[9] FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 653 



the largest of the New England fleet made winter voyages to Spain — 

 ehiefly to Bilboa — where they carried the products of their summer's 

 fishing and returned home laden with European goods. In this way 

 the spirit of adventure was stimulated and increased, and many of the 

 New England fishermen became very skillful seamen. 



The period between 1775 and 1815, duriug which time occurred the 

 war of the Revolution, the embargo act, and the war of 1812-'15, was a 

 very unfavorable one for the American fisheries. The larger class of 

 fishing vessels, those which had been employed on the Grand Bank and 

 other distant fishing grounds, were compelled to lie idle, while, in most 

 cases, the hardy men who had composed their crews were employed in 

 the Army or Navy. The fishermen, impoverished by the long struggle 

 for independence, weire unable, after the peace of 1783, to build and 

 equip large vessels, therefore they provided themselves with smaller 

 craft, in which they fished on the grounds in Massachusetts Bay and 

 adjacent waters. This was the period when the "Chebacco boat" came 

 into general use. These peculiar boats derive their specific name from 

 Chebacco, now a part of the town of Essex, Mass., where they origi- 

 nated. At first they were generally sharp aft, with a "pink" stern, 

 usually only partially decked — being what were called " standing-room 

 boats" — with two masts and two sails. Later they were built larger, 

 rarely, however, so large as 20 tons, and decked, while many were made 

 with square stern and nicknamed " Dogboddies." About 1820 the fish- 

 eries began to gain in prosperity, the size of the sharp-sterned craft in- 

 creased, a bowsprit with a jib was added, and a new style of fishing 

 vessel, the " pinkey," was the result. Though in the meantime some 

 square-stern ed vessels were employed, the pinkey remained in most gen- 

 eral use until about 1840, when the low quarter-deck, but still full- 

 bowed schooner, was extensively introduced. 



The second great event in the history of the American fishing fleet 

 was the change from blunt to clipper schooners. It is claimed by some 

 authorities — seemingly with good reason — that the changes made in the 

 models of our fishing vessels was the source from which sprung the 

 famous American clipper ships which at one period made our merchant 

 marine so justly celebrated, both for its vessels and the superior seaman- 

 ship of their officers and crews. 



The reqviireinents of the mackerel fishery and of the oyster trade made 

 swift sailiug vessels a necessity, and about 1845 ambitious builders be- 

 gan to make some changes. It was not, however, until 1847 that the 

 first really sharp vessel — the Bomp — was built, and it is a matter of 

 record that men were at first afraid to go on her, though when once 

 tried she was found to be an excellent sea boat. She has since made 

 the passage around Cape Horn to California. 



It is not practicable iu this place to trace the development and 

 changes which have taken place since 1850 in the American fishing 

 schooner, though the subject is one of sufficient interest and seemingly 



