AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 1855 



Davies to admit the facts which I have Shown. It is significant al*o 

 that Low was put forward by Mr. Dana as a gentleman who would pot 

 in statements direct from books in order to insure accuracy, and Sir. 

 Dana himself takes this view in his speech, for he says, after comment- 

 ing somewhat severely on the British evidence, " Now, let ns turn to 

 evidence that can be relied on" the evidence of books. Yet Low, though 

 he had full access to the books, did not care to take the whole of the 

 contents, such as they were, but he chose only to take certain figure* 

 and hold back those on the other side of the account in favor of the 

 gulf fisheries; and he is obliged to .admit that he made the statement 

 up merely as an estimate. This is significant, because at first it WM 

 put forward that all these were accurate statements. Why the man 

 who came here professedly to give the contents of the books of the 

 Gloucester merchants engaged in the fishing business should give an 

 estimate instead of the actual facts passes my comprehension. 



Mr. FOSTER. You are entirely incorrect ; the statement he came 

 here with was an estimate. He made an estimate for one voyage, after 

 putting in the result of the analysis of the trip-books, and after the whole 

 trip-books were before you. 



Mr. THOMSON. I say that the trip-book only shows certain expenses 

 connected with a particular voyage ; not the whole expenses of the ves- 

 sel. There was no record therein as to what was paid for provisions, 

 for coal, and a number of articles. And while I am on that subject I 

 may mention that hard coal was charged in one of the accounts I for- 

 get which, but your honors will recollect at the rate, I think, of $10 a 

 ton. It struck me as an exceedingly high price, when it can be bought 

 in St. John for $5.50 and perhaps less. It struck me as very CM Id. 



Mr. FOSTER. It depends on the year. 



Mr. THOMSON. Well, this year. Cord wood for what purpose it is re- 

 quired I do not know is entered at $8 or $10 a cord^ while Mr. Patillo 

 said in cross-examination that he had bought it at $2.73 per cord. These 

 are all little straws on the current showing which way it is running. 



Mr. FOSTER. He never said that in the United States he could buy it 

 at that price. 



Mr. THOMSON. He got it at Canso. He said the American fishermen 

 all got their wood at Uanso ; and I then asked him how much they paid 

 for it. It is wholly absurd to suppose that shrewd American fishermen 

 would buy their wood in the United States and pay a high price, when 

 they could get it at Canso, which was directly on their route, at I 

 cord. 



Mr. FOSTER. He has been out of the business since the end of 

 war, and Steele's books are for later years. 



Mr. THOMSON. I apprehend that Steele's trip-books do not 

 was paid for wood, and the other books have not been produced. 

 true the extraordinary offer was made to us that we should go do 

 examine all the books of the Gloucester merchants. I greatly 

 whether the learned Agent of the United States could have I 

 out if I had gone into one of the Gloucester houses and asked t 

 books. 



Mr. FOSTER. You had better come and see. 



Mr. THOMSON. And besides, judging from the two set? 

 which have been filed, both professing to come from one i 

 it appears as if these were different sets of entries in the j 

 relating to the same subject, or that they were taken f 

 books. . - ... . 



Mr. DANA. Do you mean that the offer was not made i 



