310 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



part, so hard that considerable parts of the weirs are supported by 

 stakes, not, as in ordinary cases, driven in the ground, but planted like 

 masts in great wooden frames, which are sunk and kept in place by a 

 heavy ballasting of stone. 



On the east side of the bay, opposite Cape Jellison, is a shore much 

 better adapted to the construction of weirs in the ordinary way, having 

 a gentle slope and a bottom of only moderate hardness. This is known 

 in the vicinity as the " Dashen shore," and includes all the shore iu the 

 town of Penobscot and all in Oastine except those in the harbor. Its 

 salmon-fishery has not so high a reputation as that of Cape Jellison. 

 In 1873 the catch was larger than usual, averaging 83 a weir. At the 

 same time the three weirs in.Castiue Harbor, which are generally among 

 the best iu the whole bay or river, caught far fewer than usual, averag- 

 ing only 69 a weir. Thus the experience of the Cape Jellison fi^sher- 

 men is repeated. Weirs on a gently-sloping shore with a western ex- 

 posure have a successful season, while those on a steep shore with an 

 easterly exposure are unsuccessful. The number of weirs built on the 

 Dashen shore in 1873 was 23. In two cases two weirs were built on the 

 same hedge; all of the others were on separate hedges. Thus there 

 were 21 hedges. In 1870 there were 21 hedges and 33 weirs. The de- 

 crease in number was doubtless owing to the poor success of the fishery 

 iu that and the two following years. With the salmon are taken, in 

 these weirs, herring, menhaden, shad, and alewives. Tlie herring and 

 menhaden are quite irregular in their occurrence; alewives have been 

 decreasing in numbers for many years; and shad have almost disap- 

 peared. 



Penobscot Eiver enters the bay by two mouths, on either side of 

 Wetmore Island. The western is the main channel, and the route by 

 which by far the greater portion of the salmon enter the river. Its 

 shores are tor the most part bold, and at the " Narrows" the water in mid- 

 channel is about ten fathoms deep, which exceeds by two fathoms the 

 general depth of that part of the bay west and north of Long Island. 

 This increased depth is doubtless owing to the strength of the tides, 

 which sweep with great force through a narrow channel. The approach 

 to the Narrows is a tunnel-shaped estuary two miles wide at its entrance 

 opposite the southern extremity of Wetmore Island. On both sides of 

 this estuary, salmon-fishing is carried on extensively. As the width of 

 the river decreases the number of weirs increases, and just below the 

 narrowest point there have been eight or ten built within a single mile 

 on the west shore. These weirs have short leaders, and in many cases 

 the entrance to the second pound is on the upper instead of the outer 

 side of the first pound.* 



In general, the season of 1873 was a very successful one with the fish- 

 ermen of this district; yet several weirs, most of them in the Narrows? 

 had exceptionally bad luck. 



* This is tlie second style of Penobscot salmon-weirs, represented in the appended 

 illustrations. 



