318 WILLIAM DAWSON'S EVIDENCE. [CHAP. vn. 



smaller. The haddock and herring fisheries had decreased. 

 He had not noticed much difference in the size, only in the 

 quantity. There was a greater number of boats engaged now 

 in the herring-fishing the number of herring having decreased 

 within the last ten or twelve years. Little mackerel was 

 caught there. Large quantities of mackerel were off this 

 coast at times, but they had no nets to take them. Although 

 a good many sprats were seen, they did not try to catch 

 them. The cause of the falling off in the quantity of fish he 

 considered was their being destroyed farther south. No 

 trawling vessels came here till last summer. They went 

 about twelve miles from land, and trawled in the fishing- 

 ground. The lines of the fishing-boats were parallel, and 

 about a quarter of a mile apart. When there was a south- 

 east storm they got plenty of fish, but it was not so now. 

 With a north-east storm they had plenty of fish. In his 

 recollection, fifty years back, there was plenty of fish with a 

 south-east storm. There had been no interference with their 

 nets, and no one had regulated the times of fishing. There 

 might be some advantage if the government made a law to 

 prevent either the English or French fishing from Saturday 

 morning to Monday night. That would give time for the 

 fish to draw together. That alluded to herring. They 

 should not allow the trawl-boats to fish on the coasts. The 

 French boats often came within three miles of the land. 

 Herring are caught within three miles of the shore. The 

 French boats shifted with the herring along the coast, and 

 have caught a great quantity. There should be a rule that 

 herring-nets should not be shot before sunset. When the 

 Queen's cutters came the French boats made off to more 

 than three miles from the land. Lobsters had diminished, 

 but not the crabs. He believed they had caught too many 

 lobsters. The boat's crew is not so well off now as thirty 

 years ago. Lodgings were better. They do not earn so 



