3426 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



limits ? A. At Disco Island, for commercial purposes, but the Esqui- 

 maux take cod far north of that. 



Q. What is the southern limit ? A. For commercial purposes, I should 

 say Cape Cod. 



Q. 2s ot George's Bank ? A. That is not farther south than Cape 

 Cod. 



Q. When you speak of cod being found off the coast of Newfound- 

 laud, to how many fathoms do you refer I A. It is caught there in 200 

 fathoms. 



Q. What distance would that ordinarily be from the shore? A. That 

 varies very much ; some deep inlets there vary in depth from 150 to 200 

 fathoms. Of course, I can produce a map or chart, if you like, and show 

 you those localities. 



Q. Taking the western shore of Newfoundland you know the limits, 

 of course ; you have written this book on the subject of the effect of the 

 Washington Treaty on the British fisheries and fishermen, and you know, 

 of course what is the American limit under the Treaty of 1818 ? A. 

 Yes; I do. 



Q. Within those limits, what would ordinarily be the distance of 150 

 fathoms from the shore ? A. Well, I could not say ; but it is very close 

 to the shore 2, 3, or 4 miles from it. 



Q. It is not necessarily at a distance of 3 miles from the shore, of 

 course? A. Not necessarily ; certainly not ; that distance has nothing 

 at all to do with it. 



Q. When you come inside of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the great 

 places for cod wherever they are to be found are usually iu considerable 

 depth of water? A. Not necessarily, but usually. For example, the 

 first place, so far as is known, where the cod appears in the Gulf of St. 

 Lawrence is Natashquan, a peninsula on the Labrador coast, not very 

 far from the eastern extremity of Auticosti. 



Q. Are they found on Banks there? A. Yes; outside Natashquan; 

 and there is a reason why they are found there. 



Q. Do you regard the mackerel fishery as a precarious and uncertain 

 kind of fishing? A. Yes. 



Q. The habits of fish cannot be understood; we will never know or 

 be able to make this fishery anything like a certainty; it is a lottery to 

 a great extent ! A. I think not. I think that the Gulf of St. Lawrence 

 mackerel fishery cau be made much more certain than it now is; and if 

 you wish, I will describe how this cau be done. 



Q. If you can do so, and reconcile it with your statement that it is a 

 precarious and uncertain fishery, yes. A. It is a precarious and uncertain 

 fishery iu this way : unfortunately, throughout the gulf, the mackerel 

 fishery is chiefly carried on by means of open boats. 



Q. You mean to say that this fishery is thus carried on by the in- 

 habitantsof thiscouutry ? A. Yes; and hence, inthefirst place, they lose 

 to a very great extent, the great benefits of the spring mackerel fishery 

 in certain localities. For example, they lose the spring mackerel fishery 

 on the Bradelle (or Bradley) Bank. They have not decked boats, which 

 would enable them to take advantage of the spring mackerel fishery 

 there. Secondly, they labor under the great disadvantage of not being 

 able to follow the mackerel when they move under the influence of the 

 wind from one side to the other side of the Bay of Chaleurs ; and in the 

 third place, they cannot follow the mackerel when, under the influence 

 of the wind, these fish pass from the north shore of the Gulf of St. 

 Lawrence, via Point Des Monts and Cape Chatte, to the south shore; 

 fishing, as they do, iu open boats, they cannot take advantage of these 



