Q. Some prefer to salt it and some to sell it ?-A. Yes.

Q. Those who prefer to sell it take it on board and sell it, I suppose. How is the fish sold?-A. By the hundred. I never sold any.

Q. Suppose an American vessel comes in and does not find the bait they want ready caught, what does the captain do?-A. He waits. Sometimes they have to wait a good while, and sometimes have to go to Grand Manan.

Q. When an American comes in and wants bait, and cannot find all he wants, then the men set their nets as usual every night?—A. They set them more when the vessels are in for bait.

Q. When vessels are in and short of bait, then your men are pretty active in trying to catch bait ?-A. Yes.

Q. They set more nets probably?-A. Yes, because they can clear them without dressing them.

Q. And then what they get they sell to the Americans by the hun dred?-A. Yes. I never sold any.

Q. You know that such is done?-A. I know it from getting money from them by drafts.

Q. They are not paid for services whether they catch fish or not, only for the fish they sell?-A. Yes.

Q. Every man has the same chance of catching and selling fish, whether spoken to beforehand or not?-A. If a captain speaks to a man, he will take his fish first, and not take that of a man who might come alongside. Very often men go away dissatisfied, and will not sell it to other vessels.

Q. You never knew any other way of getting bait followed by Americans (I do not mean fishing for it), except that of buying it by the hundred in this way?-A. No.

Q. They pay for the fish, not for the services of the men ?-A. Yes.

By Mr. Thomson :

Q. They bespeak from certain fishermen the fish, and will not take it from anybody else?-A. No, only from them.

Q. When fish is bespoken the fishermen go to fish and bring it to them?-A. Yes.

Q. And sell it at so much per hundred ?-A. Yes.

Q. I suppose a bargain is made beforehand?-A. Yes. They have a settled price among them.

Q. Does that price never vary ?-A. Yes. Sometimes when the fish are plentiful, vessels will not give as much as when they are scarce. Q. Then when you say a "settled price," you mean a price agreed upon between the parties at the time -A. Yes.

Q. In answer to Mr. Dana, you said it was rather rare for Americans to come in and fish within three miles of the shore for halibut. Is that the fact?-A. I don't think they fish a great deal within three miles of the shore.

Q. It is not a rare thing?-A. They do it; but they generally go more

out.

Q. You have yourself seen them inside ?-A. Yes.

Q. You have said that halibut sometimes come inshore?—A. They are not so plentiful inshore.

Q. And you say American fishermen are not particular whether they take them inshore or not.-A. No.

Q. If halibut were plentiful inshore the Americans would follow the fish in ?-A. Yes.

Q. You have said that Bankers which make long voyages do not

come in to your shores for bait?-A. Not those which went on salting voyages.

Q. It is too far for them to come?-A. Yes; and some of our own vessels do not come back.

Q. About how many American vessels come into the small harbor of Shelburne every year for bait ?-A. I could not tell you exactly. There are 4, 5, 8, 10, or 15 at a time there.

Q. How many in the course of the season?-A. I could not tell you unless I made an estimate.

Q. You say there are 4, 5, 10, or 15 at a time; they would come in every fortnight?-A. They are in and out, those which fish off there.

Q. They each come in three time during a trip -A. Yes; but when one goes out another comes in. Some of them are in mostly all the time.

Q. In other words, the waters are never free of American vessels coming in for bait ?-A. No.

By Hon. Mr. Kellogg:

Q. Is Shelburne on a bay or river?—A. It is up Shelburne River. Q. Do you live on the bay ?—A. I live five miles below the town. I am a little off the point.

Q How long is the bay ?-A. It goes up five miles. I live down at the point.

Q. Do you live where you can command the bay?-A. Yes; right at the point.

By Mr. Thomson :

Q. You can see over the bay from where you live?-A. I cannot see exactly from my establishment, but a quarter of a mile distant, where my business calls me, I can see right out. Almost all American vessels

anchor off my place and come right round the point.

No. 80.

ROBERT G. NOBLE, fish merchant, residing at Halifax, called on behalf of the Government of Her Britannic Majesty, sworn and examined. By Mr. Davies:

Question. Have you been engaged for some years in the fish trade?Answer. I have.

Q. Where have you conducted your operations?-A. In Halifax.
Q. Are you a member of the firm of Noble & Sons ?-A. I was.

Q. Have you made up from your books a return showing the prices paid by you for fish to fishermen in Halifax during a number of years?— A. Yes; this (statement produced) is a statement taken from the returns of Robert Noble & Sons, extending from 1861 to 1876, inclusive.

Q. What does it show?-A. The price paid for No. 1 and No. 2 mackerel.

Q. Where?-A. Paid to fishermen in Halifax.

Q. State what the average prices were.-A. 1861, No. 1, $12; No. 2, $7. 1862, No. 1, $10; No. 2, $6. 1863, No. 1, $11; No. 2, $7. 1864, No. 1, $9; No. 2, $6. 1865, No. 1, $14; No. 2, $11. 1866, No. 1, $10; No. 2, $9. 1867, No. 1, $9; No. 2, $8. 1868, No. 1, $14; No. 2, $11. 1869, No. 1, $16; No. 2, $13. 1870, No. 1, $18; No. 2, $12. 1871, No. 1, $9; No. 2, 87. 1872, No. 1, 88; No. 2, 86. 1873, No. 1, 811; No. 2, $9. 1874, No. 1, 89; No. 2, $7. 1875, No. 1, $12; No. 2, $10. 1876, No. 1, $10; No. 2, $8.25.

Statement prepared by witness, put in and filed, and is as follows: Prices paid to fishermen by Messrs. Noble & Son.

1861-2.

1862-3

1863-4.

1864-25.

1865-'6..

Average ...

1866-7..

1867-'8.

1868-'9.

1869-70...

1870-'1...

1871-2....

1872-3....

Average...

1873-'4.

1874-25.

No. 1. Nal

1875-'6.

1876-7...

Average..

10.50 8.62

Q. I am instructed that you have prepared a statement from the books of Mr. A. H. Crowe, fish merchant, Halifax, covering a period of years. -A. I have.

Q. What does it show?-A. The statement shows the prices at which Mr. Crowe sold fish to merchants in Halifax who received orders from the United States to buy.

Q. During what years?-A. From 1861 to 1875.

Q. Will you give the averages?-A. 1860 to 1866, No. 1 mackerel, $13.12; No. 2, 88.74. 1867 to 1873, No. 1, $13.05; No. 2, $9.43. 1874 to 1877, No. 1, $12.37; No. 2, $10.

Q. A slightly higher price was obtained between 1867 and 1873 than since the Washington treaty has been in operation ?—A. Yes.

Q. No. 3 mackerel averaged $6.65 from 1860 to 1866, $6.55 from 1867 to 1873, and $8 from 1874 to 1877-A. Yes.

Q. There is greater demand for them?-A. There appears to be a greater demand for the lower numbers.

Q. Has the commercial depression had anything to do with it ?—A. Probably.

1860-'61:

Statement prepared by witness from the books of Mr. A. H. Crowe put in, filed, and is as follows:

No. 1 mackerel.
No. 2 mackerel.
No. 3 mackerel.
Herring

1861-62:

No. 1 mackerel.
No. 2 mackerel.

No. 3 mackerel.
Herring

1862-63:

No. 1 mackerel

No. 2 mackerel.
No. 3 mackerel.
Herring

1863-64:

Q. You have made up a statement also from the books of Young & Hart?-A. Yes.

Q. Covering what period?-A. From 1861 to 1877. This statement shows the prices realized in Halifax on fish consigned to United States markets.

Q. Does the statement show the different places where the consignments were sold?-A. No. They were sold in Boston, New York, and Philadelphia.

Q. Do you know that to be a fact?-A. Yes.

Q. Give the aggregate results.-A. From 1861 to 1866 average price of No. 1 mackerel, $19.10 United States currency, or $13.81 gold. From 1867 to 1873 average price of No. 1 mackerel, $21.71 United States currency, or $17.77 gold. From 1874 to 1877 average price of No. 1 mackerel, $15.44 United States currency, or $14.01 gold. They are sold duty paid.