AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 1771 



William Nearing, fisherman, Main-a-Dieu, Cape Breton : 



All the codfish and halibut fishermen come around the southern and eastern emit* of 

 Cape Breton, and do not run through the Strait of Canso. During the past five or nix yean 

 I have seen, on an average, upwards of one hundred American fishing- vessels each year 

 around in this vicinity. 



William Edward Gardiner, merchant, Louisburg: 



The American vessels which come here do not pass through the Strait of Canso. 



Thomas Lahey, fisherman, Main-a-Dieu, Cape Breton: 



I have seen in one day from fifty to sixty of these American vessels. These American 

 vessels came round the southern coast of Cape Breton and did not run through the Strait of 

 Canso. During the past five or six years I have seen on an average during the fishing sea- 

 son over a hundred American fishing vessels in and near the waters where I fished, and I 

 have often found it difficult to keep out of their way. Those American vessels take all kind* 

 offish mackerel, codfish, and halibut. On board these vessels there are from sixteen down 

 to ten men on each. 



Isaac Archibald, merchant, Cow Bay, Cape Breton : 



The Americans in this bay have often practiced throwing bait overboard, and thns en- 

 ticing the mackerel off shore. 



John Peach, fisherman. Cow Bay, Cape Breton, fished from Cape North 

 to Scatarie, and in Cow Bay : 



The Americans fish from three miles off shore close up to the land for mackerel, and come 

 in among us inshore fishermen and take the fish away from us. 



James Fraser, master mariner, Sydney : 



During the past ten years I have seen one hundred and sixty American vessels fish ia 

 Sydney Harbor for mackerel in one day, aud large fleets of American fishrag vessels visit our 

 harbor daily for the purpose of catching mackerel during the mackerel season year after 

 year. 



John Ferguson, Cow Bay, Cape Breton : 



, I have seen from forty to fifty American vessels pass through the "Kittle" between 

 Scatarie and Main-i-Dieu in one day. 



John Murphy, fisherman, Lingan, Cape Breton : 



During the past five or six years I have caught mackerel inshore around Lingan Harbor, 

 and last year I have seen from ten to fifteen sail of American vessels engaged in taking 

 mackerel. 



The American mackerel men who fish around here come around the southern and eastern 

 coasts of Cape Breton, and all the codfish and halibut fishermen come around the same way. 



Angus Matheson, fisherman, Sydney, Cape Breton : 



I have canght them in Sydney Harbor, until the bottom of the boat touched th ground. 

 The Americans always come inshore for the mackerel, and when they did not fish them in- 

 shore they baited them off to beyond the three miles. 



At a time when the imaginative faculties of the learned American 

 Agent and counsel had not been appealed to by their government at a 

 time when it bad not yet been discovered that the Americansderived their 

 title to our fisheries from the achievements of a Massachusetts army 

 and navy our American friends bad another basis to rest their claim, 

 also not'to be found in the treaties. Until quite recently, American 

 fishermen were under the firm impression that the mackerel was an 

 American-born fish, from the neighborhood of Newport, Rock Island, 

 Cape Henlopen, Cape May, and other places on the American roust**, 

 which were and are spawning grounds. Under that notion, whatever 

 mackerel was to be found in Canadian waters were nothing but the r 

 grating product of the fertile American coasts. That theory was touc 

 ingly impressed npon the minds of the Joint High Commissioner 

 ing the winter and in the earlv spring which preceded the \\ ashin 

 Treaty. The mackerel of the Canadian waters were represented as a 



