1200 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



They get ice and bait in this harbor. Trawling must be carried on with 

 fresh bait. 



15. The Americans come here to buy bait before herring and mack- 

 erel set in, and make it scarce for our vessels, which is a great injury to 

 our bankers, and without this bait they could not profitably carry on 

 the deep-sea fisheries. 



16. I have never known nor heard of any Canadian vessel fishing in 

 American waters, and I consider this right of no value to Canadian 

 fishermen. 



17. I would consider it to be of great value to Canadian fishermen if 

 the Americans were excluded from our waters, and I know of no benefit 

 that we derive from American fishermen. 



JACOB GEOSER. 



Sworn to at Lower LaHave,in]the county of Lunenburg, this 7th day 

 of August, A. D. 1877, before me. 



JAMES H. WENTZEL, J. P. 



No. 83. 



In the matter of the Fisheries Commission, [at Halifax, under the Treaty 



of Washington. 



I, NATHANIEL JOST, of Lunenburg Town, in the county of Lunenburg, 

 master mariner, make oath and say, as follows : 



1. I have been engaged in the fisheries for twenty-one years. I fished 

 along the southern coast of Nova Scotia, northern side of Cape Breton, 

 around Prince Edward Island, in the Bay of Chaleur, on the eastern 

 coast of New Brunswick, and the Magdalen Islands. I fished mackerel, 

 codfish, and herring. I am acquainted with many American fishermen, 

 Nova Scotian fishermen, and also with the inshore fisheries in the county 

 of Lunenburg. I was master of a vessel for two years, with a crew of 

 seventeen hands, all told. 



2. I have seen, about nine years ago, two hundred sail of fishing ves- 

 sels, mostly American, together in one fleet, near Port Hood Harbor ; 

 many of these were engaged in taking mackerel within three miles of 

 the shore. I have also seen many American mackerel men engaged in 

 taking mackerel around the coasts of Cape Breton, Prince Edward 

 Island, and eastern side of New Brunswick, and many of these fished in- 

 shore. I would say that there were at least four hundred American ves- 

 sels around the before-mentioned coasts taking mackerel. During the 

 past two years I have seen, at one time, in sight, five American vessels 

 engaged in taking codfish on the southern coast of Nova Scotia, and a 

 great many in sailing along; and, at Sable Island this spring I have 

 seen from fifteen to twenty in sight at one time engaged in taking cod- 

 fish. 



3. The Americans, when I fished in the Bay of Chaleur, averaged 

 about six hundred barrels of mackerel to each vessel during the season. 

 The past two or three years cod-fishing vessels averaged from fifteen 

 hundred to two thousand quintals to each vessel during the season. 



4. In my experience mackerel fishing has varied, being some years 

 good and others poor; in '72 and '73 fair voyages were made. Ever 

 since 1869 the codfishing has been good, and when bait and ice could 

 be obtained plenty of fish could be had. On our coasts herring fishing 

 has not been very extensively prosecuted, but when it has herring has 

 always been obtained; I saw this spring an American vessel fitted out 



