The Portland daily press., 1870-09-19
A History Of Coast Fishing.

n 1iStVEy % COasa II
The expected cline gale" has driven many
fishing vessels into cur harbor, and our streets
are filed with the Drowned faced and guernsey
frocked fishermen. These remind me that
something apropos to the general subject of
fishing would not be uninteresting both to the
fisherman and to the general reader. Let me
give some historical data, TO show how import
ant the subject has been of yore.
The development of the fisheries during the
middle ages was greatly promoted by the de-
mand for fish that was created by the fasts Of
the Church. The French were the first Euro
peans who visited Newfoundland, the discov-
cry OF which in the 18th century, from. its su.
perIority over all others in the world, gave the
greatest impulse to the business. From their
occupation of Newfoundland in the 10th cen
fury (l57O came angry contests with Great
Britain, which continued for more than a cen
fury, having seasons Of comparative quiet, on
account of treaties which were continually
made and broken. Finally the French, having
been driven from their former fishing grounds
OF Newfoundland and its adjacent coasts, set
tied on the island of Cape Breton, and built
tce fortress of Louisburg, at cost of 30 OOO 900
livres, to protect and facilitate the fisheries.
10 give an idea of the Importance of the French
fisheries at that time: Ia 1921 their fishing fleet
numbered 400 sail, and quarter of a century
later their number was computed at GOO sail.
manned by $1,000 men, yielding fish to the
value of $4,5O0OOO, In 1745 the fortress of
Louisburg, then called the Dunkirk of Ameri-
Ca, and mounted with 200 guns, was besieged
and captured by volunteer force from New
England, largely composed of fishermen, and
led by Sir VIM. Pepperell, the son of fisher
man of the Isle of Shoals.
For time the French fisheries suffered Sc
verely, but in 1853 treaty was executed with
Great Britain, in which the islands Of St.
Pierre and Miquelon and certain rights and
annuties of the other fishing grounds were
ceded. In 1852 the French cod fishery aloue
employed 450 ships and IA, 900 men, and in 1856
the products of the fisheries were officially
stated at 100000 francs. The French gov
eminent have always seduously encouraged
this brarch of industry by every means
Sebastian Cabot, returning from his voyage
of discovery in 1897, first called the attention
of the English to the abundance of fish in the
waters about Newfoundland and Labrador
The first voyage in quest of fish, of which
English history tells, was in 1917. In 1913 the
English government lent its aid to the busi-
ness, by instituting two fish days" in each
week and imposing fines for eating meat on
such days. In 1888 Sir Humphrey Gilbert
took possession of Newfoundland, for which he
received ten pounds from the kings privy
purse. In the beginning of the 18th century it
is estimated that 200 English ships annually
went to the banks of Newfoundland.
In 1902 Bartholomew Gosnold explored the
coast of New England, and catching cod near
the southern cape of Massachusetts, gave it
the name it bears. In 1920 the island of Mon
hogan became a noted fishing station. The
growth of Professionalism was one of the great
causes which diminished the English fleet OF
400 sail to 40, since in this religion the fasts
are not kept by the observance of which the
Catholic church stimulated the fisheries of the
middle ages. Charles III. of England, to reme-
dy this falling off, issued a proclamation for
the strict observance of Lent. 1t 1713 oc-
CURED the destruction of the Arcadan settle
ments by the Eglish, so beautifully described
by Longfellow in his "Evangeline" Between
1895 and 1915 the English fisheries were ex-
ceedinsly prosperous; for example, in 1914
100000 quintals of fish were produced.
Let us turn to the history of the sea fsherie
of the United States. We notice in the first
place that they are carried on chiefly from
New England. 1t is probable that the pursuit
OF the fisheries was one of the great motives
that led to the colonization of Massachusetts,
For example, at an interview between James l.
and agents of the Pilgrims, (who went over to
England from Leyden in 1918 to solicit his con-
sent to their going to America,) the king
asked them: "What profit might arise?' They
answered, "Fishing." Upon which James re
piled: $50 God have my soul, It's an honest
trade; twas the apostles own calling.''
Soon after their arrival at Plymouth the
engaged in fishing and sent ship load to Eng
land in 1924. At the close of the 17tb century
the merchantsof massachusetts, cxpoe-~-a mr.
nually about 100,0 qGintas worth $500, 600.
In 1740 the number of fishing vessels belong
ing to Massachusetts was 400, besides as many
unlocked vessels. Then Marblehead was sec.
ond only to Boston in population and property.
The breaking out of hostilities in 1875, nearly
destroyed the fisheries for time. The fisher
men of New England turned their attention to
privateering, and of 100000 tons of British
shipping captured dnring the war, it is compu.
ted that at least one-half was taken by them,
and in the war Of 1872 10 many fishermen en-
tered the navy. The frigate Constitution was
chiefly Manned by them; they were remarka-
bly, successful in their new pursuit, as an ex-
ample of their numbers in our navy; at the
close of the war 500 men were discharged from
Dartmouth, England, belonging to the little
town of Marblehead.
Such is an imperfect history of the origin
and progress of our coast fishing. Could space
for detail be given, much of peculiar interest
could be brought out If space permit will
detail in the future. II,