.1 



304 



" Q. Till us the result of your experience ? — A. I have been on tl.o Bank.s with nothing but 

 porpics for Imit — we i^oiu'rnlly ttxik a few IxuTels with us to start upon — and run out our trawls, 

 liaviiii: the salt liait, anil tlioiv api)i'ari'il to be not one fish arnun<l, for we coulil not feel a bite or 

 j;i't a tish. I have thou ran t*. huul, nni lierriiifj and pone out to the same jjround a.s nearaspossilile, and 

 put out the trawls ami had an abundance of tish, where previously witli salt Uiit we >,'ot not a lish. 

 Kven if yoii bait your lionk with a jiioiL' of salt lH)rgie, ami put a small piece of fresh herring on the 

 point of the hook, you will have a lish on it. 



" (,>. Your evidi'uce amounts to this, that fresh bait is absolutely necessary to catch codlish ? — A. 

 Most uniloubtedly. 



" C^. And without fresh bait Bank coJ-lishing cannot be successfully carried on ? — A. I am quite 

 sure of it. 



" Q. You are ijuitc sure of it ? — A. I am quite certain of it from practical experience. 1 have 

 tried it. 



" ti>. For how many years ? — A. Four or live years. It is some time ago, but 1 believe, from what 

 Anuiican captains say, that it is worse now. They have to gut fresh bait or they cannot catch any lish, 

 they say. 



"Q. If tlie Aiurrican ve.ssfls wore not allowed to enter Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and Cape 

 Breton fur fivsli b.iit, they eoulil not carry on the cod-lishery ? — A. No; it would 1h' im]iossible. Any 

 man witli (■(iniiunii scn<e knows that. They niiuht caiTy it on to a certain extent, Imt not successfiJly. 



" (j. Have Vdu ever conversed with American captains? Do you know wliellier that is their 

 opinion ? — A. Yes. 



" t»>. They liave so (.■xjires'^ed tli.'n.^i ''. es to you? — A. Yes, a number of times. There is not a 

 year crcies by but wliat I talk wiili lifty of them. 



" (i>. That is the (,'Liiiial ojiiniun uf tluisu aeiiu.'iintcd with the lisherics ? — A. Yes, it is the general 

 ojiinioii. 



" (,». IMd you ever liear a man hold a different opinion ? — A. I don't think I ever knew any man 

 who held a didiTeiit opinion. 



" Q. If '.viinesses came here and told a diilerent story, what would you say ? — A. I don't know 

 how tliey ciaild." 



Mr. William Ross, Collector of Customs in this city, says, at page 349 : — 



" I tliink for the successful jirosecution of the cod-tishery fresh bait is absolutely necessary. I 

 should think a vi.--.-l1 using fresh bait would catch at least double the (juantity of tish." 



.'\iu1, not ti) weary the Commission, I will merely add, that ntimcroiis other 

 witne.^ses have si)tk<'ii to flie same elFect. 



Now, as to the eomjiarative cost of salt ami fresh bait. I cannot do better than 

 instance tlic case of tlio '* Pliar.salia," as Major Low has selected lier as the most 

 expensive trip, witli fnsli bait, made by any of Steele's vessels during tlirec years, 

 1874 to 1S70. llis cvicU'iue, at page 3UI, United States' evidence, is as follows: — 



" (>. Well, iimw. what induced vmi to make tlie sc lection of this trii> a.s an illustration of tlie rnsi 

 of a vcssil u^JTiL' tVi'^h bait and i.'oini,' to the (!iand l!anks ? — A. liecause it covered so many jKirts 

 whidi sJH' enttTcd. and tiie diilerent rites charged lor ice ainl bait. 



■•(.,». is it Hot the nio^t e.NjK iisive trip lliat is in that I k '. — \. I tiiink not. 



" y. Turn up the oilier tiiat is more exjiensive. .See if you can liiid a nmre expensive trip than 

 that. Wliat years does that lii>ok cover ' — A. l.'-Tl, ISTO, ami a ])orlion of ISTti. 



" Q. Now, is not tills the most ex]iensive trip made liy any vessel using fresh bait during these 

 years ? — A. After referring to the book — it luay be. From what examination I liave made, I think 

 it may be. 



"Q. .\s far lis you liave gone, you lind it to be the most expensive trip ? — A. Yes." 



Tlio " Pliarsalia's" trip. tl\ercrore. appears to have been thi.' ninst costly one he 

 conld timl in the Imuks fur tlirce years of tlie large hii.sine.ss of Mr. Steele as regards 

 fresh liail. 



At page 3()0 of the United ?tat(>s' evi<lence, it will be seen that llie whole cost of 

 fro.sh I nil, for (Hic voxago, aceordiiiir to Major !..ow's accovuit of tlie '• Pluirsalia," is 

 'J51 dill. \)1 c, iiiciuiliiig ier, port charges, coniniis.'ion to agents, &c. This is certainly 

 niiieli above the avoragi" Now. then, let ns see the cost of supplying a tirand Hank 

 ccil-nsliing vcsxl with salt bait. At page 3G2, United Slates' evidence, the same 

 wiiness. f|noting from .Mr. Steeli's books, puts the price of slivers at S dollars per barrel. 



;ml ■ ■ "' 



had 



quaiuity of sail bail taken by a ve.-sel of from (j.'t to HO ions, would he S.") barrels 

 .loshua I'ayne, anotlui- Unilcd Slates' witness, who also litled out vessels for the Clrand 

 Hank, says that one of his vessels took -Kt, another (iO, and another 75 barrels. Assum- 

 iii;; this average gJM n liy ihe Unilcd Slates' witnesses themselves to be correct, and 

 accepting t!ie vahialion given iiy .Major Low, and the tiict staled by him iu his account 



ot salt clams at !l dnllars per barrel. Francis Freeman, at page 80. who has 

 \iral vc.-i'ls \i|iiin the (Irand Hank (ishing, says at jiage 82. ihat the average 



!i 



