700 CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. 



uary. Saw the seines of the American schooners New Er>r/l<i-n<l and 

 Ontario destroyed by the fishermen of Newfoundland. There is a 

 decided objection to using netted or gill-net herring for freezing 

 purposes, as these herring die in a short time after being taken in 

 gill-nets. When they are seined they can be kept alive on the radius 

 of the seine and taken out alive when the weather is suitable for 

 freezing, while the netted herring, being dead, must be salted or 

 spoil; consequently the seined herring are the best for our purposes, 

 and are what the American vessels want for our market. Knowing 

 this fact, the Newfoundland fishermen had endeavored to obstruct in 

 every way the taking of herring with seines, as they use principally 

 gill-nets; they placed their nets, which are set permanently, so as to 

 hinder the using of seines. On the 6th January, 1878, the herring 

 had come inshore, so that they were inside the gill-nets, thus giving 

 our people an opportunity to seine them without interfering with 

 the gill-nets. On the Americans attempting to put their seines in the 

 water the Newfoundland fishermen threatened to destroy them, and 

 when our fishermen had taken their seines full of herring, the New- 

 foundlanders came down to the number of 200, seized and destroyed 

 the seines, letting out the fish, and afterwards stole and carried off 

 the remnants of the seines. On account of this violence and the 

 obstructions placed in the way of my men operating the seine, I was 

 unable to procure a cargo, and have returned without a herring. If 

 I had been allowed the privilege guaranteed by the Washington 

 Treaty, I could have loaded my vessel and all the American vessels 

 could have loaded. The Newfoundland people are determined that 

 the American fishermen shall not take herring on their shores. The 

 American seines being very large and superior in every respect to 

 the nets of the Newfoundlanders, they cannot compete with them. 

 These seines are the mackerel seines which are used in summer for 

 mackerel and are setting for herring. When they are plentiful we 

 can take from 2,000 to 5,000 barrels. The seines and boats we use 

 cost 1,200 dollars when new, and are too expensive for the generality 

 of Newfoundland fishermen, and they would have no use for seines 

 only during the herring season, while we can use them both summer 

 and winter, and thus make them pay for their great cost. 



My loss by these acts of violence, and being deprived of my rights 

 under the Washington Treaty, is fully 5,000 dollars, which I claim 

 as indemnity. The netted herring are strangled while caught by the 

 head in the net, and the eyes turn red from suffocation. They will 

 not keep so long as seined herring, which are free to swim inside the 

 seine, and are dipped out alive. The netted herring will not sell in 

 the New York market, while the seined herring preserve their bright 

 appearance and sell rapidly. 



(Signed) CHARLES DAGLE, 



Master of Schooner Lizzie and Namari. 

 ESSEX, 55. 



GLOUCESTER, February 19, 1878. 



Personally appeared Charles Dagle, master of schooner Lizzie and 

 Namari, who subscribed and made oath to the foregoing statement. 



Before me. 



(Signed) . ADDISON CENTER, 



Justice of the Peace. 



