FISHERIES OF THE PROVINCE OF QUEBEC 57 



years it was far from proving a lucrative enterprise, and a 

 statement of the firm's accounts forwarded to Paris showed 

 that up to the 9th of September, 1707, their net loss had been 

 61,116 francs. It was only with the aid of 400 livres received 

 annually for a number of years as a subsidy from the Crown, 

 that the industry was kept afloat. 



The two first of the porpoise fisheries were established 

 at Kamouraska itself. Another was opened at Pointe des 

 Iroquois in 1714, and two more in 1716; one in the bay of 

 St. Denis, and the other at Riviere des Caps. Later on, a 

 sixth was established. 



In 1716, the fishery was a decided failure, the high winds 

 blowing off the land in the Spring, and the fires which smould- 

 ered along 

 the banks for 

 so long a 

 time during 

 the summer 

 having driv- 

 en away from 

 the coast the 

 little fish 

 which usual- 

 1 y attracted 

 the porpoises. 

 As a conse- 



quence, only Newly-killed Porpoise. 



23 of these 



animals were taken, producing but 14 barrels of oil. In 

 the following year, the fires on the coast caused by the settlers 

 burning the slashed trees for the clearing of their land again 

 drove away the small fish which should have attracted the 

 porpoises to the coast, and Peire complained bitterly of his 

 losses, and asked for a twenty year's privilege of the fishing 

 in the hope that he might be able to reimburse himself. 1 



The Sieur de Boishebert, Lieutenant of Infantry, is on 



i Archives of the Marine Department, B 1-29, Folio 43. 



