3242 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



of the British Provinces, they prosecute the fishery at the Magdalen 

 Islands from about the first of May and stay from two to three weeks 

 when they return home they make but one trip during the year their 

 average catch per vessel is about 1000 barrels I think herring, cod 

 and mackerel are as far as I know the only fish caught by American 

 vessels oft' the Coasts of the British North American Colonies and I 

 make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be 

 true and by virtue of an Act passed during the 37th year of Her 

 Majesty's reign entitled an Act for the suppression of voluntary and 

 extra judicial oaths. 

 Dated Bear Island Settlement July 23, 1877. 



CHARLES STUART 

 In presence of : 



OSCAR MALMROS 



U. S. Consul 



PROVINCE OF NOVA SCOTIA 



COUNTY OF EICHMOND 



I hereby Certify that the above named Charles Stuart voluntarily 

 made and subscribed before me at Bear Island 'Settlement in said County 

 of Eichmond the foregoing Solemn declaration 



Given under my hand and Notarial Seal this 23rd day of July 1877 

 (Seal.) JAMES G. McKEEN 



Rotary Public 

 No. 169. 



I Edward Levanger do solemnly declare that I am living at Harbor 

 Bouche that I am 31 years old that for about eleven years I have been 

 a fisherman by occupation I have been Captain of a fishing vessel of 

 my own the " Winfield Scott" but I sold her this year during good 

 fishing times I remember to have counted as many as 500 American fish- 

 ing vessels between East Point on Prince Edward Island & the Magda- 

 len Islands ; the mackerel fishing has much fallen off during the last 6 

 years I don't think that during that time half as many mackerel have 

 been caught that during 6 years preceding the period dating back 

 from 8 years ago I think that Provincial fishing vessels catch quite as 

 many fish when fishing alongside of American vessels as they would if 

 the Provincial vessel were by themselves provided they have as good 

 bait as the Americans have which they sometimes however have not 

 during some years the Americans catch more fish inside a line 3 miles 

 from shore at other years they catch by far the greater part outside that 

 line, striking an average I think that taken one year with another the 

 Americans have caught an equal portion of their entire catch of mack- 

 erel inside a line 3 miles from shore and outside of that line I think that 

 about one half of the crew of the American fishing fleet fishing in the 

 waters off the coasts of the Atlantic British Provinces are natives of the 

 British Colonies who still are residents of the Provinces the Americans 

 dry their nets or seines but very seldom on the coasts of the British 

 Provinces and they don't cure their fish on the shores of the Colonies 

 the American herring fleet that comes to the shores of the British Prov- 

 inces averages about 60 to 70 sails the season during the spring they 

 fish at the Magdalen Islands for about two to three weeks & then go 

 home in the fall they go about the last of September to the coasts of 

 Labrador and Newfoundland the average size of an American herring 

 fishing vessel is about eighty tons and during the spring trip such a ves- 

 sel would on an average catch a thousand barrels of herring such a 

 vessel going in the fall to the coasts of Labrador and Newfoundland 



