652 fisheries op The united states. [8] 



Six or eight English ships do usually come hither yearly belonging to 

 the Kingdom of England, bringing commodities of all sorts from thence." 



The so-called ketches were probably employed to a greater extent than 

 any others. These vessels were full and heavy built, with a peculiar rig 

 that was at first invented for a bomb vessel (the mainmast standing about 

 amidships to give room for ordnance forward), but afterwards came into 

 great favor for yachts and fishing crafts. The snows were generally 

 larger than the ketches, square-rigged on two masts, and having a small 

 jiggermast at the stern. A distinguishing feature of the sloops of the 

 early colonial times was that many if not most of them carried square 

 topsails. These were, of course, better adapted for fishing near the land 

 than for making extended cruises to the banks. 



The first marked improvement in the AmericaTi fishing vessels was 

 the invention of the schooner rig early in the eighteenth century. The 

 difficulties attending the adoption of a new rig in former times is evi- 

 denced by illustrations of war ships of the eighteenth century, and pre- 

 viously, on which lateen sails were carried on the mizzen. Illustrations 

 of French men-of-war in 1764, however, show that the portion of the 

 sail forward of the mast was no longer carried, probably owing to the 

 difficulty of lowering and shifting the yard whenever the ship changed 

 her tack. The yard was nevertheless kept its full length, simply, it 

 would appear, because no one could invent a gaff, or similar device, to 

 take its place. We may, therefore, look upon the invention of the 

 schooner rig, which has now become so popular in America, as a mat- 

 ter of special importance in the history of our fishing fleet. The par- 

 ticular incident which gave to this rig the name of schooner is thus 

 described: 



"Captain Eobinson built and rigged a ketch, as they were then called, 

 masted and rigged it in a new and peculiar manner; when launched the 

 peculiar motion she made as she glided into the water from the stocks 

 caused one of the bystanders to exclaim, ' Oh, how she scoons. 1 Eobin- 

 son instantly dashed a bottle of rum against her bow and exclaimed, 'A 

 scooner let her be!' And thus the schooner originated." 



This event happened in Gloucester in 1713, according to the historical 

 account, and as early as 1716 mention is made of the employment of a 

 "scooner" in the fisheries off Cape Sable, Nova Scotia, and it is possible 

 this may have been the original one built by Captain Eobinson. 



The schooners employed in the Grand Bank cod-fisheries from New 

 England — chiefly from the port of Marblehead, Mass. — previous to the 

 War of Independence, were full built, round-bodied craft, specially 

 noted for having short and high quarter-decks, from which peculiarity 

 they derived the appellation of " heel-tappers," at a later date, when a 

 different type of fishing vessel came into general use. Previous to 1775 

 Marblehead had a fleet of more than one hundred and fifty fishing 

 schooners, while it is stated that as early as 1701 Gloucester had a fleet 

 of seventy vessels employed in the Grand Bank cod-fisheries. Many of 



