Henry Camp

Henry Camp was a colonial fisheries warden. On October 3, 1872 he sat down to write his yearly report. Henry went over the crimes in his mind. Poaching fish and eels. Getting in the way of British fishermen. The Indians just ignored the rules. They also ignored him. It made Henry look bad. Well, he'd done his best to control the Mi'kmaqs in his area. He'd just state the facts and ask for help.

Pushthrough, October 3, 1872
To the honorable James Noonan, Colonial Secretary
St. John's, Newfoundland

Our salmon fishermen took nearly twice as much fish this year as they did in the last six years.

The great trouble in Conne River is with the Indians. They fancy they have almost exclusive right to fish on the river and estuary here. One Indian, Joseph Brazil, carried an old herring net three miles up the River to the Salmon Hole. Our people report that he took 100 salmon, but the Indian claims he only took three. I threatened him with a month in the Harbor Breton Jail if he ever did it again. He got the net from a local Englishman who is married to an Indian woman. I threatened him with jail as well for giving the Indian a net. If they could see a Man-of-War going in the bay I think great good might be done with these fellows. They have become very saucy over the past three years. Someone has been telling them they have exclusive rights to the land and the water around Conne River.

To keep an Indian from spearing Salmon, Trout and Eels, I believe you must take his arms off.

Henry Camp
Warden of River Fisheries*