PERIOD FROM 1818 TO 1836. 375 



eroe, mate; also, the testimony of the several men belonging to their 

 boat-, relative to the several American fishing vessels they had seized, 

 which I trust will be sufficient proof of the propriety of detaining 

 those vessels; and, as the American fishermen do not keep any journal 

 or log, there cannot be possibly any proof but the crews of the boats 

 detaining them and the Americans; it is not to be supposed that the 

 latter will acknowledge to have violated the treaty existing between 

 the two Governments relative to the fisheries. I think you will per- 

 ceive a consistency throughout the several reports of Messrs. Jones 

 and Protheroe that will bear the stamp of truth. Why should they 

 detain these vessels if the}' had not violated the laws? It could not 

 be for their value, they had little or nothing in, and they knew if 

 they were condemned and sold they would sell for a mere trifle, the 

 best of them not more than forty dollars; there were many other 

 American fishing vessels of much more value, which they might have 

 seized, if it was merely to annoy them, or for the sake of what they 

 might sell for ; but it is known everywhere in the Bay of Fundy that 

 the American fishermen have invariably made use of the several 

 harbors in the Menan as if those islands formed a part of the United 

 States; they come in and haul their nets, and there are many instances 

 of their having cut away the nets of the islanders; and I was in- 

 formed by the fishermen at the Menan, previous to leaving the Bay 

 of Fundy, that they had taken treble the quantity of fish this year 

 to that of any preceding year since the war, and they ascribed it 

 entirely to the American fishermen having been kept without the 

 distance prescribed by treaty (three marine miles) from the shore. 

 The former cruisers in the Bay of Fundy (vide Captain Arabin's 

 letter, dated his Majesty's sloop Argus, off Bermuda, December 17, 

 1822.) have nol paid much attention to the fisheries off Menan, and 

 consequently the American fishermen have gone into the harbors 

 whenever they pleased, and being more numerous than the inhabitants 

 have overawed them; but I have been informed by some of the fish- 

 ermen resident t here that more than once they have had it in con- 

 templation to represent the conduct of, and the injury they have sus- 

 tained from, the American fishermen, but their living remote from 

 each other, and no educated persons among them, they have been at 

 a loss how to draw up a petition, or who to apply to for redress. 



A- all the vessels alluded to in the papers sent by Mr. Addington 

 were taken by the boats, I cannot, myselx, make any observations on 

 their capture) bul shall confine myself to a few remarks on (he pro- 

 testa of the American fishermen, and to answer the complaint you 

 have called my particular attenl ton to. 



Why do not the crews or owners of the American fishing vessels, 



detained for violating the treaty, come forward when these vessels 



are adjudged in the Vice Admiralty court, and produce such evidence 



would clear them? they say. to claim their vessels in the Vice 



Admiralty court of New Brunswick would be :i total loss; the fact 



is, it would not answer their purpose SO well; they are well aware that 



witnesses could be produced thai would fal Lfy their testimony; the 

 fishermen at the Menan would Immediately come forward to witness 



the I'.ni - of (heir being in their harbors, and drawing their nets, when 



not in want of an article of provisions or fuel; but the Ajnericans are 

 aware that when their protest comes before the commander-in chief 



