JOSEPH BOWIE, Master of Schooner Victor to I, Charles G. Ferguson, one of the crew of the schooner Victor of Gloucester, Mass., do on oath depose and say that I was on board the schooner and know that all the facts stated by Captain Bowie are true. CHARLES G. FERGUSON, One of the Crew, November 18, 1880

Depositions of Joseph Bowie, master, and Charles G. Ferguson, one of the crew.

I, Joseph Bowie, master of the American schooner Victor, of Gloucester, Mass., do, on oath, depose and say that I sailed from Gloucester on or about the 7th of June, 1880, for a trip to the Grand Banks for codfish. I went into Musquito, Newfoundland, three times for bait, and bought capelin from the local fishermen, which they had taken in seines of their own. I paid for bait (and ice to preserve it) sixty-six dollars for the three baitings. The next time I went to a place called Devil’s Cove on the chart, but it is called Job’s Cove by the people; this was on the 4th of August, and the only bait to be obtained was squid. I anchored in the cove about ¼ of a mile from the shore, and commenced to catch squid with the common hooks or jigs used for that purpose. I had no nets or seines on my vessel. I had been fishing about fifteen minutes when some sixty boats that had been fishing in-shore from us, manned by at least one hundred and fifty men, rowed up alongside of us and forbade our taking any squid. I was not interfering in any way with their fishing, they being a long distance inside of us; in fact, we were outside of the cove, in open water. I had intended to buy my squid, but finding them plenty I found I could catch them and save the expense of buying. I was acting in perfect accordance with my treaty rights and knew what my rights were.

I tried to reason with these people, and told them that I had a right to take bait or other fish without being restricted to any distance from shore; and that I should not interfere with them, and they had no right to molest me. I told them the United States had paid a large sum for this privilege, but they declared they knew nothing about it and cared nothing about it. They told me I should not catch my bait, but should buy it of them. I kept on fishing, and they then attempted to board my vessel, they threatened to cut my cable, and threatened other violence. Fnding myself powerless against so many, I told my crew to haul in their lines and stop fishing, which they did; this pacified the mob and they then left me.

The next morning I determined to fish and not submit to this violence. I manned my lines and commenced to fish. The boats came off in large numbers, and the men were very violent; they said, “We warned you not to fish, yesterday, and we will cut your cable and drive you on shore if you don’t stop.” They came alongside, struck at my men with their oars, and some of the men leaped on the vessel and gathered around the windlass. I went forward and asked them if they were aware what they were doing; they told me they were and that I should not fish there; at the same time I saw a heavy oar lifted over my head and jumped oneside to avoid the blow which if it had struck me would have struck me down. In the meanwhile the mob had entirely destroyed our lines and jigs, leaving me no means of fishing. The boats being around my bow at the cable, and knowing if it was cut my vessel would be likely to go on shore, as the wind blowed directly on, I had to submit again to mob violence and agreed not to fish any more.

They then left my vessel and went for the American schooner Moro Castle, which had come in and was trying to catch bait. The wind blowed so hard that I was obliged to get under way and leave without my bait. As my trip depended on my getting bait speedly, I returned there and bought my bait the next day, paying one hundred and twenty dollars for squid. I was obliged to do this, as there was no squid at any other place. It is universal in the baiting places at Newfoundland to experience the same feeling and action, and it is impossible for American vessels to take their own bait, as the local fishermen will not allow it, but compel us to purchase it of them. We are thus compelled to pay at least $100,000 yearly, although the treaty of Washington gives us a perfect right to take these fish, and I am satisfied that the United States receives absolutely nothing for the immense sum paid for the privilege of fishing on the coast of British North America.