AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 2Wl 



Q. Then your opinion is not formed on personal exi*>riencv? A. No 

 only from my being connecte<| with fishing-vessels. 



Q. Your opinion is formed from hearsay ? A. I don't altogether form 

 that opinion from what others say. Partly from that. 



Q. And what else f A. By having had a vessel engaged ,,, the flnhory 

 business for two years which did not run into Newfoundland Ibr bait, 

 but caught more fish than either of the vessels we had there. 



Q. You gave the name of that vessel, the Sarah II. Smith T A. Yen. 



Q. She did not go into Newfoundland for bait, but Hshed with damn 

 altogether ? A. No. 



Q. With what? A. She used principally clam-bait brought from 

 home. 



Q. What else did she use ? A. She used whatever bait she could 

 obtain, whatever they could cut out of fish, also halibut and birds, which 

 they got on the Banks. 



Q. What is the name of the vessels which went in and got bait ! A. 

 Do you refer to 1875 ? 



Q. The same year as the Sarah A. Smith, with which you are making 

 a comparison f A. John A. Lewis. 



Q. Did she go into Newfoundland often for bait f A. Twice, I think. 



Q. Do you know what she paid for bait ? A. No. 



Q. As much as $100? A. I think about 8100. 



Q. How long would she be occupied in getting bait T A. I think, ou 

 an average, ten days. I will give you a little item which convinces me 

 that it takes ten days, as well as my knowledge of the Deb ing-ground*. 



Q. You never went in yourself? A. 1 never was there, but I know 

 where the land lay. 



Q. You have formed an opinion, and that opinion is that it takes leu 

 days? A. Yes. 



Q. If that opinion conflicted with the personal and practical experi- 

 ence of others, you would not be inclined to hold it f--A. Of course, 

 should be inclined to give way to them if they had a knowledge of all 

 the facts of the case ; but I think 1 know something in regard to that. 



Q. I want to know what your opinion is based upon ?--A. A fev 

 before I left home t had a fetter from the captain of the W. H. Hopki 

 saying he had been eighteen days after fresh bait, and had not bt^n 

 able to get it, and that he had just taken in salt bait, and wa.t going 

 back to the fishing-grounds. 



Q. Must he not have considered it very important to get 

 to have remained at Newfoundland IS days. '--A. 1 don't km 

 that part of it. 



Q. He remained there 18 days to procure fresh I 

 not succeed ? A. Yes. 



Q. Then your opinion is based upon what I call hears 

 you have from others ? A. Yes. 



Q. If your opinion differed from that of those who were pre* 

 would not press your opinion against theirs f Suppo- 

 differed from theirs as to the length of time it occupied 1 

 some were to say it did not occupy more than L'l lion 

 press your opinion ?-A. I would not believe it. I would 

 not, in 24 hours, go to Newfoundland, get bait and ret. 



Q. Or in 48 hours >-A. I would doubt that it con 

 hours, under the most favorable auspices. 



Q. It is a mere opinion on your part : you never 

 went in there after bait. We thought we were rm 

 we went there. 



