HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN iMENHADEN. 81 



1870, less than 75,000; while in I8GG, tbe first year of tlic \vo:k, only 

 about 35,000 barrels were taken. Jndson Tarr <ic Co. think that they 

 are more plenty than ever before, but not so numerous inshore. 



Mr. Edward E. Race, of East Booth Bay, Me., reports, November 5, 

 1877, the total catch for the season iu tliat vicinity at 153,000 banclK, or 

 51,018,000 fish. 



Mr. W. A. Abbe, manager of the Pemaquid Oil Company, states that 

 the season of 1877 was a poor one, both in the number and quality of the 

 fish taken. The company's fleet of five steamers took during the season 

 over G1,000 barrels (20,000,000 of fish), yielding about 127,000 gallons of 

 oil and 1,800 tons of guano. The fishing began off Gloucester, thence 

 extended to the coast of Maine, and ended off Provincetown. Some of 

 the steamers fished for other parties after the close of the Provincetown 

 season off Newport and Sand}^ Hook, but the catch was insignificant. 



The three steamers owned by Edward T. Deblois took, in 1877, on the 

 coast of Maine, 26,049 barrels (9,000,000 offish). 



Mr. George Devoll, of Fall River, Mass., fishing in 1877 for the Xar- 

 ragansett and Atlantic Oil Works in Maine, caught from his steamer, the 

 Chance Shot, about 12,000 barrels of menhaden. 



In 1877, Gallup & Holmes took 52,000 barrels of fish on the coast of 

 Maine and at Provincetown, besides 8,000 barrels caught and sold 

 further w^est. These fish yielded 120,000 gallons of oil and 1,500 tons 

 of guano. 



Oil the coast of New HavipHhire. 



105. Mr. Chandler Martin, of Whale's-Back Light, near Portsmouth, 

 X. H., in his communication of February 23, 1874, repoi^ed that the fish 

 were diminished January 9, 1875 ; he writes that they were more abun- 

 dant iu 1874 than for ten years previous, and that they are probably not 

 affected by the fisheries. 



Mr. Winslow P. Eayrs, of Nashua, N. H., calls attention to the rapid 

 diminution of the pogies in that vicinity, attributing it to the extensive 

 operations of the oil-factories and to the pollution of the waters by the 

 refuse dye-stuffs and chemicals from the factories,* 



On the coast of Massachusetts. 



lOG. Mr. W. W. Marshall estimates the cntch of gill-nets at Rockport, 

 1877, at 1,000 barrels. The fisheries at Newburyport are described 

 below. 



According to Mr. Babson the pogies are more numerous about Cape 

 Ann than any other fish except herring and mackerel. He thinks they 

 have decreased somewhat during the past ten years and keep more off 

 the shore. Statistics of capture are given elsewhere. 



'Report of the Comuiissiouer of Fish and Fisheries for 1871-72, p. 130, 

 G F 



