480 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 

 XL— THE OCEAN SIDE OF NEW JERSEY. 



Description of the coast. — The northern part of the coast of New Jer- 

 sey is singularly destitute of iudeutatious suitable for the existence or 

 cultivation of oysters. Proceeding southward from Sandy Hook, the 

 first inlet of any importance is Shark Eiver, in which there is a limited 

 oyster business. With this exception there is no oyster industry on 

 the Atlantic coast of the State north of Barnegat Bay. 



From the head of Barnegat Bay (in Ocean County) southward the 

 coast is skirted by desolate sand beaches, broken into sections by 

 numerous inlets which connect the waters of the inside bays with, 

 those of the ocean. Of these inlets the principal are Barnegat, Kew, 

 Absecon, Great Egg Harbor, Townsend, and Hereford. The general 

 contour of the coast is quite regular, forming a graceful curve (the con- 

 vexity seaward) from Sandy Hook to Cape May. These sand beaches 

 serve as a sort of natural breastwork, i^rotecting the inside bays, which 

 lie between the outer beaches and the mainland, from the violent 

 storms of the ocean, and rendering them favorable localities for the 

 operations of the oyster-planters. The sheltered location of these bays 

 imparts to them some resemblance to Long Island Sound or the sounds 

 along the coast of North Carolina. 



Next to Barnegat Bay, the most important indentations on this sec- 

 tion of the coast are Little Egg Harbor, Great Bay, and Great Egg 

 Harbor. The inside coast or shore of the mainland is irregular and 

 indented by creeks and mouths of rivers and small streams, and is 

 usually low and marshy. 



Oyster boats. — The boats used in the oyster fisheries of this section 

 are of several varieties. Those of large size are propelled by sails 

 exclusively, while the smaller ones are generally jjrovided with sails 

 and oars, either of which may be brought into requisition whenever the 

 occasion demands. The kind of boat most used in tonging oysters is 

 the one knownas a " garvey," which is a small, square-ended, flat- 

 bottomed s^jHwth raking ends and flaring sides. It is about 20 feet 

 in length o^^all, and 16 feet on the bottom. The width is usually 

 about 5 feet at the top and 4 feet at the bottom. It costs approxi- 

 mately $30 when new. This type of boat is more numerous than any 

 other. It is not designed for speed, but is well adapted and service- 

 able as a tonging boat in the shallow waters of the inland bays and 

 creeks along the coast. A peculiar-shaped boat is also used for tonging 

 purposes, which is called by the fishermen a ''sneak box." Its form 

 resembles that of a pumpkin seed, with the exception that it is more 

 elongated. The convexity of the top is nearly as great as that of the 

 bottom. The stern is square, straight, and moderately wide, and the 

 steering gear is. hung outside. These boats vary from 12 to 18 feet in 

 length. The top is decked over, leaving an open space or manhole in the 

 center, the size of which varies according to the size of the boat, but is 

 usually about 4 feet long and 2^ feet wide. Some of these boats are 



