ABUNDANCE OF FISH ON NEW ENGLAND COAST. 161 



History of Scituate, Afassachusetts, from the first settlement to 1831. By 



Samuel Deane, 8 vo. Boston^ 1831. 



" In 1080, Cornet Eobert Stetson, of Scituate, and Nathaniel Thomas, 

 of Marshfield, hired the cape fishery for bass and mackerel. In 1684, 

 the conrt enacted a law "prohibiting the seining of mackerel in any 

 part of the colony;" and the same year leased the cape fishery for bass 

 ami mackerel to Mr. William Clark for seven years, at £30 per annum. 

 Subsequently to 1700, it is certain that the mackerel were very abund- 

 ant in the Massachusetts Bay. It was not uncommon for a vessel to 

 take a thousand barrels in the season. The packing, as it is called, was 

 chiefly done at Boston and Plymouth until late years. The vessels of 

 Scituate now pack at one harbor. George Morton, who came from Ply- 

 mouth in 1730, was the first cooper of whom we have heard, at Scituate 

 harbour. Our vessels now find them less abundant, and farther from 

 their former haunts. They used to set into the bay earl.'v in May, and 

 again iu autumn : but now they are found at Block Island channel in 

 May — at George's Bank and Nantucket shoals in the summer, and at 

 Mount Desert and along the shores of Maine in the autumn. Those 

 first taken are lean, aud favour the commonly received opinion, that 

 they lie in the muddy bottom in the winter but tow^ards the winter 

 they are found well fed, fat, and delicious. The full-grown mackerel 

 varj' in weight from one to two aud three pounds. The fattest, taken iu 

 the autumn, are not generally of the largest size." 



I\eic-En(ilands Plantation. Or, a short and trve description of the com- 

 modities and discommodities of that countrey. Written by a reuerend 

 Divine [Francis Higginson] now there resident. London, 1030. 



[Foree's Historical Tracts, I, 1836, No. 12.] 



The abundance of Sea- Fish are almost beyond beleeuing, and sure I 

 should scarce have beleeued it except I had scene it with mine owne 

 Eyes. I saw great store of Whales and Crampusse, and such abound- 

 ance of Makerils that it would astonish one to behold, likewise Cod- 

 Fish aboundance on the coast, and in their season are plentifully taken. 

 There is a Fish called a Basse, a most sweet and wholesome Fish as 

 ever I did eat, it is altogether as good as our fresh Sammon, and the 

 season of their comniiug was begun when we came first to New-England, 

 in June, and so continued about three months apace. Of these Fish our 

 Fishers take many hundred together, which I have scene lying on the 

 shore to my admiration, yea, their nets ordinarily take more then they 

 are able to hale to Land, and for want of Boats and men they are con- 

 strained to let a many goe after they have taken them, and yet some- 

 times they fill two Boats at a time with them, (p. 9.) 



New Englands Frospect. A true, lively, and experimentall description of 

 that part of America, commo7ily called New England : discovering the 

 state of that conntrie both as it stands to our neic-come English Planters 

 and to the old native inhabitants. By William Wood. London, 1031. 



[Publications of the Prince Society. Boston, 1865.] 



The Sammon is as good as it is in England, and in great jdeuty (p. 38). 

 S. Mis. 01 11 



