344 



I hiivi' seoti ol'tcn more thnn n huudwd Ameiiam vi'sm',-. lisliiii«; oii i\\i> iiliovo-iiii.uiil c...^' , iiM.iu; 

 floi't icvjether, mid I have seen these vessels make uH' I'loni the sh'jiu when u sluuiiier ujiiHiired to 

 protect tlie fishery, and when the amoke of tlie steamer could not le seen they came in again to the 

 shore. Such large numbers of them made it dangerous for Nova Scotiau liahermeu, ..iid I have lost 

 many a night's sleep by them iu order to protect our vessels. I have seen in Port Hood harbour about 

 three hundred sail of Amerinan vessels at one time, and it is seldom, if over, that a third of them are 

 in any harbour at one time, and I have been run into by an American schooner in Port Hood Harbour. 

 From 1871 to 1875 inclusive, I have seen the Americans in large numbers avound Prince Edward 

 Island, eastern side of New Brunswick, and around Cape T'.eton. 1 have seen many American vessel? 

 on the above-mentioned coast engaged in taking codiif V. " 



Jeffrey Cook, fisherman, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia : — 



" 2. While in the Bay of Chaleur, the summer before last, I saw many American vessels there 

 engaged in fishing, and have also seen many of them there fishing aince 1871. 1 have counted, the 

 summer before last, fifty American vessels within three-fourths of a mile from each otlier. Tlie most 

 of the American vessels which I saw fished inshore around the above-mentioned coasts. 1 saw lliem 

 take both codfish and mackerel inshore within throe miles of the shore. Mackerel are taken mostly all 

 inshore, and I would not fit out a vessel to take mackerel unless she fished inshore." 



James F. White, merchant, Prince Edward Island : — 



" 13. The mackerel, in spring, come down the Nova Scotia.i shore, and then strike up the bay to 

 the Magdalen Islands, from there some shoals move towards the bend of this island, and others towards 

 Bay Chaleur, Giupe, and round there. The Americans are well acquainted with this habit of the 

 mackerel and follow them. They have very smart schooners, and follow the fish along the shore, 

 taking their cue, to a great extent from what they see our boats doing." 



John Champion, fisherman, Prince Edward Island : — 



" 13. On aa average there are eight hundred American vessels enija^'od in the cod, hake and 

 mackerel fisheries in the bay, that is including this island coast, the Maijiialoii Islands, the New 

 Brunswick and Nova Scotian coasts. There have been as many as Kftocu iunuhed sdl in a season, 

 according to their own accounts. I myself have seen three hundred sail uf them in a c xy." 



Wm. Champion, fisherman, Prince Edward Island : — 



" Was one year in an American vessel, down eastward on this island, and about Port Hood, 

 Antigonish, Cape Geor and other places in that direction. The boats and also the American 

 schooners fish close inshore. We fished right up in the Bay Chaleur and round the other shores of the 

 provinces." 



James B. Hadley, Port Miilgrave, notary public, merchant : — 



" The principal places where the Americans fish for mackerel in the summer months are all over 

 the Oulf of St. Lawrence, off Poraquett Island, Port Hood, Prince Kiiwanl Island, in tlie Northumber- 

 land Straits olf Point Miscou, as far up as the Magdalen River, across to the Seven Islands, od'and around 

 Maj^dak'U Islands, and in the fall from East Point and the Magdalen Islands, ami Island Brion, thence 

 to Cape St. Lawrence and Port Hood, and around the eastern shore of Cape Breton to Sydney Harbour. 

 The trawling for cod-fish is done all round our shores from the 1st of Jlay till the fall." 



George McKenzie, master mariner, Prince Edward Island, was forty years fishing : — 



" When the mackerel strike ofi' for this island, the Anuuican schooiiei's never wait along the bight 

 of this island, but press u]) towards the North Cape, and Miscou, and Mira, and generally along the 

 west coa.st of New Brunswick and up as far us Seven Islands al)ove Anticosti, as their exjierieuce has 

 taught them that that is the quarter where the fish are to be found lii'st. Later on in AuLjust and 

 September they come back into the bight of this island. Nearly all the fish caught during these 

 times are caught near the shores of the British possessions, although there are some American vessels 

 which fished entirely in deep water away from the laud, but these are comparatively few." 



William H. Sweet, of Fall River, in the State of Massachusetts, United States of 

 America, but now of Port Hood, fisherman : — 



" 1. I have been engaged in the fishing vessels fitted out by the Americans for the past five 

 years, and have been engaged during that time mjUhiny in all parts of the G-iilf, on tlu coast of No^a 

 Scotia, Cape Breton, ami Prince Edward Island, and on the shores of the Magdalen Island. 



" 2. A large number of American vessels have been engaged in fishing in these waters for some 

 years past, taking cliiefly mackerel and cod-fish." 



Jas. Arcliibald, fisherman, of Boston : — 



•' 1. i have been engaged in the fishing Imsiness for twenty years past, and during seven years 

 past 1 have been lisliing iu American vessels, in j\.merican and Canadian waters. I have been engaged 



