1984 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



Q. How many did you so catch '? A. During my first year in the 

 Gulf of St. Lawrence, when we got 180 barrels, we fished at the west 

 end of the Magdalen Islands, and when we set out to go home, the wind 

 freshened from the southward, and we struck in somewhere near St. 

 Peter's Sandhills, as we called the place, and while reefing the foresail, 

 we hove the vessel to, and I threw out a few shovels full of bait. Mack- 

 erel came up, and seemed to be very abundant, but we only caught 

 about half a barrel. Night came on just as soon as the foresail was 

 reefed, and hoisting it up, we hauled in the hand-lines instead of an- 

 choring there, and went about along shore, hove to and let the vessel 

 drift off. Next day we got back to Pleasant Bay, Magdalen Islands. 

 That was all we got there that voyage, and we never fished anywhere, 

 or caught any mackerel on the Prince Edward Island side, or anywhere 

 within the restricted limits, until 1842. During that year I was pass- 

 ing Port Hood late in the afternoon it was just nightfall when I hove 

 to and tried the school, and I do not think that I was at the time three 

 miles offshore. I did not fish there over a day, and we obtained a few 

 mackerel, perhaps six or seven barrels. When I came to talk with the 

 crew, some said we were six miles offshore, and some four miles, and so 

 on; but I will tell you what I thought about it: This was, that if a cut- 

 ter came along he would take me, so I considered that I did not need 

 to stay there. Soon after dark I discovered a vessel running down ap- 

 parenty towards the Strait of Canso, and hauling up for us. I was 

 afraid she was a cutter, and I was then very sorry that 1 had obtained 

 any mackerel there. She happened, however, not to be a cutter, and I 

 got away the next day. This was all the mackerel I ever caught within 

 the three-mile line. 



Q. Since you ceased fishing for mackerel in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, 

 have you fished for mackerel anywhere ? A. O, yes; some, though not 

 a great deal. I fished some on our coast. 



Q. Before I make any general inquiries on that subject, I wish you to 

 make a statement, if you have prepared such a one, as to the whole 

 number of mackerel-fishing vessels which have gone from Province- 

 town, where you reside, to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and their catch 

 since 1870. A. Going back to 1870, we had that year 41 vessels en- 

 gaged in mackerel-fishing, not one of which went into the gulf. They 

 all fished on our coast. The aggregate quantity of mackerel which they 

 all packed was 37,552 barrels. In 1871, we had still 41 vessels, which 

 still continued to fish on our coast, having done pretty well there the 

 year before. None went to the gulf. The aggregate catch which these 

 vessels packed amounted to 24,918 barrels. In 1872 we had 36 vessels, 

 of which 3 went to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, leaving 33 fishing on our 

 own coast. These 30 vessels packed out 16,303 bbls., and the 3 vessels 

 which went to the gulf packed out 785 barrels, making an average, per 

 vessel, of 2(11^ barrels. 



In 1873, when the Washington Treaty went into effect, as we intended 

 going to the bay, having now no fear of the cutters, we enlarged our 

 bay ileet, and so 6 went there that year instead of 3. Two of these 6, 

 or one-third of them, were lost in the gale in which so many vessels 

 were lost. The vessels lost were the schooner Helen M. Woodward, off 

 the Magdalen Islands the vessel was a total loss and the Carrie P. 

 Kich, off North Cape, Prince Edward Island, vessel and crew total loss. 



The latter went to the bay early in the year, and she had shipped 

 some mackerel home before the gale took place. She was lost with all 

 she had on board. The whole catch of these six vessels that year was 

 845 barrel?. In 1873 we had 38 vessels, and their total catch was 



