[267] history of the mackerel fishery. 357 



1858. — Poor success of the newbtjryport bay^ fleet. 



The whole bay fleet of Newburyport, comprising upwards of fifty ves- 

 sels, have returned for the season. The Newburyport Herald says this 

 has been a very hard year for the fishermen, and adds : " The result of 

 this season may be briefly summed up. The schooner, Young Amer- 

 ica, takes the lead, having ])acked out 500 barrels, stocking $6,150. 

 But seven vessels have more than paid their expenses ; six others have 

 barely met their expenses, and the remainder have sunk money." — 

 (Gloucester Telegraph, December 4, 1858.) 



1858. — EEMINISCENCES of CAPT. J. W. COLLINS. 



Early in June I again started for the Gulf of Saint Lawrence on a 

 mackerel trip on the schooner "Good Intent." During June and the 

 early part of July, we fished along the west shore from Point Miscou 

 to Eichibucto ; around the north cape of Prince Edward Island, and on 

 Bank Bradley. Mackerel were found most plentiful during June and 

 early July about Point Escuminac and in Miramichi Bay. On one 

 occasion in Jane the schooner " Governor," of Deer Isle, Maine, with a 

 crew of 12 men, caught more than a hundred wash-barrels in Mirami- 

 chi Bay, and nearly every vessel in the fleet, which numbered 40 to 50 

 schooners, did well. About the middle of July we went down to the 

 east point of Prince Edward Island where our skipper had secured a 

 good fare of fine mackerel the year previous. Here we continued to 

 cruise for five or six weeks, going as far up the north side of the island 

 as Saint Peters, and as far as Surrey and Georgetown on the south side. 

 We found mackerel scarce, however, in that locality, and were obliged 

 to return home with a small fare of about 150 barrels; though vessels 

 fishing at the Magdalens secured fall fares in a much less time. There 

 was a large fleet fishing off the New England coast that fall, and we 

 also engaged in the shore mackerel fishery after packing out our bay 

 trip. Mackerel were not abundant, however, off our own coast, and we 

 did rather poorly. In October I left the " Good Intent," which was about 

 to haul up, and shipped in the schooner "E. W. Merchant," of Gloucester, 

 in which I continued for about three weeks. During that time we 

 fished all the way from Cape Ann to Chatham, including Middle Bank 

 and Barnstable Bay. Our success, however, was limited, since we 

 caught only about 30 barrels of mackerel. The " Merchant " was the first 

 real clipper-schooner in which I had sailed. Her performances seemed 

 to me, at that time, quite wonderful. 



1858. — Success of the gill-net mackerel fishery^ in cape cod 



bay. 



The Provincetown Banner of early December, 1858, contained the 

 following paragraph : 



"Fat mackerel. — The bav was visited last week with one of the 



