AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 1245 



superior to, that of fifteen years ago. The herring about the same. 

 Mackerel are not as plenty here as they were twenty years ago, but it 

 might be accidental. 



7. The Americans take mackerel with hand-lines, purse and hauling- 

 seines. 



8. The Americans mostly fish inshore at Seven Islands, and half of 

 the time at Bay Chaleurs. 



9. I have seen American vessels leave Seven Islands loaded with 

 mackerel caught inshore. I have also seen them hauling the seines 

 ashore, I should say with over a hundred barrels of mackerel. 



10. The inshore fishery is of greater value than the outside. All the 

 herring, caplin, launce, two-thirds of the codfish, and most of the hali- 

 but are taken inshore. 



11. I have seen the Americans throw bait and entice the mackerel to 

 their vessels, and the boats belonging to our coast could not take many. 



12. A good part of the mackerel are taken by the Americans with 

 seines. Most of those that I have seen seining were fishing inshore. 



13. The bait the Americans take on these shores for the cod and hali- 

 but fisheries is taken inshore. I have seen them several times taking 

 bait with nets and seines. 



14. I think the codfishing has not changed since 1871. 



15. The Americans take all the herring inshore ; they take them for 

 bait. 



16. Mackerel feed along the shores of the Bay Chaleur, Seven Islands, 

 Moisie and Mingan, and in fact all the places that I have visited. In 

 the Gulf of St. Lawrence and on the North Shore and Bay Chaleur 

 they feed inshore on small fish, &c. 



17. I consider it a great advantage to the Americans to be able to 

 land, dry their nets, and cure their fish. 



18. I consider it a great advantage to Americans to be able to trans- 

 ship their cargoes because it enables them to continue fishing, instead 

 of going to the United States or elsewhere with their cargoes. 



39. It is an advantage to the American fishermen to be able to pro- 

 cure bait in our waters, either to buy or catch it. If they buy it, it is 

 because they find it more profitable than to catch it themselves in order 

 to save time. 



20. It would be impossible for the Americans to carry on the cod and 

 halibut fishery without being able to procure bait in our inshore, that 

 is to say profitably. 



21. It is of no advantage to us to be able to fish in American waters. 



22. The' privilege of transshipping cargoes is worth a load ; and the 

 privilege of getting bait in our inshores for cod and halibut is equal to 

 their fishery. 



23. I believe that the privilege of fishing by the Americans in our 

 waters injures the fishery very materially. 



JOHN K. HAMILTON. 



Sworn, to the best of his knowledge, information, and belief, at New 

 Carlisle, county of Bonaventure, Province of Quebec, Dominion of 

 Canada, this 24th day of July, A. D. 1877, before me. 



N. LAVOIE, 

 Justice of the Peace, Province of Quebec. 



