66 FISHERMEN'S MEMORIAL AND RECORD BOOK. 



were badly burned in drying, and did not bring in the New York 

 market hardly two dollars a quintal. 



During the month of June, while the four above mentioned 

 were in the Bay of St. Lawrence for codfish, and there being a scarc- 

 ity of fish in Boston Bay, the other three, viz. : Capts. Samuel Won- 

 son, of the Three Sisters, Elisha M. Oakes, of the Eight Brothers, 

 and Robert Marston, of the Two Friends, held a consultation, and re- 

 solved to run the risk of making a trip to Georges Bank. At this 

 time, (1821,) it was related as a positive fact, that if vessels an- 

 chored on Georges, the current would surely run them under. The 

 three vessels sailed, keeping close company. They did not dare to 

 anchor at first, but drifted about and caught a few fish. Finally one 

 of the skippers proposed to run the risk and anchor one of the ves- 

 sels. This, after some discussion on the part of all hands, was agreed 

 upon, and two extra men were put on board the vessel, as a reinforce- 

 ment, to assist in getting the anchor quickly in case of any difficulty. 

 All preparations being completed, the anchor was let go, and shortly 

 catches the bottom, then spin goes the cable around the windlass. 

 " Now, check her a little," was the order. Soon it got a good hold, 

 and the vessel started in apparent motion through the water, at about 

 three knots an hour. In the mean time the other two vessels, having 

 taken the current, are fast leaving the anchored craft, and those on 

 board began to get alarmed. The order to heave up anchor was soon 

 given, and after an hour-and-a-half s work this feat was accomplished. 

 Before dark a little breeze sprang up, and the vessels all met again 

 and started for home. Thus ended the first codfishing trip to Geor- 

 ges. These facts were obtained from parties who heard the men tell 

 their story on their arrival home, and may be relied upon as a correct 

 account of the first codfishing trip to Georges by Gloucester vessels ; 

 as we fail to find that any other vessels were there previous for this 

 purpose, these three must have the credit qf being the pioneers of the 

 business. 



From 1812 to 1820 the boats were mostly employed in Spring, in 

 shore fishing, bringing in the fish fresh and dressing them from the 

 boats on the beach. After the Spring fishing, the vessels would go 

 on the coast of Maine, haking. This fishery lasted only a few weeks. 

 In Summer, tending Boston market with mackerel caught in Boston 

 Bay, and in the Fall mouths in the pollock fishery, catching their 

 bait in seines at Little Good Harbor Beach. This pollock school 

 was a great feature in the fishing business, proving the turning point 

 in the year, and their appearance was looked forward to by the fish- 



