3272 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



and for many years before that mackerel were ranch more plenty off- 

 shore, say from 4 to 10 miles from shore and a large proportion were 

 caught still farther off from land I think that the Provincial vessels 

 in case they are as good and well fitted out as the American would 

 catch as much mackerel and I don't think that fishing alongside of 

 American fishing vessels interferes with the catch of Provincial vessels, 

 1 think they catch quite as many mackerel fishing side by side with the 

 Americans as they would do otherwise I think that about one half of 

 the crew of the American vessels visiting the Gulf of St Lawrence is 

 composed of Natives of the Provinces who have their homes in these 

 Provinces. The American fishing vessels buy large quantities of veg- 

 etables, meal, and many other articles, they spend much money among 

 people and when the American fishing fleet on our coasts is small money 

 is scarce when there are plenty of American fishing vessels on our 

 coasts there is plenty of money among the people j and I do solemnly 

 swear that the foregoing statements now made by me are true accord- 

 ing to the best of my belief and knowledge ; so help me God. 

 Dated Low Point Inverness Co. August 3d 1877. 



his 



DANIEL + MCDONALD 



mark 



Subscribed & sworn to before me Aug 3d 1877 



O8CAK MALMKOS 



U. 8. Consul 



PROVINCE OF NOVA SCOTIA 



COUNTY OF INVERNESS 



I hereby Certify that the above namd Daniel McDonald voluntarily 

 made and Subscribed in my presence the foregoing affidavit at Low 

 Point in said County 



Given under my hand & notarial Seal this 3rd day of August 1877 

 (Seal.) JAMES G. McKEEN 



Notary Public 



No. 203. 







I, Dougald McKinnon of Long Point, Inverness County, Nova Scotia, 

 say and depose on oath that: I am living at Long Point, Inverness 

 County Nova Scotia I have been fishing for about the last twenty 

 years partly in American partly in Provincial vessels, mostly in the 

 former and fishing for mackerel ; for part of seven or 8 seasons I have 

 been codfishing in the Bay or on the banks of Newfoundland and after- 

 wards fishing for mackerel the crew of a mackerel fishing vessel aver- 

 ages 13 or 14 hands the crew of American codfishing vessels averages 

 now from 10 to 12 hands the average wages on codfishing vessels are 

 from twenty five to fifty dollars a hand per month according to the ex- 

 perience of each person in a crew of late years most men go on shares 

 I should think that about from to % of the crew of American fishing 

 vessels is composed of fishermen who are british subjects and living in 

 the British Provinces during the last 5 or 6 years mackerel fishing has 

 very much fallen off in this Bay i. e. the Bay of St Lawrence the catch 

 has lallen off in my opinion over fifty per cent last year it was almost 

 an entire failure during the times that mackerel were plenty that is 

 before the last ten years much the greater quantity taken by Americans 

 were taken outside a line 3 miles from the shore but since they have 

 become scarce they have mostly been taken inside that line I don't 

 think that Provincial vessels catch any smaller quantity of mackerel on 



