annually; while the internal consumption of the province, with a population exceeding 200,000, may be fairly estimated at 300,000 quintals.

The island of Cape Breton is admirably suited for the fisheries. St. Ann's, the Great Bras d'Or inlet, Sydney, and Louisburg harbours, afford excellent and safe seaports in the neighbourhood of the fishing banks.

A small variety of herrings, exceedingly fat and delicious, frequent the shores of the Bay of Fundy in May; and, about the end of the month, enter Annapolis Basin, where, on the shore of Clements, they have been caught in amazing quantities. They are usually smoked, or cured as red herrings, and packed up in boxes which hold each half a bushel, and contain about 200. A hundred thousand boxes of these have been exported during some years, but they are said not to be so plentiful as formerly.

In May, herrings of large size, full of spawn, arrive in nearly all the harbours of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Cape Breton, and the Gulf of St. Lawrence; but these, although taken in great quantities, are poor, and not much esteemed. The spring mackarel are also lean, and not much valued, although they keep better than others in hot climates.

The fall herrings and mackarel are exceedingly fat, and much esteemed. The regulations, by legislative enactment, for inspecting the quality of fish packed up in the province, which must all be in new casks, have, although, complained of at first, established the preference for the pickled fish of Nova Scotia in foreign markets.

Crow harbour, and Fox island, both near each other, and within Chedebucto bay, have always (especially in autumn) been the great resort of mackarel and herrings. Nets are sometimes used, but the great bulk of the fish is caught with seines. These places, while the fishing season lasts, are generally the scenes of the most lawless disorder and licentiousness, occasioned by the violence of the fishermen contending for the best places to haul their seines ashore; the pillaging of the fish; the selling and drinking of rum; the smuggling of goods by the Americans; the exactions of those who possess the lands bordering on the shores; and often from the mere spirit of spoliation and mischief. A ship of war has been occasionally sent round from Halifax to preserve some sort of order among the multitudes of men, boats, and schooners, that resort to these harbours, and certainly these fisheries, from their great importance, require protection, and the establishment of regularity for their governance. We are informed that within the last few years, mackarel have not been so plentiful, or that they have rather deserted the above resorts.

A novel method of catching mackarel was some time ago discovered by the fertile genius of the Americans. This method is, simply, on arriving over the fishing grounds, to cut up, in very small pieces, a quantity of old pickled herring, or mackarel, for the mincing of which the Americans have also invented an in

strument, and, on scattering the same in the sea, round the vessel, myriads of mackarel appear near the surface, when they are caught, as fast as they can be taken in, with a rod and line, the hook being baited with a small piece of shark or mackarel. Sprinkling salt on the surface of the water is said to have the same effect, but it is more expensive.

The whale fishery, which was carried on formerly with spirit from Halifax, was revived some years ago, chiefly by the enterprising house of Samuel Cunard and Co., when two ships were fitted out, one for the Pacific, and one for the Brudrel bank, and, among the crews, were sixty young men, natives of the province. The success of these and other whaling ships has been extremely variable, occasionally successful, and at other times probably carried on with much more loss than profit. Nova Scotia is certainly as well situated for the whale fishery as the United States.

FISHERIES OF NEW BRUNSWICK.

The cod fisheries of this province are carried on chiefly within the Gulf of St. Lawrence, at Shippegan, and Caraguette, within the Bay de Chaleur, and to a moderate extent within the Bay of Fundy.

The salmon fishery at the mouth of the river St. John's, has often been very productive. The shore is divided into lots, and these are drawn for every spring by the freemen of the city, the most valuable being worth about 200 dollars per annum. During the month of June, from 500 to 1000 salmon are taken daily, and the price varies from fifty to sixty cents a piece. There is an excellent fish market at St. John's, which is supplied at all seasons of the year with the different kinds of fish taken in the bay.

The whale fishery, began a few years ago, is said to have been profitable. In May, 1841, the St. John's Mechanics' Whale Fishing Company declared a dividend of twenty per cent, and in 1843 the company declared a dividend of 20s. a share equal to about fourteen per cent-on 77. 4s. paid up capital. These dividends prove the company to be in a prosperous condition and must be highly encouraging.

The value of exports from New Brunswick in 1837, include 34,6771. for train oil, and 30,550l. for fish, chiefly dry cod, the whole of which was shipped, chiefly, to Britain and the West Indies.

Comparative statement of the quantities and descriptions of fish, exported from St. John's, New Brunswick, during the quarters between the 5th of July and 10th of October, 1841 and 1842, respectively.

The produce of the fisheries was valued, in the three years 1832 to 1834, as under :

The produce of the fisheries in the country of Gaspé and the Magdalen islands, in 1836, consisted of-cod, 100,542 cwts.; cod oil, 37,162 gallons; whale oil, 25,120 gallons; besides salmon and other fish, the whole amounting in value to 86,6247.

The future success of the British American fisheries must depend upon markets. Those of Europe are not, at least for several years, likely to increase the demand for salted or cured fish. The cause of diminished use of fish being the relaxations daily increasing in the abstinence from eating meat on fast days, and during Lent, in Catholic countries.

CHAPTER VIII.

FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES.

THE inhabitants of Massachusetts and of the other New England states began to carry on the fisheries, first, along the adjacent shores, and afterwards on the banks and coasts of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. According to Mr. Pitkin's statements, before the revolutionary war, about 4000 of the inhabitants were employed chiefly in schooners and small craft, measuring about 20,000 tons. The average quantity of fish caught was about 350,000 quintals, value about 200,000l. When England acknowledged the independence of the old provinces, it was stipulated,

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By the 3rd article of the treaty of peace, between the United States and Great Britain, in 1783, that the people of the United States shall continue to enjoy unmolested the right to take fish of every kind, on the grand bank, and on all other banks of Newfoundland; also, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and at all other places, in the sea, where the inhabitants of both countries used any time to fish; that the inhabitants of the United States shall have liberty to take fish of any kind on such part of the coast of Newfoundland, as the British shall use (but not to cure or dry them on the island); and, also, on the coasts, bays, and creeks of all other his Britannic Majesty's dominions in America; and that the American fishermen shall have liberty to dry and cure fish in any of the unsettled bays, harbours, and creeks of Nova Scotia, Magdalen islands, and Labrador, so long as the same shall remain unsettled; but so soon as the same, or either of them, shall be settled, it shall not be lawful for the said fishermen to dry or cure fish at such settlement, without a previous agreement for that purpose with the inhabitants, proprietors, or possessors of the ground."

"For this favourable article," says Mr. Pitkin, " in relation to the fisheries, as in the case of the boundaries, the Americans were indebted to the firmness of their negotiators, and particularly Mr. Adams, who knew their value and importance to his countrymen. The British negotiators, for a long time, refused their assent to this article, and particularly to that part relating to the coast fishery, and which acknowledged the right of the Americans to take fish, on the grand banks, &c., and at last insisted on inserting the word liberty, instead of right. Upon this, Mr. Adams grew warm, and declared to the British negotiators, he would put his hand to no articles, without satisfaction about the fisheries; he asked, whether there was, or could be, a clearer right? In former treaties,' he said, ' that of Utrecht, and that of Paris, France and England have claimed the right, and used the word. When God Almighty made the banks of Newfoundland, at 300 leagues distance from the people of America, and at 600 leagues distance from those of France and England, did He not give as good a right to the former, as to the latter? If Heaven, in the creation, gave a right, it is ours, at least, as much as yours; if occupation, use, and possession give a right, we have it as clearly as you; if war, and blood, and treasure give a right, ours is as good as yours.

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"We have certainly been fighting in Canada, Cape Breton, and Nova Scotia, for the defence of this fishery, and have expended, beyond all proportion, more than you; if, then, the right cannot be denied, why should it not be acknowledged, and put out of dispute? Why should we leave room for illiterate fishermen to wrangle and chicane?'* The British negotiators finally yielded this last point, and agreed to the article.

"The New England cod-fishery was nearly extinguished during the war of the revolution. It recommenced at the peace of 1783, but does not seem to have prospered, for, in 1790, the legislature of Massachusetts represented to Congress the embarrassed state of this fishery.+ In consequence of a report made by the secretary of state, a bounty was granted by the general government, on the exportation of salted fish, by way of drawback of the duty on imported salt; and afterwards an allowance in money was made to vessels employed for a certain number of months in this fishery. From this encouragement, and the happy effects upon trade and commerce, produced by the establishment of the general government, the cod-fishery increased until the commencement of the embargo and commercial restrictions, in 1808, and the war between the United States and Great Britain, which followed. The British government considered the shore fishery, as it was called, as a privilege, granted at the peace of 1783, and which was forfeited or done away, in consequence of this war, and, therefore, refused to re-grant it without an equivalent. In the negotiations for peace, some of the American commissioners were disposed to renew to the British the right of navigating the Mississippi, as an equivalent for the shore fishery, but a majority of them were opposed to it; and the Treaty of Ghent, and the commercial convention which immediately followed, were both silent on the subject of the fisheries.'"Pitkin.

*Diplomatic Correspondence, vol. 6, pages 493 and 495.

"In 1790, the Marblehead fishermen petitioned to Congress for relief. In their petition they gave an exact statement of the earnings and expenses of the fishing schooners of that town for the three years preceding. For the year 1787, each schooner earned 483 dollars, while, in 1788, each earned 456 dollars, and, in 1790, only 273 dollars. The annual average of expenses, including insurance, was 416 dollars, thus showing a gain of sixty-seven dollars for the first of these three years, of forty dollars for the second, and a loss of 143 dollars for the third year. It is estimated, that the duty paid on articles necessary for a vessel of sixty-five tons, and eleven men, amounted annually to 138 dollars. The amount of duty on molasses was set down at ninety-nine cents, while that on rum was just fourteen dollars! This petition, as well as others of the same nature, were referred to Mr. Jefferson, then secretary of state, whose report, the next year, may be regarded among our most able state papers. But that report concluded with an explicit recommendation, that the fisheries are not to draw support from the treasury. In 1807, four vessels were fitted out at Newburyport, for the Labrador cod-fishery. These were the first vessels from the United States, that made their fares in the Esquimaux bay."-Newburyport Herald.

"Some United States vessels, which attempted to carry on the cod-fishery on the British colonial shores, as they had been accustomed to do under the treaty of 1783, were seized by British cruisers; but, by the convention of October 20th, 1818, it was agreed, 'that the inhabitants of the United States, in common with those of Great Britain, should have the liberty to take fish on that part of the southern coast of Newfoundland, extending from Cape Ray to the Rameau islands on the western and northern coast of Newfoundland, from Cape Ray to the Quiepen islands; on the shores of the Magdalen islands, and also on the coasts, bays, harbours, and creeks, from Mount Jolly, on the south of Labrador, to and through the Straits of Bellisle, and thence northerly indefinitely along the coast; but without prejudice to the rights of the Hudson Bay Company.' And the American fishermen were also to have liberty to dry and cure fish in any of the unsettled bays, harbours, and creeks, by the southern part of the coast of Newfoundland, above described, and of the coast of Labrador; but, where such parts should be settled, were not to dry or cure fish, without the liberty of the proprietors of the ground. And, by the same convention, the United States renounce any liberty before enjoyed or claimed by them or their inhabitants, to take, dry, or cure fish, on or within three marine miles of any of the coasts, bays, creeks, or harbours of any of the British dominions of America, not included within the above limits. They were, however, permitted to enter such bays or harbours, for the purpose of shelter or repairing damages, of purchasing wood and obtaining water, and for no other purpose."

The Americans follow two or more modes of fitting out for fisheries. The first is accomplished by six or seven farmers, or their sons, building a schooner during winter, which they man themselves (as all the Americans on the sea-coast are more or less seamen as well as farmers), and after fitting the vessel with necessary stores, they proceed to the banks, Gulf of St. Lawrence, or Labrador, and loading their vessels with fish, make a voyage between spring and harvest. The proceeds they divide, after paying any balance they may owe for outfit. They remain at home to assist in gathering their crops, and proceed again for another cargo-which is salted down, and not afterwards dried: this is termed