PERIOD FROM 1836 TO 1854. 467 



deponent saith that on Thursday the seventh instant, between the 

 hours of ten and eleven O'Clock in the morning, while the said 

 Schooner lie at Anchor off Sandy Cove, near to Briar Island, on the 

 Coast of Nova Scotia, about four miles from the land, a Schooner 

 hove in sight, and on coming within hail, a person from on board of 

 her, called to deponent, and informed him, that his vessel would be 

 immediately seized, unless he quitted the coast, or to that effect, that 

 deponent and his crew proceeded immediately to take up the anchor, 

 and get underweigh, but before that object could be effected, within 

 twenty minutes a boat came alongside, and the persons in it took 

 command of deponent's vessel ; deponent was then informed that the 

 Schooner from which he had been hailed was the British Government 

 Schooner " The Sisters" the Master of which vessel, at once proceeded 

 to take his crew out of his vessel, and to carry her into the port of 

 Yarmouth in the said Province where she now lies dismantled, and 

 detained together with the Cargo of Salt and Stores: And deponent 

 most solemnly saith that the said Schooner the Pioneer was at the 

 time of her seizure not within three marine miles of any part of the 

 Province of Nova Scotia, or the coast thereof; that the Commander 

 of the said Government Schooner endeavored to ascertain the distance 

 by sailing his vessel towards the shore, calculating the distance by 

 comparing the rate of her sailing as ascertained by his log, with the 

 time spent in running the distance between the place of seizure and 

 the shore, but deponent saith that he commenced to run at least half 

 a mile within the spot where deponent's Schooner had been at anchor, 

 nor did he proceed nearer to the shore than a quarter of a mile, and 

 the wind at the time was so variable, that it is impossible he could 

 have measured the distance with any certainty, and he saith that when 

 the said Schooner was seized she had not been at anchor longer than 

 three hours, she was at least four miles from the shore, in sixty fath- 

 om- water, and that but twelve codfish has been taken on board his 

 vessel since her arrival on the fishing ground. And these deponents 

 Leonard Worcester, Francis N. Jellison, William S. Hodgkins, 

 Twisden Bowden and Edmund Crabtree for themselves severally say 

 that, they have read the above statement of Isaac Smith, and that it 

 is in every particular just and true, and they say thai (hey have no 

 interest whatever in the said Schooner u The Piom < r," or her voyage, 

 save as regards their right to wages from the Owner of her — And 

 this deponent Esaac Smith lastly saith that he has no interest in the 

 -aid last mentioned Schooner save a- abovementioned, that he wholly 

 disclaims any intention to tre pass upon the British fishing grounds, 

 nor doe- he believe that he has in any manner done ao, or given just 

 cause for the seizure or detention of the said vessel of which he was 

 ma 3ter b - a fore aid. 



Is \ \c Sm rnr 

 Leon \i;d Worcester 

 Willi \m S. Hodgkins 

 Twisden Bowden 

 Edmi m> s. ( Jrabtree 



I'i; \ \i is N. JeLLISON. 



Sworn to before me at Yarmouth this 8th day of May, Annoque 

 Domini lbii. 



1 li.Nui' A. Grantham, 



Not. rub. 



!i-j!»n9°— 8. Dor. 870, 61-3, vol 2 31 



