THE OYSTER. 205 



" That is true ; but I learn from the papers that 

 foreign emigrants are met by the agents of the dredg- 

 ing captains, when they land at the wharves in New 

 York, and that they are then engaged for service on 

 the Maryland oyster-boats. How can this happen if 

 the right to dredge upon the public beds is so highly 

 prized by your people ? " 



" A dredger's life is very hard. The boats are 

 small, and when they are loaded with wet, cold, muddy 

 oysters there is not much room left for the crew. The 

 work is done in the most stormy months of the year. 

 The dredgers are exposed to all the hardships and 

 dangers of a sailor's life, and to some which are pecu- 

 liar to oystermen. The heavy dredges are hauled by 

 hand while the boat is under way. If they become 

 foul while they are being hauled in, all the weight 

 of the boat is thrown on to the windlass, and the 

 laborers, benumbed by the icy water and unable to 

 move quickly, are often struck by the crank. Fatal 

 accidents from this cause are not uncommon. Of late 

 years the business has not been profitable. The boats 

 do not pay expenses, and the owners cannot offer 

 tempting wages. Maryland men, who know all the 

 hardships of a dredger's life, are not anxious to ship 

 as hands on a dredging boat, so the captains are 

 forced to recruit their crews among men who are not 

 so well posted." 



"Can nothing be done to improve the dredger's 

 life ? Why do they not dredge in the summer and 

 keep the oysters in planting grounds until there is a 

 market for them ? " 



" The law does not permit dredging in the summer." 



