1128 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



far the greater number), if they were fishing within -the limits, would 

 hoist sail when they saw a Canadian cutter coming, and go outside, wait 

 till the cntter had passed, and then go back within the limits and resume 

 the fishing again. That the cutters did not, to any appreciable exteut, 

 prevent the fishing within the limits. 



8. Our usual custom was to go in close to the shore in fleets of 50 to 

 60, heave our bait and then drift off", taking thefish with us. If we saw 

 a boat from the shore catching mackerel, we would lee-bow them, that 

 is, we would go close on to her, heave our bait and draw off the mack- 

 erel; the boat would then have to wait for another school of mackerel. 

 This would often occur and in every case would spoil the catch of the 

 boat. 



9. That during the last two or three years the number of American 

 vessels engaged in the mackerel-fishery in the gulf has not been so 

 numerous as in previous years, owing, no doubt, to the fact that the 

 mackerel have not, during these last two or three years, frequented our 

 coasts in such numbers as in previous years. This year, however, the 

 prospects are good for mackerel-fishing. 



10. That about 200 of the American vessels get their bait on the 

 Nova Scotian coast, and in my opinion, without the bait obtained there 

 they could not carry on the fishing. 



11. That the Americans also take large quantities of herring from our 

 coasts, about 10,000 barrels from the Magdalen Islands a year, all of 

 which would be caught close up to the shore. There are 40 American 

 vessels engaged at Fortune Bay, in Newfoundland, in prosecuting the 

 herring-fishery, averaging about 500 barrels per season per vessel, all of 

 which are caught close to the shore. There is also a fleet of 20 Ameri- 

 can vessels that fish at Bay of Islands in the fall of the year, averaging 

 700 barrels per vessel per season, which are all caught well within the 

 three-mile limit. Then there is also a fleet of 40 American vessels which 

 fish off Grand Manan. They average 350 barrels of herring per vessel, 

 which are all caught close to the shore. 



12. That the mackerel on their arrival in the gulf first strike the 

 Magdalen Islands, then across over to the lower Canadian shore, 

 Seven Islands, and Bay Chaleurs, and then come down along the west 

 shore, keeping close inshore. They then strike across to North Cape, 

 in Prince Edward Island, and thence hugging the shore closly move 

 along toward East Point. 



13. That, in my opinion, if the Americans were prevented altogether 

 from fishing within the three-mile limit, they would not frequent the 

 gulf at all on account of the great risk they would run in getting a 

 fare at all outside that limit. 



DANIEL McPHEE. 



Sworn to at Sonris, in Kings County, in Prince Edward Island, this 

 twenty-sixth day of June, A. D. 1877, "before me. 



JAMES E. MCLEAN, 



J. P. for Kings County. 

 No. 29. 



I, MALCOM MCFADYEN, of Murray Harbor, South, in Kings County, 

 Prince Edward Island, merchant and fish dealer, make oath and say : 



1. That for the last ten years I have been actively connected with the 

 fishing business, and I have had some experience in it for a long time. 

 One year I wafi myself fishing on the Labrador coast, and I have been 

 nine years buying, curing, and trading in fish at Murray Harbor. 



