2590 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



By Hon. Mr. Kellogg : 



Q. How many vessels of the mackerel fleet are there that do nothing 

 but fish for mackerel, that is to say, that have nothing to do with cod- 

 fishing, the coasting trade, or West India trade, but lie up during the 

 winter ? How many of the fleet are there that do nothing during the 

 winter, if there are any ? A. There are some, but I cannot tell you the 

 exact number. 



Q. Is there a great proportion of the vessels engaged in other busi- 

 ness connected with cod fishing ! A. Yes. 



Xo. 58. 



Maj. DAVID W. Low, postmaster of Gloucester, Mass., called on be- 

 halt of the Government of the United States, sworn aud examined. 



By Mr. Dana : 



Question. I think you were born in Gloucester ? Answer. I was. 



Q. What age are you ? A. Forty-four years. 



Q. Did you at any time go into the fishing business? A. I did, in 

 1860. 



Q. Did you go in as a partner ? A. I did. 



Q. What was the name of the firm ? A. Sinclair aud Low. 



Q. How many vears were you in it ? A. Three. 



Q. In 1860, 1861, and 1862 ? A. Yes. 



Q. You were engaged in fitting out vessels, I suppose? A. Yes. 



Q. Did you ever make a fishing voyage yourself? A. Yes. 



Q. More than one ? A. Only one. 



Q. What year was it? A. Eighteen hundred and fifty-five. 



Q. Did you go into the Gulf of St. Lawrence ? A. Yes. 



Q. What was the vessel ? A. Austerlitz. 



Q. Where did you fish ? A. In Bay Chaleurs and round Magdalen 

 Islands. 



Q. Do you recollect what you caught? A. One hundred and eighty 

 packed barrels ; we got 205 sea-barrels, I think. 



Q. You made but one trip ? A. Yes. 



Q. Did you do any of that fishing inshore, within what you supposed 

 to be three miles of the shore? A. Yes, some of it. 



Q. You tried inshore and off shore ? A. Yes. 



Q. What success had you with the inshore fishing! A. We caught 

 some fish. 



Q. What proportion of your catch ? A. I should think we caught 20 

 or 25 barrels inshore out of th.e whole trip. 



Q. At that time the Reciprocity Treaty was in force ; did you give 

 the inshore fishery a fair trial ? A. Yes. 



Q. In 1860, 1861, and 1862 you were partner in a firm; engaged in 

 fitting out vessels; how many vessels did you fit out in that time ? A. 

 Eight, 



Q. Were you interested io those eight vessels ? A. I was in part of 

 them. 



Q. What voyages did they make? A. They were cod-fishing on 

 George's Bank ; trawling for halibut on the Western Bank ; and mack- 

 ereliug in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and off the American coast. 



Q. During what mouths were these vessels employed in cod-fishing ? 

 A. From January to June; one went for the whole season. 



Q. Aud the others from January to June ? A. Yes. 



