36 NEW ENGLAND FISHERIES 



or fifty vessels were employed there from England yearly. 1 

 Although there was, thus, a great stimulus to the success- 

 ful prosecution of the New England fisheries there does 

 not appear to have been a diminution in the number of 

 English vessels visiting Newfoundland. Instead, there 

 was an increase, for about this time the coast of Newfound- 

 land was frequented by "two hundred and fifty sail of 

 English vessels, estimated at 15,000 tons, employing 5,000 

 persons, and an annual profit of about 135,000 pounds 

 sterling. " 



The work of preparation for extensive colonization in 

 New England was complete by the time the Pilgrims set- 

 tled at Plymouth. The coasts had been explored and care- 

 fully mapped out; many islands, headlands and bays had 

 already received names; the island of Monhegan was fa- 

 mous across the ocean as a fishing station; one band of 

 explorers had experienced the New England winter on the 

 coast of Maine, and doubtless many agents of trading com- 

 panies had passed successive winters on the coast. The 

 people of England had been informed of the advantages 

 that the new country possessed, they knew of the illimitable 

 forest with its splendid material for ships and spars for 

 the royal navy; they had heard of the climate, the soil, 

 the kinds of vegetation; their traders had brought back 

 packs of fur the mink, the silver fox, and the beaver, 

 while sassafras-root had entered their harbors by the boat 

 load. But more valuable to them than all others were the 

 fisheries. They had learned of the marvelous wealth of 

 the American seas; they had heard how fish were taken 

 in abundance with line and with net ; they had seen these 

 reports confirmed many times when the returning ships 

 anchored in their harbors deep-laden with cod; on many 

 a fast day they had tasted with satisfaction the dishes pre- 



i Weeden, Economic and Social History of New England, I, p. 10, 

 note. 



