AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 1315 



15. The free market of the United States is also of no value to ug. 



16. Many disturbances have been caused on shore by the American 

 fishermen. On one occasion they abducted a young girl, a minor 

 against the consent of her parents ; fortunately one of the cutters was' 

 near at hand, and, overtaking the American vessel, got back the girl. 



17. I consider that much damage is done on the fishing grounds by 

 the Americans throwing overboard offals. They kill the fish by this 

 practice. 



18. The privilege granted to Americans of landing on our shores to 

 dry their nets, cure therr fish, of obtaining bait in our inshore waters 

 as well as of fishing there generally, is one that is exceedingly injurious 

 to us, and of very great value to them. 



I hereby swear that the above statement is to the best of my knowl- 

 edge and belief correct. 



FRAXCIS LEBRUN. 



The said Francis LeBrun has sworn to the truth of the above affidavit 

 at Perce, this 13th day of August, A. D. 1877, before me. 



P. FORT IX, J. P. 



Xo. 189. 



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



of Washington. 



I, WILLIAM JOHNSTONE, of House Harbor, Magdalen Islands, county 

 of Gasp6, Province of Quebec, merchant, make oath and say as follows : 



1. Have been acquainted with all the fisheries that are carried on 

 about the Magdalen Islands for the last 27 years. 



2. Fishing by the Americans for herring about the Magdalen Islands 

 has been extensively carried on. Their vessels average about 65 tons ; 

 the herring vessels have 8 men. and mackerel vessels from 12 to 15 men 

 each for a crew. 



3. The American herring fishing vessels take away yearly from the 

 islands about 600 barrels in bulk each. 



4. The Americans carry on the herring fishery by means of seines and 

 nets. They are obliged to land in order to fish ; they have erected 

 establishments on shore latterly. 



5. The practice of throwing the offal of fish overboard, as done by the 

 Americans, is highly injurious to our fisheries, because its gluts the fish, 

 and, decaying on the bottom, poisons the water, driving away the large 

 fish, and killing the young and eggs. 



6. During and before the Reciprocity Treaty the Americans have 

 always fished from the beaches about the Magdalen Islands. 



.7. The inshore fisheries about the Magdalen Islands are of much 

 greater value than the outside. 



8. I have seen the Americans many times in each season come in 

 among our boats whilst they were fishing mackerel in Pleasant Bay, and 

 by throwing superior bait entice the fish away with them. . These vessels 

 drift in a straight line, and all the boats anchored in their way are 

 obliged to move or be run down. 



9. The hauliug-seines are used from the shore. The purse-seiu 

 tucked in deep water, but always inshore. The purse-sein i.s injurious 

 to the fisheries, because it gathers in all kinds of fish, both large aoc 

 small. The large mackerel only are saved; the others are thrown away 

 dead, which destroys the ground as well as the fishery. 



