3218 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



I the undersigned Notary Public Do hereby Certify that on the llth 

 day of June 1877 personally appeared before ine the above named Rich- 

 ard Jackman and then and there made and subscribed the above and 

 foregoing declaration as Witness my hand and Seal of Office at Port 

 Mulgrave the day and year above mentioned 



(Seal.) JAMES G AloKEEX 



Notary Public 

 No. 144. 



Statement of Thomas Chas Smith of Port Hood Island concerning fisheries 



made June Sth. 1877. 



My name is Thomas Chas Smith, am about 55 years old, have always 

 resided on Port Hood Island, I have been engaged in fishing since I 

 was a boy, have never sailed on American fishing schooners my fishing 

 has almost exclusively boat fishing between and along the Coasts of Cape 

 Breton & Pr. Edwr Island the American fishermen have come less and 

 less during the last 5 years to these fishing grounds I am convinced 

 that the presence of Am. fishing schooners has pecuniarily greatly 

 benefited the people of this Province and that the American fishing 

 fleet has never interfered with, that is, lessened the catch of Colonial 

 fishermen of mackerel or other fish on the contrary I believe that the 

 presence of the American fishing fleet on account of their throwing out 

 such a great quantity of best bait has attracted the mackerel to these 

 parts and that when the Americans were so much interfered with by 

 Dominion Revenue Cutters some years ago and thereby and by other 

 molestations partly driven away from these waters, the mackerel began 

 to leave us to, not be able to obtain as much excellent food as when the 

 Americans threw out so much bait. Where from 8 to 10 years ago and 

 before that time a hundred barrels of mackerel caught there are now 

 & have been during the last 3 years scarcely 10 barrels caught. The 

 Americans do not take to boat fishing, their way of mackerel fishing is 

 by schooners. The American fishermen do not cure their fish our our 

 shores and but exceptionally dry their nets on our grounds. Hundred 

 of cattle and great quantities of all kinds of farm produce were sold 

 during the season to the Americans while they were coming here in 

 great numbers and money circulated freely in consequence but I am not 

 able to make an estimate of how much they spent on an average during 

 the season either per single vessel or in the aggregate. 



THOMAS SMITH 



Subscribed & sworn to before me June 8. 1877 



OSCAR MALMROS 



U. S. Consul 

 No. 145. 



Solemn Declaration of Aaberry StraMn concerning the Fisheries in Cana- 

 dian and American Waters 



Asberry Strahau says that he resides near Aulds Cove on the West- 

 ern side of the Strait of Canso. am a fisherman by occupation, am now 

 fifty years of Age, am a British Subject, my home has always been in 

 Nova Scotia where I was born, I have been thirty seven Summers fish- 

 ing, thirty two Summers of which, I was fishing in American Vessels 

 and five Summers in Colonial Vessels 



The first few Years I went fishing in American Vessels, was for Cod- 

 fish, in the Gulf of St Lawrence, always outside of three miles from 



