122 FISHES OF MASSACHUSETTS. 



fleet, Cohasset, Duxbury, Plymouth, Manchester, Salem and 

 Beverly, being ten towns, 561 vessels, having crews of 38 16 

 men ; and that by these vessels there were taken 263,454 

 quintals of fish. To these may be added the towns of Newbu- 

 ryport, Lynn, Falmouth, Holmes Hole and Sandwich, (in 

 which I have not been able to learn the number of vessels ex- 

 clusively employed in this fishery,) which furnished, in 1836, 

 16,265 quintals ; thus exhibiting 279,718 quintals of cod 

 fish taken by the enterprise of the citizens of fifteen towns. 

 When it is observed, that about 3500 of the cod fish from 

 the Grand Bank, (which are generally much larger than those 

 from the Straits of Belleisle,) constitute one hundred quintals^ 

 some conception may be formed of the immense number taken. 

 At the usual price of these prepared fish, the above mentioned 

 number of quintals would sell for $839.154. 



In 1837, according to the returns of the assessors of the 

 several towns, it appears that there were taken 510,554 

 quintals of cod fish, which were valued at $1,569.517, 

 These fish were distributed among the following counties: 

 Essex Co. took 159,424 quintals, valued at $501,363 ; Barn- 

 stable Co., 134,758 = $392,930 ; Suffolk Co., 127,250 = 

 $408,510; Plymouth Co., 64,172 = $193,664; Norfolk Co. 7 

 15,950 = $46,050 ; Middlesex Co., 9000 = $27,000. 



Besides these fishing vessels which go to the Banks for the 

 Cod and their bounty, a great number of boats are constantly 

 employed in supplying the markets with fresh fish. Thus, at 

 Duxbury, in 1836, there were ten market boats having forty 

 men on board, which took from 38,000 to 40,000 fish. At 

 Provincetown, there were ten boats thus engaged. Boston 

 market is supplied with cod fish by about fifteen or twenty 

 small schooners, and a large number of boats. By the kind- 

 ness of Capt. Nathaniel Blanchard, of Lynn, master of one of 

 these smacks, I am enabled to furnish the following table, by 

 which some idea may be formed of the amount of fresh cod 

 fish brought to our market. He has presented me the result 

 of his labors with a vessel of 25 tons, and a crew of six men, 

 for nearly five months, commencing October 24, 1836, and 



