188 NEW ENGLAND FISHERIES 



rels. From 1845 to 1865, Wellfleet was generally next to 

 Gloucester and Boston in the rank of mackerel fisheries. 

 In 1860, the 75 schooners comprising her fleet were valued 

 at $375,000. During the war the industry was prosecuted 

 with excellent returns, the number of barrels of mackerel 

 inspected being 111,944. 1 



Freeman, in his History of Cape Cod, says, "In 1860, 

 Provincetown might be pronounced beyond contradiction 

 one of the most enterprising and flourishing towns in the 

 country. The fisheries now, as ever, command much at- 

 tention, and employ a great number of men and a very 

 large amount of capital. These fisheries, it may be said, 

 train a large number of the most experienced and intrepid 

 mariners in the world." The fisheries were principally 

 whale, cod, and mackerel. The character of the codfishery 

 cannot be ascertained for the period of 1818 to 1866, it is, 

 however, known to have been extensive and prosperous. In 

 1862, the number of vessels was about seventy-six, below 

 what the former tonnage had been, and the aggregate of 

 the catch was about 65,000 quintals. During the progress 

 of the war the number of vessels increased; in 1867, the 

 fleet numbered ninety-one, carrying 988 men. The catch 

 for that season was 78,500 quintals of cod and 15,156 

 quintals of halibut. The mackerel fishery did not assume 

 a position of great importance at Provincetown until be- 

 tween 1845 and 1850. The best year was in 1848, when 

 31,049 barrels were inspected. For a decade after 1859 

 Provincetown held third or fourth place among Massa- 

 chusetts towns in the number of barrels of mackerel in- 

 spected. 



Chatham had 21 schooners employed in the fisheries in 

 1837, yielding 15,500 quintals of cod, valued at $46,500. 

 Prior to 1845, the greater part of the fleet was engaged 

 in codfishing. After this date the codfishery declined on 



i U. S. Fish Com. Report, 1881, pp. 258-274. 



