THE MENHADEN FISHERY. 391 
1876. 
We had the sloops out of the creek, sails bent, and tops painted, ready for another season. 
May 1st, Monday: We carried the stove and dishes, bed, and bedding on board the Starlight, ready to fish; quite 
cold and blew hard from the northwest; there was a little snow on the ground in the morning, but it meited away 
very soon. Tuesday, 24: We went down bay to Greenport, and fixed the deck-boards to the carry-away sloops; wind 
blew quite strong trom the northwest. Wednesday, 3d: We went down as far as Gardiner’s Island; saw two small 
bunches of fish, but caught none; wind blew from the east and stormed in p.m. Thursday, 4th: We went out in 
Gardiner’s Bay; found fish and made a set between Gardiner’s Point and Plum Gut; caught 51,500 fish, which we 
sent in the U. 8. Grant, and 37,500 in the Flora, to the Miamogue Works; pleasant, but wind blew quite strong in 
p.m. from west. Friday, 5th: Went below Gardiner’s Island; caught 20,500 fish, which we sent in the U. 8. Grant 
to the Miamogue Works, after which we came to anchor under Hicks Island, which is near the mouth of Napeague 
Harbor; pleasant day; in p. m. wind southwest. Saturday, 6th: Stormy day; came to Jamesport with the sloops. 
Monday, 8th: We went through Peconic and Gardiner’s Bays, below Gardiner’s Island; caught none; pleasant. Tues- 
day, 9th: We caught east of Gardiner’s Island 27,000 fish, which we sent in the Flora to the Miamogue Works; then 
we went into Napeague Harbor; pleasant day. Wednesday, 10th: We caught below Gardiner’s Island 38,500 fish, 
which we sent in the U. 8. Grant to the Miamogue Works; at night we went into Napeague for a harbor; we caught 
a number of codfish in the schools of menhaden; they seemed to be chasing them; it was rainy and foggy most of tho 
day. Thursday, 11th: The wind blew very hard from the northwest; we staid in Napeague. Friday, 12th: We went 
out, but caught no fish; it came on to blow and storm, so we went to Greenport. Saturday, 13th: In the morning we 
went down in Gardiner’s Bay, but saw no fish; then came to Jamesport with the sloops; pleasant day. Monday, 15th: 
Went through Peconic and Gardiner’s Bays, down below Gardiner’s Island, nearly to Montauk; saw nothing but some 
small fish; weather fine. Tuesday, 16th: We saw no fish, 80 we went down to Shagwam Reef and tried to catch a few 
codfish with hook and line; weather continues fine. Wednesday, 17th: Could find no fish; at night went up to Green- 
port; weather fine. Thursday, 18th: We could hear of no fish ; so in the morning we looked through Gardiner’s Bay 
and down nearly to Montauk; it came on to storm in p. m., and we went into Napeague Harbor. Friday, 19th: We 
went down nearly to Montauk, then came up to Greenport; we saw a few fish in Gardiner’s Bay, but they were not 
in shape to catch; pleasant. Saturday, 20th: We came up bay; saw a bunch of small fish, not much more than half 
grown; concluded we would catch them to find out just what they were; we saved 7,500 fish, by measure, that did 
not go through the meshes; we took them to Jamesport and I had them carted on my farm; fine. Monday, 22d: We 
went down through Peconic Bay and into Gardiner’s Bay, and came to anchor under the lee of Fire Place Point, aa 
the wind was blowing strong from the southwest ; but before morning the wind shifted to the northwest and blew 
very hard, and we had to shift our anchorage. Tuesday, 23d: In the morning it blew hard northeast; so to make a 
good lee we went under Gardiner’s Island and came to anchor in Cherry Harbor, near Mr. Gardiner’s house, and as 
we had nothing that we could do we concluded to go on shore; we went up to Mr. Gardiner’s house and talked with 
him, and then took a look at his race-course he was having fixed, &c., after which we went up to the burying-ground, 
and were much interested in the grave of Lyon Gardiner, and having a pencil and paper at hand I made a memoran- 
dum of it on the spot, which reads as follows: 
“In memory of Lyon Gardiner, and Mary Williamson, his wife, who came from Worden, in Holland, to London 
July 10th, and arrived in America Nov. 28th, 1635. After commanding the garrison at Saybrook four years, he 
removed to the Isle of Wight, which he purchased of the Indians, called by them Manchangonoc. Being the first 
Englishman settled in the State of New York. He died 1€63. She died 1665. 
“David, their son, born at Saybrook Apri] 29th, 1636. The first white child born in Connecticut. : 
“This monument was erected June, 1806, by John Lyon Gardiner, the seventh proprietor of the Isle of Wight, 
or Gardiner’s Island. Sacred to the memory of his ancestors.” 
The wind died out in p. m., and we went out in Gardiner’s Bay, made one set, and caught 16,000 fish, which we 
sent in the U. 8. Grant to the Miamogue Works, after which we went up to Greenport. Wednesday, 24th: Went out 
in Gardiner’s Bay; caught 19,000 fish, which we sent in the Flora to the Miamogue Works; at night we went in by 
the works and anchored; fine. Thursday, 25th: We caught in Gardiner’s Bay 6,000 fish, which we sent in the U. S. 
Grant to the Miamogue Works; fine. Friday, 26th: Went out in Gardiner’s Bay, but caught none; after looking until 
we were tired, we came into Greenport; tine. Saturday, 27th: We came up to Jamesport with the sloops; pleasant. 
Monday, 29th: Went down through Peconic Bay, and when we passed Jessup’s Point, in what we call Noyack Bay, 
we found a few fish; caught 13,000, which we sent in the Flora to the Miamogue Works; fine. Tuesday, 30th: We 
caught in Noyack Bay 18,000 fish, which we sent in the U. 8. Grant to the Miamogue Works; fine. Wednesday, 31st: 
We caught in Noyack Bay 23,000 fish, which we sent in the Flora to the Miamogue works; fine. 
June 1st, Thursday: Caught in Noyack Bay 8,000 fish, which we sent in the U. 8. Grant to the Miamogue Works; 
then we went down ia Gardiner’s Bay, but saw no fish, after which we came up to Greenport; pleasant. Friday, 2d: 
We looked through Peconic Bay, but saw no fish that we thought were catclable, so went to Jamesport; weather 
good. Saturday, 3d: We laid the Starlight on the shore and cleaned her bottom and scraped the mast, and took off 
and limed the U. S. Grant’s sails; weather pleasant. Monday, 5th: Went down through Peconic Bay, and in Noyack 
Bay caught 35,000 fish, which we sent in the Flora to the Miamogue Works; pleasant. Tuesday, 6th: We went down 
in Gardiner’s Bay; caught none; fine. Wednesday, 7th: We caught in Gardiner’s Bay 29,500 fish, which we sent in the 
U.S. Grant to the Miamogne Works; fine. Thursday, 8th : Caught in Gardiner’s Bay 11,000 fish, which we sent in the 
Flora to the Miamogue Works; fine. Friday, 9th: We were looking for fish in Gardiner’s Bay, and the fishing yacht 
