AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 1093 



previous years. That the increase in the number of fishing-boats does 

 not seem in the slightest to lessen the number of fish ; on the contrary, 

 from the increased quantity of bait used, the effect is rather to keep the 

 fish within the fishing limits where the boats fish. 



That from my experience I would be prepared to swear that at least 

 three-fourths of the total quantity of mackerel caught in the schooners 

 are taken within the three-mile limit, while of the boats I believe almost 

 the entire catch is taken within such limit. 



That for the past two years the American fishing fleet in the gulf has 

 been small, while for many years previously it would average six hun- 

 dred sail. 



That the presence of the fleet along the shores injured the boat-fish- 

 ing because of the mode of fishing, which was, with the wind off shore, 

 to approach the shore as closely as possible and commence fishing, 

 keeping constantly throwing bait and drifting to sea, taking the mack- 

 erel off the shore with them and away from the boats. 



That, as a general rule, my experience has led me to conclude that 

 the American fishing-vessels usually secured two fares during the sea- 

 son in the gulf, and in some cases as many as three fares would be 

 secured. 



The vessels ranged, as a rule, from sixty to seventy tons, and a sin- 

 gle fare would be in the neighborhood of six hundred or seven hundred 

 barrels. 



That in the spring of the year large quantities of herring are taken 

 around our shores, which are used chiefly for mackerel bait. 



That during the season I myself commanded my little schooner, whose 

 tonnage amounted to twenty-seven tons, my catch was 190 barrels of 

 mackerel only, but this I accounted for because I only fished two months 

 out of the season, the vessel being engaged during the rest of the sea- 

 son in the carrying trade; and during the same season my catch of 

 codfish was one hundred and seventy-five quintals of codfish, and three 

 hundred and fifty barrels of herring. 



HUGH J. MONTGOMERY. 



Sworn to at Charlottetown, in Queens County, this 18th day of June, 

 A. D. 1877, before me, the erasures opposite my initials being first made. 



M. McLEOD, 

 Commissioner for talcing Affidavits in tlie Supreme Court 



of P. E. Island. 

 No. 3. 

 DOMINION OF CANADA, 



Province of Prince Edward Island, Prince County, to icit : 

 I, JOHN D. WHITE, of Albertou, in Prince County, in Prince Edward 

 Island, cooper and trader, make oath and say : 



1. That I have now resided twenty-five years on Prince Edward Island, 

 during twenty-three years of which I have been engaged in the fishing 

 business. 



2. Before coming to Prince Edward Island, namely, in the years forty- 

 one and forty-two, I fished off the American coast. The result of the 

 first year's catch was one hundred and sixty barrels, and of the second, 

 seventy-three barrels. Both catches were all made nearly thirty miles 

 from land. No mackerel were then taken by the American fleet off the 

 coast of the United States excepting a long distance from laud ; none 

 were taken within three miles of the coast. 



3. In the year 1852 I came to Prince Edward Island, and in the year 

 1854 settled at Tignish and engaged in the business of coopering and 



