1120. Do you go in for the home fishing?-Sometimes. 1121. Have you fished for any other than Messrs. Hay in that fishing?-No, not in the long-line fishing. 1122. Have you proposed to do so?-No. 1123. Then you have never been interfered with in any way yourself?-No, not further than that. Occasionally I have had to fish a little for them when I was not engaged at anything else. [Page 23] 1124. How had you to fish to them?-To support myself. 1125. But if you had chosen, you might have engaged with any other merchant than Messrs. Hay?-No, not for the home fishing. 1126. Why do you say that?-Because we were made to understand that we would not be allowed to do so. 1127. You say that your only reason for understanding that, was what your father had told you. What would have been the result to you if you had done it?-The result would have been, that my father would have been turned out on my account. 1128. Is that what you were afraid of?-Yes. 1129. And is that the reason why you never tried to get engaged with any other merchant?-Yes. 1130. Had you ever to pay liberty money?-No. 1131. Had your father ever to pay liberty money for you or any of his sons?-I believe he had to pay for one who died. 1132. Do you know that yourself?-I am confident of it, from having heard about it. 1133. Was that when you were young?-Yes. 1134. But that was a good many years ago?-Yes. I cannot remember the time. 1135. Is that all you wish to say?-I remember in my early years, when I was a young fellow, and commenced to fish along with my father, we went chiefly to the herring fishing, and we had to catch herring for Messrs. Hay at a very low price. We had a certain allowance of meal, which I suppose would amount to about twenty-four pounds for seven or eight days; and it was hardly fit to sustain a family of about eight people. My father had to find boats and nets with which to proceed to the fishing, and that put him into debt; and about four years ago I and my brothers had to come good for that debt. 1136. Was that an old debt which your father had contracted?-It was a debt accumulated chiefly in the herring fishing. 1137. When was it begun to be incurred?-About fifteen or sixteen years ago. 1138. Had the debt increased, or did it merely stand over?-It was not regular; it sometimes rose and sometimes fell. 1139. But your father was constantly in debt up to four years ago?-Yes, so far as I can remember. 1140. Was that debt made out by the annual accountings which we have heard about to-day? Was it a debt in the books of Messrs. Hay for provisions supplied at the store?-Yes, and for fishing materials. 1141. Was it for a boat also?-It was chiefly for a new boat and nets. He purchased a new boat, which put him further down than ever. 1142. Was it purchased about fifteen or twenty years ago?-No; it is perhaps ten or twelve years ago.