AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 1447 



13. The mackerel, I believe, in the spring and first part of the Hummer 

 strike in to the northward first, arid then work up to the westward along 

 by Bay Chaleur, the North Cape, and the bend of this island. The 

 Americans and all skillful fishermen know about the habits of the flan 

 and follow them up. 



THOMAS WALSH. 



Sworn to at Sonris, in King's County, Prince Edward Island, this 21st 

 day of July, A. D. 1877, before me, 



JAMES MCDONALD, 



Justice of Peace for King's County, Prince Edward Island. 

 No. 311. 



I, DOMINICK DOVIANT, of North Eustico, in Prince Edward Island, 

 farmer and fisherman, make oath and say: 



1. That I have been engaged in fishing for over twenty years at North 

 Eustico aforesaid, both in boats and schooners, but principally in boats, 

 and am thoroughly acquainted with the fishing business and best 

 grounds for catching fish. 



2. That there are about eighty boats used in fishing out of North 

 Eustico, with an average of from five to six men in each boat, besides 

 one man to each boat engaged in attending to the stages and fish on 

 shore. 



3. That within the past ten years the number of boats has more than 

 doubled, and are very much better in build and outfit, as well as larger. 



4. That this increase is owing to more attention being paid to fishing 

 now than was formerly men now using it entirely as a means of liveli- 

 hood, whereas some years ago they combined fishing with some other 

 occupation. 



5. That the average catch of each boat is, taken one year with another, 

 from one hundred and forty to one hundred and fifty barrels of mackerel, 

 and about fifteen quintals of codfish the cod-fishing being only followed 

 about one month before and after the mackerel. 



6. That a small schooner of fifteen tons will catch about one hundred 

 and eighty quintals of cod in a season. 



7. That on this island there are very few schooners employed in either 

 the cod or mackerel business, the American vessels principally doing 

 that kind of fishing. 



8. That the American fishing fleet around this island generally num- 

 bers about five hundred schooners, averaging a catch of between four 

 and five hundred barrels of mackerel each in a season. 



9. That the Americans generally fish between two and two and one- 

 half miles from the shore, sometimes nearer. The great bulk of their 

 mackerel being caught inside of three miles from the shore. 



10. That invariably the American fishermen spoil the boat-fishing 

 when they come near them, lee-bowing the boats and drawing the fish 

 away, and after a catch throwing the offal overboard and sickening the 

 fish so that none can be caught in the same place for a day or two after. 



11. That; the right of transshipment is valuable to the Americans, 

 both on account of the time saved between landing the fish hen? am 

 taking them home, and from the cheapness of fitting out here and the 

 better opportunities of "catching" the market. 



bis 



DOMINICK + DOVIANT. 



mark 



