308 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. 



tautog, flat fish, squeteague, and a few shad, but no scup. The bass are caught only in the fall. 

 Some lobsters are taken, and hook-and-line fishing is followed to a small extent. 



NARRAGANSETT PIER. At Narragansett Pier no traps are used. Four gill-nets and two 

 seines are fished about a quarter of a mile from the pier, during June, July, and August. Men- 

 haden are caught almost exclusively. Ten men are engaged here for about half their time. One 

 man catches lobsters. The traps south of this place are supposed to prevent the fish from coming 

 further north and are therefore looked upon with jealousy. The fishermen are less energetic than 

 some years ago ; were it not for this, it is thought, a great deal more might be done in the fishing 

 industry. The hotel is said to require four times the amount of fish taken by all the fishermen. 

 Between this place and Rocky Point, a distance of G miles, twenty men follow fishing, setting 

 trawls for cod during the spring and fall, gill-nets for bluefish and squeteague during the summer, 

 also setting 150 lobster pots about the ledges along the sound. 



102. POINT JUDITH TO PAWCATUCK RIVER. 



POINT JUDITH. In the rear of this promontory lies Judith Pond, C miles long and 1 mile 

 wide ; the water is brackish and is from 8 to 12 feet deep. Formerly oysters were very plentiful, 

 10,000 bushels having been taken out in 1870. The mouth of the pond has become so filled up 

 that now no oysters are to be found, the water having stagnated for want of free circulation. The 

 bass fishery has, on that account, also failed. Ten thousand dollars have been realized by one 

 owner on the capture of bass. Now that business is entirely at an end. A small outlet still per- 

 mits the entrance of alewives. The fishing is carried on from December to June by farmers, 

 mechanics, and fishermen. Last spring (1880) smelts were a little more abundant. Perch are still 

 taken in large quantities. Most of the fishing operations are conducted by the use of fifteen 

 seines ; traps being out of the question where the fish average so small. The average length is 

 100 fathoms, depth 18 feet, and mesh from 1J to 2 inches. In winter heavier seines arc used, 

 requiring six men to haul. Perch and some bass are then taken. Twelve years ago 198 barrels 

 of bass were taken at one haul. In spring the catch is confined to alewives of which 2,000 

 barrels were taken in 1880. The alewife seine has a light thread and is handled by three men. 

 Smelts are taken from February until the end of March. 



One hundred and fifty eel-pots, like small fyke-nets, are set in spring and fall, being baited 

 with crabs. 



The investment here in seines, eel-traps, boats and fixtures, is $3,375, and the value of the 

 product, which consists of 500 bushels of clams, 2,000 barrels of alewives, G0,000 pounds of smelts, 

 60,000 pounds of perch and flatfish, a: id 4,000 pounds of bass, is $10,800. The number of persons 

 employed is CO. 



FISHERIES OF CHARLESTOWN, QTJONOCHONTATJG, AND WARD'S PONDS. In Charlestown 

 Pond six pounds and six shore-seines are used ; in Quonochontaug Pond, three pounds and two 

 seines; and in Ward's Pond, three pounds and two seines. Herring, bass, perch, flounders, eels, 

 and some smelts are caught. Charlestown Pond is the largest, being about G miles long, and a 

 maximum depth of 15 feet. The water is quite salt. About forty boats are used by the pound- 

 fishermen. These boats are of all sizes and shapes, and are worth $20 each. The pounds are set 

 from the middle of April until the early part of June. Some also are set in the fall. Four men 

 work in a gang. The pot is usually about 30 feet in diameter. These nets are set in shallow water. 

 The seines average 80 fathoms each in length, 18 feet in depth, with a IJ-inch mesh, and are 



