24 BUULETIN 127, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



other vessels that trade to and from hence, yearly of our own or 

 English build, most of them belonging to this colony. We have 

 eight or ten ships (probably more) of one hundred tons or more, 

 and about forty or fifty fishing "ketches" of between twenty and 

 f ortj' tons. Six or eight English sliips do usually come hither yearly 

 l^elonging to the Kingdom of England, bringing commodities of all 

 sorts from thence." 



The so-called ketches were probabh^ employed to a greater extent 

 than any others. These vessels were full and heavy built, with a 

 peculiar rig that was at first invented for a bomb vessel (the main- 

 mast standing about amidship to give room for ordnance forward) , 

 but afterwards came into great favor for yachts and fishing crafts. 

 The " snows " were generally larger than the ketches, square-rigged 

 on two masts and having a small jiggermast at the stern. 



Smaller vessels with one or perhaps two masts, carrying a square 

 sail on the mainmast, were doubtless employed to a considerable ex- 

 tent in the fisheries in early colonial times. The Sparroio Hawk^ 

 Avhich was lost on Cape Cod a few years after the settlement of 

 Massachusetts, can be accepted as the type of this class. 



A distinguishing feature of the sloops of the early colonial times 

 was that many if not most of them carried square topsails. These 

 were, of course, better adapted for fishing near the land than for 

 making extended cruises to the banks. 



The first marked improvement in the American fishing vessels 

 was the invention of the schooner rig early in the eighteenth cen- 

 tury. The difficulties attending the adoption of a new rig in former 

 times is evidenced by illustrations of warships of the eighteenth 

 century and previously, on which lateen sails were carried on the 

 mizzen. Illustrations of French men-of-war in 1764, however, 

 show that the portion of the sail forward of the mast was no longer 

 carried, probably owing to the difficulty of lowering and shifting 

 the yard whenever the ship changed her tack. The yard was, 

 nevertheless, kept its full length, simply, it would appear, because 

 no one could invent a gaff or similar device to take its place. We 

 may, therefore, look upon the invention of the schooner rig, which 

 has now become so popular in America, as a matter of special im- 

 portance in the history of our fishing fleet. The particular incident 

 which gave to this rig the name of schooner is thus described : 



" Captain Eobinson built and rigged a ' ketch,' as they were then 

 called, masted and rigged it in a new and peculiar manner; when 

 launched, the peculiar motion she made as she glided into the water 

 from the stocks caused one of the bystanders to exclaim, ' Oh, how she 

 scoons.' Eobinson instantly dashed a bottle of rum against her 

 bow and exclaimed, 'A scooner let her be ! ' And thus the schooner 

 originated." This event happened in Gloucester in 1713, according 



