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.