44 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. 



the shore aud Bay of Fuudy fisheries. These went regularly to the nearer grouuds and returned 

 with good catches. But the causes that led to the reduction of the offshore fleet had their influ- 

 ence upon the smaller craft, and though sonic of them were kept for a number of years they grad- 

 ually disappeared, aud to-day not a fishing vessel sails from Castiue. True, several small ones 

 have been granted fishing licenses, but on examination it is found that they are employed chiefly 

 in other work, and it would be misleading to include them with the fishing vessels of the coast. 



THE TRADE WITH FISHING VESSELS. While the fisheries proper of the town have been impor- 

 tant, the trade with the fishing fleet of other places has been of much greater value to the people, 

 and Castiue was for a number years, next to Portland, the principal fisheries center of the State. 



Up to 1824, according to Mr. William Webb, of Deer Isle, little attention was paid to the vessel 

 trade by the merchants of the city, and some of them ev en sent their own schooners to Portland 

 for their salt and other outfits. About this time the first cargo of salt was imported by one of the 

 Castine dealers. This was the beginning of a large trade, and vessels from the surrounding country, 

 including Deer Isle, Swan's Isle, Fox Islands, Mount Desert, and many other fishing towns along 

 the shore, soon came to depend wholly on Castine for their fittings, including salt, gear, and pro- 

 visions. The business continued to increase, and by 1845, according to a correspondent of the 

 Bangor Whig, fully three hundred vessels, carrying upwards of two thousand men, "fitted" at 

 Castine for the various bank and shore fisheries, while 2,000 tons of salt were annually imported 

 and consumed. The most of this came direct from Cadiz and Liverpool. 



Mr. Webb informs us that the trade began to decrease just prior to the rebellion, aud that 

 since 1870 "bankers" have gone elsewhere for their supplies, and the shore vessels have gradually 

 sought other markets. At present the trade is confined to eight or ten small vessels belonging at 

 Deer and Swan's Isles, and it is practically of no importance. 



Aside from the interests already mentioned Castine has one of the largest line factories in the 

 country, where most of the cod and mackerel lines used by the New England fishermen are made. 



THE CANNING OF FISHERY PRODUCTS. A largo cannery was built at the village in 1871 and 

 is now doing an extensive business in the canning of lobsters, mackerel, clams, and various kinds 

 of berries and fruits. About fifty hands are employed during the working season. This cannery 

 was probably the first to use a steamer for gathering its supplies of sea products from the fisher- 

 men of the adjoining shore and the numerous outlying islands. The change from sailing vessels 

 to steamers has proved thoroughly satisfactory and it seems probable that steamers will soon be 

 generally introduced for this work. 



22. PENOBSCOT, ORLAND, AND BUCKSPORT. 



PENOBSCOT. The town of Penobscot is too far from the fishing grouuds of the coast to have 

 any extensive salt-water fisheries. The only business in this line is the curing of a cargo of codfish 

 caught by a vessel belonging in Ellsworth. 



Penobscot has extensive smelt fisheries, and a few of its inhabitants go to the outer islands 

 occasionally and fish for cod and mackerel for home supply. Beyond this no fishing of any kind 

 is done. 



BUCKSPORT AND ORLAND. The towns of Bucksport and Orland, situated on the eastern 

 bank of the Penobscot, 18 miles below Bangor, are so intimately connected in their fishing inter- 

 ests that they should properly be considered together. The region was first settled in 1762, and 

 as early as 1825 Mr. Joseph Cook and one or two others had fair sized vessels engaged in tlie off- 

 shore fisheries. The business continued to increase till 1855, when, according to Mr. N. II. Powers, 

 there were about 20 vessels, ranging from 50 to 125 tons, carpenter's measurement, landing a total 



