ARGUMENT OF SIR WILLIAM ROBSON. 1837 



classification that is. What does it mean ? Let us see exactly what is 

 in the mind of the person that uses it. " Coasts " we all know. It 

 is a term which may be used in its widest sense and might include a 

 great deal. It could not include " banks." So they ask, first of all, 

 for fishing round all these " coasts." They then ask for fishing quite 

 separately in these "bays;" and then they ask for fishing quite 

 separately on these " banks." 



So that one can see in their minds quite clearly, by their phrase- 

 ologjr, there are three things about which they are particular. The 

 " coast," which I do not deny, at all events for the moment, may be 

 used in a sense which covers " bays," but they are not content to let 

 " bays " depend on " coasts." So they then say " bays," and after that 

 they say " banks." 



Now, those are the three categories of fishing that come into the 

 minds of the negotiators when they are called upon to say what they 

 want. They say : We want those three kinds of locality for fishing. 



Then, later on, they come to " Banks of Newfoundland," " Gulf of 

 St. Lawrence," and " coast of Labrador." 



Now here again let us look into their minds, as far as we can, 

 remembering they were men of business. 



Labrador at that time they did not know much about. They did 

 not apparently know then what appears a few years later, that the 

 " bays " of Labrador were of so much importance. Later on, when 

 I come to discuss the projets and counter-pro jets of 1818, it will 

 be seen they had then learned to appreciate the importance of the 

 " bays " of Labrador. 



According to Mr. Sabine, it was towards the very end of the 

 eighteenth century that anybody ever visited Labrador. And they 

 found out then that the cod, which did not trouble the bays of New- 

 foundland, did affect the bays of Labrador. But at this time they 

 are only thinking about the " coast " as being one of the coasts they 

 see on the map. So that all they say is " coast." It is a curious dis- 

 tinction to begin with, between " coast " and " bay," but I am not lay- 

 ing any very great stress upon it at this period. I am not concerned 

 to deny that they might there have used the word " coast " as meaning 

 " bays " also ; it does not trouble my argument in the least, because it 

 will be found that up to a certain point I am trying to walk 

 1111 in step with the suggestion that the word "bays" was very 

 often thrown in in a general sort of way as part of the " coast," 

 without troubling very much as to its separate importance. 



Then it goes on about "shores and harbours of Nova Scotia." 

 Now. that means " shores " only, because it is " drying and curing 

 fish." But it may mean, and I think does mean, "shores of bays." 

 I may be wrong, but anyhow I am quite content to take it so for the 

 present purpose. 



