70 THE MOLLUSK FISHERIES 



320 permits have been issued since the law was passed, in 1905. Eleven 

 of these have been since revoked for unlawful conduct on the part of 

 the possessors. For the first offence the license is merely revoked, for 

 the second a fine of $10, and for the third $100 is imposed. 



Orleans. 



Although Orleans is well represented by all four main types of shell- 

 fish, the quahaug fishery is the leading industry of the town. A favor- 

 able coast line, fronting on the west the waters of Cape Cod Bay and 

 bounded on the east by Pleasant Bay, provides excellent facilities for 

 the quahaug fishery. 



The main quahauging territory is in Cape Cod Bay. While the west 

 coast of Orleans is only about a mile long, the privileges which allow 

 the citizens of Orleans free fishing in Eastham waters, according to 

 the act of incorporation in 1792, " whereby the benefits of the shell- 

 fishery were to be mutually shared," opens up an extensive tract of 

 quahaug territory, from 2 to 3 miles in width, extending north as far 

 as Billingsgate Island and the Wellfleet line. The actual Orleans qua- 

 haug territory consists only of 1,000 acres, which furnish but poor 

 quahauging, while the water is several fathoms deep. 



On the east side an entirely different condition prevails. Here in 

 the waters of Pleasant Bay is a bed of quahaugs which, though 

 worked for a long time, is still in excellent condition. The proportion 

 of " little necks " is larger than on the west side, running about one- 

 half the entire catch; neither is the water as deep here, rarely having 

 a greater depth than 12 feet, and by no means as rough as the more 

 exposed waters of Cape Cod Bay. The quahauging grounds here com- 

 prise 500 acres. 



Although there are 1,500 acres of quahaug territory in the town of 

 Orleans, only a small part of this is commercially productive, and the 

 larger part of the fishery is carried on in Eastham waters. 



The possession of two entirely different quahaug grounds, one on the 

 east, the other on the west coast, makes practically two different indus- 

 tries, each of which will have to be considered separately. 



(1) Cape Cod Bay Industry. In Cape Cod Bay 50 men rake qua- 

 haugs whenever the weather will permit. Owing to the great depth of 

 water, the work is difficult, requiring rakes with handles often 60 feet 

 long. Two men generally go in one boat, the usual type being an 

 elongated dory, some 30 to 32 feet over all, carrying from 4 to 12 horse- 

 power gasolene engines. These boats are built to stand rough weather, 

 and cost from $700 to $1,000 apiece. Thirty boats are employed in this 

 business in the bay. 



The qtiahauger averages perhaps 100 working days in a year, as in 

 a strong wind and choppy sea it is impossible to rake in the deep water. 

 A good fisherman expects to rake from 2 to 3 barrels of quahaugs a 



