AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 2491 



but never inside of it ? A. I have seen them inside of it, but I never 

 saw them fishing inside of it. 



Q. They were then merely sailing"? A. Yes. 



Q. Then all these British boat-fishermen who made fast to the Amer- 

 ican vessels went outside of the three-mile limit to take advantage of 

 the American bait ? A. Yes. 



Q. And the Americans never came within the three- limit at 



allf A. Not that I have seen. 



Q. Do you think it possible for them to have come inside of it without 

 your having seen them? A. Yes 5 I only stick to what I have seen 

 myself. 



Q. Do you not think it odd that this should be the case during these 

 forty jears? A. I have heard people say that they came inside the 

 limit to fish, but I have never seen them do so ; I do not know as I ever 

 did. 



Q. Do you believe that the American fishermen have ever fished 

 within the three-mile limit on the coast of Nova Scotia, of Prince Edward 

 Island, or of Cape Breton? A. Well, as to the believing part, I have 

 heard men who tell the truth say that they have done so ; but at the 

 same time I have never seen it. 



Q. Do you believe the persons who said so or not ? A. I have heard 

 people say so. 



Q. Do you believe them ? A. I believed one or two men occasionally ; 

 but I do not say whether this is the case or not. I did not see it. 



Q. As far as your experience goes, you believe that the Americans 

 never have fished within three miles of the laud during the last forty 

 years If A. I do not know about that ; that is getting.it rather tight on 

 a man. I might have an opinion that they did do it, and would not like 

 to say that they did not do it ; but I have not seen them do it. 



Q. What is your opinion in this regard f rA. My opinion is, that I do 

 not think that the intruding of the Americans on our shore is worth 

 talking about. I believe this much, that if the people of Nova Scotia 

 would give the American fishermen a little more freedom, the boat fish- 

 ermen would have a better chance. 



Q. You are strongly in favor of the Americans coming inside of the 

 3-mile limit to fish? A. Yes; because then I would not have to row so 

 far off on a calm morning. 



Q. Why? A. When there is no wind, we have to pull the boat off. 



Q. What has that to do with this question? A. We want to get 

 alongside of the vessels, where the bait is thrown, and get some of the 

 fish that the vessels raise. 



Q. You mean that you cannot get any fi.sh within three miles of the. 

 shore at Pictou ? A. No. 



Q. And you cannot get anything there unless the American schooners 



come there and throw bait out? A. Yes nothing worth speaking of. 



. Q. Do the American schooners come off Pictou and throw out bait, as 



a rule ? A. I have seen them between East Point, Pictou Island, and 



Arisaig Wharf, or Gulf Wharf. 



Q. And wherever they throw out bait, you go to fish! A. I have 

 seen them come quite close to the Three-Mile light, at Pictou Island, 

 and raise mackerel half way between that point and the Gulf Wharf. 



Q. And then you got some fish ? A. Yes. 



Q. Then I understand that you wish the Commission' to understand 

 that unless the Americans come there and throw out bait, even the in- 

 shore fishery is good for nothing ? A. Yes ; and you must not think 



