THE FISHERIES. 233 



wardly indefinitely along the coast, without prejudice, how 

 ever, to any of the exclusive rights of the Hudson s Bay Com 

 pany. And that the American fishermen shall also have lib 

 erty, forever, to dry and cure fish in any of the unsettled bays, 

 harbors, and creeks of the southern part of the coast of New 

 foundland, hereabove described, and of the coast of Labrador; 

 but so soon as the same, or any portion thereof, shall be settled, 

 it shalljiotj?e lawful for the said fishermen to dry or cure fish 

 at such portion so settled, without previous agreement for such 

 purpose with the inhabitants, proprietors, or possessors of the 

 ground. And the United States hereby renounce, forever, any 

 liberty heretofore enjoyed or claimed by the inhabitants there 

 of to take, dry, or cure fish on or within three marine miles 

 of any of the coasts, bays, creeks, or harbors of His Britannic 

 Majesty s dominions in Ainerica, not included within the above- 

 mentioned limits : Provided, however, that the American fisher 

 men shall be permitted to enter such bays or harbors for the 

 purpose of shelter and of repairing damages therein, of purchas 

 ing wood, and of obtaining water, and for no other purpose 

 whatever. But they shall be under such restrictions as may 

 be necessary to prevent their taking, drying, or curing fish 

 therein, or in any other manner whatever abusing the privi 

 leges hereby reserved to them.&quot; 



In virtue of these treaty provisions, citizens of the 

 United States continued to fish on the coasts of the 

 British Provinces without interruption for some twen 

 ty years, when question was raised as to their right 

 to fish within the bays or indents of the coast, in 

 consequence of an opinion of the Law Officers of the 

 Crown that the expression &quot;three marine miles of 

 any of the coasts, bays, creeks, or harbors,&quot; within 

 which citizens of the United States were excluded 

 from any right of fishing on the coast of British Amer 

 ica, intends miles &quot;to be measured from the headlands, 

 or extreme points of land next the sea or the coast, or 



