AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 2941 



year. The only two years I recollect catching any of any importance 

 well, I dou't recollect any big take. 



Q. Of course, one hundred barrels in a day is an enormous take ? 

 You say you caught one hundred barrels in one day ? Were there any 

 other vessels there at that time? A. I think there were six or eight. 



Q. Did they get equally good catches ? A. No. 



Q. How was it that you got a full fare ? A. We got all we could. 

 We got 103 barrels and had only 50 barrels to put them in. We get all 

 we want, for we were alone in the evening. We came over from East 

 Point in the night, leaving the fleet at East Point, and in the morning 

 at daylight we were in the cove at Margaree. 



Q. I suppose you had been fishing at East Point? A. We had been- 

 trying there. 



*Q. You were trying at East Point with the fleet and shipped away 

 anil arrived at Margaree first. Did the fleet follow you the next day ? 

 A. Five or six were there the next day. 



Q. You had not actually depleted the water of fish ? A. I know there 

 were six vessels there ; four were from La Have, and two others. 



Q. And they got fish I A. They all caught fish. 



Q. The quantities, I suppose, you do not remember ! A. I don't know 

 how many. They all caught fish ; they could not help it. 



Q. The fish were so thick ? A. They were plentiful. 



Q. In regard to Bird Rock and Block Island mackerel ; how many of 

 those classes of mackerel are caught? A. From 300 to 500 barrels .at 

 Bird Kock. I think 1,500 barrels were taken at Block Island last year. 



Q. What is about the average catch at Block Island ? A. During the 

 last two or three years more have been caught. 



Q. What has been the catch at Block Island this year ? A. I could 

 not tell ; 500 or 600 barrels have come into Gloucester, and some have 

 gone to Boston, but how many I cannot say. 



Q. Are they caught with hook-aud-line or seine? A. This year they 

 were mostly caught with hook ; last year mostly with the seine ; they 

 are caught both ways. In one trip last year a vessel took 200 barrels ; 

 they were taken with the seine. They were all large fish, running 128 

 to the barrel. 



Q. You say you sent your vessels to the bay because there was 'no 

 mackerel on your own shores. Were only two of them seiners? A. 

 The Helen M. Crosby. The Golden Hind was a seiner at home, but her 

 seine was left ashore when she came to the bay. 



Q. The Helen M. Crosby was a seiner ? A. Yes. 



Q. She tried for two weeks in the bay ? A. Yes. 



Q. She was not successful with the seine? A. No; nor with hooks. 

 She got only 8 barrels. 



Q. She only staid for two weeks? A. That was all. 



Q. Seining is not successful in the bay? A. I don't think it is. 



Q. The water in which the mackerel are taken is too shallow ? A. 

 Too shallow and rough bottom. 



Q. Where did the captain of the Helen M. Crosby try to use the 

 seine? A. He did not try it at all, because he did not see any fish. 



Q. Do you know where he went ? A. I think he told me he went to 

 the island, and from there to the Magdaleus, and crossed to Banks 

 Bradley and Orphan, and went into Bay Chaleurs, and down to Point 

 Miscou, to North Cape, and down the island, and across to Magdaleus 

 again, and from there to Canso and home. I think that was his route. 



Q. He did not go within three miles of Prince Edward Island ? A. 



