THE FROZEN-HERRING INDUSTRY. 447 



takable sign that the fish had arrived. Later in the day they became more abundant, and the 

 captains of some of the American vessels decided to " man their own seines " and thus secure 

 their cargoes immediately. Accordingly four vessels sent their boats to lay out their seines, and 

 others were preparing to follow, when the enraged Newfoundlanders (some of whom it is said had 

 on the same day been fishing with nets and seines in the vicinity), seeing that all of the American 

 vessels were likely to secure full cargoes before dark, and knowing that this would destroy their 

 chance of finding a market for their catch, gathered on the beach and demanded that the seines 

 be taken up, giving as a pretext that it was unlawful to fish on the Sabbath. At the same time 

 the Americans were assured that if they did not comply with the demands that their nets would 

 not only be opened and the fish turned out but that the seines would be destroyed. 



The captain of the schooner Frank A. Smith, after a vigorous protest, decided to accede to 

 their demands, and at once took up his seine and returned with it to his vessel. John Hickey, an 

 Englishman, living near Fortune Bay, who had set his seine and was threatened in a similar way, 

 followed the example of the Smith. The other American captains, however, continued their 

 fishing and refused to desist. Captain Jacobs, of the schooner Moses Adams, had made a haul 

 and had emptied his catch into the seine of one Thomas Farrell, a Provincial fisherman then in 

 his employ, when the mob, for such it had come to be, attempted to liberate the fish and to tear 

 up the seines, but Captain Jacobs, armed with a revolver, determined to protect his property. 

 The natives, seeing his firmness, turned their attention to the two remaining seines belonging to 

 the schooners New England and Ontario, respectively. These had been joined, and an enormous 

 school of herring, containing upwards of 2,000 barrels, an ample quantity to load both vessels, 

 had been surrounded, and the fishermen were fully determined to secure their fish. Finding that 

 threats would not avail, the infuriated mob seized the seines and, after liberating the fish, tore 

 them to pieces and divided them up among themselves as trophies of their victory. No less than 

 sixty men were engaged in the onslaught, while fully one hundred and forty more stood by and 

 urged them on with shouts and cheers. 



This attack very naturally put an end to the seining, as no one dared to jeopardize his life 

 and property by longer opposing the frenzied crowd. Finding that they had carried the day, the 

 Newfoundlanders returned to their own vessels or gathered in crowds upon the shore and gave 

 themselves over to general rejoicing. In describing the scene Captain McAulay, of the schooner 

 Ontario, says they "made a jubilant demonstration, filing guns, blowing horns, and shouting, as 

 if celebrating a victory, to impress upon the masters of the American vessels present that they 

 were prepared to stand by and justify what they had done, and that the Americans might expect 

 to be treated in future in the same manner should they attempt to catch herring in the Newfound- 

 land waters." 



On the following morning the herring had disappeared and most of the vessels were obliged 

 to go home in ballast or with the few fish that they had already purchased. It is said, however, 

 that several remained for a time in the hope of buying fish from the natives with which to fill up 

 their vessels, but in this they were disappointed, for herring continued scarce and they too were 

 compelled to return home with only partial fares. 



It was not pleasant to the Americans to submit to such abusive treatment and to be deprived 

 of the privileges for which our Government had paid the enormous sum of $5,500,000, and, 

 though it was doubtless the proper course, yet our knowledge of these men leads us to believe 

 that had they not been so hopelessly in the minority they would have insisted upon their rights. 

 As it was they decided to give ,up the voyage as a losing one and to return home and lay the 



