724 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. 



mid kept through tho summer. To fit a vessel of 70 tons, carrying 8 men, for a fishing voyage of four mouths, it 

 requires about 100 hogsheads or 800 bushels of salt (that from the Isle of May is preferred), about, '20 barrels of clam 

 bait, 33 or 40 barrels of water, 20 pounds of candles, 2 gallons of sperm oil ; these articles are in the fisherman's 

 phrase called great generals, and are paid for from the proceeds before any division of the profits is made. The 

 stone ballast, and a suit of clothes for the men who salt the fish, are also included in the great generals. After 

 these articles are paid for, and tho fish sold, the profits are divided in the proportion of three-eighths to the owners and 

 livt'-ei"hths to tho crew. If the crew furnish their own provisions, each man carries from 30 to 50 pounds of ship-bread, 

 from :i to 6 gallons of molasses, from 14 to 28 pounds of flour, some butter, lard, and vinegar, formerly 2 to 6 gallons 

 of rum. At the present time (1835) some vessels go entirely without ardent spirits. Each man carries sis cod lines, 

 :'.(> fathoms long, four lead weights of 5 pounds each, two dozen cod hooks, one pair of large boots reaching above the 

 knees, and a piece of leather or oil-cloth to defend his breast from the wet. A few other articles, called small gen- 

 erals, :ire paid for equally by each man, as two cords of wood, a barrel of beef, 1 Uushel of beans, 20 bushels of 

 potatoes. '.! bushels of Indian or rye meal. It is custcmary for the owners to put on board two or more, spare anchors 

 and forty fathoms of cable. The fish are brought home in the salt, and after being washed are spread on flakes to 

 dry."' 



REVIEW OF THE WHALE-FISHERY FROM PLYMOUTH. Thacher, in 1835, wrote as follows: "There were a number 

 of schooners and sloops employed in the whale-fishery in this town previous to and immediately succeeding the war 

 of the Revolution; but there are now uo vessels of that class so employed. In the year 1821 a number of citizens 

 associated themselves together and built a ship of 350 tons for the purpose of fitting her for the Pacific Ocean 

 whaling, which they named the "Mayflower" in honor of the ship that brought our forefathers here in 1620. The 

 ship sailed in September, 1821, and after making three successful voyages, and landing rising 6,000 barrels of oil, a 

 part of the owners sold to some gentlemen of New Bedford, whore she was transferred in 1831, and repaired, and 

 sailed from that place in April, 1831; a part is still (1835) owned in this place. In 1821 another company was 

 formed, consisting principally of the same persons that built the "Mayflower," and built another ship, which they 

 called the "Fortune," in memory of the second ship that came into these waters. This ship is of C80 tons burthen, 

 and has made three voyages, and landed about 5,700 barrels of oil, and is now en her fourth voyage. In 1830 the 

 ship "Arbella," of 404 tons, and navigated by 35 men, was sent out, and in 1831 the ship Levant, of 365 tons, 

 navigated also by 35 men, sailed for the Pacific Ocean in pursuit of sperm whales. The two last-named ships are of 

 the largest class, and fitted out in a thorough manner; and it is hoped that they may meet with success to induce 

 others of our fellow citizens to embark in this enterprise, which has brought wealth and prosperity to other towns, 

 and is believed can be carried on here to as good advancement as from most other places. The three ships now 

 employed in the whale-fishery amount in the aggregate to 1,060 tons, navigated by 92 officers and seamen ; the 

 produce of this fishery may be estimated at about 2,000 barrels of sperm oil annually. Connected with this 

 establishment are the manufacture of about 3,000 oil casks, and about 1,500 boxes, or of 4,5'. pounds of sperm 

 candles annually. A fourth ship has this year (1832) been fitted out." 2 



THE FISHERY FOR EELS IN 1833. Concerning Eel River it was written in 1833: " This originates in ponds and 

 springs back of Eel River village, crosses the post road to Sandwich, and empties into the sea near Warren's farm. It 

 is appropriately called Eel River from the abundance of eels which it yields to the support of the industrious poor. 

 Perhaps it will not be extravagant to say that about 150 barrels are annually taken there." 3 



[For a statistical review of the cod-fisheries of the customs district of Plymouth from 1815 to 1879 see page 216.] 



TRURO. 



DESCRIPTION OF THCKO AND THE FISHERIES IN 1794. "A traveler from the interior part of the country, where the 

 soil is fertile, upon observing the barrenness of Trnro, would wonder what could induce auy person to remain in such 

 a place. But his wonder would cease when he was informed that the subsistence of the inhabitants is derived princi- 

 pally from the sea. The shores and marshes afford large and small clams, quahangs, razor-shells, periwinkles, mus- 

 sels, and cockles. The bay and ocean abound with excellent fish and with crabs and lobsters. The sturgeon, eel, 

 haddock, cod, frost fish, pollock, cusk, flounder, halibut, bass, mackerel, herring, and alewife, are most of 1lrem caught 

 in great plenty and constitute a principal part of the food of the inhabitants. Formerly the bluefish was common, 

 but some years ago it deserted the coast. Beside these fish for the table there is a great variety of other fish, among 

 which are the whale, Killer or thrasher, humpback, finback; skrag, grampus, blackfish, porpoise (gray, bass, and 

 streaked), snuffer, shark (black, man-eating, and shovel-nosed), skate, dogfish, eunfish, goosefish, catfish, and 

 scnlpion, to which may be added tho horseshoe and squid. The crampfish has sometimes been seen on the beach. 

 This fish, which resembles a stingray in size and form, possesses the properties of the torpedo, being capable of giving 

 smart electrical shock. The fishermen suppose, but whether with reason or not the writer will not undertake to de- 

 termine, that the oil extracted from the liverof this fish is a cure for the rheumatism. 



"Formerly, whales of different species were common on the coast, and yielded a great profit to the inhabitants, 

 who pursued them in boats from the shore. Hut they are now rare, and the people, who are some of the most dexterous 

 whalemen in the world, are obliged to follow them into remote parts of the ocean. Two inhabitants of Truro, Capt. 

 David Smith and Capt. Gamaliel Collings, were the first who adventured to the Falkland Islands in pursuit of whales. 

 This voyage was undertaken in the year 1744 by the advice of Admiral Moutague, of the British Navy, and was crowned 

 with success. Since that period tho whalemen of Truro have chiefly visited the coasts of Guinea and Brazil. A want 



1 Tbacher's History of Plymouth, p. 316. 'Ibid., p. 317. Ibid., p. 322. 



