THE MENHADEN FISHERY. 391 



1876. 



We had the-sloops out of the creek, sails bent, and tops painted, ready for another season. 



May 1st, Monday : We carried the stove and dishes, bed, and bedding ou board the Starlight, ready to fish ; quite 

 cold and blew hard from the northwest ; there was a little snow on the ground in the morning, but it melted away 

 very soon. Tuesday, 2d : We went down bay to Greenport, and fixed the deck-boards to the carry-away sloops; wind 

 blew quite strong from the northwest. Wednesday, 3d : We went down as far as Gardiner's Island ; saw two small 

 bunches of fish, but caught none; wind blew from the east and stormed in p. m. Thursday, 4(/i: We went out in 

 Gardiner's Bay ; found fish and made a set between Gardiner's Point and Plum Gut; caught 51,500 fish, which we 

 sent in the U. S. Grant, and 37,500 in the Flora, to the Miarnogue Works; pleasant, but wind blew quite strong in 

 p. m. from west. Friday, 5tli : Went below Gardiner's Island; caught 20,500 fish, which -we sent in the U. S. Grant 

 to the Miamogue Works, after which we came to anchor under Hicks Island, which is near the mouth of Napeague 

 Harbor; pleasant day; in p. m. wind southwest. Saturday, 6th: Stormy day ; came to Jamesport with the sloops. 

 Monday, Slh : Wo went through Pecouic and Gardiner's Bays, below Gardiner's Island ; caught none ; pleasant. Tues- 

 day, 9th : We caught east of Gardiner's Island 27,000 fish, which we sent in the Flora to the Miamogue Works; then 

 we went into Napeague Harbor; pleasant day. Wednesday, 10th: We caught below Gardiner's Island 38,500 fish, 

 which we sent in the U. S. Grant to the Miamogne Works; at night we went into Napeague for a harbor; we caught 

 a number of codfish in the schools of menhaden ; they seemed to be chasing them ; it was rainy aud foggy most of the 

 day. Thursday, llth : The wind blew very hard from the northwest ; we staid in Napeague. Friday, 12th : We went 

 out, but caught no fish : it came on to blow and storm, so we went to Greenport. Saturday, 13/fe : In the morning we 

 went down in Gardiner's Bay, but saw no fish ; then came to Jamesport with the sloops ; pleasant day. Monday, 15th : 

 Went through Pecouic aud Gardiner's Bays, down below Gardiner's Island, nearly to Montauk; saw nothing but some 

 small fish ; weather flue. Tuesday, 16th : We saw no fish, so we went down to Shagwam Reef and tried to catch a few 

 codfish with hook and line ; weather continues fine. Wednesday, 17th : Could find no fish ; at night went up to Green- 

 port ; weather fine. Thursday, 18th : We could hear of no fish ; so in the morning we looked through Gardiner's Bay 

 and down nearly to Moutauk ; it came on to storm in p. m., and we went into Napeague Harbor. Friday, Wth: We 

 went down nearly to Montauk, then came up to Greenport; we saw a few fish in Gardiner's Bay, but they were not 

 in shape to catch ; pleasant Saturday, 20th : We came up bay ; saw a bunch of small fish, not much more than half 

 grown ; concluded we would catch them to find out just what they were ; we saved 7,500 fish, by measure, that did 

 not go through the meshes ; we took them to Jamesport aud I had them carted on my farm ; fine. Monday, 22d : We 

 went down through Peconic Bay and into Gardiner's Bay, and came to anchor under the lee of Fire Place Point, as 

 the wind was blowing strong from the southwest ; but before morning the wind shifted to the northwest and blew 

 very hard, aud we had to shift our anchorage. Tuesday, 23d .- In the morning it blew hard northeast; so to make a 

 good lee we went under Gardiner's Island and came to anchor in Cherry Harbor, near Mr. Gardiner's house, and as 

 we had nothing that we could do we concluded to go on shore ; we went up to Mr. Gardiner's house and talked with 

 him, and then took a look at his race-course he -was having fixed, &c., after which we went up to the burying-ground, 

 and were much interested in the grave of Lyon Gardiner, and having a pencil and paper at hand I made a memoran- 

 dum of it on the spot, which reads as follows : 



"In memory of Lyon Gardiner, and Mary Williamson, his wife, who came from Worden, in Holland, to London 

 July 10th, and arrived in America Nov. 28th, 1635. After commanding the garrison at Saybrook four years, he 

 removed to the Isle of Wight, which he purchased of the Indians, called by them Manchangonoc. Being the first 

 Englishman settled in the Stale of New York. He died 1663. She died 1665. 



"David, their son, born at Saybrook April 29th, 1636. The first white child born in Connecticut. 



"This monument was erected June, 1806, by John Lyon Gardiner, the seventh proprietor of the Isle of Wight, 

 or Gardiner's Island. Sacred to the memory of his ancestors." 



The wind died out in p. m., and we went out in Gardiner's Bay, made one set, and caught 16,000 fish, which we 

 sent in the U. S. Grant to the Miamogno Works, after which we went up to Greenport. Wednesday, 24th: Went out 

 in Gardiner's Bay; caught 19,000 fish, which we sent in the Flora to the Miamogne Works; at night wo went in by 

 the works and anchored ; fine. Thursday, 25th : Wo caught in Gardiner's Bay 6,000 fish, which we sent in the U. S. 

 Grant to the Miamogne Works ; fine. Friday, 26th : Went out in Gardiner's Bay, but caught none ; after looking until 

 we were tired, we came into Greenport; tine. Saturday, 27th: We came up to Jamesport with the sloops; pleasant. 

 Monday, 29th : Went down through Peconic Bay, and when we passed Jessup's Point, in what we call Noyack Bay, 

 we found a few fish; caught 1:3,000, which we sent in the Flora to the Miamoguo Works; fine. Tuesday, '30th: We 

 caught in Noyack Bay 18,000 fish, which we sent in the U. S. Grant to the Miamogue Works ; fine. Wednesday, 31sl : 

 We caught in Noyack Bay 28,000 fish, which we sent in the Flora to the Miamogue works ; fine. 



June 1st, Thursday : Caught in Noyack Bay 8,000 fish, which we sent in the U. S. Grant to the Miamoguo Works; 

 then we went down in Gardiner's Bay, but saw no fish, after which we came up to Greeuport; pleasant. Friday, 2d: 

 We looked through Peconic Bay, but saw no fish that we thought were catchable, so went to Jamesport ; weather 

 good. Saturday, 3d: We laid the Starlight on the shore and cleaned her bottom and scraped the mast, and took off 

 and limed the U. S. Grant's sails ; weather pleasant. Monday, 5th: Went down through Peconic Bay, and in Noyack 

 Bay caught 35,000 fish, which we sent in the Flora to the Miarnogue Works; pleasant. Tuesday, 6th: We went down 

 in Gardiner's Bay ; caught none ; fine. Wednesday, 7th : We caught in Gardiner's Bay 29,500 fish, which we sent in the 

 U. S. Grant to the Miamogue Works; fine. Thursday, Slh : Caught in Gardiner's Bay 11,000 fish, which we sent in the 

 Flora to the Miamogue Works ; tine. Friday, 9th : We were looking for fish in Gardiner's Bay, and the fishing yacht 



