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Travels in Some Parts of North America, in the Years 1804, 1805, & 1806, by Robert Sutcliff

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York and the Atlantic; particularly those in the European trade. Other vessels also come up the Raritan and the Hackinsack rivers, which add to the beauty of the scene. 10th Month, 21st. I went on board the packet for New-York directly after a breakfast made chiefly of stewed oysters. These shell-fish abound so much here, that little children are taught to eat them to breakfast. The landlady told me, that she sometimes had 2 or 300 bushels in the cellar, at a time, in the winter season. After being on board about a quarter of an hour, we were invited by signal to touch at Perth Amboy, on the opposite shore; where we landed about ten o'clock, and took in two families for New-York. As we sailed along this Bay, I had an opportunity of seeing the oyster fishers, who were busily employed. The instruments they generally used, somewhat resem- bled two hay-rakes, with long iron teeth, having the handles, which are very long, pinned together about two feet from the heads of the rakes, so as to open and shut like a pair of large pincers. These instruments, which are called tongs, are opened wide when the heads are let down from the boat; and, as soon as they reach the bottom, the men close them, and the teeth of the rakes meeting drag the oysters together. By this method from one to three or four oysters are taken at a time.