2546 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



conld not say that there is any rule for that. The fish often are on the 

 Banks when, perhaps, they may not be found in very shoal places in any 

 quantity, but still some mackerel might be there. 



Q. I notice that you had some vessels in the gulf in 1866 and 1867, 

 when licenses were taken out. You have not examined the record ot 

 your business for those years, I believe ? A. No. I had only access to 

 my own books, and the books containing that information were in the 

 possession of another concern. 



Q. How many vessels did you have in the gulf in 1866 ? A. Six or 

 seven, I think, but I could not give the number exactly. 



Q. If the figures that are given me are correct, you must have had 

 more than that ; I will name them over. Was the Winged Arrow oue 

 of the vessels you had in the gulf that year? A. Yes. 



Q. And the Eureka another ? A. She was owned by the master, but 

 was fitted out by us. 



Q. Was the Ada L. Harris another ? A. Yes. 



Q. And the Arequipa another ? A. Yes. 



Q. Had you the A. J. Franklin also there ? A. Yes. 



Q. And the Bridget Ann ? A. She was owned by the master, but 

 fitted out by us. 



Q. And the Northerner? A. Yes. 



Q. And the Alferetta? A. Yes; the captain, however, owned part 

 of her. 



Q. And the Colonel Ellsworth ? A. Yes. 



Q. Several of these were owned by you and the rest YOU fitted out ? 

 A. Yes. 



Q. These vessels are put down as having taken out licenses in 1866 ; 

 who paid for these licenses, and how were these payments charged f 

 A. My impression is that they were charged to the stock of the vessels. 



Q. *So that one-half of their cost was paid by the men? A. That is 

 my impression. 



Q. Explain why you took out licenses in 1866, when it was the habit 

 of your vessels to fish at the places you have mentioned. A. Well, we 

 thought it was better for the vessels to take out licenses to avoid any 

 liability of seizure which they might incur and to save them from pos- 

 sible annoyance. 



Q. When you were in the bay before the Eeciprocity Treaty, did you 

 observe any cutters there ? A. O, yes ; frequently. I saw them and 

 was boarded by them. 



Q. But your vessel was never seized ? A. No ; but I was threatened 

 with seizure. 



Q. Why ? A. I was once up in the Bay of Chaleurs ; we were in 

 a harbor during a storm, and on coming out the officer of a cutter 

 boarded our vessel and other vessels, for quite a fleet had run down 

 there, and he used pretty violent language. He said that he would 

 seize my vessel if he caught her in there again, and he indorsed a paper 

 stating that the vessel had been boarded. 



Q. In what harbor had you been ? A. Shippegan. 



Q. Had you been fishing in the Bay of Chaleurs ? A. No. 



Q. What had the other vessels which were with you been doing ? A. 

 All of them, 40 or 50 in number, I should think, went in for a harbor. 



Q. Did you hear of vessels being seized for curing mackerel inshore 

 that they had caught offshore ? A. I heard such a report on the fishing- 

 grounds ; but that is not to my present knowledge. 



Q. Did you hear of commanders of cutters levying contributions on 

 some masters of fishing vessels, compelling them, to give from 5 to 10 



