Xll CONTEXTS OF 



CHAPTER XXXTV.—co7it{7iue(L 



Wars between the INIontagnais and Esquimaux — Seal-fishing off 

 Natashquan — An Indian Seal Hunt — Perils of the Chase — The 

 Frozen Hunters — The Lost Acadians — Seal Nets — The Seal 

 Watcher — A Stationary Seal Fishery — The Autumn Fishing — An- 

 chor Ice — The Phenomena of Anchor Ice in the St. Lawrence and 

 other Canadian Eivers — The Spring Fishing — Pale Seal Oil — 

 Seal-hunting in the Atlantic — Great Value of the Newfoundland 

 Seal Fishery — Value of the Seal to the Esquimaux . page 201 



CHAPTER XXXV. 



THE rOLITICAL AND COMMERCIAL IMrORTANCE OF THE 

 FISHERIES OF THE GULF OF ST. LAWRENCE, LABRADOR, AND 

 NEWFOUNDLAND. 



Importance attached to the Fisheries by different Nations — France — 

 Louisburg — Importance of the Fisheries to France as a Nursery 

 for Seamen — The First Siege of Louisburg — The Second Siege of 

 Louisburg — The Position of Louisbui'g — Boimties paid by the 

 Americans to their Fishermen — Iniiuence of Bounties on the 

 United States Fishing Interests — Annual Value of the United 

 States Fisheries — Convention with the Emperor of the French — 

 Condemnatory Resolutions of the Newfoundland House of As- 

 sembly — Brief History of the Newfoundland Fisheries — Import- 

 ance of ' Bait ' — Illegal Purchase of ' Bait ' — Present Annual 

 French Tonnage employed on the Bank Fishery — Bomities paid by 

 France — Testimony of a French Official respecting the Value of 

 the North American Fisheries — Testimony of a United States 

 State Document in relation to the North American Fisheries — Di- 

 vision of the Fisheries into Sea and River Fisheries — The Value of 

 the Herring Fishery — Room for Improvement — Annual Loss from 

 bad Curing — Herrings exported — Migratory Habits of the Her- 

 ring not understood — The Mackerel Fishery — In tlie Hands of 

 Americans — Great Importance of this Fishery — Value to the 

 New England States — Mode in which the New-Englanders pursue 

 the Mackerel Fishery — Neglect of this Fishery by Canadians and 

 NeAV-Bnmswickcrs — The Cod Fishery — Its Value to Newfoimd- 

 ]and — The Salmon Fishery — Former Productiveness of the Cana- 

 dian Rivers — Importance ol' the proposed Intercolonial Railway to 



