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A HISTORY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE ISLAND OF CArE BRETON 
 
 vrrii -oMF. AntiixT ok the 
 
 DLSCOVEIiY AND SETTLEMENT 
 
 OF 
 
 CANADA. NOVA SCOTIA. AND NEWFOUNDLAND 
 
 RICHAni) HKOWN, F.G.S. f\K.(r S. 
 
 LONDON 
 « AM PS ON LOW, SON, AND MARSTON 
 
 • ROWN BUILDIXOS, 18S FLEET STREET 
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J>ED1CAT()RY E PISTLE 
 
 TO TIIK 
 
 YOUTH OF CAPE Bin:T()N. 
 
 I Di:Dit'ATE and address to you, my di'ar friends this 
 volume of letters upon tlie Llisto.iy of Cape Breton — 
 compiled and written for your speeial use — for the fol- 
 lowin<f reasons : — 
 
 When I first visited the island, more than forty years \^ 'y 
 ago, my professional duties led me into vaiious districts, 
 at that time quite destitute of inns and the ordinary means 
 of locomotion. Thus I was fretpiently com[)elled to ask 
 from the inhabitants both shelter and subsistence, as well 
 as aid in moving from phu;e to ])lace. I need hardly say 
 that in the comfortable houses of the merchants and the 
 farmers — in the louf huts of the new settlers — in the wiu'- 
 wams of the wandering Indians — in short, everywhere I 
 received a hearty and hospitable welcome. In later years, 
 during a long residence at one locality, I had the happiness 
 of enjoying the friendshi]) of a wide circle of neighbours of 
 all ranks. And lastly, when failing health and advancin<r 
 age obliged me to return to my native land, I received 
 so many proofs of the affection and regard of my numer- 
 ous friends, that I felt bound to ex[)ress my acknowledg- 
 
VI DKDICATORY EPISTLE 
 
 iiieiits ill some more substantial shape than even the 
 warmest thanks for their kind adieux and good wishes. 
 
 Tlavinti; often had occasion to regret the want of a 
 history of tlie ishiiid, it occurred to me that, if I coukl 
 supply tliis want, I niiglit tliereby be enabled to give 
 proof of the sincei'ity of my grateful recollections, and 
 at the same time render you an acce})table service. I 
 (un aware that you will find, in some recent histories of 
 Canada and Nova Scotia, short accounts of the island, and 
 narratives of the two celebrated sieges of Louisbourg; 
 but in your case much more than these is required. 
 There are also in many books, both ancient and modern, 
 in European libraries, scattered fragments of Cape Breton 
 histoiy, and in tlie rich stores of the State Paper Office 
 many valuable documents relating to the island ; but as 
 all these are inaccessible to you, I concluded that I could 
 not occupy my leisure time in a more profitable way 
 than in collecting, from all the sources within my reach, 
 every scraj) of intelligence that would be interesting to 
 you, and in arranjjjiim it in cln-onoloiiical order, flavin*^ 
 had little experience in writing for the press, especially 
 with the precision indispensable in historical works, I 
 determined to address you in familiar letters — a form to 
 which I have been more accustomed — feelinof assured 
 that I could in that way make myself better understood. 
 
 As my object was to write a history of Cape Breton 
 onhj^ I endeavoured in the first instance to treat of 
 matters relating to the discovery, settlement, and pro- 
 gress of the island edrluf<irehj ; but I soon found it was 
 so closely connected, both geographically and politically, 
 with the neighbouring provinces, that it was impossible 
 
TO THE YOUTH OF CAPE BRKTOX. VH 
 
 to <_nve a clear ami intt'lli.urible account of its history 
 wiiliout at the .same time siibmittini>- contemporary 
 sketclies of tlie discovery and settlement of Canada, N<jva 
 Scotia, and Newfoundland. My work lias in consequence 
 been considerably increased in l)ulk ; but as some of you 
 may not have liistories of these provinces to refer to, I 
 trust the short sketches given in tlie following letters 
 may prove useful. My aim all tlu-oug]i has been to 
 submit tlie information obtained fn^ni old books and 
 olllcial documents, wherever it was possible, in the form 
 of extracts from the originals, in the exact words and 
 orthography of the writers. Y<ju will see at a glance 
 that my letters, hi a literary point of view, have no claims 
 upon your attention. I have tried ' to tell the story as 
 'twas told to me.' If I have succeeded in making it 
 intelligible and useful, my object has been fully accom- 
 l)lislied. I have industriously sought for information 
 wherever there was the slightest prospect ot linding it ; 
 and having pointed out the sources from whence it was 
 obtained, I hope future historians may derive some bene- 
 fit from my labour and researches. 
 
 For the great bulk of the most important matter 
 embodied in the followiiiir letters, I am under srreat 
 obligations to Sir Roderick ^Murchisou for free access to 
 the extensive library of the British ]\luseum, and to his 
 Grace the Duke of Ijiickingham and Cliandos for permis- 
 sion to examine and make extracts from the voluminous 
 colonial documents in the Public liecord Odice. To the 
 courteous and obliging odicers of both these truly noble 
 national institutions I beg to tender my sincere thanks 
 for their valuable aid in LniidiiiL'' me in mv researches. 
 
Vlll DEDICATORY EPISTLE. 
 
 I must not forget also to thank my Cape Breton friends 
 — tlic Honourable John Bourinot, Consul of France, his 
 Honour Mr. Justice Dodd, and James P. Ward and Henry 
 W. Crawley, Esquires, for the perusal of some valuable 
 documents in their possession. 
 
 In bidding you farewell, I can say, witii all truthfulness, 
 it will ever be to me a cause of much gratification that 
 my destmy led me in my younger days to your highly 
 favoured island, where I s])ent so many years of a happy, 
 and I trust, not altogether useless life. The recollection 
 of those bygone years will last as long as life and memory 
 endure ; and I shall ever liope and pray tliat you, my 
 young friends, may live to see your coiuitry attain the 
 high rank to which it is justly entitled by its geogra- 
 phical position and vast natural resources. 
 
 Ever faithfully yours, 
 
 RICHARD BROWN. 
 
 London : May, 1 8C9. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 V LKTTEU I. 
 
 I'AOB 
 
 Physical Ocograpliy of Caye Breton — Supposi-d Discover)' of the Island by 
 
 the Nortiimen — Voyaf^fs of John anil Sfbastian Cabot-- BasijUc Kisinrnifn 
 
 at Cape Breton — First Account of the Natives — French and Spanish 
 Fisheries — Origin of tlie Name of Cape Breton ...... 1 
 
 . LKTTKK II. 
 
 Cortoreal's Discoveries — Baron de Lery's Attempt lo make a Settlement — 
 Verazano's Voyage — Voyagt's of the ' Mary of ('ilford' and ' Sampson ' — 
 
 Jolm Rut's Letter to Henry VIII. — Tliorne's Map of the Atlantic — Hore's 
 
 " Voya^re to Newfound'aiid and Cape Hreton — Jacques Cartier's Voyages — 
 
 His Discovery of the St. L;iwrence and Canada — Roberval's Voyage — &c. . 17 
 
 . LETTER III. 
 
 Piirkhurst's Voyage to Newfoundland and Capo Breton — Sir Humphrey 
 Gilbert's Voyage — Captain Stpjng's Voyage to Ranua Ishind and Cape 
 Breton — Captain lioigh's Voyage to the St. Lawrence and Cape Breton — 
 The Marquis de la Roche's Expedition — The Situr Chauvin's Voyage to the 
 St Lawrence — Dis Chastes's Attempt to settle in Canada — Failure of Sir 
 Walter Raleigh's Expedition to Virginia 34 
 
 LETTER IV. 
 
 .StttUmcnt of Nova Scotia by De Monts — Pontgrave's Voyage to the .St. Law- 
 rence — Champlain's Survey — De Monts's Patent n voked — Port Royal 
 abandoned — Champhiin's Accotint of Cape I'rcton — Srtllemeut of Virginia 
 --Captain Argal attacks the French Settlement at Mont Desert — Destroys 
 Port Koval — Poutrincourt abandons Port Royal and returns to France . ,')3 
 
 V 
 
 LETTER V. 
 
 De Monts obtains Patent to tnide in Canada— Sends Champlain to select a 
 Site for a Settlement — Champlain lays Foundation of Quebec— De Mtjnts'a 
 Patpnt revoked — Duke de Montmonncy appointed Viceroy of New 
 France — Appoints Champlain his Lieutenant — Acadie. or Nova .Scotia, 
 grante<l by James I. to Sir William Alexander — .Studs out Settlers — 
 Quebec surrendered to Sir David Kirke — -Lord Ochiltree settles at Baleine 
 in Cape Breton — His Fort taken by Captain Daniel — French Fort built at 
 St. Anne's— Memorial of Lord Ochiitref to James 1 6ft 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 > li:tti:u vi. 
 
 I'Ai.R 
 
 Tnifiii-ul Occurrcnoo at St. Ann's— Fort is* ahandonod — Piaco of St. Ocr- 
 iiiaiii> - raniula, .\ia(li('', ainl Cajio Untun ri;-torii.l to Fraiu-f— Death of 
 Cliaiuplaiii — Acadii- granted to sevtral Ivrsous — M. iK-nys olitains 
 Eastern Part of Acadie, including (.'ape IJreton — (iuarrels of tho Stipneurs 
 
 — ^~ — T>e rmr^ni' takes {iOs^«e^si(ln of St. Peter's— I)enys goes to France — 
 liuii:stated in all his Kiglits— Copy of Denys's Patent- Sodgwiek takes 
 Port Royal h\ Orders of Cromwell — Le Borgne seized and carried to 
 lioston — Denys's TrouMo witli La fiinmdiero — His KstaMishinent at St. 
 
 . ^—Peter's de>lroy(.(l liy Fiio — Kctires to Hay Cluiletir — Kelurus to l-'rance — 
 
 Publibhcs his Book — &e. . . . . . . . . .81 
 
 nLETTKK VJl. 
 
 Aea<lie restored to Franco at Treaty of IJreda — Rapacity of Governors of 
 Acadie — War breaks out in 1()89 — First Settlement of Newfoundland — — 
 Island grantiMl to Lonl lialtimore — Sir David Kirke takes charge of it — 
 History and I'rogress of tlie Country- -Progress of Canada — Freneh liaids 
 upon Frontiers of New York and New England — Port lioyal and Cheda- 
 hoiictou taken l>y Sir William Pliipps — Failure of his Expedition to 
 Quebec — Loss of his ships .......... lO-J 
 
 > LETTER VllL 
 
 French l-'xp'dition from Quebec to drive English out of Newfonndland — 
 H'll.l.i ' . ill, at Paie des Espagnols — Defeat of English Sijuadron in IJay 
 of Fuudy— Ships sent from Boston — French retreat with Loss — Failuro 
 of Attack upoi. Plaisance — St. .John's. Newfoundland, take n by the French — 
 Coasts ravaged — St. John's retaken — Trailc and Popuiatiun of New- 
 foundland - Treaty of Ryswick — Frem-h form Settlement .it Norridgew(K'k — 
 Frencli .and Indian Ineursiont t'olMiid CInirch ravages French Seitle- 
 menti' nn Bay <if I'undy — Colonel ^L■lr^h's unsuccessful Attacks on Port 
 Royal — Is taken by Geiienil Nicholson — St. John's destroyed — Failure (,f 
 A'hniral Walker's Expedition against Quebec — Adminil Walker at ."^panibh 
 River . . . ll,'4 
 
 ^ LETTER IX. 
 
 Treaty of Peace signed at I'trecht — Nova Scotia and Newfoundland ceded to 
 England — France retainu Cape Breton— .MM. Baudot's lienort — French 
 (larrison and Inliabitants of Plaisance remove to Cajie Breton— French 
 (lovernnienl decide upon erecting a Fortress at Louisbourg — Grants in 
 Cape Breton— Sime Fren>'h Itdiabilants leave Nova Scotia for Ca|>e 
 Breton — Colonel Phillips ippoinled Governor of Nova St-otia -Foundation 
 of Louisbourg - English Colonists forbidden to trade with Louisbourg . 140 
 
CONTENTS. XI 
 
 LKTTHR X. 
 
 I'AtiB 
 
 Tinlian Trilios of Nova Scofia and Cap.- Urttnn— Tluir Manners ami Customs 
 - Coni'iliattd liy the Fivnch — ImiiHii Wars — Attaik. ujiuii CaiKoau — 
 Cuirrisoii istal>lisli<d there — Vesstlfs t^eiztd by Indians —Outrages in Gut 
 (it Canceau-Atroeilics oonimittcd l.y thtni in New Kn^'laiid— Jndi;in 
 Villa^'e of Norridguwiick destroyed \<y Knglisli Troups--TiR' Jesuit Ilidlo 
 killed ' 13-i 
 
 LKTTER XL 
 
 Progress of Canada — Trade and Population of Nova Sootia — I'orts erecte<l in 
 Capo IJreton— Freneli Traile with New i'.nplaud — Wreek of ' La Ciianieau' 
 near I/<^)uisliourg — I'Uoa's Aceount of Trade. Fislurit s, \e., of Louisliourg 
 — Inrtu< nee of ['"riiich Missionaries over the Indians— General Description 
 ofLouisbourg — Its I'orts, Streets, Churches, 6:0 lf»8 
 
 LETTER XII. 
 
 War between England and France— Canceau taken by the T'ren eh— Alarm 
 in New FIngland — 1'( asibility of taking Louisbounr projioscd — General 
 Assembly of Massaehusi its adopts the Proposal — Forces niised for the 
 Purpose — Expedition under General PepperruU sails for Louisbourg — 
 Compelled to leiiiain some time at Canceau by the Ice — Is joined by 
 Commodore Warren with a Squadron from the West Indies — Fori at St. 
 O Peter's destroyed — Expedition arrives at Gabarus Day . . . .186 
 
 LI:TTER XIII. 
 
 Dismay at Louisbourg — State of the Garrison — English land at Flat Point 
 Cove — Hurn Warehouses at Head of Harbour— F'reutli abaixlon the (irainl 
 Batteries erected by the lU'.siegers — Enemy makes a Sortie — Particular 
 Account of the Progress of the Siege — IJattery erecte<l at Light Iiouse Point 
 — • Vigilant ' captured -Sickness in the IJiglish Camp— Scouting Expedi- 
 tions — Failure of attaik on the Island Uatterv— Great Loss of Men . . 2(i.'» 
 
 LETTER XIV. 
 
 {•'.nglisli Squadron reinforced — Lighthouse IJattery finished and armed — 
 Enemy driven from their Guns at Island IJatterj- — Preparations for a 
 General Assault by Sea and Land — Governor of lA»uisbourg proposes a 
 Suspension of Hostilities — Seeing no Prospect of Relief he capitulates — 
 lii'iiiarks on Siege -English take Possession of Louisbourg- (ireat Re- 
 joicing in England and the Colonies — Chief Occurrences at Luuisliourg 
 nfter the Siigr — Don Antonio D'T'lion's Account of the .Siege. &c. — (iar- 
 rison left in I/ouisl-ourg- Troops arrive from (.iilualtar Warren and 
 Pepperrell sail for ItoHton — Commodore Knowles Acting Governor . 
 
Xll CONTENTS. 
 
 m:tti:h xv 
 
 •.\>,H 
 
 Att(ni|it of Kraiice to reco\ir Louislxmrg — D'Aiiville's Kxpeilitiuu — Its 
 3Ii>t(irtuuts iinJ Fiiiluiv — Cuiiim'Kln-i' Knowlrs 'lovtmor of I^uiisliKurii; — 
 J.ii JoiiquitTf's Flri-t tli'tVatttl — C'oloiU'l llo{).>>on ai)|>oiiitf(l (iovernor of 
 Loiiisliourg— Tnufy of Aix-lii-L'lia|itllt — Cape Breton restored ro Fnuof — 
 M. dcH llcrbicrs appointed Govt rnor of Loui^bourg ..... 2iH 
 
 lettp:k XVI. 
 
 I'oiiniltition of Halifax— French and Kuglish at Cliigni-cto — Count Raymond 
 CioMTnorof Loni^lioiirg — U\y< Ai-i-ouiit of ("'api- IJrcton Frondi Kiicroacii- 
 nicnts on the Froiitier>> of New '^'ork and I'ennsylvatiia-— AflTairs on tiie 
 Isthmus of ChigULrto — Expulsion of tlij Acadians from Nova Scotia . . 200 
 
 LETTER XVII. 
 
 Vrenoli t'neroaohmonts — Preparations for AN'ar by both Nations — Capture of 
 "Aleide ' anil ' Lys ' — War declared — Iluvtilities i n the i''r(jntiers of Caniuta 
 — C<>mnio<.lore Holmes's Action oft' Loui>l)o'.ir^ — Admiral Holhorne's Pro- 
 ceedings before L<mi!«l>ourg— Heavy Gale, and Wreck of the • Tilbury' — Pitt 
 Bends out an Expeditiun under Admiral Bnscawen and General AmluTst to 
 America — Arrives in Gabarus Bay ....... 281 
 
 LETTER XVIII. 
 
 ICnplish Troops land, led by AVolfe— Frc ndi defeated —French Forces in 
 Louisbourg -Progress of Mie .Siege of Louisbourg in i^-tail — F'rench Ships 
 taken in the Harbour Preparations for u general Assaidt — Governor of 
 Louisbourg proposes to capitulate — Submits to Ttrms deniaiuleil by the 
 Besiegers 3U0 
 
 l?:tter XIX. 
 
 M. Drueonr's Account of the Piege — St. Anne's and Espagnol (x-cupied — St. 
 Jolin's Inland taken— Wolfe destroys French .'Settlements at Bay Chaleur 
 - -Defejit of Aberi'pjnibie at Ticoniiei'oga — English (birrison at Louisbourg 
 under Brigadier Whitniore— Rejoicings in FInglard at the Fall of I^ouis- 
 bonrg— Vote of Thanks passed by House of Commons to the Commanders 
 — W(dfe promoted . . . . . . . . . . . Itl? 
 
 v'' LETTER XX. 
 
 Pitt's Preparations for the Conquest of Canaila — Wolfe appointed Genend of 
 tile Land Forces — Ibtpedition sails from T,cuisbourg and arrives at Quebec 
 — Battle on the Heights of Aitrahani— Death of Wolfe— Conquest of 
 Canada — Fortifications of LouislMiurg demolished — Cotnmotlore Byron at 
 liayChalour— French Fisheries in C:\pe Breton — St. .John's, Newfoundland. 
 taken by tlu' French Ketakt n by the Engli>h — Treaty of Peace signed at 
 Paris — Canada anil Cape Bivton teded to England — State of Canada and 
 Nova Scotia — Tnule of Newfoundland -St. John's Island .... ;j31 
 
rONTKNTS. Xlll 
 
 LETTKR XXI. 
 
 PAIIH 
 
 CajH' Brpton ami St. John's Island amu'xod to Novi .Si-otia — iSurvey<j — 
 (iriintH — Coal Mines — Indians troublesome — Cape Hreton erected into a 
 County of N(»va ."^i'< it ia — Mt-mtiers n-turu'd to servo in House of Assemldy 
 njtvtid (irants of Land and Liasts of Coal Mines — Garrison withdrawn 
 from lj<)uisl)uurg — State of Lmisbourg — Inhabitants, &c. .... 361 
 
 LETTER XXJI. 
 
 .•^1 ttlcment of St. John's Island — Cape Breton repre.-*ented in As.sembly by 
 tlie MiMibers for the County of Halifax— Coal Smuggling on the Coasts — 
 Population of tho Islaml— Trade — American Revolution — Militia emlxj«lied 
 — Frtiu'h Cruisers on the Coast of Cape Breton — Naval Action off' Spanish 
 Biver— Anicrican Privateers defeated at Petit d<- Crat — Peace between 
 Englan<l and United States 372 
 
 LETTER XXTII 
 
 Cape Breton separated from the Cioverninmt of Nova Scotia — Lientenanf- 
 Governf)r appointed — Civil List voted by Parliament— Major Desliarres's 
 .S'n'iees — Loyalists arrive — (iarrison established at Sydney — Civil OtKi-i-rs 
 and Council — Dissension between Lieutenant -(lovcrnor and Cotumanibv 
 of Troops — Its Consei^ueiiees — Desbarres ncalKHl Colonel Macorniick 
 Lii'Utinant-(iov« rnor- Prince William Henry visits Sydney — (.'onvicts 
 laiubd on th.' Island- -Garrisf)!! reiluce<l- Trade of the Island -Grants, 
 Ifcc. \-c 38G 
 
 LKTTEi: XXIV. 
 
 Declaration of War by I'ranoe — St. Pierre and Miqtielon talTen — Dissensions 
 at Sydney — Lieutenant-Governor Macormick resigns— Senior Councillor 
 iidmiaistcrs the Government— State of Sydney — Discontent (jf the People 
 — Brigadier-General Ogihie appointed to administer the Government — 
 Is succeeded by Biigadier-General Murray — His Proceeilings — Coal Trade 
 — Dr. McGregor's Visit to Sydney 406 
 
 LETTER XXV. 
 
 Major-Oenoral Despanl appoint. d President of the Council — IIi« Doings — 
 Duties impo.sed — Peace — Population, &c. — Immigrants arrive from the 
 Highlands of Scotland — Causes of Immigration — Renewal of War with 
 Prance Civil Changes— General Despanl is succeedeil by General Nepeau 
 — Coal Trade and C<mimerce — Civil Changes — Outrage committed by 
 Captain Evans — Inhabitants petition King for a General Assembly — 
 General Swayne is appointed Administrator of the fJovernment — His Pn)- 
 oeedings and Resignation— General Ainslie appointed Lieutenant-tJovernor 
 — Trade— Government bring Action for Recovery of Duty on Rum — De- 
 cided against the novernment — Ainslio reports on the disornranisod State of 
 the Island — Law t>ftici rs of the Crown confirm Decision of the Court . 420 
 
XIV rOXTENTS. 
 
 lp:ttek XXVI. 
 
 Occurrences in Cajic Unlim - Kt-auiuxatioii of the Island to tli.- (Jovcru- 
 ment of Novii Si-otia — liihuliitiuits remonstrate airain.^f it— Lord BatliurMt's 
 l>f.spatfh to Sir Jaiiiis Ktniiit — rruclaiiiatioii — Miiidnr.s ri'turind t<t the 
 A*iKpml)ly - Land Grants— Sir Janiis Ki-nijit's Visits to C:\\«- Unton — 
 Piople of Sydni'V petition House of Commons for Repeal — Petition to thfi 
 Queen in Council — Despatch announcing tiio Decision of the Privy 
 Council 436 
 
 LETTKR XXVII. 
 
 Progress of the Coal Trade — ^Lease of the Mines to the General Mining 
 Association — Associ ition give up their Claims to unopened Mines — New 
 Mines opened — Abstracts (;f the Census Returns of ISGl— Present Con- 
 dition of the Island — Visit of the Prince of Wales— Conclusion . . 4o2 
 
LIST OF MAPS AND ILLrsTUATIONS. 
 
 L.\.vniNO-PI.ACE OF THK PrINCK OF WaIKS 
 
 Thownks Map of thf. Atlantic 
 Mkrcatok's Mvr of Gvik m St. JiAWRKXCK 
 CiUMPi.Aix's JIap of Cape IJiiF-TON . 
 Dknys's Map ok Capk Bketon . 
 Profilk ok the Walls ot Loi isbotho . 
 City and Fortifications of Lovisbourcj 
 L»)nsiioLRu IIakuoi R and Vicinity 
 Plan hf Skcond Sieof. ok Loiishovro 
 Map of the Island 
 
 . 
 
 Frovtixpiice 
 
 . T« face piiijv 
 
 22 
 
 
 . 48 
 
 
 «(l 
 
 
 . Ki;? 
 
 
 . 181 
 
 
 . 18'. 
 
 
 . 2(»(J 
 
 
 . 297 
 
 • I ** 
 
 . 40-1 
 
 /v*-cw- . 
 
HISTORY 
 
 OF 
 
 CAPE BRETON 
 
 ETC. 
 LETTER I. 
 
 TO TIIK YOITU OF CAPE nUETOX. 
 
 I AM AWARE, 111 V dear iViends, that you, who have the hap|)i!iess 
 of eairmj; C'a)>e Rreton your home, are well acciiiainted with 
 its vast natural resources ; hut as there arc many persons, hotli 
 ill England and the United Stat«!S, deeply interested in their 
 successful development, 1 hope you will not consider that I am 
 n('<;K'ctin<; the s[)ecial object oi' these Letters in here j;ivin<^ a 
 short account of tlie physical <;ec)f(raphy of the island for their 
 inforniati«»n. I am the more inclined to adopt this course, because 
 I hope it will be the means of <lispellinf; some very erroneous 
 notions which have been widely circulated respecting the soil, 
 climate, and capabilities of your highly-l'avoured island. 
 
 If you refer to a map of North America, you will observe 
 that the island lies l»etween the parallels of 4o° 27' and 47° 3' 
 north, and the meridians of 59° 47' and 61° .32' west; and is 
 bounded on the north-east and south-east by the Atlantic 
 Ocean, on the south-west by Geor<^e's Ray and the Gut of 
 Canso, and on the north-west by the (Julf of St. Lawrence. 
 Its lenjrth from north to south is 110 miles, and its width from 
 east to west 87 miles. On the south it is separated from Nova 
 Scotia by the (Jut of Canso— a navigable strait 15 miles in 
 length, and about 1 mile in width. Cape St. Lawrence — its 
 
 B 
 
TAPE niJr.TOK. 
 
 must nortlidM extremity - is uKoiit 7<> miles fV<>in ('a|>e Uay in 
 NewluiiiKlland. 
 
 Tlio wliole ciicuit of the i>Iaii(l, \\ith the exoeptltm of the 
 north-west coast, is indonte*! l)y tUcp l)ays and inhts, often 
 ti'nninatinjx in exei'Ment harlxmrs. A «;reat portion of the 
 interior is (>een|)ied hy an cstnary, (tr arm ol'ilie sea, <'alled the 
 Hrasd'Or Lakes, which eommnni<'ates uith the ocean hv means 
 «»r two narrow chaimeis o|)enin;jj ii»to Spanish Uay on the 
 north-east coast. These hikes div'ih." the ishmd into two nn- 
 eipial parts, or pcninsnlas, iniited hy an i>thmns less than half 
 a mile in width. 
 
 Few conntries of the same limite<l extent present sneh varied 
 natiiral featnres as the island ol'Cape lireton. In the western 
 diN ision, the j^reat |»romontory extendin;^' from .Man;arie and 
 St. Ann's to Cai)e St. Lawrence, coverini; an area of 1,100 
 s«|nare miles, is t»ne vast jjlatoau or taMe-land, elevated in 
 some jilaees more than 1,200 feet al)ove the level of the sea. 
 It is l)(»nnd(Ml on three of its sides hy a coast line of hold 
 iiin;i;ed hlufls and lofty precipices, furrowed hy deej) clefts 
 and fior^as, partiidly covered by scruhhy spi-nee and j)inc. 
 Three ranj^es of liills, as you uill observe l)y referilnt; to the 
 map at the end of this volnme, branch off from the I'ourth side 
 of the table-land in a southerly directicni. 'i'lie first rann"e ex- 
 tends from St. Ann's to (ireat liaddeck, beinj^ bonnded on 
 the cast by the IJaddeck ri\t'r, and on the west by the ^^'a- 
 •iamatcook ; tiic second or middle ranjife extends from the 
 source of the east branch of the Mar^arie river to \\'hy-co- 
 comah : and the third from Mar<;arie river to Mubon, betw(;en 
 Lake .\inslie and the scu-coast. 
 
 Xeither the miihile nor tlu' western ran^c is continuous, tlie 
 first beiny; separated from the table-land bv the Maiu'ii'ic 
 river, ani^ the second by a deep jiloijiC or ravine running at 
 riLcht anjrles with the course of the \\'a^am;itcook, from near 
 its source to the Forks of the north and south branches of the 
 !Ma'\LCai'ie. 
 
 Another lar<;o tract of highlands lies between St. (ie(t)'<rc*s 
 liay and ^^'hy-C()-comah, which thntws off two l»ranches, o.mc 
 runniuix easterlv, between the ba^-in of the river Denvs and 
 
GEOLOOIPAIi FORMATION. 8 
 
 flic AVost Hay, tlio dtlicr soutliPily, hotwcon the Gut of Canso 
 mill the valley of the ri\fi- InliaMlaiits. I*roco('«llii;jr easterly, 
 uc liiiil a <l('t;irlii'(l raiiu'i' of t'k'vatnl land, al>nut ten inilrs in 
 Iciitrtli, l»(t\v('('ii St. Patrick's C'liaiiiul uiid the Straits of 
 Iliina ; and still firtlicr, in tln^ sjinio diivction, a lofty riinj^e, 
 lictwtM'ii St. Ann's Ilarltoiir and the j^ivat entrance of tin' IJra.s 
 d'Or Iiak('^, which terniijiutes in the rocky j»ronu)ntory of 
 ('a|i(> l)aii|iliin. 
 
 All the liiirh lands in tlio western division, except the 
 xMitliern end ol" the raiiLfe lyin^' between the (Jut of Canso 
 and the valley of the river liihahitants, consist of syenite, 
 jxneiss, mica slate, and other nietamorphie rocks of old date. 
 A coarse con<;lonierate, the basis of the carboniferous system, 
 rests upon the flanks of many of the hills, which In some places 
 attain an elevation of (J(l() feet. Between I'ort Hood and 
 Mai<:;arie, the upper beds ol'lhe carboniferous s stem, contain- 
 in;; some Workable seams of bituminous coal, ticcur in the 
 (•litis, being the eastern margin (»f an extensive coal liehl lying 
 under the waters of the (iulf of St. Lawrence. Similar beds 
 of coal also occur in the low country, between the Gut of 
 ('ai)so and St. Peter's, but they are of small economic impor- 
 tance. The valleys, and the low coiintry irenerallv, interven- 
 ing between the hills above mentioned, consist chJeHy of 
 sandsto'ies, shales, limestone, and gypsiun, of the lower car- 
 boniferous system. 
 
 In the eastern division of Cape I^reton there are only two 
 ranges ol' hills of considerable elevation : tine rinming iiarallel 
 and near to the shore of Bras d'Or Lake, from St. Peter's to 
 the head of the East Bay; the other from Long Islainl, nearly 
 to the Straits of JJarra. These hills consist cliicHy of syenite, 
 granite, and mctamorphic rocks. From St. Peter's to Seatari 
 the coast-line is generally low, with occasional blutffi of clay 
 and gravel, and small lakes at freipient intervals, separated 
 ♦'nmi the sea by barriers of sand and shingle. The land on 
 this coast rises gradually from the sea towards the interior, 
 presenting a >welling and undulating outline, but it nowhere 
 rea<-lies a greater elevation than 300 feet, except at the head 
 t»f (Jabarus Bay. A low but uneven tract of great extent 
 
 B 2 
 
4 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 occupies tlic inteiior between tliese undiil'.itiiif; hills and the 
 ranj^e bonlerini; on the East Bay, through which flow the 
 (irand, the Saliiit»n, and the ]\lirii I'ivers. 'J'he h)w hills on 
 the coast consist chiefly ol inetaniorphosed Devonian and ui>{)er 
 Silurian rocks — the low country in the interior, of .sandstones, 
 sliales, and limestones, of the carboniferous system. 
 
 From Scatari to the j^reat entrance of the liras d'Or Lakes, 
 tlie niunerous bays and harbours which indent the coast are 
 l)ounded bv cliflis varvinj; from 20 to 100 feet in heijiht, with 
 here and there loni; beaches or dunes of sand produced by the 
 abrading action of the ocean. The land rises very "gradually 
 from the coast towaids tlie interior, to a heijrht rarelv exccedini' 
 250 feet. The clifls, composed of sandstones and shales (»f the 
 upper carboniferous formation, exhibit in many j»laces valuable 
 seams of bituminotis coal. They constitute the northern land 
 boundarv of the Svdnev coal field, which occupies an area of 
 250 square miles. As the general dip of the strata is north- 
 east or seaward, this great area of productive coal measures 
 is in all probability the segment of a vastly greater area ex- 
 tendinjj under the sea. 
 
 The country occupied by tlie upper and lower members of 
 the carboniferous system rarely attains an elevation of j\u)re 
 than 300 feet ; so that if the whole island were depressed to 
 that depth, there would remain oidy an archipelago mostly com- 
 posed of long narrow islands of igneous and metamorphic rocks. 
 
 The principal rivers of Cape I5ret<»n are the Denys, the 
 Badtleck, and the AVagamatcook, which flow into the liras 
 d'Or lakes ; the iSIargarle, the Mabou, the Inhabitants, the 
 Grand, and the Mira, which discharge their waters into the 
 ^CJi. Small freshwater lakes are very numerous, both in 
 fie lowlands and the great jdateau at the northern end of the 
 island; the largest is Lake Ainslie, the source of the southern 
 branch of the Margarie river, which covers an area of twenty- 
 five square miles. 
 
 Excellent harbours abound on the north-east, the south-east, 
 and the south-west coast ; the harbours of St. Ann's, the 
 great entrance of the Bras dX)r, Sy(bicy, Lf)uisbourg, Arichat, 
 llawkesburv, and Port Hood, are naviufable bv ships of Jar^e 
 
SCENERY OP THE LAKES. 5 
 
 burden; those of tlie little entrance of the Bras d'Or, Lin<2;aii, 
 iVIeiiadoM, lialeine, Foiirelu', L'Ardolse, Iidiabitants, Mahoii, 
 and Margaric, are only suitable for vessels of a lijjjht draught. 
 
 The most remarkable feature in the jdiysioal geoj^raphy of 
 Cape Breton is the Mediterranean Sea, calleil the Great and 
 Little 15ra.s d'Or Lakes, which occupies an area of 4.'»() square 
 miles in the very heart of the island. These two lakes arc 
 united by a narrow channel — the Strait of Harra — ^and conunu- 
 nicate, as has alreadv been mentioned, with the ocean bv two 
 entrances, one of which has sutficient depth of water for ships 
 i>f lar<:e burthen. All the basins, creek-, and inlets of the 
 lakes, ean be navigated by vessels of a similar chuss. Li the 
 middle of the Little liras d'Or, between Hoisdalc and IJoidar- 
 darie, there is a depth of 114 I'athoms, showing that the lake 
 bottom at that spot is depressed just as much below the surface 
 of the water as the opposite hills t)f syenite are elevated al)ove 
 it. The scenery of the lakes is exceedingly striking and 
 diversified. Long rocky cliHs and escarpments rise in some 
 jdaces abruptly from the water's edge ; in others, undulating 
 or ndling hills predominate, fringed on the shores by low white 
 clitfs of gypsum or red conglomerate; whilst the deep basins 
 and channels, which branch off in all directions from the 
 central expanse of waters, studded with innumerable islets 
 covered with a rich luxuriant growth ol' spruce and hendoek, 
 present views the most pietures(pie and diversified imaginable. 
 
 The scenery on the southern coast, from l*ort Ilood to 
 Scitari, and on the north-east coast, from Scatari to the Bird 
 islands, is generally tame and uninteresting ; but a sudden 
 change occurs when we reach the rugged ])romontory of Cape 
 Danithin. From hence to Cape North, the coast-line exhibits 
 steep ascents covered with scrubby spruce and pine, and rocky 
 ])recipices rising abruptly from the sea to heights varying from 
 GOO to 1,200 feet. Grand and very beautiful are the rocky 
 gorges and ravines which furrow these hills and precipices 
 between St. Ann's and Ligonish, when first the golden rays of 
 the rising sun light up their deep recesses, and in an instant 
 nndvc all clear and distinct, whicdi just before was hid in the 
 dark shado of twihght. lOqually grand and picturesque is 
 
6 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 tlio red Sycnitlc. escarpment of Smoky Capo, eapped with tlie 
 clitiid from which it derives its name, with maiiv a h»ftv head- 
 huid in the l)acki;r(>und, and the peak »>f tlic Siii;arIoaf moiiii- 
 tain just peeping ahovc the iar distunt horizon. ( )n the 
 western coast, inun Cape St. Lawrence to Martxarie, scenery 
 of a simihir eharaetei occurs ; hut it is the setting, nut the 
 rising sun, which reveals all its hidden beauties. 
 
 Cape Breton comprises an area of 2, (>.',( >.(>()() acres, exclu- 
 sive of the lakes in the interior. Ahout one-half of this area is 
 supposed to be fit for cultivation, wiiich, before the ishuid was 
 settled, was covered by dense forests of pine, spruce, hemlock, 
 birch, maple, and ash. with a few oaks and elms. The great 
 northern jtlateau, and the hills comjtosed of igneous and altered 
 r(»cks, were then, as no'v, ]>artially covered with a stunted 
 vegetation of spruce, rock maple, and birch. The s«»il of the 
 first region is generally good, yielding abumlant crops (»f grass, 
 wheat, barley, oats, potatoes, stone fruits, and garden vege- 
 tables. On the banks of soi.>c of the larger rivers there are 
 extensive tracts of rich alluvial soil of great fertility. 
 
 Although lying within the temperate zone, the climate of 
 Cape iiretou is n)arked by wide extremes of heat and c<»ld; 
 but, owing to its insular cliaracter, and its ])roximity to the 
 Gulf Stream, the cold of winter is not so intense, nor the I'rost 
 so eontiiuious,as in Canada. During the sununer the mercury 
 has occasi«»nally been observed as high as 92°, but it does not 
 often exceed 75^. In Avinter it has oidy once fallen, in the 
 course of the last fortv years, to IJO"^, but it has fre<iuentlv been 
 seen as low as 20^ below zero. Snow lies upon the ground 
 from December to April, but the atmosphere (luring that peii<»d 
 is irenerallv briirht and clear. In the spri?'^ the dril't ice, in 
 its passage from the (iulf of St. Lawrence to the ocean, is often 
 driven niton the north-east coast by the easterly winds which 
 prevail at that season, chilling the atmosphere and retauling 
 the operations of the farnur, but it generally clears otf before 
 the middle of April, although it sometimes does not leave the 
 coast until the first week in May. Tlie summers of Cape 
 lireton, say from ALay to <.)ctober, may challenge comparison 
 with those of any eourtry within the temi»erale regions of the 
 
DISCOVERY OF CAPE IJRETON. / 
 
 world. Dmini; all liiat time tliorc aro jjorliaps not more than 
 ton f<».ir.i;y "laytj in any ]»art of the island, t'X('t'|tt alonjjj the 
 sonthern coast, Itetwecn the (Jnt of Canso and Scatari. liriulit 
 sniniv (lavs, with halinv wcstorlv winds, ft»llow each other in 
 snecesslon, week after week, whilst the mid-day lieats are often 
 
 I tempered hy eool refreshing]; sea breezes. Of rain there is 
 seldom ejion<di : the <rrowin;j erops more «»ften sntfer from too 
 little than too mnch. The raiiiy season, which sets in npon 
 
 \ the breaking np <»f the snmmer, is of brief dnration, seldom 
 extendintr bevond the niiddle of Xovend)er; and even this, the 
 most disaureeable season of the vear, is often shortened by an 
 intervenino; week or two of warm balmy weather, known by 
 the name of' the Indian Smnnier.' 
 
 The diseoverv of C"ai)e lireton now di'mands onr attiMition. 
 Owinir to the i)rominent |iositi<>n of the i>lan(l, it may reason- 
 ably be inferred that it was diseovered (piite as soon, if not 
 sooner, than any of the other eonntries bordering on the At- 
 lantic. According to certain ancient Icelandic niannscripts, 
 or Saga (as they are called), the whole of the eastern coast 
 of America, fntin Greenland to Xantncket, was discovered by 
 Norweigan rovers in the tenth centnry, soim after the settle- 
 ment of Iceland and (ircenland. The country called Ilellu- 
 land, or Slateland in the Saga, was evich-ntly Newfoundland ; 
 that called Markland, or \Voodland, was Xova Scotia and 
 Cape Breton.' It is stated in the Saga that lVe(|uent voyages 
 were made during the eleventh and twcltth centuries to v.irions 
 parts of the newly-discovered countries, and that, in K547, a 
 vessel returninj; from Markland with a cargo of wood was 
 wrecked on the coast of Iceland. As Cape Breton is the 
 nearest country to Iceland which ])r(»duces any wood, we may 
 reasonably conclude, if the Saga are worthy of credit, that the 
 island was well known and visited by the Northmen at lejist 
 500 years ago. Some modern writers pron(»unce the Saga 
 mere fables. Baiu'roft savs, ' Thev rest on narratives mvtho- 
 logical in form and obscure in meaning; ancient yet not con- 
 temporary.''' On the (»tlur hand, many learned men, who 
 
 ' Turliiu.*, ill lii> \'tiilii,i<ltit Aiiiit^Kti, 
 • 111 \i\> Ilttt rii of l/n Vtttt'd Stall;-. 
 
8 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 have devoted much time and hiltour to a careful study of the 
 Sa*;a, have arrived at a very <litfereiit conclusion.' It has 
 even heen surmised l>y some writers that C"olunil)Us himself 
 first olttained information of the existence of a »;reat continent 
 hevond the Atlantic, on his visit to Iceland in 1477, from in- 
 tellij;ent natives of that island.'^ it is, however, (juite certain 
 that the Saga were not known in Europe in the time of Co- 
 hunhus ; so that, after all, wherever he imhlhed the idea, to 
 him alone must he assigned the honour of making a discovery 
 which * caused great talk in all the court of King llemv VII., 
 insomuch that all men, w ith great admiration. atHrmed it to he 
 u thini; more divine than human. '^ 
 
 This unlooked-for disrovery of the West Indies hy C'olumltus 
 s«»on brought other adventurous s}>irits into the field, anxious 
 to end>ark in similar enterprises; or, as Purchas (juaintly says, 
 ' Cohnnhus, liis fortunes awakened others' industry, amongst 
 the rest .lohn C'ahot, a Venetian,' Sec* As either Joim C'ahot, 
 or his son Sel)astian, heyond all douht, coasted along the shores 
 of Cape lireton, 1 must give you a short account of their celc- 
 ))rated voyages, although, I dare say, many of you are already 
 well acquainted with all that is known about them. 
 
 fJohn C'ahot, a Venifiun merchant, residing at Bristol, aj»- 
 jtlied to king Ilenry VII. in the year 14!)4, for ])ermission to 
 make a voyage to the north-west, for the jmrjtose <»f discover- 
 ing a sh(»rter route to India or Cathay (China) ; and, in the 
 year 14}M), the king giantcd to him and his three sons, Lewis, 
 Sebastian, and Santius, ' full and free authoritie, leaue, and 
 ]»ower, to sayle to all partes, cojintreys, and seas, of the east, 
 of the west, and of the north, under our banners and cnsignes, 
 Axilh Hue ships of what burden or quantitie soeuer they be ; 
 and as many mariners or men as they will haue Avilh them in 
 the said ships, upon their own proper costes and charges, to 
 jjceke out, discouer, and finde, whatsoeuer iles, countreys, 
 
 ' The most eminent of tlicse is Professor Kafn, of ('t)j>enhaj;fn, tlio author «if 
 \ho .iiii/«ji'if<i/i. s Ami riciitur, vho has recently published tlic manuscripts, with h 
 translation in Latin. 
 
 ^ Washiujiton Irvinp mentions this visit in his Life of Co/iunhiis. 
 
 ■* HakUijt's Cf'llntioii of I'liyuge.", ^;c. 
 
 ♦ i'urcha.-, Ihf Pihjruiif. 
 
DISCOVERY OP THE NORTH AMERK'AN CONTINENT. 9 
 
 rof;I<>iis, or ])n)umees, of the licatljcn and iiifidellof!, wliat^oouor 
 tlicv 1)00, and in what part of tho \vorl<l soouor thoy ho, nliicho 
 hoforo tliis thnc hane hocn vnknowon to christians. . . . And 
 that the ft rosaid .Jolui and his sonno3 . . . may snhdno, occnpio, 
 and possesso, all such towncs, cities, castles, and yles, of them 
 iiiunde, which thoy can snhdno occnpio, and posscsse, as our 
 vassalos and lieutenants, jjettinj; unto us tho rule, title, and 
 jurisdiction. . . . Yet, so that the foresaid .lohn and his sonnes 
 and hoircs and their doi)uties, hoe holden and bounden of all 
 the fruitos, jjaines, and connnodities, «;rowin<; of such naviga- 
 tion ... to pay vnto vs in wares or money, the fifth parte of 
 the capitall jraine so gotten, &c.' ' 
 
 Armed with these amjde powers, John Cahot, accompanied 
 hy his son Sci)astian, sailed in the heginning of May, 14U7, in 
 a vessel called the ' Mathew' <»f Hristol, and discovered the con- 
 tinent of North America; but strange to say, t>nly one or two 
 authentic notices of this vt)yage can now bo found. One of 
 these is an ancient Bristol manuscript in the possession of Mr. 
 liarrett, of that city, in which the following passage occurs : 
 • In the year 1497, the 24 Juno, St. John's day, was New- 
 foundland found by Bristol men, in a shij) called the Mathew.'* 
 The second is an inscription copied by Ilakluyt from an old 
 map dated 1549, drawn by Sebastian Cabot, and engraved by 
 (lenient Adams, which ho states ' was to be seen [in 1.589] in 
 llcr Majesty's Privy (lallcry at Westminster, and in many 
 other ancient merchants* lu)uscs.' This inscription, as given by 
 Tytler, runs as foll()ws: ' In the year of our Lord 1497, Jt»hn 
 Cahot, a Venetian, and liis son Sebastian, discovered that 
 country, which no (»nc before his time had ventured to ap- 
 jtroach, on the 24th June, about ') o'clock in the morning. He 
 called the land Terra Primum Visa, because, as I conjecture, 
 this was the place that first met his eves in hxtkinir from the 
 sea. On the contrary, the island which lies opposite the land 
 he called the island of St. tlohn — as I sujjposo because it was 
 discovered on the festival of St. John the IJaptist. The inha- 
 
 ' Hjikltiyt's Diccru Vnjiagrs (omhing the Disnncric of Amru-n. Origiual iu 
 Latin in ItynnTs Firrfrra Aiti/firr. 
 
 '' (ItioWd I'V Mr. I?iJdlc in his Memoir 'f Si'iastian Cab«t. 
 
10 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 bitants wear boasts' skins and the intestines ol" animals tor 
 {•lotliin^, esteeinini; them as iiij^hly as we «!»» nm* most precious 
 garments. In war their wt^apoiis arc the l)o\v ami arrow, 
 s|>ears, darts, slinj^s, and wooden eluhs. Tlu; country is sterile 
 and uncidtivated, [)roducin<; no fruit; from whith eircuni- 
 !r!tanee it lKi|)in'n> that it is crowded with white hears and staj^s 
 of an unusual hei<j;ht and si/e. It yields plenty of tish. and 
 these very lar^c, such as seals and salmon ; there are soles also 
 above an ell in lent^th ; but cspeeiallv irrent abundance of that 
 kind of fish called in the vid<;ar tongue baccalaos. Jn the 
 iramc island als(» breetl hawks, so black in their colour that they 
 ■wonderfully resendtle ravens ; besides which, there are par- 
 tridjijes, and ea<;lcs of dark ])lumap;e.'' 
 
 This account, as you will observe, was written more than fifty 
 vears after the date of the vovaire, and, if it was Avritten bv 
 Sebastian Cabot, may contain information respecting the in- 
 habitants, acquired by him (Sebastian) on his second vova<;e. 
 It is remarkable that we arc indebted to a foreijiner, residing- 
 in En(:;land when .lohn C'ab(»t returned from America, for more 
 trustworthy intellii;enc'e, who must have been pei'sonally ac- 
 quainted with his Countryman. In a letter written by Lorenzo 
 I'asqualijro on the 23rd Au<::ust, 1497, (a few days })robably 
 after Cabot's return), to his brothers .Vloise and Francisco, in 
 Venice, we read: — ' This Venetian of ours, who went in a ship 
 fiom Bristol in <iuest of new islands, is returned, and says, that 
 7(H) leajjrucs hence he discovered " Terra Firma," which is the 
 territory of the (irand Cham : he coasted for 300 leagues, an<l 
 landed ; he saw no human being whatever, but he has brought 
 liither to the king certain snares, which had been set to catidi 
 game, and a needle for making nets ; he also found some felled 
 trees: Avherefore he su[)posed there were inhabitants, and re- 
 turned to his ship in alarm. He was three months on the 
 voyage; and coming back, he saw two islands to starboard. but 
 would uot land, time being jirccious, as he was short of pro- 
 visions. The king is much pleased with this intelligence. He 
 says that the tides are slack, and do not How as they do here. 
 
 ' Uisti,tiitil Villi- "/' ///' I'ri/i-i!^- iif I)i.-C(irrri/ on the More yvrtlani i'uadi' nf 
 Atiarka. ]{y I'atrick L"ra/cr TytUr. Eiliiiburgli : 18oii. 
 
THE KING OUANTS A PATENT T«) .lUlIN CABOT. 11 
 
 The klii}^ liijs jtroniisod tlmt In the spnnijj ho shall have ton 
 slii|>s, anncd acconliiiu' t«» his own fancy ; and at his ro«[uost he 
 lias conciMh'd him all the prisoners, except snch as are (•(•nfinecl 
 fur hiixh treason, to man them with. \\c has also <rivcn him 
 nioiH'V wlu'rewith to r.muse himself nntil then, and he is now 
 at llristol \\\\]\ his wife, who is a N'enetian womafi, and with 
 his sons: his name is Znan C'al.ot, and they call him the ixreat 
 admiral. \'ast hononr is paid him, and he dresses in silk; and 
 these English rnn alter liim like mad people, so that he ean 
 enli-t as many of them as he ])leases, and a nnnd)er of onr own 
 rogues hesides. The discoverer of these placis planted on his 
 lu'w-fonnd Ian<l a larj^e cross, with (»ne tlai; of l^nijland. and 
 aiiuther of St. Mark, hy reason of his heinjjj a Venetian ; so that 
 our hanner has floated very far afield.'' 
 
 Aeeordiui^ to this and the previous aeeoiuit. the land seen hy 
 John ('al)ot must have Keen the coast of Lahrador, and the 
 island just opposite, that part of Newfoundland near the 
 northern end of the Straits of lielle Isle. In his coastinj; 
 voya<;e, Cahitt must have sailed all alonj; the southern shore 
 of Capo IJretcm and X(>va Scotia to Cape Sahle, which is just 
 300 IcaLTUcs from Belle Isle. Ohservin*^ the land at Capo 
 Sai)le to trend suddenlv to the northward, atid beinij short of 
 provisions, with an unknown sea hefore him, he wisely bore iip 
 for Kniiland. The two islands seen on his return were most 
 prol)ai)lv some of the hii:her hunnnockv sand-hills of Sahle 
 Island, which, viewed from a distance, may easily he mistaken 
 for separate islands. If, therefore. Cape lireton was not dis- 
 covered hy the Northmen, we have every reason to believe 
 that it was seen and ]»erha|is visited by .lohn Cabot in 14!)7, 
 more than a year before Columbus first reached the mainland 
 of South America.'' 
 
 On the .'Jrd of February, 14<JS, the kinuf crranted a new 
 patent to .lohn Cabot, authorisiui:; him to sail with six ships 
 * to the londe and isles of lute founde bv the saiil John iu oure 
 
 ' Collrotions of the Pliiloliiblion Society, quotid }>y I>r. A^lu•r in liis Intrcxlia- 
 tnm to IIinls<>ii"r* ri>i/tii/i.t, puMislu'il \>y thf Il.-ikliivt Sicii-ty. 
 
 - Ciilunilnis (liseovtrtMl the West ln<li<> on Oilnbcr 12, ll'JJ, Imt did not toiuh 
 any j>art of the coiitiuciit of Animcii until August 1 1'J^. 
 
12 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 name luid l)y ouro coinmaimdfmcnt/ and (inkriii^ 'all and 
 every ouro officers, niinisters, antl sultjects ... to siie<'our 
 the said .lolui, his deputy, \'0. . . .'' This appears to have 
 })een merely a supplementary (•onunission,as it d(»es not revoke 
 or modiiy any of the j»riNile<^es eonl'erred hy the first jtatent. 
 For reas<tns whieh eannot he ascertained, .lohn ("ahot did not 
 fr^} out with this expedition. The s(»le conduct of" the enterprise 
 ■was entrusted to his son Sebastian, a youth of not more than 
 twentv-three vears of ajre. There are various hriif accounts 
 of this vovajje, but thev all seem to have been based ujion 
 infornuition given bv Sebastian Cabot to his IViend and eon- 
 temi)orary, Peter Martyr of Anj^Ieria, uho first published a 
 narrative of the principal incidents of the voyaj^e in l.>16. A 
 translation of Peter Martyr's bixik was ]>ubli>hed iu lOn^land 
 in 15/50, from which 1 make the foll(»\vin<; extracts: — 'The 
 weste of the lande of IJaccalaos is a j^reatc tracte; and the 
 greatest altitude thereof is 68 degrees and a halfe. Sebastian 
 (.'abot was the fvrst that brought anv knowledge of this lande. 
 For beinge in Knglande in the daves of Kvng Ilenrv the 
 Seventh, he furnysshed twoo shippes at his owne charges, or 
 (as sum say) at the kynges,wlK>m he j)ersuaded that a passage 
 might bee fownde to Cathay by the north seas, and that spices 
 migh: bee brought from thense soner by that way, then by the 
 wage tlie P'U'tugales use bv the sea of Sur. He went also to 
 knowe what nianer of landes these Indies were to iidiabite. 
 He had with him three hundreth men, and directed his course 
 l)y the tracte of Island [Iceland] uppon the Cape (»f Labrador 
 at 58 degrees: affvnninge that in the monethe of .lulv there 
 ■was such could and hcapes of Ise that he durst passe no fur- 
 ther; also that the daves were very longe and in maner with- 
 t)ut nvghte, and tlie nvghtes verv cleare. Certvne it is, that 
 at the 60 degrees, the longest day is of 18 houres. But con- 
 syderynge the could and the strangeness of the unknownc 
 lande, he turned his course from thence to the Weste, folow- 
 vnge the coaste of the lande of Baccalaos unto the 38 degrees, 
 
 ' Tlii.s iloo\iincnf \v;i> ili.vovtivil by Mr. UiiUllc in llie Kulls C'liaptl, and jml*- 
 lisheil in Lis Mimoir of S(f>((stiaii Ciifiot in 1831. 
 
THE BACCALAOS. 13 
 
 fV(HU wlionso he roturncd to l'ii»;lamlo.'' (Joinara, a Spanish 
 author ol'tlit' same p«'n'o<l, says: — * C'alx»t, yicl<hn«^ to the cold 
 aii*l the f*traii:;('iiess of the hind, turned towards the ^^est, and 
 rctittinir at tlie Haceahios,^ he ran alon;^ tin' eoast as far as '\S 
 (h'jxrees, &c/' As St hastian C'alxtt nuist have ohserved, i>n 
 his fornier voyajj^e with his father, that Cape lireton was tlio 
 nearest country that producecl timher ol' any vahie, it may 
 fairlv he inferred that he 'refitted' his vessels at some port in 
 vour island hcfore e(»mpletin<; that memorable voyafje which 
 secured for Knjiland, hy the ri<;ht of discovery, a claim to the 
 whole coast of America, from the hurning sands of Fhuida to 
 tlie ice-hound sliores of Hudson's Bay. 
 
 It is said, in some accounts of this voya{?c, that Sebastian 
 ('alu>t first gave the name of Itaccalaos to the countries adja- 
 cent to the tishiniT grounds. Peter Martvr, generallv allowed 
 to ho the best authority, as quoted by Tytler,^ ^iiy^j ' Sebastian 
 ('al>ot himself nametl these lands IJaccalaos, because in the 
 seas thereabouts he found such an innnense nndtitude of large 
 fish like tunnies, called liaccalaos by the natives, that they 
 actually imju-ded the navigation of his ships.''' Tliis, if cor- 
 rectly copied, must be a mistake of Peter Martyr's, for the 
 natives do not call codfish ' baccalaos,' nor is it likely that 
 Cabot, who was l)orn in England of Venetian ])arents, Avould 
 apply a lias(pu^ name to the countries he discovered. Fournier, 
 in his reniarks on this subject, says : ' It cannot be doubted 
 this name was given by the liasipies, who alone in Europe call 
 that fish liaealaos, or IJacallos ; the aborigines term them 
 Apagr."' In confirmati(»n of this I may mention that the 
 Indians of Cape lireton call a codfish ' Pahshoo ' at this dav. 
 The Basques began to fish on the coasts (»f Cape IJreton and 
 
 ' 7%i Th'i-iiihs <f thr .V»H' Wni-lilc i<r Wist iinUn. I?y Peter Martyr of Angltria, 
 translatcj into Knulisli liy Hyelianlf Kih-n. LoinlDn : 1 o.j,). 
 
 ■•' In tlie original. ' y reliaziendo so en los Uacoalaos.' 
 
 ' Lopiz lie Goinani's Lti HiKturit fjttural dc his Iniliiis. An^'ors : 1').34. 
 
 * In liis HiKtiirwal I'ltw <>/ the Pn-ynst! of JJimvvtri/ in the mure yort/urn 
 C'la/itK of Amerivti. 
 
 ^ I cuiiiil not fin'l tills passafic in the Maek letter copy of Kden's translation of 
 1*. Martyr's Look in the Lil^rary of tlie IJritish Mnseuni, 
 
 " llydriHiraphii'. Par le IVri-<iei>rgos Fournier, de la Compagnie de Jesus. 'Jnd 
 edition. Paris ; 160". 
 
1 t TAPE nRETOX. 
 
 Xowfoundliind in l.i()4,' iiiul first «;:ivo tlio iinmo of IViccalaos 
 ti) those ('(iiiiitiics — a naiiio wliicli was ct»ns('(|ii(iitly in use 
 manv vears ln.ioie I'otcr Mart\r imMislu'd iiis ' Decades of the 
 Nt'W World/ 
 
 Peter Martyr does not ^ivc a very pleasing' acccumt of tin; 
 niaiuiers and cnstonis of the natives of (.'ape Breton in l.'iHI. 
 He says: * Of these hmdes .laeohiis Hastahhis wrytetli thns : 
 The newe hmdc of liaeeahios is a eonhh' r( jxion, \vliose inhahy- 
 tantes are I(h)hitonrs and praye to the s(»nne and moone and 
 dvuerd Idoh^s. Thev are whvte people and verv rnstieal, for 
 they eale tiesshe and fysslie and all other thynLjes rawe. Snni- 
 tynu'S also they eate man's Hesshc prinily, so that their ('aei(|UO 
 have no knowledge thereof. The a|)j»arell, hoth of the men 
 and women, is made of hcares skyinies, alth«»n!j;h they have 
 sables and marternes, not j^reatly estemed hecanse they are 
 lyttle. Siun of them <i;o naUnl in sommer and weare apjtarell 
 onlv in wvnter. The IJrvtons fUretonsl and Frenehe men 
 are acenstomed to take I'ysshe in the eoastes of these landes, 
 AN here is fownd ^reat ph-nty of Tnnnies which the inhahy- 
 tanntes canl liaccalaos. whereof the lande was so named. . . . 
 ]n all this newe lande is neyther citie or castell, hut they live 
 in companies lyke heardis of heastes.'^ 
 
 Althonj^h the fishiiiL; <rrounds and the adjacent countries 
 were lir>t discovered hy Kn^lish navigators, Hnojish njerchants 
 and lishei'men were tiie last to profit hy them, hecause at that 
 time they carried on a lucrative fishery on the coasts of lee- 
 land,' so much nearer home. There Avas. however, another 
 reason for this apjiarent inditferenee of the I'^nLrlish merchants. 
 They received so little encouragement from their (Jovernment, 
 at the instiiration. it was supposed, of the Kin<r df Spain, to 
 emhark in such enterprises, that the newlv-discovered fishinij 
 jjrmuuls were entirelv in the hands of foreiy;ners. A letter has 
 
 ' • In tlu' yt'iir l.'>(ll,;is apixais hy tlu' luVtc^ry of Niflct iiiul M;i;rin. tln' Hasipios, 
 Normans, luiJ ISrctons \v( lit mi tli(> cuasr of the Cod, ciilli'd the (Iraiul l>ank, 
 towai'tls (":i)M' Hrrtcpii." — I'i-ic l-'oiiriiiiT's 1 1 yd nymph ie. 
 
 * K.lrii's Trausliilii>ii. J^oiidon : \i)')h. 
 
 ■' !u lolS tliLT'' were 360 Kiiplisli tivulcrs in flic liarli'-inr of Ilafiio Tionl alone. 
 Stv ' Ici'linid. (irccnlaml. !mi<1 th<' I'aroo I>lamlK," in tlio FMinhurijh Vtntdhj 
 lAhntiy. 
 
oltirnx OP THE NAME CAPE nRETON. 15 
 
 v(M*v ircciitiv Itocn discoveroil I»y an I'^iif^lish aiitumarv in tin." 
 Spiinisli arcliivos at Siniancas, -.vhich clrarlv ]>n>vort with wliat 
 j( aliinsy and suspicion the (liseovorios ot' tiio C'al)(»ts wore rc- 
 •XanU'cl hy tlic Spanish Court. It is dated at Lonihm, .Inly 
 2.>, 141)8, and U ad(h'esscd to Ferdinand and Isahelhi of Spain, 
 l>y Don IV'cho de Ayaha, their anil)assador at St. tlain('s*8. 
 Ayahi tolls their Majesties that the Kin<( of Enj^hind had 
 equipped and sent (»ut five ships, under a (ienoese, to disoovcr 
 oertain continents and ishmds which some ])eoi)le from l>ristol 
 had soon the year hofore ; that the Kin;' of Kni^land Iiad often 
 spoken to him on the suhjoet ; and that he had tohl His 
 Majesty the hi:.d was already possessed hy the Kino- of Spain, 
 and hatl iiivon him reasons with which ho did not seem well 
 pleased. Jn answer to this letter Ferdinand wr<»te hack: 
 ' Henry niii,dit be aware of such men, who are sent hy the 
 Kiiii; of France in order to distract him i'rom more serious 
 liuslness.' ' There is every roas()n to helicvc that this answer 
 jintduced the desired effect, as no further Kn^ilish expeditions 
 wore sent to the north-west during the remainder of the rei^u 
 of Henry VII. 
 
 Innnodiatoly after the discovery of the Baccalaos, which 
 embraced Nova Scotia, ('aj»e lireton, and Newfoundland, the 
 fishermen of Normandy, lirittany, and the I>as(iue Provinces, 
 ben;an t«> frocpieiit the coasts to take c«>d. It is generally su|)- 
 posed, and apparently with ^ood reason, that the I>as(^uo tish- 
 ermon first ^ave the name of Capo Hroton'* to the eastern 
 pnanontory of your island, after ' Cap Breton,' near llayoimc, 
 in remembrance of their home. DelaMarre' states, on the 
 authority of the Flemish <;jeo<;'raphors, Cornoille Nitlet and 
 Antoine Mai;in, that the Bas(|ues crossed the Atlantic in pur- 
 suit of" whales, discovered and named the island of Cape Bre- 
 ton, and oven penetrated the (lulf of St. La^vrenee, 100 years 
 before Cohnubus discovered America : but as no anthority is 
 •iivon for this statement, it is not entitled to credit. 1 think, 
 
 ' See a It'ttor fniiii Sinmncas ir. tlip .t/hr>>rp>nti of iWctiil" r '2?, 1S(!(». 
 -' Tlio Indian name of (.'ape IJivton I->laiicl, accoi-..'iig to the late I>r. nf«n<'r, 
 was ■ LViuunialiHlin'.' 
 
 ' 111 his Tntitv (k h< Pof/ir. 
 
16 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 liowever, wo may safVly ctdicliidi', f'ntin :i niri'ful CiUisideration 
 of till! nmtos pursued by .I»tim Caliut and liis son Sebastian, 
 ai'ter touching tin mainland of Lal>ra*l()r, that lioth of those 
 ceh'ltratcd navijxatois eoasted ah)n^, if they did ntd actually 
 hxnd u|»on, the shores of Cape Hreton in 1497 and 14!>H, and 
 that, eonscMiucntly, your island was one of the first e«)untri(!S 
 discovered on the Atlantic coast of America. 
 
li:tti:k ii. 
 
 l.'''0()-lo4S. 
 
 ('mm: liur.ToN, as I liavo alrciidv stated, was rcmilavly visited 
 l»y tlie Kur()|M'an fislicniuu soon aftiT its <liscovcry ; Imt there 
 are so few aiulieiitlc materials lor compiliiii; a e»»imeete(l nar- 
 rative of it^ liistorv durinj; tlie I'Jth centurv, that I nnist con- 
 tent myself with snbmittini; to you, in ciironoloji;ieal order, 
 some extracts from the records of the vovafjes made to your 
 part of the -world, in which you will fin<l I'requcnt mention 
 made of the island. 
 
 In the year IjOO, the King of Portugal sent out Gas])ar 
 C'ortoreal in connnand of two ships, on the track of the C'ahots. 
 Cortoreal first made the land on the coast of Labrador, where 
 iu' kidnajiped fifty of the natives, whom he carried off to Por- 
 tugal. It is supposed he first gave the name of Labrador to 
 the ct)untry, under the expectation of obtaining from thence a 
 supply of labour<'rs or slaves for the king, ids master. Encou- 
 raged by the king, he made a second v(»yat;e ibr that nefarious 
 jMupose, but was never heard of again, having, it is HUppose<l, 
 lallen a victim to the just vengeance of the natives.' In some 
 old maps, Labrador is called ' Terra Cortorcalis.' 
 
 in the year laOG, Jean Denys, of Ilarfleur, jmblished a 
 map of the IJaccalaos countiy (not now extant); and in 1508, 
 'riionias Aubert, a pilot of Diejjpc, in command of a ship 
 calU'd the ' Pensce,' excited great curiosity in France by 
 bringing home two natives of the New World.^ A\'ari»urton 
 supposes they were brought from Cape Breton.' 
 
 ' Diimiiino Ooes, Chronica <\o liey Dom ManucK 
 
 ■ Kainiisio's Trrco Volume ililte SdviijutU.ui. W-nicf, l.")Go. 
 
 ' AVarl'Urtou'.s C>iH(j>fts( uj' CtiiKuht. 
 
 C 
 
IH C.\PF. r.RETON. 
 
 Tlio first .ittctiipt to ostaldisli a sollleiiK nt in this jtnrt of 
 Anieric'ii was made hy the I'anni do Lery, in l')18. He took 
 out a nuinhor of cattle and pigs; hut having heon a h»ng time 
 at sea, and having in consequence arrived too hite u|iun the 
 coast to |>nt his ])eoitle under .shelter hefore winter set in, lie 
 landed part of his live stttck at C'anipseau (C'anso), and the 
 i-emainder at Sable Island, on his way hack to France. The 
 first died during the winter: hut the latter, owing to the mild- 
 ness (»f the climate and the ahnndance (»!' hcrhage, ninltiplied 
 exceedingly, and j)r(»ved of great service to the people lel't 
 there hy the ^Marcpiis de la Unchc in l.'jJM.' 
 
 You are, of course, aware that, immediately after the dis- 
 covery of America hy Columhus, Pope Alexander VII. hy a 
 15ull dated May 4, 1493, granted the whole of the New 
 World and the East Indies to Spain and Portugal, at that 
 time the two chief ni.iritime nati(»ns of Europe. Louis XII. 
 of France and Henry VII. of England seem to have paid i\uc 
 respect, in th.e later years of their reigns, to the Pope's decree; 
 hut their respective succcss(»rs, Francis I. and Henry VIII, — 
 hotli enterprising and amhitious nioiiarchs — determined that 
 Spain and Portugal should not monopolise all the glory and ad- 
 vanta^j-c of acquiring new territorv in America. Accordin^lv, 
 they refused to acknowledge the validity of the Pa]»al decree 
 which conferred such magnificent and undefined gifts upon their 
 rivals. ' What I ' said Francis, ' shall the Kings of Spain and 
 Portu<ral divide all America between them, without sufferinu: 
 nie to take a share as a brother? I would fain see the article 
 in Adam's will that bequeaths that vast inheritance to thein.'^ 
 As neither of his royal brothers could satisfy FraiK'is on this 
 point, he detennined to send out an expedition to explore the 
 coasts of America. F»>ur ships were accordingly e(piipped, 
 which left Fiance in December 152.'i, under the command of 
 (liovanni Vera/ano, a Florentine navigator, 'riiree '•^' the 
 ships sustained so much damage in a gale that \'erazano sent 
 them back and continued his voyage in the * Dolphin ' alone. 
 On March 7, 1.VJ4, he first made land, su[)posed tt) have been 
 
 ' IVre L'ournicr's J/t/a'mi/nrjJ/ic, 
 - I'lijin the /'/•» ucfi ilnvifi 'ojKfJia. 
 
HENRY VIII. f^ENDS OUT AN EXPEDITION. 19 
 
 tlio coast of Carolina. Tlicnce he jtrooecded ah^njj tlic shore 
 to tlio northward, I'roqncntly going Into harbours, in some of 
 wliicli ho leniainoii several days, initll he arrived on the coast 
 of ('u|>e IJreton. Having spent nearly all his provisions, he 
 took ill a >Ujtply of wood and watei", and returned to France.' 
 I'nder the pretext of priority of discovery, founded on this 
 voyaue, France, at a later period, set up a (dalni to the eoun- 
 tilcs visited hy \'erazano, 'all which, and nuich more,' says 
 Piu'dias, ' had Ioult before hcne diseouered hv Sir Si'l)astiau 
 ( altot ibr the Kin<r of Fny;land, who was tl»e first that set 
 Ibote on the American continent In l)ehalf of any Christian 
 I'niicc, anno M96, or, as others, 141)7 ; and therefore the 
 Fi'cnch reckoning falleth >hoit, some of which nation, ujtou 
 \'erazano's discouerie, chalh-nge I know not what right to al! 
 that coast, and make their New France neerc as great as all 
 ICurojte.'^ 
 
 Henry \'1II. was not far behind his brother of France in 
 sendiiiij out an expedition In the same direction, of which 
 JIaklu\t "ltIvos us the followin<; account in the third volume 
 of his 'Collection of Voyages:'—' Master Robert Thorne of 
 I>!istoll, a notable member and ornament of his eountiy, as 
 w el fur his learning as gi'eat charity to the po«>re, in a letter 
 of his to Kinix Hemv VIII. and a lar<i:e di>course to Doctor 
 Lciuli, his anibassadour to Charles the Kmperour ( which botli 
 aic to be scene almost in the beginning of the first volume of 
 this niv work), exhorteth the aforesav<l Klnii- with verv wai'ditv 
 and substantial reasons, to set forth a disc(tuerie euen to the 
 North I'ole. And that it may be knowne that this his motion 
 took present efl'ect, I thought it good herewlthall to put down 
 the testimonies of two of our chroniclers, M. Hall and M. 
 (Jrafton, who both write in this sort: — This same ni(»netli 
 (they say) King Hiiule \'1II, sent two faire sliips wel n»unneJ 
 and victualled, ha\ Ing In them diners eunmng nun to seeke 
 strange regi«>ns, and so they set forth out of the Thames the 
 2(Hh day of ]\Iay In the l!)th yeere of his relgne, which was 
 the } ar of Our Lord 1.327. And whereas Master Hall and 
 
 ' I'rom Hakliiyi's I)iirrsr Voijog x to Aitwricrt. 
 • PurihiiH, ///,« I'tlyrihiK. 
 
 c 2 
 
20 CAPK nUETOX. 
 
 Ma,«tor (iraf'ton say, tlmt in lliose .^lilps tlici'C were diners cun- 
 iiiiii; men, 1 ha\e made i;reat eTKiuirie of sueh as l)v their 
 veeres and delight in nanii-ation mi^lit <;inc nic anv liijlit to 
 know who those eniinini; men shonid he, which were the 
 directors in the afuresayd voya_<;e. .And it hatii hene tohlo 
 nie l»y Sir Maitin Frohisher, and M. Kichai'd Allen, a Kniuht 
 of the Scpwh'hre, that a Canon of St. Panl in London, wiiich 
 was a jxreat mathematician, and a man indned with wealth, did 
 nnich adnance the action, and went therein liiinselfe in person; 
 hut what his )ianie was I cannot learne of any. And fnrther 
 they told nu> that one of the shii»s was called The Doniimis 
 Vohiscnni, which is a name likely to he «;inen hy a relii^ions 
 ur.xn in tlmse daves : and that savlinfj verv farre iiorthwest- 
 ward, one of the sliijvs was cast away as it entered into a 
 danLferons unlith, ahont the CTfJit oijeninix hetween the north 
 parts of Newfoimdland and the country lately called hy Her 
 Meaistie Mcta Ineotrnita,' Wherenpon the other ship, shajtinij 
 her conrse towards Cajx Hriton and the coastes of Aramhec 
 [the name l>y which Nova Scotia and the conntry adjacent 
 was known in (^ueen Klizaheth's time], and «»ftentimes pntlinj; 
 their men on land to searcli the state of those uidviiown 
 rejriuns, retni-ned home ahout the l)ei;inninf>; of Octoher ol' the 
 year aforesayd. And tints nuieli (hy reason of the «;reat 
 ne^liiXenee of the wriiers of those times, who shonid hane vsed 
 more care in iiresernint: of the memories of the worthv aetes of 
 onr nation) is all that iiitherto I can learne or find out of this 
 voya^a'.' 
 
 As the survivln<:!j ship was several months on the coasts of 
 Nova Scotia, ('aj»c Jiretoii. and Newfoundland, we have <;ood 
 reason for lamenting;, with Ilaklnyt, the nej^lij^ence ol' tlio 
 writers of those days. There is, h<»wever, one document in 
 existence relatini' to this \(»va<;e, which 1 will now <rive you 
 entire, as it affords some \alual)le information coneernini; the 
 ti>heries of Newfoundland at that period (1.327). This is a 
 letter from the ma>tcr ol' the survivini; ship to Kintr Henry 
 \ 111., which 1 have copietl from l*urehas ' His I'ilgrinis.* 
 
 ' Tliis iiiiiiu' was iippliid lu th< L;ibriulur coabt iii ilic nigu of Qu«tu Kliziib«tli. 
 
rut's letter to king henry VIII. 21 
 
 I'lirolias says, ' Kiiijj; Homy VIII. set iuvth twit sliij)s tor 
 (liscoiiono, «»no of wliich peri.xlu'd in the north pjirt^i of Ncu- 
 roumlland. The master of tlic other, .loliii Kiit, writ this 
 K'tter to Kinj:; Ilenrie, in had English and worse writing. 
 Oner it was tliis su|)erscrii>tion : — 
 
 *** blaster (Jrnbes two shii»s departed from Plymontli the 
 10 day of .Fnnc, and aniued in tlie Xewfonndhmd, the 21 d;«y 
 of tluly : and aftei- wo had kit tlie si^ht of Selle, wc had neuer 
 si<;ht (»f any land, till we had sij^ht of Ca})e de Das. 
 
 '" Pleasinj; yonr Honorable Grace to hcarc of your sernaiit 
 flohn Kut, with all his Comjiany liere, in good healtl), thanks 
 Ite to (iod and your (Jraceshii). The Mary of (iilford with all 
 her [here three or four wi>rds arc obliterated] thanks be to 
 (lod. And if it jdease your IIonoral)le Grace, we ramie in 
 our course to the northward, till wc came into .5.3 degrees, and 
 there wee found many great Hands of lee and deejte water; we 
 found no soundinji;, and then we durst not <;o no further to the 
 northward for feare of more Ice, and then wc cast about to the 
 southward, and within foure dayes after we had one hundred 
 and sixtie I'athom, and then wee came into 52 degrees and fell 
 with the mavne land, and within ten leayfues of the mavne laml 
 we met with a great Hand of lee, and came hard by her, for it 
 was standing in dee|te water, and so went in with C"a])e de Has, 
 a good harbour, and many small Hands, and a great fresh r'nwr 
 going u\) I'arre into tlu mayne land, and the maync laud all 
 wilderncsse and mttuntaines and woodes, an<l no nalnrall 
 ground but all mosse, and no iidiabltation nor n(> peoide in the!«c 
 i)art.s: and in the woodes wee found footiu<r of diuers jrieat 
 beastcs, but we saw nime not in ten leagues. And please your 
 Grace, the Samj)son and wee kept couipany all the way till 
 within two days before we met with all the Hands of Ice: that 
 was the first day of July, at night : and there arose a great and 
 a maruailous great storme, and much foul weather. 1 trust in 
 Ahnightie Jesu to heare good newes of her. And please vour 
 (iraee, we were considering and a writing of all our order, how 
 we would wash (sic) us and what course we would draw, and 
 when (iod doe send foule weather, that with the Gape de Sper 
 shee shouKl goc, and he that come first should tarry the s[»aeo 
 
 I 
 
22 CAPE BUF-TON. 
 
 ofsixe wcckos one for anotlicr, and watorofl at Cape do Bas 
 ton ordcrinff of vour draco and fisliiriLr. and so dopartcd to the 
 sontliward to soekc onr fellowe : the third dav of Au'Mist wo 
 cntcrctl into a good harl)our, called Saint .lohn, and there we 
 fonnd elenon saile of Normans and om* lirittaine [lireton] and 
 tw(» I'orhi^xall Harks, and all a fishinu-. and so wo aro readie 
 to depart toward Cape de Has, and that is twentie fine leatrnes, 
 as shortly as -we haue fished, and so al(»ni; the eoasto till wo 
 niav niecto Avith onr fellowe, and so with all diliiionoe that Ivcs 
 in nie t(»ward j»arts to that Hands that we aro eonnnanded at 
 onr departing': And thns Jesn saiu' and kcope yonr Honor- 
 aide (Jraco, and all yonr honoiahle Kenor. 
 
 ' " In the hanen of St. John the third dav of Anj^nst, 
 written in haste, 1527. 
 
 ' " Cv your sornant .John Ivnt, to his vttonnost 
 of his power.' 
 
 It appears from this letter that Ilaklnyt had heen misinformed 
 rospcetin;:: the name of one of those vessels, whicdi he says was 
 ' The Doininns Vohisenm,' as Knt, the eonnnander of the 
 
 * Mary of ( rilt'ord," distinctly says the other was called the 
 
 * Sampson." Knt jirohaMy received intellijieneo of the loss of 
 the ' Sampsoii ' I)t>fore he left St. .Fohns, and, oons(>(piently, 
 instead of retin-tiinjx to the northward to meet her, 'shaped his 
 course,' as Ilaklnyt says, 'towards Cajie Hreton and the 
 coastes of Arandtec.' 
 
 This voyajxe, as I mentioned at pai;e 10, was undertaken at 
 the snir<;estion of' ^Master Kohert Thorno of Hristoll.a notahle 
 momher and ornament of his country,' then residinjr at Seville 
 in Spain, who sent thereon 'a lar<;e discourse to Doctor Leiijjh,' 
 accom])anied l>y 'a little Mapj»e or Carte of the A\'orlde ' to 
 illustrate his views. This map is such a einiositv, that I iiive 
 you a copy of a ]»art of it to show the imperfect knowled<;e of 
 the irooM-raphv of the Atlantic coast of North America at that 
 ]teri«»d (l.'>27). Neither Newfoundland nor Cape Hreton, 
 which were hofh well known at that time, is marko<l upon the 
 map. The deep estuary or hay adjoining the ' Nova terra 
 lahoratorum dicta' (Labrador), was prohahly intended to 
 
 J 
 
VOYAGE OF M. IIOKE TO TAPE HRETON. 23 
 
 roi>ro?ont the (iulf of St. T^awvonro, and tlio j)romoiitory at 
 the >(>utluM"ii side oftlu' (iulf, Cape lirctnii," 
 
 The next Fn^lisli v(>ya<je t(» Xcwl'dundland and Capo Hreton 
 was undertaken in \')'M] l>y a party (»!' lawyers and private 
 ociitlenien, Avliieli, as njij^lit have been expected, ended most 
 disastrously. It does not furnish us with nuich information 
 respecting' (ape lireton or Newfoundland, but it jfives us a 
 •rranhic account (»f the danj;ers and su<ferin<;s to whicli meti 
 * desirous of seeinjj the straTijje thintrs of the world ' were ex- 
 posed at that peiiod, when so little was known of the f;eoirta|ihy 
 of the New World. The narrative, which I cojty from Ilak- 
 luyt's ircneral ' Collection,' is rather lonj;; but 1 feel assured 
 vou will ajfrec with me, that such a curious ehronicle of the 
 olden time could not be condensed into smaller comj)ass without 
 rohhiiiir it of its chief interest : — 
 
 'The vovaffe of M. llore and diners other Cientlemen to 
 Newfoundhmd and Cape liriton, in the ycre lo.'iG and in the 
 28 vcrc of Kinjj Ilenrv the 8. 
 
 ft' c^ • 
 
 ' blaster I lore of London, a man of nfoodlv stature and of 
 trreat couraj;e, and jjiuen to the study of Cosmoj;raphie, in the 
 2S vcre of Kiny; Ilenrv the S and in the yere of Our Lord 
 1 '>.1G enc(»uraf;ed diners rientlemcn and others, beinjj assisted 
 by the king's fauor and «i;ood countenance, to acctunjiany him 
 in a voyajje of discouerie upon the north-west parts of America; 
 wherein his j)crswasions tooke such ell'oct. that within short 
 space many n;entlemen of the Innes of Court, and of the Chan- 
 eerie, and diners others of p;ood worship, desirous to see the 
 stranjic things of the world, verv williiifrlv entered into the 
 
 O ~ ft' C^ ft- 
 
 action with him, some of whose names were as foUoweth : M. 
 Weckes, a jrcntlcman of the West Countrev, of fine hundred 
 
 ' A ni;ip of older (Into has recently (18C6) l.oen fouiul in the Queen's Librarj' at 
 WimUnr aniotiir a colltotidp of jiMpns in the handwritini: of L*nnanlu da Vinei, 
 in which the whole of North Anuriea is represiiit.d l.y two large i.»lands called 
 l-l'-rida and Hacalar. Mr. Major, of the Briti-h Museum, supposes it was con- 
 stru-tcd about the year loUJ, 
 
 In another map of still older date (l.)(i8\ in the Library of the Koyal (Jeo- 
 grapliieal Society, Terra Nova or Newfoundland is laid down as part of the 
 contiiunt of North America ; it shows no trace whatever of Nova Scotia or Cape 
 Ureion. althoutrh tin Cap' itself was w.'ll known at that time. 
 
24 CAPE IIRETON. 
 
 markos by tlio yooro llulnjr; INI. Tucko, a gciitlcnian of Kent ; 
 ISI. Tuckficld ; M. Tliouias I>uts, the soniie of Sir W'." IWits, 
 kniirlit, of Norfolk, nliicli was lately liuiiiiT. niid from Avhose 
 mouth I wrote most of this relation; M. Ilardie ; M. liiron ; 
 ;M. Carter; 1\I. AVrin;ht ; INI. ]{astall, Serieant JxastalTs brother; 
 ]\I. liedley ; and diners other, whieh all were in the Admyrall 
 called The Trinitie, a shij) of seuen seorc timnes, wherein 
 IVI. I lore hiniselfe was cml)arked. In the other shij), whose 
 name was the IMinion, went a verv learned and virtuous 
 gentleman, one ^I. Armij^il Wade, afterwards Gierke of the 
 C'ounsailes of Kins; Ilenrv the H and Kini; Kdward the sixth, 
 father to the most worshij)full ^[. William A\ ade, now C'lerkc 
 of the Priuy Council ; M. Oliuer Dawheney, marchant, of Lon- 
 don ; M. .Foy, afterward gentleman of the King's Clia|n'll with 
 diners others of good account. The whole niunher that went 
 in the two tall shij)s aforesaid, to wit, the Trinitie and the 
 ]Mini(»n, were aliont fine score persons, Avhereof thirty were 
 gentlemen, which all were nnistered in warlike maner at 
 (Jrauesend, and after the receiuing of the Sacrament, they 
 embarked themselues in the ende of April 1.5.'56. 
 
 * From the time of their setting out from (irauesend, they 
 were very long at sea, to witte, alxme two moneths, and neuer 
 touched any land \nitill they came to j)art of the West Indies 
 about Cai)c Briton, shaj)ing their course thence northeastwardes 
 iintill they came to the Island of" IVnijuin, which is verv full 
 of rockes and stones; whereon they went and found it full of 
 great foules white and n;rav, as bi<j!: as sj-eese, ajid thev saw 
 infinite numbers of their egges. Thev draue a great mnnber 
 of the foules into their l)oates nj)on their sayles, and to(»k up 
 many of their egges; the foules they flead, and their skinnes 
 were very like honey combes full of h(des being flead off: they 
 dressed and eate tluin and found them to be very good and 
 nourishing meat. They saw also store of beares both blackc 
 and white, of whome they killed some, and tooke them for no 
 bad foode. 
 
 ' M. Oliuer Dawbeney whicli (as it is before mentioneil), 
 was in thi> \«>yagc, and ir. the Minion, told ^1. liichard Ilak- 
 luyt, of the MiiUlIc Temple, these things following: to wit. 
 
M. DAWnrXEY's AfCOrXT OF THE VOYAGE. 2"> 
 
 Tliat after their arriuall in Xcwfoniidlan'l, and Iiauclnj]^ l)ono 
 tliere ccrtaino daycs at aiicrc, and not liaiiinir yet scene any of 
 the naturall iieoj)le of the eountrey. the same I )a\vheney, walk- 
 in*' one day on the hati'hes, sj>ied a hoate with Sana^^es of 
 those parts, rowinji; down the hay towards tlicni, to <xa/e npon 
 the ship and our jieopk*, and, takin<^ vcwe <»f their coininnr 
 ah)ofe,hcc ealled to such as Avcrc under the liatehes,and wiMed 
 them t(» come np if they wouM sec the naturall jteople of the 
 ootuitrev, that thev liad so hnv* desired .so inueh to see: where- 
 upon they came up, and tookc viewe of tlic SauaLTCs rowinuf 
 toward tlu'in and their ship, and vj)on the viewe they mainied 
 out a shij) hoate to meet them and to take tlieiu. l>ut they, 
 spvini; our ship l)oat niakiii<^ towards iheni, returned with 
 uiaine force and Hed into an ishuid that hiv ui) in tlie hav oi- 
 riucr there, and our men pursued them into the ishuid, and the 
 Sauaiics tieil and cscaj»ed ; hut our men found a fire, and the 
 side of a bcare on a wooden spit, lelt at the same hy the 
 Saua<!:es that were fled There in the same jdaee they found 
 a l)o»ite of leather, garnished on the outward side of the calfe 
 with certalne liraue trailes, as it were of rawc silke, and also 
 f«>undc a certainc great warme uiitten ; and, these carved with 
 them, they returned to their shippe, not finding the Sauages, 
 nor seeing anything else besides the soyle, and the things grow- 
 ing in the same, which chleHy were store of firre and piiu,' trees. 
 ' And further the said M. Dawhenev told him, that, Ivinu; 
 tlicre, they grew into great want of victuals, and that there 
 they found small reliefe, ni(»re than that they had from the 
 nest of an Osprev, that hrouuht hourelv to her vounn; ijreat 
 plenty of diners sortcs of fishes, lint such was the famine 
 that increased among them from day to dav, that thev were 
 forced to sceke to relieue themselves of raw herbes and rootes 
 that they sought on the maine ; but the famine increasing, ami 
 the reliefe of herbes being to little purpose to satisfie their in- 
 satiable hunger, in the fieldcs and deserts here and there, the 
 fellowe killed his mate while he stooped to take up a roote 
 for his reliefe, and cutting out pieces of his IkhU' whom he 
 had nuuthered, broyled the tume on the coles and greedily 
 deuourcd them. 
 
2G CAPE DRETO.V. 
 
 * By this moanc the <uini>!Uiy docrcascd, aiul the officors 
 know lutt wliat was Ix'coinc of thcin; and it foitiincd that one 
 of tlio C()m|taiiy, driucn with lumjicr to sccko aldoad for iTlicf'e, 
 ininid (»ut in the fiehles the saiiour t»f"hroyU'd th'sh,and tell out 
 witli one for that lie would sillier him and his fV'IIuwes to sterue, 
 cnioyinjj plenty, as lie thoujrht : and this matter ^rowin<; to 
 eiMK'll spcaches, he that had the hroyled nieate, hurst out int«) 
 these wordes: " It" thou wouldst needs know, the hrovk-d meate 
 that I had was a jtieec (»f'sueh a man's huttocke." The Hejxtrt 
 of this, hroui^ht to the ship, the captain found what heeame of 
 those that were missiiiLT, it was ]K'rswadod that some of them 
 wer( neither deuoured with wilde heastes, nor yet destroyed 
 with Saua^es : and hereupon he stood up and made a notahle 
 oration, eontainiiifr, Howe iniieli these dealin!i;s offended the 
 AlmiLrhtie, and vouehed the Scriptuns from first to last, what 
 liod had in eases of distresse done for them that ealled u|»on 
 him; and told them that the power of the Almighty was then 
 nc lesse, then in al former times it had Ix^ne. And a<lded, that 
 if it had not pleased Ciod to haue hojpeu them in that distresse, 
 that it had hone better to haue j)erished in hody, and to liauo 
 liued euerlastiiifrly, than to haue relieued for a p(»ore time their 
 mortal hodyes, and to he condemned euerlastinjxly hoth hody 
 and soule to the vnquonehahle fire of hell. Ami thus liauein<^ 
 ended to that eflfeet, he hegan to exhort to re]>entance, and he- 
 sought all the company to pray that it might please (iod to 
 looke upon their miserahle jtresent state, and for his ownc 
 mercie to relieue the same. The famine increasing, and the 
 inconuenience of the men that were missing being found, they 
 agreed amongst thcinselues that rather than that all should 
 })erish, to cast lots who ; hould be killed: And such was the 
 mercie of (iod, that in the same night there arriued a French 
 shi|> in that port, well furnished with vittaile, and such was the 
 policic of the English that they became masters of the same, 
 and changing shijts and vittailing them, they set saylc to come 
 into England. 
 
 ' In their journey they were so far northwards that they saw 
 mighty islands of yce in the soiunier season, on which were 
 hawkes and other loules to rest themselues, being wear\ of 
 
TIIF VOYAOERS ARRIVE IN LOXDON. 
 
 27 
 
 fixing (tiior farrc IVoiu tlic niainc. Tlioy saw also rcrtaino jxroat 
 white i'oult's with ri'tl hils and rod K'j;s, soiiK-what l>ij;^«.'r tliaii 
 herons, \vhi( h they sujiposi'd to he storlvs. They arriiied at S. 
 lues in Cornwall ahout the ende of October. From theneo 
 thev departed vnto a eertaine castle l)elon;^in^ to Sir tlohn 
 liUttrell, where M. 'riionias Uiits and M. IJastall, and other 
 rrentleinen of" the v<>va<;e, were verv friendly entertained; after 
 that they came to the ICarle (»f liathe at Bathe, and thenee to 
 lJri>toll,so to London. M. lints was so ehan^eil in the voya;je, 
 with luuii^er and niiserie, that Sir AVilliam his father, and my 
 Lady his mother, knew him not to he their sonne nntill they 
 I'linnd a secret marke, which w:is a warte, upon one <»f his knees, 
 as hee told me Kiihard Ilaklnyt (»!" Oxford hiniselfe, to whom 
 J rode 200 miles onelv to learne the whole truth of this vova<;c 
 from his own mouth, as being the oncly man now aliuc that 
 was in this discouerie, 
 
 ' Certaine moneths after, those Frenchmen came into Knj<;- 
 land, and made a complaint to KiuLi; Henry the Sth : the Kin<i; 
 eansinrr the master to he examined, and findiny; the jjreat dis- 
 tresse of his subjects, and the causes of the dealinj^ so with the 
 French, was so moued with i)itie, that he punished not his 
 sulijects. but of his owne purse made full and royall reeompcnce 
 unto the French. 
 
 ' In this distresse of famine, the Eni;li.sh did somewhat re- 
 rune their vitall spirits, by drinkinj; at the sprinj^s the fresii 
 water out of certaine wooden cui)s, out of which they had 
 driinke tlieir "aqua composlta" before.' 
 
 Tlie mishaps attending Master I lore's ill-conducted cnter- 
 )»rise seem to have deterred i^nulish adventurers from makinjr 
 any further voyages t<t the liaccalaos for many years; but the 
 King of France, at the suggestion of his chief admiral, Chabot, 
 determined to follow up the discoveries so auspieiouslv l)egiui 
 by \'erazano, and to explore the countries beyond the fishing- 
 grounds. Accordingly, two ships of about sixty tons each 
 were fitted out and [daced under the command i>f Ja(|ues 
 (artier, an able and experienced pilot of St. ^lalo, who had 
 pruljably been engaged in the fisheries, and had ol)tained some 
 knowledge (tf the geography of that part of the New \\'orld. 
 
28 CAPE nRETOX. 
 
 Cnrticr mndo tlircc voynjioii, of wliidi tlioro nro Ion;; nn«l in- 
 teresting; iu'counts ill ' Iliikluvt's Collection.' To ;;ive tluin 
 at Icn^^th wouM occupy nutrc space than 1 can spare; l>nt as 
 tlicy led to one of the most iinjiortaiit events of those days, 
 nanielv, the discovery of Canada, I will endeavour to lav heforo 
 you a sunnnary of the leading incident-s of Cartier's voyages. 
 Sailing from St, Malo on April 20, l.'>34, Cartier first made 
 the land at Capo IJu<»navista, on the cast coast of Newfoinid- 
 land, on May 10. Followinj; the coast to the northward, and 
 touching at various harbours, he reached a river, which he 
 named St. .Tames, in latitn<le .jI", .">.>'. lie remarks, ' that if 
 the soyle were as j^ood as the harl)(»rou;^hcs are, It were a j;reat 
 commoditie ; but it is not to he called the new found land, hut 
 rather stones and cra(ri;es and a place fit for wilde heastes. . . . 
 In short, J believe this was the land allotted to Cainc.' Pr.ssinn; 
 throiiffh the Straits of Belle Isle, he ran down the coast to 
 the latitude of 48°, 30', but finding no harbour, he stood out 
 to sea, and discovered three islands, one of which he named 
 IJrions Island — the name which it still bears. It here occurred 
 to him, 'that there be some passage between XewfoundlaiKl 
 and Iirions Islantl. If so it were, it would be a jrreat shortninir, 
 as wel of the time as of the way, if any perfection could W'. 
 found in it.' Sailing to the westward, and si<rhtln<x several 
 islands and capes, he made the coast of the niaiidand in 47i 
 degrees. Here he met witli a great number of the natives, 
 with whom he traliicked, giving knives, betids. Sec, in exchange 
 for whatever they had to dispose of, including even their cloth- 
 ing, such as it was. * They gave us whatsoener they had, not 
 kecjiing anything, so that they were constrained to go backe 
 asrain naked.' Continuing; his vovaijo to the northward, he 
 entered a largo bay, which he called the liaye du Chaleur, on 
 account of the great heat. Iicing satisfied that there was no 
 (»pening to the westward out of this bay, Cartier resumed his 
 voyage to the northward, and fell in with a cape on July 24, 
 upon which he erected a large cross with the inscription ' Vive 
 lo Koy de France' engraved u|>on it. This is supposed to 
 have been CajJC (iaspe. Observing the land trending to the 
 westward, with a wide exl)an^(; of water before him, and no 
 
THK KFXfi OF FTIANTE SENDS ANOTHER EXPEDITION. 20 
 
 l.itid ill sij^lit to tho nortliwnnl, Cartior conrliulcd tl»;it lie lunl 
 toimd a i>ass!i<;e Ieailiii|L; into tlu- Pacilic Ocean. 'I'lio season 
 Itiinj; now far advanced, ('artier ]>crsiiaded two youn;X savaf^es 
 to rctuni wiili liini to France, an<l started on liis homeward 
 \(»va"r<! on AiiLrnst •>. In Innr davs, with a strong soiith-west 
 wind, he rcachetl the coast of Xewl'unndland, ]>assed throni^h the 
 Straits of liellc Isle, and arrived at St. Mah> on SepteinhL-r .'». 
 Tlu'se ^roat disc(»verics |iro(hicc(l a jrrcat sensation at tho 
 I-'rciich Court, and induced tnc Kinj; to send out an<»tlicr 
 e.\|tcditit»n in the fulldwinj; sprin;;, to take j)ossession of the 
 country, and to explore the <;reat j^iilf or river whose mouth 
 oidy had hoen seen hy CarVier in the ])recedin«r year. C'artier 
 accordin^^My left St. ^lalo on May 1."), l.j,'i.'», with three shi[).s 
 and, |)assin«; throuLrh the Straits of liello Isle, then supposed 
 to he the only entrance into the gulf, shai)ed his course towards 
 ("ape (Jaspe. On Aui:;nst 1.3 he discovered a hiffje island, 
 tailed hy the natives Xatiscottcc (Antiscosti), and on Septem- 
 ber 1 entered the St. Lawrence, uj) which he proceeded 120 
 Icaf;iies from the sea, where he dircovered an island, which he 
 named the Isle d'C^rlcans. Here he mot with a numher of 
 natives, who received their visitors with nuich kindness and 
 courtesy. Leavin'^ his ships at the Isle d'Orleans, he ascended 
 the river in his lioats to a i)lace called Hochelaira, a larufc 
 fortified villaue at the foot of a hill, which he called ^.hmt 
 Uoyal, the site of the present eitv of Montreal, lleturniu"- to 
 his ships, he spent the winter on the banks of a small river, 
 which he called the St. Croix, since named the Jacques Cartier. 
 Duriui,' the winter a number of his })eople were attacked by 
 a l<»atlisonie disease, which carried off twenty-five and left 
 the others in a very weak condition. This proved to be the 
 scurvy, a disease at that time unknown in Europe. Grieved 
 at the loss of so many of his people, and disappointed with the 
 climate, Cartier prcj.ared to return to France as soon as the 
 ice broke up in the river. ' On May 3, beint,^ Ilolyroode Day, 
 he caused a ji'oodly fayre crosse of thirty-five footc in hei<,dit to 
 bee set up, nnder the crosset of which he caused a shield to be 
 hanged, wherein were the amies of France, and ouer them Avas 
 written in anti(iue letters, •' Franciscn.s primus Dei (jrathi 
 
?0 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 Ftiinciii'nm Rrr ri't/iKit.'"' Cartior sailed on tlic lOtli for 
 Fnuicc, cari'vlni^ with him tlio nativo king, I)i)nnaoona, whom 
 he iiMluced to go on hoard ju.-t helore lie sailed. He arrived 
 at St. ]Mal(» on duly (>, 1.>.}G. Instead of returning through 
 the Strait.-; of Jk'Ue Isle, after reaehlug Brion's Island he 
 shaped his cotu'se to the eastward, and discovered a promontory 
 in 47^T degrees, which he named Cape Lttrelne ( Cajie Kay), 
 and another on the starboard, whicli he named St. Paul's 
 (Cajie North, in Cape Hreton). Sailing south-easterly along 
 the coast, he next made St. Peter's Island, and then Cape 
 Kace. There is every reason to believe that the IJascjue and 
 liretcn fishermen, Avho came out every spi-ing to St. Peter's, 
 had long ere this sailed to the westward of Cai)e Kay; hut 
 (artier was the first to make knmvn the existence of a ])assago 
 between Cape North and Cape Kay into the (lulf of St. Law- 
 I'ence. lie says also. ' AN'hilst wee were in the sayd St. Peter's 
 Islands we met with many shi[).s of France and Kritalne' 
 (r»rittany.) 
 
 Cartier's account of the severity of the climate seems to have 
 caused much disiippointment in France, as no further attempt 
 was made to form a settlement in Canada until li34(), when 
 Sicur .lean Francis de la Koche, Seigneur de Koberval,aj>plied 
 to Francis I. for iieiiniss^ion to eqr.ip an expeiliti«»n for that 
 purpose, at his own exj)ense. This was readily granted, and 
 a commission issued, appointing Kobcrval vii-ei'oy of all the 
 territories bordering on the river and (iulf of St. Lawrence, 
 which was called ' New France.' Carrier was made chief 
 jiilot and captain-general of the expedition. lie went out 
 with five ships in the s])ring of l.!>41, and arrived in the St. 
 Lawrence in iVugust, where he built a fort on the north side of 
 the river, near the piCM'ut site of (Quebec, which he called 
 CharleslK)Ui'«; The conduct <»f the Indians duriuLT the lonuc 
 and dreary winter wliich foil »vved, as might have been ex- 
 })eeted, was very diftVrent from what it had been on the last 
 occasion. They could nctt forgive the French for carrying oif 
 their king, who had, unfortunately, died in France. Open 
 h<.stilitie> broke out, and lives were lost on both sides. Cartier, 
 disappttintcd at the non-arrival «»f Koberval, who was to have 
 
CARTIER RETCRNS TO FRANX'E. :Jl 
 
 followed liiin In the ])ro('e(lIn^spiinir, dislieartcnod l)y thesovcrc 
 cold, and hara^;sc^l l)v the Indians, now his hitter enemies, 
 (htennined to return to France as soon as the ice would per- 
 mit. In the meantime, Uolterval, wlio had not l)een ahle to 
 conijtlote his eciuijtment in the ])recedinir year, ' sailed from 
 Kocliclle on the IG April, l.')42, furnished with three tall ships, 
 chictiyat the kinj^'s cost, carrying out 200 jiersons, as well men 
 as women, with divers gentlemen of quality.' Owing to con- 
 trary winds, he did not reach the coast of Newfoundland until 
 the 7th June. Next day he entered the harhour of St. .John's, 
 where he ' found 17 sliij)s of Fishers.' Whilst he' nuule a homic- 
 whal long ahode here,' .Iac(iues Cartier and his |)eoi»le, i-eturning 
 from Canada, arrived in the same harboui-. Cartier ])resented 
 >pccimens of diamonds and gold ore to Roherval, which he had 
 ohtainc'd in Canada. The ore was tried in a furnace, and 
 found to he good, lie told lioherval that lie could not, with 
 his small oom[»any, withstand the savages, which was the cau-e 
 of his leaving Canada. Ivohcrval, being I'innished with j>lenty 
 of nun, conunanded Cartier to go back with him; but Cartier, 
 ■with all his j)cople, sailed next night and returned to France, 
 ' moved with ambition, it is said, and jeah)us of being deprived 
 •if the glory (^f the discovery of these [tarts.' 
 
 lloberval spent great ])art of .June at St. .John's, and then 
 sailed tlwougli the Straits of liclle Isle to the St. Lawrence. 
 Having aiuh'.ued his ships near Cap Kouge, he landed his 
 eom]»any, built a large house to acconnnodate all his people, 
 and erected a fort which he called ' France Koy.' On the 14th 
 Sejttember, he sent back to Frajiee t\\(i !^hij)s, which had 
 l)ronght out his furniture, to carry an account of his jnoceed- 
 ings to the king, and to return in the sjiring with provisions. 
 A> a late writer observes, ' Experience and forecast had alike 
 been wanting. There were st(»rehouses, but no stores ; mills, 
 but no grist ; an ample oven, and a woful dearth of bread. It 
 was only when two of the ships had sailed for France that they 
 took account of their provision, and discovered its br.nentablc 
 shortconiing.' ' Fifty of his petiple died of famin-. and d.aeasc 
 
 riii'kuiaii, iii lii> I'h'.i^rs (,f Fr(t,u( tit th' Si if JV,.i-,'t/. IJosfun ; ISG-'». 
 
32 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 (liiriiijx the uiiitor. In the ppriiif; he oniharkcd witli all his 
 (•()in|i:niy, ami ictiinied to France. The narrative of Koher- 
 vals vova^xe,' IVoni wliich I liave made these extracts, is very 
 .«liort and imperfect. Tlicre is no record of his proccedinjrs 
 alter he left the St. Lawrence. Some writers say that he went 
 ont again ttt Canada, accompanied l)y his brother, and, as he 
 was never heard of ajj^ain, it was suppix^ed he was wrecked on 
 tlic coast of Lalirador ; hut Thcvet, win* Mas a personal friend 
 oi" his, says that he was assas>inated at night in the streets of 
 raris.2 
 
 Charlevoix, and some other French authors, sav that Koherval 
 huilt a i'ort in Cupe Breton. The oldest work in whicdt this 
 i.-i mentioned is Fournier's ' Ilydrographie,' published in 10(57. 
 Fournier says: — ' In the year 1.340 tJean-Francisde la Itixpic, 
 Sieur de Ivuberval, a j^iiitleman of Ficardv, returned to Canada 
 with Cartier, in the ca}>acity «if Lieutenant of the King: they 
 fortitu'd Caj)e IJrcton ; 1 tit grave aiVaiis caused him to be 
 recalled. In the year i'>-i'.\ the same Ivoberval returned with 
 the Pilot .lean Alphonse Xantoignes.' 
 
 Accordinj; to Ilakluvt, as vou will have observed, Cartier 
 went alone in 1541, and began a fort at Cap luuige on the St. 
 Lawrence. Koberval went thither in 1542, after Cartier had 
 hit, and built a fort at the same ])lace. 1 am inclined t(» think 
 the error originated in a misj)rint of Ca|» IJreton for Cap 
 Kougc, in Fournier's book, which has been copied by later 
 writers. If he had said'///'// ibrtified Cap Kouge,' it would 
 have been strictly in accordance with the other accounts. 
 Cape IJreton, therefore, I fear, ca!inot claim the honour of 
 Inning been fortitied at such an early period. 
 
 The repeated i'ailurcs, and, in many instances, the disastrous 
 term. nations of the voyages undertaken for discovery and 
 setthnient on the eastern coasts of America, which I have 
 biicflv related, for a lonii time damped the ardour an<l anibition 
 both of the Fi'cnch and Lnglish g<»vernments. Koberval's ex- 
 pedition was soon forgotten in the distracted state of France 
 during the religious war> in which her people were then 
 
 ' 111 ll;ll<lliyt"s C<'//,ctin,t. 
 
PENALTIES ON OFFICERS OF THE ADMIRALTY. 33 
 
 uiiliaj)|)ily cnn;n<xo(] ; but even these iiui)»)rtaut events did not 
 I'lic^'k the ('ntc'i|»risc and cncriry oftlie fisliernien of Xornmndy 
 and JJrittany, \vli<» cuntinuod to follow tlu'ir vocation on the 
 toasts of Xcwfoundhmd and Cape Breton, and beiran to enjrajre 
 ill the wlialf lishory Avliit li ("artier's discoveries had fir>t 
 lilt. unlit into notice. The ICiiixIish also, al)oiit this time, seem 
 to have directed more attentitm than heretofore to the Xew- 
 l'oini(liaiid fisheries, as we find that in the second year of the 
 reiiiii of Ivlward VI. (in lo-ls^aii Aft was jiassed imposinj^ 
 lieavy jienalties npoii ollieers of the Adiniraity for ' e.\a<-tiiii^ 
 .villus of money, doles or shares of fish, for licenses to traffic in 
 Ncutbnndla.i(l, to the iri'cat disconraLCenicnt ami hindrance of 
 tli<> inen-hants ami fi^lui'inen, and to no little daniairc of the 
 wJioIe connnon wealth, and thereof also j^reat eomiilaints liave 
 lueii made and informations thereof to the Kind's Majesty's 
 nx'-i lioiiorahle Council.' 
 
 If tliis A( t. proving; tiiat the Knulisji frequented the coasts 
 
 of Newfoundland ahout the heuinninLi' of the reii^n of Ivlward 
 
 \ I., had not heen )>as-ed, Ave should literally n<»t have had a 
 
 .'inule rt cord ol" the existem-e of this If-anrh of commerce, as 
 
 tliere are no accounts extant of anv \(>\a<;ed to Newfoinidland 
 
 and Cajte lireton durini; the next forty years. Ilakliivt, who 
 
 was a most dilii^ewt collector of such records, haviuLr. as he 
 
 iiilorms us, ujion one ocea>ion traxcilcd more than :^U(> miles' 
 
 to olitain an account of M. llore's vovaLT*'. from the onlv sur- 
 
 \iv<ii- ol' that unfortunate exjieditioji, had ifood n-ason 'to 
 
 marvel, that l»y tin' neiilinrence (>f our men, the coiinti-v in all 
 
 this time had not heen hetter searched.' To his zeal and 
 
 tlilii;ence in all matters relatiiiijf to cosmou:ra;tliv and maritime 
 
 dixiiverv. we ai-e indebted for accounts of sevi'i'al vova<'"es to 
 
 America, which would otiier\\i>e liavv' been h.st and foi'o;otten. 
 
 in my next, I )iur|Mise j^iAini-- you extracts froiu some of these 
 
 \oyiij,a's, undertaken in the latter years of the sixteenth 
 
 century. 
 
 ' Ant<\ p. '27 
 
34 (APE BRETOX. 
 
 LETTKIl III. 
 
 1.j48-1.)99. 
 
 Thk lonj; blank of forty voars, tlatiii<r from the Act of 
 K<hvard VI., rcferrod to near the end (»f n»y his^t letter, is fol- 
 lowed, in Ilaklnx t's ' C«>llection,' by a letter from Anthony 
 I'arkhurst, a merchant of Bristol, dated Xovtinber 13, 1578, 
 to M. Uichard Ilaklnyt, of the Middle Temj>le,'.in reply to 
 some enquiries made by the latter ' about the state and com- 
 modities of Xewfoundland.' The document is too lonff for 
 insertion here ; so you nuist be satisfied uith a few extracts 
 relatin<^ to C'aj»e Hreton, and the state of the fisheries, at that 
 ]>eriod. Parkhurst first }j[ives an interesting^ account of the 
 soil, climate, and |»rodu<'tio »s of Newfoundland : rather hi<;hly 
 coloured, it is true (unless the country has chanjred f« r the 
 worse since his day), but nevertheless abouudin^^ in valmd)Ie 
 information. He says he had made four voya<fes to New- 
 foundland, and ' had searched the haibours, creeks, and lands 
 more than any other Eniili^^lunan.' That there were jjenerallv 
 more than 100 sail of Spaniards takin<»; cod, and fn)m twenty 
 to thirty killinj^ whales; fifty sail of Portu<,^uese ; 1 aO sail of 
 French and Bretons, mostly very snudl : but of Knulish oidy 
 fifty sail. He accounts for the small pr«)i)ortion (»i" Knglish by 
 the fact of a larn;e trade beinj^ still carried on with iceland. 
 ' Nevertheless," he adds, ' the Knjflishmen are commonly lords 
 t>f the harbours where they fish, and use all stran^jjers Iielp in 
 fishinjx, if need rerpiire, according;- to an old custom of the 
 c()untry ; which thing they do willingly, so that you tal;e 
 nothing from them more than a b(»at or two of salt, in respect 
 
 ' M. Kiihard Haklint. <»f tlic Mi<Itn»> Ttiniilo, was a cousin of the iiutlior of tli-' 
 i'lilfectioii ij ]'i>i/(ii/i.<, tVniu wliii'li 1 hnvf ilr.iwii sn Lirgtly. 
 
THE TREES OF NEWFOrXDLAXD. 
 
 ."^5 
 
 of your protection of them ajrains* rovers or other violent 
 intruders, who do often put them from «rood hiirhours.' 
 
 After enmneratiiij; the various kinds of fish in XcAvfonnd- 
 laiid. he tells us (which I dare say ^vill he quite new to you), 
 Mliat the nuissels all contain pearls, and that he had heard of 
 a Tortu-'-al tliat foinid one worth ;5(>t» dueats. . . . That in 
 hah' a day he could take as many lohsters as wonhl find 300 
 men with a day's meat.* Spcakini; of the trees of Xewfound- 
 laiid, ' The tind»er is UK.st Fir, yet plenty of Pineapple trees; 
 feu of these two kinds meet to nnist a ship of three score and 
 ten tons; IJiit near Cape Ureton and to the southward, l)i<r 
 and suHieient for any ship. ... 1 could find in my heart to 
 make proof whether it he true or no that I have read ami 
 lu ard, of Frenchmen and Fortujials to he in that river [the 
 St. Lawrence] and ahout Cajtc lireton. If I hail not been 
 deceived hy the vile I'ortuirals, deseendiuix of the Jews and 
 .ludas kind, I had not taih'd to have searched that river, and 
 all the coast (»f Cape Breton, what mii:ht 1 ave been found to 
 have benefited our country.' He adds, ' In conclusion, if vou 
 and vour friend >hall think me a man sntheient and of credit 
 to seek the Isle of St. .I»»hn, or the river of Canada, with any 
 part of the firm land of Cape lireton, 1 shall i!;ive my diliirence 
 l'<»r the true and perfect disc(,veiy, and leave some )»art ol" 
 mine own business to further the same.' AVe have nnu'li 
 rea>(»n to lament, that, in the first place. Parkhurst was )>er- 
 suaded against vlsitinj^ Cape lireton by the * vile Portngals,' 
 who probably, as reported by some later writers,' had made 
 a temporarv settlement in the island, and were carry inir on 
 a lucrative trade, wliieh they wished to keep to themselves ; 
 and in the second, that h<^ did not obtain snthcient eneoura<re- 
 ment from M. Richard Ilakluyt, of the Middle Temple, and 
 his friend, to seek the firm land of Cape liivton. In either 
 case, we shoidd have nnd<»ubte<llv had a eurit»us and interestino- 
 aceoinu of the ' state and connnodities ' of the island at that 
 early period, from the pen of an intelligent and observant 
 traveller. 
 
 liefore the accession of (^uecn Elizabeth, in 15o8, n(t Kng- 
 
 ' S»t' /Kiff. j>. (il. 
 I> J 
 
3(5 
 
 CAPE nUKTOX. 
 
 li-liman of note liad cJiixajrod in inaritlino advonturo, luit uiuler 
 lur wise ami fnorL^ctic iiilc a licst ut" naval lioroes, f(>llowiii<f 
 the cxamitle ol" Sir .Inlm Hawkins, cniharkcd in tlu'so ontor- 
 |»risos. Sir Walter IJaiei^^li sent various expeditions to the 
 coasts of America ; Sii- Franeis Drake, passinix tliron;i;li the 
 Straits of May-elian, unfurled the fla^- of ICii^land in the Pacific 
 Ocean : others ol" less note I'Xplored liie \\'cst Indies and the 
 coasts of the Sj)anish Main, inoi-e for the sake ol'[ilnnder than 
 le<;ltiniatc trade: l»nt Sir HiMn|ihrey ( Jilhert, stcp-hrother ot" 
 Ualeiuh, was the (ir>t {•Lnulishman who attempted to estaltn>h 
 a settlement in the ni'ii;hh(>nrhood of Cape lireton. This 
 hrave atid enterprisiui; her»», who liad rendei'ed himself consjii- 
 ciions liv his militarv exploits under the etdehrated Iluixuenot 
 admiral, ("oli^ny, in the French civil wars, readily ohtained a 
 liheral jiatent from the C^ueen, dated .lune 11. I.'>7S, <frantin^ 
 him permission to form settlements in any part of North 
 America, with ' fi'cc lilterty and licence i'rom time to time, and 
 at all times for cNcr. to discover, find, search out and view, 
 studi rcmot(! heathen and harbarous lauds, not actually pos- 
 sessed ol" any C'hri.-tian I'riiu'c or j>eopIe, as t(> him, his heirs 
 and assigns, or to e\trv or auv ot' them, >hail seem <r<»<>d, 
 an<l the same to ha\e, hold, occupy ami enjoy lor ever.' It 
 was finther stijadated that no other persons should he allowed 
 to form si'ttlements within 'JOO leaj;-ues c)f any place Sir 
 Humphrey (iilhert and his associates should take and occupv, 
 (hirin<>- the space of six vears. 
 
 .\s the whole coast, from Florida to Hudson's Straits, was 
 at that time unoccujiicd, (iilhert's ohjeet in sailing- first towards 
 Cape Breton and Newfoundland was evidently to secure pos- 
 sessi(»n of the best lands in the neiiihhourhood of the fisheries. 
 The iollowiuii' extracts from Captain Hayes's journal of the 
 vova^e arc taken fmm Haklu\ t".s • ColJt'ction.' The little fieet 
 comprised five vessels, viz. 'The Diliiiht'of 120 tons. Ad- 
 miral, in wiiich went the (ieneral ; the * Kaleiuh ' of 200 tons, 
 M. liutler, captain; the ' (iolden Hind,' of Ibrty tons, Kdward 
 Haves, caiitain : the ' Swallow." fmtv ton>, Maurice JJrowne, 
 captain ; and the ' Siiuirrcl,' of ten ions, W'm. Andreas, 
 captain. ' We were in numher in all about 20O men ; amonjx 
 
CATTAiN Hayes's journal. '^" 
 
 wlioin we liad <»t' ouory fiiciilty <;o(m1 clioife, as Sliii»\vn<;hts, 
 AIas(»iis. ('ari>('iit<'rs. Siuitlu-s, and such liko, rcciiiisitc to such 
 an action; also Mincrall men and Hcfincrs. no>i(h's, lor 
 sohu'c of our |»ro|ile and alluronicnt of tin- Sauajxos, we were 
 lirouide<l of Mn>ike in jrood variety; not omittinji; tlie least 
 toyes, as Morris (hiiiecrs, Ilohhy hor-e, and Maylikc eonecits 
 to deli;.dit \\\v Sanatre peoph-. whom \\v intended to wnuie l>y 
 all faire meanes |M»ssil»le.' The fleet sailed from I'lymonth on 
 dune 11, 1jS;J, for Cape Itaee, in Newfoundland, having,' l»een 
 instructed that if they should not hai.|>('n to meet there, ' tlu-n 
 the place of rendezvous was to he at Cape liriton, or the 
 nearest harhour u'lto the westward of Cape liriton." On the 
 13lh a contairious W-wv hroke out on hoard the * Italciu'li. "i 
 eonse»iuencc t>t' uhich she jint ha(d< to IMymouth. On July 
 20, the 'Swallow' and the ' SiiuirreP sej.aratcd from the 
 other shi|.> in a loj;-. ( )n d uly 'M), the ' I)«di-ht ' and ' ( ioldcii 
 Hind' first ijot sit^ht of Ian I in latitude .'^T, from whence tluy 
 steered to the sonthwai-d to th(> small island of 15acealao«, on 
 the nt)rth side of Conception I>ay, where they met the 
 ' Swallow.' Many of the crew »»f this vessel, men of had cha- 
 racter, who had heen pirates, havinjjj ohtained leave fnmi the 
 captain — ' a jood reliirious man' — to j^o on hoard a homeward- 
 hound ship they fell in with, ' to horrow such i>rovisi<Mis as 
 eonid he spared,' ])lun<h're<l the * Newlander of tackl(\ sails, 
 cai)le, victuals, and the men of their ap])arell,' Some of them 
 were drowned in returniuLi: to the 'Swallow." IloldiuL:; on 
 their course to the southward, ' vntill we came anjainst the 
 harhotir called St. .lohn, ahout fine leai;iies frttm Cape St. 
 Francis, we found also the Friirate or Sijuirrel lyintr at anchor 
 hefore the entrance into the harl)(»ur, whom the l^nuTish 
 merchants would not ])ermit to enter into the harhour. (ilad 
 of so ha])py a meetini; hoth of the Swallow and Friiiato 
 in one <lay (heinjj the .'hi Au;;ust) we made readie our fij;ht.s, 
 and prepared to enter the harhour, any resistance to the eon- 
 trarie iiotwithstandin;^, there heinji; within, of all nations, to 
 the nundjer of 3(» sailes. Hut first the (ienerall despatched a 
 l)oat to mne then> kn(twledi;c of his cominjjj for no ill intent. 
 
 haucin<^ Connnission from her Maiestic for his vova^e he had 
 
88 CAPE HIIETOX. 
 
 in hand.' Xo resistance bcin^ ik>\v tn!i<lo, tliry ontrrod tlio 
 liarlxiur, wlicro tliey w»m<' lil)orally su|i|>llf'<l l»y all the shijts 
 in port, foreij^n as avcU as Kn^^hsh, uith all the neeessaries 
 they r('i[iiire<l, as well as many Inxuries, which ' were enj(»ye(l 
 the more by how nuich the same were UMexpectt'd in that 
 desolate corner of the Avorld.' These <rood things were fur- 
 nished, |»rol)aldy, not so much from motives of jxenenisity, 
 as from ' their not heinj^ ahle to match ns, sntt'er us n«)t to 
 he hiiii«;er starved.' On Au<^ust o, Sir IIiini|threy, liavinjr 
 summoned the masters of all the vessels in ])ort, in tluir 
 ]>resenoe took formal possession of the island in the name of 
 ids St>verei^n, and proclaimed that, by virtue of his <rrajit, he 
 held a circuit of 200 leajxues in every direction. These limits 
 included Xova Scotia and New lirunswiek, ]>a't of Labrador, 
 and the islands of Newfoundland, St. John's, and Ca[>e 
 lireton. 
 
 IIavin<f despatched the ' Swallow' to ICn^land with the sick, 
 Sir IIump!n-ey left St. John's on August 20, ehapinj^ his 
 course for (ape lireton, with the intention, if the weather 
 would permit, of touehin:; at Saide Ishuid for a supply of cattle 
 and swine, which a l*ortu«;uese in St. John's had informed him 
 could he procured there. ' 'Phe distance between Cape Kace 
 and Cape liriton is 87 leaijues. Tn which Tiauii^ation we 
 spent 8 dayes, haueinj^ many times the wind indifferent good ; 
 yet could wee neuer attaine sij^ht of any land all that time, 
 seeinir we were hindci-ed by the curient. At last we fell into 
 such flats and (hni<;er.s, that hardly any of us es'-ajied ; where 
 neuertheless we lost (»ur A<lmiral,' with all the men and proui- 
 sion,not knowini; certaijdv the place.' Accordiui; to a reckon- 
 ini; ke[)t by the master of the ' (Jolden Hind,' of the courses 
 and the distances run from Cape Kace towards Caj>e Breton, 
 the ' Delight' must have struck upon one of the danijcrous flats 
 which Vw off' the western eiul of Sable Island. \o help could 
 be j^ivcu l)v the other shi|)s, which, seeini; the sad fate of their 
 consort, hauled their wind and escaped, ' the sea going mightily 
 and high.' They beat about all that day and the next, but 
 
 ' The principal ship of a fleet was then oalletl the " Admiral." The commamler 
 '<{ the fltet was called the General." 
 
CAPTAIN Hayes's journal. 39 
 
 could learn nothinf; of the fate of tho. crow of tlic * IliiuV all 
 (»f whom, nearly 100 in number, jterished,' except .sixteen who 
 pot into a small pinnace with only one oar and without a drop 
 of water. These men, after hein*:^ six days at sea, were driven 
 l)V a .-outherly <;ale upon the coast of Newfoundland, where 
 thfv >ul)siste<l for eijfht days ui)on herries and wild peas, until 
 they were rescued hy a Spanish ship which carried them to 
 I'a^siiires in IJiscav. 
 
 The crews of the ' Ilind' and ' Squirrel' Avere * so sorely 
 depressed' hy this luisfortune. that Sir Ilumjthrey abandoned 
 his (lesijifn of "jjoin*; to Cape Breton, and on Augur?t 31 bore 
 up for lOnj.dand. ^^'hen they left St. John's, Sir Humphrey 
 ' made choise to go in his Frigat, the Sijuirrel, the same being 
 most conuenient to discouer upon the coast, and to search into 
 everv harbour or creeke, which a irreat ship couM not do.' 
 Twice, on their homeward voyage across the Atlantic, he went 
 on hoard the ' Ilind,' but would }U)t listen to the entreaties of 
 her officers to remain in her, saying. ' I will not forsake my 
 little comitany going homeward, with whom I hauc passed so 
 many stt)rms and ])erils.' On Sej)tember 9, they passed the 
 Azores, when ' the S([uirrel was neerc cast away, oppressed 
 by wanes, yet at that time recouered ; and, giuing forth sitrns 
 of joy, the (icnerall, sitting abafte with a booke in his hand, 
 cried out vnto us in the Hind (so oft as we did approach Avithin 
 hearing), " We are as neerc to Heaven by sea as by land."' 
 These memorable words, which have cheered manv a hardy 
 British seaman in storm and danger, were the last they heard 
 from the gallant knight on board the ' Hind,* for,' aboute twelue 
 of the clocke, or not long after, on the same night, the Frigat 
 being ahead of vs in the (j(»lden Hind, suddcnlv her lights 
 vere out, whereof as it were, in a moment, we h»st the si«rht, 
 and with all our watch cryed, " the Generall was cast away," 
 which was too true. For in that moment the Fri<^at was 
 deiioured and swallowed vp of the sea.' Thus perished the 
 brave leader of this unfortunate expedition — the victim of an 
 
 ' Amougst these wero Parnicuius, who was to have been the historian of the 
 expedition, the .Saxon Rtfiner, and Captain Maurice Browne, 'a vertuous, honest, 
 and disrreeto pentleinan.' 
 
40 CAPE nitrTox. 
 
 idle roporl whiclj bad "[(Mic t1irMUf;;1i tli»^ litllo flrot, ' that lie 
 was afraid <»r tlic sta.' wliicli lie ic ulvi-d in disprove l>v ra^ldv 
 ('X|)iisin<r hi.*, life to the ri>ks of an aiitmnnal voyage across thi; 
 i\tlaiiti'> 11) a <"rii| hark of scarce ten tons hurthen, ' jti-cferriiijr,' 
 as Captaii' Hayes I'emarks, ' thi; wiiide of a vaine report to the 
 weight iif his own life.' W'vW niitiht Sir IImn5>hrev have 
 treated such reports with cont< injtt ; his character was above 
 snspicion. 'lie was one of thos<',' oh<ei"ves Ilaklnyt, 'who 
 alike desjtised fickleness and feai* : daiiL^er never tnrned him 
 aside from the ])nrsuit of hononr or the service of his Sove- 
 rei<;n ; fur he knew that death is inevitahle and the fame of 
 virtue immortal/ Owinir to the disastrous intelliii:ence of the 
 issue of ( lilltert's vo\aLr<'. hroiii^ht to iCii'-land hv the Miolden 
 Iliiid,' Sir W alter Kalciifh and his friends, who had an interest 
 in the enter])rise, uave ujj all idea of forminii; a si-ttlemenl in 
 that part of Aniei'ica, and directed their attention to tin* more 
 genial climates of the South: so that we are indel)te<l to cap- 
 tains in the merchant sei'vice for the t)idy accounts extant of 
 further vovuijrcs made to the fishin<j:-<>rounds hefore the (dose 
 of the sixteenth century. Ilikliiyt and l*urc!ias have rescuetl 
 many of these fr»tm oi)livion ; hut 1 puritose ^ivinji' you extracts 
 from the jounuils of Captains Strong and I.>eigh only, as they 
 alone contain any references to Cape IJri'ton. 
 
 The ' MariLfoid,' of seventy tons hurthen, liichard Strong 
 master, sailed fVoni Fahnoiith (tn dune 1, l.>9.), for the islan<l 
 of Uamea, on the southei-n coast of Newfoundland, to kill 
 morse, or sea-oxen ; ' in which isle are so great ahundance of 
 the hu<re and miiihtie sea -oxen with ijreat teeth in the moiu'ths 
 of Aiiril, ]May and Jun(\ that there haue heenc fifteene hun- 
 (Ireth killed there hy one small harko in the yeere l.l'Jl.' The 
 ' Mario-old' reached Cape St. Francis f»n .fulv 11, whence siie 
 sailed roiuid Cape Race in s;.'arch of Kamea l.'>land (wdiich you 
 mav sec ii|»on anv jjood map.) ' W'a heat ai)out a verv lontr 
 time, anil yet missed it, and at length overshot it, and fell in 
 Avith Cape Hriton. . . . llcere diners of our men went on land 
 vpon the very ca])e, where, at their arriuall they found tlu; 
 s[iittes of oke of the Sauages which had roasted nieatc a little 
 before. And as they viewed the eountroy they saw diucr?- 
 
CAPTAIV SIRONVS'S .TOri{\AT., H 
 
 hoastos mill ftnilcs, as hlacko fnxos. (K'cros, oltors, j^rcat foul' 3 
 >vitli rcdde l(';i".r('j*, i»<'ii;x'iiM'i, aixl ci'itaiuo otlicrs. And, liatioiii<; 
 r.>iiii»l iio |)('<»)i1l' luM-e at tliis our first I'Midino-, woe went ajiaine 
 on slii|tl>oordo, and sayKd lartlicr fourc IiMj,niL'.s to the wi-st of 
 Cape IJriton. wht'iv wee saw many !?oak's. And ! c-n', lianciiiii; 
 noL-dr of frcdi water, we went aj^aine on slmre, and. jKissini? 
 somewhat uioio into the lande, wee foiindc eertain nmnd 
 jMindes arliHciaily made hy the Sana^fes to keepe iish in, with 
 certaine wearcs in them to take fish. To these pomhs wee 
 r<']>avred to fill our ea>kc with water. Wee had not henc lonjjj 
 here, hut tlii're came one Saua^'e with hlacke h>n;^ hayre 
 hanuini; ahout his shouhh'rs, who ealled vnto vs, weavini; hi.s 
 hands (h)wnwar(h's towards his hellie, vsln<: these worcK-s, 
 " C'anto<rh, ealitoLrh :'' as w(m.' (h-ew towardes him one of our 
 mens nuiskets vnawares sliot olf ; wlu-revpon liee fell downe, 
 an<l risinir vit smldenlv auaine hee ervcd thrise with a loude 
 vovce. '• (liinirji, ehiutrh, chiuiih : "' 'riiereiipon nine or tenno 
 of his fellowes runniii ; ri;j:ht vp oner the huslies ^vith ^re.it 
 airilitit' anil swiftnesse «'ame towardes vs with white staues in 
 their liandes like half pikes, and their doo;^es of eolour hiaeke, 
 not so biifiro as a jireyhounde, followi>d tlieni at the heehs; 
 hut wee retired vnto our hoate without any hurt at all reeeiucd. 
 llowheit (me of them hrake a hogshead which wee liad fiileil 
 with fresh water, with a jxreat hranehc of a tree whicdi lay on 
 the <iroun(h Vpon whiih (•eea>ion wee bestowed halfe a dozen 
 nuiskets sliotte viton tlnui. whieh thev auovded hv falling Hatto 
 to tlie earth, and afterwarde retireil tiiemselues to the woodes. 
 One of the Saua;j,es, Avhieh seeinetl to he their eajitaine, wore a 
 loni,' mantle of heastes skinnes han^ini; on one of his shoultlers. 
 The rest were all naked except their priuities, "which were 
 eonered with a skinne tved hehinde. After thev had esc-aueil 
 
 * • 1 
 
 <»ur sliotte thev made a ureat fire on the shore, helike to uiue 
 their fellowes warnin<^ of vs. . . . The kinde of trees that 
 wee noted to hee liere, were j^oodlv Okes, Firrc trees of a trreat 
 liei<,dit, a kinde of tree called of vs Quickheame, and diuerse 
 other kindes to vs vnknowne, because wee staved not hm" with 
 dili<rencc to ohserue them; and there is trreat sliewe of rosen, 
 l»itcli ami tarrc. AVee found in both the places where wee 
 
42 CAPE HUETON. 
 
 wout on land ahundanocof Hiisj)Osp><, StrawUorrios, Hurtos, nml 
 licrlx's of jjo'xl SMU'II, and diiu'is jjood for the skiiruic, and 
 I'ra.ss vcrv ranko and of (frcat lf>i<ftli. Wi'c sawe fino or six 
 l)oatos sayllnjT to tlio soutlnvardts (tf Cajto liriton, which wee 
 jutlj^cd to \n'v Chri.xtians, whitdi liad sonic trade that way. 
 AVi'O sawc also, while wee were on shore, tlie manner of their 
 hanj;iiifj vp their fish and flesh with withes to dry in the ayre; 
 they also lay them vpon raftes and luirdles and make a smoake 
 vnder them, or a softe fire, and so drie them as the Sana^es vse 
 to «loc in \'ir<;iiiia.' Hence thev sailed alon^ the coast to the 
 sonth-west as far as the latitnde of 44]^'', and in their conrsc 
 * sawe exeeedin;; j;reat store of Scales and aKnndance of l*or- 
 ])oses, whereof we killed elencn. We sawe \N hales also of all 
 sortes as w(dl small as ;;reat ; and here our men took manv 
 herded C'odde with one teate vnderrieath, which are like to the 
 North East Cods, and hetter than those of Newfoundland.' 
 On Sej>tind)er 2S tlicy left the coast and steered for England, 
 which they reached on l)eccnd)cr 22. 
 
 The place where the ' Marii:;ol(rs ' boat's crew landed to ob- 
 tain fresh Avater was evidently the point of land upon which 
 Louisbouri; was afterwards built, the distance from the Cape 
 beini^ exactly four leajj^ues. 
 
 Ca])tain Leij^h's voya<;e, to which I have already alluded 
 (p. 40), Avas made in 1597. lie sailed from (Jravcsend on 
 Aj>ril 11, in connnand of the ' Hopewell,' of 120 tons, accom- 
 jKinied by the ' Chancewell,' Caj)taiu Van Herwick, of 70 tons, 
 on a fishing and trading expedition to the St. Lawrence. Both 
 shijis arrived in safety on the coast of Newfoinidland on 
 ]\Iay 20, but j)arted company in a fog off l*lacentia liay on 
 June 5. Cai)tain Leigh, from whose joui'nal I make the Ad- 
 lowing extracts, informs me, that on June 11, 'at sunsetting, 
 we had sight of Cape Breton. . . . On the 12th, by reasoTi 
 of contrary win<ls they cast anchor under the north-east end 
 of the island of Mcncgo, to the north of Cape Breton . . . 
 and on the 14th came to the two islands of Birds.' After 
 visiting Brion's Island, they gave nj) the idea of going to the 
 St. Lawrence without their consort, and returned to the east- 
 ward in search of her. On his arrival at the Isle ol' liamea, 
 
CAPTAIN LKKJU's JOIUNAL. 43 
 
 fliuliinT four Froiirli v ssols in the port, Tioi<xh coolly onlrrod 
 the masters tn deliver up tlicir miinitioiis ami powder to liim, 
 proiiiisiiiji to return tliein on liis de|>:irtiire. 'Pliis demand was 
 resisted l)y the fishermen, \vho called in a nnndxr of nien from 
 the <»ther harhonrs near, and jirepared to attack the 'lIo|)(>- 
 well ' with three pieces of oidnance jdanted on the shore. 
 Finding the Frenchmen too strcn^ for him, Lei^h prudently 
 left the port on the 2 1st, and sailed for Isle Blanch, two 
 leagues di.-tant ; hut he was not allowed to remain loiij^, his 
 while tla^ haviiii; heen answered * hy a bullet out of a «:;reat 
 piece of ordnance.' liy the advice of his sailinj; master, Lei^h 
 now -hajx'd liis course for the river t>f Cape lireton [Syndey?], 
 supi'tiseJ to he 40 leaj^ues distant. ' The 24 June we sent our 
 hoate on shore in a irreat Hay vpon the Isle of Cape liriton, 
 for water. The 2.> we arriued on the west side of the isle of 
 Menc<^o, where we leit some caskc on shore in a sandy hay, 
 hut could not tary for foule weather. The 26 we east anker 
 in another Hay vpon the maine of Cape Briton. The 27, ahout 
 tenne of the clockc in the niorninj;, we met with ei^ht men of 
 the Cliancewell, our consort, in a shallo})e, who told us that 
 their shij) was east away vpon the maine of Cape liriton, 
 within a great hay eightecne leagues within the Cape, and 
 vpon a rockc within a mile of the shore, vpon the 2.'5 of this 
 moneth, ahout one of the clo(;ke in the afternoone ; and that 
 they had cleered the shij> from the rocke : but being bilged 
 and full of w ater, they jtresently did run her vp into a sandy 
 l)ay, Avhere she was nc sooner come on ground, but |)rcsently 
 after there came aboord many shallojts with store of French 
 men, who robbed and spoyled all they could lay hands on, 
 |iillaging the poore men cuen to their very shirts, and vsing 
 them in sauage manor : whereas they should rather as Chris- 
 tians haue aided them in that distresse. AVhich newes, when 
 we heard, we blessed God, who by his diuine providence and 
 vnspeakable mercy had not onely preserued oil the men, but 
 broujrht us thither so miraculouslv to avd and comfort them. 
 So presently we put into the road where the ChanceAvell lay ; 
 where also was one ship of Sibiburo, whose men that holpe to 
 pdlage the ChanccAvell were runue awav into the woods. But 
 
44 CAPE BRETON". 
 
 the master thereof, wliich hud dotie very honestly wiili our 
 men, stayed in liis ship, and came ahoord of vs : whom we \sc(l 
 well, not takino- iVom him any thinj; that was his, but onelv 
 such thinj^s as we could finde of our owne. And when we had 
 dispatchctl our husinesse, we f]^ave him one j^ood cable, one olde 
 cable and an anker, one shalloj) wilh mast, sailes and other 
 furniture, and other thiniis which belonged t(» the siup. In 
 recompense whereof he <;aue vs two hogsheads of sider, one 
 barrel ol' peaze, and 2.5 score of fish. 
 
 ' The 2'J, betimes in the morninn; we departed from that road 
 [St. Ann's?] toward a i^reat Biscaine some 7 leagues off, of .'>()() 
 tuns, "whose men dealt most doggedly with the Chanceweirs 
 C(»mpany. The same night we aidvered at the mouth of the 
 harborow where the Biskaine was. Tlie •'>(), betimes in the 
 morning we put into the harborow, and, a]>proached nere their 
 stage, we saw it uucouered, and so suspected the ship to be 
 gone; Avhereuj»on we sent our j)iues>e on shoi"e with a dozen 
 men, who, when they came, ibund great store offish on shore. 
 ])ut all the men were tied : neither could they perceiue whether 
 the ship could be gone, but. as they thought, to sea. This day, 
 about twelue of the clocke, we t(n)k a sauage boate which our 
 men ])ursui'<l ; liut all the Sauages ran away into the woods, 
 and our men brought their boat on lioord. The same day, in 
 the afterno(»n, we brought our ship to an anker in the harborow : 
 and the same we tooke three hogsheads and an halie of traine, 
 and some 'MM of greene fish. Also in the euening three of the 
 Sauages, whose boat we had, came vnto vs for their ijoat ; to 
 whom we gaue ct)ats and kniues, and restored them their Ixiat 
 againe. The next day, being the first of July, the rest of the 
 Sauages cauie vnto vs, among whom was their king, whose 
 name was Itary, and their (pieene, to whom also we gaue coats 
 and kniuos and other trifles. These Sauages called the luu- 
 borow C'ibo [Sydney]. In this place are the greatest multi- 
 tude of lobsters that euer we heard of; i'ov we caught at oiu' 
 hawlc with a little draw net above 140. 
 
 * The fourth of July, in the morning we departed from Cibo. 
 And tlie fifth we cast anker in a reasonable good harbour called 
 New Port [Puerto Novo or lialeiue] some eight leagues from 
 
CAPTAIN LEIOn's JOURNAL. 45 
 
 Cil)0, and within throe leajrucs from the Enj^lish Port (Lonis- 
 Ixtiwir). At this phice, in jinrsninuj certain ^haUops of a sl)ip of 
 Udclit'l, one of them came aboord, who toM vs tliat tlic Bis- 
 kaiiur whom we soiifjht was in the Enirlish Port, with two 
 IJiskainers more and two shij)< of Koehel. Therenpon we sent 
 one (»f onr men in the liochellers ^^halh)|) to parlc with the 
 A(hniral ' and others our friends m the English l*ort, request- 
 inu them ayd for the reeoucry of our things, which the other 
 ship, called the Santa Maria, of St. Vincent (whereof was mas- 
 ter .lohuinies de Ilarte, and })ilot Adam de Lauandote), had 
 rohliod from the Chancewell. To which they answered, that if 
 Nvo would eoiue in viito them in jjcat'c, they would assist vs 
 what they might. This answer we had the slxt day. 
 
 ' On the scucnth, in the foreno(»n, we arrived in the English 
 port, and cast anker aloofe froin the other ships; which done, I 
 went al)oord the Admirall to di<irethe [tertormance of his pro- 
 mise; who sent for .lohanncs de Ilarte, who was contented to 
 restore nio>t t>f our things againe : whereupon 1 went aboord 
 his ship to haue them restored. This day and the eight I spent 
 in procuring such things as they had robbed ; but yet in the 
 end we Avanted a great })art thereof. Then we were l)riefe 
 with then>, and willed them either to restore vs the rest of our 
 things A\lii*li they had, or els enfoi'ce them to do it, and also 
 haue satisfaction Ibr our \ictuals and merchandises, which 
 by their moans were lost In the Chancewell. The ninth, in the 
 morning, wee )>repared our ship to goe neere vnto them. 
 \\horeupon their Admirall sent his boat al)oord and desired 
 to speak with mee ; then I went vnto him, and desired to haue 
 our things with jieace and (piietnesse, profl'ering to make him 
 and the masters of the two ships of Itoehel onr vmpircs, and 
 what they sh<iuld adui>e 1 would stand vnto. Ileereupon we 
 went aboord the other .vhip to make ]»oace, but they would 
 lieare no reason, neither \ ct condescend to restore anv thino- 
 
 ' It was oui-t.;in;i'-,v in l!u' ti-liiiiLr I'oris for tlio iiuister of the fir;.t sliip that 
 aniv.d tn a.'t as ailmiral until ain.ili.r cam.' in, wli.ii the last c.iih.t Lcciinio 
 ailtniral. and so on in su,-i>. >siui). Any disinitcs or .lilHonllics tliat arose were 
 nlinvd to tlio ailmiral {<'•.■ sfltltni-nl. 'I'lic adniirai, upon coniii.^ into oflioi-, gave 
 a f> ast to all tli.' ina^t. rs of vc ssels i.' j'ort. 
 
4G CAPE BRETON. 
 
 els which they had of ours. Then I desired that, as I came in 
 peace vnto thorn, they wouhl so sot nie ahoord my ship ajj^ainc ; 
 whicli tliey deiiiod to doe, hut most uniustly detained me and 
 Steplien van Ilorwioke [master of the Chancewell], Avho was 
 with me. A while after, our shallop came with foure men to 
 know how I did, and to fetch me ai)oord ; hut so soone as she 
 came to the AdmiralTs ship's side, his men entered, and tooke 
 her away, detaininn; our men also as ]>nsoners with vs. Then 
 presently all the throe liiscainers ma lo toward our ship, which 
 was not carclesso to jijet the wlnde of them all; and hauiiii; 
 then 1)V the mercv of (jod obtained the same, shoe then staved 
 for them ; but when they sawe they had lost their advanta<fc, 
 thev ]>resentlv turned their course, makinji as jjreat haste in 
 againe as they did out before. Afterwards I attempted twise 
 to ooe aboord, but was still enforced backe bv the two other 
 ]?iscaintrs, who sought our Hues, so that in the end the master 
 of the Admirall was enforced to man his <>rcat boat to waft vs; 
 and vet, notwithstandinjx, thev bent a T'ii'oe of j^roat ordinance 
 at vs ; for we were to ])asse by them vnto oin* ship; but we 
 rescued our shallop under our master's frreat boat ; and bv 
 that moans passe<l in safety. The next morning, being the 
 tenth of the moneth, we purposed, if the winde had serucd our 
 turn, to bane made them repent their euill doing, and to 
 restore vs our owne againe, or els to haue snncke their ships 
 if we could, lint the winde scrued not our turne for that 
 purpose, but carried vs to sea ; so that the same morning 
 we tooke our course toward the Bay of Sr. Lawrence, in New- 
 foundland, where we hoped to finde a Spanish ship, which we 
 had intelligence did fish at that place.' 
 
 On his arrival at St. Lawrence Bay, learning that there was 
 a Spanish ship in Little St. Lawrence, not far distant, he sent 
 an officer and sixteen men to seize her. Tins was easily 
 oflc'Cted ; but another Spanish shi|), Avhicdi arrived a dav o'' 
 two after on the scene of action, recaptured her consf)rt, and 
 made prisoners of the prize crew. Finding himself over- 
 matched, Leigh was glad to exchange the Spanish prisoners 
 in his hands for the j)rize crew, and hasten his departure from 
 .su(di a dangerous neighiionrhood. On the 24th, he reached 
 
CAPTAIN LEIOH's JOURNAL. 47 
 
 tho liarboiir of Cape St. Mary, where he found a French sliip 
 of J>elle U\c, 200 tons hurthen, witli a crew of forty men. 
 Disappointed in his views upon the Spaniard, Leij^h attaekeil, 
 and, after a i«harp fight, captured the unoffen<ling Frenchman, 
 who had nothing whatever to do with the robbery of tlie 
 • Chancewclh' Having tluis satisfied his desire for revenge, 
 Leigh sailed with his ])rizc for England, and on August 31 
 made Lundv Island, in the IJristol C'hanncl. 
 
 In 'certaine observations,' at the end of his 'Journal,' Leigh 
 says: — 'The island oi' Menego [probal>ly St. Paul's] is scant 
 two leagues long, and very narroAV. In the midst of it, a 
 great way within the wood, is a very large poole. . . . The 
 land of Cape Briton we found to be somewhat like the Xcw- 
 foinulland, but rather liettcr. Here, toward the west end of 
 it, we saw the clouds lie lower than the hils ; as we did also 
 at Caj)e Laurence in Xewfoundland. The easterly end of tlie 
 inland of Cape Ihiton is nothing so high land as the west. 
 We went on sho.e vpon it in iiue places: 1. At the bay where 
 the ChancewcU was cast away; 2. At Cibo; 3. At a litvlc 
 island between Cib(» and Newport; 4. At the Newport ; and 
 5. At Port Ingle;;e, or the Knglish Port.' 
 
 Ca[>tain Leigh is the first navigator that calls Cape Breton 
 an (shnid.^ All the other writers whom I have quoted in the 
 ]»re('ediMg j>:igis, seom to have been of opinion that the Cape 
 itsi'jf was the eastern extremity of Nova Scotia, or, as it wi. 
 then called, Noruinbega, or Arambec— the name applied upon 
 the old nuips to all the territ»»ry to the eastward of the Hudson 
 river. They sj>eak of the Cape, the country adjacent to or 
 about the C pe, or the firm or maiidand of Cape Breton, but 
 never make any allusion to its insular character. The Cape, 
 from its ]troininent position, naturally became the land-fdl 
 anxiously looked for by the fishermen eomiiig out from Europe 
 in the spring, as well as their point of departure on their home- 
 
 ' Sinco tlie aKove jris.svgp wat written, my attention h.is Iioen directcil to a 
 V(iy;vu[t> (rtviiixK'il in Ilakluyt's • Collfcti'in ■) tn;ulo by Mast ei Kir« Jones, in tlie 
 • (iract ' of Bristol, in l.")i)4. to tho island of Antioogti, in pursuit of whales, in whiih 
 Master Joii"s >ay- that on hi.- r. tiiin • he had .•■ight of the i.iftaiil of ('ape Hreton.' 
 Tliiv was three years l>tfore Leij^hs voyage. 
 
48 CAPE RRETON. 
 
 ward voyap^os, and was known by its present name so far back 
 as the year 1,>()4 (p. 14). 
 
 1 have not been able to asoertuin when the Gnt of Caiiso 
 was first discovered. The oldest map on which it is delineated 
 is that constructed by the celebrated ^eogra})her Gerard Mer- 
 cator, published at Duisbourg in 1569, of which you have a 
 copy annexed. Mercator must have derived his information 
 from an authentic source — j)robably fi'om some intelligent 
 fisherman who fiequcnted that part «»f the coast — as the posi- 
 tion and direction of the Gut is laid down with tolerable 
 accuracy.' Neither Ilakluyt nor ^lichael Lok could have 
 seen Mei'cator's map, when the former published Lok's map in 
 the ' Divers Voyages to America,' in laS2, as Cape IJieton is 
 laid down as the eastern extremity of Xorumbega. This is the 
 more cxtraonTKiarv, as, accordin<>; to I lakhivt, ' Michael Lok 
 was a man, for his knowle<lgc in divers languages, and espe- 
 ciallv in cosmouraiihle, ai)!e to do his counti'v j;ood.' 
 
 Durinj; the latter years of the sixteenth ccnturv, a'thou'di 
 England, France, and Spain were at constant warfare, it is 
 graiifylug to learn that the coasts of Gape lireton were con- 
 sidered neutral ground l)y the European fishermen, who fie- 
 quenteil the same harbours and followed their vocation in 
 i)eace and amitv. It was oidv when such an outra'^e as the 
 
 Ik* O 
 
 plundering of the ' Cijancewell ' occurred, that the su<ouldering 
 embers of national aniino;-ity burst into a flame. In other 
 parts of the world, this comnjendable conduct was not, un- 
 happily, jnirsued. Every sea traversed by the argosies of 
 Spain, laden with the treasures of ^Mexico ami Peru, was 
 closely watched by Ixjhl English r<»vors, ever ready to ])ouncc 
 upon their j>rey. To these men it was a matter <tf indifference 
 whether England and Sj)ain were at peace v,y war. If they 
 fell in with a Spanish galleon, they never wanted an excuse 
 for attacking her; and if the S[»anish Ambassador complained 
 of the outrage at the ICnglish Goiu't, I'^lizabeth, it is said, 
 
 ' I.iM'arliot says tliat ;i Krrticliniiin. S.iv.vleifo, liipan to fish at .1 harbour four 
 If^agiirs to the wi>t\varil of Caj"' Caiiso. in l.')(;3. Savtihttc rmist of course have 
 Ihcii \\\\\ awaio <'f the ('xi>ii mo of tin- strait wliifh ."-eiiarates (.'alio iJnton froiu 
 NoVii .Si'otia. See Lesrarliot's Uistuirf t/c la youvel/' -FniiUf. 
 
SIEUU CIIALVIN OBTAINS A PATENT. 4J> 
 
 ' n'lirovcJ the utfiMiders with smiles, and (.ecasioiially coiide- 
 soended to sliaic in the |dunder." Fortunutcly for the Spanish 
 fishfi-nien, the small value (.(' their eargoes ottered no tt'nii>ta- 
 tinii to snch men as Hawkins, Drake, and (ircnville; aii<l 
 hundreds of carj^oes of salt cod and train oil annually reached 
 Sjiain without n'olestation. Althonuli the jxirts of C"ai)e 
 IJrcton were open to all nations, St. Anne's was the fa\(»urite 
 roort of the French, Port In;xlese (Louishoiu-jx), of the Kno- 
 lish, and IJaie des K>i)a^niols (Sydney), of the Spanish fi>her- 
 mcn. Before the close of Elizabeth's rci«rn (lOO.'i), nxorc than 
 •J(Ki Hniflish vessels were engaj^ed in the fisheries of Ncwtuund- 
 land and Cape Hreton.' 
 
 I After the failure of liaron dc Lory to make a settlement in 
 America in 151 H, no attemjjts were made hy the French to 
 take actual p(»ssession of any part of the country borderiug on 
 the (iulf (»f St. Lawrence until the year lo'JS, when the Mar- 
 rpiis de la Koche took out a number of persons, amonust whom 
 were fortv convicts, to establish a colonv in New France. On 
 his arrival at the Isle of Sable, tlie Marquis put the eonvit-ts 
 on sljore, with the intention of leaving them there un*il he ha<l 
 explored tlie coasts of the mainland in search of a suitable 
 place for settlement. A\'hilst engaged in this duty, the Mar- 
 (piis was overtaken by a tempest, driven oft' the coast, and 
 oliliged to return to France. The unlbrtunate convicts, 
 abandoned to their late on a desolate island, built a liouse 
 with materials obtained from the wrecks of some Spanish ves- 
 sels which had been cast away on their way to Cape IJreton, 
 Avith the intention of makinga settlement there.- Seven years 
 afterwards, a vessel was seiri: out by the king of France to look 
 after the miserable outcasts, when only twelve were found 
 alive, who had subsisted princijtally upon the progeny of the 
 cattle lelt there by the Baron de Lerv in lolS.' 
 
 I In the year 1J9U, the Sieur Chauvin,a captain in the French 
 navy, who had some influence at C(»urt, by the advice of Cap- 
 tain Pontgrave of St Malo, who had made a voyage up the 
 
 ' Ixjrd lUiry's KxoffnK of the Wii^tirn Sutiiins. 
 
 ■•' Cliarlovoix's Hhtvin ct VeKi:rii>tif'ii rk /« Notnelh-Fninci-. 
 
 ' 8.r p. IS. 
 
 K 
 
50 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 St. Lawrence, ohtnliioJ a patent from the kinir, fjrnntlng him 
 the exclusive ri<.';ht of trading upon that river, on ectndition ol 
 eoh»nisiiio; the {'(»untry. Chauvin and Pontixrave, aeeomj>afii('<l 
 by M. de Monts, who went out to see the country, arrived at 
 TadcHissae, an Indian village at the confluence of the rivers 
 Sairuenav and St. Lakvn'uci'. where thev estal»li.-hed a post for 
 trading witli the natives. I'ontgrave and Di; Monts stiongjy 
 advised Chauvin to go farther up the St. Lawrence; l)ut the 
 latter, ignoring the conditions of his patent, and thinking oi' 
 nothing ])Ut enrichinrr himsi If bv the collection <»f furs, left 
 sixteen men at Tadoussac for that purpose, and returned with 
 his friends to France. L. the following s[)ring, Chauvin again 
 went out to Tadoussac, where he found that several of his men 
 had died of cold and hunger during tlie winter, and that the 
 survivors owed their lives t«> the kindness (»f the Lidiaiis. 
 Taking his men to France, he was busily engaged in |)repara- 
 tions for another expedition u}ion :i larger scale, when he died 
 sudtlenly, and the scheme was consequently abandoned.' 
 
 Ktjually iinl'ortunate was ihe result of an enterprise under- 
 taken soon after the death of Chauvin ))y the Sieur Aymer de 
 C'hastes, (io\evn»»i- of Dieppe, who obtained a eonnnission from 
 Henry IV. to establish a colony in Canachi. De C'hastes sent 
 out Captain du Fontgrave and Samuel Champlain to examine 
 the country, for the pnrj)ose of selecting a place for settle- 
 ment. Avh(t, after completing that service, returned to France, 
 where, to their great grief", they found that De Chastes had 
 died during their absence. This, of course, put an end to the 
 enterprise. 
 
 The attempts of Sir Walter Kaleigh and his friends to 
 establish an Knulish ettlonv in the more trenial climate et' 
 North Carolina were equally unsuccessful. Ilaviny: obtained 
 a patent from (^uoen Elizabeth, Raleigh sent out an expeditieii 
 in l')H5, which, (twing to the gross mismanagement of its 
 leader, j)roved a disastrous failure. Most of the settlers died 
 of hunger and disease ; the few survivors were fortunately 
 rescued from a similar fate by Sir Francis Drake, who visited 
 the settlement in 1586, (»n his return frctm Carthaoena. A 
 
 ' Clidmplaius Vt'yayc6 dt la yvuvdlc-Fntiuc, 
 
FAILURE OF SETTLEMENTS. 51 
 
 sorond hand of settlers, who Avent out in 15H7, 120 in number, 
 uas suj)j)ose(l to have perished in hostilities with the Indians. 
 Not a sin;jle soul was left to tell the sad storv of their fate. 
 In the short space of a dozen years almost every trace of tho 
 Citv of Kalciiih, on the island of Itoanoke, was obliterated. 
 
 Thus you see that up to the year 1600 — 103 years after the 
 discovery of the continent of North America by Cabot — every 
 attempt to establish a jiermanent settlement on the long line of 
 coast stretching from Florida to Labrador had signally failed ; 
 Hot a single Eurojtcan was then known to be living within those 
 limits, save the few miserable outcasts left by De la Roche 
 on the desolate Isle of Sable. 
 
 G 3 
 
o2 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 LKTTEK IV. 
 1600— 101 :j. 
 
 The dawn of tlic seventeenth oentury was distinguished hy an 
 event ol" no small ini|Htrtanee in eonneetion with our story — 
 namely, the first settlement of Xova Scotia. This, too, was 
 innnediately followed hy another atte!n|>t t(» estahlish a colony 
 in Canada, whieh liapjtily proved more successful than those 
 which 1 l)riefly noticed in my last letter. If the simple colo- 
 nisation of those countries Iiad heen the only object in view, 
 the failures I have recorded would most likely have discoura<i;ed 
 others from imdertakinf; similar enterprises; hut a new hranch 
 of conanerce— the fur trade— had heen f^radually «rrowiiij^ up, 
 which yielded such profitable retuins, that the moment one 
 adventurer disajtpeared, another was ready t(» step into his 
 place. The Xorman and lireton fishermen, who had occa- 
 sionally visited the (iulf and Kiver St. Lawrence in the pursuit 
 of whales, ever since the time of Jac(pies C'artier, were the 
 first who bcfran this traftic. Finding that the sava<;es readily 
 exchan<;ed the lilossy l)eaver skins with which thev were 
 clothed for the merest trifles, the fishermen brought out knives, 
 beads, and other worthless trinkets, and in the course of time 
 established a regular trade with the savages, who Hocked t<» 
 the shore every spring with the fruits of their winter's hunting. 
 This lucrative traffic was not confined to the banks of the 
 St. Lawrence. The fishermen who fre(iuentcd the coasts of 
 Nova Scotia and Cape Breton were not long in discovering 
 that the traffic in furs was a much more profitable, and at the 
 same time a less laborious occupation than catching and cur- 
 ing codfish. Many abandoned their old vocatiitn, and, being 
 supplied by the merchants of St. Malo, Rouen, &c., with 
 
DE MONTS OHTAINM A GRANT PROM HENRY IV. 53 
 
 nlmnda-.t sto('k^4 (if such cojiiiuoditics as wcro in(»?t eap;crly 
 pmcliased liy tlic Iiidiiuis, luMietratod every liarl)()ur and creek 
 u[um tiie roasts of the (iidf and the Atlantic in search of 
 nistonicr?. C'ajie Breton, owinfj to its position, and the facih- 
 tics atlurded by its internal water conunuiiication, soon became 
 a favourite resort of the fur traders.' 
 
 The nioital remains of M. de Chastes, the worthy governor 
 of Diepix'. had scarcely been dejiositiMl in their last restin*;- 
 |)lace, when a new candidate for the honour of colonisinuj 
 New France, and at the same time of enriching himself in the 
 lucrative fur trade, appeared in the person of Pierre du (iast, 
 Sieur de flouts, a <rontleman of great influence at the court of 
 Ilenrv IV., who in the year 1603 obtained a jxrant from that 
 muiiarch of all the territory included between the fortieth and 
 forty-sixth de;irees of north latitude. This territory, which 
 Mas called La Cadic or Acadie in his commission, extended from 
 Pemisylvaiua on the south, to the St. Lawrence on the north, 
 includin<; therein the present British provinces of Nova Scotia 
 and New Brunswick, to which in later times, the name Acadie 
 was restricted. De Monts, by his irrant, enjoyed a monopoly 
 of the soil, and the exclusive rij^ht of tradinji; in furs with the 
 hidians ; but the riffhts of the Hshermen to follow their voca- 
 tion on the coasts with >ut interruption were strictly reserved. 
 This reservatit)n, however, did not sutisfv either the fishermen 
 <»r the merchants of the French fishing jiorts, who had for a 
 long time been deriving great profits from the fur trade. A 
 great outcry was raised against the monopoly by all parties 
 
 ' It. is evidfiit tho f'a]io Brefoii Indians woro ro:rularly enpjancd in this tratlo 
 in tin; year 1 j'J4, and ready to di>jiM>o of tluir furs to any clmnff vessel that 
 iirrived on tlie coast ; for Henry May, who vi.-ited the ishmd on liis way from 
 l?erniuda (wiurr ho had hpon sliipwrecked ) to Newfoundland, in scaridi of a 
 j>as>aire to Enjiland, says: ' On the 2(1111 May ( 1.VJ4) we fell with the land near to 
 Capo Briton, where we ran into a fresh-water river, whereof there be many, and 
 tooke in Wood, wati r, ami ballast. And liere the people of the eountrey eaine unto 
 us, being elot bed all in furs, with the furred side unto their skins, and bronght with 
 tluni furres of sundry .sorts to sell, liesides great store of wild ducks ; so some of 
 our company, Iiaving saved some small beads, bought some of their ducks. Here 
 We stayed not above foure houres. and so departed. This slioidd seeine to l)e 
 n v^ry good eountrey. And wo saw very fine champion ground and woods." — 
 
64 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 intorostcd in the oM state of aflalrs. mIiIcIi I)e Moiits (Mniltl 
 only appease \>y fulldwint; tlie exami»le of" liis preileeessor De 
 ('hastes, Avho had heen oidi^ed to uivL' tlie maicoiiteiits a share 
 in his «'xcliisive i'i<dits. 
 
 De Moiits and his partners hist no time in takinjr j>ossession 
 of their territory. In the s|)rinf; <»!' 1004, they fitted ont two 
 vessels, in which they cniharked a motley company, conipri>ed 
 of'«;enthmen vohniteers. Catholic pri«>sts, IIii<^iienot ministers, 
 a^ricnlturists, artisans, soldiers, and some jiersons of less repu- 
 tahle character, taken irom the <ra(»ls and ;jallevs. 
 
 De Monts sailed from IIa\re de (inice on April 7, 1604, 
 in the Hrst ship, connnanded hy Captain Timothy, accompanied 
 by his friend tlee.nde IJienconrt ; liaron de INuitrinconrt, who 
 went ont to sec the country for the purjiose of fixing upon a 
 suitable place to settle his family: Samuel Champlain, chief 
 |»ih>t of the exi)editi(»n, of whom 1 shall have to say more 
 anon; and M. d'Orville, M. de ChamjKlon'. and 'other men 
 of reck»»niny;.' De Monts and manv of his associates hein<f 
 Protestants, were allowed the free exercise of their reli<:;ion 
 upon et»nditiou of takin«r out a certain munher of priests to 
 instruct the aboriijines in the doj^mas of the Koman Catholic 
 faith. This eon<lition he faithfully carried out, nnudi to his 
 own discomfort. They had not been many days at sea when 
 the ])riests and ministers bc<;an to discuss the tenets of their 
 respective creeds, which led to unseemly quarrels, sometimes 
 eiulintr in blows. C'hamj)lain says he does not know which 
 had the best of it, but that he heard the minister of wliat he 
 calls 'the i)rotended reformed religion,' complain to De Monts 
 that he had been beaten by the ])rlest. 
 
 Captain P()nti:;rave, a merchant of St. Malo, who had 
 often been up the St. Lawrence, and was said to have realised 
 a fortune in the fur trade, embarked in the sec<md ship, com- 
 manded by Ca])tain Morell, and sailed from Havre de Grace 
 a few days after De Monts, havin;^ previously arranged to 
 meet him at Campseau. 
 
 De Monts hsul a favourable vovajje, but overshot his des- 
 tined port, making the land at Cape La Heve, sixty leagues 
 to the westward of Campseau ; wliilst INmtgrave, on the other 
 
DE MONTS DTSrOVFTlS THF BAY OP PrXDY. 55 
 
 liiiiwl, IVII short of It, first inakiiijr tlio l:iti<l at Havre a. 
 rAn<rl<>is ( Lduishourj:). Kntin Capo La Ilt'vo IV Mouts 
 roasted alon<: to tlio westward, and entered a liarlxMir wliich 
 lie nani(<l 1\ 't-lios-ijxiKd ( Liverpool), after the eaptain of a 
 sliiji which he sii/cd there, ' wh(» did trm-ke for skins with the 
 saviM'es.' I*ro«'eedin^' further west, he reached a harl)our 
 \\hich he calU'<l Port Mouton (the name which it still hears), 
 in cons((|U(iic<' of one of his sheep having Ieape(l overltoard 
 whilst at anchor there. Here he wailed a month for Pont- 
 };rave's ship. i>nt reeeivini; no tidin<;s of her, he eti;,'ai;ed a 
 partv of Indians to <;o alonjx tlie coast to the eastward ii\ 
 >carch of her. Tlie missin<j; ship was lonnd at La Haie des 
 [>!(>, havinj^ heen detained, as Lescarhot' says, 'for two 
 causes: tlu' one, that, wautinj^ a eocke-l)oatc, they imploied 
 ihclr lime in huiidinjj; one, on the land where they arriveil 
 lir>t. wliich was the lCnuli>li IVut ( Lonishourjr). The other, 
 
 that, hcinii- ue at ("ampseau Port, they founde there foure 
 
 ships of P)askes, (»r men of St. .lohn de Luz, that did truckc 
 with the Savaj^es, contrarie to the said inhihitions [De Mont's 
 Patent], from whom they took their uoods, and brouj;ht the 
 masters to the said ^L de Monts, who \\>vi\ them very <rently.' 
 Ponturave then ' returned haeke towards the <jreat i-iver of 
 Canada (the St. Lawrence) for the trade of skinnes or furres;' 
 lint De Monts, who had heen in Cana<hi with (hauvin, and 
 had noticed the 'iuoiu' of the climate, determined to seek for 
 a suitahle place l'o» 1::.: :,:t<^lement in a more <xenial (dimate to 
 the southward. Douhlini; Cape Sahle, he discovered the IJay 
 of Fundv, whi< h he called * La l»aie Francoise,' and a narrow 
 eiiaimel on the stai'hoard leadinjx into a beautiful hasin of 
 }:;reat extent, surrounded by undulatin;:; wooded hills, to whicli 
 he i^ave the name of Port Poyal ( Annajtolis). Poutrinc(»urt 
 was so enchanted with this beantilul harbour, that he obtained 
 from De Ab)nts a ^rant of the e(»untry borderin<x ujjon it, with 
 the intention of bringing out his family aad forming a settlc- 
 
 ' Both Losi-arliot ami Champlain were onjxascd with do Monts ! . he settlt- 
 iii'iit of Aoadio. .My liavty sk« trli lias bun cliictiy coiiijiili d from Erondfllc's 
 Trau.slatiou of liPJ'Mi'bot's //(V/r/r_y «/".Y( "' i'>(/« r, publisht'd in London in IGIO, 
 and'Champlain's roi/njcti de la youi'elh-Frnnre. Paris odition of 1632. 
 
66 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 mcnt. Prdccodlng \\\) the bay. Do ^fonts illfscovcrod the 
 basin of Minas, tlie river St. John, and tlio Bay of Passaniii- 
 ijuoddy, Avhcro ho dcciiled npon establishing; liis settlement 
 npon a small island near the month of the river St. Croix. 
 Here he eroeted a fort and snltal)le bnildini;s, in which he and 
 his eoni|>any spent a miserable winter, after the departure dt' 
 I'outrineourt, who had returned to Franee in the preeedini;- 
 antunni. Of seventy-nine ])ersons who ren)aiiu'<l with l)e 
 Monts on the island, thiitv-five died of ^^curvy l)efore spriiiLf. 
 As soon as the weather would ])ermit, Champlain and De 
 ^Ii»nts end)arked in a small eraft of iifteen tons burthen to 
 complete the siu'vey of the coast to the westward, which they 
 liad commenced in the ])revions antunm. They proceeded us 
 far as ("a])e Cod, but findini:^ the natises <r(>nerally fierce and 
 liostik', or, as Lescarbot calls them, ' trait<»urs and theefes 
 whom one had neede to take heede of,' they returned to St. 
 Croix in tlie beiiinning of Aiio-ust. Despairiufj; of receivini^ 
 the ex])ected succours, they were prej)arin<i- to p) to Xew- 
 foundland, in the hope of meetinf; with a vessel to take them 
 to France, when Pont<i;rave arrived, brinuing \\ith him abun- 
 dant sn])plies and a reinforcement of forty men, ' to the gre;it 
 joy of all.' l»y the advice of Ponti«:rave, I)e ^lonts now 
 decided up»»n crossiniif the bay and forming a settlement at 
 Port lioyal. Ilaviiio; carried over all their stores and utensils, 
 and such portions of the buildiuLTS as could be removed, they 
 at once set to AV(»rk to clear the land, and to erect houses and 
 a fort, on a point at the moutli of the K(iuille Kivcr (Anna- 
 polis liiver). As soon as the people were all comfortably 
 housed, De Monts retuined to France, leavinjj Pont<;rave in 
 charjije of the settlement, and Ciuunplain and Chamjulore t<» 
 explore the country. 
 
 In the spriuii: of lOOfi, De ^fonts and P«Mitrincourt enjiacfed 
 a ship called the ',I<»nas' to takeout mechanics, labourers, and 
 supplies t(> Poi-t l^oyal. Poutrincourt sailed from Kochclic 
 in the '.Jonas,' accompanied by his friend Marc Lescarbot, 
 ' avocat en Parlement,' who wished t-> see the country. We 
 are indel)ted to Lescaibot for the first, as well as the bc>t 
 accouni of the >cttlcment of Acadic'. Thev had a r(»ui;h ami 
 
lescarbotV accovst of acadie. 57 
 
 tedious voyage. On tlie 4tli .riily they made the Isles of St. 
 Peter's, on tlie coast of Newlouiidland ; and on tlie 7tli, 'dis- 
 covered on the larboard a coast of land, high raised nj), 
 aitooaring unto us as h)ng as one's sight could stretch out, 
 which gave us greater cause of joy than yet we had had ; 
 wherein (iod did greatly shew his merciful favour unto us, 
 making this discovery in fair calm weather. Being yet i'ar 
 from it, tlie Ixddest of the ccmipany went up to the main to|>, 
 to the end to sec it hetter, so much were all of us desirous to 
 see this land, true and most delightful habitation of man. AI. 
 de l\jutrincourt went up thither, and myself also, which Ave 
 had not vet done. Even our dogs did thrust their noses out 
 ol'the ship, better to draw and smell the sweet air of the land, 
 not being aide to contain themselves fnmi witnessing by their 
 gestures the iov thev had <»f it. "NVe drew within a league 
 near unto It, and (the sails being let down) we fell a fishing of 
 Cod, the fishing of the IJank beginning to fail. They which 
 Iiad before us nuidc voyages in those parts, did judge us to 
 be at Cajie Breton. The night drawing on, we stood off to 
 the seaward: the next <hiv followinu; drew near to the Bav of 
 Campscau.' 
 
 Having called at several ])laces on the coast, tliey did not 
 r<^a(h Port lioyal until the 27th July, wiien they fonn<l that 
 I'ontgrave and all his jieople, save two men in charge of the 
 lort. had left the place a few days before in boats, in (piest of 
 a lishing vessel bound for France. Meeting with a boat sent 
 to e\pl(»re some harbours on the coast by Poutrincourt, Pont- 
 irrave inunediatciv returned to Port Roval, and ha\iny: seen 
 all parties comfortably settled, proceeded in the ' fl(»nas 'along 
 the coast towards C'ajie Breton in search t>f contraband traders, 
 and then sailed for France. ('ham[)lain and Poutrincourt then 
 set out in a little bark of fifteen tons, to survey the coast to 
 the scmthward, leaving Lescarbot busily (H-cupied in su])er- 
 intending the conipletion of the fort and magazines, clearing 
 laiiil. laying out fields and gardens, erecting a water mill, and 
 iniikiug all needful jii'cparations for the coming winter. 
 
 Having received an abundant supjily of wine and other 
 creature comforts bv the 'tlonas,' and ha\ing from the first 
 
58 CAPE HKETON. 
 
 wiselv ostal)lislio(l most frictidlv rehilions with tlio Indians, 
 Avlio l»r(iu<ji;ht in a profusion of" fislj. cranio, and venison, the 
 little hand ofscttK-rs seem to have had Ji jolly time of it durinj; 
 the winter. They aceompanied the Indians in theii- hnntini^ 
 expeditions, eneamped with them in the forest, invited the 
 chiefs to their tahle, and regaled the scjuaws an<l children with 
 bread and hiscnit. On the return of sprinsj, all hands, includ- 
 in<j; even Poutrineourt and Lescarhot, set to work to prej>aro 
 the soil for cultivation; they duir, planted, and sowed their 
 little fields, with the hope of receiving an abundant return for 
 their lahoui'. Whilst they were thus employed, 4(K) Indian 
 warriors, from various j)arts of the country, rcndezxoused at 
 l*oit Koval, under the i'(»nunand of an aired Sa<;nmore called 
 Mend)erton, a firm friend of the French, on their way to 
 atta«-l< a tril)e called Armoiu-hicpiois, who dwelt on the coast 
 of Maine. The professed object of as^sendjling at Port Koyal 
 was to gratify their French friends; the real object, probably, 
 was to make a demonstration of their power. If the truth were 
 known, the <le}>arture of the fleet of war canoes was to the 
 French the most pleasing part of the spectacle. 
 
 Spring was fast slipping away, and the colonists were 
 anxiously lo(tking for the arrival of De Monts with supjdies 
 from France, when a vessel entered the harbour, briuiiinn; the 
 unwelcome intelligence (»f the revocation of De ^lonts's char- 
 ter, in consecpience of the complaints of the Basque and 
 Breton fi:diermen, who alleged that their proj)erty had been 
 unjustly confiscated, and their business ruined, by De IVIonts's 
 cruiser*. Champlain says this Avas effected by the intrigues of 
 influe'iitial persons about the Court, who were jealous of the 
 great pri\ ilcges granted to De Monts ; and that the fisher- 
 men, notwithstanding their great outcry, had been able to 
 give a heavy bribe to ' a certain person ' to persuade the king 
 to cancel the conuuission. 
 
 Thus, at the very time when their lio[)es were brightest — 
 when all seemed full of promise and success — ^the noble enter- 
 prise in which Dc Monts had end)arked was brought to an 
 abrujtt and disastrous termination by the intrigues of the 
 favouiites of a corru|>t C<>urt. Under these circumstances 
 
THE COLONISTS LEAVE PORT ROYAL. oD 
 
 the oolmiists had no clioiee: they were ohliged to jiUandon 
 l*ort Koyal, and imnu'diatcly set about making; ])roi»arations 
 for that purpose. In the niontli of Au<:just, MM)', Toutrin- 
 court and all his people, Avitli heavy hearts left the fort and 
 huildin^AS «'f Pt>i*t Koyal, top;ether with the jxrowing erops, to 
 their friends tlie Indians, who had just returned viett»rious 
 from their raid again>t the Annouehicjuois, and proeeeded to 
 ('anii)seau to join the other vessels belonging to De Monts 
 and his associates. 
 
 The French, bv their kind and courteous conduct, liad so 
 completely wim the affection and esteem of the Indians, that 
 on their departure from Port Royal 'the shore resounded 
 with lamentation." ' It was piteous,' says Lescarb(»t, ' to sec 
 at his (l*outrincoin-t's) departing, those poor people weep, who 
 had always been kejtt in hope that some of ours should always 
 tarrv with them. In the end, promise was made unto them 
 that the year following households and families should be sent 
 thitlur, wholly to inhabit their land, and teach them trades 
 for to make then> live as we do, which promise did somewhat 
 c(»niibrt them.* It is a piiiidul task to contrast the conduct of 
 our own coimtrymen and other Europeans with that of the 
 French towards the Indians. I will only mention two in- 
 stances. In this same year (1(507), the crew of a I)ut(d» \es- 
 >el, which had put into C'am]>scau harbour, plundered the 
 grjives of the Indians of the beaver skins in which it was their 
 <ustom to wraji the bodies of the diad. And two years later, 
 the celebrated navigator, Henry Hudson, on his voyage along 
 the coast of Acadie, entered a port to re[>air his ship, Avhere 
 the Indians received him with jjreat kindness, ti:ivinjx all the 
 aid in their power, and ottering valuable beaver skins in ex- 
 change for conujion • r(^lde gownes ; " and how do you suppose he 
 rciiaid them? He shall answer for himself: ' In the niorninf 
 wee manned our scute with foure muskets, and sixe men, and 
 totike one of their shallo|)s, and brought it aboord. Then wee 
 manned our b(»ate and scute with twelve men and muskets, 
 and two stone pieces, or murderers, and drave the sauages 
 from their houses, and to(»ke the sp<»yle of them, as they would 
 have (lone of us." ' 
 
 ' IlmUm'st l'""(ii;f. t.tililisheil I'V ilif Hakluvi Sdcitty. 
 
60 CAPE HRETON. 
 
 Leaviiifj tliose paiiil'iil suhjects, let lis note tlio ])rofrress of 
 our Irionds from Port Royal to ('ai'.i))soiUi. Coastiii"; aloiiir 
 shore, tlu'v at Iciiirtli arrived at a port four Icainu's to the 
 westward ol' Cainj)S('au, where they found an ohl French cap- 
 tain who liad heeii fishinji; on the coast of Acadle for more tliaii 
 forty years. A.s Lescarhot's rehition throws some lii^ht unnii 
 the way the fishery was carried on at tliat time on tlie coasts 
 of Acadic and ('a|)e Hreton, I nmst <;ive it in full: — ^' Jn tlio 
 end we arriyed within foure leagues of Canij)seau, at a jxtrt. 
 where a good old man of St. .John de Luz, called Captain 
 Savalet,' receiyed us with all the kindness in the world. And 
 for as much as this jxirt (which is little hut yery faire) hath no 
 name, I haye (pialiHed it, in my <;coi;raphi('al niaj), ^\ith the 
 name of Sayalet. This jjood honest man told us that the same 
 voyai^e was the 42 yoyaucc that he had made into these parts, 
 and neverthelesse the Xewl'oundlaiid men do but make one 
 in a yeare. He was marvellously ijleased with his fishinir, 
 and tolde us moreover that he tooke every day Hftie crownes 
 worth of fish, and that his yoyai^e would be worth 1000 poinids. 
 He ])aid waj^es to IG men, and his yessell was of NO tunnes, 
 ^vhi(•h could carry 100.000 dry fishes. He was sometimes 
 vexed with the sayages that did cal)ine there, v !io too boldly 
 and impudently went into his ship and <arried away from him 
 what they liked.' Next day they arrived at C"amj>seau, where 
 they were soon after jctined by Poutriiu'ourt and Champlain. 
 who had made the yoyaj^e from Poit lloyal, a distance of 120 
 leatrues, in an open boat. 'J'he whole party then sailed for 
 France. 
 
 Poutrincoiu't and Lescarb(»t do not seem to haye visited Cape 
 Breton durinjjj their residence in Acadic, l>ut Champlain, who 
 was eujuloved in riirveyinij the coast and harbours of New 
 France, sjjives in his work a sluu't <lescription of the island, 
 Avhich I will ijive at leny-th, as it is the first (»n record. It is 
 accompanied by a quaint old map, of which I annex a copy, 
 for the jiurpose of showing how little was then known of the 
 geography of the island, even by a person professionally engaged 
 in maritime surveying. Tl.e harbour of Sydney, one of the 
 
 ' Tliiv is tlic inrsoii iiiPiitionoil nt «>. 48. 
 
« 
 
CHAMPLAIN's DESt'iai'TlUN OF CAFK BUKTOX. CI 
 
 Itosl and most coiispic'iKHis on the Atlantic coast, wliii-li had 
 Item loiM'- knowi", vou will ohserve, is not shown at all, -whilst 
 the Hras d'Or Lakes arc rci>iesentcd as ('(mnniinicatinfr with 
 the ocean by means of a channel opening into ln<^onlsh Bay. 
 IIavin<j; descrihed the jirincipal harbonrs between C'ajx^ Sable 
 and Canceau,' he goes on to say, ' Between C'anceau and Cape 
 Breton there is a great bay which runs nine or ten leagues 
 inland and forms a passage between the island and the main- 
 land. It commnnicates with the great Jiay of St. Lawrence, 
 leading up to the fisheries at (Jjispe and Isle Percce. The pas- 
 sage is exceedingly narrow. Large ships cannot pass through 
 it, ahliough there is sufficient dej)th of water, on account of 
 the chauiiiny; tides and rapid currents. For this reason we 
 have named it " Lc Passage Courant."" It lies in the latitude 
 of 4.'i^- degrees. Cape Breton Island is of a triangidar form, 
 ei<'-litv Icairues in circuit, and is i2;enerallv mountainous, never- 
 theless in some parts xory pleasant. In the midst of the island 
 there is a kind of lake comnuuiicating with the sea on the north- 
 east and south-east. In the lake there are a number of islands 
 abounding in game ; shell-fish of various kinds are found, in- 
 cludiiig oysters of poor flavour. In this island there are several 
 harbonrs and fishing places — namely. Port aux Anghjis (Louis- 
 bourg), about three or four leagues from th*^ Cai)e, and Xiganis 
 (Ingonish), eighteen or twenty leagues further north. The 
 Portuguese formerly made a settlement on this island, but the 
 ci»ld and rigorous climate compelled them to abandon it.'^ 
 
 For the iircsent you nuist be satisfied Avith this sluirt account 
 of your island. I shall have more interesting intelligence to 
 connnunicate by and by ; but we must fust trace the fortunes 
 of Poutrincourt to their bitter end. Undaunted by the losses 
 he had sustained, chai-med with the salubrity of the climate 
 and fertility of the soil about Port Iloyal, and ambitious of 
 becoming the father of New France, Poutrincourt, on his 
 
 ' I now adopt Cluunplaiu's orthography of this name. Lcsoarbot always spoils 
 i' • Canipseau.' 
 
 ' There is a description cf Capo Breton in Joan de Lait"s yonis Orhis, pub- 
 lishoil at Loyilon in 1(>I5;5, lait it iiiftcrs so little from Clianiplain's ai'counl. t'mni 
 wiiicli it was probably compiled, that I did not eouaider it worth while to transfer 
 ii to these pages. 
 
02 CAl'K IIULTUX. 
 
 roturii to France, readily ohtaiiicd a ratiHcation of De Mont's 
 «;rant from the Kiiii;, iipun coiulition of earryin*!; ont certain 
 flesnit missionaries to coTivert the savjijies. The Kint; himself, 
 Avh(» liad ahjured the Protestant faith on his accession to the 
 throne — quite inditiLrent ahout relii;ious matters — was easily 
 persuaded to insist upon this condition hy the (^ueen and tlie 
 .Fesuits — then all-jiowerful at Court ; but Poutrincourt, a zeal- 
 r»us Catholic of tlie national Church, and conse(iuently an 
 enemy of the »Iesuits, managed to evade it, by leaving the 
 missionaries waiting for him at Hourdeaux, whilst lie embarked 
 at Dicpi)e, taking with him a Catholic; ])riest muned Josue 
 Fleche, in their j)lace. On his arrival at Port Royal in the 
 spring of 1610, desirous of showing that the Jesuits were 
 not required to christianize the savages, Poutrincourt and La 
 Fleche immediately entered upon the task of converting them. 
 The old chief, Memberton, and his family were the first prose- 
 lytes. These, with the rest of his followers, were baptized on 
 St. John's Day, in the presence of all the colonists. The sin- 
 cerity of their conversion is very questionable. The cunning 
 old chief saw that the conversion of himself and followers wa?? 
 ardently desired by Poutrincourt, and therefore conqilied with 
 his wishes, in the hope of thereby receivuig more substantial 
 advantages. The .lesuit Biard, who arrived at Port Koyal in 
 1611, says, that when the i)riest was teaching Memberton to 
 repeat the Lord's Prayer, the latter came to a full stop when 
 he was told to say, ' Give us this day our daily bread,' and 
 eagerly inquired whether, ' if he asked for bread alone, he 
 would not get any lish or moose meat.'' 
 
 Elated with his success, Poutrincourt sent his son Biencourt 
 to France, to obtain supplies much needed by the colony, and 
 to deliver to the King a register of the baptisms, with the 
 view, probably, of showing that the services of the Jesuits 
 were not wanted. This ruse, however, did not succeed. In 
 the meantime, Henry IV. had been assassinated, and the 
 .lesuits had obtained a powerful ally at court in the person of 
 the ^Marchioness de Cnicrcheville, lady of honour to the (^ueen, 
 
 ' Binrd's Letter of January I'l, 1()12. to Belthazar, the R. P. Provincial a 
 Paris. 
 
TWO JESUITS SKXT TO POUT ROVAL. 6B 
 
 \vln> cntereil with such /cal ii[)()n tlie tusk of christianizinj^ tlie 
 btiii"''httMl : • aufi's of Acad'n'', that Charlevoix, hiinst'lt" a .Ii'siiit, 
 buvs it was ahiiost iinpossihh' t»> ctjiiflne it within rc'asoiial)lo 
 Hniits. Voun^ IVicncoiirt, when he sailed in the spiiii;^ of 
 Kil 1, was eonjpelh'd, sadly a;;ainst his wishes, to take out two 
 .lesuit fathers, Pierre liiard and Knenionde Masse, to Port 
 Koyal. Their eoniinji; out caused great annoyance to Poutrin- 
 court, who was ohlij^ed, hy the terms of his <rraut from the 
 Kini;, to receive them. Hoth Poutiiiicourt and his son, who 
 shortly suciHM'ded his father as governor, on the return of the 
 latter to France, contrived to mak^' the residence of the i'athers 
 at port Koval so uncomfortal)le, that thev were <Ai\d to avail 
 themselves of the offer of M. de Saussaye to take them to the 
 Isle of Mount Desert, on the coast of Maine, in the year 
 101. '5. This De Saussaye had heen sent out hy the Marchioness 
 (Ic (iucrcheville with forty-einht emigrants, includiiif^ two 
 Jesuit fatiiers, to fttrm a settlement at the mouth of the 
 Penohscot Kiver. and, luckily lor liiard and Masse, liud called 
 at Port Koyal on his way thither. 
 
 liiencourt and his friends were y;\iu\ beyond measure wlieu 
 the obnoxious Jesuits left Port Royal ; but they never dreameil 
 tliat their departure would in the end bring u[)(»n them such 
 disastrous consequences as their own dispersion and the total 
 ruin of the settlement. That you may clearly understand 
 how this hai)])ened, we must leave Port Koyal for a wdiile, to 
 note the doings of another and more fortunate band of colo- 
 nists, who had settled on the coast far to the southward of 
 Acadie. In the year 16O0, James I. of I'^ngland granted to 
 Sir John Popham, and several other influential persons, all 
 the territory on the eastern coast of America, between the 
 tliirtv-fourth and fortv-fifth degrees of north latitude. These 
 limits included nearly the whole <^f Acadie ; but as England 
 and France both claimed the whole of that part of America, 
 no respect was paid by the Government of either country to 
 grants or concessions made by the other. Two associations, 
 C(im})Osed of leading men in London and the AVest of England, 
 stvling themselves respectively, the 'London' and the 'Ply- 
 mouth ' Companies, undertook to settle the country. The 
 
64 CAPi: UHKTON'. 
 
 London Company sent ont a Ixuly ol' <ii»i^r:ints wltliout <k'lay, 
 to fni-ni a scttloincnt ujton the island c»t' IJoannkc, the site of 
 Sir Walter Italeij^li's unfortunate eity of l{alrio;li. The ships 
 liavin*; been (hiven far to tlie northwaid of Koanoki' hy a 
 liea\y j^ale, ran int<» the nioulh of Chesapeake IJay for slielter. 
 Sailiiijj; up the l)ay, a larije river was «lis<'Overe(l, upon the 
 banks of whieh the leading; men of tlic expetlition (h'eiihd 
 upon huihlinj^ a city, to be called .lanicstown, in honour of the 
 Kini;. Sei'ious danj^ers and ditiieuhies were encountered, but 
 the enterprise was successful. In the year KJl.'i, the popula- 
 ti«)n of Virginia, as the new colony was luuncd, exceeded 700 
 souls. 
 
 The lMynn>uth Company haviiiij; failed to take ])osscssion of 
 their territory to the northward, the London Company claimed 
 jurisdiction over the whole of the Kinj^'s j;i-ant up to the forty- 
 lifth iiaiallel, and the ctdonists be<i;an +o fish on the coast far 
 to the noithward. In the sunnner of lOi;), the captain of an 
 illicit tradiii*]^ vessel, called Samnel Ar<;all, set out on a fishinif 
 cxj>edition from tlamestown in an armed vessel mountinn; 
 fourteen guns, and arrived on the coast of iVcadie soon after 
 M. de Saussavc and his partv anchored in the channel on the 
 east side of Mount Desert. Having learned from some Indians 
 Avlio visi'.cd liis ship, that a party of Frenchmen were making 
 a settlement at Mount Desert, Argall determined at once to 
 drive them off, a task of no great difficulty with a ship of 
 fourteen f:;uns and a crew of sixtv men.' A few of the bravest 
 Frenchmen made some resistance on board De Saussaye's 
 vessel, but the most of them ran off into the woods. One of 
 the Jesuit fathers, Du Thet, was killed by a muskei:-))all on 
 board the vessel. The ruthless Argall demolished all their 
 tents, threw down the cross which they had just erected, and 
 made prisoners of the whole l»arty. Fifteen of the prisoners, 
 including De Saussaye and Father Masse, were put on board 
 an o\)e\\ boat and left to find their way to Cape Sable, whieh 
 they toi Innately succeeded in doing, and also in meeting with 
 a vcs-el which took theni to France. The rest, including 
 Father Biard, were carried by Argall to Jamestown. Sir 
 
 ' Cliaiiii'laiii. 
 
POUTRINCOrUT KETI'IIXS To I'OIM IJoYAF.. (5*i 
 
 Tliotnas (i;itos, the •jovornor of Vir«,nnia, not only iipiu'dN* »! 
 of Ai'^all's unju>tifiiil)lc r(»iiihut ( ICiijjjlaiul and l''raii('i' l)t'in«^ 
 tlicii at |i('U('('), l)ut learning from tlu- inisoiicrs thai tlir French 
 hatl made a si'tth-iiuiit and erected a I'oi t at INut Uoyal, 
 desitatclietl Ar^all in connnand of three armed vessi'I.s to (h'- 
 strov the I'ort and (hive away the people. The tiesnit liiaril, 
 it is said, to jijratify his revenj^e on his eld enemy Hienconrt, 
 not only iravc information concorninj; the settlement, hnt also 
 piloted the ships into Port Royal. (.)f course the little fuit, 
 with a handful (»f men, could make no resistance; it was sur- 
 rendered to Ar^all, and to<:;ether with all the siu'roundinj^ 
 l)iiildiii;:> demolished. Many of the inhahitants were ma<le 
 j»riM»ners, but JJiencourt, who with some of his followers fled 
 to the forests, was kiiully reeeive<l and sup})orted hy the 
 Indians. 
 
 1m the following sprin<>;, Poutriueourt came out to Port 
 Hiival. where he I'ound all his property dotroyed, and his 
 iMirortunate son wanderini;- in the forest, with no shelter lint 
 an Indian wignuni. Utterly disheartened, and <;ivinL,^ uj) all 
 li(i[»es oi' succeeding in his enterprise, he ahandoned Pi»rt 
 lioyal for ever, and returned to France, where he entered tiie 
 king's service, and fell, in the moment of victory, in the attack 
 np(in ^Nlery sur Seine, in the month of December, 101.">. 
 
 TliP destruction of the Freiu'h settlement in Acadie does 
 not seem to have excited much attention in the mother 
 country. The French And)assador, it is true, complained to 
 the British (Jovernment of the unjustifiable conduct of the 
 Virginian authorities in a time of peace ; but no redress was 
 obtained, and the outrage Avas soon forgotten. After the de- 
 parture of Argall, Biencourt and his followeis left their hilling 
 places and returned to Port Koyal. wiiich they i)artially 
 rebuilt ; the fishermen and fur traders were allowed to piu'sue 
 tbeir respe(;tive callings <jn the shores of Acadie without 
 molestation. C'hamplain says he received intelligence in 
 ()uebec that Biencourt, who had lived many years with the 
 Indians, died in Acadie in 1(524. 
 
66 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 LETTER V. 
 1613-1629. 
 
 I MUST crave your forbearance a little longer, to conduct you 
 up the St. Lawrence, to note the commencement and progress 
 of an enterprise undertaken in that quarter, whicli, as our 
 story proceeds, you will find exercised a commanding influence 
 upon the destinies of Cape Breton. Various unsuccessful 
 attempts, as I have before told you, had been made to establis^h 
 settlements in Canada ; but for Champlain was reserved the 
 honour of planting the first Euroj)ean colony on the beautiful 
 and fertile banks of the St. Lawrence. 
 
 Chami)lain was introduced to you in my last letter ; but I 
 am sure you Avill like to know something more of the antece- 
 dents of the n\an who laid the foundation of England's greatest 
 colony in North America. 
 
 Samuel Champlain, a captain in the Royal Navy, born at 
 Brouage, on the Bay of Biscay, in 1567, had been employed 
 in various important duties, and w^as highly esteemed by his 
 sovereign for his skill in navigation, and general knowledge of 
 military affairs. Charlevoix says he was reported to be a 
 brave, capable, and experienced officer. He had been three 
 or four years engaged in surveying the coasts of Acjutie and 
 Cape Breton, and had ascended the St. Lawrence as for as 
 the rapids at Sault St. Louis, in the service of De Chastes. 
 When, therefore, his friend De Monts obtained permission 
 from the k'^i?-, in 1608, to trade with the Indians, and to 
 establish a settlement on the St. Lawrence, as a recompense 
 for the great loss he had sustained by the revocation of his 
 grant of Acadie ii. ine previous year, Champlain Avas selected 
 to conduct the enterprise. Two ships Avere sent out by De 
 
CUAMPLAIN ARRIVES AT THE ISLE OP OllLEAXS. G7 
 
 Monts, from Ilonflour, in the spring of 1608 ; one, commanded 
 by C'iiptaiii Pontgrave, to trade with the Indians ; the other, 
 by Chani])hiin, to select a site for a settlement on the 8t. 
 Lawrence. Champlain arrived at tlie Isle of Orleans on .Inly 
 3, and, having carefnlly explored the river, decided npon 
 planting his settlement upon a picturesque wooded Mil, called 
 by the natives ' Kebec/ about five miles above that island. 
 
 Having cleared some land, erected huts for his people, and 
 provided a supply of fuel, he spent the first winter in exploring 
 the country, and in receiving visits from the Indians, who 
 treated the little band of Frenchmen with great kindness. In 
 the following spring, Champlain was induced by the Algon- 
 quins to join them in an expediticni against the Iroquois. In 
 a battle which ensued, the destructive powers of Cliamplain's 
 musketry secured a decisive victory for the Algonquins, which 
 so irritated the Iroquois that, from that time, they became 
 inveterate enemies of the French, and whenever their services 
 were required, invariably took the part of the English, in the 
 long wars waged between those nations for the possession of 
 the country bordering on the Great Lakes. 
 
 Cham])lain had been only two yenrs in Canada Avhcn ho 
 learned that De Monts, who held a monopoly of the fur trade, 
 and had, in consequence, provoked the enmity of the Basques, 
 Bretons, and Nrnnans, had again been deprived of his com- 
 mission. 
 
 Nevertheless, De Monts determined to proceed with his 
 enterprise, and, having gained the ear of Madame de Guerchc- 
 ville, through her influence managed to form a company, upon 
 condition of establishing a Jesuit mission in the colony. It 
 would occupy far more time and space than I can atTord, to 
 give you even a slight outline of all that occurred on the banks 
 of the St. Lawrence during the next ten years. Champlain, 
 as chief of the colony, honestly and laboriously exerted himself 
 to carry out the conditions which the promoters had engaged 
 to perform, but he Avas thwarted and obstructed on all sides 
 by their selfish views, which were entirely confined to making 
 all the profit they could out of the fur trade. Of this no better 
 proof can be given than the fact, that there were only sixty 
 
 F 2 
 
U8 c;ape hrkton. 
 
 inlijiblt.ants, includiiif^ men, women and chiKlren, in the whole 
 colony when the Duke de jSIontniorency was appointed Vice- 
 roy and Lientenant-(Jeneral of New France in 1620. 
 
 The apj)ointment of a Viceroy, whose couuuission covered 
 all that })art of Xorth America extendinjjj from Labrador to 
 Fhn-ida in one direction, and from Newfoundland to Lake 
 Superior in the other, shows that the French (xovernment had 
 begun to recognise the importance of their transatlantic terri- 
 tory. Cham})lain, who was appointed Lieutenant of the Vice- 
 roy, had now a wider field for the exercise of his administra- 
 tive abilities, and, at the same time, more power to carry out 
 his views, than when acting- in the capacity of chief of a trading 
 company. 
 
 On his arrival at Quebec, in 1620, armed with ample powers, 
 he immediately i)ut into order the neglected fields and gardens, 
 and rej)aired the I'uined houses which had been suffered to fall 
 into decay. The fort, which had been commenced upon the 
 heights on which the Castle of St. Louis now stands, was also 
 completed ; and every endeavour was made to improve his 
 relations with the I'adian tribes, over whom he had gained a 
 commanding influence. On more than one occasion, Champ- 
 lain had reconciled the differences of tribes just on the point of 
 breaking out into open hostilities. lie clearly saAv that it was 
 his interest to preserve tranquillity, and that a state of war in 
 his vicinity wonld involve him on one side or the other, which 
 would compromise the safety of the colony. One of the most 
 striking proofs of his tact and skill in such affairs was the 
 admirable manner in which he contrived to maintain friendly 
 relations, over a period of nearly twenty years, Avith the sur- 
 rounding tribes of savages, who, by uniting togethf could at 
 any moment have driven him and his handful of mt. into the 
 St. Lawrence. 
 
 Leaving Champlain busily engaged in these laudable pur- 
 suits, we must now leturn to Acadic. After the expulsion of 
 the French from Port Royal by Captain Argall, in 1613, no 
 steps were taken by the English Government to secure pos- 
 session of that country until the year 1621, when Sir AVilliam 
 Alexander, Secretary of State for Scotland, obtained a grant 
 
BOUNDARIES OF SIR WILLIAM ALEXANDER'S GRANT. 69 
 
 from James I. of all the vacant territory tc the northward of 
 tiiat held by the Virginia and Plymonth Companies. As this 
 led to the first British settlement of Cape Breton, I must give 
 von a dcscrij)tion of the boundaries of Sir William Alexander's 
 o-nint, which, you will observe, utterly ignored the right and 
 title of France to the lands lying south of the St. Lawrence : — 
 
 ' To commence at Caj)e Sable, and thence follow the coast 
 of Acadic to St. Mary's Bay ; thence to cross the Bay of 
 Fuiuly to the mouth of the St. Croix river ; thence to run 
 northerly to tlie great river of Canada ; thence along the said 
 river to Gaspe ; thence south-easterly through the Clulf of St. 
 Lawrence to the Isle of Baccalaos, or Cape Breton, leaving 
 the same on the right hand, and Newfoundland on the left ; 
 tiicnce to the promontory called C'ape Breton ; and thence 
 along the coast of Cape Bx'eton and Acadie to the starting- 
 ])oint of Cape Sable.' It was provided by the ])atent that this 
 iininense territory, which included the whole of the present 
 provinces of Xova Scotia and New Brunswick, the islands of 
 Cape Breton and Prince Edward's, and part of Lower Canada, 
 should in all future time be called ' Nova Scotia, in America.' 
 
 Sir William Alexander has furnished us with an interesting 
 account of his first attempt to take possession of Nova Scotia, 
 in a little work which he published in 1625.' He says that 
 he hired a ship in London, in March 1622, to carry out a 
 party of emigrants to settle in Acadie, but that, owing to innu- 
 merable delays in getting men and provisions, she did not sail 
 until August. In the middle of Sei)tember they discovered 
 St. Peter's Islands, ' and were near to Cape Breton,' when 
 they Avere driven back far to the eastward by a heavy gale. 
 They then put into St. John's, Newfoundland, Avhere they 
 c(mcluded to stay all winter, having sent the ship home for ' a 
 su])ply of needful things.' In the spring of 1623, he sent out 
 the ship again, but she did not arrive at St. John's until 
 June 5, when it was found that half of his people, doubting 
 of her coming out, had engaged themselves to the fishermen. 
 Several of the men had also died, including the minister and 
 
 ' An FMCouragcvicnt to Colonics. Published in London in 162tj. 
 
70 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 the smith, ' both, loi- spirituul and tein[)oral resjiccts, the two 
 most necessary members;' therefore, seeing no hope ' of phint- 
 inj;'that year, ten of the principal persons concluded to <;•(> 
 along with the shij) to New Scotland, ' to discover the country 
 and make choice of a ])lace for a habitation against the next 
 year.' On .June 2.'i, they sailed from St. John's, and 'saw 
 the most part of Ca])e Breton on the 8 July.' They then 
 sailed along the coast to Port JMouton, and ' discovered three 
 very pleasant harbours and went ashore in one of them, which, 
 after tiie ship's name, they called Luke's Bay, where thoy 
 found, a great way up, a very })lc{isant river, being three 
 fathoms deep at the entry thereof, and on every side of the 
 same they did see very delicate meadows, having Hoses white 
 and red growing thereon with a kind of whito Lily, which had 
 a dainty smell.' Proceeding farther to the west, they dis- 
 covered another river, two leagues from the preceding, which 
 they thought ' a very fit place for a Plantation, both in regard 
 that it was naturally apt to be fortified, and that all the 
 ground between the two rivers was without wood, and very 
 good fat earth, having several sorts of berries growing thereon, 
 as Gooseberries, Strawberries, ilindberries. Raspberries, and a 
 kind of AMne Berry ; as also some sorts of Grain, as Pease, some 
 ears of Wheat, Barley, and liye growing there wild.' From this 
 place (Port Jolly), they sailed to Port Negro, and found the 
 coast all along of the ' same i)leasant ' character. ' They found 
 likewise in every river abundance of Lobsters, Cockles, and 
 other Shellfish.' * And all along the coast, numbers of several 
 sorts of wild fowl, as Wild Geese, Black Duck, Woodcock, 
 Crane, Heron, Pidgc^on, and many other sorts which they knew 
 not.' ' Also great store of Cod, with several other sorts of great 
 fishes. The country is full of woods not very thick, and the 
 most part Oak, the rest are Fir, Si)ruce, Birch, with some 
 Sycamores and Fishes.' ' Having discovered this part of the 
 country,' they resolved to go back to Newfoundland, ' Avhere 
 their ship Avas to receive her loading of fishes.' Touching at 
 Port iSIouton, they sailed from thence on July 20, and arrived 
 at St. John's on the 27th. From thence they coasted along 
 to Conc< ption Bay, where they left their ship to take in her 
 
THE MERCHANT ADVENTURERS OP CANADA. 71 
 
 cariyo, and took passage in some slilps belonging to the West 
 of Hiigland.' 
 
 Although such flattering accounts of the soil and produc- 
 tions of Acadid had been brought home, no further stops were 
 taken towards its colonisation until the vear 1627, when the 
 war broke out with France. In the meantime, Sir William 
 Alexander had not been unmindful of his interests, for he had 
 (»I)tained from Charles I., soon after his .accession to the throne, 
 in 1(52.5, not only a confirmation of his extensive grant, but an 
 additional tract cxtendinjj fr«mi the St. Lawrence to the (iulf 
 of California. Sir William's ambition Avas great, but unfor- 
 tunately his purse was small, so he was obliged to associate 
 with himself some wealthy and enterprising persons, to enable 
 him to carry out his views. These were (lervase Kirke and 
 his sons Louis and Thomas, William Berkley, Robert Charlton, 
 ,Iohn Love, Thomas Wade, and some others, who styled them- 
 selves ' The Merchant Adventurers of Canada.' David Kirke, 
 or, as he is commonly called. Sir David Kirke, ' was sent out 
 to i)lant and trade there in 1G27.' There are no records of 
 the locality of the first j)lantation in Nova Scotia. From such 
 scattered notices as I have met with, I am inclined to believe 
 that it was on this occasi<m Sir William Alexander's son went 
 out with a party of Scotch emigrants to settle at Port Royal, 
 Avhore they built the fort still known in 1827, as Haliburton 
 informs us, by the name of the ' Scotch Fort.' Having landed 
 young Alexander, who acted as governor in behalf of his 
 father, and the emigrants, Sir David Kirke sailed up the 
 St. Lawrence, but finding he had not sufficient force to take 
 possession of the country, returned to England to obtain 
 assistance.^ Upon his arrival in England, the Company peti- 
 
 ' Haliburton, in his Ilitifot'i/ of Nova Scofia, says tlioy returned to England 
 because they found tlio country in occupation of the Fn-ncli ; but it is evident 
 from Sir William's narrative, published only two years after tho voyage, tdat his 
 people had no design of making a settlemeut, but went specially to ' make choice 
 of a phico for habitation against the next year.' See p. 70. 
 
 ' Chaniplain says that when a detachment of Kirke's force landed at Capo 
 Tourmente on July 9, 1628, on being asked who they were, thi;y replied, ' Do you 
 not recollect us ? We were here last year.' From this it may be fairly inferred 
 Kirke was up the St. Lawrence after leaving Port Royal in 1627. 
 
72 CAl'K IJUETON. 
 
 tioned the KiiiLj to n;rant liiin a commission to (Miiiip an avnud 
 scpiadron lor lliat jturposc' This |)ctiti<m being granted, 
 Kirko sailed in the spring of 1028 with six sliips lor the Gulf 
 ol' St. LaAvrence, where he seized the settlement of jMiseou, 
 with all the boats engaged in the fisheries, and then proceeded 
 to Tadonssac, where he anchored, and despatched a courteouri 
 letter by the crew of a Ihiscinc fishing vessel which he had 
 captnre<l, to Champlain, the governor of Quebec, informing 
 him that he had been connnissioned by the King of Great 
 Jiritain to take possession of Canada and Acadie, and re- 
 questing him to surrender the fort, promisi ig at the same time 
 kind and honourable treatment. 
 
 Champlain was ill prepared for rosistanc^e, being ahni»st 
 destitute of gunpowder and provisions, but concluding, as he 
 savs, that if Kii'ke wi^hed to meet him he had better make his 
 api)earance before Quebec, he informed him, in rei)ly to his 
 summons, " that be was well supplied with provisions, and 
 could not think of surrendering his charge without having first 
 made trial of the English guns and batteries.' This bold 
 answer had the desired effect. Klrke gave up his intention of 
 reducing Quebec, and sent his cruisei's to look out for vessels 
 ex])ected from Fra.iCe with su[)j)lies for the cohmy. 
 
 Kirke's little squadron had not to wait long at Tadoussac 
 for their exi)ected i)rey. Champlain had only just desj)atched 
 his answer of defiance, when a me^sengei arrived, bi i cging 
 news i)f the arrival at Gaspe of the Sleur dc Roquemonl, with 
 a fleet of eighteen transports, laden with provisions and muni- 
 tions of war, including 134 cannon for the forts of Port Royal 
 and Quebec. These vessels had been sent out by a new coni- 
 j)any, organised under the auspices of Cardinal Richelieu, 
 styled the ' Company of One Hundred Associates,' which in 
 the previous year had obtained a grant of the whole coast 
 ov" America, from Florida to Newfoundland. Hearinir that 
 Kirke's squadron was at Tadoussac, De Roquemont, instead 
 of proceeding direct to Quebec to relieve the starving settle- 
 ment, determined to risk an attack This unwise resolution 
 produced the most calamitous results ; the Avhole of his ships, 
 
 ' fc'talo rapcrs in Her Majcf>ty's KtH-ord Office. 
 
CllOSS OP ST. CiKOUGE HOISTED IN PORT ST. LOUIS. 73 
 
 after a almrp enf^agcnicnt, ucrc captured hy Kirkc ; the crews 
 were scut to France in one of the vessels ; and tlie commander 
 (if the fleet, with some persons of distinction who Averc on their 
 wiiy to t^uehec, were ke[)t as prisoners of war. 
 
 The sufferings of Champlain and his people, in consequence 
 of this mishap, durinc^ the ensuing winter, may easily he 
 iiungined. They were reduced to such straits hefore the 
 !-pring, that they woidd have hailed the a[)i)earance of the 
 Miiii'lish with delight. But even in this they were for some 
 time (lisai)pointed, and were just on the point of abandoning 
 (^uc'!)cc, and eniharking in a small vessel often tons — the only 
 (iiic which they possessed — to look for relief from the traders 
 whociime to (fas[)c in the spring, when intelligence was brought 
 hy an Indian that Kirke's squadron had returned, and was at 
 anchor behind Point Levy, about a league below Quebec.' 
 On tJuly 19, a sunnnons was sent to Champlain to surrender, 
 hy Louis and Thomas Kirke, Sir David having remained at 
 Tailoussac. This was inunediately agreed to: and the j)re- 
 liininaries having been arranged, and the articles of capitula- 
 tion duly signed, the cross of St. George Avas hoisted, on July 
 '20, 1020, iq)on the mouldering Avails of Port St. Louis. Sir 
 David Kirke, having soon after come up to Quebec, and 
 arranged everything to his satisfaction, left his son Louis in 
 ciiarjic of the fort, Avith a y-arrison of 150 men. Such of the 
 inhabitants as Avished to remain, Avere permitted to do so, and 
 were abundantly supplied Avith all the necessaries they re- 
 (Miired bv their ncAV fjovernor, avIio treated them Avith the 
 •ireatest kindness and courtesy. Champlain, and some of the 
 I'rincipal inhabitants, both lay and clerical, Avere carried by 
 Kirkc to England. On their arrival at Plymouth on Novem- 
 ber 20, Champlain, to Avhom I am prineij^ally indebted for the 
 leading points in my brief sketch of the fall of Quebec, says 
 that the 'General' Avas greatly disappointed to find that hos- 
 tilities had been sus})endcd, and that the tAvo nations Avere 
 
 ' Kirkf's .squadron, consisting of six ships and two pinnaces, left Gravescnd on 
 Mareli 26, 16'29, arrived at Gaspe on June 15, and Tadoussac on July 3. — From 
 JiijiOKifiini of David and Thonias Kirkc hrfore the Juilrje of the Admiralty, in State 
 Pdiurs in Record OJJ'nr. 
 
74 CAPE nRETON. 
 
 cnj^njjcd in scttlinpj tlio tnrms of peace, nn liis company would 
 most likely have to <^ivc up the peltry they had taken at 
 (Quebec. C'hamplain, beinj^ now free, after visiting the French 
 And)assad(>r in London, erossed the channel to Dieppe, whore 
 he met Captain Daniel, who j^ave him a narrative of his voyage 
 to Cape lireton, and of his j)roccedings there. 
 
 IJefiU'c I submit a copy of Captain Daniel's curious narra- 
 tive, I must inform you that Avhen Sir William Alexander 
 obtained his grant of the territory designated * Nova Scotia' 
 (see p. 68), he received permission from the king ' to divide 
 it into 100 parcels, and to dispose of them, with the title of 
 Baronet, to purchasers, for their encouragement to improve 
 the Colony.' As eaidi jnirchaser had to pay 200/. sterling to 
 Sir William Alexander, very few persons seem to have api)lied 
 for allotments'; b.ut amongst these few was a Scotch noble- 
 man, Ijord Ochiltree, son of the Earl of Arran. This gentle- 
 man, who Avas better knowh by the name of Sir James Stewart, 
 of Killieth, purchased the title and lordship of Ochiltree from 
 his cousin Andrew, the third Lord Ochiltree, General of the 
 Ordnance, and Governor of Edinburgh Castle in the time of 
 James VI., in 1615.' Lord Ochiltree tfjuipped two small 
 vessels, and went out with sixty emigrants, * to seat a Colony ' 
 in Cape Breton, in the spring of 1629. He arrived on the 
 coast, and entered the little harbour of Baleine, two leagues 
 to the eastward of Louisbourg, on July 1, where he began 
 without delay to clear some land, and to construct a fort for 
 the protection of his people. Although his chief object, as he 
 says, was ' to seat a Colony,' he sent one of his vessels to 
 collect tribute from the foreign fishermen, and, in consequence, 
 got into serious trouble, as will aj)pear from the narr.ative of 
 C'aptain Daniel, of which the following is a translation from 
 the original, in Champlain's ' Voyages to New France.' 
 
 Narrative of the Voyage undertaken hy Captain Daniel^ from 
 Dieppe to New France, in 1629. 
 
 *0n April 22, 1629, I took my departure from Dieppe by 
 leave of Monseigneur the Cardinal de Richelieu, Grand Master, 
 
 ' Sir Eobert Doxiglas'is Pfcmyc ()/ &'o//a«f/. Edinburgh: 1813. 
 
CAPTAIN DANIEI/H NARRATIVE. 7!t 
 
 Clmf 1111(1 Sii|)cnntei)(lcnt-(i}cncnil ol' tbo Niivipfation and Coin- 
 i.u ret' of France, in charj^'o of the ships called tlie " Oreat St. 
 Andrew" and the " Marf^uerite," for the purpose ([nirsuant to 
 tlio order of Messieurs the Intendants and Directors of tiic 
 ('(impany of Now France) of meeting the ('onunan<lant do 
 Uasilly either at IJrouajjje or Koclielle, and of thence procced- 
 \u\f under his escort to succour and carry provisions to M. de 
 Cliiiinplain and the French who wore in possession of the Fort 
 ;iti(l Settlement of (^uehec in New Fiance. On May 17, the day 
 i'liljowiii'^ our arrival at Che delioys, it was announced that peace 
 hud l)cen made with the King of Great Hritain. After remain- 
 h)>f in the above named place for the space of thirty nine days, 
 waiting for M. de Kasilly, but finding that he Avas not prepared 
 to leave, and that the season was advancing for the under- 
 taking of the said voyage: By the advice of the above named 
 Directors, and Avithout waiting any longer for M. de Kasilly, I 
 took my departure from the roads of Che de IJoys on June 26, 
 with four vessels and a barque belonging to the Company, 
 and, pursuing my voyage as far as the (Jrand Bank, I encoun- 
 tered such stormy and foggy weather that I lost sight of my 
 other vessels and was compelled to continue my voyage alone, 
 until, being within about two leagues of the land, I perceived 
 a ship with English colours hoisted, which ship, seeing that I 
 carried no cannon, approached me within reach of pistol-shot, 
 thinking that I was completely unprovided with ammunition. 
 I then ordered the deck ports to be opened and a battery of 
 sixteen cannon prepared for action. The Englishman becoming 
 aware of this circumstance, endeavoured to escape, and I to 
 pursue him, until, having approached him, I ordered him 
 to haul down his colours whilst lying off" coasts appertaining 
 to the King of France, and to show me his commission, in 
 order to ascertain if he was not a Pirate. Upon his refusal 
 1 ordered a few cannon shot to be fired, and boarded him. 
 Having discovered that he was proceeding towards Cape Malle- 
 barre with cattle and other things for some of his countrymen 
 settled there, I informed him that as peace had been concluded 
 between the two Crowns, he had nothing to fear, and might 
 continue his voyage. 
 
7(1 C'APK IIHETON. 
 
 ' Oil Aujjust 28, I ontcrcd tlic river called l>y the SavnjjOH 
 (r'eat Cibou, ntid on the followiiitjj day despatched a hout with 
 ten men alon«; the ('oust, to discover sonie Sava<^os and Icani 
 (Voni them the condition of* the Settlement of (^nebec. On 
 their arriving oft' Port lialeines, they fbnnd there a vessel from 
 liordeanx, the master of which was named Chamhrean, who 
 informed them that tFamcs Stewart, a Scotch Lord, had conic 
 there about two months previously with two large ships and 
 an English cutter; th.at he had met in the said place Michael 
 Dihourse of St. ilean de Lu/ engaged in fishing and drying 
 Cod; that the said Scotch Lord had seized Dihonrse's ship 
 and cargo nnd had ^ ci'initted his men to pillage the crew. 
 Also that shortly after the said Lord lia I sent his two largest 
 ships, with that taken from Michael Dihourse, to found a settle- 
 ment at Port Royal,' and had with part of his men conslruetcd 
 a fort at Port aux JJaleines. Further, that Stewart had given 
 him a document signed with his own hand, purporting that he 
 would not grant permission to him or any other Frencdunen to 
 fish in future on the said coast or to traffic with the Savages, 
 unless the tenth part of the ])rofits were paid over to him ; and 
 that his (,\)mnnssion from the King of (ireat Britain autho- 
 rised him to confiscate all vessels attempting to proceed to the 
 above named places without his permission. These matters 
 being reported to me, I considered that it was my duty to 
 prevent the said Lord from usurping the courttry belonging to 
 the King my master, and from exacting tributes from his sub- 
 jects, Avhich he intended to approjnnate to himself. I therefore 
 ordered 53 of my men to be well armed, and provided myself 
 with ladders and other necessary materials for the siege and 
 escalade of the said Fort. Having arrived on September 18 
 at Port lialeines, I landed at about two in the afternoon and 
 t)rdcred my men to advance towards the Fort according to the 
 instruetiims I had given them, which were to attack on several 
 sides with hand and pot grenades and other combustibles. 
 
 * Notwithstanding the resistance made by the enemy, with 
 the aid of musketry, after a time finding themselves closely 
 
 ' More probably with supplies and reinforcements for Sir William Altxaader 
 the younger, who s-ettled at Port Roy;il in 1627. 
 
CAI'TAIN iJA.VIKl/s NAKllATIVF-:. 77 
 
 pressed, tlu'V took uliinn, and appeared on the parapets dls- 
 pluviri)^ a wliiti^ f[i\*r and imploring for life and (|uart(>r from 
 luy lieutenant, whilst I made my way towards the j^atcs of the 
 Fort, which 1 promptly forced open, and, ch»sely foMowed hy 
 niv men, J entere»l and seized tlie above named Lord, whom I 
 IoiukI arn»ed with swonl and pistol, surrounded by all bis men, 
 jiflcen of whom were ch>tiied in armour, each carrying a mus- 
 ket, the remainder armed with muskets and pikes only. I laviu)^ 
 (iifianned these, I gave orders that the Banner of the King of 
 Kiigland should be taken down and replaced by that of the 
 King my nuister. I then searched the Fort, and there d'lA- 
 eovered a Frenchmati, a native of Brest, whose name was llene 
 Cochoan, detained prisoner until his Captain (who had arrived 
 two days previously at a port two leagues distant from Port 
 lialeinos) should bring a cannon which he had on board, and 
 should pay the tenth of the fish he had taken. 
 
 ' On the foHowing day J ordered a Spanish Caravel, which 
 had run aground before the said Port, to be equij)ped and 
 laden with the provisions and ammunition found in the Fort, 
 which 1 caused to be razed to the ground, and the whole to be 
 transported to the river of the Great Cibou,' where I ordered 
 5U of my men and 20 Englishmen to work Avith the greatest 
 diligence at the construction of an intrenchment or fort at the 
 entrance of the above named river, so as to prevent the eneniy 
 from entering it. 
 
 ' 1 left as a garrison 40 men, including the Reverend Fathers 
 \'imond and Vieupont, Jesuits, 8 pieces of cannon, 1,800 pounds 
 of Powder, 600 matches, 40 muskets, 18 i)ikes, cannon and 
 inusket balls, provisions and all other things necessary :, besides 
 all that Avhich had been found in the before named Fort of the 
 
 ' The rivor of Groat Cibou was undoubtedly St. Anno's Harbour. In Champ- 
 Iain's map, at page GO, you will observe that Grand Cibou occupies the exact 
 position of St. Anno's ; and in many modern maps the Bird Islands, as they are 
 now called, at tho mouth of the bay, are styled the ' Ciboux Islands.' Captain 
 Leigh, it is true, says in his jourual (p. 44) that tho savages called Sydney 
 Harbour ' Cibo,' but this may have boen a mistake ; or, perhaps there were two 
 liarbo\irs of that name — Cibou and Grand Cibou. Captain Daniel was probably 
 the person who gave the name of St. Anne to Grand Cibou — the name which it 
 retained until 1713, when the French called it Port Dauphin. 
 
78 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 English. IIavinf]f hoisted the arms of the King and of Mon- 
 seigneur the Cardinal, erected a house, chapel, and magazine, 
 and having taken an oath of fidelity from the Sieur Claude, a 
 native of Beauvais, whom I left there in command of the Fort 
 and Settlement for the service of the King, and also the same 
 oath from the men left in the above named place, I left on 
 November 5 and brought with me the said Englishmen, women, 
 and children, 42 of whom I landed near Falmouth, a seaport 
 in England, with their clothes ; the rest, 18 or 20, 1 brought to 
 France, waiting the orders of Monseigneur the Cardinal. Which 
 narrative I certify to be true, and to which I have appended 
 my signature. 
 
 'Paris, December 12, 1629.' 
 
 Such is Captain Daniel's story. To form a correct judg- 
 ment, however, you must hear both sides of the question. 
 The following is a verbatim copy of a IMemorial upon the sub- 
 ject, presented by Lord Ochiltree to King James 1., now in 
 the Public Record Office in London : — 
 
 * The Barbarous and perjidlous rarlar/e off the Frenche 
 
 tinvards the Lord Wclilltrie in the lie off Cap hritaiiic 
 jiroved in the Court off' Admiralty/ off Deepe : 
 
 ' Aboutt the tent of Sep*^ or thereby on Captaine Daniell 
 Induellar in Deepe accompanyed with three score soiours and 
 ane certane number off Savages in six schallops cumis to the 
 coast off Cap britane and surprysit too shalloj)s and six fisher- 
 men in them who were at fishing for the intertinement off the 
 sayd Lo. Wchiltrie his Colony in that part seattilt by wertew 
 oflp the King off Brittane his commissione, having surprysed 
 the schallops he seased upon the fishermen, and enclosed them 
 in ane West He withoutt meatt drink fyr houses or any schcl- 
 ter from the rayne or cold, Therafter with his soiours and six 
 schallops enterid the harborj'e the said Lo. Wchiltrie and the 
 greatestt pertt off his men being abroad at bissiness. 
 
 * The said Lo. Wchiltrie persaving them enterid his Forthe 
 and with the few that wair in it esteming the said Captan 
 Danyell and his people to have been Savages caused discharge 
 
LORD orillliTRKES MEMORIAL TO JAMES I. 7l> 
 
 sum muskattis att tlic schallops to mak tlicm discover who they 
 wcr Avliich did so fall furthe for they did immediatly approchc 
 the forthe and the said Lo. Wchiltrie finding by thayr apparell 
 that they wer not savages did demand them who they wer they 
 answered they were Frenche, he said the Frenche and they 
 were freeinds because off the peace betwix the two kingis they 
 replyed thatt they wer Frenche and thatt they did knov/ the 
 peace and wer thair freeinds then he said in theiar liearine 
 they wer welcum how soone they did enter (expecting no 
 wrong usnge after the words which hayd past) they did seas 
 on ns all disarmed them entromittit ^nth all thair goods 
 expulsit the poor people outt off the forth and exposed them 
 withontt schelter or cover or clothis to the mercy off the rayne 
 and cold wind which did exceed att that tym so yat the poor 
 people (whereof ane greatt number of them wer old men and 
 wemen with chyld and young childrein att thair breasts) they 
 I say were forced to turne doune the face off ane old scluillope 
 and to crecpe in under itt to save thayr lyffis from the bitter- 
 ness off the cold and rayne which was most extrecm in thatt 
 place. 
 
 ' Therefter the said Captane Danyell and his people did 
 enter the flea boatt which the said Lo. Wchiltrie hayd thayr 
 scased upon all the goodis and immediately they did lavishly 
 drink outt three hogsheads off wyne, too hogsheadis of strong 
 ceadar and the whole beer which sould have served the people 
 and did nocht reserve so muche as to save the sayd Lo. Wchil- 
 trie and his people lyff in thayr jorney to France so that they 
 uer all forced to drink stincking water to the Lo. Wchiltrie 
 his greatt distemper by seckness and the loss off the lyffs of 
 many of the people his Majesties subjecties. 
 
 ' They did take outt off the sayd Lo. Wchiltries schipe his 
 Majesties collors and throw thayme under foott and did sett up 
 the king off France collors with so much disdayne that the 
 lyke hes nether beein seine nor red off in the tym of ane 
 standing peace betwix two kings Efter some few dayis they 
 did send away the most pertt of the said Lo. Wchiltrie his 
 people in shallops some thretty league by sea to Schibo when 
 the said captane Danyell his schipe did lye and all this thretty 
 
80 CAPE BRETOX. 
 
 league did cause the poor peo})lc work at oareis as \hcy liayd 
 been slaves having no thing all this tym to live upone hott 
 bread and water and many off them nocht having clothes 
 nather to cover thair nackednes nor schelter them from tlio 
 cold whatt greatter barbaryty coulil the Turke have used to 
 Christians. 
 
 ' Efter some fcAV dayes the said Lo. AVchiltrie with some too 
 or thrie Ingliss gentlemen and thair wyffis wcr caryed away in 
 schalloups to the said Schiboa and for the tempestes of weather 
 being forced to sett to the land at nycht they did ly ui)on the 
 cold ground without schelter the rayne pouring downe upon 
 them throche which unusuall distemper the said Lo. Wchiltiic 
 did contract ane flux of blood which did continew with him for 
 the space of fyve mouthes which he is nocht yet lykely to 
 scheaek off. 
 
 * Then he arrived at Sehibo and howsoone C'aptalne Dnnyoll 
 cam to his schipe he did sett up the Kyng of IJretains collors 
 on his schipe as a pryss ane actt unusuall in the tym of pace. 
 
 * At Sehibo for the space off sax or sevin weekis all the poor 
 people wer compelled as slaves to work and labor u})on broad 
 and water only and many of them naked and without clotlii's 
 so yatt for pitie of the poor jioople the sayd Lo. Wchiltrie was 
 constrayned to give them his bed clothes to cover thair nacked- 
 nes and saiff them in some measure from the extremitie of the 
 cold and to tear the very lininge of his bed. When the said 
 TjO. Wchiltrie and his j)eople had indured this wrong and 
 miserie for the space of two monthis, they were all imbarked 
 in the said Captaine Danyells ship fyty men women and 
 childrein being inclosed in the hold of the schipe in so little 
 bound that they wer forced to ly upon other as they hayd 
 beein so mony fisshes lying in thair awin filthe and fed ujion 
 bread and water That by famine and the i)estiferus smell of 
 thair awin filth many of them wer throwin in the sea throu 
 famin the mothers lossing thair milk the poor souking childrein 
 lost thair lyffe and wer throwin in the sea. 
 
 ' In this tym the said Lo. Wchiltrie di.^tempered of ane flnx 
 of blood Avas for the compleaning of the people's usage thrciitt- 
 nit to have his throatt cutt and to be pistolled his servant wlie 
 
LORD Ochiltree's memorial to james i. 81 
 
 (lid attend liiin in his scakncs discharged to cum to liim to gitt 
 him anc drink of water, his coffers where his clotlies and his 
 papers heing only left unriffillid and nnsoasit upon till that 
 tyni wer taken and openit and his accuttanees of great sownis 
 of money wche he hayd payed ohligationcs of sowmis securities 
 of his freind.s lands wer taken by the said Cajjtan Danyell and 
 throwen in the sea. 
 
 ' And to crown the rest of the said Captn Danyells inso- 
 lences before the Serjeant Major of Deepe Monsieur Schob- 
 neaw he did call the King of Britain ane usurpater. 
 
 * In this action the said Lo, Wchiltrie hathe proven that 
 pertly by the goods takin from him his lossis in his voyage 
 and his loss by his accutances and wry-this which Aver 
 throwin in the sea he is lesser above twenty thousand pounds 
 starling. 
 
 ' This wholl relation the said Lo. AVchiltrie did prove before 
 the Court of Admyraltie at Deepe procurit sentence upon itt 
 and being keei)it closs prisoner in Deepe for anc monthe by 
 tlie means off his Majesties imbassador he was brocht to his 
 he ring his offences against the King of France objected t(» 
 him he defended himself by his Majesties Commission which 
 he proved yat he navyr contrived nor transgressed and having 
 no more to say agaitist him he was delyvered to his Majesties 
 imbassador he did present to the Consell his relation off his 
 injuries and losses Avith the verification thcreoff in the Court 
 off Admiralty off Deepe the Judges sentence interposit thereto 
 hot nether can he have his wronges rejjaired his lossis repayit 
 nor the offender punished bot hi the contrarye the said Captan 
 Danyell is imploycd in new comission to go to America with 
 on of the Kinge of France's shipis and to otheis to make good 
 his possession of Cap Britan and the He of Cap Britan giving 
 to )iim for his injuries done to the King of Britan and his 
 subjects. Yea which is most barbarous and unjust the sen- 
 tence of the Court of Admiraltie which he did present to the 
 Consell of France is denyed to be given back to him it being 
 so ordered us itt shamefull it suld be upcm record so that the 
 Lo. Wchiltrie is forced to have his recours to his JMajestie 
 whois humble desyr is " That his Majestic may be pleasit to 
 
 
 
82 • CAPE BRETON. 
 
 tak Ills wronp^is and losses to his princely and royall considera- 
 tioii and to be ploasit to provyd su(;ho ronicad thereunto as in 
 liis Majesties unquestionable judj^ement will be found most 
 fealt and i'or the truth of his relation he is content to answer 
 it uj)on his lyfF and in the mean tym doeth remitt the prott' of 
 it to the relation of Captane Constance Ferrer, Louetennant 
 Tho. Maie Stewart, Ilary Pew (Jentleman and such others as 
 theaie will find out who are Avitnissis in the said action and 
 that his Majestic may be j^raciously pleasit to cause call them 
 for the verification of theas relations in testimony of the trentli 
 Avhereof the said Lo. AVchiltrio hath signed theas prcsentes." 
 
 *J. L. AVCIIILTUIK.' 
 
 Comparing these two statements, and making some allow- 
 ance for ])alpable exaggerations on both sides, any impartial 
 reader will, 1 think, admit that Lord Ochiltree had good 
 reason to complain of the treatment he received from a French 
 officer, after peace, according to Captain Daniel's own narra- 
 tive, * had been made with the King of Great liritain.' 
 
 Lord Ochiltree's ])arty, sixty persons in all, including old 
 men, women, and children, was clearly no niatih i'or Captain 
 Daniel's sixty fighting men, especially after the la< tcr had 
 been admitted into the fort as friends ; even if this had not 
 been the case, it is not likely that the fort was a very for- 
 midable structure, seeing that its occupants had been there 
 only two montlis. So that, after all. Captain Daniel had as 
 little reascm to boast of liis doings as a recent American 
 writer had to designate the capture of the little fort ' a signal 
 exploit.'' 
 
 In the Public Record Oflfice there is also a petition, dated 
 December, 1629, from Captain Constance Ferrar (above men- 
 tioned) to the King, in which the petitioner states that he 
 agreed \vith Lord Ochiltree to go out with his wife and family 
 ' to ])lant at Cape lireton,' where they arrived on July 1, and 
 that on September 10 they were treacherously surprised and 
 taken prisoners by Cajjtain Daniel, who landed them in Eng- 
 land, but that Lord Ochiltree and seventeen others were taken 
 
 ' Vdrkmnu'ti Pioncn:-! of Fiutiur ill i/ie yr/v World, I3u.stou: I8G0. 
 
LORD OCHILTREE TRIED FOR LEASING MAKING. 8^^ 
 
 prisoners to France. lie prays tlmt the French ambassador 
 may l)c instrncted to apply Tor tlieir release and for restitution 
 ofubove 1(),()()()/. damages. 
 
 It does not apjjcar that cither Lord Ochiltree or Captain 
 Ferrar ever (>btained any redress for their wrongs and losses ; 
 but in a desi)atch from Paris, dated January 22, 1630, in tlie 
 foreign correspondence in the Record Office, Sir Thomas 
 Edmondes says that he had complained of Captain Daniel's 
 cruel usage of Lord Oc^hiltree, who had been set at liberty by 
 the Council of ^larine, as they could find no cause for his 
 longer detention. Sir Thomas Echnondes adds, that Captain 
 Daniel, in justification of his conduct, alleged that he had a 
 special order from the Cardinal to recover for the French all 
 the plantations between the fortieth and forty-sixth degrees of 
 latitude. 
 
 Lord Ochiltree had scarcely regained his liberty, when lie 
 involved himself in a much more serious misfortune than the 
 loss of his plantation in Cape Breton, by bringing charges 
 against the Marquis of Hamilton, which he could not substan- 
 tiate. ' The hereditary enmity of the family against the house 
 of Hamilton induced Lord Ochiltree, in 1631, to prefer a 
 charge against the Marquis of Hamilton, as intending to 
 emj)loy the troops raised by him for the service of Ciustavus 
 Adoljdius, King of Sweden, to seize upon the throne of Scot- 
 land for himself. His Lordship having failed in his proof, 
 Mas tried for leasing making, and, being found guilty, was 
 sentenced to be imprisoned for life in Blackness Castle. Jlc 
 remained there till 1652, when he was released by the English 
 after the battle of Worcester, in 1659.'' 
 
 ' Sir 'Robert Donghifi s Pe(ra(/e of Sc /(land, Edinburgh: 1813. 
 
 u i 
 
84 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 LiyrTKK VI. 
 
 1029—1(154. 
 
 The little garrison at St. Anne's, which Captain Daniel left 
 well supplied with ample j)rovisi()n for their bodily and spiritual 
 wants, as related at p. 77, did not pass such a comfortable 
 winter as might have been expected. The Indians, who came 
 in great numbers to the fort on the arrival of the French, 
 finding that the latter had not brouglit any goods to exchange 
 for furs, venison, or other products of the chase, soon discon- 
 tinued their visits, so that the men, obliged to live all winter 
 ui)on salt provisions, Avere attacked towards spring by that 
 terrible disease, the scurvy, which carried off nearly one-third 
 of the garrison. 
 
 Fortunately for the two Jesuits, they Avere ordered to pro- 
 ceed to Quebec by the Rev. Father Provincial, Avhere, of 
 course, they did not give a very flattering account of St. 
 Anne's, which they said was neither ' pleasant nor agreeable,' 
 but nevertheless well adapted for the prosecution of the cod 
 fishery. 
 
 The Directors of the French company, however, did not foi'- 
 get their first settlement in Cape Breton. In the spring of 
 1630, they sent out a vessel with supplies, and another in the 
 following year, under the command of Captain Daniel. On his 
 arrival at St. Anne's, on June 24, Captain Daniel found the 
 settlement in a state of great agitation, on account of a tragical 
 event which had occurred about a month previously, viz. — the 
 assassination of Lieutenant Martell by Captain Gaude, the 
 Connnandant of the garrison. Gaude and his subaltern had 
 for some time been upon very bad terms, so much so, that the 
 Directors of the Company had instructed Captain Daniel to 
 
MARTELL IS ASSASSINATED BY GAUDE. 85 
 
 tnlcc ^fartcll with him to Fninco, and to appoint some otljcr 
 person in his i^lace, selected either from the men tlien at St. 
 Aime's, or from tlie settlers that had embarked with him on 
 this voyage. 
 
 Upon enqniry, Captain Daniel learned that on the day after 
 Whitsnnday, (jaude and Martell having snpped together, and 
 the hour tor moimting guard having arrived, the foruier gave 
 the watchword to Martell and then entered the fort, where he 
 loaded a carbine with three balls, and fired through a loop-hole 
 at Martell, who was playing at skittles outside. All the balls 
 struck the unfortunate Martell, one passing directly through 
 his heart. The men of the settlement seized (raude and kept 
 hiui in close confinement, but he managed to escape soon after 
 Daniel's arrival. Chami)hiin justly observes, 'This deed, so 
 basely perpetrated, is not to be excused in (Jaude on the mere 
 ground of incompatibility of temper, for, if he wished to punish 
 jNIartell, he should have put him under arrest until the arrival 
 of a vessel from France. Thus he would have had lawful 
 revenge on his enemy, without committing a desperate deed 
 which could only bring shame and trouble upon himself, at the 
 risk even of his own life, if he had not found means to escape 
 into the country.' 
 
 We have no further account of the fortunes of the settlers 
 at St. Anne's. Ferland • says a Jesuit mission was established 
 there in 1634, but this, .and the garrison also, seem to have 
 been withdrawn before Nicholas Denys obtained a grant of 
 Cape Breton and established a fishery at St. Anne's a few 
 years afterwards, as will be related in its pro[)er place. 
 
 Although negotiations had been commenced in 1629, peace 
 Avas not fully established between England and France until 
 March 29, 1632. According to this treaty. Great Britain 
 having restored to France all the places which had been occu- 
 j)ied by her subjects in New France, including the ports of 
 Port Royal, Quebec, and Cajjc Breton, Champlain again re- 
 turned to Quebec, in the capacity of Lieutenant-Governor, to 
 the great satisfaction, both of the colonists and the natives. 
 During the next two years he administered the government of 
 
 ' Uislori/ I'J' Canada. Quebec: 18G1. 
 
80 CAPE nRETON. 
 
 the colony with j^roiit wisdom mul finnnoss, and before lil.s 
 dentil, wlilcli (tcciuTod in KJ.'i'), the country lH'«>;an to show 
 sij^ns of iidvanccMU'iit in woalth and poj)nlati(>n. For thirty 
 ycurs, amidst ditficnitics and disconragcmcnts which wo* 'l 
 have dishoaitoncd a man of less energy atid enterjirise, he had 
 succeeded in estahlishiiitf the foniidations of a j^rcat French 
 colony on the hanks of the St. Lawrence ; had i)enetrated the 
 remote regions occiijjicd hy the lliirons and Alj^onqnins; had 
 explored the country in nil directions, even so far as the ice- 
 bound shores of lliidi^on's liay ; and u])on all occasions had 
 fiivcn his valuable aid to the missionaries, in endeavourin*^ to 
 pnrmnlfrate Christianity amouf^st the savage tribes which sur- 
 rounded him. As the historian liiuicroft observes, ' Ho pos- 
 sessed a clear and ])eiictratin<^ understanding!;, with a spirit of 
 cautious ctiquiry ; untiring; perse\orance, with p;reat mobility ; 
 indefalij^ablc activity, Avith fearless ccmrajre.' If C'hamplain's 
 jilans had not been thwarted by the short-si<j;hted, «;raspinf^ 
 policy of the tradinjj^ companies he re[)resented, ' New France 
 in 1632,' as remarked by Charlevoix, ' would have consisted of 
 more than an estaV)lishment in the island of Ca[)e Breton, the 
 fort of (Quebec surrounded by a few miserable huts, two or 
 three cabins on the Isle of Orleans, as n.any more perhaps at 
 Tadoussac and some other places on the St. Lawrence, for the 
 convenience of trade and the fisheries, a few habitations at 
 Tliree liivers, and the ruins of Port Koyal — the only fruits 
 of the discoveries of Verrazano, Jacques Cartier, Rol)erval and 
 C'hamplain, and of the j^reat ex])cnditures of La lioche, De 
 oMonts, and many other Frenchmen.' 
 
 The old companies neither sent out eniifi;rants nor cleared 
 any extent of land Avorth naming. Their attention was chiefly 
 directed to the fur trade, from which they derived great profits 
 without any risk of loss. IJefore the arrival of Euroj)eans on 
 the coasts of North America, the natives had only killed as 
 many of the fur-bearing animals as Avcrc necessary to supply 
 their scant Avardrobes ; but when the skins of the beaver, the 
 fox, the marten, &c., were so eagerly purchased by the traders, 
 they brought them for sale in such abundance, that they Averc 
 offered at prices far beloAV their real value. Even so late as 
 
RAZILLY filEUTENANT-OOVEUNOU OP ACADIE. 87 
 
 llic yciir 17')(), the fixed price of a ixmiul of heaver .skin in 
 NoVii Scotia was only 14 Il)s. of pork.' 
 
 Let us now return to Acadie. Tiie restoration of New 
 France, according to tlie tliirtl Article of the Treaty of St. 
 (icrniains, seems to have been unexpected, even l)y the French 
 themselves. Charlevoix says: — 'The I'acility with which the 
 jln«j:lish restored all iVcadie to France, wii- douhtless owiuf;' to 
 the fact that it was ur«i;cnt they should securely estahlish 
 themselves in New Knyland h^'fure emharkiny; in nt w enter- 
 prises.' JJut this could not have hccn the re;iM)n, because the 
 Kn^lish were then firmly established in tlieir southern colonies. 
 In \'irt;inia, for instance, where there were only 700 inhabi- 
 tants in IGl.'i, the popidation had increased so riipidly, that in 
 1()2() a colonial leu;islature was convoked, to which eleven 
 thrivin<i; towns sent their representatives. And in New Eng- 
 land, the small band of I'uritans which landed on IMvmouth 
 liock in 1G20, had been reiid'orced by so nniny arrivals, that 
 their settlements hail spread over IMassachusctts, New Hamp- 
 shire, and Maine, as far as the tradinjjj-post of l*ema(|uid on 
 the Kennebec, close to the confines of Aeadie. Uesides, so 
 far from ' not embarkinijf in any new enter[>rise,' cxjtcditions 
 un<ler the auspices of Sir William Alexander had been sent 
 out to take jjossession of Quebec, Cape Breton, and Port 
 Koyal, before the suspension of arms ai^reed to at Su/a. 
 
 At all events, the French Government considered the resti- 
 tution of New France a matter of the greatest importance; for 
 innnediately after the signing of the treaty of St. Gernnilns, 
 Isaac do llazilly, a conmiander in the Royal Navy, was aj)- 
 poiuted Lieutenant-Governor of Aeadie, and sent out to 
 occupy it for the Company of ' One Hundred Associates.' 
 liazilly was acconipauied by a relative, the Sieur d'Aulnay de 
 Charnisay, Charles Etienne la Tour (the son of one of the 
 first settlers in Aeadie), and Nichola'j Denys, Sieur de Frou- 
 sac. liazilly, Charnisay, and La Tour seem to have divided 
 
 ' From an affidavit in the Public Eeeord Office respecting Sir David Kirki-'s 
 refusal to givo up the furs seized by him at Quebec to the rreuch clainumts, it 
 ajipears that the price of beaver skins in I'aris in IGJiO was twenty-five shillings 
 sterling per pound. 
 
88 CAPE imFTON. 
 
 the western jinrt of Acadit' unionist tlicmsolvcs for tnulln*^ 
 purposes ; hut 8o many exchan«;es mul disputes took ]»laco 
 ('oiuH'rniii«]f their chiiu)s, that I cannot pretend to ^ive you the 
 real houndaries of tlieir resj)eetivc portions. Tins, however, 
 is not of mueh consequence, as our husincss lies with j\I. 
 Denys, who 8uhsc(|uently ohtained a concession, fortunately 
 not mixed up with the others. 
 
 Denys appears to have ;^onc to Acadie for the purpose of 
 end)arkin*ij in the fisheries. In the first instance, he estah- 
 lished a ' pcsche scdentairc,' or shore fishery, at Port llossi- 
 tjnol, in partnership with J^aziily and AI. d'Auray, a merchant 
 «)f IJrittany. 'i'liis enterprise proved so successful, tluit they 
 jairchased a ship of 200 tons burthen to cany their fish to 
 market ; but havin<^ despatched her to Portugal w ith a carj^o 
 just after the war broke out between Spain and that country, 
 she was seized and taken into a Portuguese ])ort. The French 
 ambassador endeavoured to obtain her release, but Donys says 
 ' they never got anything but fair promises.' • This misfortune 
 was s(»on followed by another of more serious import — the 
 death of liazilly, which occurred in 1G36. Kazilly's property 
 fell, by inheritance, into the hands of his brother Claude, who 
 sold all his interest in Acadie to Charnisay, who contrived by 
 all sorts of petty annoyances to nuike Denys's residence at Port 
 liossiijnol so uncomfortable, that he abandoned his shore fishery 
 in disgust. 
 
 Charlevoix says that when Denys first went out to Acadie 
 he was apj)ointed Governor of all the eastern coast, from Can- 
 ceau to Gaspe ; but it is singular that Denys himself does not 
 menti(m this in his book. It is probable, therefore, after leav- 
 ini' Port Kossiurnol, that he retired within the limits of his 
 government, and began to establish those settlements which 
 afterwards excited the envy of his covetous neighbours. 
 Whilst Charnisay and La Tour were squabbling on the west 
 CJ.ast, Denys Avas industriously occupied in clearing land, 
 erecting little forts for the protection of his people, trading 
 with the denizens of tlie forest, and gathering a rich harvest 
 
 ' Denys's Description gcogniphlij^uc ct kistorique dc» CustiS de I'Amcrique Sip- 
 icnlriunaie. Paris: 16T2. 
 
THE HETTLEMENT OF CHEDADOUCTOU. 89 
 
 fioin tlic tooining dcptliM of tlio ocoiin. 1H^^ settlement at 
 ('ln'<liil)(>U(.'toii, nt tlie luMul of tlic larj^^e hay of that ntimo, 
 where (iiiy«horou^h now stan<ls, seems to have hcen his 
 principal station. Here he had hirj^e warehcnises, with a fort 
 li.r their protection, und emph)yed al)out 120 men erecting 
 linihlings* and working on his land, of which he had .'iO arpent.s 
 or acres under cultivation. 
 
 At St. Peter's, in Cape lireton, he had a largo establish- 
 ment defended l»y a fort mounte*! with cannon, erected ii[)on 
 tlic rocky point on the right hand of the cove near the narrow 
 i!*tlunus which sejiarates the head waters of the liras d'Or 
 liuke from the sea. Across this isthmus he made a road, over 
 which he hauled his boats, to avoid the long circuitous voyage 
 around the island, lie cleared nearly the whole of the hill 
 behind his fort, and had eighty arpents of arable land under 
 "•ijtivation. 
 
 At St. Anne's he also had a fort near the entrance of the 
 harbour, several fields under cultivation, and a fine orchard of 
 !i|)l)le trees. Ilis visits to St. Anne's nnule him of course well 
 iu'(iuainted Avith the Hras d'Or Lakes. It was probably upon 
 (tne of these visits that he discovered the beautiful river and 
 basiti which still bear his name. 
 
 Ilis establishment at the isle of IMlscou, at the entrance of 
 IJaye des Chaleurs, was situated in the very centre of the 
 most valuai)lc fishincc grounds in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. 
 
 A glance at the map of British North America Avill clearly 
 show that Dcnys had disjjlayed great judgment in the selecti(m 
 of his fishing and trading posts. INIiscou and Chedabouetou 
 possessed every advantage for carrying on the fisheries ; St. 
 Peter's and St. Anne's for trading with the Indians. The 
 great lakes in the middle of the island, Avith their numerous 
 bays and channeb., ramifying in all directions, being admirably 
 a<lai)ted for canoe navigation, gave the Indians residing in 
 remote districts an easy means of communicating with the 
 trading posts at St. Peter's and St. Anne's. Denys had been 
 some years engaged in directing and superintending these 
 establishments, when his tranquillity Avas rudely invaded by 
 one Le Borgne, Avho had come into possession of Charnisay's 
 
00 CAPK iiupyroN. 
 
 projuM'ty In Acivlir. To place this Itcftuo y»>n in a cU'jir llj^lit, 
 
 1 iiiiit^t i^o hack to the year Ui.'Ui, and emhavonr to exphiiii 
 liow Le Ihtr^ne acfiuired a prctench'd rlj;h( to hiterfere with M. 
 Detiys. Alter the (h'ath of Ka/illy, his successorM, CharJiinay 
 and \ai Tour, .vho to<^ether oecnjiied the whoh; oi' western 
 Ai'a<lie, hecanie rivals in the fur tiade. The honiuhiries of 
 their res[»eetive districts heinj^ not clearly define*!, each, in his 
 ea|i;ernesH to nionopolise the custom of the sava;i;es, ol'ten 
 encroached upon the territ«>ry of the other; an<l as each chief 
 had his fort or citadel, surrounded hy a hand of retainers 
 ready to end»ark in any expedition that held out n prospect of 
 plunder or profit, collisions often «)ceurred, whieli terminated 
 in hloodshed. All le<;itimate trade \vm paralysed, and little 
 projfress made in the cultivation of the soil — tjjc real founda- 
 tion of wealth and prosperity, especially in a new country. 
 It would lead me too far from my ohject to attem[)t to give 
 you a mere outline of the history of the unhappy contentions 
 of the rival 8ei<^neins of Aeadie, between lOIJG and 1647; if 
 you feel disposed to pursue the suhject, I nnist refer you to 
 Murdoch's * History of Nova Scotia.' In 1(147, the quarrel 
 was l)rou«:;ht to a crisis 1)y the capture of La Tour's fort on 
 the St. John River. The fort was, however, defended with 
 such j^allantry and herois.n hy IVIadame La Tour, in the 
 absence of her husband, that Charnisay, with a vastly superior 
 force, after a sie<^e of four days only succeeded in his object 
 by the treachery of one of the {rarrison. 
 
 Charnisay did not long enjoy the fruits of his triumpli. He 
 died in 1650, when La Tour immediately went to France and 
 obtained a commission from the Kinjjj, conferring upon him 
 the appointment of Governor of Aeadie. 
 
 In 1653, La Tour married tlie widow of his old and invete- 
 rate enemy, Charnisay, hoping thereby to neutralise any claims 
 that might arise from that quarter. He soon, however, found 
 out his mistake ; for Charnisay, or his widow, had contracted 
 a debt of large amount vith Emmanuel Le Borgne, a mer- 
 chant of llochelle, avIio had obtained a judgment or decree of 
 the Parliament of Paris, authorising him to take possession of 
 Charnisay's property in Aeadie, in liquidation of the debt. 
 
LE nonONK TAKRM POSRESHION OP ACADIK. 01 
 
 T\\U l)rin«;M liiu'k our wtory to INF. Dcnys, wlio, you will 
 iccnilcct, Imd licM un<listinli(Ml posHcssion for niiiiiy yearn of 
 all the country to llu* oastwanl of Ciincciiu, and, to uuiko j^ood 
 his title, Iiiid obtained in l(l.').'{ a <j;nint thereof from the Coni- 
 |mny of New rnuiee. Six yearn before tlii« f^rant (in 1(>47) 
 Cliarnisay, it seems, liad heeu ajipointed hy tlie ICin;^, (Jover- 
 iKtr and liieiitenant-( ieneral of all Acadie, from its Avestcrn 
 (•(•iilincs to the St. Lawrence, which of course included all 
 y\. Defiys's settlcnicnts. 
 
 Le Hor^'ue, armed with his authority, lost no time in taking 
 jiossession of Acadie. Ilaviii}^ arrived at C'aneeau with an 
 aimed ship, he first despatched an officer with sixty men to 
 sci/e Denys's fort at St. l*eter's, Avhcrc a shi[) had just come 
 into the harhour with a care-o of nu'rchandise, and a number 
 ofnu'u to cultivate his lauds. The eonunander of Le lior^^nc's 
 detachment, findinj^ that Deuys was absent, inunediately made 
 |)ris(U>ers of all his peoj)le, and sent out twenty-Hve men to lie 
 in ambush on the road by which Denys was expected to return 
 from St. Anne's. l)(uys, accompanied only by three imarmcd 
 men, and perfectly unconscious of any danj^er in his path, was 
 seized and made prisoner just before he reached his home. Le 
 Horn;ne, havinj^ been informed of what had occurred, sent a 
 jtarty to take charge of St. I'eter's, and carried off Denys and 
 all his j>eople, as well as the ship and merchandise, valued at 
 5;J,(K)() livres, to Port lloyal. Not satisfied with seizing his 
 property and breaking up his settlement at St. Peter's, the 
 ruthless Le Borgne cast Denys into })rison, and put him in 
 irons on his arrival at ]N)rt lioyal ; but fearing, j)robably, 
 u])on reflection, that lie had rather exceeded his authority, lie 
 soon after set Denys at liberty. Failing to obtain any redress 
 from Le IJorgnc for the wrongs he had suffered, Denys went 
 by the first opportunity to France to make his complaints to 
 the })roper authorities. 
 
 The Company of New France, satisfied with the justice of 
 Denys's com[)laints, granted him a new commission, as already 
 mentioned (p. 87), which was confirmed by Letters Patent 
 from the King, re-establishing liim in all his rights, and cloth- 
 ing him with most ample powers. 
 
92 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 The careless and reckless manner in which these Patents 
 Avere issued led to endless confusion, and often to bloodshed, 
 as we have seen in the case of La Tour and Charnisay. They 
 were lavished with an unsparing hand from time to time, evi- 
 dently without enquiring whether the rights they so freely 
 conferred had not already been bestowed upon others. For 
 instance, the territory which Denys had held for ten years 
 was in 1647 given to Charnisay, and then, without revoking 
 Charnisay's Patent, it was again granted to Denys. 
 
 As you may, i)erhaps, wish to see cnie of these documents, I 
 now submit a translation of the Patent which invested Denys 
 with unlimited sway over the destinies of Cape Breton for 
 many long years. 
 
 'Pdtent, dated Januanj 30, 1 654, of the Sieur Nicholas Denys, 
 as Governor and Lieutenant-General in Canada, dejininij 
 and designatino the Limits and extent of his Government.^ 
 
 ' Louis, by the grace of God, King of France and Navarre. 
 To all present and to come. Having been informed and assured 
 of the laudable and commendable affection, care and diligence 
 of the Sieur Nicholas Denys, who Avas heretofore appointed 
 and established by the Com])any of New France, Governor of 
 the great bay of St. Lawrciice and of the adjacent islands 
 extending from Cape Canceau to Cape Rosiers in New France, 
 and who has for the space of nine or ten years usefully em- 
 ployed himself in the conversion of the Savages of the said 
 country to the Christian faith and religion, as well as in the 
 establishment of our authority throughout the extent of the 
 said country, having constructed two Forts and contributed co 
 the utmost of his power to the maintenance of several Eccle- 
 siastics for the instruction of the children of the said Savages, 
 and having worked at the clearing of untitled land, on which 
 he had built several habitations and would have continued so 
 
 ' It was usual about this time to speak of the coasts of the Gulf of St. Law- 
 rence and the islands therein, as parts of Canada, and of the country to the west 
 of Canceau as Acadi6, although, when tho country was first granted to De Monts, 
 in 1G03, all the region to tlie south of the forty-sixth parallel of latitude was 
 called Acadie. 
 
DENYS'S PATENT. 08 
 
 to do, had he not been prevented by Cliarles do Mcnoii, Sieur 
 d'Aulnsiy Charnisay, who without any righi, by means i.f .m 
 armed force, on his own private iiuthority expelled him from 
 the said forts and seized his victuals and merchandise and 
 destroyed the above-named habitations, without making any 
 compensation whatever: And wliercas, in order to restore the 
 place and to re-establish it in its original state and condition, 
 capable of receiving the settlers Avho had begun to establish 
 themselves there by means of the habitations and forts which 
 had been made and constructed, of which the said Charnisay 
 took possession, it is necessary to send there a man well 
 acquainted with the said places and faithful in our service, 
 in order to repair the said forts or to construct others and 
 to bring the said country again under our dominion, and to 
 restore to the said Company all the rights specified in the 
 proclamation of its establishment ; and fur the defence of the 
 said country, to furnish and hold the said forts, and those which 
 shall be constructed, with a sutheient number of men-at-arms 
 and other equipments, for which it will be necessary to go to 
 great expense ; and to render us a service of this imijortancc, 
 being assured of the zeal, care, industry, courage, worth, good 
 and wise conduct of the said Sieur Denys who has been named 
 and ju'esented to us by the said Company : We have of our 
 certain knowledge, full power and Royal authority, confinned 
 and do confirm, appoint and establish, by these presents, signed 
 v>ith our own hand, the said Sieur Denys (rovernor and our 
 Lieutenant-General, representing our i)erson throughout the 
 country, territory, coasts and borders of the great bay of St. 
 Lawrence from Cape Canceau uj) to Cape Hosiers, Newfound- 
 land, Cape Breton, St. John and other adjacent islands, in 
 order to re-establish our dominion and the rights of the said 
 Company of New France, to cause our name, power and autho- 
 rity to be recognised, to overcome, subject and render obedient 
 the people who inhabit there, and have them instructed in the 
 knowledy-e of the true God and in the light of the Christian 
 faith and religion, and to command there both by sea and by 
 land : to order and cause to be executed all that he may con- 
 sider necessary for maintaining and preserving the above named 
 
94 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 places under onr authority, Avith jxnver to apijoint and establish 
 all officers, both for war and justice, for the present and lience- 
 forth, n u»o and j)resent them to us in order to furnish and 
 give them our letters necessary for this purpose; and accordin<^ 
 to the occurrence of affairs, with the advice and coiuisel of the 
 most jn-udcnt and capable persons, to establish laws, statutes 
 and ordinances as much as ])ossible similar to ours ; to treat 
 for and contract j)cace, alliance and confederation with the said 
 jjcojde or others havinj^ jjowcf or command over them ; to go 
 to open war with them in order to establish and preserve our 
 authority and liberty of traffic and trade between them and our 
 subjects, and other things whi('h wc may think proper to enjoy 
 and grant to onr sul)jects Avho shall reside and trade in the 
 said country, and also to the natives of the same, favours, 
 privileges and honoiu's according to their qualities and merits, 
 at our good pleasure : AVe will and do intend that the said 
 Sieur Denys shall reserve and approi)riate to himself, and enjoy 
 fully and peaceably, all the lands before granted to him by the 
 Company of New France, both fen- himself and those belonging 
 to him, and that he may give and part with such portions 
 thereof as iie may choose, either to our said subjects residing 
 there or to the aborigines, as he may think best, according to 
 their qualities, merits and services : to cause a careful search 
 to be made for Mines of (lold, Silver, Copi)er and other Metals, 
 and to have them worked and converted to use as prescribed 
 in our ordinances, reserving for ourselves only one tenth of the 
 jjrofit which shall be derived from INIines of Gold and Silver, 
 leaving to him whatever a])pertains unto us of the other metals 
 and minerals, in order to aid him in bearing the other expenses 
 which the said service will create : We will that the said Sieur 
 Denys, before all others, shall enjoy the privilege, power and 
 riirht of trafficking and carrving on the trade in skins with the 
 Savages throughout the whole extent of the said country, both 
 on the mainland and coasts of the Gulf t)f St. LaAvrence, New- 
 foundland, Cape Breton and other adjacent islands, in order 
 that he and those whom he may app*)int may have the enjoy- 
 ment of all the things before nu'itioned, and that satisfaction 
 shall be made to him by the wJdov. of the said d'Aulnay Char- 
 
DKNTS'S PATENT. 95 
 
 nisav an<l l>is heirs, for all the losses and flamaijes which he has 
 suiToretl throu<i;h the said Charnisay: Moreover. We have 
 n;ivcn and do rr'wo, attributed and do attrihiite, to the said Sieur 
 Denys the rijjfht, jiower and privilege of forming a Stationary 
 Company for the fishing of Cod, Salmon, Mackerel, Herring, 
 Sardines, Sea AVolves, Sea Coav and other fish whieh arc to 
 be found throughout tlie extent of the said country and coast 
 of Acadie and the islands adjacent towards Virginia, in which 
 Company all the inhabitants of the country shall have what- 
 ever share they may wish to take, each participating in the 
 profits according to the amount embarked therein ; and to pro- 
 hibit all persons of whatever quality and rank from encroaching 
 upon the said Company in carrying on the said Stationary 
 Fishery in all the extent of the country ; with the exception, 
 nevertheless, of our subjects, Avhom we will and intend shall be 
 allowed to go everywhere in the said country of New France 
 with ships, into such ports and harbours as may please them 
 best, in order to carry on fresh and dry fishing in the usual 
 n7.anner, without being troubled in any way by the said Com- 
 pany ; making express inhibition and prohibition to all Mer- 
 chants, blasters and Captains of vessels and others our ordinary 
 subjects of the said country, of Avhatever rank and conditiim 
 they may be, to carry on the traffic in Skins with the Savages 
 of the said country, or the said stationary fishery, without his 
 express order and permission, under pain of disobedience and 
 entire confiscation of their ships, arms, annnimition and mer- 
 chandise to the benefit of the above named Sieur Denvs, and 
 of a ])enalty of ten thousand francs. We hereby authorize the 
 said Sieur Denys to stop and arrest all those who act contrary 
 to our orders, their vessels, arms and provisions, to give them 
 up into the liands of justice and to prosecute the ])ersons and 
 goods of the disobedient ; and in order that this our intention 
 and will be made known, and that none may })retend ignorance 
 thereof. We send to and command all our officers of justice 
 wlumi it may concern, that on the petition of the said Sieur 
 Denys they shall cause these presents to be read, published 
 and registered, and what is contained therein to be punctually 
 kept and observed, causing them to be posted up in the ports. 
 
06 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 harbours and otlicr places of our kingdom, countries and lands 
 under our sway, and, if necessary, an abridgment of their con- 
 tents, connnanding that, to the coi)ies which shall be duly 
 collated by our friends and faithful Counsellors, Secretary ttr 
 Koyal Notary, at their request, as much faith shall be given 
 as to the present decree : For such is our jdeasure. As Witness 
 to which we have caused our I'rivy Seal to be affixed hereto. 
 Given at Paris, the Thirtieth of January One thousand Six 
 hundred and fifty-four, and in the Eleventh year of our reign. 
 * Signed with the Great Seal of green wax, in strings of red 
 and green silk. 
 
 * Louis. 
 
 • Par le Roi. 
 
 ' Do Lomenio.* 
 
 Provided with the amjde legal powers which this document 
 conferred, Denys innnediately returned to his settlement at St. 
 Peter's, which Avas at once surrendered by the officer left in 
 charge by Le Borgne. He then despatched a messenger to 
 Le Borgne at Port lloyal, with a copy of his commission, and 
 to notify him that he had taken possession of St. Peter's, as 
 therein authorised. AVhen the messenger arrived at Port 
 lloyal, he found that Le Borgne had just sailed for the St. 
 John's river to take La Tour's fort by surprise, under the pre- 
 tence of carrying a supply of provisions to his starving neigh- 
 bour. As soon, however, as Le Borgne heard of the arrival 
 of Denys's messenger, he gave up his intention of attacking La 
 Tour, and innnediately returned to Port lloyal with the 
 design of seizing the messenger — pretending ignorance of the 
 des[)atches — and of falling upon Denys, whom he expected to 
 find quite unprepared to resist him. This wicked and un- 
 scrupulous scheme was, however, happily frustrated by an 
 unlooked-for event, which justly brought upon Le Borgne 
 the very calamity which he intended to inflict upon Denys. 
 Early in the spi-ing of 1654, Oliver Cromwell sent out three 
 or four ships with a small body of soldiers, to reduce the Dutch 
 colony of ^lanhattan, with instructions to the Governor of 
 Massachusetts to give all the aid in his power. A force of 
 500 volunteers was soon raised and placed under the com- 
 
SEDOWICK APPEARS nFFORE PORT ROYAL. 07 
 
 niaiul of iSrajor Scdjjrwlrk ; but tliorc was no occasion for their 
 services in that direc^tion, as peace mha made with Ilolhmd 
 hcforc the ships, which had a h)n!^ passaj^o from En«;hind, 
 arrived at Hoston. Enjiland and France wore at that time 
 at peace; but Sedjijwiok, who, it is snpposed, had secret orders 
 from Cromwell, ' tnrned his forces, w ith tht)se raised in Massa- 
 chusetts, another way, and dislodj^ed the French from Penob- 
 scot, St. .John, &c., where they met with no «;reat resistance' ' 
 Ilavinj^ then taken the posts of La llevc and Cape Sable, 
 Scdj^ywick unexpectedly made his appearance before Port 
 Koyal, just at the time that Le Borgne was prc])arinu; to 
 carry into execution his audacious dosi;^n of attacking INT. 
 Denys at Chedabouctou. Although Le IJorgne < ecu pied a 
 stronfi!;ly-fortined j)ost, defended by n. numerous jjfarrisdu, and 
 al)undanrly supplied with amnuuution and ])rovisions, he sur- 
 rendered the ])lace to Scdj^wick after a slio;ht show of resist- 
 ance. Fortunately for Denys, the English did not visit eitlun* 
 Chedabouctou or St. Peter's, but returned to 15oston, carrying 
 off Le Borgne prisoner. 
 
 llelieved from all fears of a visit from Le Borrjne, Denvs 
 soon repaired his forts and buildings, and was able to give 
 shelter and support to the children of Charnisay after their 
 exj)ulsion from Acadie. 'His establishment at Chedabouctou,' 
 he says, ' served not only for the maintenance of my ow n 
 family, but of theirs also, for nearly a year, during their time 
 of need, as well as for the sujiport of all those who had perse- 
 cuted me.' 
 
 It might have been reasonably expected that, after all these 
 troubles, AL Denys would have been allowed to enjoy the 
 fruits of his laudable exertions in peace, his title being secured 
 hy grant from the Company of New France, confirmed by the 
 king's patent; but it did not prove to be the case, for a person 
 named La Giraudiere, who had been residing many years on the 
 St. Mary's river, twenty leagues to the >vostward of Canceau, 
 
 ' Hutchinson's Hintori/ of MassacliKseits. Hililreth, in liis Hisfari/ of ilir I'nitid 
 S.'dlcs, says that Cromwell allc^^cd a siun of niuni'y jironiiswl by Franco, in coi - 
 sidcration of the cession of Aciuliu, had ncvur paid, and tliat tho cession, in conso- 
 qucacc, was not binding. 
 
 H 
 
08 CAPE nilETON. 
 
 sot up a claim to Chodjihouctou, Dcnys's principal settlement. 
 Tiiis man, whose establishment was situated at the head of the 
 navijration (where Sherhrookc now stands), surrounded hy a 
 palisade, supported hy four small bastions armed with two hrass 
 jjjuns and some swivels, on his first arrival had cleared some 
 land, and attemjitcd to hrin;^ it into cultivation; but finding 
 the soil imiiroductive, he ha<l «:;iven up farn)in«^, and devoted 
 nil his time to the fishcrv and the fur trade, from Avhieh he 
 derived considerable profit. These a<lvanta<;cs, however, did 
 not satisfy (Jiraudiere, who looked wiih envious eyes uj)on the 
 smilinp; Holds and luxuriant crops of his neaiest nei<(hbour, 
 T\I. Denys, and determined, if possible, to j;et jxtssession of 
 them. By means of false representations, he induced the 
 Company of New France to «>ive him a <:;rant ' of the wh(»le 
 coast from Canceau to Cane Louis, a distance of twenty-five 
 leajrues, all Ivinj; within Denvs's concession. 
 
 Having collected a force of 100 men at Canceau, (Jiraudiere 
 proceeded to Chedabouctou, where he seiy.od a vessel which 
 had just arrived from France with a cargo of merchandise and 
 provisions for ]M. Denys. He then summoned Denys to deliver 
 up the place, notifying him at the same time, that he had <»!)- 
 tained a grant of the coast, from Canceau to Cape Louis, from 
 the Company. To this Denys rej)lled, that the Comjtany 
 must have been deceived, or they never avouUI have granted to 
 another that which they had already granted to himself. 
 Giraudiere rejoined, that he was furnished with a j)roper 
 authority, and the means of compelling hmi to surrender the 
 fort, if he would not give it up peaceably. At this juncture, 
 to add to Denys's troubles, all his men, 120 in numbr;r, seeing 
 that the ship had been seized, and that they would, in conse- 
 quence, soon be in want of provisions, demanded their dis- 
 charge. Promising the men that, if they would only remain 
 to assist him in completing his defences, consisting of a ram- 
 part made of barrels filled with earth, and two bastions armed 
 with eight pieces of cannon and some swivels, he would then 
 
 ' I have not been able to nsccrtain when tliis took place, but it must have boon 
 before 1()()3, because Giraudiere's grant was from tiio old Company, which was 
 dissolved in that year. 
 
OinAUDIERE SUMMONS DENYS TO SURRKNDEH. 00 
 
 allow tlicin willingly to rotiro to (^apo lircioii, and also furnish 
 thorn with letters to the eaptains of the fishing vessels to give 
 them IVee passages to France, they all agreed to remain for 
 that purpose. WIumi the defenees were comiileted, all the 
 men departed for Cape lireton, except twelve brave fellows, 
 who would not abanchju their master in his hour of need, 
 (iiraudicre, seeing the men depart, and supposing that tlu; 
 pl.acc would now be given up without resistance, again sum- 
 moned Denys to surrender, telling him at the sauie time that 
 it would be unwise on his part to risk his life in attempting to 
 defend a place which he could not hoi)o to hold against a 
 superior force. To this Denys answered, that (liraudiere 
 would run a greater risk in the attack than he (Denys) would 
 in the defence, especially as the justice of his cause would 
 combat in bis favour. (Jiraudiere and his brother De JJaye 
 now spent some days in reconnoitreing the place, in the hope 
 of finding a weak point in the defences which they might 
 assault with a certainty of success ; but failing in this, they 
 embarked in their vessels and left the ])lace, to the great j<»y 
 of Denys, who naturally concluded they had al>andoncd their 
 enterprise. 
 
 In this, however, Denys was di^appcinted, as De IJaye 
 returned a fe^v days afterwards and asked to see the (iovernor, 
 when he informed him that (iiraudicre had taken possession of 
 the settlement of St. Peter's in Cape IJreton, which he Avas 
 determined to hold until some satisfactory arran<j;ement could 
 be mmle resi)ectin}j his ritjht to ClicdsiboiK'tou. 
 
 The conditions pro])osed by Giraudiere were, that Denys 
 should give up Chedabouctou in exchange for St. Peter's, and 
 that they both should go to France to submit their claims to 
 the decision of the C( mpany, each binding himself in writing 
 to abide thereby. Denys, having agreed to these conditions, 
 accompanied Giraudiere to France, when the Comjiany de- 
 clared that they had been imposed upon, annulled Giraudieie's 
 grant, and re-established Denys in all his rights. The result 
 was so far satisfactory ; but Denys received no compensation 
 for his losses in consequence of this atfair, which he estimated 
 at 15,000 crow'ns, partly on account of advances he had made 
 
 n 2 
 
100 CAPE nUETON. 
 
 for tlu' luiiintcrmnco and cliarj^c of 120 men, and partly for llic 
 cost of Ills l)uil(liii<^s, clfariii^s, and cattle, which were all lo>t 
 and riiitied so (*oni|)l(>tcly, that he was unahlc to estuhlish him- 
 self a<^aiii at Chcdahouctou, and was «)l)li<;ed to retire to his 
 settlement at St. Peter's. 
 
 I am j;rieved to sav that this was not the last of iSI. Denvs'a 
 misfortunes; for after his removal to St. Peter's, the whole of 
 his hniidin^s there weic destroyed by fire, which com|ielIed 
 him to abandon Cape Breton, and to retire to his only reniain- 
 inji; settlement at the Bay Chalenrs. The following is his own 
 ace«>nnt of this calamity : — 
 
 * I was obli««;ed to remove to CajjC Breton, where I would 
 doubtless have recovered from mv losses, throuj^h meetin"; with 
 some savages vet unknown, who came to seek me, brinuiu*; 
 two lon<if boats full of furs, worth about 2.5,()()() francs, had not 
 a fire unfortunately broken «iut (the cause of which could 
 never be ascertained) in a loft where fire was not usually 
 carried, and burnt down all my dwellinf^s, all my wares, furni- 
 ture, anununitlon, victuals, flour, wine, arms; in short, all that 
 I possessed in that place was consumed without bein<:j able to 
 save anythini^; and all my peojtle were obliged, as well as 
 myself, to (i^eape from the violence of the fire with no other 
 covering but our shirts. The (udy things saved were half a 
 cask of brandy, and as much wine, with about 500 sheaves of 
 whe.it, which were withdrawn with great difHcidty from a barn 
 which the fire had not yet reached ; without which we should 
 all have been compelled to have sought a subsistence in the 
 woods with the savages until the coming spring.' 
 
 Unfortunately, Denys does not give us the date of this cala- 
 mity, so that I am not able to say when he left Cape Breton. 
 It is certain he was there in 1659, as it is stated in the Jesuits' 
 • Relations ' of that year, that ' Monsieur Denys occuines 
 the chief settlement belonging to the French in Cape Breton,' 
 and that the * Fathers Andre Richard, Martin Lione, and 
 tfacques Fremin, were then in that island.' ' It is also equally 
 certain that he left before 16(»9, because, as Denys hiujself 
 informs us, when a j)erson named Huret, who was in charge of 
 
 ' liilation dc Jisuiirs in Soi<ccllc-l<'ra>tcr, an. I(i.j9 IGCO. Tjiris : 1G61, 
 
COMPANY OP NEW PHANrR DISSOLVED. K.'l 
 
 (liramliorc's Hcttlciuctit at St. Miirv's, was drivnn out 1)v llu» 
 lOn^lisli 111 tluit year, lie went \\\\h all liis people in lionts to 
 Dciiys's Hcttlcmont at NipisiM;iiit, in Hay CliahMir, for r(>rii;xiN 
 where thoy wore kindly reeeived and siipj)orted all winter liy 
 Madame Denys, in tlie absence of her hushand. 
 
 ' For whieh,' he adds, * I hold their note, wliieli has never 
 hcen paid; and behold I hy my dili;^eiiee and lahonr I havt; 
 a;;ain had the opportunity of relieving; in their misf»>rtnne8 
 those who, not satisfied with their own possessions, eoveted, 
 seized, and destroyed mine, Providence havin«^ jiennitted iiie 
 to toil for their suhsistenee and to jxivc them hread in their 
 tronhles, all which I say withont reproach.' 
 
 His settlement at Xipisifjnit, the only one now left to him, 
 seems to have been in a flonrishinj^ e(»ndition ; he says his 
 honse was flanked hy four bastions mounted Avith six pieces of 
 cannon, and surrounded by a palisade eij^hteen feet in heij^ht ; 
 ' that he had a larrjo «farduu in which vey;etai)les flourished 
 admirably; an orchard })lanted with api)le and pear trees which 
 withstood the cold ; and that peas and corn grew jiassably 
 well.' 
 
 The Company of \cw France, or, as it was sometimes 
 styled, the * Company of One Hundred Associates,' having 
 been dissolved in lOG.'i, a new one was established in the fol- 
 lowing year, which confirmed INI. Denys in the possession of 
 all his territory, upon condition of sending out fifty emigrant*; 
 every ten years. From this time we find only some occasional 
 notices of M. Denvs's movements. It seems i»rol)al)le that be 
 went t(t France some time before 1072 — the year in which his 
 book was published, and left his sons in charge of his settle- 
 ment. 
 
 In the year 1677, Denys's right, to exact a duty from all 
 persons who took coal from Cape Breton was recognised by 
 an ordinance of .lacques Duchesnau, Intendant of New 
 France.' 
 
 ' I. make this statemrnt on tlic imtliority of Mr. Munloi-li, who smts, in his 
 //i.i/i)r>/ (if Xcra S'oiitia: ' Tlio coal mines of (Jiipc Urcton lioLraii at this time to 
 attract attention. Dnchcsnan, tlic Intendant of New France, issued an ordoii nance 
 dated August 21, 1G77, which recn|^nisos ami establishes the right of M. Deuya to 
 
102 CAPE nUETON. 
 
 In IfiS.'i, Uicliiinl Dciiys, actinj^ i\n' \\U f'atluT, j^rniitcd a 
 plt'co of liiiid llircc Icaj^iics s(|uait', in Cape lin^toii, to tlic 
 S 'ininarv of Foreign Mi.«*.sion.s at (^uchec, but its bitiuition i,s 
 not inctitioiied. 
 
 riicn! is MO record of tlie fact, Init it is prohalde tliat M. 
 Dciivs's patent was partially, if not wholly, cancelled al>ont this 
 ti ne, hecanse a new tradin;^ coni|>any, composed of the Sienr 
 licr^icr of Jlochelle, (iahriel (Jaiitier of Paris, aiul sonic 
 others, who had for two or three years heen in |)ossesslon of 
 ('ln(lal)oneton and other places on the coast, obtained in KJHd 
 a ijjrant of Cape IJreton, St. .rolinV, and the Magdalen Islands. 
 
 Finally, it is quite certain that his patent Avas entirely 
 revoked before the year !<){)(), as ho applied for and obtained 
 •i\* that time from Frontenac, the (fovernort)f New France, 
 a grant of fifteen leagues sciuare at Miramichi, where his son 
 Richard resided, lying within the limits of the concession which 
 he had held for more than forty years. 
 
 Denys's book, entitled ' Description geographi(ine ot Insto- 
 viipic des Cotes de rAmeri(iue Septentrionale,' to which I am 
 indebted for tlie sid)stancc of the greater part of this letter, 
 was jaiblishcd in Paris in lf)72. It contains nnurh valuable 
 information relating to Acadie and Ca[)e lireton, minute and 
 graphic accounts of the fisheries, and drawings of storehouses, 
 fishing stages, and all the implements in use, down to a common 
 fish barrel. The sixth eliaj)tcr is devoted to a description of 
 the harbours, rivers, &c. of Cape lireton. lieginning at St. 
 P( ter's, he takes us all round the island to the Gut of Canceau, 
 then called the Strait of Fronsac. llis description of St. 
 Anne's, as might be expected from his connexion with that 
 place, is very accurate, but he does not appear to have been 
 personally acquainted Avith some of the other harbours. At 
 
 pxaot ii duty from all ixrsons who took coal from Capo Bn'ton, or plaistcr from the 
 Htniils of Can('( an, as ^'rantio of the land by patent in 1654, goviTnor, &p. This 
 docunipnt fixes t lie duty at thirty sous for cai-h ton of plaistcr (gypsum), and twenty 
 sons for each ton of cdal. Persons also who tiiule in furs within the limits of Denys's 
 {jrantfi and government, which embraced the islands of St. John and Capt; IJicton, 
 and the whole Oulf-shoro from Canceau to Cape Rosiers, are declared liable to 
 confiscation of their goods employed, and to u fiuo of 200 livres, unless they have 
 license from Denys.' — Vol, i. p. Iu5. 
 
nrAMPr.AiN's and dknvn'm maps op capk iiiikton. ion 
 
 the Hiiit* <1('S Kspn^'ijols (Sydiwy) y«ni will ho siir|tris('i| t«> 
 Irani ' tlicrt' is ti inniintiiiii of v«'rv gutnl coal fniir h'li^iii's up 
 till' rivrr.' Tlii.H will In* ^n-iit news lor tlic mimcroiis partifrt 
 now ('ii;;!i;^('il in minima spiMMiliitioiis ! 'IMin nn»st <'urious docii- 
 iiifiit ill till! I)i)()k is flu; iiiiip of Hu> island, of wliicli you liavc 
 all exact cojiy annexe*!. i( in odd that two persons of su«'li 
 ahility and iiitclli;;eiice as Cli.iiuplain and Penys, who were 
 hotii en^iifijed in iiiiii'itiiiKt occupations for so many years, 
 fliould liav(? compiled siudi wretched maps of Cape lireton. 
 Considering that Denys's map was constru«'tcd s(» loiij:; after 
 ( liainplaiirs, an<l that hi; himself had resided so lon<^ in tlie 
 island, tlu! latter is in reality the hest of the two, save in the 
 position of the entrance to the Hras d'Or Lakes, which CMiamp- 
 lain supposed to he throuj^h Ni^aniche May. Denys j^ivcs us 
 a tolerahly acinirate description of Sydney Ilarhour in his 
 pa^cs, hut, you will ohservc, does not even j^ivc it a place in 
 his map, whilst he makes the little harhour of Haleine, which 
 will scarcely hold a dozen vessels, as larjj;e as St. Anne's, 
 which he tridv says has anchorajie for a thousand. 
 
 In making; these reinaiks 1 do not wivsh to throw ariv hiame 
 upon j\I. Denys, as he probahly had not nmch time for making 
 marine surveys, but to show the slow prot^ress of ^eon^raphical 
 science during the two hundred years followijig the discovery 
 of iVineriea. His whole time was, no doubt, occupied with the 
 various mercantile and agricultural pursuits in which he had 
 embarked, in places so far distant from one another, leaving 
 him little leisure to bestow upon ma[) making. Of all the 
 Seigneurs of Aeadic, he was the only one that succeeded in 
 bringing any notable surface of land under cultivation. Jf he 
 did not make so much })rogress as might have been expected 
 with the number of men he employed, we must bear in mind , 
 that this was chiefly due, as he tells ns, to the envy and 
 rapacity oi* his neighboiu's, and not ' to his negligence or his 
 want of knowledge of the country, Avith the advantages of 
 which he was well acquainted.' lie entertained a high opinion 
 of the capabilities and resoiu'ces of the country, for he adds : 
 ' People might live in Acadie and Cape Breton with as much 
 satisfaction as in France itself, provided the envy of one did 
 
104 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 not ruin tlio host intended dcsijjjns of another, and tliat land 
 cleared and cultivated by one should not be taken from him 
 and friven to another ;' provisos Avhich had been overlooked in 
 more than one instance Avithin his own experience. 
 ^f The tact and couraj^e which jSL Denys dit<played on so 
 many occasions of difficulty and danj^er ; the patience and 
 ])erseverance Avith which he endeavoured to repair his severe 
 losses ; and the generosity and kindness Avhich he exhibited 
 towards the children and dependents of his bitterest enemies in 
 their liour of need, justly demand our hi<;hest praise and 
 admiration. 'To you, my friends, I feel that no apology is 
 necessary for dwelling so long upon the fortunes of one so 
 intimately connected with Caj)e IJreton, and who, had he been 
 permitted to pursue liis liberal and enlightened views in peace 
 and quietness during his long career, would have contributed 
 in jin eminent degree to the early settlement and advancement 
 of your native land. 
 
105 
 
 LETTER VII. 
 
 1604—1090. 
 
 Having in my lust brought down the liistory of Capo Breton 
 to tlio year 1690, Ave must now revert to Acadie, whieh, you 
 will recollect, was taken possession of by IMajor Sedgwick 
 (see p. 07) in the year 1654, although France and England 
 Avere at that time at i>eace. In the following year a Treaty of 
 Alliance was agreed upon at Westminster between the two 
 nations, but Cromwell could not be persuaded to give up 
 Acadie, alleging that it was, by right of discovery, the ancient 
 inheritance of the Crown of England. To secure his hold of 
 the country, letters patent Avcre granted on August 10, 1656, 
 by Cromwell to Sir Charles St. Stephen, Lord Delatour, 
 Thomas Temple, and William Crowne, * of all those lands in 
 America called Acadia, and that part of the country called 
 Nova Scotia.' The grantees had the exclusive right of 
 trading with the savages, rendering yearly twenty moose skins 
 and twenty beaver skins to the Lord Protector or his succes- 
 sors.' Colonel Thomas Temple was appointed Governor, and 
 on April 14, 1657, by an Order of the Council, a ship Avas 
 provided to carry him and his company to his plantation in 
 Nova Scotia. '^ 
 
 In the year 1662, Charles II. confirmed this grant, and, it 
 is supposed, at the urgent request of the people of New 
 England, refused for a long time to listen to the solicitation of 
 the French Government to give up the country. The fickle 
 monarch, hoAvever, at length yielded to the entreaties of 
 Louis XIV., and, Avholly ignoring the rignts of Temide and 
 
 ' Docunauts in the Public Reconl Office. 
 2 Ibid. 
 
lOG CAPE BUTTON. 
 
 Ills associates, >vh<) liad spent a largo sum of money In repair- 
 ing the Forts of St. Jolin, Pentagoet, Port lloyal, and Cape 
 Sable, restored the whole of Acadic to France at the Treaty 
 of Breda in 1667. Sir Thomas Temple, of course, made 
 strong objections to this article of the Treaty, and contrived 
 by various excuses to hold possession of the country, until 
 1670, Avhen the King sent him out a positive order to deliver 
 it up to M. de Andigny de Grandfontaine, who was appointed 
 Governor of Acadic by the King of France. 
 
 England had, nominally, been in jjossession of Acadie from 
 1654 to 1670, but during all that time the French inhabitants 
 had neithc'* given up their houses nor lands except in the 
 innnediate vicinity of the forts of La Ileve, Port lloyal, St. 
 .John's, &c. 
 
 It was reasonably expected that the disorders which had 
 so hmg prevailed wiudd cease when a lloyal Governor was 
 appointed, with full powers over the whole colony, and that 
 the country * which had hitherto been little more than a resort 
 for adventurers, whose occupations Avere concentrated in the 
 fur trade, the fisheries, petty wars, and probably piracy,'' Avould 
 now begin to make some progress. There was certainly ample 
 room for improvement, for we learn that, according to a census 
 taken in 1671, by order of M. de Grandfontaine, the whole 
 number of inhabitants in Acadie did not exceed 400, not 
 recktming those who had intermarried with and been absorbed 
 by the Abenaiiuis Indians. 
 
 In the year 1674, the Charter of the West India Company, 
 Avhich had been only ten years in existence, was cancelled, 
 and the trade in the French Colonies in America Avas declared 
 free to all French subjects. At the same time, the govern- 
 ments of Acadie and Cape Breton were made subordinate to 
 that of Canada, Quebec being the residence of the Viceroy or 
 Connnander-in- chief of all New France. 
 
 In the short space of seventeen years Acadie had no less 
 
 ' 'Nevertheless wo are bound to remark that whilst otlicrs wore chiefly en- 
 g.ipecl in war or the fur trade, M. Dcnys was making the most praiseworthy ofturts 
 to form agricultural estabiiishnients; he employed a preat number of men in the 
 cultivation of tlie hoil.' M. Kaineau't. France uiix CaloHics. Paris: 1859. 
 
THE ROYAL GOVERNORS. 107 
 
 llian five fjovcrnors : La Grandfontiiino, ai>p(»intc(l iti 1670, Do 
 Chambly in 1674, Dc Vallicre in 1682, Pcrrot in 1684, and De 
 Mcnneval in 1687. 
 
 Nevertheless the country did not prosper under the Royal 
 Governors. The frequent changes were the cause of much 
 mischief, as eacli governor on his appointment, aAvare that his 
 ivi<rn wouhl he a short one, made the best use of the time in 
 (MM-ichinf^ himself as s])cedily as possible. The Baron la 
 llontan, who resided in Canada and Newfoundland from 1683 
 to 1694, says, ' The French jTovernors look upon their ])lace as 
 a gold mine given them in order to enrich themselves ; so that 
 the i)id)lic good must always march behind })rivate interest . . . 
 M. Pcrrot was broke with disgrace for having made it his 
 chief business to enrich himself ... his chief business was to 
 go in barks from river to river in order to traffic with the 
 saMiges . . . ]M. de IMcnncval suffered the English to possess 
 thoniselves of Port Royal because the place was covered only 
 with single pal lisados. But why was it not better fortified? 
 I can tell you the reason: he thought he had time enough 
 to fill his pockets before the English would attack it.'' La 
 Hontan's testimony must, however, be received with caution ; 
 he had been dismissed from the French service, and probably 
 wrote under feelings of irritation on that account. The Abbe 
 Prevost says, ' La liontan is a bad guide on im})ortant 
 subjects.' Still there seems to have been much truth in his 
 statements, as we have a corroboration thereof from another 
 source : jM. Bcrgier, who resided at Chedabouctou, ' having 
 g(me to the island of Cape Breton with three men, to collect 
 furs from the savages, was attacked and robbed by Beaubassin, 
 a son of De Vallicre, avIio entered his cabin at three o'clock 
 in the morning, accompanied by six men armed with fusils, 
 drawn swords, and pistols ; and an Indian chief also, Avho was 
 coming to Chedabouctou, was met by De Vallicre himself, and 
 robbed of the skins of seventy moose, sixty martins, four 
 beavers, and two otters.'' ' 
 
 ' La ITontan's Travtls in Canada. English Edition. 2 vola, London, 1735. 
 * Paris Mauuycripts in archivi's at Quobuo. 
 
108 CAPE P.RKTON. 
 
 In cousoqucnoo, pr(»l)ahly, of the conipla'nts of tlic honest 
 and j)eji('eal)lc iiiluibitaiit.s of Acadir, the Viceroy sent M. de 
 ISIeulles, the Intendant of New France, to in(|uirc into the 
 state of the country, avIio reported that he found all the French 
 settlements In a state of ruin and dcsohition. In the year 
 16SH, anticipatiuiij a war with England, Louis XIV. sent out 
 the Sieur de Pasquinc to examine and report n]>()n the defences 
 of the cohmy. Pasquinc reported very favourably of the 
 country, the fertility of the soil, the security of the ports, and 
 the value of the mines and fisheries ; hut added that, owinj^ 
 to the dissensions of the ])roprietors, and the avarice of the 
 governors, who traded with the English, the latter liad 
 obtained a monopoly of the fisheries and the conunerce of the 
 colony ; and that the French inhabitants, who were under no 
 restraint or discii)line, neglected the culture of the soil and led 
 a vagabond life in the woods. lie recommended that the seat 
 of government should be removed from Port Iloval to La 
 Ileve or Canceau, either of which was in a n)ore central 
 position, and better situated for affording succour to Ca[)e 
 lireton and Newfoundland in case of need. 
 
 The population of Acadie, which, according to a census 
 taken l)y De Meulles in 1686, was 912, including 30 soldiers, 
 in less than three years, owing to the disorderly state of the 
 country, dwindled down to 806. 
 
 In Cape lireton there was not a single family of European 
 descent; the Indians, and jterhaps one or two Jesuit mis- 
 sionaries, had sole possession of the Island. The fishermen 
 frequented rhe harbours as usual, but the only other visitors 
 were the persons sent by Bergiers Compnny, whose hcad- 
 cpiartcrs were at Chedabouctou, to ccdlect furs from the 
 Indians. 
 
 So that when the war broke out in 1689, Acadie and Cape 
 IJreto.i were in a truly wretched condition, and alike incapable 
 of making the slightest op[)ositIon to the attacks of the 
 English. No assistance could be obtained from Newfound- 
 land, as the French occujaed only a single fortified post In 
 that island. 
 
 The mention of Newfoundland reminds me that 1 ought 
 
THE PLANTERS OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 109 
 
 Ijoforo tin's to havo </\\c\\ you some account of the proprress of 
 an islaixl destined, in later times, to become (Mie of the principal 
 markets for tlie produce of Cape lireton. Knj^lish merchants 
 and fishermen, cliiefiy from the West of En<:;huid, luid \on<r 
 occupied, as I have before tohl you, stations upon the eastern 
 coasts of the ishmd durinjjj tl>e fishin*; season, but no attempts 
 were made to establish regular settlements befm-e the year 
 lt)l(), when the ' Company of the Planters of Newfoundland,' 
 composed of the Earl of Northami)ton, Lord lla(!on, and many 
 other influential i)ersons, o])tained a patent from tFames I., 
 jTrantinj; them the whole of Newfoundland, from the fortv-sixtli 
 to the fifty-sec<uid decree of latitude, with all the seas and 
 islands within ten lea{i;ues of the coast.' John Guy, who was 
 appointed (iovernor, went out with a inunber of emij^rants, 
 who settled at Cooper's Cove, but the cold proved so severe, 
 and the soil so unproductive, that the enterprise was abandcmed 
 in less than three vears, althoujirh Lord Bacon — one of its chief 
 promoters — declared that Newfoundland ' contained richer 
 treasures than the mines of Mexico and Peru.' 
 
 In the year lG2.'i, Sir (ieorge Calvert, soon after created Lord 
 lialtimoi-e, obtained a <]jrant from ilames I. of ' all that entire 
 portion of land situate within our country of Newfoundland,' 
 and all islands within ten leagues of the eastern shore tliereof, 
 to be incor])orated into a jtrovinee called Avalon. Lord 
 Baltimore sent out three vessels with settlers, but did not go 
 out himself until April 1628, when he took up his abode at 
 Ferryland, where a foi-t and a large house had been erected 
 for him. On Aumist 2.5 he wrote to the Kin<^ that the 
 fisheries had been disturbed by a Frenchman, one Mons. de la 
 Kade, of Dieppe, Avho had three ships and 400 men, all well 
 armed. He added, that he had driven off Mons. liade, and 
 captured seven French vessels which he had sent to England, 
 and requested the King to send out two men-of-war to protect 
 the English fisheries. On August 19, 1629, he again wrote 
 to the king from Ferryland, ' giving thanks upon his knees 
 
 ' I olitiiinod tliis information, and all tluit follows relative to Newfoundland, up 
 to tlu> yiur 1700, from the original documents ia the Public Kecord Office. 
 
110 CAPE RRETON. 
 
 for tlic loan of a fair ship ;' this was the * St. Claude,' one of 
 the prizes taken in the precedinj; year. A year's residence in 
 Newfoundland seems to have been quite enough for Lord 
 Baltimore, as lie applied on August 19 to the king for a grant 
 in Virginia, stating that he could not hear the climate of 
 Newfoundland,' the land and sea being frozen from October 
 to May, and that of 100 persons in his service, 50 had been 
 sick at one time, whereof nine or ten died. 
 
 The fishermen of Newfoundland were about this time cruelly 
 harassed by pirates. In eight years, viz. from 1012 to 1020, 
 the damage done by the ])irates was estimated at 40,800/. ; be- 
 sides the loss of 180 pieces of ordnance, and 1,080 fisheruK n 
 and mechanics C!>;ried off by force. C'ai)tain Whitbonrne, 
 who was sent out in 10 lo to hold a Court of Admiralty to 
 enquire into certain abuses, says that one Peter Easton, a 
 pirate, had ten sail of well-appointed ships, that he was master 
 of the seas, and levied a regular tax on all the fishing vessels.' 
 On August 8, 162.3, the Mayor of Poole wrote to the Privy 
 Council, saying that, unless protection were afforded to the 
 Newfoundland Fleet of 250 sail, ' of the AVestern Ports,' they 
 would be snr[)rised by the Turkish pirates; and on the 12tli 
 of the same mcmth the jSIayor of Plymouth informed the 
 Council that twenty-seven ships and 200 men had been taken 
 by pirates in ten days. As there are no records of any further 
 complaints, we may presun\c that the required protection was 
 afforded by the Government. 
 
 Having obtained a favourable answer to his ap[)lication for 
 a grant in Virginia, Lord Baltimore seems to have taken little 
 interest in his colony in Newfoundland. Adventurers of mo- 
 derate means obtained grants of that part of the coast which 
 had been before assigned to Lord Baltimore, and j)arcelled it 
 out in lots to persons who paid a certain sum, and undertook 
 to settle a certain number of fishermen or agriculturists. 
 
 ' Sir David Kirko, writing on Oi'toLcr 2, 1639, to Arclibisliop Laud, praises tlio 
 climate of the country, ami says the air agrees witii all (iod's creatures except 
 Jesuits and schisniatics ; 'a great mortality among the former trilio so affrighttd 
 my Lord of Baltimore that he utterly deserted the country.' 
 
 ' Whitbourac's Biscovrte and Uixcovrri/ of NcirfoumHand. London: 1G23. 
 
kirke's estates sequesthated. Ill 
 
 In tlio year 1037, tlie Maniuls of Hiunilton, tlic Karl of 
 Pembroke, the Karl of IIolluiul, and Sir Davul KirUe — (llio 
 same that took '^^ncbcc in 1(529) — obtained a ^nmt of tlie 
 'Province of Xewfoundhuul, horderinj; upon the Continent of 
 America,' from the forty-sixth to the fifty-third dejifree of lati- 
 tude. The jircanible to this <;rant states that it was j^iven in eon- 
 sequence of Lord Baltimore and Cecil his son havin}^ deserted 
 and k'ft the plantation in no sort provided for, as also had several 
 other persons who had j^rants of parcels of land, ' leavinj^ divers 
 of our own ])oor subjects in the said province livin*^ without 
 government.' Cecil, Lord Baltimore, when he heard of this 
 scheme, memorialised the Kinj^, and informed his Majesty 
 that his father had sent out divers colonies of the Kinj;'s sub- 
 jeets to plant, build houses, and erect forts; that he had sent 
 out Captain Winne, Captain Mason, and Sir Arthur Aston, 
 as governors; and that he had expended more than 2(),0()()/. in 
 the colony, but Avas comi)elled to leave on account of the 
 severity of the weather ; he thereft)re jn-ays that his rights 
 might not be trenched upon by * some persons of quality,' who 
 had a design of exacting a duty upon all the fish taken, &c. 
 
 Nevertheless, the ' j»ersons of cpiality ' above mentioned ob- 
 tained their y-rant, and Sir David Kirke went out to manay;e 
 the affairs of the new company, where his proceedings caused 
 much dissatisfaction among both the Knglish and the foreign 
 fishermen. In 1639, the French Ambassador com[)lained of 
 Kirke's impositions upon strangers fishing on the coast of 
 Newfoundland, and in 1640 the Justices of the Peace of 
 Exeter forwarded several petitions to the Privy Council from 
 merchants and others, complaining of injuries inflicted by 
 Kirke and his associates, more especially of having set u[) 
 taverns (which were expressly forbidden by the Privy Council), 
 whereby the fishermen wasted their estates and grew dis- 
 orderly. In consequence of these and subsequent comi)laints, 
 commissioners were sent out in 1652 to examine into them, 
 when Kirke's estates were sequestrated, but restored in the 
 following year. The ' persons of quality,' who were so con- 
 spicuous in the organisation of the enterprise, seem to have 
 withdrawn when Kirke got into trouble, as there is no men- 
 
112 CAPR nilETON. 
 
 ticni of thoin in any of the documents rcliitin<; to his allcpeil 
 tlelinciucncies. After Sir David Kirke's deatli, in 1654, his 
 sons took possession of his estate in Xewfoundhmd, as we learn 
 from a petition presented to the Kin<r l)y his hrother, Sir 
 Lewis Kirke,' in IfifJO, prayinj^ that the ships sent out for tlie 
 protection of the fisheries niij^ht }j;ive assistance to Geor«;e, 
 David, and Philip Kirke, then resident tiiere, in recovering 
 certain duties which had not heen collected on account of the 
 late wars. 
 
 T«) make his title to Xewfoundhmd quite safe, Sir David 
 Kirke had made over jtart of his <rrant to .lolm C lay[)ole, the 
 son-in-law of Oliver Cromwcill, hoping thereby to enlist the 
 interest of the l^rotoctor in his favour. This answered very 
 well for a time ; biit on the restoration of the Stuarts, in l(j()(), 
 Cecil, Lord lialtimore, made the circumstance known to 
 Charles II., with the object of raisin<^ a i)rejudice a<!;ainst 
 the heirs of Sir David Kirke, and renewed his claims 
 to Newfoundland. This ruse jn'oduced the desired effect; for 
 by an Order in Council, dated ^lay 9, lOfilJ, Sir Lewis Kirke, 
 John Kirke, and the heirs of Sir David Kirke, were required 
 to ' (piit their pretensions to the province of Avahm,' and all 
 captains, otticers, and others His ^lajcsty's subjects, Avere com- 
 manded to aid and assist Captain Swanley, the a<;ent of Lord 
 Baltimore, in recoverin<j^ p()ssession of the country. Swanley 
 acted as de})uty-governor for Lord Baltimore for a short time, 
 and was then succeeded by John llayner, who was withdrawn 
 before 1667, as appears by a ^Memorial jn'csented by him to 
 tl)C king on January 2 of that year, in which he calls him- 
 self late Deputy-Ciovernor of Newfoundland. There is no men- 
 tion of Lord Baltimore or his deputies in the })nbHc records 
 after this date, from which it may be inferred that he had 
 abandoned the colony, finding it occu})ied by settlers or plan- 
 ters who carried on the boat-fishery at all the principal 
 stations. 
 
 ' Sir Lewis Kirko was a|)j)ointed Govfi'iKir of Quol>ee after its oapturp, in 1029, 
 (sec p. 73). Ill Oetol cr 16G0, he ohtaiiicd tlic offu-e nf Kci-civer aiul, Payinasfcr to 
 the ]5and of Giutlenicn Pensioners, Genllcmoii-at-Arnis, from the King. He 
 (tied in 16G;?, and was succeeded in office by Jolm Kirko, Gentleman Pensioner, 
 witli the same allowance and fees. 
 
Tin: I'RKNCH TAKE POSSKSSION OF PLACKNTIA. 1 1 :{ 
 
 TIk* Frciicli Iiiul alwins cniovcd the ri<i:Iit of lishiiii; on llio 
 iiorthcni and soutlitTii c«)!ists; hut tlicy wcro not allowed to 
 iiiaki' iiM* of llu' hays ov hai'hoiii'.s Cor a>iy otlicr jmrposo than 
 « iiiMii^ ihi'lr fi.-li. 'I'liis, particularly after the loss of Aeadie, 
 AVMs tlie cause of so much iiicoiiveuieiu'e, that their (iovern- 
 uieiit re>u!\((j to reuiedv it h\- followiny; th" example of C'roui- 
 well, who jiad seized A''atlie in a time of j»eace. In the year 
 I ()(!(), two ships of war were therefore si'iit out with I.jO 
 soldiers ou l)eai'<l, hesides ordiiaueo and nuiuitious for a fort, 
 to take possession *A' tin; harhour of IMacentia. In a very 
 short space of time a. fort and harracks were constructed, and 
 houses for fi'ty families of Hshermen and artisans. They lu'ld 
 the j)lac(\ w'lii<'h was culled Plaisance,' until 171.3, ^^hen it 
 ■was yielded up hy treaty, in sj»ite of several attempts to <lis- 
 lodj^e them. It was to them an acipiisition of <:;i'eat ijnpor- 
 tancc, hoth as a harhour of refuse for their ships, and as a 
 eonveni(nt ]»ost for harassiuii; the I'JiLiiish fishermen in the 
 time of war. The IJm'on le Ilontan, who was some time on 
 duty there, savs the fort stood on a point of land so close to 
 the narrow entrance of the harhour, ' that ships g<'in<^ hi <^nv/.o. 
 (so to speak) iii)on the aufjjlo of the hastion.' 
 
 Ahout the year 1(570, the mayors and merchants of the 
 western ports complained to the kinii;, in their jietitions, that 
 so many men were emjiloyed hy the planters in the shore- 
 fishery, that hands could not be found to man one-fourth of 
 the 8ln])S formerly sent out, and that, in consequence, the, 
 fisheries of iSewfoundland could no longer he considered the 
 j^reat nursery of seamen for his Majesty's Navy. These jicti- 
 tions do not seem to have produced much effect at that time ; 
 but the suljijcct was .again revived in K)7o with more s-uccess, 
 when a couimittee of the Lords, to which it had been referred, 
 recommended that the }»lantci's should be ordered to leave the 
 country. 
 
 By an Order in Council of May 5 of that year, the com- 
 mander of the frigate sent to Newfoundland to convoy the 
 
 ' In some old maps Placontiii T3ay is Oiillcd Plasancius, and is supposed to liave 
 lifon so named after Sancius, tlie youngest son of Joiin Cabot.— Middle's Memoir 
 of Cahot. 
 
 I 
 
1 I 1 CAPK nitETON. 
 
 HJiips iMi^i'iiui'd ill llic Initlc was riMiiiirod Mo wnrn and ad- 
 iiKMiisli (»iir sidijccls d\v(IHi)<; in that connlrv tn rcnioM' iVdni 
 tlionco, and t'iilicr to rclnrn into this kin;.;d(>ni, (H* to ht'lako 
 th(Mns(dvt's to any other onr phmtaliuns in America.' Sir 
 .l(»hn Uerrv, the e()nnnan(h'r of the iViuale ' liristol,' a hiiniauo 
 and inlelliijenl oflicer, to whom this disaLrreeahh' <hity was 
 committed, ji'avo the wai'iiin;;; re(|nired, hnt innnodiately af'ter- 
 ■vvards rcMjortcd \)\ h'lter to the Sc('rt?t;'i\' of State, tiiat the 
 ])eoiih> were loo poor to move, that many (also informations 
 had hecn laid to their ehariic, and that the merchants were 
 more to hlame than the phinters. ( )n his «'xamination heforo 
 a Connnitt(H' of the Lords, on April iiJ, l(i7<!. Sir tlolm I'erry 
 repealed what lie had heloie stated, and ' assnred their 
 Lordships of the necessity of enconraii'in<ji; a Colony in New- 
 foundland, or else that the French wonid take advantaiifo, hy 
 the intended removal, to make themsc Ives masters of all the 
 liarhours and fishing" stations ahont the island: or wonld other- 
 wise entice the Hnu,Tish Planters to (;ome and settle am(»n<f them, 
 to the <;reat prejudice of onr fishery.' C'a[)tain Davis, who was 
 ])resenl, ' and had conversed much in those ])arls,' declared 
 hims(df of the same oj)inion. Tn conseqneni'e of these represen- 
 tations, the ohnoxious Order ol" May 3, lO"."), Avas rescinded, 
 and on ]\[ay IS, 11)77, a new Oi-der was issueil, authorising the 
 j)lanlers ' to b(! continued in pctssession of their houses and 
 stages according to the usage of last years.' The cajjtains of 
 the convoy frigates were directed to mak(! puhlicaiion of this 
 Onler, and to see that nothing contrary thereto was attempte<l. 
 Nt)thing of importance occurred in Xewfoundland until the 
 war with France broke out in KlHi), whic^li I shall refer to in 
 a future letter. The ])Ianters and western merchants seem 
 to have lived together in harmony, as no complaints reached 
 the ears of the home (jovernment. The statistics relative to 
 the fisheries, collected by the commanders of the convoy 
 frigates, furrnsh us with some interesting information. From 
 these we learn that 212 planters, of whom 99 were married, 
 resided between Cape liaee and Cape Bonavista, in 1G80.' 
 
 • TIic fiiinily of Sir David Kirkc, once tlic sulu owiior of tho wholo of New- 
 foiiiullaiifl, wvrc residing at Ferryland in 107(5, in llie capacity of ordinary jjlauters, 
 
TIIM DrTCII CUriHriKM rHJN'DFR TIIK PLANTEltS. 1 1 .") 
 
 nclon^iiij;' to them wiM'o 2.'tl cliiltlrcn, IJIDo men scivaiits, 2.'5 
 wuiiiiMi sorviiMts, \'>\ lic'iid (•(■ catih', 2.1 liorsos, ',U>\ boats, and 
 !!)(» stM.f('s : and tliat llicy iiiaiK' aiiiuially ()7,;i40 (|iiiiilal.s of 
 drv (isli, and a!).) Iioy-slicads of train (ul. 
 
 At tlic same time, tlio wi'sttrii incrcliaiits liad !)7 slii|»-<, of 
 tlir Imrtlicn of !>..".U,'> Idiis, Ti'.'i l»oalx, I.>;'> stan;('s, and ;).!)22 
 nun, ('n;::a;^od in flu' lisldnj;' ])orts; and !)S> h\\\\\h of the Itui'tlicn 
 of S,r_l.) toll.-, nionntiit!^ 11') ;i;iiiis, and navi^'ated l>v \,\')7 
 scanicn, in carryiiiji; tin* jirodncc; of tlir firlicrics to Ijiropc, 
 the ^\'('s^ Indies, and South AnicriiM. Tlhir annual take 
 was l.")l),!)I() (iiiinlals of dry fi>li, and l,<>.j.> liot-'.-iu.'ad.s of 
 train oil. 
 
 Jt was, ol' ('oiir><', iin])o.-sli»l(' to obtain an accnrafo return of 
 the iiroducc! of tlie French (isheries in Xewfoiindland by the 
 En};lish ollieers ; but from an estimate made by Captain 
 Twybounie, who was on the station in lf)7(), we learn that 
 102 !<hi|)S, 1,h;5() boats, and !),lcS() men were en_u'an-ed in the 
 fisjieries on the northern and soiitlu'iii coasts. Captain 'I'wy- 
 bournc'rt estimate of the annual produce at .'>,j(),S()() <piintals of 
 (h"y-Hsh, 9, ISO ([iiintals of cord fish, and .'J,21.''> tuns of oil, 
 based upon a eateh of .'iOO (piintals for each boat, is certainly 
 too hijfh, as we have seen ab(»ve that the 71*3 boats belonginj^ 
 to the westeru nu'rchants only took IS.'} (piintals each. 
 
 The defenceless condition of all the lishint; stations on tlu; 
 coast of Newfoundland, in tlu; eiii'lier years of the seventeenth 
 century, invited the attacks of the numerous pirates which 
 then covered the sea.s, aa has been already mentioned. In 
 hiter years, durin;jj the war with Holland, the I)ut(di cruisers, 
 for the same reason, ]»lundered the planters with impunity. 
 In H)().5 Admiral de Kuyter visited several of the principal 
 ports, and victualled his fleet iVoni the l'in<:;lish siiiji.s before 
 sailing for Europe. Again, in 1(57.'), a Duteli squadntn of 
 four ships of forty guns each entered the Inu'bour of Ferry- 
 land, Avherc 'they plundered, ruined, fired, and destroyed the 
 coinmoditics, cattle, household goods, and other stores belong- 
 
 oomprising his widow, Liuly Kirko, his son (itnrpro, wifli lii.s wilV and tour ciiildrcn, 
 liis son David, with his wii'i* and mu- child, iuul I'liilij), unniiirricd. Ahofifthcr 
 llioy had sixty-six men .siTvants, luurlctn liDnts, thrcf statris, and tiircc oil-vats. 
 
 I 2 
 
Il<» caim; nui/ro.v. 
 
 in^; to tlic inliiiMtiHits.' ' NutuitlistiiiidinL,' those wuniinjx^*, n<> 
 nt('|ts were tiikcn ((» prnlrct even St. tloliii'M itscll". Ill tlio 
 year hlSL>, ('apt. Talhot, nl" II. M.S. ' Tinor,' jippoiiitcd to 
 ('(inv(»y lilt! r«lii|»s to I'.iiropc, iiHiiiorialisi'il tlic Kiii^', slio\viii;j; 
 that there avci-c no ioits in the ishiiid, and that :i sin;j;lo 
 onciny's ship could at any time dcstmy all the Itoats iiiid niiii 
 the cohtiiy. lie rccoinniciidcd that St. tlohn's and Hoino of the 
 chiei" tisliin;^ ports shouM l»e foitilied, and that the cost shonid 
 he (U IVayed hy ehar;;inj^ the (isliinjj; ships or liie colony \vith a 
 tax, ' nut more than they paid in the proprietor's time.' This 
 wise counsel was not, heeded ; so it happened, of course, Avhcn 
 war hroke out a lew years later, that almost cM'ry station, us 
 will he related in due time, was devastated in mid-winter hy a 
 handi'nl of Canadian militia. 
 
 Tin' pro<j;ress of Canada, which we have not noticed since 
 the deatli of Champlain in Ki.'i.') (sec p. HG) now ileinands 
 our attention ; the more especially hecanse (^iud)ee, tlic capital 
 of the colony, was the seat of government of the \'iceroy (»f all 
 New France. Champlain, you will recollect, on liis first 
 arrival in CaiKula joined the iV!|.^on<[uins and IIur(tns in an 
 e.\j)editioii a'n'aiiirt ihe lr<>'[noi-', and <;ave sucli vahiahle aid to 
 the former in their first rencontre with the enemy, l)y means of 
 his ar(piel>us, that the latter, who liad never Ix'fori' uitnesse(l 
 the destrnctiv(! elfects of ilre-arms, fled precipitately into the 
 forest, altandoninn- their villages and leaving a great numhcr of 
 prisoners in the hands of the .Vlgomiuins. This affair secm.s 
 never to have heeu forgiven nor forgotten by the Iroquois, 
 who waged constant war against the French, and cmhraccd 
 every favourahlo opportunity of making secret and sudden 
 irruptions into their settlements. The weak and defenceless 
 condition of the colony, for more than tliirty years after the 
 death of Champhiin, chiefly owing to the neglect of the 
 ' Conn)any of 100 Associates,' which had not brought out the 
 number of emigrants agreed upon, was the chief cause of 
 these hostile incursions. Like all their predecessors, they 
 
 ' From a lottcr from Dudloy Lovcliico, ^-ho wiis a prisoner on board the Dutcli 
 fleet at tlic tiino. IIo says tlio Lady Kiiko and her sons were the greatest 
 sufferers on this (jccasion — L<(/<r in I'ulilk JiiC'^rd Olfice. 
 
A COMAflSSrONKU SKNT OUT TO CANADA. Il7 
 
 Mioii foiiixl that tlio I'lii' ti-!i(l(> WHS :i iiiiicli inoi-c profitaltlc 
 (icciipatinii tliaii tin' slow ami lalxiriniis process of cicaiiii;,' 
 land and prcpariiij;" it lor cultivation, if they did encoiira;j;e 
 the ilesuit missionaries*, as tluv were lionnd to do l>v their 
 charter, to visit the sava<j;es in the depths of tiie forest, it was 
 for the purpose of nuikinf^ use of them as pioneers to tin; fin" 
 traders who followed in their footsteps, A;j;ricnltiire was 
 almost entir(dy ne^Ieete(l, except under the walls of the lorts, 
 and even there, althonjih the colonists planted the seed, the 
 suvnires often reap«'d the harvest. 
 
 I'l'^ent representations were made to Louis X I \'. that the 
 French authority in Canada was eompletely trampled upon 
 and set at deliance hy a trihe of savages, and that the colony, 
 which under <;()od mauiii^enu'iit would soon rise into ^reat 
 importance, was fast, j^oin^ to ruin. A conmiissioner was 
 therefore sent out to impure! into the administration of tlu» 
 affairs of the colony ; nt tlie same time, 400 soldiers Avere sent 
 to protcet it from the iiu'oads of the savaj^es. The Company, 
 ji'alous of the interference of a royal connnissiouer in their 
 alliiirs, Avhich ])r(d)al)ly would not hear a (dose serutiny, and 
 wi'ary of the contests in whi(di they had been so loujj, en^"a;;'e(l 
 with the fierce and implacahle Iroquois, refused to incur any 
 fmther outlay in the defence of the eolony, <i;avc up tin ir 
 (diarter with all its privileges, and in the year lOf!! ahandoned 
 the country. The j)rivireges which they had long enj(»ycd 
 were then granted to the ' West India Company,' aecordiny; to 
 the system of the Fiench (iovernment at that period. 
 
 In the following year, the jNIarquis de Tiacey went out to 
 Canada as Viceroy, accompanied hy M. Talon as intendant, or 
 minister of justiee, finance, and marine. A regiment of s(d- 
 diers and a great nund)er of settlers were sent put at the same 
 time, with horses, cattle, and all kinds of tools and implements. 
 The first object which engaged the attention of the new gover- 
 nor was the defence of the settlements. This he secured by 
 erecting three forts on the river Kiehelieu, which so overawed 
 the Iroquois, that some of the five caiitons, into which the 
 tribe was divided, sent deputies to sue for j)eace : otheis, how- 
 ever, kept aloof, and soon engaged in open hostilities with the 
 
118 CAPE 15 1{ ETON. 
 
 Fro icli ; but De Traccy, altIiou<;li it was in the depth of 
 winter, sent an exjiedilion into tlie Mohawk country, Avliich 
 j)enctratc(l into thoir fastnesses, and created such ahinn, tliat 
 the Indians fled Avitli ])i-ecipitation into more distant retreats, 
 where the French couhl not, for want of jn'ovisions, follow 
 them. By tlicse wise and energetic measures Dc Tracey 
 secured the colony from the inroads of the savages, and the 
 country for the first time began to show signs of improvement 
 and real progress. JNIany of the officers and soldiers settled 
 upon lands, granted upon the condition that they should render 
 military service Avhen called upon by the governor. 
 
 M. de Courcelles, who was ai*])ointed Viceroy in 16G7, 
 availed himself of the quiet state of the country to extend the 
 power of France in the interior, by sending Jesuit missionaries 
 to survey the remote regions bordering on Lakes Huron and 
 Michigan. French settlements were advanced as far as the 
 river liichelieu, and the construction of a fort was commenced 
 at Cutaraqui, on Lake Ontario, for the purpose of overawing 
 the Iroquois. This fort Avas com})leted by the succeeding 
 governor, after whom it Avas named, and long knoAvn as Fort 
 Frontenac. 
 
 Canada enjoyed uninterrupted tranquillity during the vice- 
 royalty of the Count de Frontenac, extending over a i)eriod of 
 ten years ; but a poAverful English colony had been rapidly 
 extending along the southern borders of the Iroquois country, 
 Avhich Avas destined at no far distant date to become a more 
 dangerous neighbour than all the savages north and south of 
 the Great Lakes. 
 
 AVhen M. de la Barre arrived in Canada in 1682, as the 
 successor of Frontenac, he found that the English colonists of 
 the province of Xcav York Avere rapidly advancing their settle- 
 ments along the banks of the Hudson and its tributaries, and 
 purchasing fur3 from the Iroquois at more liberal prices than 
 were paid by the French traders. The Iroquois even bought 
 furs from the Ilurons, the allies of the F^rench, and sold them 
 to the English, Avh'ch gave such offence to De la Barre that he 
 determined to march into the Iroquois country to compel them 
 to abandon their traffic Avith the English. Deputies from the 
 
DE LA BARRPJ IlETURNS TO MONTRKAL. 110 
 
 Iroquois mot lum on the shores of Lake Ontario, and in reply- 
 to his threat of devastatinjj; their conntry unh-ss they <;iive up 
 tni(Hn_i^ with the lCii<;lish, coolly informed him that ho had nut 
 a sufficient i'oree to carry his threat into execution, and insisted 
 upon his inunediately Avithdrawinn; liis troops. Fiudin<>j all the 
 cantons leagued a^jaiust him, Do la Ihirrc was ()l)li<i;ed to sub- 
 mit to this hupiiliatino" condition, and to return to ^Montreal. 
 
 The ^Fanpiis do Denouvillo, who succeeded De la liarrc in 
 1()85, had an unci sy time of it durinf»; his short reii"!! of four 
 years. The French settlements were kei)t in a state of con- 
 stant ajjjitation and alarm by the inroads of the Iroijuois, who 
 wandered about in larii;c bodies, wherever they pleased, with 
 impunity, and at leno-th became so emboldened by the manifest 
 weakness of the French, that they made a sudden descent u\)'.ni 
 the island of ^Montreal in 1087, killed a number of the inhabi- 
 tants, and carried off 200 [)risoncrs. 
 
 In this emergency, the Count de Froutenac, Avho had during 
 Jiis former viceroyalty gained much influence over the Indians, 
 was again sent out in the same capacity in the year 1689, with 
 the hope of er:tal)lishing iViendly relations with the several 
 cantons. Under ordinary circumstances, an al}le cnterj)rising 
 man like Froutenac might have succeeded in such an important 
 mission ; but unfortunately, the war, which broke out between 
 England and France, on the accession of William and ^lary, 
 just at that time, In'ought such a powerful ally to the Iroquois, 
 who now felt assnred that they would be ojienly supported by 
 the English settlers on the frontiers of Xew York, tliat they 
 sternly rejected all the overtures of the French governor, and 
 refused to enter upon any negotiations whatever. The cunning 
 savages saw clearly enough that the Aveak and scattered settle- 
 ments of the French' would soon be overpowered by the rai)idly 
 increasing pojndation of the English ct)lonies,^ and wisely allied 
 themselves with the strongest side in the approaching contest. 
 
 ' Canada at tliis time conhiinod only 9,818 inhabitants. — Archives vf Canada, 
 quoted by M. Eaincau in La Friunc aux Coloiibs. 
 
 - ' Tho population of tho J^ngli^h colouius might at this time have voachcd 
 200,000, although half of this population, lying south of tho iJolaware and far 
 ivniovt'd from the si-cno of hostilities, took no part in the btruggle. — llildreth's 
 Histori/ of thr I'liitcd Sfak's. 
 
120 • CAPE bi{i:ton. 
 
 Seeing no prospect of coming to terms with the Irocpiois, 
 Frontenac decided uj)on making incursions into tiie Knglisli 
 settlements at tiiree ditKerent ]K)ints, hoj)ing thereby to intimi- 
 date the Indians, and to induce tlicm to abandon their alhance 
 with the English. Secret arrann-emcnts were made Avithout 
 h>ss of time. One party, consisting of 120 Frenclnnen and a 
 large bi)dy (»f friendly Indians, under the command of De 
 Mantel, left Montreal in the depth of the winter ot 1690, and 
 forced their way through the forest, a distance of 200 miles, in 
 twenty-two days, to Schenectady, a small town on the frontier 
 of the jn'ovince of New York. The unsuspecting inhabitants, 
 aroused from their sleep by the Avar whooj), which gave the 
 first si<i;nal of their danger, rushinu; half clad into the sti'cets 
 with the intention of Hying to Albany, were massacred by the 
 savages. Sixty-three pei'sons, including women and children, 
 were killed on the spot, and sevci'.'d were carried off prisoners 
 to IVIontreal. The town was pillaged aud burned ; the fort 
 was levelled Avith the ground. The inhuman victors did not 
 altogether escape Avith iin[)unity, liaAing been reduced to sucii 
 straits in their return through the forest, that they Avei'C obliged 
 to sul)sist for several days upon horseflesh. 
 
 Another party, commanded by Portneuf, left Quebec for 
 Casco 13ay, Avhere they destroyed the fort and ravaged the 
 settlement; Avhilst a third, under Ilertel, from Trois llivieres, 
 attacked the village of Sementels, on the IMscataqua river, 
 killed thirty of the inhabitants, burned the houses and barns, 
 and carried oiT fifty })risoners, chiefly Avomen and children, 
 Avhom they comj)clled to bear the spoil of their OAvn homes 
 through tlie forests. 
 
 The barbarous conduct of the French and their savan;e 
 allies, instead of intimidating and separating the Iroquois from 
 the English, produced directly the contrary effect. The Iro- 
 quois solemidy promised to avenge the Avrongs of their friends, 
 and to stand by them in the coming struggle ; this promise 
 they faithfully kept for many long years afterAvards, and 
 thereby rendered valuable aid to the English on several im- 
 portant occasions. 
 
 These atrocities, conunitted at so many difl'crent points, and 
 
EXPEDITION AGAINST QUEBEC. 121 
 
 Avitli such secrecy that no i>re])arati()iis couhl he made to meet 
 tlioiii, caused such ahinii through all the l'itii;lisli proviuccs, 
 tliiit the p('<)j)Ie of New England and Xcw York detei'iuiued to 
 (h-ive the Frencdi out of Canada altoncther, as tiic only means, 
 in thea* opinion, of securing themselves against such dangerous 
 neijilihours. 
 
 Preparations wore immediately connnenccd for cquipiting an 
 expedition against (Quebec by sea, and another against .Mon- 
 treal by land. As some time was required to raise volunteei's 
 and pirovide the means of transportation, Sir A\'illiam Phipjts 
 was sent iu the moan time with three armed ships and 700 
 troops, to reduce Acadie. This was an easy task, as the only 
 forts in Acadie Avcre Port Koyal, with a garrison of eighty-six 
 men, commanded by jNI. do jNlenneval, the Governor, and 
 Chedabouctou, at the eastern extremity of the jn-ovince, Avith a 
 garrison of twenty men, eonnnanded l)v Lieutenant de iVIon- 
 torgueih Port Poyal surrendered to Phipps's sunnnons on 
 May 21, 1600 ; but the little garrison at Chcdabouetou made 
 such a stout defence, that the English were compelled to set 
 fire to the buildings before De Montorguell would capitulate, 
 hi the beginning of .lune. The garrison of Port lioyal was 
 taken to Boston, but that of Chcdabouetou (it is to be hoped 
 in consideration of its gallant defence), Avas sent to the French 
 post of Plaisauce in Newfoundland. 
 
 The exj)edition against (Quebec, com])nsing thirty-four ships 
 and 2,()()() volunteei's, under the connnand of Sir William IMiijjps, 
 sailed from Boston on August 19, but owing to contrary Avinds 
 did not reach (Quebec until October 16, just three days after 
 the Governor, Frontenac, had received Avarning of the de- 
 l)arturc and destination of the expedition by an Abcnaquis 
 Indian from the Piscata(|ua. This short Avarning, hoAvever, 
 gave Frontenac time to adopt such measures as Avere necessary 
 for the defence of his post. The inhabitants gave all the help 
 in their poAver to the fcAv hundred irregulars Avhich formed the 
 garrison of Quebec, in repairing the Avails and fortifications ; 
 and the militia flocked in so promptly from the out-settlements, 
 that when Phipps, Avho had anchored his ships near Beauport, 
 demanded the surrender of the place, Frontenac felt himself 
 
122 . CAPE BRETON. 
 
 strmio; cnonp;h to ])orcini»t()riIy reject the snnininns. In i'iU't, 
 the Ibivc within the walls was (juitc equal in number to that 
 dl' the enemy, with the advantaj^'u of a stronii' jiosition jn'oteeted 
 hy fortifications, and by a river not ibrdable except at low 
 water. The elianees were clearly in favour of the defence. 
 Phipps landed Ij^OO men on the 19th, upon the marshy ground 
 at the mouth of the river St. Charles, but their advance against 
 the town was completely checked by t le fire of the French 
 Irregulars, concealed and slieltered b}^ the rocks and bushes 
 covering the 8loi)ing ground in their front. A constant fire 
 was ke[)t np during the two following days by the fieet, Init 
 Avithont effect, A\hilst the ships sustained so nnich damage from 
 the enemy's guns that they were o!)liged to move higher np 
 the river. On the 21st, six pieces of oi-dnance were landed at 
 the month of the St. Charles, and a second attempt Avas made 
 to assault the Avails; but in their passage across the marsh, such 
 a heavy fire of nnisketry Avas opened uiton the troops b}^ a 
 large body of Indians and militia concealed in the bushes, that 
 they Avcrc comj)elled to retreat in great haste, leaving all their 
 cannon in the hands of the enemy. In consequence of this 
 decisive rejadsc, Phipps ])rudently gave nj) all hopes of re- 
 ducing Quebec, re-embarked his troo})S, and dropjjcd doAvn the 
 river. Unha})pily, the misfortunes of the expedition did not 
 end before (Quebec, as the fleet encountered a violent storm in 
 the mouth of the St. LaAvrence, in which one shij) Avith sixty 
 persons on board Avas Avrecked on the desolate island of Anti- 
 costi ; tAA'o others foundered Avith all hands, and some Avere 
 driven as far to the soutlnvard as the AVest Indies. More 
 than 1,000 men arc said to have perished, in one Avay or the 
 othci, in this unfortunate expedition. The Avhole of the men 
 Avrecked upon Anticosti perished during the Avinter, except five 
 brave hardy felloAvs, Avho left the island in a small boat as soon 
 as the ice Avould permit, in Avhich they made their Avay doAvn 
 the Gulf of St. LaAvrence, and round the Atlantic coast of 
 Acadic, to their home in Boston, a distance of more than 900 
 miles, in forty-four days. 
 
 The land force collected to attack Montreal never reached 
 its destination. Owing to gross mismanagement on the part 
 
FAILURE OP THE EXPEDITIONS. 12:3 
 
 of the cnmmissfii'y, when it anivcil at I^ake (leorgc in the 
 month of Auu'Mst it was oMii'v^l to rcitncn for want of in'ovi- 
 sions ere it ha<l aoeoinplisihcd one-third of the distanee between 
 Albany and Montreal. 
 
 The sio;n!d failure of these cxj)editions relieved P^'ontenac 
 from all anxiety I'or the safety of Canadti. On the other side, 
 the English colonists, exhausted by the cost of their equip- 
 ment, and disappointed in their sanjj;nine lio})e of strikinjr the 
 blow Avhieh was to have driven the French out of tlieir strony;- 
 holds on the banks of the St. Lawrence, had the mortification 
 of findin<^ that they could not even defend their own frontier 
 towns ajifainst the midnio;ht assaults of the savage allies of tlieir 
 enemy. Ts'early one hundred persons were either killed or made 
 prisoners, in 16i)4, in a village of New Hampshire; and the 
 scalps of the English killed on the Piscataqua were presented 
 as trophies of their exjdoits, by the chiefs of the Abenaquis to 
 the Viceroy of New Franco. ' In the i)ages oi Chiirlovoix,' 
 says Bancroft, * the unavailing cruelties of midnight incen- 
 diaries, the murdering and the seal[)ing of the inhabitants of 
 peaceful villages, and the captivity of helpless Avomen and 
 cluldrcn, are diifusely narrated as actions that were brave and 
 beautiful.'' 
 
 ' My principal authorities for tlu' above statonients are Charli'voix'.s Hisfari/ 
 of ^ew FniHcc; 15rlkiiap's m.-^tory of Nnv Hiuiqishirc ; Gariieaii's Ilistvry of 
 CaHctda ; a.id "Willianisou'w liialurij of Maine, 
 
121 C^VPK HKETON. 
 
 LKTTKR VI 11. 
 
 IfiDO 1711. 
 
 "WiiKxPort Koyal was taken l)y Sir William ri»ipi)s. in IfiiX), 
 the i'oi'tificatioiis Avorc dcinolislicd, but such of the inhahitants 
 us ajireed to take the oath of alleuiance to the IJritish sove- 
 reign were alhnvetl to retain possession of their lands, aecordinj^ 
 to the conditions of the ca])itulation. The French Govern- 
 ment, i<^norant of the fall of Port lloyal, in the sjjrinjjf of the 
 same year sent out the Chevalier de A'illehon as Governor of 
 Acadie. Villebon arrived at his destination a few days after 
 the English tleet sailed for La lleve, but found no other sign 
 of their eon(|ii(>st than the ruins of the fort with an Knglish 
 flag fiying over them, without a single man to defend it. 
 Learning from the inhabitants that Phipps's ileet was then at 
 anchor in La lleve, Yillebou wisely abandoned the vicinity of 
 such dangerous neighbours, and })rocccded to >i'achouac, on 
 tlie river St. .Johuj which he made the seat of government. 
 Here he resided for several years, and contrived, bv intriirninir 
 with the Indians, to keep the English settlements on the coast 
 of Maine in a constant state of agitation and alarm. Irritated 
 at length beyond endurance by the frequent incursions of 
 the savages, the Government of Massachusetts, in the spring 
 of IGUG, despatched two small sh)t)ps of war and an armed 
 tender to intercept the vessel which aTuiually brought out the 
 stores for the fort of Nachouac, and su}>plies of arms and 
 annnunition for the Indians. It so liaj)pened that in the very 
 same sprijig the jMarquis de Frontenac, Governor of Canada, 
 had come to the determination of driving the English out of 
 Newfoundland, destroying the port of Pemaquid on the east 
 bank of the Kennebec, and then attacking either Boston or 
 
D'innKUVIIiLE SAILS FOR THE HAY OF FUNDY. I2't 
 
 \cw York. Two sliips of war, ' Ij'l'iiviciix,' ooiiiinandcd l)y 
 M, (ril)l)('rvlllc ; and the ' Prormid,' l>y M. dc liniiiivcnturt', 
 with two coin])anic'S of soldiers, were sunt iVoi'n (2Mi'l)t'C uitli 
 instructions to call at the IJaio dcs Hs))a<j;nols ( Sydney) and 
 collect iil'ly Micniac warriors to aid in carryinjj; ont the first 
 part ol' the jM-o^rainnie. On their arrival there D'lhherville, 
 Avho eonnnanded the expedition, received desj)atches sent 
 overland by \'illel)on from Xachouac, inlorniinu' him that three 
 J'^njiTish ships \vere cruisiii<r ofK the month i»r the St. tlohn's 
 ri'.cr, and nrninij him to proceed thither witJiout delay. 
 
 Nothinij^ can more f'orcihly show the fi;rcat influence which 
 tlic French had obtained over the natives, than the readiness 
 with which they n sponded to the call of the connnander of 
 the expedition. .Vllhou^h there was not a simple Frenchman 
 rcsidinii" in Cape IJrelon, nor even a missionary ' to adadnister 
 the sacraments to the Indian neophytes, a hand of fifty chosen 
 warriors was soon nnistered, prepared to std)mit to the dis- 
 cipline and confinement of a ship's crowded decks, and to 
 end)ark ni)on a voya<ijc of 300 or 400 nnles, without a nuu'uuu", 
 to aid their allies in an enterprise from wdnch they could 
 derive no benefit. 
 
 In ccmscfpience of the pressing? demands of Vlllebon, D'lb- 
 berville for the present relinquished his designs a<^ainst the 
 Englisli settlements in Newfoundland, embarked his detach- 
 ment of Miemacs, and sailed on July 4 f(L>r the Bay of Fundy. 
 On his arrival at St. John's on the 14th, tbe English ships, 
 althongh now in presence of a snperior force, did not shrink 
 from the combat. A smart action ensued ; l)ut the ' Newport,' of 
 24 guns, havhig been dismasted by the fire of the * Profond,' 
 became unmanageable and fell an easy prey to the enemy. 
 The ' Sorel ' and the tender fortunately esea})ed in the fog. 
 Charlevoix says the Cape IJreton Indians on board D'lbber- 
 ville's vessel ' contributed much towards the victory.' After 
 this exploit, Villebon, with fifty Indians, started with D'lbber- 
 
 * Tlic Frencli priest llaiuloin, wlio aocompanied tlie expedition, during his stny 
 at Sydney baptised several Indians anil married several others, proving that 
 there was no other missionary in tlie island at, that time. — Murdoch's History of 
 Novn Sro/id, quoted from I^audoin's J<n(rr,al, which I have not seen. 
 
12(; CAPE RI5ET0N. 
 
 ville's rxp(Mlili(>n (or Pciitiigixt, wlicrc tlio Iiuron Casliiu', ' 
 had {!()lk'c(('(l a larj^c! body of AhciKUiuis Indians. From 
 tlu'iice I)"IltI)(M-vilIi' saili'd to P«'nia(|iiid, ^vlKM•(! lio arrived on 
 August 14, and iuuiu'diat(dy iuNcstcil ihc lurl, widcli IV'II on 
 the I'ollowing d;iy. The Avliolc; oi' llic garrison wvw uiado 
 ])risoncrs, and sent, according to the cMjtit niation, to IJoston. 
 The fort was th(Mi dcnioIisluMl and the houses hurnt down. 
 
 As sooti as intidiigenee of this (H.-astcr reaehe<l IJoston, 
 soverjd vessels were sent in |>ursnil of I)'ll)i)erville's s(|nadi'on. 
 The JCnglish ships arrived on the coast just as D'lhhervilie's 
 were leaving Mount Desert's hai'hour at dusk on the evening 
 of SeptcMnher 3. \'illelM)n v.as captured next day on his Avay 
 to St. »IoIiu's, hut D'lhlurville esca])ed in the dark, and sailed 
 for Cape lireton without calling at La Ilevc to take on hoard 
 a number of Indians Avho were waiting there to accompany 
 him to Newfoundland. After landing tlie ^licmaes in ('a])e 
 IJreton, with tlie exception of three, who had taken such a liking 
 to their new vocation that they would not leave him, D'lhher- 
 ville sailed for Plaisance, where he arrived on September 12. 
 
 Before I give you an account of D'lbberville's doings in 
 Newfoundland, I must tell you that four years previously 
 (1092) tlie port of Plaisance had obtained such notoriety as 
 the resort of French ])rivateers, that the Uritish (Jovernment 
 determined to destroy it, and sent out three GO-gim ships 
 and two snudler vessels, under the command of Commodore 
 Williams, for that purpose. The oidy defences of the place 
 
 ' Lahriutiin sii vs, ' The Bai'on do Cafitino was a native of Olorou in Beam, who 
 had resided more than twenty years among tlio AhomiquiH, liy whom ]u) was 
 greatly rcspcettHl. He liad formerly been an offi.'or in the Cari^nan Ke^imcnt in 
 Canada. He married an Ahenaijnis scjuaw, liy whom lie liad a numerous family, 
 lie made a lar<io fortune by trading with the Indians, and was able to give hand- 
 some dowries to his daugliters, who all mari'ied Frenehnifn. Tlio Abenaquis 
 nuide him their great ehief or leader, and always submitted to his authority. Tlio 
 Governor-Geuorals of Canada found his influence over the savages of great service 
 on many occasions, and the Governors of New England had good reacou to dread 
 him,' He did not, however, succeed in converting the Indians, for, according to 
 Lahoutan, 'It is in vain for the Jesuits to preach up the tiniths of Christianity to 
 them ; tliough, after all, these good Fathers are not: discouraged ; nay, they think 
 that the administering of baptism to a dying child is worth ten times the pains 
 and uneasiness of livinir amontrst that people.' 
 
i)U PALAIS ANrnon>; in thm i-.aik dfs espagnols. 127 
 
 wove ^^n■l Si. Louis, with m ;j;!irris(»ii of (illy luon, sitiialcd 
 upon ii ro(k 100 iVi-t in Ii('i;^lit, on the (.'astern side of tiie 
 narrow entrance of llie liaihoiir, and a l)attery hastily eon- 
 8tru(!tc(l !)y the jjfovernor, ^l. de lironillan, manned hy saihas 
 i'nan the privateers and merchant ships in the harhonr ; yit, 
 stran<re t(» sav, ^^'iIlianl<, after six honrs l)(inil)ar(hnent, u;ive 
 up the enterprise and retired, luivinj^ only partially destroyed 
 a portion oi' the \S(ii'l\s. 
 
 At the very time that A\'illianis was en^a^'cd In this dis- 
 repntahle alliiir, a powerCnl I-'reneh scpiadron, under the cuni- 
 niand of the Chevaliei- dn I'alais, was lyinij; at anelmr in the 
 IJaie des Ksj)a{i;nols (Sydne\), waitinu; the return of ;i fast- 
 sailinti" vessel which had heen i-ent out to irnin s(imc Intel- 
 lio;encc of ^^'illiams's movements. This vessel, after an nn- 
 sncecssfnl cruise in the (JnU", was returnini^ to I'cjdiu Dn 
 I'alais, when she encountered a heavy westerly gale of such 
 lonjif continuance that she Mas oldio-ed to hear up for France. 
 This mishap fortunately saved Williams's scjuadron and dis- 
 concerted Dn Palais's })lans; for, as Charlevoix ohserves, 'it 
 is not likely that a connnander, Avho had hccn rei)ulse(l hy a 
 j)altry j)laec like IMaisauec, would have made nuieh resistance 
 to a ])owerl'nl enemy.' 
 
 1 have not time to enumerate the various attacks made hy 
 French ships of Avar and jn'ivateers u])on the Fn<;Tish settle- 
 ments dnriny; the four vears followin<>; AV'llliams's unsuccessful 
 attemj)t to destroy Plaisance.' Nothing', however, of nuich 
 im])ortanec was aoci>mj)llslied l)y the enemy, beyond the cap- 
 ture and destruction of fishing and trading vessels, until the 
 autumn of 1090, when D'ibherville, as has already heen men- 
 
 ' Imu.st, lunvover, rcporil tlio gnlliuif- exploit, of Captain Holman of tlie Enjrlish 
 privateer ' William and Mary,' of sixteen guns. Ilolnian, who learned from a 
 prisoner that had cscapeil from TMaisanee, that .some I'rcnch sliips were going to 
 attack Ferryland, by great exertions, with the aid of tho inha1)itants, erected four 
 8mall batteries at the mouth of the iiarboiir, and armed tliem with guns taken 
 from his own vessel. On August 12, IGiH, two French ships of forty and tiftygnns 
 arrived oif the harliour und immediately began to bombard tiie place; but Ilolman 
 gave tlu'ni such a warm reception tliat, after a fight of five hours, tlie French ships 
 were driven off, with a loss of eighty or ninety men. There were nine merchant- 
 ships in tlie harbour at the time. — licconh in State Paper Office, 
 
128 CAPE nUETON. 
 
 tioiu'd, an-i\('(| lit IMuisancf. Here lie (uimd Ji rclnrorci'iiu'iit 
 of -loo C'iiiiatliaiis uailiiin' Iiis arrival, wliicli had \h'vu sent l»y 
 the ( )()\ cnior-CiciuMal <»f' Canada to aid in \\\r roihu'tioii ol' 
 NowroimdhiiKl. Ilaviii^jj ('([iiippcd niiK! j»ri\ati'('i's hi'loiij;iiij^ 
 to St. Malo'.i, three corvettes and two lircidiips, atid einharkt'd 
 the Canadians, D'lhherN iUe, aeeoni|>anit'd hy M. do Hronillan, 
 the (lovornor of l*hiisan('(>, saih'd for St. tlolni's.' Owin^; u* 
 liead ^vinds, the e\]tedItion was not uhh.> to reach St. tlohn's, 
 and had to rctnrn to IMaisanco, for a snpiily of provisions, hav- 
 int; captured tliirtv-one vessels and tU'stroved some fisiiin;' 
 cstahlishments upon tlie coast. It Nvas then arran_i;('d to niako 
 a simultaneous attaclc upon St. John's ])y sea and hmd, for 
 Avhich purpose lij'ouilhiu took command of the ships, wliilst 
 D'lhhi'rN iUe and his Canadians marched across the I'eninsuhi. 
 The first intelliiienco of the Impendiufi; (hin<"cr -was hroujjlit to 
 St. John's hv a messenirer from J^etty IIari)onr, wliich had 
 l)een attatd^ed hy the French. As tliis place was only nine 
 miles from St. John's, a force of eighty-four armed men were 
 sent on the IHth November to its relief. The party luid 
 scarc(dy jM-occeded a mih.' from St. tlohn's when it encountered 
 I)'ll)l)er\ illo at the \\vnd of a body of Frencii, Canadians, and 
 Indians, in all about AOi) men. 
 
 In the conflict which ensued, the English had thirty-four 
 men kille<l and several wounded. The rest retreated to St. 
 John's, closely pursued by the Fi'encli, and took refuge in 
 King William's Fort, wliere, with the other iidiabitants, they 
 lield out for three days, when they Avere obliged to surrender, 
 being short both of provisions and annnunition. This fort, 
 Avhieh commanded the entrance of the harbour, had not long 
 been erected ; it was a place of some strength, and liad enabled 
 the inhabitants in the early part of the sunnner to successful!}' 
 resist the attack of a strong squadron of Frencli ships com- 
 manded by the Chevalier Mesmond. During the three day j 
 which the fort held out against DTbbcrville, all the house 
 stores, stages, and provisions in the iettlement were burned or 
 destroyed.^ 
 
 ' Biicqney'iUi; di'lii Vtivtcv'ivs Histuirc dc rA)»i'riqiie Scpifiitrionalc. Paris: 172; 
 - For theso fiicts I am chiefly indebt'^d to a deposition made by Messrs. PliiII|^, 
 
THE FLEET RAILS FOR FRANCE. 120 
 
 The season hciii;;: lUr a(lv:iMi'('(l, liroiiilliiii rctiunctl wlili his 
 sliips to IMaisiiiicc; hut DMlihcrviMo and his Canailians, accns- 
 toini'd to winter travel hnjj;, prooeeih'd aloni; the shore to llie 
 n()rth\var<l, and in the coinx; of two nionthn dcsohited all the 
 reniaininj^ setth-nienls in Newfonndland, except C'arhcniear 
 and I>ona\ista, which conhl not he attacked without a na\al 
 Corce. Mori' than liOO uu'U were kilh'd, and ()(«) sent [irisoiiers 
 to IMaisance.' In tiie s|)rinij: <»l 1()!>7, I)"ll)hervilh' was cn- 
 liiitred at IMaisance in lillintj' out an expedition against Car- 
 honear and llonavista, when a s<|na<h'on of shi|'S arri\i'(| IVoni 
 Krano:^ nn(h'r charge of AI. do Seriunv, \\ith insti-nclions that 
 he ( I)"I l)hei'\ ille) shonhl take the conunand, and destroy all 
 the I'iniilish tradinir itosts in llnd.-on'> Uav. Ilavintr aci'oni- 
 phshed this duty, he returned to IMaisance, whore a council of 
 war was held, at which it was di'cided that it was then too 
 late in the season to niaki* a descent upon tla^ coast of New 
 Hn^land, and the fleet sailed i'oi" France, to the <:;r('at relief 
 of the colonists, who had lor nearly six months hecn kept in a 
 state of alai'ui. The merchants and traders ol' the western 
 |)orts of I'^n^dand, engaged in the Xewloundlan 1 trade, wdio 
 had sustained su( h scmmh; losses during the war, petitioned 
 the king for reparation, and protection for the future. Twenty- 
 nine vessels, of the valm; of 24,700/., helonging to the little 
 |»ort of liideford alone, had been captured, and several other 
 l>orts had suffered in like ju'oportion. Beyond all douht the 
 planters were the greatest sufi'erers ; the inhahitants of Ferry- 
 land estimated their losses in goods, (diattels, and fish, at 
 12,(H)()/. In conse((uence of these remonstrances, a s(piadron, 
 commainlcd by Sir .lohn Xorri;^, with two regiments of" sol- 
 diers, was sent out in the spring of lOUT, ' Ibr the recovery of 
 iS'ewfouudland.' Morris arrived at St. John's on June 10, 
 and found it abandoned by the French. The troops were 
 
 Kolici'ts, ami somo others, now in tlio live hI Officr. Tin- ilfpoiu'iits t'urtlior stiitc 
 ' tluit tlie Frciu-h took oik^ Willimn Itivw, an inlialiitant, a iirisoncr, and cut ;ill 
 round his scalp, and then, liy the strength of hands, stript liis skin i'roni tlio forc- 
 lu'iid to tlio crown, and si) sent him into the ft)rtilications. assuriiijj; tlio inhabitants 
 that tlicy woidd servo them all in like manner if tlioy did not snrronder.' 
 ' Bac(|noville do la I'ortcfio. 
 
 K 
 
130 CAPK niCETON. 
 
 Iiuulfd, Riid a ImtliTv cnM'ttil upon nicli sitlc of llic ImrlxMir'H 
 
 inoiitli ; l»ut nothing rmtlicr was (loiu! worfliy «»1' iintice. It 
 
 WHS known licit .1 Ficnt'Ii s()im(lruii of Hve ships, supposed to 
 
 Ifo part of M. Xi'SMHtnd's flct't, was crMisinn; on the «oust ; l>nt 
 
 it was «lt'ci(l('<l at a council of war that the Kn<j;iisli s(|ua(lr«»n 
 
 should t'ciuiiin in port. 
 
 The follo\vln<^ altstrnct of the hade and population of Xew- 
 
 fnundland in KiDH may be interesting: — 
 
 Nuinlicr of I'liiiitcrM .,,..•■ -St 
 
 ,, lli.ir chiMicii •*'>'- 
 
 ,, tlii'ir siTvunts l,Hi)l 
 
 „ lioutM owiu'il liy fli'in ..... -'i!'? 
 
 (JiiiiitiiUnf fUli mad.' Ii.v tli.iii KH.IiVJ 
 
 Nuiiilicr of .-lii|is lisliiiig iiiul I'arr^injj; fish . . . 2fl2 
 
 Tlii'ir toniuifro .....#.. 2t,;il8 
 
 Number of st'iiiiii'ii cniploynl ...... l.'Jtl 
 
 t^iiiiitJils of tNli ciiiiiilil liy Nliij>s 111,77<I 
 
 „ inirt'liascil \>y ineri'liaiits .... 1")7.NIS 
 
 „ carried t(j iiiiirki't 2(i.>,l!)S 
 
 Happily, at this time, for the peace and comfort of the un- 
 j)roteeted planters in Newfoundland, both Knj^land and France 
 were .so imi»overished and exhausted by the enormous cost of 
 the «;reat militar operations in which they had been engaged 
 u|»on the Continent during the last six years, without any 
 .'solid advantage to 'nther side, that negotiations were oi)ened 
 at llyswick, which termiiuiteil in a treaty of peace, signed 0" 
 September 20. liy thi.s treaty it was agreed that each country 
 should retain the territories which it occupied in America be- 
 fore the Avar, and that commissioners should be appointed U> 
 settle tiie disputed boundaries between the British pi'ovinces 
 and the French colonies of Canada and Acadie. The com- 
 niissioners on both sides, however, advanced such extravagant 
 ])retensioii3 that no satisfactory arrangement could be made, 
 and consequently the unsettled boundaries remained —a fruit- 
 ful source of dispute in after years. The right of France to 
 the Valley of the Mississippi was, however, recognised, founded 
 on the discoveries of the Jesuit La Salle, who, with a party of 
 traders, had in 1682 descended the river from its source to 
 the sea, and planted the national flag on the shores of the Gulf 
 of Mexico. 
 
WAll DKCIiAHKI) AOAINST KHANCK. I'M 
 
 Altli(>n;,fli ihv first urticlo of tlie Treaty of Kywuick stipu- 
 lated that tliori' slioiild tliciici'lnitli lii> tiiiivcrsiil iiiid |)(>r|)('tuid 
 iicaci' Itclwocii tlic! two Sovereigns, tiie Freiieli liiid st-iir^'cly 
 resinned possession of Aeiidie when \'iliei)on, tlie (lovernor, 
 eiinsed a ehiipel to he hniit at Xorridj^ewoek, on the hanks ot* 
 thi' Ivennehee, within the (hspnted territory, and attempted to 
 drive the New ICn^land fishernien iVoin the coasts of Aeadie. 
 These ill-advised measures, just after the eslai)fishnient of 
 peace, were not such as a man (h'sirous of maintaining friendly 
 relations with his nei;^hl»onr'. onjiht to have adoj»ted; hut even 
 these nii^ht not. have; h'd to any serioua misunderstanding;, as 
 both I'^njjfland and France, at that period, were too apt to 
 cxhihit a very hlameal)Ie indiH'ereneo towards their e(doni(fs in 
 America, had uot a more serious cause of rupture arisen iu 
 l'iUr(»])e. This was the aeknowledji^ment of the title of the sou 
 of ilau)es II. to tlie crown of l^nj^iand hy Louis XIV., which 
 pive such ott'euce tliat, on thi' accession of (^neeu Anne, iu 
 170'^, war was inunediately declared ajjjainst France. 
 
 A state of peace and trancpiillity was no douht fully appre- 
 ciated hy tlie I'iU^lish colonists* ; hut the attcmi)ts of IJrouilhiu, 
 who had succeeded Villehon iu the f^overniuent of Aeadie iu 
 1700, to drive them from the fislun<i;-o;rou!uls, and the sludter 
 which he afforded to the pirates, who couuuitted threat de[)re- 
 datious upon the trade of ^lassaehusetts dui'ing the peace, 
 had raised such a feeliuj^ of iudi|^natiou that the news of the 
 declaration of war was hailed with Joy by the colonists. 
 Anxious as the Enn;lish were to enj'a'jje in hostilities, the 
 French were the first to break the j)eace on the frontiers. In 
 the Avinter of 1708, a party comprisitifjj 200 French and 140 
 Indians, commanded by the notorious Ilertel de llouville, who 
 had headed the assault on Schenectady in 1690, attacked at 
 midnight the village of Deerfield, in Massachusetts, killed 47 
 of the inhabitants and carried off" 112 prisoners. On a pre- 
 concerted day in the same year, ])arties of Indians, led by 
 French officers, burst into almost every farndiouse and hamlet, 
 from Casco to the Piscataqua, sparing neither age nor sex in 
 their savage fury. Heartrending narratives of similar atroci- 
 ties may be found in the records of every settlement, from the 
 
 K 2 
 
132 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 Kennebec to the Mcrrimac. Such deeds as tliese insi)ired the 
 colonists Avitli u deep luitred against tiie Frcncli missionaries, 
 who, if they did not instigate, as Avas helieved, eertaitdy did 
 not use the great influence they possessed over the savages, in 
 endeavouring to stop such inhuman outrages. 
 
 In the sunnncr of 1704, Colonel Church was sent from 
 Boston in connnand of an expedition, comprised of three armed 
 ships, fourteen transports, and 500 soldiers, to ravage the 
 French settlements in Acadic, in revenge of these outrages. 
 Almost every French village, '.etween the Penohscot and lieaii 
 Basshi (Chignecto), at the head of the Bay of Fundy, was 
 jdnndcred and ilestroyed ; houses and barns were burned ; the 
 dykes were cut, and the nsarshes inundated ; many of the settlers 
 were killed, and a great niunber made prisoners. In the fol- 
 lov.'ing winter the tFesuit dnipel of Xorridgewock, with all the 
 wigwams, which had been abandoned by Father llasle and his 
 converts, were burned by the English. This harassing war- 
 fare continued, with varying success, until 1707, when the 
 Government of Massachusetts came to the determination of 
 driving the F"ench entirely out of Acadic, as the only means 
 of relieving the colonies from the constant alarm inspired by 
 such nnquiet neighbours. Accordingly, in the spring of 1707, 
 two regiments of militia were sent in trans[)orts, convoyed by 
 the ' Deptford,' of fifty guns, mider the command of Colonel 
 Marsh, to reduce Port lioyal, but they received such a warm 
 reception from M. Subercase, who had been appointed Governor 
 on the death of Brouillan, that ^larsh was obliged to abandon 
 the attem})t and retire to Casco Bay, where he received a rein- 
 forcement of 100 men from lioston, with pressing orders to 
 return immediately to Port Royal. In the meantime, Suber- 
 case also had been joined by fifty Canadians and a large body 
 of Indians, commanded by the Baron Castine, which afforded 
 such important aid during the siege which followed, that Marsh 
 was again obliged to retire without effecting his object. 
 
 The French, justly elated by the successful defence of Port 
 lioyal against a superior force, lost no opportunity of harassing 
 the Englisli colonists, by land and water, making frequent 
 incursions across the unprotected frontiers, and preying upon 
 
HT. John's attacked and destroyed. 133 
 
 lior comnicTcc. The fisliiiKX-statioiis on the coast of Ncw- 
 Ibimdlaiul, which had been reoccui)ic(l and repaired, were 
 ai^aiu desohited, and on tianiiary 1, 1708, iSI. de St. Ovide, 
 the kinnf's lieutenant at Phicentia, havini^ landed within five 
 loa,2;nes of St. John's witliout being discovered, attacked and 
 ('oni[)letely destroyed that town. The inliabitants of Car- 
 honear, however, galhmtly r< pulsed an attack made upon it by 
 ]\r. de Costabelle, tlie Frencli eonnnander-in-chief. 
 
 Small English squadroiis had occasionally retaliated upon 
 the French, by destroying their settlements on the southern 
 coast; but the English planters were the greatest sufferers. 
 The British (Tovcrmnen[ had beon urijcntlv solicited to send 
 out a naval force to protect the commerce of the colonists of 
 New England ; l)ut her statesmen were too deei)ly engrossed 
 with the cam})aigns in Flanders, in which oSIarlborough was 
 then reaping such immort? 1 renown, to i)ay much heed to their 
 representations. Xevertheless, the colonists were neither dis- 
 couraged nor dismayed. Seeing that there could be no peace 
 for them so long as the French held Acadie, they set about 
 preparations for another attempt iq)on Port lloyal in the year 
 1710, and once more appealed to the mother country for 
 assistance, offering to raise a body of troops to be paid by 
 England, provided a sqmidron of ships was sent (Uit to convoy 
 them to their destinntion. This a])})lication, happily, was suc- 
 cessful, and the colonists were assured that, if they could make 
 themselves masters of Acadie, it should not again be given up 
 by treaty. With this assurance, the New I'^ngland provinces 
 engaged heartily in the enterprise. Four regiments were soon 
 raised and embarked in transports, convoyed by four ships of 
 war, under the command of General Nicholson. The expedi- 
 tion arrived at Port lioyal (m Sc}»tember 24, when a summons 
 was sent to Subei'case io surrender the place. The Governor, 
 Vvho had heard vague riunours of a fresh invasion, had wisely 
 exerted all his energy in repiiiring aud extending his means of 
 defence ; but though ijonvinced from the first that, with a 
 garrison of oidy 260 soldiers, he could not defend his post with 
 the remotest chance of success, he nevertheless rel'used to obey 
 the summons. Part uf the troops were therefore landed, and 
 
134 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 several slight skirmishes occurred, but no serious attack Avas 
 made. The engineers having reported on October 1 that the 
 batteries were all armed and ready to open their fire, iS'ichol- 
 son, seeing the utter liopelessness of any attempt to defend the 
 place against the force under his command, and desirous of 
 saving the lives of the garrison, again sent an officer with a 
 summons to the Governor to surrender. Subercase being now 
 satisfied that there w as no chance of defending his post against 
 such an imposing force, prudently complied with the summons. 
 Articles of capitulation were arranged and signed, and on the 
 following day, October o,an English force of 200 marines and 
 260 volunteers, under the command of Colonel Vetch, took 
 possession of the fort. Tlio French troops, and about 200 of 
 the principal inhabitants, were sent in English transports to 
 Rochelle. Those who wished to remain in possession of their 
 lands were allowed to do so upon taking an oath of allegiance 
 to the British Sovereign. Some conii)lied with this condition, 
 tut a great number of the inhabitants fled into the interior. A 
 few emigrated to INIiramiehi and Cape Breton. 
 
 AVith a change of masters came a change of names. Acadie 
 was again called ' Nova Scotia ' — the name bestoAved upon it 
 by James I. in 1621 ; and Port Royal, ' Annapolis,' in honour 
 of the reigning Queen of England. We must now dro[) the 
 old familiar names, and try to accustom ourselves to the 
 pedantic titles conferred upon the country and its ancient 
 capital by their new masters. 
 
 When it was too late, the French Government began to 
 realise the value of the country, which had been lost by gross 
 negligence. A recent Avriter (M. Rameau),^ after noticing 
 the ra))id increase of the population of French descent during 
 the thirty years following its conquest, observes that, if 
 100,000 livres a year had been spent by France in main- 
 taining a regular garrison of 500 men at Port Royal, and if 
 twenty-five or thirty families of emigrants had been sent out 
 yearly since 1670, there would, in 1710, have been a popu- 
 lation of 8,000 or 10,000 souls for the defence of the country. 
 He adds, that France would also have been a great gainer in 
 
 ' La France auj: Colonies. Paris?: 1859. 
 
THE ENGLISH GARRISON AT ANNAPOLIS. 135 
 
 a financial point of view, as there wouM then have l.een no 
 occasion for spendinnf 3() millions upon the fortress of Louis- 
 houi<jf, which, after the loss of Acailic, became absolutely 
 necessary for securing the command of the entrance of the 
 St. liawrence. 
 
 The English garrison at Annapolis suffered so much loss 
 from sickness, and skirmishes with the hostile pojnilation which 
 snrrounded it, that in the course of seven months its strength 
 was reduced to 150 men fit for duty. Bands of savages 
 lurked in the woods in the vicinity, ready to pounce upon 
 any unwary soldier that strayed beyond the limits of the fort ; 
 and upon one occasion seventy men and two oflScers, who had 
 been sent up the river to reduce the iidiabitants to subjection, 
 were suri)rised by an ambush of savages, led by a noted chief 
 called L'Aimable, when thirty of the men and the two oflrtccrs 
 were killed, and all the rest save one made prisoners. Elated 
 by this success, 500 of the French inhabitants, whom we 
 shall in future call Acadians, and a large body of Indians, at 
 the instigation of the missionary Gaulin rushed to arms and 
 invested tiie fort. The INlarquis de Vaudreuil, Viceroy of 
 Canada, who had despatdied messengers in the Avinter with 
 instructions to the missionaries to do all in their power to 
 retain th'^ Acadians and Indians in the interest of Frances 
 hearing of the state of affairs in Nova Scotia, was just on the 
 l)oint of sending 200 men from Quebec to assist in the re- 
 duction of Annapolis, when he received intelligence "om 
 Placentia that an English fleet was on its way to the St. 
 Lawrence, and was therefore obliged to keep the men for 
 the defence of his own cai)ital. Disappointed in obtaining 
 succour from Canada and Placentia,' the revolted Acadians laid 
 down their arms and made their submission to the English 
 Governor of Annapolis. 
 
 Encouraged by the success which had attended the ex- 
 [)edition to Acadie, and alarmed at the rapid extension of the 
 
 ' Tin- Acudiiius had applied to M, de Costabellc, the Governor of Placentia, for 
 an engineer to conduct the siege of Annapolis, and also fora u'lpply of ammunition ; 
 but Costabolle, having learned that, the garrison of Annapolis had been reinforced 
 by 200 provincial troops, concluded that it was too late lo comply with tJieir 
 j'equisitiou. 
 
1;}0 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 French powts in the vnlk-y of tlie Oliio, the (ioveriiors of the 
 lii'ilish provinces resolved to attempt the eon(|Ucst <»f Canada. 
 General Nicholson was therefore sent to Kn^hmd to urge 
 upon the jNIinistry the ini|)()rtancc of the enterprise, and to 
 oHer to raise a body of troops in the cohmies, to march iiixm 
 INIontreal, il' the Government wonld send out a naval force to 
 atta(d< (^uehec. The liritish (iovernnient entered heartily 
 into the project, and in the spring of 1711 sent out to Boston 
 a fleet of fifteen ships of war, under Admiral Ilovcnden 
 A\'alker, with forty transports carrying 5,000 troops, com- 
 manded by General Hill. If this powerful armament liad 
 sailed direct to (Quebec, the ol)jcct in view would in all i)ro- 
 bability have been effected ; but so much time was lost at 
 Boston in taking in provisions, collecting provincial reinforce- 
 ments, and obtaining j)ilots, that it did not reach the mcnith 
 of the St. Lawrence before August 22, although it had sailed 
 from Plymouth on INIay 4. Owing either to the incapacity 
 of the admiral, or tlie ignorance of the pilots, the whole fleet 
 durinji; the same night got entangled amonn;st the rocks and 
 shoals near the Egg Islands, on the north shore, in a thick 
 fog. The ships of war fortunately i)iit abt)ut just in time to clear 
 the breakers, but eight transpcjrts, with 1,383 men on board, 
 were wrecked upon the ledges, Avhen 884 brave fellows, who 
 had passed scatheless through the sanguinary battles of Blen- 
 heim, Kamillies, and Oudenardc, perished n)iserably on the 
 desolate shores of the St. Lawrence. Two days afterwards, it 
 Avas resohed at a council of war to give up the enterprise, on 
 account of the ignorance of the pilots and the rapidity of the 
 currents, and to proceed to Spanish Bay in Cape Breton, 
 which had been selected as the most convenient rendezvous in 
 case of the vessels being dis})crsed. 
 
 The (lovernors of the English provinces had meanwhile 
 fulfilled their promise, by collecting several regiments of militia 
 and volunteers at Albany, commanded by General Nicholson, 
 ready to march upcm Montreal. Nicholson, according to pre- 
 concerted arrangements, sta. ted from Albany on August 20, 
 and had reached the shores of Lake Georo-e, when tidinirs 
 arrived of the heavy disaster which had befallen the fleet. . 
 lie was in conseciuence obliged to return to Albany. The 
 
TlIK FLEET AKUIVES AT SPANISH BAY. 137 
 
 loss of SO miiiiy V!ilua1)le lives at the EgtJj Islands was a 
 oToat ralaiiiitv, hut it' the expedition had reaehcd (hiehec in 
 safety, it would, ])ei-lKi[»s, have heen still more serious, as 
 neither Walker nor Hill were oajtahlc of conduetinjjj a siege 
 of such importance. l>esides, it would have received a Avarm 
 reception i'rom Vaudrcuil the Viceroy, who had streno-thcned 
 the fortifications, called in the militia, and collected a lai-ge 
 body of Indians, including some even from a country so dis- 
 tant as Xova Scotia. 
 
 On September 4, the bulk of the fleet reached Spanish Bay, 
 and anchored in the roadstead, ' in seven fathoms water, the 
 East Toint E.X.E. and the Xorth Point of the Koad N. by 
 ^V.jgood ground,' or directly alircast of Lloyd's Cove. In the 
 course of a few days the i-emaining ships, and some men of 
 war Avhieh had been cruisinsx in the Gulf and on the coast of 
 Newfoundland, arrived at the rendez-vous. Walker's fleet, 
 consisting altogether of forty-two sail, was jn-obably the largest 
 naval armament ever assembled in Sydney Harbour. 
 
 Before the expedition left England, the two commanders 
 had been instructed, after taking (Quebec, * to summon and 
 attack Placentia, in Newfoundland.' This, one might sui)pos(\;^ 
 Avould have been an easy task for a fleet of fifteen shij)s 
 mounting nearly 900 guns, and a land force of 4,000 men, 
 especially Avhen we bear in mind that letters had been found 
 on board of prizes brought by the cruisers into Spanish Bay, 
 from jNI. dc Costabelle, the Governor of Placentia, to j\[. 
 Pontchartrain, ' Secretary of the Court of Paris,' stating that 
 the little garrison was in want of sui)plies of all kinds, that 
 a promised reinforcement of two comi)anies of soldiers had 
 not arrived, and that ' La Valeur ' — the only armed ship on 
 the station, had been lost. And yet, incredible to relate, 
 although Placentia was only 150 miles from Spanish Iliver, 
 and almost in the direct homcAvard track of the fleet, a council 
 of war, held on board the flagship, decided ' that it was not 
 practicable to make any attempt against Placentia.' "With 
 such facts before us, we cannot be astonished that, as Admiral 
 AValker tells us, 'loud and invidious clamours were raised 
 against him on account of the iate expedition to Canada,' and 
 that the ' frivolous pamphleteers ' were not so far wrong when 
 
1J38 CAI'E DKETON. 
 
 thoy insinuated ' that the taking of Plaocntia on our way to 
 liritain had hecn as easy as a citizen riding home in his cliaisc 
 from llanipstcad or Ilighgatc, calling at a cakehouse by the 
 way, to regale himself and his spouse with a glass of cyder 
 and a cheesecake.' The doughty Admiral, hoAvcvcr, performed 
 one signal ex[)loit before he sailed, which must be duly re- 
 corded. Remarking that ' it would be a jnty such a squadron 
 and such a body of land forces should leave America w'thout 
 doing something against the enemy in some part or other,' 
 . . . and ' being informed by several officers who had been 
 there, that a Cross was erected on the shore, with the names 
 of the French Sea officers Avho had been here, which I l()()ked 
 upon as a claim of right they pretend to for the King their 
 master, the island having always been in the times of peace 
 used in common both by the English and the French, for 
 lading coals, which are extraordin.ary ;_oGd here, and taken out 
 of the cliffi* with iron crows only and no other labour, I 
 thought it not amiss, therefore, to leave something of that kind 
 to declare the Queen's right to the place ; and having a board 
 made by the carpenter and i)ainted, I sent him ashore to fix 
 it upon a tree, or in some convenient place where it might 
 easily be seen, with the inscription following : — 
 
 In nomino 
 
 Patris, Filii ot Spiritus Sancti 
 
 Amen 
 
 Omnibus in Christi Fidtlibus Salutcm. 
 
 Anna Dei Gratia 
 
 Mag. Britanni«^ 
 
 Francije et Hibernine Regina 
 
 TotiuKque Americjc Scptentrionalis 
 
 Doniiua, Fidei Defensor, &c. 
 
 In 
 
 Cujus harum Insularura vulgo 
 
 Cape Breton 
 
 Proprietatis 
 
 Et Dominii 
 
 Testimonium 
 
 Hoc 
 
 Eroxit Monumentum 
 
 Suae Majestatis Servus 
 
 Et Subditus fidelissimus 
 
 D. Ilovenden "Walker Eques Auratus 
 
 ' Omnium in America Navitmi Rogalium 
 
 Pifefectus ct Thalassiarcha 
 
 Monte Septembris 
 
 Anno iSnlutis 
 
 MDCCXI.' 
 
TUE FLEET LEAVES SPANISH BAY, I'iO 
 
 This ].onip()iis and absurd * monument ' was most likely torn 
 down by the firf<t sava-!;e that passed that way, and the solo 
 record of the Adniiral's conquest of Cape lireton speedily 
 obliterated. Few natives showed themselves whilst the fleet 
 was in the harbour, but there were no doubt many lurking in 
 the Avoods Avatching all that was going on. Several of the 
 sailors, ' who went a good way up into the woods alone, met 
 with no manner of insult from the Indians ; ' but a carpenter 
 and two seamen belonging to the ' Eagle ' transport Avere not 
 so fortunate, having been killed and scalped Avhilst engaged in 
 collecting wood from an old wreck in a remote part of the 
 harbour. The Admiral supposes ' those men Avere killed for 
 meddling Avith a Avreck which the Indians believed themselves 
 only to have a right to ; for I Avas told by several of the Ncav 
 Englanders, avIio had often been upon the island and conversed 
 Avith the natives, as also by the French, that they AA'ere a very 
 iiioifensive people.' 
 
 The troops raised in New England having been sent to 
 Boston imder convoy of the frigate * Enterprise,' and a detach- 
 ment of 400 men to Annapolis, the fleet left Spanish Bay on 
 the morning of September 16, and arrived at Portsmouth in 
 safety on October 10. The disasters attending this ill con- 
 ducted expedition, however, Avere not yet ended, for the Ad- 
 miral's flagship, the ' Edgar,' of seventy guns, Avith a crcAv of 
 470 men, Avas bloAvn up at her anchorage in Portsmouth Har- 
 bour on the 16th of the same month, * and not one man 
 saved.'* 
 
 ' For the materials used in compiling the preceding letter I am chiefly indebted 
 to Chiirlvyoixa Histori/ of yew Fra7ice ; Lahoutan's Voyages to Canada; Docunicnts 
 in the State Paper Office ; Admiral Walker's Account of the Expedition to Canada ; 
 Williamson's History of Maine; Douglas's Summary, Sic. &c. 
 
1 |.r) CAPK niJRTON'. 
 
 LKTTKJi IX. 
 
 1711 1720. 
 
 TliK FAILURE of Adiiiirnl Walker's oxpodition, as ini<;lit lie 
 expected, cMused n-reiit (lisappoiiitiueiit in I'iiit^land, and in- 
 creased ill 11(1 small denrcc tlio n;cncral desire for tlic cstaiilisli- 
 mciit of peace with France. Altlionii:!! the armies of England 
 and licr allies, led Uy tlio celebrated Marlborous^h, had won 
 victory after victory on the continent, the j>rotracted contest 
 at leniith became nii]to|>Mlar, and iijion a chaiij^e of Ministry 
 an a^eiit was sent to Paris, in 171 1, with jiroposals for a peace, 
 which ])roved very acceptalile to the French (Jovermnent. In 
 tlie foUowiii*;" year a susjiension of hostilities was si<;'iied, and 
 negotiations for a n;eneral peace were commenced. 
 
 At these negotiations the French Government, now fully 
 aware of the value of Acadle, made great exertions to obtain 
 its restoration, offering to give in exchange for it the post of 
 Plaisancc (Placentia), all the rest of Newfoundland with the 
 fisheries, and the isles of St. Martin and Bartholomew ; but 
 (^ueen Anne rejected the offer, and insisted that it should be 
 designated by the name of Xova Scotia, as well as Acadie, in 
 the Treaty. The long discussions relative to Cape Breton 
 clearly show the importance the French attached to its jiosses- 
 sion. Mr. St. John, in a memoir submitted to the Marquis de 
 Torcy on May 24, 1712, proposed on the part of Queen Anne, 
 ' That the subjects of His ISIajesty (Louis XIV.) should enjoy, 
 in common with the Queen's, the island of Cape Breton,' and 
 * that the islands in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and in the 
 mouth of the river of that name, which are at present possessed 
 by the French, should remain to his most Christian INIajesty, 
 but expressly upon the condition that his said Majesty shall 
 engage himself not to raise or suffer to be raised any fortifica- 
 
HT. John's memoiu to thk mauquis dk toucy. Ill 
 
 tioiis in llicse isliuids or in tliiit of Cape Urt'ton — the (^iiceii 
 (.ii(-ii"in"" liorsc'lf likewise not to (ortifv or siid'cr any fortifica- 
 tioMs to 1)0 raised in the adjacont, islands, and those next New- 
 l()UM<lland, nor in that of Cape lireton.' In his reply to this 
 proposition, on .Tnne .) the Mar(|uis de Torey stated: ' As the 
 perl'eet j^ood nndcrstandinj;' that the Kinjj^ projioses to eslahlish 
 hi'tween his suhjeet.s and those ol' the (^uei'n ot" Ui'eat IJritaln 
 will, it' it please (Jod, he one of the principal advanta<;"es of the 
 |icaee, wc nmst remove all propositions capable of disturhin;:!; 
 tliis hajipy union; experience has made it too visible, that it 
 was injpt)ssible to preserve it in the places ])0ssessed in connnon 
 hy the French and Knnlish nations, so this reason alone will 
 suthce to hinder His ^Majesty fnnn c(»nsentin<j; to the j)roposi- 
 tion of leaving' the Kniilish to possess the isle of Cape lireton 
 in connnon with the French ; but there is still a stronjjjer 
 reason a<;'ainst this pro[)osltion : as it is l)ut too often seen that 
 the most amicable nations many times become enemies, it is 
 ])rudence in the Kin^ to reserve to lilmself the possession of 
 the only isle which will hereafter open an entrance into the 
 river of St. Lawrence : it would be absolutely sluit to the 
 ships of His Majesty, if the Fn<;lish, masters of .Vcadic and 
 Xewfoundhind, still i>ossessed the isle of Cape Breton in 
 connnon with the F^rench, and Canada would be lost to France 
 as soon as the war should be renewed between the two naticjiis, 
 w Inch God forbid ; but the most secure means to prevent it is 
 often to think that it may come to pass. 
 
 ' It will not be dissend)lcd, but it is for the same reason, 
 that the King is desirous of reserving to himself the natural 
 and common liberty, as all sovereigns have, of erecting in 
 the isles of the gulf and in the mouth of the St. Lawrence, as 
 Avcll as in the isle of Cape Breton, such fortificati(ms as His 
 jMajesty shall judge necessary. These works, made only for 
 the security of the country, can never be of any detriment to 
 the neighbouring isles and provinces. 
 
 * It is just that the Queen of Great Britain should have the 
 same liberty to erect what fortifications she shall think neces- 
 sary, whether in Acadie or in the isle of Newfoundland ; and 
 upon this article the King does not pretend to exact anything 
 
142 (;apk hhkton. 
 
 contrary to the ri<:;lits which the propriety and [losscssion 
 naturally n:i\c to that I'rinccss.' 
 
 Tlu' (Icniands of the French (lovoriuncnt, supported l>y these 
 just and candid ar<j!;unients, were eonsicU'red fair and reason- 
 ahle, and it was accordiny-lv a<;reed that France; should have 
 liherty to fortify any place or places in Cape lirelon. 
 
 Tlie (!e8sion of Acadie and Newfoundland to ICnjfl.ind, and 
 the ri<2;ht of France to fortify Cape Breton, and prosecute the 
 fisiu'ries on certain ])arts of the coast of Newfoundland, were 
 end)odied in the 12th and l.'Jth Articles of the nieniorahle 
 Treaty sijj^ned at Utrecht on April 11, 1713. In these articles 
 it was stipulated that ' All Nova Scotia or Acadie, with its 
 ancient houndaries, as also the city of Port Koyal, now called 
 Ainnipolis lloyal, . . . the island of Newfoundland, wiih the 
 adjacent islands, . . . the town and fortress of IMacentia, and 
 whatever other places in the island are in possession of the 
 French, shall from this time forward belong of right wholly to 
 Great IJritain." . . . ' That the subjects of France should be 
 allowed to catch fish and dry them on that part of the island 
 of Newfoundland which stretches from Ca[»e Bonavista to the 
 northern })oint of the island, and from thence down the western 
 side as far as Point lliche ; but that no fortifications or any 
 buildings should be erected there, besides Stages made of 
 Boards, and Huts necessary and nsual for drying fish. . . . 
 But the island of Cape Breton, as also all others, both in the 
 mouth of the river of St. Lawrence and in the gulf of the 
 same name, shall hereafter belong of Right to the King of 
 France, who shall iiave liberty to fortify any place or places 
 there.' 
 
 Charlevoix says ' that France was amply compensated for 
 the loss of Newfoundland by the acquisition of Cape Breton, 
 where the inhabitants of I^la.'sance found themselves more 
 agreeably and more advantageously situated than they had 
 ever been in Newfoundland; whilst the English were now 
 absolute masters of the country Avhere before they could not 
 assure themselves of anything so long as they had us for their 
 neighbours.' If you have read the accounts of the repeated 
 raids upon the l^jnglish settlements, you will not question the 
 
LA POTIIEKTFi'H DRSCUIPTIDN OP CAPE nUETON. \ V\ 
 
 tnitli of tlio latter part id' the luinitinipli ; Itut I canmit undcr- 
 staml 1m»\v tlu'ir position in Cape Urctoii was now so inncli 
 improved, seeing that tlio French had hohl nnd!. pnted posses- 
 sion of the ishmd for nearly a centnry, had erected forts and 
 formed settlements therein, and carried on the fishery without 
 interruption. The capabilities and resources of the island 
 were well known, but nevertheless, it had been suffered to 
 remain desolate and neglected ever since it was abandoned by 
 Nicholas Denys. M. dc la J'otlierie, wlio was * C'onnnissairc; 
 de Koi' in the s(iuadron connnanded by D'Ibberville in 1()!)7, 
 comparinf^ PlaiHancc with Cape Breton, says, ' The land at 
 the former place is all mossy, and will produce little or nothing ; 
 wheat, never rij.ens ; they have no fruits of France except 
 strawberries; whilst in Cape Breton, which is a very beautiful 
 island on the coast of Acadie, there are plains and prairies, 
 vast forests filled with Oak, Maple, Cedar, ^ValJUlt, and the 
 finest Fir trees in the world. If api»les and stone fruits were 
 planted, it would become a second Normandy. Hemp <ijrows 
 wild everywhere ; Hops flourish well ; the Wheat is better 
 than in (Quebec. For the chase there are Bustards, Partrid<.»;es 
 (if France, Deer, liens of the Wood, Turtledoves, Plover, 
 Teal, and every sort of Water Fowl. The Fishery can be 
 carried on with less risk than at Plaisance, the fishing jjjrounds 
 being close in shore.' This description, although rather too 
 flattering, is upon the whole correct ; the only wonder is, that 
 the French did not profit by their knowledge of Cape Breton 
 before they were obliged to cede Plaisance to England. 
 
 French writers of a later date do not seem to have rejrarded 
 the loss of Acadie and Newfoundland with so much comjjla- 
 cency as Charlevoix. The Abbe Ilaynal, for instance, says, 
 ' One is afraid to express how much these sacrifices marked 
 our humiliation, and how hard it was to give up three provinces 
 which, with Canada, constituted the immense territory known 
 by the glorious name of New France.' And Garneau remarks, 
 ' that the treaty of Utrecht snatched from the feeble hands of 
 Louis XIV. the portals of Canada, Acadie, and Newfound- 
 land. From this treaty dates the decline of the monarchy 
 and the coming of the Revolution.' 
 
Hi . CAPi: UIIMTON, 
 
 As England had now obtained iiii(lis|iiit('d pitssoxsiim of tlio 
 wlioK; Atlantic coast of Xottli Ainciica, iVoni I'ltirida to Hud- 
 son's Hay, with the exception ol' Cape lireton, the construction 
 of a f'orlilicd naval station in that island hccanii? an ohject ol" 
 the fiist nece»ity v» I'^rancc, for the protection of her coin- 
 incrce and lishcrics, and lor maintaining!: the connnnnication 
 with Canada and the (iidf of St. Lawren<*e. The necessity 
 and inipoitance of such an I'stahlishmcnt had l)een clearly 
 denionstratcd in 17<>(S l)y M. Jiandol, Infcndant of tlustice, 
 INdicc, Finances, and alliiirs in •"Liu'ral, and his son, the inten- 
 dant of Marine, in Canada. These intcllii^ent oiHccrs, who 
 had introduced various important judi;"ial and fiscal improve- 
 ments into the colony, sid)mitted an able and interesting 
 memoir to tlu' Court of Paris, containinji a complete! expiii-a- 
 tion of the state of Ncm- I'rancc, and numy valnahle su<j;};es- 
 tions caiculatetl to ndvaueo its prosperity. Tiiey proved hy 
 the statistics of the cohmy : — 
 
 1. That the fur trade, wliich had at first been tlie solo 
 object of formin;j; settlements in North Ain(!rica, nnist gradu- 
 ally decline, and could not, therefore, lony; iiustain a jjjreat 
 colony. 
 
 2. That the total income derived from the fur trade anr. 
 fisheries, and the sums ex[)ended by the Government on the 
 troops, seminaries, and pensions, amountlug altoj^cther to 
 650,000 livres, Avas quite insufficient for the suj)port of a 
 colony of twenty or twenty-five thousand souls. 
 
 3. They recommended that the conunercc of the colony 
 slioukl be established on a broader and more healthy basis, l)y 
 encouraging; the trade in timber, planks, i)ireh, tar, salted 
 meats, Avhale and seal oils, codfish, flax, hemj), &c. — commodi- 
 ties which could be j)roduccd in abundance. The opening up 
 of these resources, it was argued, would reduce the price of 
 rau'o])ean manufactures, which were now sold at exorbitant 
 prices, because the coh)ny would then pay for them in produc- 
 tions of its own ; at the same time, many of the inhabitants, 
 who now wasted their time in running abimt the woods in 
 quest of game, woidd find useful and jn-ofitable employment 
 upon their own farms. . : 
 
MKMOIU TO TlfK C'OT'TIT OF PAltTS. 145 
 
 t. To ciirrv «>"• lliii^ ohjcct, it would Ix' nocossiirv to have 
 some ('(mvciiiont (Mitrcjiof on the Hciihoiii'd, soiiuiwlicrc Itctwcoii 
 ('imjidii ami l^'raiicc, open at all wcasous of tin; year, where the 
 |iro(lii('tioii,H of I'iiiropo and the \V(»st Indies eould he stored 
 n'ady tor shipment to C'anada; and where, in like manner, the 
 pntdnetions of C'anada nii;jlit hi' eojiected for transhipment to 
 all parts of the woild. No litter place; for this purpose eoiild 
 he found tlian the island of (*ape Breton, whieli, hesidrs, <>ould 
 fio'iiish <'odfish, oils, eoal, plaister. and (imher, of its own pro- 
 duction. 
 
 '). The smaller class of Canadian vessels employed m the 
 fisheries of the (inlf could then store their ciir^'oes in Capo 
 Ih'eton ready for reshlpment to Kiu'ope and the \Vest Indies, 
 tlierehy avoiding the risk of a voyage up and down the St. 
 Lawrenec, and saviny; at the same time a <^reat and uniu!- 
 eessary exjicnse. 
 
 (). AVine, hrandy, linens, silks, and other Freneh products, 
 eoidd he more easily supplied to l''n;;lish vess(ds at Cape 
 Ih'cton than at (^uehee, for transmission to the liritish North 
 American provinces and the West India islands, which would 
 hriiiji" a y;rcat deal of hard money into the coffers of the French 
 inoi'chants. 
 
 7. The Avhale fishery, in the (Julf of St. Lawrence and on 
 the coast of Lahrador, could be prosecuted with more ad- 
 vantajjje from ports in Cape Breton than from (^lu-hee, and 
 ships even could he huilt there at a less cost than in Franco. 
 
 Lastly, that a fortified harbour in Cape Jireton avouKI 
 afford a safe refuge for vessels chased by an enemy, driven in 
 by storms, o/ in want of i)rovisions. In time of war it would 
 form a suitable rend'^zvons for cruisers and privateers; and 
 Franco might monopoasc the cod fishery on the coasts of 
 Acadie by means of a few small frigates always ready to sally 
 out and drive off foreign fishermen. 
 
 For these, and many other reasons which I have not space 
 to rcconnt, the French Government wonld undoubtedly have 
 adoi)ted the project of the Messieurs Kaudot, when it was 
 proposed, in 1708, if France had not then been engaged in 
 a war with Great Britain which wholly engrossed her atten- 
 
14G CAPE BRETON. 
 
 tion, and left her little leisure to think of her distant posses- 
 sions in America. When, however, she was dej)rived of all 
 her colonies on the Atlantic seaboard, except Cape Breton, hy 
 the Treaty of Utrecht, the realisation of their project became 
 not only expedient, but absolutely indispensable, for the secu- 
 rity of Canada and the islands in the Gulf of St. Lawrence 
 
 As Plaisance, accord! njji,' to the treaty, was to be given up 
 immediately, I\I. de Costabelle, the Governor, lost no time in 
 sending off the garrison and inliabitants to Cape ]5reton, so 
 that the hitter niiirht not lose their summer's fishing. Some 
 of the peoj)le objected to leaving Plaisance, and Avould will- 
 ingly have remained under English domination, but Costa- 
 belle lu'ged all to go, except certain idlers and vagabonds, 
 whom he discreetly left as a legacy to his successors. In the 
 first instance, the garrison and inhabitants were sent to Havre 
 a I'Anglois (Louisbourg), which was known to be favourably 
 situated for carrying on the fishery. In the course of the 
 summer, about 180 persons, chiefly fishermen and their 
 families, arrived from Plaisance and the Isle of St. Pierre. 
 Some of these settled at Baleine, Scatari, and the out 
 harbours, but the majority took up their abode at Havre 
 a I'Anglois. All Avere supplied with provisions by the French 
 Government for some time after their arrival. 
 
 As Costabelle could not leave Plaisance until the EnoUsh 
 Governor arrived to take charge of the fort and miiiiitions of 
 war, which Avere to be delivered up according to the treaty, 
 he despatched Major I'Hermitc, an engineer officer, and M. de 
 St. Ovide, a commander in the Koyal Navy, to Cape Breton, 
 to examine and report upon the capabilities of the harbours on 
 the Atlantic coast, for the purpose of selecting the one best 
 adapted for a great naval station. About the same time, 
 an officer was sent to Nova Scotia to request the missionaries 
 to use their influence in persuading the Acadians and-Indians 
 of that province to remove to Cape Breton. 
 
 It was well known that the Baie des Espagnols (Sydney) 
 was the best harbour in the island, and most easy of access, 
 being resorted to by navigators seeking shelter in stormy 
 weather ; but the entrance was so wide that it could not be 
 
DATE DES ESPAGNOLS INCAPABLE OF BEING FORTIFIED. 147 
 
 fortified against an onciny with tlie artillery tlien in use. The 
 otlier harbours on tlie eastern coast, having sufficient dej)tli of 
 water to achnit large vessels, were St. Anne's and Havre 
 a I'Anglois, both with narroAv entrances cajjable of being 
 clfootually closed by suital)lo batteries against an enemy's 
 •ships. 
 
 In favour of the former it was said that a single fort would 
 oonipletely command the entrance, and that the spacious har- 
 I (»ur inside, l)cing surrounded with lofty rugged hills of great 
 lioigiit, the position cotdd not be turned by a land attack. 
 Also that, independently of the fine fisheries in the bay, St. 
 Anno's Avas situated at no groat distance from Miganiche, the 
 two entrances of the Labrador Lakes, and the l»aie des 
 Espagnols, all noted fishing stations. Within the harbour 
 there was an extensive gi'avel l>each for drying fish, Avhilst 
 wood of the best description could be obtained close to the 
 shore. 
 
 Very little seems to have been said at that time in favour 
 of Havre a I'Anglois. It was admitted to be a good harbour, 
 capable of being fortified at great expense; but (luyon, a 
 ])ilot of some reputation, averred that there were only three 
 fathoms of Avater in the entrance.' 
 
 L'Hermitc and M. do St. Ovide having both reported in 
 favour of St. Anne's, the Viceroy of Canada and INI. do Cos- 
 tabelle, guided by their oinnion, wrote to the Miiiister of 
 INlarine recommending the ado])tion of their report. 
 
 Several years elapsed before the Government came to a 
 docisi(m, which gave the French officers who had removed to 
 Havre a I'Anglois an opportunity of making themselves better 
 aocpiainted with its advantages. M. dc Costabelle, who was 
 the first Governor of Cape IJreton, and resided some years at 
 Havre a I'Anglois, must soon have seen how many advantages 
 it possessed over St. Aiuie's, especially in its proximity to the 
 open ocean, its facility of access, its great depth of water, and 
 the fact of its being never entirely frozen up. Charlevoix, 
 
 ' This was a great mistake. According to the lato charts of tlui Naval Siir- 
 vcyirs there are ten fatlioms in the entrance of Louisboiirg Harbour. Init only 
 tlu'cc fathoms on the bar of St, Anno's. 
 
 I. 2 
 
148 
 
 CAPE RRETON. 
 
 writiiinj in 1744, says llio only objection to St. Anne's was tlio 
 (lifficnlty of cnterinjf the harbour, not being aware, apparently, 
 that it was frozen nj) four or five months every wint(!i', and for 
 that reason could never have been of any use as an entrepot ol' 
 foreign trade at that season. 
 
 AVhen the French (lovernnient decided in favour of Havre 
 a TAnglois, its name was changed to Louisbourg, in honour of 
 the king; and, to nsark the value set ui)on Ca})e l>reton, it 
 was called Isle Koyale, which it retained until its final con- 
 quest in 1758, Avhen its ancient name was resumed. To avoid 
 confusion I shall adhere to its old name, a name so dear and 
 familiar to you all. The names of some other places Avere 
 changed about the same time ; foi" instance, St. Peter's and St. 
 Anne's were called Port Toulouse and Port Dauphin, both of 
 which have been long for<Totten. 
 
 Several of the officers who came from Plaisancc to Louis- 
 bourg apj)lied for grants of land in Cajjc Ijreton. One of 
 these was M. de le lionde Denys, grandson of that Nicholas 
 Dcnys 1 have so often mentioned, avIio at one time had a grant 
 of the whole island. Le lionde Denys addressed a long letter 
 to the minister, giving a description of the i)rincipal harbours 
 in Cape lireton. He spoke very liighly of St. Anne's, where, 
 he says, his late grandfather had a fort of Avhich the vestigi 
 could then be seen (1713), and several fields under cultlvati. ii, 
 which produced ' the finest grain in the world.' lie ^hen 
 a[)plies for a grant on the ri\ er jSIoulacady, which, he says, is 
 the first river you meet on the right hand in going up Lake 
 Choulacady, on which he jn'oposos to settle a number of people 
 from Canada and Acadie. He then informs the minister that 
 he Avas well acquainted with New England, not nearly so 
 valuable a country as Cape l>reton, vvliich is making great 
 progress, and where more than 1,500 vessels are built yearly; 
 and adds, that many things might be seen there which might 
 ])e followed with great advantage in Cape Preton.' Le 
 lionde Denys was the officer sent to Boston in the spring of 
 
 ' Quoted in MurtlDch's Hhtortf of Nova Scoiia, from Froneli manuscripts 
 coUcL'ted by the Commission appointed to examine tlio archives of Nova Scotia in 
 1S44. 
 
ROUVILLE APPLIES FOR A GRANT OP NIOANICHE. 149 
 
 1711 l)v Costabelle, at the siij^njcstlon of the French minister 
 ]N»iit('hiU'train, to endeavour to persuade the people of Boston 
 to refuse supplies to the e::|)editi(tn expected from Enghmd 
 under Sir Ilovendcn Walker, for the conquest of Canada, when 
 lie prol)al)ly became acquainted with the flourishing state of 
 tiso Knglish colonies.' 
 
 i\[. de llouville, captain of infantry, a brother of ITertel 
 de Ivouville, who led the savages in the attack on Haverhill in 
 17()S, a])plied to the minister for a grant of Xiganiche, but 
 M ithout success. lie probably obtained a grant at St. Anne's, 
 as the northern arm of that harbour was long known by the 
 name of Kouville's River. There is every reason to believe 
 ihiii M. de la lioulardrie, an officer of the navy, who greatly 
 distinguished himself in the defence of Port Koyal in 1708, 
 and who came over from Plaisance to Havre a I'Anglois with 
 part of tlie garrison, obtained at this time (1713) a grant of 
 the rich and beautiful island lying between the two entrances 
 ()(' the Labrador, which still bears his name. 
 
 The principal officers of the Government at Plaisance had 
 ap])arently enjoyed the privilege of employing a certain num- 
 ber of boats in the fishery; for we learn by a report addressed 
 by Costabelle to the minister in the following year, that th.ei'c 
 was not sufficient room for the officers' boats on the beach at 
 Lonisbourg, and that they woidd have to look out for suitable 
 places on the northern coast. If Ave may jiulge from the 
 names of certain places marked on Charlev^oix's map, Costa- 
 belle, Soubras, and Beaucourt had fishing stations on the 
 shores of St. Anne's Bay. 
 
 When i\[. de St. Ovide de Brouillan was appointed Gover- 
 nor of Louisbourff in 1714, he sent M. de la Ronde Denvs 
 and M. de Pensens with letters to General Nicholson, asking 
 him to allow such of the French inhabitants as desired, to 
 remove to Cape Breton. This was readily granted ; but very 
 few of the Acadians accepted his invitation, as they had been 
 allowed, ever since the fall of Port Royal, to exercise their 
 religion and to enjoy their lands and tenements without 
 
 ' Co.stalx'lle's lottcr, July 23, 1711, to Pontelifirtrain ; intorccptod by ono of 
 Admiral Waikor's cruisers whilsL tiie Hcut was at Baiu dcs Kspagnols. 
 
150 CAl'E BRETON. 
 
 molestation. The A 1)1)6 IVi'vost allows ' tiiat they had been 
 Avell used by the English j;(>venu)rs.' They saw no reason, 
 therefore, why they should abandon the fertile farms, wliicli 
 for gcveral generations had descended from father to son, 
 aeeording to the patriarohal custom of their forefathers, and 
 remove to a new country still covered Avith dense forests, 
 Avhich would have to be cleared with great labour and ex- 
 pense. It is true they had been re})eatedly called ujx.n by 
 Nicholson, the (iovernor of Annapolis, to take the outh of 
 allegiance to the (^ucen of England, but they had alw.ays 
 rei'used, and the matter had been allowed to drop, becnuse it 
 was snj)posed that if such a number of })crsons were driven out 
 of the province, they woukl remove to Ca})e Breton, and 
 strengthen the power of France in that quarter. 
 
 The fishermen, however, Avho had no fixed stake in the coun- 
 try, and could easily transfer their boats and fishing gear from 
 one place to another, went in consideral)lc numbers to Ca})e 
 Breton, but did not meet the f\ivourable reception they had 
 been led to expect. No provision was made by the governor 
 for supi)lying their wants, and, being in a destitute condition, 
 they w'cre completely at the mercy of the merchants and 
 traders, who charged such exorbitant prices for supplies of all 
 kinds that many were absolutely ruined. Most of the fisher- 
 men settled in the small harbours near Louisbourg, but small 
 l)arties found their way to more distant places along the coast, 
 wherever safe and sheltered inlets invited them to erect their 
 huts and stages. 
 
 The Indians, accustomed to roam at their pleasure over an 
 extensive country, refused to remove to a small island, where, 
 they alleged, thei-e were already as many of their tribe as couid 
 make a living upon the products of the chase. They acted 
 wisely in coming to this decision, if it be true ' that in a popu- 
 lation which lives by the produce of the chase, each hunter 
 re(|uires on an average seventy-eight square miles for his 
 support.'' Nevertheless, both the Acadians and the Indians 
 assured M. de St. Ovide that they would continue faithfid and 
 true to the King of France. The former added, that if any 
 
 ' Schook'i'iift's HUli'n/ of' ihc AiacrUxui IndkiHs. 
 
COL. PHILLIPS FOKBIDS COMMERCE WITH CAPE BRETON. 151 
 
 attempts were inade to interfere witli Ihc free exercise of their 
 nli'Mon, or to coinjiel tliem by iiarsh lueasures to take an oatli 
 of iillegiance to tlie British (^ucen, rather than submit tiiey 
 would abandon all their i)ossessions and fly to Cape Breton. 
 
 When Colonel Phillips was appointed Governor of Nova 
 Scotia in 1720, he was j^reatly surprised to learn, on his arrival 
 in the [)rovince, that the inhabitants lived as if they were still 
 subjects of France, that they were furnished Avith priests from 
 Louisbourg, and kept up a regular connnunication with their 
 countrymen in Cape Breton. Phillips immediately issued a 
 proclamation forbidding all connnercc with Cape Breton, and 
 calling upon all the inhabitants to come forward and take the 
 oath of allegiance within four months from its date, ])romlsing to 
 all that complied the free exercise of their religion, the security 
 of their possessions, and the enjoyment of all their civil rights. 
 
 In this emergency, the Acadians sent Father Durand to 
 Louisbonrg to seek the advice of j\I. de St. Ovide, Avho strongly 
 advised them to refuse to take the oath, ho[)ing that, if the 
 English governor persisted in forcing it upon them, many would 
 t.ake refuge in Cape Breton and St. John's Islands, where an 
 industrious agricultural poj)ulation was much needed. The 
 settlement of New Orleans in 1717 had, from its superior at- 
 tractions, drawn off a number of persons Avho had made pre- 
 j)arations to go to Cape Breton from France, and even some of 
 the ])eople of that island had removed to St. John's (Prince 
 Edward's) Island, Avhere a French Com])any were about to 
 establish a colony under the auspices of the Count de St. Pierre, 
 first eqnerry of the Duchess of Orleans. It Avas exi)ected that 
 this fertile island, if brought into cultivation, would, from its 
 proximity to Cape Breton, soon be able to supi)ly Louisbouro- 
 Avith the proAnsions Avhich had noAV to be brought from distant 
 countries. Setting aside all political considerations, the acqui- 
 sition of a large body of immigrants from Xova Scotia Avould 
 be of great importance, both in Cape Breton and St. John's 
 Islands. We need not therefore be surprised that M. de 
 St. Ovide strongly urged the Acadians to refuse to take the 
 oath of allegiance. 
 
 Without Avaiting for the return of their messenger from Louis- 
 
162 CAl'E UllKTON. 
 
 bourg, the Aoiuliaiu} sent d('i)iitios to Governor Phillips to In- 
 foini lilni that as soon as they could (lisj)osc of their lands they 
 would remove either to Canada or Cai)C Breton; that they 
 considered their re>iden('e in the j)rovlnce quite as beneficial to 
 the Knjxiish as to themselves ; and that, without their control, 
 Avheu the missionaries Avere withdrawn the savaj^es would not 
 allow the Eny;li.sh to live In peace, and most likely would raise 
 an Insurrection of all the tribes from Canceau to the Keiniebec. 
 In this dilemma rhillips went to England to lay the case before 
 the ^Ministry, nlicn it was decided to allow the matter to re- 
 main in abeyance til a more favourable op})ortunity. Thus 
 the threatened storm was for a time averted, only to break out 
 with redoubled fury at a future ])eriod. 
 
 Nothing worthy of record occurred at Loulsbourg for some 
 years after its foundation, unli! the year M'2(), when the fortifi- 
 cations were connnenced. From this time the population 
 began to increase ra[)Idly, by the arrival of a large body of 
 ofhcers, mechanics, and labourers cn<>a<>;ed in the construction 
 of the works, and by traders and others employed in the 
 su[»ply of provisions and other necessaries. The people of 
 Kew England were not long in discovering the valuable 
 market which Louisbourg offered for their surplus produce, 
 although trade with the French colonies was strictly forbidden 
 by the Treaty of Neutrality concluded at London on November 
 IG, 1G86. The French autlun-Itles at Louisbourg winked at, 
 and probably encouraged, a business Avhich administered to 
 the Avants of the peoi)le, and furnished a ready and profitable 
 market for articles imported from France. But Shute, the 
 Governor of Massachusetts, took a difTcrent view of the matter. 
 In his speech at the opening of the Legislature, on March 5, 
 1721, he recommended, as you Avill observe by the following 
 extract, that an Act shoxdd be passed prohibiting all Trade 
 Avith Cape Breton : ' At the last Sessions there Avas a Bill 
 drawn to prevent any trading Avith the French at Cape Breton, 
 conformable to the Treaty of Neutrality stipulated betAveen the 
 tAVO CroAvns of England and France ; but since it had not then 
 the assent of the Avholc General Assembly, I must again 
 recommeml it, hoping it Avill have a better fate this Sessions, 
 
BILL TO PREVENT TRADING WITH CAPE BRETON. 153 
 
 lest it should otherwise l)e th(uight by the Government at 
 home, that we have more regard to isome private persons' 
 interests than to Ilis Majesty's Treaties or the i)ublic good.' 
 
 It may be inferred, from the (lovernor's allusion to 'private 
 interests,' that some of the lejiishitors themselves had been 
 concerned in the trade with (Ja[)e lireton, esi)eeially as in their 
 curt reply they ■were so ready to deny all knowled<^c of any 
 such traffic: 'The reason why the liill to prevent any tradlnj^ 
 witli the French at Cape Breton did not pass tlie House last 
 Sessions, was not out of regard to any private persons' interests ; 
 for as we then did not, neither do we now know, or are we 
 inl'ormed of any within this Government that do trade there; 
 and we humbly presume, should an Act be now made for that 
 purpose, it could add no strength or power to the Treaty of 
 Jseutrality mentioned by your Excellency, to which we would 
 ever have a due deference ; and if any do trade there, and it is 
 contrary to any Act of Parliament, those gentlemen commis- 
 sioned from home to inspect these matters, doubtless have and 
 Avill discliai'gc their duty in that affair.' 
 
 It is not likely the Governor would have brought this 
 matter before the Assembly, unless he was in possession of 
 sufficient information to justify his doing so, or that the House 
 should have refused to comply with his request in such dis- 
 courteous terms, if some of the members had not in some way 
 or other been interested in the traffic. 
 
 Leaving the French busily occupied in the construction of 
 the fortress of Louisbourg, I propose in my next letter to 
 give you a slight sketch of the princii)al incidents of the Indian 
 AYar, which broke out in 1720, and raged for more than five 
 years on the coasts and frontiers of the British provinces.' 
 
 ' I have already meiitioiu'd in the foot-notes some of the authorities consulted 
 in preparing the proeedinj:; letter. In addition to llioso, I may refer you to 
 Charlevoix's History of New Francr, Garneau's History of Canadii, Douglas's 
 Sh miliar I/, Prevost's Histoirc genindc dcs Voyages, and Memoirs of the French and 
 English Boundary Commissioners of 1755. 
 
l'>t CAPK IIRETON. 
 
 li-:tthii X. 
 
 1720-1727. 
 
 As I ruorosK to o-ivo you in this letter a sketch of the 
 leading incidents of the Indian War, from 1720 to 1725, it will 
 be as well to preface it with a sliort account of the manners 
 and customs of tlie aborigines of Nova Scotia and Cajjc 
 Breton, comi)iled from the observations of writers who Averc 
 well acquainted with them at tluit period. The natives of 
 America, as you are aware, were called Indians, because it 
 was supposed, when the continent w^as first discovered, that it 
 was connected Avith tlic East Indies ; this mistake was soon 
 rectified, but nevertheless, the name then applied to them has 
 been continued down to the present dity. Bands of these 
 l)eo[)le were found by the early voyagers in every harbour 
 they visited. They all evidently had a common origin, their 
 manners and customs Avere similar, their physical organisation 
 identical. We are told by Bancroft that ' one primitive lan- 
 guage, Avhich the French called the Algonquin, greeted the 
 colonists of Raleigh at Eoanoke and the pilgrims at Plymouth. 
 It Avas heard from the Bay of Gaspe to the valley of the Des 
 Moins ; from Cape Fear to the land of the Esquimaux.' 
 TavcIvc distinct tribes occupied the coast betAveen Virginia and 
 Gaspe. That called the Micmacs, Avith Avhich Ave are chiefly 
 concerned, had sole possession of Nova Scotia, the islands of 
 Cape Breton and St. John, and the eastern coast of Ncav 
 BrunsAA'ick. This tribe, according to Bancroft, did not exceed 
 3,000. But this must be a mistake, for you Avill recollect that 
 Avhen Poutrincourt Avas at Port Royal in 1606, 400 Micmac 
 Avarriors rendezvoused there on their Avay to attack a distant 
 hostile tribe called the Armouchiquois. Noav if one half of the 
 
CHAKACTKKISTICS OF TllK MICMAC TUIIJK. \'ui 
 
 tril)e were feiu!il('s,iin(l every fil'tli inulo a warrior, there eouKl not 
 have been more than .'{()() at I'ort Koyal, even .snpposin^ every 
 man eapahlo of bearinf? arms hi the whoh' of Nova Scotia aixi 
 C'a|)0 JJreton was j)re.sent, whieh was not very likely. IJesides, 
 il' it be true, as f^oncrally believed, that the Indian raee has 
 been «5radually decreasing. Cape IJreton alouc, whi(!h consti- 
 tutes scarcely a seventh part of the country occupied by the 
 Miemacs, must have contained a i)()i)ulation of !,.>()() Indians 
 at the b('<i;innin<^ of the lust century ; for according- to the 
 cerisus taken by the Surveyor-CJeneral of Nova Scotia in IHoO, 
 there were then GOO hidians in the island. 
 
 The American Indians have been so often described by abler 
 ])cns than mine, that it is not necessary to go into nuieh detail. 
 I shall therefore merely point out some of the most prominent 
 characteristics of the Miemac tribe, derived chiefly from the 
 observations of a French writer, M. Diereville,' who visited 
 Port Koyal in the year 1700, as agent of a comi)any of mer- 
 chants of Kouen. Diereville spent a year at I'ort lioyal, and 
 frequently accompanied the Indians in their hunting expedi- 
 tious, for the purpose of making himself acouainted with their 
 habits, and for collecting specimens of the natural productions 
 of the country. One hundred years of intercourse with civi- 
 lised men had no doubt in some degree modified their original 
 habits, but apparently to a small extent; for on comparing 
 Lescarbots account, written in 1607, with Dieveville's in 1700, 
 very slight variations are observable. I com})ile my sketch 
 from the latter account, because it was founded upon observa- 
 tions almost contemporary with the events I shall soon have to 
 relate. 
 
 The chase, in Diercville's time, Avas still their chief occupa- 
 tion and means of subsistence. Game of all kinds peculiar to 
 the country was abundant. Moose, cariboo, and wild fowl 
 furnished them with food ; beaver, martens, otters, lynxes, &c., 
 with valuable furs for clothing as well as for trading with the 
 French. When out upon an expedition they would sometimes 
 live for several days without food ; but when they succeeded 
 
 ' Relation du Voyayc du ' Pofi-Iiot/ul,' Ik I'Acadic ou dc la Nouvillt-Frain:c, 
 1710. 
 
l'"t() CAl-K llltKTOX. 
 
 in killing,' ii doer, tlicy iite it in Ji iin»st nivonons nmnnor, Ik)IiIii^ 
 the flesh without (•he^vill^,^ iind wnshinj; it down witli ('()|m»us 
 (h'iui^hls (»r wutcr. IJcavcr were found in every streiini, and 
 |ii'oved 11 source of'<j;reut profit to the iuiiiters. Much skill and 
 cunning were required to cai)tui'o the heaver; its senses of" 
 hearin«^ and snu'llin^; were so acute that it was iin|)ossi))lo 
 nhnost to shoot it. The Indians themselves possessed u fine 
 Bense of snu'llin<^; they could scent a hear at a <^reat distance. 
 With the firearms f'ni-nished hv the French they seldom failed 
 to j)roeure not only loud enough for themselves, hut also veni- 
 son and game for the garrison of I'ort Koyal. The man who 
 excelled in the chase was raised to a position of high raidc "n 
 his trihe, and was chosen captain or chief of a hundred warriors, 
 by whom he wus respected and oheyed, both in peace and war. 
 A young man had little chance of obtaining a wife until he 
 had proved himself to be a good hunter. If he fell In love 
 with a girl, he upi>lied to her father and mother, who at once 
 gave their consent if he was known to be successful in the 
 cliasc. If there was any doubt on this i)oint, he was required 
 to give practical ju'oof of his skill, by feeding the whole family 
 of his future father-in-law Avith game killed by himself, fur some 
 fixed period. 
 
 The marriage ceremony was very simple. The father and 
 mother of the girl [)resented her to her lover, merely saying, 
 ' This man is thy husband.' The young couple then went into 
 the woods to spend the honey-moon and to hunt together. 
 The game which they killed was brought to the wigwam of 
 the bride's father, where a feast was prepared, to which all the 
 Indians in the vicinity were invited. Here !ie exploits of the 
 ancestors of the bride and bridegroom, their courage and cun- 
 ning, and all they had done for the tribe, Averc related to the 
 company by the bride's father ; the guests then applauded his 
 eloquence Avith shouts and yells, and the marriage Avas declared 
 to be consummated. 
 
 An infant, innncdiatcly after its birth, was dipped in the 
 coldest water that could bo procured, even in mid-Avinter, to 
 harden it, and fish-oil, or the melted fat of some animal, Avas 
 poured down its throat before it was alloAved to taste its natural 
 aliment. 
 
CIIAIIACTKIIIHTICS Ol' TIIIO MK.MAC TUIIli;. lo7 
 
 Feasts were {^Ivcii on the rnllowin;^ oecasioiiH: — 1. On tlie 
 liiitli of ji hoy. 2. Oil eiitlin;^^ lii?i lirst toutli. .'}. When he 
 li('o;aii to wullv ; 1111(1 histly, when he kiMed his lirM oiiiiie. At 
 the hist, the yoiin^- hunter iind hi:> parents did not partake of 
 the jfauie. l-'eastin^- wjis (piile an •institution' ainon^^sL the 
 Mieinaes. 'I'he women pi'i'j);ii'ed the I'ood, hut wi re not alloweil 
 to eat witli their hiisliands. A stewed ' do<!; ' was eonsi(h'it'(| 
 oiii' ol' tlie (hmtiest dishes that could he placed hel'ore a chier. 
 A least was a scene or<:;reat inerriineiit ; there was nineh noise 
 and laii^htei*; hiil, to remind the i)arty of more serious duties 
 in the midst of their enjoyment, an old wt»man would suddenly 
 rise and recite the story of her misCortiines, tellini,^ tliem how, 
 some twenty or thirty years hcl'orc, her ehihlren had heen 
 killed hy the lCni;lish, for the; purjiose of keeping; alive and 
 inciting their animosity against our countrymen, ^^'hen the 
 feastino- was over, the youiii;; nu^n retired to a distancre to danee 
 and sinjjj, whilst those who felt disposed inii;lit rest undisttirhed 
 in their wigwams. Their dances were of the most ahsnrd 
 description, consisting chiefly of contortions of the body and 
 extravagant grimaces, accom[)anied hy no other music than 
 heating a hollow tree with a short stick. 
 
 Whilst Diereville wiis at Port lloyal a celebrated chief, 
 culled Sagaino, who had been ennobled by Henry IV. for his 
 services in the wars witii the iMiglish, came thither with twenty 
 or thirty of his followers, and was regaled by the governor with 
 [lipes, tobacco, and brandy. One man filled a pipe and handed 
 it to the chief, who took a few [luffs and then jiassed it round 
 to all his men. Brandy was then handed round. This, he 
 says, was merely a prelude, as they Avere afterwards sup})lied 
 v/ith peas, prunes, and flour, which they stewed together in a 
 kettle of sea-Avater. They ate pork uncooked, tearing it to 
 pieces Avitli their fingers, the chief having first selecteil the best 
 ]>arts for himself. He adds, ' It is fortunate when they can 
 get nothing but water to drink, for Avhen they can get brandy 
 they make beasts of themselves : they behave as in a frenzy.'* 
 
 ' The Micmacs liiivc never been churgod with cannibulism, but boj'ond all doubt 
 it was not uncommon among isomc of tlio Canadian tribos. "WIiou Admiral 
 Walkor'.s fleet was at uiu'hor in Spanish River, a letter from Costabelle, tiic 
 
158 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 The Indians were always distinguished for their hospitality. 
 They relieved one another in cases of necessity, and shared 
 their food with all who required it. When suffering from the 
 keenest hunger, one that had the good fortune to kill an 
 animal would not eat of it alone, hut carry it to his cabin and 
 divide it equally among his family and friends. When one 
 Indian visited another, food was always given to the visitor 
 before uny questions were asked concerning his coming. An 
 old Indian gave Diercville the following reason for this cus- 
 torn : ' If I asked for what I wanted at first, I should have to 
 go when I had got an answer, whereas, if I said nothing about 
 it at first, I should at any rate get something to eat, if nothing 
 else.' Notwithstanding their irregular mode of life they often 
 lived to a j^reat age. Old men were treated with the greatest 
 veneration and respect. Their advice was always sought 
 befi)re starting u})on warlike expeditions, and if an old and 
 helpless man was left childless, some young man of the tribe 
 was chosen to supply the i)lace of a son. 
 
 When the French first settled at Port Koyal the Indians 
 worshipped the Sun as tlieir (iod, which they called ' Nichak- 
 aminon,' meaning ' very great.' They acknowledged him as 
 their maker. They also believed in a demon called ' Moiulon,' 
 wht.m they endeavoured to propitiate by praying to him to 
 protect them from evil. The Jesuit missionaries succeeded 
 * in showing them the folly of these things,' but, more than one 
 hundred years after their conversion to Christianity, many ol' 
 their old superstiti(ms had not been eradicated. Even now some 
 of these remain. They will allow a dying person to breathe 
 liis last only upon a bed or mattress of spruce bouglis, as- 
 serting that an Indian can only die upcm the kind of bed he 
 has been used to all his life. 
 
 Although fierce and implacable in war, and ins})ired with 
 
 Oovomor of Pliusunco, to Poiitcliartriiiii, the Minister at Pariw, datod July 'Jl, 
 1711, was <lisi'()Vir<>(l t»n lioard 11 jwize bnniglif by h cruisiT into Spanish Kivcr, in 
 wliich ('ostiil)t'll<' says, in n-fcronpc to tiie (xiicctoil attack onQuelir^-: — • ]?il\)ri' 
 the arrival of Kuuvilh' [at (iuclici'] lliey liad <li'siiatcluMl ni('r(> offiivrs and jm 1 plo 
 tliat knew all tlio savages of this continent, to incite them to defiiid uid take larl 
 >f a fVasI which they would niakc of Knglish Kicsh at (^ueliee, in ease th>y (tlie 
 Kuylish) w(iro so incensed as to make s.> fatal an enterprise as is rej>or(ed.' 
 
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MICMAC TRIBE. 159 
 
 the most vindictive feelings against their enemies, they were 
 endowed with many gentle and amiable qualities, Avhich might 
 have been turned to good purposes if the Jesuit missionaries 
 ha'^ confined their instruction to religious matters only ; but 
 these had other objects in view. Pychon says in his ' i»Ie- 
 moirs of Ca])e IJreton,' * It should be our business to appoint 
 such missionaries for the savages subje(!t to our dominion, as 
 are incapable of separating the interest of religion from that 
 of the Prince ; by which means they would more surely de- 
 prive the enemy of all possibility of drawing them astray.' 
 
 Th.e French soon discovered the best means of securing the 
 Indians to their interests.' They indulged their humour and 
 inclination ; force was never used, but, on the contrary, mild 
 and reasonable persuasion, which they had discovered would 
 prevail where harsher measures had faded. AVherever a new 
 post was established, they associated with the Indians on 
 terms of the greatest intimacy ; they accompanied them on 
 their hunting expeditions ; danced and sang with them at 
 tlieir feasts ; and in frequent instances intermarried with 
 them. By such means the Indian tribes, from the confines of 
 New England to the eastern extremity of Cape Breton, had 
 been completely won over by the French ; whilst at the same 
 time they had been inspired with such an inveterate hatred 
 of the English, that whenever they Avere called upon, the 
 Indians promptly obeyed the summons of their allies. I can- 
 not give you a stnmger instance of French influence than the 
 reply of an Abenaquis Chief to Governor Dudley of Massa- 
 chusetts, when the latter proposed to live at peace and amity 
 with them. ' It is well that the kings should be at peace ; I 
 
 ' 'No other Europpiins Imvc over disjiliijcd equal talriitM for eotioiliating 
 savages, or, it niusr, be aildcil, fur appruxiiii.itiii^' to tlioir usaiTs and modes of 
 )it'i'. The I'Vt'iu'h tradiTs ami Iniiiltrs iutcniiarrii'd ami luixr.l with the Indians 
 iif the baok of our settlements, and extended their scattcrpil posts alonp the whole 
 coiirwe of the two vast rivers of that eontimnt. Kven at tliis dav. far away on the 
 upper wafers of these mighty streams, and beyond the utmost limits reaehed by 
 the baekwoodsmen, tho traveller diseovers vilhiges in whieh the usj)cet and social 
 usages of tho people, thoir festivities and solemnitiis, in which the white and tlio 
 rod man nungle on equal tt'rms, stran^iciy contrast witii the habits of the An^flo- 
 A ieans, and announce to him, on his first approach, their (lallic origin.' I'ro- 
 fessor Merirale's lA'chtrat oil Colonirs (iiul Ci>lo)ii:iifi(»i. IHdl. 
 
160 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 am contented that it should be so, and have no longer any 
 difficulty in making peace with you. I Avas not the one who 
 struck you during the last twelve years : it was the French- 
 man who used my ai'm to strike you. We were at peace, it is 
 true. I had even thrown away my hatchet, 1 know not Avhere, 
 and as I was reposing on my mat, thinking of nothing, the 
 young men brought a message which the (jrovernor of Canada 
 had sent, and by wliich he said to me, " jNIy son, the English- 
 man has struck me ; help me to avenge myself; take the 
 hatchet and strike the Englishman." 1, who have always 
 listened to the words of the French Governor, search for my 
 hatchet; I find it entirely rusted; I burnish it up; I place it 
 in my belt to go and strike. Now, the Frenchman tells me to 
 lay it down. I therefoi'c tln\)w it away from me, that no one 
 may longer see the bh)od with which it is reddened. Thus 
 let us live in peace. I consent to it.' 
 
 From this it is e%idcnt that the French Viceroy might, if so 
 disi)osed, have prevented many of the atrocities perpetrated 
 about this time upon the peaceful inhabitants of Mew Eng- 
 land ; but he seems to have i)ursued an entirely opposite 
 course, though Fi-ance and Enghuid were then at peace. 
 lie informed the Indians, who still continued hostile to the 
 English after the Treaty of Utrecht, that they were not men- 
 tioned in the treaty, from which they naturally inferred that 
 they were an independent people, and not subjects of Great 
 Britain. Their hostility to the Englisii was kejjt alive by the 
 Jesuit missionaries in tliC pay of France, ' who Avere continually 
 incitinjr them to act vigorous! v, and to drive all the English 
 beyond the Kennebec' ' Arms, ammunition, and clothing 
 were annually distributed amongst thnn for the samn purpose. 
 All through the winter of 1720 great agitation prevailed 
 amonn; the Indian tribes ; mischief was evidentlv brewinjr, but 
 no open acts of hostility were committed until the month of 
 August, when the Micmacs of Nova Scotia and Cape lireton, 
 who ' had the character of being more savage and cruel than 
 the other nations,''^ first broke the peace, although there is 
 
 ■' Ibid. 
 
THE INDIANS TAKE POSSESSION OF CANCEAU. 1()1 
 
 every reason to believe that it was done by a preconcerted 
 arrangement with tlie otlier tribes. 
 
 The harbour of Canceau, at the eastern extremity of Xova 
 Scotia, within siglit of the sliores of Cape Breton, had long 
 been used as a fishing station by the French. After the con- 
 quest of Acadie, the Xew England fiisl:ernien and traders 
 resorted thither in o;reat numbers durinnf the sinnmer season, 
 where they resided in temporai'y dwellings, which were mostly 
 unoccupied during the ^vinter. They had also large ware- 
 houses for the storage of their dry fish and merchandise; but, 
 haviufj; neither naval nor militarv T)rotcction, the teemin<>- ware- 
 houses offered a tem])ting prize to the Indians, as they could 
 l)c plundered with little ti'ouble »n' risk. On August 17, 1720, 
 a large band of Indians, collected from various quarters, with- 
 out the slightest warning burst at midnight into the little 
 village of huts occupied by the traders and fishermen. Un- 
 armed and incapable of nudging any resistance, the fishermen 
 fled in boats to their vessels at anchor in the harbour, leaving 
 tlie traders and their merchandise in the hands of the Indians. 
 Four Englishmen were killed, and the warehouses were jdun- 
 (Icrcd of fish and merchandise valued at 20,000/. currency. 
 The Indians kept possession of the i)lace until a number of 
 French fishinsj vessels arrived on the followin<£ nij>ht and 
 carried off the spoil. The Indians had not forgotten the 
 lesson tausiht them by the Canadian Viccrov ; thev considered 
 tlicmst'lves an indcjiendent peoj)le, telling the traders 'that 
 tlicy came to carry away what they could find upon their own 
 land." ' The terrified traders and fishermen niiulc no attempt 
 to rescue their i)roperty,' but 'a sloop happening to arrive 
 next day, the nmster offered his ser> s to go out and make 
 rcidisals; being furnished with a nun ber of men, and joiiu'd 
 hy two or three snudlcr vessels, lie took a counnission from 
 (me Thomas Iliohards, a Canceau tlusticc, went after the 
 French, and soon brought in six or seven small fishing vessels, 
 all having more or less of the English [)r(»perty on board.' '•* 
 Mr. Ilcnshaw, a Boston merchant, who happened to be at 
 
 ' lIiili'liinMiii''. ///.s//),y/ of Mii.f.-iicfiii.ir//,''. 
 - Ibi.l. 
 
 M 
 
162 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 Canceau at the time, went to Louisbouro- at the request of the 
 fisliermen, to complain to the Frencli governor ; but the latter 
 refused to intei'fere, on the ground that the Indians were not 
 French sid)jects. Five Frenchmen, who were taken prisoneis 
 by the captain of the sloop, were sent to Annapolis, when, 
 upon examination before the Ciovernor and Council, it came 
 out that they liad been sent by their emj)loyers, Avho resided 
 at Petit dc (J rat, to bring off the plunder. Whereupon 
 Governor Phillips sent Major Armstrong to Louisbourg with 
 a copy of the examination, and letters to jNI. de St. Ovide, 
 demanding restitution of the stolen proj)crty, and satisfaction 
 for the lives of the four Eniilishmen. St. Ovide informed 
 JNIajor Armstrong that he had sent M. de Pensens to Isle 
 Madame to recover the property, and seize any Frenchmen 
 who had been enijafjed in the affair : and also authorised 
 Major Armstrong himself to visit Petit de Grat for the same 
 jiurpose. jNI. de Penscns's mission proved unsuccessful, but 
 Major Armstrong recovered fish and merchandise belonging to 
 the Canceau traders, valued at l,')4Hl. \8s. 
 
 The Indians dispersed after effecting their object.' One 
 party, which had come all the way from ]Minas, robbed a trader 
 called Alden, on their return to that place, in the presence of 
 many of the inhabitants. 
 
 Canceau, owing to its proximity to Cape Breton, was so 
 much ex])osed to Indian attacks that Governor Phillips sent a 
 small detachment of soldiers to ])rote('t it. Xevertheless, on 
 July 14, 1721, ' Ca[)tain AVatkins, Avho was engaged on a 
 fishing voyage at Canceau, was surprised by a small body oi' 
 Indians in the night Avhile a-bed. His lodging was on an 
 island (Durell's Island) a little distance from the fort; and 
 although he was strongly hnportuned by several of his friends 
 
 ' Tlio Indians pave out that tlip attack on Canopau was made Ipy way of roprisal 
 for tlu' st'izurc of two l-'rcnch sliijis at tliat jilaeu liy Captain Smai'l, of II. M.S. 
 '.StjniiTp!.' on Scptemlior 18. 1718. Captain Smart, it appears, was sent by (Tovcriior 
 Shiite, of Boston, to complain of tiu' ill('(j;al (i-^liiiip: of I'n iicli sulijicts witiiin tlin 
 Enplisli limits, lint obtaininp; no salisfaetion from M. do St. Ovide, ho seizi-d two 
 French vessels tishinjj at Camean Island on iiis i-etnrii. M. JUibois, the Frcncii 
 Minister, remonstrated ajifainst this seizure, but Captain .Smart's conduct wa- 
 approved by the IJritisb Gi)vernnient.— /Av/./v/ Offii'f. 
 
THE INDIANS ATTACK ANNAPOLIS. 1 60 
 
 in stay Avitli them that night, as if tlicy had secret impulse of 
 sonic impciuling evil, yet all the arguments they could use 
 could no ways ]»revail or influence him. He was a gentleman 
 of singular good temper, respected and lamented by all that 
 knew him. .fohn Drew of INu'tsmouth (a pretty youth) Avas 
 slain with him at the same time.' ' 
 
 In the sununer of 1722, the Indians cajjtured sixteen vessels 
 hclonging to Massachusetts, on the southern coast of Nova 
 Scotia. Nine of the fishermen were deliberately nun'dered in 
 cold blood; all the rest were carried off prisoners to JNIalagash 
 (Lunenburg). The news of this outrage caused great alarm 
 at Cancoau. (lovcruor Phillips, Avho fortunately ha[)pened to 
 1)0 there at the time, immediately des])atched two vessels 
 manned with volunteers, under the connnand of John Elliot 
 and John liobinson, in pursuit of the Indians. Proceeding 
 along the coast, Elliot discovered seven of the cajiturcd vessels 
 in a small harbour, and coming upon them by surprise, retook 
 the whole and killed a great nundjcr of the Indians. Kobinson 
 also retook two of the ca})tured vessels and killed several 
 Indians. Those which escaped fled to Malagash, where a 
 number of the flsl'.ermen were kept in close confinement. The 
 Indians, exasperated at the loss of so many of their conipanions, 
 More just on the point of putting the prisoners to death, when 
 Captain Blinn, who !iad once been a ))risoner in their hands, 
 and for some cause or other had gained their friendshi]), arrived 
 ill a small vessel at Malagash, and ransomed the fishermen.^ 
 
 In 1724, a band of sixty Indians had the audacity to attack 
 Anna|)olis, when two soldiers were killed and four others dan- 
 gerously wounded. In the same year an Acadian vessel, which 
 had been seized by the Commandant of Canceau for illicitly 
 carrvinji; a carjjo of cattle from IJav Verte to Louisbourn;, was 
 hoarded by a party of Indians whilst lying at anchor in the nitiht, 
 in the (Jut of Canceau, when the whole of the prize crew, con- 
 sisting of a sergeant and eighi soldiers, were either killed or 
 made prisoners. The (.Tovernor of Nova Scotia, having reason 
 to helievc that the Indians were instigated to commit these out- 
 
 ' Pcnhi'.llov's ;/.V,<r,y f/C//' /)>f//(/» IVnrs. IS.)!). 
 ' Iluti'liiiiwo:!''' iUsUtri/ (if Miisyai'hiisdtx. 
 
 M •-' 
 
^C)\ c'APK nr.ETOx. 
 
 rages, and sup])lio(l with ariiis and ainninnilion l>v the Frencli, 
 pent Ca])tnin IJradstrect and Mr. Xewton to LouishonrL^ in the 
 niontli of August, 1725, to remonstrate Avith i\[. de St. Ovide 
 on these and other outrai^es. The depntation, on its return, 
 reported that St. Ovide denied all knowledo'e of the ontrao-es 
 eomplained of, and ])rofessed to he very friendly to the English ; 
 but the Council, notuithstandino", ressdved ' that St. Ovide's 
 reply was triHing, his promises of friendship not to he depended 
 u[)on, and that no credit should be given to his pretended 
 ignorance, there being too much proof to the ccmtrary.'' 
 
 The Abenaquis Indians Avere not long in following the example 
 set by the ]\Iicmacs. Having concerted measures with some 
 neighbouring tribes for exi)clling the English settlers from their 
 farms on the Kennebec, every village sent a quota of Avarriors 
 to Norridgewock, the head-quarters of the Abenaquis, Avhere a 
 large force Avas soon collected. Spreading thence along the 
 frontier of New Eniiland, thev ravaged the settlements, burn- 
 ing houses and barns, and nuu'derlng the terror-struck inhabi- 
 tants in cold blood. It would occupy too nmch of my space to 
 enumerate CA'cn a tithe of the atrocities committed by these 
 savages durinLr the five A^ears ending: in 1720. I shall content 
 myself Avith quoting iiancroft's eloquent and touching descrip- 
 tion of the sufferings of the people of Xew England in those 
 troublous times. ' The Indians,' he says, ' Aver > secret as beasts 
 of prey, skilful marksmen, and in part provided, with, firearms, 
 fleet of foot, p'ltient of fatigue, and mad with a piiysiou for 
 rapine, vengeance, and destruction, retreating into sw.inips and 
 f.istnesses, or hiding in the greenwood thickets, Avdierc the 
 leaves mufHed the eyes of the pursuer. liy the ra})idity of their 
 descent, they seemed omni[)resent among the scattered villages, 
 Avhich they ravaged like a passing stoi'm, and for a full year 
 they kept all N ew England in a state of terror and excitement. 
 The exploring party was waylaid and cut oH', and the mangled 
 carcases and disjointed limbs of the dead were hung upon the 
 trees to terrify pur.suers. The labourers in the field, the 
 reapers as they Avent fortii to the harvest, men as they Avent to 
 the mill, the she[»herd's boy among the sheep, were shot down 
 
 ' (Juntoil iv IM'iriioi'l), from An/'in.< <,l' Sov<t Scniia. 
 
AN i:xi'i;ditioxV hkaches tacomc. 105 
 
 hy tikuik'In;^' foes, whose approach was invisible. W'iio eaii tcll 
 the lieavv hour;; of" Avomaii I The luolhcr, il' left, in the house, 
 I'carod the tonialiawk for herself and children. On the sudden 
 attack, the hushand woidd fly with one child, the wile with 
 another, and peiliaj)s one only escape ; the villaue cavalcade, 
 makino- its way to niectinu: on Sunday in files on horseback, 
 the fu-nier holding the bridle in one hand, and a child in the 
 other, his wife seated on a i)illioii l)ehind hiin, as was the 
 fashion in those days, could not j)roceed safely, but, at the 
 nr.inient when least ex})ected, bullets would whiz amongst 
 them, discharged Avith fatel aim from an andjuseade Ijy the 
 wayside. The forest that protected the ambush of the Indians 
 secured their retreat. They hung upon the skirts of the Eng- 
 lish villages "like the lightning on the edge of the clouds."' 
 
 Detachments of soldiers sent in jtursuit rarely succeeded in 
 (ivortakiuij: the bands of Indians, who, after ravaijrinij a vilhme, 
 instantly retreated into the de[iths of the forest. \ reward 
 of 15/.— afterwards increased to 100/. — vvas offered by the 
 (lovernor of ISIassachusetts for every Indian scalp (tr caj)tivc 
 brought in, but no really important efl'ect was produced until 
 the year 1724, when it was wisely decided to attack the 
 Indians in their head quarters at Xorrldgewock, Avhere the 
 Jesuit Ralle resided. Halle had been einjiloyed by the Viceroy 
 of Canada to instigate the Indians to l)egin the war, as was 
 clearly proved by his correspondence, which Avas seized by 
 Captain Moulton in 1722. Hutchinson says ' he Avas ranked 
 hv the Enolish amongst the most infamous villains, and his 
 scalp Avonld have been worth a hundred scalps of the Indians. 
 His intrepid cordage and fervent zeal to j)romote the religion 
 he professed, and to siecure his neophytes or converts to the 
 interest of his sovereign, Avere the principal cause of these j)re- 
 judices. The French, for the same reason, rank him with 
 saints and heroes.' 
 
 An expedition, consisting of four c<Mnpanies of militia, 
 commanded by Captain Ilarman, reached Taconic, on the 
 Kennebec, (m August 20, and came upon the village of Xor- 
 ridgewock by surprise two days afterwards. The village was 
 defended by fil'ty Avarriors, who after a short conflict were 
 
100 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 defeated with i^roat slaughter. The priest Ralle was untbr- 
 tunately killed, althouf^h strict orders had been given to spare 
 his life, iriitcliinson says, Ralle had shut himself up in a 
 wigwam, from which he fired and wounded a soldier, which so 
 exasperated Lieutenant Jaques, that he burst open the door 
 and shot the priest in the head. The Jesuit father, La 
 Chasse, savs he was shot at the foot of the Cross, which stood 
 in the centre of the village, Avhither he had g(me in the hope 
 of allaying the tnniidt, by a volley from the Lnglish.' 
 
 The successful termination of this attack produced the best 
 results. The h>ss of so nniny warriors, inclndinu; six chiefs of 
 great note, humbled the whole tribe. Utterly routed and dis- 
 persed, the Abcnaquis gave little further trouble to the English 
 settlors. ' From the day of the attack on Nori'idgewock, tiie 
 tribe of that name was blotted out from the list of the Indian 
 nations.''^ They made, indeed, a feeble -ittempt to renew the 
 Avar in the following spring, but fiuding that the English hud 
 adopted their own system of tactics with decided success, and 
 that all hopes of driving the colonists across the Kennebec had 
 vanished, they wisely ])roposed to make ])eace. The governors 
 of the English provinces gladly accepted their advances; 
 commissioners from the several colonies met the chiefs of the 
 Indian tribes at Boston in November, Avhen the terms of tlic 
 ])eace were satisfactorily arranged. The most imjwrtant 
 condition of this treaty was the ackuowledument of the 
 sovereignty of Great Britain. The French authorities, h(jw- 
 ever, did not regard it with much favour. Beauharnois, the 
 Viceroy of Canada, was so much displeased with the Indians 
 f(n' making peace, that he refused to send them the usual 
 prfs/mts, and threatened to withdraw the missionaries. In 
 the b.-ginning of 1727, the missionaries, no doubt by instruc- 
 tions from head-rpnirters, endeavoured to j)ersuade the Indians 
 at jMinas and Beaubassin to renew the war, but happily with- 
 out effect. A long peace followed, interrupted only by sonic 
 sliii'ht outrages not Avorth mentioning. 
 
 Sad and solemn nnist have l)een the reflections of the 
 scattered remnants of the Abcnaquis, .as they ofttimes floated 
 
 ' K'lp s Lirrs iif f/ir Jtsitit-'. • Und, 
 
KUINS OF NOKUIDGEWOCK. 107 
 
 past the blackened ruins of the chapel of Nonidgewock in 
 their frail canoes. The scene has been described in touch- 
 ing language by an American poet. I give you an extract, 
 ho})ing it may induce you to peruse the Avhole of AVhittier's 
 beautiful poem of ' jNIogg Megone : ' 
 
 No wigwam smoko is curling there ; 
 The very earth is scorched and Ijare ; 
 
 And hero and there on the blackening [ground, 
 
 AVhitc hones are glittering in the snn. 
 
 And where the house of prayer arose, 
 
 And tho holy hymn at daylight's close, 
 
 And the aged priest stood up to bless 
 
 The children of the wilderness, 
 
 There is naught save ashes sodden and dank, 
 
 And the birchen boats of the Norridgowock, 
 
 Tethered to tree, and stump, and rock. 
 
 Rotting along tho river bank ! 
 
1()8 CAI'K liKHTOX. 
 
 LICTTF.H Xr. 
 
 1727-1741. 
 
 DiJUiNO the l(>n<? i)ejicc fblUiwiiifr the Trcjily of Utrecht, inter- 
 viiptod only by the Iiulian war (of whieh I gave you a sliort 
 account in niv hist letter), both the French and English 
 colonics in America niatle raj)id progress. In Canaila, the 
 clearing and cultivation of the land were fostered and encour- 
 ai'cd bv the able and intelligent men who held the office of 
 Viceroy during that happy state of tranquillity. Contiguous 
 farms or clearings spread along both banks of the St. Lawrence, 
 from (Quebec to Montreal, and far up many of its iributaries ; 
 ■whilst even on the remote and secluded shores of T^rie and 
 Ontario, inunigrants from Old France were rai)idly forming 
 agricultural settlements in the vicinity of the forts and trading 
 stati'.is. The savage Iroquois, who ever since the time of 
 Chnmnlain had been inveterate enemies of the French, were 
 at ■cng'h appeased and conciliated by the tact and ability of 
 the Chevalier de Beaidiarnois, who administered the govern- 
 ment for the unusual ])cnod of twenty years, ending in 1746. 
 The fur trade, loo, which had in a great measure been en- 
 grossed by tlie colonists of the province of Xew York, was by 
 the introduction of a more liberal system of barter once more 
 attracted to ]Montreai, '.vhich became the great mart of this 
 lucrative branch of commeice. 
 
 Ijy the i)ermissi(m of the Iroquois, the French erected 
 several forts within their territory, destined to form part of a 
 chain of posts connecting Canada with Louisiana. According 
 to llameau, the i)opulation of Canada, Avhich in 1713 Avas 
 only 18,169, had in 1739 reached 42,924. 
 
 Nova Scotia, although almost wholly occupied by a popula- 
 tion of aliens, felt the beneficial effects of the i)eace. The 
 
THE INDIANS COMMIT VAKIOUS OUTRAGES. .109 
 
 fislicry, carried on at Canoeau by the |»co])lc of New Eiif^land, 
 employed from 1,500 to 2,000 men dnriiij.'; the suninicr season. 
 Jn the year 178.'J, the exports of dry fish from that place 
 amounted to 46,000 (quintals ; and the whale fishery, which 
 had been recently established there, j^ave great promise of 
 sncccss. The Acadians, who were chiclly settled at ^linas, 
 Chi^necto, and other places on the Bay of Fnndy, disposed of 
 their fish, oils, furs, &e. to the Jloston traders in exchange for 
 articles of British manufacture, and of their cattle and farm 
 produce to the Louisbourg traders at Bay Verte, from whence 
 an active but illicit traffic was carried on in defiance of the 
 orders of the English go\ernors. The coal mines at Chig- 
 necto Avere also leased at this time to a Boston Comjmny.* 
 Nothing seemed now to be wanting to ensure the i)i'osperity of 
 the piovince but a po})ulation of Englishmen, the only per- 
 manent residents being the Governor and Council, a few other 
 officers and traders with their families, and a garrison of I.IO 
 men at Annapolis. Extensive grants of land were offered to 
 induce settlers to come from New England, but without suc- 
 cess, as it was generally belic^ ed that all the most fertile lands 
 in the province were occupied by the Acadians. There was in 
 reality a good reason for this belief, as we learn by a letter 
 from Governor Armstrong, in 1730, to the Board of Trade, 
 ' that the French are becoming a formidable body, and, like 
 Noah's progeny, are s[)readhig themselves over the face of the 
 province.' He adds, " AIJ the Acadians, with the exception of 
 five or six families on the eastern coast, have consented to take 
 a simple and unconditional oath of allegiance,' but considers 
 ' that the peace of the country was only thus settled so long as 
 England and France were in alliance, and no longer.' 
 
 The Indians, who had for several years given no trouble to 
 the English Governor, about this time (1732) began to exhibit 
 great restlessness, and to commit daring outrages in various 
 quarters. They plundered and destroyed the buildings and 
 magazine erected by the Mining Company at Chignecto, and 
 even compelled the Government to abandon the design of 
 
 ' The Company ol.>tainetl a grant of 4.000 acres, subject to a qiiit-voiit of one 
 Jionny per aero. Tlio royalty on the eual raiseel was oiyhteca peni'e per ehahlrun. 
 
170 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 building a blockhouse at Minas. Colonel Armstrong, who 
 was at this time Lieutenant-Governor of the province, informed 
 the Board of Trade that these outras;es were committed at the 
 
 "n^ 
 
 instigation of M. de St. Ovide, the Governor of Louisbourg ; 
 but this, apparently, was mere surmise. 
 
 There is, however, no doubt but that the Viceroy of Canada 
 had not given up all ho])es of recovering Acadie, as he was 
 regularly furnished by the missionaries with returns of the 
 lumiber of French inhabitants in every parish. The last 
 census, which Rameau says was taken sccri'tlt/ in 1737, made 
 the French jjopulation of Nova Scotia 7,598, having trebled in 
 thirty years. The French were evidently preparing for hos- 
 tilities ; for in addition to the works at Louisbourg, whicii they 
 were now pushing on Avith great vigour, military posts were 
 established at St. Peter's and in St. John's Island, overlooking 
 the coasts of Nova Scotia, and commanding the connnunica- 
 tion between Canceau and Bay Verte. To oppose these, 
 England had only two miserable garrisons at Canceau and 
 Annapolis, which together could not muster 300 men.' The 
 weak and defenceless condition of the country had been re- 
 peatedly brought to the notice of the British ministry by the 
 local governors, but without any eft'cct. The position of the 
 Governor of Xova Scotia at this period must have been an 
 unenviable one. Surrounded by a disaffected })opulation, and 
 a tribe of saA ages ready to cml)ark in any undertaking which 
 promised jdunder and [)rofit, at the instigation of missionaries 
 ap[iointed and })aid by a foreign government ; with no subjects 
 of his own nation to aid him in the hour of need ; with two 
 weak garrisons at situations so far apart that their forces could 
 never be united in an emei-gency ; and with the constant worry 
 and irritation to which he was daily subjected in his capacity 
 of chief magistrate of a connnunity con)})osed of j)etty ofiiclals 
 and small traders, it is no wonder that Colonel Armstrong 
 sank under the weight, and rashly terminated his life with his 
 own hand on December (J, 1739. 
 
 ' 111 17;j!), tliort' were at Louisliourg 8(t(), at St. Potti-'s sixty, und at St. Joliii's 
 l.slaiid ^i.xlv regular Iruops; wliilc, at tlic ^alHl• time, Eiigland liiid barely '2(Mi ut 
 Aiiiiaiiuli.>^, ami lUd ut Cauceau. 
 
RUMOURS OF WAR WITH FRANCE. 171 
 
 ]\Iaj()r ^Itiscarciio. wlio assumed the administration of the 
 Government on the death of Colonel Annstronjjj, so<m fonnd 
 tliat the office was no sinecure. The Indians Avere daily 
 urowing more insolent, and rumours of ai)proaching war with 
 France were rife in the colonies, hut no heed was paid l)y the 
 Ijritish minister to ^Nlascarcne's remonstrances on the miserai)le 
 condition of the defences of the important post of Canceau, 
 only seven leagues distant from Cape Breton, and liable to be 
 taken by surprise the moment war should be declared. Mas- 
 carcne's opinion on this matter was soon verified by events 
 which will be brought under your notice in a future letter. 
 We must now turn to the affairs of Cajjc Breton, which will 
 in future occujiy the greatest share of our attention. 
 
 The history of Louisbourg at this period is emi)hatically th.o 
 history of the whole island. For more than twenty years the 
 French Government devoted all its energy and resources to 
 one object — the coni])U'tion of the fortifications. Even the 
 lOiiglish colonies contributed a great proportion of the materials 
 used in their construction. Wlien ^Messrs. Xewton and Jirad- 
 street, who were sent to confer with M. de St. Ovide, as already 
 related (p. 164), returned to Annapolis, they rci)orted that 
 during their short stay at Louisbourg, in 172.'>, fourteen colonial 
 vessels, belonging chicfiy to New England, arrived there with 
 cargoes of boards, timber, and bricks. It has often been stated 
 that all the materials used in the fortifications and public Iniild- 
 ings were brought from France ; if you go into a fi-herman's hut 
 on the coast, he will tell vou that his chinmey is built of bricks 
 brought from Louisbourg, which originally came from France. 
 To some extent this may bect)rrect; but you nuiy rest assured 
 the French enguieers obtaine<l them chicfiy from Xew England 
 at a nuich cheaper rate. The trade was a profltabk; one, and 
 was prosecuted by the colonists, regardless of the consequences, 
 luunely, the construction of a fortress whieh soon became ' a 
 national nuisance.'' The Acadians oi' Xova Scotia, certainly 
 with more reasonable excuse, shared in the lucrative business 
 of supj)lying the wants of the workmen, having in 17.'U siiit 
 from 300 to 400 head ol' cattle, besides sheep and other pro- 
 
 ' l,U)iigIiib'^ !:>u III mart/. 
 
172 CAPE BRETON. ^v "\^ 
 
 vision^;, cliiefly i'roxn ]\Iinas and Bay Vei'te. To make tluin- 
 selves iii{k'j)oiulcnt of sui)i)lics from forciji'u countries tlie 
 Governor of Louishourii; olfereil <>;rcat indiiconients to the 
 French inhabitants of Xova Scotia to remove to the ishmd of 
 St. John's, where the facility of clearing- the land, and the 
 fertility of the soil, it was ho])ed, would soon enable them to 
 sui)|»ly all that was needed. The first innnigrants, who came 
 to the island in 1719, were fishermen, who settled at Port le 
 Joye (t'hai'lotte Town) and Havre St. Pierre, but those who 
 followed them in 172G were i'armers, Avho brought their cattle 
 and efl'ects. In 1735 the total numbe" of inhabitants was 542. 
 
 It is rather cxtraordinai'y^ consideiing tlie estimation in 
 Avhich it was held by the Government, tluit so little informa- 
 tion can be found in the works of French authors concerning 
 Louisbourg, from the date of its foundation in 1720 to the 
 siege in 1745. The only event of any importance recoriled 
 in the pages of Charlevoix, is the disastrous wreck of * Le 
 Chameau,' of sixty guns, which occurred on the night of 
 August 25, 1725. This unfortunate ship struck on a rock 
 near Louisbourg, on her way ihnw France to (Quebec, and 
 became a total wreck-- not a single man was saved. AuKing 
 the passengers were M. de Cliazel, the new Intendant of 
 Canada, ]\I. de Louvigny, the newly ap})ointed (Jovernor c»f 
 Tidis Kivieres, a son of M. de Kanu>/,a\ , the late Governor of 
 ]Montrcal, a numl»er of officials belonging to the colonv, and 
 several ecclesiastics. On the following morning the shore near 
 Jjouisbourg was strewn with (lead bodies. ' This misfortune,' 
 we arc told bv Charlevoix, 'in the course of a single night 
 brought moi'(> grief and loss upon the French colonies than 
 they had suffered during twenty yeard of warfare.' The [)ilot 
 on board the ' Chameau' was the same that had charge ol' the 
 ship in which Charlevoix went to Canada in 1720, when he 
 so narmwly escajied shipwreck on the coast of Newfoundland. 
 
 Although it was considered bv the French engineers that 
 they could hold the whole island by fortifying Louisbom-g, as 
 it was ' so ^erv wo(/dv, that on whatever iiart the enemv 
 should make a descent, there was no access to it by land." ' 
 
 ' l''rili'ir> I'lijiiiijr to SiH'lli Aiitiriri(. Sii' iidtf. p. I 7 I. 
 
THE PRRXCIT FORTIFICATIONS AT ST. JOHN's. 17.'! 
 
 it was, nevcrtlioless, (lecined advisable to erect small oiitlyinjjj 
 forts at St. Peter's and St. Anne's. The former, situated on the 
 istlnnus separatinfjf St. Peter's Bay from the Labrador Lakes, 
 was a post of o-reat importance ; ' being no more than eijj^hteen 
 leagues from Tjouisboui-g and twenty-five from the island of 
 St. John by the Lake of Lalirador, it is of course the centre 
 of comnninication to the Avhole ishmd. From thence one may 
 observe the least motion of the English, either at Canceau or 
 in the Passage of Fronsac ; and advice may be sent to the 
 C'onnnandant at Louisbourg in less than eighteen hours.'' 
 Tiie erection oi' a fort at St. Peter's did not escape the notice 
 of the Lieutenant-dovernor of Xova Scotia, who informed 
 the Presi.lent of the Hoard of Trade, in 173:5, that, 'the 
 French Avere very assiduous in carrying on their fortifications 
 at the island of St, John's, at the Pay of Wrte, and at St. 
 Peter's, about six or seven leagues distant from Canceau.' 
 At the same time he strongly urii-ed the necessitv of Ibrtifving 
 Canceau. 
 
 Cireat exertions were made to establish a fixed jtojiulation 
 in Louisbourg and its immcdiiite vicinity, for the purpose of 
 furnishing materials for a militia to support the garrison in 
 time of need. 2 To ])revent the fishermen who came out every 
 s|)rliig from returning to France, an ordoiuiance was j)ro- 
 nuilgated, which com[)clled the master of every ship going to 
 America to take out a certain nnnd)er of men, in ])roportion 
 to the tonnage of his ship, bound to remain there for a term of 
 three vears. 'I'lu'se nuMi, who were calU'd ' Fngages,' gene- 
 rally remained in the colonv after theii' term of service had 
 expired. •'' As it was s(»metinu's impossil)k' to hire the nundier 
 rcijuired, the ca[»tains of vessels are saiil to have kidnap[ied 
 
 ' I'vi'lloii's l,> /ti'rs ID) ('djt' lln/titl tiiid SI Ji Jill's fs/nm/s. 
 
 * Willi lliis olijcct in vii'W, (li>t;int ^l•tIi^■rllt■!lt^ dhl not itcimm iiiiicli ciicuura^rt'- 
 mcnt. i.ut ucviTtlu'ltss tiny were firaihially risiiij.'' iiji in t'.ivouralilo Im-aliticw fur 
 fishing. In 17-1', n larye I'liurcli, ot' wliidi tlic I'cmntlations may .still be son, was 
 erei'ti'd iit Ni^aniclio (now oaliod Ingonishc). In llu' year 1849, a clmrch licil 
 w. iyliin;: mere tlian '2iH) Uis. was tunml tlicrt", Imriinl in the >an(l npun tlie lieai-h. 
 Tile I'ollDwin^ ins('ri[)ti()n was I'lifrravfil niMin it; -'I'our hi paroi^Nc ili' Niyranidio 
 j'ai (''tt' nuiniiu'-o par Jean l»t''>arrtfi' tt par Tranij'oi.s Urail, parmin it niarniiin'. 
 La l()i<M> II 111 I .!.■ Si. -Main ni'a taitr Tan 1729.' 
 
 ' I'v.hc.ii, 
 
] 7 !• CAPE r.RETON. 
 
 men on tlio const of Xoniiandy to complete tlielr quotas. 
 Pyehon, who re>i(le(l several years in Louisboiirjj;, says the 
 P'catcr ])art of the inhahitants came out as ' l^n<>;a!;cs,' and 
 that many of them ' made the best (i<>urc in the colony.' The 
 fixed ])oi)ulation of T^ouishour^*, aceordinj;- to the Abbe Pre- 
 vost, Avas about 4,()()0 when war broke out in 1744. 
 
 The rapid increase of the connnercc of Louisbourg fully 
 verified the })redictions of the Afessrs. Kaudots (see p. 14.')). 
 D'UUoa <i'I\es us some interestin<x information concernin"; it 
 in his ' Voyan-e to South America.'' He says, 'The ])rin- 
 ci|)al, if not the only trade of Louisbouru;, is the Cod Fishery, 
 i'nnw which vast profits accrue to the inhabitants, not only on 
 account of the abundance of this fish, but because the nei^h- 
 bourinjji: seas afford the best of any about Xewfoundland. 
 Their wealth (and s«»me ])ersous amon^ them were in very 
 prosperous circumstances), consisted in their storehouses, some 
 of which were within the fort, others scattered alouf^ the shore, 
 and in their number of fishinsj; barks; of tliese more than one 
 inhabitant owned forty or fil'ty, which daily went on this 
 fisherv, carrvinsi thi'ce or ibur men each, who received a 
 settled salary, but were at the same time ol)1i<«;ed to deliver 
 a certain nun)l)cr of standard fish. So the cod storehouses 
 never failed of beiiii; lilleil by the tine t!.v -. ii'>s resorted 
 thither frouj most of the ports of France, laden, wi'h ]>rovisions 
 and other <roods, with whicli the iiduibitant- provided them- 
 selves in exciiange for their fish, or consiirncd it to be sold in 
 
 ' I>oii Autonid DTll'i.i. a oajitain in the Spanish navy, aoooinpaiiicil tlio Frpiich 
 AcailiiiiiiiMaiis tn Pciai, in tiic yiar 17I3>'), t'J iiicaMiir an arc of tin- meridian uinli r 
 till' (Miuaior. Ho siilfil from Callao in Oi-toluT, 17^ I, in a I''renfli ship fiillid tho 
 ' Not IT Ihmu' lie la I'i''li\ rani'i',' in comiiany with t)ir'T,onis j'h-asmi' ' ami tlic 
 ' .Man|uis il'Antin.* All the sliips had a lai'fZt' amoinit of tnasnri! on hoard, 
 sto\v(d away tindor llu' coi'oa with which they wcic laden. On Jidy 21, 171.'), 
 wiicn off the Azores, liicy fell in with the !',nj:lisii privateers • I'rincu Fredei'ic' 
 and ' ihikc' After a smart action "f three hours, tlu' 'Limis Drasnie" and 'Mar 
 qnis d'Anlin' struck their colours. Whilst tiie privateers were emraj.'ed in 
 pecnrii)',; their prizes, the • Di'livranee' ernwtUd ail sail, and .steered for Loiiis- 
 lioni'^r. < 'n Au^riisi 12 sjie made the i.slaml of Sealari, and on the following? 
 lUMrning was captured liy a ship of war otf" the nmntli of the harhmir. I'lloa re- 
 Bitled two months at LonislninrLr. He has ^i\en us some very interesting purti- 
 cidars I'lincerniiiji the place, its trade, the Imiintis, \c,, of which I shall avail 
 myself ill the following: pafft s, I'lioa's work was pulilished in I 7'VS. 
 
TRAFFIC WITH THE ENGLISH COLONIES. 175 
 
 France on tlieir own account. Likewise, vessels from the 
 French colonies of St. Domingo and Martinique bn.ught 
 gii^ar, tobacco, coffee, rum, &c. and returned loaded with cod. 
 Any surj)lus, after Louishourg Avas supplied, found a vent in 
 Canada, where the return was made in heaver skins and other 
 kinds of fine furs. Thus Louisbourij, with no other resources 
 than the fishery, carried on a large and regular connnerce 
 both with Europe and America.' 
 
 A considerable traffic, as has been already mentioned, was 
 maintained with the En<;lish colonies. The New England 
 tradoi's, who lirought fruit, vegetal)les, oats, shingles, bricks, 
 &c., in payment of their j)urchases of West India produce, at 
 the same time introduced manv contraband articles, such as 
 flour, meal, biscuit, dry goods, and codfish. AVhole cargoes of 
 codfish were sometimes transferred from English to French 
 vessels, under the cover of nigiit, in Louisbourg harbour,' whilst 
 in the outports, where there were no Custom-house officers, 
 and on the coast of Newfoundland, this contraband trade w\as 
 carried on without any attempt at concealment. The English 
 fislionnen, unhampered by harassing restrictions, and sn])plied 
 with outfits at reasonable rates, were able to sell their fish to 
 the French traders at prices much below the current value in 
 Louisbourg. In the year 1740, according to a rejtort sent to 
 the Lords Commissioners of Trade by Captain Smith of ILM.S. 
 ' l.ithiun " — the guardshi[) at Canceau — fH schooners and .'JD.'i 
 chalonjis were employed in the cod fisheries of Cape lireton, 
 at the following places: — 
 
 Qiiintnls. 
 . 2.'),2<ll» 
 • 4(1,(1011 
 . i:i,.")Oi> 
 
 :{.()00 
 4,.io(> 
 
 fi.OOd 
 
 . 2.lO(t 
 A.Too 
 
 l,2.'>(t 
 4,.')00 
 
 (U lAHiisbourg, 
 
 
 •12 S.- 
 20(1 (.'1 
 
 lilloilts 
 
 liii'li o:iU::lit 
 
 Nipdiiohe 
 
 
 .54 
 
 •1 
 
 ,, 
 
 SL'utiiri 
 
 
 6 8.' 
 
 liooiiors 
 
 ,, 
 
 )f 
 
 
 18 CI 
 
 laloups 
 
 *i 
 
 l^iili'iriii 
 
 
 30 
 
 M 
 
 H 
 
 lioraiuhec 
 
 
 12 
 
 M 
 
 f» 
 
 l''(mr»'lni 
 
 
 19 
 
 ft 
 
 I* 
 
 St. K^^prit 
 
 
 2;{ 
 
 !l 
 
 >t 
 
 Islo Mi.'liaux 
 
 •'l 
 
 M 
 
 It 
 
 IVtit lie (ii 
 
 •iit 
 
 KS 
 
 tt 
 
 <l 
 
 L'luilicniiu 
 
 
 1 ( 
 
 M 
 
 It 
 
 Total . lU.o.'JO 
 
 The lunnbcr of fishermen was 2,4-1.'). 
 
 ' I'vfli'ni'- .\t< iiii'ir." nf ('(i/ii Jin ton. 
 
170 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 Yet, ill spite of this apjiaront prosperity, wc are told by 
 Garnciiu' that the greater i)art of the inhabitants hiiiu;iiisheil 
 in misery. TiacU^ and the fislieries enriclied a few, but thou- 
 sands lived in indi^'enee, on aeeount of the high ])rices ehar<>;ed 
 for salt and provisions, and the exorbitant rate of interest 
 (often as inuoh as 25 per cent.) imposed upon the succours 
 required by needy fishermen. These had no other resource to 
 fly to, as the clearing and cultivation of the soil was discouraged 
 ))y those who were making large profits from their ill-re(|uited 
 services. 
 
 The Government of C:\]>e Breton (which embraced the Is- 
 land of St. .John's^) wa- constituted on the model of that of 
 Canada. It consisted of a Governor or Commandant, a Com- 
 missary or Intendant, a Supreme C'l'nicil, an Inferior Court 
 or Bailiwi^-k, and a Court of Admiralty. 
 
 The Governor had the direction of all the affairs relating to 
 the security of the colony, and the command of the military 
 establishment, consisting of the King's Lieutenant, a jNIajor 
 and Aid-major, a regiuient of French regulars, and two com- 
 panies of the Swiss regiment of Karrer. 
 
 The Intendant had charge of the milirary chest, ammunition, 
 provisions, and stores of all kinds. He was entrusted with the 
 administration of justice in civil matters, and could at any 
 time call ui>on the Governor for the aid of the military to carry 
 out the decisions of the courts if necessary. 
 
 In many important matters, such as the direction of the 
 ])olice, the granting of lands, the erection of fortifications, and 
 the maintenance of religion and order, the G(;vern< r and In- 
 tendant possessed equal and joint authority. Th'., uirangement, 
 as Pyclion justly observes, 'is suitable (»nly to such countries 
 as are within reach of the eye of the s(»vereign -, lor shouhl 
 there ha})peii to be any clashing between these otticers about 
 their respective jurisdictions, it would lay a foundation for a 
 perpetual quarrel and animosity if either of them should not 
 
 ' (iariii'au's HiKfoiir du Cauada. 
 
 '• The LitMitfiuint-rrovornor nf St, Jolin's f>laiiil. who roopivod Iiis oriliTs fi-oni 
 llio Govcriuu' of C'itpc lintoii, rcsidctl iit i'dit la Joyi' (('InirloIlL' 'rnwii). wIk-P' lif 
 liinl !i giirrisDii of fifty or sixty nun. 
 
GOVERNMENT OF CAPE BRETON. 177 
 
 1)0 th()rf!ni>;Iily honest, and much more so, if neitliei* of them 
 was endued with a disp)sition to promote tlic general i^ood.' 
 
 The Supreme Council was composed of tlic (fovernoi-, the 
 Lioiitenant-(iovernor (or Kinj^'s Lieutenant), the Inteiidant, 
 the Attorney-General, and four or five other persons chosen 
 iVoni anion<]f the merchants of Louishourg. This C'ouiu'il, of 
 wliieh tlic Intendant was President, was entrusted with the 
 administration of justice throughout the colony and its depen- 
 dencies. 
 
 Tlie Tirferi(n' Court, or Bailiwick, was composed of a judge, 
 the Attoniey-Gcneral, a secretary, and tipstaff. Its jurisdic- 
 tion was chiefly confined to such matters as came under the 
 cognisance of the police of the colony.' 
 
 The Admiralty Court consiste 1 of a lieutenant, the Attovney- 
 ( Jeneral, a clerk, and a tii)staff. Its principal duties were the 
 ]»r('vention of illicit commerce, the entry and clearance of mer- 
 chandise, and visiting and examining cargoes that arrived from 
 foreign parts. 
 
 The spiritual affairs of the colony were administered by six 
 missionaries, aided by six friars or religions brothers, who 
 had charge of the hospital, and l)y some nuns from (Quebec, 
 who superintended the education of young females. One of 
 rhe.-e missionaries, the i'vbbc Mallard, had the exclusive charge 
 of the Indians of Cape Breton and St. .lohn's Islands. Ulloa 
 says the Indians whom he saw at Louisbourg 'not only 
 resemble tljose of Peru in compIexi(»n, but there is also a 
 consideraldc attinity betwixt their manners and customs; the 
 oidy visible diilerence is in stature, and in this the advantage 
 Hes on the side of the irihabitants of these northern climates. 
 .... They were not absolutely subject to the King of France 
 - they acknowledged him lord of the countiy, but did not 
 tiiter their nvode of living nor submit to his laws. So far from 
 |ia\ ing tribute, they received annually from France a quantity 
 nf appai'cl, gunpowder, nuiskets, bi-andy, and several kinds of 
 tools, in order to keep them (piiet and attached to French 
 
 ' I'yi'lion ciiiiiplaiiis tliat tliis Court was deslioitu of the nivalis of fxocutiiisi' its 
 ili'iTci's. as ' \\v liavo m>itlu>i' a L'oniiiioii liaii;^ruaii, nor a tui'iin-ntor (to rack criiiii- 
 iiiil,-i, iit.i' SM iiuu'li as a jail.' 
 
 N 
 
178 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 interests. For the same end jM-icsts wore sent amoncjst tliem 
 for instructina; tliom in the Christian reliijion, and ])L'rionniiif«; 
 divine service and all the other ofhces of tlie chnn^h, as baj)- 
 tisnis, bnrials, &c. And as the end to be answered was of tlic 
 highest importance to French connnerce, the pc/sons chosen for 
 these religions expeditions were men of parts, elocntion, gracc- 
 fnl carriage, and irroproachal)le lives; and accordingly they be- 
 iiaved with that j)rndence,condesccnsi(m, and gentleness towards 
 the Indians nnder their care, that besides the nniversal vene- 
 ration paid to their persons, their converts looked npon them 
 as their fathers, and with all the tenderness of filial afll'ection 
 shared Avith them what they canght in hunting, and the ])ro- 
 duce of their fields.' When the Indians came to Louisbouig 
 to receive the King's ])resents, they sometimes hired themselves 
 to the merchants; but soon groAviug weary of restrai.ii. they 
 returned to their lumtlng grounds, often accomj)anied by the 
 Abbe in their inmiigrations from ])laee to ])lace. Upon going 
 to a new place Avhere they intended to make some .stay, their 
 first care was to build a Avigwam and chapel for their ])ricst. If 
 all that Pychon tells us be true, the labours of the Indian mis- 
 sionaries at Louisbourg were devoted to less ])raiseAvorthy 
 objects than the religious instruction of their converts. lie 
 says, ' their continual em[)loyment Avas to spirit n[) the minds 
 of the people to fanaticism and revenge,' and to teach the poor 
 savages 'that the liUolish Avere enemies of (iod and com- 
 ])anlons of the devil, and since they did not choose to ad(»pt the 
 same Avay of thinking as the French, it Avas their duty to do 
 them as much mischief as jjossible.' Fychon, as I will show 
 you in the secjucl, is not a very good authority on some 
 subjects ; but as his statements are corroborated by evidence 
 from other (juartei's, there is good reason to admit their 
 accuracy. \\'e find even the Abbe jNIailard himself, who 
 after the fall of Louisbourg had retired to St. John's Island, 
 endeavoin*i)ig in 1747 to induce the Indians of that island to 
 m) to Louisbourg to attack six Lnglish houses which had Ikmmi 
 built outside the town.' 
 
 I must now direct your attention to a more important part 
 
 ' (hu)l(il tViiiii New York (loouim'iits Ijv MiuxIul'Ii, in liis Hi.stni-y af y'viii 
 Scut ill. 
 
DEFKNCES OP LOUISBOUIKJ. 1 70 
 
 of'niv sul)jcct — the defences of Louisboui-j^, which the French 
 Government considered impregnable. To give you a clear 
 idea (.f their strength, and the })osition of the fortress, 1 nnist 
 refer you to the niap of the island at the end of this volume. 
 Vtiu Avill observe that the first land made bv a \essel comin'X 
 from Knrope, snpjtosing a good reckoning has been kej)t, is 
 the low I'ocky island of Scatari. If she is bound for Lonis- 
 biiurg, steering westerly with Scatari on the starboard, she 
 will run close j)ast a large rock covered with waving grass, 
 elevated some fifty feet above the level of the sea, called Port 
 Nova Island, which is connected by a reef of sunken rocks, 
 easily distinguished by sheets of foaming breakei's, with a low- 
 point, about a mile to the northward. This low point, j)er- 
 lin])s, woidd hardly 1)0 noticed by a passing voyager; it is 
 nevertheless a spot of some note. ' lleere diners of our men 
 went on land vpon the very Cape' (see p. -iO), the very cape 
 iVoin which the island of Ca[)e Breton dei'ives its name. Two 
 miles to the westward there is a small harboui", now called 
 IJaleine, the ' Port aux Pialeincs' of former days, where Lord 
 Ochiltree established his settlement in 1029, from which he 
 was so rudely expelled by C'a()tain Daniel of Diepj»c. Hence to 
 the entrance of Louisbourg Harbour, a distance of barely two 
 leagues, there are not less than three small ports ^v'ell adapted 
 for fishing and coasting craft, tlust ofFtlie last of these — l»ig 
 Loran or Lorambec — lies the sunken rock on which the shii) 
 of war ' Le Chamcau' was wrecked in \7'25. The asjiect of 
 the coast, from the Cape to the iH)int on the east side of the 
 entrance of Louisbourg Harbour, on which stood the light- 
 house, is bleak, rugged, and desolate, presenting in front a 
 range of rocky precii)ices, backed by a broken hilly country, 
 rising in some places to a height of 250 feet, partially covered 
 liv woods of stunted spruce and birch. Approaching the 
 harbour from the eastward, the most conspicuous object was 
 of course the city, surrounded by massive walls bristling with 
 caimim. Standing out like senti'ies in advance of the forti-ess, 
 are three small rocky islands i)rotccting the harbour from the 
 swell of the Atlantic. Upon one of these, called Goat Island, 
 there was a baUery mounting thirty 2S-ponndcr guns. 
 
 N -2 
 
180 (;AI»K lUlKToN. 
 
 The liarl)(»ur of T^oulshoui'i;-, whicli is two miles in lcii!i;tli 
 and half a mile in width, Avith a depth of three to six fathoms, 
 communicates with the oj)en ocean by a channel only half a 
 mile in length and one-third of a mile in width, havinj;' .1 tc>|»th 
 of six to ten i'athoms. A vessel ai'i'ivin^' on the coast with a 
 favourable wind, can reach safe anchoraoe in a few miiuites 
 after ])assini>; the li<>;hthouse. This tj^reat iacility of access, 
 ■without any intervening bay or roadstead, was pr<)bal)ly one of 
 the principal reasons why Louisboiu'g harboui' was chosen in 
 l)reference to St. Anne's. Vessels can ride at anchor with 
 safety in all parts of the harbour, although iherc is some agi- 
 tation inunediately in front of the town dui'ing easterly gales, 
 when the rocky coast outside and the islands at the entrance, 
 not moi'e than half a mile distant, are exposed to the unbroken 
 furv of the waves, and enveloped in innnense sheets of sur<>in£i: 
 foam. On the north-west shore, directly facing the entrance 
 of the harbour, stood the (Jrand or Koyal Battery, armed with 
 twenty-eight 42-pounder and two IS-pounder guns. This 
 battery, protected by a moat arid 1 astions on the land side, was 
 said, when garrisoned by 200 men, to be caj)able of success- 
 fully resisting a besieging force of ten times that number. It 
 completely covered the entrance of the harbour, as its guns 
 could rake the decks of any ship atteni])ting to force the pas- 
 sage. On the shore just opposite the (Ji-and liattesy, there 
 was a careening whai-f, in a snug sheltered cove, for heaving 
 down ships of the largest class, and near the mouths of the 
 small streams, at the head of the north-east arm, a long range of 
 wooden buildings for warehousing provisions and naval stores. 
 From thence to the Barachois, at the other end of the harboiu", 
 the sliore was dotled at close intervals by the huts and stages 
 of the fishermen. Bugged hills covered with scrub, terminating 
 in rocky prccii>ices at the watei''s edge, bordered the eastern 
 sliore of the harboju", from the lighthouse to the head of the 
 north-east arm. On the north-western shore, with the excep- 
 tion of small patdjcs of cleared land near the huts of the fisher- 
 men and arounil the Grand r>attery, the low range called tlic 
 Green Hills, extending southerly as far as Gabarus Bay, was 
 still covered by the primeval forest. 
 
SITE OF LOIMSIJOUKU. 
 
 181 
 
 !»y referring to tlic ' Mil}) of the IlarUour and Kiivirous of 
 Loiiishoiirg," at n future l)a<:;e, you will observe that the town, 
 situated upon the tongue or ]>roniontory lying between tjje 
 south shore of the harbour and the sea, occu})ied, including the 
 walls, an irregular (|uadrilat('ral area of about 100 aeres. The 
 site of the town was elevatecl some twenty or thirty feet above 
 llio sea, but the ground outside the Avails was low and niarshy, 
 with hero and there small ponds and rocky knolls. This 
 liroken swamjty ground, whieh extended in one direction to the 
 foot of the (ireen Hills, and in the other nearly as far asAVhito 
 roint, presented great obstacles to the advance of a besieging 
 army. The walls or defences, which extended from the Wcstci-n 
 (late on the harbour side 2iearly to Jilack Point on the sea- 
 shore, a distance of 1,200 yards, were constructed according to 
 the ' First System ' of the celebrated French engineer, Vanban. 
 As many of you may never have had an o[)j)ortunity of seeing 
 works of thid descrijttion, 1 beg to submit tlie annexed section 
 or prolile for your information : — 
 
 ''/ /////// /// 
 
 Tlio line 1, 2, ivproscnts tlio level ot'tlio stn-iMs. 
 
 The nutliue (if tlie l{aiii(iart is sliown by the irregular figure 2, 3, i. '), G, 7, 8. 9. 
 
 2, []. Js tlie Iiiuer Slope of tiie Kaiuiiart. 
 
 .'{. 4. Tlio Terre Pleiiio or I'i;\tfonn upim whieh the eaiinoii were mounted, 
 U feet al>ovc the line 1, 2. ami 2.") feet in width. 
 
 /), (i. Tlie HaiKiuette, a level spaee live feet in width, three feet iiliove the Terre 
 Pleiiio. Musketeers stiuidiug ou the IJaiiquetto eau fire over tlie top of tho 
 I'arapet. 
 
 (i, 7. Tho Tarapet, a hroastwork five feet higher than tho T5an(iuelte. Tlio 
 Parapet is pierced at certain intervals hy openings oallod Embrasur. s, through 
 vvhieh tlie cannon are diseharged. 
 
 7, 8. Tho top of the Parapet sloping outwards, to enable tlie musketeers 
 stationed on the l?ani(UOtte to fire upon an enemy that may liave gained a footing 
 in the Covered Way, 1 i, l.'», on the opposite side of the Ditch, 12. Hi. 
 
 H, 9. The Outer Slope of the Rampart, resting upon the Wall or i^scarp. The 
 whulo of tho Rampart, from 2 to 9, is eomposed of earth eovered with sods. 
 
 9, l(t, il, 12. The Escarp, (.r Wall, of strong masonry 10 or 12 feet in thickness, 
 facing the. Ditch, its height at Louisbourg varioJ from 30 to 30 feet, according to 
 the irregularily of the surface. 
 
182 CAPK DHKTON. 
 
 12, 13. Tlu" Ditcli. At Luiiislioiirf,' it was 80 fort in width. 
 
 lU, 11. Tile C'iiii.Ni'si',ir[). nr siislaiiiiiiff Wjill, of solid nias((iiry, on llio othor siilo 
 ot'llic Dilt-h. 
 
 11, |.'). A livt! space 2(1 fict in widtli, I'allod tiic ('ovcrcd Way, upon wliiili a 
 lioiiv of troops I'an lit' assembled ready to niakt' a sovtio upon an (.niiny'.s 
 tivnclics. 
 
 1.'), Ifi. Tiic Slope of tilt' I'anciuittf. 
 
 16, 17. 'Jilt' Uauijuctti', four fret in widtli, and four fuet almvc tlif Covered 
 Way. 
 
 1". 18. A J'arapet four feet in heifrlit, from whieli musketeers assoniLled in the 
 Covered AViiy can fire over tlio orest of tjie (ilaeis upon the enemy. 
 
 18, 19. Tile (ilacis, a hank of L-artli siopintr frradually outwards until it meets 
 tlio natural surfaee of the ground. It must be cai'i'icd out far enough to enablo 
 iho musketeers statiunetl behind the I'araiu t (>, 7, to sweep its slo[(injj; suifaee 
 with theii' lirr. 
 
 19, '2i). The natural surfaee of the ground beyond the Glaeis, gmei'ally on a 
 level, as shown by the doited lino 1, liO, with the base of the Rampart. 
 
 If you refer to tlio 'Plan of the Town and Fortification.s of 
 Loui.shoiirg/ at pai:;c \^.'), and the tiible of reference.s annexed, 
 you will ol)servc that there were two bastions and two demi- 
 bastions on the south-west or land front of the fortress, armed 
 with heavy guns, and a eireular battery of sixteen 2-i -pounders 
 connnandiui^- the West (Jatc. Also two bastions on the eastei'u 
 front, fiU'ing Point lloehefort, and another on the gravel beaeh, 
 faeinsj the harbour. 
 
 The north front of the toAvn, fiu^ing the harbour, was defended 
 by a strong wall of masonry, with parapet and lianquette for 
 musketeers, extending from the liatterie de la Greve to the 
 West Gate, pierced by five gates leading I'rom the town to the 
 wharves. 
 
 The only portions of the circuit of the town unprotected 
 by strong and permanent defensive works, were two intervals 
 of about two hundred yards each between the Piincess and 
 liourillon Bastions, and the jNTaurepas and De la Greve liustioris. 
 The first of these intervals was enclosed by a pallisading and 
 ditch, and protected from assault by the shallow water and rocky 
 shoals lying between Point Kochefort and Jilack Point. The 
 second was occujiied by a deej) pond, crossed by a temporary 
 wooden bridge, which could easily be removed when required. 
 Jjoth of these spaces being covered by the collateral fire of the 
 Hanks of the adjoining bastions, no other defensive works were 
 deemed necessarv. 
 
THE CITADEL. 183 
 
 The principal entianee to the town was throiip;h the \V est 
 (late, over a (Irawhridjjjc covered by the guns of the Circuhiv 
 and Dauplihi IJatturies. Access from the hind side also was 
 obtained by means of temporary bridg'cs across the ditdi, for 
 the use of the garrison in making sorties during a siege ; at 
 other times they were open for the use of the inhabitants 
 generally. 
 
 All the authorities I have consulted agree that in the circuit 
 of the walls tliere were embrasures for 148 guns, but they 
 diil'er wiilely res[)ecting the number of guns actually mounted, 
 gome saying there were only sixty, others more than a hundred. 
 As seventy-six fell into the hands of the victors, and some must 
 liavc been Ijurst or destroyed by the encniy's fire, we may rea- 
 sonably conclude that the armamont of the fortress at the com- 
 nu'ncement of the siege exceeded eighty guns, exclusive of 
 tluiso in the Grand and Island IJattcries.' 
 
 The most conspicuous object within the walls was a stone 
 building called the Citadel, standing in the gorge of the Kin<>*'s 
 l);isti()n, with a moat next the town. It was })rovided Avith a 
 glacis and covered way, and a parajiet for musketeers, but had 
 no artillery. The entrance from the town to the Citiidel was 
 over a drawbridge, with a guardhouse on one side and advanced 
 sentinels on the other. Within the Citadel were apartments 
 for the governor, barracks for the garrison, an arsenal, and a 
 chapel which served as the parish church. There was also 
 under the platform, or terre pleine, a magazine well furnished 
 at all times with military stores. The other jjublic buildings 
 within the walls were a general storehouse, an ordnance 
 storehouse, an arsenal, and ])owder magazine. The nunnery 
 and hospital of St. Jean de Dieu were situated in the centre of 
 the city. The latter, which had a church belonging to it, was 
 an elegant and s[)acious structure, built entirely with stone. 
 
 The town was well laid out in wide regular streets, crossing 
 each other at right angles, six running in an east and west, 
 
 ' Cuptdin Towry, of II.M.S. ' Sliori'ham ' — the gniinlship at Canecaii in 173") — 
 reported to the Lords Coiumissioiiers of Tra(h', that ho found at Louishourg 48 jiuns 
 at tile (irand battery, "JCi on the Ishmd, LH at the Daiijihin and 10 at tlic Queen'a 
 I'a-iiuas, and (> on the Key — in all 118. — Fro, a Ducuiuoits in Itcvurd Olfice. 
 
iHi CAPE BRETON. 
 
 and seven in a nortli and south direction. Some of the houses 
 were -wliolly of brick or stone, but generally they Avere of 
 wood u\)im stone foundations. 
 
 Louisbouri!:, as I have endeavoured to describe it, had 
 betAveen the years 1720 and 1745 cost the French nation the 
 enormous sum of 3(),0()0,0()() livres, or 1,200,000/. sterling; 
 nevertheless, as Dussieux ' informs us, the fortifications were 
 still unfinished, and likely to i-emain so, because the cost had 
 far exceeded the estimates ; and it Avas found such a large 
 garrison Avould be required for their defence, that the Govern- 
 ment had abandoned the idea of completing them according 
 to the original design. 
 
 The Plan of the ToAvn and Fortifications of Louisbourg, on 
 the annexed page, reduced to a smaller scale from one pre- 
 pared by Lieutenant-Colonel Gridley, Avho commanded the 
 train of artillery at the siege in 1745, aaIII, with the foUoAving 
 references, I hope give yon a correct idea of the position of 
 the several Avorks mentioned in the preceding pages : — 
 
 ' Lc Caiiddd liuii.s Id Jhmiiativn fraiH'(ii.ie (.^c. Fnvia: ISoo. 
 
PLAN ()]■' LoriSIJOUlUJ. 18o 
 
 I?ifi'iriir('s (li Pliiii. 
 
 A. Daiipliin llisMou niiil ('ircul.ir IiMttci'v. 
 
 I!. Ki; fr's B;i9 ion and Ciiailil. 
 
 c. Qurcn's I'astion. 
 
 I). I'i'inccss'.s Rastioii. 
 
 i;. I'onrillon I'a-ti )n. 
 
 V. Maurojia- Iiast'iMi. 
 
 0. Bat'tTio lit' la (Irrvc. 
 
 1, 1, 1. ], \-.-. TIic (Ua.'is. 
 
 2. 2, 2, 2, \-t'. '\'\\v Cuvrrcd Way. 
 
 3. 3, &i>. Travirses. 
 
 4, I, &('. Th.' Ditch. 
 
 5, ."), &(\ Tlu' I'araiM't. 
 
 f). 0, &t'. Tlu! Ramparts, ami 7, 7, tli^ ir Slop.s. 
 
 8, 8, (S:e. I'laecs of Arms. 
 
 9, 9, &(>. Casemates. 
 
 10, 10, &o. (luanl Jlniisi's. 
 
 11, 11, &c. Wooden IJridgos. \ 
 ?2. The Oovernor's Apartments. 
 13. The Ciiapel or Parish Chnivli. 
 11. IJarracks for Garrison. 
 
 l.j. The Powder ]\I;igazine. 
 
 Ifi. Fort itieat inn Honse. 
 
 17- .\rsenal and 15akeliouso. 
 
 18, Ordnance, and 19, (ii'neral Sinrehnv.so, 
 
 20. AVest (iate ; 21, Queen's: and 22, Kasf Gate. 
 
 23, 23, (Sec. (iates in Qniiy Curtain. /', '<. f>. 
 
 2t. The Parade. 
 
 25. Tile Nnnmrv. 
 
 2t>. 'I'he IJDspit.il an<l Church. 
 
 <', It. I'aliisadin^r. w'th Ivampart for Small .\rms. 
 
 c, c. c. Piei|iut raised durintr the Siejie of 17l."», 
 
18G CAPE BRETON. 
 
 LETTER XII. 
 
 174-4-174.3. J 
 
 Tin: trinu[uillity Avliich tlic colonies had ciijoyod ovor since 
 tlic Treaty ot" I'trcclit was unliaj)[)iiy terminated in 17Y4 by 
 tlie war lictwecn l^nuland and France, hrouu'lit on l)y the in- 
 terincihlh'no; of I'^nuland in the alHiirs of the Continent. Irri- 
 tated hy this interl'erence, the French ( Joverninent esj)onse(l 
 the canse of C'liarh's Edward, the son of the Pretender, and 
 ])rojected an invasion of Enuland for the pnrjiose of ])lacin<^ 
 him on tlie tliron(>. Fifteen thonsand men were collected at 
 l)nid\irk, and a fleet of twenty ships of the line was sent to 
 condnct them to the shores of England. 
 
 Frustrated in this ohjcct I)y the a))poarancc of a sni)erior 
 ft)rce under .Vdniiral Sir .John \orris, the project (»f in\asiou 
 was for the jirescnt ahandoncd, and war declared at;ainst 
 En<):lan(l on March \5, 1744. EiiLiland declared war on 
 April 10, hut, thoULih the nitelli!j,'cM)ce oi' this e\c'nt did not 
 reach Uoston until .lunc 2, the colonies were not wholly un- 
 ])repared for it, as they had hcen infornu'<l in the [)rccedin_i]f 
 Octolier that there was every probability of a speedy rupture 
 Avith Fraiu'c. 
 
 Tile I'^rench Government showed more alacrity in appi'isin<jj 
 their colonics of the declaration of war, haxinu; des|)atched a 
 fast-sail in_<jj vessel to Louisbour<^ for that ]»in"pi«se, which 
 arrived there about the middle of .Vpril. The (iovernor. M. 
 Duquesnal, lost no time in tnrninii' this early inforniation to 
 account. Aware ol'lhe weakness of the pinisons of C'anceau 
 and Annapolis, which could baiclv nuistcr cii-htv nuMi each, 
 lie innncdiately decided ujton liltiuii; out an exjicdition to 
 retUu'e both places before any aid could be sent from llostoii. 
 
DUVIVIEE CAPTUKES CANCEAU. 187 
 
 Accordiiiiily, several small vessels, carryiniT 70 soldiers and 
 .')()() militia, imder the command oi" M. Duvivicr, Aide-Major 
 of" Loiiisliouro-, were dcs}iatchcd to Canceau, where they were 
 joined l)v 300 Indians. 
 
 ^Vs the little i^arrison, which had no defences excej)t a 
 wretched blockhonse bnilt hy th^i fishermen, conld ofl'er no 
 resistance to such a su])erior force with the slightest hopes of 
 success, the commandant, Captain Heron, capitulated on 
 ^lay 1.3, upon condititni that the ladies of the ofHcers should 
 have ld)erty to jxo where they chose, and that the troops and 
 inhahitants should he conveyed eitiiei" to KnoJand or An- 
 napolis within the s|)ace of twelve months. The town of 
 Canceau and the hlockiiouse were burnt, and the prisoners 
 caiM'ied <»if in trinmjdi to Lotiisboui'u;, where they remained 
 until the autunni, when, at their own recpiest, they were sent 
 to IJoston. 
 
 Having thus easily cai)tured Canceau, Duvivier ])rocceded 
 to execute the more difficult task of reducing .Viuujpolis. Tlie 
 Indians of Ca[)e Sable and the St. tlohn's river, agreeably 
 to instructions sent from Louisbourg to the missionary ]\I. 
 Loutre, were collected for the pui-pose of uniting with Duvi- 
 vier's forces on their arrival at Annajiolis; but owing to soinc 
 unaccountable delay, for which I)uvi\ier was much blamed by 
 his Ciovernnient, his f»)rces did not reach Ainnipolis at the 
 time agreed upon. Meanwhile Louti-c, with his iJOO savages, 
 ai)pt'ared be lure the town, t(» tlie surprise ami dismay of the in- 
 habitants, who had received no intelligence of the war. Louti'o 
 atlvised the (io\ernor, Mascareiu', to surrender the fnrt, in- 
 forming him that !i large force was on the way from Louisbourg 
 to join him. ]\Iascar(Mie, however, had no iilca of surri'udi'ring 
 the post committed to his charge v. ithout a struggle. He im- 
 mediately sent off a messenger to Boston to ask I'or aid, and 
 began to repaii' the weakt'st i»oints of his defences. 'I'he 
 In(fians made several attempts to gain j)ossessiou of the fbrt, 
 but beiu"- foile<! by the <j;alhuit little iiarrison, retired to Minas 
 to await the arrival of Duvivier. Loutre and his Indians had 
 si'arcelv K'ft wIumi Duvivier arrivi'd by another route at 
 Aimapolis, with sixty soldiers, .-cveial bundled militia, and a 
 
188 CAPE nUETON. 
 
 number of Iiidiaiis. Fortuimtely, ho was too late, for tlio 
 (jrovcnior of Ma.s.saeliusctts, aware of the (lefencele.-=s state of 
 Annapolis, had sent a reinforcement from IJoston, which 
 arrived just in time to enable ^fasearenc to successfully rej)el 
 the repeated attacks of Duvivier. This officer, who Avas a 
 descendant of Etieinic do hi Tour, one of the fiist Seigneurs 
 of Acadic, fully exjx'cted that when he appeared amongst them 
 all the French iidial)itaiits woidd rise in revolt and flock to 
 his standard ; but the Acadians had now lived so long in 
 tran([uillity under the mild and judicious sway of the Kuglish 
 Governors, that they had no desire for change, and i-cnniined 
 (piiet on their farms. Finding that the Acadians would not 
 join him, and that the ships of war expected from Louisbourg 
 liad not made their aiipearance, Duvivier retired by way of 
 Minas to ]»ay Verte, from whence, having sent the troops to 
 Louisbourg, lie ])roeeeded to (Quebec. 
 
 If Duvivier had made a rapid nnirch upon Anna[)olis and 
 arrived there before Loutre and his Indians retired, nothinii 
 could have saved the place. Altogether the enterprise was 
 badly conducted. The arrangements were defective, or else 
 there w.as some gross neglect on the ])arr of the officers em- 
 ployed to carry them out, for scarcely had Duvivier turned his 
 back upon Annapolis, when the two ships expected from 
 Louisbourg arrived off the harbour, with a number of soldiers 
 on board. They captured two vessels from Boston, laden with 
 stores for the garrison, but the counnanders, learning that 
 Duvivier had left, and that the garrison had been reinforced, 
 wisely followed his exami)le aiul returned to Louisbourg. 
 
 A naval force sent by Duquesnal to attack IMacentia, inider 
 the connnand of INF. de Brotz, met with no better success. 
 Disa])pointed in his hopes, De lirotz, who connnanded a priva- 
 teer of sixteen guns, called the ' Labrador,'' directed his course 
 towards the coast of New Lngland, in the expectation of taking 
 some valuable prizes. lie was again doomed to disappoint- 
 
 ' J)<' lirntz'.- ship Wits liiiilt in iiiiil lumit'd at'tor tlu' liiiliriulor Liiki-. wliicli 
 I'onjjlas, ill ][\ii Siiiiititari/. culls 'a(iut in 1'ji|h' IJroton.' Scvoral Irish soldiers 
 who had dcsi-rtrd from ("anci'aii wirt' nn hoard iht l/ahrador' whiii shi was 
 '■apiur(?d. 
 
SCHKJIF, roil THK CONQUEST OF NOVA SCOTIA. 180 
 
 DU'iit, for lu' was himself taken by Captain Sj)ry of the Ixnnl) 
 ship ' Comet.' 
 
 Douji'las says he was iiiformed by the Mai'([uis de la Maison- 
 forte, that the French conrt, eonsideiing the weak and mnti- 
 nons state of the oarrison at Louisbonrj^, sent (uit exjjress 
 instrnetions to l)n([iiesnal not to attem[)t any expedition whieli 
 niiiiht alarm the popidons nei<^'hbourini!; colonies; bnt Ulloa, 
 who was there soon afier the sie<>e, as I have alreadv tohl von 
 (p. 174), says that ' one of the most considerable inhabitants' 
 of Lonisbourii", who claimed a lar<j;e tract oi' land in Movii 
 Scotia, desirons of recoverinj^ such a vahial)le ])roj)erty, avail- 
 inj^ himself of the [)resent war, laid before the Ministry a 
 scheme ibr the conqnest of that conntry without any charge to 
 the Kins.':, askinii; only to be allowed the services of a body of 
 troops from the uarrison. The ^Ministry entered into ins 
 views; and a eonnnission was sent him for the exjiedition, 
 accompanied bv an order for fnrnishino; him with the number of 
 reunlars reqnii'ed.' 
 
 Tlie exjxnlitions fitted out to take Cancean and Annapolis, 
 whether with or withont the sanction of the French (rovern- 
 nient, nndoubtedlv hastened, if thev did not oriiiinate, the 
 attemj)t of the colonists to reduce Lonisbonri;-. Ulloa says 
 that if thev had not been undertaken, althon<>h I'^iii>]and and 
 France were at war, the hostilities in America minht never 
 Inive been carried beyond acts of prlvateeriiit«;, without any 
 ihon^iits of hiifher enteri)rises ; but this act ot' violence (the 
 destruction of Canceau) ' raised such a clamour not only 
 
 ' Tills, (if einirse, ■was M. Diivivier, tlic grpatffniuilMiu cf La Tcnir, wIid laid a 
 iiU'iiiDvlal liotoiv the l''i'ciR'li Govfi'imu'iit in I7ot», "ii tlu' saiii" Milijii'l, in wlili-ii 
 111' stated that he had several relatives in Nova Scot ia who had never taken llie 
 oath III' alleiiiaiie.' to the Kliiyj ot' l''n;riand ; that the luliaLllant- were entirely 
 devoted to liini : that he had r-ei'ret l_v arran^'ed the means of takiiiii the eoiiiitry 
 iVoni the l!nLrll>li on llie lirst iii>tant of a rniitiu'e; and that lie conld reekcjii on 
 the /ieal of tlie lnhaliitaiit> and of the (greater [larl tif the sa\a;:('s. lie added, that 
 \iiili 10(1 men iHily iVoin the {iarrison of Loni^llonr^. and a eertain ((naiitliyof 
 arms and ammunition to di>triljute to the inh.;hll:int>, he wonld pie le;e liis In ad 
 to make t!ie eoiii|nest, of thai j.aiM of North America, eominisinu' tlie tort of Caneeae, 
 wliei'e the lMi;j,li-'h eari'ieil Oil a vi'i'v j^reat lisherv, to the> i.rejndiie of the eohiny of 
 l^le Koyale~-S.e TiMnslalion of the i^Ieinoir in 'S\\Wih\A\'^ Itisdiri/ of y<,i'it Sen/id, 
 from wliieh I havr made iliN i xtraet. 
 
190 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 ninonti'st the sufFtM-cr.s but tliroiiirli all Acadir, that tho Govonior 
 and principal ])0()plc of New I'^nuland became alarni('(l, and 
 l)ej[>an to consider tlieir own Aveliare in danu;er. Accordingly, 
 tliey hold consultations on the means of pi'evcntin<f further 
 niisrhief, and of taking; satisfaction for the late insult; they 
 with reason apju'ehendod that the French nuist carry all before 
 them in a country like theii's, every way oj)en, without for- 
 tresses oi' tr()o|)s ; and they imagined that the French, iVom 
 the facility of its execution, had really iormed such a desii>;n ; 
 and that the first success, so easily obtained, would naturally 
 animate that ambitious nation to greater enter[>rises.' Tho 
 l^nnlish colonists, as wc are told by a later writer, ' had looked 
 with awe upon the sombre walls of Louisbourg, whose towers 
 rose like giants above the northern seas.'' They now began 
 to feel tho strenu'th of tho iiiants. Aiuiapolis had indeed 
 escaped, but Canceau, a place of great imj)ortan'C'o, had fallen 
 into tho hands of tho enemy. Their fisheries on tho coast 
 of Nova Scotia had been ruined, their comnnuiication Avith 
 Xewfoundland cut off, and their ships ca])turod by priva- 
 te(>rs at tho very mouths of their own ports. Tho merchants 
 of Louisbourn' were not slow in availin<>; themselves of their 
 ]M)sition for fitting out ])rivateers ; even M. liigot, the In- 
 tondant, who never lost sight of his own interests, was the 
 owner of several vessels of this description. It was at this 
 time that Louisbonrg, from its admirable situation for their 
 ]»urp(tses, was called by the privateers the ' Dunkirk of 
 America.' 
 
 The British colonists w^crc no d(nd)t alarmed at this state of 
 affairs; but they were neither discouraged nor intimidated. 
 Thoy])rovod tliomselves equal to tho emergency. The French 
 had indeed stolen a march upon them by the p()sscssit)n of 
 earlier intelligence of tho war; but tho colonists, confident in 
 tln'ir own strength and resources, wore in no wise disheartened. 
 Troops wore raised for guai'ding the frontiers towards Canada, 
 and for garrisoning the i'orts on the seaboard ; reinforcements 
 were sent to Nova Scotia, A\hich, as we have soon, secured the 
 capital of that province ; and war was dc(darod against the 
 
 '//' Cii inula. 
 
THE COLONISTS PUT THEIR DEFENCES IN ORDER. 191 
 
 Indians east of Passaniaquoddy, who had taken an active part 
 in tlic recent hostilities. INIeanwhile, the coh>nists were not 
 satisfied with merely ])nttin<^ their defences in order. As it 
 was well known that France was makiniif f'oi-niidahle ])rei>ara- 
 tions for Avar, and that Louisl)onr«>; woidd of course he the base 
 of all operations directed against the colonies,' it was the gene- 
 ral opinion of the leadinij^ men of IJoston that the security of 
 their trade and naviiialion could only he ensured by the reduc- 
 tion of that stronghold. 
 
 The i'easihiiity of taking Louishourtj; seems to have been 
 first mooted by Mr. Ivobert Auchnuity, fludi>;e of the Vice- 
 Admiralty Court of jSIassachusctts, in 1744. There is an 
 article, headed ' The Im})ortanceof Cape Breton to the British 
 Xation ' over his si<j;naturc, in the * Gentleman's Magazine' for 
 .Inly 174,j, in which the best mode of effecting it is fnlly dis- 
 cussed. '•^ As the accuracy of his statement does not appear to 
 have bceti disputed at the time, I think we may fairly conclude 
 that Auchnuity was the originator of the enterprise. Several 
 
 ' 'M. t)iivivi(>i- Mas sent to I'i'miu'o in tlir winter of 17 t l-lo to solicit a foroo to 
 conquer Nova Sc^otia. llr was cuniinii' out in July, 17 io- with scvcii siiips of war 
 for tliat j'ni'iiosL'. wliiii lu' captni'itl ii lirii.' liounil from I'xiston to l.oinlon, from 
 whii'h lie learned the c'on(]uefcjt of Louishourg, and consequently returned to i'"rauee. 
 
 • llavinix described the situation of the island, the great value (jf it^ fisheries, 
 and its importance to Franco as a nursery for her seamen, M. Auehniuly says 
 thai, if it wore taken hy luitilaml, the French would be obliged to abandon their 
 iisherie.s ; their communication with Canada would be cut off; Quebec must soon 
 fall into the hands of the Flnglish ; and the harbour of Louisbourg would beconn' 
 a safe retreat for I'ritish merchantnuu and ships of war. Fo recommends that 
 3,(101) men should bo raised in the colonics, ready to co-operato with six ships of 
 the line, and 12,(100 refitilar troops to be desp)atched tVom IJoston in time to anchor 
 in (iabarus l>ay by the middle of April, 1 74."), there to land and commence a ref^ular 
 Hiojro, &c. He says in conclusion, 'that the city has a fosse and bastinns regtdarly 
 disposed ; but both bastions and curtains are of masonry to the summit, which is 
 thirty-six feet above the field; the (jtuuns antl embrasures arc- of hewn stones, 
 cenn'Ute'd with mortar com['oscd of their own iime, which is very bad, ami salt- 
 water sand, incapable of standing the frost, insomuch tiuU e\ery winter there is 
 a repair almost e(jual to new. It is judged by the ci;r.noissenrs that the tire of 
 their own canium will shake down the works, and that tiny will not stand a battery. 
 If the rampart is taken, the Citadel, and four other batteries that command tlio 
 harboar, must yield; and, what facilitates the design, there arc no outworks, 
 glaci.s, and covert way.' 
 
102 TAPE mJKTON. 
 
 Avriters ' say tliat Mr. X'nujj-lian fir^t suixtiostod flio ijvactioa- 
 bility of takiiio; Louishoiiri; ; l)iit (Jeiicral Pcppcrroll, who was 
 probably well infornKMl ujxni the subject, and a warm iViciKl ol' 
 Vaii_!j;liairs, does not fjo that lenj-ih; he says, ' ^Nlr. ^^'nl. 
 Van<fhan, a gentleman of Daniariscouta, bad the honour of 
 rrriri/tr/, at least, if not of having been the original mover or 
 projector of this grand and successful enterprise.'^ 
 
 At all events, whoever first projjosed the enterprise, William 
 Shirley, the Governor of Massachusetts, is alone entitled to 
 the credit of submitting it to the liritish JNlinistry and the 
 Legislature of his own ])rovince ; and of having, wduMi it was 
 decided u])on, devoted all his energy and influence to ensure 
 its successful accom[)lishment. The intelligence brought by 
 the Canceau jjrisoncrs, -b > were released in October, respect- 
 ing the strength of the fortifications and the nuitinoiis state of 
 the garrison, induced him to believe that the })lacc might be 
 taken early in the following spring, before succour could arrive 
 i'roin France. Soon after the j)risoners left Louisbourg, the 
 soldiers, who had naturally been greatly discontented at the 
 stoppage of the extra pay to which they were entitled for working 
 on the fortifications, broke out into open revolt. Having com- 
 
 ' liilknai^ says, • Win, Vauylinn, a son of tlic Lifut.-Govi'rnin- of New Hanipsliiro, 
 I. saiil to liavc licon llic iii'st who jiiMiiovcd the plan (jf t!iit> famous enterprise.' 
 JIo adds, liowi'Vcr, that several others elaini<Ml tiie merit. 
 
 '•* .'^(•e a little work liy liim, on 'J7/f I mpdiiinhc and AdranfiKjc af Cupv Brclon, 
 London : 1710. Siie'e the ahove was written, I tind !iy the Si w Yurk Doc-anients, 
 edited liy Dr. Callaj^rhan, that Lientenant-Oovernor Clarke, of the I'rovinee of New 
 York, was the first person tluit suirirt.sied the expediency of taking Cape Hrelon 
 before any attempt was maile to take Canada. In a letter addressed to the 
 Duke of Xeweastle sometime in 1743 (the exact time is not given), he says, 
 'Louisbourg is a place well fortified, and from whence the French can annoy our 
 fisheries at Newfoundland, ami guard their own navigation to and from Canada. 
 That place is such a thorn in the siiles of the New England people, that it is very 
 proljalik' that a large liody of men may be raised there to assist in any sucli 
 design, Anil if pn'oper otHcers are sent from I'^ngland in the slimmer to exercis(! 
 them, they may by the ensuing spring be well disciplined, as all their youth are 
 ex[iert in the use of firearms, from the unrestrained liberty of fowling which 
 obtains in all the Provinc(s; and I conceive the spring is the most proper season 
 to attack the place, before the men-of-war and fishing vessels come from France, 
 for in the winter they have few men except the garrison, and JJosion being a 
 pro[)er i)ort for onr fleet to harbour in the winter, we may block nji the harbour 
 of IJrelon before tlie shi))s fi'om I'Vancecan conic upon the coast.' 
 
SniRLET SKNDS -\ DERPATOH TO THE MINISTRY. 193 
 
 plained to tlicir officers without ol)tainin<T any redress, they 
 resolved to take the matter into their own hands. The Swiss 
 Companies first n;ave the si^-nal of revolt, and were soon joined 
 l>y the rest of the {garrison. They elected officers amon|j^st 
 themselves, seized the harracks, established guardhouses, an<l 
 j)laced sentinels over the magazines and storehouses. Unfor- 
 tunately, at this critical juncture the Governor Duquesnal 
 died, and was succee<led l»y Duchamhon, an officer of little 
 experience, and of very inferior ability. iM. liigot, the Inten- 
 dant, ])artlally succeeded in satisfying the soldiers; but it is 
 said they continued in this disaffected state all winter, and 
 were again in open revolt Avheu the English expedition arrived 
 in Galarus Bay.* 
 
 Convinced that there could not be a more favourable opi)or- 
 tunity than the ensuing spriilg for effecting the object which 
 he had taken up so warmly, Shirley sent a despatch to the 
 British Ministry, dated November 10, 1744, in which he stated 
 that Louisbourg had become the haunt of a number of 
 privateers which preyed on the commerce of the colonies ; and 
 that unless it were taken without delay the fishsrics would be 
 ruined, and Xova Scotia, with a population of many thousand 
 Acadians, would certainly once more fall into the hands of 
 France. lie then urged upon the ]Ministry the necessity of 
 sending out a naval force to co-operate with a body of troops 
 to be raised in the colonies. This despatch was sent by 
 Captain Ryal, an officer who had been taken prisoner at- 
 Canceau, and had been detained several months at Louis- 
 bourg, for the purpose of giving any information that might be 
 required by the Ministry respecting the fortifications. On the 
 receipt of this proposal, orders were sent to Commodore 
 Warren, then in the West Indies, to pi'oceed with his squadron 
 to Boston, to consult with Shirley and give all the aid in his 
 power in the enterprise. 
 
 Without waiting for an answer to his proposal from the 
 Home Government, Shirley early in January submitted his 
 project to the General Court, with a request that it should be 
 discussed under an oath of secrecy, lest its purport might get 
 
 ' Gamoau's Histoirc da Canada. 
 O 
 
VJl CAPF-; IIRKTON. 
 
 abroad and reach the ears «»r the enemy. For some days the 
 snhject was kept secret ; bnt a pions ohl deacon, one of tlic 
 members of the Lej^islatiire, havinj^ been lieard invokinj]^ tlic 
 favour of Heaven npoji the enterprise at his private devotions, 
 it soon became public and excite<l tlie astonishment of all by 
 its audaci.y. The fjuestion was fully discussed for several 
 <lays in. all its bearings. Hutchinson' has furnished us with a 
 smnniary of the arj^uments on both sides, from which 1 make 
 the following extracts: — 
 
 ' On on(! side it was arj^ued, that if Louisl)ourg were left 
 in the hands of the French, it would i)rovc the Dunkirk of 
 Ameilca; that as their lishery was not jtrofitable and their 
 trade inconsiderable, they nnght lay aside both trade and 
 fishery, and by privateering enrich themselves with the spoils 
 of Jsew JjUgland ; to these dangers was added that of losing 
 Nova Scotia, whicli would cause an increase of six or eight 
 thousand enemies in an instant. The garrison of Louisbourg 
 was disaft'ccted — provisions were scant — the Avorks moiddering 
 and decayed — the Governor an old man iniskillcd in the art of 
 war ; this, therefore, Avas the only time for success ; another 
 year the place would be impregnable. We had nothing to 
 fear from the forces at Louisbourg ; before additional strength 
 could arrive from France they would be forced to surrender. 
 We had. It nuist be owned, no ships of sufficient strength to 
 match the French men-of-war, unless, perhaps, a single ship 
 should fall in by herself, and in that case five or six of ours 
 might be a match for her ; but there was no probability of 
 men-of-war so early, and it was very probable English men-of- 
 Avar from Europe or the West Indies Avould arrive before 
 them. There Avas always uncertainty in Avar ; a risk must be 
 run ; if Ave failed, Ave should be able to grapple Avith the dis- 
 ai)pointmcnt, although Ave should have to bear the Avhole 
 expense ; but if avc succeeded, not only the coasts of Ncav 
 England Avould be free from molestation, but so glorious an 
 acquisition Avould be of the greatest importance to Great 
 Britani and might give ])eace to Europe, and avc t night dei)end 
 upon a reimbursement of the whole charge Ave had been at.' 
 
 ' In liis Hh-tori/ of AfassarhiM'/ts. 
 
EXTRACTS PROM HUTCHINSON. 195 
 
 On the other side it was rcplicil, * That wc li.ad better suffer 
 in our trade than hy so expensive a measure deprive ourselves 
 of tlie means of earryiii.^ on any future trade;— that we were 
 capable of annoying them in their fishery as much as they 
 could annoy us in ours, and in a short time both sides Avould 
 be willinnr to leave the fishery unmolested ; — that the accounts 
 given of the works and garrison of Louisbourg could not be 
 depended npon, and it was not credible that any part of the 
 walls should be unguarded and exposed to surprise; — that 
 instances of disaffection rising to mutiny were rare, and but 
 fcAV instances were to be met with in history where such 
 expectation has not failed. — The garris' n at Louisbourg con- 
 sisted of regular experienced troo[)s, Avho, though unecpial in 
 number, would be more than a match in open field fur all the 
 raw unexperienced militia which could be sent from New 
 England ; that twenty cruisers at that season of the year 
 could not prevent supplies going into the harbour, it being 
 impossible to keep any station for any length of time, and the 
 weather being frequently so thick, that a vessel was not to be 
 discovered at a quarter of a mile's distance ; — that there was no 
 room to expect any men-of-war for the cover of our troops ; — 
 that if only one sixty-gun ship should arrive from France or 
 the French islands, she would be more than a match for all 
 the armed vessels we could provide, our transports at Chapeau- 
 rouge Bay (Gubarus) would be every one destroyed, and the 
 army upon Cape Breton obliged to submit to the mercy of the 
 French ; that we should be condemned in England for 
 engaging in such an affair without their direction or approba- 
 tion, and we should be nowhere pitied, our misfortunes pro- 
 ceeding from our own rash and wild measures. — To these 
 avguments were added the uncertainty of raising a sufficient 
 number of men, or of being able to procure provisions, warlike 
 stores and transports, and discouragement from the season of 
 the year, when frequently for many days together no business 
 could be done out of doors. Money, indeed, could be fur- 
 nished, or bills of credit in lieu of it, but the infallible con- 
 sequence would be the sinking the value of the whole currency 
 to what degree no man could determine, but probably in pro- 
 
 o 2 
 
196 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 portion to the sum issued. — And, finally, if we should succeed, 
 a general national benefit would be the conseciuencc, in Avhich 
 we should be but small sharers and far short of the vast 
 expense of treasure, and perhaps of lives, in obtaining it ; and 
 if we failed, such a shock would be given to the province that 
 lialf a century would not recover to us our present state.' 
 
 As the op[)onents of the Governor's proposals had evidently 
 the strongest arguments on their side, it is not surprising that, 
 after several days' deliberation, the committee brought in an 
 adverse report, which was accepted by the members of the 
 Court. For a time all thoughts of the expedition were given 
 
 up- 
 
 Notwithstanding this decision, Shirley did not give up the 
 
 enterprise on which he had set his heart. lie did not press 
 the matter on the attention of the Court by further message, 
 or by privately urging the members to change their views, but 
 lie encouraged his friends to carry about a petition signed by 
 some of the leading merchants of Boston, Salem, and jNIarble- 
 liead, addressed to the members of the Legislature, praying, for 
 various reasons set forth, amono; others the saving of the 
 fishery from ruin, that they would reconsider their vote, and 
 agree to the (Jovernor's pr()})osal of an expedition against 
 Loulsbourg. * A second committee, appointed upon this peti- 
 tion, reported in favour of it, and on the 2Gth .January their 
 report came before the House, who spent the day in deliberating 
 it, and at night a vote was carried in favour of it by a majority 
 of one voice only. Never was any affair delibei'Jited upon 
 with greater calnmess and moderation ; the Governor, indeed, 
 laid the affair before the Court, but left the members free to 
 act according to their judgment, without any solicitation, and 
 there appeared no other division than what was caused ])y a 
 real difference in opinion on the true interest of the pro- 
 vince.' ' 
 
 No so(mer, however, was this decijiion made, than all partioi-:, 
 including even those who had most strenuously opposed it, like 
 true [)atriots united heartily to carry it into effect. Circulars 
 were sent to the governors of all the provinces, requesting their 
 
 ' Hutoliinson, 
 
 ■ft 
 
CAPTAIN TTNG MADE COMMODORE. 197 
 
 co-operation with Massachusetts in raising a force of 4,000 
 men, which, it was estimated, would be sufficient to ensure 
 success. Massachusetts, which then inckided the present State 
 of Maine, agreed to raise 3,250 men ; New Hampshire 300 ; 
 Rhode Island 300 ; and Connecticut 500. Ten eighteen- 
 pounder guns were furnished by Ncav York, and a supply of 
 provisions by Pennsylvania. As each of the provinces at that 
 time had one or more armed vessels, a naval force of fourteen 
 vessels, carrying altogether about 200 guns, was equipped as 
 cruisers. Captain Edward Tyng, who commanded a small 
 frigate of twenty guns, was made commodore of the little fleet. 
 Instead of a commissary-general appointed by the Governor, a 
 committee was chosen comj)osed of members of the Legislature. 
 This committee was authorised to enter the vv^arehouses and 
 cellars of the merchants, to take any provisions, clothing, or 
 warlike stores they could find, at what; they deemed a fair 
 valuation. The next point was to select a commander of the 
 expedition. As there were no officers in Xew England who had 
 had any experience in actual warfare except with the Indians, 
 this was a difficult task. Shirley was Avell aware that skir- 
 mishing with savages was a verv different matter from bcsiep;ing 
 a strong fortress defended by disciplined troops; but as he had 
 no alternative, ho was obliged to select a conunander from 
 amongst the militia officers of the province. His choice fell, 
 fortunately, as the result proved, upon AVilliam Pepperrell, a 
 cohmel of militia, residing at Kittery Point on the Piscataqua. 
 Colonel Pepperrell was extensively engaged in the fisheries 
 and other mercantile pursuits, in which he had acquired great 
 wealth. lie had held many important offices in his province, 
 amonsfst others that of President of the Council— the highest 
 office in the gift of the people — and was deservedly popular 
 with all classes of his countrymen. Although Pei)perreU had 
 seen no service, he was from education and habits better fitted 
 than any other militia officer fi)r the responsible situation now 
 conferred upon him. Born in IGOO, when the Indian war was 
 raging, which continued until 1713, with an interval of only 
 four years' peace, young Pepperrell must from his childhooi 
 have become familiarised wiih the details of the atrocities per- 
 
198 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 pctratcil Uy tlic relentless savages in his own neiglil)oiirh«>(»(l. 
 In those unhapjty times, when every man was from necessity a 
 soldier ; when sentinels stood at the church doors whilst those 
 within jtrayed with their hands resting on their firelocks ; when 
 the militia were paraded for daily drill ; when every one had 
 to take his share in Avatch and ward ; and when he himself, at 
 the early age of sixteen, had been called upon to perform patrol 
 duty, it is not surprising that he then became cmbued with that 
 military spirit which so eminently fitted him for the arduous 
 task imposed upon him by his countrymen. Although now in 
 his 41)th year, called away from his extensive business and 
 domestic comforts, he shrank not from the duty, but cheerfully 
 undertook the responsible office of chief of an expedition 
 where success was doubtful, the danger certain.' 
 
 As soon as it became known that Colonel Pcpperrell was 
 a])pointed commander of the expedition, Avith the rank of lieu- 
 teinint-general, volunteers, especially from his own province, 
 ottered their services with alacrity. In the short space of 
 eight weeks the whole of the trooi)s required were raised and 
 ecpiipped. The land force 'was composed of fishermen, who 
 in time of war could no longer use the hook and line on the 
 Ciraiul JJank, but Avith prudent Ibrethought took Avith them 
 their codlincs ; of mechanics, skilled I'rom childhood in the use 
 of the gun; of lumberers, enured to i'atigue and encamiunents 
 in the Avoods ; of husl^andmen f'-om the interior, Avho hjid 
 groA^n u[) Avlth arms in their hands, accustomed t() danger, 
 keenest marksnu'n, disciplined i/i the ])ursuit of larger and 
 smaller game, a'l connnanded by olficers from among them- 
 selves, many of them church members, almost all having 
 Avives aiul children.' * 
 
 Kiglit regiments, comprising 1^,2'A) men, commanded by 
 Colonels liradstreet,'' Waldo, Dwlght, ]\Ioulton,' Willard, 
 
 ' 77/t' Life of Sir WilUum P i>jerii/f Hurt. Wy Usher I'arsoiis. IJostou : 
 
 l.S.')(i. 
 
 ■•' Wtwwvoft's HiKiort/ of ihc UHif(<f Stnhs, 
 
 " Al'icr tlu- sii'gi' of Loiiisl»uiii'|_', Culoiu'l I'ljulstrci't wns npiioinlcd Governor of 
 
 NrWf'iilMl'llaiul. 
 
 * Ciilniicl Mdiiltiin Wii.s .sicuuil ill loiiiiu; ml iu tln' aUack on NoiTulyuovk, when 
 I'.illar Kallc \va- kiUid 
 
GEORGE WHITEFIELD'S MOTTO. 191) 
 
 Ilalc, Richmond, and (rorhain, were raised in ^lassachnsetts ; 
 one regiment of 300 men in New Hampshire, commanded hy 
 Colonel Moore ; and one of 500 men in Connecticut, hy 
 Colonel Burr. Colonel Wolcott of New Hampshire acted as 
 Major-General, and Colonel Waldo of jNIassachusctts as Briga- 
 dier-Genc'al. Tlie artillery was commanded hy Colonel Grid- 
 ley.' Mr. Vanghan of New Hampshire, who had taken a very 
 active part in promoting the expedition, accompanied General 
 Pcppcrrcll as Lieutenant-Colonel unattached. The whole 
 force, conf^isting of 4,300 troops, including officers, was em- 
 harked in ninety transports collected in Nantasket lioads, 
 where they were joined hy all the armed vessels except two or 
 three which had been sent in the middle of March to cruise off 
 Louisljourg. The Rhode Island force, of 300 men, did not 
 reach Louisbourg until the siege was over. 
 
 Before the expedition sailed, a day of fast and prayer was 
 held throughout the province to invoke the blessing of Heaven 
 upon the enterprise. The well-known itinerant preacher, 
 George Whitefiold, who was then on his third tour throuy-h the 
 colonies, ' gave his influence in favor of the expedition by 
 suggesting, as a motto for the flag of the New Hampshire 
 regiment, " i\7/ dcsjirrandiitn, Christo thtrr.''' The enterj)rise, 
 under such auspices, assumed something of the character of an 
 anti-Catholic crusade. One of the chaplains, a dlscii)le of 
 A\'hiteficl(l, carried a hatchet, specially provided to hew down 
 the Iniaixcs in the French churches.'^ 
 
 (Jovernor Shirley's idea of the best jilan of completing the 
 great enterprise he ha«l so siu'cessfully begini was so (Quixotic, 
 tiiat I cannot resist the temptation of giving you at h'ligth 
 Hclknap's abstract of his (Shirley's) instructions to General 
 Pepperrell. 
 
 ' He was to proceed to Canceau, there to build a blockhouse 
 and battery, and leave two companies In garrison, and tt» 
 deposit the stores which might not be imnu'dlately wanted by 
 the army. Thence he was t») send a detaclunent to the village 
 
 ' Colom 1 (ii'iillcy \vii> iit'lorwanl- t'lipuged in \\w iv\ olutionary army at, th<> 
 cli'liriiiitl l.aitic of IJuiikcr'h Hill. 
 
200 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 of St. Peter's in tlic island of Cape Hreton, and destroy it, to 
 prevent any intelligence which might be carried to Loiiishourg ; 
 for which pur[)()se also the armed vessels were to cruise before 
 the harbour. The whole fleet was to sail from Canceau, so as 
 to arrive in C'hapcau Rouge Bay about nine o'clock in the 
 evening. The troops were to land iu four divisions, and to 
 proceed to the assault before morning. If the plan for the 
 sur})risal should fail, he had particular directiims where and 
 liow to land, march, encamp, attack and defend, to hold 
 councils and kee}) records, and to send intelligence to Boston 
 by certain vessels retained for the purpose, which vessels were 
 to stop at Castle AVilliam, and there receive the Governor's 
 orders. Heverai Khev vessels were ai)pointed to cruise between 
 Canceau and tijc camp, to convey orders, transport stores, and 
 (•(iteh Jish for the army. To close these instructions, after the 
 most jninute detail of duty, the General was finally ' left to 
 act upon unforeseen emergencies according to his discretion;' 
 which, in the o[)inion of military gentlemen, is accounted the 
 most rational part of the whole. Such was the plan for the 
 reduction of a regularly constructed fortress, drawn by a 
 lawyer, to be executed by a merchant, at the head of a body 
 of husbandmen and mechanics — animated indeed by ardent 
 patriotism, but destitute of j>rofcssional skill and experience. 
 After they had embarked, the hearts of many began to fail. 
 tSome repented that they had voted for the expedition or 
 promoted it ; and the m(»st thoughtful were in the greatest 
 perplexity.' ' 
 
 If there had been any desire on the part of the leaders of the 
 ex})edition to draw back, the intelligence I'eceived by Shirley, 
 just on the eve of their sailing, would have afforded an ample 
 excuse. It was fully exi)ected by all that Conunodorc Warren, 
 to whom Shirley had sent an ex[)ress boat as soon as the enter- 
 j»rise was sanctioned by the Legislature, would have brought 
 lip his s(|uadron from the West Indies to accom])any them to 
 Louisbourg; but Warren having called a council of his t»fficers, 
 it was agreed that it would not be advisable to comply with 
 ' Dtlkiuii) '■'? IL.-U'ii/ "/ Sue ILiiiqiiilnn. 
 
THE MASSACHUSETTS TROOPS ARRIVE AT CANCEAU. 201 
 
 Sliirlcy's request without orders from the Admiralty. Warren's 
 answer of course caused lijreat disai)])ointment; l)ut it was 
 determined to proceed at all hazards, and lest the men might 
 be disheartened by such unwelcome news, it was kept secret 
 from all except Generals Pej)perrell and Wolcott. 
 
 The Massachusetts troops arrived at Canceau, the place of 
 rendezvous, ou April 1, and the Connecticut on the lOtli. 
 The New Hampshire arrived there about March 26. Here 
 they were joined by the cruisers which had been despatched in 
 the middle of March, which reported that the southern coast 
 of Cape Breton was blocked up by drift-ice, and that it was 
 im})ossible to effect a landing anywhere near Louisbourg. 
 This delay afFt)rded PepperreJl an opportunity of drilling his 
 troops at Canceau, and of erecting a blockhouse armed with 
 eight guns, for the defence of the place. The armed vessels 
 were employed in cruising off Louisbcmrg, on the look-out for 
 vessels from France, Avhich generally arrived early in the 
 spring. Early in April a large brig from ^lartiniquc, laden 
 with nun and molasses, was captured off" Louisbourg ; and on 
 the 18th of the same month the frigate ' Renommce' of thirty- 
 six guns with despatches from France, kept up a running fight 
 for some time with the Massachusetts cruisers ; but being able 
 to outsail them, she escaped, after two or three vain attemi)ts 
 to find a passage through the ice into the harbour. Some 
 days previously, the same ship fell in wnth the Connecticut 
 troops under convoy of their own and the Rhode Island slooi)S, 
 all of M'hich she might have captured if so disposed ; but after 
 some damage to one of the sloops she bore away. Her object 
 was to get into Louisbourg as soon as possible; being })revented 
 by the ice and the Massachusetts cruisers, she returned to 
 France to report the alarming state of affairs on the coast of 
 Caj>c IJreton. 
 
 Whilst the expedition was detained at Canceau, Colonel 
 Moulton was sent with a detacluncnt to destroy the fort at 
 St. Peter's and disperse the inhabitants. This was easily 
 accomidished ; the settlement was plundered, four schooners 
 were burnt, and some prisoners taken. Another detachmeut. 
 
202 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 sent in .in armed vessel commanded by Captain Donaheu up 
 the Northumberland Straits, to intercej)t any vessels bringing 
 supplies from Bay Verte to Louisbourg Avas not so fortunate, 
 for in going through the Gut of Canceau, Captains tlacques 
 and Hammond, having landed with a part of the troops to 
 disperse a band of Indians on the shore, tlie first was killed 
 and the latter wounded. No vessels were met Avith on 
 their way to Bay Verte, Avhere they burnt some houses and 
 canoes. 
 
 On April 22, the troops at Canceau Avere gratified by the 
 arrival of the * Eltham,' of forty giu!.', Avhieh had been sent by 
 Governor Shirley from Piscataqua, >v'here she had gone to 
 convoy the mastships to England ; and still more so on the 
 following day, by the appearance of three ships of Avar in the 
 offing, Avhich proved to be Commodore AVarren's squadron from 
 the AV^est Indies. It seems that, uj)on receipt of Shirley's 
 despatches by Captain Ryal, and the information furnished by 
 that officer, the English Ministry, convinced of the im])ortance 
 of taking Louisbourg, at once sent out the sloop ' Hind,' Avith 
 instructions to Warren to proceed to lioston, for the jjurpose 
 of giving Shirley all the aid in his poAAcr in accomplishing that 
 object. In compliance Avith these instructions, Avhich did not 
 reach Warren at Antigua until the day after he had Avritten 
 to Shirley, he immediately started Avith his squadron for Boston, 
 in the hope of arriving there before the exi)edition sailed; but 
 learning from a vessel Avhich he met at sea that the fleet had 
 left for Canceau, he bore up for that port, and arrived in the 
 offing, as has been already related, on A])ril 2.'5, to the great 
 joy of Pejipcrrell and the army. As soon as Warren reached 
 Canceau, he sent a message on shore to announce his arrival, 
 with a proposal to proceed to Loui, bourg to blockade that port, 
 to Avhii'h Peppcrrell sent the foUoAving answer by Colonel 
 Bradstrcct:— ^ 
 
 'Canceau, 23d April 1745. 
 * Commodore Warren. 
 
 *Di;.\ii SiiJ, — I heartily congratulate you on your safe 
 ari'ival Avith your squadron, the atlvice of Avhich, by your 
 I'avour of thi.s day, gives me abunihuit i>leasure. 1 am conli- 
 
THE TROOPS SET RAIL FOR LOUISBOURG. 203 
 
 (lent that iiothinpj wliicli the strictest vigilance and prudence 
 can foresee, or bravery execute, will be wanting on your part, 
 and doubt not you will succeed in j)re venting the introduction 
 of provisions and suj)plies into Louisbourg, and that we shall 
 soon have the pleasure of meeting there. 
 
 * William PEPrEiiRELL.' 
 
 Warren had already requested Shirley, by letter written at 
 sea, to send on any of His ISFajesty's ships that might arrive at 
 Boston. lie now despatched a small vessel to bring up any 
 on the Newfoundland station, and then proceeded with the 
 * Superb,' of sixty, and the ' Launceston,' ' jNIermaid,' and 
 ' Eltham,' of forty guns each, to cruise before Louisbourg. 
 The southern coast of Cape Breton was still (April 23) blocked 
 up with drift-ice. This ice, as you are aware, comes down 
 from the Gulf of St. Lawrence every s^jring, and is generally 
 carried by the current to the eastward of Scatari, until it 
 reaches the Avarm waters of the Gulf Stream, where it is soon 
 dissolved ; but occasionally, if the wind happens to change to 
 the southward as it i)asscs Scatari, large fields of ice are di-ivcn 
 upon the coast, which block uj) Louisbourg harbour. This, 
 however, seldom occurs — perhaps not once in ten years. In 
 the present instance its occurrence i)roved of great service to 
 the expedition in two ways ; first, in affording Pej)perrell and 
 his officers time, during their detention at Canceau, to organise 
 and drill their undiscii)linod troops ; secondly, in preventing 
 succours getting into Louisbourg. 
 
 jNIost of the troo})s had been nearly a month at Canceau, 
 when intelligence was brought by one of the cruisers that a 
 north-west wind had driven oft' all the ice, and the coast was 
 now clear. Not a moment was lost. The troops, having em- 
 barked in the transp«)rts, set sail for Louisbourg on Sunday, 
 April 29, with a light fair wind, fully expecting to reach Louis- 
 bourg before night. As they neared Gabarus Bay, where the 
 disembarkation was proposed to be made, all eyes were eagerly 
 on the look-out for the first sight of the redoubtable fortress, 
 but the wind dying away, to the great disa]>pointment of all 
 it soon became evident that they could not reach their (.lestina- 
 
204- CAPE BRETON. 
 
 tion before the next morning. All hopes of effecting a landing 
 in the dark, and taking the place by surprise, as proposed by 
 Shirley, were now abandoned — that is, if any one in the expe- 
 dition had ever seriously entertained such an absurd notion. 
 Here we must for the present leave them, looking anxiously 
 for a fair wind on the morrow. 
 
2or> 
 
 LETTER XIII. 
 1745. 
 
 "Whilst the fleet lies becalmed almost within sijjht of the 
 ramparts, let us see what is pjoing on within the doomed for- 
 tress, and what prejiarations are making for the coming storm. 
 It does not ai)pear that the Governor of Louisbourg had the 
 slightest suspicion that the attacks on Canceau and Annapolis 
 in the preceding year would have aroued the colonists to a 
 sense of their danger, and induced them to undertake any 
 serious attempt to avenge these insults. The Viceroy of 
 Canada, however, seems to have been of a different opinion, 
 and had offered to send a reinforcement to Louisbouror in the 
 fall of 1744 ; but Duchambon, considering that there was no 
 occasion for such succour, declined the offer. * This,' says 
 Ulloa, ' was the f rst, and not the least, error to which his dis- 
 grace for the loss of Lcuisbourg may be imputed, as with the 
 succours offered he would have found himself at the head of a 
 body of men more than sufficient not only to defend himself 
 but to sally out and drive before them the raw and undis- 
 ciplined multitude which w.is come against him.' The provin- 
 cial cruisers had been seen passing and repassing Louisbourg ; 
 and some soldiers and axemen wintering in the woods near 
 Menadou, had reported that several suspicious-looking vessels 
 had been seen off that part ; but no attempt to gain informa- 
 tion concerning the character of these vessels was made until 
 Commodore Warren's squadron appeared in the offing, when 
 Duchambon, as he tells us in his Report addressed to the 
 IMinister of War, despatched a citizen and a soldier, with an 
 Indian to guide them through the woods to the Strait of Can- 
 
20G CAPE BRETON. 
 
 ceaii, ' to take prisoners,' but more likely to gain intclligenec. 
 lie adds, this party took four jn'isoners, who rose upon thorn 
 while asleep in the ni<>;ht. A lew j)rIsoners, both Frcnclnnen 
 and Indians, were taken in the woods near Canceau whilst the 
 expedition lay there, from Avhom Pej)perrcll obtained some in- 
 f(mnation concerniiiii; LouisbourjT- ; but it is not said whether 
 they belonged to the neighbourhood or were spies sent by 
 Duehambon. That no intolligcnce of the approaehing danger 
 should have reached Louisl)ourg Is most unaccountable, when 
 we consider that a fleet of 10'.) vessels had been at anchor for 
 more than three weeks at Canceau, within sight of the French 
 settlement of Nerica (Arichat) in Isle INIadame. It was at 
 first supposed that Warren's squadron were French ships 
 waiting for the ice to clear off to get into Louisbourg ; but 
 all doubts respecting their real character were dispelled on 
 April 27, when a large merchant ship got into that port, whose 
 captain reported that he had been chased by a squadron and 
 fired into. Even this information does not seem to have given 
 rise to much apprehension, as it is said * a grand ball was 
 given at the Citadel on the night before the expedition arrived 
 in Gal)arus Bay, and that the company had scarce been asleep 
 when they were called up by an alarm.' ' 
 
 There was, indeed, ample cause for alarm. The English 
 fleet, which we left becalmed on the evening of the 21)th, 
 favoured by a gentle breeze which sprang up in the night, was 
 pressing on towards its destination. The leading ships were 
 first descried from the ramparts of Louisbourg at early dawn 
 on April 30. Before sunrise the western horizon was covered 
 with a cloud of white canvas, every moment coming nearer 
 and nearer, like an eagle with outspread wings, to pounce 
 upon its prey. Before eight o'clock, the whole fleet was 
 safely at anchor in the scarcely rippled waters of the capa- 
 cious roadstead of Gabarus Bay, not more than a league 
 distant from Louisbourg. At the same time. Commodore 
 AVarren's ships made their ai)pearance in the offing. There 
 was indeed, I repeat, ample cause for alarm. ' Surrounded 
 by the enemy— all the ways for succour blocked up — besieged 
 
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LOUISBOTJRO EXHIBITS A SCENE OF CONFUSION. 207 
 
 in form with forces unequal to tlio defence of the place, and 
 without any prol)al)ilit7 of receivinpf a reinforcement from 
 Canada or from Europe,' ' Ducliaml)ou saw wliat a sad mis- 
 take ho had made in refusing the proffered succours of the 
 Viceroy. 
 
 As you may easily imanjine, Louisbourg presented a scene 
 of confusion and dismay. Bells were rung, and cannon fired, 
 to call in the people from the outskirts of the city and the 
 neighbouring settlements. The troops, Avhich had been in 
 open rebellion all winter, were hastily assembled and addressed 
 by the Governor. He appealed to their patriotic feelings, 
 pointing out that the arrival of the enemy now afforded them 
 a favourable opportunity of proving that they were good 
 Frenchmen, and of winning forgiveness of their past mis- 
 conduct. His harangue produced the desired effect. The 
 injustice they had suffered at the hands of their superiors was 
 forgotten. They acknowledged their fiiult and returned to 
 their duty, sacrificing their own resentments for the good of 
 their country. Their subsequent conduct proved the sincerity 
 of their professions, but, unfortunately, their officers distrusted 
 them, which, as will be seen, led to the most fatal results.'^ 
 Meanwhile, the transports had scarcely come to anchor when 
 preparations were made for an Immediate landing. The first 
 division of boats, filled with soldiers, proceeded towards White 
 Point, apparently with the intention of landing there, but in 
 reality for the purpos^^ of draAvIng off in that direction a body 
 of French troops which were coming to oppose them. This 
 ruse had the desired effect. At a given signal the boats 
 hastily returned towards Flat Point Cove, two miles further 
 up the bay, and being joined by another division concealed 
 behind the ships, pulled in for the shingle b^ach, where about 
 a hundred men effected a landing under cover of two armed 
 vessels, before the French detachment of 110 men, com- 
 manded by Cai)tain Morpang, a celebrated rover, could reach 
 the spot. The French troo[)s gallantly attacked the invaders, 
 but without the slightest chance of success, as the latter, rein- 
 forced by fresh arrivals, increased so fast In number that the 
 • Ulloa. * Garnoau. 
 
208 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 French were driven out of tlie woods, in wliicli they Avcrc 
 stationed, and compelled to retreat towards the city. In this 
 affair the French lost six men killed and several prisoners, 
 amongst the latter Captain INIorpang himself. On their re- 
 treat, they set fire to all the honses on their way likely to 
 afford cover to their pursuers. No further opposition was 
 offered to the disembarkation of the army, of which about one 
 lialf landed that day, and the remainder on the day fol- 
 lowing. Their first encampment was made between Flat 
 I*oint and White Point, so near to the town that the enemy's 
 shot sometimes fell into the camp, which compelled them to 
 move further off to get out of rauije of such troublesome 
 visitors. The camp was then pitched on the banks of a small 
 stream of fresh water discharging into Flat Point cove, in the 
 most favourable situation for landing stores and munitions of 
 war, and for communicating with the fleet. 
 
 Although the English troops had now obtainc ' a secure 
 footing on the enemy's soil, within half a league of Louis- 
 bourg, without the loss of a single man, any impartial observer 
 cognisant of the strength and respective positions of the rival 
 liosts would have had no hcsitaticm in in-onouncing the odds 
 entirely in favour of the besieged. On one side he would 
 have seen a strong fortress constructed upon the most ap- 
 proved system of that day, with an armament of more than a 
 hundred heavy guns and mortars, and two powerful outworks 
 of thirty guns each, manned by 750 veterans and l,o()0 
 militia ; on the other, 4,0()(), undiseii)llned militia or volun- 
 teers, officered by men who had, with one or two exceptions, 
 never seen a shot fired in anger all their lives, encamped in an 
 open country, with no other shelter or protection tluui such 
 sliixht earth-works as tliev could only construct durino; the 
 night, and sadly deficient in suitable artillery. Under those 
 circumstances the advantages were evidently on the side of the 
 French ; nevertheless, neither ofliicers nor men ever despaired 
 of success ; and their general, without waiting to secure his 
 camp by trenches or ])i('qucts, determined to avail himself of 
 the advantages he had ol>tained by his unexj»ected arrival, 
 to commence active operations before the enemy had I'ecovcred 
 
VAUGHAN EXTERS THE GRAND BATTERY. 209 
 
 ffom his surprise, by dcspatcliing Lieutenant-Colonel Vauglian 
 ■with a detachment of 400 men to reconnoitre the town and 
 vicinity on the afternoon of May 1. Tlie column marched 
 through the woods until it arrived oj)posite the west gate of 
 the town when it was first observed by the enemy ; Vaughau 
 and his men then gave three cheers in siy;ht of the whole 
 garrison and again struck into the woods. Passinjj throno;h the 
 defiles of the Green Hills in the rear of the (irand or lloval 
 Battery, they reached the head of the north-east arm of the 
 harbour after nightfall, and set fire to the warehouses, contain- 
 ing naval stores and a large quantity of wine and brandy 
 (see Map, p. 20fi). It is stated in all the English accounts of 
 the siege, that the smoke of the burning warchouscs, driven 
 by the wind towards the Grand Ihittory, so terrified the 
 French, Avho supposed the whoh^ Kngli.<h army was coming 
 in that direction, that they spiked the guns, threw the anunu- 
 niti(m into a avcU, and fled in their boats to the town. Xext 
 morning, whilst the English detachment, which had bivouacked 
 in the Avoods, was proceeding by a circuitous route behliul the 
 (ireen Hills to the camp, Vaughau, with thirteen of his men, 
 cautiously crept up to the top of the hill which overlooked the 
 (irand liattcry to observe its strength and position, when to 
 his astonishment he found It ajiparcntly deserted. Having 
 induced one of his i>arty, a Cape Cod Indian, to climb u|) and 
 enter the fort through one of the embrasures, to opcMi the gate, 
 Vaughau entered and t»»ok [tossesslon, and Innnediately wrote 
 to General Pepperrell, 'that he had entered the Grand Battery 
 at 9 A.M., and was waiting for reinforcements and a flag.' ' 
 Vaughau had not been long iu possession, when, ol)serving 
 four boats full of armed men api)roachiiig from the town, ho 
 immediately marched down to the beach with his twelve men, 
 and fcucccssfully opposed their lauding in spite of a brisk fire 
 of nuisketry from the boats and »»f cannon shot from the town, 
 u.iitil 1 relnforci'UK'nt arrived from the camp, when the French 
 retired. Englisii writers say that when Duchambon observed 
 from the city that the (irand iJattery was occupied by only a 
 
 ' Tlic I'Voiu'li flii^ wiis liauloil ilowii, and a i-id coat, carriid iip liy one 'if tln^ 
 (iDldiers iu hits tci'tli, was nailt'd to tho llagslatlas n suljAlituii'. 
 
210 CAPE nP.ETON. 
 
 handful of men, he sent tlie armed boats to recapture it. In 
 his Kcpovt to the French Minister, J)uoliaml)on makes the 
 foUowino- statement : — ' In the cvciiino:, Ciiptain Cliere, wlioso 
 company held the Iv(\val IJattery, wrote me a letter statinrr the 
 ])ad condition of his post, which niio-ht easily he taken, and 
 that he believed it for the good of the service to sj)ike the 
 cannon and leave. The chief enji'inecr was ( f the same opinion, 
 and thouLjht that the 4(H) or oOO Provincials in the rear could 
 with cannon destroy the battery, defended by only 200 men. 
 The C(nnicil of War was therefore in i'avour of s[)iki luj and dis- 
 mountin«2; the cannon, and removinDj the ai>nnunilion. The 
 battery beint;' not entirely destroyed, I next morning sent 
 officers and men in boats to finish the work, who were re- 
 pulsed.' 
 
 The Abbe Prevost ' gives a somev/hat different version : — 
 ' The Ivoyal Battery being menaced by a numerous force, 
 encamped at no great distance, and the Governor, aware of the 
 importance of the post, but unable to spare nien to reinforce it, 
 sent orders to the cajttuin connnanding the battery to keej) up 
 a constant (iie of artillery to deceive the enemy; adding, that 
 if he should be attacked by a nmch superior force, to sj)ike the 
 cannon, and retire to the town in some boats which were un<ler 
 the walls of the batterv. This oiKcer, who was either dedciiMit 
 in courage or experience, had hardly received the (iovernor's 
 order, when, u]iou some slighi: movement el' the liUglish, he 
 embarked precipiti.t ly with all his j)e(tple and threw himself 
 into the city, exclaiming that the enemy was coming in gicat 
 Ibrce ; a mere imaginat'ou I proved by the fact that the il:ig of 
 Frar.ce floated over the fort twenty-four hours after tlie sol- 
 diers had left it. On the other hand, the I']pglish, seeing 
 noi)od)' moving on the raniparts, imagined that the garrison 
 was occupied at some work in the interior, and passed twt» 
 days in this doubt without taking courage to advance, until an 
 Indian (their army 1 icing composed of all sorts (»f people) less 
 timid than the le.-t, oli'ered to go and reconnoitre the foit. He 
 set out without arms, and pretending that he was mad, reached 
 the tratc. when he di>covercd the fort was abandoned, entered 
 
 ^ ill Ills //•/;/'» */'//('/■(/''( i-'s J'>'f/if^.':\ Aii'>l.ril;im : 1771. 
 
A SERMON PREACHED IN THE GRAND RATTERY. 211 
 
 it, and pulled down the banner of France, which was all that 
 remained to defend it. The Eni^lish, who had observed ail, 
 ran in also, and easily lejiaired the cannon, which the deserteis 
 had not taken time (Miongh to spike effectually. So that 
 Louisbouruj was battered with the same guns that wore in- 
 tended for its defence.' 
 
 You will observe there arc several discrepancies in these 
 accounts, which cannot i)e reconciled. This, howevei, is of 
 little consequence. ^Vhatever induced the French to abandon 
 such a sti-ong position so prccii)itately — the acquisition of the 
 (Jrand liattery, with its heavy armament— proved an object 
 of the <>;reatest imj)ortance to the besieg'crs, as it gave theni a 
 secure looting within cannon-shot of the town, pt'otccted their 
 conmHUiications between the cainj» and the north side of th<; 
 harbour, and sujiplied them with much heavier siege artiileiy 
 than they had brought with them. 
 
 Twenty-eight 42-pounders, and two IS-pounders, with 3S0 
 shells, a quantity of shot, and other munitions of war, were 
 found in the Grand ]»attery. In the hurry of their thiparture, 
 the French, after spiking the guns, had neglected to break oil' 
 the trunnions and destroy the carriages, so that in the course 
 of a few davs the spikes were drilled out bv the smiths, of 
 whom there were several in the army, under the diicctions of 
 i\Iaj(n* Ponu'oy, himself a gnnsniith, and theguns I'cady to return 
 the fire of the city v,ith good effect. IJrigadicr Waldo, who 
 had eonnnand of the New llamiishire ti'<iops ap|)ointe(l to gar- 
 rison the (Jrand liattcrv, fired the first shot into the city on 
 iNlay ;J, which, being (piite unexpected, killed fourteen men. 
 The French maintained a constant fire of shot and shells from 
 the Island liattcry and the city, against the (irand I5attei-y, 
 but were not able to dislodge Waldo ami his men, who kept 
 possession of it during the siege. On Sunday, May .">, divine 
 service was perfonncd in the (Irand Uattery. The sermon, 
 probably the first ever [(reached by a I'roli'slant minister in 
 Cape Breton, was upon the appropriate text, ' Enter into llis 
 gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise.' 
 Their devotions being concluded, tlu; troo[ts ' in the evening 
 fired smartly at the city.' 
 
 n 2 
 
212 CAPE nRETOX. 
 
 Ilavinj^ liindcd all Ills troo])s in safety, and secured posses- 
 sion of the (Jrand Battery, l*epperrell oonnnenced o[)erations 
 ill due form against the town. As lie had not a sufHoient 
 force to invest the place, he determined to confine his attack to 
 the space extendinj^" from the West (late to the Kind's liaslion. 
 For this ])urj)ose, a site was chosen on the slope of one of the 
 spurs (.f the (ireen Hills, for a hattery, at the distance of !,;■).)() 
 yards from ihe West Gate. The position of this battery is 
 marked hy the letter n. on the map, at pngc 200. As there 
 Avas an ahiiiKhince of hrushwood ch ^e at hand, the parajiet of 
 the battery Avas formed of fascines or fajjots of that material, 
 covered with earth. Fascine batteries, as they are desiiiiiated, 
 <'an be constructed much more expeditiously than those of solid 
 (•ai-th, Avhich is of <rrci\t importance, as the men can only work 
 at them in the night, without li<>hts, which draw ui)on them the 
 fire of the enemy. The labour of bringing u])guns and munitions 
 from the camp to arm this battery, ])roved very severe, as they 
 had to be transported across the marshes on sledges dragged by 
 the men, often wading up to their kn(H\-! in mud. Xevertheless, 
 by INIay 5, this and a second fascine battery, GOO yards nearer 
 to the city (marked c. on map), were constructed and armed 
 with mortars and eohorns. 
 
 A^vare of the character ttf the ground' between the town 
 and the enemy's camp, Dtichambori seems to have expected that 
 the English would not have attempted to make an attack on that 
 siile, but rather wculd have made a dash at the south-eastern 
 front, where, as has been already mentioned (page 1S2), there 
 was ail ojicn space 200 yards in length between the Princess 
 and Ijoiirillon bastictus, defended only by a dyke and picpiets, 
 as \\\< (irst care belbrc all the troops had landed was to enclose 
 it with a solid plank-work, fifteen feet in height, on which were 
 mounted a numb(>r of swivels. 
 
 ' ' Tlio liind bc'twcon Giilianis roint miuI llic ti)Wii is very imcviii. marsliv, iiml 
 fiill i.f luMinlilis. It is ((ivrrcil witli lurt' Iwilve i'fct dicji, wliii'Ii all tlic art ut' 
 iiiai) iMii iH\i !• ilrv u[K Nfiili. r is lli.rc :ui_v ini^siliility of drawiiiL' ott ll.c waters. 
 tlic bugs l/( iiiir siii'i'<iiinil( il \vi;li iii;jli lorkv iirnuiid. Tlic Luiii.ni i^ n iiiixliin' ot' 
 fat I'iay and round sldiics, thai t'uriu a vtrv liard I'liiicnt, l-'niiii this it is ra-v to 
 jiidjli' ol' till' dilliiulty of making a di'sociit in tliis j.art of llif lay, and of tnin.s- 
 jMirtiiig artlllory owv such griuuul.' — Viiihoi}, 
 
A COUNCIL OF WAR IS HELD. 21o 
 
 The second fascine battery jn'ovcd niore successful than tlie 
 first. Being only 950 yards from the \Vest Gate, and sub 
 sefjuently armed -with sonic of the 42-poundcrs brought 
 from the Grand Battery, ' it proved,' as Duchambon re|K»rts, 
 ' the most daniicrous of any — sendinu" its balls aijainst the 
 caserns and into the town, where they traversed the streets 
 from end t( jnd, and passed through houses. It never ceased 
 firing during the siege.' 
 
 At a Council of \\ uv held on ^lay 7, at which C^)nnno(h»ie 
 Warren was present, it was decided to send a tlag oi' tiuce 
 into the town uith a sunnnons to the (lovernor to surrender 
 the place. The cannonading was suspended on both sides 
 while the Hag was in the city ; but as soon as the messenger 
 returned with the Governor's re})ly, ' that he would answcu- at 
 the cannon's mouth,' it was resumed with great vigour on both 
 sides. During the same night another fascin" battery was 
 connnenced between the Barachois aid t!ie \Vest (Jate J), 
 440 yards from the city, for the purp(»se of covering the men 
 Avorking at the breaching battery, [)roposed to be established 
 within 2')0 yards of the walls. I'j) to this time no attempts 
 were made to interru})t the besiegers whilst raising their 
 batteries, except by cannonading, which caused small damage ; 
 but when Duchambon found the besie<ijers were advanciny-then' 
 batteries so ra[)idly towards the West CJate, he came to the 
 resolution of making a sortie to drive them fi-<nn their last 
 position. This was accordingly attempted on May H, by a 
 small body of trooj)s, but was easily rci)ulsod. It' he luul. 
 employed a sutlicient force' he would most probably have suc- 
 ceeded, as it is not likely the raw I'nivincials could have held 
 their ground, ut close (^uai'ters, against 'MM or 4U0 veterans, 
 
 ' 'The niii^t lavoui'alilr tiinr fdV tlef(>ntinp; tli( Eu'.rli^li wa^ whrii xlwy I'l'^ran to 
 open tlicir ti'riu'ln'^ : hut llu^ l^'rciifli otliftis hail no coiitiiliiicc in the f::ari'isciii, on 
 ai'i'iiinil of till' iniitiiiy. -.vliirli liail si'anvlv Vc t Imtmi ajuuasiil. ]n tlii"i silnatiuii 
 tlicywcTi' iilVaiil to uiaki' a sorlir, wliii'li woiiM have liccu I'fiM.iin nl' >(ii'i'r-.s auaiiist 
 iiiiiliM'iph'ni'd ti'iio|'S. Tlioy llioiitrlit it lu'ltir to cnipioy tlir ^oKlii rs (^uarJin'^ 
 pusts and scrvinfi; the mms, tlian tu ixi"'s.' tliiMn to the risk ot' jiasving oVit to 
 the riicrHV, oitliiT for avoiilin^ tin' pnni.slmn nt (inc for tiu'ir iliyolii-diciici', or to 
 avenue tlieiii^elve'- lor tlio vexatioi.s wliieli they liail sili'ire 1 from their chii'fh.' — 
 rthnl. 
 
21 t CAPE BRETON. 
 
 wliich might easily liavc been spared for that purpose, seeing 
 that no other part of his tlefenees was menaced hy the enemy. 
 The soldiers, it is said, asked the Governor to allow them to 
 make a sortie in force, but he persisted in believing that their 
 object Avas merely to obtain a chance of deserting.' All the 
 French, and most of the English writers, seem to have enter- 
 tained the same opinion. It does not, however, seem to have 
 been well founded ; the sim})le fact, that only three men 
 deserted during the siege, is a sufficient answer. If the 
 soldiers had really been anxious to desert, they might easily 
 have found opportunities of doing so without waiting for a 
 sortie. 
 
 Although no breach had yet been made in the walls, it was 
 lUKuiimously advised, at a Council held on the morning of May 
 y, that Louisbourg should be attacked by storm on that night. 
 This resolution, however, met with so little encouragement 
 from the inferior officers and men, that it was prudently 
 agreed to abandon the i)roposed attack until more cannon were 
 mounted in the batteries, and a [)racticable breach made in the 
 walls. Every exertion was now made to effect these im])ort- 
 ant objects, by bringing up guns from the canii) and the Grand 
 JJatterv — a work of o-reat laboui- and difficultv. 
 
 Whilst these prei)arations were in })rogi-ess, rumours reached 
 the camj) that a large btnly of French and Indians was col- 
 lectin2 in the woods to the northward. The settlement of St. 
 I*eter's, as I have already told you, had been ravaged and the 
 inhabitants dispersed. At a later |)erio<l similar outrages Avere 
 per|»etrated at St. Anne's and Niganiche by armed vessels 
 sent by Connnodore Warren. This wanton destruction of 
 houses and fishing craft undoubtedly distressed the people of 
 those settlements ; but I nuist confess I camiot see how the 
 reduction of Louisboiu'g could have been accelerated by such 
 means. On the contrary, they nuist have ])roduced a directly 
 o])positc ellect, as the inhabitants, diivcn from ihcir ])eaceful 
 occupations at home, would naturally fly towards Louisbourg, 
 to avenge their losses by joining the Indians hovering on the 
 outskirts of the Englisli camp. 
 
 , ' (i.uiiaiu 
 
THE INDIANS MURDER THE PRISONERS. 215 
 
 On IMuy 10, a scouting party of twenty-five men was sent 
 from tlio Grand IJatteiy, under tlie eonimand of James 
 (lii)son,' a subaltern oi' Brigadier Waldo's detachment, to 
 obtain information res[)e(;ting the strength and motions of the 
 Indians. They reached a harbour on the uorth-east coast 
 (the name is uot given), Avhcre they Avere engaged in phmder- 
 ing some dwellinghouses, when they were unex})oete(lly 
 attacked by 140 French and Indians. Twenty-two of tlie 
 ])arty were citlier killed or taken prisoners; but (iibson and 
 two others concealed themselves in a house, and escaped during 
 the night to the (irand Battery. While they were lying con 
 cealed, tlie Indians, after going through their war-dance, 
 murdered all the prisoners in cold blood, including a sergeant 
 named C'ockran, whose fingers and tongue were barl)arously 
 cut off Avhile alive. On the followinir dav Gibson returned 
 with a company to avenge this sad disaster. Having buried 
 their murdered eonu-ades, they burned every house in the 
 settlement, including the masshouse and several stores. About 
 100 boats, and all the fishing stages, were also destroyed, and 
 forty of the inhabitants made prisoners. This ))i"ompt action 
 seems to have intimidated the Indians, as nothing more was 
 heard of them for several days. 
 
 Up to this time, in consc(picnce of the strict blockade main- 
 tained by Warren's squa.lrou and the colonial cruisers, not a 
 single vessel liad been able to enter the harbour, until this 
 night (May 13), when a brig from Bordeaux, laden with stores 
 for the fishermen, ran in with an E.N.E. wind, and grounded 
 opposite the King's Gate, An attem})t was made to destroy 
 tlie brig by seiuling a schooner fitted up as a fire-ship against 
 her, but it did not succeed. One of the crew of the schooner 
 
 ' Aftor the fall (if Lt iiivlionrLT. < li'is.m, at the rf((U('st of liis liivitlicr offic^K, 
 wnitc ail ju'cimiit of tlio si(f.rc, wiiicli was piiUli.slu'd in London in 174;). Ho says 
 tli;il lie iiail had the lionour of licariiifr H.M.'s ooiiiiiiission in tln' Uoviil lii>^imcnt 
 of 1'"<M)| (iiiaids at IJarliadiirs, aiid that lit' ('iifra;.'ed in the cxiu'dilioii as a voliin- 
 tciT, without jiiy or allowance. As ho lift liOiiislioar^' on July 1. with tlu'blii|i.s 
 that c'0!i\tyi'd the Fri'iii'h prisoiiifs to Koclu'Ui', and iri'civol the thanks of IiiH 
 hrolher ollieei'.s foi' his Jouinal h<fo:'o he htY, it iniiHt Inivc been written on tlio 
 spot, whilst e\eiy iiieidrut was fi'isli in his nnniory. ]Ic reeeived a speciii) ^{runt 
 of .'».")U/, sterliiiir from farliaaieut tor hi- .^erviers. 
 
210 CAPE RRETON. 
 
 Avas killed, ami .several wouiuletl by niuskctry from the city 
 walls. 
 
 AVarren aiul Popporrell, who held fiequent consultations, 
 were anxious to brin^; in the ships to attack the city from the 
 harbour; but it was not considered prudent to make the 
 attempt with so small a force, so long as the Island Battery, 
 which protected the entrance, remained intact. It was quite 
 evident that, owing to the shallowness of the Avatcr, this bat- 
 tery could only be feasibly attafked from the opposite shore 
 near the Lighthouse; but there was no early prospect of being 
 able to raise a battery there, on account of the difficulty of 
 transporting artillery from (iabarus Bay. Fortunately, at 
 this juncture, thirty cannon were discovered by a party 
 stati(med on the eastern side of the harbour, mider water, 
 near the Careening Wharf,' which were raised on the IGth, 
 and taken to the Lighthouse, where Colonel Gorham was sent 
 with a regiment to construct a battery. On the following day 
 they were attacked by 100 Frenchmen, who had landed during 
 the night at a cove about a mile to the eastward. A sharp fight 
 occurred, in which the enemy lost five or six men killed, aiul 
 several i)risoners. The rest got off In their shallops. After 
 this discomfiture, no i'urther attem})t was made to interrupt 
 C'olonel (Torham's men in the construction of the battery, which 
 was traced out on a clilf, one flank facing the sea, the other the 
 Island Battery, from which it was only 1,000 yards distant. 
 
 MeauAvhile the troops had not been idle in making prepara- 
 tions for attacking the West Gate. On the lotli, the fifth 
 I'ascine battery (marked F on ma[»), connnoidy called 'Tid- 
 (;omb"s,* was constructeil and armed with giuis from the Grand 
 Battery. The smart fire constantly maintained by this battery, 
 
 ' I)ui'liamliou Siiys in liis Kipni-t : ' 'I'liu Lieut iiiaiit of Artillery came to inform 
 nil' tluit the III 'my liad iliseuvcrcil many lannoii left as a roscrvc iiciir tlic Liglit- 
 liD'asc ten years afio ; that lie liacl njiorled lo former governors ninny limes, liow 
 iiu enemy might easily transport llicm to the Jiiglithouse and turn thciii against 
 vessels passing in and out. and might also attaek the Island 15iittery. Upon advice 
 so important, and the enemy already having a hreastwork there, I sent 1(10 men 
 to surprise tiiem and sto]> their works. They landed from three sli.illops, norih 
 of tlie harbour, and m xl d.iy approaelied the Lightliouse, hut they were repulsed 
 I'v llOO of llie cueiiiv stationed there.' 
 
THE DEAWEEIDGE IS DEMOLISHED. 217 
 
 aTid lliosc ])rcvi(nisly raised, protected tlie troops en<;agcd in 
 dijij^iiifT the trenches for tlic advanced or hreacliinn- l)attery, 
 Avhii'li had been marked ont at a distance of oidy 2,10 yards 
 from the "West Gate (e on map). This dnty was so effectnally 
 picrformcd, that on the eveninj^ of the ISth, liavin*^ been arnie<l 
 Avitii two 42 and two IH-ponnders, dragged with incredible 
 labonr from the Grand Battery, it connnenced firing iijion the 
 \ West (Jate, and soon demoHshed the (b'awbridge and part of 
 ^tlie adjoining waU. As this Avas specially intended for breacli- 
 •ng the Avails j)rei>aratory to an assanlt, and Avas Avithin such a 
 s'lort distance of the ramparts of the town, it Avas indis})ensably 
 necessary to provide for the safety of the gunners, by placing 
 t.ic cannim in trenches dug l)eIoAv the surface, faced by a i)ara- 
 .K!t conn)Osed partly of fascines and ])artly of earth. The 
 ''oj)posing hosts were noAv so near each other, that a sharp fire 
 of musketry Avas constantly kept up, and several men Avere 
 killed on both sides. One unfortunate man, Avho rashlv ex- 
 posed hhnself on the para[)et, fell the moment he showed 
 himself, j)ierced by five balls fired from the ramparts. Never- 
 theless, nothing daunted the gallant Provuicials ; fresh guns 
 and mortars Avere brought forward daily, and the trenches 
 extended to the soutliAvard in front of the King's Uastion. 
 
 On the same day that the advanced battery opened its fire 
 Avith such decided success, an event occurred off' the mouth of 
 the harbour Avhich, Pcp[»errell says, ' produced a burst of joy 
 in the army, and animated the men Avith fresh courage to ])cr- 
 severe.' Every spring the French Government sent a vessel 
 from Brest to Louisbourg Avith a sni)ply of military stores in 
 time to reacli Cape Breton as soon as possible after the ice Icl't 
 the navigation o])cn. The vessel ajjjxtintcd for this service in 
 the spring of 174,3 Avas lying in lircst harbour ready to take 
 in her cargo, Avhen she was accidentally destroyed by fire ; and 
 as there Avas no other suitable ship in the jKtrt ready to take 
 her i)lace, the ' Vigilant,' of sixty-four guns, then on the 
 stocks, Avas launched and fitted out for that jiurpose Avith all 
 l)ossible desitatch. Owing to this unavoidable delay, the 
 ' Vigilant,' which ought to have arrived al Louisbourg belbrc 
 Warren's s(^uadron, di<l not reach the oiling until May IM, 
 
218 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 and tlicn unluckily in a thick f(i<;. While standing off and on 
 for the I'o'f to clear awav, she tell in with the f'rij'ate ' ^lerinaid, 
 of forty <(uns, connnanded hy Captain Douglas. As Douglas 
 saw no chance of coj)ing with such a ])o\verful adversary, he 
 made all sail towards Louisbourg, closely piu'sucd by the 
 * Vigilant,' until he reached Warren's squadron just as the fog 
 cleared off. The F'rcnch Captain, the INIarquis de Malson- 
 fortc, instead of making prize of the ' Mermaid,' as he expected, 
 found himself, to his astonishment, in the midst of an enemy's 
 fleet ; but although his ship was overladen with arms and 
 nnuiitions of war, f.^nd so deep in the water as to be unable to 
 use her lower tier of guns, De Maisonforte gallantly determined 
 to defend himself to the last extremitv. Of course, w itli such 
 odds a<i;ainst him, there could be no doubt of the result. After 
 a sharp contest, the ' ^'igilant,' having lost a great nmnber of 
 men, struck her colours. A French author, the Abbe Pro- 
 vost, whom I have often quoted, has the hardihood to assert 
 that this single ship was nearly a match for the whole English 
 fleet ; he says : — 
 
 'The "A'igilant" was at first attacked by the frigate by 
 which Maisonforte had been misled, then by two ships, one of 
 fifty, the other of sixty guns, and in the end by the whole 
 squadron. The fire, which began two hours after mid-day, was 
 terrible on all sides. Maisonforte and his ])eople performed 
 prodigies of valour. The victory Avavered until 9 r.M. nearly, 
 when the French, having their rudder broken, all their riiririnsr 
 cut up, .and their forecastle shattered to pieces, saw that their 
 shi}) was near sinking. They yielded with more honour than 
 their enemies could claim for their victory.' 
 
 The capture of the * Vigilant ' supplied the English with 
 many articles much needed. The crew of 560 men was distri- 
 buted through the fleet for safe kec])ing, and the ship was 
 repaired by carjjcnters furnished by the army. Before the 
 siege was over, she was manned by a crew collected from the 
 army and the transi)orts, and placed under the command of 
 Captain Douglas. 
 
 Frcvost says that this misfortune was the cause of the loss 
 of Louisbourg, because the besiegers had become so discouraged 
 
belknap'k account of the siege. 219 
 
 Avitli tlic resistance they had met with, and know so little of the 
 art of war, that the tr(>ops had already demanded of their 
 otKcers permission to retire, when this unlooked-for success 
 elevated their hoj)cs and induced them to persevere ! The 
 capture of the ' Vi<2;ilant,' as I have already told you, un- 
 doubtedly insplvcd the army with fresh courage, hut there is 
 not the slightest foundation for Prevost's statement. The 
 reduction of Louishourg had certainly occuined .1 longer time 
 than was expected, but the men neither murmured nor com- 
 plained of the danger and fatigue to which they were daily 
 exposed.* On the contrary, they cheerfully submitted to the 
 orders of their superior oflicers, which they carried out with 
 alacrity, after their own irregular fashion, it is true, and not 
 Avith the strict disci]»line of regular troops; but they were 
 always ready Avhcn called u])on to take their ])laces in a post 
 of danger. A^'hen the engineer, ]Mr. Bastide, who arrived 
 from Annapolis during the siege, jjroposed to make regular ap- 
 ])roachcs under cover, they laughetl at his zigzags and epaule- 
 nicnts, and [)ursucd their own random system, asking for no 
 other cover than a dark night, lielkna}),^ who was personally 
 ac(jualntcd with many, both officers and men, who were present 
 at the siege says, ' Those who were on the spot, have frequently 
 in my hearing laughed at the recital of then* own irregulari- 
 ties, and expressed their admiration Avhen they reflected on the 
 almost miraculous preservation of the army from destruction. 
 They indeed presented a foimidable froi<t to the enemy, but 
 the rear Avas a scene of confusion and frolic. While some were 
 on duty at the trenches, others were racing, wrestling, pitching 
 (pioits, firing at marks or birds, or running after shot from the 
 enemy's guns, for which they received a bounty, and the shot 
 were sent back to the city.' 
 
 ' ]\r;ijor PoTiiroy, -writing tu his fiunily at this time, said, 'Louisbourg is an 
 cxccwlingly strong plaec, and sicnis iiiipropnalilo. It hmks as if our campaign 
 would last long; but I am willing to stay till God's linip conns to deliver the city 
 into our hands.' Tu ^vliicli liis noble-hefirtod Avifc rcjiliod, 'Snifer no anxious 
 thought to rest in your mind about me. The whole town is much engaged with 
 coneern for the oxjiedition, how Providence will order the affair, for which 
 ivligions nioi.'tings every week ai'c maintained. I leave yoii iu tlio hand of God.' — 
 liaiicrnfl. 
 
 • In his Jlutiiri/ "/ Scw IJ.aiiii>ahiri. 
 
220 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 Tlic General and ConuiKxlore, however, on whom rested all 
 tlie rcsjiitusihility, enjoyed no share of these happy f'eelni<ijH. 
 On shore, the slight breaehes made in the walls were repaired 
 diirin*^' the ni^ht with timher or sueh material as they had at 
 hand ; nearly l,.j()() men were off dnty, suffering from diarrhd'a 
 l)rouglit on by sleeping in the cold foggy nights u[)on damp 
 ground, with no other eovering than wretched tents or huts 
 formed of spruce boughs ; and about six hundred men were 
 absent on scouting expeditions after the Indians,' who had 
 again been seen in the neiii-hbourhood and along the eastern 
 
 O 
 
 coast. At sea also, AVarren, who had not yet been joined by 
 any of the ships expected from Xewfoundland, had good cause 
 for uneasiness, as ho had learned from the master of a French 
 ship cai)tured off the harbour, laden with provisions and stores, 
 that a squadron of four large ships and two frigates were at 
 Brest ready to sail for the relief of Louisbourg. Warren, who 
 had now been nearly three months at sea, had little hope of 
 being able with four ships only to resist a superior force fresh 
 from France, equipped with an abundance of munitions and 
 stores ; he had every reason, therefore, for wishing to get into 
 the harbour for the piu'})osc of attacking the town on that side, 
 before the French squadron"^ arrived. If Warren's ships should 
 be defeated outside the harbour, nothing could have saved the 
 transports in Gabarus Bay, and the army on shore, being con- 
 sequently cut off from its communications with Boston, from 
 
 ' On Miiy 20, 200 men wovo soiu to tho North-east Harbour (probably 
 Monadou'), where tea men part of a boat's crew sent on sliorc by Captain Fh'tchor 
 fur water, hail been murdered. They did not meet with tlio enemy, but brought 
 in a Fri'neh doctor and somo other prisoners. On tho following di'y another scout 
 of 200 nu>n was sent out to look after some hundreds of I'lvnch and Indians who 
 were said to be coming down on the camp. Tho party returned next day anil 
 brougjit in some cows, swine, and goats, but did not find the enemy. — Gibson's 
 Juurnal. 
 
 ''■ In consequcTico of the intelligence carried to Franco by the ' Renommee ' (sec 
 page 201), a squadron of seven ships, under the command of M. I'errier, was 
 despatched from Brest for the relief of Louisbourg. On July 19, M. Perrier fell 
 in with and captured the English ship 'Prince of Orange,' Captain Smithurst, in 
 40^ west longitude, MJiich had been blown off the coast of Cape I5reton in a gale, 
 from which he learned tho surrender of Louisbourg. 31, Perrier wisely returned 
 to I'rance. If in- had nor, obtained this intelligence he would have fallen into the 
 elulchos of the English tlcct at Louisbourg. — Uvuijlits, 
 
A COUNCIL OP NAVAL OFFICFRS TS TTELD. 221 
 
 ivlionoc it received its supplies, must have been i)laoe(I in a 
 positioti of the greatest peril. In this emer!2;ency the Conuno- 
 (lorc held a Council of Xaval Otticers, at Avhich he inforuied the 
 (ieueral that it Avas decided, ' all II.^NI.'s ships and all the colony 
 cruiters, exce})t two, should *^o into the harhour and attack the 
 town and batteries with the utuiost rij]!;our; that the "Vigilant" 
 should be manned Avith GOO men selected fr>:m the army, to 
 join in the attack; and that 1,000 men should also be distributed 
 among the ships of war, ready to land and assault the town 
 from the harbour.' If Pe]>pcrrell had had a sufficient nund)er 
 of troops at his disposal, this scheme might have been carrivid 
 into efVect with every prospect of success; but when it is borne 
 in mind that about «me-third of the army Avas at thut time only 
 just recovering from sickness and unfit for duty, and that a 
 great number of men Avere absent on scouting expeditions, it 
 must be admitted that the General Avas perfectly justified in 
 declining the pi'oposal of the Connnodore. 
 
 Warren's scheme Avas therefore given up; but Pepperrell 
 in the meantime did not relax in his endeavours to annoy the 
 enemy. The batteries i)layed incessantly upon the town with 
 good effect. On the night of the 24tli a fire-ship Avas toAved 
 by Lieutenant Gibson and five men from the Grand Battery, 
 and grounded against the King's Gate. When the train Avas 
 fired, the fire from the town became so hot that Gibson and his 
 men AA'ere obliged to row close along the AAalls under the 
 mouths of the cannon, initil they reached the Avtstern side of 
 the harbour. ' The fire-ship burnt three vessels, beat doAvn a 
 ])innacle of the King's Gate and great part of a stone house in 
 the city. Being done in the dead of the night it caused great 
 consternation.' ' 
 
 As there Avere continual rumours afioat of French and 
 Indians collecting and coming from remote parts of the island, 
 Avho it Avas feared might attack the cam]) Avhen so many men 
 Avcre absent at their duty in the trenches, it Avas deemed advis- 
 able to send out a detachment towards Mini to intercept them 
 on their AAay. Accordingly, on jMay 26, a party of 153 men 
 Avcre sent on that service from the Grand Battery. I Avill let 
 
 ' Gil.isoii's Jciin/iiL 
 
222 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 Gibson, who was one of the party, tell liis own story : * A 
 scout of 153 men niarcheil to tlic W. N. W. part of the ishmd, 
 about twenty-five miles from the (iraml Battery. Found two 
 fine farms on a neck of land that extended nearly seven miles 
 in length. First avc came to a very handsome house with two 
 large barns, two large gardens, and fine fields of corn. In this 
 house took seven Frenchmen and one woman prisoners. A'^ot 
 more than five hours l)efore our arrival, 140 French and 
 Indians had been killing cattle here and bakino; bread for 
 provisions on their march against our men, wdio held the Light- 
 house Battery. This was the very same band that mui-dercd 
 nineteen of our men at the Xorth-east harbour on the 10th, 
 The other was a fine stone edifice, six rooms on a floor, and 
 well finished. There was a fine walk before it, and two barns 
 contiguous to it, with fine gardens and fields of wheat. In 
 one of these barns were fifteen loads of hay, and room sufficient 
 for sixty horses and cattle. At our departure from the first 
 farm, set it all on fire. Turning back at a considerable distance, 
 Ave saw some hundreds of the enemy hovering around the 
 flames. Here we took three men, in a boat laden with provi- 
 sions and sailinoj down to Louisbourg. The last house was 
 situated on the mouth of a large salmon fishery, which was 
 some few rods wide, and about half a mile above it was a large 
 pond of fresh water which was nearly fi)ur miles ovei'. On the 
 27th the scout returned to Grand Battei-y, ail well and in high 
 spirits.' ' 
 
 As Warren's project could not be carried into effect for the 
 reasons above stated, the two connnanders came to the resolu- 
 tion of sttu'ming the Island Battery, which alone prevented the 
 ships from getting itito tlie harbour. A'^ a ('ouiU'il of Army 
 Officers it was agreed to make the attempt at all lisks, although 
 n>any of them were of opini»)n ihiit it was a very hazardous 
 undertaking. Inducements were oU'ered to liie ukmi to volun- 
 teer for this dangerous enterprise, when 400 readily came 
 forward, headed by Captain Brooks, a connnander of their own 
 
 ' Till' fiirins iilhulcd to were probiiMy Hitiuitod iionr tho ooiifliioiicp of tlio Mini 
 iiiul Salmon rivfi's. Sijiiu' uf yon, whuari' licttcr ai'ijiiiiiiilid with tlu' yVwii Kivi r, 
 iii;iy i)i'ihiiiis lit' al'lr u> il\ tiu'ii' Idfulify with rnoiT jincit'ioii. 
 
DEATH OP CAPTAIN BROOKS. 220 
 
 choosi'nnr. Havino; embarked in Hn;ht wliale-hoats on the nidit 
 of May 27, mey rowed cautiously i-ound IJlack Point, Avitli the 
 intention of huiding on the eastern side of the ishind, ck>se to 
 the barracks, but havuig been discovered by the sentinels on 
 duty at the guardhouse some time before they reached their 
 destination, they were assailed by the whole garrison of 180 
 men before they could cifoct a landing. ]\[any of their frail 
 boats were sunk by musket shot before they touched the shore, 
 on which a heavy surf was breaking at the time, which in- 
 creased the ccmfusion. In s])ite of all difficulties nearly half 
 of the force succeeded in getting on shore, but their firelocks, 
 being wetted l)y the surf, Mcre useless; so that after sustaining 
 a most unequal contest for more than an hour with the enemy, 
 they were obliged to surrender. Sixty men were killed and 
 116 made prisoners. Among the first was their gallant leader. 
 Captain Brooks, who was cut down by a Swiss soldier while in 
 the act of haulino' down the flauj of the fort. This was the 
 most serious reverse experienced by the Provincials during the 
 siege. ' It saddened the hearts of the army, the more so when 
 the exultinof cheers of the enemv were next morninjj wafted 
 to their ears, reverberating from hill to hill.' ' 
 
 If there had, as Prevost asserts, been any discontent in the 
 army, it would certiiiidy have shown itself after a disaster like 
 this, most probably in the shape of dissati: faction wilh their 
 (iencral, who had, it was well known, been persuaded by 
 Warren to undertake the enter[)rise contrary to the advice of 
 many of his officers. No indications, however, of such discon- 
 tent were exhibited by the troops, who neither lost confidence 
 in their leader, nor ever des[)aired of ultinnite si;ccess. Tlu-y 
 Avere as ready as ever to engage in any enterj)rise attended 
 with danger or excitement. Nothing pleased them more than 
 to be sent into the woods on scouting expeditions, to intercept 
 the French and Indians, reported to be assembling in great 
 nninbers. Their taste for this kind of occupation was often 
 gratifioil. Pe|>i)errell states in a letter of May 28 to \\'arren, 
 ' that OOO of his men had gone in [lursuit of two lai'ge bodies 
 of French and Indians, eastward and wi stwanl of us.' Perhaps 
 
 ' i'ui'.-oii>V Lif- >'/ l'<i'f'nrlf. 
 
224 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 some intelligence from ^lasearene, the Governor of Annapolis, 
 had reached the (ienei'al, inforniinn; hini that the Frencii and 
 Indians who had heen besiei>inL!j that }>lace had heen ordered by 
 Duehainhon to proceed with all haste to Lonisbonrg.' I will 
 close this long letter with (Jibson's acconnt of an expcilition to 
 Scatari : — ' On ^lay 28, a scout of -iOO men marched towards 
 Scattaree, upon information that a great nnnd)er of French 
 and Indians were coming towards our camj), in order to cut 
 them off. As our scout was marchinsjr down a hill at the North- 
 I'jast harbour, they came all on a sudden ujion IGO French and 
 Indians. A skirmish took place, in which the enemy had 
 thirty-seven killed and forty-one wounded, as we were told by 
 the Freiuh ca})tain's wife, whom we took ])ris(mer. They 
 killed «>nly ten of ours. Enemy made otf without !)urying 
 their dead. This was the same company that was on the 
 W.N.W. neck of land on Sunday the 2()th. Wc took their 
 shalloways laden with provisions. On the 29th the scout 
 marched to Scattaree,^ where we burnt several houses and 
 took six men and three women j»risoners. Last night we (for 
 I was amon<r,-;t them) lotliicil in the woods. The French and 
 Indians drew off. On the 3tUh, returned to the Grand Battery 
 in great spirits.' 
 
 • A nuinlicr of CMnmlians, comniantlod by M. Marin, who Imd wintirod at 
 Cliifriifi'to, lifiving bi'Oii joiiictl by 300 liidiiiris, appoiiri'd bcforf Aiinajiulis in tho 
 bi';,nnninf^ of May. (DoiiLrlas says, ' tlKTc wero 900 ra^i^^ainiiflins, Canadians, 
 otlicr Frcni'li and In«liaiis.') Tiioy I'aiiturcd two Hoston si'linnn-Ts laden witli 
 provisions, Imt not bcinfi; ublo to make an impression on the for;, tiny retired on 
 tile 'J4tli 1o Minas, wiiero tlioy wore met by an express from Dneliamboii, reijiust- 
 ini,' tiiem t(j ;,'o to tlie relief of Louisboui';^. Al)ont loO of tiuin, \>lio enibarl<eil in 
 two sloops, two st'liooners. an<l sixty eaiioes. for that piir|iose, while lyiii;! in 
 Amaseouso iiai'bour near Cape SaMe, were atiaekcd auddisperscd by two ['rovincial 
 cruisers. 
 
 • llibsou probably nitans ^bii.i lou, /// tla' dir'CU"*l '/, <■/• iiidr fo Scaliiri. 
 
225 
 
 LETTER XIV. 
 
 174.J-174G. 
 
 TiiK AintY had now (trunc 1) l)cen a wliolo inontli in front of 
 rioulshoiirui;, but it was evident tliat, uidess the ships could 
 foi'cc an entranee into the hai'hour, the ]»ros|teet of ie(hicin<^ 
 the place was as remote as ever. The attempt to storm the 
 Island Battery haviuij^ failed, it was now <letermined to ])ress 
 on the construction of the battery at the Liylithouse with all 
 possible despatch. More than 200 men had been employed on 
 this service, but the labour of raisim-- the •tuu^ ivt the ('arceuinuj 
 Wharf liad proved so nuich j:;reater than was anticipated, that 
 they Avere not ready to o[)eu their fire upon the Island liattery 
 hefore tlunc 10. As these <^uns were oidy iS-pouuders, it was 
 deemed advisable to briu!!" a mortar and some heavier cannon 
 from (ial)arus IJay — a work of ureat diflicultv, as thev had to 
 he lauded at a cove more than a mile to the eastward of the 
 Li«;hthouse, and to be draj4'i2;ed over altei-nate intervals of rou^h 
 rocky knolls and deep morasses by mamial labour ah»ne. 
 
 While these prej)arations were in proi^ress durini:; the first, 
 week of June, the bond)anhnent of the ^^'est (iate and the 
 Kiuir's Bastion was prosecuted with ureat vi<i<uir, n»»twith- 
 standiutr the deficiencv of suitable aitillei'v, several of the 42- 
 pounders and their lari^est mortar havinu; l)eeu burst. There 
 \vas, besides, a U:reat scarcitv oi' exin'rienced i;uuners, thou<;li 
 Warren had at ditferi'ut times sup|)Iied some from his ships. 
 Still, in spite of these ditHculties and disappointuuMits, serious 
 damage had been done to the defences near the West (iate, 
 all the guns of the Circular i^attery except two haviui; been 
 dismounted, and a breach twenty-lbu«' feet in depth made in the 
 right flank of the King's Bastion, which it was expei'ted would 
 ill the course o'" two or three da}s be sufliciently enlarged to 
 
220 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 admit of Jill assault. In this cncouraginn; aspect of affairs, the 
 long-expoctcd shij)s bcu'an to arrive from Newfoundland, to the 
 great relief of the Commodore, who eould now muster (June S) 
 eight sail of forty to sixty guns, exclusive of the ' A'igilant.' 
 On the same day that the English were gratified by the arrival 
 of their long-looked for ships, the French, for the first time, 
 heard of the loss of the ' Vigilant.' They had witnessed the 
 caj)ture of a large ship from the walls, hut had no susjjicion 
 that it was the ' Vigilant ' until this day, when her late com- 
 mander, the Marquis de Maisonforte, at the request of Warren 
 wrote to Duchamhon informing him that it was reported through 
 the English fleet that some prisoners had been treated witli 
 great cruelty and inhumanity in Louisl)ourg ; that he had 
 visited the ships in the English fleet, in which the crew of the 
 * Vigilant ' were confined, and had ascertained that they were 
 treated witli great kindness and consideration. lie hoped then^- 
 fore that Duchambon would treat anv Enulish ])risoners that 
 fell into his hands in the same manner. Captain jNIcDonald, 
 the bearer of the flag of truce and the letter from the Marcjuis, 
 reported that this intelligence caused great surprise and dismay 
 in Louisbourg. This was just the effect intended. The ]\Iar- 
 quis had been asked to write the letter, not for the object 
 stated to him, but foi' the purpose of discouraging the French 
 bv tlie iutelliLicnce of the loss of the ' XMifiJant." 
 
 As vou nuist by this time be almost tired of mv lona' st(»rv 
 of the siege, I will now oidy mention a few circumstances 
 whii'h occurred about this time, and then hasten on to the 
 crisis, which was evidently near iit hand. On June 2 the 
 French laid a boom from the West (iatc to the l)att(M'ie de la 
 (Jrevc, to guard against fire-ships, and to jtrevent the Ennlish 
 landin^j: from boats on that side of the citv. On the .)th a 
 ship of .'i(K) tons, arnu'd with fourteen guns, laden with pro- 
 visions for the fishery, was brought into (lal)arus Bay; and 
 on the same day, (Jibson says, the trenches luul now approached 
 so near to the city ' that the French drank to us from the 
 walls, we being so close that we conld speak with each other.' 
 On the 7th all the prisoners taken on shore and in the prizes, 
 together with the crew of the ' Vigilant,' in all about 1,(M)() 
 
TWO PRIZES SENT TO BOSTON. 227 
 
 men, were sent in transports and prize slii])s to Boston, con- 
 voyed by two of the provincial armed vessels. On Sunday 9, 
 two Swiss deserters came into the EnoHsh lines, who reported 
 that the garrison was ke})t constantly on the alert, expecting 
 an assault evcrv nin;ht, — that if succour did not arrive soon 
 they would be obliged to surrender, being short both of pro- 
 visions and ammuuition, — and that great apprehensions were 
 felt on account of the battery in the course of erection at the 
 Lighthouse. On the same day (the Uth) two valuable prizes 
 were taken and sent to Boston ; and a sloop of 110 tons from 
 Canada with j)rovisions, chased by one of the cruisers, ran 
 ashore behind the Lighthouse, when the crew escaped. The 
 sloop was got off without damage. This made the twentieth 
 prize taken up to this time. 
 
 The attention of all was now directed towards the Light- 
 house Battery. Stores and ordnance were sent from ( Jabarus 
 liay in boats, close by the Island IJuttery, without interruption, 
 and on the 11 th, three of the cighteen-])ounders l)eing mounted, 
 fire was opened ni)ou it with such decided success, that the 
 General and Connnodore now felt assured of an early termi- 
 nation of tlieir labours. This (June 11) being the anniversary 
 of the accession of George IL, it was determined to celebrate 
 the day by a vigorous fire from all the batteries. The firing 
 connnenced at noon and was maintained until nightfall. With 
 only three guns at the Liglit house, the French gunners were 
 driven off the platform of tlie I>!and IJattcry, and six cannon 
 which the enemy had ]>lanted on the previous night near the 
 ^^'est (iate were silenced. Bombs and red-hot balls were 
 fired into the town from the trenches, which caused great con- 
 sternation. 
 
 ' Tlio Willis fircw Weak ; :uiil t'avt aii'l linl 
 Against llu'in iiour'd tiic ctjisl-Ii'ss sliol, 
 With uiiiiliiiliiig fiirv sent 
 l'"roiii liatlcrv to hattli'iiit'iit ; 
 And timiiilirlikc tln^ pciiliiifr diu 
 Kost' tVinii cacli licatcd ciilvt'i-iii; 
 And lici'i' and tlicvi' piniiio crafkliii}! ilmin' 
 \\ as llri'd Ijffurc the txplodiiij: inniili.' 
 
 Hvuo.v. 
 
 a 'i 
 
228 CAPE BKETON. 
 
 AVarrcn's squadron' Imvini^ at this time been reinforced by 
 the arrival of three hirge ships, he now felt himself stronnj 
 enout!;h to sail into tlie harbour. Jluvinij: consulted with 
 Pe})[)errell, ar.-ani>;enients were made by the two connnanders 
 for makin<:i; a general assault upon the i)lace by sea and land, 
 as soon as the neccssai'y preparations could be comjjleted. As 
 bands of French and Indians were, according to information 
 ol)tained from prisoners, hovering in the woods,'' it was 
 deemed prudent to surround tlie camp and. stores with a strong 
 [)ickct fence for their })r(>tection during the assault, when every 
 avaihd)le man would of course be engaged on that service. 
 Ladders were put on board all the ships' boats, for the use of 
 the sailors and marines in scalini; the walls facing the harbour, 
 and the transj)orts were sent alongside the shi})s of war to 
 clear them of their useless lumber. Scaling-ladders and 
 fascines were also collected at tlie advanced battery, ready to 
 be carried to the walls ; and OOO men were selected from the 
 army to strengthen the crews of the ships, which were to 
 anchor in a line off the mouth of the harbour. 
 
 It was arranged that as soon as a fair wind sjn'ang up, 
 AVarren should hoist a Dutch flag under a ])ennant at his 
 main-top-gallant masthead, and that Pepj)errcll, if all were 
 ready on his part, slnndd answer it by lighting three fires of 
 brushwood on Green llill: Warren was then to sail into the 
 harbour and anchor before the town, while I'cpperrell, with 
 all his available troops, was to march with drums beating and 
 colours flvinji; to the .issault of the West Front. 
 
 AVhile these preparations were in progress, the English 
 batteries were not idle. The French also, seeing probai)ly 
 what was going on, replied with great vigour, especially 
 atrainst the Liy-hthouse Batterv, which gave them great un- 
 easiness. One of the Swiss deserters that came into the lines 
 
 ' Warren's fleet now comprisi'il the 'Suiierli,' '.Suiulorlaiul,' ' Caiiterluirv,' ami 
 ' I'riiu'esH Mary." of sixty ^niiis eaeh ; tlio ' Vi^nl;iiit," ot' sixty-four ),'iins ; and tlie 
 ' Launccston,' 'Chester,' ' Merniaiil,' • Ileetdr,' ' Lark,' ami ' illtliani,' ol' fmly iiuns 
 each. 
 
 - On the lOtli, a I'arty of nu'n wire sent in hoals to 3Iira. to seize JdO stand of 
 arms nnd some amnninition, wliieli were said to lie eoneealed there fop the use of 
 the Canadians and Indians cxpe^'ted from Annaiiolis. .See not.', y. L'lM. 
 
THE ISLAND BATTEKY BOMUARDED. 229 
 
 on the 91 h having said tliat a mortar at the Lightliouse would 
 greatly annoy the Island Battery, Pcpperrell, acting upon this 
 hint, sent a large mortar from Gabarus Bay, which, together 
 with four more guns, were ready for use on the morning of the 
 14th, when a smart fire was opened upon the Island Battery. 
 In the course of the day, the barracks were in a great degree 
 demolished, several guns dismounted, and the gunners, driven 
 fiom the itlatforms, were obliged to ruu for shelter under the 
 cliffs on the south side of the island. The shells were fii-ed 
 with such precision, under the direction of Colonel Gridlcy, 
 who had superintended the construction of the battery, that 
 out of nineteen fired in the course of the day, seventeen fell 
 inside the fort, and one exploded on tlie toj) of the magazine. 
 
 On the 14th the whole of the ships anchored in a line off 
 the town, which made an imposing aj)pearance ; and on the 
 15th, everything being ready I'or carrying out their plans, the 
 moment the wind became favourable, ^^'arren Avent on shore 
 to confer with Pepperrell. ' The troops, being })araded, were 
 exhorted in stirring sj»eeches by both ^^'arren and Pcp]»errell, 
 to show their valour and heroism in the designed attack.' ' 
 
 Duchainbon, meanwhile, had not been a careless observer of 
 the significant preparations in j)rogress during the last few 
 days. He saw that the storm which had long been gathering 
 was about to burst upon his bcaleagurcd fortress ; and that 
 the fleet of the enemy, which had been increasing in force diily, 
 Could now easily get into the harbour, as the Island Battery, 
 his only safeguard, Avas no longer tenable. He had still suffi- 
 cient strength to resist an assault on the West Front alone, but 
 as it wouhl require at least half of his tro()[)s to man the 
 batteries on the harbour side, he clearly saw that any attemj)t 
 to resist both the fleet and the army would be ho})eless, and 
 attended with a great loss of liCe ; he therefore prudtjutly 
 resolved to surrender. On the afternoon of the 1 5th, while 
 AVarren was at the camp, Duchambon sent a messenger with a 
 letter to Pepperrell, proposing a susi)ension of hostilities until 
 the terms of capitulation could be agreed upon ; to which the 
 following answer was innnediately returned: — 
 
280 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 * To Governor Duchamhon. 
 
 'Ciimp, 15th, June 1745. 
 
 ' We have yours of this date, proposing a suspension of 
 hostilities for such a time as slsall be necessary for you to 
 iletennine upon the conditions of delivering up the garrison 
 of Louisbourg, wliicli arrived at a ha])})y juncture to prevent 
 the effusion of Christian blood, as we were together, and had 
 just determined upon a general attack. We shall comply with 
 your desire until 8 o'clock to-morrow morning ; and if, in the 
 meantime, you surrender yourselves prisoners of war, you may 
 depend upon humane and generous treatment. 
 ' AVe are your humble servants, 
 
 ' Peteu AVarken, 
 
 * AViLLIAM PeITEHKELL.' 
 
 Next morning, Duchambon wrote to Warren and Pcp})errell, 
 stating the conditions upon which he proposed to surrender, 
 which, being deemed inadmissible, they sent him their ulti- 
 matum as follows : — • 
 
 ' Camp before Louisbourg, 16th June, 1745. 
 
 * AVe have before us yours of this date, together with the 
 several articles of capitulation on Avhich you have proposed to 
 surrender the town and fortifications of Louisbourg, with the 
 territories adjacent under your government, to his Britannic 
 Majesty's obedience, to be delivered up to his said jVIajesty's 
 forces now besieging said place, under our command ; which 
 articles we can by no means accede to. But as we are desirous 
 to treat you in a generous manner, we do again make you an 
 olfer of the terms of surrender pi-oposed by us in our summons 
 sent you jNIay 7th last: and do further consent to allow and 
 promise you the Ibllowing articles, namely : — 
 
 ' 1st. That if your own vessels shall be found insufficient 
 for the transjiortation of your persons and proposed effects to 
 France, we will su])i>ly such a number of other vessels as may 
 be sufficient for that j)urpose, also any ])rovisions necessary 
 for the voyage which you caiuiot furnish yourselves with. 
 
 ' 2nd. That all the conuuissioned officers bcloii<iinn; to the 
 
CONDITIONS OF THE .SUKKENDER OP LOUISl^OlllG. 2-U 
 
 garrison, and the inhabitants of the town, may remain in tlieir 
 liduscs witli their families, and enjoy the free exercise of their 
 religion, and no person shall be suffered to misuse or molest 
 any of them till such time as they can conveniently be trans- 
 ported to France. 
 
 ' 3rd. That the non-commissioned officers and soldiers shall, 
 innncdiately upon the surrender of the town and fortresses, bo 
 put on boai'd his Britannic Majesty's shii)s, till they all be 
 transported to France. 
 
 * 4th. That all your sick and wounded shall be taken tender 
 care of in the same manner as our own. 
 
 ' ,3th. That the commander-in-chief, now in garrison, shall 
 have liberty to send off covered wagons, to be inspected only 
 by one otficcr t)f ours, that no warlike stores may be contained 
 therein. 
 
 ' Gth. That If there be any persons in the tOAvn or garrison 
 which may desire shall not be seen by us, they shall be per- 
 mitted to go off masked. 
 
 * 7th. The above avc do consent to, and promise, upon your 
 compliance with the following conditions: — 
 
 ' 1. That the said surrender, and due i)erformancc of every 
 part of the aforesaid premises, be made and completed as soon 
 as possible. 
 
 2. That, as a security for the punctual performance of the 
 same, the Island Battery, or one of the batteries of the town, 
 shall be delivered, together ^\h\i the warlike stores thereunto 
 belonging, into the possession of his nritannic ]\Iajesty"s troops 
 before 6 o'clock this eveninn;. 
 
 ' ,1. That his said Britannic Majesty's shi[)s of war, now 
 lying before the port, shall be permitted to enter the harbour 
 of Louisbourg without any molestation, as soon after six of 
 the clock this afternoon as the connnander-in-chief of said 
 ships shall think fit. 
 
 ' 4. That none of the officers, soldiers, nor inhabitants in 
 Louisbourg, who are su1)jects of the French King, shall take 
 up arms against his Britannic Majesty, nor any of his allies, 
 until after the exj)iration of the full term of twelve months 
 i'rom this time. 
 
232 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 ' 5. Tlmt all sulyects of liis Britannic Majesty, who are now 
 prisoners with yon, shall he innnediately delivered np to ns. 
 
 ' In case of yonr non-eoin])liance with these conditions, we 
 decline any fnrther treaty Avith you on the affair, and shall 
 decide the matter by our arms, and arc, &c., 
 
 ' Your humble servants, 
 
 * P. Wahuen, 
 
 * ^y. PEPrElUiELL.' 
 
 In reply to this peremptory summons, the governor, Du- 
 chand)on, who had no alternative, sent an hostage with a letter 
 to l'ci)i)errell on the same day, stating that he wonld surrender 
 the town and fortresses, and the territories adjacent, upon 
 the terms proposed, requesting only that his troops might be 
 allowed to march out of the garrison with their arms, and 
 colours flying, which should be then given up innnediately 
 afterwards. Pepperrell acceded to this request, and sent a 
 hostage, as promised, as a guarantee for the faithfid ])erform- 
 ance of the conditions agreed upon. That Duciuunbon had 
 1)0 alternative is quite evident from his Kepoi-t to the Minister 
 of War, in which he gives, amongst others, the followino- 
 reasons for caj)itidating : — 'On the 15th, the fleet drew up in 
 a line off AMiite Point, two leagues from the port, and piles of 
 bruslnvood were made on Green Hill for signals. The fire 
 of the enemy from cannon and mortars was without cessation 
 from the beginning of the siege ; the houses of the city Avere 
 l)erfectly riddled Avitli balls ; the flank of the King's Bastion 
 was demolished ; the wooden and turf embrasures, that liad 
 been frequently repaired, were destroyed ; a breach was made 
 in the \A'est Gate, through which an entrance was now prac- 
 ticable, by the help of fascines, which the enemy had been 
 l)ringing forward for two days to their trenches ; and all this 
 had been done in the face of our cannon and musketry, which 
 were served with an activity and vigour beyond expectation. 
 This is j)roved. Monsieur, by the fact that of 67,000 kegs of 
 powder we had at the connnencement of the siege, there re- 
 mained on the 17th June only 47 in the city, which quantity 
 Avas absululely necessary, on the eve of capitulation. We had 
 
duchambon's reasons for capitulating. 233 
 
 also cx])Oih1o(1 all our shells of 9 and 12 inches. I ought in 
 justice to all the officers and soldiers of the garrison, and the 
 iiiliahitants generally, to say, thaL they have all endiu'ed the 
 latigue and privation -with intrepidity unequalled, passing all 
 their nights without undressing, and sleej)ing on the hare 
 ground; and those stationed on the ramparts found no re})ose, 
 since the enemy's cannon balls reached every part of the city. 
 Every one "vvas worn out with fatigue and watching, and of 
 the 1,300 men at the beginning of the siege, 50 Averc killed 
 and 95 wounded, and many more were sick from the hardships 
 they endured. On the 16th June, the inhabitants sent me a 
 petition, stating that, as the forces of the enemy by sea and 
 larid were augmenting daily, without any prospect of the 
 arrival of succoiu's for us, nor any hope of our being able to 
 hold out much longer, that it would be better to caj)itulate 
 with the English commanders, in order to preserve the few 
 lives that remain. This i)etiii()n touched me Avith the deepest 
 emotion. To think of surrendoriiin; Louisbouro- which had 
 cost the King vast sums of money ; that there were a number 
 of iidial)itauts with families Avho were to pei'ish immediately, or 
 to lose the fruits of their labour since the commencement of the 
 colony. But here was a practicable breach made in the 
 wall by the enemy, and thirteen lai-ge ships all ready to join 
 ill an attack. In a conjuncture so critical, I directed the chief 
 engineer, M. Verrier, to render an accoiuit of the fortifications 
 and of the place, and the officer charged with the artillery, to 
 give a report of the munitions of Avar ; and upon their report 
 I held a council of Avar, Avhich decided unanimously, that, con- 
 sidering the forces of the enemy, and the state of the garrison 
 and the place, it Avas necessary to cajntulate.' 
 
 In a letter dated August 13, Avritten by Duchambon to the 
 ^linister, after his arrival in France, ho states that the English 
 had 13,000 land and sea forces (about 5,000 more than the 
 real number), Avhile he had only 1,300. It is only charitable 
 to suppose that he may have been deceived respecting the 
 nundjer of the English army, because, as Belknap observes, 
 ' the gn und was so uneven, and the people so scattered, that 
 the Erench could form no estimate of their numbers : ' but he 
 
234 TAPE HRETON. 
 
 .surely could not so soon have fori^otten that he (lelivcred up 
 1,960 prisoners of war before he left Louisbourg. He must 
 also have been wide of the mark in asserting that he used 
 67,000 kegs of powder during the siege; for supposing that 
 e.'icli keg contained only 2o lbs., he must in this case luive ex- 
 ]>endcd 750 tons of powder in forty-eight days, or 15 tons per 
 day ! Pepj^errell, on the other hand, says 9,000 balls and 600 
 bom]>s were fired against the city : allowing that 20 lbs. were 
 used for each charge, the consumpticm did not exceed one- 
 third of a ton per day. Duchambon, it may be presumed, 
 made these exaggerated statements for the purpose of covering 
 his own shortcomings, lie committed many errors during the 
 siege. The following, in my humble opinion, were the princi- 
 pal : — 
 
 1. He took no steps for ascertaining the character of the 
 sus])icious-looking vessels that passed and repassed the harbour 
 so frequently during the month of April. 
 
 2. He did not send spies to Canceau to gain information. 
 
 3. When the English forces did arrive, he only sent 100 
 men instead of all the disposable force at his command, to 
 oppose their landing. 
 
 4. He gave up the Grand Battery Avithout destroying or 
 removing the guns, which proved absolutely necessary to the 
 besiegers. 
 
 5. He made no vigorous sorties upon the English Avhen they 
 first opened their trenches. His apologists say he could not 
 trust his men outside the walls, but he does not give this 
 excuse himself. 
 
 In addition to these, his gravest error was the refusal of the 
 succours offered by the Viceroy in the autumn of 1744. 
 
 I>ut Duchambon was not the only one to blame for the loss 
 of Louisbourg. If you look at tiie map of the harbour, you 
 Avill observe there is a hill (125 feet in height) between the 
 Careening Cove and the Lighthouse Point, which overlooks 
 the town, the harbour, and all the batteries. If the French 
 had erected a strong fort ujwn this hill, it could, owing to the 
 nature of the ground, have been made almost impregnable at a 
 small cost ; the English could not have taken uj) a i)osition on 
 
TRinUTE TO THE GALLANT PROVINCIALS. 235 
 
 the Avcstcni side of the liarboiir, only half a mile distant ; they 
 could never have erected a battery at the Lij^hthouac, only one 
 quarter of a mile distant, to silence the Island Battery ; the 
 ships could not have gone into the harbour, or, if they had 
 forced a passage, could not have anchored in safety, exposed to 
 the plunging fire of shot and shell of an elevated fort ; and 
 lastly, if the toAvn itself, only one mile distant, had been taken, 
 it could never have been held by an enemy. Supported by 
 such a fort, there is every reason to believe that Louisbourg 
 would have held out until the arrival of M. Perrier's squadrtm, 
 Avhich might have driven Warren's fleet off the coast, and have 
 saved the i)lace. 
 
 Having freely given my ojanion of the conduct of the Go- 
 vernor of Louisbourg (worthless as it may be deemed by those 
 better able to judge of such matters), let us now turn to the 
 more agreeable task of paying a just tribute to the gallant 
 Provincials for their great achievement. Hutchinson justly 
 observes ' that if there had been no signal proof of bravery and 
 courage in the time of action, there having been only one sally 
 from the town, and a few skirmishes with French and Indians 
 from the woods, in all of wliich our men behaved well, yet 
 here was the strongest evidence of a generous, noble public 
 s[)ii'it, which first induced to the undertaking, and of steadiness 
 and finnncss of mind in the [)rosecution of it, the labour, 
 liitiguc, and other hardships of the siege being without parallel 
 in all preceding American affairs.' ]\Iany, no doubt, embarked 
 iu the enterprise under the imjircssion that Louisbourg Avould 
 fall at the first blow ; yet, when they found out their mistake, 
 they never murmured, but submitted patiently to sufferings 
 and })rivations which they had never dreamed of, during a 
 period of seven Avecks. Every man wa^ ready at a moment's 
 notice to proceed to the post assigned to him, and to carry out, 
 to the best of his ability, the orders of his superiors. Of this I 
 cau give no better proof than the fact, that not a single man 
 was punished during the w hole siege for a breach of discipline 
 or neglect of duty. It is no disparagement of the provincial 
 l()rces to say, that without the aid and protection of Warren's 
 xpiadron they never could have succeeded; ior one single 
 
2:3G CAPK BRE"\^]sr. 
 
 French ship like the * Vigilant ' could easily have captured or 
 dispersed the whole fleet of armed cruisers and trans[)orts, and 
 cut off their supplies. Even if the army could have held its 
 ]K)sitii)n before Louisbourp;, it would have been an act of reck- 
 less folly to have attempted to assault the town without the 
 aid of the fleet, as the whole of the garrison and militia, still 
 numbering nearly 2,000 men, concentrated upon the only 
 threatened point, the AVest Gate, woidd have been more than 
 sufficient to resist with success the whole [novincial army ; for, 
 although ' the AVest Gate was defaced, and the adjoining cur- 
 tain, with the flank of the King's Bastion, nuich damaged, there 
 Avas no practicable breach.' ' It is a singular fact, that the 
 weather, which had been fine and dry for forty days, broke up 
 immediately after the caj)itulation, and an incessant rain con- 
 tinued for ten days. If the raiii had set in sooner, it must 
 have proved fatal to hundreds of the men suffering from colds 
 and dys'^ntery, lying ujion daujp ground with no other covering 
 than tents, chiefly made of connnon osnaburg, which would not 
 have protected them from a single shower. 
 
 On the afternoon of June 17, according to the terms of 
 cai)itulation, Warren sent a body of marines to take possession 
 of the Island Battery, and then conducted his fleet and all the 
 transports into ;he harbour. About the same time, the army, 
 with Po[>perrcil at its head, marched through the South-west 
 Gate into the city, and paraded between the casemates of the 
 King's Bastion, in I'nmt of the French tro(»ps, drawn up in a 
 parallel line to receive them. Salutations were ex(;hanged, 
 and the keys of the ])lace were then delivered to Peppcrrell. 
 Finally, the English flag was hoisted on the ramparts, and a 
 general salute fired from all the English l)atterics and the ships 
 in the harbour. It was only now that the army saw the vast 
 strength of the fortress Avhich had fallen into their hands.'^ 
 
 ' IIuli'IiinsQii. 
 
 ' ' Wlion our forces ontorod (lie city, and c:inio fo viow tlif inward state of its 
 forliflciitions, they were amuzed to see their extraonliuary streii^tii and device, and 
 how we had like to have lost the limhs and lives of a muUiiude, if not havo Imch 
 ull destroyed. And that the city sliould surrender when tiiere was a great btnly of 
 French and Inilians got on the island, and within a day's niaivh to luolesi us.' — 
 Vriiiif's SiniKni I'/ I hi Simlh Cltnnh in Jtn.-tton, o/i t/w Chnmd 'I7Htiii<i/ivui</ fvr 
 till I ilii)ifi iif Lmii.s'iniirif, 
 
THE FALL OF LOUISBOURG. 237 
 
 ' As the troops, enterinoj the fortress, beheld the strength 
 of the place, theu' hearts for the first time sank within tliem. 
 " God has gone out of his way,'' said they, " in a remarkable 
 and almost miraculous manner, to incline the hearts of the 
 French to give up and deliver this strong city into our 
 hand." ' ' They had indeed ample cause for expressing their 
 astonishment and thankfulness, when they reflected what 
 inadequate means they had for reducing such a stronghold. 
 Even Pepperrell himself, who was embucd Avith decj> religious 
 feeling, attributed the event to the interposition of Divine 
 rr(>vidence, in answer to the prayers daily offered up through- 
 out all New England for the success of the enterprise. 
 
 On the same day that Pcp[)errell took possession of the 
 city, the French troops, consisting of 650 regulars and 1,310 
 militia, were sent on board the English ships i-ntil transports 
 could be got ready to take them to France. Seventy-six can- 
 non and mortars, and a large amount of valuai)le })roj)ci'ty, 
 to<»"ether with six months' i)rovisioiis, were found in the citv. 
 The loss of the English dui'ing the v^'ole siege, including 
 those who died in the cami) from dysentery, did not exceed 
 130 men. The French are supposed to have had more thiui 
 300 killed, although Dnchambon, who, we have seen, is not to 
 be depended upon, says only 5v), in his lieport to the Minister 
 of War. 
 
 On June 18, (Jeneral Pep])errell sent Captain l>onnct in a 
 fust-sailing schooner with despatches to Governor Shirley, 
 announcing the fall of Lonisbourg. The news, Avhich i-oached 
 lioston at one A..\r. on .r^ily 3, was everywhere received with 
 most lively demonstrations of joy. 
 
 ' The people of Boston,' says Dr. Chaunc}^ in a letter to 
 Pepperrell of .July 4, ' before sunrise, were as thick about the 
 streets as on an election day, and a pleasing joy visibly sat on 
 the countenance of every one met with. . . . AVe had, last 
 night, the finest illumination I ever beheld with my eyes. I 
 l)elieve there was not a house in town, in no by-lane or alley, 
 but joy might be seen through its windows. The night also 
 was made joyfnl by bonfli-es, fireworks, and all other external 
 
 ' li.iiU'riitrs llis'i'i-i/ "f tin Vhifiif !Sliil<s. 
 
238 CAPE ERETON. 
 
 tokens of rejoicing.' The news soon spread tlironnli the adjoin- 
 ing provinces, and filled all liearts with joy. In Xew York, 
 Piiiladclphia, and every town and village of New England, 
 the event was celebrated )>y ringing of bells, fireworks, and 
 illuminations. 
 
 * The news of this important victory," Belknap says, * filled 
 New England with joy and Europe .vith astonishment.' News 
 of this great achievement first reached England on July 20, 
 by the frigate ' ^Nlcrmaid,' Captain ]\Iontague, and on the 
 27th, duplicates forwarded by the ' Shirley (ialley,' Captain 
 House, confirmed the ha])py intelligence. To show their sense 
 of the importance of the conquest of Ca})e Dreton, the Lords 
 Commissioners of the Admiralty presented Captain ]Mon- 
 tague with a purse of ')()() gnineas, and apj)oint(Hl Captain 
 House so(m aftei- to the command of one of his jMajc-^ty's 
 shij)s.' The Tower and I*ark guns were fired by order uf the 
 llegency, the King being at the time at Hanover. At night 
 London was illnniinated, and bonfires were made at many con- 
 spicuous places. In every city and large town throughout 
 Great Britain, similar demonstrations of joy were exhibitid, 
 and when the; King returned from Hanover, congratulatory 
 addresses poured in tVom all ([uarters. Gene ui Pepperi'ell 
 was made a liaronct of (ireat liritaln, au'i Conunodore 
 Warren was jiromoted to the rank of Bear-Admiral of the 
 lilue, in testimony of their great services. At the same time, 
 General l*e])perrell was dii'ccted to acquaint the ofiicers and 
 men of the ^.'ew England army with his ^Majesty's gracious 
 approbation of their services on this occasion. Shortly aCter- 
 wards, connnissions were sent out to Pepperrell and Govermn" 
 Shirley, to raise and command two rcuiments of the line in 
 the colonies, as a reward for their services in promoting, 
 organising, and executing, the enterprise with such signal 
 success. 
 
 ' Gfiieriil Peytpcrci'll roconinioiKled Caiitaiu Rouso to the Ministry for his viilii- 
 (ililo H'l'vici's dviriiii; tiip siepo. He coiiuuiiiuUhI a jiriviih'ir iiclniinin^ to Bostdii in 
 17H, Mini t(i(ik Hivcral prizes on liu' cuiis; (if Niwfin.iiiilainl. iji 17I>S lir was pni- 
 luoti'd lotho tMiiiiiiiaiitl (if tile 'Allianv ' sloop lit' war, aiiil was siibscipiciilly cin- 
 pioycd stncral years mi the Halifax Slatiun. Ho cdinniiuided the 'Sutherland,' ol 
 fifty guns, at the soeond sii'f,'e of IiUiii>l"mr^;', in 17-38, 
 
REPLY TO GENERAL PEPPERRELL's DESPATCHES. 20!) 
 
 Nothings will give you a better idea of the views enter- 
 tained by the British Ministry, of the importanee of the con- 
 quest of Cape l>rcton, than a few extracts, which 1 now 
 submit, from the Duke of Newcastle's reply of Aufi,i!st 10 to 
 General Pepperrell's despatches: 'I laid the despatches im- 
 mediatelv before the Lords Justices, who had the ureatcst jov 
 in an event which does so nuich honour to his ^Majesty's arms, 
 and may be attended with such ha])py consequences to the 
 trade and commerce of his ^lajesty's subjects; and their 
 Excellencies recommended to me, in a ])articular manner, to 
 assure you of the sense they have of your prudence, coura<i;e, 
 and conduct, Avhich contributed so greatly to the success of this 
 enteri>rise. As I lost no time in transmitting copies of your 
 despatches to my Lord Harrington at Hanover, to be laid 
 before the King, I have now the j)lcasure toac([uaint you that 
 the news of the reduction of Louisbouru" Avas received Ijv his 
 ^lajesty with the highest satisfaction, whicli the King has com- 
 manded shoidd be signified to all the connnandcrs and other 
 officers, both of land and sea, who were instrumental therein. 
 .... It is a great satisfaction to me to acipiaint you that his 
 jNfajesty has thonght fit to distinguish the conunanders-in- 
 cliief of this ex])('dition, by eoi'.ferring on you the dignity «)f 
 a Baronet of (ireat Britain (upon which I beg leave most 
 sincerely to congratulate you), and by giving a flag to Mr. 
 Warren .... 1 am persuaded it is unnei'essary for me to 
 recommend it to you to (;ontinue t(» empN)y the same zeal, 
 vigilance, and activity you have ab'cady exerted, in doing every- 
 thing that shall be necessary for the security and preservation 
 of Louisl)ourg. in which the Lords . Justices are persuaded that 
 yon and Mr. Warren will have the hearty concurrence and 
 assistance of Governor Shirley, who has had so great a share 
 in the forming and carrying into execution this enterprise. 
 As the perfect union and harmony which has happily sub- 
 sisted between yon and Mr. Warren has so eminei'.tly con- 
 trbuted to the success (»f that undertaking, the Lords .histiccs 
 have the firmest confidence that the same good agreement 
 ^vill continue between yon, and that you will employ your 
 joint endeavoiu's for securing in the most effectual manner the 
 
240 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 valuable acquisition that lias been made by bis Majesty's 
 forces under your command.' 
 
 Belknap says, ' The cnter[)ri.slrig spirit of New Enrrland jravo 
 a serious alarm to those jealous fears which had \(nv^ predicted 
 the inde])endencc of the colonies ; and that great pains were 
 taken in Eiifcland to ascribe all the jjflory to the navy, and lessen 
 the merit of the army.' If any dependence can be })laced ui»(»u 
 varicms articles published in the ])criodicals of the time, which 
 may be considered to represent the feclino;s of the ])cople in 
 general, it is evident that, so far from endeavouring to lessen 
 the merit of tlie army, or to excite any unworthy jealousy of 
 the colonists, their ex])loit was everywhere highly extolled, and 
 held up as an example for the regular army, which had just 
 before suffered some serious reverses on the Ccmtinent.' The 
 extracts I have tjiven above from the Duke of Newcastle's let- 
 ter clearly show the high opinion entertained by the ]Ministry 
 of the services of the provincial army. 
 
 Let us now return to Louisbourg. Both ^Varren and Pep- 
 perrcll, who acted as joint Govcnors, naturally expected that 
 the French (iovernment would culeavoin* to recover the valu- 
 able fortress which had been so unexpectedly lost, by means of 
 a naval force, as it was well known that the navv of France 
 was at that time in a very efficient condition. Great exertions 
 were therefore made to })ut the defences of the j)lace in good 
 (n'der. The jjartial breaches in the Avails and ranipai'ts were 
 rejiaircd, and some of the \civA injured houses hastily fitted u[) 
 for the reception of the troops, until barracks could be provided. 
 * All the houses in the city (one only exce})ted) had some shot 
 through them more or less ; some had their roois l)eat down 
 with bombs; as for the famous citadel and hospital, they were 
 almost demolished by boml)s and shot.' ^ The parapets and 
 
 ' In tliii Griit!<m(tii'fi Miii/(uii>i for .Fuly 17t>"), tht'ro is a Ilvmii to \'iL'tory. on 
 till' litkiiig of Ciipt' lir(.t()ii, ot' wliioli tlic iollowiiig is tlio tii>;t .stiiiii:a : — 
 
 IJeyonil tlic wide Atlantic sea 
 Sill' v\^vH Jir.sf to (M'owii uiir tuils ; 
 Tliilliti- to wi'.tltli slic points llu' way, 
 And liids ua tlirivc on (.iallii' spoils. 
 
 ^ Gibson's ■/ounia/ af the Sin/r, 
 
THE FEEXCn PRISONEIiS SAIL FOR KOCHELLF. 211 
 
 cniLrasures of all the English batteries, includhig that at the 
 Lighthouse, were levelled, and their guns brought into the town, 
 exee[)t the 42-p()nnders, -which were sent back to the Grand 
 liattery, from wliich they had been taken. As the ' Launces- 
 ton' frigate had been appointed to acconij)any the transports to 
 France, her guns were landed and taken into the town also. 
 Consequently, in the course of a few weeks 26G good cannon 
 were mounted on the ramparts of the town and batteries, and 
 Louisbourg was in a better condition of defence than it ever 
 had been in the hands of the French. 
 
 On the 18th, the day after the surrender, a storeship of 300 
 tons, armed with twenty guns, was taken off the harbour by 
 one of the men-of-war. 
 
 Two schooners which the French had run on shore in the 
 liarbour were got off, but all endeavours to raise some vessels 
 they had sunk at the beginning of the siege })roved fruitless. 
 
 On the 27th, a number of inhal)itants came in from Scatari 
 in their boats, and gave themselves up according to the terms 
 of the capitulation. 
 
 On July 4, the French prisoners and the inhabitants of Louis- 
 bourg, in all 4,130 pers'^ns, sailed for llochelle in fourteen 
 transports. M. Duchambon, and the otHcers of the garrison, 
 Avith their families, left at the same time in the ' liaunceston' 
 frigate. 
 
 The French flag was kept flying on the ramparts of Louis- 
 bourg for some time after its surrender, for the 2>wrpose of 
 decoying French ships into the harbour. This ruse pi'oved 
 very successful. On July 23, a large East Indiaman, the 
 ' Charmante,' and a few days after another, the ' Heron,' ran 
 into the trap set for them. These ships had received orders to 
 touch at Louisbourg on their homeward voyage, where they 
 would find a squadron of men-of-war, imder wliose convoy they 
 might safely reach Europe.' The value of these two ships and 
 cargoes was estimated at 17o,0()()/. sterling. This was, how- 
 ever, a mere trifle in comparison with the value of the treasure 
 (»n l)()ard the ' Xotrc Dame de la Dclivrance, which was cap- 
 tured on August 2.3. Don Antonio d'l'lloa, who was a pas- 
 
 ' Ulloii'.T. l'"//t'i/( tn Si)'i//i Aiiurka, 
 \{ 
 
242 
 
 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 scnger on board this ship, as I have ah-cady told you (p. 174), 
 has given us such an interesting account of her capture that I 
 cannot resist the temptation of making a few extracts from his 
 nairative. You will recollect that, after the ca})ture of her 
 consorts — the ' Louis Erasme ' and the * Marquis d'Antin ' — 
 hy the English privateers off the Azores, the ' Delivrance ' bore 
 up for Louisbourg, because ' the captain, having consulted 
 with his officers what course it was most advisable to steer, 
 and having learned from one of them who had often been at 
 Louisbourg in the island of Cape Breton, near Newfoundland, 
 and had a perfect knowledge of the situation and nature of the 
 place, that in the beginning of the summer two men-of-war 
 Avere every year sent thither, to carry money and troops for 
 that place and Canada, and likewise to protect the cod fishery,' 
 concluded that the safest course woidd be to proceed thither, 
 and continue his voyage to Europe under convoy of the men- 
 of-war. They were at this time, according to reckoning, 90 
 leagues to the north-westward of the Island of Florcb, one of 
 the Azoies. 
 
 On August 12 (Old Style), at 4 p.m., they first made land, 
 Avhich, on the following morning at 6 a.m., they found to be ' the 
 island of Escatari, which lies about five leagues north of Louis- 
 bourg.' On the same morning ' we saw a brigantine ' plying 
 along the coast for Louisbouro-. The " Delivrance " on this 
 lioisted a French ensign, which was answered by the other 
 firinj; two or three uuns. This jjjave us no manner of uneasi- 
 ness, concluding that the brigantine, suspecting some deceit in 
 our colours, had fired those guns as a warning to the fishing 
 barks without to get into harbour ; and they [fut the same con- 
 struction on this firing, inuncdiately showing the greatest hurry 
 in making for a place of safety. An hour afterwards, being 
 near 8 o'clock, we saw coming out of Louisbourg two men-of- 
 war, which we inuncdiately took for ships belonging to a French 
 squadron stationed liiere for the security of that important i)lace, 
 and that they k hI come out on the signal from the brigantine 
 that a shi[) had appeared in sight, lest it might l)e some Boston 
 
 ' This \v,r- tlu' ' UmsIoii I'li.kfl,' Cipfain l"'rl(.'li('i', the only coluiiiul vcsf-ol that 
 g'lt ti :-liai'i' of till' naval iiriije-muiiey. IJi'.tc/uueo?/. 
 
ULLOA SAILS FOR ENGLAND. 24"3 
 
 l)rivatccr with a ilesiii;ii on the fishery. Thus we were under 
 no manner of anxiety, especially as they came out Avith French 
 colours, and one of them had a pennant, and all the forts of 
 Louisbourg, as T/ell as all the ships in the harbour, which we 
 could now })lainly distinguish, wore the same disf]^uise. Here 
 I must refer to the reader's imagination the complacency and 
 joy whicli swelled every heart, imagining that we now saw the 
 end of all our fears and disasters — a place of safe repose after 
 a voyage of such danger and fatigue. Then let the reader be 
 pleased to think what an edge the melancholy disappointment 
 gave to our astonishment and dejection when, amidst the in- 
 dulgence of such pleasing ideas, we found our hopes destroyed, 
 all our visionary schemes of delight ending in the real miseries 
 of captivity.' Having unshotted his guns, the captain of the 
 'Delivrance' was preparing to salute the men-of-war, when 
 they hoisted English colours and fired a shot which carried 
 away his foretopsail halyards. The two ships proved to be 
 the ' Sunderland,' Captain Brett, and the ' Chester,* Captain 
 Durell. 
 
 Ulloa says he received very kind treatment from Captain 
 Durell, who sent him to his own house, where he remained 
 during his captivity ; and also from Admiral A\'arren, who 
 frequently invited him to his table. All his papers relative 
 to the mensuration of the degrees of the meridian, together 
 with his physical and astronomical observations, were of course 
 handed to Admiral ^Varren, by whom they were transmitted 
 to the Admiralty. Ulloa left Louisbourg in October, in the 
 ' Sunderland,' Captain Brett, and arrived in England in 
 December. During his residence in London he was elected 
 a Fellow of the lloyal Society. All his papers were handed 
 to him when he left for Spahi. 
 
 The cargo of the ' Delivrance ' was ostensibly cocoa, under 
 which there were stowed away 2,000,000 Peruvian dollars, 
 and a large amount of gold sind silver in ingots and bars, the 
 value of the whole being 800,000/. sterling.' The fall of 
 
 ' The sjx>cio taken in tho consorts of the ' Dulivranco,' 'Louis Krasnie,' ami 
 thu ' Mai'tiuis d'Antin,' caiiturwl off tlio Azores liy tlic privateers ' Prince Freilcrie' 
 ami ' Duke,' amounted to o,(l(l(>.00(l ilullar.--. l''<irty-tiiree waii^rou^ wliv cnijijoyed 
 
244 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 Louisbourg proved fatal to the French East India Company, 
 as it Avas the port at which their ships often touclied on their 
 Avay to Canada to collect the furs, of which they enjoyed a 
 monojjoly. 
 
 The division of the prize-money, one-half of Avhich was 
 claimed by the Crown, the other by the officers and crews of 
 the fleet, caused great dissatisfaction in the army. This 
 division was made according to the usual practice in similar 
 cases, but it was manifestly unfair that the provincial troops, 
 who had left their comfortable homes and occupations to 
 embark in an enterprise so foreign to their habits, and attended 
 with such toil and danger, should have received comparatively 
 a mere trifle arising from the sale of the provisions and 
 clothing taken in the town. They were told that their share 
 of the plunder was to be gathered on the land, wliich probably 
 gave rise to an idea somewhat prevalent amongst them, ' that 
 they had acquired a right to the whole island and its de[ien- 
 dcncies, which it Avas proposed to divide between the ofhccrs 
 and men, until they were undeceived by Governor Shirley.' ' 
 
 In the beginning of July, 700 of the Isew England troops, 
 many of whom were sick and inca})able of duty, were sent 
 home, and their places filled by the liliode Island contingent 
 and a reinforcement from Boston. Having accomplished their 
 great object, all the troops were anxious to get home. Besides, 
 the pay of the jNIassachusetts men was so much less than that 
 of the Conneciicut and llhode Island men, that it occasioned 
 great discontent among the former. As Popperrell had no 
 autiiority to increase their pay, Oovernor 8hirl",y was invited 
 by the officers to visit Louisbourg. As the services of the 
 jMassaclmsetts men could not be dispensed with until tAvo 
 regiments of the line, which had been ordered to go from 
 (iibraltar, arrived, Shirley, when he reached Louisbourg, in 
 the middle (tf August, advanced their pay to forty shillings per 
 month, Avhich quieted their almost open rebellion. Owing to 
 some delay in providing transports, and to a long and boisterous 
 
 til lraii^i«>:l it tVoiii Uristi)! to LoikId!) 'When it Wi\s ilividuil, each wailur received 
 8.)ii ;.'iiiiuM> I'nr 111.'- ihai'u." MaalL'f- Ji'.-tori/ nf tJic War. 
 ' lluk'liiiisuu. 
 
THE OLD BUl^YTNG-nnOUND AT LOUISBOURG. 245 
 
 passage, the Gibraltar regiments did not arrive upon tlic coast 
 until tlie winter had set in, which ol)ligcd them to run s(»iilh 
 to Virginia, wlicre tlicy remained until spring. All the jS'cw 
 England troops were consequently ohliged to remain at Louis- 
 hourg daring the winter. When Shirley left in September, 
 there were 2,740 men in garrison, but putrid fever and 
 dysenteries, which had broken out soon after the army got 
 into the town, in the month of August became contagious, 
 and carried off a great number of the men.' As Aviuter 
 approached the disease increased in virulence. In a letter 
 dated December 10, to General AVolcott, Pepperrell says, ' It 
 has been a sickly dying time amongst us. Upwards of 400 
 men have died since we carac into the city.' On January 2S 
 the deaths had reached 561, and there were at that date 1,100 
 men sick, and only 1,000 capable of duty. The burials, how- 
 ever, which at one time ranged from fourteen to twenty-seven, 
 did not then exceed from three to live per day. It is painful, 
 even at this distant day, to reflect upon the melancholy fiite ol' 
 the brave men who thus sank helplessly into their graves, 
 after bearing unscathed the toils aiul dano;ers of the battle- 
 field, so far away from their homes. 
 
 If you ever visit the ruins of Lcmisbourg, you will observe 
 a patch of dark-green sward on Point llochfort — the site of 
 the old burying-ground. Beneath it lie the ashes of hundreds 
 of brave New En<2;landers ! Xo monument marks the sacred 
 spot, but the Avaves of the restless ocean, in calm or storm, 
 sing an everlasting requiem over the graves of the departed 
 heroes. 
 
 All the inhabitants of Louisbourg, except a few families 
 that went to join their friends in Nova Scotia, were sent to 
 France in July, but those residing in the outports and fishing 
 stations upon the coast were suffered to remain, upon taking 
 the oath of allegiance. The missionary. Father jMallard, was 
 also permitted to reside at St. Peter's, to attend to their 
 
 ' ' After wo got into tlic town, a sordid indolence or sloth, for want of discipline, 
 induced putrid fovor.s and dysenteries, whicli at leiiijrtii in Ani;ust liecanie conta- 
 gious, and tile people died like rotten sluep ; tliis destroyed or remlered incapable 
 of duty iiiilf of our mWiVux' —Doui/fas, 
 
21G CAPE BIIETON. 
 
 Spiritual Avauts. In the mouth of September a detachment 
 of 300 men were sent to take possession of St. John's Island, 
 but the French inhabitants were not disturbed. 
 
 In the month of October all the shii)s of war left Louisbourg 
 for England except the * Vigilant,' ' Chester,' and a fire-ship 
 which remauied to guard the port. 
 
 ^^'arren and Pe[)perrell, who remained there all winter, as 
 you may easily imagine had their hands full in maintaining 
 order among the undisciplined troops and the crowds of traders 
 that flocked to Louisbourg after its fall. For this jmrpose it 
 was absolutely necessary to govern by martial law; both Pcp- 
 perrell and AVarren being compelled to sit in court three days 
 a week to try delinquents. 
 
 On April 2, 1746, the Gibraltar trooi)S, comprising Fuller's 
 and AVarburton*s regiments, of 815 men each, and 245 men of 
 Frampton's regiment, in all 1,875, arrived at Louisbourg, to 
 the great joy of the New England forces, who were enabled in 
 consequeiKje to return to their homes. AVarren, who received 
 his commission of Governor on April 2, addressed the men 
 before they left Louisbourg, and congratulated them on the 
 speedy prospect of being vmited to their families and friends. 
 lie thanked them for their valuable services to their king and 
 country, and ])romised his protection to any who might wish to 
 settle in Louisbourg, or take up grants of land in the island. 
 
 About the middle of INIay, Warren and Pepperrell embarked 
 in the ' Chester,' Captain Spry, for Boston, leaving Commo- 
 dore Knowles ' in charge of the Government, and Colonel 
 Warburton acting Lieutenant-Governor. On their arrival in 
 Boston, on June 1, they were received with salutes from the 
 batteries and ships of war in the harbour. On June 24 they 
 were welcomed, and thanked by the House of Ilepresentatives, 
 then in Session, • for the services rendered to His Majesty's 
 subjects in general, and to the people of New England in par- 
 ticular.' Soon after this. Admiral Warren left Boston for 
 England, to take the command of a squadron in the Channel ; 
 Sir William Pepperrell retired to his home at Kittery in Maine, 
 
 ' Commodore Knowles h;id just arrived from tho West Indies witii two sliips 
 of the lint — llu' ' Cantti'biirv' and ' Norwich.' 
 
IMPORTANOE OP THE ACHIEVEMENT. 247 
 
 where he was received with all the honour to which he was so 
 justly entitled. 
 
 In concluding this long story, I venture to hope that you 
 Avill not sujtposc I have dwelt too long upon the incidents of a 
 .^icge which must ever be deeply interesting to the youtli of 
 Cape Breton. The historian Smollett designated it ' the most 
 imj)ortant achievement of the Avar of 1 744 ; ' and the authors 
 ol' the ' Universal History ' considered it ' an equivalent for all 
 tlie successes of the French upon the Continent.' ' 
 
 ' In most cases, I have mentioned, eithor in tlio text or the footnotes, tlie autlio- 
 ritie;i consulti'd in compiling my narrative of the Siege of LouisLourg ; but I 
 cannot dismiss the subject without uckuowU'dging especially one valuable souivo 
 to wliich I am largely indebt<;d — viz., Dr. Uaher Par.sons's Life of Gaurul 
 PcppemU. 
 
24S CAPK BJIETON. 
 
 LETTER XV. 
 
 1746-1749. 
 
 Intelligence of tlic fall of Loulsbonrg had scarcely reached 
 Quebec when the Viceroy, M. dc Beaidinrnois, and the Intcn- 
 dant, M. ITocquard, drew up a long memorial addressed to the 
 Count de Maurepas, Minister of Marine, urging the ini])or- 
 tance and facility of immedia ely recovering not only Cape 
 Breton but Nova Scotia also. They stated they were well 
 assured by the missionaries that nearly all the inhabitants of 
 Nova Scotia were desirous of returning under the French 
 dominion; that they would take up arms as soon as they 
 received the support of a body of troops ; and that the IMic- 
 macs, the irreconcilable enemies of the English, if supplied 
 with powder and lead, and some provisions, would join the 
 Acadians. The}- added that, as the English would not likely 
 give up Louisbourg at a general peace, unless the King of 
 France obtained impoi'tant advantages over them in J*juroj)e, 
 it would be advisable to send out an expedition at once. They 
 estimated that ten ships of the line and 2,500 soldiers would 
 reduce both Nova Scotia and Cape Breton ; but even if they 
 failed in retaking Louisbourg, a secure footing upon the 
 island might be effected by establishing a military settlement 
 at Baie des Espagnols. The French Government, exaspe- 
 rated at the loss of such an important fortress as Louisbcmrg, 
 Avhicli had cost an inancnse sum of money and twenty-five 
 years of incessant labour in rendering it, as it was -i'-pposed, 
 impregnable, readily fell into these views, and at once directed 
 an armament to be prepared of g 'eater force than had ever yot 
 been sent to America. Accordingly, during the winter ;.iid 
 Kj)ring of 1740 an exjjcdition was fully equij»j)ed, consisting of 
 
THE FRENCH FLEET SAILS FOR AMERICA. 210 
 
 eleven ships of the line, thirty frigates, two fireships, and 
 thirty transports carrying 3,150 soldiers. Tlie fleet was com- 
 manded by M. dc la Rochefoucauld, Due d'Anville, and the 
 troops by Adjutant-General jNI. de Ponnnerill. 
 
 The British Cirovernment, well informed of what was going 
 on, sent Admiral JNlartin to blockade the port of Brest, and to 
 watch the motions of the enemy. Notwithstanding, the French 
 fleet managed to get out of port unobserved, on June 22, and 
 being soon after joined by the trans})orts from Kochelle, sailed 
 for America. As soon as intelligence of the departure of the 
 fleet reached England, Admiral Lcstock sailed from l*orts- 
 mouth with eighteen ships in pursuit, but after several attempts 
 was obliged by contrary winds to return to England. 
 
 While the fleet was getting ready in France, the Viceroy of 
 Canada was actively engaged in organising a land-force to act 
 in concert with it on its arrival. All through the winter of 
 174.'!-46, a constant intci*courso was kept up with the Acadians 
 and Indians of Nova Scotia: and in the besjinninfj of the fol- 
 lowing sunnner a force of 1,000 men, composed of regular 
 troops, Canadian nnlitia, Courcurs de liois, and Indians, was 
 collected at Bay Verte, under the command of M. de Bamsay.' 
 
 News of the im])cnding danger reached Bostcm early in the 
 summer, where it created the greatest consternation and alarm. 
 ' Englanel,' says Hutchinson, * was not more alarmed with the 
 Sjjanish Armada, in 1588, than Boston and the other North 
 American seaports with the arrival of D'Anvillc's fleet in the 
 neighbourhood.' Six thousand militia were called out to de- 
 fend the town, and as many more were held in readiness in 
 Connecticut, to march to Boston if necessary. Old forts were 
 repaired and new ones erected, sentinels [daced on connnand- 
 ing points to give notice of the approach of the enemy, and 
 every preparation made for a stubborn defence. There was 
 indeed ami)le cause for alarm, for D'Anville's instructions 
 Averc to retake and dismantle Louisbourg; to reduce Nova 
 
 ' Whik Do Riimsiiy was waiting at Bcinibassiii for news of D'Aiiville's arrival, 
 200 Indians, led by M. ile ^lontcsson, eropscd over in camus to Port la Joic, in 
 St. John's Island, and cai)turod twenty-seven soldiers and seven sailors belonging 
 to some Englisli ships engaged in removing the French inhabitants. 
 
250 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 Scotia ; to destroy Boston, and ravage the coast of New Eng- 
 land ; and then to ju'oceed to tlic AVcst Indies to liarass the 
 EngHsli Sugar Islands. ' All this was for the purpose of aveng- 
 ing the capture of Louisbourg by the militia of New England, 
 which had i)iqued the self-love of the French, Afho burned to 
 measure their strength Avith the Americans.' ' There is every 
 reason to believe that the greater part, if not the whole, of 
 these instructions would have been successfully carried out if 
 the expedition had not met with a series of unj)aralleled dis- 
 asters. The fleet had barely got clear of the land, after escap- 
 ing Admiral Martin's vigilance, when it encountered westerly 
 gales, which so greatly retarded its progress that it did not 
 reach the longitude of Sable Island until September 2, where 
 nearly all the ships were dispersed in a violent storm. The 
 * ISIars ' and ' Alcydc,' of sixty-four guns each, were obliged to 
 bear up for the ^Vest Indies ; the ' Ardent,' of sixty-four guns, 
 to returu to France ; and several of the tiansports were driven 
 on shore upon Sable Island. D'Anville, with only two ships 
 of the line and a fcAv transports, arrived on September 10 at 
 Chebucto (Halifax), the port of rendezvous, where he expected 
 to find M. de Conflans with three ships of the line and a 
 frigate, which had been detached from the fleet soon after it 
 left France, to convoy some merchantmen to Cuba, with orders 
 to i)roceed from thence to rejoin the fleet on the coast of Nova 
 Scotia. M. de Conflans having met more favourable winds, 
 arrived on the coast in August, and cruised for some time 
 between Cape Sable and Canceau, but liearing nothing of the 
 fleet, returned to France, according to his orders. 
 
 In the course of the next five or six days, a few ti'ansports 
 arrived at Chebucto, but D'Anville was so agitated and dis- 
 tressed by the misfortune which had befallen the fleet, that he 
 fell suddenly ill, and died in a fit of apoplexy on September 16. 
 On the same day, Vice- Admiral D'Estournelle, the second in 
 rank, arrived at Chebucto with three ships of the line, and 
 succeeded to the command of tlij expedition. M. de la 
 Jonq^uiere, a naval oflficer, who had been appointed Viceroy 
 
 ' Garnoau. 
 
d'estournelle holds a council op war. 251 
 
 of Canada, and had come out in the flagsliij), was then made 
 second in command. 
 
 Finding tlie expedition so greatly reduced in strength by 
 the dispersicm of the .shii)S and the sickness of the men, 
 D'Estourncllc held a council of war on the 18th, on board the 
 ' Tiidcnt,' and projjosed to abandon the enterprise and I'ctarn 
 to France. »r<mquicre, and nearly all the land and sea officers, 
 were of opinion that Annapolis, at all events, should be reduced 
 before they returned to Europe. After a long debate the 
 Council decided to attack Annapolis. Irritated at the oppo- 
 sition of the Council, the Vice-Admiral fell into a fever at- 
 tended with delirium, in which he imagined himself amcmg 
 the English, and ran himself through the body with his 
 sword. 
 
 During the long voyage across the Atlantic, a scorbutic fever 
 had broken out and carried off more than 1,200 men, before the 
 ships reached Chebucto. As the ships arrived, the sick were 
 landed and encamped on the shore of Bedford Basin ; but, in 
 spite of every care and attention, as many more are said to 
 have died there, as A\ell as a great number of the Micmacs 
 who had come to join the French. ' Xothing,' says Garneau, 
 ' could be imagined more mournful than the situation ot this 
 fleet, enchained to the shore by the plague. The soldiers and 
 their equipages encumbered the great barracks, erected in 
 haste on the desert shores, the great ocean moaning in front, 
 which separated them from their country, towards which they 
 turned their last looks. A sombre despair seized upon all. 
 The contagion was communicated to the faithful Indians who 
 came to join the French. The scourge at the same time filled 
 their enemies with hoi , Avho kept aloof when the expeditiim 
 might have been annn.ilated with little effort on their j)art. 
 Admiral Townsend looked with terror from Cape Breton, 
 where he was with Iris sqiuidron, on the ravages A\hich de- 
 stroyed his unfortunate enemies.' 
 
 At length, however, the malady was stayed by the season- 
 able arrival of abundant supplies of fresh meat, brought in by 
 the Acadians from Alinas, Piziguit, Cobequid, and Chignecto ; 
 and several of the missing ships having dropped in from day to 
 
252 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 (lay, preparations were mudc by Jonqiiiero, now the chkd' 
 of tlie expedition, for rc-enjl)arkiiij>; llu; (rdop.s and proceedin*^ 
 to the attack of Annapolis. M. ile Kamsay, who had spent 
 nearly all the sunnner doing notliing beyond keeping Anna- 
 polis in alarm bj' his pi'esence, hearing no tidings of D'Anviilc, 
 and winter approaching, had started on his journey to Canada, 
 Avhen he was recalled by an ex[)ress sent by Jonqnicre, re- 
 questing him to return with all the forces he could nuister, 
 and proceed to Annapolis to await the arrival of the t^hips. 
 When l)e liamsay received this order the greater part of his 
 forces were already far on their Avay towards Quebec; but he 
 managed to collect a body of 400 Acadians and Indians, with 
 which he marched to Annapolis, and encanq)ed at some dis- 
 tance from the })lace to wait for Jonquiere's arrival. The 
 troops, which had begun to embark at Chebucto on Oc- 
 tober 10, were hastened in their movements by the capture 
 of an English vessel off the mouth of the harbour, in which 
 Avere found despatches from Governor Shirley to Connnodorc 
 Knowles, informing the latter that Admiral Lestock was on 
 liis way from England with a fleet of eighteen ships. It is 
 said these despatches were allowed to fall j)urposely into the 
 hands of the French, to induce them to leave Chebucto, and 
 that they were so alarmed that they struck their tents, sank 
 one of their largest ships, which had been much damaged 
 at sea, burned all the i)rizes they had taken, and set sail on 
 the loth with five ships of the line and twenty frigates and 
 transports, for Annaj)olis. They were, however, again doomed 
 to disappointment. Off Cape Sable the fleet encountered a 
 severe storm, which dispersed the ships and compelled them 
 to return to France. Only two of the French shi])s got so far 
 as the mouth of Annapolis Basin, where, observing some 
 English ships ' in the harbour loosening their sails, they made 
 off, after putting on shore a messenger with advices to De 
 liamsay that the fleet had gone to France. De llamsay, in 
 consequence, broke up his camp before Annapolis, and with- 
 drew to Jieaubassin, Avhere he wintered. The ill luck which 
 
 ' The sliips at Aiimipolis wore the ' Clicstur,' Ciiptain Spry, the ' Mii.s.siU'Iiu- 
 sctts,' Captain Tyng, uikI tlie Ordnance selioonor, 
 
THE FRENCH FLEET DISPEKSED. 253 
 
 had attended this great expedition from tlie first did not end 
 even here. The ' Mars,' of sixty-four guns, Avhieli had been 
 oMlged to run before tlie ijale from Sable Ishind to the West 
 Indies, was captured off Cape Clear on October 11, by the 
 ' Nottingham,' Cajitaiu Saumerez ; and the ' Mercury,' a hos- 
 pital shij), was chased by the ' Namur ' into a British squadron 
 in the Channel, on November 24, and captured. Garneau 
 tells us that when ]M. de i\Iaure})as, the French Minister of 
 Marine, was apprised of all these misfortunes, he made this 
 simple and noble response ; ' When the Elements command, 
 they can easily diminish the (jlori/, but not the deeds or merits 
 of the Cliiefs.' 
 
 The people of Xcw England, and, in fact, of all the British 
 colonies, who had been in a state of the greatest excitement 
 and suspense for more than three months, waiting for intelli- 
 goice from Louisbourg, the place first threatened, were at 
 length relieved of the load of anxiety Avhieh had so long 
 o])pressed them, by advices from Annapolis of the departure of 
 the last shij) of D'Anville's great fleet. Storms and sickness 
 had dispersed or weakened the mighty armament which was to 
 lave spread ruin and devastation through all the colonies, from 
 Cape Breton to the Isles of the Caribbean Sea. Great was their 
 joy, great their gratitude to God, for their ])reservation, which 
 they attributed to the special intcrjjosition of Providence. 
 
 Although Louisbourg was the first place that was to have 
 been attacked, less alarm was felt there than in New England, 
 hecause, in addition to the garrison of 2,000 regulars and a 
 corps of Provincials, connnanded by Colonel Bradstreet, the 
 S(|uadron in the harbour, since the arrival of Admiral Townsend 
 with three ships from England, comjjrised the ' Vigilant,' of 
 sixty-four guns, the ' Kingston,' ' Canterbury,' and ' Pembroke,* 
 of sixty ; the ' Norwich ' and * Chester,' of fiftv, and the 
 ' Fowey,' * Kinsale,' and ' Torrington,' of forty guns each : in 
 all nine sail, which surely, with the forts and batteries fully 
 manned, must have made a respectable defence against even 
 the whole of D'Anville's fleet. Xcverthelcss, the garrison was 
 kept all sunnner on the alert by rumours respecting the Brest 
 fleel : and upon one occasion, about the middle of July, the 
 
254 CAPE nRETON. 
 
 'Vigilant' was sent up to (Jaspe to disperse some Froncli 
 ships, I'cportcd to be embarking men to join D'Anvillc before 
 Louisbourg. Meanwhile, great exertions Avere made to put 
 the f(>rtifications in thorough repair, and to erect a new range 
 of barracks near the Queen's Gate, before winter. The gar- 
 rison, which consisted of the two Gibraltar regiments, three 
 companies of Fr.ampton's regiment, a provincial corps, and 
 recruits for Pepperrell's and Shirley's regiments, was comfort- 
 ably quartered in the hosjutal and the new barracks, well 
 provided with supplies of all kinds, including an ample stock 
 of excellent coal — the produce of Cape Breton — the Avant of 
 which had been greatly felt -during the preceding winter. 
 
 During the summer of 1746, Shirley's and Pepperrell's 
 officers were busily engaged in recruiting for their respective 
 regiments at Louisbourg, where some of the provincial troops 
 enlisted, and also in Boston, St. John's, and Newfoundland. 
 Nearly 1,000 men had been enlisted for each regiment, but 
 they had not all joined the head-quarters at Louisbourg before 
 winter set in. The Governor, Commodore Knowles, complained 
 greatly, in the month of August, to Pepperrell, of the conduct 
 of some of the officers and men of his regiment, and requested 
 him to send his Lieutenant-Colonel to keep them in order. 
 This request was immediately attended to, but Lieutenant- 
 Colonel liyan, instead of allaying the discontent and disorder 
 Avhich prevailed, added by his presence fresh fuel to the flames. 
 He was soon after dismissed from the service for malpractices 
 which are not worth recording. You may form a tolerable 
 idea of his character from the following extract from a letter 
 of Colonel Bradstreet's, of March 19, 1747, to Sir AVilliam Pep- 
 ])errell : — ' I am sorry to tell you that ever since the arrival of 
 your Lieutenant-Colonel, your regiment has not been one hour 
 at rest. Such disputes between him and the officers are sur- 
 l)rising, and he is in the wrong in every one. They have 
 worked him so now that he has taken to his bed, and is deter- 
 mined, since the Governor will not let him go to Old England 
 or New, to settle about the regiment's bills, that he will die, 
 which, if he kcei)s his word, he will do well, for then he will 
 rid the world of a rogue and a fool.' There seems, from all 
 
DISSENSIONS AMONG PEPPERRELL's OFFICERS. 255 
 
 accounts, to have l)oen good reason for the Governor's com- 
 plaints of the conduct of the ncwly-raisod rcjjiments, but it is 
 c(|ually clear tliat lie himself was not altogether blameless in 
 this matter. Knowlcs had imbibed a strong prejudice against 
 the provincial troops, because they Avould not submit to the 
 strict disci})line which he had exercised on board a man-of-war. 
 Douglas says 'he behaved in a most imperious disgustful manner.' 
 On his first arrival at Louisbourg he took a dislike to the place, 
 because the climate Avas not so agreeable as that of the West 
 Indies, which he had just left, liefore he had been three months 
 in the island he stated in a letter to the Duke of Newcastle, that 
 it was net worth kecjnng ; that the whole island was nothing 
 but rocks, swamps, and lakes, and that it could never be planted 
 by scttlci's to advantage, because within a compass of several 
 leaijucs there was not one acre of tolerable i^round. And 
 again, in January, 1747, that the cold was so severe that the 
 sentries, although relieved every half hour, sometimes lost their 
 toes and fingers ; that the snow was in some })laces from twelve 
 to sixteen feet deep ; that nature never designed the place as 
 a residence for man ; and that, if Warren had done his country 
 some service by taking Louisbourg, he (KnoAvles) hoped to do 
 more by destroying it. i^Iurdoch' supposes that Knowlcs's un- 
 favourable account of the island was one reason why the British 
 (iovernment consented to restore it to France, and the 'foun- 
 tain-head of all the dismal misrepresentations of Nova Scotia 
 and Cape Breton so reiterated and believed in during the latter 
 part of the eighteenth and beginning of the nineteenth century, 
 when our year was said to consist of nine months Avinter and 
 three months fog.' 
 
 Leaving the squabbles of rcp[)erreirs officers and the Go- 
 vernor to themselves for a while, I must now inform you of an 
 important event that occurred in the beginning of this year 
 (1 747), on the other side of the Atlantic, which relieved Louis- 
 bourg and Nova Scotia from the threatened attack of another 
 powerful French armament. The French Govermnent, regard- 
 less of the disasters of the great expedition of the preceding 
 year, and determined at all risks to recover Nova Scotia and 
 
 ' 111 lui? Hii'lury "f yuiK iicvliu. 
 
250 C\PE BKETON. 
 
 Cape Breton, fitted out another early in April, consisting of 
 fbnrtcen ships of war and twenty-two transports and store 
 8hi[)s, under the connnand of M. de .Fonrpiic're, for that pur- 
 pose. The fleet was order(Hl to proceed to Canada to land a 
 larjjje quantity of arms and ammunition for a l)ody of Canadians 
 and Indians collcctitig at Bay Verte to invade Nova Scotia, 
 and then to endeavour to take Louisbourj^. La tTonqniere 
 sailed from Rochelle about April 28, accompanied by two ships 
 of war, commanded by M. de St. George, convoying six large 
 ships to the East Indies, with the intention of keeping company, 
 for mutual protection, until they got off the coast. The Eng- 
 lish Ministry, apprised of the fitting out and destination of La 
 Jonquiere's expedition, sent Yicc-Admiral Anson and Ilcar- 
 Admiral AVarren with sixteen ships to intercept it. Gaining 
 intelljjn^nce of the movements of the enemy, Anson and Warren 
 sailed towards the coast of Spain, and fell in with Jonquiere 
 and St. George's combined squadrons oft' Cape Finisterre on 
 May 3. After a severe and well-fought action, the French 
 were totally defeated. Nine ships of war, including the ' Sc- 
 rieux ' and ' Invincible,' of sixty -six and seventy-foiu' guns, the 
 flag-ships of La Jonquiere and St. George, all the East India- 
 men, and several transports and store ships, with property on 
 board valued at one million and a half sterling, were captured. 
 More than 4,000 prisoners were taken, including Jonquiere, 
 who was severely wounded in the shoulder. For this gallant 
 achievement Anson was created a peer and A\'arren a baronet. 
 After this no further attempts were made by France during 
 the year against the British colonics, as she had work enough 
 on hand to guard her own coasts against the attacks of the 
 Eii.f-llish squadrons. Anson's and Warren's victory also relieved 
 Nova Scotia from further apprehensions of De Ramsay and bis 
 Indian allies. He had remained all winter at Chignecto, and 
 had scouts constantly on the look-out at Chebucto and other 
 jdaces, to gain the earliest intelligence of Jonquiere's arrival, 
 but hearing of the discomfiture of the expedition, he returned 
 in the beginning of June to Canada. 
 
 Ciovernor Knowlcs, as may easily be imagined, was greatly 
 relieved by the news of Joiujuicres defeat ; for, owing to troubles^ 
 
Tlin GATtUTMON IX A STATK OK MUTINY. 257 
 
 of his own, he was ill propiircd to resist the attack of a power- 
 ful enemy. All the jranison was, in faet, in a state of nuitiiiy, 
 on account of his attcuipt to enforce an onU'r sent from I'^ni^- 
 land to make certain trillin-j; stoppuo-cs from the pay of the 
 soldiers. To hriny; the men to tlirir dntv he was ohlio-ed to 
 suspend the order until he received further iiistrnctions from 
 Knnhmd. In the month of August Sir A\'ilii:im IV'iiperrcIl 
 visited Lonishonrg, as the Duke of Xeweu'^tie had sent orders 
 to (jTOvernor Shirley to discharge all the troops levied during 
 the preceding year for the ])ro[)osed invasion of Ciuiada, except 
 ' so many as he and (Jovernor Knowles might consider neeessaiy 
 V for the protection of Xova Scotia and Cape Breton. Sjvcu 
 companies were retained for that i^ervice — all the rest were dis- 
 charged. Shirley and Pe]»perrell were ordered, at the same 
 time, to fill u[» all the vacancies in their regiments ol' the line.' 
 As Sir William had found nuudi greater dlHiculty than he ex- 
 pected in enlisting men for his regiuieut, which was still far 
 from complete, many who had enlisted in New England having 
 deserted, on the eve ol' his departure for liouishourg he puh- 
 lished a notice signifying that all deserters who shouhl imuie- 
 diately return to their duty should he kindly received and 
 forgiven, and have their passages paid to Louisbourg. He 
 com[)lains, in a letter written from Louisbourg on Septendjer 
 10, to the Secretary of \\'ar, that nmnbers of his nun had been 
 taken to man some of the small armed vessels employed to 
 reconnoitre the encn»y. Having settled the affairs of his regi- 
 ment, cashiered his LieULenant-Colonel (Ilyan), and appointed 
 Ca[)tain Blayney to conuiiand in the abs( nee of the Major on 
 leave, lie embarked in Commodore Knowles's s(piadron on Sep- 
 tember 20, for Boston, Avherc he arrived on October 2.'^ As 
 Knowles had received orders to proceed from Boston to the 
 West Indies, Lieutenant-Colonel IIopsou, of Fuller's regiment, 
 was left in charge of the goverumeut of Cape Breton, ^^'hile 
 Knowles's squadron was lying at anchor ijt Xantasket Bnads, on 
 November 17, he sent a press gang uj) to Boston, which seized 
 
 ' From Vccumcnti^ rcJatiuf) t« the Cohniial IJi.v/on/ <if IIiq S/(tfc of Xnr )'i r/:, 
 Kiliicd hy E. 15. 0'CaIlii},'lifin, LL.D. 
 - Pursoiis's Life '•/ I'qipcm/L 
 
 H 
 
258 CAl'K UK ETON. 
 
 ns iniitiy soaincii as could l»c foiiiid on hoard the outward-hound 
 shijjs, and a nunil)i'r of earpontcrs and hil)ouri'rs, to rephice the 
 men wlio had deserted whilst his ships were undergoiiipj repairs. 
 This outraiijcous proooeiling was universally resented. A nuih 
 of several thousand persona attaeked the Council Chaniher and 
 insisted upon seizing the conimaudcrs of the ships wlio were 
 in town. lu this euiergeucy the militia refused to act, and 
 Knowles was ol>liged to release all the men he had impressed. 
 Knowles was a man of a liarsh overhearing disposition, which 
 often got him into tnmhle, hut withal a hrave and skilful officer, 
 as was fully proved hy his conduct in the West Indies a few 
 months after he left 13oston. 
 
 Nothing of importance occurred at Louishoiu'g during the 
 Avintcr of 1747-48, hut as sj)riiig aj)pr()ache(l, Colonel Ilopson, 
 who had received the appointment of Governor of the island, 
 in a letter to the Duke of Xewcastle, of April 12, stated that 
 he hcgan to feel apprehensive of an attack upon the colliery 
 at Burnt Head, which supplied Louishourg with fuel. The 
 French had ohtained their coal chiefly from the cliffs at Cow 
 Bay and Spanish lliver, hut the English, during their occu- 
 pation of the island, preferred that of Burnt Head and the 
 Little Lahrador. The principal colliery was at the former 
 place, a well known promontory hctween Glace Bay and 
 L'Indicnne B,ay (liingan). At that time, although the island 
 was nominally in the possession of England, her power ex- 
 tended little beyond the walls of Louishourg. Independent 
 bands of Indians — inveterate enemies of the English — roamed 
 at Avill over the other parts of the island. For this reason 
 it was absolutely necessary to erect a fort at Burnt Head,' and 
 garrison it with fifty soldiers under the command of a lieu- 
 tenant, to protect the workmen engaged in digging coal and 
 boating it off to the vessels. It does not appear that any 
 regular fort was built at Little Labrador, but an officer and a 
 feAv soldiers were stationed there also. The workmen cm- 
 ployed in mining, or rather in digging the coal out of the 
 
 ' The ruins of this fort may still be spon. Pichon says it was a place of n- 
 epoctable strength, and tliat, ' with fifty men, the English were able to flcfeiul 
 themselves against the ineiirsions of the savages, and to keep possession of the pit. 
 
A RAID MADE UPON THR FRENCH HETTLEMENTH. 259 
 
 clirts — for shafts were not necessary — were mostly Frenclimcn 
 who had remained at their oM homes after the fall of liouis- 
 Ijourj:^, and taken the oath of allenianee. They rcsidiul at 
 L'liidieniie, Spanij^h River, the little entrance of the I^a- 
 hrador, and a few other jdaees njion the coast — some occupied 
 in niininfj^, sonic in cnttinj^ wood, others in earryinj; these 
 articles to Louishour<jj. Those who dwelt at St. Peter's, St. 
 Anne's, L'Ardois, and Isle Madame, were chietly en^ajjed in 
 the fishery. The ajiitatlon nievailiny; it this time amonyrst the 
 French of Nova Scotia, and their adherents in Cajte IJreton 
 and St. .Fohn's islands, who were constantly |>assin<^ and re- 
 ])assing from one country to the other, was well known to 
 (lovernor Ilopson, who evidently iiad good reason for appre- 
 hending an attack upon his colliery. In the heginning of 
 July, forty Frenchmen, led by a rover named .rac(jues Coste, 
 made a raid upcm the little French settlements at L'Indiennc 
 and Labrador, burnt their houses and about 2,000 cords of 
 firewood, and captured three small vessels. Coste carried off 
 twenty -four men and women from L'Indiennc, and an English 
 officer and .soldier from Labrador, to Canada, where he arrived 
 on July 29. Xo attempt was made upon the fort and works 
 at 13urnt Head, which were defended by Lieutenant Rhodes 
 and the usual garrison, but owing to the cai)turc of the 
 schooners and their crews, liouisbourg was dc[)rived of its 
 usual supply of coal for more than a month. Coste's daring 
 outraijes created such alarm amoni; all the French remaining 
 upon the island, that they fled to Lonisbourg, where they were 
 kindly received and supplied with food by Governor Ilopson. 
 
 The Viceroy of Canada having learned from the missionary 
 Germain that some French refugees from Cape IJreton were 
 at Tatmagonche, and about to proceed to the neighbourhood 
 of Lonisbourg to plunder and harass the Fnglish settlers, sent 
 j\I. INfarin with forty men to licaubassin to jtun them, with as 
 many Indians as he could muster. The Viceroy, it is said, 
 hoped by these means to disgust the English with the island, 
 and to induce the JNIinistry to restore it to France at the 
 peace, which, he was aware, was near at hand. M. INIarin, 
 having collected a sufficient force, started for Cape Breton, 
 
 s 2 
 
2G0 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 and reaclioti tlic environs of Lonisbourg, Avlicrc he fell in 
 M'ith a ])arty of oftiecrs and ladies \vho were out probably 
 upon a ])leasure excursion. Four ladies, three officers and 
 four soldiers of the garrison, and two navy officers, "were cap- 
 tured by jNfarin. Upon hcanng from the captives and the 
 (Jovernor of Lonisbourg that hostilities between the two 
 Crowns had been suspended, Marin released the ladies, but 
 carried off the officers and soldiers to Nova Scotia. All of 
 thcni were subsequently released, exco])t a Swiss soldier Avho 
 had deserted from the garrison at Louisbouro; during the 
 siege in 1745, whom he carried to Quebec' 
 
 This harassing petty -warfare, conducted by the French 
 Canadians and their savage allies, created much uneasiness 
 and anxiety, as it was never known Avhen and where an 
 attack -would be made, and consequently no ste[)S could be 
 taken to meet it. The near a))proach of a general peace -was 
 therefore looked upon with great satisfaction in the colonics. 
 The repeated disasters at sea, coupled with the exhaustion of 
 his finances, having Induced the King of France to express a 
 desire for peace, Avhich Avas favourably received by Great 
 Britain and her Continental allies, plenipotentarics of all the 
 Powers engaged in the Avar met in congress at Aix-la-Chapellc, 
 in the month of INIarch, to arrange the terms. The pre- 
 liminary articles Avere settled and signed on April oO, but the 
 definitive treaty Avas not executed until October 18. Ac- 
 cording to the fifth Article of this treaty — 
 
 ' All conquests Avhicli have been made since the commence- 
 ment of the AA'ar, or since the conclusion of the preliminary 
 articles signed on April 30 last, either in Europe or the East 
 aTid West Indies, or any other part of the Avorld Avhatever, 
 shall be restored, Avithout exception.' This settled the fate of 
 Cape Breton. Haliburton ^ says — 
 
 ' A Memoir Avas sent by the French Court to the Count 
 St. Severin, its Minister at Aix-la-Chapelle, upon the indis- 
 pensable necessity of Cape Breton to France, and upon the 
 
 ' Sew Tor/c Colonial Docitincnts. 
 
 « In \\\ii History of Nova Scotia. He gives as his 'Mxihmiy XW Histoirc (h Ik 
 Diiilonutiique f)'an<^ais(: 
 
MEMOIll SENT TO TUE COUNT ST. SEVEKIN. 261 
 
 fatal conscquonccs of leaving that island in the hands of the 
 I'iiigUsh, in relation to the free trade of Canada and Louisiana, 
 and the general trade of the other Powers of Europe. He 
 was desired to show merely a moderate wish to recover the 
 island, as it was known that England had it not at heart to 
 retain I'.er conquest, lie was also requested to give the Earl 
 of Sandwich to understand that the loss of Cape Breton was 
 less important in itself, than on account of the stress laid ui)on 
 it hy the ]»ul)lic opinion in France, and that the King did not 
 attach so much consequence to the matter itself, as not to 
 prefer an ecpiivalent in the Low CNmntries.' The French 
 plenipotentiary, in accordance with his instructions, secui'cd 
 the island of Cape Breton for his master. But this Avas not 
 all ; for the ninth Article (after referring to the eighteenth 
 Article of the i)reliminary treaty, wliich specified that six weeks 
 should be the limit of the time allowed for restitution), stipu- 
 lated that, ' Avhile it is imi)ossible, from the distance of the 
 country, that what concerns America can be effected in the 
 same time, or the term fixed for its j)erfect execution. His 
 Britannic Majesty therefore engages^ on his side, to send to 
 the most Christian King, immediatelv after the exchant>;e of 
 the ratifications of the i)resent treaty, two jjcrsons of rank and 
 condition, to continue in France as hostages till such time as 
 thevhave certain and authentic advice of the restoration of the 
 royal isle called Cape Breton, and of all the conquests that the 
 arms or subjects of IHs Bi'itannic Majesty may have made, 
 before or after the signature of the preliminaries, in the I'^ast 
 and West Indies. Their Britannic and most Christian jNIajes- 
 ties oblige themselves likewise to remit, on the exchange of the 
 ratification of the present treaty, the dr')licates of the orders 
 given to the commissaries respectively apjiointed to restore 
 and receive all which may have been conquered on each side, 
 in the East andAVest Indies, conformable to the second Article 
 
 of the prelin inaries Provided, nevertheless, that the 
 
 royal isle of Cape Breton shall be restored, with all the 
 artillery and ammunition found therein on the day of its sur- 
 render.' 
 
 Although, the termination of the war was hailed with joy by 
 
2C2 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 the nation, the jMiiiistry ■\va'< generally, and justly, l)lamc(l for 
 rcstoriiiij Ca])C liroton to Franco, and for submitting to the 
 humiliation of sondiiijx lioptaii'cs as a security f(»r the faithfid 
 execution of that condition of the treaty. This dissatisfaction 
 Avas greatly enhanced by the recollection that the Ministry had, 
 only a year before, in answer to a recommendation of the 
 Dutch Government to restore Cape lireton to France, for the 
 sake of securing certain advantages on the Continent, declared 
 * that there might indeed be good reasons for giving up Cape 
 Breton, if France had made any conquests upon Great Britain 
 or any of the British domini(ms; but the case being quite 
 otherwise, take this matter in what light soever, it must 
 ai)[)('ar highly to the dishonour of the Crown of Great Britain 
 to make a ]»atched-u]) ])eace by the restitution of Cape Breton ; 
 and the Dutch Government may be assured that His ^lajesty 
 will never listen to any accomnKxlation of Avhich that cession 
 is to be the basis, it being well known to be contrary to the 
 miiversal sense of all the people of Great Britain.' And 
 further, by a knowledge of the fact that a certain noble Duke, 
 supposed to be the Duke of Newcastle, in the ardour of his 
 zeal had declared, ' that if France was master of Portsmouth, 
 lie Avouhl hang the man Avho should give up Cape Breton in 
 exchange for it." ' 
 
 Ji' the people of England had cause to be annoyed at the 
 restitution of Cape Breton, the colonists had much more 
 reason to be mortified that the con([uest Avhich they had achieved 
 at the cost of so many valuable lives, and Avhich they regarded 
 with siu'h just pride, not only as a proof of their OAvn prowess, 
 but also as a material guuiantee fin* the security of their 
 fisheries and connnerce, should have been recklessly given up 
 ' in ex(diange for a petty factory [Madras] in the East Indies, 
 belonging to a private company Avhose existence had been 
 deemed jtrejndicial to the connnonwealth,' -^ The only re- 
 conqiense which the colonies received was a ])arliamentary 
 grant of 2.'i '),20()/. to indemnify them for the expenses incurred 
 in taking Louisbourg. 
 
 ' Sco/6 Miii/n-iiir [ov A\iv\\. I74S. 
 - i^mulk'lt's History of Kiujlaiul. 
 
THE WATILIKE STORES REMOVED TO ANNAPOLIS. 203 
 
 Little more remains to be told respecting Louisbourg at this 
 j)crio(l. Orders were sent out to remove the warlike stores to 
 Aimaiwlis, and several vessels were engaged during the 
 autunm in that service, but the total evacuation could not be 
 ('It'ected before the sununer of 1741). As thei'o was now, in 
 conseciucnce of the })eace, no further occasion for kce])ing a 
 large force in .Vmeriea, orders were received in Louisbourg, 
 in March, to disband Shirley and Pepperrell's new regiments, 
 and the .six auxiliary companies which had been left for the 
 protection of Nova Scotia. The evacuation of Louisbourg j)ro- 
 duced much disappointment and distress among the numerous 
 officials, civil and military, who had abandoned their former 
 occupations and obtained situations there. Notwithstanding 
 the denunciations of Conunodore Knowles, before refen-ed to, 
 many perilous had found Cape Breton a desirable place of 
 abode, and were very nuich chagrined at being obliged to leave 
 it. In a letter, of Sei)tember 2 1 , from Hoston, ])ul)lished in the 
 ' Scots ^Magazine ' for I)eccml)er 174H, the writer says, ' Cap- 
 tain Conoilv is arrived at Louisbourn; with orders for the 
 garrison to evacuate that place ; in conserpience of which they 
 have begun to ship off some of the stores for Annapolis lloyal. 
 Our letters from Louisbourg inform us tiiat fresh |)rovisi(ms 
 there are in such plenty, that the best beef is sold at two pence 
 a j)ound, and a good fat ox costs but four pounds ten shillings, 
 which here would yield seventy or eighty pounds. This plenty 
 proves the value of the island of Cape Breton ; and as its 
 capital, Louisbourg, is a place of great strength, extremely 
 jmiper for the centre of a fishery, and a victualling port, and 
 as a large and conunodious harbour, and in rcsjiect to its situa- 
 tion the most pi'oper rendezvous betAveen Europe and our 
 colonies, it mightily aggravates our misfortune in being obliged 
 to part with it.' 
 
 The new French Governor, M. Desherbiers, arrived at 
 Louisbourg early in the summer of 1749, with two eighty-gun 
 ships, twenty transports, and troops for the garrison, where he 
 found Governor Ilopson with the two Gibraltar regiments, 
 waiting for transjiorts to take them to Chebucto (Halifax). 
 Being anxious, no doubt, to get rid of the English as soon as 
 
2G4 CAPE RKETON. 
 
 ])ossil)lo, lie ofFeiod to transport tlic tworo<^iments to Cliel)iicto, 
 "wliicli was a'-ccpted, and orders sent to Jioston to discharge 
 some vessels that had been taken np for t'lat service, llopson 
 and tljc two regiments left in .ruly for Chehueto, wliere 
 Governor Cornwallis had just arrived to lay the foundations 
 of Halifax, and on July 12 tlie French flag once more 
 floated over the ramparts of Louisbourg. 
 
 The French Government, being informed of the restitution 
 of Louisbourg some time in August, notified the Earl of 
 Sussex and Lord Cathcart, Avho had remained at Paris as 
 hostages since the jn'eceding October, that they were now no 
 longer under the least restraint, but entirely at their own 
 opiioii to reside in France or return to their own country.' 
 And so closed the last act of the Treaty of Aix-la-C'hapellc — 
 a treaty which proved to be, as many expected, a temporary 
 truce, a mere cessation of hostilities, of veiy short duration. 
 
 * After fimr years of warfare in all parts of the world, after 
 all the waste of blood and treasure, the war ended just where 
 it began.' ^ 
 
 ' 'At till news of the arrival nf Tiords Sussex ami Catliearf in I'aris, Priiioc 
 Cliarks |tlu' Prctemler], it is saiil.di.siilayid the In^rhosl iiKlignatinii, ami cxolaimed, 
 with iiiurt' of jiatriotism liian of pruiU'iic", 'If ivcr I '.-;>'mt the throiit; of my 
 ancestors, l^urope siiall see iiic use my utmost cmleavours tj foreo Fraix'c ia her 
 turn to sciul hostages to England.' — liv'rd Mahou's Hidvrij of Kuylund. 
 
 ' CampboH'a Lives af the Ad/ninils. 
 
2Gr, 
 
 LETTER XVI. 
 
 174'J-17o5. 
 
 The Fir.ST fruits of tlic peace of Aix-la-Chapclle were the 
 settlement of Nova Scotia and the foundation of Halifax. 
 England bad now (in 1749) been in possession of the country 
 ever since tbc Treaty of Utrecbt, in 1713, but no settlements 
 bad been made excejit at Annajiolis and Canceau. The 
 Acadians, or French neutrals, as they styled themselves, were 
 ill possession of nearly all the best land in the province, and 
 Avcre I'apidiy increasing in number. According to Lafargue, 
 ihc Frencli population of Xova Scotia Avas 12,500 in 1748.' 
 Xominally subjects of Great Britain, and dis])osed to live at 
 peace under licr protccticm, they were instigated by the French 
 authorities in Canada and Cape JJreton, througb the mission- 
 aries, who exercised great influence over them, to harass and 
 annoy the English settlements, and to aid and abet tlie savages 
 in their inroads 'uj)on the province. They also kept up a 
 regular communication with Louisbourg, which they su])plied 
 with cattle and otiier agricultural produce, and gave at the 
 same time intelligence of all the movements of the English to 
 the Frencli authorities. 
 
 To neutralise this pernicious influence, the English Govcrn- 
 iiient, by the advice of Governor Shirley of jMassachusetts, 
 and of other persons well acquainted with the state of Nova 
 Scotia, decided upon establisiiing a large settlement in some 
 central and commanding situation. The harbour of Chcbucto, 
 one of the best in the province, lying half way between Can- 
 ceau and Cape Sable, and within a short distance overland of 
 i!ic principal Acadian settlements on the Bay of Fundy, wa- 
 
 ' i^ji'u luiiiii'au'.' FraHi.'. (((M' Ci'loitu's. 
 
200 CAPE BRFTON. 
 
 chosen for this important pnrposc. As a great number of 
 ijoklicrs and seamen had been discharged on tlie conclusion of 
 the war, the (iovcrnmcnt encouraged tliem to go out s's settlers, 
 by offers of free grants of land, free passages out, subsistence 
 for a certain period, arms and ammunition for their defence, 
 and tools and implements for clearing and cultivating the soil. 
 Attracted by these favourable conditions, about 1,200 jtcrsons 
 Avith their families, in all 2,500, volunteered to g(j out, and 
 embarked in transports, acr-jnipanled by Lieutenant-Col(»nel 
 Cornwallis, in the sloop of Avar ' Sphinx,' who was appointed 
 Governor of the jn'ovince. The ' Sphinx ' arrived at Chebucto 
 on .Inly 2, and all the transports also before the 12th. Some 
 of the transports Avcrc then despatched to Louisbourg to bring 
 in the English inhabitants of that place, and the two regiments 
 Avhich had remained there over Avintcr. 
 
 1 cannot attempt to give you a d(;tailed account of the 
 settlement, rise, and progress, of the new capital of Xova 
 Scotia, Avhich Avas called Halifax, at'ter the Earl of that title, 
 Avho AAas President of the Board of Trade at the time, as it 
 Avould occupy a larger space than I have to spare. If you 
 Avish to make yourselves acquainted Avitli these subjects, 1 
 must refer you for full information to jNIurdoch's ' History of 
 Nova Scotia,' Avhich has just been published. The preceding 
 letters have sjn'cad out so f^ir beyond the limits I anticipated, 
 that I must devote the remainder of my pages to the affairs of 
 Ca])C Breton only, except Avherc it is absolutely necessary to 
 refer to occurrences in the other ])rovinccs, bearing directly 
 upon its history. With this object m view, i nuist now 
 submit a short sketch of the princi2)al transactions Avhicli 
 Avithin a fcAV short years led to the second siege of Louis- 
 bourg. 
 
 On their first arrival at Chebucto, the Acadians had shown 
 a very friendly disi)osItion tOAvards the English settlers. They 
 sent deputies to Governor Connvallis, acknoAvledging their 
 subjection to the British CroAvn, ])ut at the same time declined 
 to take the oath of allegiance Avithout any reservation. Tlir 
 Indians also sent in their chiefs to make their submission to 
 the Governor. 'VW\> promi.-ing state of all'airs, however, diil 
 
CAUSES or THE SECOND SIEGE OF LOUISBOURG. 2G7 
 
 in)t Inst loni^. The ])caccablc disposition of tlic Aoadians and 
 Indiiins di<l not meet witli tl e approval of the Viceroy of 
 Canada, who, jealous of tlie esvahlislunent of a strong BriHsh 
 post in the innnediatc vicinity of Louisbourg,' instigated the 
 Indians to harass the settlers, Avith the hope, perhaps, of in- 
 ducin"; them to abandon their new home in disj^ust. It Avas 
 soon found unsafe to work in the woods or clearings, except in 
 eonsiderahlc nund)crs. Every straggler that Avaudered in- 
 cautiously away from his party Avas either murdered or taken 
 prisoner by the Indians, Avho lurked in ambush in the Avoods. 
 On one occasion, even the toAvn, Avhich Avas surrounded Avith a 
 ]>i('ket fence for its protection, Avas attacked by a large body of 
 Indians. Vessels also Avere seized and carried to Louisbourg; 
 but it does not seem that this Avas d(me Avith the consent of JNI. 
 Dosherbicrs, the Governor of that place, as the prisoners taken 
 thither Averc ])romptly released and sent to Halifax. These 
 atrocities at length became so frequent, and Averc executed 
 Avith such audaeity, tiiat the Governor Avas obliged to raise a 
 body of vohuitecrs to scour the country, to drive the Indians 
 from their hiding-places, and to offer a rcAvard <f ten guineas 
 for their scalps. For a Avhile these measures produced the 
 desired effect, and Avould probably have ensured the par'fica- 
 tion of the country, if the Viceroy of Canada had not at this 
 time sent a force of GOO men, imder the command of jSI. La 
 Cornc, to Bay Vcrte, to take possession of the isthmus Avhich 
 unites Nova Scotia to Ncav BrunsAvick, for the purpose of 
 securing the connnunication of Canada with Cape Breton by 
 the overland route. As both England and France claimed 
 this part of Nova Scotia, it Avas agreed at the Treaty of Aix-la- 
 Chai)clle to leave the settlement of the boundary^ to Commis- 
 
 ' Tlio autlioritics at Louisbmirg ofTorcd groat inducements to some German 
 sittlers to po tliither from HalilMX. There are several letters, dated November 
 17-V_>, in tile Keoord OiHee, from )>omo Girmans wIkj had left Halifax and gone to 
 Iiouiisl)ourg, to their friends at the former place, urging them to go to Louisbourg. 
 TIh' writers say that the Governor would give each family three years' provisions, 
 Ufiy acres of land, cows, lu)rses, oxen, and everything they ncedfd. The writirs 
 advise their friends to go by way of Minas to Cobequid, and thence to Bay Vcrtc, 
 will re they would get a passage to Louisbourg. 
 
 - 'riir conl'erences of liic Commissioners proved of no avail ; the claims of each 
 '■"iinlr\ were :-o widely at variance, that ih'^ Commibsioncrb couM not rccijucile 
 
2G8 CApn nijETON. 
 
 sioncrs appointed by tlio two Crowns, who liad *i;onc to Europe 
 in the niontli of Soptcnihcr ]"49 for that purpose; the action, 
 therefoi-c, of tlie Viceroy wa- clearly an infraction of the treaty, 
 Avhich Great Britain was not slow in rcsentino-. In the si)rinii; 
 of 1750, INIajor Lawrence wa;^ despatched with a body of 
 trooi)S to dislodge the French, but finding his force inadeciuate 
 ibr that purpose, he was obliged to withdraw until he could 
 obtain a reinforcement from Halifax. In the month of August 
 he returned to Chignecto with a larger force, and effected a 
 landing upon the eastern side of the i^lissaqnash river, in »])ite 
 of the opposition of the French, who during his absence had 
 erected a strong post on the western side of that river, called 
 Fort Beauscjour. Tjawrence being still unal)le to dislodge the 
 French, took ])ossession of the old i)ost of licaubassin, Avhcr( he 
 built a ft)rt Avhich he named Fort Laurence, and established 
 himself there for the winter, while the French occupied Fort 
 Beauscjour, on the opposite side of the river. Sluirtly after- 
 wards the French built another fort on the shores of liay 
 Verte, near the mouth of the river Gasperaux, and a third on 
 the St. .lohn's river. 
 
 The Indians, encouraged and supported by the presence of 
 the French garrisons on the isthmus, waged incessant war 
 dnring the next three years upon the English settlers at 
 Chebucto and its vicinity. While Desherbiers was Governor 
 of Louisbourg, the barbarous atrocities of the saAages were in 
 some measure checked ; but when the Count de Kaymond 
 succeeded him in 1751, the latter pursued a different policy, 
 and instead of discount enancing their proceedings, strove by 
 every means in his power to induce them to harass the Englisli 
 in their settlements and upon the coast. Pichon, who came 
 out to Cape Breton in the capacity of secretary to Count 
 Raymond, and ought to have been well inibrmed upon the 
 
 tlivni. and separated in 17o3, witliout romint;' to any afrrccnicnt. A long accduiil 
 of llu'ir proccodinps was pnlilislicd Iiy flio ri'inrh Govfrnmonl, in I'oo, in two 
 quarto \olinnes, entitled Manoires dis Conu/iii^sains (he lid it dc crux de sa 
 Mdjcstc hriUui niqiie Kur h/^ jinym'i<)'inns d Its dro/'fi^ jr.f/wc///^- </'.•< i/cd' Couronms 
 (II A I III mine. It contain;^ nnu'li valnalile infnrnialion, an<l copies uf many interrsl- 
 in{,v doennientft relatinjx lo Nova Seotia and Cij-r Dreton, tivjin wliioli J have ilrawn 
 largely in ccmj^ding the preeediiig Idler.-. 
 
SKTTLEMKNTS OX THE COAST. 200 
 
 matter, says tliat when it was riiinonved that the Ahcnaqiiis 
 Indians had made peace witli the I"Ji<;lish, tlie Count called a 
 meeting' oC the Micniaes at Louislxuiru', aixl iu\!j;ed them, in 
 most violent and exeilin^ language, to continue the war; also 
 that he employed the missionaries to persuade the Ahenaquis 
 to violate the treaty they had made. The Count ])roved a 
 ti'oublesome ueinhhour to the Kiii>li.-h whilst he administered 
 the jTovcrmnent of Cape Breton, hut he did not neixlect the 
 more important duties of his olliee. lie opened a road from 
 Louisbourn; to St. Peter's, ciiihteen leagues in Icnuth, at an 
 expense of 100,()()() livres, of which traces still remain at 
 various jdaees along the coast, and in the spring of 1752 sent 
 a ]iarty of oilicei'S to survey the coasts of the island, and to 
 collect statistical information. l*ichon, who accompanied the 
 otliccrs, iiivcs in his '^lemoirs' some intercstiim- information 
 concerning the places they visited, from Avhieh I make the fol- 
 lowing extracts, as they will ailbrd you some idea of the popu- 
 lation and condition of the out-settlements at that time. 
 
 Leaving Louisbourg early in February, the jiarty travelled 
 alono- the coast to Gabarus and Fourche, where they found a 
 few iidiabitants engaged in the cod iisliery. At the latter 
 jilace there was a large settlement before the last war, when 
 all the buildings were burned by tlie Knglish, except a large 
 storehouse, wiiich was still standing. From Fourche they 
 went to 8t.-Esj)rit, Avhicli they found was, ' notwithstaiuling 
 all that it had suftered during the late war, recovering itself 
 apace.' They next reached L'Ardoise, 'where there is a slate 
 (puirry, from whicli it takes its name.' Between Louisbourg 
 and St. Peter's they found only 180 inhabitants, 'some of 
 whom lived very comfortably, and others indiifercntly ; but 
 they fare best towards (iabarus, Avherc there is plenty of game, 
 and where the woodcocks [partridges] are so extremely tame 
 that you may knock them down with stones.' Pichon justly 
 speaks in terms of admiration of the natural features of Port 
 Timlousc (St. Peter's). He found here 2:50 inhabitants, 
 ' exclusive of the king's officers and troo})s, chiefly employed in 
 smnmer in building boats and small vessels, and in winter cut- 
 ting firewood and timber." lie says 'they were very indus- 
 
270 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 trious ])Coplc ; tillod the earth, and kept a sufTicicnt quantity 
 of cattle and poultry, which they puhl at Louishour^. . . . 
 They were the first that l)re\ved an exceUent sort of antiscorhutie 
 of the tops of the spruce fir; ' and that tliey had a nunihei ol" 
 maple trees from which they extracted a sap in the spi-inor, 
 ' most af^rceable to the taste, of the colour of Spanish wine, 
 good for the breast, a preventive against the stone, a)ul noway 
 hurtful to the stomach. They boil it and make sugar from it.' 
 St. Peter's was at that time a place of much importance, us it 
 was thither ' the savages of Caj"' Breton and Acadie brouglit 
 all the furs to excliange them for Kurojiean commodities.' lie 
 considers St. Peter's a valuable military post, ' being so near to 
 the " island of the Holy Family," in the liabrador, where almost 
 all the savages live in a body with their missionary, and Avithin 
 easy distance of the settlements of ]\I.i(lame, Petit de (Jrat, 
 Ardois, St.-Esprit, and the Kiver Inhabitants. At the least 
 appearance of danger, all these people, collected in a body, 
 wo\dd make a small army, and with the assistance of a few 
 fortifications render St. Peter's im[»rcgnable.' They found 
 only 113 iidudjitants at Dcscous, and u})on the islands in the 
 passage, ' who live as well as they can ; that is, being greatly 
 straitened by the barrenness of the soil, they subsist by means 
 of a little commerce. Some maintain themselves by fishing 
 and hunting; others by cruising Avinter and summer, and cut- 
 ting wood for firing, Avhich they sell for five livi'cs the (!ord 
 along the coast. The few horned cattle they are able to main- 
 tain arc likewise a considerable relief to them; in short, their 
 distress Avas so great as to excite our compassion. AVe quitted 
 this country Avithout any otlier regret than that of leaving such 
 miserable ]}eople behind us.' At Petit do Grat and Grand 
 Xerica ( Arichat) they found thriving settlements of fishermen, 
 the ])opidation of the two places being about 137. After visit- 
 ing llivcr Inhabitants, Avliere about thirty persons Avere settled, 
 mostly engaged in raising cattle, and in saAving boards at a 
 mill Avhich they had constructed, the pjirty returned to Louis- 
 bourg. The same party then visited Baleine, Menadou, 
 Scatari, the Bay of Morienne (Coav Bay), and L'Indienne, 
 and found a fcAV inhabitants at each of these places. Piclion 
 
SETTLEMENTS ON THK COAST. 271 
 
 says tlic Coal pit which the I.tijflish iiad (ij»oiio(l at l>iirnt lli'atl 
 ' took lire in the summer of 17.>2, aiiil entirely consinned the 
 fort.' Traces of this fire may si ill he seen aloii"; the ontcrop 
 of the scam, as far as Little (J lace l»av. At Ihiie <les Espa- 
 pnols some Aeadians had settled and he^un to clear the land. 
 Ho savs there were heds of limestone and huildinj; stone on 
 the hanks of the river, and two coal ])its. From thenee the 
 party visited the two entrances of the Laltrador, ' which arc 
 separated by the island of Verdcronnc, which belongs to AT. Ic 
 I'oupet (Ic la Boidardric.' There Avas a considerable nund)cr 
 of settlers upon the Little Entrance of Ijabrador. Ruins of 
 their old homesteads may still be seen at many ])laces, in the 
 woods on b()th sides of the strait, and a lar<;c burviufj-jjround 
 on the northern shore, where, a few years a<^o, tlie sites of the 
 graves, designated by wooden crosses, were covered by a dense 
 growth of spruce trees. I'ichon says the Labrador was the 
 most populous i)art of the island. An extensive cod fishery 
 Avns carried on at Ninaniche, but the vessels 'were obliged by 
 the king's ordonnance to retire to Port Daujjhin (St Anne's) 
 toAvards the lath August, because of the storms that rage in 
 that season.' He says, ' Sometimes you see 1 jO boats employed 
 in this business at ^iganiche.' There were at this time very 
 few inhabitants at Xiganiche, and none whatever between 
 that place and Just'.iu Corps (Port Hood). ' These places 
 were hardly at all frequented.' The total population of Cape 
 IJrcton, according to Kamcau,' in 17o2, was 4,12'j, of which 
 2,484 resided in Louisbourg and its environs ; the remainder 
 in other ])arts of the island. 
 
 From Just'au Corps the party crossed over to St. J<thn'd 
 Island, and visited all the ])rineiind harl)ours and settlements. 
 Pichon speaks very highly of the agricultural and fishing capa- 
 bilities of the island, but says the Goverrnient discouraged, 
 and even for])ad the inhabitants from eno-aij-infj in the latter 
 business, because it was desirable that all their labour should 
 be expended ujmn the soil, in order that Louisbourg might be 
 supplied from thence with grain and cattle. The total number 
 of inhabitants, who had mostly come from Nova Scotia, was at 
 
 ' La France ai'^c Colonics. 
 
272 vwv. nnKTON, 
 
 this period 2,nr);i.' Owiiif? to llio unsettled stntc of nfTiiirw in 
 Nova Scoliii, new settlers were coniiii'.;' over I'lom theiico daily. 
 I njust not, however, say more iil)out St. .John's Ishind, as inoi'(! 
 important matters demand our attention elsewhere. I will 
 merely {^ive you one njoi-e extract I'rom IMehon's Journal: — 
 ' 'riion<;h the island of St. .lohn's is sul.jeet to a i)artiinl!ir 
 coinmandantjhe reecivea his orders I'roin the (lovernor of Cape 
 JJreton, and adnunisters justice conjunctly with the suhdele- 
 gatc of the Intcndant of Xew France. They reside at Port- 
 la »Ioyc, and the Cirovernor of Louishour*^ furnishes them with 
 a piarrison of fifty or sixty men.' 
 
 The city and jjarrison of Louishour;^ at this time ohtained a 
 consid(n'al)le ])orti(»n of afyricidtural i)roduce from St. .John's 
 Island and Canada, but the great hulU of its supplies was 
 furnished hy the merchants of Xew lCn<;land and iS'ew Vork. 
 Cornwallis complained oii several occasions to the lioard of 
 Trade, that there was often a ji^reat scarcity of provisions at 
 Halifax, because the cohmists j)referrcd sending their pi'odu(.'e 
 to Louisboury;, where thev received rum and molasses in ex- 
 change, which they fre(juently landed without paying any 
 duty. lie stated that in \75\ no less than 150 JOnglish 
 vessels visited Louisbourg, and that the trade was ra})idly 
 increasing, insomuch that sometimes thirty IJoston vessels 
 might be seen in that port at the same time. This lucrative 
 business was, however, fast drawing to a close, for it was 
 evident that, owing to the encroachments of the French u^jou 
 JMiglish territory, there would soon be an open rupture be- 
 tween the two nations. It was sti[)idated by the fifteenth 
 Article of the Treaty of Utrecht, that ' the subjects of F' ranee, 
 inhabitants of Canada and elseAvhere, slioiild not disturb or 
 molest, in any manner whatever, the Five Indian .Nations 
 which Avere subject to great Britain;' yet. notwithstanding, 
 they were extending a line of posts from Canada southwards, 
 in order to cut off the conununication between the English 
 colonies and the Five Nations, and to connect the vallevs <>f 
 the St. Lawrence and the ^Mississippi. M. do Galissoniere, 
 
 ' La Francr mix Cnlonirs, 
 
CAURRH OP TirK SECOND siEnE OP LorrsrouRO., 27''J 
 
 the Vircrny of C'lumdii, iiifdniUMl liis (JovcMiinu'iit ' that tlio 
 AlU'^hiiiiii's were the true iVontiers, and the ' houh'vards 
 nccessaires ' of CaiuKhi, Avhich must he iimiutained at all risks ; 
 and that the isthmus of Acadie was the true houndary of that 
 country, Avhich he would endeavour to secure hy enticinp; tluj 
 Acadians to remove from Nova Scotia into the French terri- 
 tory, in order to ohtain a nopulation eapahle »>f defcndin}>; it. 
 This had hecn the policy of all the French Viceroys for many 
 years, as we have already i^con ; and as they were of course 
 aware that 1"' ranee was makin}^ rrrent preparations for re- 
 newing' the war, the Marcjuis du (^uesne, who was Viceroy in 
 1754, took jiossession of several strong jioints on the Ohio, 
 an 1 strengthened and repaired the forts of IJeausrjour and 
 (iaspcraux on the isthmus. For the ]n'espnt we must confii\e 
 our attention to the transactions at IJcauscjour, where M. du 
 (hanibon de Vergor'* arrived as Commandant in 17o4, having 
 received the appointment at the suggestion of M. Higot, the 
 Intcndant of Canada. At this time M. Pichon, whom 1 have 
 so often mentioned, was ' Intendant Commissary' at Ik'aust'jour, 
 liaving been a[)pointcd to that office in 1753, when Count 
 llavmond left Loiiisl)our<;. 
 
 AVhen De Vergor arrived at TJeauscjour, he found eighty 
 I'aniilies of Acadians residing there, whom the missionary He 
 Loutie had induced to leave Nova Scotia. These ])oor people 
 wished to return, hut De Vergor would n(»t allow them to do 
 so. Having good reason to expect an attack from the j'inglish, 
 he succeeded, with the ai«l of He Loutre's influence, in per- 
 suading about 400 more Acadians to come from Pixiguit, 
 
 ' Dussioux, in liia Ifisfoirr <hi Cnnmla. 
 
 ' L)t! Vergor was tlio son of niichitinlMiii, wiio wiis (invcrnoi' of JiOiiishonrg in 
 1745. 'His fatlitT, Louis du I'onI du Chiiinlion, ii lieutenant in the army, was 
 married at Votl Koyal fn 17^*9, to .fean IStius d'lMitrenionl du I'ouhouieou, tlio 
 tlaugliter of Jiieqnos Mius and Anne di; iu Tuur, lie wxa pronioleil to tlii.s post 
 liy favour of M. l>i(j;ol, who liad l>een Intendant at IiOuisI)ours under liis fatlier. 
 I'igot, who procured liiiu tlio appointnienl, is said to havo written to him in these 
 tenns : " I'rofit, my ileiir Vergor, liy your place ; cut, clip -you have every power 
 — in order that. y<JU may soon come and join me in France, and buy an estate in 
 lay neighl)our}i(Hnl."' — JInrdoeh's Kova Scotia. It is very likely that Po Vergor 
 was apptHutcd because he had a great numhor of i-elafions in the province, whom 
 he might induce to take up arms and join llieir country meu, 
 
 T 
 
2"'l CAPK I5RET0N. 
 
 Miiias, aiul other jilncos, to Iiel[) liini in ])ultiii_<i!; liis post in ptod 
 
 rojiair. Altlionj^li the IJislioj) of (Quebec li:ul roqiiostcd Do 
 
 Loiitn' to abstain IVom moddliiio- in temporal aftaii-s, Avliii'li lin 
 
 assured liini would lead to serious embarrassment, the latter 
 
 received so much encouragement from the jNIarquis du (^uesno 
 
 to ])erseverc in his ])oiicy of threatening the English -with the 
 
 Indians, Avho were entirely at his command, that he treated 
 
 the ]>ishop''s advice with conten)])t. ]\Ieanwhile, the Governor 
 
 of Xova Scotia was not ignorant of the movements of the 
 
 Fiencli, and ihcir intention of attacking the English posts 
 
 within the j)rovincc ; for our old friend Pichon — I say it with 
 
 pain and sorroAV — had turned traitor to his sovereign, and 
 
 acquainted Captain Scott, the Connnandant of Fort Lawrence, 
 
 Avilh all that was going on. AVhatever could have induced an 
 
 officer in his position to sacrifice his reputation for filthy lucre, 
 
 is to mc perfectly incom])rehensible. Perhaps you may fin<l 
 
 some clue to this extraordinary conduct in the short memoir 
 
 taken from the ' Biographic Universelle,' Avhich you will find 
 
 at the end of this letter. The informati(m furnished by Pichon 
 
 proved of great service to the English authoritiesj who resolved 
 
 to anticipate the proposed ir.cursions of the French and their 
 
 savage allies, by reducing the forts of Peauscjour, Bay Vcrtc, 
 
 and St. tJohn's, as speedily as practicable. Accordingly, in the 
 
 spring of 1735, a force of 2,000 men was raised in jMassachu- 
 
 setts, and sent to Chignecto under the command of Lieutenant- 
 
 Coh)nel jNIonckton, where it arrived on June 2, and landed in 
 
 front of Fort Lawrence, less than two miles distant from Peause- 
 
 jour. The English force, including the garriscm of regulars at 
 
 Fort Lawrence, immediately began to make prejjarations for 
 
 investing Fort Peausejour, where J)e Vergor, informed on the 
 
 previous day of the aj>pearance of a fleet of English transports 
 
 in the Bay of Fundy, had collected about 500 Acadians to 
 
 aid in its defence. The fort was of a ])entagonal foi-m, with a 
 
 l)astion at each angle, and an armament of twenty guns and one 
 
 large mortar. The garrison was composed of 150 reo-ulars. 
 
 Do Vergor made a gallant defence, and held possession of hi- 
 
 post for fourteen days, in sjiite of all the attemjits of the 
 
 English to dislodij^e him. I must rei'er vou to Murdoch'- 
 
PORT BEATT.^E.TOUR REDUCED. 2 
 
 ::/•) 
 
 ' TTiftlory of Nova Scotia' for a dotailod and inlorpslin<]j account 
 of tliis f<ie£jc, and must content myself with movoly notieino- 
 the result. Findinp; himself closely pressed l)y the enemy, 
 ■who was ojieninfT his trenches Avithin a short distance of the 
 fort, and disheartened by news received from Lonishourg, Do 
 Vcrgor called a meeting of his oHicers on .June 14, Avhen ho 
 laid before them a letter he had just received from M. Drucourt, 
 the Governor of Louisbourir, informing him that it was impos- 
 sible to send any help fi-om thence, as an English fleet Avas 
 cruising off the port. It Avas nevertheless determined to hold 
 out by the Council, until the uoavs became generally knoAvn in 
 the garrison, Avhcn a number of the Acadians deserted, and 
 the rest applied for leave to retire, seeing that the fort Avas 
 incapable of defence against such a su})erior force. Under 
 these circumstances De Vcrgor decided upon surrende- i;ifr on 
 the 16th, Avhen the terms of capitulation Avere agreed ujjon, 
 and the English took possessi(»n of the fort. The missionary, 
 J)c Loutrc, Avho Avas justly afraid of falling into the hands of 
 the English, escaped from the fort in disguise before their 
 troops marclied in.' The garrison Avas sent to Louisboin-g, 
 upon condition that it shouhl not bear arms in America for six 
 months. The Indians, as a matter of course, fled to the 
 forests and esca])ed, and the Acadians, .'K)0 in number, Avere 
 generously pardoned and dismissed, uj»on the assuran(M^ of iNI. 
 de Vcrgor that they had been forced to beai" arms upon jiaiu 
 of death. ^ Fort ({asperaux Avas surrendered on the following 
 day to a detachment of oOO men sent by Moncktou, A large 
 fpuuitity of stores and jn'ovisions Av<^re found iu this fori, whi.ii 
 had been brought from Canada for the use ol' tin; Indians and 
 Acadians. The fort on the St. fJohn river Avas then visited. 
 
 ' Do Loutro got. ?afo to Canndn, from wlionco lir> sailed tor I'rinpp in the niontli 
 of Aupiist. II(\ liowovtT. (lid not "soapc! llio puuisliiiicnt justl ,• due tor liis inis- 
 iltcds in Nova .Scotia, lor tlie vessel in wliieli ho went was captnred in the C'liMnnel, 
 and T)c Tjontre was ki'pl 'in durani'o vih',' in Vort illizabeth, Jersey, milil tlie 
 I'cacc, in \'()'\. 
 
 - riciinn says that there woro AftO Aeadians wlio liad hi^en slmt n)i in tlie fort 
 :iL'ainst their will ; anil that he intericded lor them after the fall of the jilii'e, ' iiii- 
 lulinsT their eonduet to the iniplieil ohedienee whieh these poor people paiil to their 
 iiii':--ioiiaries.' 
 
 T 2 
 
27(> <■ ' ■".■: IIKETON'. 
 
 but llio French 1 . iilKindoiuMl it al'ltT buvstinii; tlio caminn 
 tiiid (!oni(»!l; liinu; iho hiiildiiius;. 
 
 The foinhict of llio Acailians in the aftiiir at Dcausijour 
 caii.-t'd nnii-h cinhai ra^suuiit to tlio Provincial (lovcinnicnt, 
 and |)i-ovcd la-;,ond all dimbl that no reliance ccukl he placed 
 upon tlKii' iirofe.'.-ed neutrality. Ever since the Treaty of 
 Utrecht, in ITl.'J, they had been allowed to I'eniain in the 
 country uiion taking- an oath oC iillciriancc, v»ith tlie un(h'rstand- 
 \\\(^ that they would not be called on to take up arms at any 
 time against the French, in delence of the ])rovinee. This 
 condition Avas faitld'uliv kept i)v the EuLrlish (Jovernors on 
 tlielrsich^, hut it is too certain that tlie Aeaihaits had frequently 
 abused this indulti'ence, by couveyinuj intelliixeuce to tlieir 
 countrymen in Canada and ("a]>c l>i'eton, ol' all that was <]i;oin_i,f 
 on in the province, and by harbouring and aiding the Indians 
 in their incursions against the Knglisli. How could the 
 Eny,lish Government, witli due rcfjard to the security oC the 
 country, overlook sucli open breaches of neutrality? ^^ hy, 
 by requiring them to take an uinpuUified oath of allegiance 
 without any reservation whatever. The Acadians })ositively 
 refused to take such an oath, u[)on which the Governor and 
 Council decided ' that eflPeetual measures ouiiht to be taken to 
 remove all recusants out of the province.' Confining our 
 view to Nova Scotia ah)ne, the Government had no cause for 
 apprehension just at that time, as the French had been driven 
 out of the })rovince, and it was protected by a considerable 
 body of tro(»ps ; but it was considered, and not without reason, 
 that the intelliirence of the defeat of General Braddock on hid 
 march against Fort Duquesne, and the fact that hu'ge rein- 
 forcements had been sent out from Frai.er to Canachi and 
 Capo Ijreton, migiit jtrobably encourage the Acadians to rise 
 in open rebellion. In this critical state of affairs, Governor 
 Laiu'cnce and his Council sought the advice of Admirals 
 Boseawen and jNIostyn, who had just arrived at Halifax, when 
 it was decided that the Hritish settlements would never lie 
 secui-e until the Aca<lians were driven out of the province. 
 Jt was also decided that, as they would merely remove to 
 Canada and Ca])e Brelttn, if allowed to go where they pleaMiI, 
 
EXPULSION OF THE ACADIAXS. 277 
 
 :iii(l slrc'iinflion tlio onoiny in those couiitrios, tlscy should he 
 iiansi)»»rted to and dis|)orsed uuioiiLi- the other Urit-sh eoh)nies, 
 where they eouhl not unite in sullicient nuinhers to eause any 
 anxiety. Ol' the eruehy and injustice <•(' this sentenee there 
 can he hut one oi>ini()n. Many were no (huiht liuilty of the 
 charges aUeged against iheni, as tor instance on the recent oc- 
 casion at Fort iJeauscjour, wliero ."jOO oI' thcni were taken 
 with arms in their hands, ])ut the iireat hulk ol' the Aeadians 
 were a peaeeahle, ordei'ly, industrious people, as their de- 
 scendants are at this day. lUit no distinction whatever was 
 made between the innocent and the guilty : the inii[uitous 
 and tyrannical ilecision of the Council was carried out unih r 
 circuuistanees ol" the harshest cruelty. Moie than 7,000 pei-- 
 sons Avere transported fmni their ha]»py homes, wiiich had 
 descended from lather to son through three or ("our genera- 
 tions, and di>[)ersed among the colonies bordering on the 
 Atlantic, rmni Massachusetts to (Jeorgia. 'I'heir lands and 
 jMtssessions were i'orl'eited to the L l >wn ; no recom[)ense was 
 made for their great losses ; they were only allowed to carry 
 with them theii- money and such (juantity of their lu)usehold 
 ijoods * as could be taken without discommodin<>; the vessels.' 
 Many escaped into the woods and sought a shelter from the 
 Indians ; others fled irom the northern parts ol' the province 
 to Canada, Kistigouche, the ujtper Avaters of the St. .John, 
 St. .lohn's Island, and Cajie lireton. I cannot dwell longer 
 upon this i)ainful subject. I must refer you to Ilaliburton's 
 ' History of Nova Scotia' for a detailed account (»f the trans- 
 action, and to Longfellow's beautiful }tt)em of ' Evangeli»ie,' 
 which is founded upon the l"aets 1 have brieily narrati'd. I 
 will just transcribe the opening stanzas, convinced you will 
 not rest until you have read the whole poem, which you will 
 Hud well Avorthy of perusal : — 
 
 ' This is llio fonst priini'Viil. The muvmnring pines and tlio lKinl<vks, 
 tiinnlotl with mmss, and in y;;irnu'iits f^ivon, indistinct in the l\\ilijihl, 
 Stiitul Id*.!' Druids of old, witli voioi's s.id and prophoiie, 
 Stand likf Harpers hoar, witli luards that rest on their Iiosonis, 
 IiOU>i tVoni its rocky caverns, the dccp-voieiHt ncighlicmrinji ocean 
 Spoak-. and in ai-cciils disconsolate answers ihe wail utiln forest. 
 This is li"' lorcsl primeval; I'Ul wIilh .ire the iieaits tiial benealli li 
 
278 CAPE BUETON. 
 
 Lffipod ]iko till' roo, when he lii-:irs in tlir w<]U(Uaii(l the vnii'C of the iiuutMiiaii 'i 
 Wliuro is the llniti'li-roofi'd villiigc, iho lioiiic of AiMilian lariiicrs, — 
 Moll whose livt'.H ^liilcd on like rivers that water tlic woodhimls, 
 Diii'koucil liy sliiulows of earth, but rtflei'tiiif:? an imager of heaven ? 
 Waste are those plca.sant farms, and the farmers for ever departed! 
 Scattered like dust and leaves Mhcn the mighty blasts of October 
 Siizu tluiii, and wliirl thini aloft, and sprinkle tiiein far o'er t!ie (ueaii. 
 Nought but tradili(jii remains of the beautiful village of Grand Pre.' 
 
 The ex|)ulsion of the Actulians, cruel and unjust as it 
 was, nevertheless establisheil peace and tranfiuilllty in Nova 
 Scotia. No further attempts were made to disturb the English 
 in their possession of the country, except by a i>arty of 300 
 Acadians, who had escaped to the north side of the Bay of 
 Fundy, and some Indians, led by M. do Boishebert, who 
 arrived at Chignecto in the month of February 175G, and 
 killed nine men belonging to a l)arty of woodcutters in the 
 vicinity of Fort Gasperaux. Lieutenant-Colonel Scott, who 
 commanded at Fort Beausojour, now called Fort Cund)erland, 
 immediately started in pursuit with 300 Provincials, and, 
 coming up with the enemy, killed eight Indians and wounded 
 many more. After this the Acadians gave no further trouble; 
 but the Indians lu"ked about the country, nuu'dering and 
 scalping every straggler that fell into their hands, both on 
 the isthmus and in other parts of the province, which com- 
 pelled the Governor to issue a proclamation, on May 14, ofter- 
 ing ' a reward of .')()/. for every male Indian prisoner above 
 the age of sixteen years, brought in alive ; for a scalp of such 
 male Indian 25/., and 25/. for every Indian woman or child 
 brought in alive.' This seems to have produced the desired 
 effect, as we read of few Indian outrages within the province 
 afterwards. The Acadians also abandoned the north shore of 
 the Bay of Fundy and retired to INLiramichi, where it is said 
 there were about 1,500 of them settled under the charfi-e of 
 M. de Boishebert and the Jesuit Perc Germain, in the beo-in- 
 ning of 1757. 
 
 The prisoners taken at the fall of Fort Beausejour, as I 
 have already informed you (]). 275), were, according to the 
 capitulation, sent to Louisbourg. I ought to have made an 
 exception in favour of our old friend Pichon, who was allowed 
 
UUKiRAPUY OF PICHOX. 271) 
 
 to tjo to lliiliCax. IMclion, as we liavc soon, luul good rcaHOiis 
 lor not aitpoariiiL? at IiOiii<l)ourj , alt]ioiii;Ii it uas perhaps not 
 known lliut ho had boon oii<:,at;od In a tiaitorons corro- 
 spondonoo with tho oneniies of hi.s oonnlry. His hio<;rai)hcr, 
 M. Louis Dubois, soonis to have l)oon ignorant of this fact, as 
 lie does not mention it in his Memoir in tho ' JJiograpliic 
 Univen'X'llo,' ol' whieh tho folh)\vini( is a translation: — ■ 
 
 ' I'iohon (Thon:.is) was born at Vire on tho oOth Ai)ril 1700. 
 He was for a siiort time employed in tho Bureau, whore he 
 iiiiu;ht, if he had remained, have distingnishod himself. In 171 1 
 ho was appointed by ^I. do IJreteuiel, .Minister of \\'ar, Admi- 
 uisti'ator of lloispitals of the Freneh Armies on tho Danube ami 
 in Ijohemia. JJeing made i)risoner of war while on this sorviee, 
 Pivhou was employed by the Empress Maria Theresa on a com- 
 mission for settling the accounts of the Fivneh army. Having 
 returned to France about the year 17 lo, he was appointed In- 
 spector of tho Administration "des fourrages " in Alsace, and in 
 1745 Director of the Hospitals of tho Army of the Lower Ivhine, 
 until the bcglinnngof 1741). Some injustice that lie experienced, 
 which was probably exaggerated by his suspicious character, 
 induced hhn to leave France. He left for Canada In tho 
 eapacity of Secretary to .Vdjutant-Genoral Count llaymond, 
 appuinted Governor of Isle lioyalc or Cape iJreton, with 
 whom he remained a short time. He was then appointed by 
 the Intendant of Loulsbourg to the (»tHce of Intcndant Com- 
 missary at Fort Boausejour, which he lilletl I'or two vears. 
 This tort having been taken by the English in I7.)o, he went 
 to Euixland, where he remained until his death, in 1781. Ho 
 resided in London under the name of Tyrrell, devoting himself 
 to literary pursuits, until 17.3(),whon he made the ac(juaintance 
 of Madanuj le Prince do Beaumont, whom he married, and by 
 whom he had six children. This lady left ICngland about 
 17()0, and having established herself iu Savoy, in vain en- 
 deavoured to induce FIchon, who was a very obstinate man, 
 to join her and their children. [Mathuno riclion seems to have 
 been I<>-norant of the reasons that compelled her husband to 
 reinuin in England]. He was In t'orrespondence with many 
 learned men in London, where he couiposcd .-everal wiuk.-?, of 
 
280 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 which the greater part have remained in manuscript ; sucli as a 
 voluminous Treatise " de h'l Nature," &c. His best work was 
 the " Memoirs of Cape Breton ; " but we do not find in this 
 curious and instructive book the memoirs promised by tlie 
 title. Pichon bequeathed to his native town a good well- 
 furnished library, which since 1783 has been opened to the 
 public and is much frequented. It seems that he was of a 
 susjticious character, which rendered him fanciful and capri- 
 cious. His marriage with Madame le Prince dc Beaumont, 
 although apparently well assorted, was not a hap])y one : there 
 was little sympathy in their characters ; Pichon did not con- 
 sult the happiness of a sensible and s[>iritual woman, who 
 never ceased to love him with much disinterestedness notwith- 
 standing the great difference of their religious opinions, even 
 after they were separated.' 
 
281 
 
 LETTER XVII. 
 
 175,3-17o8. 
 
 I INFORMED you ill my last (p. 275) that near the close of the 
 siege of Beausojour, the cominaiuler of tiie fort, M. tie Ver!j;or, 
 received a letter from the Governor of Louisbourrr, tellinix him 
 that no succours could be sent from thence, because an 
 English fleet was blockading the port. I can imagine your 
 asking how it happened that an English fleet was blockading 
 a French port when the two nations were at peace ? This I 
 will endeavour to explain. The French, you are aware, ever 
 since the last peace, had been pushing on their encroachments 
 on the frontiers of New York and Pennsyhauia, and, as it 
 was well known to the British Government, were gradually 
 strengthening their posts in Canada, with the purpose of 
 recovering Acadic and of securing an uuinterru[)ted commu- 
 nication between the St. Lawrence and the Gulf of Mexico. 
 As France was not yet prepared for open war, the INIinistry, 
 all through the summer of 1754, tried to amuse, or rather 
 deceive the English Court, by repeated assurances of friend- 
 ship, in the hope of gaining time ; but the English Ministry 
 at length saw through this artifice, and wisely judging that, as 
 a contest could not be avoided, it would be better to begin it 
 at once, applied to Parliament for a large vote of money 
 expressly for augmenting the army and navy. This brought 
 matters to a crisis. The French INIinistry, seeing that any 
 further attempts at concealment were useless, immediately 
 ordered a powerful armament to be fitted out for America. 
 Twenty-five ships of the line were therefore got ready at Brest, 
 Hochelle, and liochfort, with all possible despatch, to convoy 
 fi,0()0 troops to augment the garrisons of Louisbourg and iho 
 forts ou the Great Lakes and the Ohio, and the friuate ' Diane' 
 
2b2 CAPE BUETON. 
 
 was (los|)iil('!n'(l oarly in Mnrcli lor Ii()uIsl)oiir<r, to aiuiouiu'o 
 their C(»iniiiji;. 'i'lu; IJrilisli ( Jovi'inmont, tliily iulvit<e(l ol" thoso 
 circuinstiiiK'os, ik',s|)iit('la'cl Admiral lioscawcn witli elovi'ii 
 ^liips ot' the line and one I'ri^^ate, with two infantry re<iinK'nt.s 
 on hoard, on .Vpril 22; and Vice-Admiral llolhorne, with six 
 ships of the line and one iVii^ate, on May 11, with instrnetions 
 to attaek the Freneh fleet wherever they shonld meet with it. 
 The French fleet, of twenty-live ships, sailed on May 3, bnt, 
 having cleared the month of the Channel, nine of iheni 
 rctnrned to France. Of the sixteen that went on to America, 
 it is said, that ten carried onlv twentv-two onus each., heino- 
 lifted ont as transports for the conveyance of the land forces. 
 
 I)()seawe)»'rf and liolborne's scpiadrons haviii;jj joined comjiany 
 on the passaii;e, were crnislng on the banks of Xewfonndland 
 to intercept the Freiich fleet, connnanded by ]\r. dii liois de la 
 IVlothe, when the 'Dunkirk' and 'Defiance,' of sixty guns 
 each, being separated from the fleet in a thick fog on June 8, 
 I'ell in with the French ships ' ^Vlcide,' of sixty-four guns, and 
 ' Lys,' pierced for sixty-lour but carrying only twenty-two 
 guns. After a severe action of live hours, in which the 
 'Dunkirk' lost ninety men, the two French s]ii[)s were 
 captured. The ' Lys ' proved a valuable prize, having nearly 
 8(),()l)()/. on board, besides eight companies of infantry and 
 several ofHcers of distinction. Having sent the prizes to 
 Halifax, Boscawen and Holborne sailed for Louisbourg, ami 
 cruised off the harbour for some time, to prevent the egress of 
 the ships destined, as we have seen, to carry succour to jNI. de 
 Vci'gor at Fort Bcausejour. Learning that four large ships 
 and two friu:ates, with 1,000 soldiert. on board, had !>ot safelv 
 into Louisbourg, Boscawen sailed up the Gulf of St. Lawrence 
 with the expectation of falling in with the rest of De la 
 Mothe's fleet on their way to Canada. He was, however, too 
 late ; for the French Admiral, screened by the thick fogs 
 which usually prevail at that season, had entered the gulf 
 through the Straits of Jielle Isle, reached (Quebec in safety, ami 
 landed more than 3,000 troops luuler the command of Baron 
 Dieskau. 
 
 AVhen intelligence of the capture of the ' Alcide " and ' Lys 
 
AND * LYS.' 2S;» 
 
 rcachoil I'iiioliiiul, the Miiiislry, t'<»Msi(l(>ri?i<«; that iiolhiii<j cduM 
 now prevent an u\Km ni|>liiro Avitli Kraneo, ordered all the 
 French nierehant sliips in l'2ni;Iish ports to be seized and their 
 erew8 imprisoned. The Freneh minit-tcr, M. Kouillc, remon- 
 strated in stroiij^ terms ai^ainst tliese transactions, stating ' tliat 
 the king Iiis master considered the capture of two of His 
 ^lajesty's ships in the open sea, -without a (U,'chiration ttf war, 
 a jtul)Hc insult to His ^lajesty's Hag; and the seizure of 
 Freneh moichantmen, in contempt of the law of nations, in 
 his judgment an act of i)iracy ; and d(;manded restitution of 
 all the ships, guns, stores, and merchandise, and all the ollicers 
 and men helonging to them.' To this ]Mr. Fox, Secretary of 
 State, replied in substance that His iVlajesty had taken no 
 stei)s but Avhat the hostilities begun by Franco, in a time of 
 ])roibund peace (of Avhich lie had the most anthentic proofs), 
 rendered just and indispensable. It is quite evident that, 
 entertaining sentiments so \videly at variance, war could no 
 longer be avoided ; accordingly, wc find that war was declared 
 by England on May 18, and by France on June 9 following. 
 Both countries, it was well known, had been actively prepar- 
 itifj for the contest, thous>;h each endeavoured to throw the 
 odium of breaking the peace upon the other. ' The French 
 had evidently and ilagrantly broken the bonds of peace by 
 their audacious cnci'oachments in America; but for the cretllt 
 of Fngland, a formal declaration of war should have preceded 
 the first act of hostility on our part.' ' 
 
 Nothing of importance occurred in America after the caji- 
 turc of the ' Alclde ' and ' Lys,' except the defeat of the French 
 under General Dieskau, near Lake George, by General .Johnson, 
 on September 8, when COO of the enemy were killed and their 
 general taken prisoner.'* 
 
 ' CampTjell's Lives of the Admirals. 
 
 * Earon Dieskau was found iiloiu', tlangcrously wounded, suiiportiiii,' himself oii 
 the stump of a, tree, r iittlo distance from tlif field of battle. The Indian wlui 
 took General Dieskuu went to England, wiiero he was exhibited to the piiblie, iw 
 appears from the following advertisement in tlui • rublic Advertiser' : — 
 
 ' Just arrivid iVoni Anieriea, and to lie seen at the New York and Cape T'reton 
 CoSee House, in .Ssveeting"s Alley, from \'l to [\, and from \ to 0, to the hitler end 
 of next week, and then will tmbiu'k for America, iii the " (.Uuerul Webb," Captain 
 
2Ht r.VPK nRF.TON. 
 
 Adinirjil l^osriUNM'U relunuMl willi liis lltM'f (o I-'n^Iand in tlio 
 inoiitli (»r N(»v('iiilK'r, nn<l llio French sliips k-ll LuiiislKturijf 
 about the suine tune, the season I'or naval operations havini^ 
 conic to a close. 
 
 The <lcchu'ation of Avar, on INFay IS, 1750, was hailed Avilh 
 joy in I'hiifland. ' C'eilaiidy the sound of war never echoed 
 with more satisfaction than at the ])rcsent conjuncture. It 
 was the ji;eneral request of the nation."' It was ho[»ed that, if 
 it should ])rovc successful, it would he followed hy a treaty of 
 peace, free from the aml)i<^uilies ro.-|)ectiu<!; ht)nndaries which 
 had kej)t the colonies in a constant tftale of war ever since the 
 Treaty of Aix-la-Chr.;»</llc, and that everything; wonld he so 
 clearly defined that there could be no pretence for disputes in 
 future. 
 
 The campaign in America, in IT.jfi, for which such i^rcat pre- 
 parations were made both at home and in the colonics, proved 
 abortive, in consequence (jf the late arrival of the Karl of Lou- 
 d(m, tlic new Conunander-in-Chlcf, at Xew York. Xothinj; 
 of importance could at that late season be undertaken against 
 the enemy; but at all events the IJritish posts might have 
 been reinforced, if so much time had not been wasted and 
 frittered away in surveying and j)roviding for the defence of 
 Albany, the head-quarters of the army, which was in no dan- 
 ger. The important post of Oswego, on the shore of I^ake 
 Ontario, which had been victualled with great difficulty by 
 liradstrcet, was left exposed to the attack of a vastly superior 
 force collecting at Montreal, under the command of the ^[ar- 
 quis de Montcalm. Oswego fell, basely deserted by General 
 Webb, who had been sent to relieve it, and the garrison of 
 1,600 men were carried off prisoners of war to Montreal. 
 
 J^oardman, a famous Mohawk Indian w.irrior ! — tlu' same per.sun wlio took aM. 
 Dieskau, the French General, prisoner, at the hattlo of Lake George, where General 
 Johnson heat the Frencli, and was one of the said General's giiartls; ho is dressed 
 in the same manner with his native Indians when they yo to war ; his faee and 
 body painted, with liis sealping-knife, ttnii-axc, and ail otiior implements of war 
 tliat are used by the Indians in bafllo. A sight worthy the curiosity of every 
 true Ih'iton. 
 
 • Trice One .Shilling; caeh person, 
 
 ' *^* The only Indian tliat lia.-> bi en in Enjihmd since ihe reign of Queen Anm ." 
 
 ' Entkk'ii JIistor>/ (if f he Late H'lir. London: 17G3, 
 
 U 
 
NAVAL ACTION oFi" Lorisiiomd. 285 
 
 liOiidon, after this tlisastcr, sent tlic in'ovincial troops to tlioir 
 lionu's, and placed his own men in winter (piarters. 
 
 The trilling sueee.sscs achieved hy the s(pia(h'on of Conitno- 
 dore Ilohnes, eonsislin;^ of seven sliips of the line and two 
 sh)oi)s, on the coast of Cape Breton dnrin<^ the summer of 
 1 7. >«'), proved a jtoor olfset to tlie (hsusters on the niainhmd : 
 only one ship of war, the ' Are en-C"iel,' of lil'ty j^uns, and a 
 store-ship, the * Amitir,' of 1500 tons, havinj; hicn captured off 
 Louisbourg by the 'Centurion' and ' Suectss,' and carried 
 into llaHfax. On July 27, a smart action was fought also oil' 
 Louisbourjjf, by Conunodorc Holmes, in the 'Grafton,' 70, 
 accompanied by the ' >iOttin;^hanj,' of 70 {^uns, and ilamaica 
 slooj>, with jNI. IJoausicr, in co»nmand of the ' Ileros,' 74, the 
 ' Illustre,' 64, and two frigates of 150 j^uns each. The cnoajrc- 
 ment commenced in the ai'ternoon and coiitimied until dusk, 
 when both parties Avithdrew without any decisive result. Next 
 morning Holmes expected to renew the action, having kejit 
 his men all night lying at their quarters, but at daybreak dis- 
 covered the French ships about five miles distant, bearing away 
 with a fair wind for Louisbourg. The French commander 
 says he found the enemy at such a distance next morning, 
 that he gave up all hopes of getting at him, and thei'efore 
 returned to Louisbourg with the loss of eighteen men killed 
 and forty-eight wounded. The English loss was only six men 
 killed and twenty-one wounded. Although the French had a 
 squadron of six large ships in Louisbourg, the English Com- 
 modore kept such a sharp look-out, that no vessels could get in 
 with supplies of provisions, nor could even boats go out to fish 
 for the garrison, which was compelled in conse(iuencc to sub- 
 sist for some time chiefly upon condemned codfish. 
 
 Although the failure of lioudon's operations and the loss of 
 Oswego caused nmeh disai)i)ointment in England, every exer- 
 tion was made in the following sjjring (17o7) to recover not 
 only the places lost on the maiidand, but also to reduce Louis- 
 bourg. In the month of ilainiary Lord Loudon held a Council 
 at Boston, when it was determined to assend)le a jwwerfid land 
 iorce at Halifax early in the spring, ready to co-operate with a 
 fleet expected from England, in the attack on Louisbourg. 
 
2S0 CAPK DRKTON. 
 
 The flcot (lostlncd for this scrvioo, ronsistinp; of clcvon sliips 
 nl'llic liiK! and soinc IViLTalos, undi'V llip ('(immaiid of Admiral 
 llulhonio, l(iL!:('l!K'r with (il'ly trniisnorts, ooiivoyliiu' (»,(>()() 
 tr<t(>|i.s under N'i.-counl, Ildwc, owiiin- to delays caused hy some 
 cliaiiy;es in the Miiiistrv, did not ><ail from Cork until Mav H. 
 It was .sujiposod at the lime that information of tiie destination 
 of this expedition had been communicated to the Fi'euch 
 (loverninent hy some traitor or spy,' as tlio orders for its 
 e(ini|)ment had hardly l)(>en isMied when active prcj)arations 
 were hcf^un in lirest and Toidon for _i>;cttln<:; a ilcet ready to <;() 
 to the support of liouishouri:;. Five ships, which sailed in 
 Ai)ril under M. du Kivcst from Toulon, arrived at Louishour<jj 
 on June 4 ; and fourteen more, which sailed from llrest on 
 May 3, under ^I. du IJois dc hi I\Iothe, arrived there on the 
 2})th of the same month. On the verj same day (the 2I)th), 
 Lord Loudon arrived at Halifax with (),()()() regulars from New 
 York, convoyed l)y only three small frijiates ; and on Jidy J), 
 Ilolhornc arrived at the same port with nil his ships and trans- 
 ports in safety. The united forces of the two commanders, 
 includinf]f the ships of war on the station, now amounted to 
 fifteen ships of the line, eighteen frigates and sloops, and 
 12,000 effective soldiers. Nearly a month was wasted at 
 Halifax in reviews and sham fights, accustoming the men to 
 diverse sorts of attack and defence, t^;c., instead of ])roceeding 
 against the enemy. At last, on August 1, the troops Avere 
 end)arkcd for Louisbourg, and were on the jxtint of sailing, 
 when one of the slooi)s which had been cruisinn- off Lonisbonr<r 
 brought intelligence that De la Alolhe had arrived there with 
 a large fleet. Much discussion then arose whether it would, 
 under these circumstances, be advisibla to proceeil with the 
 
 ' This information, it afterwards apponrcd, was fiivniwiicd to tlio Fronoli flo- 
 vernmoiit, l)y a .spy, one Dr. Ilonacy, wliu liad Ci-tabli.sliod liimsclf in Londuii a.s 
 u physician, and tlni.s gainod admission into society, where ho picked up such in- 
 teliip;enee as ho tliought would Ije usoful to Ills em|i!()yers. Wiien li(> was nrrestid, 
 in JIareli 17'')8, copies of important papi'rs were found at liis Iodfj;inp;s in .Arundi'l 
 Street, pi-oving th;it he ii.id .sent to l''rance llie fii-st lidiiifj;s of Admiral IlolljoriieS^ 
 intende<l ex|iedilioii to Ainerii-a, an I'xact MceounI of (lie nunilier of siiips and of 
 thi' troops oil board, tiio day of tiieir departure. (S;e. -Eiiliek's llinlnrii cf lln- lAiie 
 
rnoroSKD ATTAflC (IIVHN I 'P. 2S7 
 
 ifiitorprisc ; hut it was siuM'dilv hroiu'lit to a closo hv tl»c 
 nrri\iil of mi lOiij^'lisli sliip rruin llio const of Nowloiiii'llaiKl, 
 witli (K'spatclics Cuuiul on hoard a l-'ronch packet j^lic liiid cap- 
 tured, l>(»uiid from Louislxaii-n- to lircsl, iVom >viru'li it appeared 
 that, in addition to a ^-arrison of (i,(J()() rejfniais, there Avero in 
 the town li,()()() militia and 1,:>()0 Indians, and in the Iinrhonr, 
 Hcvonteon sail of" llie line and three iVijiiates. in consetincnre 
 of this inlelli^once, a C'onncil oC A\'ar was held, when it was 
 nnaninionsly decich'd to ^ivc np all idea of* attacking:; Lonis- 
 honi'"^. JIavinjjj left three hattali(nis at Halifax, and sent two 
 to the J>ay of Fnndy, London retnrned with the remainder of 
 the troops to New York, where he arrived on An<:;nst .'U). 
 
 Admiral Ilolhorne heinji; now relieved of the char<2;e of the 
 transj)()rts, sailed with fifteen ships of the line, I'onr fri<^atcs and 
 a fireship to Lonisljonrg, hnt it is hard to say with what ohject; 
 lor, having stood in within a conple of miles of the batteries, 
 and oltservcd the French fleet prej)aring to unmoor, lie mado 
 sail with all possible haste to Halifax. Ilolbornc reported 
 that the French fleet consisted of nineteen ships and five 
 frii^atcs, which he considered more than a match for liis own, 
 and therefore retired. jMany instances might be named of 
 English Admirals having engaged, and beaten too, an enemy 
 of vastly superior force;' Ilolbornc svould have done avcU 
 liad he followed their example; he would not then have been 
 exposed to the taunts of a French Avritev,'^ who says, ' jNF. du 
 liois made ready to ])ut to sea as soon as the enemy appeared. 
 Our peoj)le had all but one heart and one voice to engage the 
 enemy ; but this famous and long-expected JNI. Ilolhorne took 
 it into his head that our nunil)cr was nearly c(iual to his, and 
 therefore he made the best of his way back to Halifax.' Being 
 reinforced by the arrival of four shijts from England, Ilolbornc 
 again proceeded to Louisbourg about the middle of September, 
 
 ' 'Admiral ITolborne, one of the sternest condemnors of TJyng, wrote that, having 
 but seventeen sliips and the French iiincti en, he dared not attack them. Pilt tx- 
 prt sscd himself witli great vehemence against tlie Earl (Loudon), and we natumlly 
 liave too lofty ideas of our naval strcngtii to suiiposo tliat seventeen of our sliijis 
 arc not a match for any nineteen others,' — Walpole's Mcinoirs of the h'dffn of 
 (iviirgc 11, 
 
 ^ Pichon. 
 
 I 
 
288 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 and cruised off the Imrlxnir, but could not draw flic French 
 out to an equal cui^iifronient. lie continued to cruise olf the 
 port until Se})tend)er 24, when towards evcnini;^ the wind hegan 
 to blow very hard from the east, but veering round suddenly to 
 the southward, a heavy p;ale set in, Avhich contiiuied Avlth great 
 violence until eleven o'clock next morning. jSIost of the ships 
 were within two miles of the breakers, and must have been 
 driven on shore if the Avind had not as suddenly changed to 
 the westward. Several of the shi[)s, which Avere dismasted in 
 the gale, and oldiged to throw many of their guns ovci'board, 
 sailed direct for England, Avhere they arrived in Xovcml^er. 
 All the rest got safe to Halifax except the ' Tilbury,' of sixty- 
 four fjuns, which was wrecked on the const to the Avestward of 
 Louisbourg,' Avhen Ca})tain Barnsley, eight of his officers, and 
 about one half of the crew Avere drowned. The French in- 
 liabitants on shore, by great exertions humanely saved about 
 two hundred of the crew, including fifteen oflficers. The French 
 fleet left Louisbourg for France in October, carrvini;: Avith. 
 them the 'Till)ury's' crcAv. One of their ships, the frigate 
 ' Ilermione ' of twenty-eight guns, Avas ca[)tured in the Chaimel 
 on November 22nd, by the ' Unicorn,' of twenty -four guns, 
 Captain INIoore, after a smart action of five hours. She had 
 fifty of the ' Tilbury's ' crew on board, Avho were loud in their 
 l>raises of tk.c kindness and humanity of the people of the small 
 fishing village near Avhich they Avcre Avrecked, Avho conceahul 
 them from the savages and supplied them Avith all the neces- 
 saries required in their destitute cimdition. Leaving eight of 
 Ins ships under Lord Colville at Halifax, to ])rotect the trade 
 and Avatch Louisbourg, Admiral lIoli)orne sailed with the few 
 remaining shi})s of his fleet to I-^.ngland. ])uring the gale 
 AA'hich proved so fatal to the Knglish, several of the Frencli 
 ships Avere driven from their anchorage in Louisbourg harbour, 
 but only one, the ' Tonnant,' Avas driven on shore ; she Avas 
 got ofi again Avith little difficidty Avhen the Avind shifted. 
 
 The failure of the projected attack on Louisbourg, for Avhicli 
 such a huge and costly armament had been eqnij)i)ed, caustil 
 great disaj)pointment and disc(»ntent in lOngland and the 
 
 ' Oil :i ivd' iu;n' St.-ilsiu'il. ikiw ciillcd 'rill.iirv Rmk. 
 
COLOXEL MONROE REFUSES TO SURRENDER. 289 
 
 colonics; but even tliis failure was of small moment compared 
 with the disasters and losses on the frontieis of Canada, where 
 the French General, ]\I<)ntoahn, takinLC advantage of the ahsenec 
 of Lord London and the g-reat bulk oi' Ids army, had aseended 
 Lake George with a force of S,0()() French and Indians, and 
 laid siege, on August 2iul, to Fort ^^'illiaIn Henry, which was 
 held by Colonel Monroe with a garrison of '2,000 men. The 
 pusillanimous General Webb, who was encami)ed at Fort 
 Edward, only foui'teen miles distant, with 4,(.'00 men, instead 
 of marching to Moiu'oe's relief, sent him a letter advising him 
 to capitulate. This letter fell into ^lontcahn's hand, who im- 
 mediately forwarded it to Colonel ]Moni-oe, but that gallant 
 oiKcer refused to surrender until August 9, when he had 
 burst many of his guns and exhausted all his anununition. 
 Nor was this tlie only disaster: Colonel Palmer, who embarked 
 with 400 men upon Lake CJeorge, to make a night attack on 
 Ticonderoga, fell into an Indian and)uscade on .July 24, when 
 the whole of his force, except two officers and seventy men, 
 was either killed or taken prisoners. Although the Fnglish 
 had a decided superiority in numbers, the French were every- 
 Avhere successful; a large and valuable territory was reliu- 
 (piishcd, and the frontiers of Xew York and Pennsylvania 
 were ex})Osed to the irrui>tions of hordes of ruthless savages. 
 Jn the words of Iiancroft, ' The English had been driven from 
 every cabin in the basin of the Ohio; Montcalm had destroyed 
 every vestige of their j)ower within that of the St. Ijuwrence. 
 France had posts «>n eai-h side of the lakes, and at Detroit, at 
 Mackinaw, at Kaskaskia, and at New Orleans. . . . i\s the 
 men eomnoshm" the uarrison of Fort Loudon in Tennessee were 
 but so many hostages in the hands of the Chcrokecs, the claim 
 of France to the valleys of the Mississippi and the St. Lawreiu-e 
 seemed established by possession. . . . America, and England 
 were humiliated.' Pitt, in the House oC Conunons, when cen- 
 suring the conduct of Loudon, indignantly exclaimed, ' Xothing 
 was done, nothing was attempted. . . . We have hwt all the 
 waters, we have not a boat on the hikes. E\ery door is o]>en 
 to Fiance.' Hark and gloomy were the prospects of England. 
 
 u 
 
200 
 
 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 Incoinpetont ministers at home, weak and inoai)al)lc generals' 
 abi'oad, had hr()n<i;ht the nation to the very brink of ruin. In 
 this sad state of aii'airs, Pitt, ^vllo liad been compelled to resign 
 on account of" the aversion of the King and the intrigues of his 
 enemies, was by the universal voico of the nati(»n reinstated in 
 liis ofhee of Secretary of State, tlxaigh at too late a period to 
 avert the disasters I have recorded. A\'ith full confidence in 
 his genius and [)atrIotisn», the people looked with hope to the 
 fiitui'c. Nor were Ihey disappointed. The Avar begun in 
 1 75C) with such serious reverses, eventually proved, as Macaulav" 
 has well said, ' the most glorious war in which England had 
 ever been entrained.' 
 
 When Parliament met, on Decendjer 1, 1757, the King de- 
 clared that 'it was his firm resolution to apply his utmost efforts 
 for the security of the kingdom, and for the recovery and ])ro- 
 tection of tlie possessions and right of his crown and subjects in 
 America and elsewhere, as well by the strongest exertions of 
 our naval force, as by all other methods.' Both Houses having 
 expressed an earnest desire to afford all the assistance in their 
 power for attaining these objects, Pitt set about the work with 
 diligence and vigour, and took most active measures without a 
 moment's delay, not only for recovering the forts that had been 
 lost in America by the Incompetence of Loudon, but also for 
 effecting the conquest of Canada. To accomplish this great 
 object he saw at once that it would bo necessary to reduce 
 Luuisbourg — ih^ key of the St. Lawrence —and to obtain pos- 
 session of the French posts of Ticonderoga and Crown Point, 
 In order to open the way for the Invasion of Canada. For the 
 first enterprise, a cond)ined naval and military force would bo 
 required, ready to conunence operations as soon as the season 
 would permit. For the second, a large P.rmy of regidars would 
 be Indisi»ensable, su])p(.rted by as many troo[)S as could be 
 raised In the colonies. The connnand of the first was entrusted 
 to Admiral IJoscaw^en, an officer of great experience, and to 
 General Audierst, who had greatly distinguished himself in 
 
 ' Spcakiau- of Lomlun, Franklin .says in his aiituliiograiiliy, ' lli' is like 8t. 
 Georfi;t' o\\ tlie si^n-lioards, alwa^-s on horseback, but nover riclfS on.' 
 
 ■■' Ills Ks.Slll/ oil WUlUtlH I'itt. 
 
THE SECOND SIEGE OP L0U1S15UUUG. 201 
 
 Gennany. (leneral Abeirronihic, who was appointed Coni- 
 inandcr-iii-C'hlof in place of the Earl of Loudon, was instructed 
 to reduce Ticonderoy;a and Crown Point. The colonies were 
 at the same time encouraj^cd to raise men, with the assurance 
 that they shouhl he rolinhursod, and tliat jirovincial officers 
 under the rank of coh»nel should possess the same privih'i;('s as 
 olHcers of equal jurade in tlie rc^uhu" army. As you, of course, 
 feel more interested in matters that rchitc to the i)asl hi>lory 
 of your own island, J will endeav(>ur in the first place to jjive 
 you an account of the second sie'i;e of Louishouro;, and after- 
 wards briefly notice the campai_<>-u on the Continent. 
 
 As it was well known that new batteries had been erected 
 and the fortifications unich improved since Louisbourji; was 
 taken in 174,5 by 4,()()() Provincials and ten ships of the 
 line, and that the <j;arrison was fully four times as strouiji; as 
 at that i)eriod, and (!ould now receive succours by means of 
 the roads constructed by Cdunt Kaymond from the (niti)orts 
 and interior, where the })opulation had been considerably auj^- 
 mentcd by the arrival of a nund)er of the Acadians expelled 
 from Nova Scotia, it was considered that a land force of 
 12,000 men and a licet of at least twenty ships of the line 
 would now be required to reduce it. The disai)j)ointment 
 caused l)y the failure of the expedition of the previous year, 
 chiefly due to delay in rciichinj;' the scene of action, warned the 
 jNlinistiy on the present occasion. The whole month of Decem- 
 ber was employed in naval [ircparations, with such diliij^ence 
 that the fleet and transports were ready to sail from Sj)ilhead, 
 where they were anchored, on February 8. The ^I'cat i)repa- 
 rations iJjoing (»n in the Kn<j;lish [M)rts did not escape the notice 
 of the French (Jovernment. In fact, the spv llenaev, before 
 mentioned (p. 28()), had kept u[t a reiiidar correspondence all 
 winter with a friend em[)loyed in the Secretary of State's office 
 at Paris, until he was arrested «ni March {) in London.' Learn- 
 
 ' 'For thi.s illicit corrospondfiu'i' with tlio cnomy of our country, in time of 
 open wnv, Dr. Henacy wa> frictl, convictal, and condciniit'd to \m liangiHl and 
 ((Uartcrod, .as in eascH of hi;^'! treason ; Init after sovcral n jii'iev s Im olifaini'd His 
 Rlajcsty'.s pardon, not for any dise-ovcry, as tlio world wore niadu to beliove, l)ut 
 l)y an extraordinary foroijiii interposition, wliieli wonld no( liavo had the same 
 weight at a conrl that prnprrly osented tli(> ili.'?ai'[ioiMtn(eiil tiio nation met with 
 in the expeditions against Louinbour^ ami li'MMoii.'—t'n/tc/,-. ' 
 
 V 2 
 
202 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 iiip; from this source that tlic cxpcilition was intended to attack 
 Louishourjij, the French (lovcrnnient saw the hnnicdiatc neces- 
 sity of sending out reinforcements, and accordingly made great 
 exertions to o(iui[) shij)s for that ])urpose. Two squadrons 
 were accordingly fitted out— one of six ships of the line and 
 one frigate, at Toulon, under the c(»nnnand of ]M. du (^uesne, 
 and another of six ships of the line and two frigates, at Ivoch- 
 fort, under M. de l;i Chnic. On the arrival oi' tlie first at 
 Kochfort, M. du (^uesne was to take connnand of the united 
 s([nadrons, to convoy forty transports with 3,()(»0 troops to 
 America. Thi ' i.'iirpose was, however, successfidly frustrated 
 by the forcsii lit and vigilance of Pitt, who stationed a squad- 
 ron, under tlie command of Admiral Osborne, in the Straits 
 of (Jibraltar, to intercept the French fleet from Toulon, and 
 another, under Admiral Ilawke, in the Basque lioads, to watch 
 the Rochfort fleet. Admiral Osborne carried out his instruc- 
 tions with great success. Not a single enemy's shi[) was allowed 
 to pass through the Straits, and two of the finest vessels be- 
 longing to ]M. du (^uesne's squadron — the ' F\)urdroyant '' of 
 eighty-four, and the ' Orj)heus ' of sixty-four guns — were cap- 
 tured "while attempting to join ]\r. de la Clone's squadron in 
 the Spanish port of Carthagcna. ^Vdmiral Ilawkc fell in with 
 the Kochfort expedition on April 3, a fcAV leagues from the 
 shore, just as it was starting for Louisbourg and (Quebec ; but, 
 owing to a change of wind, the whole of the French ships got 
 safely into St. Martin's, under the guns of the forts on the Isle 
 of Aix, before he could come up Avith them, excejjt one brig, 
 
 ' The capturo of tlie ' I'durili'Dvaut,' of cislity-four guns, willi a crew of 700 
 men, by tlir 'Monmouth,' of sixty-foui' gimn, and 470 mm, was the mof<t gallant 
 naval exploit of tll(^ ' Seven Yeaivs' War.' AViien Admiral ()sl)orno fell in witli tiio 
 rrent'h lleet ott'Carthng^'na on I-'oliruary 27, he madn signals to the ' Monmontli,' 
 ' iSwift.sure,' and 'Hampton Court,' to chase tlie ' iMiurdroyant,' but the 'Mon- 
 mouth' was tlie only one that could overreach lier. Having como within gun-shot 
 at 5 A.M., Captain Gardiner hegan t])e action, l)ut finding that he could make no 
 impression upon her at that distance, lie laid iiis ship on the quartiT of the enemy 
 at 7 A.M., M-ilhin pistol-.shot, wlien a terrible enntc st ensued, in which both sliips 
 lost their inizeiiniasts and sustained greal d.iniago in their Indls. At 9 o'cloik 
 thi' gallani (iavdiner fill mortally wounde.l I'y a niusket-ball in liie head, but iiis 
 lieutenant, with ocpial bravery, funghl out tiie action until 1 o'clock, wlien ilic 
 ' Fouvdrovant ' struck. 
 
TIIK ENGLISH EXPEDITION bETS OFF. 2I>:} 
 
 wliicli was (Irivoii on shore by the ' Ilii^sur' ami hiirnt. The 
 greater part of the iiK'n-of-war and traiispoi'ts, in their haste to 
 eseaj)0 ran ashore hehind the fsle ol" Aix in slioal water, wliere 
 the En^jfHsli ships eonhl not l'olh)w iheni. Boats were then 
 sent to destnty them, hnt thev contrived, bv tiirowinii" over- 
 board their <jjuns, ainnuinition, and stores, to get ath)at and 
 warp lip to the month of the Charentc. Althonuh none of the 
 vessels were captured, the main object of the French expedi- 
 tion was completely frustrated, as neither the guns and stores 
 thrown overboard could be recovered, nor the ships repaired in 
 time to reach Louisbourg before it was bhx'kaded by Admii-al 
 HoscaAVcn. Still, notwithstanding the vin'ihince of the ICuuIish 
 Admirals on the coast, M. Beaussler, with four shij)S of the 
 line, two frigates,' and sixteen transports, carrying ')'A) miMi of 
 the re<iin»eut of ' Volontaires I'^tranuers' and (iOO of the wm- 
 mcnt of ' Cambise,' together witli a hirge su[)ply oi' pro\isions 
 and munitions of war, contrived to get out of IJrest niiper- 
 ceived on March 12, and reached Louisbourg in safety not 
 lonir before the Eniilish fleet arrived in (iabarus I>av. 
 
 The English expedition, after waiting at .Sjnthead about ten 
 days for a favourable wind, set off on February 19, not, how- 
 ever, Avithont suifering a serious misliap in tiie loss of the 
 ' Invincible,' seventy-four guns, one of the finest ships in thcj 
 navy, which ran ashore on the Dean Sand, near St. Helen's, 
 and became a total wreck. Sir Charles Hardy,- the second in 
 
 'These ships were tlic 'Pnidput' and ' Entreprciiant,' soventy-fours ; tliu 
 'Bicnfaisant,' ' Caprit'icux,' and ' CLlt'hrc,' sixties ; and the frigates 'Apollo 'and 
 'Comet,' of thirty puns eaeh ; all of whieh wvre taken or destroyed durin;^ the 
 birge, except the ' Comet,' which got out a tVw days after the troops landed. 
 
 " Sir Charles Hanly arrived at Halifax on May 2(), and reported that three or 
 four ships of war had got intc Lonishoin-g. AVhm tiiis news reached luigland it. 
 caused some alarm, as wo learn from the following extract from a letter of ICarl 
 Templo to Pitt, of July 3: — 'What alarms mo most is the account Lady Hester 
 brought of some men-of-war, a few, very few, heing got into Luuisbourg ; lie^-auso 
 upon the issue of that attempt I think the whole salvation uf this I'ountry and 
 Europe does essentially depend.' — Chatham Correspondence. 
 
 How differently the gallant W(df(; thought of the matter ! Having told his uncle. 
 in a letter from Halifax, that a few ships had got into Louisbourg notwitlistanding 
 Hanly's vigihuieo, he added: 'If they had thrown in twice as much, we siiouid not 
 hesitate to attack them ; and for my pari, I have no doubt of nur sueee-->^. Jf (lie 
 
214 
 
 CAPE RRETON. 
 
 command, arrived off Lonisbourfv on April 2, with a few of 
 the ships, b\it tlie whole ol' the nioii-of-war and transports did 
 not reach Halifax until May J). AVhile the fleet lay at anchor 
 in Halifax Harbour, takin<>; in snp])lies of fresh ])rovisions and 
 ■water, it Avas joined by all the ships of war on the station; and 
 the army was reinforced by the arrival of l}rao:n;"s regiment 
 from the Bay of Fundy, and 200 carpenters nnder Colonel 
 JNIeserve, and 5.38 liangcrs, or Provincial troops, from IJoston, 
 On INFay 28, when the exjicdition sailed for Louisboiirg, it was 
 composed of the following sea and land forces: — 
 
 Tho Xaniur of 
 
 •JO 
 
 gun^ 
 
 
 mil 
 
 ipti 
 
 liii I lie J mil, 1., i,{!>y 
 lin Bui'kl:' 
 
 l^n-ul William 
 
 80 
 
 !> 
 
 f Hear- 
 ICapti 
 
 Admiral Sir Charles 
 in I'jvans 
 
 Prini't'S>s Av.u lia 
 
 SO 
 
 J) 
 
 {;; 
 
 )inni()dori' Piiilip Durell 
 iptaiu Bray 
 
 Tcrriblo . 
 
 71 
 
 H 
 
 V 
 
 iptain Collins 
 
 Ndrtluinibfrhind 
 
 70 
 
 )» 
 
 
 )i 
 
 Lord Colville 
 
 Vanguard 
 Oxford . 
 15iirford . 
 
 70 
 70 
 70 
 
 1» 
 ft 
 
 
 
 Swanton 
 
 Spry 
 
 Ganibicr 
 
 ISoniorsot 
 
 70 
 
 !f 
 
 
 U 
 
 Hiighes 
 
 Lancaster 
 Dcvousliiro 
 
 70 
 r.(j 
 
 »1 
 
 
 
 Edgcunibo 
 Gordon 
 
 Bedford . 
 
 Gl 
 
 It 
 
 
 II 
 
 Fowko 
 
 t'aptjiiii . 
 
 (il 
 
 ,, 
 
 
 ') 
 
 Amherst 
 
 Prince Frt'dcrii' 
 
 ()i 
 
 H 
 
 
 It 
 
 Mann 
 
 Pembroke 
 
 00 
 
 >t 
 
 
 )l 
 
 Sinicoo 
 
 King!iton 
 
 York . 
 
 Prince of Orange . 
 
 JJulianeo 
 
 (iO 
 GO 
 GO 
 GO 
 
 n 
 
 
 )> 
 
 it 
 }t 
 
 I'arry 
 Pigot 
 I'Vrgusson 
 Baird 
 
 Nottingham . 
 
 60 
 
 )' 
 
 
 I> 
 
 Marshall 
 
 Centurion 
 
 50 
 
 ,, 
 
 
 >J 
 
 Mantell 
 
 Sutherland 
 
 5u 
 
 
 
 It 
 
 l{ous ; 
 
 the frigates ' Juno,' * Gramont, ' Nightingale,' ' Hunter,' 
 ' Boreas,' ' Hind, ' Trent,' ' Port Mahon,' ' liiana, ' Shannon,' 
 ' Kennington,' ' Scarborough,' ' S(iuirrel,' ♦ JIawk,' ' Beaver,' 
 ' Tyloe,' and * Halifax;' the ' Etna' and ' Lightning ' fire-ships, 
 and one hundred and eighteen transports, carrying the foUow- 
 ing land forces : — 
 
 T-'reneh <leot come.- upon this cuast, tin camii.iigu will, I hope, be decisive.'— 
 "Wnahi'ii Life of MdJ.ji-Oincnd Wolfe. London: 1801. 
 
GENERAL AMHERST ORGANIHES HIS TROOPS. 205 
 
 1st K.«t 
 
 HuvaLs 
 
 . 8.")4 
 
 l.')tli Kcf^t 
 
 WiirliurtDn's 
 
 8.V2 
 
 l.-)tii „ 
 
 AiulnTMt'.s . 
 
 . 7c;i 
 
 17tli „ 
 
 JjaxiUcs' . 
 
 8 .■»('. 
 
 ITtli ., 
 
 Forbes' 
 
 . G60 
 
 ISlIi „ 
 
 Wcl4,'s 
 
 '.»;i2 
 
 22ml „ 
 
 \\'liitiiiori''s 
 
 . 910 
 
 58tli „ 
 
 Aiistnitlii'v'.s 
 
 VA.i 
 
 28tli „ 
 
 Hrnp'/s 
 
 . 027 
 
 GOtli," 2ii.l Bat., Moiickt. Ill's 
 
 !)2:» 
 
 401 h „ 
 
 Hoj 'kins' . 
 
 . Oo.-) 
 
 (SOtli, 3nl 
 
 „ Lawrence's . 
 
 811 
 
 35111 „ 
 
 Otway's 
 
 . 505 
 
 7.Slh . 
 
 . . Priiztr's 
 
 1 ,08 1 
 
 Also five companies of Rangers, a brigade of artillery antl 
 engineers, and 200 carpenters; altogether exceeding 12,000 
 men, exclusive of officers, and troops lel't for the defence of 
 Halifax, consisting of the 4.'}rd Kegiinciit, under Colonel Ken- 
 nedy, of 659 men, and detachments from the 1st, 2yth, 35th, 
 45th, 47th, second battalion of GOth and 78th Regiments, and 
 artillery, in all 1,600 men. 
 
 As General Amherst had not arrived from Germany 'svhen 
 the expedition sailed from Spithead, the army, as well as the 
 fleet, was placed under the command of Admiral lioscawen, so 
 that no time should be lost waiting at Halifax in case the 
 General should not arrive there so soon as was expected. 
 Having, therefore, completed all his arrangements, the Admiral, 
 agreeably to his instructions, sailed from thence, as before 
 mentioned, on ]May 28, for Louisbourg, with his fleet and 
 transports, numbering in all 157 sail. Fortunately, on the 
 very same day General Amherst arrived in the ' Dublin,' 
 seventy-four. Captain Rodney, and met the expedition at the 
 mouth of the harbour, when he immediately went on board the 
 * Namur,' the flagship, and sent the ' Dul)lin,' whose crew was 
 very sickly, after a voyage of seventy-three days, into Halifax. 
 
 Having now taken command of the land forces, General 
 Amherst immediately began to organise the troo])S preparatory 
 to their landing at Louisbourg, by dividing them into three 
 brigades: the first, consisting of the 1st, 22nd, 40th, and 48th 
 Regiments, and the second battalion of the GOth Rifles, under 
 Brigadier-General Whitmore; the second,of the 15th, 28th, 45th, 
 58th, and 78th Regiments, under Brigadier-General Lawrence ;' 
 
 ' The 60th Kiflos were originally raisfd in Aniericii, in 17'">(>, nmlor tlif dusig- 
 nation of 'The Koyal Aiiiericans ; ' they wore composed chieHy ut' Gernian and 
 f^wiss immigrants, who had arrived iu the colonies m great nunibprs some years 
 previously. 
 
 ' Colonel Lawrence was at tlii.- time Ouveriior of Nova Sentia. During Lis 
 absence Lieutenant-Colonel Mouektou ac'ed as Governor. 
 
290 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 .111(1 tho third, of tlic 17tli, .").')lli, and ITtli Kc^iiiu'tits, and t1io 
 tliird l»att:ili<in of the OOtli Itillcs, nnder liriuadiiT-CKMUTal 
 AVolfo. Pitt Iiinisc'lf had, heloro tlie cxju'ditiuM K'ft I'.n^land, 
 selected these three otticcrs to eoininand hri;ji;a(h's. AVoll'e, at 
 at that tunc one of the youni^est ctjhuulsj hi tho army, had, 
 ' hy his zealous endeavours, on the 2.')rd September jtrevious, to 
 instil some life and vigour into the exi)edition against Koehfort, 
 fruitless though they were rendered hy the pusillanimity ol" 
 tho chiefs, caused him to he singled out as one likely to redeem 
 the military re])iitation of l^ngland.'' As Wolfe was the 
 youngest of tho brigadiers in rank, the icost active i)art of tho 
 service fell to his lot, and allbrded him an opportunity, as you 
 •will shortly sec, of proving that Pitt had made a judicious 
 choice in selecting him for a post of such importance. 
 
 JNIoanwhile the fleet and transj)orts jiroceoded on their 
 
 voyage. On the 3(lth, the Avind blo\ving hard and directly 
 
 ahead, many of the transjtorts were greatly dispersed ; but the 
 
 men-of-war kept Avell together and arrived in sight of (labarus 
 
 liay on tho morning ol' .luno 1, where tho Admiral learntd 
 
 from C'a])tain lions, of the ' Sutherland,' who had l>ecn recon- 
 
 noitrcing the IIarl)our of Louisbourg, that there were thii'tcen 
 
 .ships of war in the ]><»rt, two of which only arrived (»n May .'50. 
 
 On tho morning of June 2 tho fleet and about one-third of tho 
 
 transports camo to anchor in (iabarus J>ay, where they were 
 
 joined on the following day by tho remainder. On tho same 
 
 evening. General Amherst, together with lirigadiei-CJonerals 
 
 Lawrence and Wolfe, n-ot into a boat and rowed aloni; tho 
 
 shore as near as tho surf would permit, in ortler to ascertain 
 
 the most suitable idace for effecting a landing. Preparations 
 
 for landing were made on tho 3rd, but tho weather was so 
 
 boisterous, and tho suif so heavy, thai the design was given 
 
 u]). For tho same reason nothing could bo done for soveial 
 
 days ; the south-east wind, driving in a heavy sv/ell which 
 
 broke in foaming surf upon the rooky shore, rendered landiii" 
 
 from boats ([uite imj)ossil»lo. 
 
 While the troops arc waiting for a favourable opportunity 
 to land, let us glance at tho dispositi(»ns made by the enemy 
 
MR- 
 
 
 12 
 
 Jf 
 
 
 ^ll'I'/'M 
 
 *'*fe 
 
 "05 
 
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 ^ 
 
 '/',, 
 
 rv i 
 
 ''%: 
 
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 X 
 
 S 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 '■S^ 
 
 ^^"^'^- 
 
 ^ 
 
 M... 
 
 J%i> 
 
 ■'?'. UJ 
 
 
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 ca: 
 
 
 
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 ^ 
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 5 
 
 '0 
 
TlIK ri(F.N('ll SKXl) KIMNFOIU'KMRXTS T(' M)riSl!()('i:(: . ll!)7 
 
 to ()]>i>osc' {licin. Tlh! I''i"('ii('!i (idvornnu'iit, as ahcady incii- 
 lioiu'd, t'orrc'ctly iiil'onncd l)y \\\v traitor iriMiacy of tlu- desti- 
 nation and sailiii;^; of the lar^c ai'inanuMit iVoiu l'iii<;laMd, liud, 
 notwitlistandinfj; the vigilance ol' the I'iiiii;lish A(hnirals, siie- 
 coeded in scndiiiix roinforecnients to the ixarrison of Loiiishoiiru', 
 ■whieh enalded the (lovei'iior, the Chevalier de Drueoiir, to 
 n)ake what lie considered eileetive nieasnres to prevent a 
 landin!"!;. All alon<^ the sliore, from lilack Point to the Head 
 of Fresh A\'ater Cove — a distance of neai'Iv five miles — sti'dnij; 
 breastworks were thrown \\\) wherever a descent was considered 
 ])ractica1)lc. At the head of Fresh ^^'ater Conc, wlu.'re ii 
 gravel beach a (jnarter of a mile in len<;lh oil'ered the most 
 favourable place for landini;', batteries were erected mounlin<^ 
 eight guns, so eH'cctnally concealed by felled trees closely 
 packed together, with their tops towards the slujre, that, ^iewcd 
 IVom the sea, they presented the ajjpearanco of a smooth green 
 field with here and there a tuft of spruce. This position was 
 defended by a large body of troops commanded by ]\[. de 
 St. Julicn, and a band of savages under a celebrated chief.' 
 
 There were eight guns and two mortars in position near 
 Flat Point Cove, and eight more near \\'hitc Point, the only 
 places where the rough shingle beaches aiforded some facility 
 for landing. The rocky and rugged cliffs, occupying the 
 intervals between these armed ])osts, were deemed inaccessible, 
 and in a great measure left unguarded. The Fnglish accounts 
 say that these Avorks were defended by .'},()()() men. French 
 writers admit that there were 2,()(»0 regulars, besides large bands 
 of irregulars and Indians engaged in the duty of oi)posing the 
 landing of the English, and that only 300 men were left in 
 Louisbourg.'' 
 
 ' Tliia chief was killed in tho conicst which ensued; lie 'vas <a stout, well made 
 man, and exhibited groat daring and intrepidity. He iiad bein rewarded for 
 former services by n medal, wliieli lie wore round his nock. Il was handed to 
 Admi ral liuscawen. — Kntick. 
 
 * V>y referring to the Plan annexed you will observe the positions of tho guns 
 and mortars employed to oppose the landing of tho troops. 
 At tho head of Fresh Water Cove. 
 c. On(^ Swivel. r. One Twenty-pounder and 
 
 1). Two SwiveU. Two Six-pounder.-. 
 
 Ji. Two SiA-poundcr». 
 
208 CAPE nUETON. 
 
 Owiun; to a ronlinnanco of boisterous weather and a lieavy 
 Hiirf, no attempt was made to land until the niorninj^ of the 
 7th, when the swell haviii;; somewhat ahated, the sif^nal was 
 made to prejuirc t(t land, and the troops were embarked In 
 boats for that purpose; but a thick fo<^ eomijijij on, the order 
 ■was countermanded. The weather ]uivin«r apjain moderated 
 towards cvenin*;, it was determined to re-iew the attempt next 
 mornin<i;. with the three following brigades, which had already 
 been told olf for that object : — 
 
 The first, or right brigade, comjioscd of detachments of the 
 1st, 17th, 47th, 4Hth, .'jHtii, an<l (JOth Regiments, led by Hri- 
 gadier-(ieneral AVhitmorc, Colonels Burton and Fu-«tcr, and 
 INIajors Prevost and Darly. 
 
 The second, or centre brigade, composed of detachments of 
 the 15th, 22nd, 35th, 4()lh, 45th, and GOth Ilcgiments, under 
 IJrigadicr-General Lawrence, Colonel Wilmot, Lieutenant- 
 Colonel Ilandfield, INIajors Hamilton and llussey. 
 
 The third, or left brigade, comi)osed of the 78th Highlanders, 
 five companies of Hangers, twelve companies of Grenadiers, 
 and a corps of Light Lifantry ' consisting of 550 of the best 
 marksmen to be found in the different regiments, led by 
 Brigadier-General Wolfe, Colonels Frazer, Fletcher, and 
 Murray, and Majors Scott, Murray, and Farquharson. 
 
 The right division was ordered to proceed towards White 
 
 Noar Flat Point and Flat Point Coro. 
 G. Ono Scvcn-incli Mortar. i. Two Six-poundcrs. 
 
 Ono Eight ,, „ K. Two „ „ 
 
 H. Two Swivels. n. Two Twelve „ 
 
 Near White Point, 
 o, Two Six-poundor«. q. Two Six-pounders. 
 
 p. Two Twonty-foiir do. n. Two Twelve do. 
 
 ' " Our Light Infantry, Highlanders, and Rangers, the French termed tho 
 English Savages, perhaps in contradistinction to their own native Indians, Cana- 
 dians, &c., the tnio French Savages. . . . Some were dressed in blue, some in 
 green jackets and drawers, for the easier brushing through tho woods, with rulTs 
 of bhiA bear-skins round their necks ; the beard of their upper lips, some grown 
 into whiskers, others not .so, but all well smutted on that part, with little round 
 hats like several of our seamen. . . . The Kangcrs are a body of irregidars, who 
 have a more cut-throat savage appeanuiec, wliich carries in it something of 
 natural saviiges : the appearance of the Light Infantry has in it more of artificial 
 savages.' — Entkk. 
 
THE '2HtII RROIMKNT EMIURKS FOTl LORAMnEC. 299 
 
 Point, and tlio centre towanln Flat I'oint, as il' with the 
 inttMition of landing nt thono phicos, hut in reality to (h"aw oil' 
 the French forces I'roni the ncJfj'ihourhood of Freslnvatcr Cove, 
 vhere the descent avus to l)e nuide hy A\'olfe\s hri^ade. 
 
 The * Kcnnin";ton ' frijiate and 'Halifax' corvette were 
 anchored off Freshwater Cove, to cover the trooj)s in landinj^; 
 the ' (irainont,' * Diana,' and * Shannon ' frijjfutes off Flat Point ; 
 and tlu ' Sutherlaiul' ship of the line and ' Squirrel' frigate 
 oti' White Point, to mislead the enemy and annoy the troops 
 stationed at those places. 
 
 To further distract the attention of the enemy, tlie 28th Re- 
 jijiment was embarked in a small fleet of sloops, and sent jiast 
 the harbour's mouth under convoy towards Lorambec, a small 
 harbour three miles to the eastward of Louisbour^, with 
 instructltms to make a show of landing, but not to attempt to 
 do so without further instructions. 
 
300 CAPE r.llETOiV. 
 
 l.iyiTER XVlil. 
 
 1758. 
 
 On tlie morning of June 8 — a day wlticli will ever be nie- 
 inoraUle in the annals of the liritish Arniy-llic swell havinu; 
 in some measure subsided, Commodore Durell was sent before 
 daybreak to cxanrlne the coast, and on his return reported 
 that although there still was a heavy surf upon the shore, the 
 troo[)S might land without danger from that cause. The order 
 was therefore immediately issued for the men to embark in 
 the boats before daybreak, ready to take up their respec- 
 tive positions in the order already designated. As soon as 
 the boats were ready to start, the ships stationed at the 
 places already mentioned opened a brisk cannonade upon the 
 enemy's works, and kept it up until th" boats nearly reached 
 their destinations. The left division, commanded by Brigadier 
 General Wolfe, pulled in with great vigour towards Fresh- 
 water Cove, the real point of attack ; while the right and 
 centre divisions advanced more sloAvly towards White Point 
 and Flat Cove, to draw the attention of the enemy from the 
 left. This feint, however, did not deceive the enemy, who 
 soon divined its object, and waited quietly behind his cover at 
 Fresh Water Cove until the leading boats of Wolfe's division 
 arrived within mnsket-shot of the shore, where they Avere met 
 all at once by a terrific fire of red-hot balls, grape and round 
 shot, and a continuous discharge of musketry from the lines. 
 Wolfe, seeing the impossibility of landing upon the beacli, 
 waved his hat to the leading boats to withdraw ; but the sin;nal 
 being mistaken by Lieutenants Ilojjkins and Browne, and 
 Ensign (Jrant, who with 100 infantry led the attack, for wliat 
 their brave hearts most anlciitlv desired — the order to advance 
 
WOLFK OTIBERS THE TROOPS TO ADVANCE. 301 
 
 — tliey pushed on with great vigour and gained some shelter 
 under a rocky point on the right of tlie beach (a, on Phm, 
 ]). 297), which being supposed inaccessible, had been left un- 
 guarded by the enemy. Many of the soldiers, as they sprang 
 ())i shore from the boats, were dratted into the water by the 
 recoiling surf and drowned ; but the rest, led by the gaHant 
 siibaltcrns, landed in safety, climbed up the rocks, and foiined 
 in a compact body on the sunnnit, exposed to a ilaid\ing fire 
 from the Cove batteries. Observinn; the success of this darintr 
 attempt, Wolfe immediately gave orders to the troops to ad- 
 vance in support of their conu'ades on shore,' and was himself 
 one of the first to jump out of his boat into the raging surf, 
 to escape the galling fire to which all were exposed from the 
 flanking batteries and the incessant roll of nuisketry, scarcely 
 twenty yards distant. All the troops followed the example 
 of their leader with alacrity ; Grenadiers, Hangers, Light In- 
 fantry, Highlanders — all strove which should get first on 
 shore to share in the contest. * Cannon and musketry were 
 not their worst antagonists. The sea, which had grown more 
 and more boisterous since they had set out, now lashing the 
 coast, dashed them against the rocks, shattering several of the 
 boats, upsetting others; and many a brave fellow, who hoi)cd 
 ere night to win renown in the field, found an instant watery 
 grave.' ^ Wolfe's example was speedily followed by all the 
 
 ' The fi'ulliiiit coiuluet of Mnjor Soolf, iis ivliitinl by Pielion, is desorvinf^ of 
 special iiotioc ' Fu'lng or(li'"(d to go wifli his men to the support of those who 
 had landed, and his own boat, whicii airivcd first, buing stove tho instant ho 
 landed, tho Major (dinibed up the roelv by liiiiisolf, in hopes of joining tl'.e hundrt'il 
 nu'ii, but finding uo more than ten, he with tliis small band gained the summit of 
 the precipice, wliore he found liimself in front of seventy Frenehmen and ten 
 Jndiaus, lV(jm wliom ho was separated only by a small copse of lir trees. Never- 
 theless, he woidd not abanujn a post on which the success of tlic whole enterprise 
 dejcndid. Two of his men wore killed and three wounded ; three balls wero 
 lodged in his own clothes; still he held his ground until seconded by the arrival 
 of a s ipport. Tlie Knglisli troops, perceiving that tin's was tiio only chance of 
 succeeding, followed his exam[)Ie, and notwithstanding tiie surf, whicli drove back 
 the boats and drowned gnat numbers, landed here in defiance of tho French bat- 
 teries, which played upon them most vigorously,' — Mmtoirs of Cape Bnion. 
 
 - \\v\ii\\\-\ Life fif Gdicnd IVc^fc 
 
 A traveller wlio recently visited I'^re^Iiwater Cove, or, as it is sometimes calhd, 
 Kcnningtoa CoV(>, says that two hundreil paces from tlie shore, towards the wooil 
 
302 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 men of his brinjade, as -well as l)y the troops of Lawrence's and 
 \V hitmore's divitiions, wliich Landed at a more convenient phioe 
 a little further to the left (marked u on I'hm, at \). 297), in the 
 face of a continual discharge of shot and shells from the 
 enemy's lines. The rear Avas bron<^ht up by General Am- 
 herst himself, who, from personal observation, Avas able to 
 bear wlllin<^ testimony to the bravery and resolution of all the 
 troo]»s engaged in this arduous undertaking. 
 
 The enemy — paralysed and thrown into confusion by the 
 boldness and success of the British troops — made but a feeble 
 resistance to the progress of Wolfe, who lost no time in follow- 
 ing up the advantage he had gained. Attacking the defenders 
 of the battery f (see Plan) with the bayonet, it was speetliiy 
 carried ; all tlic others, e, d, C, fell in raj)id succession. The 
 enemy, having made no |»re{)arations foi- a hand-to-hand fight, 
 and alarmed by a report that General Whitmorc had landed at 
 AVhite Point and cut oft' their retreat to Louisbourg, tied 
 precipitately, one body along the coast, the other into the 
 woods, leaving all their guns, stores, ammunition, and im- 
 plements in the hands of the invaders. The whole of the guns 
 enumerated at p. 297, fell into the Iiands of a i>arty sent in 
 pursuit of the fugitives along the shore. The main body was 
 chased through the woods by Wolfe and Lawrence, almost 
 up to the gates of Louisbourg. As the pursuers apjjroached 
 the town they were fired uj)ou by the guns on the ramparts, 
 which showed the Brigadiers at what distance from the for- 
 tress their camp might be pitched Avith safety. Thus, in six 
 short hours of a sunnner's morning the first great slej) of tiie 
 expedition Avas successfully acconi[)lish('d — a looting was esta- 
 blished upon the soil vi' Ca[)C Breton, from Avhich the tro«»ps 
 never retreated a single inch during the siege ; proving that 
 there Avere neither diHiculties nor dangers Avhieh ('(tukl not bo 
 overcome by l>riti>h tniops led by a skillul eonnnaiKier. 
 
 The French seem to have placed their Avhole reliance upon 
 
 that skirts the rising ground in the roar, may still lie s^on llic lono graves ot tiie 
 British soldiers wlmsc lives were l()^t on that nicnuiralilf iHcasinn, niarki'd \<\, ,i 
 tow gri\v moss-oiad stones standing oijct amidst tni'ls of hoath and crvjwhtrrv.— 
 Cdijc Breton Niwf, January, 1!), 1SG7. 
 
THE FRENCTI RETIRE TO LOUISBOURG. 303 
 
 tlioir batteries, imjn-csscd with the belief that tlicy couM not 
 be cai'ricd. Their men had been trained to fi^ht beliind 
 cover, and were therefore thrown into confusion the moment 
 they found themselves attacked with tiie bayonet by a body of 
 liritish troops ji;oaded and exasperated by tlie losses they had 
 suffered in landinj^ nndor such unj)aralleied <litficulties. JJe" 
 sides, as they did not anticipate a defeat, no jilace of r:'ndcz- 
 vous had been fixctl uj)on where they nii^lit have rallied and 
 made a stand aLjainst their enemies, many of wiiom were only 
 lialf-armed, having lost or damaged their muskets in landing 
 tiii'ough the surf. 
 
 The loss of the British troops in executing this groat 
 achievement Avas : — 
 
 Wounded. 
 
 
 , 5 
 . 
 . 2 
 . 1 
 . (il 
 
 Totals .60 59 
 
 The enemy's loss in killed and wounded is not known, but 
 two captains, two lieutenants, and seventy privates were taken 
 prisoners. Piehon's statement that 200 were killed and taken 
 prisoners cannot be correct. It is not likely that the Frencli 
 lost loO men killed, ])rotected as they were by breastworks, 
 while the English lo.t only fifty killed, cxi)oscd to the enemy's 
 cannon and musketry, without any shelter w liatever. 
 
 As the French had now al>an(l()ncd all their outworks and 
 retired within the walls of Louisbourg, it will be well, befMre 
 ])r(»ceeding with the narrative of the siege, to notice the con- 
 dition of the fortifications and the streugtii of the forces pre- 
 pared to defend them. Some writers, in order to find an excuse 
 for the second fall of Louisbourg, have stated that the works 
 had never been repaired since the siege of 1745; that they 
 were in a most ruinous condition, and quite incapable of stand- 
 
 ' The officers killcil woiv Captain Baillii' ami Lioutonant CuthbtTt, of tho Iligh- 
 laiid Urgimcnl ; Liiulmiaiif Nioliol-^on, of llie lith Rtginient ; and one cu^Jigll 
 (iiaiui.- not given) of the KangnrH. 
 
 Caiitain ' . 
 Licutonants 
 
 Killed, 
 
 Knsigiis 
 
 
 Sfi-gcauts . 
 Corporals 
 Privates . 
 
 . 41 
 
304 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 ing a bomhardinont. This is iiDt correct. Wl»ilc the English 
 had possession oC liouishourg, from 174.5 to 1740, nnich labour 
 anil cxjiense were incurred in rcjiuiring the walls, which had 
 sustained but slight drjuage diu'ing the siege ; bonil>[)ro(>f' 
 casenia*^cs were constructed, and large barracks erected near 
 the Queen's Gate. .M'ler it i-evcrted into the hands of the 
 French, during the seven years })receding the secinid siege, a 
 half-moon battery, mountiiiii' twenty ffuns, was e(»nstructed 
 upon Point llochfort, a curtain of masonry was built between 
 the right flank of the ^Nlaurepas and tl e Ici't flank of the l*rin- 
 ccss Bastions, which formerly was occupied merely by a pal- 
 lisading, and a bastijued curtain erected between the (Queen's 
 and Princess's Dastions to jjiye additional strength to the (lit(;h. 
 The garrison of Louisbourg, when the English landed, con- 
 sisted of, 
 
 Twenty -four Conipanics nf Infjuitry and two Conipaiii(.s of Ariilkry; 
 
 tho usual t'orcr in all . ......... 1,200 
 
 Tlio Secontl I'attalion of the I'lgiuicut of Volmitaii'os Htningii's . . . (iOO 
 
 „ „ Artois ...... iJO(» 
 
 » ., tJuvgoyno 150 
 
 „ „ (^anibiso fi,")0 
 
 'I'lital . . . .'i.lDO 
 
 There were also in the town a l)ody of 700 biu'gher militia and 
 a hand of Indians, and in the harbour the following ships of 
 war : — 
 
 Lo rnulont . 
 
 . 74 
 
 guns. 
 
 La C'luvrc . 
 
 . 10 gun.' 
 
 L'Mntnpronaut 
 
 . 74 
 
 
 La tJi.'hc . 
 
 . 1(1 „ 
 
 Lc CajiiMcitux 
 
 . (>4 
 
 '. 
 
 Lc ri.lolo . 
 
 . oO „ 
 
 liO (V'lMjri' , 
 
 . 64 
 
 
 L'licho . 
 
 . ;i2 ., 
 
 liO IJicnfaisant 
 
 . 4 
 
 
 La Dianii 
 
 . ;i() ,, 
 
 L'Apollou 
 
 . r>o 
 
 
 L'Ari'ihiiso . 
 
 . IJG „ 
 
 Tlie ' Bizarre,' sixty-four, escaped out of the harhour on Juno 
 H, and the ' C'oincte,' thirty, a few days afterwards, in spite of 
 the vigilance of Sii- Charles Hardy. The French Commodore 
 wishctl to leave Eouisbourg with the rest of his s((tiadron, hut 
 could not obtain the consent of the Governor, JNI. de Drucour, 
 who employed many of the officers and crews in the town. 
 
 Very little i)rogrcss was made for several days in landiiij; 
 arlillory and stores, on account of the weather : in fact, althoiigli 
 Icnls and provisions were landed daily, the siege artillery ami 
 
AN EXOAMPMENT LS FORMKI). ll05 
 
 aniiiiiuiifion could not 1)C ffot on sliorc before the 2()tl\. Mean- 
 Avliile, an encanijducnt iur the wliolc army was formed u|)(ni Ji 
 low rau«:;e of iiiidulatiiig hills on both sides of the rivulet which 
 runs into the sea in Flat Point Cove. The jjosilion occui>ie(l 
 hv each regiment will bo best under.st«)t>d bv rcferrinn- to the 
 Plan (]). H'JT), indicated by fi^ui'cs corresjmndiuijf with the 
 number of t' } reiiiment. It will also be seen that the sj)ace 
 ccvered by the encampment constituted a sej^ment of a circle 
 two miles in lenjith, the head-quarters (ir. <^) l)cini; ubout 
 midway between the northo-n and southern' extremities. As 
 Flat Cove was found t(» be the n)ost convenient place for 
 landiuij^ artillery and stores, a road was formc(l Ironi thence 
 through the encamjtmcnt to the extreme left occupied by the 
 Li^ht Infantry. Three redoubts, marked ii. 1, u. 2, and u. .'J, 
 were also connnencetl about half a mile in advance of the camj), 
 to protect it frou) any attacks in front; and two blockhouses, 
 I?. II. 1 and B. If. 2, were erected in rear of the Light Infantry's 
 quarters, njion commanding sites, from which a watchfid look- 
 out was maintained to guard against the Indians or Canadians 
 expected from the interior. For the further security of the 
 camp, a detachment was stationed at the liead of F""rcshwater 
 Cove, to meet any attack from that quarter. 
 
 Jlaving now pro\ided for tlie security of the camp, and re- 
 ceived intelligence from some deserters that the French had 
 ilismantled and abandoned the (Jrand liattery, and burned 
 every house within two miles of the town, (iencral Amhei'st 
 sent A\'olfe with 1,200 men selected from the nighlandi'rs, 
 (Irenadiers, Light rniantry,and Ivangers, round the head of the 
 North-east harbour, to take |.ossession of the Lighthouse Bat- 
 tery, which connnanded the Island liatlcry and tiie shij)ping; 
 at the same time, arlillcry, tools, and pi'o\ isions were sent by 
 sea to Lorambec for tlieii- use. This important service was 
 successfully aceonqdishcd the same day, the enemy having 
 abandoned all tlirir j>osts u[ton the route, and also two camps 
 at Loraujbec, in wliich wcic found a (juantity of |>rovisions, 
 dry ii.sli, and wine' Finding the Lighthouse liattery deserted 
 
 ' Piclioii sjiys ilio litss i/l' the wine Oiiusod no rofirot, as (lie 'Mplilicrs were so 
 used to prot'usiou, (hat they would neither work nor go upon a '^ally unlrss thoy 
 were half drunk.' 
 
 X 
 
80G ("APK BKETON. 
 
 and the guns spiked, Wolfe established a eanip for the main 
 body of his troops on the Lightliousc Point, and then ])osted 
 300 men at Lorand)ec to jd-otect his connnnnication witli the 
 fleet, and .'>()(> more at the liead of tiie Xorth-east harbour, unchn* 
 tlic eonunand of Major Koss. As there uas still a Avido in- 
 terval between jNIajor Jioss's po^t and the quarters of the Li<.ht 
 Infantry, a blockhouse (p.. ir. .'>) ^v;^^; shortly afterwards erected 
 upon the ^Nliray road, about a mile to the eastward of the 
 latter, which })osscssed the double advantiio-o of securluL!; the 
 conununication between the Xorth-east harbour and the cainj), 
 and of interceptinn^ succours coniinji; from Miray. A detach- 
 ment of Light Infantry and Rangers was also posted about half- 
 way between the camj) and the Xorth-east harbour, which 
 completed the communications of the main body of the army 
 with the troops stationed at Lorambec and the Lighthouse. As 
 one of Wolfe's objects was to destroy the shi])j)ing in the har- 
 bour, batteries wei-e erected on the hill near the Careening 
 Cove, and on the low ground between that Cove and the Light- 
 house, armed with 24 and 12-]iounder guns and mortars. All 
 these arrangements being comi>leted, fire Avas opened upon the 
 ships on the night of the iMth, Avhich obliged them to haul over 
 nearer to the town. Leaving AVolfe now busily cmj)loyed in 
 making a road i'rom Lorambec, for transjKirting heavy guns to 
 the Lighthouse Battery, let us return to the main army. 
 
 Froni the l.'Uh tt) the H)th, the weather was so boisterous 
 that heavy guns could not be landed at Flat Cove ; the opera- 
 tions on that side were confined to the completion of the re- 
 doubts in front, and the blockhouses in rear of the camj). These 
 operations, h.owever, Averc not carried on Avlthout some intcr- 
 rui»tion, as the enemy kept up a vigorous fire from the toAvii 
 uj)on the Avorkmen, and uj)on one occasion sent out 300 men in 
 open day to attack Kedoubt, n. .*>, avIio Avere repidsed by the 
 Light Ini'antry sent by Brigadier LaAvrcnce, the commanding 
 officer on the left of the camp. 
 
 On the 17th, the (ireneral, accompanied by the conunanding 
 officers of the Artillery and l*]nglneers, reconnoitred the ground 
 in Iront of the town, to select the most suitable place for ojien- 
 ing the trenches. They decided that the ground between llic 
 
THE ISLAND RATTERY DESTROYED. 307 
 
 lioad (»f the Darncliois and a small eminence abont a qnavtcr of 
 a mile to the south-westward, which they named Green Hill,* 
 was the best adapted for their purpose, the ground further to 
 the rio-ht being .swam])y and inca])ablc of drainage. A road 
 was also marked out from the landing-place at Flat Cove, with 
 branches to the artillery cam]) and head-quarters, for the trans- 
 portation of siege guns, annnnniti'tn, and stores. These roads, 
 owing to the broken, rocky, and swampy nature of the ground, 
 were made Avith great difficulty, the nuni being exposed to a 
 heavy fire fro.u the ramparts. The shot ol'ten fell thickly 
 among the men, and occasionally even into the left of the 
 catn]). The formation of the ritads, and the C(mstruction of a 
 r('dou1)t upon Green Hill, gave ample occupation to 1 he army 
 for the next ten days, and caused so nmch uneasiness to M. dc 
 Drucour, that he ordered the fiMiiate ' I'A'ho ' to run out of the 
 harbour at all risks, and proceed to (Quebec for succours from 
 the Viceroy. The 'Echo' got sal'ely out of the harbour in ii 
 thick fog, not, however, without observation iVom the Light- 
 house, from whence information thei-eof was forwarded to the 
 Admiral, who sent the ' Sutherland " and ' Juno ' in pursuit. 
 The 'Echo' was hjou overtaken, and brought into Gabarus 
 IJay on the 19th. 
 
 Brigadier Wolfe, meanwhile, was not idle on his side of the 
 harbour. Ilis guns, it is true, had made little im])ression on 
 the ship])ing, but Imving obtained some 24-pounders from 
 (lubai'us iJay, and mounted them at the Lighthouse, he began 
 to fire with great vigour ujion the Island liattery on the night 
 of the 19th. The enemv reidied on the following day with 
 equal vigour from the island, the new battery on Point Hoch- 
 ibrt. and the ships in the harbour. The contest was main- 
 tained with great s]>irit on Ixtth sides, until the evening of the 
 '2,3th, when the Island ]>atlery was silenced, all the embrasures 
 (lestroycd, and the para]>ets reduced to a heap ol' ruins. Hav- 
 ing made everything secure at the Jiighthouse, and mounted 
 
 ' This was not the Groon Hill m) >)t'trn mfiitinncil in tiio accmii't, of the first 
 s^iogo. Thid was nearly a inilo ili-^taul from tlio King's Uastion ; //(/.•'', a small 
 fktaehcd knoll, marked u. ii., liarely half a mile from the samu work. — Soc Plan, 
 p. -'97. 
 
 X 2 
 
•»0S CAI'K HKKTON. 
 
 some JulditidiKil u:iins. r>ri!ji:!ulior NN'olTc left the north sido in 
 (•!iiir<;-c ol'ii siiMicicnl mmilxT ol" tru()|)s, iind witluli'ow, tojictlici- 
 ^vitll tlie I'L'intrnulcr ol" his loivcs iiiul li«j;ht artillei'v, to hoad- 
 qnartors. All tlie ]iosts were left woU •■•iiarded, to kec]) up the 
 coiiiimiiiicatioiis with ihi' camj), and to j)i(\(nt the arrival ol 
 sncconrs from the interior. As the destruction of the Island 
 Ihittery had now reino\ cd the only ohstaele to the entry (>rthe 
 Eng-lish ships into the harhour, M. de Drneour l)lo(d<ed up the 
 cntraneo hy sinkinii; lour ships of war in the narrowest part ol 
 tiie channel l)Ctween liattery Island and the Nau's Head Kock 
 — viz , the ' Apollon,' of 5') unns, the ' FideU\" of ."U), and the 
 'Chevre' and ' l>iehe,' of 1(1 uiins each. The sunken ships 
 wore fastened together hy strong chains directly across the 
 entrance, and their masts were cut off' helow the surface of the 
 water. On July l,two more ships were snid<, tlie IVigate ' Diane,' 
 and another, of which the name is not given. There were now 
 only five ships of the line and one frigate in the harhour. 
 
 Let us now return to tln^ front of the town. The invest- 
 ment being comj)leted by means of the redoubts, blockhouses,' 
 and military posts, on one side, and by the fleet on the 
 other, the engineers marked out a line of entrenchment at ii 
 distance of (>()() yards from the most advanced salient of the 
 fortress, with the design of attacking the Dauphin and King's 
 Bastions. The length of this entrenchment, or first parallel, 
 from its northern extremity at the water's edge, near the 
 Baraehois, to the southern extremity midway between Green 
 Hill and the King's Ihistion (t, t. 1, t. 2, on Plan), was about 
 500 yard?. As the only access to the ]troposed parallel avus 
 across the boo- from Green Ilill, it was necessarv in the 
 first instance to construct an epaulement or rampart (i;. i'.) 
 composed of fascines and gabions mixed with earth and sods, 
 for the protection of the men employed in making a road across 
 the bog, and of the troops in passing between (Jreenhill ami 
 
 ' On llio niglit of llii- 'iOtli, a party crciil out of flic town ciiiTyiiiL!; witli tiicni (i 
 tar-biiri'cl. and gut close to tlic JSlorkliousc n. ii. 'A. with llic intiiitiou of stttiiii-' 
 fife to it, liffoi'i' liuy wcir iliMovricd. Tiny were (li'ivi'ii off I'y a (Ictachnniit 
 from the I,if,'ht liifaiifi'v caiiiji. <>n tlie s;ime day a party of Indians carried dV 
 'three sailors lieloiifj;iiiu- to the transports, who luul ineaiitiously landed at the heaJ 
 of Galrarus Bay, eontrary tn ouh rs. 
 
SMALLPOX mtF^AK'S; OUT IS TIIK f'AMI'. HOO 
 
 tlio ti'ciiclios. Tills was iioccssarily a work rofjiiiriii*;' tiiuo and 
 lal>()iir, llie width ol" tlic ('paiilcniciit hciiio: sixty foot, its lici^lit 
 niiic Ic'ct, and its l('ni':tli nearly one (|nartrr of a niilo. As tlie 
 road from Mat Co\e was now fini-licd, laruc c|nantitit's of 
 fascines and j:,aI)ion.-; were liron^lit forward (o (Ireen Hill, 
 Avhere Kedoiiltt, i;. 1. was ecinpleted on .Innc -'>. All avail- 
 ahlo hands were now < iniiloycd in the eonslrnetion of llu; 
 epanlenieiil ; next t(» the Pioneers, the hody of Carpenters, 
 nnder ("oKiiiel Maser\e, were fonnd tiie ino>( nsel'nl in this 
 serviec : l)ut nnfortnnatcly, thi' snnilliiox hreakinti; ont, not 
 Ivss than )!iiicty-six men, inelndin^' the colonel and his sen, 
 fell victims to the maiiidy in the conrse of a few days. The 
 loss of the>e valnalile men was miieh felt at this juiietnre; 
 their ])laee was j)i orly snpplied hy "JdO men hronn'ht fi'oni 
 Freshwjitei' ("om>, who had heeii lelioved liy '2iH) marines. 
 Most of the work had to he done in the niuht time, which 
 exposed the men to <i;reat hardship and snlfering', not only from 
 sickness, hnt also i'rom the fii'cof the town and ship[»inL;;. One 
 Irigate, the ' Arethnse," moored close to the month ol" the 
 l>ara(diois, not more than half a mile from (Ireen Hill, ke[»t 
 np !i cons^tant fire npon the epanlement, and anni>ycd the men 
 exceedingly. 
 
 On the morniiiir of dnly 1, a largo party, m Inch left tlie 
 town and approached the liarachois, were attacked hy Wolfe 
 with a corps of Light Infantry, and (h'iven hack into the town, 
 fakinii" advantage of the eoni'nsion, Wolfe seized an eminence 
 on the north side of the harhonr, and hcgan to erect a i)attery 
 and redoiiht, it. o, which, when completed in the conrse of a 
 few days, opened a dcstruciive fire on the town and shipping. 
 
 Hitherto the attenticm of the hesiogcrs had Leen wholly 
 ahsorbed by the progress of the works })rej)aring for the attack 
 on the Dauphin and King's Bastions; hut as nothing further 
 could now be done than to jjush on the construction of the 
 cpaulemeut and the road across the bog in tliat quarter, it w as 
 determined to make a diversion on the right, by throwing up 
 some batteries between Greenhill and the shore, to the east- 
 ward of White Point, for the i)urpose of drawing off a i)art of 
 the garrison to the defence of the south front of the city. 
 
310 ('AIM: lUIKTON. 
 
 Accordinjrly, on July 1, a Ixxly of troops were pusliod furwnrd 
 to the r\(f\\\, which lorccd hack llio otioniy towards IMack Toiiit; 
 and on the :\n\, r.rioadicr Wolfe threw \\\) a redoubt near the 
 shore, ii. fi, within (i.lO yards of the ravelin of the (^ueen'f< 
 and IVineess's IJastions. From this time until tht; !Hh nothini^ 
 worthy of note occurred, all the disposable force heinji; occu- 
 pied on the left in fonnini; tlic road across the hoji; and in 
 making fascines for the e[)aulenient, which employed .100 men 
 daily; and on the right, in mounting guns and mortars on the 
 batteries tlu'own nj) by lirigadier Wolfe. On the nijiht of the 
 {>th, however, this monotonous and weary A\(tik was interrupted 
 by an incident attended with seri(nis loss of life on both sides. A 
 company of Forbes's Grenadiers, stationed at the rcdonbt, u. (i, 
 it is feared, for want of proper watchfulness, was sur[)rised by 
 live ])ickets of the enemy, supported by OOO men. which came 
 from Black Point, when a desperate encounter took i)lace. The 
 contest was snstained with great obstinacy by the single com- 
 pany of Grenadiers, against a vastly sui»eriur force, until ALajor 
 IMnrray arrived with a corjjs of ^^'hitmore and liragg's Grena- 
 diers, who soon drove the enemy back into the town in great 
 confusion. In this affair Lord Dundonald, who connnandeil 
 the post, one corporal, and thi-oe men, were killed ; seventeen 
 men were wounded; Captain liontein of the Engineers and 
 Lieutenant Tew were taken prisoners ; and one sergeant and 
 eleven men were missing. The loss of the enemy was, Captain 
 Chauvelin and another officer of the same rank, and seventeen 
 men killed and one lieutenant and four men made prisoners. 
 The wounded Avere carried off by their comrades. 
 
 Several small bands of Indians had been hovering round the 
 outskirts of the camp for some time, and intelligence had conic 
 from Halifax, that a consideralde number of Canadians and 
 Indians had left St. John's Island for Louisbonr<>; early in 
 .Inne, mider the command of j\L de Boishebert,' an officer, 
 according to Pichon, wlu)'i)I(pied himself more for his bravery 
 than his humanity ; ' but no indication of their arrival in flic 
 
 ' Captiiiu Knox, Avlio M'as at Fort Ciiniberlniul (foriiurly Tioaiist'joiir), says some 
 Frenoli ilff^tTtcrs oanio there on Juno 17, who rcportoil that M, de lioibhebcrt had 
 gone to LouibLourg with oUO or 400 Cuuadiiuit Journal < if the War. 
 
THE AUKTHISK K]M(;ATK MAKKS HKK ESCAPE. 311 
 
 viciiiify of llio oamj) wms ohsorvcd until the niulit of July 11, 
 wlii'ii ii l;ir;^(,' (ire was simmi in the wodds to the northward f>f 
 th(! iil(»c'l\hnii;-o, I!. II. .'5, on ihi' ^liray mad, supposed to have 
 l)(M^)i mni\v l»y /]io Canadians, to notify .M. do Drncdui' of their 
 jiresenco. 'I'his snpjMisition a\ is vo'iliod on the loll twin <;• day 
 hy a Avaixu'oner who had hecn taken prisoner on the Iltli, hy 
 some Indians on the iimiiIj side of the harbour, and who Iv.mI 
 lorturuitelv made his csi-ape dnrinji the ni^hl. I'lie waii'y'oncr, 
 who had heen taken to their ('am|) in the woods, reported that 
 there were 2.30 Canadians, it' ihtisheht'rt had eondueted his 
 men, durini^ the ninht, between the IJi-itish i)usts to the harbour, 
 he wouhl probably have found boat in luiswei' to his sii;'nal, to 
 carry them intf) the town; but instead of doiiiLj; this, he made 
 an unsuceessl'ul attack upon Majoi- Sutherland'^ detacliment, 
 then stationed on the .Miray road. A\'oIfe's Grenadiers and 
 the Liglit Infantry, aroused l)y the smart firing on their left, 
 were soon at the scene of action. The latter, under INIajor 
 Scott, went in pursuit, but the Canadians, favoured by the 
 darkness of the night, effected their escape. A deserter from 
 the enemy stated that there were only 100 men in the party 
 that attacked iNFajor Sutherland's post on the 15th, and that 
 M. de lioishebert with 300 men was still at Miray with boats 
 ready to cross the river. 
 
 On the same night, the ' Arethusc ' fVigate, which had been 
 long watching for an opi)ortunity to escai)C, and which some 
 three days before had been driven IVom her anchorage near the 
 IJarachois by the fire from Wolfe's battery, u. 5, got safely out 
 of the harbour in a thick fog. Signals were made of ' ships 
 going out,' from the Lighthouse, but the ' Arcthuse,' concealed 
 by the fog, escaped the shij)s sent by Sir Charles Hardy in 
 l)ursuit. The fire from this shi[), Avhieh was kc])t up niglit and 
 day upon the works near (Jreenhill, had been a source of great 
 annoyauce to the troops, and 1 dare say, as IMchon observes, 
 ' her departure gave more pleasure to the l']nglish than to us.'' 
 
 The laborious and exhausting duty of making the road across 
 the bog, and the epaulement to protect it, being finished on the 
 
 ' The ' Arcthuse' was captured by the English fiigates ' Tliames' and ' Veiuis/ 
 on her way from Brest to llochtbrt, on May 18, 1769. 
 
;U2 CAl'K llltKTO.V. 
 
 14tli, lu'iivv slojxo truus and mortars wore ImnJiilit up tu (Ircoii- 
 liill, and the first parallel was cniinncncc'd on tljc ri«j;lit. The 
 troops, elated l>v tlie prospeel of work so iniieli more congenial 
 to their taste tlian road-niaUin;^,', set to worlv with <ireat vig(»nr, 
 and soon had one laeo ready to receive ]>art of the arnianiont 
 of twenty 24-ponp.ders, seven mortars, and some 12-ponnders, 
 ■with which it was proiKtscd to arm the first parallel. Wiiilo 
 tliese works were in ])rof;ress, the enemy ponred into the 
 trenches a constant sliowcr of shot and shell, especially directinj^ 
 tlifir fire towards the Ma<!;a//ine, of which the ])ositien had been 
 pointed out by a desertei*.' As the enemy's pickets still kept 
 np an incessant fire of nnisketry from the ji,la('is and ^I'ouud in 
 front of the West (iate iijion the trenches, l>ri!:,'adier A\'olle on 
 the evening of the lOth, at the head of a stronjj; corj)s, drove 
 them into the town, and took jiossession of the hills in front of 
 the liaraclxjis, where he elFected a lodgement in the midst of a 
 brisk fire of shot and shell from the town and shipping, which 
 enabled the besiegers in the course of a few days to push on 
 their trenches on the left towards the Daui)hiii Bastion. The 
 batteries noAv being armed from right to left with heavy siege 
 guns and mortars, and manm}d by three brigades, a telling and 
 destructive fire was opened u])on the city, causing much damag(3 
 to the works iioar the A^'cst (iate. Everything Avas thus pro- 
 gressing favourably, when an accident happened which caused 
 great joy in the English camj) and proportionably distressed the 
 enemy. On the evening of the 21st, an explosion of powder 
 occurred on board the ' Entreprenant' 64, at anchor in the middle 
 of the harbour, which blew up;; and set fire to the sails of two 
 ships near her, the ' Capricieux ' and ' Celebre.' The fire raged 
 with great fury ; both ships were destroyed, as no assistance 
 could be sent from the town, owing to the constant fire of the 
 English batteries. The only two remaining ships, the ' Pru- 
 dent ' and ' Bienfaisant,' were saved with great difficulty, the 
 seamen employed in towing them out of danger being exposed 
 to the fire of the batteries and the oxi)losions of the guns of 
 
 ' This man was killod on lioanl tlie ' Priulont,' on fho night of the 2")tli, wlu'n 
 .she was attaelccd by the Eiiglisli sailors, and linis escaped the ignoniiuious fate lie 
 uo well desei'vetl. 
 
Till; riTADKL ON FIRE. 'A\:\ 
 
 tlio hiiniiiif]; sliips. So\or!il sinsill (M'af't woro LiinuMl at tlio 
 saiiK! timo; as Piclion observes, 'in short It was a nielli of 
 lioiTor and desolation.' 
 
 Dnrliin- the next lew <hiys tlie trenches were i)iislie(l on with 
 ^n'eat rapidity. The second paraUel, r, '.\, i'. 4, eoinnieneinjj;' 
 at Wolfe's |)ost near the Barachois, was pnslied on to the 
 riLjht ,1 distance! of neai'ly (iOO yards, iVoni the extremity ol' 
 whicii anolhei' cMiiinc trench, r. n, t. 0, was opened towards 
 tlic U'ft. On the extreme ri;j,ht two batteries of tiiirteen "24- 
 jMMindcrs ami seven mortars weiv raised between (ireeii Hill 
 und the seashore, althon!j,h the enemy's skirmishers still held 
 their ground outside the walls near IJlack I'oinv.' On the 
 22nd the Citadel was set on iire by the shells ol" he l)Csico;crs, 
 anil on the following nliiht the barracks, which burned with 
 great violence. On the 2.>th the enemy, apprehensiv(> of an 
 assanlt, kept \\\) a vigorous fire of sliot, shell, scra])s of old 
 iron, or anything they could pick np, upon the trenches, espe- 
 cially upon a boyean or bi-anch trench, opened on the left, 
 whicli on that dav had reached Avithin sixty yards of the 
 glacis of the Dau[>hin IJastion. The crisis was evidently not 
 far distant. The long lines of Uritish Infantry Avere closing 
 in I'rom day to day, like the coils of a serpent around his prey. 
 The General, now determined, as he said in his despatches, 
 ' to make (jniek work of it,' obtained 400 seamen from the 
 fleet, to assist in working the guns, and sent an additioiial 
 force of 300 miners to pnsh on the a})proache3 towards the 
 AVest Gate, already so near that the skirmishers freqnently 
 drove the artillerymen from the ramparts. 
 
 At this juncture, Admiral Boscawen Informed the General 
 that he intended to send in his boats on the night of the 
 25th, to capture or destroy the ' Prudent ' and ' Bienfiiisant,' 
 the only two ships remaining in the harbour. To distract the 
 attention of the enemy, the General gave orders that a vigorous 
 cannonade should be kept up from all the batteries, and that 
 scaling-ladders should be sent to the front, to induce the 
 
 ' During the night of tlw 22n(.l tlioy niiulc prisonoi' iv licntoniuit of tho Gdtli 
 Ivegimi'nt, who had lost Ills way going \m rounds at an advanced post in the 
 vicinity. 
 
314 CAI'K EKETON. 
 
 enemy to believe tliat the besiegers inteiKled to make an 
 csealadc. About noon, by ihc Admiral's ordors each ship 
 cqni|)])ed a barge and [)innace manned by rull erew- armed with 
 nmskets, entlasses, poleaxes and pistols, nnder the ehargc of 
 a lieutenant and mate, Avhich -were sent in the course of the 
 day in twos and threes, to dis;rm susj)ieion, alongside Sir 
 Charles Hardy's squadron, lying oif the harbour. The boats, 
 ■which carried GOO men, divided into two squadrons, one com- 
 manded by Laforey, the other by Jialfour — the two senior 
 masters of (he fleet— started at midnight, and, favoured by a 
 thick fog, entered the harbour in perfect j-ilencc, going close 
 past the Island Buttery, and within hail of the town, without 
 being perceived. Having discovered the position of the 
 ' Prudent ' and ' Bicnfaisant,' Laforey "s division immediately 
 rowed close alongside the former, and Balfour's alongside the 
 latter, giving three hearty British cheers in re])ly to the fire of 
 the sentinels. On the order being given, the crews, seizing 
 their arms with the most intre[)id activity, followed their 
 brave leaders and l)oarded the shi})s ')n each bow, quarter, and 
 gangway. Surprised and confused by such a siulden and 
 unexpected attack, the enemy made little resistance ; both 
 ships w^ere taken, Avith the loss of only one officer and throe or 
 four seamen. 
 
 The report of firearms, and the well-known cheers of the 
 British seamen, soon let the garrison know that their ships 
 w^ere in danger, llegardless of the lives of friends as well as 
 foes, every gun that could be brought to bear from the town 
 and Point llochfort Avas discharged against the ships and 
 the English boats. But notlung daunted the brave sailors.' 
 
 ' The celebrated navigator, Captain Cook, won hid first laurels at Louisbonrg, 
 having been engaged as a petty officer on board of one of the British ships of war, 
 when ho had a sliare in tliis exploit, lie .vas noon after promoted to the rank of 
 mate, and served in that capaeity on board tlie ' iVIercury,' at tlie siege of Quebce, 
 in the following year. He was employed by Admiral Saunders to make a survey 
 of tlie St. Lawrenee below Quebec, and afterwards made Master of tlic ' X(nthum- 
 berland,' in whieli he spent the winter of 17o9-Gt» at Halifax. In 1702 he was at 
 the recapture of St. John's, Newfoundland. In 170i he was appointed 3Iarine- 
 Surveyor of Newfoundland and Labrador. Ho also explored tlie interior of 
 Newfoundland, and discovered several large lakes in the heart of the country. — 
 Cuok's VoyayLS, 
 
THE ADMIRAL GOES ON SIIOKE. 'Mo 
 
 Having secured the Frencli crews below, untlcr ouanl, the 
 next })()lnt was to toAV ofi:' tlieir })rizes — a work not ea^ii!y ac- 
 compli^lied in the face oi' tlie fire of tlie Frencli batteries. 
 Xotwithstandinii;, the 'Bienfalsant' Avas carried off in triunijih 
 to the head of the North-east harbour, out of the reach of tlie 
 enemy's <i;uns ; but the * l*riulent,' Iw'iwj' fast aground, was set 
 
 111 -' C7 O - 
 
 on lire, a larj-'e schooner and her own boats beinji" left alonu'side 
 to give the crew the means of escaping to the town. I'^or 
 tlu:ir gallant services on this occasion, Mr. JJalfoiir was made 
 Connnander of the ' Dienfaisant,' and Mr. Laforey of the 
 ' Echo,' of thirty-six guns, ca})turcd on .Fune IJ). 
 
 All obstacles now being removed, the Admiral next day 
 went on shore and informed the General that he intende<l to 
 send in six of his heaviest ships to bombard the town fnnn the 
 harbour ; but this proved unnecessary, for while the two 
 commanders were conferring together, a messenger arrived 
 with a letter from the Governor, offering to ca})itulate ui)on 
 the same conditions that had been granted to the Enulish at 
 Port Mahon. In answer to this request the General sent the 
 following reply : — 
 
 * In answer to the proposal I have had the honour just now 
 to receive from your Excellency by the Sicur Ijoi)pinot, I 
 have only to tell your Excellency that it hath been determined 
 by Admiral Boscawen and myself, that his ships shall go in 
 to-morrow to make a general attack upon the town. Your 
 Excellency knows very well the situation of the army and the 
 fleet, as wtll as of the town ; and, as the Admiral as avcII as 
 myself is very anxious to prevent the effusion of blood, avc 
 ti'ive y<nu" Excellency one hour after receiving this, to deter- 
 mine either to cai)itulate as prisoners of war or to take upon 
 you all the bad consequences of a defence against this fleet 
 and army.' jNI. de Drucour, who, considering the gallant 
 defence he had made, thought himself and the brave men 
 under his connnand entitled to the honours of war, immediately 
 held a council of war, when it was decided to defend the 
 town to the last extremity. This decisicm was communicated 
 to the General and Admiral in the followi ig terms : — ' To 
 answer your Excellencies in as few words a.v i)ossible, I ha\e 
 
til a C:\VF. nilK'VOS. 
 
 the honour to repeat to you, that my resohition is still the 
 same, and tliat I will sufl'or the consequences and sustain the 
 attack you s])eak of'.' As soon as ]M. Dnu'our's determination 
 hecanie known in the town, the princij)al jnhal)itants and 
 traders sent a i)etition by ^I. Prcvot, the Intendant of the 
 colony, earnestly implorinj^ him to accept the terms ])ro[>osed, 
 and spare them and their families the horrors of a general 
 assault. ]M. Prcvot, convinced that, in the j)resent state of 
 affairs, any attempt to ])rolong the defence would l)e ([uitc 
 useless, and attended with the loss of many valuable lives, 
 strongly sup})ort('d the prayer of the ])etitiouers. The (Jo- 
 vernor, satisfied that he had done all in his ]K)wer to defend 
 the post entrusted to him l)y his Sovereign, at length yielded 
 to the arguments of the Intentiant, and sent M. Loppinot to 
 inform (iencral Amherst that, submitting to the law of" force, 
 he was ready to accept and sign the terms of capituhition 
 demanded. 
 
LETTER XIX. 
 
 17.18. 
 
 Tx mv last two letters I crave you a narrative of the .-^icn-e of 
 Loiiisl)()ur<x, conii)lle(l cliieHv from I^iiiilisli flocunu'iits. IJcforc 
 I submit aeoj)y of tlic Articles of Capifulntion, I think it is hut 
 fair tliat you should hear j\I. Drucour's own account of the 
 sieije, and his reasons for coin|)Ivin<jj with the hard terms of his 
 conquerors. Soon after liis arrival in England, a prisoner of 
 ■vvar, jNI. Drueour wrote the followinfjf letter to a friend in l*aris, 
 in justification of his conduct at Louishourrr : — ' 
 
 ' IiifdnduDi, rcijlno, jnhcs. T wish, Sir, 1 co.dd erase from 
 my memory the four years 1 passed in Louishourg. Tiie l)ad 
 state of the pla'.'C, the impossibility of makinu' it better, the 
 s\d)sistence of a garrison and inlial)i1ants supported there at 
 the King's expense, and threatened with famine onee a month, 
 gave no little uneasiness and anxiety to all wlio were eliarged 
 therewith. This situation — VKtnet itltn nimfr rrpostinh. iNIany 
 old officers, i'rom all the provinces of the kingdom, luive been 
 Avitnesses \>f mv e(»nduct ; and I dare asseil it was never im- 
 peached. Hut he who views objects at a distance only may 
 judge differently. I hope, Sir, this was not your case ; but 
 that you said, "It must have been inijiossible for Drueour to 
 act otherwise." Of this I cannot so easily convince you till I 
 have the pleasure f)f seeing you. ^[eanwhilc, know that 
 twenty-three ships of war, eighteen frigates, sixteen - thousand 
 land forces, witn a proportionate traiu of camion and mortars, 
 came in on the 1st June, and laiuled on the 8th. To oppose 
 
 ' Vvom a trans^iitidii in llie Aiiniial /iVi/''.>7<r for 17')8. The It'ttoi- is dattd 
 Oi'tol'cr 1, from jVinlover. 
 » Only 12,<)()i(. Seep. 29.i. 
 
318 CAPE BKETON. 
 
 tlicm, ■vvc had at nio>!t l)iit two tlioui^aiid five luindred men of 
 the }.;:;irri.<(iii, niid lliroc liuiidrcd militia of llie biirij-hors of the 
 town and St. .lohii's Ishiud, a lortificatioii (if it could deserve 
 the name) erumhlino- (h)wn in every tiauk, face, and conrtinej 
 except the ri<i;ht tiank of the King's IJastion, which was 
 rcmonnted the first year after my arrival.' The covcred- 
 Avav was e(i\ered as nmch as it could he, and yet was com- 
 manded and enliladed throuu-hmU, as well as the I)au[)hiifs 
 and Ivino-'s IJaslinns. In the harhiiur were five men of wai'.- 
 This was our force. The su(,'couis I expected from Canada 
 did not arrive till the end of the sicL^'c'' and consisted of ahout 
 thi'ce Inuidred and fifty Canadians only, includitwj,' sixty 
 Indians. 
 
 ' Tdic enemy was at first very slow in makinsi' his approaches : 
 for on the 1.3th iluly he was three luuuh'ed toises trom the 
 l)lace. lie was employed in securini;' his cam]) hy red.ouhts 
 and c[)aulements, thinking we had nnmy Canadians and 
 Indians Ix'hind him.' )Ve, on our part, used every method to 
 retard and destroy his work, hoth l.iy the lire of the j)lace and 
 that of the ships in the harhour. The commodore of these 
 ships"' warmly solicited leave to quit the place; but, knowing 
 the importance of their stay to its safety, I refused it. It was 
 our business to defer the determination of our fate as lono- as 
 possible. JNIy accounts Irom Canwla assured me that ^1. dc 
 
 ' TIio 1)11(1 condition of tlio works is hum greatly cxaggoriitud. It docs not 
 iigroe wiih lOnglish accounts, ■ 
 
 - There were seven ships of the line and six frigates in the harlxnir on 
 June 1 . 
 
 3 The Canadians and Indians arrived at Miray lieforo July K). 
 
 * AVolfo gives the Cape ]?reton Indians a very liad eharaeter in his letter, 
 July 27, to his undo: — -The Indians of the island gave us very lit! It! trouMe. 
 They attacked one of luy posts and wore npulsed; and since that time tluy have 
 heen very quiet. I lake thetu to be the most eonteinptililc catialUc np^n earth. 
 Tiiose to the southward are niueh braver and better men; these are a dastardly 
 set of bloody rascals. We cut thmi to pieces wherever we found them, in return 
 for a thousand acts of cruelty and barbarity.'' — ^yrigIlt's Life uj Wnlfc. 
 
 ' 111 the (Inith iimh'k M</r/(i.:iiir for Api-il 17(i<'. it is stated, ' We are advisi'd by 
 I>rivaie letters that thi^ JEarquis de (ionltes, who commanded the French squadron 
 at Jjouisbourg when taken by the Knglish, has lieen degraded from his rank, his 
 patent being burnt ly the common Iiangman, and condemned to twenty-one years' 
 imprisonmenl.' 
 
M. DRUCOUirs ACCOUNT OF THE .SIEGE. 310 
 
 Montfiilin was inarcliiiio; t(i the ciiciny, iiiul would conic uj) 
 Avitli him between tlie l.jtli and 20tli .luly. I said, then, " II' 
 tlie sliips leave the liarhour on the 10th ihine (as they desire), 
 the English .Vdniiral will oiter it innnediatoly after; "and we 
 should have been lost before the end of the month, which 
 A'.ould have ])ut it in the power of the j^'cnerals of the bcslcocrs 
 to have employed the months of ,Iuly and Anunst in s('ndin<jf 
 succours to the troops marchlnL!; a^rainst Canada, and to have 
 entered the river St. Lawrence at (he ])roj)er season. I'hi^ 
 object alone seemed to me of sniruient importance to require 
 a council of war, Avhose oi)inion was the same Avith mine, and 
 conformable to the Ivinj^'s intentions. The situation of the 
 shij)s was not less critical than ours. I'our of them were 
 biu'ut, with tAvo corps of caserns, by the enemy's bombs. .\t 
 last, on the 2fith .July, no ships heiui;' left, and the place beiui^ 
 open in diflerent parts of the Kini;. the Dauphin, and the 
 (Queen's Uastions, a council of Avar determined to ask to capi- 
 tulate. 
 
 ' I proposed much the same articles as Avere *>ranted at Port 
 jVIahon ; ' but the generals Avould listen to no proposals, but 
 our being jtrisoners of Avar. I annex theii- letter and my 
 answer [see page ol,j], by Avhich you Avill see that I Avas 
 resolved to Avait the general assault, Avhen ]\I. Prevot, com- 
 missary-General and Jntendant of the colony, brought me a 
 petition from the traders and inhabitants, Avhieli determined 
 me to send ba<d< the oihcer who carried inv former letter, to 
 make our submissions to the hiAv of force; a submission 
 
 ' Tlio condition upon wliicli M. dc Jhnicour laid tlie greatest, stress was, ' That 
 idl tile lionoxirs of M'ar sluill lie (rranted tlu' fjarrison on tlicir siirrtinler, sueh as, to 
 inarch out with their liri'hu'k.s on tlnir shduiders, drums bcalinir, colours tlyiu;i-, 24 
 charges for each man, 6s:o., &c.,' which had Ikcii granted by Marshal Kichelicu to 
 Governor Blakencv and his garrisun at Tort .Mahon in ]'■')('>, with the ohservation, 
 'The iiol>lc and vigorous detVnce whii'h tlie Hnglish havr made, having deserved all 
 the marks of esteem and veneration, that every military person ought to show t(j 
 := 'ch actions; and Marshal Kichclitai hi ingdcsirous alsoto show (iciieral Jilakcney 
 tli,> regard due to the hravo defence he has made, grants the garrison all tlio 
 honours of the war that they can enjoy. &c.' Drucour and his garrison were cer- 
 tainly, in my humble opinion, entitled to the same generous terms; an acknow- 
 ledgment of the bravery of the couiiuercd foe would not have lessened the merits 
 of the contjuerors. 
 
I'iH) CAPE BRETON. 
 
 Avliicli in our condition was inovita])l(\ This condition Avns 
 such, that Cor oisjilit <hivs the ofHccrs had not, any more than 
 the jirivate men, one moment's rest. In all l)csien'ed towns 
 there are entrenehnu-nts where those who arc not on duty may 
 retire, and be covered from the enemy's fire; bnt at Louis- 
 l)ourp; Ave liad not a safe ])lacc even for the wounded: so that 
 they were almost as much exposed e\ ery minute of the fonr- 
 and-twcntv hours, as if they had been on the covercd-Avay. 
 Nevertheless, the men did not murnuu' in the least, nor dis- 
 cover the smallest discontent ; which was ouin^iif to the g-ood 
 example and exact disei[)line of their oHiccrs. Xone deserted 
 but foreigners, (Jei'nuins, one ol'wliom ])i'eveuted an intended 
 .eally. As he had ^'one over to the enemy two hours before, it 
 Avas not thought j»rudent to make it. The burning; of the 
 ships and of the caserns [ban-acks] of the Kiuii's and (Queen's 
 Bastions hindered oui- making another. A third had not better 
 success ; avc i)roeecded no farther tlum the j^'lacis of the covci'cd- 
 Avay, havino- luisscd the quay of a small passage Avhich it be- 
 hoved us to turn in order to take the enemy in flank : so that, 
 of four sallies Avhich were intended, one only succeeded,' in 
 Avhieli Ave made thirty grenatliers and two officers prisoners, 
 besides those that Avere killed, among whom Avas a captain. 
 AVe had about three hundred and thirty killed and Avt»undcd 
 during the course of the siege, inelndiii'X otHccrs. The crcAvs 
 of the king's ship.s arc not comiirehended in that numbcr.- 
 
 * As to the landing, it must have been effected by sacri- 
 ficing lives in one part or another, it being impossible to 
 guard such an extent of coast Avith a garrison of ;>,()()() men, 
 and leave men in the ])lace for daily duty. A\'e occu]>ied 
 above tAVo leagues and a half of ground in the most ac(!essil)lc 
 l)arts ; but there were some intermediate places avc could not 
 guard ; and it Avas ]>reeisely in one of these that the enemy 
 took j)ost.^ 
 
 ' This was on llu^ rxfrcrao ri^lit.ou the iiiglil of July 9, wlnii tlu> voiiiifi Ivirl it" 
 DuiuloiKiUl iuid four otlu r.s were kilkil. 
 
 ^ In the English accounts, the total luss of llio Fniich iu killed ami wnundiil 
 during the siogo is stated to liav(^ luen \,W0. 
 
 ■' This is not strictly true. An iiisiieetin i nf tlic I'lan at \<. 'J'.); will >lin\v lli.n 
 Frosli ^^'ater f'ove, where the troDps landed, was mure strduirly iruardeil than ai;_\ 
 other part of the ena-t. 
 
ARTICLES OF CAPITULATION. 321 
 
 * The captain of a ship .strikes when liis vessel is dismasted, 
 his ri<ij<j;ing cut to ))ieees, and several shot received between 
 wind and water. A jxovernor of a town snrrcnders the place 
 Avhcn the breaches are practicable, and when he has no re- 
 source, by cntrenchinn; himself in the "•orji-es of bastions, or 
 within the place. Such was the case of Louisbourfj. Add to 
 this, that it wanted every necessaiy for such operations, (ic- 
 neral Wolfe himself was ohlij^od to place sentinels on the ram- 
 jiarts ; for the private men and the sutlers entered through 
 tiie breaches and <i;aps with as mncli ease as if thei'C had been 
 oidy an old ditch. Of fifty-two jticces of cannon, which were 
 opposed to the batteries of the besie<>'crs, forty were dis- 
 mounted, broke, or rendered unserviceable. It is easy to judj^c 
 what condition tln»se of the )>lace were in. Was it possible, 
 in such circinnstances, to avoid heinj:; made prisoners (»f war? 
 
 ' 1 have the honour to be, &c. 
 
 ' Lk Ciii:vvmku dk Diacouii.' 
 
 Admitting the o'cneral accuracy of the (Jovernor's state- 
 ment, it is evident that he hatl no alternative, being compelled 
 to accept the conditions iin})0sed by the conquerors, as specified 
 in the following Articles of Cai»itulation : — 
 
 ' Artirics of Ca/iifulfif/u/t hctiricn their P^xri'llencivs Admirdl 
 JJoscdivcn and Mdjor-Geiicral Aiti/ursf, and his Kxcellcncif 
 the Chevalier Driieour, Governor of the Island of Cape 
 Breton, of Louishoun/, the Island of St. John and their 
 appurtenances. 
 
 * I. The garrison of Louisbourg shall l)e prisoners of war, 
 and shall be carried to England in the ships of llis IJritannic 
 Majesty. 
 
 ' II. All tbe artillery, animunition, provisions, as well as 
 ^the arms of any kind whats«)cver, which are at present in the 
 town of Louisbourg, the islands of Cape Breton and 8t. 
 John's, and their appurtenances, shall be delivered, without 
 the least damage, to such conunissioners as shall be appointed 
 to receive them, for the use of His Britannic Majesty. 
 
 ' III. The Governor shall give his orders that the tr(»(^ps 
 
 Y 
 
322 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 whicli arc in the island of St. John's and its appiu'tcnances, 
 sliall <i^o on board such ships of war as the Admiral shall send 
 to receive thcni. 
 
 ' IV. The oate called Port Dauphin shall he f>;iven to the 
 troo})s of His Jjritannic IMajesty, to-niorrow at eight o'clock in 
 the ni(»rnini^, and the garrison, including all that carried anus, 
 drawn u[) at noon on the Ksphmudc, where tiicy shall lay 
 down their arms, colours, implements, and ornaments of war. 
 And the garrison shall go on board to be carried to England, 
 in a convenient time. 
 
 ' V. The same care shall be taken of the sick and wounded 
 that are in the hospitals, as of those belonging to His Jiritannic 
 IMajesty. 
 
 ' VJ. The merchants and their clerks, that have not carried 
 arms, shall be sent to France, in such manner as the Admiral 
 shall think i)roper. 
 
 ' (Signed) Le Chevalieu de Dkucouk. 
 Edward Boscaaven. 
 Jeffery Amherst. 
 
 'Louisbourg, 2Cth July, 1758.' 
 
 According to the 4th Article of the Capitulation, IVIajor 
 Farquhar, with three companies of Grenadiers, took possession 
 of the West Gate on the folloAving morning, and the garrison 
 delivered u\) their arms and colours to Brigadier AVhitmorc on 
 the Esplanade. To ])rovidc against any risk of breaking the 
 capitulation, the arms were sent out of the town, and strong 
 guards were placed over the stores and magazines, and upon 
 the ramparts. The following account of th. , guns and mu- 
 nitions of war found in Louisbourg, after sustaining a siege 
 of forty-eight days, will give you some idea of the vnst amount 
 of such articles required for the defence of a fortified place of 
 such importance: — 
 
 218 Pieces of Iron Ordnaitoo. 
 
 1 1 Iron Mortiir.i. 
 
 7 Hi'iiss do. 
 
 T-.'iOO Mnskets and Accoutrenn nt«. 
 
 i;i 'I'ons Musket Balls. 
 
 80,(l(){) Muskel Cartridges. 
 
 GOO Earrels Powder. 
 
THE PRISONERH OF WAR SAIL FOR ENGLAND. 'S2'-i 
 
 O.fiOO J{ouii(l Sliot. 
 
 1,10(1 (1rii|H>, Ca.si', aiul C'juiihkr .shot. 
 l.OoS SIiclls. 
 12 Tuns Load. 
 Toms Iron. 
 rScsiilos many hiindrcds of wliccUian'ows, shovels, pickaxes, and oilier iaiplc- 
 inents. 
 
 The losiS ill killed and wounded, according to tiic Clovernor's 
 letter (p. 320) was IVM). 
 
 The number of iirisoners of war was — 
 
 Military .)l1i(Tf.s . . . , .211 
 
 Soldirrs lit fi;r duty ..... a,;i7» 
 
 Do. sick and wounded .... 413 
 
 Nival oftii'crs . . . . ,1^5 
 
 Sailors and Marines fit for duty . . . 1,121 
 
 Ditto sick iind wounded . . 1,347 
 
 3,031 
 
 2,60(i 
 
 Total . . o,()37 
 
 On Augu.st 15,' all the prisoners of war sailed for England 
 in ships specially provided for that jiurpose, convoyed by the 
 ' Jiurford ' and ' Kingslon.' The merchants, traders, and other 
 inhabitants, were sent to Franco. On July .30, the ' Shannon ' 
 fiigatc, commanded by Captain Edgecumb, charged Avith the 
 Admiral's tlespatches, and carrying Captain Amherst, with 
 those of the General, sailed for lOngland. 
 
 Immediately after the surrender, General Amherst pro- 
 posed to ])roeeed to (Quebec with the entire army ; but upon 
 eonsidtation with the Admiral, who considered the season 
 too far advanced to go up the St. Lawrence, that idea Avas 
 given up. 
 
 On August 7, a detachment under Major Dalling was sent 
 to take possession of St. Ann's and I'^spagnol (Sydney), and 
 Lord Rollo was sent with the .35th and two battalions of the 
 
 ' Every kindness and attention were sliown to the officers and their families, as 
 well as to the inhahitan's in general, l)y the Eufzilish commanders, after the surren- 
 der of Louisbourg. Piclion says: — ' The Admiral has shown all tlio respects to 
 Madamo do Drucour as were due to her merit ; every favour slio askcf! was 
 granted. True it is, that such lieliaviour does honour to the discernment of the 
 gentlemen that showed it. This lady has performed such exploits during the 
 siei^e, as must entitle her to a rank among the most illustrious of hi r sex ; for she 
 tiled three cannon every day, in order to animate the gunner.s.' 
 
 V 2 
 
^21 OAPE BRETON. 
 
 OOtli Rj'jjjiinoiit, to take possession of St. tfolin's Island, fii n 
 letter of Scpteniher l.'J, tVoni Loiiisljouri:;, Admiral I'oscaweii 
 informs ]\Ir. Pitt that Lord Hollo loaincd there were 4,100 
 inhabitants in the island, atid that most of them had deliveied 
 np their arms. lie says there were 10,000 head of horned 
 ealtle in the island; that (^nehcc had becMi in a '^vv.xi measnre 
 snpplied from tlienee with heef and ealtle; and that many 
 of the inhabitants raised as mueh as 1,200 hnshels of corn 
 yearly. It is stated in the ' Animal Hen;ister,' that Lord 
 I\ollo i'onnd the Governor's house deeorated with the seal[»s of 
 I'infjjlishmen, murdered by the sava_i;"e allies of France. I>o 
 this true or in)t, it is quite certain that the Indians here found 
 shelter after their fre«jucnt irruptions into Xova Scotia, where 
 they committed most cruel outrages upon the defenceless in- 
 habitants. 
 
 On August 28, Sir Charles Hardy sailed for the Gulf of 
 St. Lawrence with seven shii)s of the line and three frigates, 
 carrying three regiments and some artillery, under the com- 
 mand of liriga<lier Wolfe, with instructions to destroy all the 
 French settlements, especially those of INIiramichi, Jiay Gha- 
 leur and Gaspe, and to disperse or carry off the inhal)itants. 
 None of these i)laces were of any great strength, but they 
 were thickly settled, and gave shelter to a set of Canadian 
 renegadoes and savages who infested the confines of Nova 
 Scotia, making raids into that ])rovince Avhenever opportunity 
 offered. This disagreeable duty was soon accomplished. Vast 
 magazines of fish, provisions, and merchandise, were destroyed, 
 and the inhabitants dis]»ersed in all directions. It was a most 
 distasteful occupation to Wolfe, wdio had not been accustomed 
 to Avage war upon poor fishermen. Writing from Louisbourg 
 on September 30 to General Andierst (wdio had left for IJosto'i), 
 AVolfc says, ' Your orders were carried into execution as far 
 as troops could carry them. Our ecpiipment w^as very improper 
 for the busijiess, and the numbers, unless the squadron had 
 gone up the river [St. Lawrence], ([uitc unnecessary. W(! 
 have done a great deal of mischief— spread the terror of His 
 Majesty's arms through the whole (Julf, but have added no- 
 thing to the reputation of them.' It was hoped by these harsh 
 
NKWs OK TiiK i>i:ri:.\T of .vi;KKfK()MmK. J{25 
 
 nu'iisiircs ((> alarm the Fiviifli at tjiicltcc, an<l prevent their 
 seiidiiin; succours to Mdiitcalni in liis operations on the Lakes. 
 
 On Anii;nst .'}(), ("oloiiel Moncktoii was sent with two rey;i- 
 inents, a (k'tachmt'ntol' Artillery and a Ixuly of Hangers, up the 
 l>ay ol' Fundy. llaviiiir landed KM) Kcj^ulars and llan^ers at 
 (,'ape Saide, under the coniniandor the Major of the .'J.ith He«;i- 
 inent, Monckton proceeded to the St. .lohn rivei-, wher(! he 
 found all the French had retireil into the interior. lie repaired 
 the fort and heijan to huild barracks for 1^00 men. In attempt- 
 ing to cross the falls of that river, the armed sloop ' I'lysses' was 
 lost, which prevented the troops going up. The detachment 
 landed at Cape Sahle was more successful ; the French settle- 
 ment was destroyed, and 100 men, women, and children, in- 
 (duding their missionary, ]M. des Fnelave, were made prisoners 
 and sent to Halifax. Two armed sloo])s cruised (»!!' the Cape 
 to intercept any Indians who might endeavour to escape, oi", 
 as Captain Knox says in his .Journal, * tt) prevent the rvriiiin 
 from getting oft' in their canoes.' It does not ap[»ear, however, 
 that any of the iwrniiu were cai)tured. 
 
 While (leneral Andierst was thus engaged in secnrin«>; the 
 J'ruits of his conquest, news of the defeat of Al»crerond)ie before 
 the Fort of Ticondcnwa arrived from New York, which deter- 
 mineil him to proceed with all the troops that could he spared 
 to the assistance of Ahereromhie. Andierst embarked at Louis- 
 boury; on Au<:;ust 30, with six i-cij'iments for Boston, and marched 
 direct to the seat of war, but was too late to be of any service, 
 as he did not reach the liritish camp before October 5. Before 
 he left Louisbonrg lie gave orders that the loth, oStli, and .'Jrd 
 battalion of the GOth Kegiment should be sent to Halifax, ninhn- 
 the command of Briui-adier Lawrence, the (lovernor of ^lova 
 Scotia, and that the 22nd, 2Sth, lOtli, and 4.)tli Regiments should 
 be established as a garrison at Louisbonrg, under Brigadier 
 Whitmorc, the newly-appointed Ciovernor. 
 
 The following ships were sent to winter at Halifax, under 
 the command of Commodore Durell, to be in readiness to pro- 
 ceed upon the expedition agiinst (Quebec in the following 
 spring : — 
 
326 
 
 
 TAI'i; nUKTON. 
 
 
 
 (litnx. 
 
 (iiiriM 
 
 I'rinct'MH Anil liii 
 
 . HO 
 
 t'liptaiii . 
 
 , ' (il 
 
 I'riiicT of t>riui^'c 
 
 . 7<» 
 
 Nottiii)^'Iiiuii . 
 
 (10 
 
 V'iiii^;u;iril . 
 
 . 7(» 
 
 I'rilllil'okc 
 
 (10 
 
 Di'ViiiiHhirc 
 
 . 0(1 
 
 Cciituridii 
 
 r)i 
 
 Triiico Frederick 
 
 . Ct 
 
 SutlKrlaiul 
 
 M 
 
 All the rest of the fleet sailed IVoni Louishouvji; eurly in October 
 (the exact date is not f^iven) I'or Eii<;land, under the coniniaiid 
 of Admiral Boscawcn. The Admiral in the ' Namur,' and Sir 
 Charles Hardy in the ' Royal William,' with the' Hionfaisant,' 
 arrived at Spithead on November 1. The other shi|is which 
 came out with them })artod company soon after they left Louis- 
 bourp;. On 0(;tober 27, off the Land's End, they fell in with 
 six or seven French ships of the line and two frigates from 
 (Quebec, and thouii;h he had but three shijjs, Boscawen offered 
 them battle. AVolfe, Avho was on board the ' Xamur,' says, 
 ' Boscawen did his utmost to cn<^a^e them.'' A few shots Averc 
 exchanged in the close of the evening, but the enemy slii)ped 
 away in the night, and next morning were nearly out of sight. 
 This was supposed to be the squadron of i\I. de Chauffreuil, 
 which failed in its attempt to get into Louisbonrg in the spring, 
 ' where,' AVolfe says, ' they would inevitably have shared 
 the fate of those that did, which nuist have given an irretriev- 
 able blow to the marine of France, and delivered Quebec into 
 our hands, if we chose to go up and demand it.''^ 
 
 I must now tell you how the news was received in England. 
 Captains Amherst and Edgccumb, who arrived on August 18 
 with the fiist intelligence oi' the fall of Louisbonrg, innnediately 
 proceeded to London and laid their despatches before the King, 
 who presented each of them with a gratuity of 500/. The news 
 goon spread through the kingdom, and was received with most 
 livi. ly demonstrations of joy. The reduction of a strong place 
 like Louisbonrg, defended by a jjoweiful garrison ; the destruc- 
 titni of eleven ships of war ; the ca])ture of 5,600 prisoners, 
 with 248 pieces of ordnance, 7,500 stand of arms, and a great 
 quantity of annnunition and stores, was considei'ed a mighty 
 triumph for the J3ritish arms, especially when it was borne in 
 
 • Wolfi's l.tt.n- to his iin.'lc, Noveml'or 17, 17.")8. 
 
 2 Wolfe to (.'oloucl Kicksoii, Dtceiuliv 1, 17'')i<, in \Vri;^lit's Life of (niicntl \VulJ\. 
 
ADDHKHSF.."^ OF CONOUATULATION TO THE KINCi. ;}27 
 
 mind that this i:;ro,'it tninn|>h had hcon ofFcctod at a ponipava- 
 tivt'Iy Hinall h)ss of lil'o.' On Snnday, tlic 2t>th, a lorni of 
 pravci' and tlianksy;ivin<x was rcNid in all the clinrclios in Lon(h)u 
 and witliin tiic hills of niovtality, and in all other chuivhos and 
 ehapcis thi'ou<^h()ut Kn<rland, on the Sunday followinj:;. On 
 Se|)tcnil)cr 7, eleven sets of colours taken at Louisl)our<^ were 
 presented to the Ivinj^ at his Palace of Kcnsin^-ton, from whence 
 they were conveyed with j^reat pomp to St. Paul's Cathedral 
 by His Majesty's orders, and de[)ositcd there amidst the roar 
 of cannon and other noisy demonstrations of joy and trium[)h. 
 Addresses of con<i;ratulation were presented to the Kinj^ hy all 
 the large towns and corptn'ations in the kingdom. I cannot 
 give you a better idea of the sentiments of the people of Eng- 
 land at that time on the importance of the possession of Cape 
 Iireton,than by submitting a copy of the Achlrcss presented by 
 the Lord Mayor and Corporation of London : — 
 
 'Most (Juacious Sovkueion, 
 
 ' Amidst the joyful acclamations of your faithfid 
 pcoi)lc, ])ermit us, your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal snb- 
 jccts, the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Commons of the City of 
 London, in common council assembled, humbly to congratulate 
 your Majesty on the success of your arms in the con(iuest of 
 the mii)ortant fortress of Lcmisbouig, the reduction of the 
 islands of Cape Breton and St. John, and the blow there 
 given to a considerable part of the French Navy. 
 
 ' An event so truly glorious to your Majesty, so important 
 to the colonies, trade, and navigation of Great Britain, and so 
 fatal to the commercial views and naval power of France, 
 affords a reasonable jn'ospect of the recovery of all our rights 
 and possessions in America, so unjustly invaded, and in a great 
 measure answers the hopes we formed when we beheld the 
 French power weakened on the coast of Africa, their ships 
 destroyed in their ports at home, and the terror thereby spread 
 over all their coasts. 
 
 ' The English loss was 21 commissioned and aou-coi>iiuis.sionfd offioi.^r«. and loo 
 privates, killi'il; and 30 commissioned and nou-commis>ioncd officoi's, and 32(» 
 privates, wounded. 
 
328 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 ' May these valuable actjuisitions, so gloriously obtained, 
 ever continue a part of the liritish Empire, as an eft'ectual 
 check to the jierfidy and ambition of a nation whose repeated 
 insults and usurj)ations obliged your Majesty to enter into this 
 just and necessary war ; and may these instances of the wis- 
 dom of your Majesty's councils, of the ccmduct and resolution 
 of your commanders, and of the intrejudity of your fleets and 
 armies, convince the Avorld of the innate strength and resources 
 of your kingdoms, and dispose your Majesty's enemies to yield 
 to a safe and honourable peace. 
 
 ' In all events, we shall most cheerfully contribute, to the 
 utmost of our power, towards supporting yoin* Majesty in the 
 vigorous prosecution of measures so nobly designed and so 
 wisely directed.' 
 
 When Admiral Boscawen, who was a Member of Parlia- 
 ment, took his seat in the House on December 12, he received 
 the thanks of the Connnons for the service rendered to his kinjj 
 and country. The thanks of Parliament were also conveyed 
 to General Amherst, then in America ; but as A\'olfe, who had 
 contributed so largely to the success of the enterprise, held a 
 subordinate position, he could not be noticed by Parliament. 
 Pitt, hoAvever, who duly ap[)reciated his services, soon after- 
 wards promoted him to the rank of Major-General, 
 
 No better proof can be given of the opinion entertained of 
 the importance of the fall of Louisbourg by the mercantile 
 connnunity, than the fact that the insurance on vessels bound 
 to America, which had during the last few years ranged at 
 from twenty -five to thirty, immediately fell to twelve per cent.' 
 ' The taking of Louisbourg,' according to the ' Amuial Regis- 
 ter' for 1758, 'was an event tiie most <lcsired by all our 
 colonics; that harbour had always bi'cn a receptacle con- 
 venient to the enemy's privateers, which infested the English 
 trade in North America. It was the most effectual blow that 
 France had received since the beginning of tlic war ; for with 
 Louisbourg she lost the only spot fiom whence she could carry 
 Oh her codfishcry, her main depot I'or the reinforcements to 
 
HEROIC DEEDS OF GENERAL WOLFE. 329 
 
 support her armies in Xortli America, and tlie bulwark of 
 Canada.' 
 
 In concluding this letter, allow me to say a few words 
 resi)ecting A\\)lfe, whose name will ever be associated with 
 that of Louisbourg in the heart of every British soldier. 
 Nothing, it is true, contributed more to the successful ter- 
 mination of the siege than the harmony which subsisted 
 between the commanders of the land and sea forces ; but it is 
 no disparagement to either of these officers to say, that no 
 small portion of the merit of the achievement was due to the 
 j)r<»mpt, daring, and imt'ving energy of Wolfe, in carrying into 
 execution the boldest plans of his general. Chosen by Amherst 
 to head the troops at Freshwater Cove, he was one of the first, 
 after his flagstaff had been shattered by a bar-shot, to leap on 
 shore and scale the cliffs, exposed to the galling fire of masked 
 batteries and crowds of musketeers ; he then led a detaclmient 
 through the woods, a distance of six miles, amidst ambuscades 
 of lurking savages, to the Lighthouse Point, where he erected 
 a battery which commanded one of the most important out- 
 posts of the enemy — the Island B tery; this duty accom- 
 plished, and recalled to the front, he traced out the batteries 
 on the rifjht, near the sea-shore, within half a mile of the 
 Queen's Bastion ; and shortly afterAvards, at the head of the 
 Light Infantry and Highlanders, repidsed a sortie from the 
 AVest Gate, and seized an important post, where he effected a 
 lodgement in front of the Barachois ; in short, wherever there 
 was difficulty or danger, or hard blows to be encountered, 
 Wolfe was always in the foremost rank ; * obstacles were but 
 the steppuig-stoncs to his success ; ' wherever he led, all were 
 ready to follow, ha])py to serve one who had justly gained the 
 affection of the whole army, from the general down to the 
 rudest soldier. Xo moninnent nor sculptured stone recalls his 
 memory near the scene of his gallant exploits ; even the 
 moulderinjx ruins of Louisbourg — ' once mistress of the seas ' — 
 have been almost obliterated ; but there sire still a few families, 
 descendants of men that were present, Aviio hand down from 
 generation to generation many a stirring story of the siege ; 
 and the hardy fishormen of (.labarus, returning al nightfall 
 
330 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 from their daily toil on the ilcei), "^* point ont the spot where 
 he landed — still known by the name of ' Wolfe's Rook.' ' 
 
 * Authorities coiifsultcd in compiling the preceding narrative of tlic siege of 
 Loui>Jourg: — General Aniliorst's OjfH'uil lirjiorf of the S/'ct/e ; Captain Knox's 
 Journal (if Ihc War in Ai/ifri(<i,fn>m lliio tn I";')!'; -Manfc's Jfi.'^foiy if the War; 
 Eutick's History of the War; Wright's Life of Major-General Wolfe, Ha:., &l-. 
 
;{;i! 
 
 LETTER XX. 
 
 1758-1763. 
 
 Vou will pr<)l)al)ly recollect that I told you (page 290), when 
 l*itt resolved to make America the field of his operations 
 against France, in the beginning of 17o8, he decided in the 
 first instance, in order to open the way to the invasion of 
 Canada, to reduce the fortress of Louisbourg — the key of the 
 St. Lawrence — and the forts of CroAvn Point and Ticonderoga, 
 for the purpose of cutting off the communications of Canada 
 with the French encroachments on the Ohio. The first and 
 most important of these objects was, as I told you in my last 
 two letters, successfully accomplished; but General Aber- 
 crombie, at the head of an army of 16,000 men, was, I grieve 
 to say, ignominiously repulsed by the French General, jNI. do 
 INIontcalm, with a force of 4,000 men only. When this disas- 
 trous news reached Amherst at Louisbourg, he started for 
 Boston with six battalions, and marched overland to the 
 British camp on Lake George, but arrived too late to be of 
 any service. The troops, on going into winter quarters, 
 learned with great satisfaction that Abercrombie had been 
 recalled, and that Amherst had been appointed Commander-in- 
 (.'hief in America. The failure of the attack upon Ticonderoga 
 was, however, in some measure compensated by the dashing 
 exploit of Colonel Bradstreet, who crossed Lake Ontario with 
 a large force, in sloops and open boats, and laid siege to Fort 
 Frontenac, on the north side of the St. LaAvrence. Part of the 
 garrison fled on Bradstreet's first appearance ; the rest sur- 
 rendered on the following day (August 25). A large sui)i)ly 
 of provisions and annnunitlon, intended for the French troo[)s 
 in the valley of the Ohio, was captured; also several vessels 
 
332 CAPE BllKTON. 
 
 cinployctl on L-ake Ontario, includinj;' iiino ariuod ships of 
 Q\iA\t to eiiihtcoii ixmis ouch. In tlu3 South, Jil'tcr iniu'h need- 
 less delay, l»i-ip;adicr Forbes arrived with a lar^o I'orce in sit>hl 
 of Fort (In (^uesne ' on November 24, which he found aban- 
 doned by the garrison of 500 men, whieh, after setting fire to 
 the fort, had descended the river in boats. 
 
 Thus ended the first campaign in America. With the ox- 
 ce[ttion of the defeat of Abercrombie before Ticonderoga, the 
 liritish arms had l)ecu everywhere successful. The indefati- 
 gable jNIontcahn, who had so nobly sustained the honour of his 
 country, was even in consequence disheartened. In the Feb- 
 ruary preceding, he had addressed the ^Minister in these de- 
 sponding terms : ' For all our success, Xcw France needs 
 peace, or sooner or later must it fall ; such arc the numbers of 
 the English, such the diificulties of receiving su})plies.' 
 
 At the opening of ]*arliamcnt, on November 23, the Com- 
 mons, in reply to the King's speech asking for further sup[)lies 
 to carry on the war, congratidated His ]Majesty on the success 
 of his arms, acknowledged their real satisfaction Avith the 
 measures that had been taken, and with implicit confidence in 
 the integrity and zeal of the Premier, cheerfully and unaiii- 
 mouslv voted nearly thirteen millions sterlint; ior the service 
 of the next year. Pitt, now satisfied that he had generals 
 capable of executing his designs, devoted all his energies to 
 the accomplishment of one great object— th? conquestof Canada. 
 For this purpose he proi)osed to scud an armament of ships 
 and land forces up the St. Lawrence, to co-operate with the 
 army under General Amherst in the reduction of INIontreal 
 and Quebec. As it was of the utmost importance that the 
 expedition destined for the St. Lawrence should arrive in the 
 river before the French could send out reinforcements to the 
 garrison of Quebec, a fleet of twenty-one ships of the line and 
 a proportional number of frigates, connnanded by Admirals 
 
 ' Fort: du Qiiesno was named 'Pittsburg,' in compliment to England's great 
 Minister. It still retains the name ; but the little fort, then sun-ounded on all 
 sides with interminable forests, at the conllueuce of tho Alleghany and Monoiiga- 
 hela rivortt, lias been replaced by a large and populous city, witii its hundreds of 
 foundries, forges, ami nianufactorie!., which have ac<juirt.d for it tho title of ' tho 
 Jhrmingham of Ameriea.' 
 
TIIK EXPEDITION LEAVES HALIFAX. 333 
 
 Saundcvs, TTolmcs jnid Diircll, together ■with sixty transports 
 carrying 7,000 troops under the connnand of ^lajor-General 
 AVoHc, Avere despatched from Portsmouth on February 17, 
 Avith orders to proceed to Louishourg, where tlic exp^editiou 
 was to bo reinforced by contingents from tlie British provinces. 
 Achniral Saunders, in the 'Neptune,' of ninety guns, with wlioni 
 Wolfe had embarked, arrived with great j)avt of tlie fleet off 
 Tjouisbourg on April 21, but finding the harbour blocked up 
 with ice, bore u\) for Halifax. As information had been 
 received before the expedition left I'higland, that the French 
 Govermnent was sending out troops and stores to Canada, a 
 squa(b'on of ton ships, under Admiral Diirell, was sent from 
 Halifax on ^lay 4, to the Isle aux Coudres, about sixty miles 
 below Quebec, to intcrcc])t the French ti'ansports and store- 
 ships. Durell, liowever, was too late; seventeen ships, con- 
 voyed by three frigates, got up the river safely to Quebec 
 before lie arrived at Isle aux Coudres ; he only succeeded in 
 capturing three of the enemy's ships, with 120 recruits, 1,800 
 barrels of powder, and other stores, which he sent into Louit;- 
 bourg. 
 
 Having been joined by all the missing shi[)s, and taken on 
 board six compan^-^s of Hangers, the expedition left Halifax 
 for Louisbourg, where it arrived on ]May 18. Here the fleet 
 had to remain more than a fortnight waiting for the arrival of 
 the Provincial troops from New England and the I»ay of Fundy. 
 In the meantime, the troops were occasionally paraded and exer- 
 cised on shore, and a brigade Avas selected from the c:arrison of 
 Louisbourg, composed of the Grenadier companies of the 22nd, 
 40th, and 4oth Regiments, which had greatly distinguished 
 themselves during the siege. Major Murrav, with the local 
 rank of Lieutenant-Colonel, was a})pointed Commander of the 
 Louisbourg Grenadiers. The movements of the English expe- 
 dition seem to have been watched by scouts em})loycd l)y the 
 French, while it lay at Louisbourg, as Captain Knox says in 
 his Journal, that on May .30, ' some car^tenters who were in 
 the woods heard French and Indians,' and that in consecpience, 
 on June 1, a party of Hangers was sent out to scour the 
 woods. 
 
334 CAPE BKETON. 
 
 On June 1, all the reinforcements expected havin<:i; arrived, 
 the land force, consistinj]^ of ten battalions of Infantry, six 
 companies of Kang'crs, three companies of Louisbourg Grena- 
 diers, and a detachment of Artillery and Engineers, in all 
 9,000 men, being embarked, the fleet began to move out of the 
 harbour. There was still some loose ice floating about, ■which 
 caused delay among the transjjorts, but on the (Jth all the 
 vessels had got clear of th'- land. ' As each transport sailed 
 out of the bay, the soldiers, who crowded the decks, rent the air 
 with shouts of joy, while the prevailing toast of the oflficcrs 
 was, ' British colours on every French fort, port, and garrison 
 in America.' ' Captain Knox says in his Journal, ' I had the 
 inexpressible pleasure to ol)serve at Louisbourg, that our whole 
 armament, naval and military, were in high spirits; and though 
 by all accounts we shall have a numerous army and a variety 
 of difficulties to cope with, yet under such admirals and 
 generals, among Avhom we have the hap[)iness to behold the 
 most cordial uTianimity, together with so respectable a fleet, 
 and a body of well-a))})()inted regular troops, we have reason to 
 hope for the greatest success.' 
 
 On .Inne 7, the fleet made the coast of Newfoundland, on 
 the 9th it passed the Bird Islands, and on the 2Gth came to 
 anchor ofl:'the Isle of Orleans, a few miles beh)w (Quebec. It 
 would occupy far more space than I can afl'oi'd, to attempt to 
 give you the very briefest outline of the operations of the 
 British army before that city ; but I cannot resist the tempta- 
 tion of submitting an account of the death of AVolfe, in the 
 battle on the Plains of Abraiuun, Avhich decided the future 
 destiny of Canada, from the pen of the accomplished historian 
 Bancroft : ' Wolfe, as he led the charge, was wounded in the 
 wrist, but still pressing forward, he received a second ball, 
 and having decided the day, was struck a third time, and 
 mortally, in the breast. " Supptn't me," he cried to an ofliccr 
 near him, " let not my brave fellows see me fall." He was 
 carried to the rear, and they brought him water to quench his 
 thirst. " They run, they run I " spoke the oflUcer on Avhom lie 
 leaned. "Who run ? " asked Wolfe, as his life was last ebbing. 
 
 ' WriglU'l:^ life of Uo//r. 
 
DEATH OF GENERAL WOLFE. 335 
 
 " The Frcncli," rc])lIo(l the officer, " give way everywhere." 
 " What!" cried the expiring hero, " do they run already ? Go, 
 one of you, to Cohmel Burton, bid him march AVehb's regi- 
 ment with all speed to Charles Kiver to cut off the fugitives." 
 Four days before, he had looked forward to early death with 
 dismay. " Now, God be praised, I die happy." These were 
 his words as his spirit eseai)ed in the blaze of his glory. 
 Kigbt, silence, the rushing tide, veteran discipline, the sure 
 inspiration of genius, had been his allies ; his battle-field, high 
 over the ocean river, was the grandest theatre on earth for 
 illustrious deeds ; his victory, one of the most momentous in 
 tlic annals of mankind, gave to the English tongue, and the 
 institutions of the Germanic race, the unex[)lored and seemingly 
 infinite \Vest and North. lie crowded into a few hoiu's actions 
 that would have given lustre to length of life, and, filling his 
 day with greatness, comjjleted it before its noon.' Such was 
 the death of Wolfe, after a short and glorious life. lie entered 
 the army at the early age of fourteen, and had served seven 
 years in Flanders, when he was thanked, in the pres(niee of 
 the army, by the Duke of Cumberland, for his conduct at the 
 battle of Lalfcldt. Subseciuently, whilst emi)loyed in Scotland 
 in keeping the clans in subjection after the rebellion of 1745, 
 he was one of the first that proposed to enlist the liardy, 
 intrepid Highlanders in the Ivoyal Army; and he was one of the 
 first to lead them to victory at the landing at Louisbourg, and 
 in scaling the Heights of Abraham. Bitterly did the gallant 
 V8th avenge his death, chasing the flying Frenchmen to the 
 banks of the St. Charles, and cutting down with their broad- 
 swords everythhig that came in their way. Wolfe had not 
 quite completed his thirty-third year when he fell. Glorious 
 was the victory which he won, and important its consequences, 
 but all must admit that it was dearly bouglit. I will conclude 
 this short tribute to his memory with an extract from a letter 
 written by his successor in command, Brigadier-General Towns- 
 hend, to a friend in England: ' I am not ashamed to own to 
 you, that my heart does not exult in the midst of this success. 
 I have lost but a friend in General Wolfe, our country has 
 lost a sure support and a perpetual honour. If the Avorld were 
 
3.'3G CAPE HRETON. 
 
 sensiMc at Iioav dear a price wc have purcliascd Qiiobec in his 
 deatli, it would damp tlie public joy. Our best consolation is, 
 that Providence seemed not to promise that he shoidd remain 
 lonjT anionfj; us. lie was himseli' sensible of the weakness of 
 his constitution, and determined to crowd into a few years 
 actions that wouhl have adorned lenirth of life.' 
 
 Just as the first ships left Louisbourg for the St. Lawrence, 
 General Amherst set out from Albany with the intention of 
 driving the French out of Ticonderoga and Crown Point, and 
 of then marching overland to join (Icneral AVolfe before 
 (Quebec. At the same time. General I'ridcaux and Sir 
 AVilliam Johnson, Avith a large force of Provincials and Indians^ 
 marched against Fort Niagara, Pi'idcaux having been acci- 
 dentally shot by one of his own gi;nners, Sir William .lohnsou 
 took the connnand, defeated 2,0' M) French troops sent to 
 succour Niagara, and on July 24 took the whole garrison 
 jirisoners. If Andierst had acted with equal vigour, perhaps 
 Montreal might have been taken also ; but owing to delays 
 and obstructions, he did not reach Ticonderoga until July 21, 
 when he found it abandoned by the enemy. On August 1, 
 learning that the French had also abandoned Crown Point and 
 gone down the Lake to Isle aux Xoix, where M. Purlemaque 
 had collected a force of 3,-500 men, determined to make a 
 stand, Amherst began to fit out vessels and rafts to attack 
 him, but could not get ready to start until October 11, when 
 he encountered such stormy weather that he was obliged to 
 return to Crown Point and dispose his troops in their winter 
 quarters. 
 
 Although Quebec, the capital, had fallen, Canada was not 
 yet conquered. The Chevalier de Levis collected an army of 
 10,000 men at INIontreal during the winter, and made his 
 appearance on the Heights of Abraham on Aj)ril 27, 1760, 
 Avith the intention of laying siege to Quebec. On the same 
 day General Murray, t]ie Governor of Quebec, who had barely 
 3,000 effectives under his command, rashly marched out and 
 attacked the Freuidi at Sillery, but being overpowered by 
 numbers, he was defeated with great loss and comi)elled t»j 
 retire into the fortress, where he held o-a. with jjreat g-allantry 
 
DE LEVTR RAISES TTTE STKOE. '6'\7 
 
 luitll iNfiiv !•'>, ^vllcn ho was roHovod from liis critical position 
 l)V tlu arrival of .in Enjjclisli s(|iia(lron utulcr Coininodoro 
 Swaiiton, from tlu; hanks of Xcul'oundland. Next day, 
 Swanton havin;^ attacked and cajjturod all the Frencli ^liips 
 lying ahove the town, the Chevalier do Levis iinincdiately 
 raised the sieo-e, ahandoned all his artillery and field e(inii»a;^o, 
 and retreated towards Montreal. 
 
 As S(K)n as the season wonld permit, General Amherst left 
 his winter quarters at Crown Point and marched to Oswego, 
 upon Lake Ontario, where he was ol)lig(>J to wiiit until 
 August 14, for the arrival of the Provincial reinforcements, 
 when the whole army emharked and proceeded across the 
 Lake and down the St. Lawrence to Montreal. Owing to 
 the great delay incurred in reducing the ])osts of the enemy 
 upon the river, and the dangers and ditliculties of the na\i- 
 gation ' witlumt good pilots, iVmhei'st did not I'cach ATontreal 
 until Sei)tend)er G, when his army landed at La Cliinc and 
 encamped n[ion a ])lain before the town. Next day, (lencral 
 Murray arrived from (^ucl)ec with his troops, and anchored 
 in the front of the town; and just at the same time, Cdloncl 
 llaviland, in eonnnand of a corps from Lake Chii'uplain, made 
 his appearance on the south side of the river. fhns, enclosed 
 on all sides, the IVIarquis do Vaudreuil, win had 1»y his 
 unjustifiable conduct in instigating his countrymen to make 
 encroachments on liritish territory, brought on the war 
 between England and France, was obliged to snbmit to ihe 
 humiliation of signing a ca])itnlation, which ti'ansferred not 
 only the city of Montreal, but the whole of Candida, to the 
 British Crown. 
 
 While Generals Andierst and ]\[urrav were comidctino; the 
 conquest of Canada in the f^mnnuM-of ITOO, operations of a very 
 different character were going on in Ca])e IJreton. Fearing 
 that the Frencli Government Avould nnd<o great eft'orts to 
 recover her lost possessions in America, ami as a first step 
 would endeavour to retake Louisboiu'g — the key of the Gulf 
 
 ' On the night of .September 4, eiglity-four men were drowned, and n great 
 immljer of l.iattcaiix of artilh.'ry and .stores were fsiink in pa.syiny Ihe raiiids m ar 
 F,sl(^ Teirot. 
 
338 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 of St. Lfiwronnc — \\\v British Ministry dotcrniinod to raze 
 llio forlificjilions to tlic f^rountl, to prevent \\\v possibility of 
 its aojiiiii fiilliiin- into the liands of France. liilterly as yon, 
 wlio liavc seen Lonisboni'j; in its ])rescnt state of desolation, 
 may regret the destruction of tlic ancient capital of Cape 
 Hreton, it Avns at the time, no doubt, the best policy the 
 British (Jovcrnnient could have adojited, especially since a 
 first-rato nav.d station had already beoi provi<led at Halifax, 
 not far distant. It was therefore obviously quite unnecessary 
 to maintain a large garrison, such as Louisbourg reijuired, at 
 a great and useless expense, with Halifax, possessing so many 
 su])erior advjintagcs, close at hand. The order to demolish 
 Louisbourg Avas issued by Pitt early in February 17(50, but it 
 did not reach Governor Whitmore at Louisbourg until May IH. 
 As the three regiments of Infantry in garrison at Louisbourg 
 were not accustomed to operations of that kind, a party of 
 Engineers, -with a company of Sappers and Miners, were sent 
 out from England to aid and direct their labours, in the ' Fame,' 
 of seventy-four guns, Connnodore Byron,' who was appointed 
 to command the ships lying in Louisbourg during the demo- 
 lition of the works. Soon after his arrival at Louisbourg, 
 Governor Whitmore havino- received intelligence that some 
 French shii)s had arrived in Bay Chaleur, and that they had 
 taken a number of English prizes in the Gulf, Commodore 
 Byron immediately sailed with the ' Fame,' ^ ' Dcn-setshire,' 
 ' Scarborough/ ' Achilles,' and ' Repulse,' for liistigouche, 
 where he found a French frigate of thirty-two guns, two large 
 armed store-ships, and nineteen smaller vessels which had been 
 mostly taken from English traders. These three French ships 
 foi'uied part of a squadron of six vessels which had left France 
 early in May with troops and stores for Montreal, hoping to 
 
 ' Tho Hon. JdIiii Byron, gnvndfiitb"r of tho celebratod poet, aeoompanied Coni- 
 moiloiv Aiifsou in his voyage to the Pacific in 1740. Ho was midsliipman in tiio 
 ' Wager ' when she was wrecked on a desert island to tlie south of Ciiiloc. Byron 
 has k'ft a well-wiitten narrative of his sufferings. Lord Byron bas used tlio 
 incidents of the ' AVager's' shipwreck in his Jhn Jtian. He rosu to the rank of 
 Admiral, and died in 1798.' — Lord Mahon's History of England. 
 
 ■ Tile ' Fame,' 74, accompanied hy the ' Achilles,' CO, sailed from Plymouth on 
 March 27. Four days after, Comniodor(< Byron fell in with and captured tlie 
 privateer ' Pallas,' of Bayonne, of 10 guns, with a crew of 130 men. 
 
COMPLETE DEMOTJTTON OP LOUISnOlTRG. JJIW 
 
 get up tlio rivoi- !iii(l |>!isl (^iioUoc bcloro tlic l*iii<j;lish sliips 
 ciimc tliillior iVoiii Ilaliliix. Throe of tliose uiiliicky s!ii[w 
 were taken in the ICn«:;li;<h C'hiiniiel, and the ix'niiiincU'r, upon 
 reii('liin<r llic (J nil' of St. Ltiwrence, k'iU'nin<;' that Ii(ir<l 
 C'olville's squadron liad jiono up to (^uehee, put into \\i\y 
 C'haleur, Avhore the troops Avere landed and a hattery creeted 
 for their defence. 
 
 When Jiyron not liis vessels up to the hattery on ilnly H, 
 after some delay, in eonsecpienee of the shall(»\vness of the 
 water, he found it manned by 250 soldiers, 7<)(t Aea<lians, and 
 an equal number of Indians. The three ships, Avhieh proved 
 to he the *Marchault,' of thirty-two, ' liienfaisant,' twenty-two, 
 and the * INIarquis jNIarloye,' eighteen guns, and the nineteen 
 English prizes, were eai)turcd ; two batteries and 200 houses 
 were destroyed, and the settlement totally ruined. Afler 
 this ex])loit Byron retiu'iicd to Louisbourg, Avhere he ibund 
 the destruction of the fortifications had not i)roceedcd so 
 rai)idly as he expected, two of the regiments in garrison there 
 having been taken by Lord Colville ti* (Quebec, from whence 
 they Avcre sent to join General Amherst before jNIontreal. 
 Nevertheless, the work of destruction went on with great 
 vigour, for in the short space of six months all the fortifica- 
 tions and public buildings, which had cost France twenty-five 
 years of labour and a vast amount of money, were utterly 
 demolished — the walls and glacis levelled into the ditch — 
 leavino; in fact nothing to mark their former situation but 
 heaps of stones and I'ubbish. Nothing was left standing but 
 the private houses which had been rent and shattered during 
 the siege, the hospital, and a barrack capable of lodging 300 
 men. 'On October 17, the day before llis Majesty's ship 
 ' Fame' left Louisbourg, the last blast was given to the com- 
 plete demolition of the fortifications of that important fortress, 
 the whole being by that time reduced to the houses of a few 
 fishermen.' ' All the artillery, ammunition, stoves, implements 
 — in short, everything of the slightest value — even the hewn 
 stones which had decorated the public buildings, were tran- 
 sported to Halifax. 
 
 ' Scot.-- Ma(/a::inc, No\'cin])ci\ IJCii). 
 
 *•- •"■ 
 
340 
 
 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 The loss of Cape Breton was a severe blow to the navy of 
 France, as the fishery on the coast was one of the chief 
 nurseries of her seamen. According to a document placed in 
 my hands by the late Chief Justice Dodd of Sydney, about 
 forty years ago, no less than 15,000 men were employed in 
 tt\e fisheries of Cape Breton, when Louisbourg was taken in 
 1758. I cannot do better than give you the following copy 
 of this document : — 
 
 'State of the Fixhcrics carried on hy the French in the Island (>f Cape Briton, 
 2')revious to the British taking possession in 17&8: — 
 
 Egniont Bay, near Cape Noi'th 
 
 Niganisli 15ay and Covo 
 
 Niganish Island . . 
 
 Port Daui)bin, t>r St. Ainio's . 
 
 Kntraiico of Great Bras d'Or 
 
 Petit Bras d'Or 
 
 Spanish J{iver, or Sydney 
 
 Indian Bay, or Liiigan 
 
 Seattarie Island 
 
 Main a Dieu . 
 
 Lorambec 
 
 Louisbourg . 
 
 Galiarus Bay 
 
 Fourche 
 
 St. Esprit Island 
 
 Grande Kiviere 
 
 L'Ardoise 
 
 St. Peter's . 
 
 Petit dc Grat, Isle Madame . 
 
 Rivor and Bay of Inhabitants 
 
 Different Places in the Gut of Canso 
 
 72G Decked Vessels, at 8 men each 
 l,5oo Shallops, at G men each 
 
 726 Docked Vessels, at 700 quintals 
 1 655 Shallops, at 300 qui^^ ^a 
 
 Totals 
 
 Total 
 
 Total 
 
 Ve.^.sol-!. 
 
 Slmlldiw. 
 
 — 
 
 30 
 
 — 
 
 245 
 
 — 
 
 30 
 
 100 
 
 — 
 
 20 
 
 40 
 
 — 
 
 GO 
 
 G 
 
 — 
 
 — 
 
 50 
 
 — 
 
 200 
 
 — 
 
 190 
 
 — 
 
 80 
 
 300 
 
 300 
 
 — 
 
 50 
 
 — 
 
 5(» 
 
 — 
 
 GO 
 
 — 
 
 GO 
 
 — 
 
 14 
 
 100 
 
 — 
 
 — 
 
 100 
 
 100 
 
 — 
 
 100 
 
 — 
 
 726 
 
 1,555 
 
 5,808 
 
 
 9,330 
 
 
 15,138 
 
 men. 
 
 508,200 
 
 
 466,500 
 
 
 974,700 
 
 quintals. 
 
 This was the amount in fish annually t /;)■ rted from Cape Breton.' ' 
 
 ' If this account is accurate, the fishermen must have increased six, and tlic 
 catch eight fold, since 1740 ! — Sec Captain Smith's Report on the French Fisheries, 
 p. 175. 
 
ST. John's taken by d'haussonville. :i41 
 
 Tlicre can be no stronger proof of the value of Cape Breton, 
 in the estimation of the Frencli, than the fact that, when 
 negotiations for a peace were mooted in the year 1761, the 
 French Minister, the Due de Choiseul, offered to cede the 
 wliole of Canada to England upon certain conditions, of wdiich 
 the most important was the restitution of Cape Breton. As 
 Mr. Pitt would not consent to this condition, the French 
 Government broke off the negotiations and recalled their 
 agent from London. France and P^ngland were both desirous 
 of suspending hostilities, but the former had lost so much 
 territory in America, that she saw no hopes of acquiring a 
 fair share of the fisheries, which were of so much im[)ortancc 
 to her navy, unless she could obtain j)OSsession of some British 
 l)ost that she might offer in exchange. With this object in 
 view, the Fi-ench Government, in the spring of 1702, sent out 
 four ships of war and 1,500 troops under the command of the 
 Cimnt d'llaussonville, to seize St. John's, Newfoundland, and 
 to hold it until negotiations fin* peace should again be opened. 
 This was no difficult matter, as the forts in St. John's harbour 
 had been suffered to go to decay and were garrisoned by oidy 
 sixty men. St. John's was taken by D'llaussonville on June 
 27, as Avell as all the ships in the harbour, including the 
 I*]nglish sloop of war ' Grammont,' of twenty-two guns. The 
 French General then set about rei)airing the fortifications, with 
 the intention of keeping possession thereof, for the reasons 
 above stated. When intelligence of the capture of St. John's 
 reached Halifax early in July, the Governor and Council were 
 thrown into a state of consternation and alarm, though there 
 was little cause for apprehension, as the place was defended 
 by 1,500 regular troops, a body of militia, a line-of-battle 
 ship, and a frigate. Louisbourg was in much greater danger, 
 as it was occupied by only one weak regiment, and totally 
 ilostitute of any kind of defences. When General Amherst, 
 the Connnandcr-in-Chief in America, heard of what had oc- 
 curred, he sent Colonel Amherst with a body of troops, with 
 orders to call at Halifax and Louisbourg for reinforcements, 
 to retake St. John's. Amherst left Louisbourg on Sep- 
 tember 7; and having been joiued by Admiral Lord Colville's 
 
342 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 sqnatlron, of one ship of the line and four frigates on the way, 
 effected a landing at Torbay, a few miles to the northward 
 of St. John's. After some shar[> skirmishing, he reeaptured 
 the forts on September 18, and made prisoners of the whole 
 garrison, of 700 men. The French ships, however, eluded the 
 vigilance of Lord Colville, having escaped in the night and 
 got out to sea without being discovered. 
 
 By a singular coincidence, the capture of the * Alcide ' and 
 * Lys,' (m the Banks, in 1755, and the retaking of St. John's — 
 the first and last acts of hostility of the ' Seven Years' War ' 
 — both occurred within a few leagues of Cape llace; for 
 while Colonel Amherst was occupied in driving the French 
 out of Newfoundland, the Ministries of England and France 
 were engaged in arranging preliminaries of a peace, which 
 were subsequently signed at Fontainebleau on November 2. 
 Although England obtained a great acquisition of territory 
 and many other advantages by the terms agreed upon, the 
 mercantile men of the chief towns were very averse to peace, 
 having made great profits by the exclusive trade they enjoyed 
 with other countries, owing to England's supremacy at sea. 
 Nevei'theless, the English Ministers, satisfied that a conti- 
 nuation of the war would soon exhaust the resources of the 
 cmi)irc, and that all the chief objects of the war had been suc- 
 cessfully accomiilished, concluded and executed a definitive 
 treaty at Paris on February 10, 1763. By the 4th Article of 
 this treaty, Canada, Cape Breton, and the countries adjacent, 
 were ceded to England in the following terms: — 'His most 
 Christian Majesty renounces all pretensions which he has 
 heretofore formed or might form, to Nova Scotia or Acadia, 
 in all its parts, and guarantees the whole of it, and with all its 
 dependencies, to the King of Great Britain. Moreover, His 
 most Christian Majesty cedes and guarantees to his said 
 Britannic INIajesty, in full right, Canada, with all its de- 
 pendencies, as well as the island of Cape Breton, and all the 
 other islands and coasts in the gulf and river St. Lawrence, 
 and, in general, everything that depends on the said coun- 
 tries, lands, islands, and coasts, with the sovereignty, pro- 
 perty, possession, and all rights acquired by tret j or other- 
 
STIPULATION CONCERNING THE FISHERIES. 343 
 
 wise, which the most Christian King and tlic Crown of 
 France have had till now over the said countries, islands, 
 lands, places, coasts, and their inhabitants, so that the most 
 Christian King cedes and makes over the whole to the said 
 King, and to the Cro\k'n of Great Britain, and that in the 
 most ample manner and form, without restriction and without 
 any liberty to i)art from the said cession and guarantee, under 
 any pretence, or to disturb Great Britain in the possessions 
 above mentioned.' 
 
 Concerning the Fisheries it was stipulated by the 5th 
 Article, that ' The subjects of France shall have the liberty of 
 fishing and drying on a part of the coasts of the island of 
 Newfoundland, such as is specified in the 13th Article of the 
 Treaty of Utrecht ; which Article is renewed and confirmed by 
 the present treaty (except what relates to the island of Cape 
 lireton,' as well as to the other islands and coasts in the 
 mouth and in the (Julf of St. Lawrence); and His Britannic 
 Majesty consents to leave to the subjects of the most Christian 
 King the liberty of fishing in the Gulf of St. L iwrencc, on 
 condition that the subjects of France do not exercise the said 
 fishery, but at the distance of three leagues from all the coasts 
 belonging to Great Britain, as well those of the continent as 
 those of the islands situated in the said Gulf of St. Law- 
 rence : and as to what relates to the fisliery out of the said 
 Gulf, his most Christian INIajesty's subjects shall not exercise 
 the fishery but at the distance of fifteen leagues from the 
 coasts of the island of Cape Breton ; and the fishery on the 
 coast of Nova Scotia or Acadia, and everywhere else out of 
 the said Gulf, shall remain on the footing of former treaties.' 
 
 By the Treaty of Utrecht, the French were allowed to catch 
 fish and dry them on the land, on that part of the coast of 
 Newfoundland * which stretches fiom CajjC Bonavistii to the 
 northern jioint of the island, and from thence, running down 
 by the western side, reaches as far as the \Aace called Point 
 liiche;' but since France had by the })resent treaty (1763) 
 
 ' Capo Ereton was in tliis case excepted, bicauso, by the 13tli Article of the 
 Treaty of Utrcclit, Franco was secured in the pobscssioa of the ishiiid, wilii llio 
 liberty of fortifying any place or places therein. 
 
344 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 l)ccn deprived of all licr territory bordcrinjr on the Gulf, and 
 left without a single port Avhcre she could erect a building of 
 any doscri})tion cxcej)t a fi.shing hut, the two small islands of 
 St. IMerre and INliqiielon, on the southern coast, were ceded to 
 her by Great Britain, by the 6th Article, as follows : — 
 
 ' Tiie King of Great Britain cedes the islands of St. Pierre 
 and Miquelon, in full right, to His most Christian Majesty, to 
 serve as a shelter to the French fishermen ; and His said most 
 Christian Majesty engages not to fortify the said islands ; to 
 erect no buildings upon them, but merely for the convenience 
 of the fishery ; and to keep upon them a guard of fifty men 
 only, for the police.' 
 
 These short extracts fx'om the * Treaty of Paris ' will clearly 
 show, without any comments of mine, the glorious results of 
 the ' Seven Years' AVar ' on your side of the Atlantic — namely, 
 the acquisition of the Avhole of Canada and the vast regions 
 beyond the Great Lakes, the present |)rovince of New Pwuns- 
 wick, and the islands of St. John's and Ca])c Breton. France, 
 on the other hand, which first brought on the war by encroach- 
 ing upon the tciritory of her neighbour in a time of profound 
 peace, lost all her })osscssions in North America except the 
 colony of Louisiana, and obtained in return only the miserable 
 islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon. 
 
 As soon as the j)reliminarics of the peace became known in 
 Paris, a great outcry was raised against them, as you may 
 naturally suj^pose, but without any effect. A document de- 
 nouncing every stipulation in the proi)osed treaty in the 
 strongest language was freely circulated in Paris, and became 
 the chief subject of conversation at the time.' 1 will give you 
 u few extracts, for the sake of showing the importance of the 
 l)ossession of Caj)e Breton and the fisheries in the eyes of the 
 French merchants. ' When we consider the vile concessions 
 made of our own territories, rights, and possessions, which 
 ^hall we most wonder at — the ambition and arrogance of the 
 British Ministry, or the pusillanimity or perhaps treachery of 
 
 ' From llio Sco/s Mitr/a^htr f'oi- Dtoombi'r, 1702. Tlio editor says tliivt some 
 )ii'r^oiis of distinction — tho .■^uiiposed uulbors of lliis documcut-wtrc committed to 
 the Bast lie. 
 
mrOllTANCE OF CAPE BRETON TO TRANCE. Sio 
 
 our own? Let us begin with what relates to tlie very vahuihlc 
 fishery in the Nortli American seas. In the first place, then, 
 we have given up Isle Royale, or Cape Breton, to regain 
 Avhich at the last peace we relinquished all Flanders and every 
 concpiest in Europe. In the next place, we have abandoned 
 all the most valuable coasts from whence the dry cod was 
 usually got. By the 2nd Article of the Preliminaries, France 
 cedes to Great Britain, besides Cape Breton, all the other 
 islands in the Gulf and River of St. Lawrence, without 
 restriction ; and by the 3rd Article we are excluded from fish- 
 ing within three leagues of any of their coasts. The conse- 
 quences of these cessions arc obvious. We have nothing left 
 us but a i)recarious right, subject to cavil and insult, to the 
 7/iorue vertc, or mud-fish, a commodity not marketable in Por- 
 tugal, Si»ainj, or Italy, but only fit for our ow n liome consun)p- 
 tion. Ever since the hap[)y Treaty of Utrecht, France has 
 enjoyed great advantages in the dry cod fishery. At the 
 breaking out of this war, we had in the Bay of Fundy, in 
 Acadic, in CajjC Breton, in St. John's, at Gaspc, and other 
 places in the Gulf, above 16,000 fishermen, who carried on 
 most successfully, in shoal Avatcr, the peche sedeutuire [shore 
 fishery]. Now all this is in the hands of the British. All our 
 settlements are unpeopled. From the single island of St. 
 John's, Admiral Boscawen removed 5,000 inhabitants. What, 
 then, is left to France? Nothing but the north coast from 
 Cape Riche to Cape Bonavista, with liberty to land, and 
 erect stages for a short season ; so that we must carry and 
 recarry both our fish and fishermen, while the British settled 
 on the spot, and carrying on the ])echc- sedcjitairc, will forestall 
 us, and undersell us at every market in the jNIediterranean. 
 iSIiquelon and St. Peter's — two barren rocks — indeed, are to 
 be ours ; yet even for them we have shamefully pledged the 
 royal word, engaging not to erect in them any fortifications ; 
 so that even they, with their guard of fifty men for the police, 
 will always lie at the mercy of the British.' 
 
 As the history of Cape Bretcm must exclusively occui)y my 
 remaining letters, I will close this with a glance at the state t)f 
 Canada, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland in 17G3, at the ter- 
 
'MG CAPE BRETON. 
 
 minatlon of the ' Seven Years' War.' During the twenty 
 years preccdinj^ the jjcacc, altlioujjli great numbers of the 
 inhabitants had been withdrawn from their reguhir pursuits to 
 serve in the army, Canada made great and substantial jirogress. 
 Tlic frugal and industrious Canadians, under the judicious 
 direction of the Viceroys, devoted themselves to the cultivation 
 of the soil, and rapidly spread along the shores of the Great 
 Lakes and up the tributaries of the St. Lawrence, following 
 close upon the heels of the coureurs des bois,' towards the 
 north-west, and fonning settlements in the vicinity of the 
 military posts towards the south, which Montcalm and his 
 generals were pushing on In the rear of the British pro- 
 vinces. The population of Canada, which in 1739 (see page 
 168) amounted to 42,924 souls, had risen in 1763, when the 
 Governor-General Murray ordered a census to be taken, to 
 69,275, all of French descent, except 775 immigrants, brought 
 out from Scotland by two officers of the 78th Highlanders, 
 settled in the county of Saguenay. General Murray's census 
 did not include the coureurs des bois, voyageurs, and traders, 
 dispersed through the Avcstcrn country and among the Indians.'* 
 The French inhabitants of Canada had no reason to complain 
 
 ' I cannot refrain from giving you i\ short acconnt of these ' coureurs des Lois ' 
 from the pen of ii recent writer. In the pursuit of the fur-bouring animals, ' these 
 men pushed up unknown rivers, or arrived at lakes not yet explored, and gained 
 an influence with the Indian tribes not yet baptised, purchasing from them their 
 beaver skins on their own account. Frequently they accompanied the Indians, as 
 welcome allies, on their hunting or war excursions. Not only did they follow the 
 example of Champlain, but of the Jesuit missionaries too. Like them, they prayed 
 over the sick, oi' made the sign of the cross over the dying, performed wonders, and 
 told the wild Indians Bible histories, which pleased those children of nature so 
 exceedingly, that they often repaid them with whole packs of beaver skins. . . . 
 They ventured wherever a beaver or a bear could live ; and from tlio Canadian 
 lakes they have sjiread themselves over the whole of the wide north-west of America. 
 They have given the names now in use to almost all the h)calities. . . . The 
 British and the United States beaver hunte'-s were their pupils, and it was only by 
 the aid of the French Canadians that they found their way in the western Laby- 
 rinth.' — "KoliVs Disro very of America. London: 1862. 
 
 '^ Mr. Kohl is not tlierefore very correct when he says, ' The French, however, 
 who for the most part only filled Canada with monks and adventurer.'i, got scarcely 
 beyond this fur-hunting — which is but tlu^ rudest way of turning a country to 
 account — and beyond tiiat hunting fur boul.^-, which, with all the iscal bestowed 
 upon it, has produced but few lasting results.' — JJiscuvcri/ of Amiricu, 
 
LIBEKAL CONDUCT OF THE BRITISH. 3i7 
 
 of the treatment they rcccivetl from their new masters; the 
 terms of the cai)itiilation, which guaranteed to them their pos- 
 sessions, the free exercise of the Roman Catholic worshij), and 
 the preservation of the property belonging to the religious 
 communities, being faithfully fulfilled. This just and liberal 
 conduct of the British authorities gained the confidence of the 
 Canadians, who never swerved from their allegiance during 
 the revolutionary war, which broke out not long afterwards, 
 although pressingly urged to join the united colonics. The 
 greatest loss which the Canadians suffered at this time was due 
 to the peculations of the late Intendant, M. Bigot, in conse- 
 quence of which the French Government refused to pay the 
 bills drawn by him in favour of the parties who had furnished 
 sui)plies during the war. 
 
 Let us now turn to Nova Scotia, where it was confidently 
 expected that the English settlers would enjoy some tran- 
 quillity after the expulsion of the Acadians in 1755. This 
 hope, owing to the breaking out of the war in the following 
 year, was not realised, for the Indians, noAv believing that the 
 French would again obtain possession of the country, began 
 their old practices of disturbing the English settlers, and com- 
 mitted several murders at Lunenburg, Chignecto, and even 
 on McNab's Island, in the harbour of Halifax. The Acadians 
 also, who had concealed themselves in the woods when their 
 countrymen were expelled, and many who had secretly re- 
 turned to the province, hung about the settlements at Minas, 
 Chignecto, and other places, keeping the inhabitants in con- 
 stant alaiTO. But this unhappy state of affairs did not last 
 long, for as soon as it became known that Louisbourg, Quebec, 
 and Montreal bad fallen, and that the British arms were every- 
 where triumphant, the Indians sent their Chiefs from all parts 
 of the province to make their submission to the Governor at 
 Halifax, and to sign a treaty of peace. As every disposition 
 to conciliate the Indians was manifested by the Government, 
 and effective measures adopted to protect them from the imi)o- 
 sitions of the traders, by establishing truck-houses where 
 provisions and clothing were supplied in exchange for furs at 
 a regular scale of prices, they soon became friendly and 
 
:M8 cape niiETON. 
 
 l)cacoa1)Ic. The AradianH also, who were lurking ahoiit the 
 country, and many hundreds who had soujrht ref'ujjfc at Mira- 
 inichi, Ristij^ouche, St. tlohn's Kivor, and other places, finding; 
 the authorit}' of the IJritish (lovernmcnt firmly established, 
 and that all hopes of aid from France had passed away, sent 
 dci)uties to Halifax to make their suhinissions. All fears of 
 danger from the presence of the Acadians liaving now vsinishcd, 
 those who had been transi>ortcd to Massachusetts were allowed 
 to return in 1763 and fonn a settlement at Clare, in the county 
 of nigby. 
 
 Several new settlements were established during the Avar ; 
 for instance, Liverpool, Chester, and Lunenburg, on the 
 Atlantic coast; and Amheist, Onslow, Truro, Cornwallls, 
 Ilorton, Fabnouth, Granville, &c., on the ]5ay of Fundy. 
 Some of the new settlers came from England, Ireland, and 
 (icimany, but by far the greatest number came from Con- 
 necticut, Massachusetts, and llhode Islands. Notwithstand- 
 ing these arrivals, the population of the province, which, before 
 the expidsion of the Acadians in 17.).3, was 14,000, amounted in 
 1763 tu oidy 13,000. There is this, however, to be said, that 
 0,000 disaffected Acadians had been replaced by 5,000 loyal 
 subjects chiefly of British descent. The trade of the province 
 does not seem to have been very ilouvishing, as the whole 
 amount of exports in 17G3 was only 16,300/. In taking leave 
 of Nova Scotia, I must not forget to inform you that a Con- 
 stitutional government was esti. Mi lt.;d in 17.38, consisting of 
 a governor and twelve legislative C(nucillors appointed by 
 the Crown, and twenty-two representatives chosen by the 
 freeholders of the counties and townships. The first General 
 Assembly, as it was styled, met at Halifax on October 2 of 
 the same year. 
 
 I have not much to tell you about your neighbour, Ncav- 
 foundland. Happily, the planters, who had suffered so much 
 during the early years of the eighteenth century from the 
 Fi-cnch, were not molested for nearly fifty years after the Treaty 
 of Utrecht. In 1762, as I have already told you, (p. 341), St. 
 •Fohn's was taken by the Count d'llaussonville, but it was 
 almost innnediately after retaken by Colonel Amherst. With 
 
THE POPULATI()N IN0UEA8ES. III!) 
 
 the cxrcption of this misfortuno, and the occasioiifil visit of a 
 French j»rivatcer, the country had cnjoyc<l uninterrupted tran- 
 quillity and made pjrcat j)r()gres.s. The j)opulation, Avhich in 
 IfiUH wan only 3,22-1, in 1703 had risen to 13,112; and the 
 j)roducc of the fisheries had increased from 215,922 to 380,274 
 quintals. During the same time, the fish taken by the 
 planters alone had increased from 101,152 to 235,044 quintals. 
 In the year 1703, the planters also exported 094 tierces of 
 salmon, 1,598 tuns of train oil, and furs valued at 2,()(H)/.' 
 When the fishery in 1731 only averaged 200,000 quintals, 
 its importance was duly recognised : * As the fishery is of 
 great use in breeding able seamen, the natural strength of this 
 kingdom ; as, moreover, we have from Newfoundland great 
 quantities of jieltry, i.e. the furs and skins of deer, fox, otter, 
 minx, and bear, with some beaver, we ought therefoie greatly 
 to prize Newfoundland.''^ The cod fishery Avas uot at that 
 time the only source of pi'ofit in the vicinity of Newfoundland, 
 for I learn by a notice in the * Scots Magazine' for March 17<)4, 
 that a valuable whale fishery had been discovered and ]>ro- 
 secuted with success during the in-eccding three years : — ' Since 
 our people have been in possession of the Gulf and lliver of 
 St. Lawrence, they have discovered a vciy valuable whale 
 fishery there, which was unknown to the French. Upon this 
 discovery, the peo])le of New England fitted out ton vessels of 
 near 100 tons burden each for that fishery in 1701, and had 
 such success, that in 1702 they sent out fifty vessels for the 
 same purpose. Last year were employed upwards of eighty : 
 and we aic assured a still larger number will be employed the 
 ensuing season. The quantity of whalebone imported from 
 New England within these two years has already reduced 
 that commodity from 500/. to 350/. the ton.' In 1729, New- 
 foundland, which had been nominally appended to Nova Scotia, 
 was made a separate Govermnent, and courts of justice were 
 established, whereby the property of the planters was protected 
 from the ravages of many lawless vagabonds who came out in 
 the spring as fishermen, and supported themselves during the 
 
 ' Ans\)iic\\ti Histori/ of Newfoiindhnid. London: 1819. 
 ^ K-Phcnon'H Annals of Coimncrcc. London: 1805. 
 
350 TAPE BRETON. 
 
 winter by |»lnn(lcnnn flio inhiiMtants. I must licvc close my 
 brief notice of Nowfoimdland with the observation, thatduriiif^ 
 the twenty-five years [)rece(ling' the peace of 1703, Newfound- 
 land was governed by several naval officers, who afterwards 
 distinguished tlicnisclvcs in the service of their country, such 
 as liyng. Hardy, Rodney, and lastly, Graves — whose gallantry 
 in Lord Howe's action Oi June 1, 1791, is known to all.' 
 
 In conclusion, I may observe that St. John's Island (Prince 
 Kdward's) which in 1758 had a population of more than 6,000, 
 had in 1763 become almost a wilderness; the old clearings, 
 which during the French occupation supplied Quebec with 
 largo quantities of wheut, had almost returned to a state of 
 nature, being everywhere covered Avith wild straAvberrics and 
 a young growth of spruce and birch.* 
 
 ' Wliilst Captain Graves was Governor of Nowfoundlfind, Captnin Cook was 
 employed in making a survey of the coasts. According to Dr. Forster, Cook dis- 
 covei'ed sonio wonderful coal mines ; ho says, • There arc in Newfoundland, as 
 ■well as in Capo Breton, such ricii coal mines, that if tho Crown would but grant 
 leave to work them, their produce would bo sufficient to supply all Europe and 
 America abundantly with this commodity; and some are oven so comniodiously 
 fcituated, that the coals might be tlirown directly from tho coal-works themselves 
 into tho ships, as they lie close to the shore. This piece of intoUigento [which 
 will bo quite new to you] I had from my lato friend the great circumnavigator, 
 Captain Cook, who for several years successively had explored tho shores of this 
 island, taken their bearings and respective distances, and laid them down on 
 charts.' — Histort/ of Voyages and Discoveries in the North. By John Ileinhold 
 Forstov. Translated from tho Gorman. London: 1786. 
 
 ^ McPhcrson's Annuls of Commerce, 
 
 1.1 1 
 
:^5I 
 
 LETTER XXI. 
 
 1 703-1 7G8. 
 
 Peace bcinpf once more restored, and the conquest of Canada 
 and Ca])e Breton, tlie chief object of the war, accomi)Ushed, a 
 prochiniatloii was issued on October 7, 1703, providing for the 
 security of these vahiable acquisitions. Canada, as a matter 
 of course, had a separate Government, but the islands of Capo 
 Breton and St. John's were annexed to the Government of 
 Nova Scotia. To induce the officers and soldiers who had 
 been engaged in the late war to settle in the colonies, free 
 grants of land were offered as a reward for their services. 
 Every person having held the rank of a field-officer Avas 
 entitled to a grant of 5,000 acres ; captains, 3,000 ; subalterns 
 or staff-officers, 2,000 ; non-commissioned officers, 200 ; and 
 privates, 50 acres each. To mark the sense entertained by 
 the Government of the services of the navy in the conquest 
 of Cape Breton, similar grants were offered * to such reduced 
 officers of the navy of like rank as served on board ships of 
 war in North America at the time of the reduction of Louis- 
 bourg.' A number of officers eagerly embraced the oppor- 
 tunity of securing grants in Canada and Nova Scotia, but 
 none were allowed to take up grants in Cape Breton, for the 
 reasons mentioned in the following extract from a letter ad- 
 dressed by the Lords Commissioners of Trade and Planta- 
 tions to Governor Wilmot,' on November 20, 1703 c^ — <We 
 
 ' Colonel Wilmot was appointed Governor of Nova Scotia on October 8, 1763. 
 
 ■■' You will liavo observed tliat I have occasionally referred to ' Documents in 
 the Record Office ' in the preceding letters ; I tarn .ilmost wholly indebted to tlicse 
 Documents for the information I liave obtained relative to Cape IJreton, in this 
 and tlio subsequent letters. 
 
352 CAPE ni?ETOTsr. 
 
 cannot oiopc this letter without mentioniniv the islands of 
 St. Johr. ami Cape ]>reton, which, heinj; annexed to the Cio- 
 vernpient of Nova Scotia, are now becoming pressing objects 
 of your particular crre and attention ; their advantageous 
 situation in respect to the fishery renders them of the greatest 
 importance to this country, and no measures should be left un- 
 tried that may tend to promote and encourage the carrying on 
 this fishei'y to the utmost extent it is capable of.' Wilmot was 
 instructed at the same time to have an accurate survey made 
 of St. John's and Cape Breton ; to report, in the meantime, 
 all information he could collect respecting their resoiu'ces, 
 extent, soil, &c. ; and Avhat establishments might be necossaiy 
 for effectually uniting them to Xova Scotia. Tie was re- 
 quired also to state what plan of settlement would be most 
 advantageous ; but until the survey was comi)leted, he Avas 
 ordered to make no grants whatever in either of the islands to 
 any particular persons ; and ' to discourage every attempt 
 that might in its nature and consequence oi)crate as a mo- 
 nopoly.' In the month of jMarch following, he was again 
 cautioned ' against making any grants of land, upon any pre- 
 tence whatever, in St. John's and Cape Breton Islands.' In 
 conformity with these instructions, Cai)tain Samuel Holland 
 w as directed to make a survey of Cape Breton, which, as you 
 may well imagine, occupied several years, and retarded the 
 settlement of the island. Frequent applications were made to 
 Lieutenani-Colonel Tulle&kein,' the commanding officer at 
 Louisbourg, by persons desirous of carrying on the fishery, for 
 grants of land for that purpose, but he could merely give them 
 licences to occupy fishing lots, without any other legal title. 
 
 Before Governor "VVilmot's instructions became generally 
 known, several applications were made for large grants of 
 land in Cape Breton. In 1763, John Greg, a merchant, and 
 three others, applied for 40,000 acres between Mira River and 
 
 ' Whcu the fortificiiiions of Louisliourg A\oro dismantled, iuid the Governor, 
 with two uf the regiments, witlidmwn in 1700, Colonel TuUeskein, in command of 
 the 46th Regiment, wiis left in charge of the place. He accompanied Colonel 
 Aiuherst, in 1762, with part of the 45th llegiment, to retake St. John's, N. F. 
 H'hcre, Amherst says, ' He seconded me in o\'erything I could wish.' 
 
APPLICATIONS FOR GRANTS REFUSED. 353 
 
 Indian Bay. They proposed to carry on the fishery upon a 
 laroe scale, and to found a town at tlie head of Cow Bay. 
 
 On April 3 in the following year, the Duke of Richmond 
 j)etitioncd the King for a grant of ' the whole island of Cape 
 Breton and its api)nrtenanccs in fee to himself and several others 
 of the nobility and gentry who were desirous of settling the said 
 island.' This petition was referred to the Lords of Trade, 
 Avlu) reported o;i May 23, ' that, as it was their duty to con- 
 sider the public interest only, and to lay before I lis ^Majesty 
 such ])lans as would in their judgment most effectually conduce 
 to the promoting and extending of the commerce of the king- 
 dom, by encouraging the speedy settlement of those valuable 
 territories and islands ceded and continued to Ilis ^lajesty by 
 the late Treaty of Peace,' they could not advise Ilis Majesty 
 to comply with the prayer of the petitioner. They then refer 
 to the reasons they had given against the Earl of Egmont's 
 application for a grant of St. John's Island,' and add, ' The 
 same argument operates more strongly ujron our judgment in 
 the present instance, as the island of Cape Breton is consider- 
 ably larger than that of St. John's ; ' whereupon the King in 
 Council adopted their Report and refused to grant the island. 
 There is no mention made in the Records of the fate of 
 jMr. Greg's petition, but it was probably refused for similar 
 reasons. 
 
 On May 17 of the same year, the Sieur Gratian d'Arri- 
 grand, a\ ho had obtained a concession of a large tract of land 
 in 1751 from the French Government, petitioned the British 
 Government for a confirmation of his title, offering at the 
 same time to take the oath of allegiance to His Majesty. On 
 .luly 10, the Lords of Trade, to whom the petition was re- 
 ferred, advised that a grant of 20,000 acres should be given to 
 D'Arrigrand, to include the improvements he had made in the 
 vicinity of Louisbourg, but it does not appear that their re- 
 commendation was acted upon, as there is no further mention 
 of the matter. 
 
 ' I found a copy of Lord Egmont'f< petition for a grant of St. John's Island, but 
 could not find in tho State Paper Office the opinion given by the IJoard of Trado 
 t hereon, and their rcasona for reporting against the iietition, 
 
 A A 
 
354 CAPE r.llETON. 
 
 Oil March 22 of the siuiio year, Cai)taiii Bradslrcot, wh(t 
 states in his inejuorial that he had been many years enijjhtyod 
 in the ])r()vliieial naval and military service, ai)})lied lor a 
 grant of C},(H){) acres ncai- St. Peter's Island, but there is 
 nothing more said about it in the lleeords. 
 
 The vahiable coal-fields of C'a])c Hreton at this time seem 
 to have attracted the notice of speculators ; for we find that, on 
 jNIarch 19, 1704, J]rigadicr-(Jeneral Howe and several other 
 officers of distinction Avho had served in the late war in Ame- 
 rica, })etitioned tlie King for a grant of land in C"a})e Breton, 
 being 'desirous of becoming adventurers in oi)ening coal- 
 mines and of endeavourinu; to establish a colliery for the better 
 supjdying the several colonies and garrisons on the Continent 
 with fuel. That, to enable them to carry this their design into 
 execution, they hund)]y pray to have granted to them as their 
 allotment a tract of land on the east shore of that island, 
 extending from the Point on the north side of ]Mira Pay to 
 the south-east side of the entrance into the Labrador and 
 seven miles iidand, and supposed to contain aI)out 55,000 
 acres.' They offered to i)ay 2.v. sterling ])er chaldron (London 
 measure ) on every chaldron exported. The area of the tract 
 designated, yon will find on reference to a map of the island, 
 contains at least 100,000 acres, including the most valuable 
 portion of the Sydney coal-field. 
 
 Other competitors soon ajjpeared. In the month of INIay, 
 Sir Sanniel Fludycrs and three otlicrs applied to the Lords of 
 Trade for ' a lease of all the coals in the island of Cape 
 Breton,' oflTering, ' upon having the mines for ten years free of 
 tax, to pay 2.s'. Gd. sterling for cvei-y chaldron they ship, for the 
 further term of ten years, 3.s'. 9d. for the next ten years, and 
 5s. per (.'haldron tor the last ten years of their lease.' Find- 
 ing, ])erhaps, that ]>rigadier-(leneral Howe's offer was likely 
 to be accei)ted. Sir Samuel Fludyers and his friends made a 
 second ap])lication to the Lords of Trade [date is not given] 
 up(ni terms nuich more advantageous to the (iovernment. Li 
 this apjilication they ask for a grant of i(K),()00 acres ' be- 
 tween the rivers j\Iira and the great branch of ihe Labradoi-, 
 taking the scacoast and harbt)ins between the said ri\er- 
 
APPLICATIONR FOR GRANTS. '355 
 
 within tlie "Taut,' and p lease of all the coals in the said 
 grant for thirty years. They nndertook also to settle thereon 
 not loss than one hundred jieople every five years ; to build a 
 town on one ol' the harbours : to i)ay ;' quit-rent after the first 
 ten years, of 2.S'. 1 ^/. stei-ling, upon every 100 acres of land; 
 and a royalty of 2s. (id. sterlinjj; per chaldron duriuf^ the fii'st 
 toil years, and ;"i,v. per chaldron durint; the next twenty years, 
 oM all coal exported. 
 
 Xeither o'" these npjjlicntions seem to have been favourably 
 entertained bv the Ministry, aithouiih the Lords of Trade re- 
 connnciided t)n ,Iulv 10 that ii lease should be o-iyen to l>ri<i;a- 
 dier-General llowc and his associates, and that it would be 
 desirable to u'rant leases of the coal mines, because it would be 
 the means of lowering the price of coal in England, from 
 whence laigo quantities were now expfU'ted to America; would 
 be a l)oon to the colonies, where fuel was becoming daily 
 scarcer: and that a hu2,e revenue miuht be derived from it. 
 
 1 have not been nble to find any exact account of the popu- 
 lation of Cape lireton at this time (ITCio). Si. llameau ' says, 
 according to the best information he could obtain, there were, 
 innncdiately after the fall of Louisbourg, not more than 700 
 Acadian^ iUid .jOO Frenchmen in tdl Cape Jireton. IVEr. Charles 
 Morris, who was employed by Governor A> ilmot in 17()5 to 
 visit and report on the state of the island, says there were at 
 that time twcnt^'-eight I'amilies of Acadians residing in Isle 
 Madame, chiefly engaged in the fii>hery, and a Guernsey lirm 
 that had commenced business nl Arii-hat in the preceding year, 
 lie ndds, that the Acadians had built small vessels dui'ing the 
 winter of ITOl-G.") at Just an Corj>s,- seven leagues to the 
 northward of the (iut of Cauccau, for the French merchants 
 at St. Pierre and MiqueLn. If liameau';-; estimate be correct, 
 there must have been several other small Fi'cnch aiul Acadian 
 settlements along the coast to the northwai'd and eastward. As 
 the English population, including tlu: garrison of .'500 men at 
 
 ' La France nnx Colonics. 
 
 * Mr. Morris stutcs tlia' during tlu' Frfiich (jciiipation of tlic i^liiiid. Ilfiy tuch 
 were coiistiiutly L'iii[il(i}i'il ,il Jui'l ;ui Ciirp.i quarryiiiir lVti.>l(ini' lor l/inii.- imiu';^ 
 •iiul iho rrriifli IVtrtc' iu iliu ^V^•^l ludics, 
 
 A A 2 
 
356 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 Louishourfij, did not jirobably exceed 500, there ecmld not 
 have been much move than 1,500 ]»ersons in the whole i)«hind 
 in 176.5, exchisive of the Micniac Indians. 
 
 Governor U'ihnot, writing to the Board of Trade on De- 
 cember 10, 170.'^, warndy recommended that the Government 
 phonkl propitiate the Indians hy giving them [trescnt.s annually, 
 as had been the custom of the French when they had posses.sion 
 of the island. He ;; », ' I have been told thai a chief of the 
 island of IJreton iiaving made an unsuccessful a])plicati(m at 
 Louisbourg for some small supidies, has declared his necessity 
 and resolution of going immediately to the French at St. 
 Peter's or ISIiqnclon for that purpose ; and I am fearful that 
 they very reidily, and perha])S bountifully, sujjplied this man's 
 Avnnts, and vould gladly sei':e the oppcn'tunity of re-establish- 
 ing once more that interest with these people, by means of 
 A\ hom they so long and cftectually obstructed the settlement of 
 this country, and well knowing of what consequence it would 
 be to gain the hearts of the natives of it against any future 
 enterprises. And I apprehend, my Lords, that any f\ivourablc 
 reception this man may have met with, will undoubtedly be 
 communicated to the Indians of this province, particularly to 
 those bordering on the Gulf of St. Lawrence [where, as he states 
 in another letter, they can muster 400 fighting men], by which 
 such an intercourse may be established between them and the 
 French as may prove very j)rcjudicial to His INIajesty's interest 
 in these parts of his dominions.' Governor Wilmot seems to 
 have obtained his information from an authentic source, for 
 Captain Thompson wrote to the Secretary of the Admiralty on 
 April 16 following that, Avhile cruising on the coast of ^'ew- 
 foundlandland in His INIajesty's sloop ' Lark,' in the month of 
 Sej)tember previous, he met a party of Cape Breton Micmacs 
 off the island of Codroy, headed by two chiefs named Oulat 
 and Bernard, who asked him for a supply of various useful 
 articles, such as cloth, shirts, muskets, powder, shot, hatchets, 
 and codlincs. The chiefs also requested that he would furnish 
 them with three gold-laced hats and ten ruffled shirts for their 
 own special use, and some red, green, and white ribbons for 
 their squaws. All these articles were sent out by the Govern- 
 
RESTLESS STATE OF THE INDIANS. 85 7 
 
 incnt, in Ilis IMajcsty's sluj) 'Tweed,' soon after, and (Jovernor 
 A\'ilni<)t was about the same time instructed to make similar 
 presents to the Indians in Nova Scotia. Tliis policy, iiowevor, 
 does not seem to have produced the desired effect, for great 
 nuinl)ers emiixvated in the coiu'se of the two foMoAving years to 
 the Frencli islands of St. Petei''s and i\Ii(|uelon. Jn the 
 antunm of 17()5, about 200 Indians landed in the Hay of 
 Despair, on tlicir way, it was supposed, to the island of Mi([ue- 
 lon, where some of their tribe and about \'A) Acadians from 
 Nova Scotia had formed a settlement and built a straoi'linf'- 
 town, with the intention of remaining there until the return of 
 the French fishing-fleet in the si»ring.' The arrival of so 
 many disaffected Acadians and Lulians in th.e vicinity of the 
 l^nsjllsli fishinji-stations created so nuich alarm, that Sir Ilniih 
 Palliser, the Governor of Newibundland, wrote to the Com- 
 mandant at Loulsboiu'g. urging him to recall the passports he 
 had granted, and not to is.-uc any more to the Indians. At 
 the same time he gave jjcremptory orders to tin; intruders to 
 withdraw from the country Sir Ilugli viewed the introduc- 
 tion of a foreign element Avith great re})ugnance, and, in his 
 opinion, of dangerous consequence.^ Governor Wilmot hehl 
 the same view; lie wrote to the Governor of Newfoundland 
 soon afterwards, informing him that a considerable number of 
 Micmacs Avas j)rei)aring to go thither with the intention of 
 furthering the designs imputed to the French of recovering the 
 country. 
 
 It does not, however, appear that the French entertained 
 any such design. It is more probable that the wandering 
 Indians were attracted by the hunting-grounds In the Interior 
 of the island, where, it is said, 'they i)roved the most destruc- 
 tive enemies of the few remaining aborigines of Newfound- 
 land.' ^ 
 
 The restless state of the Indians in Nova Scotia about this 
 
 ' Sl'c a letter from St. John's, N. F., daied October 28, 1 "<)'">■ in ^V.-As Mdijit^iiit 
 for December, and another from Halifax, dated February 19, 17()(j, in I lie s.iiiic 
 periiKlical for July. 
 
 • VviUiiy'^ Hixt-rt/ 'if K(ufoiiiid/(iiuL Luiulon : ISG^. 
 
 ' Ibid. " 
 
:5.58 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 time cau.^c'd iniicli nnonsinoss to tlio autliovltics. MicliiKjl 
 Friuicklyn, who luid hoen npiMjiutod a('tini;'-<j:-ov(M'noi' oC that 
 j)i-oviiioe on llic death of GoAcnior A^'llIUo^ in ITGd, vvtoIg to 
 the Lords of Trade on September ."> oC the same year, statini^ 
 tliat the Indians Avere nuieh dissatisfied heeausc a ticsuit priest 
 had not hecn sent to them as ])romiscd, dcclarin'r thai the 
 (Jovernment meant to deceive them. ' Tjast ycai,' lie adds, 
 * they sliowcd how eajiahle the Freneli arc Oi' di-av/in^i' them 
 t(ti^ether A\henever tliey think proper, Avliich tliey actually did 
 hy some means unknoAvn to the (iovernment, in the summer; 
 for the whole hodv of ludiaus Averc eollceted from CA'erA' part 
 of the ])rovince, and assembled at Isle ]\Iadame, uol far from 
 the head of the Labrador ; and as they passed through tlie 
 different toAvnships to the rendezvous, they declared they Averc 
 to meet French forces, aud threatened to destroy the out- 
 settlements Avhen they shouhl return. This alarmed the iidiabi- 
 tants to so great n degree that for several Aveeks together they 
 Avere kept in continual ajiprehensions, and some part of the 
 time even in arms; and Avith ditiiculty this body of ludians 
 Avere dispersed, j)artly by the inHuence of scmie gentlemen sent 
 by the (iovernment, and partly upon finding themselves de- 
 ceived in their exjicetcd support from the Ficnch.' He then 
 continues, that they did the same tiling this year, but not in 
 such great numbers, and declared they Avould alloAv no settle- 
 ments to be made at Pictou, nor on the eastern coast of the 
 Continent towards t'ape lireton. On this occasion they Avere 
 })ersuaded to dis2)ersc by a Canadian priest, specially sent from 
 liay Chaleur for that jmrpose. Francklyn says they rj'c com- 
 pletely under the guidance oi" the French at San Pierre, and 
 recommends that tAvo Canadian priests Avhose fidelity and 
 attachment to the English can be relied upon, shoidd be sent 
 amonij; them ' as the most eliiiible plan of Avardinij oflf' the 
 apparent danger.' lie fui'ther states that he had Avritten to 
 (rovei-nor Palliser to instruct his cruisers to stop as much as 
 ])ossil)le all communication betAveen the Indians and Aeadians 
 Avith the French at St. Peter's and Miciuelon. WhatCAcr may 
 have been the (»bject of these hostile demonstrations on the pari 
 of the Indians, there is no evidence t<t show that they received 
 
THE MICMACS REC'OME FRTENDLY. -^59 
 
 the sliolitcst ciic()iira<j;cnici)l iVom tlic French Ciovoninicnt. 
 This U i^atisfac'torily })r()VC(l l)y ihcir ah.staliiiiiii; from any acts 
 of violence, or fron) using threatening hmguago to the l-^nglish 
 settler.- after this jjeriod, witli wliom they lived upon friendly 
 terms in the most: remote and secluded places, Avhere, if they 
 had been so disposed, they might have kept the scattered in- 
 hal)itants in a continual state of agitation and alai'm. Those 
 Avho had gone to Xewfoundland, prol):d)ly foi- the sake of hunt- 
 ing and lishing, as they still do in small parties, gradually 
 returned to Cape Breton, Avhere they had ample room for fol- 
 lowing their usual arocaticnis, and were at lil)erty to roain over 
 the whole island Avithout interruption from the few ICnglish 
 iidiahitants of Louishourg. ' After the Eniilish hrd cstahlished 
 their jiower in the province,' jNIurdoeh says, 'the ]Micniacs he- 
 came tractable, peaceable, and friendly, Avith great readiness 
 not only adhering strictly to their treat}' engagemenK, hut 
 being most scrunulous and attenti\e to abstain from doing the 
 slightest injury to the Avhite jjcople, or to abstract the value of 
 one penny of their cattle or goods, shoving that they deeply 
 resj)ected and avcII luiderstood the rights of pro])erty.'' 
 
 The administration of the civil government of Cap(! I>reton 
 now demands our attention. The island having been annexed 
 to Xova Scotia by Royal Proclamation on Oc<ober 7, 170.'5, 
 the Governor, in o])ening the Legislative Session on ^NTarch 24 
 folloning stated, ' that he should consider what profits and 
 advantages might thence be derived to the province in general, 
 as soon as he should receive Ilis ^Majesty's instructions and 
 know his further pleasure relating to this ac([uisition.' No 
 stcj)s, however, wee taken for giving the island a voice in the 
 Legislature until December 10, 1705, Avhen it Avas ordered by 
 the Governor and Covnieil : ' That the island of Cape Breton 
 should be erected into ;' distinct county, to be knoAvn by the 
 name of the " County of lireton," comprehending the islands 
 of JNladanic and Scatari, and all islands Avithin three leagues, 
 and that a Avrit should be issued for choosing two rci)resenta- 
 tives ; ' and further, that ' the freeholders should be at liberty to 
 
 ' Hin/on/ n/ y,>ro .Sf.'Ua. Ihtliliix: 180". 
 
8C0 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 clioosc noii-resiilciits ; ' a very necessary proviso, no tlouht, wlien 
 wc hear in ..iind that in the month of Jnly ])revions, the 
 Attorney-(Jeneral \v\d hecn ordered hy Governor AVihnot ' to 
 make inqniry ^vhether tlicre was a sufficiency of people for 
 making n jury to be summoned at I^oui^'oourg to try a man 
 \vlu) luid been changed with inivinir connnitted a nmvdei there. 
 A Avrit having accordingly been issued to the Provost- jNIarshal, 
 directing him to summons the Frechnhlers of tlio County of 
 lireton to make choice of two representatives, John Grant, 
 Esfpiire, and Mr. Gregory Townsend were elected, who pro- 
 ceeded to Halifax to take their seats in the Assembly on 
 June 3, 176G. The validity of their election having been 
 called in question, on the ground that ' the return varied from 
 the tenor of the Avrit, which directed that the choice should be 
 made by Frccliohlera, and l!ic return specified that the same 
 had been made by the Inhabitants,' it was on June 5 ' Resolved 
 and ordered that Messrs. IJutler, jNIorris, Smith, Brenton, and 
 IJurbridge be a committee to examine into the validity of the 
 said election and re})ort thereon.' On June 7, the committee 
 re])orted n^ follows : — 
 
 ' 1st. That the usage of choosing representatives in this 
 l)rovince has always been by a majority of Freeholders in the 
 County or Town for Avhich such Ivepresentatives are chosen, 
 in pursuance of a resolution of the Governor and Council 
 passed August 22, 17o9. 
 
 ' 2nd. That the Writ by which the above members arc 
 returned directs the Provost-Marshal in direct words to 
 summon the Frveliolders of the County of Breton qualified by 
 the said resolution to make choice of two Representatives for 
 that County. 
 
 ' 3rd. By the return of the said Writ, that the above Elec- 
 tion has been made by the Inh<ibit<ints of the said County, and 
 it does not appear to us that there is one Freeholder qualified 
 as above directed in that County. 
 
 * Lastly. The Committee therefore are of o[)inion that the 
 said Election is contrary to the Resolution aforesaid, not con- 
 formable to the precept of the AVrit, and ought not to be 
 adujitted.' 
 
PETITION TO TlIK LORDS COMMISSIONERS. 3(51 
 
 The House agreed to the Report of the Committee on 
 June 14, and the Government, fbreseeinn; that some question 
 might be raised of the legality of taxing peojjlc wlio Avere not 
 represented, immediately nuhmitted a IJill entitled, ' An Act 
 for the more effectual recovery of His ^NFajesty's Dues in the 
 islands of Cape Breton and St. .lohu and islands adjacent,' 
 Avhich was debated and passed on June 17. It certainly was 
 rather hard upon the people of Cape Jircton, to refuse to give 
 them such rights to property as would qualify them to rtturn 
 members to the Assembly, and then to tax them without their 
 consent. It could not be expected that they would submit 
 quietly to this injustice ; and accordingly we find that they 
 immediately sent a petition to the Lords Commissioners of 
 Trade and Plantations, in which they stated : That they had 
 been settlers in the island ever since its reduction, and that 
 many of them had aided in that C(mquest : that their great 
 distance from the capital of No a Scotia was the cause of 
 innumerable difficulties, from which the Governors of that 
 colony had taken no measures to relieve them : that they 
 were neither consulted at home nor represented in the As- 
 sembly : that they were oppressed by the most grievous impo- 
 sitions on almost every necessary commodity, and charged 
 exorbitant rents for the liberty of dwelling in the wretched 
 ruins of the town of Louisbourg : tliat they had no courts of 
 justice to which they could apply for the redress of wrongs : 
 that they had in vain applied to the Governors of Kova Scotia 
 for absolute grants of land : and that spirituous liquors, so 
 essential in carrying on the fisheries ' in this intemperate 
 climate ' were highly taxed by the Legislature of Nova 
 Scotia, while they were excluded from every benefit common 
 to the settlers of the said province. In support of these 
 allegations, they referred their Lordships to Colonel Tulle- 
 skein, Colonel Pringle, and Captahi Holland, who, they said, 
 ' were well acquainted with the just grounds of their applica- 
 tion ' . . . ' and prayed their Lordships to take their case into 
 consideration and apply such remedies as they might deem 
 necessary for their relief.' 
 
 No notice whatever was taken of this petition until May 28 
 
iiG2 cwF. r.iM'ToN. 
 
 in tlic follow! I ifi; year, wlion the lionls of Trade rc|)ort('(l to 
 His Majcsly that no grants could i)C ;;ivcn in ("afio Ilrclon 
 until tlio survey then in iirojiress should ho cm ipleted, a.-^ avuh 
 uell known to \]w people ol' Loulshonr;^ ; that the Island hsul 
 been erected into adistinet" c»>unty and a Avrii is^ued Coi- choosin<jj 
 two representatives, [you ha\c already '^een how this had hcen 
 settled twelve months [)reviously], and that a comndssion had 
 been issued for lutldin;;- a C<»urt of (Quarter Sessions and f(»r 
 creetin<^ ji Court of Common Pleas. ' This,' they add ' hein;:^ 
 the st.itc of idiairs in Cape IJreton, and the inhabitants of 
 LouisbourfT havinj^ bcmi made ])artit'ipant in every ad\anta«^c 
 and privilege enjoyed by your i\Iajesty's other subjects in the 
 continental part of Xova Scotia, they have no foundation 
 cither in reason or justice to complain. On the contrary, we 
 think that CAcry attention has been i)aid to their interests, 
 under their unauthorised state of .settlement, they luid any just 
 ri^dit to expect.' 
 
 The pco^jle ol' Louisbourg had certainly just reason to com- 
 plam that they Avcre not vei)resented in the Assenii)ly, but in 
 other respects they do not appear to have had good grounds 
 for the allegations contained in their petition. They Avere 
 Avell aAvare that grants could not be issued until the survey 
 was finished : and us to the Avant of Courts of Justice, their 
 statement Avas not correct, for avc find in the Ilecords that, in 
 January 1764, George Cottnam, Esq., Avas appointed a Justice 
 of the Peace ; and in June following, Gregory ToAvnsend, 
 William llussell, and George Cottnam Avcre appointed Justices 
 of the Court of Common Pleas, to hold pleas at the toAvn of 
 Louisbourg four times in the year. In 176G, a Collector of 
 Duties, with a salary oi' 75/., and a Avaiter, Avith 40/. a year, 
 Avcrc appointed. On September 2 of the same year, Lieute- 
 nant-Governor Francklyu tells the Lords oi' Trade that the 
 people of Louisbourg had been taught by some ill advisers to 
 disi)ute the pajnnent of duties because the^' Averc not repre- 
 sented in the Assembl3% He adds, the matter Avill soon be 
 decided, ' for a suit is already commenced, Avhich, after the 
 opposition they have made to hiAvs, Avas found indis[)ensably 
 necessary.' He <'on(.'ludes in flu> \n)\)v "■ that when the island 
 
THE MINFS OF ('APR CUnTOV. :>():» 
 
 slj.'ill 1)C (lividod into property, llic people ^vill l)e better dls- 
 })ose(l, jiiid tint iho settlement will beeoine considerable.'' 
 
 lieCore we proceed rurtlier, 1 must ii<i;iiin return to the sub- 
 ject ol'llie niine> oCCapc lirelon, in which you arc all so much 
 interested. 'I'he failure of (i(>neral Howe's and Sir Sammd 
 Fludyer's applications in 17')4, did not deter others from at- 
 temptinj^ to secure leases; lor we (Ind that in 17n,> ' .i desijjii 
 was on foot Cor establishino; a company to work to advantn^''e 
 tlio coal mines, Avhicb have this jjjreat superiority over all others, 
 that the coals are within three feet of the surface, and the most 
 excellent ever seen. There will be no occasion for digii'injj; 
 iinder<ji;round, or makini^ drains to carry oflf the water, as in 
 Enj^land, for the mines consist of entire mountains (»f coal, and 
 arc sntiieient to supply all the British plantations In North 
 Aniei'iea for ten centuries.'' This will remind you of iSieholas 
 Denys's assertion, made more than one hundred years pre- 
 vionsly, ' that there was a mountain of very good coal lour 
 leagues up Spanish Uiver.' (Sec \). 103.) 
 
 It is also stated in a letter from Ilaliiax, 'that some New 
 England ])eople, digging for a coal mine in the island of Cape 
 ]>rct(m, had discovered a vein of lead ore, samples of Avhich 
 thev carried to Boston, where measures were takinn; for turniuji' 
 it to account.'''^ 
 
 In the following year a letter was received in London from 
 Halifax, Nova Scotia, saying that i' valuable copper mine had 
 jnst been discovered near Port Toidouse (St. Peter's), eighteen 
 leagues distant from Louisbourg, in the isle of Cai>e Breton.'^ 
 
 From the Hecords it apjjcars that a licence was granted, on 
 September 10, 1760, to William Ilntton, to occupy a jJaee 
 [situation not named] in the Isle of Breton, for making salt, 
 and leave was given to dig coals for that pur])ose, ' except 
 where the troops were at work.' jV^ost of these discoveries 
 were mere myths and never heard of afterAvards : but serious 
 intentions existed, no doubt, of working the coal mines. Anti- 
 cipating that api)lications would be made to the Lords of Trade, 
 Lieutenant-Governor Francklyn wrote to their Lordships on 
 
 ' Hxtriii.'t IVuiu It Icltoi- I'ruiu llulitax, in tliu Scvt.'i Mutja^iiH' for -April, I7(ij. 
 - Scotx M<t</((.:m. July, 1705. ' Ibid. Miuvli, ITOfi 
 
iiC)\' CAPE lUtRTON. 
 
 Se[»tembcr .'10, 1700, (ipon tlio H\il)joft, juul Hciit hiicIj statistics 
 :i8 he considered would ho useluh lie siiys the troops at Louis- 
 hour;? luid du^ at Cow Ihiy hetween Noveinhcr I, 1701, and 
 .f une .'}(), 1704,4,1()7 chaldrons ol'coal for the use ol' the Iviiiix's 
 troops at liouishournr and Halifax, Avhieh had cost the Crown 
 nearly 800/., exclusive of utensils and stores, niakiuL' the 
 whole cost 5.V. per chaldron. lie says, ' There i^ lit Cow ]>ay a 
 picketed fort 100 feet square, with a blockhouse, barrack^ and 
 stores for lodj^in^ tiie workmen, tools and [)rovisi()ns. Also, a 
 wharf convenient for loading close to the mines. That tlie 
 mine is in good order and well propi)cd. The vein aj)pears to 
 be <:;ood and large (he is told twelve feet thick and half a mile 
 wide). That twenty men may be cmi)loyed daily. That ves- 
 sels of 100 tons can load at the wharf hetween iFune 1 and 
 October lo, when the wharf must be taken down and rebuilt 
 in the spring, the bay being so ojjon and the drift of ice so 
 violent as to carry it away in the winter season.' lie estimates 
 that the coal can be sold at tlic mines for exportation at 12.s-. 0^/. 
 per chaldron, and proposes that, if the mines are leased, the 
 lessees should be bound to take all the coal to Halifax for 
 reshipmcnt in vessels that would otherwise go from thence in 
 ballast. He calculates that the shipping of the province will 
 be increased, and ' the revenues arising on spirituous liquors 
 also much increased, as great part of the expenses attending 
 the digging and shipping the coals will be expended amongst 
 the labourers, tradesmen, and inhabitants of Halifax.' He 
 proposes also to appropriate the money arising from the mines 
 to making roads from Halifax to Cape Sable and thence round 
 to Annapolis ; from Halifax to the Gut of Canceaii ' to a ferry 
 not far from St. Peter's, whence, he is told, there is a good 
 road to Loiiisbourg; and from Halifax to Cobequid (Truro), 
 and thence to the river St. John and New England.' In con- 
 clusion, he estimates that from 500/. to 1,000/. a ye.ir may be 
 raised from the mines, which Avould make thirty or forty miles 
 of road. Francklyn's proposals did not, however, meet with 
 the approval of the Home Government, for instructions were 
 sent out on December 2 following, stating * that His Majesty 
 would not at present authorise or permit any coal mines to be 
 
A MINE OPKNED AT SPANISH UIVEU. 'M'ti't 
 
 opcMiod or worked in tlio islan<l of Cnpc Breton, and ordering 
 ll>;it nil pctilions unci proposals for thai |)uriio.sc should he dis- 
 missed.' 
 
 Nevertheless, Lord William CaiDphell, who was sworn In 
 (Jovernor of Nova Seolia on Novcmhcr 27 of the same year, 
 •^ranted an cxelusivc ri<j;ht for eiij;ht months, on April l.'J fol- 
 lowin^jf ( 17<>7), to lienjamiii (rerrish and two <»ther merehants 
 of Ilalifiix, to (li<if ;J,0<)0 elialdrons in tiic island, 'anywhere 
 except from such places where His jNIaje^ty's troops were at 
 work difjjging for the use of the trooi)S.' (jerrl.-h and his 
 partners agreed to ])ay .jOO/. for this privilege, and to ship at 
 least 1, ;>()() elialdrons to Halifax, and sell it there at no higher 
 rate than li'As. Gd. })cr chaldron. They opened a mine at Spanish 
 lliver, from whence they shipped during thoir term to Halifax, 
 l,7.s;}; to New England, 14.'}; to Great Britain, 217 ; and to 
 Louishourg, 70 — in all, 2,280 chaldrons, when they applied 
 for an extension of time, alleging that they could not raise anil 
 dispos;; of the quantity agreed upon, because, 1. Their works 
 had fdlen iu ; 2. Larger quantities than usual had been 
 brought from Euro|)c ; and IJ. ' A large quantity of coal had 
 been smuggled from Cape Breton to New England by one 
 Alexander Lee of Louisbourg, which reduced the price so low 
 that it would not pay them.' Being called upon to give an 
 ex])lanatioa of his reasons for granting j>ermission to (icrrlsh 
 and his partners by the Secretary of State for the Colonies, 
 Lord William Campbell replied, that having been ' told the 
 coal composed the surface of the island, and could be easily 
 taken away by any adventurer,' he coi.sidered it Avas better to 
 use them and apply the proceeds to the making of roads in 
 the province. If the English Government had adopted the 
 same policy, the valuable mines of Cape Breton would not have 
 been so long suffered to remain unproductive, and the settle- 
 ment of the island would have made more rapid progress. Be- 
 fore he had been six months in Nova Scotia, Sir William 
 strongly advised Lord Hillsborough, the Secretary of State, 
 to grant land to the people of Louisbourg, who were, 'since 
 the island was annexed to Nova Scotia, obliged to pay the 
 duties of impost and excise established in that province, which 
 
366 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 tliey considered n great hardsliip, as they had not any lots of 
 land or houses granted thcni there.' lie added, U' they were 
 allowed to purchase liouses and lots, the place Avould soon 
 become considerable again, ' being nuicli in the way of trade, 
 and a good iiarbour for the fishery. ... It ^vill revive a large 
 town uow ji'oinrj: to ruin, and it will be of benefit to the 
 llevenue, as the people Avill cheerfully pay the taxes when they 
 have got propert}^ there.' 
 
 Although Captain Holland's survey of the island was com- 
 pleted in the early part of 1767,' and several applications 
 Avere made for grants of land, it does not appear that any were 
 passed until some j-cars afterwards, or that the peo})le of 
 Louisbourg obtained any absolute titles to tlieir holdings. I 
 could not find a coj)}- of Holland's Tlnns in the llccord Oflftce, 
 but ascertained that the island was laid out in townships or 
 lots of 20,000 acres each. The first applications for grants in 
 1767 were from — 
 
 Acres. 
 
 Liout('iiam Kiehard .Shea nf the Marines, for . . . 10,(){»0 
 
 Thomas C'airoll „ ... 1(),0(»0 
 
 Johi' Tlioiupsun, hit;' of 9?>r(.1 I?r!ximcnt . 10, (KM) 
 
 William MitehcU. late siirL;oni fidth IJo-iinon( . . 20,000 
 
 Lioutenaut Aloxaiider L"o\vler, late of 7-lth Iifginicut . 10,000 
 
 And from Sir Edward llaAvkc, Philii) Stevens, Esq., JMartin 
 lilade Ilawke, Chaloner Ilawke, Esq., and George Papps, Esq., 
 for lots iSos. 15, 19, 22, 33, and 60 respectively. At a Council 
 held at St. James's on August 26, 1767, the memorials of 
 these apj)licants ^vere referred to the Lords Commissioners of 
 Trade and Plantations, to report thereon, but there is no record 
 of the result of their deliberations. 
 
 Up to this time, the once celebrated capital of Cape ]3reton 
 had retained some slight resemblance of its former importance, 
 V)y the maintenance of a garrison of 300 men ; but even this 
 weak prop of its fallen fortunes was rudely upset by the with- 
 drawal of the wdiole of the troops in 1768, in consequence 
 
 ' On Ai'i'il IC, 170",, Mr. Howard, midsliipman of Hi.s Majesty's armed ship 
 ' Canoeaii,' applied to tlu^ Lords of Trade for eonipensatioii for takini^ Captain 
 Ilolhuid's Hnrvi^v to ICnfxland, 'hiivinu heeii ,it grcMl expense in hrinfiinp <lie 
 i'lans,' \e. 
 
LIST OF LICENCES GRANTED. o07 
 
 of an order of (icncral rjagc, the Commander-in-Chief' in 
 America, to call in the troops from all the ontpost.-s, and to 
 concentrate them in Halifax, to be ready to embark for Boston, 
 where some of those disturbances had occurred Avhich preceded 
 the breaking out of the revolutionar}' Avar. The troops com- 
 itosing the <i;arrisonof Louisbouro;, belonfi;ini>: to tlu- oythlicui- 
 ment, under the command of ]\Iajor ]Mil\vard, arrived at 
 Halifax on August 14 ; Avith them departed a host of small 
 traders wlio had been living upon their disbursements, ;aul the 
 poi)ulationof the place was consideral)ly reduced in conscqueiu'c. 
 Amidst these changes the Government exhibited some consi- 
 deration for the interests of the remaining inhabitants, as 
 jNIr. Francklyn, who acted as Lieutenant-Governor during the 
 temporary absence of Lord William Cam[)bell, wa>, instructed 
 by Lord Hillsborough to ' signify to the 'nhabitants of the 
 island of Capo IJreton the tenderness with ^vMch his ^Majesty 
 considered, and the attention tb.at wouKl -'/C ])aid, to the 
 improvements they had made under the to'.i porar^; licences 
 which had been granted to them by the Government of Xova 
 Scotia.' 
 
 Subsequently (on Seiitembcr 20) Mr. Francklyn, at the 
 request of Lord Hillsborough, forwarded to England a list of 
 licences of occupation granted in Cape Breton by the Govern- 
 ment of Xova Scotia, of which the following is an exact cojjy : — 
 
 To George Cottman, Esq., for GOi) acres at Lorambec. 
 „ William IvusscU, Esq., for (50 acres at Louisbourg, fish- 
 
 in<>- lots at Baleine and INIainadicu. and 50 acres of 
 
 land at Little Bras d'Or, Avitli garden, houses, stages 
 
 and flakes belonging thereto. 
 „ flames Gething and Lawrence Kavanaoh, Ibr ,;()() acres 
 
 at Little St. Peter's, where they have built a house, 
 
 storehouses, stages and flakes, and have a large 
 
 quantity of cattle. 
 ,, flohn Reilly, for a lot <)() by 100 rods at Mainadieu, 
 
 where he has built a house, fishing flakes and stages. 
 ,. Captain Antrobus, of the Navy, for a lot of land at the 
 
 head of the North-east Harbour, where he has buih 
 
•3G8 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 a hoii?;c, fc'eccl in 8 or 10 acres of .land, and was 
 desirous of waviufj 500 acres there. 
 To EUas Gcrrot, late i)ilot in the Navy, for a lot in a cove 
 heyond tiie Grand IJattcry, Avherc he has fenced in 10 
 acres and Imilt a flake and stage. (Jcrrotwas recom- 
 mendod by the late Adr.iiral I5oscaAven. 
 „ INIajor liobert ^Mihvard, of the o9th lleginiont, for a lot 
 on tlio north side of the road leading to Mainadieu, 
 Avhcre lie had fenced in 1.5 or 20 acres, huilt a house 
 and outhouses, and was desirous of having 500 acres. 
 
 Mr. Francklyn sent at the same time the following list of 
 parties wlio had made improvements without any title what- 
 ever : — 
 
 At Louishourg. — Lawrence Kavanagh, Thomas Wheeler, 
 llichard Wheeler, Thomas Mortho, \A'illiam Urimigion, 
 ISIathew Hoc, Gregory Townsend and William Russell, 
 who had each fenced in small lots of 3 to 5 acres. 
 
 At Manadou. — John Gould, Cornelius Bollong, Richard 
 Wheeler, Alexander Ley, .John Xeale, and Thomas 
 Huxford, who had built dwelling houses, stages, and 
 flakes. 
 
 At Baleine. — Thomas Meadoz, Benjamin Caim, and Wil- 
 liam Gerrot, who had built houses, stages, and flakes. 
 
 At Ciabarus Bay. — Richard Collins, Edward and Thomas 
 Macdonald, John Clewly, Francis .Foice, Peter Jervois, 
 John Perry, and Curdo, who had built dwelling- 
 houses and stages. 
 
 At Le Brasdor. — tTames Townsend, John Bagnal, Peter 
 Jermaine, and Boniface Benoit, who had built Ashing 
 stages and hcmses. 
 
 At Mire River.^ — Francis Nairing, a discharged soldier, and 
 Richard ISIascall, who had Imilt houses, and made some 
 small impi'ovcments. 
 
 At Petit de Grat. — Charles Fougier, Charles Duga, Lewis 
 Budro, Joseph Budro, John Peters, lector Fougier, and 
 Joseph Gaudein, in all 47 Acadinn n;et., women and 
 (diildren, who were recoauuended by the l.ite Governor 
 
RUINOUS STATE OP THE HOUSES IN LOUISBOURG. 809 
 
 Lawrence, and obtained licences to carry on the fishery 
 in 1763, from Lieutenant-Colonel Tulleskein. 
 
 This meagre list embraces all the heads of families in 
 Cape Breton in 1708, according to the best information Mr. 
 Francklyn could obtain ; but there is every reason to believe 
 that it was very incorrect, as many families undoubtedly 
 occupied lands and fishing lots in remote and secluded places, 
 who escai)cd observation. In the course of this year also a 
 number of Acadians who had emigrated to St. Pierre and 
 Miquelon in 17Go, came back and settled in the island of 
 Madame, and on the eastern coast of Xova Scotia, where 
 they were allowed to remain uj>on taking the oath of allegiance 
 to His Majesty. The return of these peojde ])rodnced a very 
 good effect upon the Acadians who had not left the province, 
 as it convinced them that they were nuich better otf in Nova 
 Scotia and Cape lireton, under liiitislj rule, than in the French 
 islands, and many of those who had hitherto kept aloof, sent 
 deputations to the Governor requesting j)crmission to take the 
 oath of allegiance. 
 
 At the same time (September 20), Francklyn forwarded to 
 Lord Hillsborough a plan of the town of liouisbourg, and on 
 August 10, a minute rc})ort on the condition of the houses. 
 According to this report, there were at that date only 142 
 houses standins: in Louisbour;;, of whi(;h thirteen were in uood 
 repair; sixty in tolerable repair- sixty-six in bad repair, the 
 windotvs, floors, and partitions having been taken away ; three 
 in ruins. 
 
 Of these, nineteen, which had been used for public purposes, 
 such as the hos])ital, (Jovernor's, Intcndant's, and thidges' resi- 
 dences, victualling ofhcc, bakehonses, stables, barracks, and 
 gaol, were constructed of stone and were all standing ; all the 
 resi were of wood. Only twenty-six houses Avere occujiied on 
 August 10, viz. : — 
 
 1 by Mr. Ci)ltiKiin, Chief Maiiistnito. 
 
 1 „ WilliiiDi KussL'll, late liarraek Maslir. 
 
 1 ,, F. W. Slriv.sl)oura;or, laic 'I'own Ailjulant. 
 
 2 ,, Lawrciii't' Kiivannpli, Morclianl. 
 1 ,, Mr. Cottiiani, fur public iis»'s. 
 
 U U 
 
370 CAPE DRETON. 
 
 1 by Mr. Townsend, lute ncpiify i'asln-V 
 
 1 ,, Mr. Kflin, 11 l<'i^ll(■l•nl;^l. 
 
 1 „ Mr. Wheeltr, a Trailer. 
 
 1 „ Mr. Trimian. a 'J'ratlir. 
 
 1 ,, William Phipps, Ewpiirc, n Trader. 
 
 1 ,, Mat how ]!o e, a 'J la 
 
 1 „ Moiisiour Dion, a Pilot. 
 
 1 „ SilvaiiuM Hiiwoll, Mariner. 
 
 1 „ Koger English, discharged Sorgoanl -Major, ■l.'ith Koginvnt. 
 
 1 „ Mr. Mertlio, a discharged Sergeant. 
 
 1 „ Charles Martell, discharged Suldicr. 
 
 1 „ Mr. Diher „ 
 
 1 ,, John Newman, l>lacksniilh. 
 
 1 „ li>lward Harp, Tailor. 
 
 2 „ Mrs. Hurton, a s()ldier'.s widow. 
 '2 „ L}tlia Thorpe. 
 
 2 „ Some French families. 
 
 On Aunfiist 29, Mr, Francklyn wrote to lionl ITillsborougli, 
 .stating that Mr. Cottnam, tlie chief magistrate, and such t)f the 
 inhabitants as had any property, proposed to withdraw in con- 
 sequence of the removal of the troops, as soon as their private 
 concerns would permit, because * the greatest part of those in tlie 
 island are a composition of the dregs of the English and French 
 garrisons, as .also of. Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, from whom 
 every irregidarity and disorder may be apprehended ; and as 
 it is necessary to have some officer of Government who also 
 may collect intelligence of what passes in the island and in the 
 neighbourhood of the islands of St. Peter's and Miquelon, as 
 also to preserve as many of the houses from being destroyed as 
 possible, I have, with the advice of ITis Majesty's Council, jn'o- 
 mi.sed Mr. Cottnam a salary of 100/. per annum until His 
 Majesty's pleasure be known.' 
 
 Tiooking at the above list of occupants of houses at Louis- 
 bourg in 1768, comprised mostly of persons who had been in 
 the service of the Government, I cannot help thinking that 
 Mr. Francklyn was, to say the least, rather hasty in stigma- 
 tising them as a ' composition of the dregs of the English and 
 French garrisons.' Perhaps he may have referred to the petty 
 traders, grog-sellers, and other loose characters, who had flocked 
 to Louisbourg whilst the garrison remained there; but you 
 may rely upon it, most of the jieo^dc of that class left with the 
 
MINE OP ROCK SALT DISf'OVEPED. 871 
 
 troops, and tliat there was no reason for apprcliendinej any 
 irregularities or disorders from the persons ahove mentioned. 
 
 Lord AVilliam Campbell, who returned to his government in 
 September, writing to Lord Hillsborough sotm after his arrival 
 at Halifax, exi>ressed some apprehension from the total removal 
 of the troops, with reference to the coal mines. He says, ' The 
 removal ol" the oUth Regiment from Louisbourg, without leaving 
 even a SLrgcant's guard there, has been ])artly, and it is feared 
 will be attended with a total, desertion (tf the inhabitants from 
 that place, for want of the appearance of a military i)rotection ; 
 and it must follow that the coal niines in that neighbourhood, 
 which are j)articularly recommended from home not to be 
 touched, may uninterruptedly be worked by any peojde who 
 think proj>cr to go there, as the prohibition before proceeded 
 from a fixed guard of troo[)s there.' 
 
 I will close this letter with a notice of a discovery made in 
 1768, which may perhaps stimulate you to try to prove its 
 veracity : — ' Some letters from Boston, New England, mention 
 that an immense mine of rock salt had lately been discovered 
 in the isle of Cape Breton, which alone would be suflicient to 
 sui)ply all the northern fisheries ! ! ' ' 
 
 ' From <St'"^s■ Mafiasiiir fur .Iiiiif 17^!f< 
 
 u u 2 
 
372 DAPE BRETON. 
 
 lettp:ii XXII. 
 
 17r)H-1782. 
 
 As MANY f»f you liavo friends .iiul rcliitivcs in tlic isliiiid of 
 St. .lohn (Prinoe iMlward's Island), it may not be out of j)lu('o 
 to mention hei-e that a survey of the island, made by Captain 
 llt>liand, was completed in 1768, and that Michael Francklyn, 
 the actin": Governor of ^Jova Scotia, was instructed to issue 
 o-rants to applicants. Francklyn not only carried out these 
 instructions, but also proceeded to establish a regular govern- 
 ment in the island, by apjjointing judges, magistrates, and 
 otiier civil officers, and by erecting courts of common j)leas and 
 general sessions of the peace. This energetic action on the 
 part of Francklyn soon attracted a niunber of settlers from 
 Nova Scotia, New England, and Scotland ; applications also 
 were made to the Lords Commissioners of Trade and Planta- 
 tions, by several noblemen in England, for grants of townships. 
 F^rancklyn's conduct, however, was not ai)proved by the 
 British jVIinistry ; on the return of Lord AVilliam Campbell, he 
 therefore proceeded to England to make such cxi)lanations as 
 he considered necessary for his own justificaticm. Meanwhile, 
 the tide of immigration which had set in from Scotland in- 
 creased yearly in intensity, and the whole island was soon 
 occupied by hardy, industrious Highlanders. 
 
 The great rush of ajjplicants for lands in St. John's, pro- 
 bably again directed the attention of speculators to the island 
 of Cape Breton, which, although inferior in point of fertility, 
 ])OSsessed many superior advantages over St. John's. In the 
 course of the year 1709, no less than forty-two memorials were 
 sent to His iSIajcsty by officers of the army and navy, lawyers, 
 merchants, and i)rivate gentlemen, assigning various reasons 
 
NUMEROUS APPLICATIONS I'OR GRANTS OF LAND. ;J7JJ 
 
 for their ai>})licati()ns. ^Vlinost every !ij)])liciint asked fur a 
 lot or township of 20,000 acres ; only four of the whole had 
 the modesty to limit their claims to lots of 10,000 acres each. 
 As a list of the names woidd occuj)y a c(»nsiderahle space and 
 afford little interest, I will merely mention three who founded 
 their claims u})on the fact of their havin<]f been at the siege of 
 Loulshouri!; in 17.3S — namely, Edmond ^lalone, jNfajor in the 
 47th liegiment; Charles Basset, Lieutenant in the same regi- 
 ment ; and Thomas Timmins, of the ^larincs. The whole »)f 
 the memorials were referred by His Majesty, on December 24, 
 1769, to the Lords Commissioners of Trade and Plantations, to 
 report thereon ; but there is not the slij^htest trace of the 
 result in the Kecord Office. It is quite evident, nevertheless, 
 that the report was unfavourable, as not one of the individuals 
 who applied ever obtained a grant of land in Cape Breton. 
 If they had obtained all they asked for — 800,000 aci-es, about 
 two-thinls of the whole of the land fit for cultivation in the 
 island^very few of the present inhabitants of Cape Breton, 
 probably, could have called your beautiful island their home. 
 
 Although Captain Holland's survey had been long com- 
 pleted, and grants of land had been issued in the neighbouring 
 island of St. John's, the bona fide settlers at Louisbourii; and 
 other parts of the island, for no assignable reason that I could 
 discover in the llecords, were still denied the privilege, or 
 vather right, of obtaining any other title than licences of occu- 
 pation to the lands they had unproved. They were therefore 
 still disqualified to send representatives to the Assembly, not 
 from any fault of their own, but sunply because the (iovern- 
 uient would not give them grants. To remedy this grievance, 
 the House passed a resolution on April 2, 1770, ' That no writ 
 shall issue to the Isle of Breton, because of the want of free- 
 holders to make an election, and that the said isle be deemed 
 to be represented by the members for the county of Halifax, 
 into which it has resolved and become a part thereof as hereto- 
 fore.' This, you will observe, was no remedy whatever, as 
 the inhabitants had no voice in choosing representatives for the 
 county of Halifax. We may presunie, however, that tlohn 
 Butler and Robert Campbell, who took their scats for the 
 
'^^7i CWV. RRETON. 
 
 county of IFuIilax when the House nicl, on tlimc 0. 1771, 
 looked especiiilly iilter the ntiiiirs ol' Cape J>i*et(»n. 
 
 The coal mines of Cape lircton were at this ]»erio(l entirely 
 in the hands of snuif^^Iers and unauthorised persons, who 
 carried off lar«(c quantities <»f' coal IVoni the cliff's, and even 
 took possession of the works at Cow Bay. In conse<[uence of 
 information received to this effect, the Gt)vernor Itroujijht the 
 suhject before the Council on May 4, 1770, and stated that, 
 having applied to Lieutenant-Colonel Leslie, connnaiidin<^ His 
 Majesty's troojts in the province, and obtained a suflicient 
 force to prevent trespassers on the King's riglits for the future, 
 he desired the ojnnion of the Council as to the measures proper 
 to be taken. ' On which the Council .advised that Mr. Cott- 
 nam, tlic chief magistrate at Louisbourg, should be directed to 
 proceed to Cow Bay, and rc(iuirc all persons there to di'part 
 immediately, and that he should put the troops into the 
 barracks or houses there belonging to the King, giving them 
 orders to prevent any coals being dug or carried thence witliout 
 the Governor's special order. Ordered also, that a Proclama- 
 tion be issued, strictly forbidding all persons to dig or carry 
 away any coals from the Isle of Breton.' In a letter of 
 June 30, Governor Campbell informs Lord Hillsborough that 
 Commodore Hood had provided a conveyance for the troops 
 obtained from Colonel Leslie, lie adds, that he had seized 
 more than 500 chaldrons dug at one of the mines durinjr the 
 previous winter by the smugglers, and proposed to bring them 
 to Halifax for the use of the troops. 
 
 There is nothing in the Records of the next three years 
 worth transcribing, except perhaps the following entries in 
 the tFournals of the Council, which refer to a gentleman who 
 long occupied a prominent and highly respectable position in 
 Cape Breton: — 
 
 ' At a Council held on November 29, 1773, the Governor 
 submitted several charges taken on oath before George Dawson, 
 Esquire, one of His Majesty's Justices of the Peace, against 
 Lawrence Kavanairh, merchant at Louisbourij, scttinir forth 
 that he had at several times pulled down the i)ublic buildings 
 there and taken away boards, timber, iron, lead, and other 
 
MEMORIAL OP LAWRENCE KAVANAOH. ^575 
 
 iiiiitcrialH, ami carried tliom to liis own (Iwelliiifj; uimI converted 
 tliein to Ins own use. And he the said Lawrence Kavana<j;h 
 iiaviii<i; been called npon to answer the said char«i;es, said that 
 lie luul removed llie several materials as set forth, bnt that he 
 had converted them to the use of rei)airinf5 several of the 
 public hnildinj^s, which were then in a ruinous condition. 
 Ordered that the aforesaid charges and informations be referred 
 to the Attorney-General for his opinion thereon.' 
 
 ' At a Council held on Dccendjcr <S, 177.'J, the Memorial «»f 
 Lawrence Kavannj^h, merchant and trader at Louisbourg, was 
 submitted by the Governor, setting forth that Lieutenant 
 Dawson of His Majesty's Navy, and connnander of an armed 
 vessel stationed at and about Louisbourg, had i)ressed seamen 
 beh)nging to vessels in which he was concerned, and had at 
 other times, under pretence of his power as a Custom House 
 officer, stopped and detained his fishing vessels, and as a 
 Justice of the Peace that he li id lately solicited the depositions 
 of several persons to the testimony of many false an<l scanda- 
 lous assertions tenduig to calumniate the memorialist and hurt 
 his reputation. And several papers in support of the said 
 charge havuig been produced by the memorialist, it was ordered 
 that the said Memorial and papers should be laid before A(hniral 
 Montague.' 
 
 From the next entry we learn that Mr. Kavanagh, about 
 the time named removed from Louisbourg to St. Peter's, 
 where he afterwards resided more than fifty years. Novend)er 7, 
 1774. — * At a C'ouncil held this day, on a complaint made by 
 Mr. Cottnam, the chief magistrate at Louisbourg, that several 
 building materials had been removed from Louisbourg to St. 
 Peter's by Mr. Lawrence Kavanagh, also referring for further 
 infornnition to Mr. Hunter, connnanding His Majesty's armed 
 vessel, Gaspey, " together with a copy of a deposition to the 
 fact." Ordered that the same be referred to the Attorney- 
 General to report thereon.' 
 
 It is highly j)robable that these charges were brought by 
 the officials named, in consequence of some feud with Mr. 
 Kavanagh, for it was well known that the materials referred 
 to were mere rubbish not worth looking after ; this seems to 
 
570 TAPE BRETON. 
 
 '»/ 
 
 have been the opinidii of tlio Council, lor it does not anpoar 
 from the Records tluit nny furthiT notice was taken of yuch 
 frivoloiit: charges, and that they were suffered to sink into 
 ohlivion. •' 
 
 Lord William Campbell having been promoted to the office 
 of (lovcrnor of South Carolina, was succeeded, in June 1774, 
 by Major Francis Legge of the 4r)th Regiment. Heing deter- 
 mined to make himself thonughly acquainted Avith the state ol' 
 the country entrusted to his charge, and of maintaining it in 
 firm allegiance to his sovereign, ' as it was, in his o[)inion, the 
 only settled province on the sea coast which had preserved 
 itself from the madness and contagi<m which had overs})read all 
 the other of His Majesty's colonies,' Governor Legge ordered 
 a census to be taken, for the purpose of ascertaining how many 
 men were caj)able of bearing arms in its defence. The arrival 
 of a number of Acadians fnmi the French islands, who had 
 'squatted' at Isle IVIadamc and St. John's Island at this 
 critical period, caused him some apprehension, being afraid 
 that, in case of a war with France, they woidd, regardless of 
 the oath of allegiance Avhich they had taken, unite Avith the 
 Indians, supply them Avith arms and ammunition, and attack 
 the English settlers. If there really was any just cause for 
 apprehension, it is evident that, Avith slight external aid, the 
 Island of Cape Breton might easily have been once more 
 restored to France, as the French and Indians greatly out- 
 numbered the English inhabitants. According to the returns 
 sent in to the Governor, the i)opulation of the island on October 
 10, 1774, consisted of — 
 
 Persons of French origin .... 602 
 
 Indians 230 
 
 Persons of English origin .... 509 
 
 Total . . 1,241 
 
 Of these, 914, including the Indians, Avere Roman Catholics, 
 and 327 Protestants. The numbers returned for each settle- 
 ment were — 
 
RRTUllNS SKNT TO THK CiOVF.UNOR. 'iji 
 
 > Nearly all lOiifiiisii, 
 
 At Lnuisiiourg . . lU 
 
 ,, Mainndicu, ... 131 
 ., JiiiliiMiior .... 30 
 
 „ J5iiltiiiu .... 30 
 
 ., Miro 20 
 
 „ Giiltanis . . . . 47 
 
 „ St. I 'ft it's Buy , . . ISC) Kn^'lisii ami Krciicli. 
 
 „ Arictiat .... '237 "\ 
 
 etituoGrnt . . . IGSJ 
 
 l.nil 
 lioving bands of Imliaiis . 230 
 
 Total . "l^ri 
 
 The li.c stock of the ishiiul at the same tunc cout^isted of ()97 
 liorncd cattle, 222 .shee}), and 553 pwinc. 
 
 The mimber of vessels owned in the island was 136, mostly 
 small fishing shallops. Dry fish exported in the previous year, 
 20,020 quintals. Oovernor Legge's despatches do not give 
 any account of the general trade of the island, hut 1 have 
 ol)t?uncd from another source' the amount of exjtorts from Cape 
 IJreton to England, and the imports from England iluring the 
 ten years ending in 1780: — 
 
 Exjwrts. Imports. 
 
 In 1770 . . 197 . . Nil. 
 
 „ 1771 . . 119 6 . . Nil. 
 
 „ 1772 . . 205 8 7.. Nil. 
 
 „ 1773 . . IG 6 . . 981 G 4 
 
 „ 1771 . . Nil. . . 321 18 9 
 
 „ 1775 . . Nil. . . Nil. 
 
 „ 1776 . . Nil. . 104 11 
 
 „ 1777 . . 567 18 5 . . Nil. 
 
 „ 1778 . . Nil. . . 42 
 
 „ 1779 . , Nil. . . 22 8 
 
 This table merely gives a return of the direct trade with Eng- 
 land, taken from the Custom House returns ; it gives no idea of 
 the general trade of the island, which then, as now, passed 
 chiefly through the port of Halifax. The dry fish alone, as 
 mentioned above, exported in 1773, was 26,020 quintals, worth 
 at least 20,000/. 
 
 Governor Legge, like his predecessors, did not give a very 
 favourable account of the character of the population of Cape 
 
 ' ^ilcVhcvaonn Anmdfi n/ Coinmcrcc, Loiulou: 180i>. 
 
''>7H CAI'K lUiETON. 
 
 Hrcftdii ill 1774; h<; siiy^, ' Tlicy were a lawless nihhlc, and 
 ol'teii liitorniplod tlio cliiof iniij^istralo, Mr. ('ottiium, in tlic 
 cxocutiun of Iii.s duty ; they had no grants [which was not 
 tluMi' rault], and many of thcin even had not fishiii}::; licences.' 
 
 A few last words respcctitifjf Mr. Cottnain, Avho had for 
 more than fifteen years occupied an important jtosition at 
 liouirthourpf, will not ho out of place hero. In the early part 
 of the year 1775, Governor Lc^fic findinj^ that the Koyal in- 
 Htructions, which required that strict accounts should he kept 
 of all the receipts and i)aynicnts of the public money, had not 
 been carried out, instituted a searching incjuiry into the finan- 
 cial affairs of the province. With this object ho appointed 
 Conunissioners * to make a full examination of all receipts and 
 pfiyments made in the Treasury, and to examine all persons 
 employed as c(dlectors.' Mr. Cottnam's accounts were duly 
 examined ; and tiie Commissioners, after a close investigation, 
 reported that there was a balance of 272/. G.v. 6//. due to that 
 officer. Mr. Cottnam continued to hold his various a])point- 
 ments at Louisbourg until his death, in 1780; but it seems his 
 claims upon the Treasury had not then been settled, for his 
 widow petitioned the House of Assembly, soon after his death, 
 for payment of the sum of 280/. due by the province to her late 
 husband. Nothing can more strikingly illustrate the rapid 
 decline of Louisbourg after the removal of the Governor, in 
 1761, antl the annexation of the island to Nova Scotia, in 1763, 
 than the accumulation of so many offices in the hands of Mr. 
 Cottnam. Owing to the gradual departure of such persons as 
 could be entrusted with places of responsibility, Mr. Cottnam 
 was appointed to the offices of — 
 
 Justice of the Peace Jan. 24, 1761 
 
 Judge of Court of Common Pleas June 15, „ 
 
 Deputy to grant Passports May 2(>, 1766 
 
 Cust (Milan of Fortitications and Public Buildings . . . July 2C, 1768 
 
 Stipendiary Magistrate ........ Aug. 10, ,, 
 
 Naval Officer and Collector of Excise Sept. 14, ,, 
 
 Major-Coinniandant of Militia Sept. 5, 1771 
 
 Comniissiouor for assessing taxes for supptrt of Militia . , Dec. o, 1770 
 
 We have now arrived ut a momentous epoch in the history 
 of the British colonies — the Iwcakiug out of the American 
 
Tlin AMKUK'AN REVOLUTION. U79 
 
 Uovoluliitii. As ill! till! (!vents of llic War oi' Iiulcpondonco 
 nuist lie «|uUo liimilijir to you, I uliall rtivy notliiiij; ('(Uiccniinj^ 
 them, exitcpt so Car as tlicy atlectod Capo Ki'eton, wliicli, hap- 
 pily, owiii;^ to its iiisionidcaiicc at that period, sutFerc*! less 
 from the depredations and attacks of the enemy's privateers 
 than the adjacent colonies. Knerj^etic measures were of course 
 taken hy the (iovernor of Nova Scotia lor tlie defence of the 
 province, not only aj^ainst external, hut internal enemies also ; 
 for it was well known that there wore many diaaffected persons 
 scattered through the country, who had originally come from 
 New England, disposed to aid the revolted colonies.' On 
 August 20, 1775, a Proclamation was issued, ordering light 
 infantry companies to be raised throughout the ])rovince. The 
 total number of men required was only 1,010, of which ' Capo 
 Breton Isle and Isle Madame ' were each ordered to raise ' two 
 companies of Acadians and others well alfected,' of oO men 
 each — 200 in all. It cannot escape your notice that Capo 
 Breton, including Isle Madame, was not fairly treated in this 
 apportit)nment. The whole population of the island, exclusivo 
 of the Indians, according to Governor Legge's census in 1774, 
 was only 1,011,'^ whilst that of Nova Scotia Procter was, at tho 
 lowest estimate, 20,000;^ and yet the latter was called upon to 
 furnish only 800 men, or 1 in every 25, whilst the former was 
 rc<iuired to supply 200 men, or 1 in every 5. On December 5 
 following, an Act was passed imposing a tax to be raised by 
 assessment for the payment and support of the militia. The 
 Commissioners appointed to make the assessment in Cape Bre- 
 ton were George Cottnam, William Russell, and Wheeler. 
 
 ' •Partisans of the Amorican causo wore more numerous in Nova Scotia than in 
 Canada. They had formerly petitioned Congress, and had reeontiy opened a 
 comnumieation with Washington. The distance, isohition, and weakness of Nova 
 Heotia made assistance impracticable ; but more than once, at subsequent i)eriods, 
 Massachusetts was solicited to aid in revolu lionising that province.' — Hililnth. 
 
 * Tlie Kev. I. Quinan, P.P. of Sydney, informs mo that in 1775 or '70 ftnirtecn 
 Acadian families crossed over from St. John's Island to Ciietican, and settled 
 there. This accession, therefore, is not worth taking into tho account of tho 
 population. 
 
 ' The population of Nova Scotia is set down at lS,3tt() in 1772, in a Ileport sent 
 to the Hoard of Trade. As many families left Eoston for Halifax soon after tho 
 troubles began, and a great number after the battle of Euuker's Hill, on June 1 1, 
 J 775, 20,000 must be greatly under the mark. 
 
;)80 CAPE liRETON. 
 
 A great number of Loyalists left Boston on March 17, 1770, 
 when it was evacuated by the British troo])S, and went to 
 Nova Scotia, where they obtained free grants of land, but I 
 cannot learn that any reached Cape Breton. 
 
 Not only was Capo Breton required to furnish five times as 
 many men for the light infantry corjjs as the rest of the i)ro- 
 vince, in proportion to its population, but she was called upon 
 to supply fuel for the use of the troo[)s at Halifax and the 
 settlers on the western coast. As the digging of coal had been 
 expressly forbidden by the King, the House of Assembly peti- 
 tioned His Majesty, and obtained the ))ennIssion required, as 
 it is stated in Mr. Murdocirs recent ' History of Nova Scotia' 
 that forty men belonging to Colonel Legge's regiment were 
 employed digging coal at Spanish lliver in 1777. Yet, at the 
 same time, will it be believed that the British Government 
 refused to sanction an Act passed by the Legislature, permit- 
 ting ' any persons inhabiting the island of Cape Breton, and 
 such as are employed in the fishery, to cut down and use such 
 wood as shall be necessary for fuel and the j)urp(ises of the 
 fislicry.' Certainly this was a strange proof of the ' tender- 
 ness ' entertained by His Majesty for his subjects in Cape 
 Bret(m! (See p. 367). 
 
 Although the coasts of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland 
 were infested with rebel privateers, as they were then styled, 
 the inhabitants of Cape Breton were not molested. St. 
 John's Island, however, was not so fortunate, for the crews of 
 two schooners belonging to INIarblehead actually had the 
 audacity to land at Charlotte Town and carry off Mr. C aid- 
 beck, the Commandant, and some other officers of the Go- 
 vernment. To guard against such outrages in future, a ship 
 of war was stationed at Canceau. 
 
 The unsettled state of affairs, in consequence of the Avar, 
 did not deter men of capital from embarking in promising 
 speculations in the loyal colonies. In the year 1777, an asso- 
 ciation was organised in London, called the ' Acadia Com- 
 l»any,' for settling and im[)roving lands in Nova Scotia, and 
 carrying on a large traffic between that colony and the mother 
 country. Sir Herbert Mackworth, M.P., who was the prime 
 
APPLICATION OF THE ACADIA COMPANY KPIFUSED. ;»S1 
 
 mover in the speculation, in a IMcmorial to the Lords of Trade, 
 dated December 16, stated that the Company had subscribed 
 20.000/., with which they proposed to purchase tlie chiims of 
 other parties to 40,000 acres of land in Nova Scotia, and in- 
 tended to carry on a fishery at Isle Madame, of which they 
 asked for a pjrant, to enable them to carry their intentions into 
 active operation. As the British Government had for some 
 unknown reason refused to grant any land in Cii\)C Jji-eton, it 
 is not likely that the application of the Acadia Company 
 would have been successful, even if it had not been opposed 
 by some Jersey merchai.Ls who had long before established 
 fishing stations on the island. As soon as it became known 
 that the Acadia Company was endeavouring to obtain a *rant 
 of Isle j\Iadame, Mr. Robin, one of the parties concerned, 
 wrote to Mr. George Lemprierc in London, recpiosting him to 
 do all in his power to stop the grant, stating that, ' he (liobin) 
 was the first adventurer in the island, in 17G-1,' when only 
 twelve families of Acadians were living there ; that in the 
 following year he formed an establishment upon the island, 
 and in a short time other parties followed his example. He 
 added, that thirteen vessels, navigated by 300 men, were 
 employed in the preceding year in the fishery business; and 
 that sixty families, owning fifty shallops of eight tons each, 
 built by themselves, now lived upon the island, all occu}>ied in 
 the cod fishery. In conclusion, pcrhajis to alarm the Acadia 
 Company, he stated that ' the people were in general indus- 
 trious but keen enough to take in strangers who are not aware 
 of them.' From a subsequent letter, of .Inly 9, 1778, it ap- 
 pears the Jersey merchants l>ad at that time fishing establish- 
 ments at Chetican, on the north-west coast, and that the 
 fishei'mcn employed there were in the habit of bringing all 
 their shallops and fishing gear to Arichat to lay them up fi)r 
 the winter. It is stated also, in the same letter, that the 
 fishermen had been so much disturbed by the American pri- 
 vateers, that only two vessels had l)ecn sent out to Arichat in 
 1778, and that, if the ' -oubles continued, their es<?ibli.shmenis 
 there would proi)abiy be altogether abandoned. For these 
 rcasims the Acadia Company gave uj) their project ; but the 
 
f{82 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 .lerscy inoirliants held llioir jjjroimd in S))ite of ' the Iroublos,' 
 und, it is believed, have canied «»ii a liicrativc trade with the 
 ( ^11)6 Breton fishermen uj) to this day, but not upon such a 
 large scale as in former times. 
 
 The Enfjjlish fishermen, or rather the merchants who fur- 
 nished them with supjdies, were no doubt njrcatly annoyed by 
 the New England ])rivateers, who were well ac(inainted with 
 every harlnnir and creek in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland ; 
 but when France o]>cnly es])oused the cause of the revolted 
 colonies in 1777, and acknowledged the independence of the 
 United States in the following year, their troubles were 
 greatly increased. It is true, England had a sufficient naval 
 forco to cope with the French fleet under the Count d'Estaing, 
 in American waters, but detached cruisers i>rowled about, 
 keeping the fishermen in a constant state of alarm. You must 
 not su])j)ose that France esjwused the cause of the Americans 
 from disinterested motives only ; she still looked forward with 
 the hope of recovering Acadie and Cape Breton, as well as a 
 larger share in the fisheries. AVhen, therefore, the American 
 Congress sent [denipotentiaries to the European Courts in 
 1778, with a proposal that Nova Scotia, Cape Breton, and 
 hiilf of Newfoundland should be annexed to the United 
 States, and the other half of Newfoundland to France, ex- 
 cluding Great Britain from any share whatever in the fish- 
 erics,' the proposition docs not seem to have been received 
 with much favour, as France naturally supposed she was en- 
 titled to a larger share of the spoil. Nothing more secuis to 
 have been snid about the matter, as no attemi fs were made by 
 France and the United States to take Nova Scotia and Cape 
 Breton. Cape Breton was rarely visited during the revo- 
 lutionary war, by cither the American or French cruisers, 
 because it probably offered no temptation to the privateers. 
 Its shores were, however, occasionally visited by French ships 
 of war, but no attempt was made to establish a fi)oting in the 
 island. Ik the year 1781, a smart action was fought off the 
 mouth of Spanish River, between two French frigates and a 
 squadron of small English ships of war engaged in convoying 
 ' McPhersons's Annuls of Comnicrcc. 
 
ACTION FOUOHT OFF SPANTSTI KTVER. :>S:{ 
 
 sixteen vessels to the mines to i)rocnrc a su|)])ly of coal for the 
 troops at Halifax. The Knjj^lish squadron, coinprisinfr the 
 ' Charlestown ' frigate, of 28 guns, Captain Evans ; the sloops 
 ' Allegiance ' and ' Vulture,' of 16 guns each. Captains rhipi»s 
 and Get)rge ; the armed transport * Vernon,' with some trooj)s 
 of the 7()th Regiment on board, going to work at the coal- 
 mines ; and the cutter ' Little Jack,' of G guns, had nearly 
 reached their destination on the evening of July 21, when 
 they were discovered and chased by two large French fri- 
 gates — ' L'Astrec,' Ca})tain La Perouse, and ' L'llermione,' 
 Captain De la Touchc, of 4-4 guns each. Finding that the 
 enemy's ships were fast overhauling him. Captain Evans, 
 having skilfully covered the merchant ships, to allow them to 
 get into Spanish lliver in safety, formed his little squadron in 
 line of battle and waited for the attack of the French friirates. 
 The action commenced at 8 r.M. and was fought with little 
 advantage to either side, until the ' Little Jack,' having been 
 separated from her consorts, was obliged to strike ; but the 
 others maintained an incessant and well-directed fire until 
 dark, when the French ships sheered off, taking their prize 
 with them. Captain Evans was unfortunately killed by a 
 cannon-shot early in the action, when Mr. jNIackay, the officer 
 next in rank on board the * Charlestown,' continued the action 
 with great skill and bravery. The British loss was rather 
 severe ; besides her Caj)tain, the ' Charlestown ' had seven 
 men killed and twenty-nine wounded ; the ' Allegiance,' (me 
 killed and five wounded; the ' Vulture,' one killed and two 
 wounded ; the ' Vernon,' seven killed and six wounded ; an«l 
 the * Little Jack,' two killed and one wounded. The night 
 being luckily very dark, and the English shi])s greatly shat- 
 tered in the unequal contest. Captain Phipps made sail with 
 his little squadron to the eastward. At daylight next morn- 
 ning, the enemy's ships not being in sight, the English squa- 
 dron bore up for Halifax, where it arrived in safety, but in 
 a crippled condition.' A recent French writer^ gives a dif- 
 
 ' Beatson's yaval and Military Histori/ of Gnat Britain, and otlirr English 
 nuHiors. 
 
 * IIt'nne4uiii'fs Bictp-aj'fiii /iiariti/nc dix Murins cllilms. Paris; 18;!7. 
 
'J8i CAPE BRETON. 
 
 f'ercnt version of ♦lie affair ; he says tlie English squatlron was 
 composed of six ships of war, ' doiit une fregate de vingt-huit 
 canons, le " Charlestown," li bord de laquelle etait arhorc le 
 signe du commandement ; les cinq autrcs etaient des cor- 
 vettes de vingt-quatre, vingt et dix-luiit canons. Les capi- 
 taines La Perouse ' et La Touehe-Treville n'hcsitcrent point 
 u les attaquer, malgre leur supcrioritc. 11 ctuit sept henrcs 
 du soir lorsque le feu commcncj'a. Aprcs unc hcure environ 
 du coml)at le plus opiniatre, le " Charlestown " et Ic " Jack " 
 amcnerent leur pavilion, les (juatre autres prennent la fuite, ct 
 le convoi fut disperse.' This account, you will observe, is not 
 correct; the armament of the English squadron consisted <>l" 
 only 75 guns instead of 150, and the ' Charlestown ' was not 
 captured, as therein stated. Tiie cutter * Little Jack ' either 
 escaped or was recaptured not very long after the action, for 
 it is stated in Murdoch's ' History of Nova Sct)tia,' ' that the 
 ])rovincial armed cutter ' Little Jack,' 6 guns, commanded by 
 li. P. Tongc, which had taken part in the .action in which 
 Captain Evans was killed, left Halifax on October fi for 
 (Quebec, and on the lOth, as she was entering the (Jut ol' 
 Canceau, was met by two American privateers belonging to 
 Marblehead. Tonge ran into Petit de Grat, where ho an- 
 chored, and brought a spring upon his cable, and engaged 
 them. He got one 9-pounder on shore on an eminence, and 
 used it effectively. He captured one of them, and drove the 
 other off. He then paroled all his prisoners but one, and on 
 the 12th sailed for Quebec with his prize.' 
 
 The unhappy contest which had been raging in America by 
 
 ' This was the same La Perouse who in 178.") htul chief comm.ind of tiie frifjatcs 
 ' L'Astrohtbe ' and ' Boussole' on a voyage of discovery round the world. Nothinji 
 whatever was heard of the fate of tlio expedition, which loft Botany ]?ay on 
 iM'hruary 5, 1788, until the year 1813, when sonic fragments of the wrecks were 
 discovered by the captain of an English brig upon the Isle of Vanikoro, llinr 
 degrees to the northward of the New Hebrides. It is a singular coincidence that 
 the two celebrated navigators, Cook and La Perouse, one of whom was engaged 
 in the destniction of the French ships in Louisbourg Harbour in I'fiH, and the 
 other in the action off Spanish River in 1781, both perished on their voyages of 
 discovery in the Pacific Ocean. The English Government supplied I/i Perouse 
 with the nautical instruments which had lieeu used by Cook on his voyages. 
 
ARTICLES OF PEACE SIGNED AT PARIS. t]So 
 
 land and son, for nearly sovcn years, was n.,w drawini. to a 
 Hose the <.reat majority of the IJrItish nation hcin.^ eonvinoed 
 Ihat there was no chanee of rcdueinj. tlic revolted colonics to 
 subjection A new ministry, stn.n^rjy opposed to a conti- 
 nuation of tlie war, having, l.eon forme<l, negotiations for a 
 peace were opened, and j.relin.inary articles sio^.ed at l>aris on 
 November 30, 1782. Soon after the restoration of j.eace, 
 several changes were made in the loyal n.hu.ies, <,f which the 
 most nnportant for our considcratio,. was the separation <,f 
 Cape Lreton Iron, the (Jovcnnuent of Nova Scotia-a sulm.t 
 ol too much imiM.rtanco to he <liscussed at the tail <,f this 
 'tetter ; I will therefore defer it to my next. 
 
 C (J 
 
380 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 LETTEIi XXTTI. 
 
 1783-1793. 
 
 Immediately after tho cstaltlif^hmcnt of peace between Great 
 Britain and the United States, a great nnmbci" of ijoyaiists 
 flocked to Nova Scotia, where tlie Governor was instt ncted to 
 give them every encouragement. Free grants of land were 
 offered to all, and in addition a daily allowance in the shape of 
 money and provisions to the most needy ; hut, for reasons not 
 stated, the Governor Avas strictly forbidden ' upon any pretence 
 whatever to make any grants in the island of Cape lireton, or 
 in any other island comprehended within his government, 
 without express orders for that purpose.' In consequence of 
 this order, many of the refugees, who were desirous of settling 
 in Cape Breton, were obliged to remain in Nova Scotia. This 
 policy, whatever may have been its object, was persevered in 
 until 1784, when the Honourable Thomas Townshend, just 
 raised to the peerage under the title of Lord Sydney, was 
 appointed Secretary of State for the Colonies. On the accession 
 of Lord Sydney to office, the new Ministry reversed the policy 
 of its predecessors, and separated Cape Breton from the govern- 
 ment of Nova Scotia. At the same time, the island of St. 
 John's, and all that part of Nova Scotia lying to the northward 
 of the Bay of Fundy, were erected into separate governments, 
 the latter under the name of New Brunswick. Lieutenant- 
 Governors were appointed to Cape Breton and St. John's 
 islands, but the Governor of Nova Scotia was to continue 
 Captain-General and Governor-in-Chief over the new colonies. 
 To meet the requirements of the new Governments, a fresh 
 set of instructions was issued by His Majesty to Governor 
 Parr, on August 20, from which I will now give you the 
 
INSTRUCTIONS TO GOVERNOR FARR. o87 
 
 substance, in abbreviated paragr plis and extracts specially 
 relating to Cape Breton. IJy these instructions, Governor 
 Parr was directed : 1. To appoint nine members of Council. 
 2. To administer the usual oaths and declarations to the 
 members of the Council, and to the judges or office-holders 
 in the island. 3. To give coi)ics of these instructions to the 
 Council of Cape Breton, or of such parts as he nu'ght deem 
 convenient for His Majesty's service. 4. To relieve Ca})e 
 Breton from all interference of the Assembly of Nova Scotia, 
 Parr was ordered ' not to assent to any law which shall be 
 passed in our province of Nova Scotia, which shall extend, or 
 be deemed or construed to extend, to our island of Cai>e 
 Breton under colour or pretence that our said island is included 
 in our commission to you, and is thereby part of your govern- 
 ment of Nova Scotia.' G. "• And whereas the situation and 
 circumstances of our island of Cape Breton will not at present 
 admit the calling of an Assembly, you, our Lieutenant- 
 Governor of our said island shall, until it api)ears proper to 
 call such Assembly, in the mean time make such rules and 
 regulations, by the advice of our Council, for the said island, 
 as shall appear to be necessary for the peace, order, and 
 good government thereof, taking care that nothing may be 
 passed or done that shall any way tend to affect the life, limb, 
 or liberty of the subject, or to the imposing of any duties or 
 taxes, and that all such rules and regulations be transmitted 
 by the first opjjortunity, after they are passed and made, for 
 our approbation or disallowance.' 7. It would appear that 
 convicts were at that time occasionally sent out to the colonies, 
 as it was ordered that ' you do not give any assent to, or pass 
 any Act whatsoever for imposing duties on any importation t)f 
 any felons from this kingdom in the province or islands under 
 your government.' 8. Authorises the Governor of Nova Scotia 
 to hear appeals from any of the Courts of Common Law in 
 Cape Breton. 9. The order forbidding the passing of grants 
 must have been revoked, as full instructions were sent respect- 
 ing the conditions of all future grants, one being, that ' reser- 
 vations shall be made to us, our heirs and successors, of all 
 coals, and also all mines of gold, silver, topper and lead, which 
 
 c c 2 
 
388 CAPE riRETON. 
 
 shall 1)0 (liscovorod upon such lantls. \0. Vrco. f^rants aro 1o 
 be given to rcilnco«l oilicois of the army, and of |)roviiicial 
 cor|)s, -svho had served in the United States. And lastly, a 
 strict friendship and correspondence should he eultivated and 
 maintained with the Indians of Nova Scotia an<l C'a])e lireton, 
 that they might be induced to become good subjects ; and for 
 this end interviews should be held from time to time with the 
 heads of the tribes, promising them friendshij) and pi-otcction. 
 Copies of these instructictns, which may justly be styled the 
 Koyal Charter of C'ai)C lireton and St. .lohirs, Averc sent to the 
 Lieutenant-Governors of thuse islands, who Avere at the same 
 time informed that, in the case of the death of the (Jovernor 
 of Nova Scotia, the senior conniianding in cither of the islands 
 should succeed him ])ro temjiore; and in case of the death or 
 absence of either of the Lieutenant-(Jovernors, the eldest 
 Councillor residing in the island shoidd administer tlie govern- 
 ment thereof 
 
 On May 29, 1784, Clovornor Parr was notified by Lord 
 Svdnev that a ' Lioutcnant-drovermn* with a suitable civil 
 establishment would be pinccd upon the island of Capo 
 P>reton.' and on July 7 following, that IVIajor Predei-ic A\'allet 
 Desbarres had been appointed by His jMajesty to that office. 
 The sum of 1,750/. Avas also voted by Parliament on August o 
 of the same vear, for ' defraying the charges of the C'ivil Ks- 
 tablishment of His INIajesty's island of Ca|)c Dreton.' Des- 
 barres sailed from Portsmouth in Sej)tember, in the slii[» 
 ' IJlenheim,' which had been chartei-ed to carry out provisions 
 and stores to Halifax, where he arrived on November 10, and 
 immediately proceeded to Cape Preton. As I\raj()r Desbarres 
 was the first civil govermtr of the island inider the new 
 regime, you will no doubt be glad to hear what were his 
 claims to such a responsible^ situation. He has himself fur- 
 nished us with a detailed account of his services, in a \for\i 
 Avhich he published after his removal from Cape Breton, from 
 Avhich 1 have gleaned the following particulars : — 
 
 INIr. Desbarres first embarked for America in 17.30, being 
 then a lieutenant in the 00th Regiment, and was for some tiuu' 
 employed in raising recruits in Pennsylvania and Maryland, 
 
DKSUAiniES EMllARKS FOR AMERICA. 889 
 
 aii*l in (lisci|»liiiiii^ a corps ul' Held artillery, lii 17o7, with a 
 siHsiU (k'lacliiiK'iit (»(' voliinlocrs ho was sent in pursuit <»t' a 
 l)aii(l of Indians wliieh had [)huidered the vilhij^c of Schence- 
 iiu\y, on the frontier of New Y'ork, and scalped several of the 
 inhabitants. Overtakiujjf and coming upon them by surprise, 
 in the night, he routed the Indians and made i)ris«>ners of 
 some of their chiefs. He then established a post in the heart 
 (»f the forest, where ho remained three months, and kcj»t the 
 savages in suiyection. During the remainder of the campaign 
 of that year, he served under Lord Ilowf; iieur Lake (ieorge, 
 and was employed to reconn(»itrc and report upon the state of 
 the Flench Works at Ticonderoi^a. In 175H he distinu;uished 
 himself at Louisbourg by seizing an entrenchment of the 
 enemy, which greatly facilitated the debarkation of the army, 
 and towards the dose of the siege opened a sap at the foot 
 of the glat'is, with such judgment and |)rom[)titude that 
 (Jeiieral Wolfe brought his conduct under the notice of the 
 King, who ordered him to attend Wolfe as an engineer in 
 the celcltrated expedition against (Quebec. On the field of 
 liattle, upon the lleiglits of Abraham, in IToD, Desbarres 
 was in the act of reporting to General Wolfe an order he 
 had just executed, when that gallant hero received his mortal 
 wound. In 17G() and 1761 he served in Caiuula, and, after 
 its concpiest, was sent to Nova Scotia to make plans and 
 estiniaies of t'ortifying the dockyard and harbour of Halifax. 
 In 17()2 he served in the capacities of Engineer and Qnartcr- 
 niaster-Geiieral, in the expedition under Colonel Andierst for 
 the recapture of St. John's, Newfoundland. During a porittd 
 ol" ten years, commencing in 170.'J, Desbarres was em|)loyed 
 in making surveys of the coasts and harboiu's of Xova Stotia 
 and Caitc Breton, and during the succeeding ten years in pre- 
 paring and adaptuig these surveys for publication. As his 
 promotion had been stopped whilst he was engaged ujum these 
 surveys, the Government, taking into consideration his long 
 and valuable services, appointed him Lieutenant-Governor of 
 Cape Dreton — an ai>[>ointmeut which in the eiul proved rather 
 a punishment than reward, as it was intended to be. 
 
 The knowledge which Desbarres had ae<iuired of the gco- 
 
flOO CAPE UlCETON. 
 
 I^rapliy of Cape Urcton, whilst on^fji<,'cil in making Iii8 .survey 
 i>r its coasts aiul harbours, enabled him to fix upon the most 
 suitable jtlacc for the site of its future capital, unmeiliatcly after 
 his arrival there in November 1784. Louisbourg, it is true, 
 possessed the advantage of an open harbour all the year round ; 
 but its situation was in other respects 80 objectionable, that 
 there could be no question of the superior capabilities of the 
 place chosen by Desbarrcs — the peninsula at the head of the 
 south arm of Si)ani3h Kiver, one of the safest and most capa- 
 cious harbours in British America. Here, accordingly, Des- 
 barrcs determined to establish the seat of government, which 
 he called Sydney, in honour of the Secretary of State, by whoso 
 advice, it was supposed, Cape iJretou had been severed from 
 Nova Scotia. 
 
 This decision gave the finishing blow to Louisbourg, which 
 had been rapidly declining ever since the garrison was with- 
 drawn, in 1768. The few respectable inhabitants who had 
 clung to its falling fortunes in the hope of better days soon 
 abandoned it, and Louisbourg dwindled down, in the course of 
 a few years, into a mere fishing village of the smallest dimen- 
 sions, such as you will find it at the present day. Its ju'csent 
 condition has been well described by Montgomery Martin, in 
 his ' History of the British Colonies': — ' The ruins of the once 
 formidable batteries, with wide broken gaps (blown up by gun- 
 powder), present a melancholy picture of past energy. The 
 sti'ong and capacious magazine, once the deposit of immense 
 quantiiies of munitions of war, is still nearly entire, but, hidden 
 by the accumulation of earth and turf, now affords a commo- 
 dious shelter for flocks of peaceful sheep, which feed around 
 the burial ground where the remains of many a gallant French- 
 man and patriotic Briton arc deposited; while beneath the 
 clear yold wave may be seen the vast sunken shii)S of war, 
 whose very bulk indicates the power enjoyed by the Gallic 
 nation, ere England became mistress of her colonies on the 
 shores of the Western Atlantic. Desolation now sits with a 
 ghastly smile around the once formidable bastions — all is silent 
 except the loud reverberating ocean, as it rolls its tremendous 
 surges along the rocky beach, or the bleating of the scattered 
 
PRESENT ASPECT OF LOUISHOURO. Wl 
 
 sheep, as witli tinklinir bells tliey return in the dusky solitude 
 of eve to their singular I'oKls; nhile the ilescenilant of sonic 
 heroic Gaul, whose ancestors fought and l)led in endeavouring 
 to prevent the noble fortress of his sovereign being laid pros- 
 trate before the prowess of mightier Albion, may be observed 
 wandering among these thne-honoured ruins, and mentally 
 exclaiming, in the language of the Bard of Erin : — 
 
 On Louisbourff's licifrlitH where (ho fishcriniin stmys, 
 When tlio elciir cold ovo's iUvliiiinf», 
 
 110 sots tho wiir ships of oUut days 
 
 111 tho wavf, beneath him, hhiiiinj^; 
 
 Thus shall memory often in ilreams sublinio, 
 Cafeh a glimpse of the days that are over, 
 And sijj;hing look back thmugh the? vista of time, 
 For tho long faded glories they cover ! 
 
 As soon as it became known that a Lieutenant-Governor 
 was to be sent to Cape IJretim, and that grants of land would 
 be issued, a3 in the other provinces, many persons dli'ected 
 their aft -ntion towards the island. One of the first wjis 
 Abraham Cuyler, Esq., formerly Mayor of Albany, then 
 resi'Iing in London, who laid before the King a memorial dated 
 February 21, 1784, in which he stated that he himself and 
 many (tthcr persons 'svho had been deprived of their projterty 
 on account of their loyalty, had removed to Canada in 1782, 
 and were desirous of obtaining grants of land in Cai)C lireton, 
 with the intention of settling there. This memorial having 
 been favourably received, a number of persons, styling them- 
 selves the ' Associated Loyalists,' sailed in three vessels for 
 Cape Breton, under the chai'gc of Colonel Peters, Cai)tain 
 Jonathan Jones, and Mr. Kobertson, late officers in the corps 
 of Royal Hangers, and associates of Mr. Cuyler, where they 
 arrived about October 28. About one hundred and forty per- 
 sons came to Cape Breton by these vessels, furnished with 
 clothing and provisions by the British Government, under the 
 charge of Captain Jones and Mr. Alexander Haire. Some of 
 these persons settled near St. Peter's, others at Baddeck, and 
 the rest, who had gone direct to Louisbourg, were there met 
 by Mr. Cuyler, lately arrived I'nmi England. As Lieutenant- 
 
{J02 CAI'T. IIKKTON. 
 
 Governor Dosharrcs had not llirn iciicliod ('a|»c nrctoii, tlicse 
 last' were (tl)H<^eil (o riinaiii nil winter at Loiiisliomjf. Tlio 
 liniises weie in sueh a ruinous eondition tliaf Mr. Cujlei' was 
 «»Mi^eil to send a vessel to Miia to i)l>tain W()u<l l(» repair tlieni, 
 which was nnlortunately lost in a snow-sl(»nn, wlieii all on 
 hoard |M;rished. Some lew of these innnij^rants settled at 
 lionishourj;, hut the f^reater part went with the (Jovernor in 
 the loljowinj;- sprin*^ to Sydney, where they were en>ploye»l for 
 >(»hie time in elearini^ the woods ajid ercetin*^ houses for them- 
 selves and the (jJovernmcnt. An soon as the woods were eut 
 down and hurnt, the town was nuirked out l)y Mr. Tait, and 
 harraeks were eommcnccd for the reception of six companies of 
 the .'J.'Jrd Rej!;Imenl, which had arrived from Halifax under the 
 command of Lieutenant-Ctdonel Yorkc. The military stalF 
 coMi])rised a Town Adjutant, Darraek INIastcr, t'onunissary of 
 Stores and I'l'ovisions, Chaplain, Surf^oim, Assistant Surjjjcon, 
 and Connnlssary of INTusters, all of Avhom, together with the 
 (roojis, had to camp out until Avinter. lIouseH were also bej;un 
 for the ortieers of Government, but these, as well as the Governor 
 himself, had long to reside in shanties of the meanest descrip- 
 tion. 
 
 About eight hundred persons arrived, and settled in various 
 parts of the island in the early part of the smnnier. It is 
 stated by Desbarres that an accession of 3,397 sj)eedily followed 
 the pidjlication of his proclamation on September 1 , describing 
 the natural advantages of the island, and offering a liberal 
 supply of provisions for three yeai's to innnigrants, with clothing 
 for themselves and their families, lumber and materials for 
 farm buildings, and tools and implements for clearing land. 
 Many valuable settlers Avcrc induced in consequence to come 
 to Ca])e IJrcton ; but it is to be feared the very liberal terms 
 offered in the proclamation also brought in a number of disso- 
 lute, idle characters, well satisfied to live upon the bounty of 
 
 ' Amongst thoni was tlio iincestur of tlu; Lorways, a family well and favourably 
 known in Cape Breton. Mr. Ciiylir say.s, in a letter addressed from Louisbourg 
 to the Under Seerctary of State, tliat ' Lorway and Grant, two Ixjyalists, refused 
 to admit Rielnird Maiidi'vilic into their quarters, and that lu? eonseiiuently stoj^peil 
 tiieir rations.' Ho adds, as there was no eustom-liouse ottiecr there, some of the 
 iulmbitanls letaikd spirituous liquors and caused disturbauces. 
 
TlIK LlKrTKNANT-ftOVRRNOll APPOINT!^ A COUNfllL. ''\0'\ 
 
 tlic ( Jovormiu'iit 8(» l(in«f ii» tlicy were not obliged to luuke any 
 exertions for tlieii* own support. 
 
 The ^reiit ri.u'K of Innni^viinls, und tlic bustlin^; .scene pre 
 sented by ho nmny people bu.sily ('n;j;iij5e»l in ereetinj^ bjirnicks, 
 storehouses and dweHin<i;s, seoni quite to liave turned the heail 
 of the (Jovernor, and ina(U' hiuj faney that Cape IJretop wouhl 
 soon eehpse all the neighbourinnr eohtnies. From tlie very 
 first he a]»pears .^o have imbibed an idea that tlic people of 
 Nova Seotia were jealous of Cape Breton, and looked with dis- 
 satisl'aetion at its risiiij^' importance. Writin*; on Auj^ust 17 
 to the Under Secretary of State he saysj ' New yettlers arc 
 cominj^ in fast; the New England people do not like the 
 settling of the inland of Cape lireton at all; they know it will 
 be the loss of every advantage they derive from the lishery. 
 Nova Scotia is jealous, and don't wish with thorough sincerity 
 the success of this Govermnent, lest its growing importance 
 and value ahould raise it to the first rank amongst His jNIajesty's 
 and the national favourites.' Desbarrcs seems to have imagined 
 that he possessed vice-regal powers, as he instructed Lieutenant 
 (Jraham to hoist a pennant npon the armed brig ' St. Peter's,' 
 employed in carrying coals to Halifax. This notion was, 
 however, soon dispelled by Commodore Sawyer, who wrote to 
 Desbarrcs on July l.'J, informing him that Captain Stanhoi»c 
 of 11. M.S. * IVIercury ' had seized the ' St. Peters,' and that 
 he (Commodore Sawyer) being by virtue of his commission 
 Chief Conunander of lI.M.'s ships in Hritish America, could 
 not permit any other person to comnnission vessels and appoint 
 connnanders. 
 
 Being required to appoint a Council to advise him on all 
 im[)ortant matters, the Lieutenant-Governor in the first in- 
 stance named the following gentlemen, who were duly sworn 
 in: — llichard Gibbons, Chief Justice, President; David Ma- 
 thews, Attorney-General; William Smith, Military Surgeon; 
 Thomas MoncreifF, Fort Adjutant; J. E. Boisseau, Deputy 
 Commissary of Musters ; Rev. Benjamin Lovell, Military 
 Chaplain. Having subsequeittly (|uarrelled with Lieutenant- 
 Colonel Vorke, the Cuuimandant of the garrison, Desbarrcs 
 tlicu discovcrod that it was incompatible with the service of the 
 
394 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 Crown for military officers to hold seats in the Council, and 
 suggested that they had better resign. Only two of the officers 
 acted upon this suggestion — MoncreifF and Lovell — whose 
 places were filled up on December 20, by the appointment of 
 Alexander Haire and George Rogers. At the same time, 
 Thomas Uncle, William Brown, and John Wilkinson were 
 sworn in councillors, which made the Council complete in 
 number, according to the Hoyal instructions. 
 
 The officers of the civil establishment, all paid by the British 
 Government, were — Richard Gibbons, Chief Justice, late At- 
 torney-General of Nova Scotia ; David Mathews, Attorney- 
 General ; Abraham Cuyler, Clerk of Council, Provincial 
 Secretary and Registrar of Grants, &c. ; Thomas Hurd, Sur- 
 veyor-General ; William Brown, Comptroller of Customs ; 
 George Moore, Naval Officer; Thomas Uncle, Postmaster; 
 
 , Provost-Marshal. The coal mines on Spanish River 
 
 were reopened under the directions of the Lieutenant-Go- 
 vernor, and worked on Government account. Nearly all the 
 new settlers were of course employed chiefly in providing 
 shelter against the coming winter; but, nevertheless, some 
 enterprising individuals prosecuted the fisheries with success. 
 The value of the exports from the ports of Sydney, Mainadieu, 
 Louisbourg, St. Peter's, and Arichat, in the year 1785 exceeded 
 40,000/. sterling, the principal articles being 
 
 30,580 Quintals of Fish 
 174 Uarrels „ 
 304 „ Oil. 
 
 1,190 Chaklrons of Coal. 
 
 25.') Moose and Caribon Skins. 
 87 iJcavcr and Otter „ 
 1G3 Martin and Mink ,, 
 38 Fox and Wild Cat 
 
 In addition to these, considerable quantities of fish were ex- 
 ported from L'Indiennc (Lingan), St. Ann's, Port Hood, 
 Gabarus, and L'Ardois, of which no returns were sent in. 
 
 The young colony Avas reduced to great straits during the 
 first winter, for want of provisions. Fini ing that there was 
 not a sufficient stock on hand, Desbarres says he applied to 
 the Governor of Nova Scotia for a supply, and was refused, 
 because the latter * had an aversion to the measure of erecting 
 Cape Breton, formerly included within the jurisdiction of his 
 province, into a separate govcriimcTit, and, together with some 
 
BILLS DRAWN 15Y THE GOVERNOR DLSHONOURED. 395 
 
 of the officers of his civil establishment and mercantile men 
 long used to enjoy a monopoly of trade in Nova Scotia, seemed 
 hurt by its dismemberment, expecting that their perquisites 
 and exclusive profits would be reduced. Accordingly, In order 
 to frustrate the measure, they depreciated the natural advan- 
 tages of the island, discouraged the accession of settlers, inter- 
 cci>ted the supplies for its swpport, and predicted that the 
 infant colony would be broken up the first winter.' lie then 
 goes on to say that it had been preconcerted at Halifax that 
 Colonel Yorke, the Commandant at Sydney, should take pos- 
 session of the supplies sent out from England in the ship 
 ' President,' specially for the relief of the settlers in the autumn 
 of 1785, and that Colonel Yorke had accordingly refused to 
 allow the provisions to be taken out of the military storehouse, 
 where they had been put for safe keeping.' AVhoever was to 
 blame, it is quite certain the colonists were reduced to such 
 straits in the winter of 1785-86, that the Governor, with the 
 advice of his Council, decided upon sending a party to seize a 
 cargo of provisions on board a vessel from Quebec, ice-bound 
 in Arichat harbour. Instructions were given to the party ' to 
 obtain the cargo by purchase, impress, or any means possible ; ' 
 but the master having agreed to sell both cargo and vessel, she 
 was cut out of the ice and taken round to Louisbourg, from 
 whence the provisions were carried on sledges to Sydney. 
 This seasonable acquisition relieved the settlers for the winter, 
 but did not allay the feud between the Governor and Com- 
 mandant. A long correspondence ensued between the Governor 
 and the authorities in England, and the bills drawn by the 
 former for provisions were dishonoured, because it was alleged 
 that he had given a large quantity of provisions to persons 
 who were not entitled to them. The Governor therefore de- 
 termined to send the Chief Justice— Mr. Gibbons — to England 
 
 ' Lieutonant-Coloncl Yorko actod upon orders rcceivid from Miijor-Oi'iural 
 Campbell at Halifax, who instructed him on November 17 to give no provisions 
 out of the military stores, except to the troops, or such loyalists and disbancU'J 
 soldiers as should have ardc^rs to receive tliem from him (Major-Genrral Campbell). 
 In consequence, tho 40,000 rations sent out in the ' President,' and reshipped to 
 Sydney by tho brigantino ' Uraiidy wine,' wort; taken iwsBtssion of by Colonel 
 Yorke, — Records. 
 
'i9C) (WW. miETON. 
 
 ill tlie i'ollowinjj!; spriiiif, to rclmt the cliaviios broiin'ht nf>;iiiii.st 
 him. On August 2, Mr. (iil»l)i)iis iuldrcssed the IJiidcr-Sccre- 
 tary of State, asking for an interview for the purj)0!se of 
 showing that ' un})aralIelod opjtositions, contcnn)ts, and vio- 
 lenee had been jjjiven hy the officers of Ills Majesty's 33rd 
 Ue<^inient to the hiws of tlie hmd, the Kinjjf's courts of justice, 
 the magistracy and executive civil officers in the ishmd of Cape 
 IJreton.' Tiie mission of the Chief .lustice was not successful ; 
 for we learn by a letter addressed by Lord Sydney to Des- 
 barrcs, on Xoveniber 30, 178G, that he had hiid the desi)atches 
 received by the Chief Justice l)efore the Kino-, and that ' His 
 IMajesly had in various instances observed a dis])osition in 
 you to encourage a disunion of alfcction between his subjects 
 residing on the island of Ca})e IJreton and those in the jtrovince 
 of Nova Scotia. From whatever your suspicion of the jealousy 
 of the latter of the increasing importance of Cape IJreton may 
 have been entertained, your proceedings u])on these occasions 
 ai)pear to me injvulicious, and likely in their consequences to 
 be productive of very mischievous ett'ects.' lleferring to the 
 constant dls[)utes with the military, and the complaints in con- 
 se(iuence made against him, he says, ' Many doubts have been 
 cJitertiiined of the rectitude of your conduct, or at least of your 
 [trudence and discretion, which neither the reasoning contained 
 in your despatches, nor the information given by the Chief 
 Justice, arc sufficient to remove. Ui)on these accounts I lis 
 Majesty has thought it fit that I should signify to you his 
 Royal commands for your return to England as soon as [)os- 
 sible, to give an account of your proceedings . . . leaving the 
 island in the charge of the senior councillor until such time as 
 you may return thither, or that His Majesty may determine 
 upon naming a successor to you.' With res[)cct to his accounts, 
 he adds, ' that charges were inserted of a nature which, con- 
 sistently with your duty to the public, you ought to have 
 discountenanced instead of promoting, and that purchases of 
 provisions and other supplies were nmde by you for the use «if 
 persons whose situations did not entitle ihem to such an indul- 
 gence, whereby a consideiable expense has been unnecessarily 
 incurred." 
 
OTIAT^TK ISSTTED TO LOYATiTRTS, ETC 307 
 
 CJovornor Desbarrcs, scoiiij:; clearly that his rcij^n in Ca[te 
 J>rct<m Avould mem terminate, made f^ood nsc of his time until 
 liis successor arrived in October 1787. His liberal gifts of 
 rations to all comers, Avhethcr entitled or not to that indul- 
 gence, having made him popular with the pcoi)lc generally, 
 an address dated March 1, 1780, signed by 140 inhabitants of 
 Sydney, was })resented to him, a])proving highly of his conduct 
 and complaining of the treatment he had received from the 
 military; and on tiie 8th of the same month seventy-eight 
 Aciidians, chiefly of the Isle IMadame, thanked him for his 
 attention to their sj)intual wants, and asked for the remission 
 of certain taxes upon their shallops, which he graciously con- 
 ceded. D;^sirous of gratifying the settlers, a great number 
 of grants, previously promised, were issued in various parts of 
 the island to Loyalists, disbanded soldiers, and many other 
 applicants, and one tract of 1()(),()()() acres to .lotham White 
 and 120 families of Loyalists from New Hampshire. As the 
 greatest part of this gi-ant, commoidy known as the * INlira 
 (irant,' was never settled, it was subsequently escheated. 
 
 The only incidents worthy of mention during the years 
 178G and 1787, previous to Desbarres's dei>artLire from Cape 
 l>reton, were -the arrival of the 42nd Regiment, commanded 
 by Lieutenant-Cohmel Graham, in 1780, to replace the '^'^r^\, 
 removed to Halifax; the a])pointment of Archibald C. Dodd 
 (who afterwards became Chief Justice) to the Clerkshi[) of the 
 Council ; of Alexander Haire to the office of Surveyor- 
 (icneral, in the place of Thomas Hurd, suspended; ol" Patrick 
 Ixooney Nugent to be Dejnity-Surveyor of the island ; ol' 
 Abraham Cuyler to be Comptroller of Customs, rice William 
 Brown, deceased ; and of the Reverend Ranna Cossit to the 
 incinnbencv of St. Georij-e's Church, for the erection of which 
 Parliament granted 500/. in addition to the sum of 2,050/. for 
 the charges of the Civil E.stablishmont of the island in 1780. 
 
 Jonathan Jones, John Ley, Ferrers, and Hugh Watts, 
 
 were appointed magistrates for the T'^istrlct of Louisbourg 
 (which included Sydney and Baddeck); and Xiel Robertson, 
 Francis Murphy, and .lohn Iliggins, foi- the District of St. 
 Peter's. Several ordinanc^os were passed by the (iovcrnor and 
 
308 CAPE r.RETON. 
 
 Council, of wliicli the most important was that for cstabllsh- 
 injT a militia in the island. Some changes also were made in 
 the composition of the Council from time to time, but it would 
 occupy too much space to give them in detail. 
 
 Nothing of importance occurred during the rcmi^inder of 
 Dcsbarrcs's adminstration until October 11, 1787, w! ;n Lieu- 
 tenant-Colonel Macormick, who had been app )inted to suc- 
 ceed him, arrived at Sydney. Desbarrcs immediately pro- 
 ceeded to England and demanded an investigation into his 
 conduct, but this was never granted, though supported by 
 Sir Herbert Mackworth and other influential ])crsons. The 
 Ministry having refused to pay the bills which he had drawn, 
 he was obliged to retire for a time to Jersey to avoid being 
 arrested by the parties who had furnished supi)lics of pro- 
 visions ordered by him for the starving settlers. In wading 
 through the voluminous documents relating to the transactions 
 of many years subsequent to his removal from Cape Breton, 
 I repeatedly came across letters from Desbarrcs to the Mi- 
 nistry, demanding redress for his losses, but I could not ascer- 
 t.ain that his claims were ever satisfied. I cannot but think 
 that Governor Desbarrcs received scant justice from the 
 British Government of that day ; he was wrong, perhaps, in 
 giving rations indiscriminately to all the settlers, but surely 
 he would have been much more blameable had he refused to 
 supply them in their urgent necessity ; if he erred at all, ho 
 erred in the cause of humanity. Colonel Desbarrcs subse- 
 quently removed to Halifax, where he died on October 27, 
 1824, in the lOIJrd year of his age. 
 
 The new Lieutenant-Governor, who was to have healed 
 the dissensions of the little colony, had scarcely settled down 
 at Sydney, when he found himself involved in a quarrel with 
 the Chief Justice, Mr. Gibbons, Avhom he accused of having 
 sided with some persons who were opposed to the enrohnenl of 
 a militia for the defence of the island. A long and angry 
 correspondence ensued, and the upshot was the suspension of 
 Mr. Gibbons as Chief Justice until His Majesty's pleasure 
 could be known. 
 
 One of the most notable events of the first vcar of Macor- 
 
PRINCE WILLIAM HENRY VISITS SYDNEY. oOU 
 
 mick's Government was the arrival, in September 1788, of Ilis 
 lloyal Highness Prince William Henry (afterwartls AVilliam 
 IV. ) at Sydney, hi the frigate ' Andromeda,' of which he was 
 commander. The Prince remained several days at Sydney and 
 then returned to Halifax. To mark his sense of the honour 
 conferred upon Sydney by this visit, the Governor gave the 
 harbour the name of ' Prince William Henry's Sound ; ' but 
 it was never used except in a few official documents of the 
 time, and has been long forgotten. 
 
 Soon after the departure of the ' Andromeda ' another 
 shiji arrived on the cojust, bringing a number of less welcome 
 visitors. This was the ship ' Providence,' Captain Devon- 
 ham, which had left Cork with eighty convicts fur (Quebec, 
 where they were to have been landc<l and sent up to the back 
 settlements. Finding the season too far advanced to get up the 
 St. Lawrence, Captain Devonham returned through the (Jul 
 of Canceau, ran along the coast to the eastward, and anchored 
 his ship between Port Nova and Scatari on December 11. 
 Here the brutal Captain hoisted out his yawl and landed all 
 the convicts, after knocking oft' their irons, ui)on the shore two 
 miles to the eastward of Mainadieu. The landing was not 
 completed until 7 p.m. (more than two hours after dark), when 
 the ship sailed for the westward, leaving the poor wretches 
 without a morsel of food upon the beach. About seventy 
 men, women, and boys, found their Avay during the night to 
 Mainadieu, where they were kindly received by the few in- 
 habitants residing there, but seven were found next morning, 
 who had strayed into the woods and died from exposure to the 
 weather at that inclement season. Those who reached Main- 
 adieu in safety were sent to Sydney in a shallop belonging to 
 one Luke Keegan, excejjt twenty which the shallop could not 
 take.' On their arrival at Sydney, the poor creatures were 
 liberally supplied with provisions, and as the provincial brig 
 * Relief was not large enough to carry them all to Halifax, 
 and no other vessels could be hired for that purpose, arrange- 
 ments were made for housing them for the winter at a short 
 
 ' From an account sent Lv Charles Martdl (ii naiiic lamlliar to many of you) 
 to the authorities at Sydmy. 
 
KM) CAPE r.RETON. 
 
 distance from Sydney, as it was I'oarcd a conlati^ious disease 
 niinlit l)i'oak out in tlioir aUjoct condition. Owing to the 
 severity of the AV'ntcr, there were sehh>ni less than fifteen 
 l)atients in hos[)ital from frost-bites, and several became i)er- 
 manently lame from the same cause. As no instructions were 
 received in the S[)rin<]f relative to their disposal, the convicts 
 were allowed to go wherever they i)leascd ; some left the island 
 altogether,' whilst others found employment with the settlers, 
 where they were allowed to remain undisturbed by the Home 
 (lovcrnment, glad no doubt to get rid of them by paying the 
 sum of 567/. 12.v. oil. sterling, the cost of their maintenance 
 during the winter. Governor JNIacormick was of opinittn 
 that the caj)tain of the shi}) ought to be })unished in an ex- 
 emplary manner for his inhuman conduct; but Mr. (jirenville, 
 the Secretary of State, informed liim that ' in the present state 
 of the law he was afraid the ca])tain could only be sued loi 
 the penalties of the bonds which iiad been forfeited. Mea- 
 sures W(mld be taken to prevent the recurrence of such cases,' 
 The most painful incident connected with this affair remains 
 to be told; on the very night that they were landed on the 
 coast, two of the convicts, Pendergast and McDonald, mur- 
 dered an old man — one of their companions, in the w<»ods, for 
 the sake of a trilling sum ol" money he had about him; for 
 which they were tried at Sydney, found guilty, and con- 
 dcnmcd to be hanged. Mr. JNIatthews, the Attorney-General, 
 recommended that the sentence should he carried into elfecl, 
 but the Governor, having some doubts of the legality of the 
 trial, wrote to Mr. Grenvillc for advice; in the meantime, 
 waiting for an answer, the Governor was relieved of the diili 
 culty by the escape of Pendergast and McDonald from gaol, 
 with the supposed connivance of the corporal of the guard and 
 sentinel on duty, who were put under arrest by Major Lovcll. 
 The case of the convicts was the cause of much troiii/le and 
 annoyance to the Governor in another way. Mr. Cuyler 
 stated in council that he had proposed a more effectual means 
 of disposhig of the convicts when they first arrived, that would 
 
 ' 'Convicts li;i(l biiii htiulrd in CiHio UnLoii in llu jmst winter, iuul susprclKl 
 of lurking aliout llali tax.' -Murdoch's Nnvu Hwtiu. 
 
SUSPENSION OF CITYLEK niOM IIlS OFFICES. 'tOl 
 
 have saved a ^reat deal of expense, but that tlic Governor 
 would not u'j^W'v to it. This brou!j;ht on a quarrel which 
 oeeupiod liio attention of the Council for about six months. 
 'I'he various documents relating!; to this disjtuie cover nearly 
 ;5()() folio i)aL;-es in the 'Cape IJrctou J^apers ' in the Kccord 
 Office. The upshot >vas the sus])ensiou of Cuyler on August 
 If), 17H!), from his offices of Provincial Secretary, llegistrar, 
 ajul Clerk of (youncil, until the King's pleasure could be known* 
 This promjjt action of the (iovernor was not ap[)r'jved by the 
 Ministry. I'^ven his IViend, "Sir. Evan Xei)ean, the Under 
 Secretary of State, thought the (iovernor was wrong, I'or he 
 says in a private letter to him, of October 20, that 'he is sorry 
 there is likely to be fiu'thcr suspensions of officers, which, ex- 
 cept for atrocious proceedings, are not regarded with i'avour by 
 the iSIinistry. . . . AVith a little temper and proper manage- 
 ment things will always go on well, and measures of that sort 
 may generally be avoided. It cannot be a pleasant thing to 
 the King's servants, who have constantly enough upon their 
 hands, to be troubled upon every little bickering in the colonies. 
 I speak plainly and freely to you as a friend, and advise you to 
 try what can be done with a view of keeping things quiet.' 
 Not long after the receipt of this letter, the (Iovernor had the 
 mortification of receiving an Order in Council of March 2'A, 
 171)0, restoring Cuyler to all his offices in Ca})e Breton. This 
 Ordei', however, was revoked upon its coming to the cars of the 
 jNIinistry that Cuyler liad written and circulated in the colonies 
 a ])amphlet of a very violent and mischievous character. On 
 October 20 he resigned all his ofliccs at the suggestion of the 
 Secretary of State. In connection with this subject, I may 
 here mention some other changes in the staff of the Civil 
 Estaldishment made previous to the year 1793 — namely, the 
 api)ointmeut of Thomas Uncle to the Collectorshi[), and Wil- 
 liam Plant to the Comjjtrollership, of Customs in 1788: of 
 Archibald C. Dodd, Ingraham Pall, and Thomas Crawley to 
 the Council; of Mr. Storey to the office of Postmaster, and 
 David Tait to that of Provost-Marshal in 1789; and of 
 William jMcKinnou, by Royal Mandanms, to the offices of 
 Provincial Secretary and Clerk of the Council in 1792. 
 
 D I) 
 
402 CAPE DRETON. 
 
 Tlic <2;an-is(>n, coiisistinu; of tlio 4LJn(l IIi!j;li1iui(l('i*r«, liaviii^ 
 left Sydney direct for J'iiip;lund in 17(SD, was replaced Uy two 
 companies of the 21st l{e<i:iinent, under the command of ^lajor 
 Lovell. The reduction of the strength of the; o-arrison from 
 six to two companies in 17S(), and the orch'V^; receive*! I>y 
 IMajor Lovell on May .'H followinij;, from Jiri<.>adier-(ieneral 
 Ogilvic, the commanding ofKccr at Halifax, to hold the troo])S 
 in readiness to move at the shortest notice, (U'cated f!;reat un- 
 easiness at Sydney. As the presence of the troops was cou- 
 ►sidered necessary occasionally to act as a police, or to enforce 
 the revenue laws, and to jn'otcct the settlers from the savages, 
 who hail tlu'catened acts of violence against them, and boasted 
 of the powerful help they couhl ])rocure, the (iovernor, by 
 advice of the Council, petitioned IJrigadier-CJeneral Ogilvie to 
 take measures for the secui-ity of the island. It is stated in an 
 anonymous letter in the Kecord Olhcc, that in conseiiuence of 
 the expected departure of the troojis, Mhe inhabitants were 
 leaving the island daily, and so many houses were unoccupied 
 that rents had fallen from 'M)l. to 10/. per annum.' lieyond 
 all doubt the presence of a small body of troops was absolutely 
 necessary, as the Ibllowlng incident will show: — At this time 
 there "were large herds of moose and caribou in the northern 
 parts of the island, which afforded sustenance to the settlers in 
 the remote districts, and even furnished the people of Sydney 
 ■with an abundant sujtply of fresh venison at the moderate 
 price of 2d. or 3//. per lb. Thousands oi' these valuable animals 
 were killed by persons who came from Newfoundland and 
 the other culouics, merely for the sake of their skins, which 
 were worth about lO.s-. each. It is said that nearly 9,000 were 
 killed during the winter of 1789 alone, and that the stench 
 arising from their decaying carcases Avas sensibly perceived by 
 the crews of vessels j)assing along the coast between St. Ann's 
 and Cape Xoi-th. Ordinances were passed by the Governor 
 and Council to stop this wholesale destruction ; but as they 
 did not ])roduee much effect, the (Governor sent Thomas 
 C-rawley and (Jeorgo ISfoore, magistrates, su])ported by a 
 subaltern and thirty men of the 21st Itogiment, in the spring 
 of 1790, to Caj)c North and Ingonish, to endeavour to put an 
 
TIIK SLAUGHTER OP THE MOOSE PROUIBITED. 4Wi 
 
 end to the sljuijjjlitor of the moose. A number of men were 
 found assemhlcd at hoth of these phiccs, Avhere they had built 
 huts and collerted a considorabh' quantity of skins. These 
 men, advised of the ajutroach of the troops, had effectually 
 eoneealed the skins in the woods, but all their huts were de- 
 stroyed, and themselves dispersed by the troops. Without the 
 aid of the troops, the civil power, armed oidy with ordinances 
 of the Council, could never have dispersed the offenders. 
 
 The connnerec of the island, during the five years ending In 
 1793, did not show much increase. The documents in the 
 Record Oflfice do not contain regular returns of the exports, 
 but they nevertheless afford sufficient information to enable 
 me to say, that during the above period the Sydney district 
 (exclusive of coal) exported only a few thousand quintals of 
 dry fish, small quantities of mackerel and salmon, and a con- 
 siderable number of moose skins ; whilst the Arichat district 
 sent to market about 35,000 quintals of dry fish and 500 barrels 
 of mackerel annually. One of ISIacormick's first measures, on 
 assuming the Government, was to lease the coal mines at 
 Sydney to Thomas Moxley, who held them until his death, in 
 1791, when they were let to Messrs. Tremain and Stout, ' the 
 only respectable merchants in the place,' ' for a term of seven 
 years, at a royalty of five shillings Halifax currency per chal- 
 dron. From a letter written on October 6, 1792, by Governor 
 INIacormick to Mr. Dundas, wc learn that the mines at Cow 
 Bay and Sydney were the only ones worked in Cape Breton, 
 and that the former, which were let under contract by Governor 
 DesbaTx^eSj had been abandoned by the contractor, who had 
 absconded without paying the duties ; also, that the mines at 
 Spanish River, before the town of Sydney was founded, ' were 
 apportioned to the commanding officer of the troo[)s stationed 
 there,' who was paid half-a-guinea per chaldron for all coal 
 raised for the use of the garrison at Halifax, being furnished 
 with tools, implements and materials by the Government. Any 
 coal Avliich could be raised beyond the quantity required by 
 the garrison, formed a perquisite of the commanding officer, 
 
 ' Governor Macorniiok's loiter of Oetobor (>, 1792, to Mr. Duucla.s, Secretary of 
 State.— /i'< (•(';•(/.-•. 
 
 p D 2 
 
101. C'.APK nUKTON. 
 
 who sold tlirm to mcrcliaiits and traders at tlic rate of lf).v. Cul. 
 per clialdroii. The troftps liaviiij^ hccn witlidrawn iVom tlic 
 mines in 17H4,(iovornor Dcsharros \\t)i'kt,'d tlioni on (Jovorninont 
 ncc'onnt, scllinfjj the coal at HJ.v. per clialdron. In 17HH the 
 jtriec Avas rednccd to l.'i.v. G(i. per chaldron, a price >vhich conld 
 have left no profit to the Government; for out of this ])ricc, 
 *Sis. per chaldron was reserved as the perquisite of the Governor,' 
 leavini]; only 8.v. Gd. ])er chaldron to cover all charfjcs. In the 
 same letter INIacormick says that the total sales of coal, from 
 the date of his arrival at Sydney, on October 11, 17H7, up to 
 October G, 1792, were 9,147 chaldrons, or an average of 1,S29 
 per anmun. The old practice of stealing coals from the cliffs 
 on the coast was still prosecuted to a large extent, as JNIacor- 
 mick states that at least 500 chaldrons were taken from Cow 
 I»ay to St. Pierre and other jjlaccs in 1789, and that it would 
 occujn' at least three vessels to guard the coast properly, 
 whereas he had oidy one — a schooner chartered for the service 
 of the Government, commanded by Captain I'lichard, ' Avho 
 had been very active lately, and had seized three vessels loading 
 at Cow I>ay. Three more escaped.' 
 
 A number of grants were passed in the earlier years of 
 INIacormick's administration, in various ])arts of the island, but 
 chietly in the vicinity of Sydney Harbour, the Louisbourg 
 Ivoad (which had been just 0}>ened), the Little Bras d'Or, liad- 
 deck, Margarec, .ludiquc, Chetican, Arichat, Port Hood, the 
 liiver Inhabitants, and on the Gut of Canceau, where, in 1787, 
 there was not a single settler on the Cape lireton side of the 
 strait.' According to a return made by Macormick to the 
 Secretary of State, on March 17, 1793, 179 grants had been 
 issued in the island since 1784, of which thirty-one were to 
 loyalists, and seven to disbanded soldiers. This return gives 
 us no idea of the number of persons who had settled in the 
 island, because the issuing of grants had been discontinued 
 since the month of June 1790, when instructions were received 
 from the Secretary of State ' to restrain further grants except 
 completing those for which warrants had been issued.' It was 
 at this period the Indians built their chapel at the Indian 
 
 ' Piilersou's JJ/c of th lki\ J. McGmjor, D.IK 
 
SIR JOHN WENTWORTII OOVEHNOll OP NOVA SCOTIA. 405 
 
 Islands, near St. Peter's, whieh tliey still occupy, Francis liask 
 and IMicliael Tonnna, two chief's of the Micinacs, havin*; 
 ohtaincd leave on November 28, 171)2, 'tipon their j)crsonal 
 application, to build a chapel on the island St. Villeniai in the 
 IJras d'Or Lake, near to the portaj^c of Mount Grcnvillc, for 
 the exercise of divine worship ai^reeable to the rites and cere- 
 monies of the lloniau Catholic religion, and to possess the same 
 during Ilis Majesly's pleasure.' 
 
 ' 1 ought to have mentioned before, that Governor Parr, who 
 died at Halifax in 1791, was succeeded by Sir John AVent- 
 worth in the government of Nova Scotia. In his capacity of 
 lioyal Commissi(mcr of AVoods and Forests in America, before 
 the revolution, Sir John AVentworth had made himself well 
 acquainted with the resources of Ca[)e Breton, whieh he turned 
 to good account on his appointment to the office of Govei'uor- 
 in-Chicf, by suggesting some changes Avhich were adoi)ted by 
 the Government at home, of which more anon in my next 
 letter. 
 
•10(} C'AJ'K ItliKTOX. 
 
 Li':TTi:ii XXIV. 
 
 1793-1800. 
 
 TilK youiinj colony of Cape Breton, from its establishment in 
 17H4 lip to 171)2, had been distracted only by internal dis- 
 cord; but ill the beginning of 17 9li, when war was declared 
 against England by the French National Convention, it had 
 every reason to fear that, having so lately been a French pos- 
 session, the island would be attacked by the vessels of that 
 nation and its coasts ravaged by privateers. 
 
 When I tell you that the whole of the garrison, except one 
 subaltern and twenty men, had been withdrawn for the de- 
 fence of Halifax, and that even these were under notice to 
 leave in the sj)ring, you will not be surprised to hear that 
 great alarm prevailed, and that many of the inhabitants left 
 the island and went to the other colonics, where they hoped to 
 find better protection. In this emergency the Governor and 
 Council, after remonstrating against the removal of this 
 handful of men, which at best would hardly have been suf- 
 ficient to keep the Indians in subjection, ordered the militia 
 to be enrolled without delay, for the defence of the island. The 
 total number of inhabitants liable to serve in the militia 
 was only 423, scattered over wide and remote districts, as 
 will appear by the folloAving return, made out on April 16, 
 1793: • — 
 
 At the towu of Sydney . . . , .41 
 
 On the south-wtst Lrancli of Sydney Ilarloiir , . 10 
 
 ,, north-west n i, . . 22 
 
 „ south-east ,i i. . . 27 
 
 ' It is stated in a return scrf^by the Governor to the Secretary of Stiito, on July 
 20, liiat thox'o were Gil male inhabitants from fourteen to sixty years of age; 1,7G0 
 Miiek cattle, 565 sheep, 95 horses, and 1C7 shallops, in the island. 
 
THK MfLTTIA ENROLLED. ■U)7 
 
 At tlir CimI Minis, or Spinisli Kivcr . . . .'Jli 
 
 ,, lliirliour (li'Sf. Aiiii'm iiiid I'adilick , ■ .1(1 
 
 <"Mt ni' Ciiiu'cjiii ..... ■_'•» 
 
 ,, Toil lllKld ...... 'Jii 
 
 ). Cliflicaii ....... ;k) 
 
 „ LmiislMiiii'^', (ialiiini-, Mild .Maiiiiidicu . . . ;!7 
 
 Cii Jslf 31adaiiic and adjai'iiil lu it . . . . 17;i 
 
 'J'..tal . . IT.i \wn 
 
 Tt U qiiito ovidciil tliiit, \\itli such an iiia(lo(iii!itc force, oven 
 if imistcrcd at (nic point, ji siicccssdil rcsi.staiicc could not 
 liiivc been made a j2,iii us t a sin<fle well-ai-mcd privateer; but it 
 was hoped that an enemy nii<;lit he deceived hy tlic mere 
 ni)pearauce >>\' preparation.s i'or defence, and he deterred from 
 inakinjj; an attack. A\'Ith this object in view, the militia Averc 
 supplied with ;}()() stand of arms sent down from Halifax, two 
 Ini'gc boats carrying two guns each were .stationed outside the 
 bars for tlie protection of the coal-mines and the moutli of the 
 harb(;ur; and night watdics, consisting of a corporal and four 
 men each, Avere established at the town of Sydney and the 
 coal-mines, luider the command of Lieutenant-Colonel ]McKin- 
 non, the CcMnmanding Officer of the Eastern District. Lieu- 
 tenant-Colonel ^loore, the Commanding OtKcer of the Southern 
 District, was de.spatchcd to occnpy a redoubt at ' the im- 
 portant post of jNIount Grenville,' near St. Peter's, armed 
 with eight guns. The remains of this redoubt, which com- 
 nninded the isthmus of St. Peter's and access to the Bras d'Or 
 Lakes, may still be seen. If the intelligence of the declara- 
 tion of war produced so much alarm, you may easily conceive 
 the consternation of the iidiabitants when they learned, from 
 the deposition of Cajjtain Gorham of the schooner ' Grey- 
 hound,' which was read at the Council] on August .'iO, * that a 
 French ship of forty-four guns was lying in Boston, exj)ected 
 to sail in a few day;i for Cape lireton ; ' and that a privateer 
 of ten guns was lying at 'I'usket Harbour in Nova Scotia. 
 However, there was no cause for apprehension; France had so 
 much to do in other quarters, that she could not even protect 
 her fishing stations in Newfoundland against an ex])edition 
 despatched from Halifax, composed of only 310 men of the 
 4th and Goth llegiments, and a few artillerymen, under the 
 
408 CAPE BRETON, 
 
 cimiinand of Bripradicr-Gcneral Ogilvie. The islantls of St. 
 Pierre and INIuiuelon fell into the hands of the Englisli, and 
 were lield by a small (garrison of the 4tli licgimcnt, under the 
 ct)nnnand of jNIajor Thonie. There Avas more real cause for 
 alarm towards the autunni, when news arrived that a French 
 scjuadron of five ships of the line and several frigates were on 
 the coast of Newfoundland, Avhich had destroyed all the fishin<>,' 
 stations in Fortune liay, and was about to detach some ships 
 to Cape Breton to lay Avaste the town of Sydney. It turned 
 out aftcrAvards that several vessels Avcre actually detached 
 from the squadron I'or that purpose, but, having been dis- 
 ]>crsod in a heavy gale they AVcre not able to reach their des- 
 tination. 
 
 Some uTicasir.css Avas caused during this summer (179.')) by 
 the return of the Acadians who left Ca[)e IJreton in 17G5 for 
 INI i(iuelon and the iMagdalen Islands. Finding their situation 
 in these islands not so agreeable as they could Avish, these 
 pe(»[>le decided ii|,on going to Cajjc lircton, Avhcre they had 
 iriends and relations, and upon their arrival ofl'cred to take the 
 oath of allegiance to His ^Majesty's Government. To guard 
 against any deception, the Lieutenant-Governor sent an ex- 
 ])ress to the naval coniuiauder on the Halifax station, re- 
 <[uesting hlni to send down an armed vessel ' in case they 
 should [»rove refractory.' During this and the following sum- 
 mer about 360 of these peojde came from Mi<iuelon and the 
 jMagdaleu Islands, and settled in various parts of Cape Breton, 
 but principally on Isle INIadame and the Little Bras dX)r. 
 Amongst (heuk were some who bad come out to St. Pierre on 
 the breaking out of the French llevolution, Avho AA'cre re- 
 gardcv^ with some suspicion, as it Avas feared their minds AVcre 
 embued with the democratic principles then prevalent in 
 France, but they never caused any trouble ; their descendanls 
 may now be ranked among the most peaceable and industrious 
 portion of the inbabitiuits of the island. 
 
 In the year 17Di the defence of the island was improved 
 by the arrival of a detachment of fifty men of the Boyal Nova 
 Scotia Kegiment (a local corps raised in that province), and 
 by the erection of a battery of ibur guns uPou the commanding 
 
MACORMICK APPLIES FOR LEAVE OP ADSENCE. 409 
 
 poriltiou cp'lcd Peck's Head, near IntHan Cove. A giiard- 
 hoiise and magazine were also constructed durini; the winter 
 upon tlie South Bar (in some of the documents of that period 
 called Guion's Bar) by the crew of the armed schooner ' Lady 
 Apslcy,' then employed in the service of the Government. 
 Any person ignorant of the facts might suppose, from an 
 inspection of a plan sent to England by Governor IMacormick, 
 that the harbour of Sydney was well defended, the insig- 
 nificant works at the town of Sydney, on the South Bar, and 
 on Peck's Head, being distinguished by the titles of Forts 
 Ogilvie, Edward, and Dundas, respectively. 
 
 I regret to say that, although the tranquillity of the island 
 was not disturbed by foreign enemies, the later years of 
 JNIacormick's reign were perj)lcxcd by most unseemly quarrels 
 between himself and some members of liis Council, to the 
 great annoyance and discouragement of the well-disposed 
 iidiabitants. The Council, after many changes which 1 need 
 not specify, was composed on April 8, 1794, of the following 
 members : — liichard Gibbons, David ^lathews, AVilliam Smith, 
 ArchiLald C. Dodd, Ingraham Ball, Thomas Crawley, Gcorgo 
 INIoore, and William ^NIcKinnon, who all held their scats until 
 Macormick's departure, in 1795, except Chief Justice Gibbons, 
 who was captured in the Channel on his way from Falmouth to 
 Halifax in the brig ' llashleigh,' on March 25, 1794, by the 
 French frigate ' Tribune,' and carried into Nai^tz. JNIr. 
 (J ibbons, with his wife and son, were thrown into prison, where 
 he died of fever on August 3, 1794. Ilis widow and son 
 were released and sent to England in April 1795. 
 
 IMacorniick, who had now been seven years Lieutenant- 
 Governor of Cape Breton, finding that his conduct was not 
 approved by the Secretary of State, ap[)lled for leave of 
 absence to go to England, })rofossedly to give his vote as a 
 Member of the Corporation of Truro, at the approaching elec- 
 tion of a ^lember of l*arliamcnt for that borough, but in 
 reality to escape quietly from a position which had become 
 very uncomfortable. Leave of absence was readily granted, 
 and iNfacormick left Sydney on iMay 27, 1795, in tlie (io- 
 vernmcnl schooner ' Hope,' lor Halifiix, from whence he sailed 
 
410 CAPE BltETON. 
 
 for England, lcavii)g David ]\Iathcws, Attorney-dcncrai and 
 Senior Councillor, to administer the government In his ab- 
 sence, or until a successor i^liouid be appointed. 
 
 The condition of tlic island at this time, according to an 
 account sent by ]Mr. ]Miller, the Government Superintendent 
 of the jNIines and jMend)er of Council, to the Duke of Port- 
 land, was by no means satisfactory. Mr. Miller sent a plan 
 and view of the town of Sydney, showing here and there 
 detached houses separated by wide intervals of vacant ground. 
 You may form some idea of the place Avhen I tell you that 
 the whole of the peninsula now occupied by the town of 
 Sydney then contained only eighty-f5vc houses, many of them 
 of a very poor description, and about one-third of them in 
 ruins. Mr. Miller says there were only— 
 
 27 Private dwclling-houbes iiiluibited. 
 17 ,, „ uninhabited 
 
 27 ,, ,, ill ruins. 
 
 1-1 Public builJin^fs, 
 
 TTo adds, that the total number of iidiabitants was 121, of 
 whom about 2G were preparing to emigrate, and that when 
 these should have left, there Avould not be a single person in 
 the town except those who had salaries to subsist ui)on — 
 not a tailor, shoemaker, smith, butcher — not even a washer- 
 woman. 
 
 President IMathews took a more hopeful view of the state 
 of affairs in Cape Breton. In a letter addressed to i;he Duke 
 of Portland, on May, 0, 17JJ0, he says, the persons who had 
 left Sydney were chiefly dealers in s})irituous liquors (no great 
 loss to any country), who were following the same traffic in 
 Halifax, and that, if a regiment Avere sent down, they would 
 all come back. He adds, ' The ci)ndition of the country is 
 now more satisfactory than heretofore, being based u})on agri- 
 culture, which is progressing.' lie re[)orted again, in the 
 month of August, that all was quiet, and that the ri.inour of 
 two I'rench privateers being upon the coast had caused no un- 
 casine?!S, as a blook-housc (which is still standing) had been 
 erected at the mines.' 
 
 I ought to have mentioned in its pro])er ))hu'e that in the 
 
Mil. MATHEWS RAISED TO THE PIlESIDENCY. 411 
 
 fuitiiinH of \7Vo tliroc traiis))ortri arrived at Sydney from 
 lOiigland with 400 men of tlie 2nd battalion of the Royal 
 Fusiliers on their way to Halifax, atilicted with scurvy, 
 liaving been fifteen weeks at sea. Tliey remained five weeks 
 at Sydney, where several men died, and then sailed for 
 Halifax under tlie convoy of tiio (jovernment armed schooner 
 ' Hope,' as privateers were reported on tlie coast. 
 
 The elevation of Mr. Mathews to the Presidency of the 
 Council, though strictly in accordance Avith the Koyal instruc- 
 tions of August 26, 1784, was not calculated to allay the 
 dissensions which had so long prevailed in Cape Breton, as he 
 Avas the leader of one of the contending parties. His first 
 measure was to appoint his son— a very young man — At- 
 torney-General, Avhich gave great offence to others who con- 
 sidered they had better claims to that ofBce ; and the next, to 
 appoint Mr. A. C. Dodd pj-o tetnpore to the ofKce of Chief 
 Justice, vacant by the death of ]Mr. Gibbons, without the 
 advice of his Council. This last measure, of course, was any- 
 thing but agreeable to the principal comi)etitors for that office, 
 INlr. Ingraham Ball, the acting .ludge, and Mr. William Smith. 
 The latter, who was in England at the time, offered, provided 
 he were made Chief Justice, to perform the duty of Lieu- 
 tenant-Governor also, without any additional remuneration. 
 In the month of May, 1797, Richard Stout was appointed 
 Councillor in the place of AVilliam iSIcKinnon, suspended for 
 having, as alleged by Mathews, ' manifested an open and 
 av^owed determination to transgress the laws,' in sending a 
 challenge to the acting Chief Justice; and William Plant to 
 the clerkship of the Council vice jNIcKinnon, who refused to act 
 in that capacity after he was de])rivcd of his seat at the Board. 
 Several other changes of minor importance were made by 
 ]Mathews, which, with those already mentioned, caused such 
 discontent with his adnunistrati(m, that a immber of persons, 
 including several officials,' memoralised the Duke of Portland 
 
 ' Infrniliiim Ball. As.sistant-Judtrc ; James ]\Iilltr, Siipcrintciident of tlu' Jliiies; 
 William IMoKiniioii, Provincial yeorctary ; liauna Cos^it, P;irocliial Miiiisur; 
 William Eakor, C'lii'niiir; William Hill, Comiitrulkr of Cusloms; aud Tliouuis 8. 
 IJursfV, Siirvryor ami Si-aivln r. 
 
412 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 on Juno 27, 1797, npon tlic state of affairs at Sydney, and 
 urffontly represented, ' that tlic unfortunate divisions and 
 jealousies ^vhieh predominated in Cai)e Breton could not be 
 effectually removed indcss a (Jovernor Avas sent out.' This 
 memorial seems to have |)roduccd the desired effect upon the 
 Duke of Portland, avIio addressed a lonj; despatch, on De- 
 cember 13, to IJrigadier-General Qo-ilvie, the Commandant at 
 Halifax, stating among other matters, ' that whereas the 
 King's service in Cape Breton required that effectual mea- 
 sures should be taken for ])utting an end to the disputes and 
 differences -which prevailed there among His Majesty's ser- 
 vants, in the exercise of their respective functions, His ]Ma- 
 jesty had been pleased with that view, and for the further and 
 more immediate security of that island, to place you, by the 
 within instruction, at the head of the Council of Cape Breton, 
 and thereby, in the absence of the Governor or Lieutenant- 
 Governor, to put the administration of the affairs of that 
 Government in your hands.' He Avas specially desired * to 
 settle those differences which have so unhapjiily disturbed that 
 colony, no less to the injury of the public interest than to 
 the discredit of His Majesty's Government in that quarter.' 
 Tsjuig furnished with copies of all the correspondence with 
 President IVIathcAvs, he was required to investigate the causes 
 of the disputes, and especially why ]\[r. McKinnon was de- 
 prived of his seat in the Council, ' who was reinstated l)y this 
 instruction in order that the charo;e asi'ainst him mi2;ht be 
 investigated by the Board.' He was also directed to examine 
 the returns of the superintendent of the coal-mbies, and all 
 matters of dispute, which His Majesty authorised him to settle 
 ' upon his own discretion.' Finally, (Jeneral Ogilvie was 
 told, * His Majesty considered his appointment, in a military 
 point of vicAv, would give security to this important outj)ost 
 of his North American possessions, and that His Royal 
 Highness Prince Edward had been instructed to send a force 
 inider his command, for the protect on and defence of the 
 island.' 
 
 Having been Avrecked near Scatari, on June 23, in H.M.S. 
 ' Kover,' General Ogilvie, did not I'cach Sydney until the 
 
(iENEI^AL OflTLVIE AKrvIVFR IN SYDNEY. \\-\ 
 
 29lli, Avliovo lie loinul ^Fr. McKimion in ])vis()n for dcht. To 
 invcstiii'iitu the eliarijes aijaint^t iMcKiinioii, lie was tlicrcfDVc 
 oMitxed to pitch his marquee Avithiii the precincts of the gaol, 
 for the aec()imiui<latioii of tiie Council and the CAaniination of 
 Avitnenses.' After a loni; and searchini«: investisxation, the 
 result was transmitted to the Duke ot Portland on October 24, 
 together with copies of the examinations of the witnesses. 
 As might have been expected, Ogilvie found much to l)lame 
 on both sides, but acquitted McKinnou of t:.e most serious 
 char<>;es broun;ht against him by Mathews — that of haviuQ- at- 
 tempted to defraud an individual in regard to a grant of land, 
 which turned out to be merely a mistake in transcribing the 
 patent ; and, though he considered McKinnou had acted im- 
 properly in sending a challenge to Mr. Dodd, Mathews was 
 not justified in susiicnding the former as a Councillor. The 
 other matters treated of in the llcport were mostly of a trifling 
 nature and not Avoi-th repeating. 
 
 During his short stay at Sydney, General Ogilvie made 
 particular enquiries concerning the military defences of the 
 island. It appears, from a lleport sent by him to the Duke 
 of Portland in September, that the militia of the whole island 
 was composed of 1 colonel, 2 lieutenant-colonels, 24 lieu- 
 tenants, 13 clerks, 28 sergeants, and 526 jirivates. There 
 Avere bcsulcs, 151) men of the lloyal Nova Scotia Hcgiment 
 stationed at Sydney, imder the Ci)mmand of Lieutenant- 
 Colonel Kearney ; several batteries all in ruins ; and a block- 
 house at the mines in good repair. General Ogilvie strongly 
 recommended that the seat of Government should be removed 
 from Sydney to the North Dar. His mission to Cape Breton 
 in the character of a peacemaker was not very successful, for 
 his successor, Brigadier-General Murray, on his arrival at 
 Sydney on .lunc 21, 1799, as President of the Council, found 
 all the old animosities subsistinji; in full fcn-ce. His first dutv 
 w^as, of course, to report to the Secretary of State upon the con- 
 dition of the colony, which ho did at great length, pointing out 
 
 ' Tlicrc was no Court Houko lit this tinu". The sum of nOOl. was granted liy 
 I'ai'liuTiiinl I'.'i' that purpose in 1790 ; U)/. a-ycaral'o was grantod to pay a sohool- 
 niastcr. 
 
414 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 very fairly tlie difficulties of his ])osition, and the measures 
 ho had adopted to restore peace and order to the distracted 
 colony. In reply to this communication, the Duke of Port- 
 land wrote on October 11, that, ' as it was absolutely necessary 
 to take effectual means to put an end to these disorders, and 
 more particularly to re-establish the due administration of 
 justice within the island,' by His Majesty's command, Wil- 
 liam Smith ' was appointed Chief Justice, JNTr. IJall was dis- 
 missed from the office of Acting Judge, and Mr. jNlathews from 
 that of Attorney-General. These prompt measures, however, 
 having failed to secure the ol)ject in view, and General Murray, 
 having found that he could not hold a neutral position be- 
 tween the contending parties, determined to form a Council 
 composed in a great measure of military men, whom he ex- 
 pected to make subservient to his purpose ; accordingly he 
 nominated the Reverend llanna Cossit the Military Chaplain ; 
 Doctor Staffijrd Staff Surgeon ; his Secretary, jNIajor INIurray; 
 and John Martyr, Collector of Customs, to seats in the 
 Council. At the same time he dismissed Ti-yon Mathews, 
 son of the late President, from the situation of l*rovost- 
 Marshal ; Mr. Plant from that of Superintendent of the Ship- 
 ment of Coals ; and j\Ir. McKinnon from the office of Pro- 
 vincial Secretary. These energetic measures did not produce 
 the designed effect; on the contrary, they brought npon the 
 General a sharp reproof from the Duke of Kent, the Com- 
 mander-in-Chief at Halifax, who directed his Military Secre- 
 tary, jNIr. Gordon, to inform General Murray, February 15, 
 that he had no right to emj)loy military gentlemen under his 
 command in duties committed by the British Constitution to 
 the civil power exclusively ; and that the military pay of 
 Major Murray, the Keverend llanna Cossit, and Doctor 
 Stafford, would be suspended until His JMajesty's pleasure 
 could be known. Whatever were General Murray's faults, 
 he was certainly justified by precedent, Lieutenant-Colonel 
 Graham, the Reverend R. Lovell, and William Smith — all 
 military men — having occupied seats in the Council under 
 previous administrations. 
 
 ' Mr. Smitli was Surgfun of tlic ',]',]i\[ lloginunt, wlifii statioiitd at Svclnoy in 
 1781, aiul lu'ltl a scat in tlic Council uiulor Oovi'i'iior Di.sbanvti. 
 
GENERAL Murray's administration ended. 415 
 
 The last year of tlie eighteenth eenlury hrouj^ht (leneral 
 ^Murray's adiuiiiistration to a close, licfore I enter upon that 
 of his suceessor, I must g-ive you a short account of the coal 
 trade of C'ai)e IJreton at tliat })crio(l — a suhjoct of unich more 
 im])ortance tlian the petty jicrsonal squahhles ^vhich have, I 
 fear, occupied too many of my pages. 1 gave you in my hist 
 letter a rctui-n of the coal exported up to October 0, 17l>2; 
 I Avill now endeavour to complete the return up to the end of 
 tlie century, and to hiy before you such information as I have 
 been able to collect relative to the mines at that period. Sir 
 John Wentworth having suggested to the Secretary of State, 
 on December 13, 1792, that if a stone pier were built at the 
 mines for the more convenient shii)nient of coals, and tlie 
 mines leased upon liberal terms, and worked under the in- 
 s])ection of a competent engineer, the trade Avould increase and 
 yield a considerable revenue which might be very beneficially 
 a[)propriated to the construction of roads in the island, which 
 Avcre very much needed, the IVIinistry, in compliance with 
 this suggestion, sent out ]Mr. jNIiller to Sydney to survey and 
 report upon the state of the mines. Instructions were at the 
 same time sent to the Lieutenant-Governor to devote the 
 whole of the revenue derived from the mines to ])ublic piu- 
 poses, ' as neither the commanding officer nor the Lieutenant- 
 Governor had any authority to reserve to themselves any 
 portion of that revenue,' as they had hitherto been in the 
 habit of doing (p. 403). Having completed his survey, INIr. 
 Miller returned to England in December 1793, and submitted 
 a long report to the Secretary of State, in Avliich he recom- 
 mended that a stone pier should be erected in Lidian Cove, 
 280 yards in length, at an estimated cost of 2,822/. 7.v. od. ; 
 but the ^Ministry did not sanction this measure, considering 
 that the coal business was not of sufficient importance to 
 Avarrant such an outlay. IMr. ]\Iiller returned to Sydney in 
 1794, to superintend the working of the mines on bcl.alf of the 
 Government, at a salary of 200/. per annum, lie held the 
 office until his deatli, in 1799 'when IVFr. William Campbell, 
 
 ' I iim dlspofioil to tliiiik Mr. Mil. it was tlir first person who noficid tlio fo.ssil 
 trees ia the coal lucusuns of C.ipc Breton. He sayij in ii pri vate letter to Mr. King, 
 
•11(3 CAPE LRETON. 
 
 INIonibcr of A;-sciiil)ly Cor llio county of Sydney, in \ovji 
 Scotia, AViis a])}iointc(l Siiporintcntlcnt of the ISIincs, and 
 Attorney-General of Cape Breton, by Ilia Majesty's INIan- 
 danius. 
 
 The mines Averc duriii<Tj this j/eviod Morkcd by JNIcssrs. 
 Treinain and Stout, under a lease connncncing on October 1, 
 1792. Ui)on the termination of their lease, on October 1, 
 1790, it Avas renewed for an uncertain time, subject to six 
 months' notice. On Febrnary o, IHOO, Tremain and Stout- 
 surrendered the mines, Avhich -were tlien worked nnder the 
 superintendence of jVIr. Campbell, on account of the'CJovern- 
 nient, nnti) they were ap^ain leased in 1801. 
 
 Owins; either to the limited extent of the working's, or the 
 imperfect manner in which they were conducted, INIessrs. 
 Tremain and Stout were not able to supply the demand, small 
 as it was, from the Sydney mines ; they were, consequently, 
 allowed to dig coals from the cliflfs between the mines and 
 Point Aconi, to make np the deficiency, nnder the inspection of 
 Mathew Stubberts, Deputy-Superintendent. The inability of 
 the lessees to supply the demand of course cncourage<l the 
 snuiggllng of coal from the cliffs to the eastward of Sydney, to 
 such an extent, that it was found necessary in 1794 to employ 
 two vessels — the schooner ' Lady Apsley ' and shallop ' Hope,' 
 to watch the coast. In the following year an Ordinance was 
 passed by tlie Council, n>aking all vessels captured in this 
 trafHc liable to forfeiture. The following table shows the 
 quantities of coal exported since the date of the return sub- 
 mitted in my last letter (p. 404) up to the close of the year 
 1800, excepting for 1793, which I could not find in the 
 Ilccords: — 
 
 Clin!ih'"iis. Clialilrons, 
 
 In 1791 
 „ 1790 
 „ 179G 
 
 „ 1797 
 
 3,U7 
 
 In 1798 
 
 3.1M 
 
 „ 1799 
 
 3,039 
 
 „ 1800 
 
 4,31 t 
 
 
 4.219 
 G,391 
 6,001 
 
 tlie Under Secretary of Htato, ' I had some thoughts of sending a cask of petrified 
 branches of trees, in part converted into coal, to my Lord Duke, if I was assnreil 
 it wouid 1)0 aeceptable to His Grace. This phenomenon favours the opinion tlmt 
 coal strata are no other than decayed forests compressed, indurated, jmhI petrified. 
 I could also send a trunk of a large tree petrified.' 
 
EXPORTS ANT) FMror N OF f'AlM'. r.UKTOX. 117 
 
 In luMitinii i(> tl\(> iiltox", (»,)! cliiiMi'uns wcw .^liippcl lV«)in 
 llu' l»i-as (l"()r ill 17!).3, and 7 I 1 in 179^. The itrim-ipai luarki'ts 
 weiv Halifax and Xowluundland ; the fonncr, inrludinj^ a 
 small (juanlity sent to the town of Sydney and two (»r three 
 Other places, tn(»k ahout three fourths; tlie latter, the remain- 
 ing fourth of the whole (juantity exported. 
 
 The Ke(?ord.s oceasionally furnlish us with vohuninous details 
 of the exports and the imports of the island, hut not with suffi- 
 cient regularity to enable me to make out a comidete table for 
 the seven years ending in ISOO. To give you a tolerable idea 
 of the <;eneral trade of the island at the close of the eijjrhtcenth 
 century, I may state, that from July 1, 1797, to July 1, 1798, 
 
 At Pydiipy. At Aricliat. 
 
 No. (if Vcrsi'N. 'l'omiii):ro. No. of Vessels. Tonnnpo. 
 ricnninccs wore . . 1!)*) 8„58S 54 2,10 1 
 
 Kntrics woro . . i;5") 0,170 61 2.o48 
 
 Oiviiip,' ii total of 418 vossols and 10,77<l tons. 
 
 Bearing in mind the fact, that during a period of fifteen 
 years the Lieutenant-Governors had a|)proprIated to their own 
 benefit the sum of five shillings per chaldron out of the Coal 
 IVIiner, Revenue — the only revenue the ishind possessed, you 
 will not be surprised to hear that little progress was made in 
 o})cnirig roads from the capital to the outlying settlements. In 
 the year 1800 there were barely half-a-dozen miles of passable 
 road in the whole island ; even those which had been made by 
 the French were nearly obliterated by the rajjid growth of 
 underwood. Nothing can give you a better idea of the means 
 of communication in Cape ]>reton at this time, than a condensed 
 narrative of a journey made by the llev. flames McGrogor, 
 D. D. from Pictou to Sydney, in 1799. Dr. McCiregor, who 
 was a Presbyterian minister on the East River of Pictou, 
 received an invitation from some persons of that denomination 
 to visit Sydney, and ^larted from the former place in the 
 autumn of 1799, in an open boat with a crew of three men. 
 Proceeding down the Gulf of St. Lawrence they reached the 
 Gut of Canccau, from whence they sailed up Lennox's Passage 
 to St. Peter's, where they were hospitably entertained by 'the 
 late Lawrence Kavanagh. Esc]., whose house was always open 
 
418 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 to travellers of the lii^'licst and lowest denjrce, without distinc- 
 tion. J laving drafrged their hoat, Avlth the aid of Mr. Kava- 
 nagh's oxen, across the narrow Isthmus which separates St. 
 Peter's Bay from the IJras d'Or Lake, the worthy Doctor and his 
 adventurous crew embarked ujion the waters of the lako, which 
 was then surrounded by an unbroken forest, luirelievcd by the 
 hut of a solitary settler, to the head of the East Bay, where, 
 after hauling up their boat upon the beach, and * concealing 
 the sails and oars in the bushes from thieves ' (u very unneces- 
 sary precaution at that period), they comi^os' d themselves to 
 >slcc[> in the open air. iS'ext morning, rightly judging that 
 they were only twelve miles from Sydney, they set out in 
 different directions in search of a road, but found only a narrow 
 j>athway, which they followed about three miles through the 
 woods, when they discovered that it came to an abrupt termi- 
 nation at a brook, with no traces of a continuation on the oppo- 
 site banlc The pathway they h.ad followed was, as they con- 
 cluded, the portage or carrying place used by the Indians in 
 transixn-ting tiieir canoes from the lake to the head waters of 
 Sydney Kiver; but, as their own boat was too heavy to be 
 carried such a distance, they again set out in search of a road, 
 simply believing that a noted j.'acc like the cnpltal of Cape 
 Breton must suiely be ajiproached by good roads. They Avere, 
 however, again disappointed, after a Avcary tramp over fallen 
 trees and through swamps, in which the Doctor sunk so deep 
 that ' he was struck Avlth a sudden fright lest he should sink 
 irrecoverably, or be bitten by snakes, or unheard of creatures 
 (water kelpies); ' for the long grass concealed danger.' Beating 
 a hasty retreat from these imaginary dangers, the Doctor and 
 his crew returned to their boat, embarked once more on the 
 
 ' The good Doctor surely did not believe in the kelpies mentioned by Sir Walter 
 Scott in the Monaster!/: — 
 
 Merrily swim we, the moon shines bright ; 
 Downward wo drift tlirough shadow and light. 
 Under yon rock the eddies sleep, 
 Calm and silent, dark and deep; 
 The Kelpy lias risen from the fathomless pool, 
 • Ho has lighted iiis candle of death and of dool; 
 
 Look, father, look, and you'll laugh to see 
 How he gapes ,'ind ho glares with his eyes on thee. 
 
mi. MrORKOOR HAIIiS TO SYDNF.Y. Hi) 
 
 ■waters of (lio liiko, mid jtrococded throuj^h tlio Great Narrows, 
 tlioiicc down the Little Uras d'Or to the open sea, and round 
 Cranberry Head to Sydney, a distance o(" oliility miles.' So 
 yon see, the only route from the East J Jay to Sydney, n 
 distance of only twelve miles, won by a circuitous voyage of 
 t'ighty niilos, some sixty or seventy years ago. 
 
 Having now brought my story down to the beginning of a 
 new century — a century destined to witness great and im- 
 portant changes in your island, I will close this letter, and 
 endeavour in my next to give you a brief exposition of the 
 causes which first led to the great influx of lli<;hland immi- 
 grants between tiic years 1800 and 1828. 
 
 " I rocommond you to read Mr. I'litc'r.son'H Memoir of Dr. McOrrr/or, in wliicli 
 you will find inuoli vJilualilo inforniiition respect inj? tlio stiito of Nova Scotia and 
 St, John's Island iit (lie I'loso of the oi;j[htet'ntli century. 
 
 1 may hero remark, while speaking of St. JoIui'h Islaml, that its name was 
 changed to that of IVincc Edward's Island in 179!'. in honour of Jlis lloyal Ilif^di- 
 iiess the J)uko of Kent, al tiiat time Commander-in-Chief in Nova Heotia. 
 
 E F :2 
 
420 ("AIM' DRF.TON, 
 
 LKTTKK XXV. 
 
 1800-1817. 
 
 Ma.tou-(Ji:neraf. Dkhpaiid, tl>e succossor of Brigadicr-Ge- 
 ncnil Murray, arrived at Sydney on J unc 17, 1800, l)ut did 
 not enter upon lu's duties as President of the C'ouncil until 
 Sei>tcml)cr 16, Murray having refused to surrender the Civil 
 (lovernment, asserting that Despard was sent hy the Duke of 
 Kent to take connnand of the troops only. Murray remained 
 at Sydney nntil June 1801, in the expeetation of being re- 
 instated in his office hy tlic Secretary of State, to whom he 
 had despatched Mr. Baker on November 4, to lay his case 
 before that functionary. 
 
 Cleneral Despard, in a letter dated December 18, to the 
 Duke of Portland, charges INIurray Avith remaining at Sydney 
 for the purjtose of causing trouble among the inhabitants and 
 embarrassing his government : he adds, ' I have the satisfac- 
 lion of stating tliat these futile attempts to disturb the peace of 
 the settlement have not succeeded in the smallest degree, and 
 I can venture to say that this island never enjoyed more tran- 
 quillity and content than at this present time.' Murray's 
 administration does not seem to have been very popular with 
 any i)arty ; two days after the accession of Despard, an address 
 was forwarded to the Kivig, signed by the principal inhabitants, 
 officers of Government, and nearly all the members of Council, 
 thanking His Majesty for removing Murray. 
 
 One of Despard's first measures was to take into favour all 
 those who had been inimical to his predecessor ; Mr. McKirmon 
 was restored to his offices of Kegistrar and Clerk of the Council; 
 David Tait was appointed to the Council in the place of Chief 
 Justice Smith, who had left in September without leave, with 
 
Mil. (iAMIlIER srcCKKDS Mil. 8MIT1I. -121 
 
 the comuviiiK'i', it was tuipposc*], of (Jeiicml JNIurray; ami 
 Hcvenil oilier chuiij't's were iiuulc not wtutli rci'or<Iiu<;. Mr. 
 Smith, on his arrival in lOiij^Ianil, haviiij^ sijunilltMl to the Duke 
 of Port hind that he did not intend to return to Cape lireton, 
 Mr. (iuniliier was appointed to succeed him. Mr. (Jamhier 
 hehl tlu; appointment until February 1803 (thon<^h 1 believe 
 he never went out to Cape Hrct(m), when he sent in his resig- 
 nation, having been made Surveyor-(ileue»"K.l of Canada. 
 
 The most im[K)rtant events of thid yeir (IHOl) were the 
 establishment of an ordinance, at the KU<;<jestion of (ieneral 
 Despard, imposinj^ a small duty on rum, 'as a measure temiinf; 
 to the ]»reservation ol' the health and morals of the island, 
 whilst it would provide a fund for its internal improvements;' 
 the erectit)n of a Court of Escheats, of which Archibald C 
 Dodd Avas named Conunissioner ; and the receipt of intellij^ence 
 from Lord lIobart(who had succeeded the Duhe of Portland), 
 that preliminaries of peace had been agreed u])(ni with France, 
 and it was no longer necessary to kee[» any armed vessels in 
 the service of the (Jovernment. The restoration of peace 
 relieved the colony from one great cause of anxiety, but in 
 other rcsjiects it was not acceptable to the peo[)le of Sydney, 
 being followed by the removal of all the troops' in 1802, 
 except a sergeant and nbie men of the lloyal Artillery. 
 
 It will be seen, by the following statement of the population, 
 live stock, &c., of the isluid, sent by Cieneral Despard to 
 Lord Ilobart on December 14, 1801, what small progress had 
 been made since the first esablishmeiit of a separate govern- 
 ment in 1784 : — 
 
 
 Inh<il)iiants. 
 
 Cattle. 
 
 Sheep. 
 
 Horses, 
 
 Vesbc^B. 
 
 n the Sydney district 
 
 801 
 
 1,083 
 
 o7*> 
 
 68 
 
 18 
 
 ,, Louiisboiii'g district . 
 
 192 
 
 201 
 
 113 
 
 13 
 
 7 
 
 „ Arifliaf district, iiicludiiitr 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 N.W. slKiro . 
 
 l,o20 
 
 1,647 
 
 1,988 
 
 83 
 
 192 
 
 There is no rcast)n to doubt the accuracy of this return. If 
 it be correct, you cannot avoid noticing that Dcsbarres's state- 
 ment, of 800 persons having arrived in the island in 1784, 
 
 ' The Royal Nova Scotia Regiment , ol which tlip garrLson at Sydney was cuni- 
 posed, was disbanded in 1802. 
 
4-22 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 which *wcre speedily foUowcd by an accession ol' 3,397 more,' 
 must have been erroneous. We arc tokl that a number of 
 families left in TMacormick's time, but talring into consideration 
 the natural increase in a healthy climate like Cape Breton, the 
 j)Opulation of the Sydney district could never have fallen 
 from 4,190 to 801 souls in the course of seventeen years. Wc 
 liavc therefore, comparing this return with the statement of 
 the number of persons liable to serve in the Militia in 1793, 
 every reason to conclude that Dcsbarrcs's account of the ai'rivals 
 in 1784 was greatly exaggerated. The i)opulation being so 
 small, there Avas ample room for the hordes of hardy High- 
 landers, who first began to arrive in considerable numbers in 
 1802, to establish themselves in Cape Breton. Before I give 
 you an account of the arrival of the first cargo of iunnigrants, 
 I must endeavour to show what first directed them to your 
 island. IMany of the Highland chieftains, as you arc aware, 
 were very averse to the Union of England and Scotland in 
 1707, and rose twice in rebellion — in 1715 and 1745, for the 
 pur})ose of restoring their ancient monarchs — the Stuarts— -to 
 the throne of Scotland. After the suppression of the rebellion 
 of 1745, the Highlands v/ere occupied by English soldiers, 
 stationed at various commanding points, to keep the clans in 
 subjection. The officers, one of whom was Major Wolfe, 
 better known afterwards as ' the Hero of Louisbourg,' observing 
 the restless characier and bravery of the Highlanders, and 
 experiencing the difficulty of keeping them in sidyection, 
 recommended that their young men should be enlisted in the 
 British army and formed into regiments ])ossessing all the 
 distinctive characters of the several clans in regard to dress, 
 equipment, &c. The Government wisely ado[)ted these sug- 
 gestions; several Highland regiments were raised, Avhich re- 
 lieved the country of a great number of restless discontented 
 subjects, and added at the same time to the national army 
 some 10,000 brave hardy soldiers, who distinguished them- 
 selves in many a hard-fought battle in the French wars, and 
 nowhere more than at the siege of Louisbourg, in 1758, and 
 the eoncpiest of Canada. On the ret inn of peace, in IVGiJ. ;i 
 great number of troops were disbanded, amongst the rest souk' 
 
THE DISBANDED HIGHLANDERS SETTLE IN CANADA, ETC. 428 
 
 of the ITlgliland rcj];imcnts. Many of the Highlanders, with 
 that prudence and foresight peculiar to their countrymen, who 
 had noted with observant eyes the fertility of the provinces in 
 which they had served, in every res])ect so much sui)erior to the 
 bleak and barren hills of their native land, determined to make 
 them their future home. Those who settled in Canada, Nova 
 Scotia, and St. John's Island, sent home to their friends sucii 
 glowing accounts of their new homes, about the year 1773, 
 that the latter prepared to join them as soon as possible. It so 
 happened, that just at the time these accounts reached Scotland 
 from the colonies, many of the Highland chieftains, who had 
 discovered that the raising of cattle and sheep afforded greater 
 profits than the letting of their lands to miserable tenants, 
 ■were dispossessing the latter of their farms and holdings ; this 
 harsh treatment of course gave a great impetus to the emigra- 
 tion, and thousands left almost every district in the Highlands 
 to join their friends in the colonies. In the course of the 
 twenty or thirty years following 1773, whole baronies were 
 turned into sheep farms, and hundreds of families were driven 
 across the Atlantic to look for a home in the backwoods of 
 America. Many of these who had friends in the colonies, and 
 knew what they had to expect, emigrated with great alacrity ; 
 but thousands, who had no such desire, on the contrary, the 
 greatest repugnance to leave the land of their fathers, the 
 familiar hills and ' the green slopes of Lochaber,' were heart- 
 broken at the idea of being separated from them by a thousand 
 leagues of raging sea. jNIany, it is true, especially the young 
 men, gladly embraced the offers of their landlords to assist 
 them in emigrating to a country where labour was abundant 
 and the remuneration am})le, and where they could with com- 
 mon industry soon acquirf': a comfortable subsistence; but the 
 old i)eople, who had passed all their lives in their native glens, 
 clung to their birthplaces with a tenacity known only to the 
 Celts. To these it was painful enough to leave home and 
 friends and the haunts of their childiiood, even voluntarily — 
 how much more so, as was often the fact, at the whim of some 
 powcrfid landlord, governed only by his own selfish views. It 
 is all well enough to sav now, that the Duko of Sutherland 
 
124 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 and the otiier great Scottish laiidlords!, who huuislicd men fioin 
 their estates to form deer forests, have conferred a lastinLj 
 benefit npon their tenants by drivinn- them across the Athuilic, 
 Avlierc they have found more comfortable homes than they ever 
 ])ossessed in tlieir native hind; but the banisiied had little con- 
 solation in reflecting * that their houses were unroofed before 
 their eyes, and they were made to go on board a ship lK)Uiid 
 for Canada, even although the passage money was paid. An 
 obscure sense of wrong was kindled in heart and brain. It is 
 just possible that what was for the landlord's interest might i)e 
 theirs also in the long-run, bnt they felt that the landlord h:».d 
 looked after his own interest in the first place, lie wished 
 them away, and he got them away; whether they would 
 succeed in Canada was a matter of dubiety.'' 
 
 The first Scotch settlers who came to St. .Foh.n's Island, in 
 1761), Avcre a number of ofHcei's and men of Ct)lonel Eraser's 
 Highland regiment, from whence they sent such glowing 
 accounts of the fertility and resources of the island, thai a 
 reo'ular tide of innnii];ration set in, which continued for several 
 years, spreading over not oidy St. John's Island but also the 
 oi)posite shore of Xova Scotia. The ' Hector,' the first ship 
 that arrived at Piclon with innnigrants, in 1773, was followed 
 by olliers in sucli rapid succession, that in the course of eight 
 or ten yeais, not only the country Ixn-dering on the harbour 
 and rivers of Pictou, but also the coast to the eastward as far 
 as ^lerigornish, was taken up and occnj)ie(k So far, all the 
 immiu'rants who had arrived at I'icton were Presbyterians, but 
 two ships having arrived there in 17t>l, with liomau Catliolic^ 
 from the Western Islands, they were })ersuadcd by the Kcv. 
 — — iSrcEacheni of St. tJohn's Island to leave Pictou and 
 settle along the Gulf shore towards Antigonishe. Some of 
 these, dissatisfied probably with the j>overty i>f the soil, crossed 
 over to Cape lUeton, and settled npon the north-west shore at 
 several places between the (Jut of Canceau and Margaric, 
 where thev found a more conirenial soil and lireater iacilitics 
 for prosecuting the sea fisheries, in whit-h they had been 
 eULTiiKed in the Western Island>. The favourable accounts ol 
 ' J Si(//i:/iiii/i W'/''. fU- Alrxiinlir Sinitli. 
 
INFLUX OF SCOTCH IMMIGRANTS TO CAPE BRETON. 125 
 
 the country, sent lio:iie l)y these wanderers, induced niiiny vi' 
 their countrymen to find a passaji^c to the western shores (.!' the 
 ishiiid (by the way of Pictou), where they settled, chiefly ahout 
 Judique and Mal)on. There were of cournc no roads, not 
 even a hhizod track through the forests, from the sea-coast to 
 the IJras d'Or Lakes, at that time; nevertheless, some stragglers 
 were not lono; in finding; their way to the fruitful sheltered 
 shores of the lakes, whose innumerable bays, arms, and creeks 
 ottered such desirable i)laces for settlement, that the emigration 
 agents who had furnished ships for conveying the peo[de 
 hitherto to Pictou or Canceau, were induced to send their 
 vessels direct to the liras d'Or Lakes. The ])ioneer shij) on 
 this route arrived at Sydney ou August 1(), 1802, with 2\)9 
 passengers, of whom 104 were heads of families, the remainder 
 chiUlren. As it was too late to plant seed, the Couiunl voted 
 a sum of money to enable them to subsist until they could be 
 ])rovided for, by way of loan payable in twelve moutlis.' 
 From this time (1802) the tide of immigration gathered strength 
 as it advanced, until it reached its highest point in 1817, when 
 it began gradually to decline. The last immigrant ship ariived 
 in 1828. All the best lands fronting on the lakes, rivers, and 
 sea-coast, were taken up [)revious to the year 1820; since that 
 period the lands in the rear of front lots have been occupied 
 by the later innnigrants, who are in consequence distinguished 
 by the name of ' 13ack landers.' 
 
 The great influx of Scottish innnigrants (said by some autho- 
 rities to have exceeded 2,5,000 souls), gave ([uite a new com- 
 plexion to the population of Cape IJreton, if it can with 
 propriety be said that it was, before their ai'rival, distinguished 
 by any comj)lexion whatever, being c(miposed only of a few 
 hundred ^Nlicmacs, Acadians, and Knglish and Irish settlers. 
 The island is now decidedly ' Scotch,' with every prol)ai)ility 
 of its contiiuiing so to the end of time. ^Vlthouy;h many «)f 
 the first settlers came to Cape Breton sorely against their will, 
 none, I believe, have had reason to regret the change from the 
 Avretchcd abodes they left to the comfbrtal)le homes they now 
 
 ' Tlirt'c' pmui'l.s ton ^hilliiif^s lo a iiiiiii ami liis \vifi> ; oiif iioiin.l b, r.ii h I'liild 
 ovrr, ami fiflei.'n sljllmgh to rath child iimli !•, Iwilve yi ar- ct'agr. 
 
1'2() CAPE BRETON. 
 
 (K'cni»y. I'iVcii the l(>»>; luit, in the (Ioi»ilis of the I'orcst, is a 
 piiliice conipiired with some of the turf cabins of Suthurhuul 
 <»i' tliu llchi'ides. 
 
 LcaYin<^ the Scotch immifirants to their own resources, let 
 us now return to Sydney, the seat of Government, which was 
 ;i<;'iiin disquieted by the receipt of a des|)atcli of May 10, 1803, 
 from Lord llobart, announcinjif the renewal of liostilities with 
 France, and instructing General Despard to detain all French 
 vessels in })orts of Cape l>reton — an instruction not easily 
 carried out, if there had been any occasion to do so, as the 
 whole garrison consisted only of a subaltern and twenty men 
 of the 5th battalion of the GOth Keiiiment. The most im- 
 portant occurrences, from this time to the close of Despard's 
 administration, in 1807, were: — The a])])ointment of jNIr. 
 Woodfall to the office of Chief Justice, in 1804, and his death, 
 in 180G, Avhen he Avas succeeded by Mr. Archibald C. Dodd, 
 by instructions from the Secretary of State, ' directing that 
 Letters Patent should pass the Great Seal of the Island, con- 
 stituting and appointing him to be Chief .Justice ; ' the ai>- 
 pointment of Thomas Crawley, in 1803, to the office of Sur- 
 veyor-General ; and of J. B. Clarke and Thomas Crawley to 
 seats in the Council, in 1805, by command of His JMajesty. 
 After these changes, the Council, on February 1, 1807, con- 
 sisted of the following members, under the l*residency of 
 (Jeneral Despard: — George ^Nloore, A. C. Dodd, 11. Stout, 
 AVilliam Cox, William Campbell, David Tait, Thomas Crawley 
 and J. li. Clarke. In the year 1803 the sum of 300/. was 
 expended by order of Lord llobart in completing the church 
 at Sydney; the Mire Grant Avas escheated; and Connnis- 
 sioners appi)intcd to manage the cx})enditure of the reveinie 
 derived from the tax upon rum, in making roads, building 
 mills and other Avorks of public benefit.' The Avant of light 
 houses Avas severely felt, Avrecks being of frequent occurrence. 
 Li the year 1804, the shi[) ' Sovereign,' with a valuable 
 
 ' Tliu i'tV(>iiuo from tliijs souirc, iluriiijj; tlio five ycnr.s euiHiip; witli 18(10, iiviripni 
 '212/. {KT aiiiiiiiu ; til' cxiii'mlltiin' iiimii nui'ls, l]riil;;ts, mills. iS^c, l.')i'i/. |irr 
 iiiUHim. 'I'll! (.'ouimisbidiici't- wrro A, ('. l.)uili|, J{. Stdiil, Williaiii CainiilnH, ami 
 ,1, I) I'larkr. 
 
COMMERCE OF CAPE URETON. 427 
 
 ciirn'o, iiicludiiiu; prosciits for the Iiidiiiiis in Canada, was 
 Avreckt'd u[)(»n Low Point, where the li^hthonse now stands; 
 and a trans])ort i)ound to (^uehec with detaehnicnts oF the 
 41st, 4!)lli, and lOOth Kei^inieiits, was Avrceked near Louis- 
 hour*^. Ensign Evylyn was drowned in hindini:;; all the rest 
 j^ot safely on shore, and Avere sent round to vSydney, where 
 they remained all winter. On their voyage from Sydney to 
 Quebec in the spring, they were again Avrccked, having heen 
 driven on shore by the drift ice. I lis Majesty's sloop ' Cham- 
 pion' was then sent down to Sydney to convey them to 
 (Quebec ; while at Sydney, she lost a midshipman and eight 
 men by the ii[)setting of a boat in a squall. 
 
 lieforc 1 enter upon tlie administi'ation of the (iovernn)cnt 
 by IJrigadier-General Xei.ean, who succeeded General Despard 
 in 1807, 1 must say a few words about the connnerce of the 
 island, which seems to have retrograded during the seven years 
 ending in 1807. The coal-niines — the chief source of revenue 
 — which were in tlie hands of the Government in 1800, were 
 leased on November 17, 1801, to William Camphell, the At- 
 t«n-ncy-General, for a term of seven years, at 7.v. i)er chaldron 
 royalty. On INIarch 2, 180)5, Canipbell, finding he could make 
 no profit by his lease, being bound to sell the coal at no higher 
 rate than I8.s'.per chaldron, a[)plied for a icduction of the n)yahy, 
 which General Despard would not agree to; the mines then 
 fell into the hands of the (Jovcrmnent, Catn})bcll having sur- 
 rendered liis lease on May 1, 1804, being unable to comi>ly 
 with its conditions. The returns of coal ship[)ed from 1801 to 
 1807, both inclusive, are not quite j)erfect ; as nearly as I 
 could make out, the total quantity was SI^OJ.") chaldrons, 
 giving an average of 4,722 per amnnn. The connnerce of the 
 Arichat district, during the same ])ei-iod, seems to have made 
 some progress, ihe clearances in 1804 having amounted to 
 eighty-six vessels against fifty-four in 17J)7. The exports 
 from Arichat for 1804 consisted of 22,200 quintals and l,.j;};} 
 barrels of fish, 20,730 gallons of oil, and a small quantity (>f 
 lumber. 
 
 Brigadier-General Xci)ean, who arri\e(l at Sidney on .Inly 
 (), 1807, had scarcely entered upon hi> duties as Pre^ideul of 
 
•128 
 
 CAPE BPtETON. 
 
 Council, ^vlu'll lie foiiiKl that ccrtiiiii pers-ons 'had,' as he tells 
 the Secretary ol' State, ' maiiU'osted a disposition to oi)|>ose 
 him in the CJovernuient l)y tunning parties, and that, being 
 determined to strike at the root ol* all o])position to His Ma- 
 jesty's (iovernment,' he had deprived Mr. Campbell of the 
 otiiec of Attorney-General and his scat in the Council. I 
 will not weary you with a detail of the various reasons given 
 by Xepean for the dismissals "nd a[)[K)intmtnts which occurred 
 during his tenure of oftice; I will merely state that ]Mr. Dodd, 
 who had been suspended by General Dcspard, was restored to 
 his seat in the Council in October 1808; INIr. Gibbons, who 
 was a])pointed to be acting Attorney-General in 1809, was 
 dismissed from that office as well as his seat in the Council, in 
 1810; licnjamin Smyth was ap])ointed Clerk of the Council in 
 1811, vacant by the death of Mr. McKinnon ; ' ^Ir. Dodd was 
 suspciuled from his office of Chief Justice in 1812; and some 
 other eluingcs made, not worthy of notice. Alter all these 
 ' ui)s and downs,' 1 find that, on jMay 4, 1812, the Council was 
 composed of Brigadier-General ^^'epean. President ; A. C. 
 Dodd, Thomas Crawley, C. K. Leonard, Kev. AVilliam 
 Twining, William Uown, junior, 1*. 11. Clarke, and lianna 
 Cossit." 
 
 One of the most serious drawbacks to the advancement of 
 Cape Breton, whilst it had a Government of its own, was the 
 maintenance of a host of officials beyond all measure too costly 
 for a small colony. All the revenues of the island, together 
 with an annual sum of about 2,000/. voted by Parliament, 
 were swallowed U[» in the ])ayment of the salaries of officers 
 whose duties were in many cases i>nrely imaginary, leaving 
 nothing for the construction of roads and other necessary 
 Avorks. Lord Castloreagh, when Secretary of State, seems to 
 have had some idea of reducin<>' the Civil Establishment, as he 
 ordered General Nepean to send lu)me a list of all the officers 
 
 ' Mr. Mi'KinnoJi died on April 13, 1811, from llie cliects of a svouiid rcccivi'd 
 on luiiird tlie ' Bristol,' in the iittaek of Sullivaii'.s Island, near Cliarlcstown, uniiii' 
 8ir l\t(T Parker. 
 
 ■-' 111 till' yiar 18(18, a company of tlio Now IJnm.swiik FonciMus was ami by ll" 
 ronimaiider-in-Cliicf to Capo Bri'lon. Pait of tlu' company was stationed at 
 •'^ydni y, llu remainder at the mines. 
 
LIST OF OFFICERS IN CAPE BRETON. 
 
 42i> 
 
 employed in the island, with a particular account of their 
 (Muolunienls. This list, which was sent to Enf«;land in 1809, 
 gives a i'ull and explicit account of the various offices, the 
 names, services, and ages of the occupants, and their emolu- 
 ments. 1 beg to submit the following abstract, believing that 
 it possesses sufficient interest to entitle it to a place hero : — 
 
 Ofciiimnts. 
 
 Offices. 
 
 Total Animal 
 
 A. C. Dodd . . Cliief Just ire, rjOO/. por minum 
 
 Do. . . Doputy-Survi'yor of Woods, 12L por aiinuni, 
 in Fees 
 
 Attornfy-Gencral, 80/, por iinnuri 
 Solifilor-Goneral, no ]'■•■ 
 
 J 
 
 Richard Gibbons 
 
 Do. . . „. J 
 
 Wm. MeKiunon Provincial .Soci'etary, Eegislrar, and Cierk of) 
 
 ■/ 
 
 James Hill . . 
 
 Do. . . 
 
 Do. . . 
 
 Do. . . 
 William Cox 
 
 Hicliard Stout . 
 
 Do. . . 
 Wllliarn Day 
 P'lilp. Duniarcsq 
 
 ileovfre Moore , 
 Kanuii Cossit 
 
 Do. . . 
 
 Do. . . 
 Samuel Plant 
 
 Do. . . 
 
 Do. . . 
 
 Do. . . 
 
 I C. Hubert . . 
 
 I P. H. Clarke . 
 
 ! Do. . . 
 
 I Do. . . 
 
 Win. Twining . 
 
 Do. . . 
 
 Thomas Crawloy 
 
 Do. . . 
 
 J. W. Clarke . 
 
 J. C. Jiitohie . . 
 
 Do. . . 
 
 Georrre Bown 
 
 Phillip Elly . . 
 
 1: 
 
 Council, Salary and Fees 
 Clerk of the Crown, 8(>/. in Fees 
 Clerk of the Pleas, Fees not stated 
 Clerk of the Peace, ditto 
 Public Schoolmaster, 4.3^. per annum 
 Provost -^larsh a 1 ...... 
 
 Surrofrate and Judge of Probate, Fees 
 Acting Auditor ...... 
 
 Messenger to Council, and Gaoler . 
 Collector of Cnstonis, Salary and Fees 
 
 Ditto at Arichat, per annum . 
 
 CoinjitroUer of Customs, Salary and Fees, lol/. 
 Keceiver of Seamen's Duty, F'ees 1/. 'l.s. (>(/. 
 Deputy-Treasurer, Greenwich TTo; pital. Nil . 
 Surveyor and Searcher, Salary and F'ees 111/. 
 Collector Prov. Eovenuo 10 per cent. Coirimis- 
 
 .sion 2.)/ 
 
 Coroner, Fees 21. lO.s. ..... 
 
 Clevk of Licences. Fees 2/. lO.s-. . . ._,. 
 
 Col. Prov. Kevenue, Western District, 10 percent. | 
 Treasurer of J'rov. licvenue joperceiit.Commis- 1 ! 
 Do. Mines do. ) sion, about 'dOOl. . \ 
 
 Private Secretary to Governor, 91/. Us. per ami. J 
 Parochial Minister, 144/. per annum , .1 
 Garrison Chaplain, 4;V. 12«. Of/. . . .J 
 
 Surveyor of Lands, 140/. per annum . ."} 
 Supi'rintendent of Mines, 100/. per annum .J 
 Medical Officer at IMines .... 
 
 Agent of Government at Mines, 22o/. per ann. "j^ 
 Allowed to supply men with Goods, 22o/. more J 
 Harbour Master ...... 
 
 Clerk of Market, Fees ..... 
 
 I 
 
 Kiiidlnnii'iit. I 
 
 .C s. a. I 
 
 r)i2 
 
 ss 
 
 240 
 
 131 
 
 120 
 
 10 
 
 22 10 
 
 .')2 10 (t 
 
 3oO 
 
 120 
 
 l.jl 4 (i 
 
 171 
 
 ;5o 
 
 ;ji)i o 
 
 189 12 6 
 
 240 3 
 
 l.')i) 
 
 460 
 
 50 
 
 _ 9 (' 
 
 a47rt 2 
 
 I 
 
 This statement requires no comment. It is no wonder the 
 island made such little progress when the expenses of the 
 Government amounted to 3,475/., exclusive of the Governor's 
 salary, which, I believe, was 800/. per annum ; and this too, 
 
430 CAPE BllETON. 
 
 you must 1)oar in mind, at a period wlicn the wliolc po|Mdati(Ui 
 ot'llie island did not exceed 4,000 or 5,000 souls. 
 
 liefbrc I close my skcteh of General Nepean's administra- 
 tion, I must notice an incident of a very j)ainful character 
 wliieh occurred at Sydney in 1812, the murder of a man oi'the 
 name of William Harris, by the Captain of Ilis Majesty's 
 sloop of war ' Ilecruit.' The ' llecruit,' it appears, was sent 
 down by Sir Jolm Sherbrooke, to convoy a number of ves- 
 sels loadincf with coal at Sydney for the Halifax giirrison ; 
 while she was lying at anchor before the town one Sunday 
 morning, the conimnndei', Captain Evans, went on shore and 
 insulted a female, which led to a disturbance in the street. 
 The officers of the ' llecruit,' supposing their Captain was 
 in danger, sent a corporal of mai'ines and a file of men on 
 shore to protect him. On their appearing, Captain Evans, 
 who, according to all accounts, was the aggressing party, 
 ordered the marines to fire, when Harris, who had merely 
 stepped out of his house to see what was going on, was shot 
 in the forehead and killed ; the Rev. William Twining and 
 two constables were also wounded in the affray. The main 
 guard having meanwhile been called out, Evans and the 
 marines were secured and lodged in gaol, where they were 
 kept until the month of October 1813, when they were 
 brought to trial, but owing to some irregularity in the pro- 
 ceedings, escaped the punishment they justly deserved. While 
 J"]vans was in gaol, he appealed to the Lords of the Ad- 
 miralty for protection,' l>ut they refused to interfere, and left 
 him to be dealt with by the civil poAver. The ' Recruit ' left 
 Sydney under the command of Lieutenant Bannister, with 
 her convoy, in the beginning of .lanuary, but was obliged by 
 stress of weather to put back to Sydney on the 21st, where 
 she was frozen in and did not get out until May 22 following. 
 
 The coal-mines were worked during Nepean's administra- 
 tion by the Government, but ai)parently Avith little advantage, 
 
 ' Captain Evans was, beyond fill doubt, not in his right mind. On June IT), 181 3. 
 he wroto a most intoniperato, letter to the Lords of the A<lmiralty, in whieli lie 
 said, ' Tlio intloxiblo iiiluiman bruto, IJripjadicr-Gcnoral llugli Swayno, continues 
 nio confiiifd, both legs in iron, willi a chain attaelicd to tlioni.' Jle added that his 
 trial was postponed by Swayni, to try to destroy his const itulir)n ! 
 
BRIOADTEK-OENERAL «WAYNE ARRIVES IN SYDNEY. VM 
 
 tlie profit, accorflinj:^ to Ji ro|)(>rt sent to tho Seerotiiry ul' 
 State oil tluly 5 iHli, hoAUfr only l.s-. H(f. per olialdron. As 
 nearly as I can ascertain, the sales, iiKiliidinj:; a small ([nantily 
 obtained from the cliffs, averaged about 0,000 cluildrona per 
 annum. 
 
 Tlie [)ractice of granting land to hoiid fide settlers was, for 
 some reason not stated, discontinued in 1811, and Crown 
 leases terminable at Avill substituted. This, of course, caused 
 nnicli dissatisfaction generally, and induced the Council to 
 consider the 'propriety and expediency of convening a Ge- 
 neral Assembly, agreeably to the 15th Article of the lloyal 
 Instructions.' (See p. 387.) It Avas finally decided to issue 
 a proclamation to the people of the island, requesting them to 
 communicate their sentiments through the medium of the 
 magistrates. A petition asking for a General Assembly ■was 
 accordingly ad(H)ted and forwarded to the King in 1812. 
 
 Brigadier-General Swayne, who arrived at Sydney on 
 January 1, 1813, had scarcely been a week in oflice when he 
 forwarded a long despatch to Lord Bathurst, the Secretary 
 of State for the Colonies, in which he gave a most deplorable 
 account of the condition of the island: — ' I found,' he says, 
 ' this colony in a most unjdeasaiit state — the Chief Justice has 
 been suspended, and the uiost violent animosities prevail 
 amonsxst some of the officers of the Government as well as 
 between many of the principal inhabitants. The magistrates 
 of the country have been suspended Ibr these some m(»nths 
 past, from an opinion which has been industriously circulated 
 that they had not been duly qualified. It also appears that 
 the finances of the country have been reduced to the lowest 
 ebb, the Treasury drained, and a debt against it. In addition 
 to which, I find that the coal-mines, which were the oidy 
 source of revenue since the Provincial lievenue ceased to 
 operate, are in a state of bankruptcy.' In a subsequent de- 
 spatch of the same year, he informs Lord Bathurst that he 
 had dissolved the Council, but does not give the nanies of the 
 new Members; that he had appointed Richard I. Uniacke, 
 Attorney-General, in the place of li. Gibbons, suspended by 
 General Nepean ; and Charles 10. Leonard, naval officer. 
 
432 vwK iiunToN. 
 
 /"/Vv (Jecir^e Moore, decoasccl ; that tlu' Coiinoil liad renewed 
 the ordiminee hnposini;- u tax \\\\uu rum ; and that a roatl had 
 heen opened from Sychicy to tlie Great liras d'Or Lake, lie 
 also comphiins that, owinjr to the renussnes.s of his jn-edecessor, 
 the counti V (hirinjij the j>rcvions year was so unprotected, that 
 the enemy's privateers hmded their crews and established 
 siffnal stations between Spanish River and Cajje North, to the 
 great injury of the Quel)ee trade. 
 
 (treat preparations were made throughout tlic coh)nies at 
 this time to resist the depredations of the American privateers 
 wliicli swarmed on their coasts. General Swayne did all in 
 his power, with the limited means at his connnand, to j)rovide 
 for the security of Cape Breton, by organising the militia of 
 the island, consisting only of 1,468 men,' and by repairing the 
 batteries on both shores of Sydney Harbour. The only regular 
 troops in the island — a company of tlie lO-lth Regiment, sta- 
 tioned at Sydney — were sometimes called upon to oppose the 
 imaginary attacks of the dreaded privateers, but, fortunately, 
 there was no real cause for alarm, as neither the French nor 
 the Americans visited Sydney. 
 
 General Swayne had been scarcely three years at Sydney, 
 when he ai)plied for leave to return to England on account of 
 his health — more probably to escape from the unpleasant po- 
 sition he occni)ie(l, having become embroiled in quarrels with 
 some of the other officers of his Government. The Cape 
 r»ret(m documents in the Pid)lic Record Offif'c contain 
 hundreds of pages of correspondence relating to the suspen- 
 sion of the Chief Justice and the Attorney-General, and 
 similar affairs, but as they would aftbrd you neither jdeasure 
 nor profit, I vill say no more about them. The only ad- 
 ditional appointment that I noticed, Avorthy of mention, was 
 that of James Crowdy, on September 13, 1814, to the offices 
 of Provincial Secretary and Registrar. 
 
 If the General had paid more attention to the material 
 interests of the island, and less to the jealousies and feuds 
 Avhich disgraced his administration, tlie Records would have 
 
 ' The population of tlio i>liiiul i.s stiifpil in a letter to Loiil 'Patluirst, of June 1, 
 1813, to be 5,909. 
 
VALUE OF MKUOHANmSE RNTETJED AT SYDNEY, ETC. 43:) 
 
 I'liiiiislied lis willi more satisfactorv ovidi'iu'i! of llu; jn-otfiTss of 
 the i'oni tnide llum ihe only entry lliey conttiin— the f'ullow- 
 
 
 C'lsli received tor Coals k)1iI in 1813 
 I'aiil .Salaries, C'liarjris, (See. 
 
 e 
 
 8,006 
 f),008 
 
 n 
 
 On the (li'parturc of General Swayne, Lientenant-Coloncl 
 Fitzlierbert of i\w 9Sth Regiment was sent from Halifax 
 Ity Sir tJohn Slierhrooke to act as President of Council until 
 ll»e arrival of IMajor-fieneral Ainslie, who had been appointed 
 Lieutenant-Governor of the Island. Under Colonel Fitz- 
 lierbeit's rule, from February 5 to November 4, 1816, the 
 ishuid enjoyed comparative tranquillity, and all branches of trade 
 made some progress. The Returns sent to England for the 
 year ending December 31, 1810, show that the value of the 
 merchandise entered at the ports of Sydney, Arichat, and 
 Ship Harbour, amounted to 83,724/. 7a-., and the exports to 
 .03,880/. Ifis. 9r/. The amount of articles exported - the actual 
 produce of the island — did not exceed 38,783/. 8*. 3(/., consist- 
 ing of the following items : — 
 
 G,]o7 Ciiaklrons of Coal at 23/ 
 
 31,03!) Quintiils of Cud Fish „ 14/6 
 
 4,n)U barrels riekled Fisli „ 20/ 
 
 0,341" Gallons Fish Oil „ 1/9 
 
 l-jy Head of Cattle „ 180/ 
 
 4 Tliousaiid Oak Slaves „ 200/ 
 
 200 Barrels Potatoes 
 
 34 Bundles Hoops 
 32 Do. .Shooks 
 
 2(J0 Bu.diels Oats 
 
 70 Barrels .^Salmon 
 
 2,000 Lbs. Butter 
 
 19 Cords Firewood 
 
 1 Puncheon Furs , 
 
 102 Furs and .Skins . 
 
 40 Ileail of Siicep 
 
 7/ 
 
 10/ 
 
 10/ 
 
 3/ 
 /50/ 
 
 1/3 
 20/ 
 
 2.1 
 
 217 Barrels Pickled Fish ., 2r>/ 
 ^)<')'2 Tons Plaister of Paris „ 7/(> 
 
 £ s. 
 
 7,080 11 
 
 24,678 Tj 
 
 4,191 10 
 
 554 16 
 
 1,161 
 
 40, 
 
 71) 
 
 17 
 
 16 
 
 .■39 
 
 175 
 
 125 
 
 19 
 
 63 
 
 25 
 
 50 
 
 271 
 
 207 
 
 <l. 
 
 6 
 
 9 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 5 
 
 
 
 Total 
 
 38,783 8 3 
 
 For many years previous to the arrival of General Ainslie, 
 a duty of Is. per gallon upon rum, imposed by an Ordi- 
 
 p F 
 
434 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 nance of Council, had produced an annual revcinie, Avhich, 
 together with that raised from the coal-mines, Avas sufficient 
 to cover all the expenses of the Government; but the payment 
 of this duty having been resisted in the summer of 1816 by 
 Messrs. Leaver and Kitchie, the lessees of the coal-mines, 
 upon the ground of its illegality. His Majesty, they asserted, 
 having given np his prerogative of making laws in Cape 
 Breton imposing a tax upon the inhabitants, by virtue of the 
 Proclamation of October 7, 1763, Avhen the island was an- 
 nexed to Nova Scotia; and again, on August 26, 1784, by 
 the 15th Article of his instructions to Governor Parr, when 
 Cape Breton was erected into a separate Govei'nment, which 
 ordered, ' that nothing be passed or done that should any Avay 
 tend to affect the life, limb, or liberty of the subject, or the 
 imposing of any duties or taxes^ an action was brought against 
 Messrs. Ritchie and Leaver to recover the duty. The case 
 was tried before Chief Justice Dodd (who had been reinstated 
 in his office by order of the Home Government in the month 
 of April preceding), and a vei'dict given, by his direction, in 
 favour of the defendants. This decision proved very em- 
 barrassing to the Lieutenant-Governor, as it was the opinion 
 of the Attorney-General, ' that as His Majesty, according to 
 the Chief Justice's decision, had relinquished his prerogative 
 over the island, all the ordinances then in force were illegal, 
 and the situation of the island was in a disoi'ganised state 
 regarding the public revenue and the execution of the pro- 
 vincial laws, which called for the immediate interference of 
 His Majesty's Government.' In this dilemma, General 
 Ainslie, in reporting to the Secretary of State on November 
 25, on the state of the island, said, that in consequence of the 
 decision of the Court, every ordinance that had been passed 
 for a great length of time was illegal ; that no im[)ost could 
 be laid in futuj-e ; no statute labour enforced ; no militia 
 called out ; no prisoner put in gaol ; nor any other regulations 
 most necessary in an infant colony could be made. He added, 
 in conclusion, that the decision had met with the execration 
 of the whole of the inhabitants except a few rum sellers, and 
 that the tax, which was of great service in opening roads and 
 
OPINION OP THE LEGAL ADVISERS OP THE CROWN. 435 
 
 other needful works, was cheerfully paid by all. If the pe- 
 tition of the inhabitants, mentioned at page 431, asking for 
 a (ieneral Assembly, had been complied with, such a serious 
 difficulty could ne\ er have arisen ; but strange to say, no notice 
 whatever seems to have been paid to their request until the 
 year 1817, when Lord Bathurst informed General Ainslie 
 that he fully coincided with him in opinion. ' that a House of 
 Assembly would be destructive of the prosperity the island 
 then enjoyed, limited as it was, and that there was not a suf- 
 ficient number of persons in easy circumstances to attend an 
 Assembly.' 
 
 Lord liathurst having applied to Messrs. Shepherd and 
 Clifford, the legal advisers of the Crown, for their opinion ui)on 
 the decision of the Supreme Court at Sydney, received in 
 reply the following answer on April 11 : ' We think it r'ght to 
 submit to your Lordship our doubts as to the legality of tlie hn- 
 position of the duty for which the action is brought. If the 
 extract from the King's Commission and Instruction to the 
 Governor be correct, the Governor and Council of the island 
 are not authorised to impose any duties or taxes, inasmuch as 
 such power is expressly excepted.' This opinion of the law 
 officers of the Crown settled the question. As the island could 
 not be allowed to remain without a regular government, the 
 only method of overcoming the difficulty was, either to convene 
 a House of Assembly, or to reannex it to the Government of 
 Nova Scotia. The JMinistry, as you are aware, decided upon 
 the latter course. In my next I will tell you how the proposed 
 measure was received by the people of Cape Breton, and the 
 manner in Avhich it was carried into effect. 
 
 V b 
 
430 L'APK BRF.TON. 
 
 LETTER XXVT. 
 
 1817-1840. 
 
 Before I enter upon the important qncstlon of tlie re-annexa- 
 tion of Cape Breton to Nova Scotia, I nuist give yon a short 
 account of what occurred during the hist two or three years of 
 the existence of its separate goverinnent. In tlie year 1817 
 an overland postal communication was cstabllslied with Halifax, 
 by despatching an Indian once a month during the winter, when 
 the harbour of Sydney was dosed by ice. Also at the urgent 
 solicitation of General Ainslie, who represented that in conse- 
 quence of the vacillating policy of the Ministry respecting the 
 issuing of land grants, many valuable settlers had left the 
 island for the United States, orders were received to issue 
 gi-ants to bona fide settlers as usual. These orders, however, 
 for reasons not stated, were revoked in 1818, when instructions 
 were sent out by Lord Bathurst * to suspend passing grants 
 until further commands.' The garrison of Sydney, consisting 
 of a company of the 7th battalion of the GOth Rifles, under the 
 command of Captain Barrington, was relieved in 1817 by a 
 company of the 3rd battalion of the same regiment, under the 
 command of Captain Imthurn, which was in its turn relieved 
 in 1818 by a company of the 74th Regiment, commanded by 
 Captain Stewart. Large qr tities of gypsum having been 
 carried off clandestinely by ^. .lerican vessels from the Gut of 
 Canceau, General Ainslie advised the Ministry to close that 
 strait against foreign vessels, but was informed that it could 
 not be done according to the lat€ treaty with the United States. 
 To stop this trafllic the hired Government schooner was em- 
 ployed to watcli the coast and drive off any vessels attempting 
 to take in cargoes. In the execution of this dutv an American 
 
CHANGES MADE IN THE COUNCIL. 4o/ 
 
 vctisel was seized, loading with gyj)sinnt at the port of St. Ann's, 
 a!id taken round to Sydney. In the year 1818 the first cargo 
 of timber ever shij»})ed direct from the liras d'Or Lakes was 
 loaded on board a vessel which had brought out immigrants 
 in St. Cicorge's Channel. In the same year the Rev. Ilib- 
 bcrt Binney, father of the present Bishop of Nova Scotia, was 
 appointed to the mlsj-ion of Sydney by the Society for Proj)a- 
 gating the Gospel in Foreign Parts ; and Messrs. llitchie 
 and F. licaver relin(|uished their lease of the coal-mines, which 
 were transferred to Messrs. Bown and John Leaver, who held 
 possesslim of them until January 1, 1821. The sales of coal 
 in 1818 amounted to 5,300, and in 1819 to 6,209 chaldrons. 
 There are no return:; in the Cape Breton pai)ers in the Record 
 Office for 1817 anu 1820. 
 
 I should gladly have here closed my brief summary of 
 events ; but however disagreeable the task, I must not omit to 
 inform you that General Ainslie's reign, like that of all his 
 predecessors, was from first to last disgraced by continual 
 quarrels and disputes, alike dishonourable to ail the parties 
 concerned. If I Avere to jrivc you a detailed account of all 
 those transactions, it would fill many hundred pages with very 
 improfitablc matter, and undoubtedly give great offence to 
 many persons now residing in Cape Breton; I will therefore 
 merely enumerate the changes made by General Ainslie in the 
 Council and the i)ublic offices during his administration. In 
 1817 Captain Imthurn and Captain Weekes were a])pointed 
 to seats in the Council in place of Mr. Bruce and Mr. 
 Dumaresq, and jVIr. Stout was dismissed from the office of 
 Judge of Probate, but immediately afterwards reinstated by 
 the order of Lord Bathurst. In 1818 Mr. Raima Cossit was 
 susj)ended from his office of Comjttroller of Customs, and Mr. 
 Pooley forbid<len to practise as a barrister in the Court of 
 Chancery. One of his last acts — perhaps the only unobjec- 
 tionable one — was the appointment of Captain Stewart to a 
 seat in the Council. Having quarrelled with the Chief .Jus- 
 tice, the Provincial Secretary, the Surveyor-General, the 
 Provost-Marshal, and the Naval Officer, and made enemies of 
 almost every person of respectability in Sydney, Ainslie closed 
 
438 CAPE BRETON. 
 
 his career iti 1820 with a sciirrillous, intcin[)eratc letter to the 
 Under Secretary oi' State, denouncing tlie inhabitants gone- 
 rally as a set of deceitful unprincipled aliens, ' enibued with the 
 Yankee qualities of the refuse of the three kingdoms.' We 
 cainiot be surprised, under these circumstances, that the British 
 Ministry, harassed with com])laints from all parties of the con- 
 duct of the rulers which had been set over them, decided to 
 annex the island to the Government of Nova Scotia, as the 
 only means of relieving it from the baneful influences to which 
 it had been subjected ever since its separation from that pro- 
 vince in 1784. 
 
 The first intelligence of the intention of the British Govern- 
 ment to re-annex Cape Breton to Nova Scotia reached Sydney 
 in the month of August, only three months after a petition 
 had been forwarded to the Prince llegent, praying him to 
 order a General Assembly to be convened, as the only consti- 
 tutional remedy, in their opinion, for the evils under which 
 they had so long laboured. As no answer Avas sent to their 
 ])etition, the inhabitants of Sydney inunediately addressed a 
 strong remonstrance to Lord Bathurst, in which they expressed 
 their grief and astonishment at the proposed measure of an- 
 nexation, stating that the island would be swamped by the 
 Legislature of Nova Scotia, that its interests would be neglected, 
 and that the distance of the island from Halifax — the seat of 
 government — would cause great inconvenience to the inhabi- 
 tants. They further stated, that as the island now contained 
 a population of 8,000 or 9,000 souls, which was ra[)idly in- 
 creasing by immigration, and was ca[)al)lc of raising a sufficient 
 revenue, the time had arrived fr calling together an Assembly, 
 as pi'omised in the instructions sent out to Governor Parr in 
 1784, when Cape Breton was erected into a separate govern- 
 ment. Finally, they j)rayed that his Lordship would adopt 
 such measures as would secure to them the blessings to Avhich, 
 as loyal British subjects, they were entitled. Thia address was 
 signed by men of all parties in Sydney and the north-eastern 
 districts, but it was not heeded by the Colonial Secretary, who 
 instructed Sir James Kempt, then about to sail to Halifax to 
 assume the government of Nova Scotia, to carry the annexa- 
 
DESPATCH SENT BY LORD BATHUttST. 439 
 
 tloii into cflToct immediately upon his arrival in that colony. 
 Sir James Kempt roaehed Halifax on June 1, 1820, and 
 liavinj; notified General Ainslie of his arrival and the purport 
 of his instructions relative to Cape Breton, the latter, on the 
 2()th of the same month wrote to Mr. Crowdy, the Provincial 
 Secretary of the island, announcing his immediate departure. 
 On the 22nd a council' was held, at which it was decided that 
 the senior military ofHccr, Captain David Stewart, was the 
 proper person to take upon himself the administration of the 
 Government'^ until Sir James Kempt had completed his ar- 
 ran*ji;cments for annexinc; the island to the Government of 
 Nova Scotia. 
 
 As everything connected with the important subject of the 
 annexation of your island to Nova Scotia must be highly in- 
 teresting, I will now give you a copy of the despatch sent by 
 Lord Bathurst to Sir James Kempt, for his guidance: — 
 
 ' Downing Street, August 15, 1820. 
 
 * Sill, — I had the hcmour of intimating to you, previous to 
 your departure from this country, the decision to which His 
 IMajesty had come, of re-annexing the island of Cape Breton 
 to the Government of Nova Scotia; and you must have ob- 
 served the alteration which had in consequence been made in 
 your commission and instructions. 
 
 * His Majesty considers it most desirable that this arrange- 
 ment should be no hniger delayed, and lias commanded me to 
 instruct you to take into your immediate consideration the 
 measures which may be necessary to give effect to His Ma- 
 jesty's instructions. For this [)ur])ose it will be necessary 
 that you should in the first ])lacc direct the issue of writs for 
 the election of two members from the county of Cape Breton, 
 to sit in the Legislative Assembly of Nova Scotia; and in this 
 you will follow the course adopted in 1765, when two members 
 were actually so returned. 
 
 ' Tiio Councillors present at this niiotinR wcro Arrhilmid C. Dodd, Presidoui ; 
 David Tait(, Thomas Crawit y, .fosluia W. ^\'('t■ks, Frederick Inithurn, David 
 Stewart, and Charles K, Ward. 
 
 - General Ainslie left Sydney on June 21, in the brip ' Hannah,' direct for Lon- 
 don, where he arrived on August o. 
 
440 CAPE BRETOX. 
 
 ' Upon this, you will dissolve the Council at Cape IJretou, 
 appointing, however, to seat.s in the Council of" Nova Scotiu, 
 any one or more members whose knowledge of the local 
 interests of the island, or whose merits in other respects, entitle 
 them to that distinction. 
 
 ' The object being to make the island in every respect an 
 integral part of Nova Scotia, it will be your duty to consider 
 of the measures which it will be necessary for the Legislatiue 
 of Nova Scotia to adopt, in order to give effect to this in- 
 tention. 
 
 ' You will at once see the necessity of either api)lying to 
 Cape Breton the laws actually api)licable to other parts of 
 Nova Scotia, or of giving, by some legislative Act, legal 
 validity for the future to the several ordinances jiassed since 
 by the Governor and Council of Cape Breton, and under 
 which that colony has hitherto been administereil. 
 
 ' It will be for the Legislature to decide upon which of 
 these two courses it may be most convenient to adopt ; but 1 
 cannot withhold my opinion, that it would be far more ad- 
 visable to follow that which would place the whole of the 
 province under one and the same system of law. 
 
 ' With respect to the administration of justice, it will only 
 be necessary to [)rovide that the judges of Nova Scotia -liould 
 extend their regular circuits to Cape Breton, in order to 
 secure to the inhabitants every facility which they have any 
 title to expect. 
 
 ' I shall be most anxious to receive from you, as early as 
 possible, a rejjort as to those officers whom you may consider 
 it necessary, either permanently or for a time, to retain at 
 Cape Breton after its annexation to Nova Scotia. Among 
 the latter, it a[)pears to me expedient that the Officer of the 
 Customs, the Naval Officer, the Survcyor-deneral, and the 
 Superintendent of the Mines — avIio have all duties independent 
 of any question of union or separation of the Government — 
 should remain as heretofore, Avith the difference only of rej)ort- 
 ing to you, through the Superintendent, who is to be aj^pointed 
 resident within the island, instead of the Licutcnant-CJovernor ; 
 but as this part of the question will in no degree fall under the 
 
SIR JAME.S KEMPT SAILS FOR SYD.N'CV. 441 
 
 I'cjiulatioii of the Af^scinl)ly, it is a point ol' less iinniodiate 
 uttc'uti<iii, ;ui(l it will l>e a propor sultjcct lor tlie i'liturc cou- 
 sidoratioii of His Majesty's ( iovernmoiit. 
 
 ' It id cloar that the services of" tlie jikIljcs, and it is pro- 
 l)al)le also that those of tlie nreater ])art of the subordinate 
 otiieers ofjustice, may be altojjjether dispensed with ; but with 
 resj)eet to all these, it will be necessary that I should receive 
 from you a specification of the length of their several services, 
 in order to judsjje how far they may be entitled to a con- 
 tinuance of the whole or a portion of their respective emolu- 
 ments, or to be transferred to some other situation. 
 
 ' Parliament has already made provision for the payment 
 of llieir several annual salaries for the j)rescnt year, and it 
 will therefore be ])roper that the new arranjj^emcnt, though com- 
 pleted, should not actually take })lace until January 1, 1S21. 
 
 ' I have tlic honour to be, Sir, 
 
 Your obedient luunblc Servant, 
 
 ' Batiiuusi. 
 
 ' Lieut. -Genoral Sir .T.inies Kompt, G.C.I?., 
 Sic, &c., iSco.' 
 
 Immediately after the receipt of this despatch, Sir James 
 Kempt sailed for Sydney in tlie (xoverinncnt hired biiu- ' C'hc- 
 bucto,' where he issued the follow ing jiroclamation on October 
 16, 1820: — 
 
 ' A ProchunatMiii hij Jlis K.vcelhitii/ 
 
 lAvntcnaut-Generttl Sir J<im(s Ktnipt, 
 
 ' J. KliAlTT. G.C.Ii., lAenteudiit-Goveriior <iii(l Cum- 
 
 rnand<'r~tn-Chi('f in (tnd orer I lis Mo- 
 
 Jcsti/s Proriiicc of Nova Scotia (iiid its 
 
 Dependencies, ^'c. 
 
 ' Whereas His ]Majesty, with a view to promote the welfare 
 of his faithful and loyal subjects of Nova Scotia and t'ape 
 Breton, liath been graciously pleased to direct that the island 
 of Cape Breton should be re-annexed to the Govornment of 
 Nova Scotia, and the same i.^^land should from henceforth be 
 and remain an int* gral [tart of the Cfoveinment of Nova Scotia — 
 
'112 CAPE lillKTON. 
 
 ' T do ihorefore, in piirsiiiviifc of II is Majesty's instructions! 
 and l)y anil uith the advice of" His Majesty's C'ouneil, de- 
 clare lliat tiie island of Cape Brct<.n is, and iVoni henceforth 
 shall l)e and remain, a several ami distinct county of the Pro- 
 \ ince of Nova Scotia, to be called and known by the name of 
 the County o'' Cai)C Hreton, and to be represented, and the 
 Civil Government thereof to be administered, in like manner 
 as the other counties of the province are administered and 
 o-overned. 
 
 ' ^Vnd in pursuance of His Majesty's instructions, I have 
 (MUised a writ, in the usual form, to be innnediately issued, 
 directed to the Provost-Marshal or his Dc[»uty, resident in 
 the island, for the election of two INIembcrs to serve in the 
 (ieneral Assembly of Nova Scotia, beiuj^ the number directed 
 to be sununoned to such Assend)ly before the time when the 
 said island was first separated from the jtrovincc of Nova 
 Scotia. 
 
 ' And I do hereby, in obedience to Ilis Majesty's com- 
 mands, dissolve the Council of the said Island of Cape 
 liretou. 
 
 ' And that the peace and good order of the said islaud may 
 be preserved, and justice duly administered therein, until more 
 etfeetual provision shall be made by the Legislature of Nova 
 Scotia, or until further order shall be duly made therein, I do 
 liereby authorise and require that all fFudges, Justices of the 
 Peace, Constables, and other Civil Officers in commission in 
 the said island, do contituie in the execution of their re- 
 spective offices, agreeably to the Et^voral ordinances passed by 
 the Governor and Council of C ;'.c lireton, and under v/hich 
 that Colony, since its separation, has been hitherto admi- 
 nistered. 
 
 ' Given under my hand and Seal at Arms, at 
 Halifax, this ninth day of October, 1S2(), 
 in the first year of His Majesty's reign, 
 By His Excellency's Commaiul, 
 
 ' RuPEUT D. Geokge. 
 
 ' God save the Kinj;.' 
 
WRITS ISSUED roii TlIF KLKCTION OF TWO MKMl'.KUS. II-') 
 
 Soon after the proinul^atioii of this |>ro('himation, Avrlta 
 >vci*G iissiicd tor the election oC two nu'nihers lor the County of 
 Cape JJreton, when liichard .Jolin riiiacke, junior, and Law- 
 rence Kavanaj^h, Avcrc duly eleeted. Mr. L'niaekc took his 
 seat on tlie openinu; of the first Session of the twelfth (leneral 
 Assend)ly of Xova Scotia on .November 12, 1H2(), hut Mr. 
 Kavanijih, who was a Jvonian Catholic, did not present himself 
 for admissiini, as lie couM not eonseientionsjy suhserlhe the 
 declaration against popery and transuhstantiation. Sir James 
 Kempt, supposing that he might claim his seat at the next 
 Session, applied on Nctvemhcr 1.5, IS21, to the Under Secre- 
 tary of State i'oi' instructions for his guidance, rej)rcsenting 
 that, as a large profjortiou of the inhabitants were Roman 
 Catholics, it appeared but just and lair that they should have 
 a re])rescntative of their own persuasion, especially as INIr. 
 Kavanagh was one of the most loyal and resj)ectablc men in 
 the whole connnunity. In reply to this, Lord Jiathurst said, 
 ' If Ml'. Kavanagh should present himself, and on his object- 
 ing to the oath required by the instructions, the Council 
 slionhl be of ojunion that it should be dispensed with, you 
 will consent to submit their wishes to His Majesty's (!v)vern- 
 nient and wait Ilis JNlajesty's pleasure. I should not lecom- 
 nicnd so much encouragement to be given to this proposition, if 
 1 were not prepared to advise His IMajesty (on the receipt of 
 such ai)])lication) to dispense A\itli the oath in the instance 
 of Mr. Kavanaiih, on condition of his takin<>- the oath i)re- 
 scribed by the Act of 17S.'i.' ' Sir James Kempt having sub- 
 mitted the substance of this letter to the House, by message on 
 April 2, it was, after some discussion, resolved on the Jird, 
 ' Tiiat His jNIajesty, having been graciously pleased to give 
 his consent that Lawrence Kavanagh, Esquire, elected to 
 represent the County of Cape Breton, a gentleman professing 
 the lioman Catholic religion, should be permitted to take a 
 seat in the House without makino; the declaration ajjainsst 
 popery and transuhstantiation. That this House, grateful 
 
 ' Tho oath Iuti' rt'ft'vrod to wis a niodificatinn of tliat against popory and tran- 
 sulcitantiation, usually adniinistorcd to inagistratf,'? and oilier jniblic functionaiacs 
 of tht! Eoman Catholic persuasion. 
 
Ill' CAPE UllKTON. 
 
 1(» His Miiji'sty for rcllovinn- liis Uonuin Catholic subjects from 
 the (lisal)ility they were lieretctl'ore iiiider, IVom sittln<^' in tiie 
 lIcHise, do admit the said Lawrence ICavaiia^li to take his 
 .^eat, and will in future permit llonuin Catholics who may be 
 didy elected, and shall be (jualified to hold a seat in the House, 
 to take such s(Mit without making declaration against j»o[)ery 
 and transubstantiation ; and that a connnittce be appointed to 
 wait upon His Kxccllency the Lieutenant-Governor, and 
 ct)nnnunicatc to him this determination of the House.' Where- 
 upon ]Mr. Kavanagh took the State oaths and his seat in the 
 House on the same day (April 3, 1823.) 
 
 Having, for the j)urpt)sc of disposing of INIr. ICavanagh's 
 case, gone rather too fast ahead, wo must now go back to the 
 year I.S20, when an Act was passed by the Legislature on 
 I)ccend)er 22, extending the laws of Nova Scotia to Cape 
 Breton, agreeably to His INIajesty's instructions. At the same 
 time, according to the same instructions, provision was made 
 for the principal officers of the late Government of Cape 
 lircton. The Chief Justice was allowed a ])cntion of 500/. per 
 annum, and the Provincial Secretary, Naval Officer, and 
 Provost-]Marshal, retiring allowances equal to one half the 
 amount of their salaries. The officers of Customs, the Surveyor- 
 General, and some subordinate officers of the Courts of .Jus- 
 tice, were continued in office. 
 
 The visit of Sir James Kempt to Sydney, Louisbourg, 
 and Arichat, in October 1820, enabled him to collect much 
 valuable information concerning the wants of the ])Cople, and 
 especially with regard to the system of granting lands, which 
 hud long been a source of much dissatisfaction. One of his 
 (irst acts was to issue a code of instructions to the Surveyor- 
 (Jeneral, to lay oft' lands in lots of 100 acres to single, and of 
 200 acres to married men, with i)crmission to occupy them 
 utulcr tickets oi' location until they were ])rcpared to pay for 
 grants, with the proviso, that no jibsolute title should be given 
 except to bona fide settlers who had actually made improve- 
 ments. To encourage poor settlers, scleral i>ersons were 
 allowed to acquire titles to their respective lots in one grant, 
 which sa\ed much expense. It appears from a return pre- 
 
A W'KKKliY POST FlSTAnUslIED. t 1 •') 
 
 piirod liy tlio Siirvoyor-denonil, wliicli Sir .lainos Koinpt laitl 
 hof'oie tlu' Coiiiu'il at llaliCnx in 1821, that llio (iiiaiitily «»l' 
 land taken up in Capo Breton up t(» that lime was 085,')4O 
 aeres, lield under the (ollmvinf^ titles: — 
 
 Acfps. 
 
 riiilcr nraiils ill iM'f Siinplr .... 22i>,220 
 
 „ (,'rown LoascH . . . , . })8,<!(l() 
 
 „ 'rii'kits (if Lnt'iition, (ir LictiiPcs . . . lij.OOd 
 
 „ Wiirnmts of Survey, JVtitioii.H. ami l>y Sqimttcrs . 342,8i.'() 
 
 Total . G86,G10 
 
 On :^^al•(•h 2(5, 1H21, Sir James reported to Lord Balliurist 
 tliat a weekly post iiad l)ecn established between Halifax and 
 Sydney; that 1, ()()()/. had been voted by the Le<jjislature for 
 roads and bridjj^cs ; that 2a()/. (authorised by the Lords of the 
 Treasury) had been a])propriated out of the Coal Mines lievenuo 
 to tlie re])airs of the chnreh at Sydney ; and that the people, 
 though nrenerally poor, were represented to bim as being con- 
 tented, thriving, and hapi)y, with the exception of a few indi- 
 viduals about Sydney.' 
 
 Sir James took a great interest in the affairs of Cape Breton, 
 and did everything in his power to reconcile tlic inhabitants to 
 the new order of things. He visited the island again in 
 August 1H21, and reported to the Secretary of State, on 
 October 19, that the people of Cape Breton expressed the 
 liighest satisfaction at their i*e-ainiexation to Nova Scotia, and 
 appeared already to feel the advantages resulting from it. He 
 added, ' A very strong address to this effect was presented to 
 me at Arichat by the principal inhabitants of that district, by 
 far the most populous and important in the island.' 
 
 On May 10, 1823, he again reported to Lord Bathurst, that 
 two of the judges had gone to Sydney and Arichat aninially, 
 to hold the Supreme Court, and that he had appointed four of 
 the most respectable magistrates in the island to be Justices of 
 
 ' This iigrecs with General Ainslic's statemcut to Mr. Goulhurn on February 12, 
 1820: — 'I can conscientiously declare re-annrxation to he the wisest plan Lord 
 Bathurst could have adopted, and the oidy one capalile of doing justice to its vast 
 resources. This is the univei-sal opinion of tlie Colony, a few jobbers in Sydney 
 only excepted, whose petty importance will be lessened and swallowed up by their 
 elder brethren of Nova Scotia.' 
 
44G CAPE BRETON. 
 
 the Inferior Court of Common P'- is. Also, tliat the magis- 
 trates and people of Cape Breton beinj^ less intelligent and 
 less accustomed to regular government than those of Nova 
 Scotia, he had found it necessary to a}>point a professional 
 judge to reside theve, as a legal adviser to the magistrates in 
 all cases of difficulty, and to j)reside at the Inferior Courts of 
 Common Pleas. The persou selected for this office was Mr. 
 J. G. jNIarshall, a Master of Chancery and a Member of the 
 Assembly. The Legislature voted 500/. per annum to pay 
 the salary of this officer. This appointment gave great satis- 
 faction to the people of the island generally. The magistrates 
 and the ])rincipal inhabitants of the district of Sydney sent an 
 address in consequence lo Sir James, thanking His Kxcellency 
 for his solicitud(; and attention to the interests of the island, 
 especially in ap})ointing a Chief Justice of Connnon Pleas. 
 
 You must not conclude, because the people of Sydney very 
 justly thanked His Excellency for his solicitude and attention 
 to the interests of the island, that they all approved of its 
 annexation to Nova Scotia ; on the contrary, from the very 
 first many of them expressed a strong aversion to the measure, 
 and in the month of December 1820 sent a petition to the 
 House of Commons, praying that a Bill might not be allowed 
 to pass the House confirm'ng the union of Cape Breton with 
 Nova Scotia. But the Government of that day had no idea 
 of asking the assent of the Commons to a measure of that kind; 
 the ]\Iinistry decided that Cape Jjreton was to be annexed to 
 Nova Scotia, and it was annexed accordingly. Though their 
 j)etition was unheeded, the matter Avas nt>t allowed to drop 
 altogether. It was again brought forward in the month of 
 October 1823, when the inhabitants of Sydney and its vicinity 
 were assembled for the purpose of voting money for the sup- 
 port of the poor. IVIr. Justice INIarshall, who ,\as residing at 
 Sydney at the time, sent Sir James Kempt a report of the 
 proceedings on November 8, in which he stated, that after the 
 business for which the inhabitants had met was over they 
 (forty or fifty in nund)er) were harangued by Mr. Gibbons 
 u[)on the sul)ject of annexation, and several resolutions were 
 
MR. GIBBONS SENT TO ENGLAND WITH A PETITION. 117 
 
 jn'oposed and a(loi)toil,' denouncing that measure and censuring 
 General Ainslie ; also, that a committee was ajtpointcd to ])rc- 
 pare a petition to Parliament, and to take measures for carry- 
 ing their ol)jcct of a separation into effect. He added, ' From 
 all which has come to my knowledge :)incc I have been here, 
 1 must candidly declare my belief that most of the principal 
 people in this ])lace, and chiefly the merchants, arc in a greater 
 or lesser degree dissatisfied Avith annexation, and desirous ol' 
 the change proposed. . . . The great body of the pcoj)le, T 
 am fully persuaded, are well enough satisfied with the present 
 government and laws, and if it were not for the restless and 
 dissatisfied disposition of the gentleman before named as the 
 chief actor at the late meeting, I am well convinced that no 
 such measures as I have mentioned would have occurred.' 
 And again, in a subsequent letter, of January 22, 1824, Air. 
 INIarshall told Sir James that the petition which was forwarded 
 to England in December, ' was said to have about 500 signa- 
 tures to it, but he had heard the greater nund)er were made 
 by a gentleman liere, and that many of the persons whoso 
 names were subscribed never saw the petition, particularly 
 those about INIainadleu and other places on the coast.' 
 
 Mr. Gibbons, who Avas sent to England with the ])etiti <n. 
 placed it in the hands of Mr. Ilume, by whom it was presented 
 to the House of Commons on June 18, 1824. The following 
 is the entry in the Journals of the House : — 
 
 * A Petition of the Freeholders and Inhabitants of the 
 Island of Cape Breton Avas })resented and read; setting forth, 
 That the Petitioners are urgently impelled to state to the 
 House the sentiments of apprehension and anxiety Avith Avhich 
 they are inspired, by a view of the circumstances in Avhieh the 
 country is at present placed by the unjust and ruinous attempt 
 of His Majesty's Government to unite the Colony of Cape 
 Breton to that of Nova Scotia, in violation of all hiAv, huma- 
 nity, and good faith — an attempt involving every constitutional 
 
 ' ' Mr. Leonard stiitod iu a letter to llie Hon. Mieliael Wallace, on January (I, 
 1824, 'that there were only about half a dozen respectable persons and a tew 
 mechanics present, and that the resolutions wcri' passed by about forty Irislinicn 
 •\nil labourers of (he lowest class. 
 
4 1-8 CAPE RHETON", 
 
 riujlit to lihorty, pvoporty, ami security, over consulerod as 
 irrevocably possessed hy British subjects residing in the 
 colonies, and dei>rived <>f' which they must he degra<led helow 
 the subjects of the most despotic States; and ])rayin<^ the 
 House to adopt such measures as to them shall ai)pear cx- 
 ])edient, to restore to the petitioners tluii- former Iciral fjjovern- 
 ment and laws; or otherwise, that the House will be pleased 
 to orant them a lidl indemnity for the dama<:!;c their property 
 has sustained by a revocation of those conditions, on which they 
 Avere influenced to become settlers in Cape Breton. 
 
 ' Ordered, that the said Petition do lie upon the table, and 
 be printed.' 
 
 In presenting- this petition, Mr. Hume made use of such 
 intemperate lanouagc — jroinj^ so far as to say, if relief were not 
 ovanted, the island would at the first opportunity throw off its 
 allegiance to Great Britain— that many, who probably would 
 have supported the ])rayer of the jictitioners, were deterred 
 from doing so. The Under Secretary' of State, ]\Ir. Wilmot 
 Horton, stated in reply, that the petition, like one presented 
 on a former occasion, was a tissue of falsehoods, and that there 
 was no e;eneral fcelimx in favour of its sentiments in the 
 island. INIr. Hume, nevertheless, contended that if he had an 
 ojiportunity at the next Session, he would again bring the 
 subject before the House, and pledged himself to retire from 
 Parliament if he did not satisfactorily prove that the re- 
 aunexation was illegal. As Parliament was prorogued on 
 rinne 2,'), no further action was taken in the matter; but INIr. 
 Wilmot Horton, who seems to have had some misgivings of 
 the legality of the measure, a])]»licd in the month of »luly to 
 Mr. Stephens, the law adviser of the Crown, for his opinion 
 upon the subject. iNlr. Stephens, in reply, after recapitulating 
 and cxphiining the nature of the several dociunents bearing 
 upon the question, and }»ointing out their inconsistency, 
 stated, ' Whatever may have been the origin and inconsistency 
 of the measures formerly pursued, I am of opinion that His 
 ^Majesty's (iovernment could not do otherwise than revert to 
 the principle established by the Proclamation of ITO.'i, and 
 that Mr. Gibbous's " Case," when collated with the documents 
 
PETITION TO THE QUEEN. 449 
 
 to ■vvliicli it refers, (loos not sufrgcst any suff'u-icnt I'oason for 
 changinf^ the system under which the island of Cape Breton 
 has heen governed since the year 1820.' 
 
 It does not appear from the Journals of the House of Com- 
 mons that Mr. Hume again brought forward the sidjject 
 at the next Sessi(ni, as he had promitod. The people of Cape 
 Breton, like good and loyal subjects, submitted to the de- 
 cision of the Imperial (lovernment, but nevertheless did not 
 abandon the hoj)e of obtaining a restoration of their consti- 
 tution at some future day. The question was often agitated 
 by a party in Sydney, but no decisive action was taken until 
 1843, when a committee was appointed at a public meeting to 
 prepare a petition t(» the Queen upon the subject. In this 
 docmnent, the ])etitioners stated that, after the conquest of 
 Canada and Cape Breton. His Majesty George III., by ])ro- 
 chunation on October 7, 17()3, annexed the island to th qn- 
 vernmovt of the Captain-! ieneral and Governor in Chief of 
 Nova Scotia, and vof to that prorincr as an integral part 
 thereof; and that, although no Licutciuint-(iovernor was sent 
 to Cape Breton at that time, a Commission to that effect 
 was addressed in 17S4 t»» .loseph F. W. Desliarres, who 
 immediately proceeded to the island and organised a Govern- 
 ment ; and that it continued to be sjoverned bv a succession of 
 Lieutenant-Governors or Presidents of Council for a ])eriod of 
 thirty-five years, independent of the Council and Assembly 
 of Nova Scotia. Also, that the (Jovernor of Nova Scotia 
 was required by his Commission of Se]>tember II, 1784, to 
 sumuKni an Assembly to be elected by freeholders in the 
 island, but in a subsequent instruction informed that, whereas 
 the situation of Cajie Breton did not then admit of calling an 
 Assembly, he was in the meantime to make such rules and 
 regulations, ' bv the advice of our Council of the said island, 
 as shall appear necessary for the peace, order, and good go- 
 vernment thereof; ' and in a later instruction was cn-dered 
 ' to take due care that in all laws, statutes, and ordinances 
 passed in our province of Nova Scotia, that the same do not 
 extend, or be dtemod or construed to extend, to our islands of 
 Prince Ivhvard's and Capo l^reton, under colour or pretence 
 
450 cait: uhetox, 
 
 that (uir said islands are included in iliis our Commission to 
 you and ])arts of our GovcrnuK'nt of Nova Scotia.' In con- 
 clusion, the petitioners suhniitted, that a constitution once 
 {granted by the Crown could not be revoked except by the 
 consent of the peoj)le, or by an Act of the Imperial Parlia- 
 ment ; in proof of Avhich the case of (Jrenada was cited, in 
 ■which it was decided by Lord ^Mansfiehl, that 'the King was 
 bound from the date of his Commission to call an Assembly ; 
 and that, though not convened, yet that I lis ^Majesty could 
 not after the date of the (ii-ant or Commission to call an 
 Assembly, by hi, -n)o act annul the same.' After some delay, 
 the petition was by Her Majesty's couunands submitted to 
 the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, and the result 
 was communicated to Loi-d Falkland, the (iovei-imr of Nova 
 Scotia, in the following letter of June 2, 18-10, from Mr. 
 Gladstone, the Under Secretary of State: — 
 
 ' T\i\viii!i[r StlT(•^, Jmio 2, 1810. 
 
 * My Lord, 
 
 * With reference to your Iiordshi})'s despatch of the 
 16th May, -with its enclosure, on the cpiestion of the legality of 
 the annexation in IS2() ol" the island of Cape Breton to Nova 
 Scotia, and to previous despatches on the same subject, I 
 have now to inform your Lordship that the petition addressed 
 to the Queen in Council by certain inhabitants of Cape Breton, 
 praying for the separation of that island from Nova Scotia, 
 having by Her iSIajesty's commands been referred to the .lu- 
 dicial Committee of the Privy Council, the hearing Avas 
 brougiit on on the 1st April, and was continued to the 2nd, 
 Oth, and 7th of that month, when Counsel were heard on 
 behalf of the petitioners ; and the Attorney and Solicitor- 
 General were likewise heard on behalf of the Crown. A 
 Report has since been made, which Her Majesty was pleased 
 to approve on the 19th INIay, by and with the advice of the 
 Privy Council, stating that " the inhabitants of Cape Breton 
 are not by law entitled to the constitution ])urported to be 
 granted to them by the Letters Patent t)f 17H4, mentioned in 
 the above Petition." I have to request that you should make 
 
ANNEXATION CONSIDRHEI) UNCONSTITI TM>N A K. lAl 
 
 known tliis deoision U> flic iiihahitaiits of tlic colony under 
 vonr cliarn-e. 
 
 ' T have the, ike, &(\, 
 
 ' W. i:. Gladstom:. 
 
 ' Lt. Govrnior Viscmiit Fulklaml.' 
 
 This despatch settled the qncstion. Nothing- has shici; hoen 
 heard abont a repeal of the union. 
 
 I might properly have 'j^ronght my story to a conclusion at 
 the period of the annexation in 1820, hut F thought it would 
 not be complete without some account of the attempts made 
 hy a portion of the people to recover their former separate 
 government ; though in doing so I may be accused of tres- 
 passing upon the domain of Mr. Murdoch, who has already 
 brought his history of Nova Scotia doAvn to the year 1H27, and 
 leads us to hope that he will continue it to a later period. I 
 Avill not venture to give an opinion upon the legality of the 
 union of Cape Breton and Nova Scotia, which, notwithstaiul- 
 ing the decision of the Privy Council, was considered ;i;\con- 
 stitutional by several eminent lawyers of that day ; I at i may 
 remark that, if Cape Breton was legally annexed to Nova 
 Scotia by a simple Order in Council, in opposition to t!ie re- 
 monstrances of the people, Nova Scotia herself (which is said 
 to have regarded the measure with uuu'h favour) hi^s now no 
 reason to complain that she has been annexed to Can'id i icit/i 
 the consent of ho- House of Assembly, and the approba ion of 
 t^r Imperial Parliament, ^^'hatever may be your opinioi of the 
 legalitv of the annexation, I think vou will all admit that the 
 island has made great and iaj)id j)rogress in wealth and population 
 since that event. You are, of course, so well acquainted with 
 your own country, that it may appear needless on my part to 
 refer to the state of the island hei'c ; but as these letters may, 
 perchance, fall into the hands of strangers desirous of obtaining 
 information upon the subject, I will give you in my next and 
 concluding letter a slnn-t account of its present condition, com- 
 piled from the Census Keturns of ISOI and other authentic 
 sources. 
 
 o 2 
 
1')- CAPK ItlUlTOX. 
 
 LETTER XXVIT. 
 
 1S4()-18()7. 
 
 I CANNOT pretend to «j;ive yon a i'ull aceonnt of tlie present 
 eondllion of voni- island within tlie limits of a sinnlc letter, but 
 I shall be ahle to show, bv referenec to the Census of ISO I, 
 that j^reat progress has been made since the annexation, in the 
 three most important bianehes of its industrial resources — its 
 mines, agi'icultiu'e, and fisheries. The coal mines, as I have 
 already told you, during the existence of the separate govern- 
 ment of the island, from 1784 to 1820, were worked either by 
 the Government on its own account, or by pi-ivale individuals, 
 to whom thev were leased at rovalties varvinn; from five to 
 
 • * %/ CD 
 
 seven shillings per chaldron. Under these arrangements, the 
 annual sales increased very slovly, having advanced from 1,190 
 chaldrons in 1784 to only G.OOO in 1820. At the latter pe' -od 
 they were held by Messrs. Hown and Leaver, but were 
 leased on January 1, 1822, for a tci'm of five years, to 
 Messrs. T. 8. and W. M. liown, at a royalty of seven shil- 
 lings and sixpence per chaldron. At the ex])iration of Messrs. 
 Horn's lease, on January 1, 1827, the (Jenei'al Mining Asso- 
 ciation of London obtained ])ossession of the mines, and made 
 preparations for opening an extensive trade with the United 
 States and the neighboiu'ing c(tlonies. I must now toll you 
 how the General Mining Association cnme into possession of 
 the Sydney mines. Y'ou are, of coui-se, aware that in all 
 grants of land the Crown reserved a right to the mines and 
 minerals, and thai in the year 1820 these reservations were 
 leased to the lute Duke of York, by whom they were trans- 
 ferred to Messrs. Hundell, Bridge, and Hundell, who organised 
 a company, styled ' The General Mining j ssociation.' for the 
 purpose of working the mines of Aova Scotia and Cape Bre- 
 ton, it was at that time reported that there were valuable 
 
Tim MINIXC ASSOCIATION GET A LHASE Jl' THE MINES. V)-) 
 
 mines of coppei' In the jn'ovinee, which the Assoeiation pro- 
 j)Osed to woi'k upon an extensive scale ; hut tliese reports 
 having proved, upon careCul examination, to he inaccurate, 
 the Association dii'ected tlieir jittention diicHy to the coal 
 mines. Here, liowcver, thev were met hy another disappoint- 
 ment. The hest coal mines in the province were already 
 leased, and one condition of the Duke of York's lease was, 
 that it should not contain any mines let to otlier parties at the 
 date of its passing. As the Messrs. IJown.s did not feel dis- 
 posed to renew their lease of the Sydney mines, which ex- 
 pired on Decemher ol, ]H'2(\, u[)on the old termsi, Sir James 
 Kempt, the Governor of Nova Scotia, made an arrangement 
 with the Ass(jciation to work them for one year at the royalty 
 paid by their predecessors. Before the year cxj)ired, another 
 arrangement was made with t.he British (lovernmont, hy which 
 the Association obtained a lease for a teiMn coeval with that ol' 
 the Duke of York, at a nuich h)wer rate of royalty. As nearly 
 all the coal above sea-level had been exhausted bv former 
 lessees, the General Mining Association were obliged iv erect 
 steam engines, sink deeper shafts, and construct a railway to a 
 safe and commodious jtlacc of shij)ment. Kvei-y needful requi- 
 site was provided for carrying on a large business, but no cor- 
 responding jirofit WJis derived for many years, chiefly for want 
 of a market for the jircxhice of the mines. 'Jhis difficulty was, 
 however, in time overcome bv flu; cxci'tions of the ai;(Mits of 
 the Association in the United States, and the proprietors began 
 to derive some returns for their ijreat outhtv in oi)enincr mine« 
 at Sydney, Bridgeport, IMctou, an<l other places. The first 
 operations of the Association were regarded with nuich favour 
 by all ])arties, as it was naturally expected that the introduc- 
 tion of English capital would confer great advantages upon the 
 province ; but as soon as it was found that the Association were 
 receiving a moderate interest on the vast sums expended in the 
 country, a cry of monopoly was raised, and the legality of the 
 Association's right to the mines was questioned. The subject 
 was discussed sear after year with much acrimony in the 
 House of Assembly, until the session of IS.jT, when, finding 
 they could not annul the just claims of the Association, it was 
 
•1.M CAl'K BKETON. 
 
 (lociilcd tu sL'iid deK'iiates to ICimlaiiil to cuiifLT witli the Dircc- 
 tors of the General INIiiiin^ Assueiatioii, foi* the purpose oi' 
 cftbctiii^', if poi-fiihie, an ainical>le arrangement. Two h'ading 
 nieniberri of the Assembly were aeeonliniily sent to London in 
 the smnmer of 1 Ho 7, w lien th(! Directors of the Association 
 agreed to give up ail their chiinis to tlie unopened mines in the 
 j)rovince, upon eoncHtion of receiving an undisj)uted title to 
 certain areas in the coal-fiehls of Cape lireton, Pictou, and 
 Cnnd)erland. As this is a matter of very •ccent date, and 
 Avithin your own knowledge, 1 need not say any more on the 
 suhjcct. 
 
 During tlie thirtv \ears which tiie General Mining Associa- 
 tlon held the exclusive })ossessIon of the Cape IJreton mines, 
 the sales of coal gradually advanced from 12,000 tons in 1827, 
 to 120,000 tons per annum in 18o6, but as soon as they sur- 
 rendered their claim to the unoi)ened mines in 18,37, several 
 ncAV companies obtained leases of coal areas ' from the Go- 
 vernment, and the sales increased rai)idly. This increase, 
 hoAvever, was not wholly due to the operations of the new 
 companies, but in a great measure to the establishment of the 
 lieciprocity Treaty with the United States, which allowed 
 coal, that had hitherto been burdened with a heavy duty, to 
 be admitted entirely free of any impost. According to the 
 latest otHcial returns, the total shipments of coal from Cape 
 Breton, for the year ending on September 30, 18C7, Avere 
 839,049 tons, of Avhich 14.5,728 were supplied by the General 
 INIining Association, and 193,921 by the new Comi)anIes. 
 The sales Avould undoubtedly have been much larger in 1867 
 had not the liecijtroeity Treaty been abrogated in the pre- 
 ceding vear. If the Treatv be renewed, as generallv ex- 
 pcctcd, all the mines of Ca])e Breton Avill, 1 trust, find ready 
 markets for their j)roduce in the cities of the great Kepublic. 
 
 AVhen I first began to Avrite these letters, it Avas my inten- 
 tion to have given you a short sketch of the geological struc- 
 ture of the island, i)articidarly of its coal fields, but I have 
 been obliged, from Avant of space, to give up the idea. The 
 
 ' Von will find the s-itiwtions of all the collieries marked upon the map of the 
 ifliUid al the end uf the ho'jk. 
 
STATi: OV TIIK FISIIHIUKS AND AGRICULTURE. 1-55 
 
 subject has been so sibly baiKlUHl by my friciul Dr. Da\v?on, 
 in Iii^ valuable work on ' Acadian (Teul(><:;y,' that I have less 
 reasoa to iH'uret niv inabilitv to caiTv out ujv intention. 
 
 Taps^ JJreton, beyond all duubt, contains many valuable 
 mineral jtroducts besides coal, which will be discovered in due 
 time, (iold has been found in the alluvial lands borderino on 
 the Middle River of IJaddeck, and copper ore in the hills near 
 C'heticamp, but not in sntHcient (juantities to induce ca[)italists 
 to end)ark in them. It has often been asserted that the exist- 
 ence of the precious metals was known to the Vrcneh when 
 they held possession of the island;' if this be true, I am 
 inclined to believe that a careful examination of the meta- 
 morphic rejiions between St. Ann's and Cape Xorth will be 
 found to be the most likely locality to prove the assertion. 
 
 The folhnving Tables, com,)iled from the Census Returns of 
 IHGl, will, when compared with the meagre information given 
 in my previous letters, furnish you at a glance with a correct 
 view of the state of the fisheries and agriculture of the island, 
 and the progress made in these branches since the annexation. 
 
 1. Ci.KAm.i) AM) Cri.TiVATiU) Land in 18(51 : — 
 
 luterv.ilr ...... 11,209 acres. 
 
 U[.liiiiil ...... 181,041 „ 
 
 Dvkid Miirj,h ...... 2,233 „ 
 
 .Suit .Marsli ...... 1,061 „ 
 
 Total . 198,550 
 
 ' Soon after my fii'st ai-rival in Capo I'vcton, tlip late C'hirf Justice Dodcl, who 
 was tiien livinpr, iravo me tlic t'ollowiii^^ intiiioi'i(ii(lum : — 
 
 ' Wlu'ii I was ill London in ISO.j, a j^ontU'niau of tlio nanio of Smith, who was of 
 sonic fck'brity as a niiiu'ralo;?ist, was iiitroduci'd to niu. On iindtrstanding that I 
 cami! fiMjni Cape IJrcton lio cxiu'cssi'd a niari<i'd satisfaction, and assured me that 
 he was well aci[Uiinti'd witii many local circumhiaiu'cs of tiic island, although ho 
 had never been out of England. Of tiie trufii of this he fully convinced me ]>y 
 describinji several objects and places in tile island which I knew to be correct. Kn 
 showed me a piece of silver ore, very richly loaded, which ho had from a priest 
 who had resided in Cape Hreton from the year ! 729 to 17oo, and was contemporary 
 and associate with tiie loarm-d Charlevoix. This ore, he also assured mo, was 
 found in Cape North Hay, and gave mo the marks and signs of its local state, 
 \\hich I will endeavour to find; but I am afraid tliat I may have parted with it 
 from some irritation I formerly received in my pui'Miils and researches in altenipt- 
 ing to explore the riches of this islaml." 
 
450 
 
 CAl»E BKETON. 
 
 'J. AOURTI.TUKAI, riMlUcK IN 1 SCO ! 
 
 lliiy Cut 
 
 IJiirliy 
 
 liyi" . 
 Onts . 
 Huckwlifiit 
 liulian Corn 
 I'l'iis and Beans 
 Tiniotliy Sci'il 
 Totatocs 
 Turnips 
 Otlur Hoots . 
 Apples 
 Plums 
 Butter 
 Cheese 
 
 3. Fauminu Stoik I.N 1861 : — 
 
 Neat Cattle . 
 Mileh Cows . 
 Horses 
 Sheep 
 Pig*. . 
 
 4. FisHEUiKs IN 1860; — 
 
 Vessels employed 
 
 Men in Vessels employed 
 
 Boats employed 
 
 Men enij)li)yed 
 
 Nets and Seines employed 
 
 iJry Fish cured 
 
 Mackerel do. 
 
 Herring 
 
 Do. 
 Alewives 
 Salmon 
 
 do. 
 do. 
 do. 
 do. 
 
 Fish Oils made 
 
 The following Tables will funii 
 ing information relating to the w 
 island : — 
 
 
 4;),n67 tons. 
 
 
 26,2.')'2 I.uhIu'Is. 
 
 
 7,274 ,. 
 
 
 'J,;{23 ., 
 
 
 «00,02ij „ 
 
 
 a.6«i ,, 
 
 
 170 .. 
 
 
 1.18:} „ 
 
 
 i.;u7 ., 
 
 
 .'■|48,(>7."» ., 
 
 
 32.8r.l ., 
 
 
 1,886 ., 
 
 
 6,226 ,. 
 
 
 9iV) „ 
 
 
 »46,187 lbs. 
 
 
 lol,460 ,. 
 
 
 27,472 head. 
 
 
 26,801 „ 
 
 
 t).!)21 ,. 
 
 
 84,131 ,, 
 
 
 13,714 „ 
 
 
 173 
 
 
 !)52 
 
 
 2,300 
 
 
 2,7.)4 
 
 
 11,512 
 
 
 111,213 quintalrf 
 
 
 16,369 barrels. 
 
 
 23,387 „ 
 
 
 109 boxes. 
 
 
 2,483 barrels. 
 
 
 794 „ 
 
 
 58,284 gallons. 
 
 sh you with some interest- 
 ealth and pojjulation of the 
 
 Vessels : — 
 
 
 Launched in 1860 . 
 
 27 
 
 Their Tonnage 
 
 1,655 
 
 Building in 1861 . 
 
 40 
 
 Their Tonnage 
 
 3,013 
 
 Registered 
 
 345 
 
 Their Tonnage 
 
 20,609 
 
 Boats built in I860 
 
 564 
 
WKALTH AND POPULATION OP CAPK I'.RKTON. -l^? 
 
 Ikll.DIN.iS, SlIIOOI.S, AM> Pl.UKS OK WoRMlIP 
 
 Illllllliilcil [louses , 
 \'iicitllt (lu. 
 
 Xi'W Houses huildliiir 
 Stores iiUil Sllops . 
 
 Biiriis ami OuiIiomncs 
 
 Sl'IiooIIioums 
 
 TfiniieijiniT Halls 
 
 riaees ofAVorsiiii, 1h louffiuf. to tlie Cl.uivh rf Knglan.l 
 
 ditto 
 ditto 
 
 Ditto ditto 
 
 Ditto ditto 
 
 Prcsijytcriaiis ut Luwd- I'roviuees 
 Baptist Chaf.els . 
 Wrsleyau do. 
 
 Congrepitioiuilist ilo. . . " 
 
 Other do. 
 
 * ' • 
 
 7. Miii.s ANij Manikactohirs in 1861 : — 
 
 Water Grist .Mills 
 
 Stoani do. 
 
 Water Saw Mills . . ] [ 
 
 Stcaui do. 
 
 Curding Mills ..." 
 
 Shinglo do 
 
 Fulliufr do . . _ 
 
 Tanneries . 
 
 Iron Foundries 
 
 Engine Faetories . . _ 
 
 8. lAMnKE MAN-tlACTVHKl) IN I860: - 
 
 Sawn deals . . , 
 
 Spruce and Henilook B(xirds . 
 Pine Boards ... 
 Staves 
 Squared Tiiubor 
 
 9. Assessed Valve of Puopekty in 1861 .— 
 Eeal Estate . 
 Personal Property 
 
 Add one-third of the above for Inverness 
 County, not returned 
 
 TotaJ 
 
 Home 
 
 SootlHnd 
 
 !»,;ii:j 
 ;jo3 
 
 i(i,«irt 
 
 '212 
 6 
 
 II 
 
 39 
 2 
 
 32 
 8 
 
 lU 
 1 
 1 
 
 83 
 1 
 
 72 
 1 
 4 
 
 3 
 3 
 1 
 1 
 
 297,000 sup.rlieial feet. 
 1,164,000 
 l,9a8,000 
 
 499,000 
 3,088 tons. 
 
 2,332,642 dollars. 
 1,226,012 „ 
 
 3,(558,654 
 
 1,186,218 
 4,744^2 
 
 10. PoPUl-ATION IN 1861: — 
 
 Natives, ineluding 8,200 Aeadians and 600 Imlians 
 Born in England . 
 
 „ Scotland • . . . 
 
 „ Ireland . . . _ 
 
 ,, all other Countries 
 
 Total 
 
 62,310 
 
 179 
 
 9,160 
 
 669 
 
 765 
 
 63,083 
 
'l-.'iH C'APK BRKTON. 
 
 11. Ki.i.u.iiiN : — 
 
 t'limvh of KiikIuih! ..... ;!,1(»2 
 
 Uowii' ...... ;ia,;{H(5 
 
 ycutimui ..... ;{,:i;i2 
 
 „ PrcNliytfriiin-. of L )\vi r I'l'DviiiccH . . , l!).!i82 
 
 HiiptistH . . . . , , . l,.'Ul) 
 
 Wcslcyiiiis ...... 1,470 
 
 Ullid- Uunumiimlioim ..... 'M>6 
 
 Total . f>;M>a3 
 
 These tabular statements are well worthy of your serious 
 attention. You will learn from them that the people of Cape 
 Ureton can not only raise a sufKciency of the necessaries of 
 life for their subsistence, and of matei'ials I'or making many 
 articles of clothing, but also a sur[)lus for exportation to Xew- 
 foundlniid ami othei" place.'*, to enable them to purchase the 
 products of tropical climates and the manufactures of the 
 mother conntry. The fisheries, it must be admitted, have 
 not reached that pitch of prosperity which they enjoyed under 
 French domination; but you must bear in mind that in 17j8 
 the French, when driven from their best fishing-grounds on 
 the coast of Xcwfoundland, had at that time flocked in great 
 numbers to Cape lircton, and formed large establishments at 
 various places in the island. IJesides, the French fishermen 
 were encouraged by heavy bounties, almost equal to the value 
 of the tish, \vhi:;h enabled their merchants to mulersell the 
 I'^nglish in tlie markets of the Mediterranean, the \\'cst Indies, 
 and South America. 
 
 You will observe from Table 10 that, exclusive of Acadians 
 and Indians, there were more than 4(),0()() j)er3on.s born in the 
 island, of IJritish descent, and only 9,()()() of the Scottish immi- 
 jrrants then livino;. It is no disi)araii[cment to the immifjrants 
 to say tiiat they were in many res})ects inferior to their de- 
 scendants. Few of the former had ever seen in their native 
 hills and isles any agricultural implemerit save a hoe or a 
 spade, or any domestic animal larger than a sheep ; Avhile the 
 latter have gradually become skilled in the arts and handicrafts 
 so essential to settlers in a new country. There is therefore 
 every reason to conclude that agriculture — the foundation of 
 national wealth and progress— will be much better understood 
 
CONDITION 01' TlIK Ai'ADIAN POPULATION. 459 
 
 dining" the next ;^('iu'r;itii>ii, uinl ^nulually Improve with llio 
 ilK'l'cii.^in;;- |)0|iiil:ill()ii. 
 
 Till.' cdiiilitioii ot'llu- Aciuliiiii i)o|nil!ition 1ms improvcil greatly 
 since the aiiiioxiilidii. Fi'diii ].(M>r lislicniu'ii tlics have heeoiuc 
 owners ill' vessels, some n|' ediisiihM'ahk^ hiii'lhen, wliich are 
 eiifXiin-cd ill eoastinjjj ami foreit^n voyaj^cs. In the isle of 
 Madanie and its vicinity they own 2()4 vessels, of a hurtlusn of 
 l(),().'il tons. 'rh(> Acadian hnilds iuid riys his own vessel, and 
 mans it with mcmhers of his own I'amily and near relatives. 
 Indnstrions and thril'ty in their habits, the Acadians ciij^ross a 
 larue proportion of vlie coal freights from Sydney and l*ictou 
 to Halifax and the United States. Some few are still fisher- 
 men as their forefathers were ; nearly nil possess small farms 
 in Tsle Madame, Lennox's Passa,u;e, and L'Ardois. 
 
 Kven the Micmac Indiuns, who have been rapidly dyini^ out 
 in Nova S(!otia Proper, hold their oTonnd in Ca[>e Jireton. 
 Some of them till the j^'roiind ui)on the tracts wisely reserved 
 for them hy (Jovernment, init the majority are cmplf>yed in 
 making barrels for the fishermen, or butter firkins fo" the 
 farmers. The squaws find ready markets for their baskets, 
 moi'casins, and quill work, on board the steamers which touch 
 at Sydney for coal. A few families ro?id(^ in snug log huts 
 upon their farms, but the greater number in wigwams of birch 
 bark, -which they can remove fronv jilace to place in their canoes 
 Avhenever they jdcase. The rapid extensi(jn of cleared Utuds 
 has driven most of the game into the interior, where tlie Indians 
 occasionally make hunting excursions, Lut none of them no^Y 
 look to that source as a means of sub'^istencc. 
 
 Finally , considering the re'-itive situation of (^ipe Breton to 
 the principal cities of the su)'rounding colonies, and its vast 
 industrial resources, I third< I am fully justified in predicting 
 that it will ere h)ng assume the prominent position to which it 
 is justly entitled in the new dominion. Much will of course 
 de[)end upon you and your descendants ; hut I feel convinced 
 that you will not be wanthig either in the energy or industry 
 disi)layed by your forefathers, who in the short space of forty 
 years have converted its dreary and trackless forests into the 
 thriving farms and hap}>y homesteads which you now occupy. 
 
400 CAPK BRETOiV. 
 
 Having now told you all I bad to say about C-ape 15i*etou, I 
 iiiiiilit here lake my leave and sav siood hve ; but 1 feel tbat 
 my work would not l)c quite eomplctc if 1 did not give you a 
 isliort aecount of an event nbicb will ever be memorable in the 
 annals of Cape Breton — the visit of the heir-apparent to the 
 British throne to Svdnev, on July -8, 1800. I am aware that 
 this subject belongs to the domain of future histoiians, and 
 may by some be considered out of [>laee in these letters, which 
 profess to bring down the history of the island to the year 
 1820; but as many of you, together with myself, iuul the 
 honour of receiving His Royal Highness when he landed upon 
 your shores, and I may never have another (>p[)ortunIly of 
 referring to it in print, I hope you will not consider that I am 
 trespassing upon your })atience, or laying myself open to tlu; 
 charge of unpardonable vanity, in introducing it here. The 
 • Hero' and ' Ariadne,' bearinc; His Roval Hi<'hucss and suite, 
 left St. John's, Newfoundland, on duly 20, with the intention 
 of proceeding direct to Halifax, Avhere great preparations were 
 in progress to receive His lloyal Highness upon an appointed 
 day; but the shii>s having made a more ra]»id passage across 
 the Gulf than was expected, it was deemed advisable to liU 
 uj) the spare time by calling at Svdnev for the purpose, as the 
 Prince expressly stated, of insj)ectiiig the Sydney Mines Volun- 
 teers,' The 'Hero' and 'Ariadne" were first descried rouud- 
 iuil the Lij'hthouse Point at U \.y\. on the nu)riiinti' of .Julv 
 28, when, as many of you can testify, their unexpected appear- 
 ance created a scene of bustle and excitement amongst the 
 employes of the General Alining Association and their families, 
 which will not S(Jon be forgotten. About 10 a. m., the ships 
 havino- anchored in the mid-channel abreast of the mines, orders 
 Avere immediately issued to the volunteers, most of whom Avere 
 at their usual occupations a hundred fathoms below the surface 
 and nearly a mile from the sliaft, to muster as quickly as pos- 
 sible. In the meantime, the lieutenant-colonel and ca[)taiiis 
 proceeded to the beach wich the intention of going on board 
 
 ' Till' .Sydney IMin(■^i A'olnntr'er.s, wliicli 1 li.nl tlic lioiiour of I'oiiiniiuuriig. \v,is 
 OIK' ol" till' lii'fst curjis oi'ganist'il in tlui proviin'c, iifivinir ('(11110 forwnnl uilli \t\vA 
 alacrity wlirn o;illiii upon liy tli" I/'cutcnant-Govci'iMr in ISo'J. 
 
tut: PTJIXCF OF WAI.K,'; VISITS SYDNEY. 401 
 
 the ' Hero* to rccrive His IJoyiil Hiiiluicss's cDiiiinaiuls, wliorci 
 they were niol hy Cajitaiii Oilchar, Ji.X., who hroiijjflit a mes- 
 sage I'roni the Duke of Newcastle, siiinifylng that the Prince 
 wouhl hind at Indian Cove at 12 o'clock, for the pnrpose of secini)- 
 as many of the volunteers as could he asscmhled at so short a 
 notice. Notwithstanding the shortness of this notice, all the 
 officers and alxtut two-thirds of the men were ready to receive 
 the Prince with due honour when his l)ar:'e reached the landing;- 
 place, accompanied by some half-dozen boats with His IJoynl 
 Highness's suite and the principal ofHcers of the ships. 
 
 IPis lioyal Highness, aftei' inspecting the volunteers, having 
 expressed a desire to see some of the aborigines of the island, 
 was taken, together with his suite ' to the Indian encampment at 
 the North Bar, but unfortunately all the inmates were absent 
 at their great annual festival of St. Anne, at ("hapel Island, 
 in the Brasd'Or Lake, except two or three squaws and a group 
 of young children. The squaws, with a natural politeness for 
 which many of them are distinguished, expressed their pleasure 
 at seeing the Prince, in very a])j)ropriate terms, and ha<l the 
 satisfaction of disposing of some trifling articles of their own 
 )Tiaking at fabulous ]irices. The ])arty drove through the 
 village at the North P»ar, where they received a hearty welcome 
 from the inhal)itants, and then returned towards the mines. 
 As the Prince's visit was (juite unex])ccted, there were of course 
 few jiersons present at his landing, excej)t the volunteers and 
 the people of the mines and the inunediate vicinity; but the 
 news of his arrival having by this time spiead through the 
 neighbouring settlements, the Prince was followed by scores 
 of country waggons, whose owners kindly acconunodated the 
 officers of th(! 'Hero' and 'Ariadne' with scats, on their 
 return to the mines. The long {)rocession of waggons — many 
 of the spider-shaped American build — others of a less preten- 
 tious character, of Cape Breton manufacture, all crammed 
 Avith persons of every rank, ' from the prince to the peasant,' 
 some dressed in naval uniform, and others in native homesj)un, 
 
 ' Tlif I'l'iiK'e's suite consistcil nt' tlie Duke ot Ncweastlo, the Iviil of St. CJer- 
 niains, Mii)()i'-(J('iii'riil Uriicf, Mrtj(H' '1't'eniliiln. Captain (ircy, Dr. Aolaiid, ami Mr. 
 Knglelieai't. 
 
4(>'2 ('.MM': r.r.K'i'oN. 
 
 presontcd a inotloy and lil^lily jiictufoscnu; appeaianco, wliicli 
 uffonlod niiicli aiMusemcnt to the Prince and liis suite. On 
 arriving' at the mines, tlio Prince was received with a royal 
 salute from the volunteers (who had n(»\v nuistered in full 
 force), and heaity cheers, in which a large crowd of persons 
 of both sexes, who had fijathered in the meantime to see His 
 Royal llif^Iuicss, cordially joined. Having inspected the 
 corps, the ofKcers were introduced se})arately to the Priiu'c, at 
 liis own special request, and the Lieutenant-Colonel was desired 
 to exj)ress to them I lis Koyal Ilighness's high gratification 
 with the soldier-like appearance and steadiness of the c()rj)s, 
 and the great pleasure he had derived from the inspection of 
 so fine a body of men. 
 
 As the men had been hastily mustered, and kept waiting 
 some time under arms during his visit to the Indian Camp, 
 the Prince very considerately requested that they should be 
 dismissed, as he would dispense with their attendance at his 
 re-enibarkatior. s't Indian Cove. 
 
 Having then driven round the mines, the Prince and his 
 suite proceeded to Beech Hill, where the Lieutenant-Colonel of 
 the volunteers had the honour of reading to His Koyal TPighness 
 the following address i'rom the officers and men, which was 
 most graciously received : — 
 
 ' To His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, &c., &c. 
 ' We, the loyal subjects of Her Ciracious ^[ajesty (^ueen 
 \'^ictoria, cannot permit the transient aiul imexpected visit of 
 your Royal Highness to pass without tendering an expression 
 of our loyalty to the British TIuhmic, and of our affection for 
 our beloved Queen, whose representative you are in this 
 hemisphere at the present time. 
 
 ' Although the suddenness of the occasion has not given us 
 an opportunity of doing justice to our feelings, we hope that 
 these few words of greeting may not be unacceptable to your 
 Highness. 
 
 ' Signed by all the Officers." ' 
 
 ' Ti;« iii.irc^s was signed by Lit-uti'iiitnr-Coloiiel Kii'liui'd Brown, (.'iiplaiiii 
 R()l)er» lirilj.' iind ^^)^ke Ainslie Barrington; I.iontciiants Douglas, 0. Ifigln', 
 
TTIF PIUNrr; is (iRATIFIED WITH HIS EECEPTIOX. UV-\ 
 
 At .'} P.M. the I'liuct' jirocct'dc'd to Indian Cove (now Ix-ttcr 
 known as \\\v 'Prince of ^\'al(^s's Landini^ Place'), wliore lie 
 remarked to the writer oi' this letter, at the last uionient of 
 bidding him adien as he stej»ped on board his hart-e, ' that he 
 had heen highly <i;ratlfied with his r(>cej)tion, and rej^retted 
 that he coidd not have remained longer.' 
 
 The Prince, on his arrival at Ilalilax, Avas received with all 
 due hononr, great j)rejiarations having been mad(> for the 
 occasion, bnt in the niid^t of flaunting flags and triumphal 
 arches he did not forget the rongh-and-ready bnt hearty 
 reception of the jieople of Cape lireton, as the ibllowing letter 
 from Major-deneral 13rnce will clearly testify: — 
 
 • Halifax, -Jik! Aiiirnst, ISCCi. 
 
 ' Dear Sir, 
 
 ' The Prince of Wales desires me to thaidv yon 
 for your oblioinii; attention on the occasion of His Koval 
 Highness's visit to Sydney, and to request your acceptance of 
 the accompanying engraving of the Prince. 
 
 ' His Royal Highness takes the opportunity of again 
 expressing his approval of your A'olunteer Corps, whose 
 appearance and promptitude were alike creditable to them. 
 
 ' I have the honour to remain, 
 ' Dear Sir, 
 
 ' Yours faithfully, 
 
 ' Jl. BUT'CE. 
 
 ' R. Brown, Esq., 
 Sydiu'v Minos.' 
 
 I need hardly say that this handsome acknowledgment of 
 the Prince's satisfaction with his reception at Sydney afforded 
 infinite gratification to every individual who had the good 
 fortune to be a member of the Volunteer Corps on that 
 occasion. 
 
 My work is now done. In hidding yon farewell, I can truly 
 say, that if you derive as much pleasiu-e and information fi-om 
 
 John E. Biirrington. Hieliard IK'iirv rn-owii, EdwanI lioLsoii, Charlis HaiTingfoii 
 Brown, Willi.iin Henry Archibald, Thomas Ivhvin Jeans, Junior, and William 
 M'Qucen, and Surgeon Thomas I']d\\iu Joan's. 
 
"^^^ TAPE RRETON. 
 
 a perusal of tlio preceding pages as I have from their compi- 
 lation (luring my leisure and retirement since I left Cape 
 Breton, T shall feel amply rewarded, and have good reason to 
 rejoice that I undertook a work which has been to me, in all 
 sincerity, ' a labour of love.' 
 
 With earnest prayers for your health and happiness, and the 
 continued prosperity of your rich and beautiful island, 
 
 I remain, my dear Friends, 
 Yours faithfully, 
 
 RjcuAKT) Brown. 
 
 t 
 
 f.OSnOX : IMMSTKri BV 
 
 K|•<)TTI^^V<)lll>K ANt> fO., NKW-|.TIIKKr .iQUVUg 
 
 AM) PAIII.UMRNT »TBH«T