3258 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



can vessels during the 21 years next preceding last year, I did not go 

 last year because mackerel were too scarrce in the Bay the big Ameri- 

 can fleet does not leave home until after the 4th of July for the Gulf 

 of St Lawrence to fish for mackerel mackerel don't begin to get fat un- 

 til the middle of August the bait used by both Provincial and Ameri- 

 can vessels is Fogies and clam & these come all from the United 

 States, exceptionally a Provincial vessel may use herring but this is not 

 a good bait the average number of vessels fishing for mackerel in 

 the Gulf during the rebellion in the States was about 300 or 400 and 

 about 30 to 40 (thirty to forty) Provincial vessels during most of the 

 years I was out mackerel fishing the Provincial vessels were about one 

 tenth of the number of American vessels fishing for mackerel in the 

 Gulf fishing alongside of an American mackerel fleet would not lessen 

 the catch of Provincial vessels provided the latter had as good bait 

 and vessels as well fitted out as the Americans the average number 

 of hands employed on an American mackerel catcher is about 14 or 15 

 hands during the last 6 or 7 years the mackerel fishery in the Gulf of 

 St Lawrence has much fallen off I don't think that the average catch 

 during that period was more than one fifth part per year of the quantity 

 caught say ten years ago and during the ten years next preceding the 

 season of ten years ago I think that both Provincial vessels as well as 

 American vessels catch more mackerel outside a line three miles from 

 shore taking one year with another than they catch inside that line I 

 never fished near laud for codfish in the Gulf but always out of sight of 

 land their bait for codfishing in the North Bay they, the Americans, 

 buy mostly from Provincial fishermen along the British coasts they 

 mostly buy herring by the hundred paying about one dollar to Slf^ 

 a hundred, this pays the Provincial fishermen much better than salting 

 the herring and putting them in barrels I think about one half of the 

 crew of American fishing vessels in the Gulf are men having their 

 homes in the British Provinces it is a great advantage that the Ameri- 

 can fishing vessels come to our coasts as they leave much money among 

 our people. 

 Steep Creek August 7. 1877 



his 



PATRICK + WALSH 



mark 



In presence of 



JAMES G. McKEEN 

 OSCAR MALMROS 



PROVINCE OF NOVA SCOTIA 



COUNTY OF GDYSBOROUGH 



I hereby Certify that the above named Patrick Walsh before me made 

 Oath to subscribed the foregoing statement. 



Given under my hand and Notarial Seal at Steep Creek in the County 

 of GII\ sborougu Province of Nova Scotia this 7th day of August 1877 

 (Seal.) JAMES G. McKEEN 



Notary Public 

 No. 188. 



George Critchet being duly sworn says : I am living at Middle Milford 

 Guysboro County Nova Scotia I am 37 years old from my 18th year 

 until 4 years ago I have been out mackerel and cod-fishing mostly in 

 American vessels I left off fishing because the mackerel fishing had 

 been poor for se\ enil years and is still ; whenever mackerel get to be 

 plenty again I will be out fishing iu vessels I think that in former years, 



