GIANT SCALLOP FISHEKY OP MAINE. 
323 
when in the water, it is necessarily much longer than would be required to reach 
simply to the bottom in a perpendicular direction. The usual length of rope is 50 to 
150 fathoms. 
The value of such a dredge as has been described is about $5, exclusive of the warp. 
One dredge is the usual complement of a boat carrying two men. 
A dredge employed by the fishermen of Oastine and vicinity, described by Mr. 
Vogell, is similar in construction to the specimen figured, but is of considerably 
smaller size, the framework being 23 inches wide and 9 inches high, the arms of the 
‘‘pull bail” 20 inches long, and the pocket 24 inches deei). 
In fishing for scallops, the warp is tied to a thwart of the boat and the dredge is 
lowered to the bottom near the edge of the bed. Then both men “lay to” and row 
over the ground, towing the dredge. If the wind be propitious the sail is raised, and 
the towing may be exclusively done by the wind, but usually the sail is supplemented 
by the oars. If the bed be small the men may tow the dredge from one side to the 
other before drawing it up. When operating on larger beds the dredge is hauled up 
every 200 or 300 feet, the frequency varying with the abundance of the scallops. 
When vessels are employed the fishing is carried on from small boats, as elsewhere 
stated. Sometimes, however, in certain localities, the fishing is done by running out 
the dredge with a boat and hauling it in from the side of the vessel, which is kept at 
anchor. The advantage arising from the use of vessels is referred to in the next 
section. 
On the Sheepscot Eiver, where the fishing maneuvers are carried on from large, 
decked, sloop-rigged boats, provided with a crew of one or two men and fitted out 
with one dredge, the scallops are taken by sailing back and forth over the beds while 
towing the scrape. The boats are too large to permit the use of oars, which, more- 
over, are not required by the nature of the grounds. 
• 
9. VESSELS AND BOATS EMPLOYED. 
As already stated, the first attempts to take scallops in the vicinity of Mount 
Desert Island were by men operating in vessels, but the use of the latter never 
became popular on the island, and they have never been regularly employed. Only 
a few trials with vessels have been made since the establishment of the fishery. In 
the A'icinity of Oastine and Cape Rosier vessels appear to have been in greater favor 
than elsewhere, and several have been employed annually. The following statement 
shows the vessels which, from time to time, daring the past 3 years have been devoted 
during a portion of the season to scallop fishing : 
Name of vessel. 
Net 
tonnage. 
Fishing grounds. 
No. of 
boats 
carried. 
Aliena L. Gray 
Commerce 
Cygnet 
Major 
Eipple 
15. 02 
46. 20 
13.17 
6. 62 
24. 29 
Penobscot Bay and tributaries 2 
Penobscot Bay and tributaries 7 
Off Mount Desert Island 2 
Penobscot Bay and tributaries 2 
Off Mount Desert Island 2 
The schooner Aliena L. Gray was built in 1889 and first used in the scallop busi- 
ness from Cape Rosier in the season of 1889-’90. As an example of the amount of 
