337 



"Q. VVfll, from tlie knowledge you have of tlio locality, do you think you would see any 

 American selioonura if they were iirevented from fisliing wi'iiin three miles of the shore i — A. No. 



"Q. Would it be protitiible for them ?— A. They caiiuoi do it. They would not come because 

 they wonld not culch enough to ])ay expenses." 



Mr. James Jcssop, of Gaspo, examined by Mr. Weatherbe, testifies as follows : — 



"(). As n matter of fact, wliere do they get most of the bait, on the shores ov on the banks ? — 

 A. More i!i.'<liove than on the banks. 



"ij. Do the Americans come in.shore constantly for bail ! — A. They may not come on our .shores, 

 but on (itiier sliores they do. Moat of them go to Sliijiiiegan, which i.s a great place for tishing 

 herring. The lunring come in from the IJanks of Shippegun; the Americans) catch them and also 

 follow them insliore. 



' (). The .\mericans come from the banks (jn purpose to catch bait ? — A. Yes, and when they go 

 out of tlu^ bay they get fresh bait wlien the herring sdiool is passing out. 



" Q. IFow long does fresh bait last ? — A. It wiU only keep fresh one day. 



" Q. That is when there is no ice on board to jjreserve it f — A. Yes. 



" Q. AVhere there is ice, how long will the bait keep I'lvAt ? — A. Two or three days. 



■' ti>. trom Capo Chatte to Cajie Oaspe, how far from lla; shore did the Americans fish V — A. From 

 Cape '''Iiaite to Ca]ie Gaspe, the Americans came in along the shore. I never fished there. I have 

 passed up and down and .seen American vessels li.shing for mackerel right along the shore. 



" (J. l)id you see or liear of Americans li.shing for mackerel outside of three miles from shore ? — 

 A. No ; all witliin cue mile, one mile and a half and two miles of the shore. 



" {}. iJid yon ever hear of any fishing outside three miles ? — A. Not on that coast. 



"Q. On (lie north side of Bay Clialeurs where arc mackerel found* — A. The great body of 

 mackerel is along tin; shore. A few may be caught outside in deep water, but the mackerel make into 

 the shore, and come after small bait. 



"Q. Wlu re are most of the mackerel caught? — A. Handy to the shore, sometimes a mile and a 

 half out. Someiinie not five acres out. 



" t^. Dnyou know from the Americans theni.selves wliether they catch the greater part of the 

 mackeiel inshore '. — A. Yes. Tiie vessel I was on board tislied inshore with boats. The vessel was at 

 anchor in .Newport iiarbour. 



"Q. How liir from the land ?— A. Aknit ;iOn yards. 



" (). Did ycni ciitc'h iUl the fisli there ? — A. There were no fish in the harbour. We caught them 

 in a cove ealliHi Ch! naval. 



" i.). How far iVoin the shore ? — A. About 2 cables' length. Wc got 100 barrels one day. 



" i). Dill you latch your fish far from the ?hore .' — A. The farthest we caught might be half-a-mile 

 off. 



'• (I How many did you catch ? — A. I could not say exactly, but we pretty nearly loaded her. I 

 left her, and slu' allerwards left to tranship her cargo. 



" (it. Do the Americans fish along your shores for cod ? — A. They do. 



" Q. Within tliree miles from .shore? — A. Yes. 



"(.). To any extent? — A. They don't fish codfish to any great extent within three miles from 

 shore. 



" Q. Wheie do thoy fish for cod ? — A. On Miscou Ran.: and Bank Oi'phan. 



" (). What is the number of the fleet engaged in fishing on Miscou Bank alone ? — A. I have heard 

 my uien say from forty to fifty sail. 



" Q. You would put the average at forty sail ! — A. Yes. 



" Q. Do you know what is the number of tiie cod fishing fleet in the bay on an average each year ? 

 — A. From .'lOll to 400 vessels. 



" y. Nearer 400 than 300 ?— A. About 400. 



" Q. Where do these cod fishermen get the bait they use ? — A. A great deal of it inshore, along 

 our coast. 



" li>. How do they get it ? — A. By setting nets inshore, and sometimes by buying it. 



" (.). What kind of fish do the ■ catch for bait ? — A. Herring. I have seen them seining herring. 

 I have heard that they jig sipiid and oob mackerel. 



" {). They catch caplin ? — A. Yes." 



Mr. Josopli Couteau, of Cape Despair, examined by myse'f gives tlie following 

 evidence : — 



" 1 am 4'2 years of age. I live at Capo Despair, in the county of Gaspe. I am a fisherman, and 

 at present employ men in the fishing business. This fishery is carried on along the coast from one to 

 three miles from the shore, and also on Misccni Bank. Tiie Americans fish there. 1 have seen as many 

 as forty sail fisliing there at the same time. The Americans procm'e their bait along and near the coast. 

 The bait consist of lievring, cajjlin, and sqiud. The (xid fishery cannot be prosecuted to advantage with 

 salt bait. The .Vna^i'icans cannot bring with them to Miscou Bank a sufficient supply of bait. In 1857 

 I fished in an American schooner called the ' Maria.' 1 do not remember her captain's name. The 

 schooner was tittiil out at and started I'rom Portland. During the first three months of the voyage, we 

 fished for cod aloii'4 ('a])e Breton, the Magdalen Islands, and Miscou Bank. At Capo Breton we took 

 the cod at ilistances of from a mile to a mile and a half from the shore. Wv fished at about the same 

 distance from the siiore at the Magdalen Islands. We took Ji.SO quintals of cod. We caught about 

 three-quarters of our load within three miles of the coast off Cape Breton and the ^Vlagdalen Island, 

 and the remaiialer at Miscou l^auk. A\'e ])rocnred our bait on the Cape Breton sh<ire." 



