stated: "The only bait used by mackerel fishers in the Gulf of St. Law. rence is clams and porgies, and that comes all from the United States."* Christopher Carrigan, of Lower Milford, Nova Scotia, also stated that, he has been on two trips in the north bay in provincial mackerel vessels and that they used only clams and porgies for bait.† A similar statement was made by Martin Ryan, of Middle Milford, who had fished five seasons in provincial vessels, and Philip Ryan of the same place, who stated that porgies and clams are universally used in the bay (Gulf of St. Lawrence), although a few provincial vessels may occasionally use herring. § Andrew Laurie, of Lower Milford, also stated that herring is only used as bait when the vessels of the provincial fishermen are out of porgies and clams, which are better, || and this was confirmed by Thomas England,¶ Rufus Carrigan, ** and Charles Lowrie, ft of Milford, George Laidlaw and R. McDonald, of Low Point, Inverness County, Nova Scotia, who remarked: "The only bait American mackerel vessels use is porgies and clams, and that is the bait nearly always used by provincial vessels, but sometimes the latter use herring, which is not a good bait and would not do at all to use as bait in fishing alongside of vessels throwing out porgies and clams. "§§ Daniel McDonald, also of Low Point, stated that "ten or twelve years ago or longer there were about 400 or 500 American mackerel vessels in the bay of Saint Lawrence, and during the same time there were about 100 provincial vessels in the bay. The only bait used for mackerel, or almost the only, consists in porgies and clams, and these all come from the United States, whether used by provincials or Americans; a few English vessels use also a little fat herring, but this is used in quantities hardly worth mentioning." |||| James R. Maclean, a merchant of Souris, Prince Edward Island, called on behalf of the Government of Her Britannic Majesty, sworn and examined, testified: "Question. With regard to the bait in use for cod-fishing and mackerel, where is it obtained?-Answer. They very often use herring and sometimes porgies. "Q. Where do they get the herring?-A. They catch them around the coast and at Labrador. "Q. Are herring caught there?—A. Yes; there is a lot of herring taken. "Q. The different fishermen-the large fishermen and the small fishermen-don't they all catch their own bait ?-A. Yes, with nets; and for *Affidavit 188, op. cit., p. 202. + Affidavit 189, op. cit., p. 202. Affidavit 191, op. cit., p. 204. ý Affidavit 192, op. cit., p. 204. || Affidavit 193, op. cit., p. 205. ¶ Affidavit 194, op. cit., p. 205. ** Affidavit 195, op. cit., p. 206. mackerel bait they take capling-a very fat little fish-and they make out that it is a better bait for mackerel than porgies. "Q. But the large proportion of the bait is herring-A. Yes; but they use porgies, which they often buy for bait. "Q. To any extent?-A. The vessels which go fishing generally buy them. They prefer herring when they cannot get porgies good. "Q. Where do they buy porgies ?-A. They generally buy them on the island, where they are imported. "Q. They buy them from the merchants?-A. Yes. It would not pay to send down to American waters to fish for porgies for the number of vessels engaged in mackerel-fishing. "Q. They prefer to take herring, to do that?-A. Yes. * "Cross-examined by Mr. Dana: "Q. And your people are buying bait from the United States?-A. They sometimes do so. "Q. You said that they very often bought pogies, which were used by your people?-A. Yes. "Q. You mean menhaden-it is the same thing?-A. Yes. "Q. Where do the merchants get their pogies?-A. From the States. "Q. Do you really suppose that the American fishermen, instead of buying menhaden from first hands, would buy them of your merchants, paying their profit, and commissions, and freight, and all that?-A. Yes. I have seen these fishermen buy them when their own bait had turned sour or was bad. If the merchants have a quantity of good bait on hand, they can generally sell it. "Q. Is that considered an article of trade?—A. No; not to a great extent. "Q. Then the Americans get caught; their bait sometimes turns sour?-A. Yes. Consequently, of course, if out with other vessels fishing, a vessel having bad bait could not secure her share of the fish. "Q. Can they not catch something else to be used in place of it; herring, for instance ?-A. Not always. The mackerel-catchers could not wait for this. Their business is to catch mackerel. "Q. But they can obtain it at the Magdalen Islands?—A. It would take too much time to cross at that point. "Q. Your own fishermen could not get across any sooner?-A. No. "Q. If you could fit out a great number of large vessels for mackerelfishing, you would want to import a good deal of this bait, pogies or menhaden, would you not?-A. Yes; we would then, likely, import quite a lot of it. They could, however, use herring if no menhaden or poges were thrown into the fishing ground. Herring would do nearly as well. "Q. But the fish want something better.-A. Yes."t Mr. George Mackenzie, fisherman, of New London, Prince Edward * Proceedings of Halifax Commission, 1877. Appendix F, p. 24. Island, witness called on behalf of the Government of Her Britannic Majesty, cross-examined by Judge Foster, testified: "Question. There is no mistake but what the American bait is a good deal better than any other; there is no question about that ?—Answer. No; it is always very well liked, but we have to pay pretty high for it. "Q. Do you buy it?-A. Yes. "Q. How much of it do you use?-A. I used 20 barrels last year, and I bought 20 more barrels this year, at $5 a barrel. "Q. That makes $100 spent for manhaden bait?-A. Yes. "Q. Do you mix this bait with herring-A. Yes; and sometimes we mix it with clams. At the latter end of the season it is that bait which we want. When the fish are poor almost any bait will do, but when they are in good condition they require good bait. "Q. When do you use herring bait ?—A. In the spring of the year and July. "Q. Do you mix manhaden with it?-A. Sometimes. "Q. If it was not for its expensiveness, you would not use herrings at all?-A. No. "Q. Do you use mills to grind the bait?-A. Yes. "Q. And you mix the herrings and menhadens together?-A. Yes; and we also chop up clams with it."* And, again, James McKay, deputy inspector of pickled fish at Port Mulgrave, examined by Mr. Hanson: "Question. On your different trips mackerel-fishing, what bait do you use?-Answer. Pogies. "Q. These are generally put up on the coast of Maine?-A. Yes. "Q. Where would you buy them if British vessels take them?—A. Our merchants used to import them from Portland, Boston, and Gloucester. "Q. To Port Mulgrave ?-A. Yes. "Q. And sell them as articles of merchandise ?-A. Yes. "Q. They bought and sold them?-A. The same as a barrel of flour."+ The testimony of Canadian officers. 199. II. W. Johnson, of the Department of Marine and Fisheries, wrote, in 1868, a "Special Report on the Distress among the Nova Scotia Fishermen." One of the reasons assigned by him for the failure of the fisheries is that "the pogies, the only real mackerel bait, is not caught east of Portland, and must all be imported for our fleet, the increased cost of which, added to the American duty, the fisherman has to pay on his share of fish, besides charges of transportation, place him in the position that if he catches during the season, to his own share, forty barrels of mackerel in one vessel, he has not made as good a season by about $100, gold, as if he had been in an American bottom.”‡ # Proceedings Halifax Commission, 1877, Appendix F, p. 132. + Ibid., p. 190. Ibid., p. 67. Capt. P. A. Scott, R. N., commanding the marine police of the Dominion, reported, in 1870, to the Commissioner of Marine and Fisheries: "For mackerel-fishing the Americans use pogies and clams, chopped fine, as bait. The pogies are found only on the coast of the United States, and when imported into the Dominion cost about $6 per barrel."* Capt. Charles G. F. Knowles, R. N., commanding H. M. S. "Lapwing," cruising on fishing-station No. 4, which includes the west coast of Cape Breton and the east coast of Prince Edward Island, reported to ViceAdmiral Fanshawe, November 7, 1870, in these words: "The bait with which the Americans are supplied is far superior to any which can be procured in this country, to which may be attributed in a great measure the success of the Americans previously to the recent restrictions, although, even now, the local fishermen complain that they have no chance while an American schooner is fishing near them."† 200. Professor Hind, in his treatise on the Effect of the Fishery clauses of the Treaty of Washington on the Fisheries and Fishermen of British North America (part 1, p. 75), remarks that its value as a bait for cod is, in a considerable degree, superseded by the herring; but as a bait for "tolling mackerel" it is still in repute, although other fish, similarly treated and finely ground, appear to be equally useful in this respect. The first part of this statement is undoubtedly true, at least as far as the fishermen of the British Colonies are concerned. In regard to the comparative value of herring and menhaden for toll-bait, there is still room for difference of opinion. An average of, perhaps, 250,000 barrels of mackerel is annually caught by the United States vessels, using menhaden bait solely, against 110,000 caught by the provincial fleet, which appears to use menhaden bait when it can be obtained, buying it at the rate of $6 a barrel in preference to herring bait, which costs only the labor of catching and the salt for preserving. Slivering menhaden. 201. The method of preparing menhaden for salting, to be used as bait, is very simple. The head of the fish is taken in the left hand of the workman, and with a knife held in the right hand he cuts a slice, longitudinally, from each side of the body, leaving the head and vertebræ to be thrown away, or, occasionally, to be pressed for oil. The slivers (pronounced slyvers) are salted and packed in barrels. The knife used is of a peculiar shape and is called a "slivering knife." The operation of slivering is shown in Plates XXII and XXIII. The preparation of mackerel bait. 202. The use of menhaden bait for mackerel-fishing was inaugurated in 1835 or 1840; the bait is ground up into a mush and salted, to be used Third Report Commissioner Marine and Fisheries, 1871, p. 312. + Third Report Department Marine and Fisheries, 1871, p. 342. as a "toll-bait," and to be thrown over the side of the smack to attract the school to the surface and to keep it alongside; this is called "chumming up the fish," and the bait is called "chum" or "stosh." To prepare it for use the "slivers" are passed through a "bait-mill," which is a machine like a farmer's feed-cutter; the fish are thrown into the hopper, from which the fish pass between a roller armed with small knives in rows, and a series of similar knives arranged along a board which slopes toward the bottom. The bait is usually ground at night, by the watch on deck; when the vessel has no "bait-mill," the fish are cut up with a hatchet or scalded with boiling water in a tub. Bait-mills were first introduced about the year 1824. In fishing for mackerel, one man throws over the bait while the rest ply their lines. "Toll-bait" is also used by the smacks, which use purse-seines and drift-nets, to attract the fish to the surface. The use of menhaden bait in the coast fisheries. 203. Menhaden bait is also used in the coast fisheries for sea-bass, on the "bull-tows" or "trot-lines," and in the eel and lobster pots. They are not much in favor for the latter use, however, for the oil of the fish is thought to permeate the flesh of the lobster, imparting to it an unpleasant flavor. Extent of bait-fishery in New England. 204. Captain Babson, of Gloucester, whose account of the bait-fishery of Cape Ann is quoted elsewhere, and to whom I am indebted for much other valuable information, informs me that there were over 60,000 barrels of "round fish" taken in his district in 1873. Vessels belonging to the companies of the Maine Oil and Guano Association sold in 1873 for bait 2,977 barrels; in 1874, 10,400; in 1877, 10,795. From the bait fisheries about Marblehead, in the vicinity of Provincetown, 1,000 to 2,000 barrels were taken for bait in 1873, according to Mr. Loring. At Chatham, for the past five years, the average catch has been about 5,000 barrels, a large portion of which are sold to the George's Bank codfish vessels. Nothing has been heard from the bait fisheries about Nantucket, which are, however, quite unimportant. A large part of the fish taken at Martha's Vineyard are used for bait; in 1873 there were 5,000 barrels according to Jason Luce & Co. At Gloucester, according to Mr. Babson, the 60,000 round barrels of fish make 20,000 barrels of "slivers," worth $4 per barrel to the producer. At Marblehead, it averages $1 per barrel for fresh and $6 for salt; at Chatham, $1.50 fresh; at Nantucket, 50 cents to 75 cents, and at Martha's Vineyard 50 cents, as I am told. In Narragansett Bay, according to Mr. J. M. K. Southwick, bait sold in 1871 for $1 and $1.50. Bait-fishery in Merrimac River and Salem Harbor. 205. Fisheries of some importance are carried on at the mouth of the Merrimac River. The menhaden thus obtained are used chiefly to sup. |