1448 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



Sworn to at North Eustico, in Queen's County, Prince Edward Island, 

 this 10th day of July, A. D. 1877, before me, having first been read 

 over and folly explained to the said Dominick Doviant. 



WM. S. McNEILL, 

 J. P., Queen's County. 



No. 312. 



I, EGBERT CARSON, of North Eustico, in Queen's County, in Prince 

 Edward Island, fisherman, make oath and say : 



1. That I have been engaged in fishing in Eustico for about six 

 years, and that my experience has been mostly in boat-fishing, and I 

 am acquainted with the fishing-grounds on this side of the island. 



2. That there are about eighty boats fishing out of North Eustico, 

 averaging about five hands to each boat as crew, besides the men em- 

 ployed on shore at the stages curing the fish, the men on shore being 

 about one man for each boat, so that each boat gives employment to 

 about six men. 



3. The boats catch, on an average, about one hundred barrels of 

 mackerel to each boat, besides hake and codfish. About two miles from 

 the shore is the best part for mackerel fishing. They are sometimes 

 caught farther off. 



4. The boats have doubled in number in the last five years. The 

 boats themselves are much better than they were, both in hull and rig- 

 ging, and they are still increasing in number and improving in outfit 

 and in every respect. 



5. That there is a class of men about here who are entirely devoted 

 to fishing and go in for nothing else. The reason people go in for fish- 

 ing about here is that it is found to pay, and it affords employment to 

 men who otherwise would be unemployed. 



6. There are large numbers of Americans fishing off this coast every 

 year. They often fish close inshore. Fishermen look upon the coming 

 of the Americans as an injury to the fishing; they draw off the fish. 

 They come inshore, throw bait, and drift off, taking the fish with them. 

 Their coming is looked upon as an injury to the boat-fishing. They 

 dress their fish on the fishing-ground and throw the offal overboard, 

 thus causing great injury to the fishing. Fishermen never want to see 

 them around. 



7. The right of transshipment is invaluable to the Americans, as they 

 are thereby enabled to come in and refit, and ship away their fish with- 

 out loss of time, so that they are nearly able to make another trip while 

 they would have been away carrying their fish home. They are also 

 enabled to take advantage of the markets; if there is a good price for 

 mackerel, the schooners can come in, land their fish, and ship them away 

 without loss of time. 



8. The Americans generally fish at from two to three miles from the 

 shore, although at odd times they fish farther off. 



9. The fish generally come down from the Magdalen Islands to our 

 shore, and the Americans follow the fish. 



EOBEET CAESON. 



Sworn to at North Eustico, Queen's County, Prince Edward Island, 

 this 10th day of July, A. D. 1877, before me. 



WM. S. McNEILL, 

 J. P., Queen's County. 



