in the mackerel fishery from 1846 to 1866. 

 Other towns on the south coast of the State were en- 

 gaged in the fisheries, notably Nantucket and New Bed- 

 ford in the whale fishery. Cod, mackerel, shad and oyster 

 fisheries were carried on in this section, but their impor- 

 tance was not considered seriously by the people until the 

 whaling industry began to decline. 1 



Gloucester has been left until the last among Massa- 

 chusetts fishing towns in order that its importance as a 

 fishing port might be emphasized. In 1818, its fisheries 

 were of minor consideration in comparison with some other 

 towns. In 1866, Gloucester led all ports in the New World 

 in the extent and importance of its fishing interests. This 

 distinction has been held by the town ever since, notwith- 

 standing the fact that an immense trade in fresh fish is 

 carried on from Boston, and no account of American sea 

 fisheries for the last fifty years is complete without fre- 

 quent reference to the extent and importance of Gloucester 's 

 fishing interests. 



The story of the cod far antedates that of the mackerel ; 

 but none has a more absorbing interest than the mackerel 

 fishery both for the importance of the industry and the 

 methods pursued. The first trip for mackerel to salt was 

 made by the schooner President, Captain Simeon Burnham, 

 in 1818. Previous to this the fish was used principally as 

 bait. Down to 1818, the Gloucester catch of mackerel was 

 small and remained so until 1821, when 2,177 barrels of 



i Goode, Sec. II, pp. 729-734. 



