AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



(of which there are 120) ninety quintals. Complaints of American fUh. 

 ermen fishing close to the shore and attracting mackerel to sea. One 

 schooner took seventy and another sixty barrels in one day close to the 

 beach. Mr. Kobins and Mr. Botillier have the largest establishments 

 here. 



Mai Bay. Made two American vessels weigh and proceed to sea, who 

 were at anchor without any good reason. In consequence of a strong 

 current was unable to reach St. Peter's before dusk, and being a dan- 

 gerous place to visit at that hour made sail for Gaspe Bay. St. Peter's 

 has eighty two boats and the cod fishery has been successful. 



Gaspe Bay. Owns nearly 200 boats, of which Douglas Town claims 

 thirty. The average catch has been fifty quintals per boat, which was 

 considered good. M. Botillier, Janveiu, Wilson, and Prichard have 

 establishments in Gasp6 Harbor. Three English schooners engaged in 

 the mackerel fishery, which they prosecuted by seines, arrived trom the 

 Bay of Seven Islands, Labrador, in which harbor they had seen as many 

 as forty American schooners engaged in mackerel fishery ; almost all 

 had left in consequence of the fish not having struck in. It was stated 

 that the Americans had set fire to the woods, and made themselves very 

 troublesome. Five schooners belong here engaged in the whale trade, 

 and have been very successful, and three schooners in the cod fishery. 



At Grand Greve as many as fifty American schooners have been fish- 

 ing close to the beach for mackerel. 



REMARKS. 



The curious circumstance that about 1,(!00 sail of American schooners 

 find it very remunerative to pursue the herring and mackerel fisheries 

 on the shores of our northern provinces, while the inhabitants scarcely 

 take any, does indeed appear strange, and apparently is to be accounted 

 for by the fact that the colonists are wanting in capital and energy. 

 The Jersey merchants, who may be said to possess the whole labor 

 market, do not turn their attention to these branches. The business of 

 the Jersey houses is generally, I believe, with one exception, carried on 

 by agents; these persons receive instructions from their employers to 

 devote their whole time and energy to the catching and curing of cod. 

 "Such constant attention to one subject appears at least to engender a 

 perfect apathy respecting other branches of their trade. They are all 

 aware, I believe fully aware, of the advantages to be derived from 

 catching the herring and mackerel, when these come in shoals within 

 a few yards of their doors, but still nothing is done. 



Commercial relations of long standing, never having engaged in the 

 trade before, possible want of the knowledge of the markets, and the 

 alleged want of skill among the fishermen of the method of catching 

 and curing these fish, together with the twenty per cent, duty on Kng- 

 lish fish in America, may tend to induce the Jersey houses not to enter 

 into these branches. Added to all these reasons the capital ol the prin- 

 cipals is, I am informed, in most instances small. It will probably be 

 difficult to find about the Bay of Chaleurs and Gaspe any fishermen not 

 engaged by some one of the numerous Jersey houses; and it may 1) 

 said that a new branch of industry would much interfere with thec 

 fishery, but so lucrative a trade as'the herring and mackerel one v 

 prove would enable higher wages to be given than are done for cod, 

 fact I believe that very small, if any, wages are given at all, the B 

 due to the fisherman for his summer labor being absorbed m It 

 clothing for himself and family, repairs of boats and fishing gear, al 



