THE GULF OF MAINE. 43 



extends iu a southwest and northeast direction. Ihe bbttom is mostly composed of stones and 

 gravel, and the depths of water vary from twenty-four to forty-five fathoms. The tides are quite 

 strong over this bank, but not sufficiently so to prevent trawling. Cod and pollock are the 

 principal fish occurring here, cusk, hake, haddock, and halibut being less plentiful. The 

 fishing season is from April to October, during which time the fish come on the bank to feed. 

 In the spring, the fish are usually most abundant on the southwest portion, but later in the season 

 the best fishing is generally obtained on the other end- of the ground. This bank is a favorite 

 fishing-ground for that class of small vessels known as the shore fishermen. 



German Bank. — Although this bank is not usually laid down on the charts, it is one of the 

 most important in the Bay of Fundy. It bears southeast from Baker's Island light, Mount 

 Desert, from which the northwest part is about fifty -two miles distant. The length is about 

 fifteen miles and the width nine to ten miles. It lies between 43° 38' and 43° 63' north latitude, 

 and 66° 58' and 67° 15' west longitude. There are from sixty-five to one hundred fathoms of water. 

 The bottom is mostly a tough red clay, but with spots of mud, sand, gravel, and pebbles on some 

 parts. The tides set out and in over the bank, to and from the Bay of Fundy, the ebb running 

 about southwest and the flood northeast, but the currents are not so strong as might be expected. 

 Cod, hake, cusk, and haddock are the fish chiefly taken, but a few halibut and pollock are 

 occasionally caught. The fishing season is from April to October, although fish are usually most 

 abundant in the spring. This bank is mainly resorted to by vessels from the coast of Maine, 

 but is sometimes visited by the Massachusetts fishermen. 



Mabblehead Bank. — This fishing-ground, which is quite an important one for the shore 

 codflshermen, is not laid down on the published charts, and the fishermen who visit it are, 

 therefore, probably the only persons familiar with its location and extent. The ground, which 

 they call Marblehead Bank, is situated between Grand Manan and German Banks, the shoal water 

 bearing south-southeast from Moosa-Bec light, and being distant thirty-two miles. It is about 

 twelve to fifteen miles long and seven or eight miles wide, and lies between 44° 00' and 44° 10' 

 north latitude, and 66° 58' and 67° 13' west longitude. There are from thirty-five to seventy 

 fathoms of water over it, and the bottom is mostly clay and gravel. The fish which occur in 

 the greatest numbers are cod, pollock, and haddock, but with these are also found more or less 

 hake and cusk. The best fishing is generally in the spring and early summer. The same class of 

 vessels, the shore fishermen, which frequent Grand Manan and German Banks also resort to this 

 bank, but occasionally those of a larger size make one or more trips to it during the summer season. 



Jones' Geotjnd — This is quite an important fishing-ground for cod, and, though of compara- 

 tively small size, is much resorted to by many of the same vessels that also visit the other banks 

 in the Gulf of Maine. The western part bears southeast from Baker's Island, from which it is 

 distant thirty-two miles. The entire ground is about ten to twelve miles long, northeast and 

 southwest, and five miles wide. The depths range from fifty to one hundred fathoms, and the 

 bottom, which is quite broken, consists of rocks, gravel, and mud. On the northeast part of the 

 ground, where the depths vary ffom fifty to seventy fathoms, the bottom is rocky and rough. 

 This pare bears southeast by east, one-half east, from Baker's Island light, from which it is 

 distant about thirty-five miles. The entire ground furnishes good trawl fishing from the first of 

 May to the last of September. The principal fish taken are cod of large size ; a smaller amount 

 of hake, cusk, pollock, and haddock are also secured. 



Clay Bank bears southwest by west from Mount Desert Eock, from which the center is 

 distant seven miles. It is four miles long, west-southwest and east-northeast, by two miles broad. 



