The North Carolina Field 245 



mile or two of the shore in very shallow water, but the 

 native fishermen soon followed their more venturesome 

 visitors farther into the sound, where many new and 

 extensive beds were discovered. In a short time the 

 tonging industry became an extensive and important one. 

 While much of it was carried on by the non-residents, 

 local interest in the business was also greatly stimulated. 



The really important matter, however, was the in- 

 troduction of the dredge to these waters, where previ- 

 ously it had been unknown. Having found an oyster 

 bed on such a hard, smooth bottom, the captain of a 

 Maryland pungy knew how to load it rapidly. The seri- 

 ous question at first was in regard to the number and 

 extent of oyster beds ; but as the work of the dredgers 

 progressed, new beds were continually discovered for 

 several years, until many times the number indicated in 

 Winslow's report was known. Without doubt the early 

 hopes of the Baltimore dredgers were more than realized 

 for some time. But if any entertained the idea that 

 Pamlico Sound would continue to produce oysters as 

 the Chesapeake had done, while subjected to the rapacious 

 method of dredging employed, they were disappointed. 

 There is but one possible result from such methods. 

 It was long delayed in the Chesapeake, because of its 

 unequaled fertility, but it was not long delayed here. 



A few statistical statements will tell the story of the 

 rise and decline of the oyster fisheries of North Carolina 

 after the advent of the Maryland oystermen. 



For some years before the survey of Winslow, there 

 had been kept a more or less accurate record of the num- 

 ber of bushels of oysters taken by residents from the 

 waters of the state. From this it appears that it rarely 

 exceeded a hundred thousand bushels, and was often 



