THE FISHEKIES. 233 



warclly indefinitely along the coast, without prejudice, how- 

 ever, to any of the exclusive rights of the Hudson's Bay Com- 

 pany. And that the American fishermen shall also have lib- 

 erty, forever, to dry and cure fish in any of the unsettled bays, 

 harbors, and creeks of the southern part of the coast of New- 

 foundland, hereabove described, and of the coast of Labrador; 

 but so soon as the same, or any portion thereof, shall be. settled, 

 it shall not be lawful for the said fishermen to dry or cure fish 

 at such portion so settled, without previous agreement for such 

 purpose Avith the inhabitants, proprietors, or possessors of the 

 ground. And the United States hereby renounce, forever, any 

 liberty heretofore enjoyed or claimed by the inhabitants there- 

 of to take, dry, or cure fish on or within three marine miles 

 of any of the coasts, bays, creeks, or harbors of His Britannic 

 Majesty's dominions in America, not included within the above- 

 mentioned limits : Provided, however, that the American fisher- 

 men shall be permitted to enter such bays or harbors for the 

 purpose of shelter and of repairing damages therein, of purchas- 

 ing wood, and of obtaining water, and for no other purpose 

 whatever. But they shall be under such restrictions as may 

 be necessary to j^revent their taking, drying, or curing fish 

 therein, or in any other manner whatever abusing the privi- 

 leges hereby reserved to them." 



In virtue of these treaty provisions, citizens of the 

 United States continued to fish on the coasts of the 

 British Provinces without interruption for some twen- 

 ty years, when question was raised as to their right 

 to iisli witldii the bays or indents of the coast, in 

 consequence of an opinion of the Law Officers of the 

 Crown that the expression "three marine miles of 

 any of the coasts, bays, creeks, or harbors," within 

 which citizens of the United States were excluded 

 from any right of fishing on the coast of British Amer- 

 ica, intends miles "to be measured from the headlands, 

 or extreme points of land next the sea or the coast, or 



