AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 3285 



the past ten years. It is the opinion of most maritime provincial fish- 

 ermen that the incidental advantages derived by them from intercourse 

 with American fishermen are very great; and that the presence of 

 American fisherman in British Waters is not detrimental to the interests 

 of British fishermen, either by depreciating the value of the fish by 

 competition, or decreasing the Catch of fish in the provinces. If the 

 British fishermen were more energetic and put more capital into their 

 fisheries and had the same class of vessels prosecuting the fishery that 

 the Americans have, the Mackerel fishing of the United States would 

 be of inestimable value to them as they have no mackerel fishing in 

 Newfoundland. 



I do not think there has been any advantage obtained by American 

 fishermen by the Treaty of Washington except taking bait. The only 

 Mackerel fishing that the Americans prosecuted in British Waters 

 before the passing of the Treaty was at Bay Chaleur, and that has 

 failed from natural causes. 



HENRY A COBB. 



Taken before me at Saint Johns Newfoundland this 2nd day of Juna 

 A D 1877. 



GEO. H.Y EMERSON JR 



Examiner 



No. 211. 



The evamination of Cyrenius Broicn of Trepassey in the Island of Newfound 

 land (formerly of the State of Maine U. S.) taken before me at Saint 

 John's Newfoundland, 



This Witness being sworn saith : 



I am a native of Bucksport in the State of Maine United States of 

 America but at present residing in Trepassey in the Island of Newfound 

 land. I am sixty nine years of age. I have been engaged in the Fishery 

 business about forty years. It is not true that American fisherman use 

 the inshore fisheries within three miles of the Coast of Newfoundland 

 for cod or other fishing. American fisherman fish either on the Grand 

 Bank, St. Peters Bank or Banquero. There is no mackerel on the Coast 

 of Newfoundland. The inshore fishery is of little or no value to Amer- 

 ican fisherman. It is never prosecuted by American fishermen. I never 

 knew American fishermen to land on the coast of Newfoundland for the 

 purpose of drying their nets curing their fish. This privilege is never 

 availed of by American fishermen because they bring their fish to the 

 States in a " green" condition, which is more profitable than drying and 

 curing in Newfoundland, where the weather is much less suited for the 

 cure of fish than the climate of the United States. 



I think the value of American "Bankers" visiting Newfoundland is 

 of great value to Newfoundlands. The American "Bankers" purchase 

 large quantities of Bait and ice in Newfoundland. This practice of vis- 

 iting Newfoundland for the purpose of obtaining Bait, which was hardly 

 known ten years ago, is increasing rapidly and will be of more value to 

 Newfoundlanders in the future. This practice increases about twenty 

 per. cent, every year. Each American " Banker" spends about sixty to 

 Seventy dollars for Bait on her visit to Newfoundland. This Traffic is 

 of great value to Newfoundland, and the people of the country think it 

 a great blessing to be able to sell the Bait to the Americans, which would 

 otherwise be useless and unprofitable to any one. Newfoundlanders 

 generally acknowledge that they receive a great deal more by free inter- 



