AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



344.'J 



No. V. 



Statistics of the French fiaheries in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. 



The Island* of St. Pierre and 

 M i<| iielnn (w-nil to the Weitt Count 

 about 15 Rchoonera manned by 

 12 men. They dispatch also into 

 the gulf abont 120 to 160 men to 

 in ;n i from 60 to 80 dory a to flab 

 abont Cod Roy and Red Inland. 



. ( "Le I'ilote de Terre Xeuve," Vol. 1, page 246.) 



Affidavits read in rebuttal by ,!/). Whitetcay. 



No. 1. 

 NEWFOUNDLAND. 



Saint John's, to icit : 



Thomas Kumsey, aged thirty years, fisherman, residing at Saint 

 John'sr, aforesaid, tnaketh oath and saith : Deponent is well acquainted 

 with the fisheries of Newfoundland, and is intimately acquainted with 

 the herring fishery. Deponent, last spring, saw three United States 

 herring seines used by American fishermen in " barring herrings " at 

 Long Harbor in Fortune Bay, and knows that large quantities of her- 

 rings were " barred " by these seines and taken out afterwards by using 

 their small seines, which these United States fishermen came down pre- 

 pared with. 



Deponent knows that United States fishermen are in the habit of 

 using their own seines to inclose herrings on our coasts, and of employ- 

 ing British fishermen to assist in hauling these seines. Deponent knows 

 of one instance in which United States fishermen brought down a large 

 herring seine completely fitted out with seine boat and all necessary 

 gear, which they sold to a person named Fiander, at English Harbor, 

 in Fortune Bay/ Deponent further has heard and believes that another 

 snch seine was sold by United States fishermen to one Burke, at St. 

 Jacques, in Fortune Bay, and in both cases the value of such seines was 

 to be paid for by supplying tbese United States fishermen with herrings 

 at nominal prices, hauled by these seines, the crews working the same 

 being composed almost wholly of American fishermen. Deponent fur- 

 ther says that he knows of one instance that happened last spring, in 

 which a cargo of fresh herrings was hauled by a United States crew 

 and vessel in Fortune Bay, aforesaid, and sold at St. Pierre as bait for 

 French fishermen ; and that it has been stated and as deponent believes 

 truly stated other United States fishermen did the same thing. De- 

 ponent has been informed that United States fishermen intend provid- 

 ing themselves with larger seines than those now used by them, (which 

 are much larger than tho.se by Newfoundland fishermen) and with 

 these seines to engage largely iti catching bait on Newfoundland s bores 

 to supply French fishermen at St. Pierre. 



THOMAS KUMSEY. 



