304 



involving the loss of vessel and cargo ; and that confiscation als'6 a\yaits 

 those who, in the same barbarous precincts, presume to useabait^ 

 mill! The dfJgree of civilization in colonial legislation is wonderftili, 

 and without a parallel, except in Tunis or Tripoli.*, 



As the concluding topic, we pass to examine into the causes of the 

 seizure of our vessels, by ships of the crown and by the colonial cutters, 

 for alleged " aggressions." 



Chronological order is not material to the inquiry, and will be dis- 

 regarded. In many cases we have the seizing officer's own account. 

 Thus says one : . 



" I found the said American schooner Rebecca at anchor, cleaning 

 fish and throw'ing the offal overboard. It being fine weather, and they 

 having three barrels of water on board, with a sufficient quantity of 

 wood, I detained her, and took her to St. John." 



Again, reports the same officer to his superior : 



" I found the American fishing schooner William anchoring in Gull 

 cove ; the weather was fine until after she got iuj when it came on 

 foggy, with light breezes ; and they having two barrels of water on 

 board, which myself, Mr. Tongeau, and boat's crew subsequently used 

 from, and plenty of wood, I detained her." 



Still agam : . : 



"I received information from the fishermen at Gull cove, as well as 

 from the. master and crew of the fishing schooner Mifterva, of Grand 

 Men^n, that an American schooner was at anchor at Beal's passage. 

 I went out from Gull cove, and saw her there ; at nine o'clock in the 

 evening I boarded her, which proved to be the American fishing 

 schooner Galeon, and found all the crew asleep. On questioning the 

 master the reason of his being there, he told me he had come to throw 

 the gurry (offal of the fish) overboard. They not being in want of wood 

 or water, and a fine fair wind for them, I detained her, got her under 

 weigh, and ran for GuU cove, a direct course for their fishing ground. 

 What the crew of the last mentioned vessel asserted in their protest is 

 not true. I never said that I would release their vessel, bat told them 

 that it was not in my power to do it, as they had decidedly violated 

 the;treaty of convention between England and the United States ; but as 

 they .pleaded poverty, saying their vessel was their sole support, I told 

 them I would recommend their case to Captain Hoare, of the Dotterel, 

 my .commanding officer." 



The schooner BatteUe was seized for setting nets in a harbor, and for 



* j^B an instance of the falsehoods resorted to in Nova Sootia to inflame the minds of ths 

 colonjal fishermen, I cite the following paragraph which appeared in a Halifax paper in 1845: 



'' MacJcerel fishery. — About four hundred vessels engaged in the mackerel fishery (from the 

 coast of Nova Scotia aud Cape Breton) arrived at the port of Gloucester (United States) Ofi 

 Sunday, September 27. Their cargoes aferaged one hundred barrels. Thus this fleet had 

 upwards pf forty thousand ban-els of fish — pretty pickings enough ! The whole catch of onr 

 provincial fishermen will not exceed ten thousand barrels." 



Thefe is one other " fish story'' equal to this, namely: Some six hundred years ago, a woman- 

 fish direct.from the ocean made her appearance among the fishermen of Holland, with whom 

 she lived awhile in great amity ; bat, desiring finally to see her children, she took affeotiona^? 

 leave of the l"nd Dutchmen, and returned to her old home in the sea, where, for aught that 

 appears in history, she is alive at this day. The skippers above mentioned reported falling in 

 with her on the "coast of Nova Scotia and Gape Breton" in 1845, but the veracious Halkaa 

 editor suppresses the important fact. ^ .. 



