HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN MENHADEN. 145 



mackerel bait they take capling — a very fat little fish — and they make 

 out that it is a better bait lor mackerel than porgies. 



"Q. But the large proportion of the bait Ls herring ? — A. Yes; but they 

 uso porgies, which they often buy for bait. 



"Q. To any extent? — A. The vessels which go fishing generally buy 

 them. They prefer herring when thej' cannot get porgies good. 



"Q. Where do they buy porgies T — A. They generally buy them on the 

 island, where they are imported. 



"Q. They buy them from the merchants? — A. Yes. It would not pay 

 to send down to American waters to flwh for porgies for the number of 

 vessels engaged in mackerel-fishing. 



"Q. They prefer to take herring, to do that ? — A. Y"es. * 

 " Cross-examined by Mr. Dana : 



"Q. And your people are buying bait from the United States? — A. 

 They sometimes do so. 



" Q. Y^ou said that they very often bought pogies, which were used by 

 your people ? — A. Y'es. 



"Q. You mean menhaden — it is the same thing? — A. Yes. 



"Q. Where do the merchants get their pogies? — A. From the States. 



" Q. Do you really suppose that the American fishermen, instead of 

 buying menhaden from first hands, would buy them of your merchants, 

 paying their profit, and commissions, and freight, and all that ? — A. Yes. 

 I have seen these fishermen buy them when their own bait had turned 

 sour or was bad. If the merchants have a quantity of good bait on 

 hand, they can generally sell it. 



" Q. Is that considered an article of trade ? — A. No ; not to a great 

 extent. 



" Q. Then the Americans get caught 5 their bait sometimes turns 

 sour ? — A. Yes. Consequently, of course, if out with other vessels fish- 

 ing, a vessel having bad bait could not secure her share of the fish. 



" Q. Can they not catch something else to be used in place of it ; her- 

 ring, for instance ? — A. Not always. The mackerel-catchers could not 

 wait for this. Their business is to catch mackerel. 



" Q. But they can obtain it at the Magdalen Islands ? — A. It would 

 take too much time to cross at that point. 



" Q. Your own fishermen could not get across any sooner ? — A. jS^o. 



" Q. If you could fit out a great number of large vessels for mackerel- 

 fishing, you would want to import a good deal of this bait, pogies or 

 menhaden, would you not ? — A. Yes j we would then, likely, import 

 quite a lot of it. They could, however, use herring if no menhaden or 

 poges were thrown into the fishing ground. Herring would do nearly 

 as well. 



" Q. But the fish want something better. — A. Yes."t 



Mr. George Mackenzie, fisherman, of New London, P rince Edward 



* Proceedings of Halifax Commission, 1877. Appendix F, p. 24. 

 ilbid., p. 29. 

 W F 



