CONNECTICUT: TOWNS EAST OF CONNECTICUT 1IIVER. 315 



B. FISHING TOWNS EAST OF CONNECTICUT RIVER. 



104. THE FISHERIES OF STONINGTON, MYSTIC, AND NOANK. 



STONINGTON. The harbor at Stouiugton is capacious, and is partly protected by a breakwater 

 built at a cost of $100,000. In the first part of the present century, prior to 1835, the people of 

 this place were profitably engaged in the seal and whale fisheries. It is stated, on good authority, 

 that some years as many as 100,000 seal skins have been landed at this port. A few vessels con- 

 tinued in the seal fishery until the year 1854, when the fleet numbered four vessels. In 1873 the 

 business was renewed, and since that date from one to three vessels have been annually sent to 

 Cape Horn and other Antarctic grounds in search of fur-seal. It was the enterprise of Stouington 

 sealers that helped to open up the fur-seal fishery at the South Shetlands in 1819 to 1821. Nine 

 Stonington vessels were included in the fleet of thirty sealers that visited those islands in 1820. 

 Most of this fleet were American vessels hailing from Stonington, New Haven, Nantucket, and 

 other ports. Captains Palmer and Fanning, of Stouington, were famous fur sealers, and there 

 still lives here the veteran Capt. Thomas Davidson, who was one of the pioneers in this industry. 

 For further particulars concerning the fur-seal fishery from this town, the reader is referred to the 

 section of this report on special fisheries. 



The whale fishery of Stoningtou was of importance for a number of years, especially from 

 1844 to 185G. The last whaler was owned here in 1861. The number of vessels each year from 

 1840 to 1861 was as follows: 1840, 11; 1841, 8; 1842, 9; 1843, 14; 1844, 13; 1845, 20; 1846, 26; 

 1847, 27; 1848, 24; 1849, 20; 1850, 18; 1851, 16; 1852, 17; 1853, 16; 1854, 15; 1855, 14; 1856, 1C; 

 1857, 6; 1858, 5; 1859, 4; 1SGO, 4; 1861, 1. The products of this fishery in 1847 were 705 barrels 

 of sperm oil, 18,400 barrels of whale oil, and 146,900 pounds of whalebone. In 1853 the products 

 were 561 barrels of sperm oil, 14,142 barrels of whale oil, and 110,300 pounds of whalebone. 



In 1880 the fisheries of this place employed 124 men, of which number 82 were in the seal 

 fishery and the rest in the menhaden and other fisheries. The sealing fleet numbered three vessels 

 of 309.52 tons, valued, with gear and outfit, at $39,000. Two vessels of 55.73 tons were engaged 

 in the capture of food fish, and one vessel was employed in the menhaden fishery. 



Some shore fishing is done in this vicinity by the use of gill nets, fykes, and other apparatus, 

 but the quantity and value of fish thus taken is very small. 



At one time Stonington owned a fleet of vessels in the Bank cod fishery. In the fall of 1810 

 the largest haul of bass ever known is said to have been made here. With an enormous seine a 

 great school of these fish was shut up in a cove and "guarded" for several days. Twenty-one 

 vessels loaded from the catch and great quantities were sold in this vicinity. 



MYSTIC AND NOANK. At Mystic the fishery interests are centered in the menhaden industry, 

 a fleet of steam and sailing vessels being employed during the season in catching menhaden for 

 the oil and guano factories located here. Four small smack vessels, some small boats, three haul- 

 seines, and about forty fyke-nets are employed in the capture of sea bass, cod, bluefish, and other 

 species. The vessel fishermen use the hook and line and cruise from Montauk Point to Block 

 Island. There was formerly a greater number of fishing vessels owned here, but they have been 

 sold and more attention given to the menhaden business. The fyke-nets are set in the spring as 

 early as the ice will permit and arc fished till August. They are set again in October and kept 

 down till winter. Some seasons they do quite well, averaging five barrels per day of flounders, 



