RHODE ISLAND: WASHINGTON COUNTY. 307 



The leading catch by the traps is squeteague, tautog, butterflsh, and scup; the scup are not 

 as plenty here as at the lower end of the bay. A few Spanish mackerel are caught. The catch 

 is sold to Providence, Newport, and the near home local trade. Lobsters are mostly sold to the 

 numerous summer hotels and local trade. Quite an amount of refuse fish are caught, consisting 

 of menhaden, skates, and sculpins. These are all saved and sold to farmers for fertilizing, selling 

 for 25 cents a barrel. 



Lobsters are taken from February until the next winter about Dutch Island, and in all the 

 inlets on both sides of the bay as far north as Hope Island. The ledges in the middle of the bay 

 are excellent lobster grounds. The flatfish fyke-nets catch some, but the modern lobster-pot is 

 generally used, and also the old-fashioned hoop-net, made from the iron hoop of a barrel, to which 

 is fastened a net-bag. About one hundred and fifty pots are in use. Refuse fish, called "shuck- 

 fish," are used for bait. Crabs are also caught, either by the use of "bow," "dip," or "crab" 

 nets, from June until August. Eels are taken by the use of pots and spears. 



Trap-nets are diminishing in number, there being now only four in use. They are supposed to 

 have aided most materially in diminishing the supply of fish. 



The investment in this place in nets, traps, boats, and fixtures is $2,425. The production is 

 worth $5,700, and consists of 198,000 pounds of fresh fish, 160,000 pounds of refuse fish, 10,000 

 pounds of eels, and 15,000 pounds of lobsters. The number of persons employed is 20. 



DUTCII ISLAND AND SAUNDERSTOWN. At Dutch Island Harbor and vicinity three trap-nets 

 are owned, two of which are set in the harbor and the other at Beaver Head from the middle of 

 April to the 1st of September. They have been in use since 1871, and are set in 18 feet of water. 

 The leaders are 75 fathoms long. The mesh in the leader is 5 inches, and in the bowl 2^ inches. 

 The tunnel-mouth is G feet wide. To aid in lifting the traps three "trap-boats" are used. These 

 are worth $25 each. Frequent repairs, owing to ravages of storm and tide to the nets, are neces- 

 sary, and cost about $50 to the net per annum. The nets used here are similar in shape to 

 those at Wickford. The offal fish caught in the traps are used as bait for lobsters. 



Only one gill-net is used here; this is 75 fathoms long, with a 4-iuch mesh. It is used through 

 June and July. Bluefish and a few squeteague are caught. This net is also used as a shore-seine. 



In April and June a few eel pots are fished on the east side of the island in Sheffield Pond. 

 From the harbor to Whale Rock some lobster-pots are set. 



The hook-and-liners fish from April till December; in September they chiefly seek cod and 

 tautog; at other times blucfish and sea-bass, which latter is here called "bluefish." 



During the past eight years the catch of young fish has been increasing, while that of mature 

 fish has been steadily decreasing. 



The fishermen here, as in most of the places already alluded to, do not confine themselves to 

 fishing. They act as pilots, dig clams, and do anything whereby they may improve their financial 

 condition. 



Most of the fish are shipped in boxes to New York, Newport, and Philadelphia. The 

 lobsters are sent to Newport and Philadelphia. The price paid for a box containing 400 pounds of 

 fish was, in 1879, only CO cents. The next year there was an improvement. 



The capital invested in boats, nets, traps, and fixtures is $2,877, and the product is worth 

 $1,715. 



Sauudcrstowu lies on the coast exactly opposite Dutch Island. Three bass traps, but no gill- 

 nets or seines, arc used here, one on the west side of Dutch Island, one at South Ferry, and one 

 at Casy Point. They have been in use for live years, and are set in" 17 feet of water from April to 

 November. The mouth of the tunnel is only 24 inches wide. In them are caught striped bass, 



