AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 1175 



^O. 59. 



Personally appeared before me, Philip Hubert, esq., Stipendiary 

 Magistrate at Harbor Breton, Fortune Bay, this twenty-third day of 

 May, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven, Mr. HENRY 

 GIOVANNINNI, of Rencontre, Fortune Bay, merchant, who upon oath 

 voluntarily saith : 



I have been carrying on trade in Newfoundland over twenty years. 

 My business calls me to many harbors along the coast, principally from 

 Cape La Hune to Cape Chapeau Rouge. I have occasion to transact 

 some business with United States vessels very often. I can affirm that 

 at least twenty-five United States vessels shipped herrings, mostly in a 

 frozen state, from first of January to last of February of present year 

 (some of them made two trips during that time), from Fortune Bay for 

 ports in United States ; they each carry from 400 to 600 barrels of her- 

 ring when frozen, and from 800 to 1,200 barrels when salted. Since last 

 of April to present date at least thirty United States fishing-vessels 

 have arrived in Fortune Bay for bait (herring) and ice for their own use. 

 Some have already made two trips to the Banks, and are making five 

 trips ; each vessel takes from 30 to 50 barrels bait each trip, aud from 

 three to five tons of ice. 1 can affirm that our (English) fishermen suf- 

 fer and lose much for the want of bait in the summer season, the cause 

 of which they attribute to the large numbers of seines which are contin- 

 ually employed hauling for those vessels. One United States vessel, 

 now at St. Jacques, Fortune Bay, is shipping herring for United States; 

 she will carry 6,500 barrels when loaded. I am able to state that it is 

 the general opinion in Fortune Bay that if the usual numbers of United 

 States vessels continue to draw on Fortune Bay for their bait, that in a 

 very few years there will be none, either for our fishermen or them. 



HENRY GIOVANNINNI. 



Sworn before me, at Harbor Breton, Fortune Bay, Newfoundland, 

 this 23d of May, 1877. 



PHILIP HUBERT, 



Stipendiary Magistrate. 

 No. 60. 



JAMES PHILIP SNOOK, aged 29 years, preventive officer, residing at 

 Fortune, in the district of Burin, Newfoundland, rnaketh oath and saith 

 that^- 



1 have 'observed a number of United States fishing vessels in this 

 neighborhood and its proximities, probably from sixty to seventy, during 

 the past summer. I can only name a few of these vessels. (See paper 

 marked Fortune A.) The vessels named in paper marked Fortune A, 

 with P before their names, denotes that these vessels paid light dues ; 

 those marked G denotes that these vessels paid light dues elsewhere ; 

 those marked O denotes that these vessels did not pay light dues, they 

 refusing to do so ; the master of Gertie F. Foster CampUell by name- 

 especially, was very abusive and violent, he not only refusing to pay his 

 light money, but also counseling the master ot the schooner Victor and 

 David M. Hilton not to pay their light dues. 



These vessels all came into this bay to purchase fresh bait, and they 

 did procure such bait. My visit to some of these United States vessels 

 was on the occasion of their second trip from the Banks, they not hav- 

 ing come on this side of the bay on their first trip. 



United States fishing vessels have fished on the inshore fishing- 



