DESPATCHES, REPORTS, CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. 585 



there is a vessel in the fleet who would not, if the cutter was out of 

 sight. I made two trips to the bay, both of which were very suc- 

 cessful, and I lived up to the requirements of the law as well as I 

 kneAv how, and did not find them obnoxious, or to interfere with my 

 success, and everywhere I went I was courteously treated by the offi- 

 cials especially so by both the cutters. Should it be a bay year next 

 season, I hope to meet them again. Those who openly preached that 

 they would go where they pleased, do what they wanted to in spite of 

 law or cutters, shipped men, smuggled or openly fished inside of the 

 limit, and indulged in the satisfaction of damning the cutter, the 

 captain, the government, and everything else when they knew they 

 could do it with impunity, and that the men they were talking to 

 could not resent it by word or blow, were looked after sharp and were 

 not extended the courtesy that was shown so many of us. 



In the interest of fair-play I could not help writing you and asking 

 you to give this to your readers, if not taking up too much of your 

 valuable space. 



Very respectfully, 



CAPT. NATHAN F. BLAKE, 

 Schooner "Andrew Burnham " of Boston. 



BOSTON, 6th October, 1886. 



No. 215. 1886, October 9th: Extract from the "Boston Herald," 

 referred to in Report of Committee of Privy Council for Canada 

 dated 28th October, 1886* 



A FISHING CAPTAIN S EXPERIENCE. 



The letter of Captain Nathan F. Blake, of the fishing schooner 

 "Andrew Burnham " of this city, which we published on Wednesday, 

 would apparently indicate that the Canadian officials have not been 

 disposed to push the requirements of their law quite as rigorously as 

 some of our fishermen have maintained. Captain Blake says that he 

 has experienced not the least trouble in his intercourse with the Ca- 

 nadian officials, but that, as he has treated them courteously, they on 

 their side have reciprocated in like terms. There is, undoubtedly, a 

 great deal of bitterness felt on both sides, and probably this bitterness 

 has led both parties to be ungracious in their own conduct, and to 

 exaggerate the wrongs they have endured, hardships frequently due 

 to an unwillingness to observe the requirements of the law as these 

 are now laid down. If all American fishing captains exhibited the 

 same courtesy and moderation that Captain Blake has shown, we 

 imagine that there would be very little trouble in arriving at an 

 equitable and pleasing understanding with Canada. 



No. 216. 1886, October 19th: Letter from Mr. Bayard (United 

 States Secretary of State} to Sir L. S. S. West (British Minister} . 



WASHINGTON, 19th October, 1886. 



SIR, The " Everett Steele." a fishing vessel of Gloucester, Mass., 

 in the United States, of which Chas. E. Forbes, an American citizen, 



"Document No. 218. 



