AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 3333 



No. 266. 



GLOUCESTER, August 31, 1877. 



I, John P. Hutehinson, master of the schr. Robert T. Clark, of Bridge- 

 port, Connecticut, do, on oath, depose and say, that I was born in New- 

 York, ana 54 years of age, and have just returued from a voyage to Got- 

 tenburg, Sweden. I started from Gloucester, the 21st of April, 1877, 

 and went to the Magdalen Islands for herring. I carried no nets from 

 Gloucester, but in the Straits of Causo, I hired one seine and two boats, 

 and 4 men, all British subjects. At the Island, the seine, manned by 

 the owners, and some 6 others that 1 hired there, took about 400 barrels 

 of herring. All the labor of taking, packing, etc., was done by British 

 subjects, and their service paid for in cash. I also bought 200 barrels 

 of herring from other British fishermen, paying about 25 cents per bar- 

 rel, lauded on board my vessel. Not being able to get as many herring 

 as I wanted at the Magdalens, I started on the 20th of May for Fortune 

 Bay. There were 30 American vessels at the Magdalen Islands after 

 herring, buying and hiring the herring caught, the same as I was. Ar- 

 rived at Fortune Bay on the 25th of May, and bought 1,300 barrels of 

 herring from the people on shore, paid 80 cents per barrel in gold. 



Left Fortune Bay the 18th of June, and arrived at Gottenburg on the 

 5th of July, herring in good order, and sold slow, and at prices that will 

 not more than pay the expenses of the voyage. I found the people at 

 Fortune Bay very desirous to sell. 



My voyage was as much a commercial voyage, as if I were buying po- 

 tatoes or any other product of the Dominion ; and all of the herring 

 taken by other vessels, so far as I could observe, were bought and paid 

 for in the same manner as I bought. I carried 2,000 bbls from Eastport 

 which were never landed at Fortune Bay, but I was obliged to pay du- 

 ties on them. I also paid light dues, $45. 



I have never been in the fishing business, and as far as my observa- 

 tion goes, the trade with the American vessels at Newfoundland and the 

 Magdalens is a source of profit, and large gains to the people there. 



The Joseph Wilder, an American vessel, was at Gottenburg when I 

 %as, and her cargo of herring was half rotten. Taking the whole of the 

 European trade in herring, sent from this side, I should say, on the 

 whole, that there has been no money made in it by Americans. This 

 trade is experimental, and the full results are, so far, not very satisfac- 

 tory. 



JOHN P. HUTCHINSON. 



COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS, 



COUNTY OF ESSEX, SS. GLOUCESTER, Sept. 1st, 1877. 



Then personally appeared John P. Hatchinson, above named, who 

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

 to the best of his knowledge and belief, before me, 



(L. S.) DAVID W. LOW, 



Notary Public. 



No. 267. 



GLOUCESTER, Aug. 31, 1877. . 



I, James Mclsaac, Master of the schooner Law, of Port Hawkesbury, 

 Nova Scotia, on oath do depose and say, that I was born in Port Hast- 

 ings, Strait of Canso, am 42 years of age, that I have been engaged in 



