FISHERIES OF THE PROVINCE OF QUEBEC 131 



Gaspe, and in the Counties of Cornwallis 1 and Northumber- 

 land. 2 This Act provided amongst other things that all His 

 Majesty's subjects, shall peaceably have, use and enjoy the 

 freedom of taking bait, and of fishing in any river, creek, har- 

 bour or road, with liberty to go on shore on any part within 

 the Inferior District of Gaspe, and in the County of Corn- 

 wallis, and in such part of the County of Northumberland 

 as lies to the eastward of Cape Tourmente, for the purpose 

 of salting, curing and drying their fish; to cut wood for 

 making and repairing stages, flakes, hurdles, cook-rooms, and 

 other purposes necessary for preparing their fish for export- 

 ation, or that may be useful to their fishing trade, without 

 hindrance, interruption, denial or molestation from any per- 

 son or persons whomsoever. Provided such river, creek, har- 

 bour, or road, or the land upon which such wood may be cut, 

 doth not lie within the bounds of any private property, by 

 grant from His Majesty, or other title proceeding from such 

 grant by His Majesty, or by grant made prior to the year 

 one thousand seven hundred and sixty, or held under and by 

 virtue of any Location Certificate, or Title derived from any 

 such Location Certificate, or in virtue of any title derived 

 under any Act of the Legislature of this Province. 



The same liberty of fishing and taking bait had been 

 accorded to His Majesty's subjects, as early as 1788, but 

 only for the purpose of codfishing, and with the right to go 

 ashore for salting, drying and curing their fish on that part 

 of the coast only between Cape Cat (Cap Chat) on the south 

 side of the St. Lawrence an.d the first rapid in the River 

 Ristigouche "above the islands that lie higher up than the 

 New Mission in the said River." 



The preamble to the Act of 1788 declared that "Whereas 

 the Fisheries have ever been found beneficial to the trade of 



1 What was then known as the County of Cornwallis, included 

 all that part of Lower Canada on the South Shore of the St. Law- 

 rence east of Ste. Anne de la Pocatiere. 



2 What was then known as the Counfty of Northumberland, in- 

 cluded all that part of Lower Canada north of the St. Lawrence 

 to the east of the County of Quebec, with the exception of the Isle 

 of Orleans. 



