28 FISniNG-GROUNDS OF KORTH AMERICA. 



of the ledge, in a de])tb of twenty-seven to thirtyfoiir fathoms. In the spring of ISSO, three men, 

 vrith hand-lines, caught three hundred cod here in a single day. 



Ben's Ground bears east-southeast from Petit Manan ; distance, four to five miles. (Marks : 

 Petit Manan light, to the northward of the high or mid(tle hill of IMount Desert, and Humpback 

 Mountain, on the west side of Trafton's Island, or Pond Island light-house, to the eastward of 

 Jordan's Delight.) This ground is circular in shape, with a diameter of abont three-fourths of a 

 mile, and has a very irregular bottom of rocks and mud. The depths range from fourteen to 

 thirty fathoms. This ground is at present of but little importance, but is occasionally vLsited by 

 the boat-fishermen in summer for cod and haddock: on muddy bottom, in the immediate vicinity, 

 hake grouudsoccur. 



Southeast Rock. — This is a ledge which becomes nearly uncovered at low water on its 

 shoalest part. It bears south-southeast from Petit Manan; distance, four and one half miles. 

 From the shoaler portion of the ledge the bottom slopes off towards the northeast a distance 

 of four miles, with an in-egular bottom, the depth increasing from seventeen to thirty fathoms. 

 The shoal ]iortions are rocky, while the deeper places between are generally muddy. Cod and 

 haddock are taken on this ground by the boat fishermen in May and June, but from July to 

 September hake are the most common fish. 



Broken Ridges, " Job Ray Ground." — This ground bears south-southeast from Petit 

 Manan, from which the center is seven miles distant. It is two miles long in a southwest and 

 northeast direction, and one mile wide, the depths ranging from twenty-seven to thirty-three 

 fathoms. The bottom is very uneven, and consists of rocks and mud. The shoalest pait of the 

 ground is near tlie center. The depths vary so greatly over short distances that a boat at anchor, 

 swinging with the tide, may find a difference In depth of from five to six fathoms. This ground 

 is considered very good for cod and haddock. It is resorted to by small vessels in the spring 

 and by open boats during the summer. 



Black Ledges Ground.— This is an excellent fishing-ground for haddock, situated between 

 "Jordan's Delight" and the " Halibut" or " Black Ledges." The fish strike in very plentifully 

 in summer, probably in pursuit of herring. One day, in the first part of July, 1879, three persons 

 in one boat, with a trawl of seven hundred hooks, took eleven hundred haddock by under-running 

 on this ground, and more than five thousand haddock were probably taken there tl:at day by 

 all of the small boats fishing there. The haddock do not usually remain long. 



GROUNDS OFF MOUNT DESERT ISLAND. 



Baker'.s Island Ridge. — This is a narrow ridge making out from Baker's Island in an east 

 by north direction. The eastern part beai's south by east from Schoodic Island, from which it is 

 distant three-fourths of a mile. The ridge is much broken, with an average width of one-half 

 mile, and depths varying from twenty to twenty-five fathoms. The bottom is rocky in some 

 places and gi'avclly in others. As a rule, but little fishing is done on the shoaler portions of the ■ 

 ridge, but where the bottom slopes off to depths of thirty to thirty-five fathoms, with a bottom 

 of mud, hake are generally quite abundant from July to October inclusive. During that season 

 the ground is resorted to by small vessels and o]K'u boats. 



Martin's Ground. — Tiie center of this ground bears west southwest from Schoodic Point, 

 from which it is distant about three miles. It is a I'ocky patch, with depths of fifteen to 

 twenty-five fathoms. Its extent does not exceed four or five acres. This is not an important 

 fishing-ground, but is sometimes resorted to by the boat-fishermen in the fall, wlieii n limited 

 amount of end are taKen witli hand-lines. 



