720 GEOGRAPHICAL EEVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. 



ono hundred and eighty persons. The inhabitants Lad erected a salt work ; and this year they freighted a ship of 

 a hundred and eighty tons." 1 



The journal of one of the settlers, under date of June 17, 1624, says: 



" The ship carpenter sent us is an honest and very industrious man, quickly builds ns two very good and strong 

 shallops, with a great and strong lighter, and had hown timber for two hetchcs ; but this is spoilt ; for in the hot sea- 

 son of the year ho falls into a fever and dies, to our great loss and sorrow. But the salt man is an ignorant, foolish, 

 and selfwilled man; who chooses a spot for his salt works, will have eight or ten men to help him, is confident tho 

 ground in good, makes a carpenter rear a great frame of a house for the salt and other like uses; hut finds himself 

 deceived in the bottom ; will then have a lighter to carry clay, &c., yet all in vain ; he could do nothing hut boil 

 salt in pans. The next year is sent to Cape Ann, and there the pans are set np for the fishery; but before the sum- 

 mer is out, he burns the house and spoils the pans, and there is an end of this chargeable business." 3 



THE FISHERIES NOT SUCCESSFUL. Under date of March, 1624, Governor Bradford says: 



"Shortly after, Mr. Winslow came over, and brought a prety good supply, and a ship came on fishing, a thing; 

 fatall to this plantation. Ho brought 3. heife.rs & a bull, tho first beginning of any cattle of that kind in y" laud, 

 with some cloathing & other necessaries, as will further appear; hut withall y" reporte of a strong faction amongst 

 the adventurers against them, and espetially against y e coming of y e rest from Leydeu, and with what difficulty this 

 supply was procured, and how, by their strong & long opposision, bussiness was so retarded as not only they were 

 now falne too late for y e fishing season, hut the best men were taken up of y e fishermen in y" west eountrie, and he 

 w;is forct to take such a M r . & company for that imployment as he could procure upon y e present." 3 



Among a number of objections answered and sent to England in 1624, by Governor Bradford, was the following: 

 "-. ob: The fish will not take salt to keepo sweeto. Ans: This is as true as that which was written, that ther is 

 scarce a foiile to bo scene or a fish to be taken. Things likely to be true in a cuntrie wher so many saylo of ships 

 come yearly a fishing; they might as well say, there can no ailo or beore in London be kept from sowering." 4 



The story of a fishing trip to the coast of Maine in 1624 is thus told by Governor Bradford : 



"They having with some truble & charge new-masted and rigged their pinass, in y e begining of March, they 

 sent her well vitaled to tho eastward on fishing. She arrived safely at a place near Damarius cove, and was there 

 well harbored in a place wher ships used to ride, ther being also some ships allready arived out of England. But 

 shortly after ther arose such a violent & extraor'linarie storme, as y e seas broak over such places in y e harbor as was 

 never scene before, and drive her against great roks, which beat such a hole in her hulke, as a horse and carte might 

 have gone in, and after drive her into deep-water, wher she lay sunke." s 



Governor Bradford thus writes of the colonists in 1625 : 



"This storme being thus hlowne over, yet sundrie sad effects followed y e same; for the Company of Adventurers 

 broake in pceces hero upon, and y e greatest parte wholy deserted y e colony in regarde of any further supply, or care 

 of their subsistance. And not only so, but some of Layfords &. Oldoms friends, and their adherents, set out a shipe 

 on fishing, on theire owne accounre, and getting y 6 starte of y e ships that came to the plantation, they tooko away 

 their stage, & other necessary provisions that they had made for fishing at Cap-Anne y e year before, at their great 

 charge, and would not restore y e same, excepte they would fight for it. But y e Gov r sent some of y" planters to help 

 y fisher men to build a new ono, and so let them keepe it. This shipo also brought some small supply, of little value ; 

 but they made so pore a business of their fishing, (neither could these men make them any returue for y e supply 

 sente,) so as, after this year, they never looked more after them." 6 



PERMISSION TO FISH AT KENNEBEC. Tho Patent of the Old Colony of Plymouth, granted January 13, 1629, 

 has these items concerning the fisheries: "And forasmuch as they have noe convenient Place, either of Tradinge or 

 Fishinge within their owne precincts, whereby (after soe longe Travell and great Paines) so hopel'ull a Plantacou 

 may subsiste, as alsoe that they may bee incouragcd the better to proceed in soo pious a Worke, * * * The said 

 Councell have further given and granted * * * the Space of fiftcene Englishe miles on each Side of the said River 

 called Kennebek, and all the said River called Kenehek, * * * and all Grounds, Fishingee, &c. ; * * * with 

 Liberty of fishing upon any Parte of the Sea-coaste find Sea-shores of any of the Seas or Islands adjacent, and not 

 beinge inhabited, or otherwise disposed of by Order of the said Prcsidente and Councell; 7 



THE FISHERIES IN 1629. Under date of the year 1629 Governor Bradford writes: 



"This paying of 50 p r cent, and dificnlty ot having their goods trasported by y* fishing ships at y e first of y year, 

 (as was helceved,) which was y e cheefo season for trade, put them upon another projecte. M r . Allerton, after y" 

 fishing season was over, light of a hargan of salte, at a good fishing place, and bought it; which came to ahouto 

 113 1. ; and shortly after he might have had 30 ". cleare profite for it, without any more trouble aboute it. But Mr. 

 Winslow coming that way from Kenebeck, & some other of ther partners witlx him in y e barke, they mett with Mr. 

 Allerton, and falling into discourse with him, they stayed him from selling y e salte; and resolved, if it might please 

 y e rest, to keep it for them selves, and to hire a ship in y e west eountrie to come on fishing for them, on shares, accord- 

 ing to y coustome; and seeing she might have her salte here ready, and a stage ready builte & fitted wher the 

 salt lay safely lauded & housed. In stead of bringing salto, they might etowo her full of trading goods, as bread, 

 pease, cloth, &c., and so they might have a full supply of goods without paing fraighr, and in duo season, which 

 might turne greatly to their advantage. Coming home, this was propounded, and considered on, and aproved by all 

 but y Gov r , who had no mind to it, seeing they had allway lost by fishing; but y e rest were so ernest, as thinkeing 



1 Holmes' American Annals, 1805. Vol. 1, p 131. 'Ibid., p. 150. 



Trinco, New England Chronology. Boston, 1736, p. 227. 'Ibid., p. 196. 



'Coll. Mass. Hist. Soc., vol. iii, 4tU series, p. 157. 'Hazard's "State Papers," vol. i, pp. 300,301. 



*Ibid., p. 102. 



