30 LABRADOR 



setting up a court of civil jurisdiction. A sheriff was ap- 

 pointed for the coast, and a vessel was chartered to take 

 the judge on his circuit; but it was soon found that the 

 undertaking was more expensive than advantageous. In 

 1833 the court was abolished. 



Meanwhile a change had been taking place in the fisheries. 

 In 1818 a convention was made between the United States 

 and Great Britain, by which the inhabitants of the United 

 States gained, among other things, the right of taking 

 fish of any kind " on the coasts, bays, harbours, and creeks " 

 of the Labrador. American fishermen took advantage 

 of this convention in great numbers. In 1820 Captain 

 Robinson, of H.M.S. Favourite, reported "530 sail of them 

 this year." The English fishermen began to suffer from 

 their competition. Both the American and French fish- 

 ermen received bounties from their governments : the first 

 in the shape of a drawback on the salt used; and the sec- 

 ond in the shape of premiums which were so regulated as 

 to make 20 francs per quintal the minimum price received. 

 The American fisherman also fished "in his own vessel, 

 built by himself, with timber grown on his own land, and 

 with provisions supplied by his own farm." There was 

 great irritation against the government because of their 

 admission of the Americans into what was considered the 

 richest part of the fisheries. It was felt that England was 

 being generous to the prodigal son at the expense of the son 

 who stayed at home. Such a feeling has not died out in 

 Newfoundland yet, as recent events have shown. 



Population has never increased by leaps and bounds on 

 the Labrador coast. In 1841, however, Samuel Robertson 

 said that on his part of the coast there were over two hun- 



