AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 2403 



they were manned by two men, were they not ! A. From two to three 

 I think they averaged. 



Q. What kind of boats are they f A. Large open boats manned by 

 two or three men. 



Q. Do you know the honorable Stanislaus Francois Poirier ! He has 

 been a leading man in that section and must have been when you were 

 there? A. No. 



Q. I will just call your attention to his statement and ask you if it 

 coincides with what you saw yourself when you were there. By the 

 way, I want to draw a distinction between fishing for codfish or halibut 

 and for mackerel. Do you mean that these boats fished off 10 miles 

 fishing for mackerel, or that you were so informed ? A. Not all ; prin- 

 cipally. 



Qi Perhaps there is no difference of opinion between you at all. I 

 will read his statement from the evidence: 



Q. As a general rule are these fishing-grounds good for mackerel ? A. They are very 

 good. 



Q. At what distance from the shore are the mackerel taken ? A. From the 20th June up 

 through July and August until the 20th September the mackerel are all caught within two 

 miles of the shore around the portion of the island to which we refer. I have been fishing 

 for these 40 years in my own locality and I may safely say that I have never caught mack- 

 erel outside of two miles from the shore around there. 



Q. They were all taken within two miles of the coast ? A. Yes. 



Q. And your recollection extends over a period of 40 years ? A. Yes. I was born i 

 1823, and I began fishing when I was 12 or 14 years of age. I think I can safely say 

 can speak from recollection for forty years back. 



Wbat do you say to that ? A. What is he speaking about small 

 boats ? 



Q. He is speaking of the boats that fish around Tignish. Would you 

 venture, from what experience you gained when there, to contradict his 

 statement in that respect? A. No, sir ; I would not venture to contra- 

 dict his statement. 



Q. When you speak of the fishing being very much depreciated during 

 the past year, did you refer to the fisheries along the coast of Maine? 

 A . Yes. 



Q. They are almost abandoned, are they not ? A. Well, very nearly 

 so. 



Q. Your island, I think, is very near the line between* New Brunswick 

 and the State of Maine ? A. No. 



Q. How far from it? A. Perhaps 240 miles. 



, Q. And you think it has been abandoned because you found there was 

 no profit in the business? A. Yes. 



Q. The years you were in the gulf yourself, what vessel were you in ? 

 A. The D. E. Proctor, of Deer Island, and the Jane Otis. 



Q. Were you pretty successful? A. Not very; we brought out small 

 trips. 



Q. Where did you fish ? A. Between Cape St. George and East Point, 

 Prince Edward Island; between Port Hood and East Point; between 

 East Point and the Magdalen Islands, up to the northward of the island, 

 on those Banks, Bradley and Orphan. 



Q. Did you try Bay Chaleurs at all ? A. No. 



Q. "Sour fishing was at the Magdalens and along the north shore of 

 Prince Edward Island, from East Point to the Cape Breton shore? A. 

 We didn't go around the Cape Breton shore, not down toward Margaree. 



Q. To Port Hood ? A. Yes. 



Q. And your catches were not very large? A. No. 



