AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. ' 1993 



bay mackerel during the past few years t A. The hay macken-1 



very large when I first went to the bay to fish, and that wa* their rerom 

 mendation ; they were also in good condition physically, that is, fat ; 

 but of late years, the bay mackerel which our vessels have caught ther* 

 have been very poor. The sixteen voyages I mentioned HH having bwn 

 made to the Gulf of St. Lawrence from Provincetown have all been fail 

 ures, on account of the inferiority of the mackerel, and the small quan 

 tity that has been taken by these vessels. 



Q. I notice that the collector at Port Mulgrave, David Murray, MT* 

 that most of the mackerel caught about Prince Edward Inland are umall, 

 and that the best and largest mackerel are taken about the Magd.ilm 

 Islands ; this was in 1874. A. The catch was biggest at the Magdalen 

 Islands. 



Q. This corresponds with your statement ? A. Yes ; I think that 

 better mackerel are taken around the Magdalen Island* than to the 

 westward of them. Up to the present time we always find a vast num- 

 ber of small mackerel, tinkers and blinks, on the fishing grounds ; bat 

 when I first went to the gulf, in 1835, and during the three yean* when 

 I was cod-fishing there, in 1824, 1825, and 1828, we depended wholly on 

 mackerel for bait, and I never at that time saw a small mackerel ; they 

 were all large, and this was afterward the case. 



Q. How large is mackerel spawn ? A. They are about as large a* the 

 head of a common pin. 



Q. Did you ever happen to know of Canadian vessels coming into 

 American waters to fish ? A. Yes ; I saw a vessel in Provincctowii Har- 

 bor which I was told belonged to some place iu the British province*, 

 but I did not go to her. 



Q. When was that ? A. I could not tell. I dare not go as far as that. 



Q. I have your statement made in 1873 with which I can refresh your 

 .memory. You then stated, " In the autumn of 1871 aCanadian schooner 

 of some 70 tons anchored in this port several times in company with the 

 American fleet. She is the only instance of a colonial flshing-wwof 

 which I have any knowledge here." A. That is my statement. 

 gotten the fact of having made it. I still remember that people tok 

 about the schooner, and I made inquiry about her. 



Q. You and Mr. Gifford, the collector, made a joint statement i 

 A. I remember it, and I have no doubt but what there was a 

 there belonging to the provinces. 



Q. We find that mackerel are in abundance at a given phir. 

 and then very scarce there the next year ; I want to fc 

 you attribute such appearance and disappearance to c 

 to the migratory habits of the fish.-A. O, fish do not al 

 to the same place every year. Some years you may g 

 in a locality, while they may not come there another yeai 

 sible for me to know the cause of their not coming to any pla 

 sometimes attribute it to the fact that their bait may ha^ 

 ferent course. The mackerel come to Provincetown every y 

 ing time, but thev do not want any bait then ; and the I 

 know just where'to go to catch them, though they do no 

 these fish are during other parts of the year ; bat when 

 shoal, they go there for bait. 



