3. Around this harbor large quantities of mackerel are taken, principally in traps, and the Americans purchase them for bait. The selling of these mackerel to Americans is of no advantage to us, as we can sell them in other markets. Thousands of barrels of mackerel are taken around in this vicinity; as many as six thousand barrels at least last year were taken. The mackerel taken in here bring better prices in American markets than the mackerel taken in American waters. I have been informed of Americans being interested in traps for mackerel around here. The Americans purchase the most of their bait here, because by so doing they save time. All the American vessels which run here carry nets to catch bait.

4. American vessels run in here and sell their small fish; by so doing they are enabled to purchase bait and supplies, and carry home a cargo of large and valuable fish. The Americans run in here for supplies when they run short, sometimes for salt; by so doing they are greatly benefited.

5. The trawling carried on by the Americans on the Banks off the shore is, in my opinion, very injurious to the fisheries. Trawling has been carried on to a considerable extent lately by our fishermen. They have been compelled to do so, in order to compete with the Americans 6. The Americans also get large quantities of herring here for bait. These herring are all taken inshore within three miles of the shore. On this island there is a population of over two thousand, and there are upwards of four hundred boats engaged in fishing around this island. Many of these boats take one hundred and seventy-five quintals of fish each.

ELEAZAR CROWELL,

Merchant.

D. G. DALEY, J. P.

Sworn to before me this 27th day of August, 1877.

No. 290.

In the matter of the Fisheries Commission at Halifax, under the Treaty of Washington.

I, DANIEL V. KENNY, of Cape Sable Island, in the County of Shelburne, fisherman, make oath and say as follows:

1. I have been engaged in the fisheries for twenty years now past, mostly in the inshore fisheries in Shelburne County, and have been engaged in American vessels in Bank fishing from 1870 to 1874. We got our bait in Canadian ports, and we could not have carried on the Bank fishing successfully unless we got this bait in Canadian ports inshore. When fishing in the American vessels we took codfish on the Banks by trawling, which I consider very injurious to the fisheries, as it destroys the spawn fish. When fishing in the American vessels we trawled inshore around Cape Breton, on Anticosti, and around Newfoundland within three miles of the shore. In getting bait our supply is interfered with by American vessels, as they often gobble up the bait from us and make it dearer.

DANIEL V. KENNY.

Sworn to at Cape Sable Island, in the county of Shelburne, this 27th day of August, A. D. 1877, before me.

D. G. DALEY, J. P.

No. 291.

In the matter of the Fisheries Commission at Halifax, under the Treaty of Washington.

I, GILBERT MERRITT, of Sandy Cove, in the county of Digby, fisherman, make oath and say as follows:

1. I have for seven years now past been engaged in fishing in this county all inshore, off to six miles from the shore. The most of the fish I take is within three miles of the shore. I take codfish, haddock, hake, pollock, halibut, and herring; the latter principally for bait.

2. Since 1871, large numbers of American vessels come round here to fish, and fish upon our inshore grounds, within three miles of the shore. In this harbor many American vessels come. I have seen here this last spring from eight to ten American fishing vessels at one time. They buy and catch bait. They catch more than they buy by setting their nets inshore, within three miles of the shore.

3. These American vessels which come here are from ten up to sixty tous each, and carry from six to twelve men, and are fitted out to take from one hundred to four hundred quintals each. They generally take full fares.

4. The American vessels which get bait here fish in this bay (St. Mary's), which is here only five miles across.

5. Last summer and this American purse-seiners were here for mackerel, and have hove their seines and taken them here.

6. Out of this port there are twenty-seven boats engaged in fishing inshore, and three vessels which fish part of the time off shore. These boats and vessels carry seventy-four men, and bring their gurry inshore and use it on their farms for manure. The Americans who fish around here on our inshore grounds throw their gurry overboard, which is very injurious to the grounds.

7. Inside Sandy Cove and the outside Sandy Cove, the latter being on the Bay of Fundy, from eight to ten American vessels fish on our inshore grounds every year. These vessels are of the description already stated.

GILBERT MERRITT.

Sworn to, at Sandy Cove, in the county of Digby, this 1st day of September, A. D. 1877, before me.

SAMUEL SAUNDERS, J. P.

No. 292.

In the matter of the Fisheries Commission at Halifax, under the Treaty of Washington.

I, CHARLES W. DENTON, of Little River, in the county of Digby, fisherman, make oath and say as follows:

1. I have been engaged in fishing on the inshore grounds in Digby County for seven years, and am still so engaged. I have always taken the most of my fish within three miles of the shore, and have taken codfish, haddock, hake, pollock, and halibut-herring we take principally for bait.

2. On the north side of Digby Neck, the place at which we fish is called "Whale Cove"; on the south side of Digby Neck the port is called "Little River.”

3. At Whale Cove I have counted forty sail of vessels in June last, the most of whom were American, all engaged in fishing inshore, within three miles of the shore. These American vessels are mostly from the State of Maine. They are from five to forty tons each. They carry from five to twelve men on eash vessel. They take fish altogether by trawling, and do so close inshore among our boats within three miles of the shore. At Whale Cove there are upwards of sixty Digby fishermen engaged in fishing, and there would be more if the Americans were not allowed to fish on our inshore grounds. These American vessels set their nets for bait inshore, close in to the shore, and so many of them take up the grounds and carry away the bait from us.

4. These American vessels take from two to six hundred quintals of fish to each vessel. They throw their gurry overboard on our inshore grounds and sometimes among our nets.

5. Our fishermen bring their gurry all inshore in order to protect the grounds.

6. At Little River, on the south side of Digby Neck, where we commence fishing in April and fish until June, then going to Whale Cove, from fifteen to twenty American vessels fish inshore for the same kinds of fish as we do. They set their nets for bait, and throw gurry overboard on the inshore grounds within three miles of the shore.

7. American vessels come around here with purse-seines for mackerel, and I have heard they took two hundred barrels in one day.

CHARLES W. DENTON. Sworn to at Little River, in the county of Digby, this 1st day of September, A. D. 1877, before me. J. W. DENTON, J. P.

No. 293.

In the matter of the Fisheries Commission at Halifax, under the Treaty of Washington.

I, JOSEPH E. DENTON, of Little River, in the county of Digby, fisherman, make oath and say as follows:

1. I have been engaged in fishing for 15 years now past, and am still so engaged altogether on the inshore grounds in this county, going off sometimes six miles from the shore. I fish every year on the north and south side of Digby Neck, and take codfish, haddock, hake, pollock, halibut, and herring; the latter principally for bait.

2. On the north side of Digby Neck, the port at which we fish is called "Whale Cove"; on the south side the port is called "Little River."

3. At Whale Cove I have counted forty sail of fishing vessels at one time, in the latter part of June, most of whom were American vessels from the State of Maine. These American vessels are from five to forty tons each, and carry from five to twelve men on each vessel. They take fish altogether by trawling, and do so close inshore among our boats. 4. These American vessels set their nets for bait, and so many of them take up the grounds and carry away the bait from us.

5. These American vessels take from two to six hundred quintals of fish to each vessel.

6. These American vessels throw their gurry overboard on our inshore grounds, within three miles of the shore, among the nets sometimes.

7. Our fishermen bring their gurry on shore in order to protect the grounds.

8. At Little River, on the south side of Digby Neck, from fifteen to twenty American vessels have fished inshore for the same kinds of fish as we have fished. They have set their nets for bait, and thrown their gurry overboard on the inshore grounds.

9. Since 1871 the Americans have come on our inshore grounds, and this summer more numerously than ever before.

10. American vessels come around here with purse-seines for mackerel, and one is said to have taken two hundred barrels of mackerel in one day within three miles of the shore. The bay here is only six miles across. I mean by the bay, St. Mary's Bay.

JOSEPH E. DENTON. Sworn to at Little River, in the county of Digby, this 1st day of September, A. D. 1877, before me. J. W. DENTON, J. P.

No. 294.

In the matter of the Fisheries Commission at Halifax, under the Treaty of Washington.

I, JOHN MCKAY, of Tiverton, in the county of Digby, master mariner, make oath and say as follows:

1. I have been engaged in the fisheries in this vicinity for ten years, and am well acquanted with the fisheries around St. Mary's Bay. We take around this bay codfish, haddock, hake, pollock, halibut and herring, mostly all within three miles of the shore.

2. Large numbers of Americans come around here since eighteen hundred and seventy-one, and have fished on our inshore grounds. They have also set their nets for bait in this harbor and around here withiu three miles of the shore, which interferes with our supply to a large ex

tent.

3. From eight to ten American vessels fish around this harbor on our inshore ground, and from twenty to thirty at least in St. Mary's Bay. These are from the vessels in this harbor and in St. Mary's Bay, are from ten tons to sixty tons, and carry from five to twelve men. (Sic.)

4. So many Americans coming here interferes with our inshore fishery to a large extent, by taking away the fish from us, by trawling and catching bait, and throwing overboard their gurry.

5. Our boats and vessels bring their gurry ashore on to gurry grounds set apart for this purpose.

6. American vessels come here every year with purse-seines for mackerel.

JOHN MCKAY.

Sworn to at Tiverton, in the county of Digby, this 1st day of September, A. D. 1877, before me.

No. 295.

JOHN A. SMITH, J. P.

In the matter of the Fisheries Commission at Halifax, under the Treaty of Washington.

I, WHITEFIELD OUTHOUSE, of Tiverton, in the county of Digby, fisherman, make oath and say as follows:

1. I have been engaged in fishing inshore in this county for thirty

years now past, and am still so engaged. I fish from inshore, off to three miles, and there are about fifty boats here so engaged. We take codfish, haddock, hake, and pollock, and herring, the latter principally for bait.

2. From eight to ten American vessels since 1871 come here on our inshore grounds, and take fish in our harbor, and within three miles of the shore. These vessels are from nine to sixty tons, and carry from five to nine men each. They take fish mostly by trawling. They trawl in this harbor close inshore. They get bait by setting their nets, which interferes very much with the inhabitants here, as they take up the grounds so that we find it difficult to get a place for our nets, and take away the bait from us. They set their nets Saturday, and keep them set on Sunday, which the inhabitants here do not. They keep their nets set during the day-time, which is injurious to the herring fishery.

3. The Americans here throw their "gurry" overboard, which our small vessels and boats do not do. We have a gurry ground here laid out, where our fishermen throw their "gurry."

4. There are eight vessels owned here which fish off to four or five miles from the shore, and from that into the shore. These vessels are from fifteen to twenty-five tons each, and carry from six to ten men. These vessels take on an average each year eight hundred quintals of fish each, and bring all their gurry inshore.

5. Every spring, from 1871, American vessels, at least thirty sail, come into St. Mary's Bay, and around here, and trawl for fish, which is a great injury to us fishermen. These vessels come mostly from Eastport, Me. Every summer American vessels come here with seinespurse-seines for mackerel.

WHITEFIELD OUTHOUSE.

Sworn to at Tiverton, in the county of Digby, this 1st day of September, A. D. 1877, before me.

No. 296.

JOHN A. SMITH, J. P.

In the matter of the Fisheries Commission at Halifax, under the Treaty of Washington.

I, JOHN W. SNOW, of Digby, in the county of Digby, fisherman, make oath and say as follows:

1. I have been engaged in the fisheries for thirteen years now past, and am still so engaged. I fish in Annapolis Basin and in the Bay of Fundy. I take fish within three miles of the shore; codfish, haddock, pollock, hake, halibut, and herring, the latter principally for bait, and get this herring all inshore, within three miles of the shore.

2. Since 1871 I have seen in this harbor at one time from eight to ten American vessels. These vessels come here to harbor and for bait. They set their nets here in Annapolis Basin and along the Bay of Fundy. They all set their nets for bait inshore, the same as our own fishermen. With this bait they trawl for fish both inshore and off shore around the coast in this vicinity.

3. These American vessels which fish around here throw all their "gurry" overboard, which is a great injury to our fisheries.

4. Since 1871 American purse-seiners come around our inshore grounds for mackerel. There were two American purse-seiners in this harbor this summer.

5. The American vessels which come around here nearly all trawl,