NEW YORK: EASTERN END OF LONG ISLAND. 



359 



York in boxes averaging 22.3 pounds of flsli each. Tbe following are tbe shipments for the nine 

 years, copied from his books : 



His fishing season was from May to October. He has no record of the Spanish mackerel 

 caught, but gives his recollections as follows : 1871,6,000; 1872,2,500; 1873,1,000; 1874 to 1878, 

 500; 1879, 10 fish. He says in 1871 Spanish mackerel were plenty; in 1872 the pound-nets began 

 to increase in numbers, and kept increasing until 1875, when this fishery was at its height; in 1878 

 it began to decrease, and there are not as many nets this year as last. 



Capt. James McDermott is now engaged in the capture of flatfish for two months in the spring, 

 beginning about the 1st of March. He fishes ten fykes, the Lodgings to these extending fully 7 

 rods from the shore, while the wings are about 16 feet in length. The fykes proper have two 

 funnels each. They are about 9 feet long and 4 feet in diameter. In the spring of 1881 he reports 

 the flatfish much less abundant than formerly, his entire catch not exceeding COO pounds per week. 

 This he attributes to overfishiug in the bay, where a large number of fykes are set. 



Capt. Willard Rackett, of the sloop Laura Thompson, is engaged in running lobsters to the 

 New York market. In the spring and early summer he visits Deer Isle, on the coast of Maine, to 

 secure his supply, but later, owing to the loss of lobsters in transportation, he buys them of the 

 Massachusetts fishermen. He cau carry about 20,000 pounds of lobsters in cool weather. When 

 the weather becomes warm only half that quantity can be taken with safety. During the season 

 he carries about 80,000 pounds, the average weight of the lobsters being about 1J pounds each. 

 Vessels owned here hail from Greenport, and their tonnage is included in the fleet of that port. 

 The fresh fish caught from different waters by the men living here is estimated at 150,000 pounds 

 for the year. In addition to these, 10,000 pounds of eels, 100 barrels of lobsters, 100 barrels of 

 hard crabs, 200 bushels of hard clams, and 50 bushels of soft clams were secured. 



The fishermen report that bluefish are holding their own in numbers; weaktish decreased 

 slightly from 1874 to 1877, since which time there has been little change; porgies (Stcnotomus chry- 

 sops) have decreased, and butterfish (Stromateus triacanthus) hold their own. There are $4,000 

 invested in nets, and $G,000 in boats, by the resident fishermen. 



ORIENT. This is the most easterly village on the northern peninsula. There are five profes- 

 sional and eight semi-professional fishermen here. Two of the former are married, having nine 

 children, giving sixteen wholly dependent on the fisheries. Of the latter, six are married, and 

 having twenty-seven children, make a total of forty-one partly dependent on the fisheries. It has 

 been my custom to take half the semi-professionals and add them to the others. This would make 

 nine men, five married and thirty-six dependent. The owners of pound-nets from here to Oyster 

 Pond Point are farmers, who own the beach. In Orient Bay are two pounds, which arc owned in 

 East Marion, and their catch is included in the figures of that place. TLere are three pounds and 



