AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 2931 



Q. How much do they pay a barrel ? A. So much a hundred gen- 

 erally. 



No. 76. 



JOSEPH ROWE, of Gloucester, Mass., called ou behalf of the Govern- 

 ment of the United States, sworn and examined. 

 By Mr. Foster : 



Question. Your name is Joseph. There is a Samuel Rowe in Glou- 

 cester? Answer. Yes ; he is a brother of mine. 



Q. You belong to the firm of Rowe & Jordan? A. Yes. 



Q. You were born in Gloucester ? A. Yes. 



Q. How old are you ? A. Fifty-two, come December. 



Q. In early life you were a fisherman for a good many years ? A. It 

 was always my business, fishing, from a boy. 



(). What was the first year you were in the Gulf of St. Lawrence? 

 A. 1836. 



Q. How many years have you been there, in all, for mackerel ? A. 

 Twenty-one. 



Q. When were you first a skipper in the gulf? A. In 1848. 



Q. From 1848 how many continuous years did you go as skipper in 

 the gulf? A. Sixteen. 



Q. Ending in what year? A. 1864. 



Q. In 1864 you ceased to go to sea ? A. Yes. 



Q. What firm did you go into? A. Rowe & Smith. 



Q. How long were you in that ? A. Three years. 



Q. Then in 1867 what did you establish? Your present firm ? A. 

 That would be 1868. 



Q. How many vessels has your firm usually had ? A. We have had 

 from eight to thirteen. 



Q. I believe when you were in the gulf you were one of the successful 

 ones ? A. Well, yes ; I always got a good voyage. 



Q. Take the last year you were there ; how many mackerel did you 

 get ? A. One thousand one hundred barrels. 



Q. In two trips ? A. Well, we went two trips ; we sent home one of 

 them, and took the other home ourselves. 



Q. Where were those 1,100 caught? A. They were all caught at the 

 Magdalens, except 100 barrels, or a little over 100 103, 1 think. 



Q. Where were those caught ? A. At Margaree, and from Margaree 

 to Mabou. 



Q. How long were you taking these 103 barrels ? A. One day. 



Q. How near shore? A. Well, we commenced about three miles, 

 as near as I can recollect; but we went nearer than that, not over a 

 mile. 



Q. That day's fishing was inshore ? A. All inshore. 



Q. What month was it in ? A. In October. 



Q. JSow, without dwelling in detail upon your seventeen years' ex- 

 perience as skipper, I want to know where your chief fishing-grounds 

 were during those seventeen'years? A. My chief fishing-ground was in 

 the Magdalens, although I have got trips in the bend of the island, and 

 I have gone ou the Banks Bradley and Orphan. Early trips always on 

 ' Bradley and Orphan, and poor mackerel. 



Q. Do you mean early in the summer? A. Early in the spring. 



Q, Where did you get the best mackerel ? A. The best mackerel in 

 the latter years was at the Magdalens, although I have caught as good 

 in the bend of the island as 1 have ever caught anywhere, and I have 

 caught as good at Cape Breton as ever anywhere. 



