1432 AWABD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



12. It is considered a great advantage to American fishermen that 

 they are allowed to fish, laud and dry their nets, and cure aud transship 

 their fish in the Canadian inshores. 



13. The transshipping of cargoes by Americans has been carried on 

 for many years and much to their advantage, as it allows them to make 

 more trips for the fish during the season. This I think is principally done 

 iu the mackerel fishery department. 



14. The Americans, while cod fishing, buy large quantities of bait 

 from the Canadians. They only take time to catch bait when they can- 

 not buy it to advantage. 



15. it would seriously injure the American fisheries if they were pre- 

 vented from using our shores to buy bait and catch it. 



1C. It is considered a great benefit to the American fishermen that 

 they have the privilege of procuring ice to preserve their fish, and to 

 procure supplies such as trawl lines and hooks, which they often lose; 

 also to procure other articles and salt. 



17. I never knew of an instance where our people fish in waters of the 

 United States. 



18. Could not say what value would accrue to American vessels by 

 being allowed to procure bait aud transship fish, but it must be very 

 considerable, perhaps from $400 to $800 to every vessel making use of 

 these privileges. 



19. Cannot say that Americans being allowed to fish iu our waters 

 prevents our fishermen in their general operations, except that it affords 

 larger and more valuable cargoes to be taken by the Americans than 

 they would get were they deprived of our fisheries ; and the catcli being 

 by them large, generally reduces the price of fish, which, of course, in- 

 jures our fishermen indirectly. 



The foregoing statement is true and correct to the best of nay knowl- 

 edge and belief. 



EGBERT S. EAKINS, JR. 



Sworn before me, at Yarmouth, in the county of Yarmouth, this llth 

 day of September, A. D. 1877. 



ENOS GARDNER, J. P. 



No. 302. 



DOMINION OF CANADA, 



Province of Prince Edward Island, Queen's County, 1o wit: 



I, DANIEL Ross, of North Rustico, iu the said island aud Dominion, 

 fish-merchant, make oath and say : 



1. That I reside at North Rustico, in Prince Edward Island, and have 

 resided and carried on the fishery business there tor the past eleven 

 years, previously to which I had, for about six years, been engaged iu 

 the fishery business as an employe" of Captain Marshall aud others. 



2. That my knowledge of the fishing business, as carried on at and 

 Dear Rustico, covers a period of about twenty years. 



3. That, during the past eleven years, while carrying on business for 

 myself, 1 have owned each year four or five boats, and employed about 

 thirty men each season. 



4. That the average catch per season of my boats has been about one 

 hundred barrels of mackerel each, aud each boat takes a crew of about 

 five men. 



5. That I myself am a practical fisherman, and engage personally in 

 the catching and curing as well as in the sale of the fish. 



