2934 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



Q. In 1877 how many have you had in the bay ? A. We have had 

 four. 



Q. Now, tell ine how you happen to have sent them to the gulf this 

 year after your better experience on our shores and poor experience in 

 the bay for the two previous years ? A. Well, our vessels went south 

 early in the season to run fresh mackerel to New York. The mackerel 

 were plenty, and they expected a big catch ; but in June, when we ought 

 to have caught them, we caught none, and reports came down that the 

 mackerel were plenty this way. We therefore supposed they had passed 

 into the gulf. 



Q. What do you mean by reports coming ? A. Well, we got word 

 from the strait. We had no letters, but we always hear, and as a mat- 

 ter of fact there was mackerel here in June, and those that canie down 

 early got trips of mackerel, poor mackerel. But when our vessel got 

 down they were gone, and they have been scarce ever since. 



Q. Let me see what your vessels have done' this year. A. The Helen 

 M. Crosby took eight barrels. She was in something over a fortnight. 

 She had gone in and tried all around the bay and found there was noth- 

 ing ; came out and fished on our shores. 



Q. Did she have any better luck there? A. Yes ; she packed out 750 

 barrels before I came away, besides what she got in the bay. 



Q. What other schooner? A. The Golden Hind. She came in just 

 before I came away, with 75 barrels. 



Q. How long was she getting these ? A. About eight weeks. 



Q. What other vessels ? A. The Herbert M. Kogers and the Barra- 

 couta. They are not at home. I heard the Barracouta had 100, and 

 the other 215. 



Q. How long has the Herbert M. Rogers been in the gulf! A. He 

 wrote the day before the breeze. They had a gale down there. I think 

 it was the 22d of September. 



Q. How long has she been in the gulf? A. I think about five weeks. 



Q. Has she got back ? A. No ; she hadn't got home when I left, but 

 at last accounts she had a little over 200 barrels. 



Q. Now, are the seines successful in the gulf? A. They never have 

 been. I don't think they can seine there to make it pay. 



Q. Did these vessels of yours go prepared to seine ? A. The Helen 

 M. Crosby and the Herbert M. Eogers carried seines. The Herbert M. 

 Kogers never set hers at all. That is, the skipper by letter said the 

 seine was no good, and he weut down to Souris and lauded it. 



Q. And caught his fish with hook and line ? A. Yes. 



Q. Why are not seines successful in the gulf? A. Well, the water is 

 shoal and the bottom rough. There are several causes. If you go off 

 in deep water on Bradley or Orphan there are a great many herring that 

 get mixed up with the mackerel. They mesh in the seine, and it takes 

 so long to pick them out. They die and sink the seine. 



Q. Something has been said about making shoal seines, to adapt them 

 to the gulf fishing. A. Well, they can catch a few that way, but it is 

 pretty hard to catch mackerel in a shoal seine, that is, the purse-seine. 



Q. How much importance do you attach, as a man engaged in the 

 fishing business, to the mackerel fisheries in the Gulf of St. Lawrence 

 now ? A. Well, I don't think much of it. It has gone down. It used 

 to be worth something once, but of late years we don't think anything 

 of it at all. We could do about as well without seining there. 



Q. What proportion of your business is mackerel and what proportion 

 is codfish ? A. Well, I should say one-third of the proceeds is mackerel 

 and two-thirds codfish. 



