[219] histoky of the mackerel fishery. 309 



1804. — Shore mackerel fleet of cape ann. 



" From 1804 to 1822," remarks Capt. E. W. JMerchaiit, of Glouces- 

 ter, "Cape 2Vnn bad a considerable fleet of vessels engaged in tbe sbore 

 mackerel fisbery for tbe sole purpose of supplying tbe Boston market; 

 seven or eigbt from Gloucester Harbor, seven or eigbt from tbe nortb 

 side of tbe Cape." Tbey preserved tbeir fisb in a peculiar way, wbicb 

 will be described under tbe proper beading. 



It is stated tbat tbe first sbore mackerel fisbing was prosecuted by 

 tbe small boats, about tbe year 1800. Tbe mackerel were caugbt mostly 

 on tbe Inner Bank, and carried fresb to Boston market tbrougb tbe 

 summer. Only tbe largest were saved, and tbese were sold for 5 or 6 

 cents apiece, and sometimes as bigb as 10 cents. Eacb boat was bal- 

 lasted witb pebbles; on tbis were placed bogsbead tubs, eacb baving a 

 bole witb a plug in it. Tbese tubs were filled witb salt water, and as 

 soon as tbe mackerel were dressed tbey were put into tbe tubs, and tbe 

 water cbanged every bour by drawing tbe plugs and allowing it to run 

 off, until sufficient were caugbt to start for market, tbe cbangmg of tbe 

 water continuing until tbe boat arrived above tbe Castle, wbere it is 

 said tbe water loses its coolness. Tbe great object after catcbing tbe 

 mackerel was to get tbem to market before dayligbt, in order to bave 

 the cool of tbe morning to sell tbem in. If a boat witb three men and 

 two boys stocked fifty dollars a week, it was considered satisfactory. 



1804. — The introduction of hand-lining- for mackerel from 



THE decks of vessels. 



According to Capt. E. W. Merchant, the first man to introduce this 

 mode of fisbing was John Story, of Rockport, about tbe year 1804. 



1818-1821.— Tbe first voyages made for tbe purpose of salting mack- 

 erel was in tbe summer of 1818, by Qapt. Simeon Burnham, in tbe 

 schooner " President," on a trip to Casbe's; consequently to Captain 

 Burnham belongs the honor of being tbe pioneer in this branch of tbe 

 fisheries. It was considered quite an important event at the time, so 

 much so tbat Capt. Benjamin Tarr was hired to go as navigator. Sev- 

 enty barrels were caugbt on tbis trip, and they were packed in Boston. 

 Two years after, tbis branch began to increase, and in 1821 several other 

 jiggers * were added to the fleet. They carried six bands, and were ab- 

 sent about a week. The jiggers were stowed with butts and wash- 

 barrels, and no mackerel were beaded up on board until about 1820. 

 In 1821, Samuel Wonson, Elisba M. Oakes, Eobert Marston, Simeon 

 Burnham, Samuel Brown, Nathaniel Blatchford, John Wonson, George 



•The name "jigger" was first applied to the vessels engaged in jigging mcakerel. 

 As these vessels were all, or nearly all, pinkeys previous to 1830, the name in later 

 years came to have a more special reference to the style of craftthan to the particular 

 branch of fishery in which she was engaged. Thus the term "jigger" came to be 

 eynonymous with "pinkey," and was often used in that sense by the fishermen. 



