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GEORGE SUTHERLAND, A0T0Om OP THB OEOaBAPHT, NATURAL AND CIVIl HI8T0BT Of PBIMCB KDWABD ISLAND. CHARLOTTETOWN, P. E. I.: I«nnPBD BY GiOBOE T. HASZARD, QUEEN 8QUARR. 1862. FftiifOR Edwabp IhT.ANT). Be it rcmombercfl that on tho Slxfh day of May, A. D. 1862, the Rev. Grok(1i: Sutiieui-ani), of Cliarlottotowu, in the said Island, has deposited in this Oflice the Title of a Book, the Copyright, whereof ho claims in the wordH following: " Tho Magdalen " Islands, their Topography, Natiiral History, Social Condition, «' and Coniipcrcial Importance," — in conformity with the Act for the protection of (.'opyright. JOHN W. MORRISON, Deputy Col. Secretary. preface. 1862, tie id Island, Hopyright Miigdalen L!ondition, ;b the Act iretary.. Tbii following pages aro a small contribntion towards the geogra- phical and physical knowledge of British Atnerlua. They aro occupied with a topographical and general description of nn isolated and limited, but deeply interesting portion of it. The Magdalen Islands, although situated in the centre of (he Lower Provinces, and annually resorted to by hundreds of hnrdy and entor- priiing seamen, are veiled from the general understanding in a vague and indefinite obscureness. Bouchette gives them a small space in his Toj)Ographical Dictionary of Lower Canada ; but his descriptions are, in general, so inaccurate that we cannot suppose that he hiid personally visited thcni. R. Montgomery Martin, in his History of the British Colonies, disposes of them in a few sentences, which arc as meagre as they are incorrect. The best excuse for these valuable authors is, that fuller and more reliable information was not within their reach. No other writers on these Islands have been seen by the author. Accustomed to look upon the works of nature with deep interest, whatever aspect they may assume, lie has been favored with opportu- nities for observation in these Provinces afforded to few, having seen or explored every shore washed by the waves of the Oulf. The pre- sent work is the result of a visit to the Islands in May of last year. In some of the details, especially of Natural iTIsiory, I am under deep obligations to my kind-hearted friend John F. Muncey, Esq., whose residence for twelve years on the Islands, in an important position, has made him perfectly familiar with them. That an interest may be awakened in behalf of the Islands, and such attention paid to them as may result in the promotion of theii general prosperity, is the great aim of the author. Chablottbtown, May, 1862. :,<4r ;ji- !■« '**'';'!. ■'■ J fev- THE MAGDALEN ISLAiMS. QTopograpl)]}. These Islands rise amid waters of comparatively mod- erate depth, not far from the centre of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Banged mainly in an irregular, double chain, from north-east to south-west, with the eastern island of each link placed slightly in advance of the corresponding one, they mark the nature and course of the elevating power. The North Bird Bock in latitude 47^ 51', and Sbuth Cape in Amherst Island in latitude 47^ 12" 35'' define their extreme boundaries on the north and south, while the Great Bird Bock in longitude 61® 11' and Deadman's Isle in longitude 62® 15' 25" limit their extent on the east and west. The space occupied is not less than 67 miles in length by 14 miles at its greatest breadth, not including the numerous sunken reefs so dreaded by the mariner, and the solitary rock in the west named Dead- man's Isle, Amherst, the most important island in the group, and the farthest south, is 50 miles distant from the East point of Prince Edward IslandjGO miles distant from Cape North in Cape Breton, 150 miles from Gaspe in Lower Canada, and J 20 miles from Cape Bay in New- foundland. The Bird Bocks, however, are only 70 miles / « TOPOGRAPHY OF THE from Cape Anguille in Newfoundland, and 85 miles from the East Cape of Anticosti Island. In form and appearance the greatest diversity prevails. Some are mere rocky islets fising precipitously from the * sea to a height of 140 or 170 feet, with concave and con- vex summits. Some are oblong, others almost circular, and others most indefinitely irregular in outline. At one place the sea may be seen rushing madly against the base of cliffs 400 feet in height, and wildly dashing its watery folds far up the face of the rocks; in other places the white crested wave rolls hetivily over acres of low shelving beach, and mustering its strength heaves its ponderous mass upon the yielding but impassable sand-barrier. On the one hand is seen a succession of conical sand hillocks, heaped up by the whirling blasts of the tempest, and on the other the low and treacherous morass or the wide-spread but shallow lagoon. Here you may walk over lofty heights of sedimentary rock, and a mile hence you may circum- ambulate the base of the crater of an extinct volcano. One island rears its dark irregular summit densely covered with wood, another presents its one, two or three bleak, bare conical peaks, at a height of three, four or five hun- dred feet above the restless deep. You land at one spot, and you can place your foot on nothing but the small angular rocks of crumbling trap, you beach your boat at another place, and the cliff before you presents its sand- stone strata in no less tlian five different colours, yellow, orange, red, blue and grey, and so soft as to crumble be- neath the pressure of the fingers. The writer is not draw- ing upon liis imagination but his memory ; details and localities mil verify his statement!:'. Each island haa sometb'ng peculiar to itself, and a particular description can alone bring out its distinctive features. Beginning at the south, Amherst Island first claims our attention. IfAGDALEN I8LAND& iles from prevaila. from the' and con- circular, At one ; the base ts watery the white ag beach, lass upon 1 the one 8, heaped the other iread but ^ y heights Y circum- ; volcano, ly covered ee bleak,' five hun- one spot, ] the small iir boat at ! its sand- 's, yellow, imble be- not draw- 3tails and dand has escription ginning at tion. 1. :3lm!)fral Jslanli. . Let it be understood at the cutsd, that all the <»rdinary maps found in the geographical or historical wDrks, pub- lished in Britain or America, which note tlie existence of these islands in the Gulf, are most defective in so far as they are concerned, affording no accurate idea whatever of their physical contour. The hydrograi)hic cliarts of the Admiralty office are alone minutely accurate. Amherst Island is named after the distinguished general who one hundred years ago, commanded the British forces when they dislodged the French from their Colonial pos- sessions in Eastern America, and secured these possessions to the British Crown. It is eleven miles in length, and not more than four miles at its greatest breadth. Its average breadth is less than two miles* In shape it re- sembles the hmnan foot — its massive heel of lofty rugged heights planted firmly in the west, and its long slender toe of sandhills sweeping round to the north-east. On the instep of this foot rise three conical hills, the central one, bearing the name of Demoiselle Hill, to the height of 280 feet. From this hill, which the trap will enable you to climb with ease, although the lungs demand an unusual quantity of &ir, you have on a fine day in summer, a mag- nificent view. Pleasant Bay lies at your feet, its siuface unrufiled save by the prow of the fishing boat or the splash of the sea gidl, and stretches far away to the north to the distance of ten miles. On your right in the distance rise the peaks of Entry Island, and on the north beyond the Bay the heights of Grindstone and Alright, wliile all around the sea is dotted with the white sails of fishing crafts of every description. The healthy sea-breeze is wafted round you as you gaze upon the scene, and your /: 1 I TOPOGRAPHY OF THE Hpirit c'sitcliing the inspiration of the moment is lifted in adoratiou to Him who made the sea and the dry land. In the hollow of the foot is the Basin, a sheet of shallow water, a mile and a half in length, by less than half a mile in breadth, and closed from the Gulf by a range of sand- hills thrown up by the winds, except at one narrow and unimportant opening, through which the accumulating walors in wet weather find egress. The harbor, bearing the name of the island, is situated on the north side, open- ing on Pleasant Bay, between the hills of the instep and the tongue of sandhills forming the toe. It is a narrow sheet of water from two to three fathoms in depth com- pletely sheltered from the west, south and east, and only partially exposed to a storm from the north. Vessels bound for tliis harbor must make for Entry island, and pass along its western front giving a good berth to the shoals which stretch far out from the sand beach of Amherst island, until the Demoiselle HQl can be seen clean off the sand ridge on the left, when all danger is past* The hills of the west end, rising to the height of 550 feet and partially covered with wood, are the first land seen by vessels coming from the south. They are plainly viable in fine weather, midway between Amherst and Prince Bldward Island. With their fine arable slopes, they form the great mass of the island. On the north side there is a gradual descent until at a distance of two miles from their summit the low marsh and open water are again reached. The configuration is here peculiar. The narrow ridges of Baud extend north to a distance of six or eight miles, — each with two or three openings,— until they con- nect with Grindstone island. The western ridge connects with the extreme west of Amherst — ^the other with the centre of the island. On the- south they are three miles apart, but converge as they reach Grindstone to less than MAGDALEN ISLANDS. lifted in iiul. In shallow ilf a mile of sand- rrow and niiilating , bearing de, open- istep and a narrow pth com- and only Vessels md, and "th to the beach of seen clean )r is pasti r 550 feet d seen by ly visiblci d Prince ihey form e there is iles from are again le narrow- : or eight they con« connects with the tree miles less than a mile and a half. They er/^^se a large basin of water called Basque harbor, of liti v'alue from its narrow shal- low openings, but a favorilfi spawning giound of the herring. The surface of the island is everywhere uneven . The conical hills and circular hollows, the low shelving beach, the marsh or lagoon and the steep clift'orhill are in close proximity. Yet this very variety imparts a ronumtic character to the scenery. Here, Deadman's Isle may claim a passing notice. It derives its name from the ai^pearance which it presents at a distance. When first seen it greatly resembles n human corpse floating upon the water. Three protuberances represent the head, abdi^men and feet. But as it is ap- proached it assumes loftier proportions, and is jiscertained to be no less than 170 feet in height. It is a bare, solitary rock, not a quarter of a mile in length, rising abruptly from the sea at a distance of nine miles west of Amherst. There is no reason to doubt that it has far higlier claims to the name which it bears than its mere appearance at a distance, as many a human corpse has been borne iip and down by the heaving surf, around its steep and barren cliffs, the fatal result of obstructing in the gloom of night the course of the storm-tossed mariner. 2. €)itr2i Jfllonlr. » The position of this Island has given it its name. It stands like an imposing sentinel at the eastern entrance of Pleasant Bay, and past it on the right or on the left the stream of navigation entering the Islands constantly flows. Its lofty peaks, seen far in the distance, are gladly wel- comed by the sail approaching from the east or from tlie south. A channel three miles in breadth, only one lialf of which is navigable, se{)arates it on the nortli east from 10 TOPOGRAPHY OF THE I f the nearcHt fiand-beach of Amherst ; but the harbor of that island Ih dinttint nix mileK from it. Its limited space and regular outline demand but little description. It is nearly circular ; its greatest diameter about two miles, and its circiunference six miles. There was a time when no such limited line would encircle it, but the mighty waves of ocean liave battered down its cliffs on the north and east, until it is left but a fragment. On these sides it still presents a bold front 400 feet in perpendicular height, but undismayed by such formidable opposition, the ancient foe heaves successfully with thundering roar its massive bil- lows, and compels the loftiest crag to descend with pre- cipitate submission. But on the south-west it slopes grad- ually to the shore, opening its circular bosom to receive the warm rays of the sun. The peaks which guard this fine pasturable slope on the north, rise to a great height, the highest being no less than 580 feet above the sea. Entry thus claims the high honor of holding a loftier head than any other isle in the group, or even in the Gulf. These peaks are now nearly bereft of wood. They may be climbed to their very summits. The grandeur of the prospect from such a height when the sun is setting in the west on a calm summer evening, cannot readily be imag- ined. This island has no harbor ; and it is only at certain places that boats can land. Sometimes the storms of autumn may debar all intercourse with the island by means of boats for a fortnight. Vessels, however, often find shelter in disagreeable weather, by coming to in the lee of the island. At a distance of five miles to the north- east lies the small Pearl reef on which the white foam of the breaker may often be seen as it is only eight feet be- neath the surface. MAODALIV ISLANDS. 11 larbor of ited s{)ace ion. It is niles, and J when no ity waves north and des it Btill leight, but mcient foe assive bil- with pre- )pe8 grad- to receive ?uard this at height, 3 the sea. )ftier head the Gulf They may 3ur of the ing in the ■ be imag- at certain storms of island by sver, often to in the he north- s foam of t feet be- 3. (K^rinli.Btone Island. This Island lies due north of Amherst island. Its nearest point is distant from Amherst harbor above eight miles, and from Entry island about nine miles. The name is probably derived from a singular circular cape of sandstone which towers up over the eastern front of the island, in shape like a millstone, and to which the early French gave the name of Cape Moule. The island is somewhat oval, or tortoise-shaped, in outline ; its greatest diameter being from north to south, five miles ; the other, only four. The greatest part of it is occupied by high densely wooded summits, which in the north-west attain a height of 550 feet The eastern front has several high projecting clifis between which boats may find a land- ing place ; the southern shore is low and shelving, descend- ing to beach or marsh ; the north-western coast is steep and almost inaccessible. A ramble over the headlands or along the shore — when the tide is out — of the north-eastern front would afford not a little pleasure to the geological student Every few hundred yards he is met by circular cavities, some small and others of very large dimensions, which afford abundant evidence, from the crumbling lava around their sbpes, that at no very distant period of antiquity they were the outlets of powerful volcanic action. Some are dry, others communicate their accumulating waters, when they reach a certain height, to the adjoining harbor, and others have been converted mto lakes, one of which is reported to be fathomless, but which must amply be regarded as of more than ordinary depth. This island affords ample scope for agricultural operations — having abundance of wood, a rich soil, and several fine streams of water. The low red sandstone rock in some parts, strongly ( ."( m iii 12 TOPOGRAPHY OF THE reminds the Tisiter from Prince Edward Island of his own island home. Grindstone has no harbor properly its own, but co-operates with the adjoining island named Alright in the formation of one. Each island sends forth a long gravel beach towards the other. They converge so far as to leave a narrow passage, through which a strong and rapid current flows and ebbs from Pleasant Bay on the south and the enclosed waters on the north, which bear the name of House harbor. Within the passage are two or three rocky mounds or islets, in the shelter of which the vessels are moored. Thus there is formed a safe harbor equally advantageous to both islands. On the west side of Grindstone island there is a small haven for boats, named Etang du Nord ; (in English North Pond) corrupted by the uneducated into Tante-nore. Near its entrance is Gull island, a great resort of this omnivorous bird. Six miles south-west is the White Horse reef, on which only 10 feet of water are found, and five miles north-west another dan- gerous rock named Pierre de Gros Cap. Both north and south shores are much indented by coves and inlets, where the shelving bank meets the sand beach ; those on the south connecting with what is named Basque harbour, and those on the north connecting with House harbor. Another of those sandbanks characteristic of these islands, and the most remarkable for its length, extends from the north point of this island in a north-easterly direction for no less than twenty-two miles, where it joins the north cape of the Grosseisle. It is every- where thrown up into the usual sandhills by the violent whirlings of the tempest, in which erections the strong beach grass forms a most important auxiliary. Near the centre cf this remarkable sand ridge lies Wolf isle, a small elevation partly covered with wood, and less than half a mile in diameter, As the sand is very loose along the ■ MAGDALEN ISLANDS. IS of his own y its own, ed Alright )rth a long je so far as Jtrong and Jay on the ;h bear the are two or which the afe harbor vest side of atvS, named )ted by the ace is Gull Six miles aly 10 feet other dan- north and lets, where lose on the irbour, and ►r. of these ;h, extends th-easterly es, where ; is ev^ry- he violent he strons: Near the le, a small tian half a along the whole ridge, and without a hiiman habitation, woe to him who attempts to tread his weary way from Grindstone to the Grosseisle. Stern necessity has compelled men to perform the journey, but exhausted nature has imagined the distance to be twice its real extent 4. ^Irigljt islaiil». Alright, situated to the north-east of Grindstone, is much smaller than the latter island. In shape it approaches the arc of a circle, with the bow pointing to the south-east. Its length, exclusive of its long appended sandridge, is less than four miles, and its breadth about two. At its nearest point it is eleven miles distant from Amherst harbor, but only eight from Entry island. Like the last mentioned li island it has succumbed greatly to the persistent violence of the waves. No one can walk along the southern and eastern cliffs without witnessing the triumphs of the mighty deep. On the south, cliflfs of trap and sandstone now ranging from one to two hundred feet in height, give clear indications that their loftier heights have long ago gone crumbling down to the boiling surf below. On the east side you may yet stand on the lofty crag 400 feet in per- pendicular height above the sea. Except the gravel beach which juts out a mile in length towards Grindstone, the surface of the whole island is very uneven, being a succession of small rounded hills with their intervening hollows. The loftier hills form a rampart in the rear, to the height of 420 feet, sheltering the valleys and smaller hills from the chilling northern blasts. This undulating land is now parcelled into farms of dimensions suited to the enterprize of the fishing Frenchman. In point of beauty, compactness, and fertility this island is one of the most interesting in the group. ••^ :»^''if'-'^'^m:'Hii---iRusfW'^im^^ u TOPOQRAPHT OF THE The sandridge pertaining^ Alright begins at the north east corner, and extends in a north-easterly direction for nine miles, with a breadth varying from 500 to 2000 yards. At the termination of the nine miles there is a narrow opening, connecting the inner waters with those of the Gulf, after which the ridge bending two points nearer east extends four miles farther, with a breadth reduced to two or three hundred yards, where it forms one side of the entrance of Grand Entry harbor or the Great Lagoon. These ridges run nearly parallel with the one connected with Grindstone island ; leaving between them an open space of shallow water varying from half a mile to a mile and a half in width ; in the centre of which is a narrow winding channel fit only for boats, which the inexperienced will do well to eschew, especially at half tide. This long lagoon, measuring from the entrance of House harbor to East Island not less than twenty miles in length, has two harbors, one at each end. The one at the south end, called House harbor, has from two to three fathoms of water, and is a mUe and a half in width, by two and a half in length. It forms an extensive basin immediately to the north-west of Alright Its sheltered southern entrance, however, as already mentioned, is the chosen mooring ground of the vessels frequenting this place. The har- bor at the north end of the lagoon is a fine circular sheet of water almost wholly landlocked, with a diameter of not less than three miles, and an average depth of about three fathoms. This harbor is named the Great Lagoon or Grand Entry. A description of the surrounding lands will occasion a further reference to it . Alright has one reef lying about three miles from its eastern shore. The rocks are white ; and in one place have scarcely a fathom of water concealing them. As there is deep water all around, they are not a little perilous to the ODALEN ISLANDS. 15 kt the Dorth direction for 2000 yards, is a narrow those of the oints nearer h reduced to e side of the sat Lagoon, e connected lem an open ile to a mile is a narrow iexperienced This long le harbor to gth, has two south end, ) fathoms of 70 and a half liatelj to the n entrance, ten mooring The har- ircular sheet neter of not about three Lagoon or tg lands will iles from its e place have As there is ilous to the unwary coaster. Shag Rock is a small isle at a short dis- tance from Alright sand ridge, and about five miles from the island proper. It derives its name from the dark col- ored bird which frequents it. It may here be stated that the sand-ridges referred to have a substratum of rock ; else their narrow barrier could never have so long withstood the violence of a very tempestuous sea. The writer in passing down the lagoon, and in wandering along the sand-ridge and on both sides and in different localities has perceived the underlying rock. Over these underlying rocks the sand has long spread its peculiar shield, and looks undismayed at the boiling surf that rolls in upon it This term is applied to the lands which surround, on the north and east, the Great Lagoon or Grand Entr;^ harbor. It properly belongs to the loftiest headland of this territory, whence the origin of the name as used by the inhabitants. In its wider sense, it embraces four distinct islands, improperly so called, as they are all united by marsh or sand-bank. The island, so called, in this region which possesses the largest extent of upland is Coffin island; and if our measuring line is to stretch over marshes and beaches, the first place in point of territory must be given to East island. The other two, namely, Grosseisle proper, and North Cape are much inferior in extent. Coffin island, forms the eastern side of Grand Entry. It is four miles long, and one mile broad. The surface is in general high but uneven ; peaks and deep hollows, some« times lakes, succeeding each other. On the north end two long rocky spurs jut out, one in the east forming what is called Old Harry Head, the other penetrating the lagoon for nearly a mila The outer coast has a large pond named Oyster Pond, about two miles m length, sheltered from the TOPOORAPHY or THK lil pi; Oulf by a 8au(l-ri(l}.je. Out from this siwid-ridge are the extensive and dangerous Columlnne shoaU In rough weather tliis shore cannot be approached with safety within three miles. East island occupies the extreme north-east of this region. A narrow neck of land connects it on the north with Ooffin island. It is above four miles in length, and nearly two in breadth. With the exception of a few prominent cliffs, it is low-lying and marshy. V^ne of these cliffs rises perpendicularly to the height of 240 feet. It overlooks a small inland harbor in the north, aflording fine shelter for small fishing vessel?. Much of the island is occupied with shallow lakes, the chosen resort of the wild duck. Its moist beaches form the richest cranberry grounds. From these outlying beaches there extends near the East Point a long spit of sand, covered by shallow water. Five miles farther out the Doyle Reef is met. No inexperienced mariner should venture near this shore. Its inland cliffs and low-lying sea-board have deceived many who have left the ribs of their shipSjif not their own bones, to bleach on the beach as a warning to the unwary. Grosse-isle lies to the west of East island, to which it is attached at the north-end by a sand-beach. Though very lofty, its dimensions are limited. It is less than two miles in length, and less than one mile in breadth. It com- prises three or four conical peaks, all of which may with a little difficulty be climbed. Those cliffs which overlook the Great Lagoon are 300 feet in height. They have sug- gested the name. When the day is fine the view on the south from their summit will amply repay your ascent through scrubby thickets and dry entangling windfalls. When first your eyes break upon the scene you feel elevated by its surpassing graudeur, A great circular basin fifteen miles in circumference lies at your feet. On its waters are resting the schooner and the fishing boat, MAODALF.N ISLANDa itige are the la rough fety within e north-east cts it on the es in length, on of a few K>ne of these 140 feet. It til, aftoniing f the island 'esort of the )st cranberry extends near by shallow f is met. No lis shore. Its jceived many ir own bones, I wary. to which it is Though very an two miles th. It com- i may with a ich overlook ey have sug- view on the your ascent g windfalls, ne you feel eat circular r feet. On Ishing boat, and over these, but far l»elow you, the ravenous gull whirl- ing and soaring and diving as if in wild sport at the ex- cessive abundniice of food now swarming around. Cn the left, in tlif di.^tance, is the rugytil Hhore of ('offin Island ; on the right the far-stretching santone rear their gloomy heights, and through their intervening hollow point you the way to the sunny shores of Pleasant Bay. Midway up the long lagoon two tides meet, the one en- tering from the east through Grand Entry, the other de- scending from the south through House harbor. After blending their waters and expending their strength in washing the far-spreading flats, they separate, and retire with rapid course by the way they came. Unless the wind favors, the oarsman must expect to struggle with the tide for one half the way, and if lie has unwisely chosen the liour of starting, he will find that as he escapes from stx'ug' gling with an out-going tide, he has rushed into a contest with an in-coming one. On the north-east of the Grosoeisltt the land gradually slopes to the water's edge, afiording a safe landing place for the boat, and offering some induce^ ments for the cultivation of the soil. There, consequently,, the residents have fixed their abode, and there the double work of fishing and farming is moderately prosecuted. North Cape is a small circidar island about half a mile in diameter. It is connected with Grosseisle by a marsh and beach. It has one conical hill approaching in height those of Grosseisle. Its clififs in the north are crumbling under the ceaseless assaults of the deep. The sheep track or foot-path recedes year by year as the high bank slides down to be the sport of the waves. Its southern and east- ern slopes afford a limited space of fine arable land and a sheltered retreat for the home of the cultivator. A wide / *u I'j 1:1 V I i fp TOPOQRAPHT OF THB creek connects it with the Great Lagoon, and through that the main Btream of its resources constantly flows. ^. Brgon island. 1- 1 Moving due north from the point last described, we cross an open Rtrait ten miles wide, and reach the narrow, rugged island, named Bryon. It lies nearly east and west, in length about five miles, and with an average width of less than three quarters of a mile. Its surface and outline are everywhere uneven — winding shores and steep banks being met at every turn. The highest hills however, do not exceed two hundred feet. It has no harbor. Shoals lie off the east and west ends, extending south at the latter for nearly two miles, and the whole shore is dangerous and difficult of access. Yet once landed upon it, it loses much of its repulsiveness, and many fine agricultural slopes invite the attention of the farmer and the herdsman. It has been the scene of not a few wrecks ; and from its solitary position those who have escaped the T)erils of the deep, have perished on its shores before u iaistance could reach them. Such a calamity may now be averted, as one hos- pitable home, at least, furnisheii with abundant supplies, is ever ready to Welcome the cast-away mariner. . ., 7. an)c Birb Hocks. These Rocks, two in number, lie east-north-east fiorn Bryon, twelve miles. They are disti/it from the ne»i''t ' part nf the Grosseisle not less than eighteen mile .. from Amherst harbor in a direct course, fifty-two milea They are thb U\«t, in the extreme north, of the Magdalen group. From *^/» iramenso multitudes of birds, chiefly of the Gannet spec t\ wh-ch m;>V.e these islets their summer MAGDALElf ISLANDS. !• resort, and which are aeen in clouds hovering over their summits, or whirling in dozens around their difis, or ranged in rows . >Dg their terraces, the visitor will have no dilBculty in perceiving the origin and \n 'triety 'f the name. The Rocks are distinguished as the Ur/at Bird, and the North Bird, the latter being Buiallor and lower tban the other, and distant one mile to the norfh-west of it They both rise perpendicularly from the sea , the Great Bird to the heiTfh*, of 140 feet ; the upper clifls be- ing shelved ♦ t'MJ'J. Being only about 300 yards in diameter t'lpy AiO .c limited to be of any special impor- tance, VutMO r; imirubly adapted for the purposes to which they hnvi} been appropriated. When viewed at a short distance, the QreHt Bird presents a scooped out appear- ance, the Cwo ends rising higher than the centre. It is scarcely necessary to state that all these islands vary their shape and appearance as you approach or recede from theoi. In certain circumstances these Bocks assume a snow-white appearance, attributed to the white plumage of the countless gaunets resting upon them, and the bleached and stained condition of their summits. Between the two rocks the water is shallow, and for nearly a mile from the North Bird a rocky shoal extends in a northerly direction. Elsewhere the water is deep all around. On the rocks of this North Bird a magnificent iron steamship belonging to the Canadian line was last spring cast away. She soon went to pieces, and her valuable cargo was scattered over the deep, strewing in the course of time all the shores of the Mugdoli^aes. Apart from the negligence which cannot bfc excused, it may be remarked that a steady current,from one to two knots an hour, sets here to the south-east, so that the course taken a few hours before to clear the Bird Rocks without respect to the possible strength of this cur- rent, may have landed her on the fatal rocks. For these 7 / I* - ilr TOPOGRAPHY OF THE solitary towers of the deep,the whole fleet of vessels bound for the Labradore, from the southern shores ot the Gulf, eagerly look, as regulating their course to the wild and romantic coast of the regions of hope. • , ,; ,j*,j. ^,..; .'«.: Natural ftistorij. '\. ■■ . ' t «; It ia a book of this kind, intended for popular ust, any scientiflc details on this branch of our subject, interesting only to the ocholar, will be avoided. Nothing prominently interesting or important, however, will be omitted. The door will be left open for some future naturalist of the Lower Provinces to give the Magdalen Islands a place in his scientific descriptions. Their Qeology as affecting agri- culture and their Icthyology as describing the fishery will claim our chief attention. Pursuing the natural order we shall speak (1) of the — .. » Climate. As these islands are situated between the 47tli and 48th degrees of north latitude, they occupy the same latitude as the southern counties of Newfound- land, the northern counties of New Brunswick, and those counties of Lower Canada immediately below Quebec. But their climate differs in some respects from that of the localities just mentioned. It is cooler in sum- mer and milder and more variable in winter than those parts of New Brunswick and Lower Canada ; and on the other hand it is more severe in winter, but dryer and warmer in summer than the southern coast of Newfound- land. It is, ill groat ineasurc, free from tlie fogs which in- vest and darken the Atlantic coast. MAGDALEN ISLANDS. 21 While the navigation may remain open, two or three weeks longer in one year than in another, according to the prevailing winds, the first of January generally witnesses all the lagoons, harbors and inner bays completely frozen over. Before this month is past, their solid surface offers a safe and easy mode of communication between the prin- cipal islands ; and by the time the keen frosts of February have set m, the islander may take his pony, noted for its swiftness and endurance, and make a circuit of the group. The high winds aiter the middle of March loosen the outer ice, and sometimes open a way to the islands for the egress of the brave and enterprising sealers. For three months the Magdaleners have now been shut out from all commu- nication with the world beyond their own group ; and the first intelligence by letters or newspapers by the earliest arri- vals is eagerly looked for. So it must continue to be,unless those who have the means, connect them by submarine telegraph with Prince Edward Island. Apart from this, science might direct its attention to boat-communication on ice. A portable india rubber boat might be constructed, suitably furnished with runners and sails, which in most conditions of the ice might perform long and rapid jour- neys. The great point is to make use of the wind when the ice is firm and passable; and when there is no wind, a gang of trained northern dogs should take the harness. Things which now appear insurmountable or incredible, facts may yet remove or confirm. Towards the last of April, the cakes of ice around the shores slowly move oJ0^ and here and there great fields may be seen in the Gul^ moving eastwardly, with the ciirrent, towards the ocean. They have scarcely passed the shores of Cape Breton, when they are rapidly diminished by the warmer waters of the Atlantic. As soou as the ice is away, the temperature steadily improves ; and from the middle of May till the 2 22 NATURAL HISTORY OP THE ' 'I middle of Septoraher, the islanders have little reason to complain of the calmness, and serenity and beauty of their summer. Even then they cannot be exempted from occa- sional storms. But now the high winds begin. And from this time till the end of the year, they have their full share of violent gales. Currents from the ocean here meet the fierce autumn blasts that rush down the great estuary of the St. Lawrence, and these commingling with the violent winds hurrying south from the Strait of Belleisle, make these islands the very focus of their wralh, and at times rage round their lofty peaks with resistless fury. Beset east,wo.st, and north by dangerous rocks, visited by these high winds, and, although occupying the main highway between Canada and Europe, without a solitary lighthouse to warn away from danger, they have, in years that are past, been annually strewn with the remains of wrecks. Without a harbor on the whole western front, and those on the eastern only accessible to the experienced and the wary, the vessel bound to or from the ocean will do well to bear away north or south, according to the winds, and give their unlighted shores a good berth. Autumn soon sees the last exports off, and the supplies of the last arrival stored, when the shipping are dismantled, and the boats hauled up, and man is left to review the past, sum up his gains or losses, and forecast the future. It will be well if the precarious gains of time have not blinded the mind to the more enduring riches of eternity. 2. (i5cologri. . ^ The Geologjy of these Islands is not a little interest- ing. Although retstricted to a narrow range of ter- ritory, and confined to a comparatively limited period of formation, it presents not a few pleasing varieties. Rocks, a MAGDALEN ISLANDS. 23 tie interest- aqueous and igneous, stratified and unstratified, often in close contiguity, comprise the group. No traces of the Primary Formation appear,neither granite nor slate in any form. With the exception of the recent marine accumu- lations, the islands belong to the Secondary Formation, and to those parts of it which embrace the Upper Carbonift'rous and Lower New Red Sandstone systems. The hard silicious, grey sandstone interleaved with thin layers of (juartz which form the peaks of the Grosseisle, and the deep strata of yellow, fossiliferous sandstone, which form the South Cape of Alright, and Cape Moule of Grindstone show their affinity to the carboniferous systems of Cape Breton and the adjoining coasts of Newfoundland ; while the upper friable strata of red sandstone, and the abundant overlying trap in every variety, with its ever contiguous gypsum, clearly indicate a formation of much later date. The positions and peculiarities of these and kindred rocks may be briefly noticed in detail. Over thirty differt^I^* specimens now before us, gathered in person on the local- ities, afford the best guaranty for accuracy. '^ 1. In order of time and extent of surface Sandstone holds the first place. It may be seen in eight different colours, viz : grey, pink, yellow, red, blue, orange, brown, and variegated. The grey may be found, forming a cliff in the northwest of Amherst harbor, and the summit of North Cape Island at the Grosseisle. The pink forms the highest peaks of the Grosseisle proper. The strata on ' some of these peaks are nearly vertical,are extremely hard, with occasional veins of quartz from an eighth to three- eigths of an inch in thicknest^ The yellow forms the capes of Alright and Grindstone already referred to. The red composes in great part the lofty cliffs of the Grosseisle which overlook the groat lagoon, and constitutes the sub- stratum of the southern side of Grindstone. The blue * ,/ " 24 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE it I I! Ji'i I l':|;| : 1 and the variegated may be seen in the lower banks of the Grosseisle. The orange and the brown, both bright and distinctly marked, may be found in the vicinity of the trap, and have evidently been colored by effusions of the once active volcano. 2. Limestone. This rock exists only in small quanti- ties, in thin strata, in connexion with the older sandstone It is seen in four varieties, red, coralline, variegated, and greyish-brown. The red is distinguished by its hardness, weight and crystalization — the coralline, by its branching and specially crystalline structure, often embedding masses of pure crystals — the variegated by its waving veins of argillaceous matter, generally very impure — and the last is the very ordinary fossil limestone. The southern cliffs of the Grosseisle and the clifif adjoining Amherst harbor are the localities where these varieties have been found. 3. Conglomerate. This very ordinary rock is seen in connexion with the Red Sandstone, and is so readily dis- tinguished by its structure that it requires no explanation 4. Trap. Trap is a rock formed from the semi-fluid emissions of a volcano. It is generally compact, sometimes vesicular, and chiefly of a dark brownish-red colour. It is strewn on the shores of Pleasant Bay in great variety and abundance. Four varieties may be mentioned, compact, vesicular or amygdaloidal — both green and dark brown — spotted, and variegated. The spottedd istinguished by its angular sides being coated in great measure with a solution of lime forms the main cliffs of Demoiselle hill in Amherst island. The variegated is peculiar. It is light-brown in color, having much clayey and little mineral matter, and assumes a very fibrous appeaiancf*. Cliffs of this rock may be seen on Alright and Grindstone. 5- Lava. This rock may be distinguished from the ordinary trap by its darker, mineral, molten form. It is MAGDALEN ISLANDS. found near the scene of volcanic action on Amherst, Grind- stone and Alright. 6. Tufa. Tufa is Tolcanic ashes hardened into stone. Around the shores and on the hanks of Pleasant Buv, it may he seen of two colours, light-green and grey ; and of two qualities, the one so soft that you can readily restore it to its original ashes by the pressure of the thumb and fingers, the other so hard that it is with difficulty broken by a heavy stone. In the same locality Scoria or volcanic cinders are found. , , ^ , . .s 7. Gypsum. In the immediate neighboiirhooti of all the localities wliere there are unmistakeable indications of volcanic eruptions gypsum may be seen. It is found on these islands in four varieties at least. In one place it is pure white, in thin layers, brittle, glistening and resembling salts. In another, its form is massive, and its white is beautifully blended with bluish-grey. In a third, it is bituminous with a hard, black, glistening wavy siuface. And again the massive white is interleaved with thin layers of bright red, presenting a hard, wavy, glistening surface somewhat resembling sulphate of barytes. Who could walk these shores with any knowledge of geology without being deeply interested ? To the above we may add, 8. Alabaster. This is found in thin, semi-transpare nt plates, near the gypsum cliffs, when the tide is out. It is evidently formed in the Ussures of that rock, to which it bears the closest chemical affinity. , 9. Ochre. Ochres of different colors may be seen on Grindstone, Alright and Entry. The best red ochre is found on Entrv. The banks in which thev are obtained afford valuable materials for the production of paints. In connexion with this may be mentioned a fine-grained, hardened, laminated pink clay, which may be used instead of red ochre for marking. ■/ • y / 26 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE lilf I « j'iM ff J • ■ i i ■■■ i ■ JIj L 10, Man<;ane.sc. This useful mineral may he found near the runniiij^ streams on Grindstone island. The quan- tities, however, are so small as to acquire little importance at present- Through all these varieties three elements predominate, Sandstone, Trap and Oypsuni. Their decomposition and combination form excellent soil. Such is the soil of every habitable island in the group. It is everywhere rich and productive, with anything like ordinary cultivation. The recent formations inchide the {ujravel beaches, marine marshes and sandhills. They require no description. Fossils. Petrified wood in two varieties have been found by the author. The one was a stout branch of a tree, with connecteil limbs, embedded in a mass of yellow sand- stone on the south cape of Alright. The fossil, containing more iron than the surrounding mass, had successfully re- sisted the action of the sea, which had worn away the stone, and left the fossil .standing out in bold relief. The other, found at the foot of the cliffs of the Grosseisle, con- sisted of large blocks of a trunk converted into limestone exactly similar to the fossil limestone of Pugwash, Nova Scotia. These fossils offer valuable aid in determining the period in which the enclosing rocks were formed, 3. Botany. t Our remarks on this department will be brief. We shall merely notice the chief vegetable productions of the water, the sand beach and the upland. In the open bays the sea-cord and the sea-belt may be seen at all seasons, rising and falling with the waves, and moving out and in with the tide. By the storm they are cast ashore to dry and wither on the rounded pebbles above high-water mark. On the margins of the channels of the lagoons, the long and slender eel-grass may be passed over, moving gently MAGDALEN ISLANDS. 27 If to the motions of the water, or bendinp^ under the preBsure of the tide. The bottom of the H.it«, in many places, is covered by a dense foliage of slender bright-green trailing plants, which accumulate and grow rank as the water be- comes warm, to the no «mall annoyance, at times, of the rower. At a certain season these plants assume a yellow colour, being covered by the countless millions of the ova of the herring. It would be a task to describe all the den- izens of this marine forest. When small boulders line the shore, the usual olive-green crackling rock-weed may be seen. Sometimes the winds and waves waft stray seeds of various kinds to the gravel beach, and before the summer is gone strange weeds may be blooming on its brow. The prevailing vegetation of the beach and sand-hills is a strong broad-bladed coarse grass. In the moist hollows the grass is finer and richer. There too, as the soil has an inter- mixture of fine sediment, the cranberry luxuriates. Three varieties of this valuable and highly-prized berry, differing in size and colour, abound. The uplands, as might be expected from their soil, produce all the ordinary grasses, grains, and vegetables. They are, however, but partially provided with wood. Entry and Alright are nearly bereft of wood for fuel. The islands were at one time densely covered with forest, but the cuttings and clearings of a century have circumscribed the woods to narrow limits. There is yet abundance on Grindstone, and a limited supply on Amherst and at the Grosseisle. These woods consist almost exclusively of varieties of spruce and birch. Where the soil is moist and sandy, the well-known species of Coniferae called var, and occasionally juniper, prevail ; on the high capes exposed to the spray of the sea, a short, scrubby spruce with dense foliage appear." ; and iL the sheltered valleys where there is deep rich soil, the white birch is found. A few other smaller varieties of / NATURAL HISTORY OF THE hard wood are met with aloDg the margin of the brooks. The wild pear, the delicious capillare or hair berry, and the fragrant tea-berry, are also seen. The author found the wild parsnip growing rankly on one of the cir- cular cavities of Grindstone. When there the strawberry was in bloom on the very summit of the Grosseisle. In- deed, the oval summit of one of the peaks was exclusively a strawberry-bed. In lower ground, the raspberry bush readily appears where fire has overrun the land. The dewberry takes its place occasionally in the same hedge. And iu some favored mossy spot, sheltered by the over- hanging rock, the delicate and delicious bake-apple, so well known to the inhabitants of Labradore, has in some seasons been found. This berry grows on a stock four or five inches above the ground,and is in size considerably larger than the raspberry, which, in lobular form it much resem- bles. It is at first of a pale pink colour, then as it becomes full grown assumes a bright crimson, and when fully ripe turns a pale orange. It is indigenous on the wide mossy plains around the far-reaching bays of the barren Labra- dore. It is quite possible that the patient investigation of a skilled botanist would result in the discovery of other strange or rare shrubs, on these hitherto almost unexplored islands. f%. ^oalogw. The Zoology, especially in the Icthyologicol and Ornith- ological departments, is interesting, although limited. Of the Invertebrate or lowest class of the animal kingdom, specimens of the Radiated, Moliusk,and Articulated are not wanting. On a calm summer morning the whole surface of Pleasant Bay is alive with innumerable radiated soft MAGDALEN ISLANDS. 29 skins, or sea-jellies expanding and contracting in every angular form, feeding and sporting in the warm sun-beams of the surface water. On the shores of the same bay may be seen beautiful specimens of sea-stars, witli their angular crusty covering ; and sea-eggs, with their circular radiated shells. In most instances the inmate of the last is gone, and the hollow shell, with the round opening on the lower surface, is cast by the waves on the beach, there perchance to lie by the side of the lifeless tenement of the lord of creation, the lowest and the highest being alike the victims of the ruthless tempest. Of the mollusks, two of the most attractive specimens are the small oval white clam, found on the flats where the herring spawn ; and the large, strong sea-clamb, measuring over five inches in length by four in breadth. The one abounds on the flats of the great La- goon, the other is brought up from the deep water of Plea- sant Bay. Oysters have lately been dropped in the lagoon called Basque harbor, but some time must elapse before the result of the experiment is fully known. The articu- lated animals exhibit an ample variety in the shape of worms, insects and spiders. The sand and water forming their great breeding places, they exist in countless millions, and not a little patience and time would be required to examine and describe their multifarious forms. To this class of the Invertebrate belongs the useful and sometimes highly prized lobster. At a certain season of the year these animals approach the beach from deep water, for the purpose of spawning, and are caught in considerable num- bers. The Vertebrate or highest class of the animal kingdom include Fishes, Reptiles, Birds and Mammala Fishes, are of two classes, those which have a cartilage- ' inous skeleton, such as the skate and dogfish, and those which have a bony skeleton, such as the herring and cod- r / ! W \ III! 30 NATITRAL HIHTORY OF THE fish. The flkate an! family, the halibut fam- cidte or perch r their annual e and the de- mackerel and assing notice. waters of the hern coast of visiting the e same time, lich they ap- tg their way »e ova have water, and es of dimin- aters of the In August and Septembf^r they pass down the Labradori' coftst, mov- ing out and in certain harliorK, hut aiwayw prea«*inj^ north, till as the season closes, they are on tlie verge of the Arc- tic ocean, from which they again pass sotith and prepare for their annual circuit The ice has scarcely left the bays and higoons of thes** islands when the lierring make their ajipoarance, often in such dense masses that 50,000 barrels have been caught in I'leasant Bay alone in fifteen days. Nets and seines are }K)th used. By the latter from 600 to .'iOOO barrels are caught in one liaul. It is not al- ways that the fish can be seen near a locality fit for seining; and when thou.sands of barrels have been inclosed, a storm may compel the speedy removal of the seine before one half have been secured. They press their way sometimes into the lagoons in such dense masses, that between the flats on the one side and the strength of the tide on the other, thousands of them are suffocated. On their first arrival they are very bright and active, but .soon become dull and inert, and are then less palatable. Their approach is the signal for exertion, and many an anxious heart now beats high, with buoyant expectations of coming sustenance or future gain. A few days after the herring leave the Magdalens, or about the last week of May or first week of June the Maci^erel make their appearance. They have come from deep water ; and their object is the same as that of the herring. Although they move in shoals, their masses are not so dense as those of the earlier fish, and hence at this period they are chiefly taken in nets. Their movements are much influenced by the winds. One season they may be very abundant, and in the following very scarce. Like the herring they remain only about a fortnight, and in these few days the fisherman's hopes may be fully realized or sadly disappointed. The spawning is over by the mid- / ^li) ' iV NATl'UAL MISTOKY OF THE die of June, anHHing tliciiiHt'lvcs.iii tlu' wildest itiuMiicr.oii tlir surta<'i> of t!'«' water anumd y«»ur vt'HK«'l, Tlicy arc Hoiiictimi'M taken by u Ht'iiic or )>af^-iK>t, Imt the iiHital iiietliod Ih hy hook and line. Th«' hmi \m\t Ih capclin, or treHli herring. The cod will not taste Nilt t"(Mid, it' it can olttain fresh. It iH very nivenoiiH, an«l takes tlie hook most rca\\i herring and codfish are destroyed by carelessness aiid ignorance in the treatment of them after they are caught. BeHid(!s the connnon cod, the haddock a sjiecies of the same family is taken in these waters. Hake, however, is not found. Its chosen ]»luce is the muddy bottom which does not ])elong to tliese shores. Of the lMeuronectida\ two common species are caught here. The one, the large halibut, is often taken on cer- tain frequented spots. The other, the small flounder or flat-fish abounds around the Hhores. The Salmon idie have here four representatives, the salmon, trout, smelt and capelin. But few salmon are caught. Occasionally one is found entangled in a herring net in I'leasant Bay. They are not supposed to frequent these shores i n such num- bers as would warrant any outlay for their capture. The sea-trout however, comes in great abundance. Two brooks on Grindstone and one on Amherst have long been their resort for the purpose of spawning. No sooner has the ice removed from the mouth of the brooks than the smelt rushes up in gieat quantities, affording at that early season very acceptable food to many of the poor. The capelin is not so connnon. It approaches the shores of Entry, and the gravel beach near the West cape of Amherst, where at certain seasons it may be seen tt)ssing in the roll- / 34 NATURAL HI8TORY OF THE f.ii \\4 ing surf. I is the best bait for codfish, but cannot always be obiainerl. When liglitly salted and dried, it is a finely flavored and very palatable fish. Of the Percidje the small blue perch is the only species. It is caught at North Pond. The Anguiilid.Ti have their representative here, in the shape of the large sea eel. It spends tlie winter in the mud of the narrow channels of the lagoons. On the ap- proach of spring they betake themselves to deep water, and when the cold season returns, some of them may be seen making their way over a narrow beach from the gulf without to the still waters of the lagoon. Guided by instinct they wait till a south-east storm raises the sea unusually high at the Gros.seisle, when moving into the surf they are swept in upon the land, and attempt the tedious process of land transportation. The attempt is not always successful, for the inhabitants of the neighbour- hood sometimes await their arrival, and intercept them in their progress. In the depth of winter they are speared through holes in the ice, after a thaw, and form in the es- timation of many a very rich and wholesome food. -^ "' The Reptiles may be dismissed in one sentence. The inhabitants say that neither Snake, Lizard, Toad nor Frog has ever been seen on their shores. Birds. Birds are classified under six general divisions, viz : Birds of Prey, Perching Birds, Climbing Birds, Scrap- ing Birds, Wading Birds and Swimming Birds. One or more species of the most of these divisions frequent the Islands. The second and sixth divisions,having the greater number of species, are proportionally represented. The first division indicate their presence here by the stray visit of the eagle, whose alighting on these shores has sometimes proved fatal to him ; and by the summer sojourn of the hawk and the white owl. '^-^- MAGDALEN ISLANDS. 35 ving into the attempt the attempt is 16 neighbour- rcept them in Y are speared )rm ia the es- fbod. ^ ■ '•' titence. The 3ad nor Frog sral divisions, Birds, Scrap- rds. One or frequent the g the greater ted. here by the these shores the summer The second division arc- represented by the robin, the blackbird, the kingfisher, the crow, the bhiejay, the yel- low, blue and grey birds, the snow bird, and the hum- ming bird. Of the third division one solitary species alone is seen, the common woodpecker. There is no wild rep- resentative of the Scraping birds. The domesticated hen, belonging to this class, may be seen in the possession of almost every householder. The plover, the curlew, and the snipe, are the most valuable species of the Wading birds seen here. As there are extensive ranges of marsh anci beach,these birds are by no means rare. The Swimming birds of the last division are, as might be expected, very numerous. Geese, Ducks, Gulls and Gannets, are the prevailing species. They deserve a pass- ing notice. The wild goose and the brent make these Islands their chief halting place in their progress north and south both Spring and Autumn. Twenty miles of beach, with the same expanse of lagoon and marsh, in- dented with sheltered creeks, lined with fine grass, tempt their stay. Some of the brent, so well pleased with their place of sojourn, decline proceeding on to the rocky shores of Anticosti, or the lonely bays of the Labradore, and spend their summer here. It is not a little exciting to the fowler as he passes down the lagoon to see a flock of these fine birds rise from some sheltered inlet, and making a long circuit to withdraw attention from the spot, gradu- ally move back to their retreat. Ducks of every species, black, grey and spotted, are very numerous. In the more retired parts they annually hatch their young. Scarcely a day passes without the inhabitant of every corner of these isles witnessing from his door or from the beach the passing and repassing, the moving out and in of these birds, in pairs, or half dozens, / 36 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE or in larger numberp. Experience has taught them, how- ever, to sweep round at a respectful distance from the approaching boat, and to take instant alarm tis the rustling reeds in their vicinity are heard to crack. Gulls, white, grey and speckled may be said to claim these islands as their summer home. They are almost always in sight on the wing, in one quarter or another. Each one seems to look out for himself He is moving out or in the bays, resting on the water, or pouncing down on some refuse floating on the waves, or soaring aloft screeching after some one who seems to have been more lucky than himself During the herring season, their jar- gon of screeching notes never ceases, from the dawn of day till dusk. At the great lagoon of the Grosseisle, when its shallow waters are teeming with herring, the discordant notes of multitudes of the large grey gull are heard dead- ening every other sound. Their eggs, laid on certain retired rocks, are eagerly sought after and readily appro- priated. The Gannet makes its home upon the Bird Kocks. Thef:e Rocks are literally covered with the swarming hosts of these large birds. The gannet is above three feet in length, white in colour, except the top of the head and back of the neck, which are tinged with yellow, and the quill-feathers which are black. It possesses extraordinary buoyancy, from the length and muscular force of its wings and an arrangement of extensive air-cells by means of which it can fly with great rapidity and ease, and remain long upon the wing. They live chiefly on herring. When in search of food, they soar to a considerable height, until detecting with piercing glance the desired object, they dart down with great impetuosity, and seize their prey beneath the waters. They have been known to seize a herring at the depth of two fathomp. On fine nights, when the her- ring have come in to spawn in great numbers at the Grand MAGDALEN 18LANDP. 37 Entry, thcpe birds come up from their l Ity rocks like a •white cloud, and present an animating scene whci^ diving all around you in the great landlocked lagoon, and rising with flapping \ving8 from the surface, and their glistening prey firmly clenched between their beaks. A ii\)ec\e» of the same family, but less daring and active and of a dark color, called the Shag, occupies a small rock, a few miles to the north of Alright. The young may there be seen at a certain season covered with a long, black down, and com- paratively helpless. A few of the Murrs of the Mecatina rocks of Labra- dore sometimes lay on the Bird Rocks. These birds are about the size of a duck, and have a spotted black and white plumage. The author had the gratification at (Jiie time of landing upon Treble island, one of the Mecatina group, and viritnessing in close quarters the countless num- bers of these birds lining every terrace and shelf of the brow of the island. A lew minutes were sufficient to load the boat with fresh eggs, and one dischaige of an old mus- ket killed eight outright, and wounded an unknown num- ber. Two were caught alive, and kept for some time on board the vessels. - Mammals. These animals may properly be spoken of under the two divisions oi Sea Manmaals and Land Mam- mals. Of the Sea Mammals the Whale, the Porpoise, and the Seal deserve mention, as seen in these waters. Four species of Wliales frequent the Gulf, These are the Black, the Finner, the Sulphur Bottom and the Hump- back. Their names describe their distinctive features. After spending the winter in warmer latitudes, they arrive in the Gulf with their young, now from eight to twelve feet in length, about the end of May. The young,feeding on capelin and herring, grow very rapidly. Of the four i^pecies, the most valuable, but the most rare, is the Black 8 y I t m •'It. ! ; ; .1 M ¥ 88 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE Whale. It yieldH from i 00 to 50() barrelH of oil, according to its size and condition; while the other species yield gen- erally less than 100 barrels each. The Humpbacked is very easily killed ; but the Firmer and the Sulphur Bot- tom are very violent, and require to l)e lanced and ex- hausted from loss of ljlood,betbre the harpoon can be safely used. The Porpoise is no stranger around the Islands. Scarcely a calm day in summer occurs without his dark glossy back being exposed above the siufaoe of the water in his pecu- liar tossing and tumbling manner. Sometimes large num- bers are seen ; but generally two in company. They pur- sue the herring and mackerel with great eagerness, and on reaching them attack the shoal with great violence. The Dolphin and Grampus are kindred species, but are less frequently seen. Three species of Seal are seen in these waters. One of these, the common Harbor Seal, is solitary, being gener- ally seen alone. The other two, the Harp and Hooded Seals,are gregarious. The Harp is sometimes five feet in length; the Hooded, so called from a moveable sack on its head, is even longer. Seals come up from the Arctic seas in the month of November. They move gradually along the shores of the Strait of Belleisle and spend the wiriter in the Gulf, resting a great part of the time on floating ice. In March their young are brought forth on the i6e, where they remain for a'month before they take the ws^ter. It is at this season that they are attacked by the Seal-fish- ers. It is in vain to pursue a seal when he has reachod the open t/ater ; his agility will defeat the most persever- ing. When the ice begins to move in March, they often show themselves in herds on the shores of the Magdalenes, OUpe Breton and P. E. Island. Sbme idea ot the tiuln- *bers killfed may be fortned fi:om the ftujt that over 5()0;G00 MAGDALEN ISLANDS. :iP senlpkins aroaninmlly(>x])()rtoaflt, are seen no nu)r('. They liavc heen extermin- ated from all tlie shores of the (tulf. ; : ' The Land Mammals in a wild state, are, as may Ix^ 8U|>- posed from the position and extent of territory, but very few. One or two speeies of the Carnivora and of the Ro- dentia alone are seen. Of the former, the Fox is i)erhap8 the only species. There are none of the WeRsel family. Even here the Fox assumes tliree varieties in color, red, silver-grey and black. Of the Rodentia, the chief repre- sentative is the Rabbit. They are very numerous. The Field Mouse is met with in the sand-ridges. From his plump condition, he seems to enjoy liis sandy domicile with much satisfaction. On the whole, there is perhaps no place in British America, of equal extent, which can offer so many objects of interest to the enthusiastic Naturalist. Social Conbition. It is most likely that the early European explorers of this Western Continent, discovered these Islands, on their first visit to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. A ship on a voy- age of discovery bound west from the south coast of New- foundland could not miss them. The first object, on sight- ing the land, would be to ascertain its character by sailing round its southern or northern extremity, and possibly, if the weather was fine, by effecting a landing. These stran- gers on approaching the shore would mark the lofty head- lands, clothed with their sombre spruce and the low-lying intervening sand-ridges, decked with the more humble at- tire of the rank beach grass. A solemn silence reigned all / 40 SOCIAL CONDITION OF THE around ; no human footstep was heard on the shore, but the agitated waters of the Bay gave tokens of their living mil- lions, ranging unmolested, and the neighboring beach seemed streaked with black where the seals were basking, dreading not the approach of a destroyer. For the next century these Islands received occasional visits from the European fishing crafts which made their way into the Gulf, some calling for wood and water, others seeking shelter from the tempest, and others enriching themselves from their waters. A century later, and these visits were greatly multiplied; permanent establishments were formed upon them, as the result of authorised possession ; and Frenchmen of rank, convinced of the vast wealth floating in the western waters, had erected their dwellings in every prominent fishing ground from Petit Degrut at the south of Canso to Bradore Bay on tii? Labradore. The solitary position of these islands greatly retarded their permanent occupation ; so that at the time Cape Breton and Prince Edward Island came into the possession of Great Britain, in 1763, they are said to have been inhabited by only ten families. Admiral Sir Isaac CofHn obtained a grant of the Islands in 1798. He was born in Boston, in 1760. En- tering the navy at the early age of 13, he passed through the various grades of rank until the midshipman became the full Admiral in 1814. He was actively employed for many years on the American coast, and invariably distin- guished himself by his bravery. In the wars of the French republic, he performed much service on the coast of France and Spain. It is reported that on passing the Magdalen Islands, in command of a ship of war conveying one of the Governors of Canada to Quebec, he expressed a wish to the Governor, most probably Sir Guy Carlton, Lord Dorchester, that the islands might become his The day was remarkably fine, MAGDALEN ISLANDS. 41 but the ling mil- beach 'basking, he next ^rom the into the seeking >mselve8 |sits were formed ion; and floating in every )he south solitary Tmanent Id Prince b Britain, only ten nt of the JO. En- through i became oyed for y distin- French ' France ands, in >vemors )vernor, hat the »ly fine, and the islands appeared to p^eat advantage. The Gov- ernor promptly consented to use his influence to obtain the grant ; the request was at once complied with by the Homo Government ; and the islands became the sole possession of Captain, afterwards Admiral Sir Isaac Coffin The Admiral died in 1839, and left the islands to his nephew Captain John Townsond Coffin, an officer in the British navy who has of late attained to the rank of Rear-admiral. They are now an entailed estate in his possession. Both the late and the present possessor have in a variety of ways testified their interest in the welfare of their tenants, the inhabit- ants of the islands. The income derived from them is merely nominal, being generally expended in their im- provement or welfare. At the time the grant was given, the population had increased to 100 families, embra- cing not less than 500 souls. This increase can readily be accounted for. The people were all of one race and religion. The means of subsistence, such as it was, were abundant ; and Acadians, feeling themselves strangers in a country once their own, naturally sought such a retreat as these Islands offered. In 1830, the pop- ulation amounted to something less than 1000. About this time a new element became associated with the French population. This was the accession of several British Protestant families, which up till the present have been steadily augmenting their numbers. The healthy energy of the new race aroused the dormant activity of the oM settlers, and materially contributed to the improvements wMch have since taken place. Last year (1861,) the cen- sus was taken, whrn the total population was found to be 2659, of whom 300 may be regarded as Protestants. All the rest are Canadian or Acadian French. The Protes- tants are chiefly from Nova Scotia ; a few are from Prince Edward Island. Both classes direct special attention to t / m SOCIAL CONDITION OF THE ! fishing ; but in most cases there is an effort to cultivate some portion of land near their dwellings. The French prefer to live in close, compact groups of houses, which might be classed as villages, but from want of all order and arrangement in their location beyond what the vicinity to a road may require. Their location is exactly similar to that seen in the various Acadian settlements of Prince Ed- ward Island and Nova Scotia. They do not aspire to be farmers ; the piece of ground cultivated pstrtaking rather of the dimensions of a garden than of a farm. Their ordinary dwellings are plain constructions of wood, without much that is attractive either within or without Want of edu- cation and resources are the main causes of this backward-- ness ; for where some wealth has been gathered, and some knowledge of the world obtained, the dwelling and the furniture invariably assume a creditable appearance. The bouses of the other race are oecidedly superior, on a whole, to those of the French, being almost on an equality with farmers' dwellings in the neighbouring colonies, and consid- ering the circumstances of the people, indicate neatness and comfort Their houses are farther apart, and their e£forts in cultivating the soil make some approach to farm- ing. Like most fishing coasts, where communication by water is easy, and the making of roads difficult and de- manding labor, at the time that fishing is profitable the roads on these Islands have been too much neglected. The three most important islands, Amherst, Grindstone and Alright, have each one main highway passing througk from east to west along which a cart or strong wagon may make its way without much trouble. At the Grosseisle they are not so far advanced, the extent of level surface being much less ^ and the beach or a footpath along the bank is the chosen land course. It may be said that boats are their carriages, and the Great Lagoon their high- MAGDALEN ISLANDS. 43 tivate^ rench which ier and nity to iilar to ice Ed- e to be bther of [rdinaiy t much of edu- ckward- id some and the 8. The a whole, ity with I consid- neatness nd their to fann- ition by and de- bble the sglected. udstone through. ;on may rosseisle surface ong the id that ir high- way. Education has not been wholly ncglecte pickled [d 5,500 valued I schoon- inhab- |entered, le rapid )llowing J the port UTIII. "$444 1212 1886 1696 1492 1868 2121 V 1809 8821 ■ 6070 $19,564 $5684 in $444 to anteced* : increase uinuftlly. entered, Qg 1373 innually, h fishing ' vessels, thin the •ovinces ; Nova Scofin alworbing niort' tlum all \hv otluTs unitcil Of 374 v«'HHt'lH cnU'rc'd at AnihciKt in ISf)!), 294 were trom the Britihh Provinccn, and 76 from the Tiiited States. Of the $266,(;.5(; w«»rth of cxportH of tluit vear, $181,902 worth went to these ProvinccH, and !jf84,()()4 worth to the United Stales ; and of the $54,803 wortli of iniportH of that year, $49,058 worth came from Nova »S(<(>tin alone. The value of the importH of the coasting tnule with Quekc and neighboring porta is given at $12,(KK) unnunlly ; the number of vessels engaged, 21 ; and the tonnage, 856. Such is a bore outline of the actual products of the fish- eries, and of the trade arising therefrom. No one really acquainted with the place, or with the fisheries of the Gulf, will suppose that these products have reached their utmost limit. With proper care in allowing the fish at least a limited access to their spawning grounds, and with the exercise of ordinary prudence in their destruction, no diminution in the shoals annually approaching our shores need be anticipated. The production has been arranged by a beneficent Creator to keep pace with an enormous waste. The destroyed and captured millions are rapidly replaced by the reproductive powers of the fish. The fe- male herring, for example, carries fmm six to eight millions of ova Still these millions are of no avail unless they reach the place destined by nature ior their reception and growth. The fish which spawn m shallow lagoons, as the herring, or near the sources of rivers, as the salmon, are more in danger of extinction than the mackarel and the cod, which spawn in deeper waters. Yet there is a limit beyond which man's covetousness cannot proceed, without disastrous effects receding upon himself Wise and strin- gent legislation has now been brought to bear upon the protection of the fisheries, and not an hour too soon. Fish- ing must be conducted on the principlesof nature and right, «i i ! I 48 COMSCBRCIAL IMPORTANCE OF and then the supply will become more abundant, and be more generally distributed. If the Hebrews, by the Divine command, allowed their lands and fruit trees to rest without cropping or stripping every seventh year,might not the fishes of our shores and rivers, with the most advan- tageous results, be granted a similar privilege by the most unrestricted access every seventh year to their breeding places ? It would prevent the possibility of extinction in the case of any of our valuable fish, by any ordinary means. This is merely a suggestion. We have no space here for its discussion. In the mean time, untold treasures of the deep visit and roam round these islands, untouched by the hand of man. Glance at the possible increase of products from the main fisheries. At present from twenty to thirty vessels fit out at the Magdalen Islands for the seal fishery. They generally do well, sometimes very well Here, as elsewhere, all parties are liable to the inevitable vicissitudes which attend this business. The seals are abundant, if the vessels can only get out to the ice on which they show themselves. Their movements are uncertain. Thousands may be seen within reach, and a full cargo secured in a few days, or weeks may be spent without seeing one. These chances must be foreseen and provided for, or ruin may en- sue. A little to the north of the group, a small vessel of 40 tons, a few years ago, found, about the end of April, fields of floating ice covered with seals, and killed 600 of them in eight days. At the same time, a brig from Newfound- land, a short distance from her, killed 3000. The Mag- daleners deserve credit for the enterprise already shown in this daring business; but who can doubt, if the means were only at hand, that twice the number of vessels would gd out, and instead of 6000 seals coming home after two months labour and fatigue, 30,000 might be brought back. ]'i land be )y the to rest ^ht not I ad van - le most [reeding [ction in means, lere for !S of the i by the products to thirty I fishery. Here, as ;issitudes mdant, if hey show housands in a few . These may en- 3sel of 40 ril, fields of them swfound- tie Mag- shown in ans were ^ould go fter two ht back. THE MAGDALEN ISLANDS. 49 Newfoundland sends out over 300 vessels of 30,000 tons, und 10,000 men annually to catch seals wherover they may be found. "What should hinder the Magdalen Islands, if they had the capital, from equipping 50 lor the same haz- ardous, but generally remunerative occupation. ; , The catching of Spring herring receives general atten- tion, and on it the people rest their expectations in great measure. But shoals of these fish move oft and on these islands unreached. If 50,000 baiTels have been caught in one fortnight in Pleasant Bay alone, how many more might be caught in other places at the same time, if there were the men and means to take and cure them ? No one who visits these islands at that season can be so ignor- ant as to believe that all the fish are caught that might be, and that without endangering the future abundance of the fish. It too often happens that they are taken in greater quantities than the facilities for preserving would warrant, when of course they are destroyed. The same fishing might be advantageously prosecuted in a still greater degree than it is, by sending a larger fleet to the coasts of the Labradore, there to await the visits of the fish in its restored and fattened condition. The cod fishery is capable of indefinite enlargement. The Gulf is alive with these valuable fish. Sandy shoals on neighbouring coasts invite the attention of the enter- prising. Instead of exporting 16,000 quintals only, 80,000 would be much nearer the requisite limit. Similar remarks may be applied to the mackerel fishery. No blame is here attached to people who may be doing aJl within their power. The aim ol these statements is to show that the producing capabilities go far beyond the actual products."" Enough has been said on these matters. Our Gulf is teeming with all kinds of valuable fish every 50 THE MAGDALEN ISLANDS. SQinmer. The Magdalen group occupy the centre of this Gulf, — they have ample facilities for trade on every side, — they are availing themselves to some extent of their great advantages ; but their actual gains lie far within the circle of their immense resources. ^ THE END 'li [ this ide, — great circle '^'