56 THE REPOET UPON I^o. 13 



a man was fishing there with hoop nets without a license, but found no nets in 

 this lake, and the water was not deep enough to cover hoop nets. He did some 

 driving with horse and cutter to different places in the interest of the game and 

 fisheries. In February he found a man fishing without a license in Cranberry- 

 Lake. Being provided with a team of horses and an assistant, and the necessary- 

 tools, he went to said lake and seized five sets of nets, took them out of the water 

 loaded them up and brought them to Jones Falls. Afterwards, when the owner 

 made things right, and complied with the law, he gave him back his nets. Xothing 

 more of interest occurred during February, excepting an occasional drive with 

 horse and cutter to some of the back inland lakes where illegal fishing is most likely 

 to be indulged in, but discovered nothing wrong in any of these places. There 

 were no violations in sight. During the month of March, very little of interest 

 occurred. He kept up an almost daily patrol with horse and cutter. In his dis- 

 trict there is quite a number of inland lakes, and their outlets to the canal are 

 nearly all well situated for illegal fishing in the winter season, as there are very 

 few inhabitants around those back lakes, and it used to be the habit for the fish 

 pirates to go in to those places and carry on illegal fishing unmolested during the 

 whole of the winter. On his first patrol trip in the winter time to Hart Lake, he 

 found tM^o sets of hoop nets set for fishing, which he seized, and afterwards by order 

 sold them and remitted the price to the Department. This winter he saw no signs 

 of anything illegal in those places. During April the ice was bad, and very little 

 could be done in the way of driving. Looking after the trappers was the chief 

 part of his work during that month, and one thing he wishes to mention is, that 

 these trappers are in the habit of digging into the bank with a spade until they 

 find the hole starting under the water and leading to the muskrat house far up 

 in the bank above the water level. When this hole is found by the trapper, he sets 

 his net and puts it down in the passage,' and often ten or twelve rats are caught 

 in one of those passages from the rat's house to the open water in the lake. If 

 this is not already against the law, he thinks it should be, and all overseers notified 

 that this is the rats' home in the bank just as much as when built out in the marsh. 

 Having had the "Mermaid" put in good condition and fitted up in first- 

 class order for the season's work, he started to patrol the waters of the Eideau 

 Canal. Strating out from Jones Falls at 10 a.m. on May 10th, acting as Master 

 himself, and with E. J. McGuire managing the engine, and assistant in general, 

 they patrolled Whitefish and Cranberry lakes to Brewers Mills. They kept up a 

 patrol on an average of four days in each week during May. It being the close 

 season for bass, there was not much doing, and an every day patrol was unnecessary 

 During the month of June, business in the fisheries began to be more lively. He 

 commenced the month by patrolling the Eideau waters to Kingston, at all times 

 keeping a close watch for anything that was contrary to law. While passing along 

 on patrol, he never ceased looking after poachers. N'ext morning, after making 

 some inquiries and interviewing some parties that he knew to be interested in the 

 fisheries, to try and ascertain whether the fishery laws were being observed or not, 

 they started on their return, patrolling all the different lakes from Kingston to 

 Jones' Falls, making frequent calls along the way to gather all the information 

 possible. During the whole of this month they kept up a constant patrol of the 

 waters of the Eideau between Newboro and Kingston, except when too stormy to 

 put out, occasionally running into Bedford Mills and many other backward places 

 where illegal practices might be indulged in. After the 15th of the month the 

 tourists commenced to come in in large numbers to enjoy themselves at their sum- 

 mer hotels, and to indulge in the splendid fishing that that part of the Eideau 



