2108 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



Bradley, or about the island, &c. These schools do not change their 

 locations; but the vessels go from one place to another to fish. 



Q. Your idea is that the schools remain more or less in distinct places 

 where they have located themselves ? A. Yes. 



Q. And adopting that idea when fishing you followed the school at 

 the Magdalen Islands around them ? A. I think that was the best fish- 

 ing-ground in the gulf during the years when I was in it. 



Q. Your fishing has been moderately successful here; you took 240 

 and 325 barrels. Was this during two trips or two seasons ? A. Those 

 are trips. 



Q. I see that for a number of years your returns for the American 

 shore were small ? A. Yes, and I will tell you why : I never fished 

 theife all the year ; I was not captain then. 



Q. Is that the only reason why they were small, say from 1865 to 

 1875? I am asking you generally. A. Yes; I was not fishing at all 

 in 1865, but from 1870 to 1875 they were small some years. 



Q. Were the catches on the American coast from 1865 to 1870 small 

 or large ? A. Some were small and some large. 



Q. What was the general catch ? A. Years differed ; some years be- 

 tween 1865 and 1870 the average was fair on our coast. 



Q. And how was it from 1870 to 1875 ? A. They were very fair. 



Q. A little above the ordinary average ? A. No; last year, however, 

 this was the case. 



Q. Your opinion is that the fishery on the American coast has been 

 very good all along, and that it has never shown any decrease to 

 speak of! A. Not for a number of years; there have been poor years 

 and good years. The average has been good. 



Q. You have not had a number of poor years back following each 

 other? A. Not within my recollection. 



Q. There have been no consecutive poor years ? A. Not more than 

 is ordinarily the case. 



Q. If there has been such a run of good fishing along the American 

 coast, how is it that so many hundreds of American vessels have annu- 

 ally frequented bay ? A. I have already said that our vessels never did 

 make a practice of coming to the bay, because our crews were all home 

 men Cape Cod men. I have heard a good many Cape Ann men say, 

 that because their crews are made up of Prince Edward Islanders and 

 Nova Scotians, they prefer the bay ; and another thing a good many 

 ship crews that it don't do to put on our coast. You cannot handle them 

 in our harbors and large places. They get drunk, &c., and they prefer 

 to send these crews to the bay where they can be kept clear of rum, &c. 



Q. These men are a very lawless lot ! A. Yes. 



Q. You think there are two reasons for this : First, the men belong to 

 Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton, and Nova Scotia; and, secondly, 

 they are a very lawless lot, whom it won't do to let into your harbors. 

 Are you sincere in making this statement ? A. Yes ; I would rather 

 have fished on our shore, but having had to ship a crew in Boston, I 

 have had to come to the bay, when if I had had a home crew from Cape 

 Cod ( I would never have thought of it; that is my candid testimony on 

 oath. 



Q. And you would extend that testimony, I understand, to the 500, 

 600, 700, or 800 American vessels that come into the bay ? A. I never 

 saw that many American vessels in the bay. 



Q. If you never were in the Bay of Chaleurs to fish, how on earth can 

 you tell how many were there ; if you were never at Seven Islands, how 

 can you tell how many were there ; and if you were never along between 



