378 HISTORY AND METHODS OF THE FISHERIES. 
we sent to Hallett’s Works. We were allof us about beat out; we had worked and pulled with all our might for four 
or five hours to try to save the fish, but we had too many for one gang to handle. I have no doubt but what we 
pursed up between 300,000 and 400,000. The fish at this time, as 1 well remember, were selling for $3 a thousand. 
1868. 
We have tarred and hung the seine and@ got the sloops out of the creek and had them painted, and have everything 
ready to commence work. May 15th: Went out in Peconic Bay, but caught none. May 16th: Caught in Peconic Bay 
26,224 fish, which we sent in the U. 8. Grant to Jamesport for the farmers. June 19th: I have purchased a part of 
the Smith’s Island Works at Norwalk Islands, and we are preparing to go there to fish. Arrived at Norwalk Islands 
June 24. On the 29th we caught 33,180 fish in the mouth of the Saugatuck River. 
1869. 
April 26th, Monday: We started up to the Smith’s Island Works, with the U. 8. Grant and Black Bird, to make 
some improvement on the works, and also to set a pound that had formerly been used by the parties we purchased of. 
Taking what help we needed, we overhauled the works and put in the pound, but did not catch fish enough to 
amount to much. 
May 29th: We started for home with the U. 8. Grant; arrived at Mattituck next morning, and hired one of the 
farmers to take us home; we had the William Hatfield prepared, and, carting the seine on board, started from 
Jamesport. 
June 2d, Wednesday: Arrived at Greenport evening; pleasant. Thursday, 3d: We laid in a store of wood, oars, 
and provisions, and had the sloop’s papers renewed; then taking the reel on board, started for Norwalk Islands; in 
the evening we arrived at Mattituck Creek, where we came to anchor, to wait until morning and to get the U. 8. 
Grant out of the creek; weather pleasant; light wind SW. 
July 20th: We caught off Hog Island 7,700 fish, which we sent in the U.S. Grant to Luce’s floating factory, which 
is anchored behind Hog Island Point, at the entrance of Oyster Bay. 
1870. 
May 3d: Started out, but saw no fish. May 4th: Saw no fish in shape to catch. May 9th: The wind continues 
to the east, but does nut blow very hard, so we went out in Peconic Bay and off Canoe Place. Saw a nice round 
ghoal of fish that we judged might contain 30,000. We encircled them with our seine and pursed them up without 
any trouble, and run them into the bunt ready to scoop, when we found we could not raise them. So another gang 
came to our assistance. When we got them up enough to scoop we loaded the Black Bird. As the U.S. Grant did not 
come out, we got the other gang’s carry-away boat alongside. Many of the fish being dead, we could not hold them 
up. They tore the bunt nearly in two, and run out until we thought they were nearly gone; then we succeeded in 
getting up the rent in the bunt so that we got 60,000 fish in the other gang’s carry-away. We sent to Jamesport in 
the Black Bird 42,390 fish ; so we saved over 100,000, and I presume we lost more than we saved. 
October 28th: Was too windy to fish. We staid at Greenport waiting for weather suitable to fish until the 4th of 
November, but the wind blew hard every day, from the northwest most of the time, and on the 4th of November we 
concluded we had better lay up. 
1871. 
I have made some changes; I am to fish for the floating factory, Algonquin, owned by C. H. Tuthill & Co. Iam 
to have a sloop called the Starlight, which is a larger and faster sailer than the William Hatfield, to live in and tow 
the boats and seine. Ihave taken the forward house off and put in new ceiling, and given the William Hatfield a 
thorough overhauling, and am expecting to use her for a carry-away instead of the Black Bird, and now I think we 
have a pretty good rig. We have taken the sloops to Greenport and had them painted, and were prepared to start 
out fishing on the 1st of May, when all hands came on board the sloops. 
May 2d, Tuesday: We started down bay; the wind was very light from the east; we saw a few fish above Robins 
Island, but they were going before the wind, so that I could not catch them very well ; there was a satl-boat put off 
from the north shore of the bay—where there is a haul-seine located—with a number of men in it, and followed us to 
Robins Island; I had heard that there had been a law passed in Albany prohibiting purse fishing in some part of the 
bay, but was not able to learn whether it was Little or Great Peconic Bay; we caught on our way down 4,000 fish in 
Noyack Bay, which we sent in the U. S. Grant to Glover’s Works, as our factory was not ready to take fish yet; I went 
to Greenport, and thought to find out for certain which bay we were not to be allowed to fish in; so I went up to the 
office of the Suffolk Weekly Times, and the editor told me he had just received a letter from our assemblyman at 
Albany; he wrote that purse fishing was not prohibited anywhere in this State except Little Peconic Bay. Weidnes- 
day, 3d: We went down in Gardiner’s Bay; caught 8,000 fish, which we sent in the U. S. Grant to the Miamogue 
works; pleasant day. Thursday, 4th: A hard east storm; did not fish. Friday, Sth: The storm continues; we lay in 
Greenport. Saturday, 6th: We came up to Jamesport with the sloops, and worked on the seine; wind blew hard. 
