682 GP]OGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. 



ruary to liny, as the weather will allow. The haddock autl hake (there is a great resemblance between these fishes) 

 are caught iu summer and fall, during the night. They lie in pickle from twelve to thirty-six hours, and then are 

 dry salted; after which they are spread upon the flakes ; and, in good weather, their cure is completed in a week. The 

 fish of all kinds, made on those islands, have the preference in market, and command a higher price. The dumb fish 

 is consumed chiefly in New England, and is considered, by connoisseurs in fish, the best in the world. Its price is 

 from Si i to s]0 a quintal. The hake is shipped to the West Indies, to Spain, &c. The price at the Shoals is commonly 

 about $2 a quintal. The spring fish, which is next in quality to the dumb fish, is usually sent to Madeira. The 

 summer codfish, called Jamaica fish, which goes to the West Indies, is about $3 a quintal." 



Mr. Haley, whose name one of the islands bears, is mentioned as living in the year 1800, then seventy-six years old. 

 He had expended a large fortune in many useful works; among which was a valuable sea-wall, wharves, wind-mill, 

 a rope-walk '-270 feet long, and salt works, all of which were built before the Revolutionary war. A bake-house, 

 brewery, and distillery were built in 1783, also a blacksmith and cooper shop. All of these enterprises were going to 

 decay in the year 1800. 



THE FISHING TOWNS OF MASSACHUSETTS. 



A general historical review of the fisheries of this State is given above on pages 121 to 131, and incidental refer- 

 ences have been made to the early fisheries of the several districts and towns. The following data consist largely of 

 extracts from official, State, and town records, and from general and local histories, and for some of the towns are 

 very complete. The fisheries of Boston and Proviucetowu are so fully discussed iu Part III of this section that no 

 further references are made to them. Many of the Massachusetts ports have in past years been interested in the 

 whale fishery. The history of that industry will be fully discussed iu another section of this report. 



NEWBUKY A:NI> NEWBTJRYPORT. 



EARLY HISTORY. This part of the New England coast was first discovered by the elder Cabot iu 1497, and was 

 visited by Captain Gosnold in 1602 and Martin Pring iu 1G03. The first regular survey of this portion of the coast was 

 made by Capt. John Smith in 1614. In 1620 it was granted to Sir Fernando Gorges and others iu the name of the 

 Grand Council of Plymouth, and under this patent was, by royal authority, first called New England. In 1628 

 another charter from King Charles reconfirmed the patent, with the additional right to exercise powers of government. 

 In this charter the Merrimac River is mentioned as "a great river commonlie called Monomack or Merriemack." 



The first regular settlement was made in 1635, although two years previous to this time, on September 3, 16:33, the 

 General Court had granted liberty to John Wiuthrop, jr., to set up a trucking or trading house on the Merrimac 

 River. At this early date, it is claimed, sturgeon were taken from the Merrimac River and pickled, to be shipped to 

 England. Until the year 1642 the inhabitants were mostly engaged iu farming. The House of Commons passed a 

 law exempting the exports and imports of New England from taxation. From that time more attention was paid to 

 commerce. Fishing iu the Merrimac was a regular business at this period. In 1656, quite a large trade having grown 

 up with the West Indies, the first wharf was built. Vessels arrived with the products of the islands and returned 

 with cargoes of dry and pickled fish, lumber, and beef. The export of pickled sturgeon had become iu 1674 a regular 

 and profitable business, being taken overland to Boston and also shipped to England. It was frequently exchanged 

 for West India rum and molasses. A keg of sturgeon was worth from ten to twelve shillings, and one sale is recorded 

 of "fifteen kegs of sturgeon for a small cask of rum and a cask of molasses." This year William Thomas petitioned 

 the General Court " that he may be licensed to boyle and sell sturgeon for the counties of Essex and Norfolk, being 

 aged and incapable of any other subsistence; but was forstalled and circumvented by others who, by hooke or crooke. 

 for strong liquor or otherwise, procured the fish from the Indians employed to catch them by the petitioner." The peti- 

 tion was not granted, the river being left free to all without any hindrance. A description of Newbury says : "At the 

 iiMiit h of the river Merrimac stands Newbury, pleasantly situated, where abundance of sturgeon are taken, and pickled 

 after the Manner used in the Baltick." 1 



NEWBURYPORT FROM 1764 TO 1805. On the 28th of January, 1764, the lower or coast part of the town separated 

 from the upper part and was incorporated as a town under the name of Newburyport. At this time the population 

 was 2,282 persons. Shipbuilding had for a number of years been the leading business of the port. During the war of 

 the Revolution this port engaged in privateering, sending out quite a fleet, among which, it is recorded, twenty-two 

 sail, with over a thousand men, sailed; these were never heard of again. This port and another claim to have sent 

 the first privateer. During 1766 seventy-two vessels were at one time under construction. With the West Indies a 

 constant and profitable trade had been carried on up to this time. 



The first fishing license on record was given July 15, 1793, to a vessel of 16 tons. The first license to a cod vessel 

 was given March 20, 1794. 



In 1805 a large foreign trade was being carried on ; from April 14 to May 14, one month, the citizens imported 

 goods to the value of $800,000. 



NEWBURYPORT FISHERIES, 1806 TO 1826. The fishing vessels and fisheries of Newburyport in and for sonic years 

 after 1806 are thus discussed : 



1 British Empire in America. London, 1741, vol. i. pp. 191, 192. 



