AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 2909 



purpose of fishing inshore round Prince Edward Island. I had been 

 there and had become acquainted with the boat-fishing there, and I sent 

 the vessel there for the express purpose of fishing inshore. 



Q. What sort of a seine did she have ? A. A small seine adapted to 

 the shoal waters of the island. 



Q. Do you think a fair trial was given to that experiment ? A. I was 

 always a little doubtful of it. The captain did not remain, I think, as 

 long as he should have remained in order to make a successful voyage. 

 He went there, and his report was that, seeing no prospect, he sailed 

 about and went to Seal Island. 



Q. Did he get any mackerel at Prince Edward Island in his boats and 

 small seine ? A. I think not, from the fact that he returned with but 

 very few mackerel in September. 



Q. Do you remember how many barrels he obtained ? A. I have 

 it down in my memorandum at 26 barrels. 



Q. Did he catch them off from the island ? A. I have no means 

 of knowing. From his statement, he caught no mackerel at the island; 

 he caught them in the bay generally. 



Q. You think that if he had staid longer, he might have perhaps done 

 better ? A. I did not approve of his leaving as soon as we did. 



Q. But still his judgment may have been best? A. Certainly. 



Q. Where did he go when he left Prince Edward Island ? A. He in- 

 formed me he went to Isle Sable. I believe 2U or 25 years ago fisher- 

 men occasionally obtained some very large mackerel there, and he had 

 the idea he might procure some and he went there ; but he got practi- 

 cally nothing there, and his voyage was a failure. 



Q. From the experience obtained in those several voyages of seining, 

 what was the difficulty experienced, and why did it not succeed in the 

 gulf? A. The principal reason I can assign for that is that our seines 

 reached the bottom, and the shores about the gulf are of sandstone, 

 forming a rough bottom, something like coral, and the fishermen do not 

 succeed in pursing them as they can in deep water. . Another reason is 

 that the mackerel, in order to be successful at seining, must school 

 come to the surface of the water and show themselves which they are 

 not so likely to do in North Bay. 



Q. That is the whole reason ? A. I am not enabled to determine that. 

 I know what I have said has been the case. 



Q. Did you" yourself go to .Prince Edward Island and establish a busi- 

 ness! A. I did, in 1858; in connection with those vessels I went to 

 the island, and since that time I have been engaged in shipping pro- 

 duce, and connected a little with the fisheries. 



Q. From 1858 you have been connected with the island as a mer- 

 chant ? A. More or less to the present time. 



Q. What is the principal business you have been engaged in at the 

 island ! A. My principal business at the island has been the shipment 

 of potatoes, and in some cases cargoes of oats. 1 have also shipped 

 cargoes to the West Indies of the general products of the island, includ- 

 ing live stock. 



Q. Then your business on the island has been dealing in the products 

 of the island, and sending them to the West Indies and elsewhere ? A. 

 Yes ; principally to the markets of the United States, and occasionally 

 to the West Indies. 



Q. And at the same time you have kept up some connection with the 

 fishing ? A. A little, occasionally. 



Q. Have you had an interest in a vessel or two every year? A. I 

 have, passing over some two or three years. Along about 1803, 1864, and 



