3326 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



during all the time in the Bay. We then fished on the American shore 

 and caught 600 barrels, making 1,600 barrels of good mackerel caught 

 on this shore during the year, from which we stocked $13,300. In 1874 

 I was master of the same vessel, and fished for mackerel during the 

 season on this (the American) shore, and caught over 1,100 barrels, 

 from which we stocked $9,000. Previous to 1874, I had been in the 

 habit of going to the Bay mackereling, and some years we did well and 

 others poorly. Over one-half of all the mackerel caught there these 

 years were caught off Madeline Islands, and, excepting at Madeline 

 Islands, not one-tenth part were caught within the three-mile limit. 



I have been employed during the winter for the past seven years in 

 going to Newfoundland after herring, and for the past three winters I 

 loaded ten vessels at that place. I hired the inhabitants to fish for us, 

 and left with the inhabitants $24,000, for 20,300 barrels of herring, 

 loaded into the ten vessels which I superintended. During the last two 

 winters the owners of this enterprise have lost $8,000 by the prosecu- 

 tion of this business. Previous to the last three winters I was accus- 

 tomed to go there for herring for myself alone, and was there four 

 winters in succession, and always got a cargo, paying $1 per barrel for 

 them. This business is very extensive and of great importance to the 

 inhabitants. I have seen at one time over twenty sail of American 

 vessels there buy herring, and all of them buy their herring; and 

 have never known an American vessel to catch their herring at this 

 place, always invariably buying them of the inhabitants. At Booue 

 Bay, the inhabitants rely almost entirely upon this trade with 'our ves- 

 sels, and without which they would be very destitute. In the winter of 

 1876, when I was there, the herring were very scarce, almost a failure, 

 and occasioned great destitution and suffering among the inhabitants 

 of Boone Bay; so much so, that I was obliged to give away five barrels 

 of flour to them, and Mr. Curling, minister at that place, bought of 

 me as many more, and other stores, which he distributed among the 

 poor people. 



ALBION K. PIEECE. 



GLOUCESTER, Oct. 5, 1877. 



Personally appeared the above named Albion K. Pierce, who made 

 oath that the above statement, by him subscribed, is true, before me. 



ADDISON CARTER, 

 Justice of the Peace, Spec.^Dep. Collector of District of Gloucester. 



No. 260 A. 



GLOUCESTER, Sept. 17, 1877. 



* I, William El well, master of the schr. Isabella, born in Gloucester, 

 have been engaged in the fisheries 20 years. I have been in the Gulf 

 of St. Lawrence 12 seasons for mackerel. My best stock in the Bay was 

 $2000, my poorest $1200. I left, off going there 8 years ago because I 

 could do so much better on the American coast. I have fished for mack- 

 erel on the American coast the past 8 years 5 years using a seine. 

 My best stock mackereling on the American coast was $7,500 for 5 

 months fishing. 



My poorest stock in any season was $4,500. 



When in the Gulf of St. Lawrence 1 took the most of my mackerel at 

 the Magdaleus. The American fleet usually fish the most there. I did 

 not get more than one barrel in ten inside of three miles. Mackerel in 

 the Bay when in.large_bodies or masses are most always off shore from 



