[83] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. 173 



Kock, situated east of the Magdalen Islands, has occasionally been a fav- 

 orite ground, since the mackerel taken there were almost always very 

 large. 



{b.) Gulf of Maine. — From June to November excellent fishing was 

 to be had in various parts of the Gulf of Maine. Early in the season 

 mackerel were taken all the way from Cash's Ledge to the Bay of 

 Fundyj from the middle of June to September the favorite localities 

 were in the vicinity of Mouhegan Island, Matinicus Eock, and Mount 

 Desert Eock. From about 1830 to about 1845 some fishing was done 

 in the Bay of Fundy, north of the island of Grand Manan. When the 

 autumnal migration of the mackerel begins the vessels follow them as 

 they proceed southward. Favorite fishing grounds are then off Port- 

 land; later, about Boone Island, oft" Cape Ann, and the waters of Mas- 

 sachusetts Bay, and along the outside of Cape Cod, the latest catches 

 being generally obtained off Chatham and the eastern part of Nantucket 

 Shoals. Fishing here continues sometimes until the latter part of No- 

 vember.* 



(c.) George's Banlc, — Mackerel were in some years very abundant on 

 George's Bank, especially on the southern ijortion from June to Sep- 

 tember. Later in the season the weather was generally unfavorable for 

 fishing in this region. The mackerel caught here were recognized, as 

 now, to be of very fine quality. 



{d.) South coast of ICeic Emjland. — Of late years a small quantity of 

 extraordinarily fine mackerel have been caught with jigs in the vicinity 

 of Block Island in summer and fall. In previous years the mackerel 

 fishery in this vicinity was chiefly carried on in the spriog. 



(e.) The coast of the Middle States from Montaulc Point to Delaware. — 

 This fishery was chiefly carried on in May, and in many respects cor- 

 responded to the spring mackerel fishery described in another section 

 of this chai)ter ; this is now prosecuted with seines on the same grounds, 

 and the fish are mostly taken to New York for sale, principally in a fresh 

 condition, though formerly they were generally salted. 



{f.) The eastern coast of Nova Scotia. — In this region, although great 

 quantities of mackerel are sometimes taken in pounds, nets, and seines, 

 in the early summer and fall, they are very rarely taken on the hook. 

 About 1854 and 1855 several f^ires of extremely large mackerel were 

 caught at Sable Island by Cape Cod vessels. 



23. — The fishermen. 



The men engaged in the mackerel hook fishery, especially in the pe- 

 riod of its cuhnination, were almost exclusively natives of New Eng- 

 land. From 1850 to 1870 the provincial element in the fleet gradually 

 increased. When this fishery was most prosperous not less than 10,000 



* In tho fall of 1849 one of the writers had the opportnnity of seeing a fleet of mack- 

 erel schooners fishing off Chatham. Tho nnmber of vessels in the fleet was variously 

 estimated from ^OO to 700 sail— 'a beautiful and interestintr siffht. 



