2888 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



Q. What do you mean by round shore herring ! A. This term is used 

 in contradistinction to the term split herring ; these are split down the 

 belly, and the round are salted just as they come out of the water. 



Q. You have compared with me the price of them in the United States 

 and the price here in Halifax ; what do you say about that ? A. There 

 are very few of them in the Halifax market, and they are asking here 

 $4 a barrel for them. The Halifax round herring differs from the States 

 round herring ; the gills of the former are taken out aud a small part of 

 the entrails, and to do this costs about 25 cents a barrel. These her- 

 ring are quoted at $4 a barrel ; and we calculate to retail them in the 

 States at $4 ; but we do not consider them at all. 



Q. Their price current in Halifax is higher than the price at which 

 they can be bought in Gloucester ? A. It is higher than we can sell 

 them at to the retail trade. 



Q. Have your vessels been in the herring business ? A. Yes, more or 

 less. 



Q. Where have they gone for them ? A. To Newfoundland, the Mag- 

 dalen Islands, and Grand Manan. 



Q. Have they ever caught them in Newfoundland ? A. No. 



Q. Have they gone there prepared to catch them ? A. No. 



Q. They have bought them ? A. They have always carried money 

 there to buy them. 



Q. How many vessels have you had go to Grand Manan for herring? 

 A. We have always had 2 or 3 go there in winter for them since 1869 

 or 1870. I am not sure which, but I think since 1870. 



Q. Have they bought or caught them there ? A. They have always 

 taken from $1,500 to $2,000 in American currency, to get a cargo, with 

 3 or 4 hands. They have carried no fishing gear and they were always 

 supposed to have bought the herring. They always rendered account 

 of them as being bought. 



Q. They went there without preparation to fish ? A. They bought 

 them undoubtedly. 



Q. And they left money behind them ? A. They carried money, and 

 that they used it on their voyage I have no doubt whatever. 



Q. You have no more direct knowledge in this respect ? A. I have 

 their bills, which come from the men down there, who made out the 

 receipts. 



Q. What has been the cost of the herring which you have bought in 

 Newfoundland and Grand Manan ? A. When they first went to New- 

 foundland, which was, I think, in 1860, to Fortune Bay, they used to pay 

 6 shillings or $1.20. in gold, a barrel. We used to have them carry part 

 gold and part trade that is, we used to fit out vessels to go there and 

 we used to estimate the price at $1.50 a barrel, and take trade enough 

 to amount to $1.50 a barrel, and always gold enough to reach the same 

 figure. We used to use trade if we could, and otherwise we used gold. 



Q. They cost $1.20 a barrel ? A. That is $1.20 in the first place, and 

 over $2 during the last few years. Last year I think that the price was 

 $2 or $2.50 per barrel 10 or 12 shillings. 



Q. Have you bought herring which were caught on the United States 

 coast? A. Yes. 



Q. How has the quantity which you have purchased there compared 

 with the amount which you bought in Newfoundland and at Grand 

 Mauan ? A. It has been smaller than the quantity which we have bought 

 in Newfoundland and at Grand Manau and Magdalen Islands. 



Q. Have you purchased both frozen and salt herring? A. Yes. 



