16 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. 



which forbade any extensive agricultural interests, compelled its people, in common with those of 

 the adjoining British islands, to depend almost wholly upon the sea for their support. Its spacious 

 harbor warranted the inhabitants in investing largely in vessel property, and they soon built or 

 purchased quite a fleet of fishing schooners. These, in addition to the fleet owned at other points 

 in the district, depended chiefly upon Eastport for their supplies, and also found it a desirable 

 market for their catch. 



THE MACKEREL FISHERY. As early as 1820, the merchants of the place were extensively 

 interested in the mackerel fisheries. In 1830 the business was at its height, when, according to 

 Mr. D. I. Odell, there were fully forty sail of " mackerelmen," averaging CO to 70 tons each, fitting 

 and selling at Eastport. These vessels carried a total of nearly 600 men. Mackerel of large size 

 were very abundant in the vicinity at this time, and, according to Mr. S. B. Hume, it was not 

 uncommon to catch individuals weighing upward of 2 pounds within a few rods of the wharves; 

 while 100 dressed fish would often fill a barrel. From 700 to 1,000 barrels is said to have been an 

 average catch for a vessel during the season. 



In connection with the mackerel fishery, which did not begin till midsummer, most of the 

 vessels went to the outer banks or fished in the Bay of Fundy for cod, usually landing 700 to 800 

 quintals each before the mackerel season opened. 



THE LABRADOR COD FISHERY. As early as 1820, a number of the vessels, after making a 

 short trip to some of the nearer grounds for cod, " fitted" for Labrador to engage in the cod fish- 

 eries of that region. They usually started in June and returned in September. By 1830 there 

 were from six to ten vessels engaged regularly in the Labrador fisheries. A few years later, this 

 branch of the fishery began to decline, and by 1855 it was wholly neglected. 



THE TRADE WITH BOAT-FISHERMEN. Seeing that both the mackerel and Labrador fisheries 

 were being abandoned, the merchants were obliged to turn their attention to the shore fisheries. 

 They soon began to cater to the trade with the local boat-fishermen, and to that of the vessels 

 employed in the Bay of Fundy cod fisheries. A number of large curing stands were built, and a 

 considerable business was done in drying fish, the greater part of which were purchased from the 

 boat and vessel fishermen of the surrounding islands. 



Then, as now, the bulk of the catch of the fishermen of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia was 

 consumed in the United States, and the duty levied on their importation not only seriously affected 

 the extent of these fisheries but also greatly reduced the value of the fish taken. As a result, 

 Eastport controlled to a considerable extent the catch of the Bay of Fundy, and most of the men 

 living within a convenient distance sold their fish either fiom "kench" or "from the knife;" 

 while others often landed dried fish on the island to be carried to Eastport in small quantities from 

 time to time, in order to avoid the payment of duties. With such intimate relations existing 

 between the Eastport fishermen and their foreign neighbors, it was very difficult to distinguish 

 between foreign and domestic products, and thousands of quintals of cod and other species were 

 annually smuggled across the line. 



THE MAGDALEN ISLANDS HERRING FISHERY. Before the decline of the mackerel fishery, 

 a number of vessels were sent to the Magdalen Islands in the early spring for herring, which they 

 salted and brought to Eastport and Lubec for smoking or pickling. This business began as early 

 as 1830, and continued to be important till 18C8, since which time only an occasional vessel has 

 been sent. In addition to the " Magdalen trade," the shore herring fisheries were very extensive, 

 and next to Lubec, Eastport prepared the largest quantity of smoked herring of any town in the 

 United States. 



