980 NORTH ATLANTIC COAST FISHERIES ARBITRATION. 



They wished to have the Magdalen Islands for curing and drying, 

 as well as for fishing 



" and of Labrador, as here above described ; . . . . and the United 

 States hereby renounce any liberty heretofore enjoyed or claimed by 

 the inhabitants thereof to take, dry, or cure fish on or within three 

 marine miles of any of the coasts, bays, creeks, and harbours of His 

 Britannic Majesty's dominions in America not included within the 

 above-mentioned limits." 



So that at that time, even the Americans themselves did not 

 stipulate for the west coast of Newfoundland, for either fishing or 

 drying and curing. 



THE PRESIDENT : Is it not for fishing ? 



SIR JAMES WINTER : For drying and curing. 



THE PRESIDENT: Not for drying and curing, but for fishing, I 

 think it is stipulated. 



SIR JAMES WINTER: Yes; I beg pardon. I was mistaken. That 

 was the first time that that stipulation had been made. 



The following day it appears that they were met again by the 

 British Commissioners, and that will be found on p. 89 : 



" The British plenipotentiaries gave in the five annexed articles, 

 on the fisheries, the boundary, the Mississippi, the intercourse be- 

 tween Nova Scotia and the United States, and the captured slaves." 



To that offer as it stands, the same observation would apply, that 

 there was no stipulation for the curing on the west coast of the island 

 of Newfoundland, and the only point to which I would call the at- 

 tention of the Tribunal at this moment is that we have here an ex- 

 planation which throws a very clear light, as I submit, on the ques- 

 tion that was asked by the President yesterday, as to how it hap- 

 pened that the word " coasts," in the plural, was used with regard to 

 Labrador, while the word " coast " only in the singular, is used with 

 regard to Newfoundland, both from Ramea to Cape Ray and from 

 Cape Ray to Quirpon. In both these cases the singular word 

 " coast " is used, while with regard to Labrador, the word is in the 

 plural, " coasts." Here we have, I submit, a very full and satisfac- 

 tory explanation of that, in this offer the counter offer or counter 

 proposition of the British Plenipotentiaries, Article A. 



" It is agreed that the inhabitants of the United States shall have 

 liberty to take fish, of every kind, on that part of the western coast of 

 Newfoundland which extends from Cape Ray to the Quirpon 

 Islands,"- 



Which is one coast only 



"and on that part of the southern and eastern coasts of Lab- 

 rador "- 



Clearly recognising that then, at that time, there were understood 

 to be two distinct coasts of Labrador the southern and eastern 



