1676 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



O. Yon think they have improved ? A. Yes. They are comfortable in their homes. 

 Q. They are saving people f A. Yes. 



0. I mean those people who catch bait, who are paid in cash on the spot ; have they 

 any market for that except the French and Americans ? A. I think uot. 



Nothing has been attempted since to contradict that statement. It 

 is in accord with the nature of things. There is always danger in put- 

 ting monev in any man's hands, and there is also danger in poverty. 

 The wise man saw that poverty had its perils as well as wealth ; and 

 nothing can be worse for a people in the long run than the condition to 

 which the fishermen of Newfoundland had been reduced. And now, 

 believing fully in this testimony of Mr. Macdounell, I cannot doubt that 

 our coming among them and buying their bait, stimulating them to 

 work, and paying them money, has led to their hoarding money ; has 

 led to the abstinence from those habits which beset much more the half- 

 employed and the idle man, who has a large season of the year with 

 nothing to do, but has a reasonable expectation that, what with his 

 labor and what with his credit, somebody or other who owns a ship will 

 support him and his family. 



I would like, also, to call your attention on this question of getting 

 bait, which is of some importance, to the testimony of Professor Baird, 

 which, I suppose, none of you have forgotten, which shows that we need 

 not catch our bait for the cod in British waters. He is asked on page 

 457 of the American Evidence: 



Q. Well, now, what are the methods of preservation of this bait ? We have heard of 

 their usin^ salt clams, &c. Has much attention been paid to the possibility of greater 

 preservation of the bait than we have ever yet had f A. Yes. The science of preserving 

 bait, as well as of the preservation of fish on shipboard, is very low, indeed, far below 

 what can be applied, and I have 110 doubt will be applied, both in keeping fish for 

 food and keeping it for bait. 



Q. Now, will you state what observation you have made respecting the method of 

 preserving fresh bait from the st*rt all the voyage through ? A. As a general rule it 

 is now preserved either by salting or freezing. Of course they keep ic as long as it 

 will remain without spoiling, and when you have to carry it beyond that time either 

 ice it or salt it. Salting, of course, is a very simple process, but it alters materially the 

 texture and taste to such a degree that fish or other bait that under certain circumstances 

 is highly prized by the fish, is looked upon with a great deal of indifference when salted. 

 Now, there are special methods of preserving the fish or bait by some chemical prepa- 

 ration, which preserves the fish without giring the saline taste. There are preparations 

 by means of which oysters or clams or fish can be kept, in solutions for six months 

 without getting any appreciable taste, and without involving the slightest degree of 

 deterioration or destruction. One process submitted to the group of judges, of -whom 

 I was chairman, was exhibited by an experimenter who placed a great jar of oysters in 

 onr room prepared in that way. I think about the 1st of August those were placed in 

 our room, and they were kept there until the middle of September, for six weeks, during 

 attest portion of the Centennial summer, and that was hot enough. At the end 

 of that time we mustered up courage to pass judgment upon this preparation, and we 

 taated these oysters, and could not find them affected. We would have preferred ab- 

 olotel; fresh oysters, but there was nothing repugnant to the sensibilities, and I 

 ,evo wt consumed the entire jar. And we gave the exhibitor without any question 

 an award for an admirable new method. That man is now using that process on a 

 ery large wale in New York for the preservation of fish of all kinds, and he claims he 

 i keep them any length of time, and allow them to be used as fresh fish quite easily. 

 Ion t Mippoae any fishermen ever thought of using any preservative except salt. 



el , th.-re is a newer method of preservation, is there not? A. There is a better 



n using ice. The method described by the Noank witness, by using what 



,-alent to nnow, allows the water to run off or to be sucked up as by a sponge. 



* being porous prevents the fish from becoming musty. But the coming meth- 



k r bait are what is called thedn/-arjjrocmand the hard-freezing proces*. 



dry-air prm-ei* you have your ice in large solid cakes in the upper part of the 



and your substance to be preserved in the bottom. By a particular mode 



IIJK the connection between the upper chamber and the lower, there is a cou- 



irculution of air, by means of which all the moisture of the air is continually 



nw-d on the ice, leaving that which envelopes the bait or fish perfectly dry. 



other animal substance will keep almost indefinitely in perfectly dry air 



