338 CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. 



half mile from the shore, v^hile attempting to get on the fishing 

 ground t, which is. six to nine miles from any shore) we were boarded 

 \<\ a barge Grant the British man-of-war brig Dotterel, commanded 

 by a sailing master whose name was Jones, and having on board nine 

 men, taken po-se.-sion of, and ordered to receive on board the crew 

 of the schooner Ruby, of Lnbec, which vessel they had previously 

 captured, and to sail immediately to Lubec, as a cartel; thereby inter- 

 rupting us in our lawful employment and destroying our fishery. I 

 further declare that we had no goods or merchandise on board our 

 schooner; that we did not go into a harbor for any other purpose than 

 to obtain a supply of water. 



We were not lishing wdiere we were captured, nor had we attempted 

 to catch fish within more than six miles from the shore while on our 

 voyage. I further declare that we were badly used by the barge's 

 officers, threatening to shoot us, &c, &c. And they said their orders 

 were to capture all Americans they met with, right or wrong; that 

 there was no treaty, and that Americans should not fish in British 



waters. 



Elias Ficket. 

 State of Maine, Washington, ss. 



Then personally appeared the said Elias Ficket, and made solemn 

 oath that the foregoing statement by him subscribed was true. 

 Before me, 



Frederick Hobbs, Justice of the Peace. 



Memorial No. 2. 



To the Hon. John Q. Adams, Secretary of State: 



The undersigned, inhabitants of the county of Washington, in the 

 State of Maine, interested in the fisheries in the Bay of Fundy, beg 

 leave to represent: 



That although till the present year the privileges reserved and 

 confirmed to American fishermen by the convention of 1818 have been 

 enjoyed with but few interruptions, they are now, in a great measure, 

 cut off and prostrated by the piratical conduct of the commander of his 

 Britannic Majesty's brig Dotterel and the officers under his command, 

 aided by the provincial cutter attached to the port of St. Andrew's. 



That the officer having the charge of the armed boats ordered to 

 cruise round Grand Menan and Campo Bello has written instructions, 

 which have been exhibited to our citizens, from the commander of 

 the Dotterel, to seize and send into St. Andrews's all American 

 fishermen found within three marine miles of said islands. That under 

 these orders that officer, without any pretence other than such instruc- 

 tions, has seized the following vessels: 



Schooner Pilgrim, of Lubec, Woodward master; Schooner Hero, of 

 Denneyville, Clark master; schooner Rebecca, of Addison, Wass mas- 

 ter; schooner Galeon, of Lubec, Hunt master; schooner William, of 

 Addison, Tabbut master; schooner Ruby, of Lubec, E. Small master; 

 schooner Reindeer, of Lubec, R. Small master. 



