A. The only Fishery I was ever engaged in, was the Whale Fishery, which I never heard was carried on with success out of Newfoundland.

Q. Whether, if a bounty were given on the Newfoundland Whale Fishery, as well as on the Greenland Fishery, the whole Fishery might not be carried on as advantageously there?

A. I believe not. My reason is, that the bounty on the Greenland Fishery is confined to Ships of a certain size; the Vessels proper for carrying on the Whale Fisheries in the American Seas are small, swift sailors, and easily managed. The Whale Fishery in the Greenland Seas is confined to a certain distance, where they are sure of finding Whales, or not at all; the Vessels from North America sometimes take their Whales on that Coast, sometimes on the Coast of Africa, and the Brazils, and even as far South as the Falkland Islands.

Q. Whether most of the Newfoundland Fisheries don't return to this country to winter?

A. I believe they do.

Q. Whether the Whale Fishery fitted out from England before mentioned, did not fail on account of the ignorance of the people of this country in the Spermaceti Whale Fishery?

A. The Fishery which was fitted out under my direction was not for Spermaceti Whale, but for the Bone Whale; Spermaceti Whales are seldom if ever found in the River or Gulf of St. Lawrence, or the Straits of Bellisle.

Q. Whether the Fish Ships do not carry back the Manufactures of (Spain, and other countries, to North America?

A. The returns are very trivial from thence, except in Salt.

Q. Whether there might not be other advantageous returns carried back?

A. I have no doubt but there might; but the articles are so bulky, that it would be difficult to smuggle them.

Q. If care was not taken by our Ships to prevent smuggling, would not such articles be smuggled?

A. If care was not taken to prevent smuggling, the Americans would doubtless smuggle all they could.

Q. Does he not know there is great smuggling in America?

A. I do not know. I never smuggled.

Q. What are the Ships' crews composed of, who carry the Fish to foreign markets?

A. North Americans, I believe, in general.

Q. Whether the capital employed in the Fisheries be North American or English, in the greater proportion?

A. I believe there are men of property in North America engaged in the Fisheries; but in general, the Fisheries are carried on with the capital of Merchants in Great Britain. I mean that the Merchants of Great Britain have given credit to those of North America, and that that credit is partly employed in the Fisheries, and that the returns are made in the produce of the Fisheries. The information I wish to convey is, that if a Merchant of England should trust a person concerned in the Fishery of North America, that person failing, the Merchant of England would lose his debt; and that this is all the concern the Merchants of England have in the New England Fisheries.

Q. Do the Merchants of England then intrust the North Americans with their property without any views of profit?

A. The Merchant has no doubt of compensation for the risk be runs.

Q. Whether he apprehends that the credit given by the Merchant of Great Britain is for this or that particular trade, or in general?

A. The Merchants of England when they supply Goods and necessaries for the Fisheries to those of New England, do it on commission, and give them credit for a certain time, if not then paid, they receive a legal interest for it till it is paid.

Q. Whether any part of the Fishery on the Coast of New England, &.c, is necessary for the support of the New England people on shore?

A. I believe that very little of the Cod Fishery is consumed in New England.

Q. Is the Shad and Alewife a necessary there?

A. I believe in some parts of New England it is.

Q. Whether methods used at Marblehead to cure the Cod Fish does not make it more valuable than that cured at Newfoundland?

A. The nature of their Cod Fish is such that the part fit to be sent to Europe is more valuable at many of the Spanish markets than any other Fish, and particularly at Bilboa—it is owing to their being obliged to go so far to take the Fish; hence it lays so long in the hold of the Ship that it grows more mellow than Fish cured immediately after they are taken out of the Sea.

Q. Whether the New England people do not cure their Fish in such a manner as to make it more valuable?

A. There are natural advantages attending their Fisheries which I would explain. They go to take the first share of Fish in the month of February, when the wind generally blows from the Westward, that wind carries them to the bank where they take their Fish; the Ships going from Great Britain there would have a much longer voyage, and meet with that contrary wind.

Q. Whence arises the greater value of their Fish? Is it from the method of curing it?

A. I believe that all the advantage their Fish has over that of Newfoundland arises from the causes already stated; and in the next place, as they take their Fish in deeper water, they take larger Fish, which are held in greater estimation; and further, I would observe, that Vessels carrying on the Newfoundland Fishery out of Great Britain are, fifteen-sixteenths of them, double-decked, square-rigged Vessels, fit to bring the Fish to Europe; hence they are not so fit for carrying on the Fisheries as the Schooners of New England; and if such square-rigged, double-decked Vessels were employed in taking the Fish, a great part of it might perish before they could get into a place to cure it.

Q. Whether he believes the method of curing Fish in New England does not make the Fish better for land carriage than that of Newfoundland?

A. I believe not.

Q. What markets would Bilboa and other Spanish Ports resort to for Fish if they could not get the Fish of New England?

A. It is hard to say. The Pope might grant them a dispensing power to eat flesh in the time of lent, and they might not eat Fish at all; but if they had not that Fish from New England, they could get it from no other place.

Q. Whether the Non-Importation scheme, if strictly adhered to, would not destroy their Fishery?

A. There is no doubt of it.

Q. Whether there are not great quantities of salted Mackerel consumed in New England?

A. Believes very little.

Q. How many Ships from St. John sail to Lisbon with Baccalxo?

A. Can't say.

Q. How many from New England?

A. Believes the Portugal market takes very little. It goes to the Spanish market—Bilboa, he believes, takes three-fourths.

Q. How is Lisbon and Oporto served with Baccalxo;

A. From Newfoundland, totally.

Q. Whether all the Ships employed in the Fishery for this Kingdom do not go to the banks of Newfoundland?

A. I believe they must all go to the banks before they arrive at Newfoundland, where they generally lay up, and carry on their Fishery in Shallops.

Q. Whether they don't fish in as deep waters, and catch as large Cod, as the people of New England?

A. The New England Fishermen do not all go to the banks of Newfoundland; there are other banks, such as those of the Isle of Sable, Cape Sable, and the Isle of Shoal.

Q. Whether the Fish are not as large on the banks of Newfoundland as in any other place?

A. I have no doubt but the Fishing Vessels out of Newfoundland do take as large Cod as the New England Vessels; but in general not.

Q. What's the price of a gallon of Rum now at New England?

A. I can't say what it is now; but a year back about one Shilling two Pence, sterling.

Q. What is the price of a gallon of Rum at Barbadoes, or any other of the West India Islands?