[309] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. 



1869. — Keminiscences OF CAPT. J. W. COLLINS. 



Having spent the greater part of the fishing season in the pursuit of 

 codfish on George's, Western Bank, Cape North, and the Gulf of Saint 

 Lawrence, I did not engage in the mackerel fishery in 18(39 until August, 

 when I went to the bay in the " Glenwood." We fished principally 

 about the Magdalens and along the west shore between Escuminac, 

 Point Miscou, and off the North Cape of Prince Edward Island. The 

 best catch of mackerel which we obtained was in Miramichi Bay, eight 

 or ten miles off shore, about the middle of September. At this time we 

 had taken, in three or four weeks' fishing, 140 barrels of fine large mack- 

 erel, notwithstanding the fact that these fish were still less abundant 

 than they had been the previous season. A strange thing occurred in 

 the mackerel fishery of the Saint Lawrence in the fall of 1809, since the 

 mackerel appeared to leave the bay much earlier than usual. After the 

 middle of September but few fish were obtained by any of the fleet, and 

 none secured large catches. Though we remained in the bay until the 

 middle of October or later, and made every effort to catch fish on allot' 

 the principal grounds, yet we succeeded in taking only five barrels in 

 addition to what we previously had, and this amount was a fair average 

 for the fleet. Some four or five vessels, as it was reported, caught 30 or 

 10 barrels each off the North Cape of Prince Edward Island about the 

 last of September or beginning of October ; but, so far as I was able to 

 learn, no other catches of importance were made after the middle of 

 September. The vessels that went to the bay early enough to obtain 

 reasonably good fares before the mackerel left the fishing- grounds were 

 partially remunerated for the loss of time by the advance in the price of 

 the fish, which resulted from the small catch. 



1870. — Small number of neweiiiypoet vessels engaged in the 

 southern mackerel fishery. 



The Newburyport Herald of the 29th ultimo says : "The southern 

 fleet will be remarkably small this season, some of the vessels which 

 usually go south engaging in the herring fisheries at the Magdalen Isl- 

 ands. This business is thought by some to be more profitable than the 

 early mackereling trips.' 1 — (Gloucester Telegraph, May 7, 1870.) 



1870. — Success of the gill-net fishery in barnstable bay. 



The Cape Cod Gazette says: "Six mackerelmen have been doing a 

 brisk business in meshing mackerel in the bay off Sandwich." — (Glouces- 

 ter Telegraph, May 18, 1870.) 



SUCCESS OF TWO " SOUTH-SHORE" VESSELS. 



Schooner " Isaac Somes," of Harwich, with a crew of 19 men, has 

 landed this season 1,800 barrels of mackerel; stocked, $15,875; aver- 

 age stock among the crew, I 



