362 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. 



as does also the sloop Eveline, Captain De Castro. The men fish with hand-lines, and for bait use 

 "bunkers" or menhaden, and clams. Captain De Castro says that the trawls and pound-nets have 

 spoiled the fishing. 



BRIDGEHAMPTON. At this place are ten professional and forty semi-professional fishermen. 

 John Ltidlow fishes for bass and finds them decreasing. There are $3,000 invested in nets and 

 87.000 in boats. The catch last year amounted to 150,000 pounds of fresh fish, 10,000 pounds of 

 eels, 50 bushels of hard clams, 150 bushels of soft clams, 50 barrels of crabs, and 8,000 pounds of 

 scallops. 



WATER MILLS. Twenty men fish from this place ; eight are married aud forty persons are 

 dependent upon the fisheries. About $4,000 are invested in nets and $8,000 in boats. The catch 

 last year was 200.000 pounds of fresh fish, 8,000 pounds of eels, 10 barrels of crabs, 20 barrels of 

 lobsters, 180 bushels of hard clams, and 75 bushels of soft clams. 



SOUTHAMPTON. Forty men fish from this place ; eighteen are married aud oue hundred and 

 twenty-five persons are dependent on the fisheries. Six thousand dollars are invested in nets and 

 812,000 in boats. The fishing is done chiefly ira the Atlantic and the small bays. The yield last 

 year was 00,000 pounds of fresh fish, 500 bushels of oysters, 1,000 bushels of hard clams, 400 

 bushels of soft clams, 2,000 pounds of eels, 80 barrels of crabs, and 20 bushels of mussels. Kelson 

 Burnett claims that the bass are getting scarce, while the porgies are growing more plentiful; that 

 tlie weakfish are decreasing, while the bluefish are increasing. 



D. THE SOUTH SHORE OF LONG ISLAND. 



12G. EXPLANATORY STATEMENTS. 



This division, beginning at Shiuuecock Bay on the east aud ending at Rockaway on the west, 

 is flat, level, and sandy. The peculiar feature of the district is that the bays are not indentations 

 in the coast line, as in other parts of the island, but are formed by a long sand-bar running nearly 

 parallel to the main shore, which is locally known as " the beach." This beach being nearly straight 

 and the shore quite irregular, the intervening strip of water varies greatly in width, expanding and 

 contracting in turn so as to form a succession of salt water lagoons which are respectively known 

 under the names of Shiunecoclc Bay, Moriches Bay, BellportBay, Great South Bay, South Oyster 

 Bay, and Hempstead Bay. Here the oyster industry takes the first rank, aud comparatively little 

 fishing is done for market. The region is, however, a favorite resort for anglers, who often take 

 hundreds of pounds in a day of various species, chief among which is the bluefish (Pomatomus 

 saltatrix). It is also noted for the number and size of its trout streams, most of which are preserved. 

 Many ponds have been constructed, and trout are being bred both for anglers aud for market. 



127. SHINXECOCK BAY. 



This bay is about ten miles in length and varies from one to four miles in width. lu former 

 times it was connected with Moriches Bay on the west, but for many years it has had an opening 

 of its own which is occasionally closed by storms in autumn which drive the sand into it. On these 

 occasions the inlet will remain closed until the spring storms open it, unless it is opened by the 

 people living upon the bay. It is a singular fact that all the inlets on the south side are working 

 westward, and Shiunecock Inlet is no exception, for each time it closes and opens -of its own accord 

 it goes in this direction. When closed the waters become higher than those of the Atlantic, and 



