>^.r»^* 



89 



supply of bait, which is always brought from home, is exhausted, to purchase fresh 

 bait of the Canadians, who lish for it in open boats or small craft near their own 

 homes, to wliicli they return every nigiit. The best bait for cod and other similar 

 fish is the froy.cMi hcrrino-, large quantities of which, of a quality too poor for any 

 other use, are taken in seines by tiic Canadians, and sold to the United States' 

 fishernuMi. The importance of this and otlicr kinds of trallic to tlic poor inhabi- 

 tants of the Canadian iislung villages, and the destitution to which they were 

 reduced, when, from motives of |)olicy, and to allect the negotiations between the 

 two CJovernments, it W's broken up by the Canadian autliorities, will ajjpcar from 

 their own testimony and from odicial documents. This subject will receive atten- 

 tion hereafter, StiJ/icc it now to olisrrre, thai the chtim of Great Jhitain to he compensated 

 for allowing United Stales' Jishermvn to buy hait and other supplies q/' British siibjecls, finds 

 no semblance of foundalion in the Treaty, by irhich no riijht of traffic is conceded. The 

 United States are not aware that tlie former inhospitable statutes have ever been 

 repealed. Their enforcement may l)e renewed at any moment, and the only security 

 against such a course is the fact that such uncivilizeil legislation is far more incon- 

 venient and injurious to the Canadians than it can possibly be to American fisher- 

 men. It will appear in the sequel, that, in the unanimous opinion of tliat portion of 

 the Canadians who reside on the sea-coast, the benefits of such commercial-inter- 

 course arc at least as great to themselves as to foreign fishermen. 



(.'5.) It is further imjjortant to iicar in mind, that the fishery claims of the 

 Treaty of Wasiiington have already been in formal operation during four years, — 

 one-third of tiie whole period of their continuance ; while practically both fishing 

 and commercial intercour.se have been carried on in conformity with the Treaty 

 ever since it was signed, .May 8, 1871. After that date, the provincial authorities 

 desisled fron: the system of seizures and otiicr molestations by whici> Ibreigu 

 fishermen liad been previously annoyed. And what has been the result, to each 

 parly, of the liberal policy inauguiated by tiie Treaty? Under its benign 

 inlhiences. as the British Case declares, "the produce of the fisheries caught by 

 British subjects has greatly increased during seven years |)ast." Hut, while the 

 result to them has been one of " steatly development and increasing wealth,'" the 

 United Slates' cod fishery, oven, has declined in amounl and value, — not, to be 

 sure, to such an exlent as tiie mackerel lisliery, but suiiiciently to demonstrate that 

 the Aiiierifan fisheri(>s for iialibut, cod, haddoeii, [lollock, and hake, have not been 

 benetiled by any jirivileges conceded to the United Stales under the Treaty of 

 Washington ; and Ihal, in rcsi)(>ct to these fisheries, no just claim for compensation 

 can be maintained before this Commission. 



(4.) Almost the only fish ever taken by Americans within the three-miles limit 

 of the coast of the liritisli Provinces are the mackerel ; and of the enlire catch of 

 tliis lish, only a very small fractional part is ,so taken. They abound along the 

 .•\tlantie coast, from Cape I\lay northward; great quantities of them are found in 

 file deep sea; and the chief use made of tiie inshore fisheries on llie Canadian 

 coast by American fishermen is to follov/, occasionally, a school of fish w hicli, in 

 its progress, chances to set in towards the shore. 



The method of taking them formerly was by hand-lines with the jig hooks; 

 and this method is still the one principally practi.seil oil the British coast. Within 

 the past few years, the use of purse-seines has become die metliod most ajiproved 

 and most generally adopted by United States' fishermen. By means of them the 

 schools of fish can be controlled ami caught, whether they are inclined to take bait 

 or not. And this new mode of taking lish li.as revolutionized the business, since 

 American fishermen now require no bait, and are enabled to take an abundant supply 

 of mackerel in American waters throughout the whole fishing season. 



The migration of mackerel in the spring begins on the Atlantic coast from a 

 point as far south as Cape llattcras. The first-comers reach Proviiicetowu, INIass,, 

 about May 10. Here they begin to scatter, and they arc found during the entire 

 season along the New Englaml coast. 



" AVli;iti:vor ni;iy In' till' tlu'oi'i(,'-i ni' (illii'rs on llic ■iuliji'ct," siiys I'l'iilV'ssui- lliiinl, " tlu' Amorlciiii 

 lUiifkcu'l lis'iir knows iicifei'lly well tIi;iL in sjiriiv^-, nhout itay, lir will tiinl tin; si'lmols dl' niiickort'l nil' 

 I'lipi.' IliilU'iiis, ;iii(l tliMt, liL^ oiin I'lillow llii'iu iidi'tliwiirtl, il;iy liy (l:iy, ii.s they iiiovo in ccmnlli'ss myriiuls 

 oil t I tlie i'iiii4 iif Maiiii', III' Xnva SiMilia, ainl iiilii llid liulf ni Si. l,a\vieiii:i.'. 'I'lu'y may 1n' ud'asiuiially 

 lost sifilit of liy lluii' siiikiiii; lu'low lli.' siu iin't' : lull llioy aio amv lo jiivsout tlu'iusolvos, sliorlly al'lrr, 

 li) tlioso who liiiik lor tlirm I'ailhi'r linrlii aihl ca I." 



Le 



avmg 



it to naturalists to account for the reasons, the fact i 



s universa 



lly 



acknowledged, tiiat, for a number of \ears past, the value of the mackerel fisheries 



[280J 



O 



