INLAND FISHERIES COMMISSIONERS' REPORT. 11 



on account of their value. The word scup is used in this account be- 

 cause they will exceed in quantities any other kind of fish taken in 

 traps, there being as a usual thing a general assortment of all kinds 

 of fish known in our waters. Xo one need ask what has become of 

 the splendid bass-fishing for which the rocks at Xewport were noted 

 in years past, when this wholesale destruction of the small fish is be- 

 ing carried on. Taking this trap as an average trap (it was the 

 smallest along the shore), you can conceive of the great amount of 

 fish destroyed — I mean small fish. During the season the trap at 

 Price's Xeck must have taken three times this amount of fish, being 

 the best set along the shore. As to fish in the bay the past season it is 

 the general remark that for years they have not been so plenty. Large 

 scup have been taken at Patience and Hope Islands, weighing nearly 

 a pound each, and fishermen anchoring anywhere in the bay, in five 

 feet of water, have found all the small scup they wanted. Captain 

 Place can give you the names of fishermen who can prove this. 



In September we sent Captain Place with Mr. Ludwig Rumlien, 

 assistant of the United States Fish Commissioner, and special agent 

 10th census, to collect names of and the number of fishermen, trap- 

 pers, purse-seiners, sweep-seiners, owners of pound or heart nets, and 

 hand-line fishermen in Ehode Island. 



(Japt. Place reports as follows: 



MENHADEN FISHERIES AND OIL WORKS AS COLLECTED BY LUD- 

 WIG RUMLIEN, SPECIAL AGENT 10th CENSUS. 



Narragansett Oil Works, Daniel CJiurcli & Company. 



Capital invested in oil works $35,000 00 



In seven steamers with outtits 77,000 00 



In sailing vessels 6,000 00 



Interest in four traps at Sachuest 4,000 00 



Interest in two traps at Seaconnet 2,000 00 



$124,000 00 

 Fish taken, 210,000 in 1879. Manufactured 165,000 barrels of fish; producing 

 4,900 barrels of oil and 7,000 tons of guano. Employing 75 men about the 

 works; 120 men fishing in their employ. 



