No. 269.
Mr. Presson to Mr. Bayard.
Custom-house, gloucester, mass.,
Collector’s Office, August 14, 1886. [Received August
16.]
Sir: I inclose affidavit of Capt. Reuben
Cameron, of schooner Golden Hind, of this port, who was forbidden to
enter the harbor of Port Daniels, N. S., for water. This being a clear
violation by the Canadian Government of the treaty of 1818, I
respectfully submit the case for your consideration.
Very respectfully yours, &c.,
[Inclosure.]
Affidavit of Captain Cameron, of the schooner
Golden Hind.
I, Reuben Cameron, master of the American schooner Golden Hind, of
Gloucester, do depose and say: That we sailed from Gloucester July
3, 1886, bound to the Bay of St. Lawrence, on a fishing voyage. That
on or about July 23, being out of water, started to go into the Bay
of Chaleurs (Port Daniel) to fill water. At the entrance of the bay,
four or five miles from land, was met by the Canadian schooner E. F.
Conrad; an officer came on board, took my name, name of vessel,
tonnage, name of owner, &c., and ordered me not to go into Bay
of Chaleurs. He also furnished me with a printed “warning,” with
this indorsement written thereon: “Don’t enter the Bay of Chaleurs,
N. S.” After this warning I put to sea, and was obliged to go across
to Tignish, P. E. I., to obtain a supply of water for use of my
crew.
This delayed me at least a week, and the loss of at least a good trip
of mackerel, as during that time another vessel from the same firm,
in five days, on the same fishing grounds, took 460 barrels of
mackerel, and caused a loss to my owners of at least five thousand
dollars ($5,000).
We, the undersigned, a part of the crew of the schooner Golden Hind,
do depose and say that the above statement of Captain Cameron is
true in every particular.
- JAMES A. POWELL.
- GILBERT SMITH.
Massachusetts,
Essex,
ss:
Personally appeared Reuben Cameron, James A. Powell, and Gilbert
Smith, and made oath to the above.
Before me.
[
l. s.]
AARON PARSONS, N. P.
