190 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [2] 
A.—GENERAL DISCUSSION OF THE FISHERY. 
1.—OUTLINE HISTORY. 
Reports of the abundance of halibut off the west coast of Greenland 
were first brought to Massachusetts by Provincetown whalers. The 
first trip to Greenland after these fish was made in 1866 by the schooner 
John Atwood. She sailed June 29 and returned October 14, stocking 
$5,500. Capt. G. P. Pomeroy, of New London, went as navigator, and 
Capt. Averill L. York, of Gloucester, as fishing master. Though she 
failed to fill her hold, only because of her late arrival upon the fishing 
banks, no enthusiasm was excited in this fishery until Capt. John 
McQuinn, in 1870, brought from Greenland a trip of flitched halibut, 
worth over $19,000. Each of the two or three succeeding years, five or 
six vessels, with hopes of having like success, were fitted out for the 
same place. But, for some reason or other, the fish were not caught in 
very extravagant quantities, and a fall in the price of the fish rendered 
such a long trip financially rather uncertain. Besides, as there was no 
reliable chart of Davis’ Strait and the coast of Greenland, the fishermen 
hesitated considerably before undertaking a voyage to such a precipi- 
tous and barren coast; and no one can blame them. Ounce give them a 
good chart of the coast and harbors of Western Greenland, and their 
greatest difficulty will be removed. No reliable survey and chart of 
Greenland have been made. 
Notwithstanding the need of large and accurate charts and the im- 
mense distance of two thousand miles, so great are the probabilities of 
making a profitable catch, that thirty-one trips have been made from 
Gloucester to Davis’ Strait after halibut. The following is a tabular 
view of the vessels and captains engaged in the Greenland fishery from 
its beginning to the present time, showing the year and weight of 
flitches for each trip. This gives a total of 3,283,765 pounds of salt 
halibut brought to Gloucester from Greenland, or an average of 113,233 
pounds for the vessels that returned in safety. 
| 
>, 
Year. Vessel. Captain. I poate of 
WS66\Fe oa. «cess ohn AtGwood:.c2 ss<t ee ee ee ee George Pomeroyea-e-iscesce ceases 60, 000 
TT!) Gagaoreeod sans Caleb Haton.....2.3. 522s acca aes JohneMic@ minnie es seceeece cians e 134, 400 
187 Opec ss = Caleb Baton ~. 22.25.2502) s.- Soe Johni McQuinn c------2-- = = 2 cee 177, 800 
Aaa acoso sees 2 oe membring Chief 5-5 ars ence eer Jobn McQuinn ...--- SpbEde needs | 
USGA iwatetastainlate arala'- DalebeHaton: - 222.2 -c<saeiee ene Jeremiah MOpPKINGe ss. 625 2-25. . 
ITY Base = GoAeeeae River Queen (lost)...........-----|, George Robiene Cu ete seats. 4 429, 200 
Giles see = Nae nie ‘Rhorwaldsen’. 2. i.2 2) ..ccse sees - 2|ne AMES Pam Gomes = eietrers = ar /= =i J 
Silene totes. Walliam SsBaker! 2. 2-22. shosssee AlbionvPcarsOeescec. sec nese ceo ee 156, 800 
STL soteeeece ear Miary aE. 5. 22-85 Se Seciseeeeecnes Rasmus Madsen 2-2------5--2-5- 30, 000 
IPAS aAoa nosaa oer Aaronpburmhamer 2. ac.sccsecee Charles: J eawsonee e-toc closer 112, 000 
TPs Lb Sen a mhorwaldsen sess. sche sacmenecs Henry ‘Hamilton !----- 25.2. .-2-<- 145, 600 
Oi 2s ceeeteisresc DWallliamiS: Bakeni-n.f \oshca- estes Albion; Pearse iketreces saeesccceeee 145, 600 
TTP reaaessbdadeane Membrino Chief... 255...) seek John: McQummnes esas sees eee 154, 400 
OTe cece cestitassc Carrie JONneReis:2iidsesce-le2 seen es! Sohn Gusikilllesseets sheen seek eee 112, 000 
S72 cosas ee eeerise RO alebnatoNteet ccs casset co aceon Jeremiah Hopkins..-.......--.---- 134, 400 
NOG Was Rae A Seaberice AsgronsBurmbhamy. si. sc ce sso selon. - Charles'de Mawsonteesecce ese eee 91, 000 
S73 ieee cceee toe iWilliamS: Baker so-ccaseesesecees Albion) Pearse) secseceeceseanes asi 75, 700 
