THE MEKHADEK FISHERY. 377 



oft' from the sloop with our boats and rowed down to where we saw them playing ; and they were playing to the west, 

 and to the oast, and to the south, as far as we could, see, just as fast as they were near us. So we rowed right iu 

 whore i hoy wciv playing and encircled as many as we could and caught about, 75,000 the first set, after which wo made 

 two more sets not so largo. We sent the Accordeo'n, with 41,000 fish, and the Black Bird, with 59,000, to ,T. Applie's 

 factory, and we put f 7,875 on the William Hatfield, which we took to the Atlantic Works, as they were nearer. Those 

 were largo eastern lish, and had just struck in the bay. There were about ten gangs fishing there that morning, and 

 I think they all loaded their boats before night. It was a pleasant day, but cool in the forenoon. October 26th : It blew 

 quite hard iu the morning from the northwest, but it soon died out and we made a set just north of Crow Island 

 Shoal, in Gardiner's Bay. We pursed them up without any trouble, but when we came to take on the seine wo found 

 we had something. We found the fish had made three large " cods" and twisted the seine so we could not clear them. 

 Wo worked a long time on them, and then we took the Black Bird alongside ; took a boat-hook and hooked into the 

 "cod," pulled it up on the sido of the Black Bird, and cut a~Targe hole iu the seine, and nearly loaded her out of that 

 "cod." We served another "cod" the same way, and while we were attending to this, "Mr. Shark" made a hole in 

 another "cod" and so saved us the trouble of scooping them. Then we cleared the seine and scooped what was left 

 in the bunt. Wo were at work on them nearly all day and saved 44,00 fish, which wo sent in the Black Bird, and 

 12,000 in the Accordeon, to J. Applie's factory. All the fish wo have caught, since the 18th of October have been fat 

 oasteru lish. 



The fish brought us $2.50 per thousand this year. In the fall they run $3 per thousand, and a few as high as $5 

 per thousand. It was a hard matter to get a good cotton seine. I bought some for $1.35 per pound, and it was so 

 poor-ami the knitting so bad that we would not think of using it now (1876) if we could get it for nothing. [I don't 

 recollect just what menhaden oil was bringing at this time, but I think it was $1 per gallon, perhaps a little more.] 



1865. 



Tainted the sloops and got the seine ready and commenced fishing May 31. Jur.e 27tii: Sold 10,500 fish to a smack 

 for 31.50. July 21st to 2Slh: Fishing off Milford, Conn. September 2WA; Went to Boston to sec about getting a new 

 seine; it was impossible to get a cotton seino without paying a very largo price; so I bargained for a seine made of 

 llax or hemp, and it was to bo done so that I could have it soon, for our seine was getting very poor; got the seine 

 October 30. 



1806. 



fepti-iitlicr 25//i: We took off the sails and limed them. From that date to October 17 weather bad or fi#h 

 sea roe, so that there was no fishing. 



1867. 



As the Accordeon was getting old and wo saw the need of having a larger sloop, I have sold her and built a new 

 sloop that will carry about 60,060, which I have named the U. S. Grant. I had her built near my house and moved 

 her to the bay on big wheels. So now we have the William Hatfield to tow the seine and the U. S. Grant and Black 

 Bird for carry-away sloops. We have the sloops and boats ready, and on the 6th of May we put things on the William 

 Hatfield and bent the sails on the U. S. Grant. May ~th: I sent to Riverhead for the U. S. Grant's anchors, and took 

 the seine on board and had everything ready to go out fishing. We started out, thinking to go down to Greenport, 

 but when we had sailed about half way to Robin's Island we discovered a number of bunches of fish. They were not 

 playing much, but wo saw the color of them. Then wo prepared the seine as toon as we could and went to work at 

 them. Wo made three sets, and caught about 20,000 each set. We sent 45,000 fish in the U. S. Grant and 1(5,000 in the 

 Black Bird to Jamesport for the farmers. A pleasant day; wind' light, southeast. AlayUtlt: Went out in Peconic 

 Bay; caught 22,400 fish, which we sent in the Black Bird to Hallett's Works. We came into Jamesport and came to 

 anchor and hauled the seines out on deck, as we are in the habit of doing, to allow the tvir to come to, it to prevent its 

 heating. Wo had one of the greatest hail-storms I ever witnessed ; the hail-stones were four or five inches deep in some 

 places next morning. Saw no fish again till the 22d, but we caught none till the 27th of May. 



October 15//I .- We started out of Gardiner's Bay; it was a pleasant morning. 



There was one _gang a mile or two to the east of us; and about sunrise we saw them drop off and set the seine ; 

 when we came up to them the captain called out to me and said, "They are large eastern fish"; and about that 

 time the man at mast-head cried out, " I can see them off to the east, playing as thick as rain-drops"; and we could 

 soon see them from the dock (just after sunrise you can see fish a 'ong way off to the eastward). In a little while we 

 camo up with them. It was a large, solid body of fish and showed a good color. We dropped off from the sloop and 

 wont around just one end of the body and commenced pursing. We pursed the seine without much trouble and 

 took it on, running the fish all in the bunt; but when the carry -away came alongside, and wo tried to get them up, 

 so as to scoop, we found wo could not raise them. As the wind was light we got both sloops alongside and had carry- 

 away men to help us, but still wo wore not able *o bring them up ; then \ve lashed a polo on the scoop-net handle, but 

 the lish won- so far down wo could make no headway in hoisting them out. At last the wind breezed up from the 

 northwest, and the bunt, not being able to stand so heavy a strain, began to rip, when wo were obliged to slack the 

 seino down and let the fish out; there wore four or live good shoals went out. One gang came along and caught one 

 shoal and nearly loaded his boats. After all had run out that would, we raised up enough to make 49,100 fish, which 



