2574 AWARD OP THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



Q. 1873 what did you do that year ? A. I was mackereliug part of 

 the time. 



Q. Did you go cod-fishing in spring ? A. Yes. 



Q. Then you went into the bay for mackerel ? A. Yes. 



Q. Then you had the freedom of all the shores ? A. Yes. 



Q. Do you recollect what your catch in the bay was? A. 350 barrels, 

 I think. 



Q. In 1874 did you again go cod-fishing in spring and mackereling iu 

 the latter part of summer and autumn ? A. Yes. 



Q. In 1875 did you go cod-fishing ? A. Yes. 



Q. And mackereling? A. Yes; late in the fall. 



Q. How many mackerel did you take? A. About 80 barrels, I think. 



Q. 1875 was your last year f A. Yes. 



Q. Have you since been in the fishing business at all ? A. No. 



Q. Taking all those years together, was the business profitable to 

 you ? A. I have just made a living nothing more. 



Q. You caught fish enough to enable you to keep fishing ? A. Yes. 

 I had to keep fishing summer aud winter. 



Q. Taking your experience, has the mackerel fishery iu the gulf in- 

 creased or decreased ? A. According to my experience it has de- 

 creased. 



Q. And from what you know of the business at Gloucester, has it de- 

 creased ? A. Yes. 



Q. Which has been most valuable, in your experience, cod or mack- 

 erel fishing ? Cod-fishing in spring or mackerel fishing at the latter part 

 of the summer and the autumn, which is the best part of the year for 

 it! A. I have made much more cod-fishing than mackereling. 



Q. Aud from what you know of what is going on generally in Glou- 

 cester, what do you think the relative profit between mackereliug in the 

 gulf and cod-fishing ? A. The general report among the fishermen at 

 Gloucester is that they do best cod-fishing. 



Q. When you have been cod fishing, have you fished with salt bait 

 or fresh bait or both ? A. I have fished with both, mostly with fresh 

 bait. 



Q. From your experience of both kinds of bait, salt and fresh, I sup- 

 pose there is no doubt that fresh bait will draw fish quicker than salt 

 bait ! A. Yes. 



Q. As a commercial enterprise, either as owner of a vessel or one of 

 the crew, which would be the more profitable, to use salt altogether and 

 stay on the Banks, or to go into Newfoundland or elsewhere and keep 

 themselves supplied with fresh bait? A. If 1 was going again I would 

 take salt bait. 



Q. Taking not only your own experience but what you have heard 

 from other people, do you think it would be more profitable to take salt 

 bait and keep on the Banks or to run in for fresh bait? A. I have heard 

 quite a number of masters say they would never go iu for fresh bait at 

 all, but would take salt bait. 



Q. What are the objections to going in for fresh bait? A. There 

 are several objections. A great deal of time is occupied in getting it. 

 They charge a very high price for ice to save the bait with in many 

 cases. There is a great deal of difficulty with the crew getting drunk 

 and disorderly aud not attending to their business. 



Q. As to the licenses. You said you took a license one year for cer- 

 tain, perhaps more; but you are not confident about that, for you have 

 not examined into it. For what reason did you take a license when you 

 did take it? You say that though you have been there a great many 



