3330 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



the only fishing they have at that season, and they would have no 

 other employment if it were not for the herring trade. The American 

 cod and halibut fishery is entirely a deep sea fishery, and there is no 

 fish of this kind taken less than 12 miles from the shore, and most all 

 of them are taken on the ocean banks. I have just returned from Gulf 

 of St. Lawrence in the yacht America. The prospect there is not good 

 for a large catch of mackerel. Last year I was in the Bay of St. Law- 

 rence mackereling, and it was the poorest year I had ever known there. 

 I observed a great many Albecores, sometimes called Baracoutas and 

 Benitos, which are deadly foes to the mackerel, driving them away from 

 every locality wherfc these fish are found. In coming along the British 

 coast and the American shores in the yacht America, we saw immense 

 quantities of these fish, and in my opinion the presence of these fish is 

 fatal to the mackerel fishery while they remain in any locality. 



The albecore is a fish about 3 feet long, formed like a shark with a 

 large fin erect on the back. They are extremely voracious and very 

 smart I have not seen any before for 8 years, and their presence is to 

 my mind the reason of the mackerel being so scarce in the Gulf and 

 along the British and American shores. The vessels I have commanded 

 are as follows : Pocahontas, E. P. Howard, C. C. Davis, Typhoon, Catalina, 

 Coll Ellsicorth. 



OLIVER F. HOWARD, 

 Master Schooner Coll Ellsworth. 



COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS.' 



GLOUCESTER, Aug. 29, 1877. 

 COUNTY OF ESSEX, SS. 



Then personally appeared the above-named Oliver F. Howard, and 

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

 best of his knowledge and belief, before me, 



DAYLD W. LOW, Notary Public. 



No. 264. 



GLOUCESTER, Aug. 25, 1877. 



I, Joseph W. Collins, master of the American schr. Howard, of Glou- 

 cester, on oath do depose and say : That I was born in Islesboro, Maine, 

 38 years of age, have been engaged in the fisheries 28 years. I have 

 just returned from a fishing voyage to the Western Banks. Have fished 

 nearly every year partially on the Grand and Western Banks, since 1864. 

 Have purchased bait at Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. There are two 

 modes of keeping fish taken on these Banks : One method is the use of 

 ice for a fresh halibut trip ; the other we use salt for a fresh fish trip, we 

 carry some bait from home. We also take a few barrels of fresh herring 

 from Nova Scotia and after the first set of our trawls we use the refuse 

 fish taken on our trawls for bait for halibut, which is all sufficient for the 

 purpose. I never caught any bait inshore and I never knew an Ameri- 

 can vessel to get bait there other than by purchase. 



The average amount of fresh bait taken at Nova Scotia is about 4 bar- 

 rels of herring to each vessel for a fresh trip for halibut. For a salt 

 trip for codfish we buy bait along the coast of Nova Scotia and at New- 

 foundland. From 20 to 40 barrels baiting each on the long summer trips 

 to the Grand Banks. We bait from 3 to 4 times usually at Newfound- 

 land, averaging about 200 dollars for the whole trip. 



I have taken several whole fares without leaving the Bank, using for 



