Striped Bass. 



459 



owns the whole island, consisting of about one thousand acres, and 

 has in its possession the original deed, dated 1667, from the Indian 

 sachem Tsowoarum, better known as Wamsutta, conveying Pas- 

 cachanest, and another island whose name is illegible — probably a 

 little one thrown into the bargain as a make-weight — islands were 

 cheap in those days — "to Daniel Wilcocks, of the town of Dart- 

 mouth, in the jurisdiction of New Plymouth," for the sum of twelve 

 pounds. 



Before bidding our friends adieu and continuing our journey, we 

 gather the following statistics from the club records : 



1876 

 1877 

 1878 

 1879 

 1880 

 1881 

 1882 



High-hook. 



Peter Balen* . 

 A. F. Higgins 

 F. O. Herring 

 J. D. Barrett . 

 W. Dunning . 

 W. H. Phillips 

 C. P. Cassilly . 



Largest fish. 



50 lbs. 



47 " 



60^ " 



5i " 



49 " 



44 " 



54 " 



In the early accounts of the settlement of New England, the 

 striped bass is frequently mentioned, and it seems at times to have 

 formed the main food-supply of the forefathers when other sources 

 had failed them.f 



"Thomas Morton, of Clifford's Inn, gent," gives a glowing 

 description of their abundance in " New English Canaan, or New 

 Canaan : an abstract of New England, composed in three bookes. 

 The Natural Indowments of the Countrie, and What Staple Com- 

 modities it Yeeldeth. Printed by Charles Green, 1632." He writes: 



" The Basse is an excellent Fish, both fresh & salt, one hundred whereof, salted at 

 market, have yielded five p. They are so large the head of one will give a good eater 

 a dinner, and for daintinesse of diet they excell the Marybones of beefe. There are 

 such multitudes that I have seene stopped into the river close adjoining to my howse, 

 with a sand at one tide, so many as will loade a ship of one hundred tonnes." 



A pretty good fish story ; it reads like the prospectus of a land 

 association — as it probably was. Here is another, antedating it by 

 two years, from " New England's Plantation ; or, A Short and True 



• Clarum et venerabile nomen. 



t In "A Key into the Language of America ; or, an Help to the Language of the 

 Natives in that part of America called New England. London : by Roger Williams, 

 1643," the Indian name of the fish is given thus: " Missuckeke" — bass. 



