AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 3335 



No. 268. 



GLOUCESTER, Aug. 28, 1877. 



I, John S. Jameson, master of the schr. Henry Wilson, of Gloucester, 

 on oath, do depose and say : That I was born in Guysboro, Nova Scotia, 

 am 46 years of age, have been engaged in the fisheries for 30 years. 



I have just arrived from a trip to Greenland for halibut. I brought 

 home 120,000 Ibs. of halibut and 30,000 Ibs. of codfish. We caught our 

 fish 25 miles from land. I have been 10 years in the Western and 

 Grand Bank fisheries. We usually take 15 bbls. of porgie slivers for a 

 trip from Gloucester, and either go to Nova Scotia, or Newfoundland for 

 fresh bait. We always buy this fresh bait and pay cash for it. We 

 pay on an average about 1 dollars per barrel for this bait, taking 45 

 bbls to a trip, usually two trips a year. Sometimes we go in for bait 4 

 times to a trip, taking 45 bbls. each time. The bait costs us about 200 

 dollars for the full trip. If there was no demand for these herring the 

 people would not catch them at all. The American fisheries on the 

 Banks has absolutely created a new business for these people. I have 

 caught a number of trips of fish without getting any fresh bait from the 

 shore, using my slivers and refuse fish. The Grand Bank fisheries has 

 been pursued for centuries, the first beginning of this shore fresh bait 

 business is within 10 years. It is entirely to the advantage of the shore 

 people of Newfoundland and other places to sell this bait, as they realize 

 large sums from what would otherwise be of no value whatever to them. 



There is nearly a half million dollars paid to the English people for 

 herring by Americans, including the winter fresh herring trade. This 

 would be entirely worthless to them except for the American trade. 

 The American cod and halibut fishery is entirely a deep sea fishery. 

 With centuries of fishing on the sea Banks and for centuries throwing 

 over offal there is no real diminution of fish there. The use of fresh 

 bait has made the fish dainty and on the whole it has been an injury to 

 our fishing there using this bait. If all the Bank fishermen would use 

 salt bait it would be better for the whole. 



I have been in the Gulf of St. Lawrence for mackerel 10 years or sea- 

 .sons. Not more than one-fourth of the mackerel are taken within three 

 miles of the shore by the Americans. . American vessels in the Bay will 

 not average more than three hundred barrels of mackerel each for a 

 seasons mackereling there, this is a fair average for 10 years. 



JOUN S. JAMESON. 



COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS. 



COUNTY OF ESSEX, s. s. GLOUCESTER, Aug, 28, 1877. 



Then personally appeared the above named James S. Jameson and 

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

 (L. S.) DAVID W. LOW, 



Notary rnblic. 

 No. 269. 



GLOUCESTER, September 3, 1877. 



I, James L. Anderson, Master of the American schr. Seth 8tockl>ridge, 

 of Gloucester, Mass., do, on oath, depose and say, that I was born in 

 Middle Millford, Straits of Canso, am 37 years of age. I have been en- 

 gaged in the Gulf of St. Lawrence mackerel fishery for 24 seasons. 



I have just returned from a trip to the Gulf of St. Lawrence for mack- 

 erel. 





