AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 1365' 



at the Magdalen Islands and on the north shore from Natashquan to 

 Belleisle. 



2. The herring spawn here every spring, and never failed since I re- 

 member ; they spawn in May. 



3. The mackerel also spawn here in the month of June. They Hpawa 

 in deeper water than the herring, and do not spawn till after the 

 herring. 



4. The Americans fish here for herring every spring. They generally 

 haul their seines from the shore. 



5. I fished on board American schooners for two seasons, 21 years ago. 

 I fished all round the Magdalen Islands, and on the north shore of the 

 island of Prince Edward, and in the Bay of Chaleur; and the greatest 

 part of the fish taken by these American vessels was so taken close 

 along the shore, and within 3 miles of the coast. We found greater fa- 

 cilities for taking mackerel close inshore, because mackerel are generally 

 more abundant inshore, as they find inshore a greater quantity of small 

 fish upon which they feed. We made one trip each season, taking 400 

 barrels each trip. 



6. From 250 to 300 sail of American mackerel- fishers fish in and 

 around the Magdalen Islands each season, and I have seen 100 in Pleas- 

 ant Bay at one time; and only the other day I saw 72 American ves- 

 sels anchored off Etang du Nord. The schooners we see this year are 

 of much larger tonnage than we used to see formerly. Some are from 

 100 to 150 tons, and have two seines on board. They practice mackerel- 

 seining now more than they used to here formerly, though they also, 

 even the seiners, use the hook and line. The schooners, when loaded, 

 carry from 300 to 400 barrels, that is, the ordinary sized ones ; but the 

 large ones can carry as much as a thousand barrels. 



I hereby swear that the above affidavit is, to the best of my knowledge 

 and belief, correct. 



SAMUEL BOUCHARD. 



The said Samuel Bouchard, of Amherst Harbor, Magdalen Islands, 

 county of Gaspe, and Province of Quebec, has sworn, at Amherst Har- 

 bor, as above, to the truth of this above affidavit, this twenty-first day 

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



P. FORTIN, J. P. 



No. 233. 



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



of Washington. 



I, GABRIEL SEABOYER, of Lower LaHave, in the county of Luuen- 

 burg, master mariner, make oath and say as follows : 



1. I have been engaged in the fisheries for forty years. I have fished 

 as master about eleven years, and have also been interested for the same 

 period of time in vessels engaged in the fisheries. I have fished along 

 the southern coast of Nova Scotia, around Cape Breton, Prince Edward 

 Island, eastern coast of New Brunswick, and around the Magdalenes 

 and Lower St. Lawrence. I have fished mackerel, herring, and cod ft 

 on the above-mentioned coast, and am at present well acquainted wit 

 the inshore fisheries in Luneuburg County. 



2. I have seen in the North Bay at one time upwards of one 

 sail, the most of whom were Americans ; and I have seen at 



Bay a fleet of upwards of two hundred sail, most of whom were Ainen 



