106 EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



purity of the water, Barriugtou River was always famous scup-ground ; 

 Kickamuit Itiver the same. I cauuot fiud a persou who knows of auy 

 impurities iu those waters that w^re uot there fifty years ago ; but no 

 soup are uow caught there to-day, and with the tide ebbing and tlowing 

 twice every day, the impurities falling into the bay are hardly more 

 noticeable than a drop of ink into a hogshead of water." 



Scarcity of food has been assigned as a reason wiiy fish are not so 

 numerous in the bay and rivers as heretofore. Again opinions differ, 

 some persons believing there is no want of food, and others affirming 

 its scarcity. In the opinion of your committee, the preponderance of 

 evidence is that there is an abundant supply. 



Mr. Bassett, in reply to question 57, says, " My opinion as to scarcity 

 of food is, that there is the same amount as formerly; some have said 

 muscles are scarce; on this point I can say, in the si)ring of 18G8 I lived 

 at the head of Bullock's Cove, and two or three mornings of the week 

 went on to the muscle-bed off' I^^ayatt or Bullock's Points, carrying a 

 pair of rakes, and always pulled up, all the muscles we wanted; they 

 were so plentiful on Bullocik's Point that a man in my employ, at a very 

 low tide, shoveled into a sea-weed scow as umny as two horses could 

 draw, and put them into the manure heap." 



In answer to the SOth interrogatory, Mv. Bassett says, " This trapping 

 has destroyed a business which formerly was followed by many of our 

 citizens, I do not know a man in the city of Providence who now fol- 

 lows fishing for a living, and for this reason : I think fish are so scarce 

 in the bay they coukl not make a living. Boat-building was formerly 

 carried on here by six or seven different concerns. 1 know of but two 

 uow, who build a few boats. All the business formerly connected with 

 down the river hoating-parties has been broken up, and our citizens go 

 down to Maine or other places for fishing." 



Tliis witness presents the view which, in general, is that of the hook- 

 aud-line fishermen. In juxtaposition, the committee propose to i^lace 

 the evidence of Benjamin Talhnan, of Portsmouth, well known as a 

 fisherman of very great experience, and who may be considered as the 

 inventor of trapfisliing. His examination by the committee was thor- 

 ough and protracted. His oral reply to the 5th printed interrogatory 

 was as follows : " The proportion of tautog to scup is very small. I don't 

 suppose that the average of each trap would amount to four hundred 

 pounds the whole season. In 1SG7, in nine days, I got $18,000 ; I have 

 six traps ; had three traps on one line; employed twenty-seven men on 

 these three traps and twenty-seven on the other three ; couldn't tell 

 how many barrels ; sold them at about $2 per barrel ; should think 

 about 10,000 barrels ; got one moiiiing $3,000 before breakfast. In 1808 

 did nothing. I had nine gangs, and expected to have got $30,000, but 

 did not get over $6,000. The reason was it was owing to the northeast 

 winds; cold storm all the time; kept the fish oft' the shore in deeper 

 waters. In 18G9 had six traps and six gangs; took about $0,000. 

 Horse-mackerel (;ame along about the 25th of May; the price averaged 

 $2 per barrel ; some sold for $1 and some for $3." 



As to the number of traps, he stated, "There are nine setting-places, 

 eight for double gangs and one for single gang, at Seconnet Point; 

 there are three set further south than usual this year. There are sev- 

 enteen gangs, of about ten men each, including the cook. At the Flints, 

 on Sachuest Point, there are six gangs, having fifty-six men, between 

 Sachuest Point and Easton's Point. Three at Gooseberry Island ; one 

 belongs at Newport, one at Tiverton, and one at Portsmouth. East of 

 Brenton's Beef, single gang. Two traps at the Wash-Bowl, west of 



