584 APPENDIX TO BRITISH CASE. 



regulations, which he did, and assured us that if we followed them 

 we would be unmolested; that he was there to see that the law was 

 not violated, but not to cause unnecessary annoyance. After receiv- 

 ing instructions from the Captain, thanks to him, I went to the 

 Custom House and entered my vessel, paying twenty-five cents. I 

 found a very pleasant gentleman in the Collector, who did all in his 

 power to relieve my mind and make us comfortable. 



Souris was our next port of landing, where we also reported, and 

 were well treated. From there we went to Malpeque, where we found 

 another gentleman in the Collector. We met the cutter " Houlett " 

 at Cascumpec, and had several interviews with her commander, Cap- 

 tain Lorway, who I found a quiet, just and gentlemanly officer. My 

 vessel w r as one of the fleet ordered out of harbour by him. At that 

 time it was as good a fish day as one could ask for, and the instruc- 

 tions were plain that at such times we had no right to remain in 

 harbour. At no time is there much water to spare on the bar, and 

 it is a common occurrence for vessels to ground in going in or out, 

 and that some did touch was due to ignorance of the channel or care- 

 lessness on the part of captains. At the time the order was issued 

 the weather was fair, but before all the fleet could work out 

 through the channel, one of the sudden changes in weather, so much 

 to be dreaded on such a coast, came, and me cutter rescinded the 

 order and the fleet returned. It has been printed in a Boston paper 

 that, owing to being forced to sea by the cutter's orders in bad 

 weather, my schooner, the "Andrew Burnham," fouled two 

 349 Englishmen and narrowly escaped serious damage. If trufe 

 it would look like a hardship. It was simply this: In getting 

 under way, in a small and crowded space, finding I would not have 

 room, I dropped our starboard anchor. That not holding, we let go 

 the other, and it brought us up all right; not much in this to point 

 to as an outrage or danger from stress of weather. I believe Captain 

 Lorway to be a man who would carry out all the requirements of the 

 Canadian laws, but I saw nothing in my experience in those waters 

 that could be considered as being arbitrary, or taking a mean advan- 

 tage of his official authority to annoy any one. Captain Lorway has 

 been a master of vessels for twenty-five years, is a man of high repu- 

 tation as a seaman, and as good a judge of whether the weather is 

 favourable for a vessel to go to sea as any man who walks a deck, 

 and when he ordered the fleet to sea he went himself, and I know he 

 would not order a vessel to leave harbour if there was any danger of 

 loss of life or property. We reported at Cascumpec, and were 

 treated the same as at all other ports we touched at. If our vessels 

 would attend to reporting at the Custom House, the same as they do 

 in our ports, no trouble would be met with. 



If we had " free fish " it would give the Canadians some recom- 

 pense for what our fishermen want, viz., the right to go anywhere 

 and everywhere, use their harbours, ship men, get provisions, land, 

 and mend our nets, buy salt and barrels, and ship our catch home by 

 rail or steamer without expense or annoyance, the same as we have 

 heretofore. 



If we had had that privilege this year, myself and vessel would 

 have been $5,000 better off this season, and all the fishermen in the 

 bay would have been in the same boat with me. I do not say that I 

 am too honest not to fish within the three-mile limit, nor do I believe 



