6806. How much do you call a fleet of lines?-Just what the boat carries. A boat takes 108 lines, and we lost them all except eighteen. The weather prevented us from taking any more in.
6807. Were these lines hired from Mr. Anderson?-Yes.
6808. Are the fishermen always liable for hired lines which they lose?-Yes. If they lose lines which they have hired, they have to pay for them.
6809. What is the value of these lines?-The price is about 2s. 8d. per line for new lines when they are ready for sea.
6810. Then a fleet of 108 lines would cost about £8 or £10?-I never give any consideration to what the cost of them might be. There were some of them old and some of them new; but I think 2s. 8d. was about the price for new lines about that time. The price varies at different times.
6811. Is not each man of the boat's crew liable for his share of the lines?-Yes. If there are five men in a boat, then the lines belong to these men, and they have each to pay their share of the hire for the season.
6812. In that way, you would be liable only for one-fifth of the value of the lines?-Yes; only for one-fifth that year.
6813. And that was the beginning of your debt?-Yes; but it was always going on, as I had a small family, and they were needing bread. Then interest was charged, and such as that.
6814. Was there any interest charged upon that account?-Yes.
6815. Are you sure of that?-Yes. It is marked down in the copies that I got.