THE SHAD STREAMS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 179 

The legislature on the 14th day of May, 1874, passed an act which 
was approved by the Governor authorizing the fish commissioners to 
expend a sum not exceeding $3,000 for the artificial propagation of shad 
in the Delaware river during the season of 1874, provided a certificate of 
the action of the State of New Jersey, appropriating alike sum of money 
for the same purpose, should be filed in the office of the State Treasurer, 
authenticated as required by the laws of said state; but owing to the 
failure of the Legislature of New Jersey to make the appropriation the 
money provided by Pennsylvania for the Delaware could not be used. 
Tur DELAWARE. 
Very little information, it appears, can be found on record as to the 
old-time fisheries and their location on the upper Delaware. As early 
as October 26, 1680, Mahlon Stacy, in a letter written at “Falls of the 
Delaware,” says: 
“Fish in their season are very plenteous. My cousin Revell and I, 
with some of my men, went last third month (March) into the river to 
catch herrings, for at that time they came in great shoals into the shal- 
lows. We had neither rod nor net, but after the Indian fashion made a 
round pinfold about two yards over and a foot high, but left a gap ta 
keep the fish in, and when that was done we took two long birches and 
tied their tops together and went about a stone’s throw above our said 
pinfold, then hauling these birch boughs down the stream where we 
drove thousands before us, but got as many into our trap as it would 
hold, and then we began to haul them on shore as fast as three or four 
of us could by two and three at a time, and after this manner in half an 
hour we could have filled a three bushel sack of as good and large her- 
rings as ever I saw; and though I speak of herrings only lest any should 
think we have little other sorts, we have great plenty of most sorts of 
fish that ever I saw in England, besides several others that are not 
known there, as rocks, catfish, shads, sheepsheads, sturgeon.” 
In response to inquiries made of Mr. L. W. Brodhead, of Delaware 
Water Gap, that gentleman writes as follows: 
“JT am in receipt of your favor, and take pleasure in giving what in- 
formation I have in my possession in regard to early fishing for shad in 
the upper waters of the Delaware. This consists of a lease for a shad 
fishery, dated 1787, from Benjamin Van Campen to James Brooks, Wil- 
liam Coolbaugh, Cornelius Brooks, John Van Campen, Cornelius De 
pue and Danie] Labar, Jr. The fishery ‘is the shore of a tract of 
land formerly Ryerons (Ryerson’s), in the township of Walpack, Sus- 
sex county, N. J., joining land of Robert Hoops and others, in ten- 
ure and occupancy of William Coolbaugh. The place for drawing 
the net is downwards from the mouth of Duncan’s creek,’ etc. Con- 
sideration—twelve shad per annum. Duration of «lease—ninety-nine 
years. 
