PERIOD FROM 1871 TO 1905. 659 



[Inclosure No. 1.] 



Captain Sulivan to Vice- Admiral Sir E. Inglefield. 



SIRIUS, ST. JOHN'S, NEWFOUNDLAND, June 19, 1878. 

 SIR: I have the honor to inform you that, in obedience to your 

 orders, I left Halifax on Saturday, the 8th instant, and proceeded to 

 Fortune Bay, for the purpose of inquiring into the circumstances 

 connected with the quarrel between the English and American fisher- 

 men in Long Harbor in January last, arriving off Brunet Island on 

 tile-evening of Monday, the 10th. I anchored there for the night, the 

 weather being thick, with fogs gathering ; and on the evening of the 

 llth weighed and proceeded to Long Harbor, at the entrance of which 

 the same afternoon I learnt that the Pert was at the head of the har- 

 bor (about 9 miles off). I therefore proceeded through the narrows 

 and anchored in 6 fathoms about 7 miles from the entrance, and ob- 

 served the Pert anchored about 3 miles farther in, when I recalled 

 her, and on the following day anchored in company with her 4 miles 

 farther down off Tickle Beach, where we found the disturbance of 

 January last had taken place. 



2. On this beach are two huts, occupied by fishermen who witnessed 

 the affair, and having taken their evidence, which, with other evidence 

 subsequently taken, will be forwarded with my report hereafter, we 

 proceeded to Metter's Cove, where a fisherman named Tharnell and 

 another were examined on the same subject. 



3. From information given by them I proceeded to St. Jacques the 

 same afternoon, where, from Mr. Snellgrove. subcollector of customs, 

 who was present at Tickle Beach shortly after the disturbance, and 

 others who had witnessed the whole transaction, I obtained further 

 important evidence, which, with my report, will be forwarded at the 

 earliest opportunity when complete. 



4. There have been at these places several complaints made to me 

 on various subjects by some of the witnesses, disputes relative to land 

 property, and reports of barring herring, one being that a seine had 

 been laid for this illegal purpose, and had been so for some days ; in 

 consequence of which I directed Captain Aitchison to proceed to the 

 spot said to be barred, and ascertain the truth of the information. 



5. The Pert reported at St. Jacques, and reported having found 

 the seins as described, and taken possession of it. In other cases of 

 complaint, I was only able to take the evidence of those witnesses 

 present at the time, but in the absence of others away fishing, I had 

 to postpone the cases until my return from St. John's. 



6. On Monday, the 17th, I directed the Pert to proceed to St. 

 John's to coal, prior to her leaving for the east coast, and the same 

 afternoon I left St. Jacques in this ship for St. John's, where I 

 arrived yesterday at 7 p. m., the mail from England for Halifax 

 arriving a few hours afterward, and leaving early this morning. 



7. I am unable to forward more than this letter, as the report on 

 the subject of the American outrage is not complete; but the evi- 

 dence is most complete, the witnesses corroborating each other, and 

 goes completely to prove the Americans were entirely in the wrong, 



