40 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. 



herring, flounders, and sculpius (Coitus octodccimspinosun and C. grcenlandicus) are used for bait in 

 this fishery alone during the season. 



FISH-CUHING. A few of tbe boat-fishermen engage in the capture of cod, mackerel, &c., in the 

 fall for home supply, selling a few to the three curing stands on the island. In 1879 these parties 

 cured 1,000 quintals of fish, a larger part of which were bought from small vessels. 



19. DEEE ISLAND AND ITS FISHERIES. 



HISTORY OF THE FISHERIES FROM 1800 TO 1880. The town of Deer Isle, lying to the south 

 of Sedgwick, is separated from the mainland by Eggeinoggin Reach. It includes Great Deer Isle, 

 Litlle Deer Isle, and Eagle Island. The first is by far the largest and most important of the group; 

 it is about 9 miles long by 7 or 8 miles broad. It has a very irregular coast, being indented by 

 long and narrow bays and coves that nearly meet from opposite sides. The region was first settled 

 by William Eaton in 1762, and was incorporated as a town in 1789. In 1790 it had 682 inhabitants; 

 in 1812, about 1,250; in 1850, 3,037 ; and in 1870, 3,414. 



The following facts relative to the early history of the town were gathered during several inter- 

 views with Mr. William Webb, for many years one of the leading officials of the town. Mr. Webb 

 was born on the island in 1803, and was actively engaged in its fisheries as early as 1818. Up to this 

 time there were but two vessels of over 40 tons burden and twelve to fifteen Chebacco boats fishing 

 from the island, though many of the residents had been employed on fishing vessels belonging to 

 Newburyport. The principal business at that time was the trade in lumber, aud half a dozen large 

 saw-mills were in active operation. About one-fourth of the inhabitants were then dependent on the 

 fisheries. In 1830 twelve large vessels were sent to the more distant fishing grounds, and forty 

 smaller ones fished along the shore. In 1840 the fleet had increased to thirty large vessels (over 40 

 tons old measurement) aud fifty small ones. The heightof the fishing business for the island occurred 

 between 1860 aud 1805, by which time a better class of vessels had been introduced, and about thirty- 

 five sail of large schooners and fifty smaller craft were actively employed. The large vessels were 

 almost without exception engaged in the mackerel fishery, most of them being employed in freighting 

 from the close of the season iu November till the following June, when they sailed for the Gulf of 

 Saint Lawrence. They usually lauded two trips each during the season. The first Deer Isle vessel 

 to fish for mackerel in that locality was sent in 1834. The fishing was wholly with hand-lines up 

 to 1873, when purse-sciiies were introduced. The smaller vessels fished on the inner grounds, some 

 of them frequenting the Bay of Fuudy regularly for many years. 



Since 1868 the fisheries have rapidly declined, all of the better and larger vessels having been 

 sold to other localities, and Deer Isle to-day owns the poorest class of vessels of any town on the 

 entire coast. Some of the merchants claim that this decline is largely due to the difficulty of 

 making suitable arrangements with the custom-house authorities for obtaining their salt free of 

 duty. It seems that they made an effort to have a quantity kept on the island to supply the vessel 

 fleet, but, failing in this, they were obliged to make the trip to Castine or pay the duty, which they 

 often did to avoid the delay. A more probable cause for the rapid decline is found in the relations 

 that existed between the fitters aud crews, whereby a settlement with the fishermen was often 

 delayed for nearly a year, during which time they were subjected to all the disadvantages of the 

 credit system in its worst forms. In this way the Deer Island fishermen were seriously inconvenienced, 

 and they were gradually driven to seek employment on the vessels of other fishing ports, even to 

 the neglect of their own fleet. This practice has been continued, and there are now not less than 



