THE COAST OF MAINE. 29 



Egg Eock Bkoicen Geound.— This is a rockj^ ridge whicli makes out in a south by west 

 direction from Egg Eock ledges a distance of about two miles, and has a width of about half 

 a mile.. The bottom is irregular, and the depth of water ranges from nine to fifteen fathoms. 

 This ridge, together with Martin's and Seavey's Grounds, divide the, western or Baker's Island 

 mud channel from the Schoodic mud channel, both of which are good hake grounds, with depths 

 varying from thirty to forty fathoms. The bottom consists of mud. Mr. Nathan Hammond, 

 of Winter Harbor, Gouldsborough, Maine, states that from 1830 to 1840 thirty to forty vessels 

 were frequently seen at anchor in Baker's Island Channel at one time, all of them being engaged 

 in catching hake. These fish are much less abundant now upon these grounds than formerly, 

 but nevertheless they are more or less resorted to at present by open boats and vessels during 

 the summer, and large catches are still taken by the local fishermen. 



Inner Schoodio Eidge bears southeast by south from Baker's Island, from which the 

 center of the ground is twelve miles distant. It is nearly circular in shape, with a diameter 

 of about four miles, the depths ranging from eighteen to sixty fathoms. The bottom is composed 

 of rocks, gravel, and mud ; the shoaler portions are sharp and rocky. 



Outer Schoodic Eidge. — The northwest part of this ridge bears southeast from Baker's 

 Island, from which it is distant twenty-two miles. It is about eight miles long in a southwest and 

 northeast direction, being nearly parallel with the neighboring coast. In the widest part its 

 breadth is about six miles. The bottom, which is composed of rocks and gravel in the shoaler 

 parts and of mud in the deeper portions, is quite broken and irregular, the depths of water 

 varying from twenty-two to eighty fathoms. This ridge lies seven miles outside of the Inner 

 Schoodic Eidge, and is considered one of the best shore fishing-grounds oh the coast of Maine. 



Mount Desert Inner Eidge. — The center of this ground bears southeast one quarter east 

 from Schoodic Island, about fifteen miles distant. It extends four miles in a west by south 

 and east by north direction, and has a width of half a mile, the depths ranging from thirty to 

 forty-five fathoms. On the shoaler i^arts the bottom is rocky, but elsewhere it consists of sand 

 and gravel. It is considered a good fishing- ground for several species of the cod family during 

 April, at which time both trawls and hand-lines are used. 



Mount Desert Outer Eidge bears southeast by east from the big hill of Mount 

 Desert Island. The distance from Schoodic Island to the center of this ground is twenty-five 

 miles. It is two miles long, east by north and west by south, and about three-fourths of a mile 

 ' wide. The depths vary from forty-five to sixty fathoms. On the shoal part the bottom is rocky, 

 but toward the sides. sand and clay predominate. Although of small size, this is considered a 

 good fishing-ground for cod, etc., from April to July. Pishing is done principally with trawls. 



Enoch's Shoal bears east-northeast from Great Duck Island ; distance, three miles. This 

 is a small hummock on the outer part of a ridge that extends out to it from Big Duck Island. It 

 has a sharp, rocky bottom, and an average depth of eighteen fathoms. 



Bank's Ground.— The center bears southeast by south from Great Duck Island, from which 

 it is distant five miles. This is a small patch of ground, about one and one-half miles long, in a 

 southwest and northeast direction, by one-fourth of a mile wide, and has depths varying from 

 thirty-five to fifty fathoms ; the bottom is muddy. It is principally resorted to by the small- 

 boat hake fishermen. 



Shell Ground bears southeast from Long Island Head, from which the center of the 

 ground is distant about six miles. It extends two miles in a southwest and northeast direction, 

 and is about half a mile wide. It has a shoal of twenty-five fathoms in the middle portion, the 

 bottom of which is composed of sharp rocks. On all sides of this shoal the bottom is quite 



