AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 3297 



No. 227, 



GLOUCESTER Aug 17, 1877. 



I Dennis C Murphy was born at St Johns Newfoundland am 39 years 

 of age and on oath do depose and say that I have been engaged in the fish- 

 eries 10 years from Gloucester on the Grand Banks and St peirre Bank 

 I am thoroughly acquainted with the fisheries of Newfoundland. The ' 

 universal practice of the American Fishermen is to buy bait of the 

 Inhabitants and pay cash for it I have paid as low as one Dollar and 

 as high as three Dollars in gold per Barrel for Herring bait at Newfound- 

 land and from eighty cents to two Dollars per Hundred for Squid. It 

 is only about 3 years since we have bought bait at Newfoundland I 

 could buy bait at St peirres. I was the first Captain that bought bait 

 at Conception Bay when I was in the Carrie T Dagle The Inhabitants 

 of Newfoundland asked Ten Dollars a Ton for Ice and I would not pay 

 it and went up to 47 north and took some from an Iceberg. The Cus- 

 toms authorities make us pay Water taxes, heavy pilotage, all the sup- 

 plies are charged at the highest rates. This trade with the Americans 

 has made whole communities prosperous there is no other market for 

 this bait except the fishing vessels, and Herring and Squid are so plenty 

 that they are washed a shore on the beaches, there is a jealousy of the 

 American fishermen because they are more successfull than their people 

 I have never caught any fish within three miles of the British shores. 

 The American Cod and Halibut fisheries are exclusively a deep sea fish- 

 ery within no national jurisdiction. I never knew of any American 

 vessel selling fish at Newfoundland the small Codfish are just as good 

 to strip up as the large, 1 never fished for bait on the British coast 

 and I know that every Americaii Vessel that takes bait at Newfound- 

 land buys and pays for it in cash If we did not take bait at Newfound- 

 land we could use Porgie and clams, takeng them from the United States 

 and at no greater cost, I have been Master of the Schooners, James 

 Bliss, Harvey C Mackey Lizzie A Tarr, Frank A Williams Wachusett, 

 Lizzie K Clark, Carrie T Dagle, Centennial, all are engaged in the bank 

 fisheries. I have stocked as high as $17,000,00 a year in this business 

 and as low a $9,000,00 a year. 



D C MUftPHY 



COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS 



ESSEX ss. AUGUST 18th 1877 



Then personally appeared the above named Dennis C. Murphy and 



made oath that all the above statements by him subscribed are true, to 



the best of his knowledge and belief, before me 

 (Seal.) DAVID W. LOW 



Notary Public 



No. 228. 



PROVINCE OF QUEBEC 



DISTRICT AND COUNTY OF GASP 

 GASP BASIN 



August 1st 1877 



I, the undersigned, John S. Ascah, of Gaspe" Bay, North Master 

 of the schooner " Seaflower" of Gasp6 Basin, do hereby solemnly de- 

 clare as follows viz 



That for thirty five years I have been engaged in the Whale Cod 

 207 F 



