AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. :% 2715 



Q. When did you first fish in the Gulf of St. Lawrence? A. In 18aO. 



Q. During how many years altogether have you fished for mackerel 

 in the gulf? A. 14. 



Q. When did you last fish there ? A. In 18G9. 



Q. What were your principal fishing grounds when fishing for mack- 

 erel in the gulf ? A. These were about the Magdalen Islands, and be- 

 tween them and Cape Breton, and on Banks Bradley and Orphan. 



Q. Did you ever fish off 1 the bend of Prince Edward Island ? A. No ; 

 near North Cape and about 10 miles off was the closest in that I have 

 been off the island ; but we never tried there. 



Q. Where have you fished the nearest to the shore in the gulf ? A. 

 Off Margaree. 



Q. When did you go there usually ? A. In October. 



Q. Were you in the gulf in October, 1850 ? A. Yes. 



Q. In what schooner ? A. The B. H. Collis. 



Q. Who was the captain ? A. Llewellyn Eeed. 



Q. Did you come in contact with a cutter commanded by Captain 

 Darby ? A. We did while we were in Port Hood. 



Q. I want you to relate that incident exactly as it occurred. A. 

 When we first got in the bay, on the first trip we went, it was in Octo- 

 ber ; about the 7th of October we went from Port Hood down to Mar- 

 garee, and there was a man who came on board from another vessel, 

 and says he. " There is aRockport vessel which has been taken by Cap- 

 tain Darby.' 7 



Q. Come right down to what was done by Captain Darby. A. We 

 caught about 25 barrels there, and then we got scared and went off 

 shore. When we got to Port Hood we had a good deck of mackerel. 

 We had them all salted on deck. Captain Darby came on board, and 

 says he, " You have a fine lot of fish; I want to see your papers/' He 

 took them on board the cutter, and said to the captain, " Come on board 

 in about an hour's time; we will talk it over." The next thing, our cap- 

 tain came on board, and says he, "I have compromised with him by 

 giving him 20 barrels of mackerel, and," says he, " a little pinkey will 

 come alongside for them." We thought that this was in charge of the 

 captain's brother, but I have heard since that this was not the case. We 

 took the fish off our deck, and struck them down into his hold, and off he 

 went; and he gave us permission to strike the mackerel down. 



Q. What do you mean by striking them down ? A. Heading them 

 up and stowing them in the hold. 



By Mr. Thomson : 



Q. That was in 1850 or ]851? A. It was in 1850. 



Q. You had been fishing in Margaree Harbor ? A. We had been fish- 

 ing off Mabou. 



Q. You had been fishing within three miles of the laud ? A. We then 

 caught 25 barrels there. 



Q. Within three miles of land ! A. I do not know about that ; the 

 land is very high at Mabou, and it is hard to tell the distance exactly. 

 No cutter was there, but only this little boat, which informed Captain 

 Darby of it. 



Q. Will you now undertake to swear that you did not catch those 25 

 barrels within three miles of the shore? A. Well, I am not certain 

 about it ; the distance oft' shore might have been three or four miles. 



Q. Will you positively swear that you did not take them within three 

 miles-of land ? A. No. 



Q. How many barrels of mackerel had you then on hand ? A 140. 



