2326 AWAKD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



answer was simply that some had their choice ? A. If I spoke a vessel 

 and he said there was a good prospect at Bradley, I should go there. If 

 lie said there was good fishing on the Magdalens, I should go there. 



Q. I thought your answer was that some would have their choice; that 

 no matter what they heard, they would still go to the same places ? A. 

 I would go where I got good catches the year before. 



Q. Then you didn't hear of others fishing in other places ? A. I have 

 heard of them fishing at Bradley, and Magdalens, and up the gulf. 



Q. Those are the places you went yourself? A. I know. I have 

 heard of them catching off the island and Margaree. 



Q. And Cape Canso ? A. No ; not Cape Canso. 



Q. Bay Chaleurs ? A. I never was up there. 



Q. I was not asking you that, but whether you heard of vessels being 

 there ? A. Yes ; I have heard of vessels being there. 



Q. And at Gaspe ? A. Yes. 



Q. Up above Gaspe ? A. Well, I have heard of vessels catching 

 mackerel there. 



Q. Both sides of the St. Lawrence, close inshore? A. Not close in. 

 I never was there. 



Q. Well, never mind whether close in or not in the mouth of the St. 

 Lawrence I A. I don't know that I ever heard of any. I don't recol- 

 lect any time. 



Q. You have heard of fishing on the shores of the island, Margaree, 

 Bay Chaleurs, and Gaspe ! A. Yes ; I have heard. 



Q. Did you hear of them being caught on both sides of the river, at 

 the mouth ? A. No. 



Q. At Seven Islands ! A. Not to catch a trip there. 



Q. Above Seven Islands? A. I ne^er heard of it. We spoke a ves- 

 sel that had been there, but had caught nothing. I have heard of ves- 

 sels trying there. I don't know whether they caught anything or not. 



Q. Now, Mr. Dana put it to you whether the bend of the island was 

 a very dangerous place; I think you gave him an answer with regard to 

 some month ? A. I said it was worse in the month of September or 

 October than in the summer. 



Q. Was your answer confined to that month f What about July and 

 August ? A. Well, if a vessel saw fish there I suppose they would fish. 

 It is very seldom that we have a gale in July or August, although we 

 do have them. 



Q. It was not on account of the danger that you kept away ? A. No. 



Q. The danger had nothing to do with your fishing ? A. No. 



Q. You never kept any account so far back as 1838 or 1839 of what 

 proportion of fish were caught within in any year ? A. I recollect par- 

 ticularly about 1838. There was a few mackerel caught in Pleasant 

 Bay. We did not know anything about inshore fishing at that time. 

 It was not understood at that time. 



Q. Now, I don't want to trouble you with reading any opinions, but 

 about what time was it ascertained that the mackerel-fishing was in- 

 shore ? A. I could not tell. 



Q. At the time you mentioned it was not known that it was an in- 

 shore fishery at all ? A. No ; not to my knowledge. 



Q. It was after it was ascertained that it was an inshore fishery that 

 you heard of a difficulty about the limit ? A. Yes. 

 By Mr. Dana : 



Q. I wish to ask you with reference to the last question when you 

 ascertained that the mackerel fishery was an inshore fishery f A. I 

 stated it was not in the year 1838. 



