THE FISHERIES. 233 
wardly indefinitely along the coast, without prejudice, how- 
ever, to any of the exclusive rights of the Hudson’s Bay Com- 
pany. And that the American fishermen shall also have lib- 
erty, forever, to dry and cure fish in any of the unsettled bays, 
harbors, and creeks of the southern part of the coast of New- 
foundland, hereabove described, and of the coast of Labrador; 
but so soon as the same, or any portion thereof, shall be settled, 
it shall not be lawful for the said fishermen to dry or cure fish 
at such portion so settled, without previous agreement for such 
purpose with the inhabitants, proprietors, or possessors of the 
ground. And the United States hereby renounce, forever, any 
liberty heretofore enjoyed or claimed by the inhabitants there- 
of to take, dry, or cure fish on or within three marine miles 
of any of the coasts, bays, creeks, or harbors of His Britannic 
Majesty’s dominions in America, not included within the above- 
mentioned limits: Provided, however, that the American fisher- 
men shall be permitted to enter such bays or harbors for the 
purpose of shelter and of repairing damages therein, of purchas- 
ing wood, and of obtaining water, and for no other purpose 
whatever. But they shall be under such restrictions as may 
be necessary to prevent their taking, drying, or curing fish 
therein, or in any other manner whatever abusing the privi- 
leges hereby reserved to them.” 
In virtue of these treaty provisions, citizens of the 
United States continued to fish on the coasts of the 
British Provinces without interruption for some twen- 
ty years, when question was raised as to their right 
to fish within the bays or indents of the coast, in 
consequence of an opinion of the Law Officers of the 
Crown that the expression “three marine miles of 
any of the coasts, bays, creeks, or harbors,” within 
which citizens of the United States were excluded 
from any right of fishing on the coast of British Amer- 
ica, intends miles “to be measured from the headlands, 
or extreme points of land next the sea or the coast, or 
