2394 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



anchor, and remained until eight or nine o'clock. The highest number 

 offish we have caught to a man has been 260. 



Q. Two hundred and sixty mackerel would make how much more or 

 less than a barrel ! A. The last we caught, 260 would make a barrel. 

 The first we caught it would take nearly 300 to a barrel. 



Q. How does the quality of the mackerel you have been taking this 

 summer in boats range ? A. They range about one-third 3's, about one- 

 third 2's, and one-third ]'s. 



Q. Pretty good mackerel ? A. No. I call them pretty poor. 



Q. Is that a poor average ? How does it compare with the mack- 

 erel you used to take at the Magdalen Islands formerly when vessel- 

 fishing? A. It was a good deal better thau they have been this year. 



Q. Have you sold these hundred barrels? A. No; I only judge about 

 the value; I don't know. 



Q. How have the boats that fished about you beeu doing in compari- 

 son with you ? A. They seem to think they have done very well. They 

 seem to be satisfied. 



Q. Have they caught any more than you have ? A. No ; I think we 

 have caught more than the average. 



Q. Explain how it is that they can be doing well while you regard 

 yourselves as losing money ? A. They are under no expenses. They 

 are farmers, part of them, and they gp out fishing when it suits, so that 

 it is nearly all gain to them. I am under a good deal of expense. 



Q. Have you ever seen the boats fishing with the vessels in former 

 years? A. No, sir; very seldom. 



Q. Have you chartered any schoolers, Gloucester schooners, within 

 one or two years ? A. No ; I chartered my own last year to D. 0. & H. 

 Babsou. 



Q. What did you get for her charter? A. One hundred and fifty dol- 

 lars a mouth for four months, to go to Tracadie and buy and catch 

 mackerel about the same voyage as this year, only last year we went 

 mostly to buy. 



Q. How were you employed last year ? A. I was hired. 



Q. On wages? A. Yes. 



Q. I suppose you have no objections to state them ? A. No j they 

 paid me 875 a month. 



Q. To take charge of the vessel and twelve men ? A. Yes. 



Q. Did you get anything but that? A. Anything except that? 

 No, sir; onfy $L5J a month for the vessel and 875 a month tor myself. 



Q. How were the men paid ? A. Two were on shares, interested in 

 the voyage, and others were hired from $35 to $15 a month. 



Q. Are you speaking now of this year ? A. Last year. 



Q. You ouly got ten barrels of mackerel last year. The result must 

 have been unprofitable to the people who took the charter ? A. Twenty 

 barrels we got, as near as I know; I don't know exactly. I was told 

 then they had sunk between $1,500 and $1,600. 



Q. When a vessel is fitted out for a mackerel-trip, with a dozen men 

 on board or thereabouts, what is the average cost of provisions per day 

 for the men ? A. About 45 cents. 



Q. Do you mean for this year or last year ? A. I mean these last two 

 or three 3' ears. 



Q. How does that compare with what it was 7, or 8 or 10 years 

 ago? A. I should thiuk it took 70 or 75 ceuts eight or nine years ago 

 when things were high. 



Q. Under the war prices ? A. Yes. 



