AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 3265 



No. 195. 



I am forty six years of age and a fisherman by occupation, I am liv- 

 ing at Lower Milford Gnysboro County Nova Scotia I have been fish- 

 ing in the North Bay about 14 years up to and inclusive of the season 

 of 1873 whenever I was not out fishing in vessels I have been boat- 

 fishing I have never seen American fishermen dry their nets or cure 

 fish on the shores of the British Provinces I do not think that a Pro- 

 vincial vessel if well fitted out will catch a less quantity of mackerel on 

 account of fishing alongside of an American mackerel fleet I should 

 think that fully one third of the crew of the American fishing fleet fish- 

 ing oft' the Coasts of the British North American Provinces is composed 

 of natives who are residents of these Provinces the bait used for mack- 

 erel catching is clams and porgies and these all come from the United 

 States herring is but rarely used as a bait for mackerel the codfish 

 caught by the American vessels is all caught in the deep seas more than 

 3 miles from land their bait consists in fresh herring or mackerel in the 

 spring they buy it from Provincial boat fishers on the coasts of the Brit- 

 ish Provinces and during the rest of the season they mostly catch their 

 bait in nets on the deep seas where they happen to be for cod-fishing 

 the American Mackerel fleet begins to arrive in the North Bay about the 

 middle of June but the greatest number of the American Mackerel fleet 

 do not Itave home for the Bay until after the 4th day of July About 7 

 or 8 years ago the mackerel fishery in the North Bay began to fall oft* 

 and the last two years were particularly bad ten years ago and up- 

 wards the average catch of mackerel consisted in about 2 full fares for 

 each vessel but during the last 6 or 7 years I don't think that mackerel 

 vessels averaged one full fare during the season I think that the pres- 

 ence of American fishermen on our coasts has pecuniarily benefited our 

 people as they spend considerable money and give employment to many 

 of our men And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believ- 

 ing the same to be true and by virtue of an Act passed during the 37th 

 year of Her Majesty's reign eutituled an Act for the suppression of volun- 

 tary and extra judicial oaths. Dated Lower Milford August 8th 1877 



RUFUS CARRIGAN 



PROVINCE OF NOVA SCOTIA 

 COUNTY OF GUYSBOROUGH 



I hereby Certify that the above named Bufus Carrigan voluntarily 



declared to and subscribed before me the foregoing solemn declaration 



Given under iny hand -and Notarial Seal at Lower Milford in the 



County of Guysborough Province of Nova Scotia this 8th day of August 



1877 



(Seal.) JAMES G McKEEN 



Notary Public 

 No. 196. 



I Edward Walsh do solemnly declare that I am living at Lower Mil- 

 ford Guysboro County, Nova Scotia, I am by occupation a fisherman 

 for ten or twelve years I have been fishing in American vessels from 

 about 1853 to 1865 since that time I have been net-fishing except one 

 season 5 years ago when 1 was out fishing in a Nova Scotia vessel in 

 the North Bay the mackerel h'shers from the United States begin to 

 arrive in the North Bay about the 15th of June but the greater number 

 of American Mackerel catchers don't arrive until after the 4th of July 

 205 F 



