AWARD OP THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 2357 



Q. Are you able to contradict it? A. Yes; as regards the vessels I 

 have seen. 



Q. Have you any means of knowing? A. No; except what I saw 

 during the six years I was there. 



Q. You have been to those places ? A. Yes. 

 > Q. How often ? A. Six winters running. 



Q. Within the last four years, how often ? A. I have not been there 

 the last four years. 



Q. Have you been there the last ten years ? A. Yes. 



Q. Have you been there the last six years'? A. Yes, I think so. 



Q. Not since ? A. 1 don't think so. 



Q. Are you able to speak with regard to the fisheries there during the 

 last six years ? A. No ; but I never heard there had been any great 

 change. 



Q. Have you endeavored to get any statistics in regard to the fishing 

 on your own coast or any of those coasts ? A. No ; I never knew they 

 were wanted. 



Q. You never made any inquiries ? A. No. 



Q. Then you don't undertake to contradict any of this evidence ? A. 

 I say there never were 125 sail of American vessels of that description 

 buying herring there during the six years I was there or one-fourth of 

 that number. 



Q. I am asking in regard to recently ? A. I cannot say what were 

 there last winter. 



Q. Mr. McLean said further : 



Q. All the rest of the fleet of J50 vessels fish for herring ? A. Yes, of the 100 or 125 

 vessels. 



Q. Will you state to the Commission the process of fishing, what the Americans do when 

 they come down there f A. They come down in their vessels. They frequent our harbors 

 in blustering weather, and in fine weather they go out in the morning and set their nets. 



Is that correct ? A. They never used to do so when I was there. 



Q. You are not able to say anything about the fishing there since 

 always the Washington Treaty ? A. That is new fishing to me. They 

 used to stay in the harbors while I was there, and set their nets. 



Q. 



They have anchors to their nets and large warps, and set a gang of nets, two or four nets 

 to a boat. The nets are allowed to remain out all night and are taken up in the morning, if it 

 is not windy. If it is too windy the vessels remain in harbor, and the nets have to remain in 

 the water until there is a chance to get them taken in. The vessels do not take up the nets ; 

 the boats are sent after them, and in blustery weather it is not a very nice job. The herring 

 is taken on board the vessels. Sometimes if there is a large catch the men take the herring 

 to the beach and -freeze them ; if there is only a small catch they freeze the-n on deck, but 

 they cannot freeze the fish so well on deck as on shore. 



Q. These vessels which receive the herring as soon as frozen are different vessels? A. 

 Yes. They are outside of the 125 I mentioned. 



Q. These are the American vessels which are in the harbors with buyers on board? A. 

 Chiefly American vessels. 



* * * * * * * 



Q. It is much more convenient to land ? A. Yes; with large quantities it is much more 

 convenient to land. 



Q. Is it not a very great convenience and privilege to the Americans to be allowed to do 

 so ? A. I should think so ; I look upon it as such. 



Q. The Americans themselves consider it a privilege to land ? A. I suppose so. 



Q. Obviously it is a very great privilege ? A. It looks that way. I know that all our 

 fishermen have to land to freeze the fish, and the Americans follow the same methods. 

 There is no difference between them at all; at least I do not see any difference. They fish 

 in the harbor just in common with our own men. 



Has that changed any since you were there? A. Yes; I never saw 

 ap American heave a net while I was there and neve: heard of one. I 

 never saw a Gloucester vessel have a net. 



