154 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OP THE FISHERIES. 



Lawrence and 692 from the American shore; in 1878, 113 from the bay and 280 from the shore; in 

 1879, about 30 from the bay and 250 from the shore. In 1880 the mackerel industry of Gloucester 

 employed 175 vessels and about 2,500 men; the number of fares landed was 724, and the catch was 

 135,794 barrels. 



The largest quantity of mackerel inspected in this port in any one year was 164,938 barrels in 

 1864. In each of the years from 1862 to 1867, in 1870 and 1871, and in 18SO, the amount inspected 

 here was over 100,000 barrels. The year 1879 was a very poor one, the inspection returns crediting 

 Gloucester with only 48,643 barrels. The total quantity of mackerel taken by Gloucester fishermen 

 in that year was about 25,000 of fresh and 95,000 barrels pickled. The fresh and a large part of the 

 pickled fish were sold in Sew York, Boston, Portland, and other places most convenient to the fish- 

 ing grounds. 



The total quantity of mackerel inspected in Gloucester from 1808 to 1880 was about 3,500,000 

 barrels, or more than one-fourth of the entire number of barrels about 12,120,000 inspected in 

 the whole State of Massachusetts in the same period. 



THE GEORGE'S COD FISHERY. The fishery for cod on George's Bank is one of the most impor- 

 tant as well as most dangerous of all the fisheries carried on at Gloucester. The best season for 

 its prosecution is in the spring, when immense schools of very large and fine fish visit this bank. 

 The George's fleet numbers about one hundred sail of staunch schooners rigged specially for this 

 fishery. Each vessel carries a crew numbering usually ten or eleven men. They fish entirely with 

 hand-lines from the vessel's deck, the rail being marked off in spaces, and each man is assigned a 

 space separated from his neighbor by wooden pegs some six or eight inches high, called "soldiers," 

 which serve as guides in hauling in the lines that are drawn out away from the vessel's side by the 

 current, which is at times very strong. The bait used is frozen herring, as long as they can be 

 bought; then, as the season advances, alewives, herring, menhaden, or mackerel are taken, being 

 purchased of trap or net fishermen along the coast. Much time is lost to the fleet in searching 

 for bait. 



The vessels start out from Gloucester early in February, and make their trips of from two to 

 three weeks' duration. They keep at this work throughout the spring and summer, meeting with 

 less success during the warm months, and late in the fall they usually haul up for two or three 

 months before beginning another season. Some of the fleet make as many as thirteen or fourteen 

 trips during the year, while others follow this fishery but a short time and then join the mackerel 

 fleet. During the summer the George's-men find better fishing in the South Channel, on Brown's 

 Bank, off Cape Negro, or in the Bay of Fundy, than on George's. 



The catch of this fleet is principally cod of superior quality that have a national reputation, 

 and bring the highest price of any cod in the market. They are usually split and salted on the 

 vessel, though occasional cargoes are brought home round, to be split on shore. In earlier years 

 more fish were brought home round than at present, and it is claimed by the fishermen that the 

 present method of splitting nearly all the catch on the fishing grounds and throwing the gurry 

 overboard has a tendency to drive the fish away. Each man receives a share in the profits of a 

 trip according to the number of fish he catches, the tongues being cut out of the fish as they are 

 caught, and saved to be counted each night by the captain, who keeps the record of each man's 

 catch. Any halibut that may be taken are marked by the fortunate catcher. A greater or less 

 quantity of halibut is taken on each trip, ranging from a few hundred weight to four or five thou- 

 sand pounds. Besides cod and halibut, which comprise most of the catch on George's, a quan- 

 tity of pollock, haddock, and cusk are taken, which, when weighed off, are counted as scale-fish, and 

 bring only about half as much as the large cod. A distinction is made between large and small 



