AWARD OP THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 3339 



There are more British than American vessels engaged in the codfish - 

 ery of the Gulf of St. Lawrence ; they all throw their offal overboard, 

 including the shore boats. I went to Newfoundland 19 years ago, for 

 herring ; have been 15 trips since. I never caught a herring there, but in- 

 variably bought them, and paid the inhabitants for them. When I first 

 went there 1 paid one dollar per bbl. ; they are now worth from $1.50 to $2. 

 The American trade in herring has kept the people from starvation, and 

 raised whole communities from poverty to comparative affluence. I 

 have known $GO,000 to be paid for herring in Fortune Bay alone, by the 

 American fleet, in one single winter, and there would have been none 

 sold otherwise, as there is not any demand for these herring, except by 

 Americans, for the American market. I think there are about 100 sail 

 of Americans in the Bay this year. The average number of Americau 

 vessels in the Gulf of St. Lawrence the past 20 years is not over 250 

 vessels, taking one year with another. Out of the fleet this year there 

 is not over a dozen that have taken as many mackerel as I have, and a 

 large proportion of the fleet are leaving the Bay entirely discouraged. 

 The Wm. S. Baker has arrived in Gloucester, within two hours, from the 

 Bay of St. Lawrence with only five barrels of mackerel. 



I have been master of the schooners Susan E. Broicn, Hattie Leicis, 

 Ida May, Two Forty, Theron F. Dale, Alice M. Lewis. 



JESSE LEWIS. 



COMMON WEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS. 



COUNTY OF ESSEX, S3. GLOUCESTER, Aug. 27, 1877. 



Then personally appeared the above named Jesse Lewis, and made 

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

 best of his knowledge aud belief, before uie. 



DAVID W. LOW. 



(L. s.) Notary Public. 



No. 271. 



GLOUCESTER, Sept. 3, 1877. 



I, Samuel M. Farmer, master of the schooner Maud Midler, of 'Glou- 

 cester, on oath do depose and say, that I was born in Booth Bay, Me. 

 I have just returned from a trip to the coast of Maine. I have been ab- 

 sent five weeks. I brought home 230 barrels of mackerel, making 40 

 barrels No. 1's and 190 barrels No. 2's. The No. 1's are worth $24 per 

 barrel, the No. 2's are worth $15 per barrel. My whole trip is worth 

 $3,810. 



The charter of my vessel is worth $100 per month . $125 00 



Thirteen men . . . : 390 00 



Bait .-- 30 00 



Outfits 150 00 



Insurance 50 00 



Packing and Inspection 172 00 



Use of Seine and Boat 75 00 



Cost of trip $992 00 



Receipts 230 barrels mackerel 3, 810 00 



Profit $2,818 00 



My vessel is only 45 tons. She took these mackerel 8 miles from 

 Mount Desert Rock. The mackerel are schooling in every direction 



