° 
THE JAMES RIVER, VIRGINA. 639 
The following is a summary of the statistics of the fisheries of the James River in 1880: 
Number. | Value. 
Men employed............ceeeceeen seen: 445 | eeseaeuw 
BOs ce cssicwssnenacoccs nesyedeceass meme 264 | $6, 090 
Apparatus and fishing houses...........|.........- 11, 040 
Products. 
BHiadntccsasoeradapewesceenned pounds..| 357,000 | 14, 280 
"Herring wos seu saw nccedaqcisiacszne do....| 850,000 | 10, 200 
Sturgeon ..........2.-..e0eeeeee ee do....| 108,900 | 1,089 
Miscellaneous .........-...--.-.-. do....| 60,000 | 2,400 
EARLY HISTORY OF JAMES RIVER FISHERIES.—The following historical data are here repro- 
duced through the kindness of Mr. Alexander Brown, of Norwood, Va. 
In 1743 old Dr. William Cabell bought a seine to catch fish, 6 feet deep in the middle, 4 feet 
deep at the staves or ends, well leaded and corked, about 15 fathoms long, and 100 weight of #-inch 
white cord. 
[From the diary of Col. William Cabell, of ‘‘Union Hill,” Nelson County, Virginia.) 
1769. 
October 3: Made up our fish dam, set trap, and caught several rockfish, tho’ Mr. Hughes caught rocks a fort- 
night sooner. October 24: For several nights past caught 100 and large odd rockfish each night in our traps. October 
25: Caught 2 fine carp in our traps. 
1770. 
April 10: Caught the first shad for this season. 
November 23: Rented Jos. Cabell Ray’s fishing place for £4 the next season. 
December 18: By Jos, Cabell £5 for the rent of Ray’s fishing place for 1770. 
iS 1771. 
April 10: Begun to catch shad. 
May 6: Humphrey to fish Thursday night. Mr. Nightingale to fish to-morrow fortnight. 
1778. 
i) 
June 7: By Abram Warwick a half Joe, which weighed 45 shillings, out of which I am to apply 10 shillings to his 
credit for a-night fishing. 
October 7: Rented John Depriest Ray’s fishery as long as I have a right to it; so that it does not exceed nine 
years, to commence’ from the 25th Dec. next at £10 12s. 6d. a year, the first payment to be made the 10th of June 
next and the like sum annually. 
1774. 
July 19: By Col. Nevil 7s. 6d, for a night’s fishing. . 
September 13: Caught a rockfish in one of my traps which was 24 feet long and weighed 10} pounds. 
1775. 
March 11: Caught 17 white shad, 11 of which at one haul. 
April 16: Caught a shad which weighed 74 pounds good weight. 
May 15: Let Mrs. Prichard have 25 shad for her husband’s mending my acein. 
July 15: By Capt. Dawson, 14s. 2d. in full for 85 shad, at 2d. and 2. 6d. for Elliot Roberts for the Bostonians. 
1776. 
July 15: Sent by Mrs. Prichard 16} lbs, of twine to begin to knit me a seine. 
1777. 
March 30: At night caught shad for the first, being the first night that we began to fish. The river very low, 
scarcely a six hh’d tide, and has been so chiefly since Christmas. The dryest winter and spring, I believe, ever known. 
1778. 
March 21: Caught the first shad this season. 
