[219] history of the mackerel fishery. 



1804. — Shore mackekel fleet of cape ann. 



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

 ter, "Cape Ann bad a considerable fleet of vessels engaged in the sbore 

 mackerel fishery for the sole purpose of supplying the Boston market; 

 seven or eight from Gloucester Harbor, seven or eight from the north 

 side of the Cape." They preserved their fish in a peculiar way, which 

 will be described under the proper heading. 



It is stated that the first shore mackerel fishing was prosecuted by 

 the small boats, about the year 1800. The mackerel were caught mostly 

 on the Inner Bank, and carried fresh to Boston market through the 

 summer. Only the largest were saved, and these were sold for 5 or 6 

 cents apiece, and sometimes as high as 10 cents. Each boat was bal- 

 lasted with pebbles; on this were placed hogshead tubs, each having a 

 hole with a plug in it. These tubs were filled with salt water, and as 

 soon as the mackerel were dressed they were put into the tubs, and the 

 water changed every hour by drawing the plugs and allowing it to run 

 off, until sufficient were caught to start for market, the changing of the 

 water continuing until the boat arrived above the Castle, where it is 

 said the water loses its coolness. The great object after catching the 

 mackerel was to get them to market before daylight, in order to have 

 the cool of the morning to sell them in. If a boat with three men and 

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



1801. — 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 fishing was John Story, of Ilockport, about the year 1804. 



1818-1821. — The first voyages made for the purpose of salting mack- 

 erel was in the summer of 1818, by Capt. Simeon Burnham, in the 

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

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

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

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

 enty barrels were caught on this trip, and they were packed in Boston. 

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

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

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

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

 In 1S21, Samuel Wonson, Elisha M. Oakes, Bobert Marston, Simeon 

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



*Tke name "jigger" was first applied to the vessels engaged in jigging incakerel. 

 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 

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



