AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 3437 



Q. Well, how many Banks do you know between the south coast of 

 Auticosti, ami from there down to Prince Edward Island f A. In the 

 first place there is the sixty-fathom line of soundings, and upon that 

 there are several Banks. 



Q. Here is a map attached to the British Case (handing map to wit- 

 ness) ; can you tell me by whom it was made ? A. No. 



Q. Now, there are the Magdalen Islands and there are Bradley, 

 Orphan, and Miscou Banks, and you know where Fisherman's Bank is. 

 It is not down here. Taking the Magdalens as a center, it appears by 

 the map that there is excellent fishing all around that region. \Ve 

 have heard of the fisheries on Bradley, Orphan, and Miscou Banks, and 

 you have stated that Bradley Bank particularly was a great spawning- 

 ground for mackerel. Now, was I not pretty near right in saying that 

 after you get down a little way beyond Anticosti the body of the gulf is 

 a series of Banks ? A. It is nearly all flat. So it is shown on Admiral 

 Bay field's chart. The soundings vary from 60 fathoms upward. 



Q. I must have got it out of your books, that statement that there 

 was a number of banks so small that they did not get down on the 

 maps? A. I have no doubt that statement is perfectly true, that there 

 are a great many Banks that are not on the maps ; but there are vast 

 multitudes on the coast of Nova Scotia. It was in reference to that, I 

 think, that I spoke. 



Q. Whenever you find these Banks you expect to find mackerel ? A. 

 We should think so. 



Q. Whether these Banks are situated, as some of them are, 25 or 30 

 miles from the shore, or whether they are pretty near in ? A. I should 

 think that made no difference at all. 



Q. You don't think there are particular spawning-grounds for mack- 

 erel? A. It depends upon the temperature. 



Q. Wherever the fish happens to be when it is under the necessity 

 of spawning, then it spawns just as an animal delivers its young? A. 

 Yes. 



Q. Now, the mackerel do spawn away down south as far as Cape 

 Hatteras on the American coast ? A. I am not aware of it. 



Q. How far south do you think is the most southern point where they 

 spawn on the American coast ? A. I don't know ; I never heard of any 

 south of Block Island. I can easily conceive that it is not impossible 

 where the Arctic current surges up under the Gult Stream that they 

 should spawn, but I have never heard of any locality south of Block 

 Island. 



Q. I was under the impression that we had some evidence of it a good 

 way further south, but perhaps not. Now, you spoke of a spring fishery 

 for mackerel in the gulf which is not made use of. I would like to know 

 how early you think mackerel could be taken in the gulf that would be 

 more than number three commercially ? A. I could not say. 



Q. Well, <that would not be until some twenty days after spawning ? 

 A. I think not. Probably they would be hardly tit to catch. There is 

 a kind of food on which they feed immediately after spawning which 

 fattens them up with wonderful rapidity. 



Q. What is that ? A. The launce. That is the reason why they dis- 

 appear immediately after spawning on Bradley or on any of these Banks. 

 Tuey disappear in pursuit of the launce. 



Q. How early do you think they disappear from these Banks' -A. I 

 think it is not at all difficult to ascertain if you take a mean of the times 

 of their appearance during 12 or U years. They didn't appear this 



