Deposition of Mark Bolt., this 13th day of June, A. D. 1878

Deposition of Mark Bolt.

The examination of Mark Bolt, of Tickle Beach, Long Harbor, taken upon oath, and who saith:

I am a native of Dorsetshire, England. I have been in this country twenty-one years, and have been fishing all that time. I have lived in this neighborhood fourteen or fifteen years, and at Tickle Beach since last fall. The ground I occupy (150 feet) was granted me for life by government, and for which I have to pay a fee. There are two families on the beach; there were three in the winter. Our living is dependent on our fishing off this settlement. If these large American seines are allowed to be hauled, it forces me away from the place.

One Sunday in January last, John Hickey, Newfoundlander, came first, and hove his seine out. Five Newfoundlanders came and told him to take it up, and he did not; then others came and insisted upon it; then betook it up. If he had then refused to take it up it would have been torn up.

Then Jacobs, an American, came and laid his seine out and hauled about 100 barrels of herring in the big American seine, and capsized into Tom Farrel’s seine, a Newfoundland fisherman employed by Jacobs and fishing for him.

Philip Farrel was also fishing for the Americans, being master of McCauley’s seine. The Newfoundlanders then capsized Tom Farrel’s seine of fish, who was only fishing for the Americans. After this Jim Macdonald, another American, threw out his seine. Then the people went and told Macdonald that he was not allowed to fish on Sundays, and he must take his seine up, and he took up his seine and carried it on board his vessel. Jacobs would not allow his seine to be touched, but drew a revolver. They then went to McCauley, an American, who had laid his seine out for barring herring; this American also employed a Newfoundlander to lay his seine out. The Newfoundlanders said it should not be done on a Sabbath day, and they resolved to tear up all the seines they could get hold of. They managed to seize McCauley’s and tore it up. They would have torn up any they could have got at if laid out, whether English or American, because it was Sunday. The Americans do not bar first. This was the first time I ever knew them to do so; they usually buy the fish from the Newfoundlanders, and also barter flour and pork for them, and I have never known anything to complain of against them previous to this.

Question. Did the American schooners continue to fish after the destruction of McCauley’s seine?—Answer. Yes; they (the Americans) continued to fish, and left about the usual time, the 10th of March. I do not know any reason for the conduct towards the Americans except that they were fishing on Sunday. I do not know what become of the nets that were torn up; it was left on the beach for some days and then taken away. I do not know who took it away; the Americans, perhaps, but I don’t know.

The Americans were often set afterwards, but not on Sunday; the Americans did not leave off catching herring after this on other days. The English did not prevent the Americans hauling their seines, but the Americans usually employed the English to haul them, as their crews were not sufficient in number and are not acquainted with the work. The American crews are employed salting and freezing the fish, while the English employed by them with the American seines are catching them. The seine torn up was being worked by an Englishman for McCauley, the American, namely, Philip Farrel.

Jacobs’s seine was in the water a night and a day. I was not aware that it was illegal to haul or catch herring by or in a seine at that time of the year, nor that barring is prohibited at all seasons, nor that the seine must be shot and forthwith hauled, but have heard some reports to that effect.

The nearest magistrate is at St. Jacques, about 25 or 30 miles from this, and there is no means of communicating with him excepting by a sailing-boat.

The seine that was destroyed belonged to men called Dago and McCauley, who, I believe, were each of them captains of schooners, but the names of the vessels I do not know.