136 FISH—CULTURAL ASSOCIATION. 
fishery for several successive years, there are many others 
which fit out for a single season or for a part of a season. Oth- 
ers, on the south coast of New England, divide their time be- 
tween fishing for seabass and hunting for swordfish, all warm 
and quiet days being devoted to the latter pursuit. Six or eight 
vessels from New London are thus employed, as well as others 
from Noank and Bridgeport On the coast of Maine, as has al- 
ready been mentioned, many of the smaller fishing vessels fitted 
for the capture of mackerel and cod, devote a part of the season 
to swordfishing. Other vessels, among them occasionally a 
gentleman’s yacht, enter the field for a cruise or two in the 
course of asummer. To do this is a favorite recreation for old 
swordfishermen engaged in other work. Numerous mackerel 
schooners carry the swordfish “ pulpit’? on their bows, and so 
do various coasters and packets. 
It has therefore not been thought desirable to attempt to make 
a list of the vessels engaged in the swordfishery, or even an 
exact enumeration of them. In 1879 estimates by careful men 
engaged in the business fixed the number belonging in different 
ports as follows: 
New: York (hailing. from New Lendon)ic- . cc kegs sh: yg 
(TEC MpOre! (SLOODS) ies oki... ocx sed eee Slat y ass Ga ee ge ihne 
Mewslomdon oy. Sssb2 es sg ee re. 8 
INO OG re oc oe hay is tis ce ae oe 3 a 
LES Nk hot) ae ake aia Uo) i Sone. 'e eee 2 
BOUIN ooo Swe cls |. on Re oc 2 
WWESEIOUEL 2.0. we toe ents) 3's 6 >) RE ook ees Saree 2 
MEW CECOLOLG oor. 806. es SI oo ee ee ee rg 
Darton: 2 Se i eee ee Se) ee 2 
Southside Of Cape: God. i... Phe oe nate Oe 5 
02 92) eee Ne eA RI A a CUAMRIREER Deile is. 40 
In 1874, according to Mr. Thompson, New Bedford had twelve 
vessels in this fishery. In 1877 the estimates of total number 
of vessels made by different men varied between thirty and forty. 
To show how uncertain the continuance of vessels in this 
fishery may be, I will refer to the annals of Gloucester. In 1876, 
one schooner, the Meteor, was engaged ; in 1877, the schooner 
