1116 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



same year, in those boats, and about sixty of codfish, and about two 

 hundred and fifty pounds of sounds, then worth sixty cents a pound. 



3. The third year I had six boats, and caught about one hundred and 

 sixty barrels of mackerel, and about forty quintals of codfish and hake, 

 and about fifty-five barrels of herring. That was a really poor year. 



4. This year (1877) I have nine boats, and have caught about fifteen 

 barrels of herring. I have also more codfish already caught than I had 

 the whole of last year. This promises to be a good year, so far as I can 

 judge. 



5. At Nail Pond I should say the number of boats has increased about 

 one-filth during the last three years. I think the boats are now much 

 better built, rigged, and fitted out than they were. 



6. The average crew of the small boats is about three men, of the 

 large boats t^e crew would be four men. There are twenty dollars now 

 invested in the business to the one there was ten years ago. 



7. The boats get near about the whole of the mackerel caught by them 

 within a mile and a half to two miles of the shore ; the boats very sel- 

 dom go beyond two miles out. The hake are generally caught within, 

 three miles of the shore, and the codfish generally further out. 



8. About three years ago I have seen as many as three hundred 

 American schooners anchored off this shore, within a mile. I have seen 

 some of them fishing so close inshore that they got aground. The 

 principal part of the fishing that I have seen the Americans do, has been 

 within threo miles of the shore. Taking one year with another, 1 do 

 not think it would be worth their while to fit out for the gulf fishing if 

 they could not fish within three miles of the shore. I have heard the 

 American captains say so. 



9. I have seen the Americans drift down on the boats, not minding 

 the latter, on several occasions, and on several occasions the boats, lying 

 at anchor, had to cut their cables to save themselves from being sunk. 



10. The Americans spoil the fishing in this way : they see the boats 

 fishing and drift down on them, when the boats have to get out of the 

 way and thus lose the mackerel. They have also better bait than we 

 have and by its means draw off the fish, and they throw out a great deal 

 of bait. 



11. Very few Americans fished within three miles of the shore the 

 year the cutters were here. I saw them within three miles of the shore, 

 when they saw the cutter's smoke, clear out. 



12. Whenever the Americans heave in the fishermen from boats 

 grumble and complain that the good fishing is at an end, and that the 

 Americans sink the mackerel with bait. The boat-fishermen look upon 

 the arrival of the Americans as a serious loss and injury to themselves. 



13. The mackerel season here lasts from about the 20th of June till 

 about the middle of October. 



14. I would look upon the right of transshipment as a very great 

 privilege to the Americans, as they could ship away their mackerel 

 without losing much time going with them, and by this right they would 

 be enabled to catch the markets, two or three days often making a very 

 great difference in the mackerel market. They are also enabled through 

 having this right to refit here instead of losing time going home for that 

 purpose. 



15. About three years ago the Americans did some seining here, but 

 I have not seen them doing any since. 



16. I would give as a reason for the increase of the number of boats 

 that the young men think they can do better in it j and also because the 



