420 ANIMAL FOOD RESOURCES OF DIFFERENT NATIONS. 



bays and estuaries for oysters, was upon the natural 

 supplies. These seemed inexhaustible, as the habits of 

 use then were. The Indians who came from the interior 

 at certain seasons and remained for weeks, living mainly 

 upon shell and other fish, carried none away with them. 

 The whites only visited the shores for an occasional 

 "salting." 



One of the results of an increasing love of oysters 

 was the growth of a class who sought a livelihood by 

 selling as well as catching these shell-fish. Hence a 

 business began to be developed. But there were no 

 private grounds. The various natural beds were open 

 to all persons in the State who wished to take oysters 

 therefrom. The only restriction put upon the people 

 was the reserving of several months as " close " months 

 each year, during which no oysters could be caught. 

 These were the summer months, when the bivalves were 

 known to be giving off their spawn. 



The "law was off," as the expression was, about 

 November 1st. In anticipation of that time great pre- 

 parations were made in the towns along the shore, and 

 even for twenty miles back from the seaside. Boats and 

 rakes and baskets and bags were put in order. The 

 day before large numbers of waggons came toward the 

 shore from the back country, bringing hundreds of men 

 with their utensils. The more thickly covered beds 

 wei'e quickly cleared of their bivalves. The boats were 

 full, the waggons were full, and many had secured what 

 they called their " winter's stock " before the day was 

 done. Those living on the shore usually secured the 

 cream of the year's crop. They knew just where to go, 

 they were better practised in handling boats, rakes, &c. ; 

 they formed combinations to help one another. 



That first day was the great day. It presented an 

 exciting scene. Often crowds of spectators came to look 

 on, as at a fair or Fourth of July parade. The oysters 

 were very poor then compared with those now ob- 

 tained. Such indiscriminating raking caught them 

 before they were half grown. Nor were there many to 



