2972 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



been transferred we make up a report showing exactly where they have 

 gone. 



By Mr. Dana : 



Q. Annually? A. Yes; annually. We make up special reports in 

 this relation. 



By Mr. Da-vies : 



Q. Is this compilation taken solely from your books ? A. That, is my 

 clerk's report, prepared in the usual manner in which such things are 

 done. 



Q. Did your clerk compile this statement solely from the books of 

 your office ? A. Yes. 



Q. Did he make any inquiries outside, in order to make it up ? A. 

 I think he took it from the books of the office. 



Q. Did you examine the books to see whether this was the case or 

 not ? A. No, I did not. 



Q. Is this in your handwriting? A. Yes: he gave me the names of 

 the vessels as they came along, and I put them in. 



Q. Is there a report made by the owner to your office at the time a 

 vessel is lost? A. This has always been the case since I have held the 

 office. 



Q. Since when has that been? A. Since 1869, 8 years ago. 



Q. And do you not know whether this was done previous to that ? 

 A. For the time previous to that, we took what was in the books. 



Q. You cannot tell what was the practice previously in this respect ? 

 A. No. 



Q. You cannot tell how the clerk made up the statement for the time 

 previous to your term of office? A. I cannot tell; of course my clerk 

 derived his information from the books. 



Q. You cannot tell whether this was taken solely from the books ; 

 you have not examined the books? A. No; -as I said before, the clerk 

 did this. My business is simply executive, and I do not perform cleri- 

 cal work myself. 



Q. Suppose that a vessel starts from the St. Lawrence and is not 

 heard from ; how is it entered ? A. The owner gives the best information 

 that he can on the subject. 



Q. It is entered,' lost at sea ? A. Yes. 



Q. This statement embraces the year of the great gale ? A. It in- 

 cludes all the years back, until 1831. 



Q. How did you arrive at these valuations? A. \Ve got them from 

 the office. 



Q. At the time the vessels were lost! A. As near the time as possi- 

 ble. 



Q. During the years in which these occurred, at any rate? A. Yes; 

 a direct report is now required of us regarding every vessel that is lost ; 

 as soon as we know that a vessel is lost, we are obliged to make a report 

 embracing the facts. 



Q. Did that rule extend to 1831, when this list commences ? A. No ; 

 those values were taken simply from the yearly returns. 



Q. These are approximate values ? A. They must be so, I think, as 

 a general thing, except within the last 8 years. 



Q. How did you obtain the valuation of the Amazon, the first ves- 

 sel ? A. That was probably the owner's report at the time when he 

 made the report to the custom-house. 



Q. You have never examined the books to see ? A. No, not myself 

 personally. I made it up from my clerk's return. 



