458 CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. 



as follows: Capt. Darby went on board the Alms and looked at the 

 li>h. bait, and lines, and remarked that the fish had been recently 

 caught; Capt. F. informed him that they had caught some of them 

 that morning, about seven miles from the land, and that they had 

 taken none nearer the shore than seven miles. Capt. Darby notwith- 

 standing sent two men on board the Ahns, ordered two of her crew 

 on board the Victory, and directed Capt. Fears to follow him into 

 Port Hood, where Capt. Darby detained the Alms some days in cus- 

 tody, and subsequently carried her to Guysboro' and there took abso- 

 lute possession of her and stripped her. 



Capt. Fears informs me that at the time of the seizure all the fish 

 on board were split and salted, and there was no appearance on board 

 the Alms to warrant a supposition that she had been fishing where 

 she then lay. 



Capt. Fears has gone to Halifax to endeavour to have the Alms 

 released, and I have referred him to the Consul there for advice and 

 Assistance. 



I have the honor to be, Sir, your most obt. servant, 



James Primrose, Consul. 



Mr. Primrose to Mr. Forsyth. 



Consulate of the United States, 



Pictou, 25th November, 181fi. 

 The Honourable John Forsyth, 



Secretary of State, Washington. 



Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your circular 

 under date of the 30th July last, with a Copy of the Act therein re- 

 ferred to ; and also your letter dated the 1st Ultimo, accompanied by 

 a Copy of the Acts and Resolutions passed at the first Session of the 

 26th Congress. 



Mr. Tremain having left Prince Edward Island I have appointed 

 Henry Palmer of Charlotte Town to succeed him as Consular Agent 

 there. 



I have just been able to procure a Copy of the Journal and Pro- 

 ceedings of the House of Assembly of this Province at its Session 

 1839^0, and I beg leave to forward it to you herewith. 



The subject of the fisheries has occupied a large share of the atten- 

 tion of the Assembly, and I beg your reference to Page 848 of the 

 Journal, and to Pages 212 & 220 of the Appendix, for the result of 

 their deliberations thereupon. These documents possess considerable 

 interest but, more particularly that part of the Assembly's interpreta- 

 tion of the Convention of 1818, by which it asserts that the prescribed 

 distance of " three marine miles," therein expressed, is to be measured 

 from the head Lands, and not from the shores of the Provinces; And 

 that the Strait of Canso cannot be passed by Fishing vessels of the 

 United States, without their approaching within the waters reserved 

 for the exclusive use of British Subjects, and violating the letter and 

 Spirit of the treaty of 1818. 



