378 HISTORY AND METHODS OF THE FISHERIES. 



we sent to Hallett's Works. We were all of us about beat out; we Lad worked nnil pulled will, all our might for four 

 or five hours to try to save the fish, but we had too many for one gang to handle. I have no doubt but what we 

 pursed up between 300,000 and 400,000. The fish at this time, as I well remember, were selling for $3 a thousand. 



1868. 



We have tarred and hung the seine and got the sloops out of the creek and had them painted, and have everything 

 ready to commence work. May lath: Went out in Pecouic Bay, but caught none. May IGlh : Caught iu Peconic Bay 

 26,224 lish, which we sent in the U. S. Grant to Jamesport for the farmers. June Wth: I lu/ve purchased a part of 

 the Smith's Island Works at Norwalk Islands, and we are preparing to go there to fish. Arrived at Norwalk Islands 

 June 24. On the 29th we caught 33,18.0 fish in the mouth of the Saugatuck River. 



1869. 



April 26tli, Monday : We started up to the Smith's Island Works, with the U. S. Grant and Black Bird, to make 

 some improvement on the works, and also to set a pound that had formerly been used by the parties we purchased of. 

 Taking what help wo needed, we overhauled the works and put in the pound, but did not catch lish enough to 

 amount to much. 



May 29<ft: Wo started for homo with the U. S. Grant; arrived at Mattituek next morning, and hired one of the 

 farmers to take us home; we had the William Hatfield prepared, and, carting the seine on board, started from 

 Jamesport. 



June 2(7, Wednesday : Arrived at Greenport evening ; pleasant. Thursday, 3d : Wo laid in a store of wood, oar<, 

 and provisions, and had the sloop's papers renewed; then taking the reel on board, started for Norwalk Islands; in 

 the evening we arrived at Mattituek Creek, where we came to anchor, to wait until morning and to get the U. S. 

 Grant out of the creek ; weather pleasant ; light wind SW. 



July 20th : We caught off Hog Island 7,700 fish, which we sent in the U. S. Grant to Luce's floating factory, which 

 is anchored behind Hog Island Point, at the entrance of Oyster Bay. 



187O. 



May 3d: Started out, but saw no fish. May 4tli ,: Saw no fish in shape to catch. May 9th. The wind continues 

 to the east, but does not blow very hard, so wo went ont in Peconic Bay and off Canoe Place. Saw a nice round 

 8 hoal of fish that we judged might contain 30,000. We encircled them with our seine and pursed them n;> without 

 any trouble, and run them into the bunt ready to scoop, when we found we could not raise them. So another gang 

 came to our assistance. When we got them up enough to scoop we loaded the Black Bird. As the U. S. Grant did not 

 come out, we got the other gang's carry-away boat alongside. Many of the fish being dead, we could not hold them 

 up. They tore the bunt nearly iu two, and run out until we thought they were Dearly gone; then we succeeded in 

 getting up the rent iu the bunt so that we got G0,000 fish in the other gang's carry-away. We sent to Jamesport in 

 the Black Bird 42,390 fish ; so we saved over 100,000, and I presume we lost more than we saved. 



October 28th : Was too windy to fish. We staid at Greenport waiting for weather suitable to fish until the 4tli of 

 November, but the wind blew hard every day, from the northwest most of the time, and on the 4th of November we 

 concluded we had better lay np. 



1871. 



I have made some changes; I am to fish for the floating factory, Algonquin, owned by C. H. Tuthill & Co. I am 

 to have a sloop called the Starlight, which is a larger and faster sailer than the William Hatfield, to live in and tow 

 the boats and seine. I have taken the forward house off and put in new ceiling, and given the William Uatficld a 

 thorough overhauling, and am expecting to use her for a carry-away instead of the Black Bird, and now I think we 

 have a pretty good rig. We have taken the sloops to Greenport and had them painted, and were prepared to start 

 out fishing on the 1st of May, when all hands came on board the sloops. 



May Zd, Tuesday : We started down bay ; the wind was very light from the cast ; we saw a few fish above Robins 

 Island, but they were going before the wind, so that I could not catch them very well ; there was a sail-boat put off 

 from the north shore of the bay where there is a haul-seine located with a number of men in it, and followed us to 

 Robins Island ; I had heard that there had been a law passed in Albany prohibiting purse fishing in some part ol* the 

 bay, but was not able to learn whether it was Little or Great Peconic Bay; we caught on our way down 4,000 fish in 

 Noyack Bay, which we sent iu the U. S. Grant to Glover's Works, as our factory was not ready to take fish yet ; I went 

 to Greenport, and thought to find out for certain which bay we were not to be allowed to fish in ; so I went up to the 

 office of the Suffolk Weekly Times, and the editor told me he had just received a letter from our assemblyman at 

 Albany; he wrote that purse fishing was not prohibited anywhere in this State except Little Peconic Bay. If'ednm- 

 ilay, 3d: We went down in Gardiner's Bay; caught 8,000 fish, which we sent in the U. S. Grant to the Miamoguo 

 works; pleasant day. Thursday, 4tk: A hard east storm ; did not lish. Friday, bill : The storm continues; we laj in 

 Greenport. Saturday, 6th: We came up to Jamesport with the sloops, and worked on the seine; wind blew hard. 



