[333] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. 



Id the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, in 1876, the schooner " Samuel Davis," 

 of Halifax, was high line, having landed 282 barrels of sea-packed mack- 

 erel. 



1876. — The spring mackerel fishery. 



Thirteen vessels of the Gloucester fleet were at Lewes, Del., April 22. 

 At the same place, May 4, there were DO vessels from Cape Cod and 

 Gloucester. The Cape Ann Advertiser, of May 19, announced that the 

 earliest sales, amounting to about 400 barrels, brought $4 a barrel in 

 New York; the catch so far having been very light. 



1876. — Fall mackerel fishery. 



Eleven hundred and eighty-five barrels of mackerel were landed at 

 Boston September 25 ; 700 barrels September 27 ; 1,200 barrels Septem- 

 ber 29. They were chiefly taken off Minot's Ledge, and sold at 12 to 

 14 cents for large, 3 to 4 cents for clinchers, and 1^ cents for blunts. 



An enormous school a mile long and half a mile wide was struck by 

 fishing boats off New London, October 30, and though many of the nets 

 had to be cut, because of the excessive weight of fish, 300,000 fish, worth 

 $10,000, were taken. 



A gang from Wilcox's fish- works at Quiambog surrounded off Watch 

 Hill, September 29, what they supposed to be a large school of men- 

 haden. When the net was hauled they proved to be mackerel; 120,000 

 of them were No. l's ; they weighed from 1£ pounds to 3 pounds each, 

 and, at 5 cents apiece, were worth over $5,000.— (Cape Ann Advertiser, 

 October 6, 1876.) 



Smith & Horton, of Eastham, caught about 2,000 barrels of mackerel 

 in their weirs Friday, November 3. They were large fish. One hun- 

 dred and twenty-five cart-loads were taken out, still leaving many more 

 to be secured. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, November 10, 1876.) 



Mackerel plenty November 13-14 at Vineyard Haven. Small boats 

 have been catching them for two or three days. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, 

 November 17, 1876.) 



1876. — BlGr TRIPS OF NEW ENGLAND VESSELS. 



Schooner " Daniel Marcy," Capt. Abraham Cahoon, jr., of Harwich, ar- 

 rived at Portsmouth 1st September, 1876, with 410 barrels mackerel, 

 making total catch for the season 1,500 barrels. Captain C. claims to 

 have been high line for 15 years. 



Schooner " Alice," of Swan's Island, packed out 2,700 barrels of mack- 

 erel this year, and made another haul of 300 barrels, giving her a catch 

 of 3,000 barrels for the season. She claims to have beaten the " Mary 

 Odell," of Gloucester, and to stand high line in the New England fleet. 



Schooner " Bebecca M. Atwood," of Portland, has landed over 2,600 

 barrels at her home port this season. 



Schooner "Mary Odell," Capt. Geo. McLean, made a large haul of fat 

 mackerel in Barnstable Bay last week, taking from her seine 300 bar- 



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