108 fishermen's JIEMOKIAIi AND RECORD BOOK. 



Recapture of Schooner E. A. Horton from the Cus- 

 tody of the Dominion Government — A Daring 

 Act by a Yankee Skipper and his Crew. 



The seizure of American fishing vessels by the oflBcers of the Do- 

 minion Government, for alleged violation of the old treaty which 

 restricted our fishermen from pursuing their calling within an imagi- 

 nary three-mile line from the Canadian shores, caused a vast amount 

 of ill-feeling daring the seasons of 1870-71, and '72, as well as in 

 previous years, when attempts were made to enforce it. The annoy- 

 ances which the oflScers of the Dominion cutters heaped upon unarmed 

 fishermen, and the flimsy pretexts under cloak of which they would 

 seize the vessels, was a disgrace to any nation making any pretensions 

 to civilization, and the apathy with which our government witnessed 

 these dastardly insults to loyal subjects, was equally disgraceful on 

 the part of those in authority. 



Schooner E. A. Ilorton was seized about the first of September, 

 1871, and taken into Guysboro', there to await the decision of the 

 Court. Her owners, Messrs. McKenzie, Knowlton & Co., had been 

 subjected to great inconvenience and expense by the unfriendly Cana- 

 dians, who captured one of their vessels the year previous, and find- 

 ing that there was no chance for redress before the Dominion courts, 

 they determined to depend upon themselves and take possession of 

 their property wherever found. To this end Capt, Harvey Knowlton, 

 Jr., one of her owners, left town Sept. 20th, and arrived at Man- 

 chester, four miles below Guysboro', Sept. 27th, and in order to get an 

 opportunity to fully develop his plans, and to disarm suspicion, went ' 

 to mining, and obtained several specimens of gold quartz. After four 

 days at this occupation, he took his specimens and went to Canso. 

 Here he worked very quietly and secured the services of six American 

 fishermen, viz. : Daniel Richards, John Penney, Charles Webber, D. 

 Isaac, Malcom McCloud, and Peter Gillis, who cheerfully volunteered 

 in the enterprise. October 3d, Capt. Knowlton and his men left 

 Canso and travelled through the woods, a distance of eighteen miles, 

 to Guysboro'. This occupied the entire da}^, as they were often 

 obliged to hide themselves in order to escape observation. Arriving 



