HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN MENHADEN. 159 



made in the treaty, Canadian fishermen are allowed to enter into Ameri- 

 can waters to procure the bait, and the consequenceof that is, that no such 

 combination can exist, and Canadians can purchase the bait, and be 

 able to fish on equal terms with the Americans." 



These statements were based upon the Canadian official reports pre- 

 viously published, which say : 



" For mackerel, the Americans use 'pogies' and clams, chopped fine, 

 as bait. The 'pogies' are found only on the coast of the United States, 

 and, when imported into the Dominion, cost about $G per barrel. 



" The bait with vvhich the Americans are supplied is far superior to 

 any which can be secured in this country, to which may be attributed 

 in a great measure the success of the Americans previously to the 

 recent restrictions, although even now the local fishermen complain that 

 they have no chance while an American schooner is fishing near them."* 



" The menhaden fishery has within ten years grown into an immense 

 business. Formerly they were taken only for bait, and were either 

 ground in hand-mills, for mackerel, or used in what is called "slivers" 

 for codfish bait. There is now a large fleet of steamers and sailing-ves- 

 sels engaged in this fishery. Large factories have been erected on shore 

 for extracting the oil. As these fish are not valuable until they are fat, 

 which is in August and Sei3tember, they are not much taken in their 

 spawning time; and they will not therefore be exterminated. They are 

 caught solely with seines, near the shore, their food being a kind of ma- 

 rine seed which floats upon the waters 5 consequently they will not take 

 the hook. This fishery is one of the most profitable of all the fisheries, 

 the oil being used for tanning and currying, extensively at home, and 

 being exported in large quantities. The refuse of the fish, after being 

 pressed, is used for manufacturing guano or fish phosphate, and is very 

 valuable as a fertilizer. This fishery is purely an American fishery, no 

 menhaden ever being found north of the coast of Maine. It is entirely 

 an inshore fishery, the fish being taken within two miles from the shore." 



TJie reply of Her Britannic Ilajesty^s Government. 



22]. The " Reply on behalf of Her Britannic Majesty's Government 

 to the Answer of the United States of America" responds : 



" The Answer (i)p. 18 and 19) lays much stress on the importance to 

 Canadian fishermen of the menhaden bait-fishery on the coast of the 

 New England States. The menhaden is here represented to be the best 

 bait for mackerel, and is said to inhabit exclusively the American coast. 

 An entirely fictitious value has been attached to this fishery. British 

 fishermen do not frequent United States waters for the purpose of catch- 

 ing bait of any kind, or for any other purposes connected with fishing, 

 consequently the privilege of entering those waters to catch menhaden 

 is of no practical value. Any bait of that description which they may 

 ;pquire may be purchased as an article of commerce. 



" Annual report of the Department of Marine and Fisheries for the year ending June, 

 1670, pp. 312, 342. 



