THE OYSTER-INDUSTRY. Ill 



were written Lome to Euglaiid from what is now Perth Amboy, which are preserved in Smith's History of New 

 Jersey, which bear out the truth of Carteret's assertions handsomely, as proved by these extracts : 



And at Amboy point and feveral otherl)laces there is abundance of brave oyfters. 



O.vfters, I think, -wonkl ferve all England. 



We have one thing more particular to ns, which the others want alfo, which is vaft oyfter-banks, which is the conftant fref h victuals, 

 during the winter, to Englifh, as well as Indians; of thefe there are many all along our coafts, Ixom the fea as high as against New York, 

 whence they come to fetch them. 



Oyfter f hells upon the point, to make lime withal, which will wonderfully accomodate us in building good houfes [of stone] cheap, 

 wann for winter, and cool for summer. 



We have ftore of clams, efteemed much better than oyfters ; on feftivals the Indians feaft with them ; there are fhallops [scallops], 

 but in no great plenty. 



Oysters in the Hudson eiver and in the "Kills". — Just how far up the Hudson river this "store" of 

 "brave oysters" extended is hard to determine. In his manuscriiit notes, fiu-nished me with a liberality which 

 his known regard for science and his native generosity would lead those who know him to expect, the Eev. Samuel 

 Lock wood says, that five or six miles above Teller's point, near Sing Sing, is the uppermost spot "where they ever 

 flourished". Captain Metzgar mentioned Eockland lake as the northern limit. The distance from here to Sandy 

 Hook is no less than 50 miles, and all the way it was an almost continuous oyster-bottom. Bedloe's island, in the 

 harbor, was first known as Big Oyster island, and some rocks and tide-bars south of it as Little Oyster island, the 

 latter still keeping its name. 



In the neighborhood of Staten Island the circumstances were especially favorable, and there were numerous beds. 

 Staten Island lies in a mainly east and west direction, filling the southwestern corner of the bay; the northern shore 

 is I'ocky and unfit for oyster-growth for a considerable distance, but the southern and western sides are eminently 

 favorable. Between the island on the west and the contiguous shore of M^ew Jersey, at Bergen and Elizabeth, the 

 strait is narrow and was long ago called by the Dutch Kil von Kol, or the Kol, which has been corrupted into 

 modern Kill von Knll, or shortly, the Kills. Everywhere in these swift tide-ways oysters grew abundantly. South 

 of the island there is a broad expanse of shallow water separating the island from the Jersey shore of Monmouth 

 county, into which the Earitan pours a heavy flood of fresh water. To the Staten Islanders and New Yorkers, this 

 part of the bay is known as Staten Island sound, and the oysters grown in it receive the market name of "Sounds". 

 Jerseymen more often speak of it as Earitan bay, and sell the oysters they raise on their shore as "Amboys" and 

 "Keyports", the former town being the ancient village at the mouth of the Earitan river, and the latter, a modern 

 town, several miles eastward. To the eastMard of Keyport again, near the base of Sandy Hook, Shrewsbury river 

 comes in, and here was another oyster-center, famous at one time, but now declined. The only other locality worthy 

 of special mention is Prince's bay, on the southea^itern shore of Staten Island. 



Fisheries and legislation in the eighteenth century. — With reference to oyster-matters history is 

 mute during the close of the seventeenth and beginning of the eighteenth century, except that chance allusions 

 here and there show that large numbers of persons — nearly everybody in fact — took advantage of this natural 

 storehouse of food to supjilement their luxuries in summer, and victual their cellars for winter. It is also evident 

 that the fame of Carteret's "great plenty and easy to take", had spread abroad, and so many aliens sailed into the 

 placid bay to rake upon the "vast banks", that at last the colonists became alarmed for the continuance of their 

 precious supply. Thus it arose that as early as 1715 was i^assed the fli'st colonial law in relation to oysters, 

 prohibiting — 



That from and after the Publication of this Act, it f hall not be Lawful for any Perfon or Perfons whatfoever (Native Free Indians 

 only excepted) from and after the tirft day of May, until the firft day of Septemher, Annually, to gather, Rake, take up, or bring to the 

 Market, any Oyfters whatsoever, under the penalty of Twenty Shillings for every Ofl'ence, to be recovered before any of His Majefty's 

 Jnftices of the Peace, who are hereby Authorized and required to hear and tinally Determine the fame, one half thereof to him, her or 

 them, that f hall bring the fanie to Effect, and the other half to the Poor of the place where the Otfence fhall be committed. 



And * * » That it fhall not be Lawful for any Negro, Indian, or Mulatto Slave to fell any Oyfters in the City of Xew Tori; at 

 any time wh.itfoever, upon the penalty of Twenty Shillings for every Offence, to be paid by the Mafter or Miftrefs of fuch Slave or 

 Slaves, to be recovered and applied as aforefaid. This Act to be [in] Force from the Publication hereof, during the term of Five Years 

 and no longer. 



Four years later (1719) the colony of New Jersey saw the matter in the same light, for the legislature 

 resolved: 



"Whereas, it is found by daily experience, that the Oyfterbeds within this Province are wafted and deftroyed by Strangers, and 

 others, at unfeafonable Times of the Year, the Preservation of which will tend to the great Benefit of the poor People and others 

 inhabiting this Province ; Be it thereeoiie enacted," etc. 



The provisions were that no gathering of oysters should take idace between May 10 and September 1, and 

 that no oysters should be put upon any -vessel or boat not wholly owned within the Province. For the enforcement 

 of these acts .special ofiicers were named,* and legal provi.sious for seizure and xrani.shment were arranged. 



New York and New Jersey laws of 1730-'75.— In 1730 New York again found need to make a second 



' " The Perfons appointed being all dead it is thought improper to fwell the Volume by inferting their Names.— Laws, 177G. 



