AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 1239 



and I have seen from forty to fifty American vessels pass through the 

 " Kittle " between Scatarie and Main-a-Dieu in one day. 



8. On board these American vessels there are from about twelve to 

 fourteen men, and I have been on board one on which there was eighteen 

 hands. 



9. The American mackerelmen come around this coast and fish from 

 about the first of August till late in the fall, and take from about six 

 hundred to a thousand barrels to each vessel. The Amercan cod fisher- 

 men average about one thousand quintals to each vessel and make about 

 two trips each summer. They commence fishing at Scatarie and fish all 

 around here, all along the shore in and out up to Cape North, and last 

 summer I have seen as many as from eight to ten American vessels fish- 

 ing at one time in sight. 



10. The American plan of trawling I consider hurtful to the fishing 

 ground, and the Americans take away a great many fish from our fisher- 

 men. 



11. The inshore fishery includes every kind of fish except codfish, 

 and many of these are taken inshore, and I consider the inshore fishery 

 of far the greatest value. 



JOHN FERGUSON. 



Sworn to at Cow Bay, in the county of Cape Breton, this 25th day of 

 July, A. D. 1877, before me. 



JOSEPH McPHERSON, 

 J. P. for and in the County of Cape Breton. 



No. 120. 



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



of Washington. 



I, JOHN MURPHY, of Lingan, in the county of Cape Breton, fisher- 

 man, make oath and say as follows : 



1. I have been engaged twenty years in the taking of fish, part of the 

 time inshore and part of the time outshore, and have caught mackerel, 

 herring, codfish, and halibut. 



2. The mackerel we always took inshore within three miles. During 

 the past five or six years I have caught mackerel inshore around Lin- 

 gan Harbor, and last year I have seen from ten to fifteen sail of Ameri- 

 can vessels engaged in taking mackerel. These I have seen at one 

 time together, and many around which I did not see. These American 

 vessels were inshore within two miles of the shore in Lingan Harbor. 

 So many mackerelmen diminish the catch of fish for our fishermen, and 

 are injurious to the mackerel, for they keep them flying about on the 

 top of the water, and thus have no time to spawn. During the past 

 five or six years I have seen as many American mackerelmen fishing 

 here. 



3. These American mackerelmen take from five to six hundred bar- 

 rels apiece, and in the fall season, from September along till and in Oc- 

 tober, I have known may of them to make two such cargoes. 



4. The American mackerelmen who fish around here come around the 

 southern and eastern coasts of Cape Breton, and all the codfish and 

 halibut fishermen come around the same way. 



5. On board the American mackerelmen there are about from twelve 

 to fourteen men on each vessel, and on board the codfish and halibut 

 vessels there are the same number. 



