2250 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



Q. During what years ? A. 1870, 1871, and 1872. 



Q. And what have you been doing since ? A. I have been at the Bay 

 of Islands. 



Q. Were you fishing on the Grand Banks forx;od or halibut ? A. For 

 both. 



Q. During those years you caught your fish with fresh bait ? A. 

 Mostly. 



Q. You went to St. Peter's and hired parties there to go to Fortune 

 Bay and fish ? A. I did at times. I sometimes ran right up to the bay. 



Q. You had no experience at the Grand Banks prior to 1870 ? A. 

 No. 



Q. Other American vessels pursued the same course you adopted ? 

 A. I don't know anything about other vessels. I know what I have 

 done. I have seen other vessels where I was. 



Q. Did you ever fish with salt bait ? A. Yes ; one trip for cod ; not 

 for halibut. We always fish with salt bait if the fresh gives out. 



Q. When was that trip ? A. In 1870. 



Q. Where did you get the salt bait ? A. We took it from Salem. 



Q. What quantity did you take with you ? A. I don't remember. 



Q. You left Salem, and went from there to where ? A. To Grand 

 Banks. 



Q. You fished with salt bait, and continued there how long ? A. Till 

 the latter part of October. 



Q. You were absent about six weeks ? A. Yes. 



Q. Did you then return to Salem, or did you go in for fresh bait ? A. 

 I never went in for fresh bait. 



Q. What fish did you take ? A. Cod and halibut. 



Q. How much ? A. About 75,000 pounds. 



Q. Do you remember how much cod and how much halibut ? A. Be- 

 tween 8,000 and 10,000 pounds of flitched halibut, salted. 



Q. You remember distinctly that was the quantity ? A. Between 

 8,000 and 10,000 pounds ; I don't exactly recollect. 



Q. You were only absent a period of six weeks ? A. We left home in 

 September, and we left the Banks about 20th October. 



Q. The fish were very plentiful about that time ? A. I never found 

 them very plentiful ; some did. 



Q. To get so large a quantity in so short a time, they must have been 

 very plentiful? A. We don't call fish very plentiful to catch that quan- 

 tity in six weeks' trawling ; we did not then. I have known vessels 

 catch double the quantity in half the time. 



Q. That is your only experience in fishing with salt bait ? A. Yes ; 

 beyond what I have seen among the French. 



Q. Have you ever fished in French vessels? A. No; but I have been 

 on board those vessels and seen the men fish, and seen them take bait. 



Q. You say they always fish with salt bait ? A. All I have ever seen. 



Q. How many vessels have you beeu on board of? A. A dozen. 



Q. What year? A. Every year I have been there. 



Q. Where were you, on the Banks ? A. Yes. 



Q. Can you say that they ever fish with fresh bait ? A. I never saw 

 them fish with fresh bait, anything more than what they caught them- 

 selves. 



Q. Don't you know that of late they are beginning to use fresh bait! 

 A. They may be. 



Q. Don't you know that they are beginning to use fresh bait in conse- 

 quence of Americans using fresh bait in such large quantities on the 



