60 FISHERMEN'S MEMORIAL AXD RECORD BOOK. 



The Mackerel Fishery -Giving an Account of its 



Commencement and Progress, with Statistics of 



the Catch for the past Thirteen Years, 



This branch of the fisheries, which has now assumed such magni- 

 tude, has quite an interesting history, which we have gleaned from 

 parties who were directly interested, and know whereof they affirm. 



It was first 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 five or six cents apiece, and sometimes 

 as high as ten cents. Each boat was ballasted 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 suffi- 

 cient were caught to start for market, the changing of the water con- 

 tinuing, until the boat arrived above the Castle, where it is said the 

 water loses its coolness. The great object after catching the mack- 

 erel 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. 



