RHODE ISLAND: BRISTOL, PROVIDENCE, AND KENT COUNTIES. 305 



In September a hundred eel pots are fished near the town, and succeed very fairly. Six years ago 

 the net fishing produced results six times as large as at present. 



The investment in this place amounts to $3,130 ; and the products, which include 40,000 

 bushels of clams, 10,000 bushels of scallops, and 37,500 pounds of fresh fish, are worth $47,100. 

 The number of persons employed is 175. 



WARWICK COVE AND WARWICK NECK. During the summer nine men fish in Warwick Cove 

 for bluefi.sh and three at the Neck for tautog. Some hand lining is also carried on from the boats 

 during April, May, and June. Most of the men here give up fishing during the summer and hire 

 their boats to pleasure parties. This is a good indication of the state of the fisheries. 



Two men fish for eels. In 1879 two tons of eels were shipped to New York, where they sold 

 for 5 cents a pound. Most of these eels were speared in the winter. 



100. THE FISHERIES OF APPONAUG AND EAST GREENWICH. 



APPONATJG. Appouaug is 12 miles south of Providence, at the northern end of Greenwich 

 Bay. In past years it has done considerable fishing; of late years the business has largely de- 

 creased. The fishermen claim that chemicals and refuse from the large print-works have driven 

 away the fish and killed every clam in the immediate vicinity of the town. 



There is quite a little fleet of sail-boats owned here by the fishermen. At least one half of 

 them are chiefly used for pleasure parties. On the average nine are used for fishing purposes. 

 Hand-lines and seines are used by the fishermen in Greenwich and Narragansett Bays. The catch 

 consists of bluefish, sqtieteague, tautog, flounders, and scup, mostly caught in the spring; no winter 

 fishing. The leading products of the fisheries are clams and scallops. The same men follow 

 line and net fishing and dredging, each in their season. The scallop beds are quite extensive and 

 productive, extending from Wickford, on the south, along the west shore of Narragansett Bay, into 

 and on both sides of Greenwich Bay, to Warwick Light, on the north, a distance of 20 miles. The 

 boats average 4 dredges each, which are used in about 2 fathoms of water. The catch, from 3,000 

 to 4,000 bushels a year, is brought home and shelled. The opening is mostly by girls, some thirty 

 being employed during the busy season. They receive 12J cents a bushel for shucking. Clams of 

 the various kinds round, long, and quahaugs are found in abundance on Prudence and Patience 

 islands, the shores of Providence River, and Greenwich Bay. 



A novel feature of the fishing industry is a small steamer of 10 tons, from this port, engaged 

 exclusively in gathering clams, and probably the only one so engaged in the United States. The 

 steamer visits the numerous beds along the shores mentioned, where captain and crew of from six- 

 teen to twenty men take on their cargo direct from the beds. They also stop at points along the 

 shores and buy from the diggers, but rely chiefly on their own digging. The cargo is taken to Rocky 

 Point, Kent County, the celebrated resort of thousands for clam-bakes. The entire season's work 

 of this steamer is contracted for in advance by the hotels, and to insure the clams a steamer is 

 required. The catch of this steamer in 1880 was 5,000 bushels of clams, worth $7,000. Some idea 

 of the amount of clams annually consumed at this celebrated roasting place may be judged by 

 those who have often seen over 10,000 persons at a time at a Rocky Point clam-bake. There are 

 also numerous other well-known points along the beautiful waters of Narragansett Bay that are 

 noted for their clam-bakes, and yearly consume large quantities of shell-fish, but the one mentioned 

 is the leading one. 



The catch of fish by seine and hand-line is mostly sold at Providence. In case a surplus hap- 

 pens in that market they are forwarded to New York, all being sold fresh. Scallops are mostly 

 20GKF 



