INSHORE FISHERIES 205 



sufficed to load the entire fleet. The schooners New England, 

 Capt. Peter McAuley, and Ontario, Capt. John Dago, joined 

 and set their seines, making a double seine about 2,400 feet 

 long and 150 feet deep, which soon filled with herring, the catch 

 being estimated at fully 2,000 barrels. This, with the opera- 

 tions of the other Gloucester schooners, maddened the Newfound- 

 land fishermen, who had gathered in the vicinity to the number 

 of two hundred or more, and they commenced to put off in 

 boats, making warlike demonstrations and using threatening lan- 

 guage, and commanding the American fishermen to desist from 

 fishing. The seines of the Ontario and the New England were 

 seized by the mob, the fish let out, and the seines torn in pieces 

 and carried away. 



"The rioters next turned their attention to the schooner Moses 

 Adams, Capt. Solomon Jacobs, whose seine had been set and 

 filled, and whose crew were busily engaged hi scooping the 

 herring into boats and transferring them to their vessel. Three 

 separate attempts were made to seize the seines, but Capt. Jacobs 

 and his crew were provided with loaded revolvers, and by threat- 

 ening to shoot the first man who dared to interfere with them, 

 succeeded in keeping the mob at bay until a partial cargo had 

 been secured, when the Newfoundlanders tripped the seine and 

 allowed the remainder of the herring to escape. Had they been 

 allowed to continue fishing, they could have loaded their vessels 

 and helped in supplying others. 



"In the evening the rioters had a jubilee, blowing horns, 

 firing guns and shouting, as if celebrating a victory. This was 

 taken as an indication that the same course would be pursued if 

 further attempts were made to fish, and the other vessels were 

 deterred from making the attempt. Next day the herring struck 

 off shore, and finding it difficult to purchase cargoes, the fleet 

 soon set sail for home, mostly in ballast, although a portion of 

 the fleet secured partial cargoes, mostly by purchase." 1 



In July, 1879, two American vessels appeared at Aspee 

 Bay, Cape Breton Island, to engage in the taking of squid 



i Fishermen's Own Book, pp. 



