696 CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. 



them up when they found that the other was destroyed. One of these 

 captains said that the fishermen had threatened to take up the seine 

 if they didn't themselves. Captain Jacobs showed me a revolver, and 

 said that he had threatened them with it. I remonstrated with him 

 for doing so, when he replied that I couldn't suppose that he was 

 really going to use it; that he only did it to frighten them; he had 

 taken care there were no charges in it. I said to him, " Do you sup- 

 pose that you would have got off that beach alive if you had used 

 it ? " and he said he never intended to use it. 



Captain Warren told me that on the fishermen coming to haul in 

 the seine that Captain Dago hailed them to say that they would take 

 the seine in themselves if they waited, and that he (Warren) said to 

 Dago, "It is too late now; you ought to have done it when they 

 told you first; they are too excited now." 



I then communicated with the natives of the place, who related 

 the circumstances, and gave their reasons that the Americans were 

 fishing illegally, and would have secured the whole of the fish, which 

 they considered part of their property, and that they would have been 

 distressed for the winter. They told me that they had at first told 

 them to take up their seines, and they refused; that Captain Jacobs 

 had threatened them with a revolver, but, notwithstanding this, they 

 had taken up one and destroyed it. 



I saw Captain Jacobs several times afterwards, and in the course 

 of conversation with him I said : " If I had been there you would 

 not have been allowed to shoot jour seine." " What ! " he said, " could 

 you prevent me? " I said " Yes; I should have seen the law carried 

 out and taken your seine and boat, which you forfeited for breaking 

 the law," and I told him I would take the fine as well of $200, at 

 which he said : " Do you think I care about paying the fine? I could 

 pay the fine," by which I understood him to mean that the fine was 

 not worth considering, as the quantity of fish would have more than 

 paid for it. 



Q. Was there any one in Long Harbour on the Sunday referred to 

 who could have enforced the law and protected the interests of the 

 fishermen? A. No. 



Q. Is it not illegal shooting seines at all at that time of the year? 

 A. There is an act to that effect, but it has never been carried out in 

 Fortune Bay, nor are the natives aware of its illegality at that time 

 of the year, nor would they have molested the Americans had it not 

 been Sunday, and which they knew it to be not only the law, but the 

 infallible custom to desist from fishing on that day. 



Q. Has there ever been to your knowledge before quarrelsome dis- 

 putes or ill-feeling between the Americans and native fishermen? 

 A. No, never ; always on the best terms. 



Q. How long did you remain in Long Harbour? A. I remained 

 till the 12th January. 



Q. Did you observe during your stay in Long Harbour whether 

 the three American captains remained and continued to fish or not? 

 A. I did. and I know that they continued to fish; they were not 

 molested as far as I know. 



