AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 1131 



since I have been here. These boats are decked boats, and carry crews 

 of four and five men each. 



3. That these boats are all engaged in cod and hake fishing, and do 

 not go in for mackerel fishing except for bait. These fish are all caught 

 along the coasts, some on this shore and some on the Nova Scotia shore. 



4. That I was down here in the gulf mackerel fishing, in the schooner 

 William T. Merchant, of Gloucester, United States, for one whole sea- 

 son five mouths and four days. That was in 1868. We took 900 

 barrels of mackerel iu her. She was sixty -seven tons burden, and carried 

 fifteen hands. 



5. That in 1869 I was in the Ada L. Harris, of the same port, fishing, 

 for two months or about half the mackerel season, in the gulf. We 

 took out 500 barrels of mackerel. She was registered at forty-eight 

 tons, and carried twelve hands. 



6. That in 1870 I was about two mouths and a half fishing in the gulf, 

 in the Eeunion, during which time we got 430 barrels of mackerel. She 

 was seventy-four tons, and carried fifteen hands. 



7. That in 1871 1 was in the Rambler for eight weeks fishing in the 

 gulf. We took out 280 barrels of mackerel. We came in the gulf late 

 that season. She was sixty-three tons, and that time carried thirteen 

 hands. 



8. That fully three-quarters of the fish taken in these schooners were 

 taken close to the shore, or within three miles along this island, Miscou, 

 Bay Chaleur, the Magdalens, and other places on the British coasts. 

 Taking the season through, the inshore fishing is the best. I believe 

 that it would not be at all worth while to fU out for this gulf, if the 

 vessels were not allowed to fish inshore. 



9. That I was two seasons or parts of seasons seining on the Ameri- 

 can shore for mackerel. One of these seasons I was there for seven 

 weeks, and we only got one hundred and twenty barrels. We then 

 came down into this bay, at the end of the season, and caught two hun- 

 dred and eighty barrels. The second year I was out there we did not 

 do much. The American shore is not such good fishing ground as the 

 gulf. On their shore the hookers have little or no chance, as the sein- 

 ers have broken up the fishing. 



10. That I have been cod-fishing for seven or eight winters on George's 

 and the Grand Banks in American vessels. We used to trawl, and 

 have takea two hundred and twenty thousand pounds of salt fish in 

 three months. The bait we used to use were all herring brought from 

 the Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and other British shores. These fish 

 are taken fresh and frozen, and kept in ice. There is no bait to be had 

 on the American shores, except a few herring near Eastport, and some 

 porgies, but those last are no good except a few for the George's fishing. 

 All this fishing for codfish is entirely dependent on the Dominion and 

 Newfoundland herring-fisheries, and without these herring the cod-fish- 

 ery could not be carried on, and would have to be given up. The ice is 

 got on the American shore first, and then is got on the Nova Scotia 

 shore. There is a large fleet of American vessels engaged in the cod- 

 fishing. 



11. That there is also a fleet of some eighty or ninety sail of Ameri- 

 cans trawling for halibut on these coasts. There are quantities of hali- 

 but caught at Booue Bay, right round Anticosti; up the Quebec River, 

 near and above Seven Islands, up as far as Trinity Bay. These are all 

 caught close to shore in three or four fathoms of water. At Anticosti 

 we could often see the halibut on the bottom when we were trawling. 

 This would be about two or three hundred yards from shore. I have 



