THE MENHADEN FISHERY. 371 
of menhaden for fertilizing purposes upon Long Island commenced about a century ago. At that 
time they were taken near the head of Peconic Bay, in short draw-seines, made from twine manu- 
factured by the farmers’ wives from flax grown upon the farms.” 
Mr. Conklin quotes the following extracts from the journal of Mr. David Warner, one of the 
old fishermen: 
“1793. May 29.—Left my bed early; went down to the nets and caught 14 fish. After school 
went out with Mr. Payne gunning. Went to the ship-yard; saw Jason, who had made a draught 
of bass.” “Mr. Warner was at this time,” says Mr. Conklin, “engaged iu teaching school, and 
- used a set-net evidently on Saturday. When he went to the Point he used a haul-seine.” 
“1826. May 15.—Went down to the fishing ground before daylight. Went over to Red Creek 
Point and made a haul of upwards of 100,000 [menhaden]. In evening came home with one boat. 
“May 16.—Attended to the fishing. Boated over the above haul. Got to the fish-house and 
reeled our seine and shifted our clothes, when we discovered fish on the cast side of the Point, In 
a great hurry got the seine onto the boats and made a draught of 150,000 fish by estimation. 
“May 17.—Attended to fishing. Spent the day in getting out the last-mentioned haul. I 
acted as clerk, and had a very busy day. The weather extremely warm. The ground is becoming 
very hard. 
“1827. May 4.—Up very early. Went down to the fish-house on foot. All the seines out but 
ours. Got the seine on the boat and rowed to Miamogne. When there discovered fish to the 
eastward. Rowed on, and soon put off the seine a great distance from the shore and were about 
six hours a-drawing. I labored hard at whipping the rope [to keep the fish from passing over 
the seine]. We began to scoop out, and before suni-setting quit the seine and rowed up to Simeon’s 
Point. Retired about 9 o’clock and slept about four hours. 
“May 5.—Left our beds before day, rowed down to our fish, and carried out until almost high 
water. Labored all day. The haul will amount to about 500,000, we judge. We shored the fish 
at Old Mill. Came home about sunset greatly fatigued. 
“1830. May 17, Monday.—Rain this morning and wind easterly, and like for a stormy day. 
Shot one blackbird in defense of my corn, for the birds pull it up. Much water fell in the course 
of the day. Carted three loads of fish from Old Mill landing. The draught of fishes made partly 
on Saturday evening will amount to several hundred thousands, perhaps 500,000. The fishermen 
have had a day of hard labor, and the weather has been uncomfortable. 
1833. May 17.—Cloudy in the morning and a little misty. Rode down to Miamogue. Our 
gang put their seine around a number of porpoises and saved or got ashore 24 of them. A number 
made their way throagh the seine and escaped. Rode home between one and two o’clock and took 
dinner. Then rode down to Miamogue again and attended to the porpoises. Divided some of 
them and sold some. It wasin the evening when I got home. Clear all the afternoon. The 
northern lights showed bright in the evening. [The fish-house, at the time Squire Warner was 
fishing, was located at Simeon’s Point, which is at the head of the bay. Miamogue is where the 
village of Jamesport now stands, and Old Mill Landing is in the bend just east of Jamesport.— 
ConxLIn. |” 
“These fish,” continues Mr. Conklin, “ proved so valuable as a fertilizer that the business was 
gradually enlarged, until, in my boyhood, nearly every farmer owned a right in a seine, and it was 
a part of the yearly business to go or send a hand fishing from the first of April until haying 
time, or about the middle of June. These seines at this time were made of cotton twine, and were 
nearly a mile in length, with about the same length of rope on either end. They were used to 
sweep large semicircles of surface, and the fish inclosed were drawn to the shore by means of 
