FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 197 



Recollections of a Veteran Fisherman. 



BY S. B. BROWN. 



When I first went to Gloucester, in 1832, John Wonson, of the Point, 

 owned five small vessels, viz. — the Confidence, Lucy, Jane, Luanda, and Benev- 

 olence. Edward Wonson, his son, was master of the Benevolence, and another 

 son, John, was master of the Luanda. I made one trip with Edward Won- 

 son in August, 1832. Our crew consisted of old Charlie Wonson of Rocky 

 Neck, Reuben Rich of Cape Cod, Joseph Wonson and James Green of the 

 Point, and myself. We had bad luck, so we made but one trip. The next 

 year I went to Gloucester, hunted up my old skipper, who was still master 

 of the same boat, and went with him that season. 



I recollect well the great school of mackerel that struck Middle Bank 

 that year. Sept. 22d, at ten o'clock at night, there were some two hundred 

 sail at anchor, twenty-five miles southeast of Eastern Point light, in a dead 

 calm, when our skipper sang out, " Here they are, boys ! " At the same 

 moment every vessel in the fleet commenced the catch. We fished for three 

 days and filled everything, even our boat, and struck on deck until we were 

 in fish knee-deep. Then, a breeze springing up, we ran in and packed out 

 two hundred and eighty barrels, and returned to the Bank just as the wind 

 left us. We fished three days more, when they struck off as suddenly as 

 they had come. 



Now, just as I have got a range of memory overhauled and am picking up 

 a few incidents, the "Advertiser" comes in. I stop writing and open the 

 dear old sheet, when the first article that meets my eyes is, " Around the 

 Wharves of old Old Gloucester Half a Century Ago," in which I find much 

 that I was familiar with, as vessels belonging to S. W. Brown, the Lapwing, 

 John Edgar, master, Henrietta, Reform, etc., etc., and others belonging to 

 Epes Merchant & Son. I knew John and Harry Pew, when in the Volant 

 and Romeo, and John Hammond of the Brilliant, afterwards of the Warrior, 

 of same owners. 



In April, 1837, I came on the coast in the brig Oak of Baltimore, from 

 Smyrna, for Boston. When on Georges we ran into the fleet of fishermen 

 at anchor, just at daybreak. Spoke sch. Fair America, John Wonson, mas- 

 ter, wind blowing heavy from south-southwest, with snow. Capt. W T onson 

 informed us, in language peculiar to himself, that he would not heave up 

 his anchor, but would sink her first. It was generally supposed that he did 

 go down, as he was never known to be spoken afterwards. We ran in com- 

 pany with the smack Ben. Franklin, Ben. Norwood, master, which went 



