HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN MENHADEN. 151 



Capt. Sylvanus Smitb, of Gloucester, stated to tbo Halifax Commis- 

 sion that a vessel fitting out for a four mouths' trij) to the Gulf of Ht, 

 Lawrence would need to be supplied with 40 barrels of pogie bait^ 

 worth $G a barrel, making $240, and 10 barrels of salt clams, worth §& 

 a barrel, making $80.* 



Major Low's statement, copied from the trip-book of the schooner 

 Oliver Eldridge,t shows that she fitted out with 55 barrels of slivered 

 pogies, at $G.50 a barrel, making $357.50, and 7 barrels of clams, at $G,. 

 making $424 



The amount of these outfits is much greater than that upon whiclit 

 the above estimate was made. 



The entire amount used in the mackerel fishery in 1877 ])robably did 

 not exceed 8,000 or 9,000 barrels of slivers, or 24,000 to 27,000 barrels- 

 of "round fish." 



Consumption by the Connecticut smacls. 



210. There are seven Connecticut smacks fishing for the flounder 

 {Chaenopsetta ocellaris) in Long Island and Block Island Sounds. Five 

 of these hail from Noank, one from Mystic, and one from I^ew London. 

 Captain Ashby tells me that these smacks average one trip every four 

 or five days for five months (May to September inclusive). They use 

 only menhaden bait ; about one barrel each trip, or perhaps 150 bar- 

 rels in the season. 



Sixteen Noank and four New London smacks fish for sea-bass. Eack 

 carries two or three barrels of menhaden bait each trip, making an ag^ 

 gregate annual amount of about 1,000 barrels. 



Consumption hy the JSI'eiv YorJc halibut fleet. 



211. The New York halibut fleet of 11 sails, owned at Noank, New- 

 London, and Greenport, uses only menhaden bait, which is iced fresb 

 in the vessels' holds. Each vessel carries from 0,000 to 10,000 fish each 

 trip. Each vessel makes five or six trips. The aggregate number of 

 menhaden thus used is perhaps 480,000, or 1,400 barrels. The usual 

 l)rice is $4 a thousand. 



Annual sale of bait by the Maine manufacturers. 



212. The Menhaden Oil and Guano Manufacturing Association of 



Maine sold for bait : 



Barrels 

 of libb. 



In 1873 2, 977 



In 1874 10,400) 



In 1875 10, 752 



In 1876 . -, 8, 432 



In 1877 10,79» 



* Proceedings Halifax Commission, 1877, Appendix L, p. 334. 



t Which sailed for the Bay of St. Lawrence August 5, 1875 (absent 2 months and 28 

 days), arrived at Gloucester November 2, 1875, stocking |1, 771.83, or 224 barrels of 

 mess mackerel. 



+ Ihld., p. 334. 



