PEK1OD FitOM 1871 TO 1905. 701 



(12.) 

 Deposition of William H. McDonald. 



GLOUCESTER, February 19, 1878. 



I, William H. McDonald, master of the American schooner William 

 E. McDonald, of Gloucester, do on oath depose and say : 



That I have just returned from NeAvfoundland, where I have been 

 for a load of herring. I was at Long Harbour, Newfoundland, when 

 the seines of the schooners New England and Ontario were destroyed. 

 I had gone on shore and was on the beach at the time. The New- 

 foundlanders were much excited because of our use of the large 

 seines, which for the first time were, used last winter there. The 

 Newfoundland fishermen had sunk large rocks off the beach in order 

 to catch the seines and tear them, and had put their gill-nets where 

 they would obstruct the use of the seines. These means failing, as 

 the herring were close inshore, they took to personal violence, and 

 destroyed one seine completely, and made the others take them up 

 and release the fish. I had a seine, but was not allowed to use it. 

 The nets they placed in the way and kept there only for the purpose 

 of obstructing our operations with seines, as they took no herring 

 there, but let the nets remain till they rotted. I can fully endorse 

 the statement of Captain Dagle in all particulars. My vessel is a 

 first-class vessel, and with the time and expense, and with the loss of 

 herring. I have sustained a loss of fully 5,000 dollars to myself and 

 owners, and I claim that, under the Treaty of Washington, I have a 

 right to the herring fisheries and claim indemnity for this severe loss. 



(Signed) WILLIAM H. MCDONALD. 



ESSEX, ss: 



Personally appeared William H. McDonald and subscribed and 

 made oath to the above statement. 



Before me. 



(Signed) AAEON PARSONS, 



Justice of the Peace. 



(13.) 

 Deposition of James McDonald. 



GLOUCESTER, February 19, 1878. 



I, James McDonald, master of the American schooner F. A .Smith, 

 of Gloucester, do on oath depose and say : 



That the said schooner was chartered by George W. Plumer and 

 others, of Gloucester, for a voyage to Newfoundland for herring. I 

 sailed from Gloucester on the 29th November, 1877, and arrived at 

 Long Harbour, Newfoundland, on or about the 15th December, 1877. 

 I carried a large purse seine, such as is used to take mackerel. The 

 seine will take 4.000 barrels of fish. I employed Newfoundland fisher- 

 men to operate the seine. I set my seine twice, but without catching 

 anj'thing, as my seine was torn by rocks that had been left off the 

 beach. On the 6th January the herring made their appearance in 

 great numbers, and the opportunity to take a large haul was unproved 



