AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 1869 



Mr. THOMSON. Well, even so, the mackerel Lave not changed their 

 habits. 



Mr. FOSTER. I thought that they had. 

 Mr. THOMSON. Mr. McLeod says: 



During the season of 1852 there were from 460 to 4?(> American vessel* in th gulf 

 mackerelers. In 1854 from 200 to 300 American vessels were li.shiug in the Bay of (..'halmr*. 

 In 1855 from 200 to 300 in that quarter ; probably 600 in the gulf. They told me that thr- 

 were about 600 inside of Canso. In 1856 about the usual number. lu 1*57 the Mine, and 

 up to 1862 about the same thing: also in '64, '65, and '66 the same. In I*i7 there 'werr 

 from 300 to 400 inside the Bay Chaleurs. I have seen in 1867 250 lying at anchor in Port 

 Daniel Bay, and as many more at Paspebiac.on the same day, three-fourth* Annricanj. 



Mr. Philip Vibert, of Perce, Gaspe : 



Of late years few United States vessels have visited our district for mackerel, hut I hav- 

 seen two hundred or three hundred in sight at one time. Not more than four or tive yearn 

 ago I counted 167 from my house. I have seen 300 in Bay Chaleurs, and steaming 

 up to Quebec ; have seen as many more on the way up. The average number from the Out 

 of Canso upwards, I should put at not less than from 350 to 400, averaging 70 or 75 too*. 

 Skippers come ashore, and are communicative ; in fact, in many instances they are interested 

 in other vessels, and they look after the catch, and can tell pretty well what it is. There i 

 no difficulty in arriving at a general estimate of the take of boats. 



A vessel may come into Georgetown with a broken spar, and the captain state that there 

 are 75 vessels at the Magdalen Islands; another vessel would report 100 vessels in Biy 

 Chaleurs. That is the only way in which you can get at the number of vessels in the bay. 



Mr. George Harbour, of Sandy Beach, Gaspe" : 300 is about the average; 

 has seen as many as 50 at one time in the harbor. In 1872 there were 

 at least 300 sail. 



Mr. William A. Sinuet, of Griffin's Cove, Gaspe : Has been told by 

 American captains that there were 300 ; sometimes as high as 500; did 

 not see all that number at one time, but has counted as many as 00-odd 

 sail at one time at Madeleine River. 



The testimony of Angus Grant, Port Ilawkesbury, will be found on 

 page 180. He says : 



From 1854 to 1856 average between 500 and 600 within the bay ; has seen 400 sail in Port 

 Hood at a time. The number increased from 1856 to 186i>, and of larger tonnage. Sine* 

 1869 down, 600 to 700 sail. Quite a large fleet in 1873 ; about 500 in 1874 ; not so many in 

 J875; and 1876, perhaps not quite half of that. This year there is quite a large fleet 

 coming; has seen them coming every day; lives on Strait of Canso, and can sj them 

 across ; average number of United States cod-fishing fleet, from 200 to 300 sail. 



I want to see whether he gives the proportion of the catches made 

 inshore. 



Mr. FOSTER. The bulk of your witnesses did so. 



Mr. THOMSON. Yes, they did do so. Now, let me see what the Amer- 

 icans state in their own affidavits. My learned friend, Mr. Foster, as- 

 sames the catch taken inshore, for the purpose of argument, to be one- 

 third, but I am going to show you that a number of his own aftidavite- 

 affidavits which were made by a number of his own men give this 

 catch a* about one-half, interested as they were ; some of our witneme* 

 placed it at nine-tenths, and consequently I think that this Comintaww 

 may fairly assume that at least three fourths of these catches are taken 

 inshore. 



I will take affidavit No. 201, contained in Appendix M. 



Mr. FOSTER. Eead the whole of it. 



Mr. THOMSON. It runs as follows : 



I, Roderick McDonald, of Low Point, Nova Scotia, do declare and say on oath a f< 

 I am living at Low Point, Inverness County, Nova Scotia; am over thirty ; y 

 been fishing for about 12 years, until three years ago, when I knocked off 

 was scarce in the bay, and it did not pay; the mackerel-fashing has much Ufa 

 the last six or seven years ; during these six or seven years the average yearly 

 been over one-half of what it was eight or ten years ago ; during some seasoi 



