^. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) ^/% 1.0 Sisfi I 1.1 2.5 ^ -B4 * It iao 2.2 1^ 1.25 Iju |||||i/s ^ 6" ► ^ ^ % ^/i V] 7 ^>/ ^ ^ 4"^^^ Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 A%V^rammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. / errata id to It ie pelure, 9on d J2 1 2 3 32X 1 2 3 4 6 6 1 1 I CalM'lillTV.l'll Exbilu THE ATiJ ruoPOSED TRAl ST tmmnww flr!Tnirt.B!ii in '"""•'" ' gi!m.T.ai— i"--"ii[r ■ """ i iirriir-TH riirmn iia CHART tb{liiluLinj;tlie;Britislil\>sse8sum8 iu THE ATLANTK\ BRITISH ISLES &e. in FROPOSED THICKS OF THE PliO.TErTEU TRANSATLMTH STEAM NAVIGATION. For M'.'dn't/i'i's lirili.vh AiniTii'ii. Kn.ifhvH^irr-h.iiv I(> (I ■"■"«■ / 1' OikiK'vxtu IhI.iiuIh ■ At," Ul.iiiiU S? /frf //■- U-.'ii nM., .).;r\,//,- "■'■.■.■i.ir-i. /i.;,:,,i^h,.M,„L •- 'i •.«l ■^ < .K /.'. 1/ ^ ^^■J^r^f:.. '^■J^J^" .'.(» to I Kii.i'liyir./ll.i .'.(I BRITISH AMERICA. By JOHN M'GREGOR, Esq. IN TWO VOLUMES. to VOL. L ^ ^ WILLIAM BLACKWOOD, EDINBURGH; AND T. CADELL, STRAND, LONDON. MDCCCXXXU. ^ 1 EDINBUUCII : I'lllNTEl) IIV HAI.LANTYNK AM) COMHANV, PAUL'S WORK, CANONCATE. f TO HIS MOST GRACIOUS MAJESTY, WILLIAM THE FOURTH. I Your Majesty haviiij^r been the only British Mo- narch who ever visited that interesting portion of , the Empire which I have attempted to describe, I was emboldened to solicit your Majesty's Patronage I for my Work. For the gracious manner in which I permission was granted me to dedicate my humble I labours to your Majesty, I beg to offer my very grateful and respectful thanks. f I I have the honour to be, Sire, Your Majesty's Very dutiful, and very loyal Subject, John M'Gregor. Botanic View, near Liverpool, 2d January^ 1832. J 1 PREFACE. 'I'llE materials of the following Sketelies were principally collected during my travels, and wiiile residing for several years in America. My pursuits afl'orded me the most favourable ojiportiuiities of be- coming acquainted with the regions least known in these kingdoms ; and I have zealously endeavoured to describe whatever came under my own observa- tion, and to form conchisions according to t!ie in- formation connnunicated to me by others, without any bias. Every thing convinced me that the British Empire in North America was imperfectly known ; and, con- sequently, that the just value of that vast teri'itory was not understood. I was also convinced that nearly all the errors committed in treating with foreign j)owers concerning his Majesty's colonies, as well as all the blunders ■which have occurred in our colonial policy, have been the results of the incagic inform- ation possessed by our government, and not, lU'cord- iiig to a prevalent opinion, the effects of intentiojial neglect nn the part of iiis Majesty's minister.-;. VI 11 PREFACE. Ill order to give a general, historical, and descrip- tive view of British America, I have briefly noticed ihe early settlement, advancement, and the causes that led to the independence, of the old colonies ; and also the constitution, policy, military and naval force, and the public institutions of the United States. I have, at the same time, endeavoured to exhibit impartially the general characteristics of society in that extraor- dinary Republic ; in which, although there may be much to condemn, there is assuredly much more to admire : particularly among those who, from their education, sujierior abilities, and wealth, naturally give a tone to public manners, and, at the same time, openly or silently govern the people. If, in my reflections on the advantages which American negotiators have obtained from the Bri- tish government, either in respect to commercial privileges, or the boundaries of territory, my remarks apjjear too severe, they must be attributed to the neces- sity of showing the impolicy of yielding them, unne- cessarily, commercial privileges to the prejudice of British trade, and a greater extent of territory than they have any right to. The descriptive i)arts of the work are principally from personal observation ; or, when I was prevented from visiting any of the places that I have described, I have had recourse to the best resident authorities ; whose statements and accounts I have carefully ex- al si I PREFACE. IX and descrip- riefly noticed le causes that lies ; and also ^al force, and ttes. I liave, : impartially hat extraor- liere may be uch more to from their !i, naturally 3 same time, iges which m the Bri- commercial ny remarks the neces- lem, unne- rejudice of •itory than )rincipally prevented described, thorities ; efully ex- I amined and compared, before introducing their sub- stance into this work. The materials of the historical sketches I have taken from various old records, j)articularly those of .Massachusetts Bay, relative to the early settlement of our colonies ; from Hakluyt ; the IjCX Merca- toria ; Anderson on Connuerce ; Lescarbot, Charle- voix ; Raynal ; La Ilontan ; Pepperal's Journal ; Journal of the Jesuits ; and various manuscript re- cords and letters, which -I collected in America. To many gentlemen of high standing in the colo- nies, I have gratefully to acknowledge the obliga- tions I owe them, not only for personal civilities, but for the excellent information which they have afforded me. For a great portion of the facts I re- quired, in drawing up statements relative to the trade of the colonies, I am indebted to the Chamber of Commerce of Halifax, the best rejJository of com- mercial information in America ; and the benefits of which were extended to me by the courtesy of the gentlemen who form its members having resolved, at a general meeting, when I was last at Halifax, " that the books in which their transactions were re- gistered should be sent me, with liberty to make such extracts as I thought proper." In whatever I have read on emigration, there ap- peared to me either a prejudice or an interested bias i' ll X rui:FACE. for or against tlie question. The information col- lected for the Emigration Committee, and the obser- vations founded on that information, by the Right Honourable Wilmot Horton, as far as regards emi- gration on a grand scale, afford, it is true, correct details ; but they are not within the reach of general readers, nor to be obtained by persons in humble life, who emigrate at their own expense. The valuable AV'ork of the late Lord Selkirk would form another ex- cejition to the above observation, if it detailed as fully the difficulties that attended, as it does, the causes that, in Scotland, led to emigration. It is no cowvion- (lay lu^'mess, but a most serious consideration, for a man with his family to remove from the place in which he was born and brought up, and from occu- 2)ations to which he lias been trained and habituated from his childhood, to a country far distant, and, m many respects, different from his own, and in which he must assume pursuits, and acquire ideas, to which he is a perfect stranger. I have therefore endea- voured to point out, occasionally in the descriptive pages, and concisely in the Sixth Book of the first volume, the advantages and the difficulties which may be expected to attend emigrating from the Uni- ted Kingdom and settling in America. 1'lie establishing of steam- vessels between the Tnited Kinp;(l(jm and 13ritish America, touching at J I'UKFAC'K. XI brmation col- rid the obser- by the Right regards enii- triie, correct ch of general IS in humble The valuable I another ex- ailed as fully s, the causes 5 no coinmoH- ration, for a the place in II from occu- d habituated tant, and, in md in which 'as, to which efore endea- ! descriptive of the first ilties which )m the Uni- etween the touching at the points marked in the general chart, would not only connect both countries much more intimately than at present, but the resources of each would be greatly augmented in value, and the importance of the British colonies would also be much better ap- preciated. I may observe, that the jn'ovince of Nova Scotia alone, if possessed by the United States, wovdd render that Republic independent of all Europe ; and, in the event of another war, when steam-shij)s will become terrible to- all others, the Americans would be enabled, by possessing the exhaustless coal and iron mines of Nova Scotia and Cape Breton, to defy the united naval force of all Europe on the shores of the western world.* At present the Americans have no coal within themselves that we know of, except the remarkably slotv kindling anthracite, which is useless for the im- mediate fire required in the furnaces of steam-engines, while Great Britain now possesses the most valuable treasures of the most useful of all minerals, coal and iron, in the parts most convenient for immediate use, both in her home and colonial dominions. The British North American colonies are, compa- ^ ratively speaking, still in their infancy. To be con- i • vinced of this, we have only to compare what the old * See tlie first clifipter of the last Book of this volume. i ^i i Xll PREFACE. colonies now forming the United States were when they declared their independence, with their present condition, and then draw a parallel between their condition at that time, and the present state of the British North American colonies. In 1772, the European population of the old colo- nies was little more than 2,000,000. At present, the population of the United States is about 13,000,000. In 1783, all the European inhabitants of the present British North American possessions only amounted to 193,000. They now contain a population of 1,350,000. When we therefore consider that these colonies, by cultivation and improvement, are capable of supporting at least 30,000,000 of inhfbitants ; and including the countries west of the great lakes, probably more than 50,000,000, and that the soil of those countries will produce all the crops that ripen in England, with Indian corn, and other productions, in a climate equally salubrious as that of Britain, we will have little difficulty in concluding, that the men who plant themselves in those regions must rapidly increase their numbers ; and becoming, from interest and inclination, attached to the land of their adoption, they, and their offspring, will for ever maintain pos- session of vast and valuable territory, which, from well known causes, will give the power that holds domi- nion over it the umpirage of the AVestern World. th A] PllKFACE. XllI were when leir present ween their itate of the lie old colo- ^resent, the 13,000,000. the present ' amounted pulation of that these are capable ihrbitants ; jreat lakes, the soil of that ripen roduetions, Britain, we at the men ist rapidly >ni interest I' adoption, ntain pos- from well 'Ids domi- World. It has been urged, as an argument in support of the inutility of our colonies, that the United States of America have taken more British manufactured goods since, than before their independence. Never was there a more false inference made by men who commit blunders from not examining facts. The increased consumption of British goods in the Ame- rican republic, is the natural consequence of a rapidly increased population ; for that the people of the United States have not- augmented the demand for British fabrics, in the same ratio as their numbers have multiplied, is satisfactorily proved by various unexceptionable authorities.* This arises in consequence of the political bond between the United Kingdom and the United States being severed, having turned the attention of the republican legislators to home manufactures ; and, in order to foster them, to impose heavy restrictions by an obnoxious tariff on the importation of goods, as a measure which they consider politically wise. Vast quantities of French, and other continental manufac- * See tlie excellent pamphlet of Major- General Sir Howard Doui^las, Baronet, On the Value and Importance of the British North American Colonies, p. 7. See Mr Cambreleng's Report, p. 28. See Reports of Congress, 1825 and 1827. See Watterton's American Statistics. See three intelligent pamphlets, by Henry Bliss, Esq. barrister, on Colonial Policy. See also Recapitulation of Trade and Population, in the last chapter of the second volume of this work. XIV i'im:ka( K. tures, as well as Asiatic fabrics, have also been an- nually consumed in the United States since they be came independent ; while the present British North America and West Indian colonies receive nearly all their manufactured supplies from the United King- dom. There are, we know, men who have (either from ignorance, interest, or, more frequently, in order to support somejondl'mg tJieory^ and sometimes for the purpose of attracting a share of public notice) cla- moured against the retention of her colonies by England. But let us only consider, that if Great Britain lose her present possessions in North Ame- rica, they must either merge into the government of the United States, or, if they be left independently to themselves, interest and safety would induce them to form a league, offensive and defensive, with at least the Northern States ; and should such a separation, and such a compact ever be formed, who can say that the splendid magnificence of England will not be tarnished — that her naval glory will not decline — and that her political consequence among the na- tions of the earth, will not diminish, along with the loss of the colonies of the West ? Admitting, on the ground of argument, that the colonies are to be abandoned by Great Britain, will they be conquered by the Americans ? Certainly not. I ^ i y I'UF.rAcr,. XV 10 been aii- ice thev be tish North 3 nearly all lited King- iitlier from in order to mes for the notice) cla- :olonies by it if Great forth Ame- ernment of indently to ice them to ith at least separation, [0 can say id will not [lot decline ng the na- g with the it, that the I'itain, will tainlv not. Dnring the last war, the progress the latter made towards conquering Canada, was little more than trifling desultory iittacks, although tlie defence of the country depended chiefly on the bravery of the Canadian militia. The British colonies can now raise an effective militia of at least 150,000 men, equally brave and well disciplined as any troops the Americans can bring against them ; and if ever the American Republic and the British North American colonies unite under one government, it must be by mutual consent, and from considerations of mutual benefit and protection. In respect to Lower Canada, however, if relinquished by Great Britain, it is much more likely that the inhabitants of that province would, from motives that will ever influence the human race, cleave to France, and not to America. We have already re-established the French, by treaty, at the entrance of the St Lawrence ; and it must not be forgotten, that the Canadian seigneurs, clergy, and peasantry, are the descendants of the noblesse and peasantry who adored the Bourbons and the Cardinal de Richelieu ; that they would have the same church, now richly provided for, to defend, if separated from Britain, and left to themselves ; that the seigneurs and the clergy do not, as is often stated, want either education, talent, or wealth ; and that, as knowledge and wealth constitute power, VOL. I. h i ■ii. XVI ruKFAcr,. the physical strength of the coUniy will always be under the direction of the gentry and clergy ; the latter would, assvu'edly, owing to the mighty privi- leges, in respect to religion, and the feudal rights wliicli they now enjoy, rather throw themselves under the protection of the French than of a republican government. What the consequence would be to Great Britain, if the French banners again waved over the citadel of Cape Diamond, I leave the theorists to unravel. Practical men require uo explanation. The retention of our colonies is, however, an ob- ject of such vital importance to the power and pros- perity — to the trade, manufactures, and safety of the United Kingdom — that the very idea of abandoning them cannot be for one moment defended, either on just or political grounds. Wanting colonies, and, consequently, a commercial navy, the manufactures and military navy of France began to languish from the day that the battle which Wolfe fought on the plains of Abraham, destroyed the power of France in America. Had England wanted her colonies du- ring last war, her importance in the scale of nations would be very diiferent from the magnificent and powerful state which she has maintained amidst all the eventful changes of that period. '5 I i' 1 iiiii ilways be rjj^y ; the lity privi- lal rights v'cs under •epublican iild be to ^aved over leorists to atiou. er, an ob- and pros- fety of the bandoning , either on mies, and, nufactiires ^uish from ^ht on the of France olonies du- of nations ificent and amidst all fit CONTENTS ov VOLUME EIUS T. \\i)OK I, in^iTtJUfCAI, SKETCH, IXTH<>DC:< TOUV I'O I UK WHOM:. CHAPTER I. Discovery and Settlement of North America, CHAPTER II. Slow Progress of tlie Settlements and Countries which Groat Britain acquired by the Conquest of Louisburg and Quebec. Extraordinary Sufferings endured by the early Settlers. Prosperity of the New England and Southern States. Clia- racter of the Inhabitants. Favourable condition in which England placed her Colonies, ensured their Prosperity, rA(;E 1 ]0 CHAPTER III. Causes of Discontent in America. Restrictions on Trade. Prohibition of the Illicit Trade with Spanish America. Licentiousness of the Guarda Castas. Failure of Remit- tances for British Manufactures in consequence. Peace of 1763. Measures which led to the Stamp Act. Complaints of the Colonists. Their extraordinary Proceedings. Resist the Tea Act, and throw overboard the Cargoes of the Com- pany's Ships. Repeal of tlie Stamp Act. Conduct of the Ministry, jy '!;>• XVlll t ON'TKN TS. CIIAI'TEIJ IV. I Tli« Couit (»f rmiicf intriKUOH with tlie Colonists to hrinp al>out a Hcpamtion from (licat liritaiu. Clmractor of tlie Colonists wlio coiulnctt'd the Rijvolution. Ilcinonsttaiiccs to the Kirif? and IVojdc of England. Conciliatory Plan of Earl Cliatliain. Mr Hnrko's Motion in I'arlianient. Inde- pendence of the United States, 8tc CIIAPTKll V. Condition of the United States at the Peace of 1783. Wash- ington. Constitution and Laws. Resources. Character- istics of the People, &c 27 Notes to liooK I. Sf) 58 BOOK II. VIEW OF THE OBOGUAIMIICAL rJOLNDAIMES AND NATURAl. HISTOllY Ol' milTISIl AMEIIK A. CHAPTER I. General View of British America. Configuration. Physical Aspect, &c ^3 CIIArTEU II. Forests. Principal Trees, &c 79 CHAPTER III. Wild Animals. Birds. Reptiles. Insects. Fishes, &c. . 92 CHAPTER IV. Theory of the Climate of North America, 122 Note to Book II 140 I I'll i;..ii ( ONTDNTS. XIX to brinp T of tlie istraiHM's r Plan of t. Iiule- • • • f^ ' \. Wasli- liaracter- . 58 > NATURAl. Physical • • • • 73 . • . 79 les, &c. . 92 • • • • 122 • • • • 140 BOOK III. NEWFOUNDI.ANI). CIIAPTKIl I. TAi.r. (Jenoral Doscription of Nowfouiidland. Mr Cormack's Jour- ney across tli« Interior Country. Climate. Soil. Natural Productions, &c 141 CHAPTER II. Sketch of its History, . 1.51 CIIAPTEIl III. (iovernment, and Administration of .lustice. Laws. Expenses of the Colony. Value of its Commerce, &c 175 CHAPTER IV. Description of St John's, and other Settlements, . . . . 18() CHAPTER V. Strait of Belle Isle. Continent of Labrador. Anticosti. Macr- dalene Islands, 205 CHAPTER VI, Characteristics of the Inhabitants. Pursuits, &c. Manner of Killing Seals. Shore Fishery. Bank Fishery, &c. . . 21G CHAPTER VII. Fisheries of British America. Rise, Progress, and Present State of these Fisheries. French and United States Fish- eries on the Coast of Newfoundland, Labrador, and the Gulf of St Lawrence. Vast importance of these Fisheries, if exclusively possessed by Great Britain, 234 XX (ONTrNTN. 'rt fHAPTEIl VIII. rA.ir Kii(|iiii-y rolnlivo to the Aliori^inva of N(!wf(iun(llnii(l. Niuiv«8, (>all<>i>n )ty Cnltot, ('Hi'ticr, niid otiiorn. \Vliitl»ounn»'M Nnrrntivt'. Sj'ott'n Advptiturc. tJovornor Moii- tn^fiioniul Captniii Dntt"N proclnmatioiiN n-Nprrting tlnjni. I'Viiiali* Ut'd Indian brought to St .lolin'n, and Npnt 1>ai'k with prcNcntN. LientennntH Spratt and llurlian Ncnt by (tovci'nmi'nt in Ncarcli of them. Mr Cornnudv'N Kxpudition, and n>Nult, ".i.^'i Notes to Rook III 270 liOOK IV. ruiNCF, rnwARD island. niAPTEU I. (icogiiiphical Position of Prince Edward Island. General Aspect of the Country. Counties, and Lesser Divisions. Description of Charlotte Town and the Principal Settle- ments, 'iti'.i CHAPTER II. Climate. Soil. Natural Productions. Wild Animals, &c. 308 CHAPTER III. Agricultural Productions. Seed-time. Harvest. Horned Cat- tle. Sheep. Swine. Horses. Scotch Highlanders slovenly Farmers. Manner of Clearing and Cultivating Forest Lands. Consequence of Fires in the Woods. Manures. Agricultural Society. Habitations of New Settlers, &c. . 3 J 9 CHAPTER IV. Trade, &c 33"^ t -V* Xo iiiil. !'!>■. NntivoH, I oiImm's. lor IVIon- [)g thorn, out hack Hj'nt l»y pcilitioii, . '^70 fONTKNTS. .\\i criAi'irii V. rA.M Sitcirfy. Aiiinsonients. I'urHiiits of tlio Inlmfjifanf*. I'ntrliHli St'ttli'is. Scotcli IIi(t's. Irish AiiD-riraii Il>''tH. ft Acadian i'n.'iich. Miciiinr IndiaiiN, ikr. Kcligion. Kdiica- tioii. AdiiiiniHtration of JuHtici'. I'losprrfs for Nmv St^t- I tltMH, ikt' 33?> (iiAprKK vr. Sketch of its IliHtory. CoinHtioii undor thft Govornmont of I'Vance. St'ttlumciit hy th«> HritiNh. Krcctcd into n (hHtiiict ('(donial (iovcrnuiont. (lOvcrnorH I'attcrHoii, runniii^r, l)«>.s- harri'H, Smith, Coloaul Ucudy Si)li Notes to Hook IV :i(il (foiu'ral )iviHions. il Sc'ttle- . . . 2M als, &c. 308 ned Cat- slovenly g Forest Manures. •s, &c. . 319 33'^ I i BOOK V. CAPE BIIETON. CIIAPTEIl I, Geographical Situation. Configuration and CJeneral Descrip- tion. Sketch of its History, 371 CIIAPTKIl II. Description of Sydney and other Principal Settlements, &c. Sic. 38() CHAPTER III. Population. Characteristics and Pursuits of the Inhabitants. Agriculture, Trade, &c 40G CHAPTER IV. Description of St Paul's Island, and of the Isle of Sahle, .413 \oTEs TO Book V 421 4 XXll CONTENTS. BOOK VI. ijiil ,11:1 CHAPTER I. VAC.E Remarks on Intercolonial and Transatlantic Steam Navigation, 423 CHAPTER II. PBACTICAL REMARKS ON EMIGRATION. In America, Industry secures Independent Circumstances. Prospects of Emigrants generally sanguine, and seldom real- ized. Necessary considerations before Emigrating. Causes of Emigration. Love of Adventure. Poverty. Discontent. Early Marriages and Pauperism in Ireland. Emigration at the Public Expenses. Respective Advantages of the se- veral Colonies. Classification of Persons to whom America affords Inducements to Emigrate. Necessary Articles re- quired by New Settlers. Profuutions as to engaging Pas- sages. " White Slave Trade." Disease and consequent Calamity on Board of Passenger Ships. Irish Emigration to Brazil. Directions to Emigrants after landing. Various Means of Employment pointed out. Plans to raise Passage Money. General Condition of the Inhabitants of British America. Prospects which Industrious Settlers may realize, &c. Notes, 439 Notes to Book VI 470 \;<{ Chai J T Map Map Map Map .3 Map Map Map Map VA(iE ivigation, 423 nstances. [lom real- . Causes scontent. ^ration at f the se- America tides re- ;ing Pas- msequent migration Various i Passage >f British y realize, 439 . 470 DIRECTIONS TO THE BINDER. VOL. I. Chart of the Atlantic and part sf Europe and America, to face the Titlepage of Vol. I. Map of Newfoundland, to face page 141. Map of Prince Edward Island, to foce page 283. Map of Cape Breton, to face page 371. Map of Louisburg, to face page 381. VOL. II. Map of Nova Scotia, to face the Titlepage. Map of New Brunswick, to face page 217. Map of River St Lawrence, to face page 329. Map of Upper Canada, to face page 521. 3 ■•' II. Til SOg by ( Ii new peai sent NeM and mor( V( II.,;.. SKETCHES OF BRITISH AMERICA. J300K I. HISTORICAL SKETCH, INTRODUCTORY TO THE WHOLE. CHAPTER I. Discovery and Settlement of North A merica. The history of the world does not afford an epoch so glorious and important as the discovery of America by Columbus in 1492. It formed, as is well known, an era that gave a new and adventurous direction to the views of Euro- pean nations ; and, while the passion of enterprise sent bold and resolute spirits to the vast regions of the New World, fresh discoveries enriched the sciences, and geography, astronomy, and navigation, became more satisfactorily known. VOL. L ^ ••if lav o DISCOVIVUY AND SETTI.EMKNT Half a world, with all the climates under heaven, abounding in fertile soils, precious minerals, forests of the most valuable timber, and innumerable tribes of wild animals, was to be explored, the natives ex- terminated or subdued, and the countries discovered to be added to the possessions of the European na- tions that sent forth men to discover and conquer them. Of all the various principles on which right of soil has been founded, there is none superior to imme- morial occupancy. The right of the Indians to the country they inhabited was founded in nature. The tenure by which they held it was the free and boun- teous gift of Heaven, and such as no man had a right to question, or any nation either a legal or equitable pretence to destroy. The dark superstition of the times regarded the Deity as the partial God of Christians. The Spa- niards made this doctrine, under the sanction of the pope, their measure of right, in wresting the rich countries of South America, and the Island of Cuba, from the natives. Even our Queen Elizabeth and King James, although they denied the authority of the pope, yet, from the principle of avarice, and the passion of ambition, they adopted the fanciful distinc- tion of Christian and heathen right, so far as to make it the measure of justice by which they claimed the countries discovered by their subjects. Europeans at first subdued with little difficulty the uncivilized Indians, who were ignorant of the use of fire-arms, or scientific warfare, and who re- i)V A.MKllK'A — lAHor. :?!' heaven, lis, forests :ible tribes latives ex- discovered I'opean na- id conquer ight of soil L* to imme- lians to the iture. The ; and boun- had a right 3r equitable ?garded the The Spa- tion of the 11 g the rich id of Cuba, zabeth and uthority of |ice, and the iful distinc- as to make claimed the lie difficulty Irant of the nd who re- garded their invaders as supernatural spirits sent down by the gods of thunder. Before they discovered the fatal delusion, the criti- cal period for defending their country had passed away ; and they did not ascertain that white men were vulnerable until they became their conquerors. The cruelty and treachery of the Spaniards, until they completely subjugated the natives, and became masters of their fine and rich country, admit of no parallel in the annals of civilized nations, and afford a powerful argument to .redeem the savage state of man from being considered more cruel, base, and unprincipled, than that of refined society. The Spaniards having thus, by jn-iority of dis- covery, and by force, injustice, cruelty, and treachery, possessed themselves of the richest territories, the English, and other European nations, had either to make farther discoveries, or be content with their dominions in the Old AVorld. The ambition and pride of England would not, however, allow her to remain inactive, while the Portuguese succeeded in finding a new way on the ocean to the East Indies, and while Spain made the glorious discovery of a new hemisphere. Henry VII., accordingly, in 149(), granted to John Cabot, or Gabotta, a Venetian, a commission to navi- gate all parts of the ocean, for the purpose of dis- covering islands, countries, and provinces, either of Gentiles or ivJidelSi which had been hitherto un- known to all Christian people, with power to set up i .'I '•I ; VEUAZANI — JACQUES CAllTIEll. his standard, and take possession of the same, as vas- sals of the crown of England. Thus began the history of English discoveries; and Cabot this year, with two ships, reached the coast of Labrador. He made a voyage the following year, and, on the 24th of June, discovered Bonavista, in Newfoundland. He then, with his son Sebastian, traversed the coast of America from Davis' Straits to Cape Florida.* In 1502 Sebastian Cabot, untler English auspices, arrived at Newfoundland, and was the first European who entered the Gulf of St Lawrence. He explored part of its coasts, and carried from St John's Island, (now Prince Edward's,) which he discovered, three natives to England. It was twenty-one years after Sebastian Cabot dis- covered the Gulf of St Lawrence, that Francis I. of France dispatched Verazani, who coasted the shores of America from 28" to 50" north latitude. This adventurous navigator was shipwrecked, and perish- ed, on his third voyage. Jacques Cartier of StMaloes, in 1534, sailed from France on a voyage of discovery, and entered the Gulf of St Lawrence on the festival of that saint, to which it owes its name. The following year, he sailed up the great Ilofih- lagfiy which he called the St Lawrence, and wintered in Canada, which he named New France. I li'.ii: * There appears some uncertainty as to whether Sebastian alone, or accompanied by his father, made the two latter voyages. ofEi sill WAI,TEll HALKICm. 5 ie, as vas- erics; aiul the coast viiig year, lavista, in Sebastian, ' Straits to li auspices, : European le explored iiu's Island, ered, three I Cabot dis- 'rancis I. of I the shores ude. This and perish- sailed from entered the hat saint, to jrreat Iloah- nid wintered e. Sebastian alono, voyages. 'J lie first atteini)t at settlement made by the Eng- lish was in 1579, when Sir Humphrey Gilbert ob- tained a patent from Queen Elizabeth to plant New- foundland, in which he was unsuccessful, and return- ed home after losinj^ one of his ships. France dis- covered Carolina in 1562, which the discoverer, Kenie Laudenier, so called, in honour of Charles IX. Florida had been discovered in 1513; and the whole of that part of America, and the coast to an indefinite distance northward, was known by that name until 1584, when Sir Walter Raleigh and Adrian Gilbert obtained a patent from Queen Eliza- beth, by virtue of which they took possession of Virginia.* This was long the name by which the English designated all North America. During the following year, Sir Walter Raleigh stationed one hundred people at Roanoke, in Virginia, who endured the most incredible hardships. Many of them perished, and the remainder were carried back to England by Sir Francis Drake. Sir Richard Grenville, however, a fortnight after the departure of Sir Francis Drake, arrived with a fresh colony, and left fifty men to establish a settle- ment ; and in 1587, Sir Walter Raleigh, by no means discouraged by his former failure, sent another com- pany to Virginia under Governor White. On the arrival of Governor White, he found that all the old company had either perished by famine, * So called by the courtly Ilal«'igli, in honour of the Virgin Queen of England. m U ()• i:n(;i.isii ATTKMi'rs t<» „.». or were extenniiiatod by tlie siivnges. Notwithstand- ing tliis deplorable circumstance, he determined on planting a third colony, and left 115 people at the settlement. On the 13th of August this year, Manteo, the first Indian wlio became a Christian in Virginia, was bapti/ed ; and on the 18th of the same month, ]\Irs Dare w\as delivered of a daughter, whom she called A'irginia. This was the first child born of English parents in America, ^^'hat this colony suf- fered must have l^een truly distressing ; for, wlien (rovernor White returned in 1590 with necessary supplies for them, not an individual was to be found. They must either have perished for want of food, or they were more probably put to death, luider the most liorrible tortures, by the Indians. Hitherto, every attempt made by any European nation to settle America, proved unsuccessful, except no the part of Spain ; and in 1602, there was not an European in all North America. Two years after- wards, De jNIonts succeeded in forming a settlement in Nova Scotia, which was the first that became jiermanent. Companies w^re formed in London and Plymouth, under patent from King James I., to plant colonies in America ; and Mr Percy, brother of the then Duke of Northumberland, went out to Virginia, in 1606, and discovered James's River. In the following year, the London Company sent to Virginia three vessels under the command of Captain Christopher Newport, who gave the name of Cape Henry to the most southerly point, and began a set- tlement at James's River. 4 i ^y i:srAHLisii roi.oMi:s in a.mkuic a. Tills was (lie first peniiaueiit settlement, named Jiiiiies's Town, made by the English in America ; and ('{iptaiii Newjwrt left 101< i)ersons there, with Edward Wingfield as president. The Plymouth Company, also, sent two ships, under Admiral Gilbert, to North Virginia, with 100 planters, 45 only of whom remain- ed ; and during this year a few huts were built on the north bank of the St Lawrence, by a colony sent from Dieppe and St JMaloes, at the expense of a com- pany of French merchants. Notwithstanding all the efforts made by the Eng- lish to settle America, their attempts were on the point of utter ruin in 1610. Sir George Somers, this year, on his way to Virginia, was wrecked on the islands of ]5ermuda, where he wintered ; and on arriving the following spring in ^'irginia, lie found the colony reduced from 500 to 60, who embarked with him for England, and broke up the settlement. Fortunately, they were met, the day after they sailed, by Lord De la Warre, who was appointed, under a new patent, governor of South "\^irginia. He per- suaded them to return ; and from this period we may date the settlement of Nortli America by England. In 1614, the Dutch settled New York ; and New Jersey was settled in 1620 by the Puritans, part of Mr Robinson's congregation ; and New Hampshire, in 1623, at Pisquataqua River, by a small English colony. A colony of Swedes and Fins made a pur- chase from the Indians of the lands between Cape Henlopen and the falls of the Delaware, which they ^•3 "^.'fi •'■jyt 8 SETTLEMENTS 01' THE called Swcdeland, and on which they made settle- ments, and Imilt forts. The first settlement in Massachusetts Bay was formed in 1628, hy Captain John Endicot, who set- tled there with his wife. Plymouth, which was annexed in 1691, was previously a separate colony. Lord Baltimore, who established a colony at New- foundland some time before, commenced settling Maryland in 1633. Settlements were also formed in North Carolina in 1628 ; in Connecticut and Bhode Island in 1635 ; in New Jersey (i)art of New Nether- lands) and in Vermont about 1664. In the year 1669, plantations were made in South Carolina ; and the celebrated Mr Locke drew up a system of laws for its government. A regular, just, and prudent plan of colonization was commenced by William Penn, in 1682, under the right of a royal charter. He purchased the land from the Indians, whose attachment he secured ; and his colony, which he named Pennsylvania, prospered more rapidly, and with more certain security of success, than any pre- viously attempted. His measures were wise and just, and his character and example will ever be regarded with esteem and admiration.* From this period the settlement of America pro- ceeded with astonishing rapidity. Multitudes of men, stimulated by the spirit of adventure, expatriated themselves in order to find in distant countries those "I I * Note A. 1i'^ ANCl.O-AMr-UlCAN COLONIES. 9 e settlo- iny was vho set- icli was colony, it New- settling irnied in I Khode Nether- n South i\v lip a lization ider the whose I it'll he y, and ly pre- id just, garded :a pro- f men, triated those I things, or those enjoyniei^s, which they either want- od in reality, or of which they fancied themselves destitute ; and, from the Hrst permanent settlement of those parts of America now forming the United States, the stream of emigration continued to How into them with little interruption. For, according as men were driven from England, Scotland, or Ireland, either hy the i)ressure of poverty, or hy disabilities on account of their religious scriii)les, or whether they were allured from home hy the golden visions of gain, it was natural, or at least connnon, for them to remove to those parts of America, where some of their friends or acquaintances had previously gone. Urged by these motives, and to escape also from the oi)pressive tyranny of the times, thousands emigrated annually to those colonies. The dread of arbitrary power, either in a political or religious form, was, certainly, the jn'edominant cause of the emigrations that peoj)led North Ame- rica. Its settlement was occasioned as much by religious intolerance, which drove thousands of Puri- tans from England, as by the enterprising passion of adventure, or the more powerful motives which urge men to escape from the evils of poverty. Those very Puritans, however, were no sooner established in the New England States, than they in their turn per- secuted the Quakers with all the rage of spiritual fanaticism.* * Note B. i tijf I /if ''I ■■1'i 10 iiiHTisir ami',uu:an coi.oNir.s ClIAPTEJl II. Slow pro^rffts oftlic Spttlciiicntsand C))iiiitripf« which Grcnt Hritiiiii Hr«|uiri>(l by tilt* CoiiqiicNt of liUiiixbiirK niul Quebec — Kxtriionliiiary Siitr«*riiiKH I'tidiiriMl by tlio «'arly Sf»tb'i?i — Prosperity of tlie New Kngluiiil and Souflicni States — C'liaructer of ijie Inliabitaiits — Favoiirablu condition in wliich England placed lier Culonies, ensured their I'rosperity. It was not until after tlie reduction of Cape IJretou unci the conquest of Canada, which added nearly the whole of North America to the British empire, that adventiu'ers, stimulated by the sj)irit of enterprise, left the mother countries, and established themselves in the newly conquered territories. These were generally persons in trade. Farmers or others, who expected to derive their subsistence from cultivating the soil, directed their course to that part of America now forming the United States. The American revolutionary war, it is true, arrest- ed tlie spirit of emigration ; but no sooner was the in- dejiendence of the American Rei^ublic acknowledged by England, than the majority qf those who left Great Britain and Ireland for America, were, as formerly, fascinated into the United States. This arose, in a great measure, from the mighty resources of the British jjossessions being nearly altogether unknown in the United Kingdom. I I li 1 4<''-t r.AUi-v r,Mii;iiATiuN'. 11 ritain Rri|tiiri>(l iry Siitr«>i-iiif(H Kn^liiiid and e coiiditinn in pe Breton learly the [)ire, that iiterprise, lemselves lese were liers, who iltivating America e, arrest- is the in- iwledged eft Great 'ornierly, ose, in a s of tlie in known Some Scotch, and a feu 'lish families, togetherwith a few (lerman and Swiss Protestants, found their w.iy lu'fore this time to Nova Scotia and Prince Kdward's Ishunl (then called St Jol.irs.) A feAV Highlanders, also, many of whom were dishanded soldiers, settled at (fleiigarry, and other pIfM'es ahove Montreal. It was not, however, until after lie American revolutionary war that emigration to our colonies, of any great consequence, took place. From that period to the I)resent time, notwithstanding the vast swanns tliat have continued annually to Hock to the United States, not less than from eight to eighteen thousand settlers have arrived yearly in British America from England, Scotland, and Ireland, while their departure from the Ignited Kingdom has scarcely been observed. From the best authenticated accoimts, the privji- tions which the early colonists endured, and the hardships to which circumstances, connected with a wilderness country, subjected them, were severe in ji degree of which those who now plant themselves in America have scarcely a conception. They had not only to suffer the miseries of hunger, and the want of almost every convenience to which they had been accustomed, but they could scarcely enjoy even that relief from toil which sleep usually aflbrds, from the dread of being burnt in their habitations by the Indians, or of becoming victims to the murderous tomahawk or scalping knife of those savages.* * Before the surrender of Louisburg, rewards were given by the French to the Indians for every English scalp they produced, in nuK-h the same way as i)remiums are at present paid by some of the m fyji Ml I ■, IS SUFFEllINGS AND HAIIDSIIIPS In the countries which now form British America, W'itli the exception of Nova Scotia, the colonists were not so often doomed to experience the vengeance of the bloody spirit of the Indian tribes ; yet the hard- ships they had to encounter and overcome in other shapes were almost incredible. The winters were either much more severe than at present, or the sufferings of the first settlers made them describe the frosts as more intense, the snows deeper, and the dura- tion of cold longer. .. . . The non-existence of roads, the want of boats, or even for some time of canoes, and the emigrants' entire ignorance of managing the latter, rendered it a business of great difficulty to pass from one part to another of a country covered with thick forests, and intersected with rivers, lakes, and branches of the ocean. The use of the axe also, or the art of chopping, is an acquirement quite indispensable in a wooded country, with which most new settlers are unac- quainted. With this tool, a gun, one or two hoes, and a pot, an American back-woods-man will make his way through, or plant himself and family in the midst of, a most dreary forest, and secure, at the same time*, the means of subsistence. .. ? -i,.! Innumerable, indeed, were the miseries which the emigrants had to reconcile themselves to for several it I re| d( .1*1* 't:;iii-: ., colonial governments for the snouts of bears, to encourage the destruction of those animals. The terrible ferocity of the savages was also most wickedly encouraged during the American war ; and it was disgraceful to the British authorities at the time to encourage and reward such cruelties. — Sec article Indians. ■r ■«• OF THE EAIII.Y SETTLEllS. 13 America, lists were [^eance of the hard- in other ers were , or the cribe the the dura- boats, or nigrants* idered it e part to ests, and 3 of the lopping, wooded e unac- oes, and lake his le midst le time, ich the several rage the savages k'ar ; and icourage years after the early settlements of our colonies ; and it certainly required in them more than ordinary resolution and fortitude to establish themselves, in defiance of not only real but imaginary difficulties. Natural obstructions have in all countries been only removed by the industry and fearless intrepidity of man. Such formidable obstacles to settlement and cultivation as the New World at first presented, and which still characterise the remote districts, existed at one period in Britain, and in all the kingdoms of Europe ; and in the same progressive ratio as the settlement and cultivation of any wilderness country proceeds, do natural obstacles disappear : those, there- fore, of the most disheartening character to men accustomed to plough the long cultivated lands of Britain and Ireland, are vanishing gradually in North America. Leading roads are opened through the different provinces ; by-roads lead to the settlements ; the communication between different places, by means of craft of various descriptions, is attended with but little inconvenience ; the necessaries, and even the luxuries of life, are to be obtained in abundance at moderate prices, and at no great distance from the most remote settlement. Although the British possessions in America were, in some respects, naturally inferior to those of the other Europeans, yet the security of property, and liberal treatment on the part of government, advan- ced their prosperity on a more solid foundation. The majority of the first settlers consisted of hardy yeomen, and men of education, rank, and enterprise. •Jll.-' 1 !■ 5, i^ 111., ',1 ■■•ll- ■.!.,.■ 14 BRITISH AMERICAN COLONIES. who, in leaving England, forsook their homes, and those comforts that are only found in long settled countries, and also those attachments that are most dear to the human bosom. But these circumstances alone are not sufficient to do justice to their courage and magnanimity. The victories they obtained over all the complicated hardships that can assail the heart, and stagger the fortitude, of man, raised their charac- ter in the estimation of those who value facts, rather than military splendour, to a level with the bravest people recorded in history. They carried with them to America resolute hearts and intelligent understandings, and that unconquer- able spirit of perseverance which surmounts the num- berless difficulties that await all great undertakings. The success attending the actions of such men asto- nished Europe. Their industry and indefatigable activity ensured their prosperity ; their improvements in all the useful arts did honour to their ingenuity ; and it must not be forgotten, that, notwithstanding their peculiar circumstances, and the occupations they followed, from the first foundation of their settle- ments, they were particularly careful to provide for the education of their children. Their position was favourable to commerce ; and their natural turn and temper, ever aiming at new discoveries, and incessantly employed in the search of whatever might better their circumstances, carried them into every quarter from whence profit could be obtained. Tliere was hardly a port or spot in the American hemisphere, in which business could be ■a M tH 01 sup ml BRITISH AMEKICAN COLONIKS. 15 )mes, and \g settled are most imstances r courage ined over the heart, ir charac- ts, rather 3 bravest ite hearts conquer- the niim- takings. nen asto- fatigable vements ^enuity ; standing Lipations ir settle- vide for ce ; and at new 3 search carried •ould be in the )uld be transacted, where they were not to be found. With- out living in European luxury, they secured all the substantial and comfortable enjoyments of life, with many of its elegancies and refinements. They in reality became a rich and flourishing peo- ple ; and if ever any country might have been con- sidered the seat of human felicity, British North America, previously to the sad story of colonial oppression, must unquestionably have deserved the appellation. England fostered and protected her colonies with parental solicitude, and. only secured in return the exclusive right of their trade. Spain and Portugal not only claimed the commerce of their colonies, but, governing them with despotic tyranny, seized the greatest share of their riches for the benefit of the crown, or for the purpose of upholding the splendour of a church, whose terrible power, aided by the super- stition of the age, kept the human mind in servile degradation, and the personal liberty of man under rigorous control. Holland and France sold the commercial property of their colonies to trading companies ; who, in order to make the most of their privileges, took all the advantages that the spirit of monopoly could devise. They not only fixed the value of the articles they sold to the colonists, but they also established the lowest prices for the produce of their lands, and prevented them from growing any more than could be disposed of at an unreasonable profit in Europe. The British colonies did not experience such un- III nii- 16 BRITISH AMERICAN COLONIES. ;;<• .»,»».« 'I. k gracious and illiberal treatment. Satisfied with the general profits of their commerce, England left it open to every individual in her dominions ; and did not either confine it to particular ports, like Spain and Portugal, nor sell it, as France and Holland did, to a company of traders. With the exceptions of the northern climes of Europe and the East Indies, the British colonists were permitted to trade with all parts, in a variety of articles. In all the American hemisphere, in Africa, along all the coasts of the Mediterranean, Portugal, and Spain, the vessels of British America enjoyed a lucrative commerce ; and they had the amplest liberty of trading with the English West India islands. Rum, sugar, with the produce of their fish- eries, they were allowed to carry to all the markets to which they traded ; so that, although a number of articles were exclusively appropriated to an import- ation to Great Britain, yet there was enough left for the colonies, particularly when we consider that the countries they possessed gave them so much occupa- tion at home. England, on planting the American colonies, granted them the full privilege of governing themselves, and the right of forming such laws as the wisdom of their respective legislatures should consider necessary ; and, in giving them such ample powers to provide for their interest and prosperity, only reserved the political connexion under the same sovereign, with the general benefit resulting to the empire from their trade. 4 nij ye po BRITISH AMERICAN COLONIES. 17 with the jft it open d did not }pain and i did, to a climes of colonists rariety of n Africa, Portugal, . enjoyed ! amplest 3st India their fish- I markets I number n import- h left for that the 1 occupa- granted Ives, and 1 of their cessary ; provide rved the jn, with om their •^?B^^ 4 In short, the conduct of Great Britain in her colo- nial management, from their first settlement to the year 1755, exhibits a lesson of wisdom to those powers who either possess, or who are disposed to plant colonies. But after that period, those who wish for the par- tition of great empires, will learn useful instruction by studying the history of the measures that led to the independence of the United States. VOE. I. B '% I'.l 18 CAUSES WHICH LED TO THE CHAPTER III. Jrt .**'; '1 ..' Causes of Discoiiti'iit in America — Ilesti'ictions on Trade — Prohibition of tlie Illicit Trade with Spanish America — Licentiousness of the Guarda Castas — Failure of Remittances for British INIanufactures in consequence^ Of Peace I7G3— Measures which led to the Stamp Act — Comphiints of the Colonists — Their extraordinary Proceedings— Resist the Tea Act, and throw overboard the Cjirgoesof the Company's Ships — Repeal of the Stamp Act — Conduct of the Ministry. Among the first causes of discontent and com- l^laint in the British colonies, were the restrictions which discouraged manufactures, by confining every province to the use of its own, and prohibiting the reciprocal importation of their respective fabrications. To prevent a whole people from following any branch of industry, is certainly a measure which human nature cannot bear with tame submission ; and the severity of the regulation cannot be denied, even on the ground that the articles prohibited could be imported cheaper from England. The injury felt by the pro- hibition was not, at the time, of much consequence ; but the regulation was in itself considered a kind of insult to the understanding, more intolerable than pecuniary oppression. The discontent arising from this restriction would, in all probability, have passed away, had it not been succeeded by a deprivation of a most serious nature Hri |;. k: if= i;!'1 If AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 19 -Prohibition of of the Guardd 11 consequence— -Complaints of le Tea Act, and eal of the Stamp and corn- restrictions ining every libiting the abrications. any branch ich human ; and the even on the )e imported by the pro- iisequence ; red a kind erable than ion would, it not been ous nature to the colonies, and equally injurious to the interests of England. For more than a century, a very lucrative branch of trade had been carried on between the British West Indies and the Spanish settlements in South America. For many years the North American colonies engrossed, also, a great share of this advan- tageous commerce. To the British, it was a pursuit of clear gain, and prodigious value. It consisted of an exchange of vast quantities of all kinds of British commodities for the precious metals, which were all remitted to England. The Spanish monarchy, sensi- ble that the trade was ruinous to them, and that the immense advantages of it were on the side of Britain, stationed guarda costa,s to scour the coasts, and to seize every vessel that approached near them. The indiscriminate license with which they executed their orders, provoked the war of 1739, between Great Britain and Spain. Although it was by no means the business of England to prevent this trade, yet a system was adopted, and pursued, as if a convention had been entered into for the purpose. The British cruizers, as if they had received their commissions and their pay from Spain, acted so effectually, that in a short period they completely destroyed the trade. In the year 1755, these measures, with some others which restricted the importation of foreign goods, as formerly, free of duty, from Great Britain to North America, produced loud discontent, both in England and America. 20 CAUSKS WHICH I-F-D TO THE / ■■■«!', •M1 1 .m .. ,■ .. iC' The annihilation of the trade with Spanish Ame- rica was, however, the most grievous. It was from it that the colonists drew the supplies of gold and silver, that enabled them to make such large remit- tances to England, and to provide a circulating spe- cie for the internal use of the colonies. The prohi- bition of so profitable a commerce shook the vitals of American prosperity, and distressed the manufactu- rers and mercliants of England. The servile com- plaisance of Great Britain to Spain, and the unwise policy of oppressing its own subjects to oblige foreign- ers, were complained of by the people of England, as well as by the Americans, but not listened to by ministers. The peace of 1763 terminated a war which was both advantageous and glorious to Great Britain. The treaty of Paris, besides ceding to her several islands in the West Indies, and establishing her power in the East, gave her the sovereignty of the vast continent of America from the Mississippi to the Arctic Sea, The expense of the war, however, was immense, and severely felt in Britain. Resolutions were soon after taken by ministers to tax the colonies, in order to pay, in a direct and explicit manner, a share of the public burdens. Their ability was not doubted, and it was consi- dered equitable that they should contribute largely for the advantages they possessed. The colonies were however fully persuaded, whatever might be the ne- cessities of the mother country, that, exclusive of the restrictions laid, during late years, on their commerce, A M 1. 1{ U: A N R 1 : V () H I T I () N . n sh Ame- »vas from gold and ^e remit- ting spe- lie prohi- 1 vitals of mufactu- vile com- ic imwise e foreign- England, led to by hich was tain. The al islands ver in the continent rctic Sea. immense, veve soon in order ire of the as consi- e largely nies were e the ne- ve of the jnmierce. the sole enjoyment of their trade was a tax in itself more in i)roportion than all that were levied on the l)eople of Britain. The right of taxing them, without their being re- presented in the British Parliament, they denied, as resolutely as their ancestors did the payment of ship money to Charles I. ; while they claimed also the privilege of being represented, as their undoubted birthright. Ministers expressed astonishment on hearing such language from the colonists, and charged them with ingratitude and disloyalty, and with being solicitous only to profit by the generosity of the mother country. The Americans repelled this unfounded charge with indignation. They gloried in calling Britain their mother country ; they never disgraced the title ; they always obeyed her just and lawful commands ; and they submitted to heavy burdens to ease her. During the last war, they raised twenty thousand men, and maintained them at their own expense ; and they fit- ted out the expedition that took Louisburg in 1745. Antecedent to which, they supplied the British expe- ditions, against Spanish America, with several thou- sands of their best men, and exerted themselves with equal bravery against the French in North America. They assured the king in their petition, that, not- withstanding their sufferings, they retained too high a regard for the kingdom from which they derived their origin, to request any thing that might be inconsistent with its dignity or welfare. " These," said they, " related as we are to her, honour and duty, P ..J» ftl oo CAUSi:S WHICH I.Kl) TO THE « -♦It as well as inclination, induce us to support and ad- vance." " At the conclusion of the last war," they go on to observe, in one of their addresses to the king and people of Great Britain, " the Genius of England, and the spirit of wisdom, as if offended at the un- grateful treatment of her sons, withdrew from the British councils, and left the nation a prey to a race of ministers, with whom ancient English honesty and benevolence disdained to dwell." " They did not complain of Parliament, for it had done them no wrong, but solely of the measures of ministers." The complaints of the colonists have always been acknowledged temperate and well founded, until the conduct of ministers convinced them that nothing but passive obedience to any measure of taxation, would be satisfactory.* That they afterwards, at their countless popular assemblies, but more espe- cially in their public prints, used language both vio- lent and licentious, can neither be denied nor defend- ed ; and the outrageous conduct of the populace was not only unjustifiable, but often highly indecorous. I'heir bitter invectives against the British people, who long wished them success in resisting acts vvliich were solely those of ministers, cannot easily be forgotten. In all countries, however, we meet with frequent examples of such violent conduct among the popu- lace, and in none more frequently than in England. It is, therefore, unjust to stigmatize a whole i)eople, by ,''•11 _ -I * NoteC. f A.Mi:in(^VN UK VOLUTION. t and ad- ," they go the king England, it the un- from the to a race nesty and Y did not them no ters." vays been , until the t notliing taxation, wards, at lore espe- both vio- )r defend- Lilace was idecorous. 1 people, ting acts lot easily frequent ;he popu- England. )eoj)le, by charging them with what should only be considered the clamours of turbulent individuals. The editors of their i)ublic prints were too often guilty of writing that which could only be intended to keep alive the passions of the vulgar and ignorant herd of the people ; and such language as filled the greater portions of the American newspapers, must certainly have disgusted such men as ^V^ashington and Franklin. Violent commotions always attend the measures that entirely change the constitution of a country ; but the excesses of the American popu- lace resembled, throughout, the uproar of those who, with Oliver Cromwell, subverted the government of England ; and the colonists were altogether guiltless of such atrocities as disgraced the French Revolution. In 1764, a bill was framed, laying heavy duties, payable into the British treasury, in specie, on all articles im])orted into the colonies from the French and other islands in the West Indies. Another act followed, restraining the currency of paper money. The injustice and absurdity of these laws excited fresh murmurs. How could they pay duties in specie, when de- prived of the means of obtaining it ? Then followed the famous Stamp Act, which was the prelude to the most tremendous and destructive quarrel which had befallen Britain in the course of ages. This act was styled, the " Folly of England, and ruin of America." The colonists were now completely roused ; but they, at the same time, conducted their measures with great wisdom, perseverance, and resolution. They .a ,;i| < ;{ ? II. % •s| . ■ 1 n ■J I ■■.>^ '.a 84 I ALsi:s wiiic'ii i.L',i) Tu Tin: united iiiaf^encral opposition to the views of ministers, who disregarded their petitions and the statements of their agents ; and althongh some acts favourahle to the commerce of the colonies were passed, the people hecame snspicious, and placed no reliance on the good-will of the British ministers. Meetings were lield, and resolutions were taken to make no farther importations from Great I5ritain ; and they, at the same time, encouraged to the utmost their own manu- factures. So far did they persevere in this ohject, that they laid aside the use of elegances, and even abstained from eating lamb, in order to increase the growth of wool. In England, this measure excited the general in- dignation of the manufacturers against the ministry. The suspension of the trade with America some time after, was followed by a resolution of the colo- nists not to allow the exportation of provisions ; which was seriously injurious to our West India islands, and of severe consequence to the fisheries of Newfoundland. The opposition to the Tea Act, and the resistance to the landing, and the throwing overboard, of the cargoes of the East India Company's ships, was another alarming proof of resolute determination on the part of the colonists. They then urged, that, until the Stamp Act was repealed, no remittances should be made to England, nor any suit for debt allowed on the part of a resident of Great Britain. It was also threatened that the exportation of tobacco should be stopped ; which, if carried into effect, must have cut i off in re- per of Bri effe AMKUICAN UEVOIXTION. or. ince ithe Ivas on ntil be on tlso be •ut M oiTthe immense revenue derived from its consumption in Great liritaiii, and tiie vast benefits jj^ained by its re-exportation to otber j)arts of Europe. Tbe Americans, in fact, could not possibly bave persevered in luejjsures to render tbe ruling powers of l^^n^land more obnoxious to tbe j)eople of Great Britain, or to attract tbe .'ittention of all Europe more eft'ectually, tban tbose tbey adopted. Tbe remonstrances made by tbe colonies against taxation, were listened to by tbe ruling powers only witb anger and indignation ; and ministers were equally ciiagrined and astonisbed to finil tbat a great portion of tbe nation espoused tbe cause of America. But tbe ministry were proof .igainst all ojjposition in Parliament, tbe remonstrances of tbe colonists, and tbe numerous petitions from tbe principal towns in Britain, and madly i)roceeded in tbe prosecution of tbeir scbemes, as if regardless of consequences. Tbe fame and grandeur of Great Britain were, indeed, sucb at ibis period, tbat it was never imagined tbe colonies would presume to dispute any measure dic- tated by ministers. Tbe splendid triumpbs of tbe ]k'itisli nation in all parts of tbe world, bad extended ber power to sucb greatness as excited tbe jealousy of all Europe ; and tbe idea of tbe colonies risking a trial of prowess witb tbose armies and fleets wbich bad defeated tbe combined strength of France and Spain, was considered px'esumptuous and visionary. It was, tberefore, matter of astonisbment to learn tbe extra- ordinary and resolute conduct of tbe Americans, in opposing tbe restrictions on tbeir commerce, and tbe >; ,^. ;t 'i6 AMERICAN UK VOLUTION. 'I *'•. . ..■■'•'if ■*•♦» r-.i •5 "J 'in--' i:^ operation of tlie Stamp Act. The British govern- ment were, however, struck with alarm at their be- haviour, and determined to subdue them by force. " The British colonies," it was contended, " had advantages which those of no other nation ever had." This was certainly true ; and the liberality they had so long experienced, rendered the attempts at taxa- tion, and the restrictions on their trade, the more obnoxious. Tithes and poor-rates were unknown ; protection they always received ; and they enjoyed another advantage which they could only derive from England. This was the constant course of credit given them, without which they never could have risen to that extraordinary opulence which excited the admiration of Europe. " V/ould they relinquish these solid advantages, by increasing the displeasure of England, and disclaiming the authority of the parent state, and stand against the consequent peril ?" It was also considered, " that the people of America, unacquainted with the intrigues that agitated the courts of Europe, and ignorant of the secret designs that were lurking in the cabinets of ministers, were incompetent to the business of preventing or conquer- ing difficulties, or shunning danger." That no opi- nion could have been more egregiously wrong than this, was too truly exemplified in the talents of the great men who acted so conspicuous a part, during the revolutionary war, and in all their negotiations. .'.v> AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 27 CHAPTER IV. Tlie Court of France intrigues with the Colonists to bring about a Separation from Great Britain — ChHracter of the Colonists who conducted the Ilevu- lution — lleinonstrances to the King and People of England — Conciliatory Plan of Earl Chatham — Mr Burke's iNIotion in Parliament — Independence of the United States, &c. It was a fact well known, that from the time France lost Canada, secret intrigues were put in ope- ration by that government, for the purpose of shaking the allegiance of the British American colonists. That they aided in effecting and carrying on the revolu- tionary war, is certain ; but other causes, more pow- erful than all the address and assistance of France could bring about, governed the colonies, and enabled them finally to establish their independence. The inhabitants of the four New England pro- vinces were principally the descendants of those stubborn republicans who fled from England to enjoy their own ideas of politics and religion. They retained the hatred of their ancestors to kingly authority, and the strongest aversion to the Church of England. These people were the life and prime support of that opposition, which did not abate until America was lost to Great Britain. The inhabitants of the other colonies, though num- bers of them were of foreign extraction, were more [>'i('yi^ 28 A ivi i:iuc A N RE voLu ri ox. t* ' *- • 'A ■ rir ■>- •it SI , ■ * ■ *'* *j * ^^>-^:i^ •it. '- '? moderate, but not less regardless of their privileges. Many of them, it is true, particularly the descendants of the felons sent from England, were men of a licentious, audacious spirit, which was not to be awed by the deference due to civil authority ; but a great number also, especially in Virginia and Maryland, were men of respectable rank and character, hitherto of a loyal turn, and warmly attached to the mother country. In fact, the colonies were chiefly peopled with spirited, intelligent, and enterprising individuals, of all denominations, who, at the peace of 1763, were flushed with uncommon prosperity in their conmier- cial pursuits, and by the brilliancy of their military transactions.* Their disposition prepared them for great undertakings ; and it was difficult to limit their hopes and expectations. It must, at the same time, be remembered, that they used all the means that ingenuity, guided by interest, could suggest, in their remonstrances to the ruling powers, and in their peti- tions to the king and Parliament, before they assumed the language of defiance, or set up the standard of revolt. But ministers disregarded their representations, and treated their petitions with disdain ; and a recon- ciliation was only at last seriously attempted, when the colonists had gained such extraordinary advan- tages as ensured tlieir independence. The debates in both Houses of Parliament on the * Note D. (( ■4/ AMERICAN UEVOI.UTIOX. 29 with state of America, during the war, will i)robably nevei' be excelled in splendid diction, powerful arguments, or persuasive eloquence. The language of the colo- nists, in their petitions to the king, in their appeals to the people of Britain, and in their speeches in Congress and in their separate assemblies, as well as in the pulpit orations of their preachers, was equally remarkable. They certainly did not, for a long time, wish for any thing more than a redress of grievances. The thoughts of independence were foreign to their feelings and their wishes.* " Place us," said they, " in the same situation that we were in at the close of the last war, and our former harmon^'- will be restored." On the shutting up of the port of Boston, which they considered as a prelude to the destruction of the commerce of other tov ^ they state, " we will endea- vour, therefore, to ii . without trade, and recur for subsistence to the fertility of our soil, which will afford us all the necessaries and some of the conveni- ences of life." One of their delegates to the Continental Congress, in a famous speech, urging the necessity of their taking up arms, which was repeated all over America, and published in Europe, exhibited a strong specimen of the animation and force which governed the resolu- tions of the colonists. " The great God," said he, " wlio is the searcher of all things, will witness for me, that I have spoken from the bottom and purity of my I ii 11 I r ni * Note E. r4 30 AMERICAN 11 i:V01,UTION. •^ % I* ^41 'Ji5? 1' 4 r4 »^ heart. It is an arduous consideration we are now upon; and surely we have considered it earnestly. I may think of every gentleman here as I know of myself. For seven years past this question has filled the day with anxious thoughts, and the night with care. The God to whom we appeal must judge us. If the grievances of which we complain did not come upon us unprovoked and unexpected, when our hearts were filled with respectful affection for our parent state, and with loyalty to our king, let slavery, the worst of human evils, be our portion. Nothing less than seven years of insulted complaints and reitera- ted wrongs could have shaken such rooted senti- ments. Unhappily for us, submission and slavery are the same ; and we have only the melancholy al- ternative left of resistance or of ruin. " The last petition of the Congress to the king contained all that our unhappy situation could sug- gest. It represented our grievances, implored re- dress, and professed our readiness to contribute, for the general wants, to the utmost of our abilities, when constitutionally required." After adverting to the unfortunate fate of that petition, and stating the necessity of taking up arms, he concluded in the fol- lowing words : — " Our sufferings have been great — our endurance long ; every effort of complaint and patience has been exhausted. Let us, therefore, con- sult only how we shall defend our liberties with dignity and success. Our parent state will then think us worthy of her, when she sees that, together with her liberty, we inherit her rigid resolution of main- ly 4 1 AMETllCAX REVOLUTION. 31 taining it against all invaders. She calls us her chil- *',•> -, >v ^'- '*■: . *-V » ""^ '■•'i^^. •■^•^i - - -^t, 1 1 : ,i- M , 'i^. •■ >*■ : •" •- ..■'iR ' ^!?^ *^'^i^ '. « ., i» • <' \ ■.' ..'1 "^..'{^ ■ -.'iA. ^Mr •---V •'■■^V , '^-^^r^.^ * »-*.f^ ■* « .■-..;'S "■ .>K U •:'* «*.-.■?•, i;^'> . ^- . ♦».. *.i* .•* i--"4 -^•;^1 i- :^ m ■ J ^ * ' ! -''r- .-t,N-.-:r. *'V''iJ ^^^^5^ >^ vS '•»■■. .'■*' •<"'- ■ •»-■- # ■ ■■■i-'i:; -. i*f * ** 1 i.\ ^r'^' '? r'' »*".. ■'•^ ■ ^•'\^' i^ri-, ' 5,t.^' :*« ■'■<■' ^^^' '■:u ■ ■■« .'« ■ <» ., -■'U ■ "' r!i .. ^j,,; 1 i • r.T *.■ . ff't ■ 36 UNITF.D STATKS. free government on earth, as the groundwork of theirs : making a royal and hereditary chief magis- trate, a nobility, and a national church, the exceptions of any consequence. Their innnense territory, extend- ing along a vast length of sea-coast, abounding with numerous harbours, rivers, woods, fisheries, minerals, ricli soils, and almost every climate under heaven, placed all natural advantages in their immediate pos- session. They enjoyed, also, the benefit of all the knowledge and literature of England, without the labour of translating the language, or paying for the copyright of books ; and they had the first advan- tage of our discoveries in the arts, without restric- tions as to the right of patents. They had, in short, the knowledge and experience of all ages and coun- tries to guide them, without being shackled by here- ditary rights or established usages. With such extraordinary advantages, as no other people ever possessed, they were enabled to avoid most of the blunders connnitted by nations, whose constitutions grew up with them ; and they had, besides, the peculiar good fortune, at that period, of being governed by honest men. Of these personages, the greatest was George Wash- ington. He was appointed to the chief command of the army, solely on account of his personal merit and military abilities. He had served as an officer, in the former war against France, with much well- earned distinction. At the peace, he retired to his patrimonial estate, where he lived as a respectable private gentleman, endeared to all who knew him, UNITKU STATl'.S. 37 ork of inagis- ?ptions xtend- g with iierals, leaveii, lie pos- all the >ut the for the advaii- restric- i short, I coun- y here- ) other avoid whose y had, iod, of Wash- laiid of merit officer, 1 well- to his ectable Iiim, by his amiable character, and luiosteutatious liospi- tality, until called on to take tlie supreme comnjand of the army. During the war, his whole lieart and talents were lionoural)ly devoted to the great charge wliich he undertook ; and, when he was afterwards elected President of the United States, his policy was disinterested, liberal, just, and moderate. 'J'ruth and utility were the great objects which he had always in view. The powers of his understanding were solid, but not brilliant ; and sound judgment was his best distinction. In his deliberations, neither passion, pre- judice, partysjurit, uor interest, had any weight ; aud his decisions, influenced by a good heart and wise head, were always souud and judicious. On many great occasions, which involved the fate of the country aud the army, his judgment alone saved both. In private life he appeared as amiable and good, as he was great and sublime in the exercise of sove- reign power or uiilitary command. He was, besides, a respectable gentleman of the old school, and retain- ed all the observances and dignity at his levees which he witnessed in early life under the British Govern- ment. ]Mr Jefferson once talked to him on this sub- ject, and Washington replied with his usual candour, " I see we must one day or other come to a form of government approaching to that of England, and I wish to prepare the minds of the people for it." The high example of his own character, particularly in private life, certainly gave a different tone to public manners, from that which appeared during the m m 38 UNITKI) STATES. • i it ♦•J ■J 1 ■ 'b' •• < ";^ - .■<* ■i '•?• -•^■^, •^^ :^^> V' •"»■■ nilministrations of the presidents who succeeded him.* We must not, however, forget, that all his succes- sors are considered to rank among good men, and some of them, particularly Mr Jefferson, as great men ; but it must, at tlie same time, be admitted, that tliey committed many egregious blunders in their commercial policy ; and that the last war with this country was not only rash, but impolitic and unpro- voked. It has been popular, and even fashionable, in E u- rope, to think lightly of the Americans. Both French and English travellers, influenced by early associations and customs, have seldom done justice either to the people or to the country. To form a just estimation of both, we must search into the great national re- sources of that vast region, and examine the intellec- tual and physical energies of the people ; — we must ask, what have the Americans done since they became an independent nation ? and not measure their capa- bilities, or stamp their character, by frivolous peculi- arities of language, or habits that have differed from ours merely through the agency of local circum- stances. These may afford materials to a strolling comedian to excite vulgar merriment ; but it is cer- tainly unworthy the attention, and beneath the dignity of a respectable traveller, to fill his journals with the cant language and provincialisms of individuals whom he may accidentally meet with in a stage-coach * An exception appears in Mr Madison. He was at heart fond of grandeur, and the effect whicli splendour gives to a court. i p\ UNITKl) STATES. 39 or nt ail inn. No gentleman, who is connnonly polite, will meet with any thing hut kind hospitality and treatment in America ; and as to the peculiarities of their tongue, I need only observe, that I have never met with an American, however humble, whose lan- guage was not perfectly jilain and intelligible to me ; while I can scarcely understand half of what the country people say, within a few miles of me, in Lan- cashire. It is also common to believe, that the Ame- ricans cherish a bitter liatred to the people of Eng- land. Many circumstances have certainly planted sentiments of dislike to England, or more properly to the government, pretty generally among the citi- zens of the United States; but they are, notwithstand- ing, more kind to Englishmen individually, than to the people of any other country. I may also observe further, that there is much truth in a reply made to me by a member of the legislature of Maine, when conversing with him on this subject : " Sir," he said, " if I were to punish men for abusing countries, I would first knock down the person who stigmatized my own, and immediately after, the one that abused yours ; and you may depend upon it, sir, that this feeling is more general among us than even we our- selves think." The truth is, that their literature, their language, and even their history, except for the last sixty years, are all so purely English, that they cling unconsciously, by association and habits, more closely to England and Englishmen, than to any other coun- try or people. A fertile and principal excuse of any hatred felt by m V..i ■ H - ■■.' *^r ( ' . . * - 'p r-m , , ■' '•'.,*. ■ ■■»» ;•■ >.* ;« • ■=» ? ■•••v- • • ' . ■' • ^; ^ 40 UNITED STATES. the Americans against England, arises out of the writings of English travellers, many of whom, even by their own admission, received the most disinter- ested attentions and kindness from the people of America. These courtesies they have repaid, by pub- lishing all the foibles they could discover ; ridiculing the oratory of the public men ; and speaking con- temptuously of their government and institutions. The democratic form of the American government arose, perhaps, as much from necessity, as from any predilection which the leading men of the time cherished for it. There was no one who could assume a claim to sovereign right, and the wealth of the country was too equally divided to give any one person an overwhelming share of power. Washington, Hancock, Franklin, Jefferson, Adams, indeed all the distinguished men and heroes of the revolution, were well aware of this circumstance, and they were all too honest and patriotic, to allow ambition, or the love of power, to interfere with the real interests of the nation. The constitution and laws were, however, as nearly accommodated as possible to the former mode of ad- ministering the government. The different States retained their respective re- presentative governments, much the same as before the revolution, with the power of passing laws for their internal administration ; but all the States were united under one general federal government.* This * Note 1'. \i% .• \ UNITED STATES. 41 liead was divided into three estates or branches, con- sisting of the President, Senate, and House of Re- presentatives. The last consists now of 118 members, or about one for 40,000 inhabitants. They sit two years, when another general election takes place by uni- versal suffrage. The State legislatures have no share, except by party influence, in the general elections. They, however, have each the privilege of sending a member to Congress, where he is entitled to sit and speak, but not to vote. The Senate, again, is elected by the legislatures of the respective States ; each sending two members, which now make forty-eight. The members of the Senate, which may be considered the aristocratic body, must be thirty years old ; they sit for six years, but a third are changed every two years. The president is elected by a body of distinct electors, chosen from within each State. These votes are sent under seal to Congress, who have the right of electing the president, if the candidate has not more than half the number of votes in his favour. The powers of the president are very extensive. He has the supreme command of the military and naval forces ; and, with the approbation of two-thirds of the Senate, the patronage of, and appointments to, all civil and military offices. He cannot give a negative to a law, but he can suspend its operations, until it be again presented to him, with the votes of two-thirds of both houses in its favour. He is elected for four years, and may then be re-elected. :',' 1 4*^ UNITED STATKS. *■« ■V*f1!l'-!" •■ . 1 - ■ -.mi ' :^;i The powers vested in the central government extend to all negotiations with foreign nations; main- taining and organizing the naval and military forces ; the sole regulation of foreign trade ; and all matters connected with the general revenue and finances. The Judiciar?/ of the United States, or the Supreme Court of Judicature, controls the whole government, so far as to have the power of declaring not only the legislative acts of any particular State, but even those of Congress, unconstitutional, and consequently invalid. For, the people of the republic having declared the constitution to be the supreme law of the land, it is, therefore, considered entitled to implicit and general acknowledgment throughout the Union. The Supreme Court of the republic, in which a chief-justice and six associate justices preside, holds one annual term only at the seat of government; but the whole country is divided into seven great dis- tricts or circuits, in each of which two courts are held during the year ; one of the assistant judges from the Supreme Court, and the particular justices of the districts, presiding. The jurisdiction of the Supreme Court extends to all matters in law and equity arising within the Union ; to the treaties, regulations, as well as general and particular laws of the republic; to questions affecting public ministers and consuls ; to all cases of maritime or admiralty pleas; to controversies between one State and another, or the individuals of different States; to pleas between citizens and foreign subjects ; and to all controversies where the United States are I by •I '^7 4 UNITED STATES. 43 generally interested. Each State having superior and inferior courts, appeals are made from these to the Supreme Federal Court, from which there is no appeal. The Judges of the Supreme Court are appointed by the president, with the concurrence of the Stnate, and hold their offices during good behaviour. In the several States the judges are appointed, in some by the governor, in others by the governor and council, and in the rest by the legislature. Chancery Courts are established in some States ; but in others the Supreme Courts are empowered with the jurisdiction to make decrees agreeable to Chancery practice. The particular laws of the respective States, passed to answer local objects, frequently differ from those of neighbouring States, and create, in consequence, much confusion, which is not easily adjusted, except by the Supreme Court. The common law of England was adopted by the republic after the revolution ; and although it has been much altered and modified since that period, it may still be considered the text- book of the American lawyer. The people of the United States are accused of being litigious — they certainly are so; and the same charge applies with equal truth to the inhabitants of all British America. The reason is obvious. The people, inveigled by low attorneys, or excited by private jealousies or quarrels, fly to litigation on the most trivial occasions. Law is nominally cheap ; and the dignity of the courts destroyed by admitting, i > • .** " ." > * - ."i- ■ * J ?! • ■ 'h* '• - ■i;r'... ••••»..• ■ !■ ■■*.■• .■ ■■ :;.* .^- i 44 UNITED STATES. with little scruple, as an attorney or barrister, any one who has served a few years' apprenticeship to any enrolled attorney. By this system, a mere amanuensis is placed on a par with gentlemen of extensive legal learning and experience. Next to the cheapness of ardent spirits, what is called " law," is the bane of all North Ame- rica, applying with equal truth to the United States and the British colonies. At the bar of the courts there is, however, much splendid talent. The Supreme Court, in jjarticular, is the great school of oratory, in which most of their statesmen have been trained. There is, both in the United States and British America, a great super- abundance of lawyers. One-third the number, which would probably include all those who have any pre- tensions to ability, would be quite sufficient for every legal and necessary purpose. By their having a fair share of business, the profession would be more gene- rally respectable ; trifling cases would be rejected, and the country gradually purged of a ruinous system of litigation. The fees of the lawyers are by no means high ; they are, on the contrary, rather low, even on the principle that "the labourer is worthy of his hire;" and this cheap law is itself a great evil, inasmuch as it encourages many to litigate that otherwise would not, and who do not take the value of their time into account. The judges of all the courts are generally grave, ^ V:*> UNITP,!) STATKS. 4..J honest, and impartial men ; and their opinions and decisions are usually upright and just. The salaries of those who administer the govern- ment, and preside in the courts, are generally thought disproportionate to their services and responsihility. In many cases they appear to be so, even to mean- ness ; but they seein, however, to do very well with the allowances granted them ; and the competition for public appointments is unequalled in any other country. The president is far from being respectably pro- vided for. His salary is only 25,000 dollars, about L.4000 sterling. He is expected out of this to give dinners twice a-week to the members of Congress, eminent foreigners, all public officers, and also to open a building, called the " Whitehouse," once a- fortnight, to receive all classes, and often to associate with the lowest of the lyrofanuni vulgtis. The vice-president receives 5000 dollars, about L. 1000. The chief- justice, about L.4000. Inferior judges, about L.IOOO. Other officers at the heads of departments, about L.llOO. Ministers of foreign courts, about L.800 ; which last is certainly too little. How can they be properly respected, when compelled to live so meanly ? The Americans, however, pay the officers of their navy much better than our govern- ment does. The general revenue of the United States is about 20,000,000 dollars, about L.4,000,000. This amount is chiefly derived from the customs, and very little from the sale of lands, as has been supposed ; the i" '' ^ I ' '''■r'i 46 UNITED STATI'-S. '■■■;i-:s£.; •■■^ :'',|y ■:■; <^ a ■■ '■•'^: - '. ■ . *• '* «. i*t i^ .:*- "Jr. .11 f^--^ w ti ""•"' "« T? "♦■ . ■.-.'• "Ji '■■■• £'t* ,* ' ' ** expense of the last absorbing nearly the amount that lands sell for. The public expenditure is, about 2,000,000 dollars to pay the whole civil list, — 4,000,000 to maintain the military, — 3,700,000 to support the naval esta- blishments. Three millions dollars of the revenue go to pay the interest of the public debt, and the remaining seven millions are made a sinking fund of, to reduce the debt. These sums, to conduct the affairs of so great a country, are astonishingly small ; but we must not forget that each of the States have their separate and respective public departments, revenues, and expenditures, the maintaining of which altogether requires great sums. The military force of America consists chiefly of the militia, which now amount to 800,000 men capable of bearing ai'ms, who would, no doubt, defend their property and country with great bravery ; but they would, from want of training and subordination, form a most awkward and unmanageable army. In skirmishing, or in small parties, however, the general use of firelocks makes them deadly marks- men. The government has lately established mili- tary schools ; from which great improvement in the discipline and training of the militia is expected. There is also a regular force of about 10,000 infantry. These men are by no means trained like European soldiers ; and consist chiefly of the most worthless, indolent, and spiritless people in the country, who, being too lazy to cultivate the soil, ■'■■ '.it 'hi . ■; UNITKD STATES. 47 or work among the farmers, enlist, for a subsistence, in the army. The condition of the navy is, however, far differ- ent ; the regulation and discipline of which, can only be equalled by that of England. The beauty of their ships, distinguished for solid construction, excellent and convenient arrangements, have astonished us, after being accustomed to hear theh\/ir-huilt vessels despised, and talked of with sneering contempt. They have as durable wood in their " live oak," as we can find in England, and let us beware of treating them with indifference.* The present naval power of the United States consists of twelve heavy ships of the line, one sixty gun frigate, twelve frigates of forty-four guns, three frigates of thirty guns, several smaller vessels, and others on the stocks. At the commencement of the last war, they Iiad only seven frigates. Their commercial ships are the most beautiful vessels in the world ; and in durability and number, can be equalled by no power on earth but by Eng- land. There is no national church in the United States ; much is argued for and against this circumstance, and many regret the want of a church, countenanced, as a standard of faith, by the constitution ; but in all matters where the conscience of man should alone control his belief, we must admit, that the govern- ment of that country act wisely in not interfering ^ 4 * Note G. 48 UNITED STATES. . « .,4 ■ . ' .1. ■ ' . If, •■ 1 «■ •> with religious matters. There is, however, no want of religion, of churches, or of places of worship; although too great a portion of the preachers are raving enthusiasts, the heroes of canip-ineetings, and the most prolific cause of nervous complaints among delicate women, whom they frighten into //i/^terkf, by their unmerciful and unreasonable extravagances. Unitarianism is the most prevailing denomination of Christians ; then follow the Congregationalists, who have the service of the Church of England, cleared of the parts obnoxious to Puritans ; Quakers, Catholics, Independents, Presbyterians, Baptists,^ Methodists, &c., indeed all Christian sects that we know of, are met with in the United States. Govern- ment recognise none; nor are any liable to political disabilities on the score of religion. There is more general knowledge diffused among the people of the United States, than in any kingdom in Europe. Yet there is not among them the same proportion of men celebrated in literature and science, as in many other countries. The Americans are a young, active, and enterprising people. General knowledge, and a practical education, are absolutely necessary for them, in order to follow their adven- turous pursuits ; but they seldom have leisure to apply themselves to the tedious labours of literature and science. A few, however, have entered the avenues of literature, and the labyrinths of science and art, of whom America may most justly boast. Franklin, Jefferson, West, Silliman, Irving, Cooper, ~ hers, must rank ] soj)he] Th( the t and th Th partici upwar throng a vast Jar WO] ported astonis public. The which (being Lake C been cc advance volutior conjecti height ( its powe theAlle, and .noi navigati known 1 possessei some i,.f i ■'■w! TTNITKD STATKS. 49 want ship ; •s are s, and mong iteria^ ances. nation lalists, gland, takers, iptists,^ lat we overn- olitical among ngdom e same cience, are a Jeneral olutely adven- nre to rature led the Iscience ast. ooper, must rank high in their respective departments, as philo- sophers, authors, and artists. The colleges, and other seminaries of learning in the United States, are respectable and numerous ; and the diffusion of knowledge extensive and liberal.* The Americans are certainly a reading people, particularly of ephemeral productions. There are upwards of eight hundred newspapers circulated throughout the United States, besides reviews, and a vast number of magazines. Nearly all the popu- lar works published in this country, and some im- ported from France and Germany, are reprinted with astonishing celerity, and dispersed all over the re- public. The public works of the United States, among which we may notice Erie canal as the greatest, (being in length, with that branching from it to Lake Champlain, above four hun? * t 52 UNITKI) STATl.N. 1 1. ■9 " >. r ••■■ -1 -;; .^i> •f^ ■%•'■■■ ,- 1 » ■ '.ft- •• • .1. wealtli aiul ivspectalik' talents. Tliesf pooplo, all over tlio Ignited States, naturally as.sofiatf with each other, and as naturally avoid mixing with the next class, which consists of tradesmen, small shopkeepers, tavern-keepers, and others of niiu'h the same standing. These, again, slum those beneath them, as the caua'dte of society. Exceptions to this general observation are, however, not infrequent. As to the manners of the Americans, no one can detail justly their characteristics. The materials are as lieterogeneous as can be well imagined, but, at the same time, greatly modified by circumstances. In general, but especially in the ^q\v England States, the men ari; graver, and, as respects language and carriage, more decorous than in the United Kingdom. Tlie Virginians have been compared to country squires in England. The American ladies are more formal than with us — this arises from an idea of propriety, and not from a natural coldness, as is often supposed. Assemblies and private parties are as frequent as with us. At the first, the ladies are cer- tainly more reserved ; and, although this .irises from the fear of doing or saying any thing indecorous, or rather unfashionable, it deprives iiot only them- selves, but the gentlemen, of the pleasurable chit-chat which we enjoy at our balls in this country. The large assemblies are certainly cold and formal enough, but their private parties are by no means so ; and a stranger, after a little acquaintance, finds himself both easy and comfortable. Both ladies and gentlemen dress fashionably, somewhat between the Englisli .... V ■■■■ a UNITKI) STATl'S. 69 I of ftcii e as cer- Vom ■ous, lein- cliat The and a l)oth oineii glisli 5111(1 Fivncli styles. Anioii^- tlif ladies, particularly in the Northern States, \vv observe some of the most heautifiil women on earth, and as great a proportion of handsome women as in England; but they lose their bloom soon ; and those which have the most chnrniing complexions, and most fascinating coun- tenances and graceful figures, beconu* too frecpu'ntiy the early victims of consumption. Ah lOnglishmau c.nmot for some time ]' >< ,.W V**'- v-^-^t 54 UNITED STATES. ■■••■• }» ..,f i "t .. 1- ■*•"", '''■■ *.-«■ . '" ■<■•* ., ?; •j ,.^> i,;;t ••'■»■ ^ ; i'4 ". I •iff /«. ■ Li'' ' They are, in short, neither polite nor rude, but always civil, unless we assume an authoritative tone. If we do, as some Englishmen are accustomed to through habit, without meaning any assumption, the Ameri- cans will, certainly, neither comply with our requests, nor reply to us in any thing like gentleness of spirit. The impertinent curiosity with which the people of America are branded, must be considered only applicable to the lower classes in the remote settle- ments. In the large towns, the hotels are splendid, and the attendance good, but the waiters are far from being as polite or obsequious as in England. This is cer- tainly a drawback on our ideas of comfort, as we, in this country, consider a hotel, or an inn on the road, much in the same light, for the time being, as we do our own house, and the waiters as our servants. At the inns also on the road in America, we have not much attention shown us as travellers, but we gene- rally find abundance of good things to eat and drink. IMany people object to the table d'hote, which is customary at all the hotels in the United States and British America ; but I have always found them very agreeable, and I consider them the very best places for travellers to dine at. The residents who dine at these tables, always rise, and fly to their business, immediately after dinner ; but there are generally intelligent strangers who re- main, v/hose conversation is agreeable, and from whom much information may be obtained. It is also very wrong to say, as some writers have, that " a guest 3 ' 1 can no for it d'hote only I] but lit and di higher of leav coiisid( no add respect carriao as ours the spl are far Tlie enterta .some V tive em of the have bt best act some m Ballj to the are oth( ever, pe interest They which, h I- u UNfTEJ) STATES. 55 * i cannot have a collation, ever so siij^lit, when he wishes for it, but must wait the regular hour of the tai)le (rhote." A gentleman at any of the hotels may not only have any thing to eat and drink when he wishes, hut he may, if he chooses, have a room to himself, and dine when he pleases, though, certainly, by paying liigher. It is seldom, however, that any one thinks of leaving the table d'hote ; and doing so would be considered an affectation of greatness, that would gain no additional attendance from the servants, nor any respect from others. The public post and other carriages in America, arc by no means so comfortable as ours, but the inland navigation of the country, and the splendid accommodations of their steam-vessels, are far superior to any thing of the kind in Europe. The public amusements are principally theatrical entertainments, which were at last established, after some violent struggles to rei)eal the absurd legisla- tive enactment that prohibited them. The uianagers of the principal theatres, and the public patronage, have been sufficiently liberal to induce many of our best actors to visit that country ; and they have also some luitive actors of very fair talents. Balls, pic-nic parties, water excursions, resorting to the fashionable springs of Saratoga and J3alston, are other sources of pleasure. Horse-racing is, how- ever, perhaps the amusement that excites tlie greatest interest all over the United States. They have also some barbarous diversions, one of which, " Gander-pulling," is considered peculiar to V •, -, ' it p.! ■ i- '.Mr *s 1 Mvi it-' *• .■■?•-■> V #:* ■ Ji'; »*.<,"i> .■ •• '■' 1.1 .i-'--« 56 UNITKD STATES. 't them ; but it was long ago a vulgai' auiusement iii England and Scotland. In the remote countries, and among the raftsmen and lumberers, drinking, fighting, swearing, and gambling, are common vices. The brutal operation of gouging is not, at least at present, often known, although some travellers have most falsely stated, that every fifth man in Kentucky was deprived of an eye in consequence. It is rather surprising that, in a republic like America, duels should be more frequent than in Europe ; but such most certainly is the case. < \ Among the blemishes which blot the constitution, and affect the national character of the Americans, the frequency of elections is the most prominent. Every second year, the whole country is agitated with politics and the intrigues of jiarty. The inde- cent licentiousness of the press, in particular, seems to have no bounds ; and their newspapers are at these 2)eriods truly disgusting. A fair representation is a great blessing, and a mighty buh\'ark to uphold the liberty of a nation ; but the evils of unlimited univer- sal suftrage are pregnant with formidable dangers to the constitution of the United States. Slavery may be considered anot' ?r evil which may lead to the subversion of the government ; but in this case, ilie only remedy must be gradual emancipation. No measure could be more cruel to the negroes them- selves than granting them immediate liberty. It would, in fact, be depriving them of subsistence, by I ij •t, 'j> ■' ti* \ « UNITED STATES. 57 My to casting them loose, without the capacity or means to jn'ovide the primary necessaries of life. As to the constitution itself, or the administration of the government, it would be presumj^tuous indeed to say that either were faultless, even if the constitu- tion and laws were in themselves perfect, while the passions of men, in rq^ublican as well as monarchical governments, influence their public conduct. The impolicy of tlie late tarilf, intended to force mamifactures at the expense of all other branches of industry, is a blunder oijy equalled in this age by the embargo which the federal government formerly laid on the exportation of the fruits of the soil. The Americans complain of our government prohibiting their intercourse with the West Indies, and our North American colonies ; but their own illiberality, in the burdens imposed on our ships, led to this mea- sure in the British councils. It is, however, the interest, and ought to be the natural desire, of both countries, that Great Britain and the United States should regard each other with liberal and amicable feelings, free from jealousy, or the recollections of former aggravations, which should now be forgotten as mere family quarrels. h li i^. Kt.'.ti 4 ?,.v.^ 'irt t m- It by fe I Ir ^■: ifjj W' 'I Kj \ Kri"' E|i ifv .4 f ■■ y ( V ■ ' l> t rr.x- ■ • f, '"•3 ■ .' 'y • • ■ » I.' •'i: 3 [ 5^ ] NOTES TO BOOK I. Note A, page 8. Of all tlioso tliat planted rolonios, tlie fanio of William P<'nn sliines tlie brightest, wlietlier we view liiiii as negotiating with the Indians, or giving a constitution to IVnnsylvania. On the latter occasion lie says — " Whatever be the form of a government, the people always are free when they share in the legislative; power, and arc governed only by the haws." It is alleged against him, that the value of what he gave to tlie Indians was trifling in proportion to the vast territory he received from them. This may be true, but it must }iot be forgotten, that the bargain was fair and amicably entered into ; that the use of those articles given by Penn to tlie Indians, was to them of immense im- portance ; that the lands, on the other hand, wore of no value to them but for hunting grounds ; and that a large tract of country was thus obtained with the free consent and good-will of the original pos- sessors. His conciliatory treaties with the Indians, and tlie mea- sures he adopted to secure their confidence, were so satisfactory to them, that they never have " lifted the tomahawk against the race of William Penn." Mr Duncan found a paper in the United States, containing what was said to be Penn's treaty. It stated, " that fui all the land between th«» two rivers, as far as a man could ride in two days with a horse," Penn was to give the Indians " 20 guns, 20 fathoms niatchcoal, 20 fathoms stroudwater, 20 blankets, 20 kettles, 20 pounds powder, 100 bars lead, 40 tomahawks, 100 knives, 40 pairs stockings, 1 barrel beer, 20 pounds red lead, 100 fathoms wampum, hair NOTES TO BOOK I. 59 30 glass bottles, 30 pewter spoons, 100 awl blades, 300 tobacco l)ip('s, 100 pounds tobacco, 20 tobacco tongs, 20 steels, 300 flints, 30 pairs scissars, 30 combs, GO looking-glasses, 200 needles, 1 skepple salt, 30 pounds sugar, .5 gallons molasses, 20 tobacco boxes, 100 Jcnv's liarps, 20 boes, 30 gimblcts, 30 woudea screw-boxes, 100 strings of beads." Note B, page 9. Tin; extravagances into wbicb fanaticism will lead or drive tbe liuman passions, were never more conspicuous tlian in New Eng- land. The laws of this colony punished U'itchcraft, blasphemy, worshipping of images, Ike, widi death. The Quakers were first imprisoned, then most cruelly and severely whipped, and afterwards banished. So far did those fanatical Puritans, men who would '• hang a cat on Monday, for killing a mouse on Sunday," go, that for men to wear their hair long was considered not only indecent and anti- scriptural, but a most oftensive abomination to the Deity. A proclamation exists among the records of Mass.ichusetts, which declares, that " We, the magistrates, in our zeal for the purity of the faith, exj)ressly condemn the imjjious custom of letting the hair grow, as indecent, dishonest, and horrible to sobi^r-minded persons, inasmuch as it corrupts good manners, and as a cusli^m introduced into Enuland by the Papists, in sacrilegious contempt of (jiod, who declares in his holy word, that it is a shameful practice for any man, who lias the least care for his soul, to wear long hair. We, therefore, being justly incensed against this scaiuhdous custom, do desire, advise, and earnestly re(|nest, all elders of our continent, zealously to show their aversion from this odious practice, and to exert their utmost powers to put a stop to it, and especially to take care that the members of their church hv. not infected with it." A Mrs Hutchison, the lieroine of the female fanatical society of Boston, and at whose house meetings for theological disputes were held nighdy, declared in her ])reachingH that a " mdual chanye" ui the worship of ( Jod was absolutely necessary before the colony could expect the smallest blc-^ing, or the least favour, from the Deity. If, \ H i 5i * 'M ^ ! ! '' 'Civ »• Iv •> ,■ ! • ■ ; ■ r 4. t A k 1 ■ ■' - ■* • > . • ■■•;/■ ** •■'* i* f * ■ . ■ i 1 H ill •> ? '-'-'.. i fr-t .RV, ;■ 60 NOTES TO HOOK I. Slie maiiitniiio«l, that tlie doctrine of jfood worlis was ratlicr an impediment, than necessary to obtain salvation ; and that " the covenant of works is a mere l)roken reed, which is useless and dan- gerous, and must be expelled hy the impression of the Spirit."' These were the darling themes of this fair Antinomian. Her enemies hatched a story against lier which travelled rapidly over the country, and which enabled them to expel her from the colony. It asserted, that she had at one birth bnmght forth thirty monsters, answering in Iii(leousiie?s and number to the abominable errors she had promulgated. She was accordingly banished to Uhode Island. This unfortunate woman, driven from her house during an inclement season, mis- carried, and suffered great misery on the occasion, 'i he pressure of poverty or ill treatment drove her afterwards to a Dutcli settle- ment in the state of New York, wliere she was, with all her family, butchered by the Indians. During this religious calamity, the ladies were pretty anxious to establish the right of absolute rule in theological discussions. The wives, in fact, inlluenced their husbands, and the young wonu-n their lovers, so completely, that they generally maintained the claim they arrogated. The excesses which the belief in witclicraft produced were, if possible, still more extraordinary. Tliis horrible superstition first appeared in the house of a minister at Salem. He had two daugh- ters, who, after the ages of twelve years, were alHicted with hyste- rical convulsions. Tlie father thouglitthem bewitched ; and, fixing his suspicions on an Indian woman, who lived in the house, by the severest whipping he extorted from her the confession of being a witch. This poor savage was accordingly hanged, and her body exj>ose(l to birds of prey. Other women, seduced by the pride of exciting public attention, immediately lirouglit themselves to believe that hysterid, which j)roceeded only from the nature of their sex, was owing to the influence of infernal agency. Three persons were consequently suspected by them of sorcery, and most speedily imprisoned, condemned, hanged, and their bodies, agreeably to the law of the colony, exposed to wild beasts and birds of prey. Fifteen ]ft M NOTF.S TO BOOK I. Gl or sixteen others, witli the lawyer who refused to plead agaiiint tliem, were hanged a few days after. There was, in short, no jiossible security for a time ale of having been guilty, were manifested by a solemn and general fast. I'.* .1 M "X^f -.iL, :• ■ if % '■ mm Note C, page 22. At the beginning of the troubles of 1775, the united colonies oflfered to maintain their own civil list, and to give a clear contri- bution of one hundred thousand pounds ptr annum for one hundrj-d years, in aid of a sinking fund to pay the national debt of the mother country, with a proviso only of being treated liko the other parts of the empire. The contumelious treatment, however, shown to the colonial agents by the ministry, prevented this liberal pro- posal from being formally made. The state papers, still on record, and drawn by Congress, is distinctly expressive of their sentiment to the above effect.— Franklin's Miscellaneous Pieces, p. 2ii7. See also Jefferson's Correspondence. tf* m i-^* ' £/* 1^1 f> . * ■■■ '' i •¥ • '.* '.A '*,-\ . :>• ' \^ (J r-: ■ f, ,Mi • ■'• . i ' .-ti H^ V 'I' ••.■>, ' f ■-%' '.*" ' »\ t» • •^ J*' h' •Ic? ;r- 1.- •'- t' t ^ ■ >i \ • # •:H ■ "(P. 1, d A'> '' \ •'?»^ r- rd !■■'* '>' fc',-,'.. ^ •* . !• *■. » (■ 1 v.' ^ ' ..I ■■>>>': < -i ■ ■■*, ■•"■ .iCi •• ".-ll VV*'3t. 68 NOTES TO BOOK T. Note D, page 28. There existed among the first circles in America, at the period immediately hefore the revolutionary war, a fashionable grandeur in the state of society and manners, which tlie revolution has cer- tainly extinguished. The manners of the present day, it is true, are very different, both in America and Europe, from those which prevailed sixty years ago. In both hemispheres there is less dignity, but more brilliancy, than formerly ; yet the splendour of the " miscliianza," or fete, which was prepared and conducted with such extraordinary magnificence at Philadelphia, on the departure of General Howe, and part of the British army and fleet, would certainly daz/le and astonish us, even at the present period. The following account of it, which was first, and yet only, printed in the Colonial Herald, at Halifax, Nova Scotia, may be considered a " curiosity." T copy it, with the editor's introductory remarks : •' As our summer amusements arc approaching, it may not be uninteresting to our readers to glance over the details of the most splendid spectacle that has ever been exhibited in any of the British colonies on this continent, and which are given with great apparent accuracy in the following letter, written to a friend in England, by a person connected with the army under General Howe. It has never before appeared in print, and we publish it as a curiosity. It would have given us more pride had the letter borne evidence of the watchfulness, hardihood, and prudence of the ofliccrs who com- manded the Britisli forces during that momentous period, had it sliown the correctness of tlieir acquaintance with the people, and the country against which they were to act, instead of exhibiting a scene of mere parade and extravagance, however splendid and imposing. The general to whom the fete was given, was perhaps as brave a man as ever went into the field, and certainly beat the enemy on almost every occasion in which he met them ; but he was rash and dissipated, and raslmess and disf^ipation were unfor- tunately but too general among our forces during the whole of the American war, and often rendered of little avail the valour which would have been resistless, if tempered with prudence and discre- tion. ■te it ^ NOTES TO BOOK I. 63 " Pliiladelphiu, May 23, 1778. " That our sentimonts might be the more universally known, it was resolved amongst us, that we should give General Howe as splendid an entertainment as the shortness of the time and our situation would allow us. Tor the expenses the whole army would liave most cheerfully contributed ; but it was requisite to draw a line somewhere, and twenty-two field-offioers joined in a subscrip- tion adecjuate to the plan they meant to adopt. I know your curiosity will be raised on this occasion, and I shall therefore give you as particular an account of our ' mischianza' as I have been able to collect. From the name, you will observe it was made up of a variety of entertainments ; four of the gentlemen subscribers were appointed manauvvs, — Sir John Wrottosley, Colonel O'llara, Major (lardiner, and Montressof, the cliit'l vunini't'r. On the tickets of admission, which they gave for Monday iHtli, was engraved in a shield a view of the sea, and on a wreath the words, ' Luce discedens, aucto splendore resurgam.' At top was the general's crest, with • Vive vale !' All round the shield ran a vignette ; and various military tropliies filled up the ground. A grand regatta began the entertainment. It consisted of three divisions ; the first was the Ferret galley, having on board several general-officers, and a num- ber of ladies. lu the centre was the Hussar galley, with Sir William and Lord Howe, Sir Henry Clinton, the officers of their suite, and some ladies. The Cornwallis galley brought up the rear, having on board General Knypthausen and his suite, three British generals, and a party of ladies. On each quarter of the galleys, and forming their division, were five boats lined vvilh green cloth, and filled with ladies and gentlemen. In front of the whole were three boats, with a band of music in each; six barges rowed about each flank, to keep oft' the . warms of boats that covered the river from side to side. The galleys were dressed out in a variety of colours and streamers, and in each boat was displayed the flag of its own division. In the stream, opposite the centre of the city, the Fanny man-of-war, magnificently decorated, was placed at anchor, and at some distance a-head lay his majesty's ship Roebuck, with the admiral's flag at the fore-topmast head. The transport ships, extending in a line the whole length of the town, appeared with colours flying, and crowded with spectators, as were also the open- I m % ;• mi i ■V' i #;« 1: ■ fe'-wr:-' 1 1 ^^i r •I'' -^,. ... •i^j*' 64 \0'l r.S TO HOOK I. ■'A • &■■-,* . ..1. *i inps of the several streets on tlie shores, cxhihiting tlie most pic- turesque juhI enlivening scenes the eye could desire. " The rendezvous was at Knight's wharf, at the northern extre- mity of the city. By half after four, the whole company were em- barked ; and the signal being madeliy:lie\'igilant'N manning ship, the three divisions rowed slowly down, preserving their proper inter- vals, and keeping time to the music that led the Hcet. On arriving between the Tanny and the Market wharf, a signal was made from one of the boats a-hea;> O / /A Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 873-4503 4^s f,<-'. .•> 66 NOTES TO BOOK I. Squire, Lieutenant Talbot ; device, a burning heart ; motto, ' Ab- sence cannot extinguish.' « Fifth knight, Captain Mathews, in honour of Miss Bond. Squire, Lieutenant Hamilton ; device, a winged heart ; motto, < Each Fair by Turn.' " Sixth knight. Lieutenant Sloper, in honour of Miss S. Shep- pen. Squire, Lieutenant Brown ; device, a heart and sword ; motto, < Honour and the Fair.' <' After they had made the circuit of the square, and saluted the ladies as they passed before the pavilion, they ranged themselves in a line with that in which were the ladies of their device ; and their herald advancing into the centre of the square, after a flourish of trumpets, proclaimed the following challenge : — * The Knights of the Blended Rose, by me, their herald, proclaim and assert, that the ladies of the Blended Rose excel in wit, beauty, and every accom- plishment, those of the whole world ; and should any knight, or knights, be so hardy as to dispute or deny it, they are ready to enter the lists with them, and maintain their assertions by deeds of arms, according to the laws of ancient chivalry.' At the third repe- tition of the challenge, the sound of trumpets was heard from the opposite side of the square ; and another herald, with four trum- peters dressed in black and orange, galloped into the lists. He was met by the herald of the Blended Rose ; and, after a short parley, they both advanced in front of the pavilions, when the black herald ordered his trumpets to sound, and then proclaimed defiance to the challenge in the following words : — < The Knights of the Burning Mountains present themselves here, not to contest by words, but to disprove by deeds, the vainglorious assertions of the Knights of the Blended Rose, and enter these lists to maintain that the ladies of the Burning Mountains are not excelled in beauty, virtue, or accom- plishments, by any in the universe.' " He then returned to the port of the barrier through which he had entered ; and shortly after the Black Knights, attended by their squires, rode into the lists in the following order : — Four trumpeters preceding the herald, on whose tunic was represented a mountain sending forth flames, motto, < 1 bum for ever.' Captain Watson of the Guards, as chief, dressed in a magnificent suit of black and orange silk, and mounted on a black managed horse, with trappings NOTES TO BOOK I. 67 he in- he eir ers ain ion ,nd igs of the colours of his own dress, appeared in honour of Miss Franks, and attended in the same manner as Lord Cathcart ; device, a lieart, with a wreath of flowers ; motto, ' Love and Glory.' Six knights in the same order, with appropriate devices and mottoes, as those of Lord Cathcart. After they rode round the lists and made their obeisance to the ladies, they drew up opposite the White Knights ; and the chief of these having thrown down his gauntlet, the Chief of the Black Knights directed his squire to take it up. The knights then received their lances from their squires, fixed their shields on their arms, and making a general salute to each other, by a very graceful movement of their lances, turned round to take their career, and, encountering in full gallop, shivered their spears. In the second and third encounter they discharged their pistols. In the fourth, they fought with their swords. At length, the two chiefs, spurring forward into the centre, engaged furiously in single com- bat, till the marshal of the field (Major Gwynne) rushed in between them, and declared that the fair damsels of the Blended Rose and Burning Mountains were perfectly satisfied with the proofs of love, and the signal feats of valour, given by their respective knights ; and commanded them, as they prized the future favours of their mistresses, that they would instantly desist from further com- bat. Obedience being paid by the chiefs to this order, they joined their respective bands. The White Knights and their attendants filed off to the left : the Black Knights to the right. And, after passing each other at the lower side of the quadrangle, moved up alternately, till they approached the pavilions of the ladies, when they gave a general salute. " A passage being now opened between the two pavilions, the knights, preceded by their squires and bands of music, rode through the first triumphal arch, and arranged themselves to the right and left. This arch was erected in honour of Lord Howe. It presented two fronts in the Tuscan order ; the pediment was adorned with various naval trophies, and at the top was the figure of Neptune, with a trident in his right hand ; in a niche on each side, stood a sailor with a drawn cutlass. « Three plumes of feathers were placed on the summit of each wing, and in the entablature was this inscription, ' Laus illi debetur et alma gratia major.' The intervals between the two arches was an SiJ 68 NOTES TO BOOK 1. t'. >J>: avonue of 300 feet long, and 34 broad. It was lined at eacli side with a file of troops ; and tlie colours of all the army, planted at proper distances, had a beautiful effect in diversifying the scene. Between these colours the knights and squires took their stations. The bands played several pieces of martial music, while the com- pany moved forward in procession, with the ladies dressed in Turk- ish habits in front. As they passed, they were saluted by their knights, who then dismounted and joined them. In this order, we were all conducted into a garden that fronted tlie house, through the second triumphal arch dedicated to the general. This arch was also built in the Tuscan order. " On the interior of the pediment was planted a plume of feathers, and various military trophies. At the top stood the figure of Fame, and in the entablature this device, — ' I, bone, quo virtus tua te vocet, I pede fausto.' On the right hand was placed a bomb- shell, on the left a flaming heart. The front next was adorned with preparations for a firework. From the garden we ascended a flight of steps, covered with carpets, which led into a spacious hall, the panels of which were painted in imitation of Sienna marble, enclosing festoons of white marble, with the surbase and all below black. In this hall, and in the adjoining apartments, were prepared tea, lemonade, and other cooling liquors, to which the company seated themselves ; during which time the knights came in, and, kneeling, received their favours from their respective ladies. " One of these rooms was afterwards appropriated for the use of the pharoh table. As you entered it, you saw, on a panel over the chimney, a cornucopia exuberantly filled with flowers of the richest colours. Over the door as you went out, another presented itself, shrunk, reversed, and emptied. From these apartments we were conducted to a ball-room, decorated in a light, elegant style of painting. The ground was a pale blue, panelled with a small gold bead ; the interior filled with dropping festoons of flowers in natural colours. Below the surbase, the ground was of rose- pink, with drapery festooned in blue. These decorations were de- corated with eighty-five mirrors, decked with rose-pink silk ribands, and artificial flowers ; and in the intermediate spaces were tliirty- four branches with wax-lights, ornamented in a similar manner. 2 \Loi NOTES TO BOOK I. 69 of On tlie same floor, were four drawing-rooms, with side-boards of refreshments, decorated and lighted in the same style and taste as the hall-room. " The hall was opened by the knights and their ladies ; and the dances continued till ten o'clock, when the windows were thrown open, and a magnificent boquet of rockets began the fireworks. These were planned by Captain Montressor, the chief engineer, and consisted of twenty different exhibitions, displayed under his direction, with the happiest success, and in the highest style of beauty. Towards the conclusion, the interior part of the triumphal arch was illuminated amidst an uninterrupted flight of rockets and bursting balloons. The military trophies on each side assumed a variety of transparent colours. The shell and flaming heart on the wings, sent forth Chinese fountains, succeeded by fire-pots. Fanie appeared at top, spangled with stars, and from her trumpet blow- ing the following device in letten of light, — ' Les lumieres sent immortel.' A sauter of rockets bursting from the pediment, concluded ihefeu d'artijice. " At twelve o'clock, supper was announced ; and forged folding doors, hitherto artfully concealed, being suddenly thrown open, discovered a magnificent saloon of 210 feet by 40, and 22 in height, with three alcoves on each side, which served for sideboards. The ceiling formed the segment of a circle, and the sides were painted a light straw colour, with leaves and festoon flowers, some in a bright, some in a darkish green. Fifty-six large pier-glasses, ornamented with green silk, artificial flowers, and ribands. One hundred branches, with three lights in each, trimmed in the same manner as the mirrors. Eighteen lustres, each with twenty-four lights, suspended from the ceiling, and ornamented as branches. Three hundred wax tapers were disposed along the table, on which were 430 covers, and 1200 dishes. Forty-four black slaves, in Oriental dresses, with collars and bracelets, were ranged in two lines, bending to the gi'ound as the general and admiral approached the saloon. All these formed together the most brilliant assem- blage of gay objects, appearing at once, as we entered by an easy ascent, and exhibiting a coup d'oeil beyond description magnificent. " Towards the end of supper, the herald of the Blended Hose, in his habit of ceremony, attended by his trumpeters, entered the m m th 9' it if, i: 70 NOTES TO BOOK 1. ■tr^ Haloou, uiid proclaimed the king's Iiealtli, the health of the queen, and of the royal family; then the army and navy, with their respective commanders, the knights, and the ladies in general. Each of these toasts was followed hy a flourish of music ; and after supper we returned to the ball-room, where we continued to dance till four in the morning. " Such, my dear friend, is the description, though a very faint one, of the splendid entertainment given by our army to their general." ■y/*^!- Note E, page 29. When the crisis at length anived which brought the Americans to abjure their allegiance to the crown of Great Britain, it is well known, that many who were most vigorouslyopposedtothe measures of ministers, experienced the strongest feelings of affection for the country of their ancestors, when the sense of duty to the cause they engaged in, and to the land they lived in and obtained their subsistence from, induenced them to act contrary to the inclination of their hearts. Note F, page 40. It is usually believed, that the first Congress which assembled in America, was on occasion of the troubles that brought on the war of independence. A Congiess was, however, held half a century before, and occasionally afterwards, for the purpose chiefly of planning measures to defend the frontiers against the Indians. In 1754, a Congress met, under the suggestion made by the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations, in order to consider the best means of defending the colonies against the French. Note G, page 47. We have, by conceding a participation in our valuable fisheries to the Americans, given them the most effectual means of increasing ^ffU:: NOTES TO BOOK I. 71 tlieir naval power. — See Account of the British American Fisheries, book iii. chap. vii. Note H, page 49. The following is a general statistical summary of the colleges in the United States : — Whole number of colleges in the United States . 43 Instructors in 32 colleges 217 Whole number of alumni in 28 colleges . . 20,520 Alumni living in 23 colleges .... 11,866 Alumni, ministers of 20 colleges .... 4,335 Ministers living in 19 colleges . . . . 2,814 Graduates in 30 colleges, in 1828 . . , 632 Under-graduates in 33 colleges,1828-9 Seniors 670, Juniors 646 \ „ ^ _ Soph 660, Freshmen 533 J ' * ' Students professing religion in 22 colleges . . 587 Students assisted by college funds in 15 colleges . 321 Students ditto by Education Society in 14 colleges 148 Medical students in 7 colleges .... 590 Law students in 3 colleges 23 Volumes in 80 college libraries .... 121,118 Volumes in 25 students' libraries .... 66,780 The number of theological seminaries is 18; of which 3 are Congregational ; 4 are Presbyterian ; 2 are Baptist ; 1 is Unitarian ; 2 are Episcopal ; 2 are Evangelical ; 3 Lutheran, and 1 is German Reformed. Since the commencement of their operations they have educated 1526 students. Of these 140 have been aided by the funds of the seminaries, and 151 by education societies. The whole number of volumes in the libraries of the seminaries is 35,960 ; besides which, there are 3720 volumes in the libraries of various societies belonging to these institutions. The residences of the students now at the seminaries are as follows : Maine 15 New Hampshire ....... 35 Vermont 48 m >:■*,>'.'. % ' mm 1^. i fell '4 • wm ^vi n &m it n w ■■'. v 72 NOTES TO BOOK I. I'i.' I "• i ■.! * ^■^^' il.' l''"t '• ,"•■''■■, m V 'A t'' .^(i; Kfir .;. W^J*- -ill Massachusetts . Rliodo Island Connecticut New York New Jersey Pennsylvania Maryland . Delaware . Virginia District of Columbia North Carolina . South Carolina . Georgia Alabama . Mississippi Tennessee . Kentucky . Ohio . Indiana Michigan Territory Foreign Countries 76 3 63 9 55 12 2 17 2 18 8 4 2 I 6 8 11 I 5 1) m«^ [ 73 ] I? V kri m BOOK 11. VIEW OF THE GEOGRAPHICAL BOUNDARIES AND NATURAL HISTORY OF BRITISH AMERICA. CHAPTER I. General View of British America^Configuration — Physical Aspect, &(■• The British possessions in North America, are, the islands of Newfoundland, Cape Breton, Prince Ed- ward Island, and Anticosti ; the provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Canadas ; the region of Labrador, and the territory west of Hudson's Bay. By the treaty of 1783 with the republic of the United States, the construction of which is involved in much ambiguity, the river St Croix, on the sea- coast, and a line due north from a monument erected at its source, to the highlands, (evidently Mars Hill,) and from thence, dividing the waters of the rivers which fall into the St Lawrence, from those that fall into the Atlantic, to the north-westernmost head of Connecticut river ; thence, down the middle of that river, to the 45th degree of north latitude; from thence, by a line due west, until it strike the river Iroquois, and thence, down to the St Lawrence, i'.n m m I » i !■»!* '- m ■ .-••■I I ' "''. f • 74 UIMTISII AMKllK A. *• m Ik 'ji i'' I,. following the middle of that river, and the great lakes to the head of Lake Snperior, &e., leaving all the lands north of this line to the Crown of (ireat Hritain. The comniissionera a])pointed on the part of Great Britain, agreeably to the treaty of Ghent, seem to have been most iinaceountably ignorant of the natural configuration of America, and they do not even appear to know which river was, in reiility, meant for the St Croix, but took for granted the one named by the American .agents. If we examine a map of the country lying between the Atlantic and the St Lawrence, we will have little difficulty in concluding, that the Penobscot was the St Croix understood at the treaty of 1783. It is also well known, that the general name of St Croix was given to all the rivers falling into the Atlantic, from Massachusetts Bay to the river St John, from the French having, on first frequenting the country, erected crosses along the coast, which, from this circumstance, long obtained the name of Terre du St Croix, or Country of the Holy Cross. As the country claimed by the United States is of vast importance to the power that may possess it, the final adjustment of the boundary line is an object that will likely be attended with considerable difficulty.* The physical aspect of British America presents, along the Atlantic coasts, with but few exceptions, * Note A. life yl • rJKCXiUAl'IIICAI. BOUNDARIES. 75 'E |i a broken, rugged configuration • in some parts thickly wooded to the water's edge, or to the utmost verge of the most perpendicular clifl's ; in others, as along tlie greater part of Newfoundland, the south-eastern shores of Nova Scotia, and the whole of Labrador, rocks, with dwarfish trees growing thinly among them, predominate. Within the Bay of Fundy, the coast, that of Nova Scotia in particular, is fertile and beautiful ; and the features of Prince Edward Island, and the greater part of Nova Scotia and New Bruns- wick, situated within the Gulf of St Lawrence, are soft, luxuriant, and picturesque, with trees growing almost uninterrupted, along the coasts and over the country. Along the river St Lawrence, from the Bay de Chaleur to Quebec, and for some miles upwards, the country is of a bold mountainous character, and covered with dense forests. After passing the high lands above Quebec, the lands on each side of the St Lawrence are low, fertile, and in most parts of alluvial formation. The country, with few inteiTup- tions, maintains this appearance until we reach Queenstone Heights, close to the falls of Niagara ; above which, again, along the lakes, a flat country prevails. ^Vherever cataracts occur, the surface of the adjoining country is unequal. We observe this at Niagara, and at all the falls and rapids of the St Lawrence, and other rivers. The districts lying intermediate between cataracts, are usually flat, and of alluvial formation. The geological structure and mineralogy of the ■i ^ to ii " f I'M "d' ■' ii'V'* 1^ ' hi- I ^' 76 imiTisn AMi'.incA. l'.W.' ■■'.■:'>■: Nortli American roj^ious, nre, as yet, hut very imperfectly known.* A j;reat chain of mountains, known hy the general name of the Alleghanies, rises ahruptly out of tlie Gulf of St Lawrence, at Perec, hetween Bay de Chaleur and Gaspe, and following nearly the course of the river St Lawrence, until op- posite Quebec, bends to the southward, and entering the United'States, divides the Atlantic coast from the basin of the Ohio. The mountains of North Ame- rica are generally covered to their summits with trees. They have also a greater continuity in their ridges, and more regularity of outline, than those of Europe. They are, besides, far from being so high as those of Europe, Asia, or South America. The loftiest part of the Alleghanies is but 2958 feet above the level of the sea. Kellington Peak, Vermont, 3866 feet. The Kaatskill Mountain, 3550. The White Moimtains, in New Hampshire, 6800 feet Neither the Algonquin, nor any other moun- tain north of the St Lawrence, is considered much above 2000 feet high. The nucleus of the Alleghany chain apjiears, and IS fn ^'m- * I regret being unable to give a more satisfactory account than will be found in this work, of the geology and mineralogy of America ; my knowledge of these interesting subjects being chiefly confined to what I have observed on the banks of rivers and lakes, on the faces of cliffs, and on the shores of the sea. Although America affords to the naturalist a rich field fur enquiry, yet it is a task of no ordinary difficulty to surmount the obstacles common to a wilderness country, rendered almost impassable by dense forests, fallen trees, swamps, rocks, mountains, and water-courses. c;r,Nr,iiAL coni'icuration'. 77 is generally considered to lie, granite, vvhieli extends from those nionntains, and forms the prevailing basis, with some exceptions, liowever, of all the c(mntries lying between tiiem and tlie Atlantic, and north of the river Hudson. These territories are also con- sidered to have been frequently convulsed by earth- quakes, while those west of the Alleghanies have remained undisturbed. Limestone, generally in horizontal strata, prevails to the westward of the Alleghany chain, as far as the St Lawrence and the lakes. On the north of the St Lawrence, and throughout Labrador, granite predominates ; and Sir Afexander M'Kenzie remarks, in his travels, that the great lakes of North America are in a line of contact between vast chains of granite and limestone. Volney observes, that the granitic range of the Alleghany chain may be said to terminate southward, (or, more properly, loses itself to observation,) at West Point, river Hudson, on the opposite side of which sandstone commences, and prevails from the Kaats- kill Mountains to the angle of Georgia. Those vast inland seas, the great lakes, form, with the St Lawrence and other magnificent rivers, most gigantic features in the geography of North America ; to which we may also add the Gulf of St Lawrence — a Mediterranean — bounded by our territories ; the Bay of Fundy, with its extraordinary tides; and the icy bay of Hudson, wliich divides rocky, inhospitable Labrador from the north-western, or frozen regions of the transatlantic hemisphere. tW. w. i<¥. • I?, i,. « um .•■.•»-Jai., I -If >■ i**. ^"^ ^■"i'i,.,;:..1)i 78 BRITISH AMERICA. The surface of the extensive countries of British America, with the exception of the sterile parts of the north, the savannahs, and where towns and settlements have been formed along the sea-coasts, and on the banks of rivers, is still covered with dense and almost limitless forests, which commence at the sea-coast, and extend to the banks and lakes of the St Lawrence; beyond which they are succeeded by others of equally gigantic growth, that terminate, with the occasional interruption of a buffalo prairie, only a I, ihe shores of the Pacific. In many of the most extensive districts, we still discover no signs of civilization, nor any marks of the progress of improvement; and the scenery, in its primeval wildness and natural luxuriance, exhibits what the whole of North America was about two centuries ago, when none but the Indian tribes tra- versed its woods, and the bark canoe of the savage alone navigated the waters of its Atlantic shores, or those of its rivers and inland seas. , •;>, .'■'--ir ■;,*•*, IB.' f ■ '•■ * ft ^' ' 11.1, >-if m- BRITISH AMERICA. 79 CHAPTER II. Forests— Principal Trees, &c. fit The magnificent splendour of the forests of North America, is peculiar to that division of the Western World. In Europe, in Asia, in Africa, and even in South America, the primeval trees, how much soever their magnitude may arrest admiration, do not grow in the promiscuous style that prevails in the great general character of the North American woods. Many varieties of the pine, intermingled with hirch, maple, beech, oak, and numerous other tribes, branch luxuriantly over the banks of lakes and rivers, extend in stately grandeur along the plains, and stretch proudly up to the very summits of the mountains. It is impossible to exaggerate the autumnal beauty of these forests : nothing under heaven can be com- pared to its effulgent grandeur. Two or three frosty nights in the decline of autumn, transform the boundless verdure of a whole empire into every possible tint of brilliant scarlet, rich violet, every shade of blue and brown, vivid crimson, and glittering yellow. The stern, inexorable fir tribes alone maintain their eternal sombre green, •■/ ! 80 imiTISII AMERICA. *.'.',': k'^r 1?^ » All otlicrs, in inouiitniiis or in valleys, Imrat into the most p^lorious vegetable beauty, and exhibit the most splendid and most enehanting panorama on earth.* The forest trees in North America are exceedingly nnmerons, bnt in this work it will only be i)ossible to describe briefly the principal timber-trees ; junong which, those of the pine family claim the first rank. Michaux dcvscribes fcmrteen species of pine, and there are ])robably more varieties. Pines do not often p^row on fertile soils, at least not in groves ; low, sandy, and ])oor, bnt not stony lands, are most con- genial to their growth. The yellow long-leaved pine (pinus strobus) is the most generally usefnl ; and the great bulk of the tind)er of commerce exported from America, is of this kind. It grows in great abundance in Canada and New 13runswick, and was formerly in great plenty in the otlier colonies. It is a magnificent tree, fre- quently fifteen feet in circumference near the ground, free of branches for seventy or eighty feet, and often more than one hundred and twenty feet in height. Some trees, after being hewn square, and the limbs, with twenty to thirty feet of the top cut off, have measured eight to nine tons, of forty solid feet each. The pitch pine (pinus Australis), also long leaved, and valuable on account of its durability, but more so from its producing principally the turpentine and tar of America. It delights in higher ground than * I consider that these metamorphoses are caused by the action of frost at this period, on the acids contained in the leaves. li>. »•»•£.• f*« rOKKSr THKKS. 81 the yellow pine, and seldom exceeds six feet iii cir- ciuiifereiice. The red pine (piims sylvestris) is often a tall tree, bnt seldom more than fonr or five feet in «riftli. It is the same in kind and qnality as the fir imported into the United Kingdom from Norway, in scpiare logs. Until this tree be snfUciently jnatnred, or if it be iu a situation where it grows rapidly, it contains a great pro])oi'tioii of nap ivood, and it is only when this part is hewn away, that the red i)ine is durable. It is nnicli used in ship-building, and many other purposes, but it is mucli more rare than any of the otlier pines. • Hemlock spruce (a])ies Canadensis.) There are two varieties of the hendock, the red and white ; both are very durable. Tlie lath-wood, imported in billets from America, is principally hemlock. The red is apt to sjdit too freely, (ukI is remarkably full of cracks, or, as the Americans term it, shaken. The white is often apt to splinter, but it is close-grained, hard, holds nails or tree nails well, and it is now mucli used in shii)-building. Its bark is used very gener- ally in America for tanning. There is no wood better adapted for mining purposes or piles ; and it is remarkable that iron driven into it will not corrode, either in or out of water. Hemlock-trees generally grow in dry hollows, in groves, and from two to three feet in diameter, and sixty to eighty feet high. Five varieties of the spruce fir are abundant in all except the northernmost regions ; and the dwarf spruce creeps as far north as any tree. The black, grey, vol,. 1. F i{» ^y? «*»•: 82 IMUTISII AlNri'.RK'A. • '>,'v ':^'^!!^' white, and red spruce firs, called so from the colour of their respective barks, are the same as those of Norway imjiorted into England for masts, yards, &c. These trees grow to a great height. The black sjiruce (pinus abies) is frequently observed in the distance like a black minaret or spire, towering twenty or thirty feet above all other forest trees. The spruce firs of rapid growth are not durable, but those growing in bleak situations, or near the sea-coast, are hard and lasting. The wood of all the species is white. The American silver fir (abies balsamiferse) is that from which the transjiarent resin, known as Canada balsam, is procured. This balsam is the best possible application to fresh wounds. The Indians use it also as a remedy for several internal complaints. The timber of this tree is seldom used in America except for fencing rails. The celebrated essence of spruce, is extracted from the black spruce. When the branches are used to make the beer, so common in America, merely by boiling them in water, and adding a few hops and a certain portion of molasses, those of the dwarf trees are preferred. The hacmatack, or larch, (pinus larix,) called also in America, tamarac, and juniper, is considered the most durable of the pine family. In some parts, but not generally, it is very plentiful. It attains fre- quently a great height, but rarely more than two feet in thickness. Its wood is heavy, tough, and becomes hard by seasoning. It burns with difficulty, t4,'».. FORKST TREES. S.J lie lit d and does not readily absorl) water. In these respects, hemlock resembles it most. Both red cedar (jiiniperas Mrginiana) and white cedar (cupressus thyoides) are met with in British America, but not in abundance. The former is found only in Upper Canada, the latter grows in the lower provinces. The largest trees that I liave seen, about three feet in diameter, were on the banks of Bona- venture river, in the district of Gaspe, at which place the Acadian French use the white cedar, in preference to other wood, for house and ship-building. The common juniper, which yields the berry used in the arts, and wliicli takes two years in ripening, is found in most cold situations, where other trees seldom grow. A creeping variety of fir, called, in America, ground spruce, producing a delicious red berry, and on which cattle delight to browse, grows in many places in great plenty. It differs in its nature from all other varieties of firs, inasmuch as it thrives only in fertile soils. The oak in England claims the precedence of all other trees ; but not so in America. The people of the United States boast much, it is true, of the dura- bility and excellence of their white oak (quercus alba.) It is certainly a tough, durable wood, and pro- bably equal to the greater part of the oak now cut down annually in Great Britain ; but no more in firmness and durability to be compared to the " un- wedgeable and gnarled oak of England," than sand- stone is to granite. The wood growing in the south- % 84. lUUTISH AMI'.niCA. eni parts, which they term " live oak," is, however, very firm, and remarkahly durahle. The grey, or more proi)erly, white oak of Canada, is a tolerably close-grained and lasting wood, and mnch used in ship-building. It is the same, or dif- fers very little from that of the United States : and it resend)les very closely the qfd'rcns pcduuculata oi' tlie continent of Europe, and is probably as durable. The quercitron oak (tpiercus tinctora) is consi- dered, in the United States, of very lasting quality. The bark also contains a great portion of tannin, but imjiarts a yellow colour to the leather, and is therefore objected to. Tlie red oak of America is the most plentiful, but of very porous and indiiferent quality. It is, how- over, frequently made into staves, and its bark is valuable for tanning. The beech-tree (fagus sylvatica) thrives abun- dantly, but always on fertile soils. It is, in America, usually a beautiful, majestic tree, and sometimes three feet in diameter. It is useful for the same purposes to which it is aj^plied in England ; under water it is remarkably durable, and it affords a great quan- tity of potashes. Its bark contains a fair portion of tannin, and it produces, every second year, heavy crops of Qiiast, or nuts, which are pleasant to the taste, and on wliich partridges, squirrels, mice, &c., feed ; the hogs of the settlers ramble through the Avoods as soon as the beech-nuts begin to fall, and fatten so rapidly on them, that they acquire one to three inches VOUEST TllEKS. 8.5 ill thickness of additional fat — not very firm, it is true — in a few weeks. Two or three varieties of the ehn (iihnus campes- tris) are met with in America. It attains much about the same size as the beech-tree, and its qua- lity is fully equal to the best that grows in England. Elm, liowever, is not abundant in America. Ash (fraxinus.) Of this tree there are many varie- ties, but the common grey ash only, generally called white ash in America, is durable or useful. The mountain ash (pyrus aricuparia) grows in all parts of North America. It is not, however, of the ash, but rather of the birch tribe. It is, in fact. Sir Walter Scott's " rowan-tree." Its foliage and ber- ries make it a pretty ornamental tree. Of the birch tribe (betula) we met with eight, or probably more varieties, known in America by the names of black, white, yellow, grey birches, &c. The common white birch (betula alba) is the most hardy tree that we know. The dwarf white birch grows farther north than any other tree ; and, where the rigour of the climate prevents its growing upright, it creeps along the groniid, affording food and shel- ter to birds that resort in summer to high latitudes. Between the latitudes of forty and forty-eight, we find, in valleys, or where it grows among other tim- ber, the white birch, a fine majestic tree, fifty to sixty feet in height, often two feet in diameter, and for twenty or thirty feet without branches. "When growing in this manner, it is known to naturalists as betula papijracea, which, however, although diirer- 5, !t( 2;^l 8G BRITISH AMEItU A. *'l '"••■.■• 1 1' . ►(.*. . ' I. » jt ^^ irig in appearance, is by no means a different variety from tlie common white birch, whicli merely assnmes a tall, spreading, or dwarfish character, according to the situation and soil in which it grows. The white birch, although the wood, except under water, be not durable, is still a most valuable tree. It is clean, close-grained, easily worked, and useful for common turners' work. Its fibres are split open, and worked by the Indian women into baskets, ropes, brooms, &c. Its inner bark contains excellent tannin, and of the outer bark of the large trees are made the ca/ioes used by the savages and Canadian voyageurs. The yellow birch differs only from the wliite in its outer bark, which is yellowish, being too thin for any useful purpose, and its wood being somewhat tougher ; neither will it grow in exposed situations, nor on barren soils. The grey birch seldom attains more than eight or nine inches in diameler. It is hardy, and diff*ers only from the dwarf white birch in tlie colour and texture of the outer bark. The black birch of America (betula nigra) is a magnificent tree, often fifteen to eighteen feet in cir- cumference ; its outer bark is rough and dark, the inner bark thick, and full of tannin. The wood is finely shaded and variegated, susceptible of as high a polish as mahogany, and furniture made of clioice trees is equally beautiful. It is imported in large square logs from America, and used in this country for many purposes. It makes excellent planks for ships' bot- toms ; but if exposed to the weather, it is liot dura- Mi TOllKST TIJEKS. h: ble. This might not probably be the case if it were first well seasoned. The sap drained in March and April, by incision, from all the varieties of birch, makes excellent vine- gar, and a i)leasant weak wine may be obtained from it by boiling and fermentation. The Russia leather, used for binding books, is prepared with the empyreumatic oil obtained from the outer bark of the white birch. This bark is very inflammable, and used for torches or flambeaux by the Indians and others, when fishing for eels, sal- mon, &c. at night. ^ There are many varieties of the maple (acer.) Those generally known in America are — The white maple, which is straight and close in its fibres, elastic, and slow in burning. The waved maple, which resembles Zebra-wood, is exceedingly beautiful, admits of a very fine polish, and is the same as that generally used for the backs of violins. The great maple (acer pseudo platanas), generally known in America by the diflferent names of rock maple, from its being hard and tough ; bird's eye maple, from its being frequently beautifully mottled like birds' eyes ; curled maple, from its being gene- rally curled in the fibres, and richly shaded. It takes a high polish ; and beautiful specimens of this wood may be seen in the ornamental work of the cabins of the American packets that come to Liverpool. The sugar maple (acer saccharinum) difTers from the great maple in its fibres being generally straight and coarser, its wood not being so hard or compact, i'' h 4. r si 3 ?i 'i n 88 nitlTISII AMKRICA. ^^)f" ■M^:2- •>'rv»W! ■:-itr* and its sap graimlating more perfectly. From its juice, in'incipally, is made the maple sugar, although all the varieties of maple that we know of, if we class them agreeahly to the saccharine matter contained in their saps, might be called sugar maples. The process of obtaining sugar from the sap of the maple is simple. In the early jiart of March, at which time sharp frosty nights are usually followed by bright sun-shining days, the sap begins to run. A small notch or incision, making an angle across the grain, is cut in the tree, out of which the juice oozes, and is conveyed by a thin slip of wood, let in at the lower end of the cut, to a wooden trough or dish, made of bark, placed below on the ground. The quantity of saj) thus obtained from each tree varies from one pint to two gallons per day. Those who follow the business, fix on a spot where maple- trees are most numerous, and erect a temporary camp or lodging. \Vhen they have as many trees tai)i)ed as can be attended to, the saji is collected once or twice .a day, and carried to a large pot or boiler hung over a wood fire near the camp. It is then reduced by boiling until it granulates ; and the sugar thus obtained is rich and pleasant to the taste. An agreeable sirup is also made of maple sap. The maple ground occupied by a party is termed a " sugarie ;" and those who first commence tapping the trees, consider that possession for one year con- stitutes right for those years that follow. They often receive, without having any tenure themselves m I'OUEST TREES. 89 of these lands from the crown, a consideration from others for the right of possession. There are ihree or four varieties of poplar, which delight, as in Europe, to grow in low soils. A dwarfish kind abounds where the original wood has been destroyed. The while walnut, or hickory, (juglans alba,) generally called butternut-tree in America, is com- mon on intervale or alluvial land, and grows to a considerable size. The nut is edible, and contains about the same proportion of oil as the common walnut. « Besides these trees, which, on account of their appearance or usefulness, are the most generally known, many other varieties f>bound, among which it will be sufficient to name the alder, wild cherry, Indian pear-tree, dog-wood, horn-beam, or iron-wood, and white and black thorn. The very great variety of smaller trees, shrubs, and herbs which abound in North America, must be left for the professed natu- ralist to class. Sarsaparilla, ginseng, as well as many other medi- cinal plants, are very plentiful, the virtues of which are as yet but imperfectly known. The Indians have vegetable specifics for all the diseases, except those introduced by Europeans, to which they are liable.* * Tlie nuns and catholic clergy prepare a vegetable plaster, which never fails to cure inveterate cancel*. The secret they will not divulge. The author is acquainted with several persons who have been perfectly cured by them, after being considered past recovery by very able physicians. ,11. t ' ii Mi! !■■■ r ii ' » , s: ■ i: '. ".t't> ;# ■^^!>^ ■VJ.^, |.J«f -v., "■■ I- ' JiA ■Ml- ft.--', '-^^■ !# '»# 94 intl'I'ISlI AIMKinCA. Iliulson's U;iy, .'uhI tlio iiorth-wost territory. They are seldom found on (lie hind durinjjf winter, but ^o out on the iee. The feniides that are preji-nant, however, seek shelter at the skirts of the nearest \voods ; these aninuils, when full jj^rown, are lieavier than most oxen, yet their young are not larger than liares. The female has only two teats, i)lneed between the forelegs. This innnense and powerful animal is very shy, and afraid of coming near man ; yet, M'hen closely pressed in the water, they will attack a boat, and wrest the oars from the strongest uian ; but the crew, being always i)rovided with fire- arms, slioot them as they areattempting to get into the boat. The Es(|uimaux prefer the skin to any other kind of clothing. They dress it l)y scraping off the fnt, and rubbing it while fro'^en in M'inter, and soon make the pelt as beautifully white as the hair is. 'J'he flesh is strong, but the people in the service of the Hudson's liay Company consider it very palatable. Foxes are luimerous, and seem to possess all the cunning usually attributed to the species. They do not, however, kill sheej) or lambs, nor do they often destroy ])oultry, as they generally procure sufficient food at less risk in the woods, or along the shores. They are caught in traps, or inveigled by a bait to a particular place, where they are shot by a person lying in wait, during the clear winter nights; at which time the ice and snow deprive them in a great mea- sure of their usual means of subsistence. The fur is much finer than that of the English i\)X ; its prevail- ing colour is red. Some foxes are jet black, others WILD ANIMALS. 95 jK'itclii'd, uthI a i'vw Jiro of a iH'autiful silver ji^rcy colour. Ill tilt' polar n';;'ojis tluy are generally white, and, when destitute of food, will jirey on eaeh other. It is said that American foxes, crossed with those of this coiuitry, ad'ord the very best sport to the huntsman. \V\)lves are found in Labrador, and in the territory west of Hudson's JJay ; but they are not numerous. Those most generally killed by the Escpiimaux are of a dirty white colour. Although large,* they are not courageous, not even when pressed with hunger. Wolvereens are comnioi»in the northern territories. They are slow in pace, but strong, acute, and cou- rageous, 'i'liey will often take a deer from a wolf without any resistance. Their scent is very keen, Avhicli enables them readily to find out whatever can be come at to satisfy tiieir voracious appetites. The marten is a beautiful animal, about eighteen inches long, and of a brownish colour, with a patch of orange under the neck. Its fur is valuable ; and if not liner, is certainly equal to the Siberian sable, which this animal so nearly resend)les, as to be often considered the same. Muffs and tippets of marten skins are at present very fashionable. Hares are in great abundance, and turn wliite in winter as in Norway. Their flesh is very fine, at least equal to that of the English hare. They are caught in snares, or running uooses, set, during winter, * I liad a Nowfouinllaiul wolf-skin, given mo l)y Mr Coimfick, that was six feet long from tlio snout to the point of the tail. Mf J!' t •u If !! •I m it ■ii I' ii ■M f(, ml .11 Xi I ■^ I I 96 imiTISTI AlVFEllICA. I •" '.^ m I '••«'"• I V',^-^ .''.ill > :i '•■'M5', .•-'Iff' !?;■■■ in narrow openings, left at about twenty yards from eacli other, in a brushwood fence. The noose h: attached to a pole, or to a young pliant tree, that springs up on being sprung ; and along the line of fence, on a winter's morning, several are found hung ui> and strangled. The beaver (castor), whose fur is so valuable, is an animal of astonishing industry, and prudent foresight. In order to secure lodgings and provisions during winter, they live in a state of society, which resembles the civil compact of man, rather than the mere instinctive gregarious habits of other animals. As they must live near water, and frequently in it, they build dams across running brooks, to create an arti- ficial lake ; and in order to accomplish so great an object, they are obliged to labour in concert. The ingenuity with which they construct their dams, and build apartments or lodgings, is truly astonishing. If the water of the river or creek have little motion, they build their dams straight across ; but if the current be rapid, they make them with a considerable and regular curve against the stream. All the parts are of equal strength and consistency, and constructed of drift wood, green willows, birch, poplars, mud, and stones. These dams, by constant rei)airing, often become a solid bank, on which trees soon grow. The beavers sometimes build their houses on lakes, and other standing waters, without dams ; but the advan- tage of a current, to carry down wood and other necessaries to their habitations, seems to counter- balance the labour of building a dam. 8 i WILD ANIMALS. 97 They construct their houses at a convenient dis- tance from the dam, of the same materials ; and the principal objects appear to be, having u dry bed to lie on, and security. The walls, and particularly the roof, are often more than five feet thick ; and they never give them the last coat of nuid-plaster until the frost sets in, which freezes it so hard, that the wolvereen, the greatest enemy of the species, cannot easily break through. Some of the large houses have several apartments ; but it appears that each is occu- pied by a whole family. There is no passage into them from the land side ; ai^d they liave vaults on the banks of the rivers to retreat to, when they apprehend danger. They drag pieces of wood with their teeth ; the mud and small stones they carry between their fore-paws and their throat. They execute their work wholly in the night. When the increase of their numbers makes it necessary to erect additional apartments, or when they shift to another situation, they begin to cut down the wood requisite early in summer, and commence building in August ; but do not complete their work until cold weather sets in. They feed on the bark of trees, preferring that of the poplar and willow, and float down wood, that they cut in summer, to their habitations, for winter provi- sion ; but their principal article of food is a thick root that grows in the bottom of rivers and lakes. In summer, they feed on various herbs, berries, &c. As soon as the ice breaks up in the spring, they leave their houses, and ramble about during summer; and, if they do not fix on a more desirable situation, :r IIU'J '}fA 1_ T*'» _' •w VOL. I. Ci rH' ;5. 98 inUTISir AMEKK'A. ■-'■ij."*-, ::'p return to their old residences, in autumn, to provide the store of wood necessary for winter. Tlie heaver is cleanly in its hahits, always leaving its apartments to evacuate its dung or urine in the water, or, in winter, on the ice. They are easily tamed — heccnne fond of human society — are readily taught to eat animal food — always retain their cleanly hahits — • and are fond of heing caressed. They In'ing fortji from two to five at a hirth. The flesh of the heaver is considered very delicious, both by the fur traders and the Indians. The value of the fur is well known ; it forms an important and principal article of commercial 2)rofit to the Hudson's IJay Company. The colour of the beaver is a very dark glossy brown ; accidental, but very rare, differences occur. Some travellers mention that the white beaver is a distinct species ; but Mr Hearne believes that there is but one kind of beaver, and, during twenty years' residence at Hudson's Bay, he never saw but one white beaver skin ; and the beautiful glossy black beaver skins are also merely accidental variations. Those who hunt beavers in winter, must, to suc- ceed, be well acquainted with their manner of life. When any injury is offered to their houses, they retreat, vuider water, to their holes in tlie banks. The Indians often find it necessary to stake the river across, to prevent tliem from crossing ; after which, they endeavour to discover their vaults, or holes, which requires much patience, and is effected by striking the ice along the banks with an ice chisel m ;!i WILD ANIMALS. 99 fastened to a pole. By experience they know, from the sound produced, where the beaver vaults are, and cut, ojiposite, a hole large enough to admit an old beaver. While the men are thus emi)loye(l, tiie women, Jind those less exj)erienced, are em])loyed in breaking open the houses ; and the l)eavers, finding their residence violated, and not being able to remain long under water, are constrained to retreat and remain in their vaults, where they are secured and taken by the Indians. "i'lie moose, or moose deer, is a large animal, gene- rally six feet high, and often exceeding the size of a tall English horse. It has enormous horns, very short neck, long head and ears, a short tail, and awk- ward aj)pearancc. Its liead and hoofs resemble a camel's ; its upper lip is much larger than the under, and esteeined a delicacy. The nostrils are very wide ; they have no teeth in their u])per jaw, and their legs are so long and their neck so short, that they camiot graze on the level ground like other animals, but browse on the tops of plants, and the leaves and twigs of trees and shrubs. The males are much larger than the females ; the hair oF the former is long and soft, nearly black at the points, grey a little under the surface, and white at the roots. The female has no horns ; its hair is of a sandy brown, and under the belly and throat nearly white. It goes eight months with young, and brings forth from one to three at a time. The horns of the male are very different from those of the common deer, palmated at the point, from which a few short branches shoot ■ » I. ■•*■ '■«; V m. ";'rf- ivri:inoA. of imwiehly structure, they climb over rocka with nearly the ease and agility of goats. Their hair is very long, particularly oi» the helly, siiles, and under the neck. It is of this that the Ks(|uiniaux make their mosquito wigs. In winter they are provided with a fine thick woolly fur, growing at the root of the hair, to protect them against the severe cokl to which they are exposed. As the summer advances, this fur loosens, juid gradually works olf. They feed on moss, shruhs, grass and on the tops of fir or willows. The flesh is not at all like that of the buflalo, and it smells so strong of musk as to be exceedingly disagreeable. That of the calves and young heifers, however, is tolerably delicate. The skins are not of much value. During the rutting season, the bulls are furiously jealous of the cows, and will ruu madly at any beast or man who may approach them. The Indians attribute the fact of not more than two or three bulls being found in a herd of above a hundred cattle, to the bulls killing eacli other in combating for the females. Porcupines are met with, though scarce, over all tlie wooded continent of North America. The porcupine is a slow, stupid animal ; its flesh is very delicate, and the quills are made into a variety of ornaments by the Indian women. The loup cervier, commonly called the wild cat, is of the gQnusJe/iniaii, and nearly the height of a greyhound. It has scarcely any tail, and is of a grey colour ; the fur is not very valuable. The flesh is white, and considered very delicate. These animals U IM) ANIMALS. 10.1 aiv ratlicr mumTou , and are said to liavc the treaeli- enms ilispositioii of the tipjer. Nuinher.s of slieep are destroyed by them nid one will kill several of these iinresistin*^ ereatures duriii';' a iii^lit, as tiiey suek the hloo-re^*ari()us animal. In winter, when the ponds are frozen over, a whole fanlily build a hut on the iee, with stieks, rushes, and m\id. 'i'hey keep a hole ojjeu under this })uil(linj»', for the i)urpose of getting* into the water for lish or oilier food. Otters are of the same speeies as in Europe, but the fur is rather fmer. TJie lesser otter of Canada is the same as tlie jaekash. The mink is a small l)laek animal, witli fine fur. It resembles the otter, and lives in the same manner. Tiiere are four varieties of s(iuirrels — the striped, the brown, the grey, and the fl}'ing squirrels. The fur of these beautiful, graeeful animals is made into muffs and tippets, and used also for eai)s and hats by the hatters. They lay up a store of provisions for vviuter, principally of beech uuts ; and if corn-fields be uear the woods, these industrious little creatures vrill assuredly have a share. It is anmsing enough to see them ruuning off, with their mouths full of corn, to some hollow tree ; and w icked boys consider < i I. It I' k h i r.-'i I I 106 BlllTISH AMERICA. /^J*^ the finding out of a squirrers store by no means an invaluable discovery. Weasels and ermines are natives of America, as well as of Europe, but they are not numerous. A great variety of mice are met with. Bats, but of an inferior size, are common during summer. The walrus (frequently, but unmeaningly, called sea-horse and sea-cow) formerly resorted to the shores of the Gulf of St Lawrence, but is now rarely seen except on the northern coast of Labrador and Hudson's Bay ; occasionally it is yet seen at the Magdalen Islands, and near the Straits of Belle Isle. From all the information to be had, they are fond of being in herds, and their affection for each other is very apparent. The form of the body, and of the head, with the exception of the nose being broader, and having two tusks from fifteen inches to two feet long in the upper jaw, is not very unlike that of the seal. A full-grown walrus will weigh at least 4000 lbs. The skins are valuable, being about an inch in thickness, astonishingly tough, and the Acadian French used to cut them into strips for traces and other jmrposes. The tusks are excellent ivory. The flesh is hard, tough, and greasy, and not much relished even by the Esquimaux. 1'hey are said to feed on shellfish and marine plants. Tiiey will attack a small boat, merely through wantonness ; and, as they gene- rally attempt to stave it, are extremely dangerous. Their blazing eyes, and their tusks, give them a formidable ai)pearance ; but, unless wounded, or any « ; WILD ANIMALS. 107 of their number be killed, they do not seem ever to intend hurting the men. About forty years ago a crew of Acadian Frenchmen, in a schooner from Prince Edward's Island, caught and killed a young walrus, in the Gulf of St Lawrence. A little time after, as one of the men was skinning it in the boat alongside the vessel, an old walrus rose up, and got hold of the man between the tusks and fore-fins, or flippers, and plunged down under water with him, and afterwards showed itself three or four times with the unfortunate man in the same position, before it disappeared altogether.* They have been known at times to enter some distance into the woods ; and persons acquainted with the manner of killing them, have got between them and the sea, and urged them on with a sharp-pointed pole, until they got the whole drove a sufficient distance from the water, when they fell to and killed these immense animals, inca- pable of resistance out of their element. It is said, that on being attacked in this manner, and finding themselves unable to escape, they have set up a most l^iteous howl and cry. There are ajiparently five or six varieties of seals that frequent the coasts of America, but, with the exception of the harbour seal (phoca vitulina), which does not seem to be migratory, it is probal}le that age and accident jn-oduce the diflerence in size, shape, and colour, that has occasioned their being classed in * This circunistance is well known, and was related to me several times bv tlie ill-fated man's brother, who was, at the time of the u'elancholy circumstance, on board the scliooner. 108 BKlTISir A^IEHICA. • V" .^:- I •• ■♦-•1, .iifl ■■■' .'<^Ji ■W .• rfe, ■.. /■"Iff;' it » ~ < , wi, Xt'*' varieties, as tliey all come down on the ice from the liyperborean regions in immense herds. Tliey leave the ])()lar seas with the ice, on which they appear to bring forth their young. On the ice dissolving, they return again to the north. Five kinds are named in tlie Greenland seas, and these come down to the coasts of Labrador, Newfoundland, and to the Gulf of 8t Lawrence : the harp seal (phoca Groenlandica), the hooded seal (phoca leonina), and three other va- rieties, the square flipper, the blue seal, and the jar seal. Herds of these, many leagues in extent on tlie ice, seem to have no means of subsistence. Caplin, and other substances, are, it is true, occasionally found in their stomachs; but, froiii the impossibility of their being able often for a Aveek to get off the ice into the water, it is wonderful that both old and young are exceedingly fat. The flesh is very unpalatable. Many of these seals are beautifully speckled black antl white, others grey, and some blue. As the blubber and skins of seals form important articles of com- merce, an account of the fitting out vessels for, and the enterprising busineiss of, hunting these animals, will be given in another i)art of this work. Of the birds which are peculiar to, or that frequent or breed in, America, probably not half the different si)ecies have yet been classed, or are even distinctly kno\\'n by naturalists. The industry of Pennant, Wilson, and some other men of observation and research, lias added valu- able stores to Anu'rican ornithology ; yet, notwith- 'II. BIRDS. 109 standing all we can expct't from the enquiries and perseverance of late travellers, we may safely pre- sume that nuu'h is still to he learned. 'J'here is more diiference hetween the feathered trihes of America and those of Europe, than is gene- rally known, — the plumage of the former heing more rich and splendid ; the language or music of the latter more distinctly varied, more rapturous and harmonious. The hirds most generally known in America, according to their common names, are — Four or five kinds of "ou Is ; the crow and raven, which are the same in kind and habits as those of Europe ; woodpeckers, of which there are five or more kinds ; snow-bird, red-hooded winter-bird, cat- bird, partridge, or grouse, ptarmigan, blue jay, king's fisher, &c., which remain during the year ; and those that migrate to other coiuitries, or that disni)pear during winter, among which are — the bald eagle, large brown hawk, muscpiito hawk, falcon, whip-poor-will, tomtit, yellowbird, magpie ; brown eagle, common hawk, martin, wild pigeon, bob-lincoln, bluebird, spring-bird, blackbird, robin, or American thrush ; snipe, plover, and si)otted godwait, or yellow-legs, and beachbird of the plover species; white gull, grey gull, herring gull, besides more varieties of the gull kind ; crane, two descriptions ; bittern, wild goose, eight or ten varieties ; brent, wild grey duck, black duck, sea- duck, dipper, widgeon, sea pigeon, or black gullemot, teal, sheldrake, or goosander; loon, or northern driver, I ill rf J*, '1 .-.;•, m 110 UKITlSir 7\Mi:UH'A. •■•■IF ■', ».'<■',■*« '•Si '* tluvc varieties ; shag', gaimot, iR'iiguiii ; swan, two kinds ; duntcr goose, or cider duek, very plentiful. 'i'lie reil-erested woodi)eeker is in shape and i)hi- mage perliaps the most heautit'nl hird in North America. Its luxly is shiehled by ek)se feathers of bhiek jet, shaiU'd Avith greenish gokl, and its head proudly crested with brilliant scarlet. The yellow-s])eckled M'oodpecker, which is the same as the golden-winged bird of JMr Pennant, is also a beautiful bird. Of owls, the large speckled, the grc}, and cat-faced, are best known ; their murni\u-ing, screaming, screech- ing' notes are j)eculiarly disagreeable, and forcibly impressive in the solitude of dark fir forests, whicli are their favourite abodes. Wild pigeons migrate north during sunnner, in ilocks of incredible numbers. They have been known to darken the sky for miles ; we do not, however, meet with them in the maritime coh)nies in sucli vast multitudes, although very abundant in Upper Canada; and in parts of Lower Canada, they are astonishingly numerous, and very destructive to corn-fields. 'J'hey have a beautiful blue plumage, tinged with shades of green, red, and gold, and a long tail. They are excellent eating, and their jn'ice in the Quebec and IMontreal markets, in consequence of their plentiful numbers, is less than the same weight of any other animal food The birds called indiscriminately partridges, in America, are different from the partridges of Eng- land. ItlRDS. Ill 'J'lie ln'irli parti'idgo is ;i lar^e variety of gs, niakini»' their nests on the ground. A })eculiarily of this ])ird is, the noise, resend)linj>' distant thunder, which it makes by claj)- ping its wings, ^^^len rtoiug so, it generally sits on a fallen withered pine or henilock-tree, and it is probable that the sound is partly ju-oduced by flaj)- j)ing its wings against tlie wood. The spruce ])artridge resend)les the jjartridge of Eur()j)e more than thii other; but its ilesli is ilid'erent, and it feeds })rincipally on the branches of s])ruce fir. The wliite partridge of Newfoundland is a species of j)tarmigan. All the kinds of partridges are easily shot; sometimes a whole bevy i)ercli on a tree, and remain until shot, one by one, apparently stultified by the first fire. There are no ganie-laws in North America, unless the provincial laws, which prohibit the shooting or destroying partridges between the 1st of April and tlic 1st of Septem1)er, be considered such. Of the wild goose there are several varieties, some of them probably accidental. The common wild goose, of a dark greyish colour, with a large white spot under tlie neck, is best known, and most 1, i '1 1^ i M' m' H'"' 1' - m:* Km* , ' 1 i^9l'"j 5 ( IC'ltil' 1 ( ' I I H mm l'i;.*.v'''*'.'r mm 1 II '2 nurnsii AiNir.iiUA. '^.. I ^'1^ A«» ' ')' , I* I :'*•«• 2?" I ' ' I* '■ i jilmndaiit — (In* (';iii;uli;m i;(M)st' only (lill'tTs iVom il ill si/c. Ill the iiioro iiorllicrly p.ir(s, as al IIikIsoii's hay. llii' white and siiom' i;i'('S(' arc most ahiindanl. ^^'ihl ^ccsc iiTiifrally appear in Xova Seolia and ( 'anada ahont llie middle of Mareli. and, alter reinain- ini;' Tn e 'ei'Iy Iialeli (heir younn'indie nordieniand inland i)ar(s of NiMvlound- land.on (he eon(inen( of liahrador, and (lieeonn(ries iiordi of Canada. In si/i>, (he eoiniiion wild ooose is larger (liaii tlu' donies(ie i^'oose. and many consider i( (iner t'atiin^-. They are decoyed and shot in a varie(y of ways. 'I'hi'Nconie I'orward (owards (he call. (ha( resemhles (heir nod* >\liile llyiiio". Tiie Indians and odiers. who conceal (hemselves N\idiiii small houses made ol" ice. and Avho Iia\e Moodeii decoys close 1)\-. in shape, colour, and size like (hese birds, hriiiii' (hem >\ ithin lialfa iiun shot, h\ imi(a(inir tlieir no(e. and odeii a( one slio( kill several out ol" a flock. 'Die hreiit o'ooso is about half l\w size of ilic common \\ild ;>t>()j;o, and nearly of tlie same colour. It also c(Mues trom tiie soutli in flocks, flviiiii' fast, and often irrcii'ularlv. I'hev arrive in Mav, and i)rocecd north, for the purpose of bivedini;', and return ai^aiii in Se])tcnd)er. 'i'heir flesh is excellent, but diey are shy. and diHicult to shoot. 4 M HIKhS. ii:; Holli Ijlack aiul ii;rvy wiN! ducks arc dclin'oiis oatinj!^. 'V\\o siiiju' is coiisiilcrt'H hy cpicun's equal to (lie (iut'sl ill hiUrojK'. The larf;'e, (»r lOsquiiiiaux eurlew, is a fine bini, and excellent eating". It ahoumls aloiif^ llie sea-coast, _i*'enerally near llie water's edj»'e, and, (HI (lie uiii^', re(|nires a ncMMl niarksnian to brinj^ it down. The other species of curlew is much smaller, and found anion^ rocks or barren countries. Pelicans are only met with in the interior and western parts. lVn«ifuins were formerly abundant within ihv. (iulf of St Lawrence, where they are now seldom seen, iiavin^* redred to more northerly latitudes. All the vari<'ties of plover are shy, and diflicult to shoot ; but are always sulliciently fat and luscious to make the j»'reatest epicurean rejoice at their apj)ear- ance, well dressed, before him. Eider ducks are very plentiful on the coast of Labrador and Hudson's Hay. Swans are rarely met with on the sea-coast. In the remote interior country, on waters and lakes not miu-h frecpiented by man, they are very abundant. The larj>e and the small species breed on small islands 111 lakes. 'I'he eirirs of the former are so I .^.^ u ■^v that one of them is a sufficient meal even for a hunj»Ty Indian. The lar<^e swan usually weij>]is upwards of thirty pounds, and the smaller about twenty. Tlieir plumage is perfectly white, with black bill and legs. 'IMie reptiles of North America are not very nume- rous ; among- the number are a variety of snakes, ;i VOL. I. II ♦* f^^'M II I I'.IMIIMI AMI'.KU A. ^f |.A<\> .•>»•>. •Js.. ;r Tow of wliicli only .ire coiisiilcicd x'lioiiions ; — (lie i';i(l!csiijiK(« is (lie m«>st so oljiiiy of (lie scijicnt kiinl ; Imi( ii.'iturc li.'is ,it(.'i('lu>(l (o it i\ siii<>nliiilv coiistnichMl continii.'itioii of joints, wliicli ni.ikc ;i nitllin!;' noise uluMU'vcr tiie inn'ni.'il nio\i\s, .-inil thus |)ut in.'ni on liis nn.H'd. 'i'luy jmh' not inri with in LowtT ( ';in;nl;i, nor in the niaritinu' (■«)Ionios, Lizanls, red vipers, tojuls. iVoiis, i'^c, abound. \\'hon tlie s|)rini»' opens, iVoi^s of dilVerent Kinds are heard, on tine evenini»s, sint»'ini;' in various tones. Some sing- in a rou.i>h, l(>\v key, others a piteli higher, iiinl vsonie pijje a trehle, or shrill, perpetually : the eoinhination lorniinji" what has heen termed " a (Voir eoneert." The i)rineii)al iuseets are butterflies, ofwhieh there are a number oi" beautiful varieties; locusts, t;rass- boppers. and eiiekc ts ; the horned-beetle, bu_L\\ a, occasions, for some time, a severe pain, accompanied with sliii'ht inllammalion. These in 1*1 II SI I IS. 1 !.•» iiijirslics, jiikI ill llic noofls ; where llie I.iihIm mic rleareil lo ;iiiy ex(eiil, (liey nre seldom troublesome. DuriiiH" (lie beauliriil summer nights, oik; observes, ill liiHei'tMit (lireelions, li^bts lliisliiii<4' ;iii(i moviii;^' about, wliieli .'ire occasioned b}' (iiC'llies fluttcriii;;' tbeir wind's, from under wlii(iii.'illy ns fine. The intickiirrl is ii vfiv ilciifidus lisli. niul ol" miicli liiuT llnvoiir (liiiii (In»s(' ijui^lu oil (ho nIuucs of l<]iir(»|H'. Kpituivs fonsiilcr (lio rds of the very lu'st dr- scriptioii. During suininor .iiul aiUuniii. (lie Indians s|)t'ar (lnMii in (•.•ilin nii^lMs l»y l(M('li-lit>li(. TIh* loivlu's iwc iii.ulo ol'tln' nnlcr riiui ol" llu' Itirtli-lrt'o, (immI Milliin a slit ina tho (act ol' a niastiM' to pivscrvo liis halaiuv, which hr addles the canoe sh)u ly ah»ng, whiU' with a si)eai\ tlie hamlle ol' which is from lirteen to (wen(y \Wi loiii;-, he is so dexterous and shiirp-siju'ht- ed, that he never misses tlie fish at which he (hirts it. Salnn)n. (rv)\it. and various t)ther lishes, are taken in the same manner. i)nrini>- winter, eels live under (lie nnul, within the h^ys and rivers, in places where a Ion*;- marine grass (calle«l eel-grass) grows, the roots of which, penetra- ting several iiulus down through the mud. consti- tute their I'ood. At this season they are taken in the rollowing manner : A round hole, al)out two feet in tliameter, is cut through the ice over ground in which lliey are usually known to take up (heir winter quarters. 'I'lie (isliernian, with a five-pronged spear, attached to a handle from twenty-live to thirty feet long, (hen commences, hy prohing (he nnul innne- .Tar C*J I INIII.S. II K/. ili.'ilrly nii(l«'i- I lie liolc ; jiimI l»y f];oiii/r roniid ccIn (liiit lir niKlcriU'iitli, niid liriii^s (liciii up on (lie ice. Koinc- liincs, ill the r.irly pjirl of winlj-r, we iii.'iy sec froiii lifly (o sixty imthoiis on one |»jni of ilic ire, fisliin^ fcis ill (his AV.'iy. 'I'roiil, hiiicII. (oiii-coiI, niKJ prrrli, .'ii'c <'.'iii^li( ill winter with a Imh»I< nnd line, tlinni^li ]i liolc in tlic ice; M'itliin tlic IJijih iVOv waters ol" (\'i|u> nrcloii, fine cod f'lMli arc taKcii during winter in tlie same nianner. In lain as animal instinct It"' 'm mi '■ ■'':'; Vj ."VV'-r I. II ' y ll.s IIKIIISII AMIKU A. .'' ■.,>' ;iy ^ ♦' »:::.!:: or the coil, w liirli r.iiilvs lirsl in (-uiinnt'rcinl iiiipuil- aiicc. (Iicrc :i|»|M>;irs (<» Im' lour Kinds, .ihlioii^li (licii* Iiistory li.is nol Itccn sudicicntly jiUciMlcd (o, in onltT !(» t(>nninc llirir rcl.itioiis to vi\c\\ oIIut as s|U'rif,s ov y.w'wiy. *" 'J'lic blink coil (wliicli I will (aKc upon nic to class !;allo\viin»* the smaller lish on which it feeds. !t resiMiibles most the cod on the co.asts of Britain, and it is of this kind that tiie u-reatest quantity is taken, at K-ast durinn' late years. The roik or red cod (i;adus callarias) resembles, but is i^enerally some\\hat larg'er than, the rock cod or red-ware codliuj^- of Scotland. The seal-head coy llic iMovcriK'iil of jJM' (isJM's on wliicii lliry Wiil. 'J'lir iicri'iii;;' np|M'!ii's nloii^ tli«> .shores mikI in the liiirlMiiirs ill v;imI, swmi'Iiis, «»r, ;is llicy .ire tcniuMl, slio.ils, early ill May, lor (he piirjiose of spa\viiiii«^ ; and they may olleii he verei'ador in Jnly, the caplin l)rint;s vast swarms ofcojl ; and in An«;'nsl Ihecntllc- lisli a]ipeai's, followed hy its voraci(»us enemy. On th(! hanks and within tlie(inlf of St fiau'rence, shell-lish of various kinds are tht; |»rinci|»al food of the cod. The haddock (uadus ai'lefmus) is nincli lari^-er than on the coast of lOiiroju', hut inferior in oor. • 'i Al ewives, or <^;ispei"eau, ajijx'ar on tin; coas imnu diately after the herring-, within the harhours of the (lulf of St L;iwrence ; and on the coasts of Nova Scotia and New IJrunswick, hut never, I helieve, at A'ew- foundlaiid, or farther north. The gaspereau soiik,'- what resemhies the herring', or is rather, in appeaj - auce. a small species of shad, 'i'lie scales are stronger rK'^^ 120 UlllTlSlI AMKinCA. m .Mir). and larger than tliose of the herring, and on tlie belly- there is a sharp scaly ridge. When fresh, this fish is rather fat, and tolerably good eating ; but when salted, it becomes thin, and much inferior to herring. It answers the West India market well, to which it forms an article of export of some importance. In April, smelts ascend the brooks and rivulets from the sea in vast numbers to spawn. On first arri- ving, this delicate fish is excellent ; but it soon becomes poor in fresh water. It remains in the hai'bour all winter, and is caught Avith a hook and line tl rough the ice. Mackarel arrive on the coast in summer, but they are then poor. Those caught in autumn are very fat. Vast quantities are caught with seines and nets ; they are also caught with a hook and line, trailing fifteen or twenty fathoms after a boat or vessel under sail. The caplin (salmo arcticus) is about six or seven inches long, and resembles a smelt in form and colour, but it has very small scales. It is delicate eating, but its chief value is as bait for cod. The shores of Newfoundland and Labrador seem to be the favourite resorts of the caplin, as it appears but seldom in the Gulf of St Lawrence, or on the coasts of Nova Scotia, or farther south. The astonishing numbers of this fish which frequent Newfoundland and Labrador, would appear incredible, were not the fact witnessed by thousands for many years. Dense shoals of them are sometimes known to be more than fifty miles in length, and several miles broad, when they strike in 0!: IISIIKS. 121 upon the coast, and push into the creeks and harbours. Their spawn is frequently thrown up on the beach in masses of considerable thickness, which a succeeding tide or two generally carries back to the sea. The cuttle-fish is from six to ten inches long, molluscous, and its shape and organization peculiar. It is generally caught with jiggei's ; but hundreds of tons of this fish are thrown uj) on the fiat beaches, and the decomposition which follows, produces the most intolerable eflfliuvia. Newfoundland is also the prin- cipal resort of the cuttle-fish. It sometimes appears at Nova Scotia, Cape lireton, and occasionally at Prince Edward Island. Salmon resort to the harbours and rivers of Labrador in great plenty, and are often abundant in many of the rivers of Newfoundland. All the rivers within the Gulf of St Lawrence, and those of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, are also frequented by salmon. They are generally larger than those that appear in the English market, and are remarkably fine when in season. MS' ^•i^?1^ :i «L, ! Mi. i^( n IV; I'i'J IMMTISII .\>I1,1M«'V, •:*■« CT m if; • i.-> i* i CIIAP'i'KK l\\ riu'ory <>r (lio ClintJilo ol" Noi'tli Aiucrica. Tiir. UMn]U'ratuiv ot'tliorlinijilooriiiitisli Aiiu'rii'ji, ;is \vc\\ ;)s tliat of ihc I -iiitod Stales, is oxdoiiu'Iy vari- al)lo. not ouW ill iViianl tosiuldoii transitions iVtjni liot to cold, and ricr /vv.sy/, bnt in ivsjuH't to tlio dilVcivncc bctwirn tlio diniato of ono colony or state, and tliat of anotiior.* In roniarllies. Tlie natural climate of Prince Kdward Island, l*ictou. Trnro in Nova Scotia, Fredrickton in New Hrunswick, and Kingston in I'pper Canada, will not dilVer nmch from the following outline of the character and temperature of the seasons of America. Countries to the south of those places have warmer atmospheres, while those to the north exj)erience ]>roportionably nmch more intense cold. * It is >.;u(l ol Pi !\',i^\ Iv.inia. tlial it is a tompoiiiul td all tlio ^ I'lnitrii's in the woiUI. ml is A IIJIMA 11.. \2'3 m III Anu'ricn, the kcjisojis have jroni'rally, tluuij^li (.'rnuirously, Iktii ivductMl to (wo, sumiiu'rainl wiiitor. 'ilvi s\r,\cv iK'tvvccii winter and suniniiT is, iinlecd, too short lo claim tlio a|)|)('llation of spring, in the sen.se understood in Kn^land ; but tlu; duration of autumn is as lonn' as in eountries under til-" same latitude in Kuroj)e, and is, over the whole e(>ntinent of Nortli Ameriea, tiie most ai^reeahle season of the year. The climute of America is colder in winter, and hotter in sunnner, than under the sjune parallels of latitude in IOuro|)e, and tjie daily variatit)ns of (emjx- rature, which de|K'nd on the winds, are also /jjreater ; but the transitions from ' m 'It „^,. •,^ generally dry and pleasant, l)ut it rarely happens that sunnner beeonies (irmly established, without a few eold days oeeurring after the first warm we.ither. 'J'his ehange is occasioned by the wind shifting from south to north, or to north-east, which brings down along the sea-coast large fields of ice, and which carries along also the cold evaporations that arise in the li}'perborean regions, 'iliis interrn])tion seldom lasts for more tlian three or four days, during which tlie weather is either dry and raw, or cohl and wet. ' ' When the Avind shifts to the southward, the tem- perature soon changes, as the cold vai)ours are either driven back, or dissipated by the heat of the sun, which now becomes powerful. In latitudes south of 50° N. the southerly winds, at this period, combat and overcome, as it were, those of the north, and, restoring warmth to the air, fine weather becomes permanent. All the birds connnon in sunnner make their appearance early in May, and enliven the woods with their melody ; while the frogs, those American nightingales, or, as they are often called, bog choristers, also strain their evening con- certs. Vegetation proceeds with surprising quickness ; wheat and oats are sown, the fields and deciduous trees assupie their verdure ; Vfirious indigencms and exotic flowers blow ; and the smiling face of nature is truly delightfu\ and in grateful unison with the most agreeable associatiouH. ' '■ '^ • In June, July, ,ai\d August, the weather is excess- ively hot, sQMietuiits as hot as in the West Indies, the mercury being 90° to 100° Fahrenheit. Showers 1) ill I'MMiVrr ii>r> iVoiii the soutli-west, sometimes .'U'compjinitMl with tliuiidor and lightniiig-, occur (hiririj^ tliesc months ahout once a-week, or every ten days, which j»-enerally shift the wind to the north-west, and j)ro(hice for a short time an agreeable coohiess. 'J'hc nights at this season exceed in splendour the most beautiful ones in Kurope. 'I'o pourtray them in their true colours, woidd require more than any language can accomplish, or any pencil, hut that of imagination, can execute. The air, notwithstand- ing the heat of the ])rea;ding day, is always pure ; the sea generally unruttled, and its surface one vast mirror, reflecting with precision every visible object, either in the heavens or on the earth. The moon shines with a soft, silverlike brilliancy, and, during herretirement, the stars are seen in their utmost (.'fful- gence. Fishes of various species sport on the water ; the singular note of whip-poor-will is heard from the woods ; the fire-Hy floats on the air, oscillating its vivid sparks ; and, where the hand of man has subdued the forest, and laid the ground inider the control of husbandry, may be heard the voice of the milk- maid, or the " drowsy tinkling of the distant fold." In another direction may often be seen the light of the birch torch, which tlie Mick-mack Indian uses in the prow of his canoe, while engaged with his spear in fishing. In September, the weather is extremely pleasant ; tlie days are very warm until after the middle of the month, but the evenings are agreeably cool, followed by dews at night ; and about, but generally after, the ^^^^4 mm L% % A ;^^^ 1 '.»() iiKirisii A:\ii:iMf.\. nutuimiiil I'quiiiox, tlic stMViiity of tlio season is intcr- nii)l('7 inn's .'uid iii<)riiiiij»'H arc picnsant, l»ul. cool, .iikI a (ire Ihtoiik's ;ifriv('jil»l('. 'J'liis jK'riod is tcnnt'd, ail over America, tiic " I)i(ii:iii suiniiicr," and is -dways iooi-icd for, Jiiid jjcju'iidcd on, as tlic linio to inakc prcpar.i- lions for (he winter season, 'i'lie Frencli Caiiadinns, and Acadi.'Mis, say the atinos|)lieric wanntli, at lliis lime, is caused l)y tlie heat of tiie j;reat hia/e of the |)rairies set on (ire hy the Indians, west of the lakes, to eesc inning- of January, the winter season becomes firmly esta- blished ; the bays and rivers are frozen over, and the j^round covered to the depth of a foot or more with snow. ^J'lie frost is extremely keen during the months of January, Februarj^ and the early part of March — the mercury being frequently several degrees below zero. A thaw and mild weather generally occur for a day or two about the middle of January, and some- 1^8 liUITISH AMKUIC A. ',.•■■ ■ tiv . I ••' I.'- 7^ times in February. Thaws take place whenever the wind shifts for any time to the south, and the weather that immediately succeeds, is always extreme- ly cold. The ice then becomes as smooth as glass, and affords a source of delightful amusement to those who are lovers of skating. The deepest snows fall towards the latter part of February, or the beginning of March ; at which time boisterous storms sweep the snow furiously along the surface of the earth, leaving some places nearly bare, and raising immense banks in others. While these last, it may be imprudent to travel, at least on the ice, or over tracts where there is no wood, as it is impossible to see any distance through the drift. The duration of these storms, however, is seldom longer than one or two days ; and then the frost is by no means so severe as when the sky is clear. The effects of the cold in winter, are sometimes fatal. In clear frosty weather, there is little danger ; but the tra- veller often experiences, particularly during a snow- storm, or even in clear weather, a drowsiness and indifference to consequences, an inclination to sleep, and, at the same time, little sensibility to cold. Yield- ing to this influerice, to which the whole frame becomes as agreeably disposed as if the person were falling- asleep on a feather-bed, is inevitably fatal to life, which appears to be abstracted, with the principle of caloric, from the body by the surrounding cold, and without the least pain ; the fluids of the body gradually congealing, until the whole becomes a frozen mass, Exertion alone, until the traveller H■■ •>:;*■„/ 'I m I'iO I'Hi I Fsir A Miliar A. l)ro(1iu'ti()ii of g'CDis, or silver spniigks ; and tliciv is not ])rol)<'i1)]y any tiling* in tlie jii)i)t'arniicc' of iiatiuv that Mould more clicctually l)a(fle tiiu powers of a landseajje painter. The vernal equinox commonly bi'ing's on stron<^ gales from the stuitli, aeeom])anied by a mij^hty thaw, uliieli dissolves all the i^now on the cleared lands, and weakens the ice so much, that it now o])ens "where there are strong* currents. Clear weather, with sharp frosts at night, and sunshine during the day. generally succeeds, and contiiuu'S to the end of I\Iarch, or the first week in April, when a snow storm frequently comes on, and severe and disagreeable weather lasts for two or three days. 'J'liis is tlie f.nal eflort of expi- ring winter, and is immediately followed by a warmth of temi)erature, which breaks up the ice and dissolves the snows. The heat of the sun, which now becomes powerful, dries up the ground in a few days ; after wliich, i)loughing begins, and the summer season commences. Although this outline of the geueral system of the climate is as near the truth as can be stated, yet the weather is often ditferent at the same period in one year from that of another. This difference arises chiefly from the winter season setting in earlieror later, and the same may be observed as regards the com- mencement of summer. Thus, the winter has heen known to set in, Avith unusual severity, in the begin- ning of December, and sometimes not until the middle of January. In some winters, thaws occur oftener Nc-t'i ll-IMATi:. 131 than in others ; and deeper snows are known in one season than for some years hetbre. The ice breaks up one year as early as the first of April, at Montreal and the harbours within the Gulf of St Lawrence ; and it has been known strong enougli, on the first of May, opposite Charlotte Town, Prince Edward Island, to bear a man across the Hilsborough. It is also generally observed, that mild winters are always succeeded by cold springs. It cannot, however, with all these variations of climate, be said, with pi'bpriety, that the duration of winter is more than four months. Many prefer the winter to the same season in England ; and, taking the year throughout, give a preference to the climate. Though the cold is intense for nine or ten weeks, the air is dry and elastic, and free from the chilling moist- ure of a British winter. On the Atlantic coast, where the frcst is less intense, there is more humidity. It is maintained by some writers, that the air and earth undergo a considerable alteration of temperature when the land is cleared of the wood ; first, from the ground being exposed to the sun's rays, which cause the waters to evaporate more cojiiously ; second, by lessening the quantity and duration of snow ; and, third, by introducing warm winds through the open- ings made. From the observations of old people, who have lived fifty or sixty years in America, as well as from the writings of those who visited the new con- tinent many years ago, it appears that the climate has become milder, and that the duration of winter is now '1 '■■"if l.'J2 mUTISTI AAir.Uk A. shorter.* Whetlicr this may be attrilmted to clearing the land of tlie wood, or to some unknown process going forward in the system of nature, will always remain doubtful. f That brilliant phenomenon, aurora borealis, ap- pears at all seasons, and in various forms. At one time faintly, in distaut rays of light; at another, it assmnes the appearance of bright floating standards ; but uiore frecpiently, in the form of a broad cresceut of light, with its extremities touching the horizon, and the inner line strougly marked ; the space within it being much darker than any other part of the heaveus. Its brilliancy in this fonn is truly beautiful; and, after retaining this appearance a short time, it generally changes into magnificent columns of light, which move majestically from the horizon towards the zenith, until, after having lighted the firmament with the most luminous colours, it suddenly vanishes, but soon re-appears, and again vanishes, and so con- * It must be remembered, bowevor, that the natural dreariness of a wilderness country, especially during winter, and the slight houses of the settlers, must have had some weight in their accounts of the climate. -j- That enterprising traveller, Sir Alexander M'Kenzie, consi- dered that clearing the land of wood occasioned no very sensible diminution of cold. The Baron la Hontan, it is also recorded, left Quebec in 1690, on the 20tb of November. If that be true, it is as late as a vessel can or will leave that port at the present time. Potrincourt and Champlain, on a Sunday early in January, 1607, sailed in a boat six miles up Port Royal (Annapolis, Nova Scotia) to visit a corn-field — winter wheat — dined in the sunshine, enjoyed music in the open air, 8cc. No winter since lias been milder. II, I. M ATI'.. I 'Mi [If , IS le. led tiimos to tadi', re-ajipear, ami oliaiige iiiliuiU'ly, until its brilliancy iiitt'niiiiijrles with and lills the atmo- sphere, and then insensihlydisappears altogether. It is frequentlysaid, that a hissin/^*, resembling the rustling- of silk, is heard durin<»' a brilliant display of aurora. I have seen it appear in a still more luminous an■ fli. ' ^„ v;: : ■¥■;■•■■ 134 lilUTISH AMERICA. otlier times a temporary gale comes on, with the wind at south-west, and a heavy rain in two or three hours shifts it round to north-west, hlowing cold and dry. Westerly winds incline in summer to the south, and towards the north in winter, and are throughout the whole year more frequent than any other wind. As the temperature of the climate of America depends chiefly on the winds, the formation of that continent is evidently the cause of the frosts being more intense than in countries in parallel latitudes in Europe ; a consequence arising principally from the much greater breadth of America towards the pole. Winds change their character in America. North-easterly winds, which are cold and dry in Europe, are wet and truly disagreeable in America. North-westerly winds are, on the contrary, cold and dry, and frequent, during winter, in America, much about the same periods that north-easterly winds prevail in England. One great, if not the i)rincipal, cause of cold in America, is the directions of the mountainous ranges and basins of country, which conduct or influence the course of the winds. While the sun is to the south of the equator, the winds, less under solar influence, prevail from the north-west, following, however, the great features of the continent. These winds, blowing over the vast regions of the north, are always piercing and intensely cold. The return of the sun again, by the diffusion of heat, agitates the atmosphere, and alters the winds, which blow from a contrary direction, until an equili- brium is produced. This does not, however, appear C'MMATK. l;i.5 to require much time, as lU) wind blows scarcely forty liours together, from any one point. l^'he plienonieuon of thunder and lightning- is accompanied in America with a more splendid though terrific sublimity, than is known in England. I'he clouds api)ear to receive from the earth greater doses of inflammable gas, and to be more abundantly satu- rated with caloric. Tlie ascent and expansion of a thunder cloud, from a small spot in the western horizon, lias more of the awful majesty of sublimity, than any other plieno- menon that I have ever beheld. It commences rising about noon, when it is hot and calm, the sun shining gloriously, and every other part of the sky brightly blue. A little after, a light breeze usually springs up from a point directly opposite to the thunder cloud, which now gradually and slowly moves its white summit upwards, and which not unfrequeiitly exhibits the appearance of immense snow mountains reared over each other,* among which imagination easily pictures valleys, ruins, and apjiearances the most romantic. Meantime, the black gloomy base of the cloud spreads along the horizon ; and, as it approaches, we hear the roaring of the distant thunder. The wind still blows from a contrary direction until the sun is overcast, and the cloud reaches the zenith, when the wind immediately shifts, the lightning flashes, sometimes in broad sheets, then in streams of liquid fire, darting in zig-zag serpen- tine shapes ; and the immediate and tremendous detonation of the atmosphere seeins to shake the 10 ,\.-\^' Ji>; 13(> HHiriSIl AMKllU A. Sj^-t I'm* m oil « I* -^iK I'm- ■ '* "J- foundntioii of worhls, m liile the r.iiii conu's down in such torrents as to tlircaten a second deluge. Dnrinjif these storms, accidents seldom occur; and in the coiu'se of two or three hoiu's, the lieavens dear up heautifully hrip^ht, and tlie most delightful evening that fancy can create usually succeeds. IMie vegetable world is refreshed, the animal creation recovers from the lassitude occasioned hy the oppressive heat of tlie meridian sun, the birds liop, cliirping, from lumgh to hough, the cattle turnout from the sha 'i^^- [ 1" ] 7i' ,1.1 I t if BOOK III. NEWFOINDLAND. CHAPTER I. General Description of Newfoundland — IMr Cormack's Journey across tlie Interior Country—Climate — Soil — Natural Productions, &c. The island of Newfoundland is situated nearer to Europe than any of the islands, or any part of the continent, of America ; and lies within the latitudes of 46° 40' and 51° 37' N., and the longitudes of 52° 25' and 59° 15' W. It ap])roaches to a triangular form, and is broken and indented with broad and deep bays, innumerable harbours, coves, lakes, and rivers. Its configuration is wild and rugged, and its asi)ect from the sea far from prepossessing, which was probably the cause of unfavourable opinions respecting its settlement having been so generally entertained. The interior of this large island remained unex- plored from its discovery, until within the last six or seven years. Before then, only the harbours, and !»■,;;... lit •y . '■■' !m .4 >if !,i> 1V2 m:wfouxdi,ani). some few j)ln(Ts a little distance from the slioie, were Known to Europeans. Tlie Indians (done were well acquainted with the inland parts. Some furriers, wlio cared little for the natural condition of the country, and who were too ignorant to dcscrihe it, have occa- sionally, during winter, ju'oceeded on the ice a consi- derahle distance up the rivers in (piest of heavers and other wild animals. From these men nothing satis- factory could he ascertained or expected ; and their character was, in other respects, too suspicious to place any reliance on what they stated, i)articularly in regard to the Red Indians ; it being well known that they shot these unfortunate savages with as much indifference as if they were red foxes. INlr Cormack, in 18i2ii, accompanied by Indians, accomplished a journey across the island, from Trinity Bay to St George's liay. This was a most arduous and perilous undertaking, when the rugged, broken configuration of the country is considered. He pro- ceeded from Random Island, in Smith's Sound, Trinity Bay, early in September, accompanied by one Mic-mac Indian, and directed liis course across the country by a pocket compass. The greatest obstacles to his travel- ling were the innumerable lakes. To walk round them was iiuleed a task of no ordinary difficulty. Being the first European who discovered them, he adopted the usual right of giving them names ; many of which he styled after those of his friends. He en- gaged another Indian, about the centre of the island, to accompany him ; and after enduring much fatigue, MU (OU.MACK s .i(»i:iiNi;v. 143 iiiid often a jiivcarious siihslstiMici', liJivi?i«»* to «lt'piMi(l alto<>vtlK'r tor food on tlioir siicct'ss in sliooting wild nninials, lie reaelied St (jeori>'e's Hav, on the west side of Newfoundland, in tlie month of Novendier. Mr Connaek found the intiTJor of the island niueh more hroken up with water than is genendly known, lakes, roeks, marshes, and seruhhy trees, formin<»' its f»'en('ral charaeter. In its <;eoloi!;ieal aspeet, granite prevailed everywhere ; and the exeejHlons that pre- sented themselves were, porphyry, <[uartz, gneis, sienite, basalts, mica-slate, clay-slate, and secondary sandstone. lie met witli many iiulications of iron, and found coal ; and crossed several rid«>'es of beautiful serpentine, about the centre of the country, near the lake M'liich lie called Jameson's Lake, and Jameson JMountains, and at Serpentine Lake. The eastern half of the interior is generally a low picturesque country, traversed by hills and lakes, and the whole diversified with trees of humble growth. The coiui- try to the westward he found rugged and moun- tainous, with little wood, until within a few miles of the western coast. The mountains are not generally in ridges, each seeming to liave its own particular base. There are large tracts of peat marsh in the interior, which })roduce a strong wiry grass, and wliich ap- pear to liave been once wooded, Mv Cormack having discovered trunks and roots of much larger trees under the surface than any now growing in Newfoundland. Spruce, birch, and larch, compose the woods. Pine is seldom met with, and that generally of a small < < ►■<*i»; H'[ \u NKWI ( HINDI, AN h. , • Ml ■f . ^ jifrowtli. Mountain aslus, " low ainl far hetworii,*' JKTUr. Wliortli'IuTry Imslios, and wi.s/taropttrtt, (fndiau tea,) prcdoniinato on tlic liii^li nnuiMHird grounds. Mr Corniack tonsldors (lie best soil to Ik* alonjj^ the rivers, and at the heads of the bays ; and he re<;ards hotli tlie soil and eliniate as nnfavonrahle to the raising of •i;rain, hut well adapted for jj^ra/in^, and the eidti- vation t)f ])otatoes and other ^reen erops. lOight miles up (Jreat Ihirrisois river, St (ieorge's Hay, he diseovered exeellent eoal, some salt sj)ring's, and a sul|)hun»us spring. lie found there, also, gy])sum and red oehre in almndance. In the interior, he observed vast herds of deer of the earrihoo kind, whieh resort to the woods in winter, and in summer eome out into the plains and barren gnnuals. 'J'lieir flesh forms nearly tiie whole food of the Mie-nuie and Hed Indians. JJeavers are now nuu'h more searee than formerly. Foxes arc still nunjerous along the rivers and sea-eoast. TJie Mie-mae hnliansproeeed by different routes into the interior ; they go by East Hay river, in their birch- bark canoes, as far as Serpentine Lake ; and from theiu'e proceed from lake to lake in their small basket, or wicker-work canoes, covered M'ith skins. These resemble those said to have been used by the ancient 15ritons. When hunting beaver, the Mic-mac Indians allow a periodical term of three years to intervene from the time of disturbing a particular rendezvous until they again visit it. Mr Cormack thinks that paths might, without much difficulty, be made across ■'.' 'i (LIMA II :. 1 1."» the interior, ((» |K>riiiit Imrscs itii island, where the most extensive forests ahounded, tires have destroyed the lar<;('st trees, which have heeii succeeded hy those of a (iiirerent and smaller species ; so that, althou<;li tlie island has prohahly a suflicient «piantity of wood j^'rowiiii*' on it for its own use, yet it certiilnly cannot alford to export any, nor can it suj)ply, as has heeii asserted, larire masts for the nav y- The climate has {^oiierally been misrepresented, and declare; tiio siiinincr inoiitlis. the days and nights aiv. with low oxtr|>ti<)ns, vny pleasant, 'J'hc Icin- lUM'atmv of tlio atniosjihcrc is indeed fre<|uentiy hot ahoiit mid-day, and often (»|)])ressively so; hut in the niornini>s and eveninirs, and at ni<»'ht, exeeeilinp^ly aiireeahle. As there are nearly five deu^rees of latitude hetweeu the stmthern anioj»s. are carried along the coast by the northerly winds and currents. In comparing Newfoundland with any otiier coun- try, I cojisi»ler that the western Iliohlands of Scotland bear a striking resemblance to many parts of it ; and * Tliore was lust year ( IS'^D), ami probably is Ntill, livinj; on die island of Marasbocii, Placontia Hay, n man namtMl Martin (ialtcn, moro tlian 1 00 yoars old, in oxoclb'nt Iii'altli, and wlio canirlit that yi'ar, in a boat witli liis brotli»'r, ninety qnintals of rod-fisli. IIo piloted Captain Cook into Placentia Uay abont scvonty years ago. Tliere are many extraordinary instances of longevity in the same place ; among whom, Naney Tibean is the mother of fonr living generations ; and a Mrs Tait, who died in ISIO, was 1:2.5 years old, and was along with her third hnsband at the siege of Quebec. The above information was given me by a very intelligent gentleman residing at Marasheen. '.'-•i*;,' J AsiMAT or rm: ( (n njkv. I 1-7 by IK' Itcn, rear, i)t<>(l I arc |iul a ivith I was (licrc is fiotliiii^ tli.'it tlio IniU'i' will pnMliict' Imt wli.il. will fi^njw, with (lie sjiiik' circ ;iim1 cuMivatioii, in tlic foniicr. 'i'lii! winters of XcwroinKll.-ind arc, it is true, colder, Imt in suninier and antnnin the weather is, tor two or three months, s() hot, as to hiin;^ many fruits (o perfection that will not ripen in Scotland. 'i'he sea-coast, from Kortujie I»ay to ('a|)e Hay, is everywhere indented, like the sonth-east coast of Nova Scotia, which it resendiles, with harhonrs ; h'.it the lands, especially near the sea, are rocky, thinly woo(!eree, to the breeding and raising of cattle and shei'j) ; and I believe that it might produce a suflicient quantity of beef to supj)iy its fisheries. % i-^'^-i *-(V ;.:<•? ■.! '■f,^' > , -■ 1 I S'' w I IS M. W I iH'Nhl AND. ■t I'foni llic iMilicsl jtcriod ol" Hie scH Iciiu'iit d" \(U- IoimhII.iihI «Io\> II (o du' prcstMil (iiiu'. ol>)«'rlic«'ii iJiiscJ, in or li;!/;inl in Jisscrtinu'. tlml. wcvc it not lor the :in\ili;ir} snpporl Mliitli llic inii;il>it;uits «I(«l Stilt; s. the prohiiMc t'onsiMpUMUi' uonhl Im*. tli.it tlu" .\imMii;ins .ind l''rtMuli \v«)nl(l hclori" this li;i\r tMijoyi-il till' hiMulit of cxpt'llin};' lis ;ilto;;t'tluM' iVoni snpplyiiiii- t'orri^n ni;irki'ts u itii lisli. Tilt' n.'itnrnl i)ro(hutions ol' \ * lonndhMul .ire, trees ol'tlu- lir triho. j)(>i)l;ns. biri'lu's, . Vw niiipU'-trtH-s, M iltl I'luM'ry-trei's. and a i^vcAi vj'rii'ty ofshrnhs ; hliu'- lHMri(\s ;ind iTjinhorrios *j;vo\\ in i;rt';it Mlininhiiico: ;iIso snndl I I'd stnnvlu'rrii's. iuid several otluT kinds of m ild tVuit. I'lnglish rluTiios. l>lark. ivd. iuid whiti' currnnts, ii'oosi'lu'rrios. ^^i*.. lipon in jn'rtVction. \atnrnl <»;rassi's «:n»>N . partirularly in the plains, all over the country. 'IMie wild animals are. hears, ilccv. wolves, foxes, ben\crs. otters, martens. minksJ, musk-rats, hares, an ! I nil flic ;i<|Uiiti(- iiiid I.iikI Innls <'oiiiiim»ii to the north- ('I'll p.'irts ol' /\iMri'i(-.-i. Mos(|iiilo('s .irr in niiiiiy |»;irtH iiiiiiici'oiis iind IroiiUlcsoiiM' ; iiiiil n j^rciif Viiricty of otiicr insects ;in' coniinon. The N('\vroiiiull.-iii(l (lo<;- is .1 cclclinitcd .'iimI iisrinl nniin.'il, well known. 'I'licsc doHs ;iir rciiifiiKjiMy docile .'111(1 ohedient to their in.'istcrN ; they .'ii'(; very ser\-i('c,-il>le in .'ill the (isliiii^- |)l.'int.-itioiis ; .'ind ;ire }'olvcd in p.'iii's, iind used to liiiiil the winter t'nel home. They iire ^•eiitle, riiithrnl, ;4,ood-n.'it nred, .nid ever ii friend to iniiii, Jil whose coininnnd they will le.'i|» int(» the wjter iVoin the lii;;'hest precipice, .ind ill the coldest wc;itlier. They ;ire rein.irKjihIy voni- cioiis, hut ('.'III endure (like the ;ihorit;ines of the connliy) liiiii«;-er lor i\ ^rejit leiij^th of time; ;mmj they ;ire iisn;illy i\'t\ upon the worst ol' siilted (isli, 'i'lie true hreed h;is hecoine sc.irce, and didicnit to he met with. 'J'liey i;row to :i j^re.'iter size th.'iii iin lOn^-- lish m.istiir, have .'i line close i'vv, iind the colour is ot'\:irioiis kinds; hut hiack, which is most .ijiproved of, prev.'iils. 'J'lie smooth short h.iired do^\ so much admired in IOni;l;Mi(I ;is a Newroundland do;;-, though an useful .'ind sii^'.'ici(»us .'ininiaK ;ind ne.irly .'is li.irdy and fond of the u.iter, is Ji cross hreed. It, however, seems to inherit .'ill the \irtues of (he true kind. A Newfoundland doL"' will, if properly domestic.'ited .111(1 trained, defend his m.ister, ;;rowl when .'mother j)ers()ii s|)eaks roughly to him, .'ind in 1.0 instance of t Primr Mdwjinl Island): Tnnii llic ImIIit lu' (jirritMl jiM'av tlirco iialivcs lo IOiiiiI.mmI. lie also discovered llie ediitineiit of Noreinl)e«>'ua. (lie ancient name of all llial pari of" America silnaled between the (inlfoj' St I iMW renee an( I \ iriiinia * 'i'lie lirst attempt made b}' the lMiij,lish to lorm a settlement in \e\\ loinidland. was in the latter jiart ol'tlie vciixu of IlejuT \'III.. at the n'c onnnendation of i\Ii>ssrs I'llliot and 'I'hoin. who traded there witli leave from the eroM n ; and to snch advanta\pedition \\as made, at the ex|)ense of a INIr Hare, a merchant of emintMice, and his friends, for the j)iir- pose of plant inii' Xt'wfonndland. From their ion(»rance of the uatnre of the country they faili'd in their attem|)t,and were reduced to «»reat wretchedness throuii'h famine and fatii;u(». From this ])eriod until IT)?}), all thoui;hts o\' |)rosecutini;- the tliscovery and siMt lenient of Xewfoinidland were reliuipiished. althoui;Ii we had then fiftei'U shij)s niuai>vd in its lisheries. About this time. Captain M'hithurn. >vho was emiJioved bv a merchant (»f vS)Uthampton. in a ship of three hundred tons, put into Trinity l?ay. where he Mas so successfid. that, with a fullcari»() of fish. \e.. he cleared the expenses of the voyage. lie sa} s. *• we saw in 1()1() a mer- maid in St .Tohn's harbour." and in KiTJ. " we saw Kaston tlie arch-iMrate. with ten sail of good vessels. Mell t'uruislied. and verv rich :" " manv pirates fre- * \ ido lliuUlnyts \ Oyiiufs. Dc Tlion. Ilcrniiit. Ili.st. (u-n. AnitM-. llnvnal. silt iiriMi'iiiti.v (iii.itrjn. J5:j lie 'V )S liii (.r nil :it. ■;«'s >r- nv Is, •V- <|mMit('(l till' nmsl at this tiiiic." lie {iftcrvvjinls ivj)('at('H;J, hi' took iornial possi'ssion in tlir nanii' of his sovTri'ijijn, and ri'rrivi'd thi' acknowli'dtji'd olu'diniri' of thi> crrws of thirty-six vrsscls of diHrivnt nations, thi'ii in the harbour of St .lolin's. Ill' thi'ii |)roninl^aii'd sonii' laws for the ^•overii- niriit of I III' rolony, and k'vii'i! contrihutions of pro- visions on till' sliijis then'. lie left Newfoundland on the 'JOth /\n_i»ust with three ships, one of whiili was lost on the Isle of Sahles ; and on returning' liimie- ward, the ship whiih he eoniinanded foundered ilnrin^' a storm, and all on hoard ])erishe(I. lie is deserihed as .1 ^eiilleman of the most amiable eharaeter, en«^a- ujiiii»' manners, eourajj^e, wisdom, and learning, and also miu'h esteemed hy Queen Kli/aheth. Ilciriay justly he considered the j>arent of I'hijL^lish eolonies. After this we find no mention of Newfoundland until 15^5, when a voyai^c was made there hy Sir Jk'rnard Drake, who elaimed its soveniiintv' and fishery in the name of Queen Kllzaheth, and seized upon several l*ortui»uese ships laden with fish, oil, and furs. The most active spirit of discovery and commercial cnterjirise was at this period he^innini»" to rouse the people of Knji^land ; hut the war with Spain, and the h "*i ■■■,-jfcV . ■ Sj ivi I' life'. M ■ >^: ;' !"• " ;.' '$ m I 4'V*'m ■, ■AfL m m 154 NKWl'OUNDI.AND. terror of the (irand Armada, checked, although it did not siihdue, the ardour of the most sanguine of those who were hent on planting newly-discovered countries ; and fifteen years passed away hefore an- other voyage was made to Newfoundland. 'J'he spirit of trade and discovery was again revived in England by INIr Guy, an intelligent merchant of ]5ristol, M'ho wrote several judicious treatises on colonization and commerce ; and, from tlie arguments of this gentle- man, several persons of distinction applied to James I. for that part of Newfoundland lying between the Capes of St Mary and Bonavista, which they obtained in 1610, under the designation of "The Treasurer and Company of Adventurers and Planters of the Cities of liondon and liristol, for the Colonv of New- foundland." This patent was granted to the Earl of Northampton, the Lord Chief Baron 1'anfield, Sir John Doddridge, Lord Chancellor Bacon, Lord Veru- 1am, &c., and was in substance, " That wliereas divers of his JNIajesty's subjects were desirous to plant in tlie southern and eastern parts of Newfoundland, where the subjects of this realm liave, for upwards of fifty years past, been used annually, in no small num- bers, to resort to fish, intending thereby to secure the trade of fishing to our subjects for ever ; as also to make some advantage of the lands thereof, which hitherto have remained unprofitable ; Avherefore, his INJajesty now grants to Henry, Earl of N^orthampton, (and forty-four persons herein named,) their heirs and assigns, to be a corporation with perpetual suc- cession, 6ic., by the name of the Treasurer and Com- CAPTAIN WIIlTJilHN. l/i;* IS p. :'S pnny of Advfiitiirors and Planters of the Cities of London and liristol, for the Colony and Plantation in Newfoundland, from north latitude 46' to 513° ; together with the seas and islands lying within ten leagues of the coast ; and all mines, &c., saving to all his Majesty's subjects the liberty of fishing there," &c. Mr Guy went to Newfoundland as conductor of the first colony, which he settled in Conception Bay, and remained there two years ; during which time he contracted* by his ccmrteous and humane conduct, u friendship with the natives. lie left behind him some of his pectple, to form the fcmndation of a colony; but, as the fishery was the main object of the Kng- lish, the planting of Newfoundland was not attended to.* In 161 1, Captain ^Mlitburn, who had made several fishing vo}'ages, carried with him this year a com- mission from the Admiralty to empannel juries, and investigate uj)on oath divers abuses and disorders committed amongst the fishermen on the coast. By this commission he held, immediately on his arrival, a court of admiralty, where comj)laints were received from an hundred and seventy masters of vessels, of injuries committed, variously aftecting their trade and navigation. in 1616, Doctor William A'aughan, who purchased from the patentees a part of the country included in the patent, settled a small colony of his countrymen, * Vessels of not more than tliirty-five tons made voyages to Newfoundland about this time. ♦■MP -;>-'»;••.',*''» ^"^''4% / • n m 156 NKWI'OrNDIAXn. \m: from Wales, in tlie stmtlieniiiiost part of the island, (wliieli lie named ('and)riol,) now called Litth" JJri- tain. He aj)i)()inted Wliitbnrn {governor ; and his scheme was for the fishery of Newfoundlantl to go hand in hand with his plantation.^ In 1621, Sir (ieorge Calvert, afterwards Lord Bal- timore, obtained a grant from King James, of that l)art of Newfoundland situated between the Bay of Bulls and Cape St Mary's, in order that he niiglit enjoy that free exercise of his religion (being a Ca- tholic) which was denied him in his own country. Tlie same spirit drove at this time crowds of Puri- tans to New England. How it was managed to grant this property to Sir George Calvert, without invading the right of the company, of which it cer- taiidy formed a part, is not accounted for. Sir (ieorge sent Captain Edward Wynne, who held the connnission oF governor, before him, with a small colony, and in the meanwhile embarked his fortune and talents, and engaged all the interest of his friends, in securing the success of his plan. Ferryland, the place where Wynne settled, was judiciously chosen. He built the largest house ever erected on the island, with granaries, storehouses, &c., and was, in the fol- lowing year, reinforced by a number of settlers, with necessary implements, stores, &c. He erected a salt- M'ork also, which was brought to considerable i)erfec- tion ; and the colony was soon after described, and with truth too, to be in a very flourishing condition ; * Anderson on Coninierce, vol. 1. p. 49o. Wl^^li I. OKI) nA[/ri.M()iir/s coi.onv. 157 iiiid sodc'lii^litod was tlie proju'li'tor, now created Lord IJaltimoiv, with the prosiK'i-ily of the colony, that lie eniii^rated there with iiis family, l)uilt a iiaiidsonie and eoniniodioiis house and a stron^^ fort at Kerry- hmd, and resideil many years on tiie ishmd. Ahout tlic same time, Lrod Falivhuid, tlien Lord Lieutenant, sent a cokiiiy from Irehmd to Newfound- land : hut liord JJaltimore's departure soon after for Enghmd, to ohfain a «^'rant for that piirt of the coun- try called ^Maryland, prevented the g-iou in;.^ prosj)e- rity of his colony, which he called Avalon,* hut which, however, he still retained, and governed hy his deputies. In the course of ai)out twenty years after Lord Haltimore planted Ferryland, ahout three hundred and fifty families were settled in fifteen or sixteen parts of the island ; and a more decided interest in its affairs was taken than at any former i)eriod. This led, on the part of the inhahilants, to apply for some civil magistrates, to decide matters of dispute or dis- order among them ; but the measure was strenuously oi)posed hy the merchants and shipowners in Eng- land concerned in the trade, who petitioned the Privy Council against the appointment of any governor to manage the affairs of Xewfoundland, and the prayer of this petition was absurdly enough granted. * This was tlie aiicioiit iianie «f n placi' in Somersetshire on which Glastonbury now stands, and is said to Ir' the spot when; Ciaistianity was lii^t preached in Ijiitidn. Lord Baltimore, with the idea that his province was the place in America where Cliris- tianitv was first introduced, named it Avalon. •iu ^. ^ ^^'nO. ^'^*% IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 5, 1.0 I.I 1.25 I IS IS hut. Ill 1.8 U ill 1.6 V] '^ ^;. V Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14S80 (716) 872-4503 6^ > '4/''. \ xp ■1-y -S |,%Sv ''jt<^ ;.Vt:tlf. i iifl 158 NEWFOUNDLAND. In 1674, however, farther application, by petition to the king, was made for a governor ; and the peti- tion being referred to the Lords of Trade and Plant- ations, their lordships proposed that all plantations in Newfoundland should be discouraged, and that the commander of the convoys should compel the inhabit- ants to depart from the island, by putting in execu- tion one of the conditions of the western charter. His Majesty was induced to approve of this report ; and, under its sanction, the most cruel and wanton acts were committed on the inhabitants ; their houses were burnt, and a variety of severe and arbitrary measures resorted to for the purpose of driving them from the country. The extent to which the cruelties committed on the inhabitants had been carried, induced Sir John Berry, the commander of the convoy, about this time to re- present to government the policy of colonizing New- foundland. His advice, however, was not attended to. In 1676, on the representation of John Downing, a resident inhabitant, his Majesty directed that none of the settlers should be disturbed. But in the fol- lowing year, in pursuance of an order in council that had been made on the petition of the western adven- turers, the Committee of Trade, &c., reported, that, notwithstanding a clause in the western charter, pro- hibiting the transport to Newfoundland of any per- sons but such as were of the ship's company, the magistrates of the western ports did permit passen- gers and private boat-keepers to transport themselves thither, to the injury of the fishery ; and they were :> FKENCII CAPTURE THE PRIXCIPAL PORTS. 159 of opinion tliat the abuse might hereafter be prevented by those magistrates, the vice-admirals, and also by the officers of customs. A petition, on the part of the inhabitants of New- foundland, soon followed this representation ; and in order to investigate the matter fully, it was ordered that the adventurers and planters should each be heard by their counsel. The question was thus seriously argued, and afterwards referred, as formerly, to the Committee of Trade ; but no report seems to have been made on this occasion, and no steps for regula- ting the settlement or fiShery of Newfoundland were adopted, until the Board of Trade, instituted in Ja- nuary l697j took up the subject, among others that came under their province. They made a report, which, however, applied more to the defence of the island, than to its civil regulations, and went no farther than to express an opinion, that a moderate number of planters, not exceeding one thousand, were useful in the construction of boats, stages, and other necessaries for the fisheries. The English, in 1692, made a feeble attempt to take Placeritia, then com- manded by the Baron La Hontan from France. This was unsuccessful, in consequence of the irresolution of the commander of our squadron ; and in I696, England had the mortification to know that France took from us all our settlements in Newfoundland, except Bonavista and Carbonier. The English, however, soon repossessed themselves of St John's, and all the other places taken by France. But, at this period, that nation began to evince a 160 NEWrOUNDTANn. spirit of (letermiiiatioii to become mistress of all Ame- rica; and the fisheries of Newfoundland, as appears fully by the celebrated marine ordinance of Loviis XIV., drawn up under the great Colbert, were not the least objects of her ambition. In 1690, the statute 10 and 11 William and Mary, cap. 25, entitled, " An Act to encourage the trade of Newfoundland," passed ; but as the substance of this act appears to embody the policy of former times, it tended to no purpose other than to legalize misrule, and the caju'icious will of ignorant men, invested accidentally by it with authority. These persons were distinguished by the dignified titles, or rather nicknames, of admirals, vice-admirals, and rear-admirals. The master of the first fishing- vessel that arrived, was the admiral ; the next, vice- admiral ; and the third, rear-admiral, in the harbours they frequented. Few of these men could write their own naUi'^s ; and from this circumstance alone the absurdity of investing them with power must be apparent. The report made in 1701 by Mr George Larkin, who went to tlie American settlements to make ob- servations for the information of government, contains many remarks that deserve attention. He found Newfoundland in a very disorderly and confused condition. The woods were wantonly destroyed by rinding the trees. The ^q\v England men (as is their custom now, in 1828, in many of our harbours) sold their commodities cheap, in general ; but con- strained the purchasers to take certain quantities of Q m Mil LAKKINS KEroilT 1()1 be ns lid ed >y lis k b- )f rum, which the inhabitants sold to the fishermen, and which tempted them to remain on tlie ishnid, and leave their fainilii'S in England, a burden upon tlie parish. Tlie inhabitants also sold rum to their servants, who got into debt, and were forced to hire themselves in })ayment, so that one month's profuse living often left tliem in bondage for a year.* The fishermen from New England were accustomed to inveigle away many of the seamen and servants, with promises of high wages ; but these men were generally disappointed, and in the end became pirates. The inhabitants he represents as a profuse sort of pL^ople, who cared not at what rate they got into debt ; and that, as the act of King AVilliam gave the planters a title, it was much to be regretted that pro- I)er regulations were not made for their government, more j)articularly as the island, from its lia>'ing no civil povver, was then become a sanctuary for people who failed in Englan;!. Upon comi)laints being made to the commander on the station, it had been customary for him to send his lieutenants to the different harbours to decide disputes between masters of fishing vessels and the planters, and between them again and their servants ; but upon such occasions, Mr Larkins alleges those matters were conducted in the most corrupt manner. He that made a present of most quintals of fish, was certain to have a judgment in his favour. Even the com- manders themselves were said to be, in tliis respect, * Tills has been common in all the British American colonies and prevails to this day. VOI-. 1. L '■ '1 i>'i' KM h'.sh .4^ 162 NKWjOUNDLaM). .1 1 l«> faulty. After tlie fisliing season was over, masters beat their servants, and servants tlieir masters. The war with France in 1702 — as the French, at that period, were masters of Canada, Cape Breton, &c., and were also established in Newfoundland, at Placentia — disturbed the fisheries and other affairs of Newfoundland ; and in 1708, the French took St John's, and some places in Conception Bay, which they held until the peace of Utrecht. In 1708 the House of Commons addressed Queen Anne on the subject of the better execution of laws in Newfoundland, when it was, as usual, referred to the Board of Trade, which only went so far as to get the opinion of the Attorney- General on the statute of King William. Two years after, fifteen very useful regulations were agreed upon at St John's, for the better disci- pline and good order of the people, and for correcting irregularities contrary to good laws and acts of Par- liament. These regulations, or by-laws, were debated and resolved on at courts, or meetings, held at St John's ; where were present, and had all a voice, a mixed assemblage of merchants, masters of merchant- ships, and planters. This anomalous assend)ly form- ed, at the time, a kind of public body, exercising executive, judicial, and legislative power. By the treaty of Utrecht, in 1713, Placentia, and all other parts of Newfoundland occupied by the French, were, in full sovereignty, ceded to Great Britain ; tlie French, however, retaining a license to come and iro (hiriiij!: the lii.liiiiii: seaj^oi;. '-• ij AlTOINTMENT Ol' A ClOVEUNOK. 16.3 (1 all liicli, nil ; 1 and 'J'hc Giiij)iisc()aiis were also, in an ambiguous man- ner, acknowledged to have a claim, as a matter of right, to a participation in the fishery ; M'liich the Board of Trade declared afterwards, in 171H, to be inadmissible. Government about this time, as well as the mer- chants, began to direct their attention to the trade of the island, with more spirit than they had hitherto shown. A Captain Taverner was commissioned to survey its coasts ; a lieutenant-governor was a])pointed to command the fort at Placeiitia, and a ship of war kept cruising round the island, to keep the French at their limits. In 1729, it was concluded, principally through the representation of Lord Vera IJeauclerk, tlie com- mander on the station, to establish some permanent government, which ended, as Mr Reeves obsf^rves, in the appointment, " not of a person skilled in the law," as had been proposed, but of a Captain Henry Osborne, commander of his majesty's ship the Squir- rel. Lord Vere Beauclerk, who set sail for New- foundland with the governor, in the summer of this year, received a box, containing eleven sets of Shaw's Practical Justice of the Peace, being one for each of the following places, which were resj^ectively impress- ed on the covers in gold letters : " Placentia, St John's, Carbonier, Bay of Bulls, Ferryland, I'repasse, Bay de Verd, Trinity Bay, Bonavista, and Old Parlekin, in Newfoundland ;" together witli thirteen copies of the statute of King William, and tiie acts relating to tlie naviu'ation and trade of the kin<.':do]Hs. «4i 'a -,i*-i-i1l|rf. pt.Q'i US' :'■ i '^:i WW "."'^il-";.] »■' ^^ ii 164 NEWrOUNDI.ANJ). J'l h ..f-vii ■'^ The commission delivered to Captain Osborne re- voked so much of the commission to the governor of Nova Scotia as rehited to Newfoiindhnid. It tlien goes on to appoint Captain Osborne governor of the island of Newfoundland, and gives him authority to administer oaths to Justices of the peace, and other officers whom he may appoint under him, for the better administration of justice, and keeping the peace of the island. He was empowered also to erect a court-house and prison ; and all officers, civil and mili- tary, were directed to aid and assist hiin in executing his commission. He appointed the first sheriff of the island. The petty jealousies and interests of the fishing admirals, merchants, and planters, prevented Osborne and his successors, for a period of twenty years, from carrying into execution the objects and regulations contained in their commissions and instructions. In- deed, the most disgraceful opposition to the civil government was made, particularly by the fisliing admirals. Complaints were frequently produced on both sides, and it is probable, as is usual in such cases, that each of the contending parties was in fault. The aggressors, however, were assuredly those who opposed the civil authority, and whose conduct clearly showed that their object was to deprive the resident inhabitants of all protection from government. This contest continued, until it was found that his majes- ty's ministers were resolved not to withdraw the civil government from the island. In the commission of the peace for the island, the lOUllT OF ADMIUAI.TV KSTAlU.ISlir.I). 1 05 i:-/' lajes- civil I the jnslices were restrained from proceed iiii^ in cases of doubt or difficulty — such as robberies, murders, felonies, and all capital offences. From this restriction, a subject of considerable difficulty and inconvenience arose, as persons who had committed capital felonies could only be tried in England ; and, in 1751, a connnission was issued to Captain William Francis Drake, empowering him to appoint connnissioners of oyer and terminer for the trial of felons at New- foundland. In 1742, in consequenc6»of the number of captured vessels brought into St John's, a court of Vice-Admi- raltv was established. A claim was made, in 1754, by Lord Baltimore, to that part of the island originally granted to his ancestor, and named by him " the province of Ava- lon." This claim was declared inadmissible by the Board of Trade, agreeable to the 02)inion of the law officers ; and it has since then been relinquished. In June 1762, the French took St John's, Trinity, and Carbonier, and retained them vmtil September following, when they were retaken, with some diffi- culty, by the forces sent from Halifax, und -' Lord Colville and Sir Jeffrey Amherst. The peace of 1763, by which we acquired all the French possessions in North America, opened a most favourable opportunity for extending the fishery, to the decided advantage of these kingdoms ; and the Board of Trade, in bringing the subject under their consideration, applied for information to the towns in the west of England, as well as to Glasgow, Belfast, ■;vl ';•*', fltj If' *•. «'7 '.Mm • if. ■ ]()(; NKNVJ'OUNDl.AM). V*'%it ■■■; CWI\, .'111(1 Wad'rford, U'liicli lind for sonio tinu' lu'cii i'n<;;i7 \ I' "I oiity (1 of isi of and riiis And idor, tlic iscr, i'om •oni- (1 in sell, the sj)irit of \\ liicli was to clclVnd and su|)[)ort lliu slii|) (islifiy carrii'd on from lOni^land. Its principal ivgulations wcir, tliat llio priviio«j^L' of dryiiiM- (Isli on tlu' shoivs slionld be limited to liis majesty's sni)jeets arriviiiji^ at Newfoundland from (ireat liritain and Ireland, or any of the IJritisli dominions in Kurope. 'J'liis law si-t at rest all tliat had hi'en a<;itated in favour of the resident colonists. It must, at the same time, i)e acknowledged, that its provisions for uj)holdin|:f the ship fishery, for tiic I)urpose of makini;" it a nwrsery for trainin«>' seamen, were wise and judicious ; and making* the lisli and oil liable for the ])ayment of wages due to the people employed in and about the tisheries, was a very ])ro- per rei^ulation. It extemled, also, a bounty to the Newfoundland bank lishiiiti;-; and J5ritish shijjs mii>'ht by it occupy any part of the coasts of Labrador, as well as Newfoundland, and they were not to be under any constraint as to days or hours of working. L'Abbu Raynal observes, " that the Englisli fish- ing admirals carried their insolence and superiority so far at this time, as to forbid the French fishermen to fish for cod on Sunday, ui)on tlie pretence that their own abstained from catching on that day." The American revolutionary war, during its con- tinuance, aflected, in a very injurious degree, the affairs of N^ewfoundland. A bill was passed in Parlia- ment, prohibiting the i)eople of New England from fishing at Newfoundland.* This measure was loudly ^i'i'i^'^' v^t. <' E ^' ;^ 1 " 15 (;<•(». III., cap. 10. l()S Nr.WFOrNUlAN'l). Iti' Wm im m ■•..'A'lii^ ^1 i ami strorifi^ly opposed by tlu' inorclinnts of lioudoii. Till' ivasoiis alU'H'i'd hy iniiiislers woiv, *' tlml as tlic colonics liad entered into an ag'recnicnt not to trade with IJrlliiin, we were entitled to i)revent tlicni tni- din*;- witii any otlier conntry. 'J'licir cliarter re- stricted tlieni to tlie Act of Navi^'ation : the relaxa- tions from it were favours to which, by tlieir disohe- dience, they had no farther interest." "'J'he Newfoundland lislieries were the ancient ])ro- perty of (Jreat IJritain, and disposable, therefore, at Iter M'ill and discretion ; it was no more tlirni Just to deju'ive rebels of tliem." To tliis it was contended, tliat it was beneath the character of a civili/ed people to nu)lest poor fishermen, or to (|iicntly, that j^ivini; it a representative constitution, would he l)remature and uimecessary. 'I'here is no liouht hut that the internal inij)rove- ment of the colony would he j)romoted, anil that matters of local utility would he better directed than at present, l)y the acts of u legislative j^ovennnent. The (piestioii is, whether the i>reat business of the colony,t]iat which makes it inijiortant toCJreat IJritain — the fisheries, would also, at the same time, |)rosper ; and, whether directiui^ the attention of the inhabitants to the cultivation of the soil, woiUd not be injurious to the fisheries. From all I have observed in Nova Scotia, and in the district of (iaspo, I certaiidy believe that Xewfoumlland is not only ([uite as nuich entitled to a lej^islalive p:overnment as the other colonies, but that the lisheries wiuild in conscipience be rather su])ported than dei)resse(l. 'IMie supreme court of judicature, as now constitu- ted, has a chief justice and two assistant justices. It lins criminal ami civil jurisdiction, and is also a court of record. It holds j)lea of all crimes and misde- meanors connnitted within tlie island of Newfound- land, the coast t)f Labrador, and dej)endent islands, agreeably to the laws and practice of I^^ngland, and the acts of Parliament for regulating* judicial pro- ceedings in Newfoundland. It also holds i)lea fur the recovery of debts due by persons residing, or ■I itu- l. It )iirt Isdc- liiid- liuls, land Dl'O- I, or ADMINISTHATION OF TIIK LAWS. 177 liaviiij^ j)n>|MTly, in NewfoiUHllarnI, altlion^li such tl('l)ts Nhould liavo Iktu coiitracU'd in Great lirilain, or other parts of Iiis majesty's dominions. 'i'he ('onrt of" Vice-Admiralty, hehl hy a jtulf^e com- missary, has liad little to do since tht; hist war. It hohls cognizance of maritime causes, and causes of revenue. Appeals lie from it to the High ('ourt of Admiralty in lOnf^land. 'J'liere is a (-ourt of Prohate, held liy the chief Justice and assistant justices, for the ])rohate of wills, an h- ii il ►■;■ .... 1 Vl\ 'my ;r tf'" I -^j ''I w t. 4 •I ;t'i .1' I 17« NKWI'OUNDI.ANI). preference ; and the remaining assets, if tliere be any, to be divided ratably among all the other creditors. A certificate, granted by the court, with the con- sent of one-half in nund)er and v.ilue of the creditors, is a bar to all suits for debts M'ithin the jurisdiction of the courts of Newfoundland. The Surrogate Courts were, from the beginning, considered at (mce grievous and exceedingly objec- tionable, as the judges were no other than tlie com- manders or lieutenants of his majesty's ships on the station, whose pursuits and education couhl not qua- lify them, however just their intentions might be, for competent expounders of the intricate labyrinth of commercial laws. At the same time, it is but justice to remark, that the task was by no means agreeable to many of those officers ; and, with few excei)tions, if they erred, it was not from the influence of fear or interest, but from an ignorance of matters that no one should expect them to understand. But in this way the jurisdiction of Newfoundland was conducted until 1824, when a bill was passed, enti- tled, " An act for the ])etter administration of justice in Newfoundland, and other purposes." This act, like all others passed relative to Newfoundland, being experimental, was limited to continue in force only for five years. By the provisions of this act, a chief judge and two assistant judges are appointed, and the island divided into three districts, in each of whicli a court is held annually. The regulations of this law are considered by man^\ both residiuo' in the island, and in connexion with the ADMIMSTKATIOX OF TIIK LAWS. 179 I any, h the colony in England, as not adapted to Newfoundland. One of the objections is, the salary of the Judges, and the expense connected with their travelling, or going and returning by water to and from diflerent i)arts of the island. Sonic of the old laws, which were jH'obably necessary at the time they were passed, are still in force, and are considered at present highly objectiona])le ; one in particular, the tendency of which was very clearly explained to me by an intel- ligent gentleman*' residing many years at St John's, and lately returned fron;, that place. J5y this law, whicli is of many years' standing, and which I cer- tainly consider to have been necessary at the time it was enacted, the merchant who furnishes the i)lanters, or fishermen, with supplies in the early part of tlie season, has a lien on their property, of whatever kind, but only for the whole of that season ; and the con- sequence is, that if the planter or fisherman be so unfortunate, which very frequently happens, as not to take a sufficient quantity of fish to pay for the supplies, the merchant, as he must lose Iiis claim altogether if he allow it to remain over till the fol- lowing season, is under the necessity of seizing on all his debtor has, as it would otherwise fall into tlie hands of the merchant who supplied the same person the ensuing year. If this law were modified, so as to give the merchant a lien only on the fish, oil, fishing- tackle, and whatever else he supplied, and the pro- perty that the planter possessed at the commencement * Cliarlcs Fox Bennett, l^sq. ',.u MP My f: "M^r^ m 180 XKWroUNDLANI). ■> I.CJ: of tlic season to he, in ease of need, equally divide4, at IGs. L.7+,810 Flour. — From foreign states di- rect, - - - 19,07.-) liritish dominions, half of which foreign, trans-shipped from England, - 18,477 Barrels, 37,552, at 288. 52,573 Pork— Foreign, - - 11,908 British, — nearly 5-6ths from Great Britain and Ireland, 10,686 Barrels, 22,594, at 65s. 73,430 Carryforward, L.200,822 * Note A. >. i» ' I'UI'.SKN r fOALMKIK'I.M VAI.UK. IS.'J Hrougiit t'orwanl, nutter.— run-inn, - - 3,11') UritiNli — 7-Hilis tVuiii Itriiain and Ireland, • - 8,|H7 \j.'4W,H'42 U i» C'wlN. Jl,()(M), at 70v UM»ril L.3H,41.J «» This uinoiuit, together with foreign wines and salt, is about e!i PRESENT COMMERCIAL VALUE. 18.5 From these statements, the vast importance of Newfoundland to Great Britain may be observed, and that the fisliery, even under great disadvantages, is still of sufficient consequence to be considered among the most valuable branches of our trade. ^:}^ KtC.I ,.i '^m "fl 186 NEWIOUNDLANI). 'i'.iti'-''' Am ■{ CHAPTER IV. Uescriplioa of St John's, and otlier Settlcmentt<. i'i; 4if ■li! r' The port and town of St John's is situated at the east side of the island, and on the peninsuhi tliat once formed Lord Baltimore's i)rovince of Avalon. The entrance to the harbour from the Atlantic is so nar- row, that two large ships can little more than safely pass abreast. There is twelve fathoms water in the middle of the channel ; and the only dangers are, the rocks close under the north head and light-house, and the Chain Rock, which lies a little more than half- way from the entrance to the basin, which forms one of the finest harbours in the world. On the north side, the precipices rise perpendicu- larly to an immense height ; and on the opposite shore, the altitude of the abrupt rocky cliffs, although less, is also great. At the south head, which is rather low, near the shore, but very high, a little back, there is a battery and signal-j^ost, where signals are made, giving information of the ships in sight, which are again rejieated at the fort, on the lofty eminence nearly perpendicular to the sea, called Sig- nal Hill. The Chain Rock received its name from a cliain fixed to it, for the purpose of stretching across f- ST JOHN'S. 187 the Narrows, to prevent the admission of hostile ships, Several strong batteries on the north side, with Frederick Battery and Fort Amherst on the south, defend the harbour so completely, as to render it perfectly secure against any ordinary attack. The situation of the Crow's Nest Battery, pitched on the summit of a conical hill, is very striking ; and the character of the scenery surrounding the harbour is bold, rugged, and wild. Fort Townshend, the usual residence of the go- vernors, stands immedj/itely over the town. The ascent to it is steep ; but between it and Fort Wil- liam, a distance of nearly three quarters of a mile, ground called " the Barrens," approaching somewhat to table-land, with a thin sterile soil, intervenes. Be- tween Fort William and Signal Hill, is St George's Pond, at a very great height above high-water mark. It abounds with trout. To the north lies Quidi Vidi Pond, about a mile long, and from v/hich a brook runs into a boat harbour, which communicates with the sea by a gut of the same name, rendered inaccessible to schooners by a rock extending across, and deep on each side. A trifling sum would pay the expense of blasting this rock, and rendering Quidi Vidi an excellent little harbour. Between Quidi Vidi and the Narrows, the coast is rugged, and the hills abrupt and high. A few spots in the neighbourhood of St John's have, by much labour and expense, been brought under very tolerable cultivation ; and it must be acknowledged that such lands are now of great value, as affording vegetables, hay, &c. Mr Stewart, m MM PI I r. -I) ■-ri»^ f. ih • '• ^ M ^:': "■'' if-. 188 NEAVFOUN DLAN D. -il when dopiity i)ayiiiaster at St John's, used to raise a great (luantity of very good fruit in the garden at- tached to his house.* 'I'here is no doul)t ])ut a great abundance of vegetables for the use of the town niiglit be raised in its environs. 1'lie town of St John's is built chiefly of wood ; it extends nearly along the whole of the north side of tlie port ; and there can scarcely be said to be more tlian one street, the others being only irregular lanes. A few of the houses are built of stone or brick, and some of the buildings are handsome ; but the appear- ance of the town altogether, indicates at once what it was intended for — a kind of lodging- place for a con- venient time ; a collection of stores for depositing fish, with wharfs along the whole shore for the con- venience of shipping. St John's, like Halifax, and other towns built of wood, has suffered severely by fires. In the winter of 1816, great loss of property and individual distress was occasioned by a dreadful conflagration that took place ; and on the 7th of November, 1817) one hun- dred and forty houses, and L.500,000 value in pro- perty, were destroyed by a like calamity. Another fire, on the 21st of the same month, destroyed a great part of the town that had escaped the conflagration of the 7th ; and on the 21st of August following, the town experienced a fourth calamity of the same kind. :'^'S v. * The attorney-general, Mr Simms, who now occupies the above property, continues to raise both fruit and vegetables with success. The lands surrounding Quidi Vidi are also very well cultivated. *2i n- ST JOHN S. 180 iof le id. »ve ss. which consumed a great nuiuher of houses, stores, and wharfs. It was suspected, from the frequent occurrence of these fires, and particularly from the apathy with which the lower classes ohserved the activity that the sailors and the military displayed in extinguishing them, that they had been occasioned by incendiaries ; but the most vigilant search and minute investigation led to no such discovery. The scarcity of provisions and the dread of famine, it is true, urged the labouring classes to pillage, and to disregard authority. Another cause also contributed to make these people desperate. The repeated losses of the merchants, and the ruinous state of the trade, were such, that they could only afford to supi)ly the planters to a certain extent. The consequence was, that thousands of fishermen and labourers were reduced to want, and they, on different occasions, became a lawless banditti, and broke open the stores of the merchants to obtain provisions. In a country like Newfoundland, shut out for some months, in a great measure, from the rest of tlie world, scarcity of provisions is the most terrible calamity that can possibly occur. Had the magazines not been saved from the fire which took place in winter, the inhabitants, it is believed, would have inevitably starved. It is not probable that Newfoundland will ever again experience such distress ; and St John's appears to have surmounted the destruction to which it was subjected. The houses since erected, are built in a much more comfortable style than formerly, although ,',..u I" ill c:j^ Ml 'A. «' I % ft.' '■ ' ' ■^ 'Xl .h >• '1; .ii ti 190 NKWrOTJNDLANI). tlie streets ami lanes are still irrej>;ular, aiul, in wet weather, extremely dirty. Witlumt some form of niunieij)al corporate government, liavinj:^ the j)ower of making hy-laws for the management of all matters connected with the town, little improvement of any consequence can he exj)ected.* The situation of St John's, its excellent harhour, comhining safety of access, and the means of hcing easily defended, its most convenient position for the chief town of a great fishing colony, and its heing the seat of the govermnent and the supreme coiut, are suihcient considerations to grant it a charter for its government and improvement. In this opinion, most of those whom 1 know, either residing in the colony or in connexion with it, concur. The puhlic and government Imildings are of con- siderahle importance ; hut have little elegance to recommend them to notice, unless the innnense house now in the course of finishing, intended as a residence for the governor, he an exception. It is considered a most extravagant huilding, and cer- tainly too large for any estahlishment that is likely to be necessary at Newfoundland. The custom-house, the Episcopal church, and ¥' f'l: ft. * It is utterly impossible, in acts of parliament, to provide for tlie local improvements necessary in a town situated in a distant colony. In the provisions of an act passed in 1820, for re<(ulating tlie rebuild- ing of St John's after the fires, there is a clause, which directs that, where wooden buildings are erected, the streets must be fifty feet wide, and forty feet where stone houses arc built. The consequence is, that one house is pitched ten feet farther forwjird than anotlr;. r SI" JOHN s. 191 ioly tlic ony. lild- liat, fVrOUNl)I .4"' I nine sliillin^'s per woek, and in case of death, L.o to defray fnneral expenses. There are, except in tlie immediate vicinage of St Jolm's, no roads in Newfonndhuid. Wlietlier the condition and circumstances of the colony warrant the opening of roads to all the settlements, is ques- tionahle ; hut I certainly think that a few roads are necessary, to open a connnunication between Concep- tion and Trinity Jiays, and between Conception and Placentia, St Mary's, and Fortune Bays. It would be sufficient for some years to make what are called, on tlie continent of America, bridle-roads, which would in winter answer for sleilge-roads. Carriage- roads in summer would, at least for the present, be unnecessary. Tiiere is now a tolerable road from St John's to Portugal Cove in Conception ]5ay, and a path-road to a few other places. The Great Jiank of Newfoundland is the nu)st extensive sub-marine elevation that we know to exist in any ocean. Various theories and conjectures have been hazarded, in order to account for its formation. Some believe it was formerly an innnense island, which had sunk, in consequence of its pillars or founda- tion having been loosened by an earthquake. Others, that it has been created by the gradual accunnila- tion of sand carried along by the gulf stream, and arrested here by meeting with the currents of the north. It is, in some places, five degrees, or about ^00 miles broad, and about 600 miles in length. The soundings on it are from twenty-five to ninety- five fathoms. The wliole appears to be a mass of t <• ffl • i • ft 1J)C xr.wrorNDF.ANi). -ici >".yr. 'Y>*^: solid rock; its imI^os nrc alu'upt, niul 1200 NEWFOUNDLAND. ;>^ .•♦i >■ »t .( ^ty-seven miles. It is, however, a dangerous road, and crosses several fords, over which two or three false steps would be attended with destruction ; yet, in 1702, the French, by this route, l)roceeded to and took St John's. Ferryland is the oldest place in Newfoundland, and there is a considerable extent of the surrounding land under cultivation, planted originally by Lord Baltimore. It was for many years the residence of the Lords of Avalon and their deputies ; and it is said that for some time it became the seat of the trans-Atlantic muses. ; ti«i',, , ui ( 4^ i5 ' * C.I 41 ■I'ifel ^;im M. :,^ "I <.fM »!: I"! •,,kl I h^l^J '"k 31.,'' I* / tt" 202 NKWTOUNDT-AXD. i *: ■ t* '!►• * « It is at present tolerably well settled, has places of worship, schools, and some respectable mercantile establishments. The Isle of Boys, near this place, was fortified in 17()1 as a place of refug-e, while the French had j)ossession of St John's. Trepassy (formerly called Abram Trepaza) is a bay between Cape Race and Cape Freels. On the west side there is a good harbour. The eastern shores are dangerous to approach. Several families are settled here, who subsist by means of fishing, raising a few cattle, and a little cultivation. A\'^est of Trepassy Bay, opening to the soutli, are three great bays, namely, St Mary's, Placentia, and Fortune. These have within them countless liar- bours and islands, and contain a scattered, but alto- gether a numerous, i)opulation. St Mary's Bay has several settlements and exten- sive cod-fisheries. A salmon-fishery is also carried on. Tliis bay is more than thirty miles deep, and. from fifteen to twenty broad. The distance between Salmon river, at its head, to Ilolyrood, at the head of Conception Bay, is about ten miles, and from Collinet, another branch, to Trinity Bay, about eight miles. Placentia Bay is also full of harbours and islands. It is about sixty miles deep, and about forty-five miles broad from Cape St Mary's to Corbin Head, and from twenty to thirty miles broad at different places farther up. There is excellent cod-fishing in this bay ; salmon abound in its rivers, and herring, Sic, frequent it, as well as all these bays, periodically. «»^ ht 111 SOUTH COAST. 203 The lamls arc ru^'ged and l)arrtMi, and tlie shores are lined with islands and roeks, among whieh, liow- ever, there are many excellent harbours. ^J'here are five or six extensive establishments in this l)ay. Piaeentia, on the east side of the bay, was tlie chief settlement planted by the French in Newfoundland, 'i'liey had it strongly fortified, and endeavoured at that time to drive tlie English altogether out of the fisheries. One liundred and fifty shij)s can lie in safety within the harbour, the entrance of which only admits one vessel at a time. There is a great strand or beach lietween two hills, sufficiently exten- sive for sixty ships to cure and dry their fish on. From the head of Piaeentia 15ay to Trinity, the isthmus which connects the peninsula of Avalon to the main body of Newfoundland is low, and little more than three miles over. The fishermen haul their skiffs across. Fortune J5ay is from sixty-five to seventy miles deep, and twenty to thirty broad ; it contains innu- merable liarbours, and many islands and rocks. The lands are bleak, rugged, and barren. There are seve- ral fishing establishments within this bay, for wliich, and for no other purpose, nature has adapted it. Here one of the most extensive houses in Newfoimd- land carries on a whale-fishery with boats,* as well as a most extensive cod-fishery. The coast between * A vast number of Immp-back whales, wliicli yield from three to eight tons of oil each, have been taken this season, 1830, by the fishermen belonging- to this establishment. ■i'. \-' -c; ' • !'(<•• li fK iiTfi t> J '■'Mi. '%■ Mm, .'iv' '**•* •"f ij % I 4 wW^ P* » i 204 NEWrOlJNDI.AXl). Fortune Bay and St George's Bay lias been already generally described. The islands of St Pierre and Mequelon, ceded in 1814 to France, lie off the month of Fortune ]?ay. Langley, although laid down on the inaj)s as a sejja- rate island, and appears as such from the sea, is, liowever, connected to Mequelon by a sand beach.* St Peter's has the only harbour which is the rendez- vous of the French shij)s, and where they have built a town since the peace. Here the French governor resides, and it is the head-quarters of the French fisheries. These islands are rugged, and produce nothing but shrubs, moss, and grass. Ptarmigan, or white partridges, abound on them ; and the most plentiful cod-fishing surrounds their shores. * In 18"i5, on my homeward passage from America, we were nearly driven asliore, in a gale of wind, on the west side of Meque- lon. I asked the captain if we could not run through the passage, which appeared by the chart to separate Langley and Mequelon. He rej)lied, that he had formerly landed on those islands, and walked several times across the heacli from Mequelon to Langley ; but that, during stormy weatlier and high tides, the sea flowed between them. LAHUADOK. 205 CHAPTER V. StJ'ait of Bi'llc Isle — ("oiitinpiit of I>;il)riuIor — Aiiticosti — M.ngdaltmc Islands. The strait of Belle Isle, so named from the island called North Belle Isle, at tlu Atlantic entrance, separates Newfoundland from Labrador and the con- tinent of America. This strait is about fiftv miles long, and twelve broad ; is deep, and safe as a pass- age to and from the Gulf of St Lawrence, but, from not being much frequented, is disliked by most masters of large merchant ships. There are no har- bours on the coast of Newfoundland facing it ; and those on the Labrador coast are not considered safe, except the havens near the north and south extre- mities. For schooners and fishing craft, there is, in every direction along the Labrador coast, safe and convenient shelter. The coast of Labrador, in consequence of the extensive fisheries carried on in its harbours by the merchants of Newfoundland, and being under the same government, is more intimately connected with that colony than with any other part of America. Gaspar de Corte Real* named the northern jiart, * This navigator eitlier perished afterwards on the coast, o'* he and his crew were murdered hy the Esquimaux. ■i> ' 't* '"'■hi '■m •r*. 20G I.AiniADOK. il ■•;s ■(■• ■ iy ■i'i ,■» ■1; •(■ ^ 4 it- I I ■I 'I ill 1561, Terra Verde, or Greenland, and the southern part he ealled Terra Lalirador, or Terra Agrieohe, thinking the latter fit for cultivation. It was alto- gether, for some time after, called, after him. Terra Corterealis, which name has, however, long been sup- planted by that of Labrador. This vast country, equal in square miles to France, Spain, and Germany, has not a resident population of 4000 inhabitants, including the natives and ]\lo- ravians. Its surface is as sterile and naked as any part of the globe. Kocks.. swamps, and water, are its pre- vailing features; and in this inhospitable country, which extends from 50 to 64" north latitude, and from the longitude of 56" west on the Atlantic, to that of 78" west on Hudson's Bay, vegetation only ajipears as the last efforts of expiring nature. Small scraggy poplar, stunted firs, creeping birch, and dwarf willows, thh'ly scattered in the southern parts, form the whole catalogue of trees; herbs and grass are also, in sheltered places, to be met with; but, in the most northerly parts, different varieties of moss, and lichens, are the only signs of vegetation. Thedimate is, in severity, probably as cold as at the poles of the earth, and the summer is of short dura- tion. Vet, with ail these disadvantages, this country, which is, along its coasts, indented with excellent harbours, and which has its shores frequented by vast multitudes of fishes, is of great importance to Great Britain. The whole of the interior of Lab- rador appears, from the aspect of what has been I.ABKADOIL i>()7 'eii explored, and from the rei)orts of the Esquiiiuiux and other Indians, to be broken up with rivers, hikes, and rocks. The wihl animals are j)rincipally bears, wolves, foxes, and otters ; beavers and deer are not numerous, but their furs are remarkably close and beautiful. Insects are, during the sliort space of hot weather, numerous in swampy places. In winter they exist in a frozen state; and in this condition, when intro- duced to the influence of solar heat, or the warmth of fire, are soon restored to animation. The phenomenon of aurora borealis is uncom- monly brilliant in Labrador ; and I have no doubt that it possesses, from the increased and increasing variation of the compass, a most powerful magnetic influence ; but this I leave to the determination of the speculative philosopher. Minerals are said to abound in Labrador, but very little is known either of its geology or mineralogy. During the fishing season, from 280 to 300 schooners proceed from Newfoundland to the differ- ent fishing-stations on the coast of Labrador, where about 20,000 British subjects are employed for the season. About one-third of the schooners make two voyages, loaded v.ith dry fish, back to N^ewfound- land during the summer ; and several merchant ves- sels proceed from Labrador with their cargoes direct to Europe, leaving, generally, full cargoes for the fishing vessels to carry to Newfoundland. A consi- derable part of the fish of the second voyage is in a green or pickled state, and dried afterwards at New- :a '»i ,1 . 2 ' 'I '^^ '.-■■{ :i^^i\' i 208 I.AlMtADOlJ. 5 i ■I - \; *• i! iif»jii ""»- ■^ **'. i foundlaml. Eight or nine schooners from Quebec frequent the coast, having on board about 80 sea- men and 100 fishermen. Some of the fish caiiirlit by them is sent to Europe, and the rest carried to Quebec ; besides uliich, they carry annually about L.b'OOO worth of furs, oil, and salmon, to Canada. From Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, but chiefly from tlie former, 100 to 120 vessels resort to Labrador : the burden of these vessels may amount to 6000 or 7000 tons, carrying about 1200 seamen and fishermen. They generally carry the principal part of their cargoes home in a green state. One-third of the resident inhabitants are English, Irish, or Jersey servants, left in charge of the pro- perty in the fishing rooms, and who also employ themselves, in the spring and fall, catching seals in nets. The other two-thirds live constantly at Labra- dor, as furriers and seal-catchers, on theirown account, but chiefly in the former capacity, during winter ; and all are engaged in the fisheries during summer. Half of these people are Jerseymen and Canadians, most of whom have families. From 16,000 to 18,000 seals are taken at Labra- dor in the beginning of winter and in spring. They are very large, and the Canadians, and other winter residents, are said to feast and fatten on their flesh. About 4000 of these seals are killed by the Esqui- maux. The whole number caught produce about 350 tons of oil, — value about L.8000. There are six or seven English houses, and four or five Jersey houses, established at Labrador, uncon- 4 IwMlllADOH. m) I"' iiccted witli NewFouiullaTid, who export their fisli uihI oil direct to Europe. The quantity exported lust year to the Mediterranean, was a})out Tu Kiigland, about L.:i{),-2()0 liy Ncwfountllaiul houses, 20,(UU> qtls. cod fisli, at 10s. 10,000 ;iUP tieiocs salinoii, at UOs. <)00 .50,000 qtls. rod fisli, nt 10s. T. .t^5,000 900 tit'i-cos salmon, at GOs. liylW '^00 tons cod oil, 4,000 '^00 do. s«.al do. 4,:)Oo rnrs, - .S,000 Total direct export from Labrador, IVodiu'o sent direct to Newfoundland from Labrador, — '2 1,000 qtls. cod fisli, U,s. best quality, :iOO,000 qtls. cod fisli, .... J, 500 tons cod oil, at L.18, Salmon, &c. - . - - . Fisli, Ike. sent to Canada, about Do. carried to Nova Scotia and New Hrunswick, should bo in value at least L.r)0,100 10,800 127,.500 27,000 .'i,t)00 10,000 50,000 Estimated value of the produce of Labrador, exclusive of what the Moravians send to London,* - L.278, 100 The Labrador fishery has, since 1814, increased more than sixfold, principally in consequence of our fishermen being driven from the grounds now occu- pied by the French. * These statements are made at the most depressed prices, and not at the average prices, which would increase the gross value to L.3 12,400. The Americans of the United States had this year (1829) about 500 vessels, and 15,000 men, employed on the coast, and their" catch" amounted to 1,100,000 quintals fish, and about .%00 tons oil: value altogether, about L.G10,000. VOL. I. o ,>.■■:? X . ?^/H r »• : .{J. ?» 210 I.AIIKADOK. The Moravians, whose principnl sottloiiiciit oiilhc roast of Labrador is at Xaiii, have a ship annually fro!U London, wliieh leaves the 'JMianies in May or June, and arrives at Nain in July, from whenee it returns in September, laden with a valuable e,'ir«;-o of furs, oils, &e. for London. INIy en<|uiries respecting tliese j)e()j)le have not been very sueeessful. 'J'liey lixid themselves in three different liarbours (»f Labrador, about tlie mi(hlle()f the last century: their intercourse with, and settlements at, (ireeidand, led them to this ret>ion. 'J'heir habits are simi)le, and the «|uiet and un()l)served life they lead, is of a natiuv whieh leaves to few in America, or elsewhere, the knowledge of their existence. Their trade is wholly with tlie Esquimaux, in the way of bartering coarse cloths, powder, shot, guns, ami edge tools, for furs, oils, &c.* On the British resorting to Labrador, after it was annexed to Newfoundland, some regulations were made, in order to purchase the lands from ilie Indians for the King of Great Britain. If such arrangement was entered into, it must have passed unobserved, and there could be little difficulty in purchasing any riglit which the miserable Esqui- maux would maintain. Of all the tribes which have been discovered on the shores of America, the Esquimaux are the most filthy, disgusting, and miserable. They form an exception in their appearance, stature, and manner * I liave Imd no opportunity of seeing llio Moravians; anl tlie above account was given me by a gentleman at Labrador, connected with tlie customs. ^'U ii^^ i*'; '. ANTUOSTI. !JII !»'•• * Oil lost an of living, to nil the otlicr trihcs. T\w (TiviMilandors arc said to speak tlie saiiii' Iaii«;iia«;v, and to ivscm- l)k> tlieiii in shape and appcaranir ; and in stature they resendile the Laplanders, 'i'luy may possibly be of Nortlinien or l^hiropean ori|L»in. All tiie other Indian tribes «lespise and hate them. 'I'hey are thinly seattered alon*^ the coast of Labrador, and the aietie sliores north-west of Hudson's IJay. 'J'Ik' gre.'itest nundier of tliem in any one place appears to be at Invutoke Inlet, or Kscpiimaux IJay, on the Atlantic coast of Labradi^;-, wliere there are about two hunth'ed and fifty. Tlie Canadians and others resi- dini;' at Lalu'ador, employ the Es(piiniaux in catching fish, &c. Tliey have neither the pride uor the sj)irit of the otlier savage tribes, but they are equally as cruel. It is said, tliat on the death of the mother of a child not sufliciently stronj>* to take care of itself, tlie latter is put to death, and buried with the former. I have not sufiicient proof to state that this is j)osi- tively the case, but many circumstances induce me to believe it to be a fact. There is a court held at Labrador during summer, from which appeals lie to the supreme court of St John's. An armed vessel visits, and continues gene- rally along the coast during the greater part of the fishing season. ANTICOSTI. ',1 r- 'It, f, tlie >t«Ml This island is now under the jurisdiction of New- foundland. Its name is said to be derived from an 212 A NT ICO ST I. K^'? y Indian word, Natiscoti, but it is more likely from the Spanish Anteciiesta. It is situated in the Gulf of St Lawrence, and near the entrance of that great river. It is within the latitudes of 49" 5' and 49" 55\ and longitudes of 61" 54' and 65' 30'. The whole of its north coast is high, and without harbours. The rocks that present themselves are calcareous, and contain various animal i)etrifactions. The water, close to the cliffs, is very deep ; and there are some coves where vessels may take shelter with the wind blowing off the land. The south shore is low ; the lands wet and swampy, and covered with birch and fir-trees. There is a bar liarbour near the west point, which will admit small vessels. It can scarcely be said that this island has any rivers, if that called Jupiter river be not an exception. On the south the water is shoal, but the soundings are regular; flat rocky reefs extend a considerable distance from the east, west, and some other points ; sandy downs line a great part of the south coast, within which there are lagoons or ponds, filled by small streams running into them from the interior. During stormy wea- ther and high tides, the sea frequently makes its way over the sands into these lagoons, out of which, also, there are small streams running into the gulf. Shipwrecks have frequently occurred along the shores of Anticosti ; and the crews have, in many instances, perished after landing, from severe cold, and want of food.* * The fate of the orews of three sliips wrecked on this JBland, ?•♦« ANTICOSTI. 21J Government has established a station, with a family, at each end of the island, and posts, without inhabitants, along the shore, with directions to per- sons who have escaped from shipwreck where to proceed. Of the interior of this island we know but little. It is covered with woods, chiefly dwarf spruce, white cedar, birch, and i)oplar : the trees appear to be all of low and stunted growth. Near the shore the land appears unfit for cultivation. A few spots of tolerable soil are, it is true, met with ; but the want of harbours, and the severity of the climate, are insu- perable objections to its settlement. It is a seignory, being formerly under the government of Canada, and belongs, I believe, to a private family at Quebec. The Indians, who, on their hunting excursions, have penetrated into the interior, have informed me that the lands are swampy or wet, with the exception of a few hills. Bears, foxes, hares, and sables, are very numerous. Partridges, snipes, curlews, plovers, &c. abound. ill the fall of 1828, on their homeward passage, must have either been attended by tlie most revolting sufferings, or they must have been murdered by a piratical gang, who are said to infest the place. The mutilated and disjointed bodies, some parts of which were found salted in a chest, discovered in the hut which those unfortunate men had erected, led to the conclusion that those who survived longest lived on the flesh of the dead. The results of a Captain Hayside's enciuiries, who commanded the government brig Kingfisher on the coast last sunmier, seem to warrant the belief that they were murdered by pirates, and their bodies muti- lated for the purpose of creating suspicion that they died of famine, and devoured each other. I'll: i^ '\1 211. 3[A(!J)at,i:n islands. MAGDALEN ISLANDS. ^■;.i' t^< ^. This cluster of islands is situated within the Gulf of St Lawrence, seventy-three miles distant from Newfoundland, sixty miles from Prince Edward Island, and sixty-five miles from CajJe Breton. Tliey are the property of Sir Isaac Coffin, who appears to take very little interest in them.* The inhabitants, about 500 in number, are Acadian French, who live principally by means of fishing'. In the month of April, they go in their shallops among the fields of ice that float in the gulf, in quest of seals ; and in summer, they employ themselves in fishing for her- ring and cod. The soil of these islands is a light sandy loam, resting on freestone. It yields barley, oats, and pota- toes ; and wheat would likely grow, but the quan- tity of soil fit for cultivation, is no more than the fishermen require for potato gardens, and a little pasture. Some parts are covered with spruce, birch, and juniper-trees ; others are formed into sandy downs, producing bent grass : cranberries, juniper berries, and various other wild fruits, are very abun- dant. A few miles to the north, Brion and Bird Islands are situated. Multitudes of aquatic birds frequent :■*.*-•> * Since the above was written, the wortliy baronet, it is said, has taken measures to direct the application of the rents which may b.; derived from these islands, to the support of a number of his relatives in the American navy. :mac.1)am:x islands. 215 tliem for the purpose of hatching. I have seen shal- lops loaded with eggs, in bulk, which were brought from these islands to Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, for sale. The Magdalen Islands are under the government of Canada,* and the inhabitants are amenable to the courts of Quebec, 600 miles distant ; a most inconvenient regulation, when they are so much nearer Prince Edward Island. There is a chapel, in which a priest sent from Quebec officiates. Plentiful fishinff banks, of which the Americans of the United States derive the prin- cipal advantage, abound in every direction near these islands. * Annexed to that government in 1809, by 49 Geo. III. cap. 27. m Vi •#»•; 13 ft a; ' 2' V W » r >'• tt'J mm Lit I J!; 'J Mi M.WIOUNDl.ANI). "I CHAPTER VI. '•,1 -t- ii-' 4' •n. ■■# 4." if . . Ill ■ ^'v t V . *■ ■ I'liiiiactoristics di" the Inliabitniits — Pursuits, &c.-~IMnnner of Killing Seals — Shore Fishery — Bank Fishery, &c. The leading features of the character of the inha- bitants of Newfoundland, both at St John's and all the out-harbours, are, honesty, persevering industry, Jiardy contempt of danger and fatigue, and a lauda- ble sense of propriety in moral and religious duties. For U2)wards of twenty years, not more than four malefactors were sentenced to die. " A few months' imprisonment was the greatest punishment inflicted for the last ten years."* There are i)laces of jmblic worship in each of the out-harbours in which there is an adequate ])oi)u- lation. The religious denominations are, members of the church of England, Roman Catholics, Presbyte- rians, Independents, and Methodists, each of whom have clergymen among them. In the principal out- harbours, also, there are schools where the rudiments of education may be acquired. The clergymen of the established church are sii])ported by the Society for the Propagati(ni of the Gospel in Foreign Parts ; and the Methodist missionaries are supported chiefly * Mr Mol^i!^^s pamplilet. ^rAXNKUs or thk inhadttaxts. 1>17 by their own society in England. The Catholic and Presbyterian clergymen are provided for by the vohintary contributions of their own flocks. Religious belief at Newfoundland is equally free to all ; no one interferes with his neighbour's creed; no ill-will prevails ; and the estimation in which a man's religious opinions are lield, depends on the cor- rectness of his moral character, and not on the i arti- cular form of his belief. There is a titular Catholic bishop of Newf(mndland at St John's, and a vicar- general at Harbour Graeme. Candour requires me to say, that the Catholic clergy of Newfoundland guard with incessant vigilance, the morals of those who profess their religion, while, at the same time, they maintain a spirit of friendly feeling towards the clergymen of other Christian denominations.* Colonists, it may always be observed, retain many of the customs and habits of their ancestors ; and some customs still prevail in Newfoundhmd that are obsolete in Europe, among which, saluting the bride may be noticed. This custom was once fashionable in Europe, and is said to be derived from the Roman method of detecting women secretly addicted to drunkenness. The inhabitants are employed, the majority wholly, and the rest occasionally, in the fisheries. Feeding cattle and a few sheep, and cultivating small spots of land, are also partial sources of occupation. The women, besides aflbrdina' aroat assistance to the men ■a ^' NoK.' r>. -11 '' lift .* ■ k4 ' ' »• h •. 'i ■ . '•■ fen, : i^:-! t ■ i ■ r ;«* r ^=. .V ■ ;v L>18 NKWl'OUNUI.AXn. (luring the lu'ocess of curing fish, make themselves useful in planting gardens, and gathering the pro- ductions of the soil. In all domestic duties they are correct and attentive ; and they manufacture the small (quantity of wool they have among them, into strong worsted stockings, mittens, and socks. Capital offences are exceedingly rare, and petty thefts are scarcely known, while property is seldom secured by locked doors, as in the United Kingdom. In the winter season, much of the time of tlie in- habitants is occupied in bringing home fuel. Boats for the fishery are also constructed at this time ; and poles, &c. for fish flakes, are, or should be, provided. Marriages and christenings are celebrated in the fall, when the labours of the fisheries are ended, or sometimes in the spring, previous to the fishery com- mencing. These are always times of festivity, when the neighbours are invited to partake of the best, and enjoy themselves with singing and dancing. The young men distinguish the occasion by the firing of guns. Funeral ceremonies are also conducted with some kind of parade. It is considered decent that bolh the Protestant and Catholic clergymen meet together at the house of the deceased ; and it is accounted indecorous in any of the neighbours not attending the funeral, although invitations are not sent. Cakes, cheese, wine, and spirits, are laid out for those who choose to partake of them. The funeral procession then, w ith decorous solenmity, moves on to the grave- yard, and after the service, they return tc ihe house lllg |es, Iiu oil INfANNKKS or TIIK INHAIUTAXTS. 210 of tlie deceased, where they separate. In thinly- settled and liealthy countries, the number of deaths are so few, that the decease of any of the inhabitants is attended with a feeling of melancholy unknown in populous towns, except among the immediat rela- tions of the deceased. ^Vaking the dead is also general among the Irish labourers ; and they observe the same customs and festivities at Christmas and at Easter, as have long been common in Ireland. St Patrick's day, and Sheelagh's day (the saint's wife) the day following, are occasions on which the mass of the Newfoundland Irish revel in the full glory of feasting and drinking. They are certainly at those periods beyond any control ; and they com- pletely forget themselves, fighting and drinking, until they are overcome by the one, or laid up by the other.* Their conduct, on these occasions, has been much reprobated. It would be well for themselves not to indulge in such excesses. But when we consider the hard labour to which they apply themselves during the year, and the terrible dangers they are about to encounter among the ice, immediately after the feast of their darling saint, and take also into account the associations connected with the customs of their mo- ther country, we must make very liberal allowances for them. Various customs, common to the different i)laces from which the j^resent inhabitants or their ances- tors came, are still kept up at Christmas. Dinners, * Those cxcossi's liave biconio less fieqiieut. - '-i': % t i'!-. ri:i ,<■; t «» 'if 'i: ^^^S 'If- fifW ■p fi! p h '2':o NKWIOINDLAND. *P (it^ 1[ 'f3':i l the pi^s ivarcd on tlio island. On cacli side; of the chinniey there are often l)enches with coops nnder- neath for ponltry, whicli, from the warmth of the dwelling, lay ei»'g's all winter. The usual diet of the i)eoi)le is made up of biscuit, potatoes and fish, salt pork, and bohea tea. Spruce beer is a very common and excellent bevera«^e, parti- cularly for people who live so jnucli on fish and salt meat. Tlie process of making it is simple. A few black spruce branches are chopped into small pieces, and put into a pot containing six or eight gallons of water, and then boiled for several hours. The licpior is then strained, and put into a cask that will contain eighteen gallons. Molasses is added in the propor- tion of one gallon to eighteen ; a part of the grounds of the last brewing, and a few hops, if at hand, are also put in ; and the cask, filled up with cold water, is left to ferment, and in twenty-four hours, becomes fit for use. Spirits are frequently mixed with spruce beer, to make the drink named Callibogus. PVom the cheapness of rum, the labouring people, though by no means generally, acquire habits of excessive drinking, which they have only resolution to resist l)y swearing, by the Cross or the Gospel, that they will not taste rum, or spirits of any kind. This act is called Kegging, extending to one or more years, and often for life. The inhabitants are generally very healthy ; but, from living so much on fish and other oily food, fevers or small-pox, wlien imported into the island from other >-rf ooo NEWrOUXDI.AXI). >,' i''d"> places, are f^enerally fatal, and occasion great mortal- ity. Consumptions do not appear to ])e so frecpient as on the continent of America. Tlie air, tliougli rare and cold, seems to invigorate the constitntions of the peoi)le ; and their strength in old age, when we consider the life of nnremitting labour which they necessarily lead, is surprising. Men and women, at the age of eighty, are frequently observed attending the fish flakes. The great and j^rimary business of the people of Newfoundland, is that of pursuing and catching the inhabitants of the ocean. If habit, as is generally allowed, becomes nature, the Newfoundlanders are naturally, from their pursuits, certainly the most adventurous and fearless men in the world. Courage and industry, which certainly prevail, are to them absolutely necessary. The seal fishery, as it is generally termed, has only become important within the last few years. It is little more than thirty years since the first vessels ventured among those formidable fields of ice that float from the northern regions, during the months of March, April, and May, down to the coast of Newfoundland. Those who are acquainted with the terrific gran- deur of the lofty islands and mountains of ice, cover- ing often from two to three hundred miles of the ocean, and occasionally arrested by the coasts or shoals, will admit that it requires as much intre- pidity to brave the dangers of such a scene, as to encounter a military fortification. I'unsi ITS OF Tin: ixiiabitants. OO'I ' • f 'I .'•;.• From tlirce to four hundred vessels, of from ()0 to 120 tons eaeli, with erews of from sixteen to tliirty men, h.'ive of late years heen fitted out and sent from the different parts of Newfoundland to the seiil fish- ery. They are always prepared for sea with neces- sary stores and fire-arms, poles to defen arating the liver, precipitates the head and entrails through a hole in the j)latform into the sea, under the stage-floor. The splitter, Avith one cut, lays the fish open from bend to tail, and, almost in the twiid\iino: of an eve, M'ith another cut takes out the sound bone, which, if the sounds are not to be preserved, he lets fall through a hole into the sea, * Tho splitter is next in rank to tlic foreman of tlie fisliing-roonis, who is ealli'd muster voynije, and under liim, receives most wages ; the next in precedence and wages is the salter. Tlie cnt-thront and header are pretty much on n par. Ol'KUATJONS DUIUNC; TIIK l-ISllING SEASON. 229 iges ; anfl throwing the fish at the same monient, with the other Jiaiid, into the trudge-harrow. Such is the amazing quickness of tlie operations of heading and sj>litting, that it is not unusual to decapitate and take out tlie entrails and ])ack-hones of six fish in one niiiuite. AVhen the harrow is full, it is earned away imme- diately to the Salter, and replaced hy another. Tlie husiness of the Salter is most important, as the value of the whole voyage depends on his care and judgment. He takes the hsji out of the l)arrow, one hy one, spreads tlieifl, with the hack undermost, in layers, sprinkling a projier (piantity of salt hetween each. The proportion of salt necessary to cure cod- lisii, is generally estimated at the rate of one liogs- liead to ten or twelve quintals ; hut much depends on tlie place, and the state of the weather. More salt is used for green fish, or fish remaining long in bulk, than for fish salted on shore, to he spread out to dry in a few dn} s ; and more is necessary at Labrador than at Newloundland. Sometimes the fish is salted ill vats, which requires less salt, and also increases the weight ; but it does not look so well, nor is it so nnich esteemed in foreign markets. In salting, the hulks must not be of too great a size, as the weight would injure the lower tiers. In bulks, the fish must remain five or six days, and in vats, four or five. It is then carried in barrows, and thrown into vats or trouglis full of holes, suspended from the stage in the sea. In this vat, the washer stands up to his knees among the fish and sea-water, 230 NKWJ^'OUNDLANI). .■*': .■"i" •:-f-: and wipes off the salt with a mop. The fish is then carried away in a barrow, and piled in a long lieap, called by the unintelligible name of " water-horse," for the purpose of draining. In this state it may re- main a day, before it is spread out on the flakes. The fish then undergoes the process of drying. They are spread, heads and tails, either on hand- flakes, which are about breast high from the ground, and slightly constructed, or on broad flakes, raised on strong posts sometimes twenty feet high, with platforms of poles laid across. The latter, as being more exposed to pure air, are considered preferable. The fish is also, at times, s])read out on boughs laid on the beach or ground. In the morning, it is usually spread out, with the fleshy side iippermost, and turned about mid-day, or more frequently, if the weather be hot. In the evening, they are gathered into small heaps, called " fagots," which are increased in size as the fish dries, from four or five, to twenty or more ; and when nearly cured, made into large cir- cular piles, much in the form of a hay-stack, Mitli the ui^per layers always laid down, with the skin upper- most. These piles are thatched with the rinds of the spruce fir, or with tarpaulins, or circular deal frames, which are pressed down with heavy stones. After remaining some time in these piles " to sweat," as the fishermen term it, the fish is spread out again to comj)lete the drying, and then removed into the warehouses. As the least rain will spoil the fish, if not imme- diately attended to, nothing can exceed the hurry of ■3:! OPKRATIOXS DURING THE FISHING SEASON. 231 men, women, and children, whenever showers come on ; they abandon every other engagement, and even run, if on Sunday, out of places of worship, to col- lect the fish into fagots or piles. The nature of the cod-fishery is truly precarious. Sometimes the cod is not equally abundant on all parts of the coast, and, in that case, the fishermen have often to go a great distance in quest of them, and in some cases, have to sjilit and salt their fish in the boat. The incessant labour also, which attends the curing, leaves the shoremen scarcely time, during the season, to eat tlieir nteals, and allows them little more than four hours' sleep. The quality of the fish is affected by the least in- attention or error in curing. If the weather be hot and calm, it is affected with fly-blows, and becomes maggoty ; and a few fish of this description may con- taminate a whole cargo. If too much salt have been used, the fibres break in drying, and the fish easily falls to pieces. In this state, it is called salt-burnt, and is unfit for market. It is affected much in the same way when left too long exposed to the sun with- out turning, and is then called sun-burnt. In damp or wet weather, putrefaction is apt to commence, it then becomes slimy ; or by the weather beating on it, when in piles, it sometimes takes a brownish co- lour, and is called dun-fish, which, although excellent for present use, is not fit for shipping. Previous to exportation, the fish is again spread out to dry, when it is culled, or sorted, into four qua- lities. First, the merchantable, which are those of A* f'U '¥•, 232 NEWFOUNDLAND. '.' 5' the finest colour and quality ; second, Madeira, which are nearly equal to the first ; third. West India fish, the refuse of all that is sufficiently cured to stand a sea voyage, without putrefying, and which, M'ith the greater j)art of the Madeira, is sent for sale to the West Indies, to feed the negroes ; lastly, the broken fish, dun-fish, or Avhatever will not keep in warm countries, but which is in general equally good for domestic consumption : mud-fish, or green-fish, is generally imderstood to be cod-fish, either wholly or partially split and pickled. Tlie sounds are generally taken from the bones and the tongues, cut out of the heads by women and children, or old men. They are pickled in kegs. The livers of cod are put into vats or puncheons, exi)osed to the sun, the heat of which is sufficient to render them into oil, which is drained off', and put into casks for shii)ping. The remaining blubber is boiled to obtain the oil it contains. The livers taken from the number of cod that will, when dry, make up 300 quintals, ough to produce a ton of oil ; but sometimes it requires double the quantity to yield a ton, while the livers of 150 quin- tals have been known to j)roduce a ton. The shore fishery is the most productive of both merchantable fish and oil. The northern fishery, now enjoyed by France, was carried on by the planters, by proceeding in schooners, with necessary stores and skiffs, to the northern harbours of Newfoundland, much in the same way as the fishery is at present conducted at Labrador, and the schooners sent back II I f Ol'KllATlONS DUlllNC; THE I'lSHlNC; SEASON. 233 witli the fish to the respective inerchaiits. The last fish brouglit home by the vessels being, like that sent in the autumn from Labrador, green, is discharged, on its arrival, into vats, or troughs, attached to the stages, and the salt washed off, when it is thrown on the stage, and piled into a water-horse to drain, before drying. The fish cured in the northerly i)arts of Labrador, is chiefly prepared in the cold dry air. The western fishery, carried forward on the west coast of Newfoundland, is also, by treaty, abandoned to the French. Whenever the plantel" settles his account in the fall with his merchant, and pays the wages of his servants, he prepares for winter, laying in provi- sions, &c., and in the following spring he resumes the same laborious course of employment that occu- pied him during the preceding year. .Jt i! ?i»i«i 231 JUtlTlSH A^IKUKA. CHAPTER VII. ;".jf'7 viirf**'' ■,W, ,ft« # : i: Fisht'iifs of ISritisli America — Rise, Progress, and Present State of these FislitMii's — I'renuh uiul United States Fislierieson the Coast of Ncwfoiind- Innil, Labrador, and tlie Gulf of 8t Lawrence — Vast inijiortance of tiiese I'islieries, if exclusively possessed by Great Britain. The cod fishery on the banks of Newfoundland, and along the coasts of North America, commenced a few years after its discovery. In 1517, mention is made of the first English ship which had been at Newfoundland ; where, at the same time, fifty Spa- nish, French, and Portuguese ships were fishing. The French, in 1536, were extensively engaged in this fishery ; and we find, that, in 1578, there were employed in it, by Spain one hundred ships, by Por- tugal fifty ships, and by England only fifteen ships.* The cause of the English having, at this jieriod, so few shii)s in this branch of trade, was the fishery carried on by them at Iceland. The English ships, however, from this period, were considered the largest and best vessels, and soon became, and continued to be, the admirals. The Biscayans had, about the same time, from twenty to thirty vessels in the whale fishery at Newfoundland ; and some English ships, * Ilakluyt — Herram. riSHKlllES. 1235 ill 1593, made a voyage in quest of whales and morses (walrus) to Cape Breton, where they found the wreck of a Biscay ship, and 800 whale fins. England had in 1615, at Newfoundland, 250 ships, amounting to 1500 tons ; and the French, Biscayans, and Portuguese, 400 ships.* From this period, the fisheries carried on by Eng- land became of great national consideration. De Witt observes, " that our navy became formidable by the discovery of the inexpressibly rich fishing bank of Newfoundland." In 1626, the F'rench possessed themselves of, and settfed at, Placentia; and that nation always viewed the English in those parts with the greatest jealousy ; but still the value of these fisheries to England was fully appreciated, as appears by the various acts of Parliament passed, as well as different regulations adopted, for their pro- tection.f Ships of war were sent out to convoy the fishing vessels, and to protect them on the coast ; and the ships engaged in the fisheries, as far back as 1676, carried about twenty guns, eighteen small boats, and from ninety to a hundred men. By the treaty of Utrecht, the value and importance of our fisheries at Newfoundland and New England is particularly regarded. The French, however, con- tinued afterwards, and until they were deprived of all their possessions in North America, to annoy the English engaged in fishing ; and in 1734, heavy * Lex Mercatoria. f 2(1 and 3d Edward VI. Acts passed during the reigns of Eliza- belli, and James I., cap. 1 and 2, 10 and 11 William and Mary. ^. 'ti v< I *m i>36 liUITlSH AiMKlnCA. mi -''li ,■**'■», complaints were made by the English, who liad es- tablialied a very extensive and profilable fishing at Canso, in Nova Scotia, against the French, who an- noyed them, by every means in the j)ow( r of those who connnanded the fortress at Loiiisburg and other ])laces in the neighbourhood. About this period, the inliabitants of New Eng- land had about 1200 tons of shipping employed in the whale fishery ; and with their vessels engaged in the cod fishery, they caught upwards of 23,000 quintals of fish, valued at twelve shillings per quin- tal, which they exported to Spain, and different ports within the jMediterranean, and remitted in payment for English manufactures, L. 172,000.* Notwithstanding the value of the fishery carried on by the people of New England, and the inqiort- ant ship fishery carried on by the English at New- foundland, both together were of far less magnitude than the fisheries followed by the French before the conquest of Cape Breton. ]5y these fisheries alone, the navy of France became formidable to all Europe. In 1745, when Louisburg was taken by the forces sent from New England under Sir William Pep- l)erell and the British squadron, the value of one year's fishing in the North American seas, and which depended on France possessing Cape Breton, was stated at L.982,000.]- In 1748, however, at the treaty of peace, England was obliged to restore * Anderson on Commerce. f Sir William Pepperell's Journal. '\r IISUKHII S. U.i7 »■ 'V. ' Cape Breton to tlie Frencli in return for IMadrns, which the forces of France had conquered two years before ; ])y which means, tiiat nation enjoyed the full advantaii^es of the fisheries until 17.'59, wlien the surrender of Cape Breton, St John's, and Canada, destroyed the French power in North America. By the third and foiu'tli articles of the treaty of Fontaiid)leau, signed in 17^)2, it was a:r 1%' -li ■"' •^afw "-si;,. ' interrupted aiul du'cked the enterprise of tlie fishing adventurers. The peace of 178'} gave the Frencli tlie same ad- vantages as they enjoyed hy the treaty of Fontain- hleau ; and tlie right of fisliing on all the ]iritisli coasts of America was allowed to tlie suhjects of the Ignited States, in common witli those of (Jreat Hri- tain, while these were denied the same privileges on the coasts of the former. In restoring to France the islands of St Pierre and Miquelon, it was con- tended that they were incapable of being fortified ; wliile it is well known, that both these islands are, in an eminent degree, not only capable of being made impregnable, but that their situation alone would command tlie entrance to the Gulf of St Lawrence, if put into such a state of strength as it was in the power of France to put them. After the American revolutionary war, the fish- eries of British America were prosecuted in New- foundland with energy and perseverance. In Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, the herring, mackerel, and Gasperean fisheries, were followed, but only on a limited scale. At Percd and Pas- papiac, in the district of Gaspd, the cod fishery was carried on with spirit by two or three houses ; and the salmon fishery followed at Restigouch, and at Miramichi. 'i'he cod fishery at Arichat, on tlie island of Madame, was pursued by the Acadian Frencli settled there, who were supplied by hardy and economical adventurers from Jersey. The valu- able fisheries on the coasts of Nova Scotia, New I I sill, It IKS. 'JJl) Hruiiswirk, and Prince Edward Island, were, how- ever, in a great measure overlooked or disregarded. The last war with Trance drove the French again from the islands of St Pierre and Miquelon, and from the fisheries. At the peace of Amiens, they returned again to these islands; hut were scarcely estahlished before the war was renewed, and their vessels and property seized by some of our ships on the Halifax station. This was loudly remonstrated against by the French government. A combination of events occurred during the late war, which raised the fisheries, particularly those of Newfoundland, to an extraordinary height of pros- perity.* Great Britain possessed, almost exclusively, the fisheries on the banks and shores of Newfoundland, Labrador, Nova Scotia, ^^iw Jh'unswick, and the Gulf of St Lawrence ; we enjoyed a monopoly of supplying Si)ain, Portugal, Madeira, different parts * In 181 i, the exports were — 1,200,000 quintals fish, at 40s. - L.2,400,000 20,000 do. core do. at 12s. - - 12,000 0,000 tons cod oil, at L.32, - 192,000 150,000 seal-sklna, at 5s. - - .39,000 4,066 tons seal oil, at L.30, - 167,976 2,000 tierces salmon, at L.5, - 10,000 1,685 barrels mackerel, at 30s. - 2,527 4,000 casks caplin, sounds, and tongues, 2,000 2,100 barrels hening, at 258. - 2,025 Beavers and other furs, ... GOO Pine timber and planks, ... 800 400 puncheons berries, - - 2,000 240 HKlTISn AMF.HK A. 1'. ■m; ^H 1-^ ■■■■:;{ )t' Hi of the Mediterranean coasts, the AVest Indies, and South America, with fish ; and our sliips not only engrossed the profits of carrying this article of com- merce to market, hut secured the freights of tlie commodities which the dilTerent countries they went to exported. It was by such eminent advantages as these that the fishery flourished, and that great gains were realized both by the merchants and shipowners. The conclusion of the war was, however, followed by a depression more ruinous to our fisheries than had ever before been experienced. The causes that arrested their prosptxi^y did not, by any means, arise merely from the changes necessarily produced by a sudden transition from war to peace, but from those stipulations in favour of France and America, in our last treaties with those powers.* It is very remarkable, that in all our treaties with France, the fisheries of North America were made a stipulation of extraordinary importance. The ministers of that power, at all times able negotia- tors, well knew the value of fisheries ; not merelv in a connnercial view, but in respect of their being necessarily essential in providing their navy with * The Frcncli, altlioiip:li we linve ceded to tliem the exelusivo right of tishing, are not permitted to become residents between Cape Ray and Cape John ; and, strange to say, we liave, in our excess rf kindness, agreed that no British subject shall settle along that coast. When the Americans asked our permission to fish on the west coast of Newfoundland, we were under tlie j)itiful necessity of saying we coidd not grant their request, as we had no right to fish there ourselves. See Chitty's Law of Commerce, for the treaty of IfiKi, and convention of 1818. «i. lade riie Ja- in ith usivo Capo :coss that tlio •ssity ht to the I 1 SHE U IKS. 2n that physical strength which woukl enable tlieni to cope with other nations. The policy of the Frencli, from their first plant- ing colonies in America, insists particuhtrly on rai- sing seamen for their navy l)y means of the fisheries. The nature of the French fishery was always such, that one-tliird, or at least one-fourth, of the men employed in it were " green men," or men who were never before at sea ; and by this trade they bred up from 4000 to GOOO seamen annually. Those who negotiated ©n the part of Great Britain, could not possibly have understood the eminent poli- tical and connnercial value of the boons thus unneces- sarily conceded to France and America. A\'ith France the case was widely different. Every Frenchman acquainted with the history of his coun- try, knew well tliat the sun of their naval splendour set on the day that Louisburg, the emporium of their fisheries, was taken. Neither were the Americans so ignorant of the rich treasures which abounded on the coasts of British America, as to allow the favoural)le moment for obtaining a participation in the fisheries to escape. France now (1829) employs from 250 to J300 vessels in her fisheries on the British American banks and coasts, and 25,000 sea-going fishermen, who, by treaty, are bound not to become residents. The French ships are from 100 to 400 tons burden, carrying from 40 to 120 men each to and from the fisheries. These men, by experience alone, must vol,. I. (^ A. T"i' i ^i Vt 246 liJllTlSH AMKUICA. UJi 'a: m iivrf i:f 'K > It . ♦' if ^ I I'^Jd ft ^^5^' ^1^ '^: t > i 4 V: thus interferiii<^ with the very l)oat fisliery of tlie poor men settled along the shore.* A contraband trade, also, is carried on hy the American fishing vessels, along difterent i)arts of the coast. The right of entering the harbours of our colonies for wood and water, affords an opportunity for smuggling ; at which there is not in the world a people more expert than the Americans. At the Mag- dalen Islands, and in many parts within the Gulf of St Lawrence, at Fox Island, and other parts of Nova Scotia, and along thecoastsof New Brunswick, an illicit trade is extensively persevered in. Kum, molasses, French and East India goods, and American manu- factures, are bartered generally for the best fish, and often sold for si)ecie. The French also sell brandy, wine, and French manufactures, for the best fish, to our fishermen. The consequence of this snuiggling trade is, not merely the defrauding of his Majesty's revenue, but the very fish thus sold to the Ameri- cans and French, is legally and honestly due, and ought to be paid, to the British merchant, who, in the first instance, supplies the fishermen with clothes, provisions, salt, and all kinds of fishing tackle. There are, indeed, such a multiplicity of courses pursued to supi)lant us in these fisheries, particularly by the * In innking these reniJirks, I do not mean, nor should it be un- derstood, that the American fishernien act in the way I describe, by direction, or immediate countenance, of their government. The fishermen of all countries, as far as I have been able to ascertain, wherever tiieir numbers predominate, conduct themselves towards the weaker party in the most overbearing and wanton manner. «i L. riSHKllIKS. i>47 'r Americans, who are ever apt in finding out all tlie methods whicli serve the purpose of gain, that it would 1)L' quite superfluous to recapitulate more than I have stated. In the shape of hounties, they are encouraged by their government ; and as they conduct tlieir fish- eries, as regards expense and outfit, cheaper than we do, and on a difierent princii)le, they are enabled to bring their fish to market at half the price of ours. There are two or more modes of fitting out for the fisheries followed by them. 'J'he first is accom- plished by six or seven fiu'mers, or their sons, build- ing a schooner during winter, which they man them- selves, (as all the Americans on the sea-coast are more or less seamen as well as farmers ;) and, after fitting the vessel with necessary stores, they proceed to the banks, Gulf of St Lawrence, or Labrador, and, load- ing their vessel with fish, make a voyage between spring and harvest. The proceeds they divide, after paying any balance they may owe for outfit. They remain at home to assist in gathering their crops, and proceed again for another cargo, which is salted down, and not afterwards dried : this is termed mud-fish, and kept for home consumption. The other plan is, a merchant, or any other, owning a vessel, lets her to ten or fifteen men on shares. He finds the vessel and nets. The men pay for all the provisions, hooks and lines, and for the salt neces- sary to cure tlieir proportion of the fish. One of the number is acknowledged master ; but he has to catch fish as well as tiie others, and receives onlv ^ . I' ^1 ■.I'r" til*! •J . m 1 f ll ♦ ;''s .,1 m ^ -I 248 nUITTSIT AArKllK'A. al)()ut twenty sliillinf»s perinoiith for navig-ating tfie vessel : the crew have five-eii«hths of the fish eau»ht, and tlie owners tliree-eightlis of the whole. 'J'he first spring- voyage is made l)y them to the banks ; the seeond either to the hanks, (inlf of St Lawrence, or tlie coast of Labrador; the third, or fall voynge, is again to the banks; and a fourth, or second fall voyage, is also made, sometimes, to the banks. Li these fisheries the Americans have annually engaged fnnii 1500 to ^000 schooners, of 90 to L'30 tonS; maimed by about .'J0,000 men. INIany of these vessels are employed again during winter in the coasting trade, or in carrying fish jmd other produce to vSouth America and the A\'est Indies. The exports of cod-fish from the United States, wholly caught in the Jiritish American sens, average abcmt 400,000 quintals annually, — nearly equal to lialf the quantity exjmrted altogether by the British from Newfoundland and Labrador; and the home consumption of the Americans is equal to 1,200,000 quintals.* To tlie depreciaticm of the value of fisli in foreign markets, caused by the privileges thus granted the French and Americans, and in a particular degree to the limited demand for fish oils, in the home market, may be attributed nearly altogether the depressed and still declining condition of the British American fisheries. 'J'he heavy duties exacted in Spain, Portugal, and Italy, occasion, no doubt, less * bee reports of the American ("oiigress, from 1825 to 1828. I ISUEKIES. 249 (li'inaiid for fish in tliose countries than fornu'rly. In Spain, (prohal)ly under French influence,) the duty is equal to from iJils. 6d. to 14s. per (piintai ; in Italy, }Ss. ; in Portugal and J5ra/il, I5s. per cwt., valuinf^ the fisii at eij^'ht inilrees per harrel of liiS lbs. But, notwithstanding this circumstance, had we but retained our fishing grounds, we should not have met with such i)()uert'ul competitors in the dillerent markets of the world. Nothing could he more unwise than to allow either the Frencii or Americans to enter the Gulf of St LawrcMKV ; it is a INIediterranean, bounded by our colonies, and those powers had neither right nor pretence to its sluu'cs or its fisheries. ]5y these impolitic concessions, therefore, M'hich we have nmde to France and to the United States, and, partially, by the operation of some other causes, the value of the JJritish American fisheries is great- ly reduced, and their political consequence equally diminished. The shore, or boat fishery, to which the fishermen, particularly in Newfoundland, now confine them- selves, is not, strictly speaking, a nursery for seamen. The bank fishery, in which we are supplanted by the French and Americans, was alwajrs a school of hardy training for rearing sailors ; and the eight or ten English vessels that now frequent the banks, are not of more value than one of the large Frencli ships. France has completely succeeded in making her fisheries in our American seas of the utmost political consequence, in answering the great end of training I ■ ■♦ V . * V m ■*•-' ..Is- m mm >'^l '■'^' 1> . . 1 i • v: ► ■•-1 1 j> soanieii for lier navy ; and the republic of the United States has derived from tlieni, at the same time, great commercial profit, and vast political strength. In the event of a war with either of those powers, the effect would he, in respect to their fisliermen, that, hy being* thrown out of peaceable employment, they would at once enter the navies of their respect- ive countrit's.* Al)out 8000 of the inhabitants of Newfoundland can only be justly considered sea-going men. 'J'hese are principally the crews of the sealing vessels, who go also in summer to Labrador. The seal fishery is increasing fast, and deserves every encoiuagement. The men employed in the schooners fitted out for the Labrador fishery, from Nova Scotia and N^ew Brunswick, may also be considered regular sea-going men. The provincial governments of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick liave extended every possible encou- ragement to the fisheries, in the shape of bounties ; but, as these are drawn from the colonial revenues, it is disposing of a portion of those funds, to enable their fishermen to compete with tlieir rivals, which would be more judiciously expended on internal improve- ments. Yet it is found absolutely necessary to grant these bounties to protect the fishing adventurers from ruin. The Newfoundland fishermen receive no en- couragement of this kind, nor can the condition and circumstances of the colony afford any. * Note C IISUKKIKS. 1251 T}ie best protection that can now be extended to these fisheries, is, not to lay even tlie smallest duty on any article that is t'ither tlirectly or indirectly re(iiiired for them. As resj)ects Newfcmndland, in particular, there is not an iiitlividnal living- on the island, who is not either immediately or indirectly comiected with the fisheries. Every encouragement should be afl'orded, in order to supj)ly our fisheries with provisions from our own colonies. Canada and Prince Edward Island could now supply them with bread-stuffs, cattle, and salted provisions. A reasonable bounty for some time on these articles might not i)e impolitic, as we give foreigners at present nearly the whole profit of sup- plying our fisheries with provisions; and money, or good bills of exchange, only are taken in payment for provisions purchased at Hamburg, and other foreign parts, for the fisheries. In our own colonies, the payments would be principally made in British manufactures. The Labrador fishing, the seal fishery, a fishery to the banks, and the fitting out of vessels direct from England for the seal fishery, are objects of great con- sequence, and seriously worthy of national encou- ragement. ' V 'J IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) «r. 1.0 I.I l^|2^ 12.5 |5o "^^ M^^B 1.8 1.25 1.4 IJ4 ■« 6" — ► VI <^ % '/ Photographic Sciences Corporation m r\>" <^ :\ iV \ fv 7 <*k o ^A. f" > 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. 14580 (716) 872-4503 "/.. .^-V4. *v ^s. He carried lier to St John's, wliere she was taken to the governor's, and kindly- treated. Slie admired the epaiilets of the officers more than any thing slie saw; and although jn-esents, and indeed whatever she asked for, were given her, she would never let her fur dress go out of her hands. She was afterwards sent back by the man who took her ; but it is not known what became of her. It is not likely she ever joined her tribe.* It was hoj)ed that the treatment she experienced would have induced some of her tribe to oj)en an in- tercourse with the English ; but this was doubtful, as they might have looked upon it as a i)lan to en- snare them. In 1809, government sent a vessel to Exi)loits Bay, in order, if possible, to meet the Indians, and to open a friendly communication with them. Lieutenant * In consequenc ; of Lieutenant Cliapell liaving stated that tin's woman was murdered by tlie man who carried lier l)ack, I wrote to Mr Corniack on the subject, who informs me, " Tlie ohl Red Indian woman Avlioin you enquire about, was sent from St John's, in Admiral (iambier's time, with presents from tlie Avliites, to the woods from whence she came. Cull, the man who was intrusted with her and the presents, asked me, in 1827, ' if there was any means of getting at that lying fellow who wrote a book, and said that he' (Cull) ' killed the old woman when he got her into the coun- try, and took her load of presents.' He then consulted me about proceeding against Chapell for the libel he wrote. I take it for granted that the old woman never joined her tribe, wliatever be- came of her ; but if the man who charged Cull with her murder, ever comes witliin the reach of Cull's gnn, (and a long duck gun it is, that cost L.7 at Fogo,) he is as dead as any of the lied Indians that Cull has often shot." M F,IJT KNANT BUC H AN. 257 SjH'att, who c'oininaiHled the vessel, had with him a painting-, representing the officers of the royal navy shaking hands with an Indian chief, a party of sailors laying parcels of goods at his feet, Indians, men and women, presenting fnrs to the officers, an European and Indian mother looking at their respective child- ren of the same age, and a sailor courting an Indian girl. This expedition did not, however, meet with any of the tribe. In 1815-16, Lieutenant Buclian, in his Majesty's schooner, was dispatched to the river Exploits, with orders to winter there, and, if possible, to open an intercourse with the ]5ceothics. lie had the fortune to meet them, and finally succeeded in communicating with them. He left two of his marines with them as liostages for the safe return of two of the tribe, whom he induced to accompany him to a depot of baggage, among which were presents for the Indians. Some- thing prevented the return of Lieutenant Buchan at the appointed time, and the Boeothics, considering the delay as treachery on the part of the whites, tore the heads of the marines from their bodies. On Lieutenant Buchan returning, the liostages took to the woods, and he soon after found the bodies of the unlucky marines, the Indians having run off with the heads. This was a most unfortunate affiiir ; and it is much to be lamented that Lieutenant Buchan, under any circumstances, did not return in due time.^' * Mr Cormack was afterwards informed by the captive lied Indian woman, Sliananditfiit, that there were otiier causes for the murder of the marines. All of the tribe that had remained wore VOL. I. II I "li. > ' * if V ■J 1 ■ 258 AIIOUKJIXES or NKWl'OUNDI-ANU. ^>^ ^M, Notliitifif fiirtlicr was known of tliis cxlraordiiinry tribe, until tlu' winter of IMIJ), wlicn a party of fur- riers proeeeded up to the Hed Indian Lake, wliere tliey niet two men and a woman on tiie iee. They niavas most unjustly and cruelly shot by llie brutal party, M'ho also shot the other man. They carried off the woman, Avhom they called Mary March, bein«»' the name of the uuMith in which they made her a cai)tive. Her husband, whom they nnir- dered, was a most noble-look ini>' man, about six feet high. This woman was carried to St John's, and, in the following M'inter, was sent back to the river Exploits, in cliarge of Cai>taiu Huchan. Siie died on board his vessel, at the uioutli of the river ; but he carried her body up to the lake, where lie left it in a coffin, in a place where he knew her tribe would likely find it. It appears that a party of them was encamped at this time near the banks of the river, who observed Caj)tain ]5uchan on the ice, aiul afterwards carried away the body of Mary March, which they deposited alongside of that of her husband.* Tlie last time any of the Boeothics were seen, was then at the Grand Lake, in ditt'eivnt encampments. A suspicion spread amoni;!; them that Captain lUichan liad gone down to bring up a party of men from tite sea-coast to make all tlie lioeothics l)ri8oners. They accordingly (k»termined on breaking up their en- campments, and to alarm and join the rest of their tribe, who were encamped on the western side of the lake. To prevent their pro- ceedings being known, they decapitated the marines. * See Mr Cormack's Narrative hereafter. in ■' 'Ik. '^^ ■MM COR^rACK'S EXPEDITION. 2.5J) iluriiifif tlie winter of IS'i.'J, on tlie iro, at New Hay, an arm of Notre Danic \V.\y. 'J'lirci! of tlie women gave themselves up, in a starving condition, to a party of fnrriers ; one of tliem, Sliananditliit, was afterwards brouu'lit to St John's, thnniijh the human- ity of the memhers of the Ho'othic Institution. A few (lays hefore these women surrendered themselves, and not far distant, two l^^nglish furriers shot a man and woman of tlie trihe, who aj)j)eared to ai)proae.h soliciting food. The man was first killed ; and the woman, in despair, remained calmly to ])e fired at, when she was ;ilso shot through the back and chest, and immediately exj)ired. Mr (.'ormack was told this by the very white l)arl)arian who shot lier. Such was the fate of this trihe ; and to the enter- prise and philanthropy of Mr Cormack, we owe all that remains to he told of them. '^J'liat gentleman kindly furnished me with a brief narrative of his last expedition, as contained in the statement laid by him, on his return to St John's, before the BaM>thic Insti- tution. It is so very interesting, and, at the same tinu% so sufficiently brief, as to Justify my transcri- bing it in full. Mr Cormack, in company with the Honourable Augustus ^^'^allet Desbarres, one of the judges of the Supreme Court of Newfoundland, pro- ceeded in a government vessel to Twillingate, the most northerly settlement. Before Mr Corraack's final departure from this place, a numerous meeting of the friends of the expedition was held. On this occa- sion, Mr Cormack, after the object of the expedition had been eulogized by Judge DesbarreR, addressed 260 Anoin(;iNi:,s or nk.wi'oundi.and. ■I 1} ' }i m ■.!<«''■' .•*.-<• ^^^ ia^ those around liiiii, and said, anions other matters', " Is tliere no lioiiest pride iu him wiio protects man from the shafts of injustice ? Nay, is there not an inward monitor, approving- of ail our acts which shall have the tendency to lessen crime and prevent mur- der ? We now stand on the nearest i)art of the New World to Europe, of Newfoundland to IJritain ; and, at this day, and on tiiis sacred spot, do we form the first assend)ly that has ever yet collected to^'ether to consider the condition of the invaded and ill-treated first occui)iers of this country. Britons have tres- l)assed here, to l)e a bliglit and a scourge to a portion of the human race ; under their, in other respects, l)rotecting power, a defenceless, and once independent tribe of men, have been nearly extirpated from tiie face of the earth, scarcely causing au enquiry how or why. Near this spot, man is known to remain in all his primitive rudeness, clothed in skins, and armed only with a bow and arrow, by which to gain his subsistence, and to rej^el the attacks of his reckless and lawless foes. " It would appear from what we can glean from tradition, that about a century and a half ago, this tribe was numerous and powerful, like its neighbours, theMicmacs. Both tribes were then on friendly terms. A misunderstanding with the French, who then held the sway in those parts, led, in the result, to liosti- lities between them ; and the sequel of the tradition runs as follows : — " The European authorities, who, we may suppose, were not over scrupulous in dealing out equity here Mil COllMAC KS I'Xl'KDITIOX. 261 in those days, ofliTod a reward for tlie persons or Jieads of certain of the Red Indians. Soim; of the IMieinaes were tenijited hy the reward, and took off the heads of two of them. JJefore the heads were delivered to ohtain the reward, they were by accident discovered concealed in the canoe which was to convey them, and recog'nised hy some of the lied Indians as those of their friends. The lied Indians gave no intimation of tlie discovery to the perpetra- tors of the unprovoked outrage, Imt consulted anunig themselves, and determined on having revenge. They invited the Micmacs to '^ feast, and arranged their guests in such order, that every Ba;othie liad a Mic- mac by his side ; at a preconcerted signal, every Boeothic slew his guest. They then retired quickly from tliose parts bordering on the JVJicmac country. AVar of course ensued. Fire-arms were little known to the Indians at this time, but they soon came into more general use among such tribes as contiiuied to hold intercourse with Europeans. This circumstance gave tlie Micmacs an undisputed ascendency over the Boeothics, who were forced to betake themselves to the recesses of the interior, and other parts of tlie island, alarmed, as well they might be, at every report of the firelock. " Since that day, European weapons have been directed from every quarter (and in later times, too often) at the open breasts and unstrung bows of the unoffending Ba^othics. Sometimes these unsullied people of the chase have been destroyed wantonly, because they liave been thought more fleet and more ^'M :;l{ 26ii ABORIGINES OF NKM I'OUNDLANU. „V- •Pi! 4 li>kM evnsive tlian men ou^ht to bu. At other times, at the sight of them, the terror of the ijL^norant Kiiropean has goaded him on to murder tlie iiinoeent, at the bare mention of vvhieh civilisation ouglit to weep. Incessant .ind ruthless persecution, eontinued for many Gfcnerations, has given these silvan ])eople an utter distrust and abhorrence of the very signs of civilisa- tion. Shanandithil, the surviving fejnale of tliose who were captured four years ago by some tishermen, will not now return to her tribe, t'ov fear they sliould put her to death ; a j)roof of the estimation in which we are held by that persecuted poeple. " The situation of the unfortunate Bwothics car- ries with it our warmest sympathy, and loudly calls on us all to do something for the sake of humanity. For my own satisfaction, I have, for a time, released myself from all other avocations, and am here now on my way to visit that part of the country which the surviving remnant of the tribe have of late years frequented, to endeavour to force a friendly interview with some of them, before they are entirely annihila- ted ; but it will most probably require many such interviews, and some years, to reconcile them to the approaches of civilized man."* Mr Cormack proceeded from Twillingate, by sea, to the Bay of Exploits, and he gives us the narrative of his journey in a statement laid before the Boeothic Institution at St John's. " Having," says he, " so * At this meeting a society was formed, and called the Bceothic Institution, tlie primary ohject of which was to discover and open a friendly intercourse with the Red Indians, or Boeothics. MH t.Olt MACKS EXPKUrnoN. ii6J rocoiitly ri'tiinu'd, I Mill now 4 AnOllIGlNES OF NEWFOUNDI-AND. i:.1 1^; "3 If**:' known by the name of the Indian Path, we found traces made by the Red Indians, evidently in the sj)ring or summer of the preceding year. Their party had had two canoes ; and here was a canoe rest, on which the daubs of red ochre, and the roots of trees, used to fasten or tie it together, appeared fresh. A canoe rest is simply a few beams, supported horizon- tally, about five feet from the ground> by perpendi- cular posts. A party with two canoes, when descend- ing tiom the interior to the sea-coast, throrfgh such a part of the country as this, Vv^here there are trou- blesome portages, leave one canoe resting, bottom up, on this kind of frame, to protect it from injury by the weather, until their return. Among other tilings which lay strewed about here, were a spear-shaft, eight feet in length, recently made and ochred, parts of old canoes, fragments of their skin dresses, &c. For some distance around, the trunks of many of the birch, and of that species of spruce-pine, called here the var, {pi?ms hahcfmijera,) had been rinded ; these I)eople using the inner part of the bark of that kind of tree for food. Some of the cuts in the trees with the axe were evidently made the preceding year. Besides these, we were elated by other encouraging signs. The traces left by the Red Indians are so peculiar, that we were confident those we saw here were made by them. " This spot has been a favourable place of settle- ment with these people. It is situated at the com- mencement of a i)ortage, which forms a communica- tion by a path between the sea-coast at Badger Bay, Mil COllMACK'S EXPEDITION. 265 about eight miles to the north-east, and a chain of lakes extending westerly and southerly from hence, and discharging their surplus waters into the river Exploits, about thirty miles from its mouth. A path also leads from this place to the lakes, near New Bay, to the eastward. Here are the remains of one of their villages, where the vestiges of eight or ten winter mamateeks, or wigwams, each intended to contain from six to eighteen or twenty people, are distinctly seen close together. Besides these, there are the remains of a number of summer wigwams. Every winter wigwam has close by it a small square- mouthed or oblong pit, dug into the earth, about four feet deep, in which to preserve their stores, &c. Some of these pits were lined with birch-rind. We discovered also in this village the I'emains of a vapour- bath. The method used by the Boeothics to raise the steam, was by pouring water on large stones made very hot for the purpose, in the open ai?*, by burning a quantity of wood around them ; after this process, the ashes were removed, and a hemispherical frame- work, closely covered with skins to exclude the ex- ternal air, was fixed over these stones. The patient then crept in under the skins, taking with him a birch-rind bucket of water, and a small bark dish with which to pour it on the stones, and to enable him to raise the steam at pleasure. " At Hall's Bay, we got no useful information from the three (and the only) English families settled there; indeed, we could hardly have expected any; for these, and such people, have been the unchecked I; ii "1, '!' 11 :! : i} ■4 4rt fTxi'l hi' 266 ABORIGINES OF NEWl'OUNDLAND. ''■ :m <■■'■■* and ruthless destroyers of the tribe, the renniaut of which we were in searcli of. After slee2)ing one night in a house, we again struck into the country to the westward. " In five days we were in the high lands south of "White liay, and in sight of the high lands east of the Bay of Islands, on the west coast of Newfoundland. The country south and west of us was low and fiat, consisting of marshes extending southerly more than thirty miles. In this direction lies the famous Ked Indian Lake. It was now near the middle of Novem- ber, and the winter had commenced pretty severely in the interior. The country was everywhere covered with snow, and for some days past we had walked over the small ponds on the ice. The summits of the hills on which we stood had snow on them, in some places many feet deej). The deer were migrating from the rugged and dreary mountains in the north, to the low and mossy ravines, and more woody parts in the south ; and we inferred, that if any of the Red Indians had been at White Bay during the past sum- mer, they might at that time be stationed about the borders of the low tract of country before us, at the deer-passes, or employed somewhere else in the in- terior, killing deer for winter provisions. At these passes — which are particular places in the migration lines of path, such as the extreme ends of, and straits in, many of the large lakes, the bottoms of valleys, between high and rugged mountains, fords in the large rivers, and the like — the Indians kill great numbers of deer, with very little trouble, during their W >1 MR COIIMACK'S EXPEDITION. 267 t' :i migrations. We looked out for two days from the summits of the hills adjacent, trying to discover the smoke from the camps of the Red Indians, but in vain. These hills conunand a very extensive view of the country in every direction. " We now determined to proceed towards the Red Indian Lake, sanguine that at that known rendez- vous we would find the objects of our search. " Travelling over such a country, except when winter has fairly set in, is truly laborious. " In about ten days, we got a glimpse of this beau- tifully majestic and spleydid sheet of water. The ravages of fire which we saw in the woods, for the last two days, indicated that man had been near. We looked down upon the lake, from the hills at the northern extremity, with feelings of anxiety and admiration. No canoe could be discovered moving on its placid surface. We were the first Europeans who had seen it in an unfrozen state ; for the three par- ties who had visited it before, were here in the win- ter, when its waters were frozen and covered with snow. They had reached it from below, by way of the river Exploits, on the ice. We approached the lake with hope and caution, but found, to our mor- tification, that the Red Indians had deserted it for some years past. My party had been so excited, so sanguine, and so determined to obtain an interview of some kind with these people, that on discovering, from appearances everywhere around us, that the Red Indians, the terror of the Europeans, as well as the other Indian inhabitants of Newfoundland, no II. :fE V' k 4 V, i.i if m -A nV ■I' •1 . u. 26H ABORIGINES OF NEWFOUNDLAND. \M longer existed, tlie spirits of one and all of us were very deeply affected. The old mountaineer was par- ticularly overcome. There were everywhere indica- tions that this had long been the central and undis- turbed rendezvous of the tribe, when they had en- joyed peace and security. But these primitive 2)eople had abandoned it, after having been tormented by parties of Europeans during the last eighteen years. Fatal rencontres had, on tliese occasions, unfortu- nately taken place. " We spent several melancholy days wandering on the borders of the east end of the lake, surveying the various remains of what we now contemplated to have been an unoffending and cruelly extirpated people. At several places, by the margin of the lake, are small clusters of summer and winter wigwams in ruins. One difference, among others, between the Ba'othic wigwams and those of other Indians is, that in most of the former there are small hollows, like nests, dug in the earth, around the fire-place, and in the sides of the wigwam, so that I think it probable these people have been accustomed to sleep in a sit- ting position. There was one wooden building con- structed for drying and smoking venison in, still per- fect ; also a small log-house, in a dilapidated condi- tion, which we took to have been a store-house. The wreck of a large handsome birch-rind canoe, about twenty-two feet in length, comparatively new, and certainly very little used, lay thrown up among the bushes at the beach. We supposed that the violence of a storm had rent it in the way it was found, and *■ MR CORMACK's expedition. 269 that the people who were in it had perislied, for the iron nails, of which there was no want, all remained in it. Had there been any snrvivors, nails being much prized by these people, they never having held intercourse with Europeans, such an article would most likely have been taken out for use again. All the birch-trees in the vicinity of the lake had been rinded, and many of those of tiie spruce-fir or var, {phm.s hahamrfera^ Canadian balsam-tree,) had the bark taken off, to use the inner part for food, as noticed before. " Their wooden repositories for the dead are in the most perfect state of preservation. These are of different constructions, it would appear, according to the rank of the persons entombed. In one of them, which resembled a hut, ten feet by eight or nine, and four or five feet high in the centre, floored with square poles, the roof covered with the rinds of trees, and in every way well secured against the weather, and the intrusion of wild beasts, the bodies of two full-grown persons were laid out at length on the floor, and wrapped round with deer skins. One of these bodies appeared to have been entombed not longer than five or six years. We thought there were children laid, in here also. On first opening this building, by removing the posts which formed the ends, our curiosity was raised to the highest pitch ; but what added to our surprise, was the discovery of a white deal coffin, containing a skeleton neatly shrouded in white muslin. After a long pause of conjecture how such a thing existed here, the idea of Mary March r %': . ; *i: ' 1, :? "I" m W'^ * W^ :(1 'R.J 1, ''it^ i! .?^.v'i til I' I? V if 270 ABOllIGINES OF NEWFOUNDLAND. '* Irs: 9 * 4 i,S, ^h5J' trN^ occurred to one of the party, and the whole mystery was at once explained. " In this cemetery were deposited a variety of arti- cles, in some instances the property, in others the representations of the property and utensils, and of the achievements, of the deceased. There were two small wooden images of a man and woman, no doubt meant to represent husband and wife ; a small doll, which we supposed to represent a child, (for Mary March had to leave her only child here, which died two days after she was taken;) several small models of their canoes, two small models of boats, an iron axe, a bow, and quiver of arrows, were placed by the side of Mary March's husband, and two fire-stones (radiated iron pyrites, from which they produce fire, by striking them together) lay at his head ; there were also various kinds of culinary utensils, neatly made of birch-rind, and ornamented ; and many other things, of some of which we did not know the use or meanmg. (S Another mode of sepulture which we saw here, was, when the body of the deceased had been wrapped in birch-rind, it was, with his property, placed on a sort of scaffold about four feet and a half from the ground. The scaffold was formed of four posts, about seven feet high, fixed perpendicularly in the groimd, to sustain a kind of crib, five feet and a half in length by four in breadth, with a floor made of small squared beams laid close together horizontally, and on which the body and property rested. " A third mode was, when the body, bent together, MR cormack's expedition. 271 and wrapped in birch-rind, was enclosed in a kind of box on the ground. The box was made of small square posts, laid on each other, horizontally, and notched at the corners to make them meet close. It was about four feet by tliree, and two and a half feet deep, and well lined with birch-rind, to exclude the weather from the inside. The body lay on its right side. " A fourth, and the most common mode of burying among these people, has been to wrap the body in birch-rind, and cover it over with a heap of stones, on the surface of the eTirth, in some retired spot. Sometimes the body thus wrapped up is put a foot or two under the surface, and the spot covered with stones. In one place, where the ground was sandy and soft, they appeared to have been buried deeper, and no stones placed over the graves. " These people appear to have always shown great respect for their dead ; and the most remarkable remains of them, commonly observed by Europeans at the sea-coast, are their bury ing-pl aces. These are at particular chosen spots ; and it is well known that they have been in the habit of bringing their dead from a distance to them. With their women they bring only their clothes. " On the north side of the lake, opposite the river Exploits, are the extremities of two deer fences, about half a mile apart, where they lead to the water. It is understood that they diverge many miles in a north- westerly direction. The Red Indians make these to lead the deer to the lake, during the periodical f'i I- " ! .Si V'J; (vJ '.V;'? t-. •I : WJ ■» ;, ■••■i I- V i! if 272 AlJORTr.lNKS OV N KWKOUXDI. AND . In Aria migration of tliose auiinals. The Indians, stationing* themselves near where the deer get into the water to swim across, tlie lake heing narrow at this end, pursue the animals in tlieir canoes, and kill them with spears. In this way they secure their winter provisions before the severity of the winter sets in. " There were other remains of different kinds peculiar to these people, met with about this lake. " One night we encamped on the foundation of an old Indian wigwam, on the extremity of a point of land which Juts out into the lake, and exposed to the view of the whole country around. A large fire at night is the life and soul of such a party as ours ; and, when it blazed up at times, I could not help observing, that two of my Indians evinced uneasi- ness and want of confidence in things around, as if they thought themselves usurpers on the Red Indian territory. From time immemorial, none of the Indians of the other tribes had ever encamped near this lake, fearlessly, and as we had now done, in the very centre of such a country ; the lake and territory adjacent having been always considered to belong- exclusively to the Red Indians, and to have been occupied by them. It had been our invariable prac- tice hitherto to encamp near hills, and be on their summits by the dawn of day, to try and discover the morning smoke ascending from the Red Indians' camps ; and, to prevent the discovery of ourselves, we extinguished our own fire always some length of time before daylight. " Our only and frail hope now left, of seeing the 4 ;,;.., 'i^', MR COUMACK's expedition. 27'i Red Indians, lay on the banks of tlie river Exploits, on our return to the sea-coast. " Tlie Red Indian Lake discharges itself about three or four miles from its north-east end ; and its waters form the river Exploits. From the lake to the sea- coast is considered about seventy miles ; and down this noble river the steady perseverance and intre- pidity of my Indians carried me on rafts in four days ; to accomplish which otherwise, would have required probably two weeks. AVe landed at various places on both banks of the river on our way down, but found no traces of the Red Indians so recent as those seen at the portage at liadger Bay, Great Lake, towards the beginning of our excursion. During our descent, we had to construct new rafts at the different waterfalls. Sometimes we were carried down the rapids at the rate of ten miles an hoiu-, or more, with considerable risk of destruction to the whole party, for we were always together on one raft. " What arrests the attention most, in gliding down the stream, is the extent of the Indian fences to entrap deer. They extend from the lake downwards, continuous, on the banks of the river, at least thirty miles. There are oi)enings left here and there for the animals to go through and swim across the river, and at these places the Indians are stationed, and kill them in the water with spears out of their canoes, as at the lake. " Here, then, connecting these fences with those on the north-west side of the lake, is at least forty miles of country, easterly and westerly, prepared to inter- VOE. I. IS •'i !* tUi ' r 1 ''^. ih K'i ^^ I I. B'l t.m •I' V ,1 •.JTI- An()iiu;iNr,s oi ni'.wkoiindi.and. m ^'*- rti .«..^ :^'^: mi •ts* (•opt all tlio i\vvv tliat pass (liat way in (lii'ir pcriodi. I'al iiii«»rati(>ns. It was iiiclaiiclioly to coiitcniplatc the j»ij;antii', yot riulo, ollorts of a wliok- i)riiiiitivt' nation, in tlu'ir anxioty to provide* siihsistoiuv, for- sak'cn and };'oino' to (U'cay. "'J'lu'iv must liavo lurn liundivds of lU'd Indians, and tliat not many yoars ai^'o, to have koi)t up those fences and junmds. As their mimhers were lessened, so M'as their ahility to keej) them up for the ])urposos intended, and now the deer pass the whole line unmolested. " A^\' infer that the few of these peo])le who may yet survive, have taken refuj^e in some se([uestered spot, in the northern j)art of the ishunl, where they can procure «leer to suhsist on. " On the i^nth of November, we a^'ain arrived at the mouth of the river lOxploits, thirty (la}'s after our departure from thenee, after having made a complete circuit of 2120 miles in the Red Indian territory. " The materials collected on this, as well as on my excursion {icross the interior a few years ago, and on other occasions, put me in ])ossession of a general knowledge of the natural condition and productions of Newfoundland ; and, as a niend)er of an institu- tion formed to i)rotect the aboriginal inhabitants of the country in which we live, and to prosecute enquiry into the moral character of man in his primitive state, I can, at this early stage of our institution, assert, trusting to nothing vague, that we already possess more information concerning these people, than lias been obtained during the two centuries and a half 'J I:" ir'o Mil COUMACK S I'.XrKDri'ION. 27n lil tliat Nowfoiiiidlainl has biru in tlio possession of Kurojicaiis. IJiit it is to he lanu'iited, that now, wht'H wi' have taken np the cause of a barbarously treated people, so few should remain to reaj) the benefit of our plans for their eivilisation. The insti- tution and its su|»porters will agree witli me, that after the unfortunate eireumslaiu'es attending |)ast encounters between the Euro|)e;nis and the Red Indians, it is best now to employ Indians belonging to the other tribes, to be the medium of beginning the intercourse we have in view ; and, indeed, I have already chosen three of* tlie most intelligent men, from among the others met with in Newfoundland, to follow up my search. " I have the i)leasure to present to the Bwotbic Institution several ingenious articles, the manufac- ture of the Hix'othics ; some of whicli we had the good fortune to discover on our recent excursion, models of their canoes, bows and arrows, spears of different kinds, &c., and also a complete dress worn by that people. I'Jieir mode of kindling fire is not only original, but, as far as we at present know, is peculiar to their tril>e. These articles, together with a short vocabulary of their language, consisting of from 200 to 300 words, which I have been enabled to collect, prove the Ba'othics to be a distinct tribe from any hitherto discovered in North America. One remarkable characteristic of their language, and in which it resembles those of Europe more than any other Indian languages do, with which we have had an opportunity of comparing it, is its abounding in ill. ;ij i*l I Ml '. »><'» JfM Hi \ 270 AllUJlICilNKS or NKWrOl'NDLAND. f ill ■ C .i^-, '*►■>'.. 1 'j* ?» h'la -I' •'«■■• di])!itli()iigs. In my (letaik-d irport, I would pro- pose to have plates of these articles, and also of the like articles used hy other tribes of Indians, that a comparative idea may he formed of them ; and when the Indian fenude, Shanandithit, arrives in St John's, I would recommend that a correct likeness of her he taken, and he preserved in tlie records of the institution. One of the specimens of mineralogy which we found in our excursion, was a block of what is called Labrador felspar, nearly four and a half feet in len<»tli, l)y about three feet in breadth and thickness. This is the largest piece of that beautiful rock yet discovered anywhere. Om* sub- sistence in tlie interior was entirely aninnd food, deer and beavers, which we shot." Tlie l^ceotliic Institution of St John's placed the Indians who had accompanied Mr Corniack, on their est:»blishnient, to be employed under his innnediate direction and control, as jiresident, for the purpose of discovering the abodes of the lied Indians. 1'he Indian woman, Shanandithit, ^^'as also brought to St John's, where she lived in Mr Cormack's house, until he left the colony in 1829, when she was taken into the house of the Attorney- General, Mr Simms. She died in June following. A New- foundland paper of the 12tli June, 1829, notices her death by stating — " Died, on Saturday night, the 6th instant, at the hospital, Shanandithit, the female Indian, one of the aborigines of this island. She died of consumption, a disease ^hich seems to have been remarkably prevalent among her tribe, and MR COUIMACK'S r.XI'KDiriON. 277 wliicli lias unfortunately bi'iMi fatal to all who iiiivi' fuUeii into the hands of the si'tth'i*, Siucu the departure of Mr Corniaek from the island, this poor woman has had an asylum allorded her in the house of James Sinnns, lOsq. Attorney-(reneral,wiiere evt*ry attentiou has heen |)aid to her wants ami comforts } and, under the ahle and professional adviee of Dr Carson, who has most kindly and liherally attended her for many months j)ast, it was hoped that her health might have heen re-estahllshed. Lately, how- ever, her disease liad become daily more formidable, and her strength had rapidly declined ; and, a short time since, it was deemed advisable to send her to the hospital, where her sudden decease has imt too soon fulfilled the fears that were entertained for her. With Shanandithit has j)robal)ly expired nearly the last of the native Indians of the island ; indeed, it is considered doubtful by some whether any of them now survive. It is certainly a matter of regret, that those individuals who have interested themselves most to support the cause of science and humanity, by the civilisation of these Indians, should have their labours and hopes so unfortunately and suddenly terminated. They have, however, the satisfaction of knowing that their object has been to mitigate the sufferings of humanity, and that, at least, they have endeavoured to pay a portion of that immense debt which is due from the European settlers of New- foundland to those unfortunate Indians, who have been so long oppressed and persecuted, and are almost, if not wholly, exterminated." I _ r; 4 A •i; m ' u I'M m ' ' ft'','!' m •I' * ;' V if 278 ABORIGINES OF NEWFOUNDLAND. The relics of the Boeothics, which Mr Cormack brought to England, are exceedingly interesting to all those who take an interest in the study of man, and who would trace his progress from his rude and natural state to what we consider civilisation. The Indians employed by the Boeothic Institution have been unsuccessful in their journeys, and it is now believed that the tribe is extinct. A very few may possibly still exist in the most hidden and wild places, among deep ravines, or in dark inaccessible solitudes, determined never to appear again in the presence of Europeans. ■ Eli ?i' \^i' > iYi' [ 279 ] •If ' I ': I : NOTES TO BOOK III. I?- Note A, page 18-2, " Among all the settlements with which the Europeans have co- vered the New World, there is none of the nature of Newfoundland. The others have generally been the destruction of the first colonists they have received, and of a gi;^ at number of their successors : this climate, of itself, hath not destroyed one single person ; it hath even restored strength to some of those whose health had been affected by less wholesome climates. The other colonies have exhibited a series of injustice, oppression, and carnage, winch will for ever be holden in detestation. Newfoundland alone hath not offended against humanity, nor injured the rights of any other people.* The other settlements have yielded productions, only by receiving an equal value in exchange. Newfoundland alone hath drawn from the depths of the waters riches formed by nature alone ; and which furnish subsistence to several countries of both hemispheres. " How much time hath elapsed before this parallel hath been made ! Of what importance did fish appear, when compared to the money which men went in search of in the New World I It was long before it was understood, if even it be yet understood, that the representation of the thing is not of greater value than the thing itself ; and that a ship filled with cod, and a galleon, are ves- sels equally laden with gold. There is even this remarkable differ- ence, that mines can be exhausted, and the fisheries never are.f Gold is not reproduced, but the fish are so incessantly." — Raynal, vol. V. p. 296. * The sufferings of the Red Indians form an exception which the Abbe was unacquainted with. f An able naturalist, who is said to have had the patience to count the eggs contained in the roe of a single cod, found the number to be 9,344',00O. ■J* If i ;i«l ■hi '5 'My* • ■ fe, li J ■.it ■ • ;f 1 n: 280 NOTES TO BOOK 111. Note B, page 217. " It is a very general custom at Newfoundland for the labouring classes and others, in the winter season, as a compliment to the clergyman, to bring him from the interior a quantity of wood or fuel. The friends of the clergyman of the established cliurch at Saint John's, some short time ago, proposed what is there called a * general haul of wood' for his benefit. I had the gratification of hearinf^ the good, pious, and venerable bishop of the Roman Catho- lic church address his numerous congregation, and request of them that they would joia in the haul of wood, and that tlieir general exertions, in behalf of his brother of the established church, would be more gratifying than any thing they could do for himself. On the day of the haul, it was most gratifying to observe the Roman Catholics, united with their brethren of every other religious per- suasion, moving immense masses of wood in the direction of the house of the worthy minister. The great body of the v, orking people were Irish, or their immediate descendants ; and I can assure your lordship, that it warmed my heart, though the mercury was fifteen degrees below zero, to observe the perspiration floating down their manly brows, whilst vying with the people of other countries, and other religions, as to who should pay the greatest compliment to the respected individual. The quantity of wood hauled out by the united efforts of the people was great indeed ; but it would be an act of injustice to the individual for whose nominal benefit this haul was made, not to state that it was soon conveyed from his residence to warm the cheerless cottages of the poor, the sick, the widow, and the orphan." — Mr Morris's Letter to Lord Bexley, Note C, page 250. Were it not for the sailors who are bred in the United States fishing vessels, that nation never could man a fleet ; and Mr de Roos's conclusions woitld have been correct, had we not given the Americans a participation in our fisheries. It is well known, that during the last war, the Americans never could have sent their !!?''ffi H«l NOTES TO BOOK III. 281 sliips of war to sea, if it were not for the vast number of Englisli Bailors, principally deserters, whom they hirt"' : but their iissheries will lienceforth make up the necessary crews, although with some difficulty at first, to man a formidable tleet. What the late Judge Haliburton of Nova Scotia has said, in a small but valuable pamphlet, written by him, " On the Importance of the Colonies," and from which Mr de lloos, in his narrative, has quoted some paragraphs, to prove that the American navy is not likely ever to become formid- able, would also hold true, were it not for the advantages we have given them, by allowing them to fish on all our American coasts. There is no country that can more easily build a great fleet than the United States. The only difficulty with them would be to furnish sailors, and we have ourselves removed that difficulty. '; ; i: 'h ;■ f ■I. Note D, page 252. Amoxg the Norwegian and Icelandic historical records, the dis- covery of a country, called by them Winland, on account of its abounding in grapes, is frequently mentioned ; and that, in 1221, Eric, Bishop of (Ireenland, went to Winland to reform his country- men, who had degenerated into savages ; that he never returned, and that nothing more was heard of Winland for several centuries. It is very probable that the adventurous Norwegians discovered New- foundland and Labrador; but that they made settlements in either, as they did in Greenland, is very doubtful. As to grapes abounding in Newfoundland, we may safely deny this. The vast quantities of wild cranberries, which are large, red, and juicy, might very naturally have been called grapes by the Norwegians, or Northmen. Robertson is of opinion that Newfoundland was settled by the Norwegians ; and Mr Pinkerton is very positive on the subject. The latter considers that the Red Indians are their descendants. He, however, in another place, concludes that the whole of the race were destroyed by the Esquimaux. I regret to find so respect- able a writer as Mr Pinkerton so frequently in error, and at times treatingin the manner of historical truths, what can only be regarded, in respect to the Indians, as mere conjectures. The Bojothics were, from the form of their implements, dress, and language, a distinct 282 NOTES TO BOOK III. warlike tribe of North American Indians; but, fnun their features and stature, certainly of the same race, and not allied to the Esqui- maux, as some writers have asserted. If we are justified in concluding that any of the American tribes are of the Northmen, or European origin, we can only by compa> rison consider the Esquimaux as such : their stature, habits, and features being not only different from the aborigines of America, but closely resembling those of the Greenlanders, who are believed to be of European descent. iif' iiiBWi w\ tures squi- I'ibes mpa- , and rica, eved i': Ik > 1 . f 1 1 , ■I ■ i if t^ ■■■r-i ;'.">'*t4iJ'.' [ 283 ] V BOOK IV. PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND. CHAPTER I. Geographical Position of Prince Edward Island — General Aspect of the Country — Counties, and Lesser Divisions — Description of Charlotte Town and the Principal Settlements. !;: «l n J^^- Prince Edward Island is situated in the Gulf of St Lawrence, within the latitudes of 46° and 47® 10' N., and longitudes of 62° and 65° W. Its length, following a course through the centre of the island, is 140 miles ; and its greatest breadth, thirty-four miles. It is separated from Nova Scotia by Nor- thumberland Strait, which is only nine miles broad, between Cape Traverse and Cape Tormentine. Ca^ie Breton lies within twenty-seven miles of the east point ; and Cape Ray, the nearest point of Newfound- land, is 125 miles distant. The distances from Char- lotte Town to the following places, are — to the Land's End, England, 2280 miles ; to St John's, Newfound- land, 550 mile;? ; to St John's, New Brunswick, by sea, 360 miles, and across the peninsula of Nova Scotia, 135 miles ; to Quebec, 580 miles ; to Halifax, through the • 4 284 PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND. J, f!" 0' ' p5' ■■'i »^r^^;!.. Gut of Canso, 240 miles, and by Pictoii, 140 miles ; to Miramiclii, 120 miks ; to Pictou, 40 miles. In coming within view of Prince Edward Island, its aspect is that of a level country, covered to the water's edge with trees, and the outline of its surface scarcely curved with the appearance of hills. On approaching nearer, and sailing round its shores, (especially on the north side,) the prospect becomes interesting, and presents small villages, cleared farms, red headlands, bays, and rivers which pierce the country ; sandhills covered with grass ; a gentle di- versity of hill and dale, which the cleared parts open to vievr, and the undulation of surface occasioned by small lakes or ponds, which from the sea appear like so many valleys. On landing and travelling through the country, its varied, though not highly romantic scenery, and its agricultural and other improvements, attract the attention of all who possess a taste for rural beauties. Owing to the manner in which it is intersected by various branches of the sea, there is no part at a greater distance from the ebbing and flowing of the tide than eight miles. It abounds with streams and springs of the purest water ; and it is remarked, that in digging wells, no instance of being disappointed in meeting with good water has occurred. There are no mountains in the island A chain of hills intersects the country between Disable and Grenville Bay ; and, in different parts, the lands rise to moderate heights ; but, in general, the surface of the island may be considered as devia- ^r' CIIAIIT.OTTK TOWN. 285 ting no more from the level tlian could be wished, for the purpose of agriculture. Almost every part affords agreeable prospects and beautiful situations. In suunner and autumn, the forests exhibit a rich and splendid foliage, varying from the deep green of the fir, to the lively tints of the birch and maple ; and the character of tlie scenery at these seasons, displays a smiling loveliness and teeming fertility. The island is divided into three counties, these again into parishes, and the whole subdividetl into sixty-seven townships, containing about 120,000 acres each. The plot of a town, containing about 400 building lots, and the same number cf pasture lots, are reserved in each county. These are, George Town, in King's County; Charlotte Town, in Queen's County ; and Prince Town, in Prince County. Charlotte Town, the seat of government, is situated on the north bank of Hillsborough river, near its confluence with the rivers Elliot and York. Its har- bour is considered one of the best in the Gulf of St Lawrence. The passage into it leads from Northum- berland Strait, to the west of Point Prime, between St Peter's and Governor's Islands, up Hillsborough Bay, to the entrance of the harbour. Here its breadtli is little more than half a mile, within which it widens, and forms a safe, capacious basin, and then branches into three beautiful and navigable I'ivers. The har- bour is commanded by different situations that might easily be fortified, so as to defend the town against any ordinary attack by water. At present, there is a '« It ■Si:- , 1. 't.-r , hi ■m . i. 'm '.in n ■■I ,f n 286 riUNCE EDWARD ISLAND. ;i ' M\f$ battery in front of the town, near the barracks ; an- other on Farming? Bank ; and a block-house, with some cannon, on tlie western point of the entrance. Charlotte Town stands on ground which rises in gentle heights from the banks of the river, and con- tains about 350 dwelling-houses, and about 3400 in- habitants. The plan of tlie town is regular ; the streets broad, and intersecting each other at right angles ; five or six vacancies are resei'ved for squares ; and many of the houses lately built are finished in a handsome style, and have a lively and pleasing appearance. The court-house — in which the Courts of Chancery, as well as the Court of Judicature, are held, and in which the Legislative Assembly also sit — the Episcopal church, the New Scotch churcli, and tlie Catholic and Methodist chapels, are the only public buildings. The barracks are pleasantly situ- ated near the water, and a neat parade or square occupies the space between those of the officers and privates. The building lots are eighty-four feet in front, and run back 160 feet. To each of these a pas- ture-lot of twelve acres was attached in the original grants; and there was formerly a common, lying be- tween the town and pasture-lots, which, however, the Lieutenant-Governor Fanning found convenient to grant away in lots to various individuals. On entering and sailing up the harbour, Charlotte Town appears to much advantage, with a clean, lively, and prepossessing aspect, and much larger than it in reality is. This deception arises from its occupying ,1»l ' ■ CHARLOTTE TOWN. 287 an extensive surface in proportion to the number of liouses, to most of whicli lar^e gardens are attached. Few places offer more agreeable walks, or prettier situations, than those in tlie vicinity of Charlotte Town. Among the latter, Spring Park, St Avard's, the seat of the Attorney-General, Mr Johnston ; Fanning Bank, on which his excellency Governor Ready has made great improvements, and some farms lying between the town and York river, are conspi- cuous. On the west side of the harbour lies the Fort, or Warren, Farm. This is perhaps the most beautiful situation on the island ; and the prospect from it em- braces a view of Charlotte Town, Hillsborough river for several miles, part of York and Elliot rivers, a gi'eat part of Hillsborough Bay, Governor's Island, and Point Prime. A small valley and pretty rivulet wind through the middle of its extensive clearings ; and the face of this charming spot is agreeably varied into gently rising grounds, small vales, and level spaces. When the island was taken, the French had a garrison and extensive improvements in this place ; and here the commandant chiefly resided. After- wards, when the island was divided into townships, and granted away to persons who were considered to have claims on government, this tract was reserved for his majesty's use. Governor Patterson held pos- session of it while on the island, and expended a con- siderable sum in its improvement. The late Abbe de Calonne (brother to the famous financier) afterwards obtained the use and possession 1.1 i' m !f '» . if: \ii i m ? a- Mi i m 288 PRINCE EDWAlll) ISLAND. .']' of this jilacc, during his resiUent'e on the ishuid ; and since then, the family of tlie late tieneral Fanning liave hy some means obtained a grant of this valuable tract.* During the sununer and autumn months, the view from Charlotte Town is highly interesting. The blue mountains of Nova Scotia appearing in the distance ; a long vista of the sea, through tlie entrance of the harbour, forming, with the basin, and part of Elliot, York, find Hillsborougli rivers, a fine branching sheet of water ; and the distant farms, partial clearings, grassy glades, intermingled with trees of various kinds, but chiefly the birch, beecli, maple, and spruce fir, combine to form a landscape that would please even the most scrupulous of picturesque tourists. No part of the island could have been more judi- ciously selected for its metroi)olis, than that which has been chosen for Charlotte Town ; it being situa- ted almost in the centre of the country, and of easy access, either by water, or by the different roads lead- ing to it from the settlements. * There has been much said about tlie claim of right to this property ; and a wish not to hurt the feelings of private individuals prevents me from detailing particulars contained in original docu- ments which I possess. I will, however, assert, that no grant of this property was made to M. de Calonne ; but I believe he was offered it as an asylum for himself and a number of French refugees. He had, however, too much ambition to retreat like a hermit from the great world ; and his grand purpose at the time, was to plan and effect a counter revolution in France. I have by me several letters written by liis brother the Abbe, while on the island, to official persons there at the same time, which throw much light on this subject. 1.1' Tiiur.i: iiivi Its. 289 Ooorp^c T()\v!i, or Tlirco UImts, is also situattMl iionr the jmictioii of three fiiio rivers, on the south- east part of the ishuiil. Wry 1^ Me has heeii yet done in onler to form a town in this phice, although it has often heen pointed out as hetter adapted for the seat of government than Charlotte .'own. It has certainly n more innnediate eomnnimcation with the ocean, but it is not so conveniently situated for intercourse with many parts of the island. Its excellent harbour, liowever, and its very desirable situation for the cod and herring fisheries, will probably, at no very distant period, make it a jdace T)f considerable importance. It is well calculated for the centre of any trade car- ried on within the Gulf of St Lawrence. The har- bour is not frozen over for some time after all the other harbours in the gulf, and it opens earlier in the {spring. A few hours will carry a vessel from it to the Atlantic, through the Gut of Canso ; and vessels can lay their course from thence to Three Rivers- with a south-west wind, (which prevails in the sum- mer,) which tliey cannot do to Charlotte Town. This harbour lies also more in the track to Quebec, and other places up the gulf. Its access is safe, liaving a fine broad and deep entrance, free from sand-bars, or indeed any danger ; and can be easily distinguished by two islands, one on each side. Excellent fishing- grounds lie in its vicinity ; and herrings enter it in large shoals, early in May. On Saturday evenings, or on Sunday mornings, the Acadian French fishing- shallops come in from the fishing-grounds, close to Three Rivers, to pass Sunday within the harbour. VOL. I. T II." f! J.' I.l. ';. M ■ '>! % « I i Ir Si 290 I'lJTXl'i: l-.nU'AKl) ISLAND. .■■1W6 i,.'.iii!-:-Jii/*»: The entrniicc to Throe Rivers IJny is between lioughtoii and I'aiunure islands. A sandy l)eac]i con- neets them with the main. Pilots are ready to attend when a sional is hoisted ; and, althou'>h the ehannel is broad, and many masters of large ships venture in with the assistance of somiding, it is as well not to run the risk of grounding on some sandy spits. AMthin the bay there are several harbours ; the best is Montaii'ue River. The settlements contiguous to George Town, on Cardigan, Montague, and Brudnelle rivers, are ra- pidly extending, and the settlers are directing their attention more to a<>Ticulture than formerly. A con- siderablc quantity of tindjer has, within the last twenty years, been exported from hence ; and a num- ber of superior ships have also been built here for the British market. At present, there are tw o well-esta- blished ship-yards, one at l^rudnelle Point, where the French, under Count de Raymond, had an extensive fishery, and some hundreds of acres, now overgrown witli trees, under cultivation. The other ship-yard is at Cardigan River. Several large and b' autiful ves- sels have been built at each ; but the late ruinous depression in the value of shipping has brought the business of constructing vessels here, as elsewhere, to a stand. The district of country bordering on Three Rivers must, when populously settled, become, if not tlie first, one of the most important districts in the colony. Its great natural advantages cannot but eventually secure its ])r()f ])erity. i \--\ PRINCIPAL SETTLEMENTS. L>91 Prince Town (or more properly, the point of a peninsula so called) is situated on the south side of Richmond Bay, and on the north side of the island. There are no houses, however, erected on the build- ing lots ; and the pasture lots have long since beea converted into farms, which form a large straggling settlement. Darnley Basin lies between Prince Town and the point of Allanby, which forms the south side of the entrance to Richmond Bay. Along Allanby Point, and round the basin, a range of excellent farms extends, some of which stretch aCl'oss the point, and have two water fronts, one on the basin, the other on the gulf shore. The district of Richmond Bay, called by the French, Malpeque, and still generally known by that name, comprehends a number of settlements, the principal of which (after Prince Town and Darnley Basin) are, Ship-Yard, Indian River, St Eleanor's, Bentinck River, Grand River, and the village along the township No. 13. Richmond Bay is ten miles in depth, and nine miles in breadth. The distance across the istlmius, between the head of this bay and Bedeque, on the opposite side of the island, is only one mile. There are six islands lying within or across the entrance of Riclimond Bay ; and its shores are in- dented with numerous coves, creeks, and rivers. It has three entrances formed by the islands, but the easternmost is the only one that will admit shipping. This place is conveniently situated for cod and hef- 1. Vi!^ 'm ft* ■; 9f' V If' I 292 riUNC'K l.DWAin) ISLAND. >? 1 1*. Wm •Mm ■\n- •^? ring' fisheries, and was resorted to l)y tlie Kvw Eng- land fisliernien before tlie American Revolution. During the last twenty years, several cargoes of tim- ber have been exported from this poit ; and a num- ber of ships and brigs have been Imilt here for the English market. The inhabitants of Richmond Bay are principally Scotch ; many of wliom, or their parents, emigrated along with Judge Stewart's family, in 1771, from Cantyre, in Scotland. They retain most of the habits, customs, and superstitions, then prevalent in their native country; so nnich so, that in mixing with them, I have heard old people, who remembered the amuse- ments common at Christmas, Hallowe'en, and other occasions, fifty years ago, say they could fancy them- selves carried back to that period. The old music, the old songs, the old tales of Covenanters and Papistry, the ghost stories of centuries past, are often heard in this district ; and I nuist also add, that I have seen, at the kirk at Prince Town, and in its immediate vicinage, striking delineations of some of the most liighly-coloured pictures in the Holy Fair of Burns. I may here observe generally, that customs and man- ners, which are nearly forgotten in Scotland, have become domiciliated in this district, and in some other jiarts of the island. There are a few English families, and a great number of Irish, settled among the other inhabitants at Richmond Bay. The Irish settlers were generally emi)loyed previously in the Newfoundland fisheries. At St Eleanor's there was a popular settlement of TuiNcii'AL si:TTLi::\n:NTs. 29:5 I >ii Acjuliau Freiifh. Some difficulties about the tenures of their hinds, oetasioned theiu to abandon tlie phice, and settle in other parts of the island. The inhabitants of Richmond Bay are, generally vspeaking, a moral and orderly people. Tiie majority profess the Presbyterian faith ; and their clergymen are in connexion with the synod of Pictou. At Prince Town, where the Reverend Mr Keir, a man of exemplary piety and sincerity of character, has offi- ciated for about twenty years, there is a very resj)ect- able kirk, and a grammar-school ; and there are two other kirks on the oi)pQgite side of the bay. At St Eleanor's, there is a church erected for the Revereml Mr Jenkins, who has since removed to Charlotte Town. The Scotch Highlanders, and the French Acadians, have also Catholic chapels. On Lennox Island, within Richmond ]5ay, the In- dians, who are of the once numerous Micmac tribe, and profess the Roman Catholic religion, have a chapel and burying-place. This island, where their chief has a house, is their princi])al rendezvous ; they assemble here about midsummer, on which occasion they meet their priest, or the bishop, v/ho hears con- fessions, administers baptisms, marries those wlio are inclined to enter into that state, and makes other re- gulations for their conduct during the year. After remaining here a few weeks, the greater number re- sume their accustomed and favourite roving life, and wander along the shores, and through the woods of the neighbouring countries. Cascumpeque is about sixteen miles north from fk 'If • J*m '1 ^m ! 1 '■ it ^.rl ■ ^rX i m m m 29A rUINCK KDWAUn ISLAND. ;,i * iL* fm'- 'Sw^ ►ill* ■ - ■Mi Richmond Bay, and twenty-four miles from the north cape of the island. Its harhour is safe and convenient. The lands are well adapted for agriculture ; and this place, by its advantageous situation, is well calculated for extensive fishing establishments. The population consists of Acadian French, and some En^^lish fami- lies ; and the stores, houses, &c., of IMr Hill, the pro- prietor of the surrounding valuable and fertile lands, on the beautiful point at the harbour's entrance, are most conveniently situated for the trade and fisheries of the Gulf of St Lawrence. New London, or the district of Grenville Bay, in- cludes the settlements round the bay, and on the rivers that fall into it, and those at the ponds, between the harbour and Allanby Point. On the east lies the very pretty settlement called Cavendish. The har- bour of New London will not admit vessels requiring more than twelve feet water ; otherwise it is safe and convenient. It is formed by a ridge of sandy downs, stretching from Cavendish, four miles across the mouth of Grenville Bay, until it contracts the en- trance on the west side to half a mile. The bar is dangerous ; several vessels have been lost on it, but the crews have never perished. Cape Tryon, three miles to the north, shelters the bar during north-westerly winds. The lands on the west side of this harbour have long been cultivated ; and formerly there were some extensive establish- ments erected here for the purposes of carrying on the fisheries, but circumstances occurred which pre- vented their prosperity. I • ■I . ri{INc:irAL sr.TTl.Il.AIKNTS. 'i!).") 'J'lie situation and beauty of llic lands liorc, ai\' equal, if not superior, to any spot on this side of the island. I never even faiieied a more deli«^htful walk than aloni>' the i^'reen swards, and amon;^ the clumps of wood, that extend from the west side of this har- bour to Cape Tryon. The shore is indented with coves and beaches, wliich are separated again by high pcr[)endicu]ar clills. ^^'e have also, at the same time, a broad view of the ocean, in all its states of im])L'- tiious turbulence, gentle m(>tion, or smooth serenity, and the charming beauty of the c(mntr}% in the i)ic- tureb;que features of which, woods with luxuriant foliage, cultivated farnis, and liigh sandy downs, covered with green grass, are conspicutms. Harrington, or Grand Ilustico J>ay, has two en- trances, and a harbour for small bn«>'s and schooners. Here are two villages inhabited bv Acadian French. The surrounding parts of the bay, witii \\'hately and Hunter Rivers, liave, within the last ten or twelve years, become i)()pulously settled, by an acquisition of useful and industrious ])easantry from different parts of Scotland. There is an island lying across between the two entrances, part of vvhicli is covered with wood, and the rest, about three miles in extent, forms sandy downs, on whicli grows a sort of strong bent grass. On the west side of the harbour, there are on the point several biuldings erected in ISM by one Le Seur, who called himself a French refugee. He began a fishery, which he carried on until the fall of that year, and then absconded in a schooner, whicli he had previously purchased, but not paid for. ir I ; . a 296 I'KINCE i:])\\ AUl) ISI.AMJ. lit.- ')■ y. v^V' w ' ii M m: -)■ He left, very adroitly, several people to whom lie was iiiucli in debt; Imt the property he had in this place was, under judicious management, quite suflicient to pay them all. It was never discovered what this m;in was. Some considered liim a spy of Napoleon. He had certainly the talents and address to conceal his own purposes ; and his insinuating and genteel man- ners made him very popular. He even had a com- mission as cai)tain in the uiilitia given him by the governor. On Hunter river, which falls into Harrington Bay, a very flourishing settlement, named New Glasgow, was planted in 1819 by Mr Cormack, the Newfoundland traveller. The settlers emigrated from the neighbourhood of Glasgow ; and they have made extensive clearings and imjn-ovements since they were located. Brackley is one of the most flourishing and plea- santly situated settlements on the island. It lies between Grand Rustico and Staidiope Cove. The inhabitants, who are in easy circumstances, and have all fine farms, which are their own property, are among the most industrious and exemplary people in the colony. It has a harbour for fishing-boats. Little Rustico, or Stanhope Cove, is esteemed one of the most beautiful settlements on the island. Its situation is agreeable, and the prospects and expo- sures of many of the extensive farms are delightful. Its distance from Charlotte Town, by a good road across the island, is only eleven miles. The lands '^i'l m^: Vn I NC 1 1' A I, S IVl'T I . E M ENTS. IJ97 arc tlio property of Sir Jainus Montgomery and his brotliers. The harbour Mill only admit small vessels. The inhabitants, however, are not generally in a thriving condition. The facility of reaching Char- lotte Town market, with a few trout or fresh her- rings, or a dozen or two of eggs, to buy rum and tea, is usually said, in Charlotte Town, to be the cause of poverty in this settlement. They certainly cannot be selling eggs in Charlotte Town market and culti- vating their lands at the same time. Bedford, or Tracady Bay, is five miles to the east- ward of Stanhope Cove. It is a harbour for schooners and small brigs, the entrance to which is strait, and lies at the west end of a narrow ridge of sand- hills, which stretch across from the east side of the bay.* The inhabitants are chiefly Scotch Highlanders, or their descendants ; and, having settled many 3 ears ago, they are unacquainted with improvements in agriculture, and are still but indifferent farmers. On the west side of the bay, and from that to Stanhojie Cove, there was, when the island surrendered in 1759, a dense population. The late Captain Macdonald of Glenalladale removed to this place in 1772, with a * The entrances to all tlie harbours on the north side of the island, are either at the end, or throujih narrow ridj^es of sandy downs ; — thus, the entrances to the harbours of Cascuinpeque, New London, Grand llustico, and Tracady, are at the west end of such ridges ; and the other harbours, except that of Richmond Bay, have their entrances through si-nilar downs. Strangers are apt to be deceived when approaching these harbours, as they have a gene- ral resemblance. It is therefore advisable to liave a pilot. . V?!^ ''■k¥ .;■*• V'. m m 2^S I'UINCi: KDUAKD Jt^l,ANl). fcrii!' lli:i*:.i^N^^'' r;, ;■» •■--I'- lliK colony of Iliglilaiiilors, who suttkil roiuid tlic liar- bour. The property still bolou^-s to his faniily. Savage Harbour lies a few miles to the eastward of Tracady. Its entrance is shallow, and will only admit boats. Tlie lands are tolerably well settled, and the iidiabitants are chiefly Highlanders. The distance across the island, between this j)lace and Hillsborough River, is about two miles. The Lake Settlement, situated between Savaa'c Harbour and St Peter's, is a i)retty, interesting place. The farms have extensive clearings, and front on a pond, or lagoon, which lias an outlet to the gulf. St Peter's is on the north side of the island, about thirtv miles to the eastward of Charlotte Town. Its m liarbour, owing to a sandy bar across the entrance, M'ill only admit small vessels.* I'here are a number of settlers on each side of its l}ay, which is about nine miles long ; and the river Morell, falling into it from the south, is a fine rapid stream, frecjuented annually by salmon. The lands fronting on this bay belong principally to I\lessrs C. and E. ^\\)rrell. They reside on the i)ropert}% where they are making considerable improvements, and have built granaries, * A most wortliy genUeman, Imt ill calculated, liowovor, for a mcrcliant, owned a brig, wliich lie loaded at Liverpool wit!» salt for St Peter's. He liad lived sufliciently long at the last place to know that nothing but small fishing schooners could pass over the bar ; yet he quite overlooked this in his calculation in loading his sliip, until he arrived abreast of the liarbour, where, fortunately, fine weather favoured him so far as to admit anchoring on the outside for a few days. The sliip was then sent to seek ior a dee[)er har- bour to unload her cargo — I believe to Gaspe or Quebec. "'ajk riu\ci PAi- si:tti,i:mkn IS. iJi)!) an immense barn, a very superior g'rist-mill, ofliccs, &e., on the lands occupied by themselves. The lands round the bay and rivers have, however, been most wretchedly managed, although this part of the coun- try was in a very flourishing condition, and well cul- tivated, when possessed by the French. Greenwich, situated on a peninsula, between St Peter's Bay and the Gulf of St Lawrence, is a charming sjiot, with extensively cleared lands, once well cultivated. This estate is involved in a Chancery suit, not yet, I believe, decided ; and the son of the original complainant died old and grey, five years ago, conii)letely worn oiit in the cause. It justly belongs to Mr Cambridge of Bristol. District of the Capes. — This district extends along the north shore of the island, from St Peter's to the east point. There are no harbours between these two places ; but several ponds, or small lakes, inter- vene. For a considerable distance back from the gulf shore, the lands are entirely cleared, with the excep- tion of detached spots or clumps of the spruce fir. The inhabitants are principally from the west of Scot- land, and from the Hebrides, and their labour has been chiefly applied to agriculture. They raise, even with the old mode of husbandry, to which they tena- ciously adhere, valuable crojis ; and the greater part of the wheat, barley, oats, and pork brought to Charlotte Town, is from this district. It has the advantage of having a regular supply of seaware (various marine weeds) thrown on its shore, which makes excellent manure, particularly for barley. I i ■it'll .'iOO IMMXC K KDWAKl) ISl.ANI). Ay Colvilk', Hollo, Fortune, and IJoug-Jiton IJays, aiv small harbours, with thriving- settlenicnts, situated on the south-east of the island, between Three liivers and the east point. The inhabitants are principally Highlanders and Acadian French. Murray Harbour lies between Cape Bear and Three Rivers. It is well sheltered ; but the entrance is in- tricate, and large ships can only take in part of their cargoes within the bar. Several cargoes of timber have been exported from this i)lace, and a numl)er of excellent ships, brigs, and small vessels, have been built here by Messrs Cambridge and Sons, whose extensive establishments, mills, ship-yards, &c., have for many years aiforded employment to a number of people. The cultivation of the soil has, however, for a long time been neglected ; but an accession of industrious peoi)le, who have settled liere within the last few years, are making great imjjrovements. The lands in the townships abutting* aiul adjoining- Murray Harbour, are very fertile, and form an exten- sive district, extending- from Three Rivers to the Earl of Selkirk's i)roperty, at Wood Island. There are some fine and beautiful farms fronting on the shores, and some small lagoons, particularly at Gaspereau pond, situated to the eastward of Murray Harbour.* Belfast. — This district may be said to include the villages of Great and Little Belfast, Orwell, and Point Prime, with the settlements at Pinnette River, Flat River, Belle Creek, and Wood Islands. At * Note A. I.OIU) Sl.l.KllMv S lOl.OXY. liOl .o, tho time llie islniid was takoii tVoin tlio Fiviuli, a tew iiilial)itaiilswt'ivsottk'(l in this district ; but fnmi tliat pcriotl, the lauds, iii a great uieasure, reuiaiued iiuoeeupied uutil the year ItSO.'i, wlu'U the hite euter- l)risiug 1^'arl of Selkirk arrived ou the island with hOO enii<>Tants, whom he settled aloug the fronts of the townships that iu)w contain those tiourishing settlements. His lordship brought his colony from the Iligldands and Isles of Scotland, and by the con- venience of the tenures under which he gave them lands, and by persevering industry on their part, these people have arrived at more comfort and hap- piness than they ever experienced before. Tiie soil in this district is excellent ; the i)opulation has in- creased in number, with the accession of friends and relatives chieflv% and the natural increase of the first colonists, to nearly 4000. They raise heavy crops, the overplus of which they carry either to Charlotte Town, Pictou, Halifax, or Newfoundland. His lordship observes, in his able work on emi- gration — "• I had undertaken to settle these lands with emigrants whose views were directed towards the United States; and, without any wish to increase the general spirit of emigration, I could not avoid giving more than ordinary advantages to those who should join me. * * * To induce j)eople to endjark in the undertaking, was, however, the least part of my task. The difficulties which u new settler has to struggle with, are so great and various, that in the oldest and best-established colonies they are not to be avoided altooether. * * * Of these discou- I •' '!■.» ; iH. 'I'lii' land, which had formerly iK-i-n ovorf^Town with wood, was overj^rowii a«>'ain with thickt'ts of yoinif]^ trees, interspersed with grassy glades. * * '* I arrived at the plaee late in the ovenin^j;-, and it had then a very striking api)ear- anee. Ji.aeli fainilv had Kindled a hnm- lire near their wigwams, and round these were ass.-ndded groups of figures, whose i)eeuliar national dress added to the singularity of the surrounding scene ; eon- fused hea])s of haggage were everywhere j)iled toge- ther heside their wild hi\J)itati()ns ; and by tliL' num- ber of fires, the whole woods were illumined. At the end of the line of encampment I pitched my own tent, and was surrounded in the morning hy a inuuerous assend)lageof people, whose behaviour indicated thai they looketl to nothing less than a restoration of the liapi)y days of clanship. * •'" * These hardy peojjle thought little of the inconvenience they felt from the slightness of the shelter they put up for themselves." His lordship then states numerous difficulties attending the location of the emigrants, and then proceeds : — " I c(mld not hut regret the time wliich had been lost ; but I had satisfaction in reflecting that the settlers had begun the culture of their farms, with their little cai)itals unimpaired. * * * I quitted the island in September 1803, and after an extensive tour on the continent of America, returned at the end of the same month in the following year. It was with the utmost satisfaction I then found that my plans had been followed up with attention and jiulg- ■ 'i? m^ % ■,y._ ,■{ r 'Mn TI{IN( r, KDWAIU) ISLAND. '.^IvSTift^ ■mi 2».«1 uieut. ^ * * I found tli(.'sc'ltlt'rsc'iu»'ni»v(l in sccuriiia' the lijirvi'st wliidi tlit'ir industry liad ])r()ducrd. ^J'ljore wiTo tliroi' or tour families who had not iratliorcd a croj) adequate to their own suj)i)ly ; hut many others liad a considerahle superahundance." I liad, while in America, fVe([uent oj)j)ortunities of knowin<>' the condition of these colonists; and, if ])ossessing* land, ^'ood houses, large stocks of cattle, abundance of i)rovisions, and ;i large overplus of pro- duce to sell for articles of convenience, together with being free of debt, be considered to constitute inde- pendent circumstances, theyare certainly in that state. Tryon is situated about twenty miles west of Charlotte Town, nearly opposite to J5ay de \'erts, in Nova Scotia. It is one of the most populous, and considered the prettiest village on the island. A ser- pentine river winds through it; on each side of which are beautiful farms. The tide tlows up about two miles ; but the harbour will only adiuit of small scliooners and boats, it having a dangerous bar at the entrance : extensive clearings were made here when possessed by the French. I^edeque is situated on the south-west part of the island, about eighteen miles from Tryon. It is popu- lously settled on the different sides of the two rivers into which the harbour branches. The harbour is well sheltered by a small island, near which ships anchor and load. There are two or three shi2)-build.- ing establishments here ; and it has for some time been a shippiug port for timber. Egmont Bay lies to the west of Bedeque. It is I . I'UINCIPAT, SETTLEMENTS. 305 i)' IS a large open bay, sixteen miles liroad from the west point to Cape Egmont, and about ten deep. Per- ceval, Enmore, and two other small rivers, fall into it ; on the borders of which are excellent marshes. There is no harbour within this bay for large ves- sels ; and as the shoals lie a considerable distance off, it is dangerous for strangers to venture in, even with small vessels. The inhabitants are chiefly Acadian French, who live in three small thriving villages, on the east side of the bay. The whole population con- sists only of thii'ty-nine families.* * Coming down tlie Gulf of Sf Lawrence, from the Bay de Clia- leur, in 1819, in a large wlifile boat, we were driven into this hay, but could not approach within a quarter of a mile of the shore, in consequence of its being there lined by a succession of narrow sand bars, with channels about four feet deep between them. An Acadian, nearly one hundred years old, came out to us on horse- back, and carried us, one at a time, behind him on the liorse to the shore. We met with great hospitality among the simple Acadians. I stopped in the old patriarch's liouse; and the bed in which the priest, who visited the village twice a-year, slept, was allotted to me. There were none except the venerable Acadian and his wife living in the house. He laboured daily in the fields ; and she not only frequently assisted him, but cooked, washed, and made and mended his clothes. He gave me much information about tJie early condition of the island, as he was born on it, and was present when it surrendered to the English, in 1758. Talking of himself, he said, " I am the father of every family" (twenty-four at that time) " in the village ; for there is not one of those houses in which I have not either a son, daughter, grandson, or grand-daughter married ; and I have also several great-grand-children. Look at my old wife and me," said he, " now living alone as we were when first married. We need not work, it is true, for our children would willingly provide us plenty, even if we had not money laid by. But we know, that if we did not work, we would soon die. Be- VOI.. I. u w ''km r .:Sr,V;i M % M 306 PRINCE EDAVARD ISLAND. Mr Hillsboroiiffh river enters the country in a north- easterly direction. The tide flows twenty miles far- ther lip than Charlotte Town ; and three small rivers branch off to the south. The scenery at and near the head of this river, is rich and pretty. Mount Stewart, the property and pre- sent residence of John Stewart, Esq., late paymaster to the troojis at Newfoundland, and Speaker of the present House of Assembly, is a most charming spot; and the prospect from the house, which stands on a rising ground, a])out half a mile from the river, is truly beautiful. Downwards, the view commands several windings of the Hillsborough, and part of Pis- quit river : the edges of each are fringed with marsh grass, and fertile farms range along the banks, while trees of majestic birch, beech, and maple, grow luxuriantly on the south side, and spruce-fir, larch, beech, and poplar on the north, fill up the back- ground. Upwards, the meandering river,on which one may now and then see passengers crossing in a log canoe, or an Indian, with his family, paddling along in a bark one, together with a view of the large Catholic chapel at St Andrew's, the seat of the Catho- lic bishop,* and the surrounding farms and woods, form another agreeable landscape. sides, we are in good health and strong, and therefore it would he a great sin to he idle. Neither of us were scarcely ever sick. I never had a headach; and I never took physic in my life." This man and his wife are, I helieve, hoth still living. * The Right Reverend Aneas M'Eacharen, titular Bishop of Rouen, an excellent and venerahle character, equally esteemed hy the members of every religious profession in the colony. VR I N( • I PA 1. SETT LE M E N TS. im uld 1)6 k. I This York river penetrates the island in a north-westerly course, the tide flowing about nine miles up. On each side there is a straggling settlement ; and many of the inhabitants have excellent farms, with a consi- derable portion of the land under cultivation. Elliot river branches off nearly west from Char- lotte Town harbour, the tide flowing about twelve miles up. A number of small streams fall into this river ; and the lands on both sides exhibit beautiful farms, with rather a thickly-settled population. The scenery about this river has as much of the romantic character as is to be met with in any part of the island. There are a number of other, though lecjer settle- ments. The principal of these are — Tigniche, near the North Cape, the inhabitants of which are Aca- dian French ; Crapaud and De Sable, both thriving fast, between Hillsb' > igh Bay and Try on ; Cape Traverse and Seve. Iile Bny, between Tryon and Bedeque ; and the Acadian settlement at Cape Eg- mont. Settlements are also forming along the roads, particularly in the vicinity of Charlotte Town. The only tract of extent, bordering on the coast, without settlers, is tliat lying between the North Cai)e and the West Point. There are several fine streams and ponds in this district ; and the soil is rich, and covered with lofty trees. Its only disadvantage is, having no har- bour; but it is always safe to land in a boat, if the wind does not blow strongly on the shore. Fish of various kinds swarm along the coast. V •w '•■r'.h I: 308 PTtlXCE EDWARD ISLAND. •< 3t jj,**," ■ ■ 'I CHAPTER II. Climate — Soil — Natural Productions — Wild Animals, &c. The climate of Prince Edward Island, owing to its lying within the Gulf of St Lawrence, partakes, in some measure, of the climate of the neighbouring countries ; but the difference is greater than any one who has not lived in the colony would imagine. In Lower Canada, the winter is nearly two months longer, the frosts more severe, and the snows deeper; while the temperature, during summer, is equally hot. In Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Cape Breton, the frosts are equally severe, the transi- tions from one extreme of temperature to another more sudden, and fogs frequent along those parts that border on the Atlantic and Bay of Fundy. The atmosphere of this island is noted for being free of fogs. A day foggy throughout seldom occurs during a year ; and in general not more than four or five that are partially so. A misty fog appears some- times on a summer or autumnal morning, occasioned by the exhalation of the dew that falls during night, but which the rising sun quickly dissipates. The absence of fogs in this colony has been vari- m '■.t- CLIMATT. ao9 oiisly accounted for, but never yet from what I con- ceive the true cause ; and whicli I consider to be, in the first place, that the waters which wash the shores of the island do not corne in immediate contact with those of a different temperature ; and, secondly, that Cape Breton and Newfoundland, both of which are high and mountainous, lie between it and the Atlantic. These islands arrest the fogs, which would otherwise be driven by strong easterly winds from the banks to Prince Edward Island. Fogs are, it is true, occa- sionally met with at the entrance of the river St Lawrence ; but these ar§ produced by known natural causes. A strong current of cold water runs from the Atlantic through the strait of Belle Isle ; its prin- cipal stream passes between the island of Anticosti and the coast of Labrador, and coming in contact with the warmer stream of the St Lawrence, a fog is produced. Prince Edward Island lies so far within the deep bay, formed between Cape Rosier and the north cape of Cape Breton, that the waters which surround it do not mix within many miles of its shores with those of the Atlantic. As regards the salubrity of the island, it is agreed by all who have lived any time on it, and have com- pared its climate with that of other coimtries, that there are few places where health is enjoyed with less interruption. What Mr Stewart, in his excellent account, at the time it was written, of Prince Edward Island, says of the climate, is, I think, strictly true : *'n m ■m i S Ml 310 I'lllNCi: EDWAllD ISLAND. I 'Ami -.•i- • ■• >;':;<■;■■■, " Tlie fevers and other diseases of the United States are unknown here ; no person ever saw an inter- mittent fever produced on tlie island, nor will that complaint, when brought liere, ever stand above a few days against the influence of the climate. I have seen thirty Hessian soldiers, who brought this disease from the southward, and who were so much reduced thereby as to be carried on sliore in blankets, all recover in a very short time ; few of them had any return or fit of the complaint after the first forty- eight hours from their landing on the island." Pulmonary consumption, which is so common and so very destructive in the northern and central states of America, is not often met with here. Probably ten cases of this complaint have not occurred since the settlement of the colony. Colds and rheumatisms are the most common complaints: the first generally affect the head more than the breast, and the last seldom prove mortal. A very large proportion of the people live to old age, and then die of no acute disease, but by the gradual decay of nature. " Deaths between twenty and fifty years of age are but few, when compared with those of most other countries ; and I trust I do not exaggerate the fact, when I state, that not one person in fifty (all acci- dents included) dies in a year. It follows, from what has been said, that mankind must increase very fast in such a climate ; accordingly, large families are almost universal. Industry always secures a comfort- able subsistence, which encourages early marriages : IT"- V, , soil.. '.ni the women are ol'teii graiulniotliers at forty ; and the mother and daughter may each be seen with a child at the breast at the same time."* The diseases at present connnonly known, are usually the consequence of colds or intemperance, if we except consumptions, which I have observed in most cases to be constitutional ; and the young- women born on the island appear to be more sub- ject to this malady than those who remove to the colony from Europe. The climate is decidedly salu- brious. I3ilious complaints are unknown ; and I have conversed with several i)eople who were aflected with ill health previous to their settling in this colony, who afterweu'ds enjoyed all the comforts of an unim- paired constitution. The absence of damp weather and noxious exha- lations, those certain generators of disease ; and the island having no lakes, or few ponds of fresh water, while it is at the same time surrounded by the sea, will account satisfactorily for the excellence of its climate. The general structure of the soil is, first, a thin layer of black or brown mould, composed of decayed vege- table substances ; then, to the depth of a foot, or more, a light loam prevails, inclining in some places to a sandy, in others to a clayey character ; below which, a stiifclay, resting on sandstone, predominates. The prevailing colour of both soil and stone is red. * Account of Prince Edward Inland, l»y John Stewart, Esq., late payuuibter to the forces at Nowfoundlaiiil. Loudon, 180(5. ■« '\ '••i* m^ :"¥; '.•■■, Hi if! m 312 riUNCK EDWARD ISLAND. '.1'- To this general character of the soil there are but few exceptions : these are the bogs, or swamps, which consist either of a soft spongy turf, or a deep layer of wet black mould, resting on white clay, or sand. In its natural state, the quality of the soil may be readily ascertained by the description of wood grow- ing on it ; it being richest where the maple, beech, black birch, and a mixture of other trees, grow, and less fertile where the pine, spruce, larch, and other varieties of the fir tribe, are most numerous. The soil is fertile ; and there is scarcely a stone on the surface of the island that will impede the pro- gress of the plough. There is no limestone nor gypsum, nor has coal yet been discovered, although indications of its existence are produced. Iron ore is by many thought to abound, but no specimens have as yet been discovered, although the soil is in dif- ferent plices impregnated with oxide of iron ; and a sediment is lodged in the rivulets running from vari- ous springs, consisting of metallic oxides. Red clay, of superior quality for bricks, abounds in all parts of the island ; and a strong white clay, fit for potters' use, is met with, but not in great quanti- ties. A solitary block of granite presents itself occa- sionally to the traveller; but two stones of this descrip- tion are seldom found within a mile of each other. Volney and some other writers have remarked, that the granite base of the Alleghany mountains, extends so far as to form the rocky stratum of all the countries of America lying to the eastward of them To this, as a general rule, there is more than one sou,. 3V3 exception. The base of Prince Edward Island, which is sandstone, appears to extend nnder the bed of Northnniberland Strait, into the northern part of Nova Scotia, and into the eastern division of New Brunswick, until it is lost in its line of contact with the granite base of the Alleghanies, about the river Nipisig'hit. On some of the bogs, or swamps, of this island, there is scarcely any thing but shrubs and moss grow- ing ; these are rather dry, and resemble the turf bogs in Ireland. Others again are wet, spongy, and deep, producing dwarf species of alder, long grass, and a variety of shrubs. Cattle are frequently, in the spring of the year, lost in these swamps. Such por- tions of these lauds as have been drained, form ex- cellent meadows. There are other tracts called barrens, some of which, in a natural state, produce nothing but dry moss, or a few shrubs. The soil of these spots is a light brown, or whitish sand. Some of the lands formerly covered with pine forests, now incline to this character. Both swamps and barrens, however, bear but a small proportion to the whole surface of the island ; and as they all may, with judicious ma- nagement, be improved advantageously, it cannot be said that there is an acre of the whole incapable of cultivation. The marshes, which are overflowed by the tide, rear a strong nutritious grass, and, when dyked, yield heavy crops of wheat or hay. Large tracts of the original pine forests have been destroyed by fires, which have raged over the island at ff4i m m': ,w m tT^5 liU I'UINCi: KDWAUn ISLAND. li (lifltTL'ut periods. In tlicsc jilaa's wliitc l)irfliOi^,spriic'e- lirs, i)oi)lars, and A\'ild clicny-trees, Iiave sprung up. Tlie lar^'cst trees of this second growth tliat I have seen, were from t\velve to fifteen inches diameter, and growing in phiccs laid waste hy a tremendous fire, whicli raged in 1750. At its first settlement, and pre- vious to the destruction, by fire, at diilerent periods, of much valua])le timber, the island was altogether co- vered with wood, and contained forests of majestic l)ines. Trees of this genus still abound, but not in extensive groves ; and from the quantity which has been exported to England, there is not more j^ine at present growing on the island than will be required by the inhabitants for house and ship-building, and other purposes. The principal kinds of other trees are spruce-fir, hemlock, beech, birch, and majjle, growing in abimdance ; oak, elm, ash, and larch, are not jilentiful, and the quality of the first very inferior. Poi)lars, of great dimensions, are plentiful ; white cedar is found growing in the northern parts. IMany other kinds of trees are met with, such as dogwood, alder, wild cherry-tree, Indian pear-tree, &c., and most of the shrubs, wild fruits, herbs, and grasses, common to other parts of British North America. Sarsaparilla, ginseng, and probably many other me- dicinal plants, are i)lentiful in all parts of the island. Among the wild fruits, raspberries, strawberries, cranberries, which are very large, blueberries, and whortleberries, are astonishingly abundant. The princii)al native quadrupeds are, bears, lou])- WILD ANIMALS. .'ii:> ccrviers, foxes, liarcs, otters, inusquaslii.s, minks, squirrels, weasels, &(*. For many years after the settlement of the colony, bears were very numerous, and exceedingly annoying and injurious to the inhabitants, destroying their black cattle, sheep, and hogs. They are now nmch reduced in number, and rarely met with. A premium for their destruction, as well as that of the loup-cer- vier, is granted by the colonial government. The loup-cervier still connnits great ravages among the sheep ; and one will kill several of those innocent creatures during a night, as it sucks the blood oidy, leaving the flesh untouthed. Foxes and hares are numerous. Otters, martins, and musk-rats, being so long hunted on account of their skins, have become scarce. The flying, brown, and striped varieties of squirrels, are plentiful. A\'^easels and ernn'nes are native animals, but very rarely seen. Formerly, mice were in some seasons so very nu- merous, as to destroy tiie greater part of the corn about a week before it ripened. AVithin the last twenty years, little injury has been done by these iniRcliievous animals, although they have been known in such swarms, previous to that period, as to cut down whole fields of wheat in one night. For many years after the settlement of the colony, walruses, or sea-cows, frequented different parts along the shores, and the numbers killed were not only considerable, but they afforded a source of advan- tageous enterprise to the inhabitants. Their teeth, ■ m " lit'?'' m &rm If if '.i\(\ riiixcr KDWAHi) isr and. JK >•, from fifteen iiiclies to two feet in length, were eonsl- (lered as fine a qnality of ivon' as those of the ek'phant ; and their skins, about an ineh in thiek- iiess, were eut into stri])es for traees, and used on the island, or exported to Quebec. Tliey allordcd also excellent oil. None of these animals have a])pfared near the shores of the island for thirty years, but are still seen occasionally at the Magdalene Islands, and other places to the northward. Seals of the description called harbour seal, appear in the bays, and round the shores, during summer and autumn ; and in the spring, immense numbers sometimes come down on the ice from the northward. These are the same kind as the ice seals of New- foundland. INIost of the birds described in a former chapter frequent this island; and owls, crows, ravens, wood- peckers, partridges, with some others, remain during the whole year. Partridges are larger, and considered finer, than in England. A provincial law prohibits the shooting of them between the first of April and the first of Sep- tember. Wild pigeons arrive in great flocks in sum- mer from the southward, and breed in the woods. Wild geese appear in March, and, after remaining five or six weeks, proceed to the northward to breed, from whence they return in September, and leave for the southward in November. Brent geese and wild ducks are plentiful. There are no game laws, unless the provincial act for preserving partridges during four months be I I'lSUKS. 317 considercMl such ; nor iloos it npponr tlint persons cnn bo liiiiderLMl from sliootiii^, cvlmi on laiuls under cul- tivation, unless by proceeding- against them as tres- passers. Tlie only reptiles known on the island are brown and striped snakes, neither of which are venomcnis, a!id the red viper, toad, bull-froj^, and greeu-froii^. There are several l)e{uitiful varieties of tlie butterlly, wliich, with locusts, ^grasshoppers, crickets, horned- beetle, bug'-adder, black fly, adder fly, horse fly, sand fly, mosquito, ant, horned wasp, humble bee, fire fly, and a numerous variety of spiders, are the principal insects. ^ Mosquitoes and sand flies are only annoying during the heat of summer, in the neighbourhood of marshes, and in the woods ; where the lands are cleared to any extent, they are seldom troublesome. The varieties of fishes that swarm in the harbours and rivers, or aroiuid the shores, and that abound on the difterent fishing banks in the vicinage of the island, are numerous, each abounding in great i)lenty, and of the same kind and quality as those already described. The varieties of shell-fish are oysters, clams, nuis- sels, razor shell-fish, wilks, lobsters, crabs, shrimps, &c. The oysters are considered the finest in America, and equally delicious as those taken on the English shores. There are two or three varieties, the largest of which is from six to fifteen inches long. There were so many cargoes taken away annually to Que- 'M h m ■f X,:. iff ^} I n .'il8 nilNCE KDWAIID ISLAND. m 1 W- ifr: hoc ami Halifax, tliat tlic legi^-lative assembly passed an act, four years ago, prohibitiug* their ex2)ort for some time. Lobsters are very plentiful, and, when in season, excellent. The kinds of fish usually brought to Charlotte Town market, with which, however, it is but badly supplied, are cod, haddock, mackerel, herring, salmon, trout, eels, perch, smelts, &e. No market can be more easily or regularly supplied with fish than that of Charlotte Town ; yet, from indolence, and the ease with which the la])ouring classes can procure food from the soil, it is the worst fish-market in the world. W.. m w AdinPT^I.TrRM. r>M) ssed for son, otte [idly 1011, I lie that the •lire the CHAPTER III. AgriciiUural Productions — Secil-time — Harvest— Horned Cattlo SIiccp Stvine — Horses — Scoteli Highlanders slovenly I'arniprs — Manner of Clear- ing and Cultivating Forest Lands — Conse(|uence of Fires in tlie Woods Matiures — Agricultural Society — Habitations of New Settlors, &c. The excellence of Its soil, its climate, and the configuration of its surface, adapt the lands of Prince Eward Island more particularly for agriculture than for any other purpose. All kinds of grain and vegetables raised in Eng- land, riixni in perfection. AVheat is raised in abun- dance for the consumption of the inhabitants, and a surplus is exported to Nova Scotia. Both summer and winter rye, and buckwheat, produce weighty crops ; but the culture of these grains is scarcely attended to. Barley and oats thrive well, and are, in weight and quality, equal to any met with in the English markets, and superior to what are produced in the United States. Beans of all kinds yield plentiful returns. Peas, when not injured by worms, which is often the case, thrive well ; and turnips are sometimes liable to in- jury from flies and worms. In no country do pjirs- nips, carrots, beets, mangel-wurzel, or potatoes, yield m mi m m t W; 320 rillNCE EDWARD ISLAND. u r*'*'! more bountiful crops. Cucumbers, salads, cabbages, cauliflowers, asparagus, and indeed all culinary vege- tables common in England, arrive at perfection. Cherries, plums, damsons, black, red, and white cur- rants, ripen perfectly, and are large and delicious. Gooseberries do not always succeed, but probably from improper management. The apples raised are inferior in quality, but cer- tainly from want of attention, as many of the trees planted by the French, previous to the conquest of the island in 1758, are still bearing fruit ; and some fine samples of apples are produced by those farmers who have taken pains in rearing the trees. Indian corn, or maize, is occasionally planted, but it does not by any means thrive so well as in New Brunswick or Nova Scotia, nor do I consider it so congenial to the soil. Flax is raised, of excellent qucility, and manufac- tured by the farmers' wives into linen for domestic use. This article might be cultivated extensively for exportation. Hemp will grow, but not to the same perfection as in Upper Canada, or some parts of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. The principal grasses are timothy, red and white clover, and a kind of soft indigenous upland grass, of which sheep are very fond ; also mursh grasses, on which young and dry cattle are fed during the winter months. As a few cold days and wot weather frequently occur in the latter end of April, or the first week Ml**' i AGRICULTURE. 321 31' y k of May, wheat or oats are seldom sown ur.tii the first of the latter month. Barley will ripen if sown before the 20th of June, although it is generally sown earlier. Potatoes are planted about the last of May, or before the middle of June, and often later. Turnip seed is sown about the middle of July; some prefer sowing it the first week in August, in which case the leaves are not so liable to injury from worms. Gardening connnences early in May, and generally combines the different departments of fruits, flowers, and vegetables. Haymaking begins in the latter end of July, and as the weather is commonly very dry at this time, it is attended with little trouble in curing. Hay is sometimes put away under cover, but oftener made up into stacks or ricks. Exi)erienced farmers say, that the common run of old settlers on the island dry their hay before they stack it. Barley is reaped in August ; there are two varieties of it, five-rowed and two-rowed ears. The wheat and oat harvest commences sometimes before, but generally after the first of September. Some use a cradle for cutting their grain, and afterwards make it up into sheaves and stooks, but the common way is to reap and lay it up in sheaves, and then gather and stack it in the same manner as in England. Potatoes and turnips are left undug until the mid- dle or end of October : the first are generally ploughed up, except on new land, where the hoe alone is used. Parsnips may remain in the ground during winter, vol,. 1. X jt=\ I'M I: ". it'f i * 322 PRINCE EDWARD ISLANJ). Ml'*."' ': WM:- and are finer when dug up in spring than at any otiier period. Milch cows, and such horses and cattle as require most care, are housed in November ; but December is the usual month for housing cattle regularly. Sheep thrive better by being left out all winter ; but they require to be fed, and it is necessary to have a shelter without a roof, to guard against the cold winds and snow drift. Black cattle are generally smaller than in England : a good ox will weigh from eight to nine hundred pounds, but the common run will not exceed six or seven hundred. The beef is usually very fine and tender. Sheep thrive remarkably well; but, until lately, very little care was observed in improving the breed. The late Attorney-General, Mr Johnston, kept a flock of fine sheep, equal to any in England, on his excellently cultivated farm near Charlotte Town ; and since that time, other farmers are following the example, from observing that the quantity of wool they pro- duced was more than double the weight yielded by the common breed. Tlie mutton, however, of the old breed, is usually fat and well-flavoured. Swine seem to thrive here as well as in any coun- try, and the pork brought to Charlotte ToM'n by the farmers, is probably equal in general to that met with in the Irish market ; but from want of proper care in rearing, and possessing a good breed of pigs, one half the number raised on the island are tall, long-snouted animals, resembling greyhounds nearly A(;UICIM.TUUE. 323 I as much as they do the better kind of hogs ; and when, as they generally are, left during summer to range uncontrolled through the woods, they are as wild aiul swift as foxes. The horses are, with few exceptions, small, and capable of performing long journeys, and enduring great fatigue, with much spirit. During summer, it is usual to take them off the grass, and ride them the same day thirty or forty miles without feeding, fre- quently on bad roads, then turn them loose to feed on grass during night, and ride them back on the following day : all this i^ performed frequently with- out apparent injury to the animal. The old Canadian breed, originally from Normandy, are the hardiest horses, and seem as if formed for the severe usage they undergo. Their owners take them almost every week during winter to Charlotte Town, twenty or thirty miles, and leave them tied, often without food, to a post or fence for several hours, and return home with them the same night ; the horse hungry and sober, but the master rarely in the latter state. I have been told by an old Acadian Frenchman, that for several years after the conquest of the island, a vast number of horses were running in a wild state about the eastern parts. Such horses as are taken good care of, and have been trained, make very agreeable saddle, or carriage horses. The breed is likely now to improve fast, from those introduced by Colonel Ready, the present governor ; and this may be said of horned cattle, sheep, and hogs ; for, when last on the island, in 1828, I was astonished at the mi ll mm ?M m r- m 1) I % f ''1' 3^4 PIUNCE EDWAllD ISLAND. 1 1/« ., , improvement in tlie horses, cattle, hogs, and sheep exhibited at the agricultural show, and also at the excellence of the wheat, oats, and other produce. The greater number of farmers, particularly the Highland Scotch, keep by far too many cattle for the quantity of ju'ovender they usually have to feed them witli during winter. These people think if they can manage to carry their cattle through the winter, they are doing well ; but the consequence is, that their cattle, especially milch cows, are in such lean condi- tion in spring, that they are not in tolerable order until July. Until milch cows also are prevented from ranging at large, as almost all the cattle are allowed to do, and until they are better fed during winter, one half the quantity of butter and cheese that might be expected, will not be made on the island. Those who keep their cows within enclo- sures are sensible of this. The prejudices of the old settlers, however, as regards this, and other customs and habitSj must necessarily give way to the force of example set before them by the superior manage- ment of many farmers who follow the most approved modes of husbandry and grazing. Much may also be expected from the exertions of agricultural societies, established since Governor Ready's appointment to the administration. Cattle shows, and exhibitions of agricultural produce, are established. Frizes are given to those who produce the best specimens of each. It is also pleasing to observe the improvement in the mode of cultivating the lands, which has spread over the colony during i AGRICULTURE. 325 J [ the last few years, and which may be attributed principally to the force of example, set by a few of the old settlers, chiefly the loyalists and Lowland Scotch, and by an acquisition of industrious and frugal settlers from Yorkshire, in England, and from Dumfries-shire and Perthshire, in Scotland. The principal disadvantage connected with this island, and in fact the only one of any importance, is the length of the winters, which renders it necessary to have a large store of liay for supporting live stock ; and which also, from the abrupt opening of spring and summer, abridges the season for sowing and planting. These disadvantages are, however, felt with equal severity in Prussia, and over a great j)art of Germany, where the jieople employed in agricul- tural pursuits form the majority of the inhabitants. About a ton of hay, with straw for each, taking large and small together, is requisite to winter black cattle properly. Tiie winter season has also many advantages — v/ood and firing poles are easily brought from the forests, over the smooth slippery roads made by the frosts and snows, and distances are shortened by the bays and rivers being frozen over. The ground is also considered to be fertilized by deep snows and frosts ; and there are few farmers who consider the winter an impediment to agri- culture, otherwise than the spring opening so sud- denly ui)on them, and the astonishing quickness of vegetation, leaving them only five or six weeks for preparing the soil, and sowing and planting. When we consider, however, that the autumn and fall are ,:..>.I>W ,M I si Am % it 326 PlllNCE EDWARD ISLAND. I Mm. :'^r?' ;!.'• m t much finer, and of longer duration than in Europe, and the winter setting in generally much later, the farmers have, in reality, little cause to comj)iain of the seasons, as they have abundant time to plough all the grounds in the fall, which is, at the same time, known to be the most proper season for American tillage. The common plan of laying out farms in this colony, is in lots containing one hundred acres each, having a front of ten chains, either on the sea-shore, a bay, river, or road, and miming one hundred chains back. This plan, from the farms being in stri2)s instead of square blocks, is often olyected to ; but it has many advantages, by giving a greater number of settlers the benefits of roads, shores, and running streams. It is curious and interesting to observe the pro- gress which a new settler makes in clearing and cul- tivating a wood farm, from the period he commences in the forest, until he has reclaimed a sufficient quantity of land to enable him to follow the mode of cultivation he practised in his native coimtry. As the same course is, with little variation, followed by all new settlers in every part of America, the follow- ing description may, to avoid repetition, be consi- dered applicable to all the British American settle- ments : — The first object is to select the farm among such vacant lands as are most desirable, and after ob- taining the necessary tenure, the settler commences, usually assisted in his first operations by the nearest I i ¥'> LOG-HOUSES. 327 i inhabitants, by cutting down the trees on the site of his intended habitation, and those growing on the ground immediately adjoining. This operation is performed with the axe, by cutting a notch on each side of the tree, about two feet above the ground, and rather more than lialf through on the side it is intended the tree should fall on. The lower edges of these notches are cut horizontally, the upper making an angle of about 60" with the ground. The trees are all felled in the same direction, and after lopping off the principal branches, cut into ten or twelve feet lengths. On the spot on which the house is to be erected, these junks are rolled away, and the smaller parts cleared off, or burnt. The habitations which the new settlers first erect, are all nearly in the same style, and in imitation of, or altogether like, the dwellings of an American back- woodsman, constructed in the rudest manner. Round logs, from fifteen to twenty feet long, without the least dressing, are laid horizontally over each other, and notched in at the corners to allow them to come, along the walls, within about an inch of each other. One is first laid on each side to begin the walls, then one at each end, and the building is raised in this manner, by a succession of logs crossing and binding each other at the corners, until the wall is six orsev^en feet high. The seams are closed with moss or clay ; three or four rafters are then raised to sup- port the roof, which is covered with boards, or more frequently with the rinds of birch or fir-trees, and thatched with spruce branches, or, if near the sea- .1:1 »i ,M m v.. 7r/l tf. 328 TKINCE EDWARD ISLAND. coast, with a long marine grass, which is found in quantities along the shores. Poles are laid over this thatch, tied together with birch withes, to keep the whole securely down. A wooden frame-work, placed on a slight foundation of stone roughly raised a few feet above the ground, leads through the roof, which, with its sides closed up with clay and straw kneaded together, forms the cliimney. A space large enough for a door, and another for a window, is cut through the walls ; and in the centre of the cot- tage, a square pit or cellar is dug, for the purpose of preserving potatoes or other vegetables during win- ter ; over this pit, a floor of boards, or logs hewed flat on the upper side, is laid, and another over head, to form a sort of garret. When the door is hung, a window sash, with six or nine, or sometimes twelve panes of glass, is fixed, and one, two, or three truckle beds are put up : the habitation is then considered ready to receive the new settler and his family. Although such a dwelling has certainly nothing handsome, comfortable, or even attractive, unless it be its rudeness in appearance, yet it is by no means so miserable a lodging as the habitations of the poorer peasantry in Ireland, and in some parts of England and Scotland. In a few years, however, a much better house is built, with two or more rooms, by all steady industrious settlers.* * The manner of building these habitations, and the mode of clearing and cultivating forest lands, may be considered equally applicable to all the other colonies. * S*!' I ULTIVATION Ol' FOREST LANDS. 329 Previous to commencing the cultivation of wood lands, the trees that are cut down, lopped, and cut into lengtlis, are, when the proper season arrives, generally in May, set on fire, which consumes all the hranches and small wood. The logs are then either piled in heaps and hurnt, or rolled away for fencing. Those who can afford the expense, use oxen to haul off the large unconsumed timher. The surface of the ground, the remaining wood, is all black and charred ; working on it, and preparing it for the seed, is as disagreeable probably as any labour in which a man can be engaged. Men, women, and children, how- ever, must employ themselves in gathering and burn- ing the rubbish, and in such parts of labour as the strength of each adapts tliem to. If the ground be intended for grain, it is sown, without tillage, over the surface, and the seed covered with a lioe. }iy some a triangular harrow is used, in place of the hoe, to shorten labour. Others break up the earth with a one-liandled plough, (the old Dutch plough,) which has the share and coulter locked into each other, drawn also by oxen, while a man attends with an axe, to cut the roots in its way. Little regard is paid in this case, to making straight furrows, the object being no more than to work up the ground. 'With such rude pre2)aration, however, three successive good crops are raised without any manure. Potatoes are planted in round hollows, scooped four or five inches ad about twentv in circumference, in which deep. three or five sets are planted, and covered over with a hoe. Indian corn, cucumbers, pumpkins, pease, and '4 m m t- (■■■ :m ?./rt{ I i- fitiO PKIN'CE KDWAUI) ISLAND. Wi- mi beans, are cultivatcMl on new lands, in the same man- ner as potatoes, (irain of all kinds, turnip, lienip, flax, and ^rass seeds, are sown over the surface, and covered by means of a hoe, rake, or harrow. \Vheat is usually sown on the same ground, the year after potatoes, witliout ploughing, but covering the seed witli a rake or harrow ; and oats are sown on the same land the following year. Some farmers, and it is certainly a prudent plan, sow timothy, or clover seed, the second year, along with the wheat, and af- terwards let the ground remain under grass until the stumps of the trees can be easily got out, which usu- ally requires three or four years. With a little addi- tional labour, thei-e obstructions to cultivation might be removed the second year. The roots of spruce, birch, and beech decay soonest ; those of pine and hemlock scarcely decay in an age. After the stumps are removed from the soil, and those natural hillocks, called cradle hills,* which render the whole of the forests of America full of inequalities of from one to three feet high, are levelled, the plough may always be used, and the system of husbandry followed that is most approved of in England or Scotland. When tlie soil is exhausted by cropping, which, on alluvial lands, is scarcely ever the case, various manures may be procured and applied. In many parts of America, limestone, gypsum, &c. are abun- dant; but little else except stable dung is ever used. * These tumuli have been formed during the growtli of the forest trees, by the extension of their large roots, and the portion of the trunks under ground, swelling the earth gradually into hillocks. I I I Ac;iucui/ruuE. 331 Composts are rarely known ; and different manures, that would fertilize the soil, are so nuu'h disrej>;arde(l, that, ^viierally speal' .V' up the whole fruits of his industry, leaving but a bare subsistence for his family. I have been repeatedly told that a shopkeeper, who had at that time little opposition in his business, always enquired of a new customer who wanted a gallon of rum, a little tea, or a few gallons of mo- lasses, on credit, if he possessed a cow; and if it turned out that he did, the fat shopkeeper grunted out, " Hah, well, let him have it." At that time, and long ufter, when Newfoundland, in consequence of the war, was precariously supplied with fresh meat, a cow was an object of profitable imjiortance to a Charlotte Town shopkeeper. At length shopkeepers multiplied, and the system of selling goods to the farmers on credit rather in- creased than diminished. But the shopkeepers must raise money to remit, or their own credit must end ; and farmers, especially after the war, could not pay them. A list of debts was accordingly made out by the shopkeeper, and those under five pounds given to a magistrate to sue for immediately, while the rest were jjrobably given to an attorney to recover. In a country M'liere specie is exceedingly scarce, a vast quantity of property is sacrificed even to satisfy the demand for costs ; and it has often happened, that the most respectable and good-natured shopkeepers have, after suing for their debts, had to pay not only the expenses, but to let the debt itself remain over for another year. This last observation is, however, more a])piicable to those who were in a more general business than mere shopkeeping. I i \ TUADi: .'J37 i The system of giving credit gave birth to another evil, which combined in itself the elements of sche- ming, overreaching, evading the fulfilment of con- tracts, and petty litigation. This state of things was ruinous to reputable merchants, wlio liad spirit enough to attempt the fisheries, or to conduct business on a general and resjoectable scale ; and when the contracts wliich people entered into with them, for building vessels, or furnishing cargoes of timber, or indeed any other engagement, were not fulfilled, such was the condition of justice, that redress was seldom to be had. The merchants engaged in shii)-building felt the full weight of all these evils ; and the shopkeepers must now bear with the difficulties attending payment for the goods they sell, when bills are not to be had, and when the current sjiccie of the island, if it were even plentiful, can only be remitted at a loss of 25 to 30 per cent. This state of things must continue until there is at least a sufficient quantity, in value, of agricultu- ral produce and fish, to export as payment of the im- ports. Very moderate industry, and an honest degree of punctuality, would bring this about. If the proprie- tors of the lands would take paymc.its of the rents due tliem in wheat, oats, and l)arley, at such a ])rice as would bear the expense of exporting to ?'ngland, the prosperity, and the trade of the island would be rapidly increased} the rents would be bctler paid, a?, there would tlien be no excuse on the part of tiie ten- ant, and the value of the lands would in a very short time be doubled. 'J'liere is nothing but the raising of VOL. I. y \..M m m ■M «,'♦• ■ m 'W fe. m •4.1V*i1 V« "** ■ 'i. '^^^ t ">? si 338 TKINCE EDWAUD ISLAND. sufficient agricultural productions for staple export coiinnodity can ever create any pros[)erons trade in this colony. Its fisheries can only thrive when it has a dense population, as a suhsistence is tooeasilyobtained from the soil to tempt men away to the more labo- rious business of fishing*. Ship-bnilding, unless it be the building of vessels for the carrying trade of the colony, and a few schooners for the Newfoundland fisheries, is at an end. The selling of goods on credit to the farmers must be limited, and litigation also discouraged, before trade can thrive, or before spirited men can enter into business with any degree of confidence. sociinv. .o;i<) CHAPTER V. Society — Aimiseinonts — I'lirsiiits of tlif liiliiiltitaiils — EiigliMli S(ttlcr> — Scotch Iliglilitiiikt's Irish Ainericiiii LoyiiHsts — Acadian l''n'iicii — Mic- iniic IiKliiiiis, &c. — llcligiuii — Ediiciitioii — Administration of Justice — Prospects lor Xew Settlers, &c. :^ M Society in tniiy coyiitry, as is well known, takes its tone from the sj^irit and cliaracter of its govern- ment, and from tlie education its inhabitant! own is compose pursuits, professions, The population of of Enalish, Scotch, and and religion Charlotte T Irish, who have at different times settled on the island, and the descendants of the first settlers, jiart of wlioni were American loyalists, the rest emigrants from Great Britain and Ireland. Tliere are scarcely three families in the town that came from the same part of other countries ; and there is consequently, from their education and habits having been dissimi- lar, a diversity of manners among them, very luilike the sameness in language and habits observed in the lesser towns of the United Kiiiii'dom. During the administration of Governor Patterson, and of his successors. General Fanning, :>ud Gover- nor Desbarres, the best circle of society in Charlotte Town was not only more extensive in numbers than at present, but allowed to be both elegant and resi)ect- ■vr- Xi, ^?i' J. it I HM) I'HlXCi: ICDWAUD ISLAND. >:*' '^ fiiVt, '1*. .' ' ' ' 111' [mi- ■>ii able ; and Iiowovcr much the iiieinl)crs who com- posed it might have differed in their views and opi- nions in regard to the political affairs of the colony, they did not allow either to interfere with public amusements or private hospitality. Indeed, the polite- ness and attention with which respectable strangers were received, becanje proverbial. During the course of Governor Smith's long Jidmi- nistration, those social and kindly feelings which ren- der society delightful, and which are necessary to make a residence in any i)lace agreeable, unhappily weakened and languished in the same ratio as the number of respectable residents diminished. Some of the leading people left the colony in disgust; others by their deaths left blanks, at that period not readily to be filled up. The last American war gave animation and vigour to society ; and the loyalty of the inhabitants, under many unpleasant circumstances of misrule and over- bearing government, manifested particularly on some of the review days at Charlotte Town, was remark- ably conspicuous. Several companies of militia went to great expense in finding handsome uniforms ; and they also took great pride in acquiring a mastery in military exercises. The artillery comi)any. the cavalry company, and some of the light companies, became remarkal)ly alert in going through their movements and exercises. An act of seeming caprice, however, on the part of the governor, which removed their favourite oflftcers, and the order for placing Captain Barrington of the regulars under arrest, apparently i ■ 1 « C\*' • Is • AMUSl.ArKN is. .'Ml i for countenancing- them, destrojed the pride wliieh animated the militia. IMie c'lmnsements of Chjirlotte Town, although not on so extensive a scale, are in imitation of tliosc at Halifax, which will he described more fuUv hereafter, when treating of Nova Scotia. Dnring winter, assem- blies are usual, once a month, or oftener. An ama- teur tlieatre, very respectably fitted uj), ailords an opportunity of spending some pleasant hours. Pic- nic parties* are connnon during sununer and winter. Dinner parties were at one time usual, but have not ])een so nmch so fuj* some time past. 'J'he prin- cipal gentlemen of Charlotte Town generally .'^ ;f m 'S a/i fM (> PWINt r, KDWAIM) ISLAM). i^i u ter, it is a favourite tiimisciiioiit amonj^ all classes to drive in cabrioles, which are slijjht open carriages set on runners, which slip easily and rapidly over the snow and ice. Tlie inhabitants of Charlotte Town support tlieni- selves by various means. Those connected with the government ofHces, custom-house, &c., receive their pay from government; for the colony does not i)ay its civil list, nor would it at i)rescnt be prudent to require the legislature to provide for the same, as the improve- ment of the colony, by opening roads, erecting bridges, and the encouragement of agriculture, to which the colonial revenue is appropriated, would be retarded. The legislature have voted a sum annually to the present wortliy Governor, but probably not so much as they should, as he spends his full salary, as well as the sum voted by the Assembly, in the country ; and the whole is })arely sufficient to support the respectability of the government. Many of the inhabitants are engaged in trade ; but the most extensive merchants having been ruined by their heavy speculations in ships, the present trade of Charlotte Town is confined to the selling of various kinds of ]3ritish goods, and West India produce, for money, or, in the way of barter, for agricultural pro- duce. The other inhabitants follow various kinds of handicraft, or support themselves by keeping taverns, or dram-shops. AVhen travelling through the settlements, we dis- cover the inhabitants of Prince Edward Island to consist of Englishmen, who, though fewer than any dis- 1 to anv AMrsi'.MKXTS. 343 others ill miinbers, are found from almost every county inKnghuid ; Scotilimen, wlio form more than half of the whole population, from the Hi<»-lilands, Hebrides, and the scmthern counties ; Irishmen from dillerrnt parts of the Kmerald Isle; American loyal- ists; and a few Dutch, (iermans, and Swedes. 'J'lie whole population may be estimated at thirty-five thousand. The English settlers, although for some time dis- contented with their condition, are generally found to tlirive, particularly those from Yorkshire ; and they are much more attentive to in-door comfort and clean- liness than most other new settlers. The Highland Scotch, particularly those who settled first in the colony, and their descendants, are exceedingly regardless of domestic cleanliness or neat- ness, while they are at the same time in much better circiunstances than they would be in their native country. Tlie Lowland Scotch make i)robably the best settlers, at least those who have during late j'cars removed to the island may be considered so ; and the Perthshire Highlanders, as well as those sent to the colony by the late Earl of Selkirk, may also l)e classed amcmg the most thriving part of the popu- lation. 7'he American loyalists, who removed to tlie island after the revolutionary war. are generally most industrious in their occupations ; and although fre- quently, in consequence of following too many pur- suits, not so substantial in their means as those who live by farming alone, yet they have, with few excep- tions, good houses, and live very comfortably. They n ^% 'l %\ ■]^' :.# ' f.'l '■■( l'* v^ V] <^ v: V ^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) 1.0 I.I U^|28 12.5 ■50 ""^^ InH^S L. ^ 1.8 Photographic Sciences Corporation 1.25 M J4 .4 6" - ► 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 6 i ^ '^,'i 348 PRINCE ED>VARn ISEAND. m m m pi! Bishop MacEaclieran resides. This venerable pastor has, with the Catholics of this island, those of ^l'w Brunswick, Cape Breton, and tlie Magdalen Islands, under his care. There is also, besides, a handsome cliapel at Charlotte Town, and about twelve others in different settlements. It has been frequently asserted in these kingdoms, that the inhabitants of this and other American colonies were in the most deplorable want of religious instruction. Such will not, I think, appear, as respects this island, from the above state- ment ; and such is certainly not the case.* The in- habitants generally are as well informed in religious and other matters, as the people of any other coun- try. Those born on the island are remarkably apt to learn, and singularly quick of apprehension ; and there are very few of the young people, except among the Acadians, who cannot read and write. Tliere is at Charlotte Town a very respectable grai imar-school, a school on the Madras system, and schools m most of the settlements for elementary in- struction. The Legislative Assembly vote money for the partial support of these schools. The constitution of the island is nearly a transcript of that of England, and, in all civil matters, inde- ;I ml'' Hr- * The inhabitants of tliis colony were lately disturbed in many places by a young female, who, giving out that she was inspired from above, left her service to expound the Bible. She preached, or rather raved, loud, long, and passionate harangues. I do not know what were her particular tenets. Slie called herself a Brienite ; and my knowledge of sectarianism does not extend to an acquaint- ance with any apostate, or religion-founder, of the name of Brien. His disciple called herself Martha Jago, PRICES or LAND, &C. 349 a pastor ot* New Islands, indsoine ►tliers in asserted this and 'plorable I think, ve state- The in- religious ler coun- ly apt to on ; and pt among spectable teni, and ntary in- oney for ^•anscript ?rs, inde- ed in many |as inspired preached, I do not |a Brienite ; acquaint- of Brien. . pendent of any jurisdiction in America. The govern- ment and legislature are vested in a lieutenant-gover- nor, who represents the king*^ a council, which acts in an executive as well as legislative capacity ; and a House of Assembly, of eighteen representatives elected by the people, and who conduct their proceedings according to the forms of the British House of Com- mons. The governor is chancellor of the Court of Chancery ; the chief-justice and attorney-general are appointed by the king; and the high-sheriff is appoint- ed annually by tlie local government. The practice of the Court of Chancery is.the same as in England ; but the power given it has been most wantonly ex- ercised. The present governor, however, lias too nmch sense to admit of any overbearing or oppressive proceedings in this court. The Supreme Court of Judicature, is that in which all criminal and civil matters of consequence are tried, by a jury of twelve men ; and the i)ractice of which is regulated by that of the Court of King's Bench. Matters of small debt are decided by special magistrates ; and justices of the peace take cognizance, as in England, of all breaches of the peace. As to the prospects which this colony may present to persons in the United Kingdom who are desirous to emigrate, they will, I hope, appear pointed out free from bias in the foregoing pages, to which I will only add, that the lands, as already stated, having origin- ally been granted away in large tracts, not more than 20,000 acres, if so nuich, are at present held by the crown. Woodlands, in convenient situations, may. ■m ri^m M' I ii-: •1 K I ■ii.. M '> I iJ50 rillNCE KDWATII) ISLAND. .,/,' m however, be [nircliased for from 10s. to L.2, per acre ; and leases, in perj)L'tiiity, or, what amounts to the same tiling, for 999 years, can be obtained for the annual rent of from Is. to 2s. per acre, and in some situations for less. So that, taking into consideration the advantages of residing in the vicinity of well- disj^osed society, the opportunity that is afforded of having children instructed in the rudiments of edu- cation ; of roads communicating between all the set- tlements ; of corn-mills and saw-mills being almost everywhere in the neighbourhood ; and having the convenience and benefit, by living near the shipping ports, of ready markets for the produce of tlie land or sea, it may be reasonably concluded, that the terms on which lands are now to be had in this island, are much more favourable than those on which they can be had in the United States. The value of land, however, cannot long remain so low in this island, as it must rise along with the natural increase of the population. The prices of live stock and other articles vary from the lowest to the highest of the following prices : — A good horse, for saddle or harness, L.20 to L.35. A serviceable horse, for farmer's work, and of the Canadian breed, L.IO to L.18. A yoke of oxen, L.IO to L.20, according to the size. A cow, L.4 to L.7. A calf, 12s. to 18s. A wedder sheep, 10s. to 15s. An ewe and lamb in the spring, 15s. to IBs. The price of pigs depends on size and breed. Turkeys, 2s. to 3s. Stubble geese, Is. 6d. to 3s. Ducks, 9d. to Is. 3d. Fowls, 6d. to lOd. Fresh beef, 2d. to 44d. ; sometimes in spring, 1.3, per nmts to I for the in some ileratioii of well- orded of of edii- l the set- 0- almost Lving the shipping tlie laud the terms slaml, are tliey can g remain with the ■es of live est to the horse, for ible horse, eed, L.IO L'ording to ol8s. A |mb in the spends on Ible geese, ks, 6d. to in spring, % I riUOKS CUllllENT. .351 for about a week or two, as liigh as 6d. Pork, 2,Jjd. to 5d. Mutton, 2d. to 5d. Veal, 2d. to 5d. JJuttor, 8d. to Is. Cheese, Gd. to lOB. Partridges, 4d. to (id. Hares, in abundance, 6d. Codfish, fresh, weighing from 121bs. to 201bs., Od. each. Sahnon, 2s. to 2s. Gd. each. Herrings, fresh, .'id. to 8d. per dozen. Lobsters, very fine, ^d. to Id. eacli ; other kinds of fish in projjor- tion. Ham, 12s. to 2os. per cwt. Wlieat, 4s. to 6s. per bushel. Oats, Is. 3d. to 2s. Barley, 2s. to 3s. Potatoes, lOd. to Is. 3d. Turnips, Is. to Is. 3d. Car- rots, cabbages, and other vegetables, are usually very low. Rum, 3s. Gd. to 5s, per gallon. Port wine, 8s. to 12s. Madeira, 10s. to 1.5s. Brandy, 7s. to 9s. Hollands, 6s. to 8s., all duty paid. Good souchong tea, 4s. to Gs. Good hyson, 5s. to 7s. Sugar, Gd. to 8d. i)er lb. Tliese prices are in Halifax currency, nominally more, but always one-tenth, and some- times one-sixth, less in value than British sterling. ^3 ' 'It ''a ■■■ml •m '.fm m m ?kj '■m I: :j52 PRTNCK EDWAlll) ISLAND. m CHAPTEU VI. Sketdi of its History — Coinlitioii uiulvr the Govci'innent of rVniicf — St'ttlo- inent liy tho HritiNh — Kre(^ti!(l into n distinrt Coloiiiiil Govcnnnoiit — Governors I'attersoii, I'lmiiing, Desburres, Sinitli, Colonel Ueatly. The first land Cabot met with after leaving New- foundland, api^ears to have been this island, which he discovered on the 24th June, 1497, (St John's day,) and called it St John's Island. On the right of this discovery, the English neglected to make any claim ; and the French, after the settlement of Canada, took possession of it, as within the limits of New France, and as having been discovered, in 1523, byVerazani. It appears to have been granted, in 1663, by the company of New France, together w^ith the Magda- len, Bird, and Brion isles, to the Sieur Doublet, a captain in the French navy, to be held by him in vassalage of the Company of Miscou. The Sieur's associates w^ere two companies of fish- ing adventurers, from the towns of Grenville and St Maloes, who never made any permanent settlement on the island, except trifling fishing-iiosts at two or three places. After the peace of Utrecht, many of the French, who lived in Acadia, came and settled on this island ; '; IlIsToUV .'j.>.'j nee — .Sfttlf- vcnnnoDt — ally. ig New- ivliicli lie ri's day,) it of this y claim ; ida, took France, /"erazani. by the Magda- 3ublet, a '- him in s of fish- e and St ttlement t two or I French, s island ; i and others flockeil to it from Cane IJreton, on fmdiiiir tliey conhl have the advantage of a fertile soil, as well as the benefit of a plentifnl fishery; but so great was the apprehension of the French government that these great natural advantages wonld drain off the fishermen settled at the important harl)our of Louisburg, that the inhabitants were prohibited from fisliiiig, excejjt at two or three harbours. After this, the French garrison at Louisliurg receive*! from this island grain, vegetables, and cattle ; and two com- missaries were statioiied at different places for col- lecting and shipping the same. From the observations of a French officer, wlio visited this island in 1752, we may have some idea of its condition before it was taken by the JJritish forces. lie says, " St John's is the largest of all the islands in the Gnlf of St Lawrence, and has the advantage of Cape Breton in i)oint of fertility. It has safe harbonrs, plenty of wood, and as great a convenience for fishing as any place on the coast. It had been altogether neglected, as well as Cape Bre- ton, until, necessity having shown the French the utility of the latter, their eyes were also opened in regard to the former. They have since been at pains to 2>lant it, though not enough, considering its ad- vantageous situation. " Though the island of St John is subject to no particular commandant, he receives his orders from the governor of Cape Breton, and administers justice conjunctly with the sub-delegate of the inteudant of New France. They reside at Port la Joye," (now VOL. I. z I*'>1 'll r| i 351 I'UINC i: I DWAUl) IM.AM>. CliiirlolU' 'I'ow'ii.) " and tlir ^•ovonKU* of fiOiiisliurj^!; funiislic's (lit'iii with a i>.".iris()ii of sixty nii'ii. •' It wns from tliis \)\[\l'c wv sv{ out in tlii' hi'giii- iiiiin- of llic> iiioiUli of Aiuvust, ^7'y'2. W'v msitikUmI tlic livor to lilt' north- cast soveii liaj^'itrs, nj) to its vt'iy source, fi'(!in whence v/c iirococslcMl to the har- hour of Kt Peter's, r.ftcr liaviniv nuule a earri;ii>;e of four h'agucs across a i)hiin, v/ell cultivated, and ahoundiii:]^ in .^.11 sorts of {.^Tain." After reinainini>- some days at St Peter's, lie visited the harhours of Fortune, l)e la ^-'ouris, and JMatieu : " the neij^h- bourinj;- lands of wMch," he continues, " are exceed- ingly i^'ood and proper f(H* culture, ^^'e found several sorts of trees, wltli a j)rodij'.';ious nunil)er of foxes, martens, hares, i)artri(l<>vs, &e. I'he rivers abound in fish, and are bordered with pasture lands, which jn'oduce exceeding good grass. 'J'he inhabitants caine over here from Acadia, during the last war, and are about eight and forty in number. After coasting along, we doubled the east point, which we found deserted, because a fire had obliged the iidia- bitants to abaiulon it, in order to go and settle two leagues tarther upon the north side. " We continued our course six leagues, until we arrived at the I^ool de Naufrage. The coast, thoui',h very level, presents the eye with nothing but a coun- try laid w^^iste by fire ; and farther on it is covered with woods. We met with l)ut one inhabitant, who told us the hinds about the Pool were exceeding good, and easy to cultivate, and that every thing grows there in great plenty. Of this he gave us a demonstration '4 )nisl)iir!:- I. isi'tMidc'd 1]) to its tlio Iinr- ri.';t>;o of (.(1, and 111 .'lining- I J ours of ' ncM';<;li- excc't'd- i several f foxes, abound >, which al)itan(s 1st war, After hicli we le inha- tle two intil we tIiou[';h a coun- covered nt, who ig'g'ood, vs there strati on lllsroKV. thai allorihd us a singular pli'asnri'; this was a small <|uantily of wheat he had s(»\vii that vear, and inchrd notliing could he more beautiful than tlie ears, which were longer and fnller than any I iiad sen in i:nr()i)e. " 'i'his place took- the nanii' of Pool de Naufragc, from a l^'rench sliii) that bad been cast away on the coast. 'J'he vessel was lost four K agues out at sea ; but a few jiassengers saved themselves u])()n the wreck, and were the first that settled jit tiie harbour of St Peter's. The coast swarms with all soits <»f game, and with a variety of the very best hsli." 'i his writer, after briefly describing places at that liia<' settled, namely, l*ort la Joye, Point Prinii', Si l*eter's. Savage IIar])our, Fortune, Souris, Miitieu, 'J'rois Klvieres, ^JVacadie, llaeito (Kustic(»), Malpee (Richmond Hay), ('aseami)ec, IJedec, IMvieres aux ])londs (Tryon), llivicres des (•rajjauds, and l)es Sables, fiulher observes, " The i)lantalion of this island is of great consequence, as well in ri'gani to the fishery, as to the commerce which the inhabit- ants may carry on in the interior parts; but to ren- der it more solid and durable, they should attend to the more essential jiarts, namely, to agriculture, and j)asturage, for the breeding and maintaining of all sorts of cattle, and especially sheep : by keeping them together in folds, the ui)per lands might be inijjroved, and the meadows and corn-fields laid out; from whence the inhabitants would reap a plentiiid har- vest of all kinds of grain. For if they had but the proper means of making these improvements, theii- own lands would abundantly supply all their wants, •-st t: m ■J pi ill I I 356 I'lnXCl-: EDWAKI) ISI.AXf). ;^ and they would be beholden to foreigners for nothing but salt, lines, hooks, and other fishing-tackle. " Here they have likewise a vast quantity of plaice, thornbacks, mackerel, and herrings. In several pools f.nd lakes along tlie downs, they have excellent trout, and such a prodigious quantity of eels, that three men might fill three hogsheads of them in four and twenty hours. Lastly, you meet in all parts of the island with great plenty of game. It is therefore surprising that so plentiful a country should have so long been overlooked by the French." * From the foregoing extracts, it is jirobable that the French government would not have allowed the natural resources of this island to have remained dormant, if they had retained its sovereignty. In 1758, this island surrendered to Great Britain, when its population is stated to have been 10,000; but an old Acadian, who is still living, and was then on the island, told me that he recollected well the number of families in all the settlements, and that the population could not have exceeded 6000. Lieute- nant-Colonel Rollo was sent from Louisburg, by General Amherst, to take possession of the island :, and, to the eternal disgrace of the French governor, a vast number of English scalps were found hung up in his house. The island, for many years pre- * Genuine Letters and Memoirs relating to tlie Natural, Civil, and Commercial History of the Islands of Cape Breton and St Jolni's from tlie first settlement there, to the taking of Louishurg by the English in 1758, by an impartial Frenchman. London translation, 17()1. i M IIISTOIIV It *' ^* lotliing f plaice, al pools it trout, it three jur and ; of tlie lerefore Id have )le tliat wed tlie nnained r • Britain, 10,000; as then veil the that the Lieiite- Lirg, by island ;, >vernor, d hung u's pre- Civil, and St Jolm'Sj ri^- by tlie anslation, t i: ceding, was the principal resort of the Micmac Indians ; and, from the immense quantity of oyster sliells on the banks of rivers and bays in the neigli- bourhood of oyster beds, where the savages generally pitched their wigwams or tents, we may conclude that it was their rendezvous for many centuries. In several 2)laces, these shells, which are partly in a pulverised state, cover several acres to the depth of from one to five or six feet. Tile old Acadian French, driven from Nova Sco- tia, assimilated themselves at that time in a great measure to the habits of the Indians. Some of these Acadians were sent to Canada, others to the mtli- ern colonies. At the peace of 1763, this colony and Cape Breton were annexed to the government of Nova Scotia. In 1764, a general survey of the British empire in America was begun by order of government, and that of this island completed in 1770. Some difference having arisen as to the plan of settling it. Lord Egremont, then First Lord of the Admiralty, pro]iosed doing so on a feudal plan, ac- cording to which, his Lordship was to be lord paramount of the colony, which was to be divided into twelve baronies, to l)e held of him. Each l)aron was to erect a castle, to maintain a certain number of men, who, with under tenants, were to perform suit and service. This idle scheme was very pro- perly rejected ; and the lands of the colony being- considered too valuable to be granted away indis- criminately to individuals, like the rest of the newly- w ii ■h'Ail m m I m m ;3 ■»• f # .'}.")« n!lX( I" I'DWAlil) ISJ.AXI). !N. {U-qiiiicd territories in Aincrii';i,tlie island was divided into sixty-seven townsliipsjof about 20,000 aereseacli, wliiehwere granted, by recommendation of the JJoard oF Trade and Plantations, to certain })ersons who were considered to have claims on the govermnent. l?y the terms of the first grant, a quit-rent was reserved to his Majesty of six shillings per hundred acres on some, of four shillings on others, ;nid of two shillings per hundred acres on the remaining town- ships, payable on the Feast of St Michael. A reser- vation M'as made at the same time of all such parts to his Majesty as liad then been set apart, or should thereafter be set aj)art, for erecting fortifications, building wharfs, enclosing naval yards, or laying out liighwaj's for the convenience of comnumication from one part of the island to another ; and of all mines of gold, silver, and coals. Also a reservation on each tov.nship for chiu'ch and school lands, and for a fisliiiio' on the sea-coast, v/itliin the distance of 500 feet from high-water mark. The grantees of each township were to settle the same within ten years from the date of their grants, in the proportion of one person to every 200 acres, one- third of M liich, in this proportion, was to be settled in four years, with Protestants from the continent of Euroi)e, or who had resided for two years in Ame- rica, antecedent to the date of the resjiective grant of each township. '■'■ * At that poriod, an idea was soriovisly ontertainod, that these hingdoms would !)(< (h'popidatiMl hy emigration to America ; and the conditions stipulated in the large grants of land made to va- i 'I'if » divided •cseacli, L' lionrd lis who iimeiit. eiit M'as luiidrc'd 1 of tuo o- town- A. rcscr- di parts r should icatioiis, • laying nicatioii d of all rvatioii lids, and ;taiice of ettle the rants, in res, one- e settled inent of n Anie- grant of that tliese n'ica ; and ule to va- UISTOUV. 359 :; Thus was tile whole of this valuahle colony, e\c;^'j)tthe abov^e small reservations, and three others for intended county towns, given away in one day. Great expectations were iijrined of this plan for its settlement, from the fiatlei-iiig report drawn up by Captain Holland, surveyor-general of North Ame- rica. But many of the proprietors, from necessity, or other motives, sold their lands to persons who were either unable, or unwilling, to settle them on the original plan ; and the colony falling in this man- ner into the hands of a few individuals, has been the great cause of its not having been long ago popu- lously settled. It was flot until lands in convenient situations in the neighbouring colonies were located, that the lands of this island were considered worth the value set on them by the proprietors ; and the very prejudice against settling on lands imless held in free soccage from the crown, has had a powerful influence in directing emigrants to other places In I7C8, a majority of the proprietors presented a petition to his Majesty, praying that the island might be erected into a separate government from that of Nova Scotia. This was granted, and Walter Patterson, Esq. appointed governor, who, with the other officers of government, arrived on the island in 1770, at which time there were not living on it more than 150 families, and only five resident proprietors. Shortly after his arrival. Governor Patterson planted rious iuilividuals, of scttlino tliein witli Ibroigners, were occasioned by tliis opinion. m ■r M ■I, ■f mi-- ■<■' ■ I. ' i r t ? ' I. 360 rUlNC'i: F-DAVAlU) ISLAND. a iiimiber of Acadian French alonpf the front of lot 17, (St Eleanors,) and the jn-oprietors of lot IS (fronting on Richmond 15ay) br()uj»ht several fami- lies from Argyleshire, who were settled on this township in 1770 and 1772. 1'he settlement of Nqw London, Rustico, ;nid Elliot Kiver, bej^an in 1773 ; and Cove Head, and lot 59 at Three Rivers, were settled early by the late Chief JJaron ]VIonti»'o- niery, who did more than any other proprietor, at that time, for the settlers. Tracady was jilanted with abont 300 Ilio-hlanders by the late Cai)tain JVIacdonald ; and a few other places were partially settled about the same period. The first House of Assembly met in 1773, by his Majesty's royal commission, which gave a complete constitution to the colony. The remainder of Gover- nor Patterson's administration, which ended in 1789, was filled up with angry difierences between himself and the ])roprietors ; and he resorted to measures, on the ground of realizing crown or quit-rents, that were considered ill-judged and improper. In other respects lie was a man of kind and benevolent character. During the American revolutionary war, several of the enemy's armed vessels were captured and carried to Charlotte Town ; and the frigates that brought out the Quebec convoys, generally spent jiart of the sum- mer on this station. Barracks were at the same time erected, to acconnnodate four provincial comj^anies sent from New York. The late General Fanning succeeded Governor Patterson ; and although his administration was productive of no advantage in TIISTOKY. fiOl pi'oni()tinf>' the prosperity of tlic colony, it was not .il)parently injurious to private individuals. His rulin<5 ])assion, during- liis administration, was that of ai'quirini>- landed proi)erty in the colony, and he succeeded in securin«>' to himself some of the hest tracts, without proceeding" to any violent measures against tlie proprietors ; hut lie was considered the most severe landlord in the colony, in resi)ect to rents and terms, which, with the connnon ohjections of new settlers to heconie tenants in wilderness lands, retarded the improvement and settlement of the island. He was l)orn and hrought up in the United States ; and he owed his fortune to accidental cir- cumstances, the advantages of which he had the finesse to seize. Soon after his ajjpointment to this government, two provincial corps were raised, by order of his Majesty, for the protection of the island ; and the barracks, as they now (1829) stand, were rebuilt, by order of the Duke of Kent. Three troops of vohniteer cavalry were also formed ; and the name of the island changed, in 1799, fi'om St John's, and called, by an act of the colonial legislature. Prince Edward, in honour of his Royal Highness the Duke of Kent, then commanding the army in America. Governor Desbarres, who had previously been Lieu- tenant-Governor of Cape Breton, and who succeeded General Fanning, was a man of considerable talent, liberal education, and well known as an expert and correct hydrographer. He possessed also many kind and generous qualities; but, from being very old, (having been a captain of foot at the siege of Que- m if i-e ^^1 '<*1?MJ| 'U ^#, '■mi a,'."!.';'' m i ; f.Vi ■ Q\ «•' t V il il iiG2 I'JUNC K i:i)\\'AHl) ISLAM). .' f ml \ fitMj v. 11 .5 carry o his di the ttach- st ]\Ir •a the f their taking of the Grover- iiee his e half- :er and )VC'r to iry evi- ; anil, Eng- tl, soon ►vernor The men of e hini- ustody assem- y, and despe- lin the he did time, orney- hardi- hood to express in court, when the members of the connnittee, who were brought to the bar, had been ordered into custody witliout l)eing heard, that it was novel law to him to hear an order made for com- mitting gentlemen who had the misfortune to be brought to the bar of court on an implied charge, without being allowed the privilege of defending themselves, except by the tardy course of petitioning, while they must at the same time remain in custody. After this, Governor Smith remained within the barrack gates, apparently inactive as respected the local affairs of the colony, until he left the colony on the arrival of his successor. Colonel Heady. Tlie Attorney-General was soon after reinstated in his office. Writs for a new election of members for the Representative Assembly were issued ; and Mr Stewart, who returned to the colony in the same ship with the Governor, was chosen speaker of the House of Assembly. During the first session of which, twenty-three acts of great importance to the country were passed, and added to the code of colonial laws. Governor Ready has since been in England, but has returned again to the island, the improvement and prosperity of which appeared, with him, paramount to every other consideration. The roads, all over the island, have beun widened, and rendered fit for car- riages. New bridges have been erected, and the old ones repaired. The legislature have appropriated money for aiding the support of schools in Charlotte Town, and the county settlements. Agriculture, and the breeding of cattle, are encouraged ; and what has ■ i%7 • f\^'^ t., » ■ H ■i\ i I .'i()() I'inXCi; KDWAIM) IM.ANI*. ?.<■ t' htrii t'tli'ctcd in so short a period, proves iiow nimii niiglit have formerly been done, without any expense but the proi)er application of the colonial reveiuie. Governor Heady, in order to teach by the force of example, is a farmer liimself. When last in Eng- land, he sent a beautiful full-bred stallion and mare to tlie island ; an agricultural society lias been esta- blished under his auspices ; and the cultivation of tlie soil, fostered by his government, is extending rapidly over all parts of the colony. The island has been at last so far pro«peroiis, and mucli will hereafter depend on the inhabitants themselves. Let not tlieir energies and industry be divided by petty bickering in private society, by family quarrels, l)y jealous feelings, or by contempt- ible political squabbles. Much has been done for tlicm, but they nmst still do niucli more for them- selves. They possess one of the most beautiful spots of the hal)ital)le globe ; and their happiness may be secured by industry, economy, unanimity, jnmctual- ity to en![>a [ Mir ] KO'J'KS TO JiOOK I\'. NoTK A, pngo 300. At tliis place tlicro lived lately a iiiost resjjectalile farmer, Wii- liain (Jraliam. lie eiiiiuniled ahont sixty years ago from Aniiaii- (lalo, and by industry s(!Curo(l plenty mid eenifort on tlie lar^'e farm wldeli Ik; had occupied foriifty years. His mind was a sort of cln-onoloj^ical register, and lie was one of the hest tellers of a plain story I ever kiKjw. 'I'lie most detiiiled, and the nutst iiiterestiii", except Sir Walter Scott's, accfiunt of tlie " liatlle of Dryfe Sands," was related to me hy " honest Willie (Jrahani," as he was usually called. I have just learned that my excellent accpuiiniunce died soon after I left America. % ivj m Note B, page 311. Pic-\ic excursions are much in voj^uc all over America. To show how far these differ from any thing' to which they may he coin- pared in England, it may be sufficient to observe, thai pic-nic par- ties generally consist of families of respectability, with their friends, who are on a jierfectly intimate footing- with each other. In summer, some romantic spot is fixed upon, to which the ])arty jiroceed ; if by water, which is most conimonly the case, in an open boat ; or if by land, in gigs, or in calashes, and on horseback. The ladies con- sider it as within their particular province to furnish the eatai)les. The gentlemen provide wines and spirits. At these parties, there is usually less restraint, and more enjoyment, than at the assemblies. On some grjissy glade, sliaded by the luxuriant branches of forest trees, an ■. « *-' h. *\ ' \ 1. ~% ■' ) ■■■ •• 'i' •I « ' ;. \ t " ' •1. ♦ .♦ ' ^- ■ . wi'll-fillc'd linHl<«'ts nrc u|;li t'lijoying rroiinding tli('i»!iity, jf tlif i>ic- l»ly warm, r tlio wiim '|)i.'tUion of nrlies, the liiii n liun- iigiillant to liciitlciiKMi, icrs of liiH iirt, or tlio tli(! water ; foot in tlio altlc farm- irt of llio appointed oil', drawn riafjcs take mi in front wind Mows tlie horse rcat speed. >ven roads, the Know, ugli which nders. ter parties, ons out of { the rnrrirtj^ps, nnd usher thi'm into the house, U'ftve them for n short tinio to see their horses properly taken eare of. By the time they return, the hulies have disencumhered thi iii'^clves of mntl's, ehiaks, nnd pehsses ; nntire to wrap thi>niselves up in their winter liabili- ineiitN, while tlit^ gentlemen have their cabrioles brought to tlu^ door ; nnd then each drives humu with the lady wliu honoured him with lier company. * NoTK C, page Jll.'J. A FARMER from Yorkshire, who settled a f«MV years ago on lands belonging to Sir James Montgomery, in Prince Kdward Island, with which I had at the time something to do, was complaining one day of his hard work nnd hard living at tli(> sani<> time. lie said, with n sigh that reminded one of the inurmnring children of Israel when longing for the " flesh-pots of Egypt," " Aye, measter, if I wur in Yorkshire neow, Izc* had some good fat beakin poys." Tliis same man has since surmounted his dilHculties, and may liavo " fat bacon pies" as often as he pleases. NoTK D, page 313. I HAVE frequently heard many of the old settlers declare their belief in the power of witches, and the inlluence of what they term an " evil eye," in such cases as being oflered a fair price for a horse or cow, and refusing it, and the animal dying, or some accident happening to it soon after. When tlieir cows give less milk than m I 1 . -., *i''. I ^> M VOL. I. 2 A I ',y 'A'l - Q I ■f| 370 NOTES TO BOOK IV. yf tif i- . '%'U usual, it is not uncommon to impute the cause to the infernal agency of some unluckv old woman. Several years ap;o one of the settlers went to a magistrate and lodged a complaint against his neighbour, alleging that he was guilty of witchcraft. The magistrate was silly enough, but probably through ignorance, to summon the accused man before him, who was, however, declared innocent of holding any intercourse with his Satanic majesty. The man insisted on a written statement from the magistrate to that effect, which, as was related to me by a very respectable gentleman in the colony, ended in a kind of accidental rhyme, and in the following words : " Of witchcraft he's as free As man can be. William M'Kie, J. P." An old man at Richmond Bay, who gave out that he was gifted with the second sight, was so far infatuated, that being on the shore on a calm day in summer, near where a young man at the time had turned over in a broken canoe, quite within the reach of this old man to save him, he calmly allowed him to drown, in consequence, as he said, of a supernatural sight which his « gift" had enabled him to perceive a few days before. ■fJ •i' "' ■'•; *- the infernal agistrate and that he was but probably re him, who rcourse with itement from me by a very of accidental le was gifted on the shore the time had 1 of this old ionsequence, bad enabled m 'm m f 7'. '■■ :, m til ^ if'.: Sf § m i I, V I ' I' I T I* ^ Hi '-t ■M U \ ^.. "] r a ^ ••*: '-^ •«^ f jq a: ^' 1 y ,.i [ 371 ] BOOK V. CAPE BRETON. i f CHAPJER I. Geographical Situation — Configuration and General Description — Slcetch of its History. Cape Breton is bounded on the south and east by the Atlantic ocean, and on the north and north- west by the Gulf of St Lawrence. The Gut of Canseau separates it on the west from Nova Scotia, and forms also a deep and safe passage into the gulf ; to which, however, the principal entrance, 57 miles in width, is between Cape Ray, in Newfoundland, and the north cape of Cape Breton. The aspect of Cape Breton is romantic and moun- tainous. The coast, washed by the Gulf of St Law- rence, is of dangerous access, and without harbours, and its iron-faced cliffs are high, and in many places perpendicular. On the Atlantic, the shores are broken and rugged, but indented with numerous harbours and bays. A vast inlet, named the Bras d'Or, entering by two narrow passages, and afterwards spreading into m m m m m m I. m m m '• I. CAl'E IJKETON. ]h t7 t i ,1! miinorous bays and anus, nearly tlivitles the island into two. Woods, with the exceptions of small patches cleared for cnltivation, and such spots as are thrown open where rocks occu;)y the surface, cover the whole island. Tlie trees are of nuu'h the same kind and description as those in Prince Edward Island, unless it be on the sea-coast and mountains, in which situa- tions they are of a dwarfish character. It is usually conjectured that this island has been de- tached from the continent of America by some violent convulsion. This, like most speculative opinions for which we have i\o historical data, will most likely ever remain uncertain. The Gut of Canseau, which di- vides Cape I5reton from Nova Scotia, is not, for a dis- tance of five leagues, more than a mile and a half wide, and in some places less. The Highlands also, rising on each side rather abruj^tly, make the width of the strait to seem much less, and impart to it, at the same time, the appearance of an innnense fissure laid open by the exi)losion of some tremendous agency. There is not, however, a striking resemblance in the geological structure of the opposite shores of Cape Breton and Nova Scotia ; but this is no uncom- mon circumstance in nature ; and we often, in Ame- rica, meet with a chain of granite predominating on one side of a river, and a calcarious region prevailing on the other. The geology and mineralogy of Cape Breton, can only be said to be know^n in outline. From all that I have observed, however, and from all the information 4t« GE()LO(iICAI. STIIUC'TURK. .•J7.'i le island s cleared yii open le whole n ■','' .i .^ I 378 CAl'i: imETON. in this expedition. The famous Mr Whitfield sup- plied them with the motto, " Nil desperandum Christo duce," for tlieir banner ; and tlie military feeling of these forces was probably acted upon as much by fa- naticism as by love of country. Conunodore Warren, after some delay, joined the transports from New England ; and after a siege of forty-nine days, during which the provincials distin- guished themselves by their endurance and bravery, Louisburg surrendered on the 18th of June. Com- modore Warren, a few days before, captured the Vigilant of 74 guns, commanded by the Marquis de la Maison Forte, with a great supply of stores ; and some time after, two French East India ships, and a South Sea ship, valued at L.600,000, were decoyed into Louisburg, by hoisting the French flag in the usual place. St John's Island fell into the possession of Eng- land a little after ; and the inhabitants were trans- ported to France. Some English, on that occasion, ventured incautiously into the country, where they were surprised by the Indians, and twenty-eight were either massacred or made prisoners. The stores, merchandise, fish, &c. taken in Louis- burg, were of immense value; and the importance of this place to France, as a rendezvous for its West and East India fleets, and as the head-quarters of their fisheries, was of vast consequence. Privateers were also fitted out here to disturb our fisheries, and to infest our colonial coasts. The Micmac Indians resorted here with the scalps of the English who 2 h { ArTL'Ri: or louishuikj. 37.0 Id siip- Cliristo (ling of 1 by fa- led t]ie lege of distin- raveiy, Com- 'ed the quis de s ; and ps, and decoyed in the f Eng- trans- casion, e they y-eight Louis- ortance s West ters of vateers es, and ndians h who became tlie victims of tlieir cruelty ; and although the French pretended to consider them an indepen- dent people, they even countenanced, during peace, the aggressions of the savages on the English. Cape Breton was restored to France by the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, in return for Madras, and re- mained in possession of that power until the surren- der of Louisburg, on the 26th July, 1758, to the Bri- tish forces under the command of (icneral Amherst and Brigadier-Generals Lawrence and AV^olfe, and the fleet commanded by Admiral Boscawen. The French, commanded by M. de Drucourt, defended Louisburg, from the 8th of July until its caj)itulation, with extraordinary bravery, against a powerful fleet, consisting of twenty-three ships of the line, eighteen frigates, with sloops of war and tran- sports amounting to one hundred and fifty-seven ships, and against 16,000 land forces. On tins occa- sion, Madame de Drucourt behaved with great hero- ism, appearing daily on the ramparts, animating the soldiers in the unceasing duty which the defence of the place required. The merchants, and the greater part of the inha- bitants of Louisburg, were, after its capture, sent to France in English vessels. But the officers of govern- ment, the military and naval officers, soldiers, marines, and sailors, in number 5720, were transported as pri- soners of war to England. The stores and ammu- nition, besides 227 pieces of artillery, found in Louis- burg, were of great value. The following description of the then metropolis •I i At.. i D ?.(.♦ iM; 1^' f)80 CAPE nnr.Tox. »> v' 11 *' It , Si- yS ** -J ■ -.1 y «.' •?? > f: of Cnpe Iketon, was written by a gentleman who was residing in Lonisburg during tiie siege.* "The Frencli began to fortify this town in 1720. It is built on a neek of land which juts out into the sea south-east of the island. It is of an oblong figure, and nearly a league in circumference. The streets are wide and regular; and near the principal fort and citadel, there is a liandsonie parade. To the north of the town there are three gates, and a spa- cious quay. They have likewise constructed a kind of bri > ^ n- s; n f; £ c M <■,= :? V^ 1 r- "^ "*. O 1 fe t > 33 <\ O ^} H I'OIITIFICATIONS. 381 -y»fil u ill "r 38a CAPE BllETON. vfc^ i,. •/ fl 5 in winter, only taking proper precautions against the ice." The island battery, not mentioned in the above description, commanding the harbour, mounted thirty guns, and some other batteries were also planted before the siege. The town was surrounded, with the exception of about two hundred yards of the sea of most difficult access, by a broad stone rampart, thirty feet high, and a wide ditch. An extensive marshy bog in rear, rendered the approach by land both difficult and dangerous. The population of Louisburg at this time, exclu- sive of the troops, was about 5000. The adminis- tration was lodged in a governor and supreme coun- cil. There was also a bailiwick, or court of law, and a court of admiralty. It had an hospital for inva- lid soldiers and sailors, " which was served by six brothers of the charitable fraternity, of whose con- duct, as ^^'ell as that of the RecoUet friars, and other spiritual directors in Cape Breton, complaints were frequently made by the French inhabitants, and by the English of Nova Scotia, who charged them with the direction of the atrocities committed by the Indians." The nuns of Louisburg called themselves of the community of Quebec ; their province was to superintend the education of young girls. There were two handsome churches in the town, one of which was within the citadel ; and several other public buildings. The British government, fearing that Louisburg might again fall into the power of the French, or- '4 .4 CONDITION UNDEll TIIK BRITISH. 383 linst the e above 2d thirty planted ed, with f the sea rampart, jxtensive by land le, exclu- adminis- me coim- t of law, for inva- sd by six lose con- uid other ints were 5, and by lem with by the emselves ce was to lere were of which er public •ouisbiirg ench, or- dered the town and fortifications to be demolished, and it has ever since remained in ruins, notwithstand- ing its excellent harbour, and the extraordinary im- portance attached at the time to its conquest. During the period that France held the colony, the inhabitants were chiefly engaged in the fisheries. In this trade were em2)loyed near 600 vessels, exclu- sive of boats, and between 27,000 and 28,000 sea- men; and the French ministry considered this fishery a more valuable source of wealth and power to France than the possession of the mines of Mexico and Peru would be. The principal settlements at that time were within the Bras d'Or, at Port Dau- phin (St Ann's), Spanish Bay (now Sydney), Port Toulouse (St Peter's), Arichat, Petit de Grat, and River Inhabitants. Cape Breton, after its conquest, remained neglected by the British ; thinking it unworthy of settlement, and only fearful that it might again be taken pos- session of by France. Twenty years had elapsed, and no progress had been mad? of any consequence towards colonizing it. A few fishermen, who planted themselves at some of the harbours, and whose exist- ence was scarcely known, formed its only inhabitants. During this time, it was an appendage to the Govern- ment of Nova Scotia. Soon after the peace which followed the American revolutionary war. Cape Breton was made a distinct government from Nova Scotia, and its administration vested in Lieutenant Governor Desbarres, and an executive council. Sydney was laid out and built for f^ M Mi m •in m 'it':' ■,*•■ m I", & W ••[ ^: •"■ J 384 CAPE BRETON. the metropolis of the island; in which place the lieutenant-governor resided, the courts of law were held, and a garrison was stationed under the com- mand of a captain or subaltern officer. With the exception of Governor Desbarres, who founded Syd- ney, the different rulers were said to consider it wiser policy to make their power more subservient to their own particular views, than to the improvement and settlement of the colony, which prevented its prospe- rity during their administration ; and it has, sub- sequent to the appointment of Lieutenant-General Sir James Kempt, in 1 820, to the government of Nova Scotia, been re-aimexed, as a county sending two members to represent it in general assembly, to that province. General Kempt, previous to his promotion to the chief command in America, directed much of his attention to the improvement of Cape Breton. Roads have been traced, or opened, to facilitate the inter- course between the settlements ; the location of lands placed under regulations which give ready possession to new settlers ; and all that could be effected l)y the provincial government, has been extended to this island. Its settlement by the English could scarcely be said to have commenced until after the American revolution, when several families of loyalists removed to Cape Breton. Emigration from the Highlands and islands of Scotland, which commenced in 1800, has continued from that period to add some hun- dreds annually to the population. Cape Breton is still, however, much less improved, PUKSKNT CONDITION'. 385 ace the iw were le com- 7itli the led Syd- • it wiser ; to their fient and 3 prospe- las, sub- -General t of Nova ling two ^, to that on to the :h of his n. Roads he inter- of lands ossession led by the Id to this scarcely merican removed ighlands in 1800, me hiin- mproved, and lias a smaller population, in proporticm to its sujierficies, with the exception of Newfoundland and Labrador, than any of the British North American colonies. When the mighty importance attached to it by France, the abundant fisheries on its coasts, its numerous harbours, and its producing plenty of wood for building vessels and boats, and also a soil capable of producing grain, vegetables, and excellent grazing, together with its coal mines, are taken into consideration, it appears difficult to account for this colony having been so long neglected, while the attention of government has been directed to the colonization of countries so distant as the Cape of Good Hope, and Van Dieman's Land, except by sup- posing that the advantages and resources of British America have been imperfectly understood, not only by government, but by individuals desirous to emi- grate. i m m m m is VOL. I, 2 \i h ?:^ t U 11' Wi' 386 CAPK IJUl.TON. I. ft-t I in 4^j ^:. I * i< ■*• '* i: ii } '"ii >• Vi •'i -'' .'• r ■ ^' ••■ , % 'i, I'J 'i '- J. ■'.■ M :.; i ^^ -J .t CHAPTER II. Descript'on of Sydney and other Priiiciiml Settlements, &c. &c. Sydney, which is considered the metropoh's, or county town, of Cape Breton, Avas founded by Gover- nor Desbarres in 1823. It is situated a few miles south of the entrance to IJras d'Or, on a point of land lying between a small river which branches to the south, and the larger continuation of Dartmouth river ; and about two miles above the junction of the latter river with the west arm of Sydney, or Si)anish Bay. It was, jireviously to the re-annexion of Cape Breton to Nova Scotia, the residence of the lieutenant- governors. Its situation is very beautiful, having a steep bank, with deep water on tlie west, from which the site of the town descends gently to the east. The surrounding scenery, presenting woods, water, culti- vated land, and some other picturesque features, is interesting and pretty, but not romantic ; the town is regularly planned, contains from sixty to seventy houses, rather handsomely built, with gardens at- tached, and a population of about five hundred. The government buildings are the barracks, stores, and government-house, at the north end of the town. SYI)Ni:v. 387 &c. &c. •opolis, or by Gover- few miles I point of ranches to Dartmouth tion of the or Spanish n of Cape ieiitenant- having a om which east. The ater, culti- atures, is the town to seventy ardens at- idred. cks, stores, the town. 'J'here is a tourt-hoiise, market, churcli, a Dissenting* and Catholic chapel. Tlie courts for tlie county and district are held at Sydney ; causes are decided according to tlie laws of England, and the provin- cial statutes of Nova Scotia. A caj)tain or subaUern officer, with a detachment of from thirty to forty sol- diers, are stationed here for protecting the town. The harbour of Sydney has a bar at its entrance, but there is sufficiently deep water over it for large sliips, and there is almndant room and good anchoj- age at Dartmouth river on the west side of the town, and at the West Arm. Few places have improved or prospered less than Sydney since it was first built, although it j)ossesses many advantages. It is conveniently situated ft)r the fisheries, and the adjacent lands are adapted for agriculture and grazing. Timber, suitable for build- ing houses and fishing-craft, is abundant ; and the coal mines in its innnediate neighbourhood are an- other eminent advantage. It is probably not the most judiciously situated for the chief town in the colony; and in consequence of the island being now under the government of Nova Scotia, Arichat will conti- nue to be, as it now is, the most flourishing settle- ment. The coal trade has been the chief business carried on from Sydney ; the mines, however, on the north side of the bay, and without the bar, are very incon- venient for shipping ; and the mode of drawing them from the mines, and conveying them on shipboard, has hitherto been tedious and awkward. Proper ft'*: m mi m ■'m m m m 'A*. ml m m 3.^8 I Ai'i: mn.Tox. I '■:Ai* iiiat'liiiKiy will, no doubt, be immediately used, and some safe jilau to jji'otect tlie vessels from tlie sen, adopted by tlie " Albion Mining Company," who now possess the mines, and M'ho have also ojiened a coal mine at Lingan l?ay, some miles to the south- ward. The inhabitants around Sydney Bay and rivers are Scotch emigrants, some Irish, disbanded soldiers, and families of American loyalists. At the West Arm there is a settlement of Acadian French. The coast from Sydney to Louisburg presents abrujit cliffs, low beaches, bays, rivers, and a few islands. The principal i)laces are, Lingan Bay, which is scarcely more than a boat harbour, but the lands are good, and settled principally by Irish ; Glace Bay, which has also a few Irish inhabitants ; and Cow Bav, at which there are a few families of loyalists. Coal is very abundant along the whole of this coast ; and a j)recipitous cliff, intersected by a thick stratum of that nn'neral, presents its transformation in many places into cinders, by a fire that continued burning for some years. This story has crept into some of our late geographical works, with the aug- mentation of the fire not having been extinguished since the English took Louisburg in 1745. Mirc" Bay and River intersect the island for about thirty miles. This bay has only a harbour for very small vessels. For a boat, or shore fishery, it is very convenient. The adjoining lands are not gene- rally adapted for agriculture, but afford excellent i.orismjiu;. 38!) isud, ami the sen, IV," M'llO I) o])eiU'(l lie soiitli- iid rivers I soldiers, the West eh. presents md a few gall Bay, r, but the by Irish ; labitaiits ; Lunilies of e of this jy a thick on nation continued crept into the aug- Jng'uished for about I' for very ery, it is not gene- excellent pasturage. An injudicious grant of 100,000 acres of hind, has prevented tiie settlement of the country bordering on this beautiful river; and the popula- tion consists only of a few families of American loyalists. Scatari Island, a point for whicli vessels bound from ]5ritain to North America have usually shaped their course, lies a few miles south-east of IVIirti Bay. It is triangular in shape ; its sides about five miles long ; and its soil barren, but well calculated for an extensive fishery. It is not inhabited, at least not permanently. Within Scatari is Main u Dieu or Minadon Ilarboia*, at which there is a settlement of industrious fishermen, who, after the cod fishery is over, employ themselves with their vessels in car- rying coals from Sydney to Halifax, &c. Louisburg has been, ever since its demolition, a place so truly insignificant, that it might be passed over by merely observing that its harbour is safe and spacious ; and that it is most conveniently situa- ted on the south side of the island for the fisheries, and a port of rendezvous for a naval squadron. But it has assumed, and maintains, a classic posi- tion in history, that rerpiires more than ordinary notice. The harbour of Louisburg is in latitude 45" 54' N., and longitude 59' 52' W. Its entrance, a little more than a quarter of a mile in width, leads between some small rocky islets, and a bold point on the north-east side, on which stand the ruins of the French light-house, and the foundations of two bat- ^ f ' '-if.' vi •.•Ml 't :■«' .r '' '• i\ 'I'.' m It, -VI '.,•*'[ i ' v'i tr i ••, ''I I ■■ It' } 1 ,- ■ -I i:, i I 4 ' i .Hi k! j; ■<> I I '1 I .S()() (AIM: RIM.'I'OX. terios. A ilelusive entrance presents itself from the sea between the islands and the western j)()int on which Louisburf^ stood ; hut a rocky led^e, covered with a few feet of water, extends across it, and renders the passage impracticable, while it also defends tlie harbour most completely against the lieavy rolling sea of the Atlantic. Within, a capacious basin, nearly three miles in length, and about a mile in width, M'ith excellent liolding ground, forms one of the best harbours in the world. A few rivulets run into the harbour, Mdiicli afford fresh water ; and a beach and some other parts are well adapted for the landing and drying of fish. The surrounding lands are bleak, rugged, and barren, and only a few slight traces remain of what was culti- vated by the French. A few dwarfish firs, birches, shrubs, moss, and grass, appear growing among the rocks, and greater fertility is only met with some miles bfick in the country. In fact, Louisburg lias no natural advantage but its fine harbour, its water- ing-places, and its convenient position for the ren- dezvous of a navy, and for the fisheries. The ruins of Louisburg repose on a point of land projecting from the western coast ; against one side of which the roaring surges of the ocean roll and foam, while the other is laved by the calm waters of the liarbour ; on both shores, the land, near the sea, is low, and rises gently to the site formerly occupied by the citadel. Stretcln'ng across this point, separa- ting tlie area of Louisburg from a small pond and uriNs OF i.ouismnuj. 31)1 from tlie ])()iiit on ;, fovi'i't'd 1(1 iviulers tVnds till* ry rolling ' miles in excellent irbours in licli afTord parts are fish. Tlie arren, and was cnlti- s, birches, niong the vith some jbnrg' has its water- the ren- it of land t one side 1 roll and waters of ir the sea, Y occnpied it, separa- pond and morass that lie between it and tlie rocky hills, we dis- cover the walls, slo])ing glacis, and mined basthms. These are, in most ])laces, covered with a tnrf of grass and moss; and the wide broken gaps, whicli were blown open by gunpowder, remind ns of the destruction of these regular and formidable works of defence. The remains of all the batteries, and the foundations of many of the public buildings, the stockades, and, in calm weather, the sunken ships of war, are still to be seen. The strong and capacious magazines, in which were once deposited vast stores of military combusti- bles, are still nearly entire, but almost liidden by the accumulation of earth and turf. They afibrd, at the same time, warm and safe shelter for the flocks of sheep that now feed on the site of Louisburg, and whose tracks lead us to the entrance of these case- ments. Jietween the site of a battery on the extreme point, and a pond in front of the ruins of Maurcpas bas- tion, may be traced the burying-ground ; in which repose the ashes of many a courageous and distin- guished French officer, mingled with those of the brave troops and sailors who fell in defending Louis- burg against two formidable sieges. Here also have been laid the remains of the priest, friar, and civilian, together with those of the pious nun, fashionable lady, and the humble wife of the fisherman. On treading over the grounds of Louisburg, that mind must be indeed cold, and little to be envied, which does not feel tlie full force of the observations % 1 m IS m -i ^^ II m ■ Mt.ll ;»';" m m m ».•! ! im < aim: HurTON, ; i :' ^! V.'i i' *•( 1 7. •J 1. ji I: t)f Doctor Johnson wlieti snrvevino' tlio niiiiH of lona. \\'< ohsorvc in Loiii.shnri«- tlii' lU'.soIation wliii'li destiny ontaiicd on the sjjicndid ritios of the .'Uic'iont world. All is sik'nt, (.'xci'i)tin<^ tho rcviTbu- ration of the sea, as the Maves roll in alon«r the beach, or the l>leatinj»' of the scattered sheep, as they jijather towards their resting* abodes, m hen the solitude of evening" aj)i)roaches. A few huts, the habitations of poor unanibitioiis fisjierinen, form only a melanclioly contrast to the sni)erb edifices, scientific fortifications, naval gran- deur, military ponip, and conunercial activity of whicli Louisburg was once the splendid theatre. From Louisburg to St Peter's, the coast of Cap > J^reton is nake follow tlu- fisheries, anil cultivate also small jjatclics of ianl. St I'eter's I Jay and settlement arc si iiated to tlic east of Li'iinox Passage, 'i'lie French called this place Port 'J'oulouse ; and to it the Indians of Aca- »■ Inhabitants, along the banks of wliich there were extensively cultivated farms when Cai)e Breton was taken, falls into a bay of the same name at the northern end of Lennox Passage. The lands on each side of this river are fertile, and have been set- tled for many years. The interior lands are also excellent, and covered with luxuriant woods. Arichat is situated on the south side of Madame Island, which is divided by Lennox Passage from Cape Breton. It lies near the south entrance of the Gut of Canseau, opposite Cranberry Island, on which there is a lighthouse. Its harbour is safely sheltered, and has a sufficient depth of water for the largest ships. The population of this place is increasing fast ; the present number of inhabitants may be esti- mated at two thousand, consisting princijially of Acadian French, who are engaged in the fisheries and coasting trade. It is a port of entry under that of Halifax, and must be considered the most important and thriving place in Cape Breton. The town, or rather long village, with its chapels, court-house, dwelling-houses, stores, wharfs, and fishing-craft, lias a pleasing, in- dustrious, and trading appearance. The fishery is here conducted to an important extent ; and several cargoes of dry cod and pickled fish are annually ex- ported to Spain, Portugal, to the countries within tlie Mediterranean, to the West Indies, and to Hali- fax. The mercantile houses who support this fishery, are, with two or three exceptions, managed by people from Guernsey or Jersej\ (;UT OF CANSEAT' fido •e were on was at the iiids on een set- ;ire also Vladame re from ce of the m which leltered, e largest creasing ' be esti- pally of fisheries and tax, thriving ler long liouses, Lsing, in- ishery is several Lially ex- s within to Hali- s fishery, )y people The island of Madame is abont sixteen miles long, and from six to eight broad. Its soil is thin and rocky, yet the inhabitants deriv'e essential advantage from what it prodnces. There are several small harbours, besides Arichat, along its shores, wliich afford shelter and convenience to the fishing vessels. A road crosses this island from Arichat to Grand Digne, at which place there is a ferry, less than a mile over, to the mainland, from roads communicating with St Peter's, Bras d'Or, and River Inhabitants. The Gut of Canseau, generally spelt Canso, and called by the French the Strait of Fronsac, is a nar- row strait whicli detaches Cape Breton from the continent of America. The passage from the Atlantic to its southern entrance, leads, between Cape Ciuiseaii and Green Island, across Chedabucto Bay. Its length from Sandy Point to Cape Jack is about twenty- one miles, and its breadth about a mile. There are several coves and places within it, where ships may anchor with safety, and be sheltered from all winds : of these. Ship Harbour is the best. The features of the scenery, on each side of this extraordinary strait, are unusually grand and moun- tainous, and stretch and rise to the utmost extent of romantic boldness. As it is considered the most con- venient, as well as safest passage to and from the Gulf of St Lawrence, ships, brigs, and a variety of small vessels, under sail, mingle incessantly, during summer and autumn, with the wildness of its pic- turesque sublimity. The mountains are covered with trees to their summits ; rocks jut out from the banks ; .■■Vj *;3 Mi m % i r f -1 M 4' ■ fi -I t 11; '1. Si ■ I ■ l1 t K 3 im CAl'K IJRKTOX. habitations are scattered near the shores on each side, where the huids have also been partially cleared and cultivated. At Ship Harbour, and near Plaster Paris Cove, are two or three fishin<»" plantations, or depots for salt, fishing-tackle, &c., and stores for receiving- dry and pickled fish. The tides in this strait are so irregular as to baffle all calculation ; and, apparently governed by the winds, flow several days in one direction. The Gut of Canseau possesses eminent advantages for a rallying point of communication with all parts of America. Vessels from Quebec, and all places within the Gulf of St Lawrence, i)ass frequently through this strait, on their passage to and from the West Indies, and to and from different parts of North and South America. Ships sailing from Europe for the lower ports in the Gulf, generally prefer the pas- sage of Canseau ; and through it many of the United States' vessels engaged in the fisheries, and those that now go for the coals of the Albion mines to Pictou, enter and return. A good carriage road nn'ght also, at the usual expense, be made from the A^ova Scotia side of the Gut to Truro, at the head of the Bay of Fundy ; from whence roads diverge to Hali- fax, Pictou, and New Brunswick, which may from the last place be continued to Canada. Lastly, the Gut of Canseau is of safe access, and may be approached generally without the apprehension of danger. The coast of Cape Breton, from the Strait of Can- seau to Port Hood, is as densely settled as any part of the island. The houses and farms of the inha- GULF COAST. 397 cb side, red and iT Paris • depots jteiving to baffle by tbe rantages all parts 11 places e(|uently from tbe of Nortb irope for tbe pas- e United lid those mines to ad mi gilt le Nova id of tbe to Hali- from tbe tbe Gut proacbed ^er. t of Can- any part be inba- bitants, are observed from tbe sea, ascentlins;, in »' detacbed oi)enings made in tiie forest, over eacli otlier, to tbe tops of tbe liills and mountains, ^i'lie settlers tliat line the coast to JMarguerite, or Salmon Kiver, are, with the excej)tion of a few families, tlie descendants of loyalists, all Scotch Highlanders, or rather islanders, of tbe poorer sort, who have secured the means of existence, but who seem indifferent about greater comfort or affluence. Port Houd, or Justau Corp flarfjour, lies eighteen miles nortli of tbe Gut of Canseau, and is formed by an island, and a jutting -point of land, which shelter it from all winds. This place is wH situated for fisliing ; and the lands in its neiglibourhood are toler- ably good, particularly for pasturage. Tbe harbour is safe, capacious, and adjnits large ships. The ini -r'tants employ tbemselves in agri- cultural pursi f occasior.aiiy, by catcbing herring and cod ; ovA uog-tish, wbich are very 2>lentiful, for the oil of their livers. They also send several schooners annually M'itli cattle to tbe Newfoundland market. Since tbe time that Cape Breton was divided into districts, tbe court for tbe western dis- trict lias been held at this place. There is a toler- able road from Port Hood to a brancb of the Bras d'Or, another along tbe coast to the Gut of Canseau, and a path, rather than a road, leads to Marguerite. Mabau River, about six miles from Port Hood, lias a barbour for shallops ; and tbe lands abutting on tbis river are fertile, and settled l)y Scotch and American loyalists. PI •Ml > > 1:. ^! i I N nn ^: •I ' X. >.'. ,'J98 ( A?E RllETOX. FroniCape IVIabau, which is an abrupt and moun- tainous headland, to Marguerite, the coast assumes the form of a bold mountainous amphitlieatre, called by the inhabitants Broad Cove, into which several small streams run. This part of the country is rather populously settled ; and the lands, particularly the interval of Broad Cove, are considered fertile. Marguerite River is settled, along its banks, by Acadian French, who might live most comfortably, by ap2)lying their lal)our solely to the cultivation of the beautiful fertile lands that extend along this fine stream, and to the raising of cattle ; but they cannot, it would seem, resist the infatuated propensity of the Acadians for fishing, and making coasting voyages with their shallops. Salmon are usually plentiful at Marguerite, and from this circumstance it is fre- quently called Salmon River. Cheticamj) Harbour is seventeen miles to the north\v'ard of Marguerite. The intermediate coast is settled by Acadians. This Iiarbour admits schooners only ; and a fishing, carried on by Jersey merchants, has been for many years established in this place. The inhabitants are also Acadian French. Along the iron-bound, precipitous, and dreadful coast which extends from Clieticamp to the North Cape, there are only six or eight families settled. This is a terrible shore to approach ; and as many vessels, in projiortion to the number passing, have been wrecked along its precipitous cliffs, with the destruction, ex- cept in very few instances, of all on board, as on any coast in the world. The lands, however, at a little OULF COAST. im I mouii- assuiiies e, called several Liiitiy is ticiilarly ertile. inks, by fortably, vation of this fine y cannot, ity of the voyages entiful at it is fre- s to the ate coast chooners erchants, lis place. dful coast rth Cape, This is a t'essels, in wrecked ction, ex- as on any at a little distance from the sea, among tlje valleys, and along some streams, indicate great fertility. Between Cape Lawrence and Cape A\)rth, there is a bay eight miles wide; and although it does not seem a mile in depth, from the sea, it is in reality about three miles deep. Aspe Bay lies between Cape North and Cape Egmont, on the Atlantic coast. It has only a har- bour for boats, but it has a remarkably fine beach ;* and the inhabitants, who are settled round the lagoons formed within the beach, employ themselves in the pursuits of farming and. fishing. The soil of the lands, particularly at some distance back from the shores, is rich and fertile ; but being under the influ- ence of the bank fogs, the success of wheat croj)s is very uncertain. Near Cape Enfume, at Nigonish, or Ingoniche, there is a settlement of fishermen. Cape Enfum^ (Smoky Cape) is the highest head- land in Cape Breton. Its elevation is not known; and on passing it twice, I had not the means of ascer- taining its altitude ; but, from comparison, its sum- mit ai)peared to me about 1800 feet above the level of the sea, and higher than any mountain that is seen from tlie sea in the British colonies. Twenty miles to the southward lie St Anne's Bay * Mr Haliburton of Nova Scotia states, that " the sand" of this beach, '• in some places, is found black, glittering, and weighty. It instantly arranges its particles in beautiful order upon the magnet, and appears to be iron, nearly pure. Coins, to a large amount, are thrown up from the ocean, the remains of some vessel with specie foundered here." i'^ *' '*■ m m Vr m m m I'- - y., J r % \ Ml? V u •» M "; ♦ ? ■ ?! li M^ V f •; 4' '' t y 5^ '4 400 ( APK BRETON. and Harbour, which are separated from the principal entrance to l^ras d'(h', by the high j)eninsuhi of Cape Daui)liin. This bay is ten miles deep, to the narrows, Avliicli lead to a safe and capacious harbour, eight miles in extreme length, and three in its most extreme breadth, but not more than one in some places. It has excellent anchonige, Avater sufficiently deep for the largest ships, and the high lands which surround the harbour and its narrow entrance, protect it from all winds. This jilace, formerly called Port Dauphin, ■was first chosen by France in preference to Louis- burg; but in consequence of the latter opening inune- diately to the ocean, it was fixed upon, and the for- mer abandoned. The beauty of St Anne's Harbour, branching into two principal arms, and several coves and creeks, and the bold, yet fertile features of its scenery, must be admired by all who visit the place. It remained, after the conquest of Cape Breton, long luisettled. A few families planted themselves on the south side, near the entrance, more than twenty years ago; and within the last twelve years, the lands abutting on the harbour and rivers have all been granted to Scotch emigrants, who have made greater improvements than any settlers on the island. Bras d'Or (Golden Arm) inlet enters Cape Breton a few miles north of Sydney, and penetrates the island for about fifty miles. It branches, in its course, into numerous bays, rivers, and creeks, also lays open to maritime intercourse the most valuable lands in the colony. It has two entrances, termed Great and Little Bras d'Or. The former, leading between Cape u'iiicipal of Cape narrows, ir, eight extreme aces. It deep for surround t it from Dauphin, to Louis- iio; innne- L the for- H arbour, eral coves res of its the place, eton, long ,'es on the !nty years the lands all been le greater nd. le Breton rates the ts course, lays open lands in reat and iveen Cape BRAS D'OR. 401 Dauphin and Boulardrie Island, is deep, and safely navigated by the largest ships. The latter, entering on the south side of the same island, is rendered im- passable, except to small vessels, by a dangn'ous bar. Boulardrie Island, called after a French nobleman of that name, is about twenty miles in length, and from one to two in breadtii ; and, lying longitudinally be- tween these entrances, protracts them into straits of the same extent. That of Great Bras d'Or, or the main entrance, is faced on the north-west by high lands, presenting cliffs and rocks, chiefly of gypsum, which frown wildly over its waters. The passage of Little 13ras d'Or, to the south-west, is, for the first seven miles from the Atlantic, narrow, crooked, and of barren aspect. It then widens to more than double the breadth of the other strait, until both meet at the western end of Boulardrie, where they unite with Petit Bras d'Or. Boulardrie Island is rather populously inhabited by Scotch Highlanders and numbers of Irish fisher- men, who were formerly employed at Newfoundland, and who now carry on a boat fishing near the great entrance. From Petit Bras d'Or Lake, Bedeque Inlet parts off to the west, and passing through St Patrick's chan- nel, branches into several creeks and coves, and then, contracting to a narrow strait, opens again into a capacious sheet of water, nearly twenty miles long, and from one to three broad, with scenery beautifully diversified by irregular coves, jutting points, and an undulated country. This branch still retains the Indian VOL. I. 2 c H i •'i m !*'!i(.tI m ■:i\ M m m 402 CAVE BRETON. :.j t name Whycocomjih. The inhabitants are principally Scotch islanders, settled along the shores, and not in the most thriving condition, although nothing but the proper application of their labour is necessary to secure them independence and comparative affluence. Several cargoes of timber have been exported from Whycocomah. The shores of Petit Bras d'Or are settled, but most populously on the south side, by emigrants from the Hebrides. The narrow passage which connects Petit Bras d'Or and Le Bras d'Or, has been named the Strait of Barra, from the circumstance of the inhabitants set- tled in its vicinity, or their fathers, having emigrated from the island of Barra, one of the Hebrides. Le Bras d'Or, or, as it is usually called, Great Bras d'Or Lake, opens suddenly to a great width, and af- terwards branches into four large arms. It is about twenty miles in extreme length, and fifteen in breadth. The east arm, or St Andrew's, bends off a few miles to the south-east of Barra Strait, and extends in a north-easterly direction abou twenty miles, from Benakaady to Tweed Porge basin at its head. Its shores are indented with coves and creeks. On the north shore, rt the harbour of Escasoni, which lies within a cluster of islands, there is a tract of land occupied by the Micmac Indians, some of whom are stationary, cultivate the ground, and possess some cattle. All the other lands fronting on this arm, are occupied by Scotch Highlanders. Opposite a head- land, which forms the extremity of the south shore I '.*v BRAS D'OR. 403 irincipally and not iu (thing but jcessary to 1 affluence, rted from 3ttled, but emigrants Petit Bras le Strait of jitants set- ^ emigrated rides. Crreat Bras ith, and af- It is about in breadth. 5 off a few md extends miles, from head. Its s. On the , which lies act of land f whom are ossess some lis arm, are site a head- south shore of St Andrew's Bay, are the Red Islands, from which the south branch, or arm, formed into various chan- nels by the islands it contains, extends about twelve miles, until arrested by the narrow isthmus which separates it from tlie waters of St Peter's Bay. St George's Channel, or the west arm, lies a few miles farther west. It is about six miles broad, and fifteen miles deep from the inlets bearing the Indian name Malaga-waacht. This bay contains several islands ; its shores are thinly settled, principally by Scotch islanders. The lands on the north side are high, and form a mountainous ridge, which separates this bay from the inlet of River Denys. This last branch breaks off abruptly from the north shore of Barra Strait, and forms, first, a broad bay, then contracts, and winds through intricate passages among islands for some miles, and opens again into a basin, along which there are several in- lets, and at its head receives the waters of a beauti- ful winding river. The inhabitants are principally emigrants from the Hebrides. Both the soil and tim- ber of the lands fronting on this inlet are excellent. The waters of the Bras d'Or are in many places forty fathoms, and in some places sixty fathoms deep, and afford many capacious safe harbours. It abounds with cod, which are caught at all seasons, (in the winter, through a hole cut in the ice,) besides various other kinds of fish. The scenery of this vast inlet is in some places beautifully picturesque, and in some others, mono- tonous and uninteresting, but in many parts, of a m i ■ I '^ ;*■ m .. '!;L '; V y "'•^ '■ crlv ■ H'H't . * >i m m 404 CAPE nilETON. i: •V w i .-v' h sublime character, which exhibits the sombre gloom of pine forests, the luxuriant verdure of broad val- leys and wooded mountains, and the wild features of lofty promontories frowning in stubborn ruggcdness over the waters of the rivers and inlets. Innumerable, but generally very small lakes, and a multijilicity of streams of fresh water, are met with in the interior, but chiefly in the southern divisions of the island. Marguerite, or Ainslie Lake, is the largest sheet of fresh water in Cape Breton. It is only, however, about twelve miles long, and from three to four in breadth. The lands surrounding it indicate fertility; and their cultivation by Scotch Highlanders has lately com- menced. A stream runs from it, which forms Mar- guerite River. The roads of Cape Breton are still few in number, and in bad condition. Roads lead from Sydney to Lingan, Cow Bay, Mire River, Manadon, Louisburg, the Coal Mines, Boulardrie Ferry, Barra Strait, and St Peter's ; from Great Bras d'Or, again, to St Ann's, Bedeque, and from thence to Marguerite. Arichat communicates by the ferry across Lennox Strait, and by roads, with St Peter's and Sydney, with the Bras d'Or, River Inhabitants, and the Gut of Canseau,from which there is a road along the Gulf coast as far as Cheticamp. Broad Cove communicates with Lake Marguerite by a road ; and roads lead between Port Hood and Whycocomah and River Denys. Most of these roads are little better than paths.. UOADS AND LAKES. 405 I'e gloom L'oad val- atures of ggcduess ikes, ami met with divisions ; sheet of er, about breadth, and their ely com- ms Mar- while some of tliem are scarcely more than blazed throngli, with fallen trees cut away ; but a rapidly increasing population will soon provide the labour, and judicious measures will only be necessary to make good roads between all the settlements. it iif,^ number, ydney to )uisburg, rait, and 5t Ann's, Arichat trait, and the Bras eaujfrom as far as j-i: <•,;• I, *'s arguerite lood and m paths, 406 CAPK IIHKTON. 14^ Bti ■h ■■•J » U . V ' i* «• i' . ^ J ;' If ■^ I i HI' 'I 'I J; CHAPTER III. I'()|niIatioii — Chui-actci-liillc!4 and PnrNiiitH of the Iniiabitantii — Agriculture, Tradp, &c. The population of Cape Breton, estimated at from 25,000 to 30,000, consists of people from various countries, and those born on the island. Scotch, from the Western Highlands and isles of Scotland, form the greater proportion of the inhabit- ants, and are found in settlements within the Bras d'Or, along the shores of the Gut of Canseau and the coast, to the harbour of Justua Corps, at Cape Ma- bou, and on the Atlantic shore at St Esprit. Several families, the descendants of American loyalists, are settled in different places, and form an industrious class of the inhabitants. Numbers of Irish, who, in the first instance, generally emigrated to Newfound- land, are scattered among the settlers; and a few English, Jerseymen, and Latch, are mixed with the other inhabitants. Acadian French are, next to the Scotch, the most numerous class ; and their settlements are chiefly at Arichat, Petit de Grat, Ardoise, Little Bras d'Or, Marguerite, and Cheticamp. About 300 Micmac In- dians wander through the woods and along the shores. They have six reservations of land in different parts t' INHAMITANTS. 407 -Agriculture, (1 at from 1 various id isles of e iiihabit- the Bras III and the Cape Ma- Several alists, are idiistrious 1, who, in lewfound- ,nd a few I with the , the most chiefly at 5ras d'Or, [icmac In- the shores. :.ent parts of the ishind, hut they (h) not liohl the same by any tenure hut that of jjossession and sufferance. These tracts are at Kscasoni, Cliapel Island,* Kiver Uenys, Wa^aina-takook,\\'liycocomali, within the lirasd'Or, and at Marj^uerite. One or more of these places are their rallying points, where they meet during sum- mer, and where some families remain stationary. These possess some cattle, and cultivate a little Indian corn, and a few potatoes. From the badness and want of roads, and the con- sequent difficulty of travelling, tliat intercourse which is so conmion in Canada, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island, between* the inhabitants of one set- tlement and another, does not exist in Cai)e Breton ; nor is there yet the same facility of having children instructed in the rudiments of education, while so- ciety is also in a more simple state than in any of the other colonies. There is scarcely a good school in the colony, if one or two at Sydney and Arichat be not exceptions. It is complained of by the inhabitants, that no provision is made by the colonial legislature for establishing good schools, although the present condition of the island warrants the same. The inhabitants, especially the Acadians, and Scotch and Irish Catholics, adhere to the tenets of * On tills island tliey have a cliapel and burylng-ground. Tliey received a present of some red paint for the former, 1 believe from the provincial governm(!nt ; but the colour, which, in most cases, the Indians admire, it "i •i .^S'i ■1, 1^ SJJ m • f it: .: i «• ,|l •1 1^ f 1 • If i* ■ If :■* •* ••^' *' \ ^i V f * u 4 ^ h I .l>f j^*^ 408 CAPE liRETON. the faith which has descended to them from their forefathers, and have the service of their chm'ch performed in almost all the settlements, hy priests educated in Canada. There can scarcely be said to be any stationary clergymen of other persuasions, except at Sydney ; and lately a Presbyterian pastor was fixed at St Ann's, among the orderly and industrious people settled there. Presbyterian, and, more commonly, Methodist preachers, go occasionally among the in- habitants, to preach and baptize. The colony, being now, however, a component part of the province of Nova Scotia, begins already to feel the advantage of the connexion. It is probable the benefits of instruction may, in a few years, be received in every part of the island. Travelling by land through the country will also, in a short period, be rendered less difficult. As the country becomes more populously settled, the inhabitants will improve in their mode of husbandry, gradually change their habits of living, become more industrious, and feel a pride in having their houses neatly built, as well as comfortably furnished ; neither of which is at pre- sent generally the case, although it is well ascertained that nothing but industry and good management is required to enable them te obtain all the necessaries and conveniences of life. The Scotch Highlanders and islanders, who form the majority of the population, are not mixed with settlers by whose example they might be stimulated to exertion, and from whom they might learn a bet- ter system of agriculture and domestic management. i\CADIAN i'llENCH. 409 am their r church y priests aid to be IS, except was fixed LIS people mmonly, g the iri- iient part [ly to feel bable the I received by land leriod, be lies more prove in ige their and feel , as well is at {we- [jertained ^ement is jcessaries t^ho form xed with imulated rn a bet- agement. Contented to exist as their progenitors did, they seem careless about living in a more comfortable, cleanly, and respectable style. It is, however, satisfactory and pleasing to know, that neither beggary, nor the want of necessary food and clothing, can be discovered on the island.* With few exceptions, the general characteristics of the people are honesty and hospitality ; but many of the inhabitants about the Gut of Canseau, and a few in the vicinity of the North Cape, are considered as infamous characters as any who exist unpunished. These were probably the most worthless people in the countries from whence they came; and, living in this colony, until the last few years, almost without the limits of justice, their principles have not likely undergone a favourable change. Agriculture, generally speaking, is in a most slo- venly and barbarous condition. The inhabitants, it is true, within the Bras d'Or, and at a few places along the gulf shore, subsist principally by cultivating the soil, and rearing cattle and sheep ; but wherever there are harbours for fishing or exporting timber, the farmers soon acquire the propensity, so connnon in America, of dabbling in pursuits unconnected with agriculture, such as fishing, hewing timber, building schooners, &c. The Acadian French leave the cultivation of the soil, in a great measure, to the management of their wives, daughters, and younger sons. The quality of the soil in most places where they are settled, except at * Note B. {^4 ' Ah'- w M 'ti 410 CAPE BRETON. >' r, rsi Marguerite and Cheticamp, justifies the pursuits of men who follow fishing, or employ themselves in car- rying freights coastwise in their schooners and shal- lops. These vessels are built more for the purpose of sailing fast than for carrying large cargoes ; they are slightly constructed, little iron being used for the fastenings, nor do they consider one-fourth part of the cordage necessary that is required in vessels of the same size rigged in England. They have only three sails, frequently but one cable, and nothing in the shape of spare rope or sails, in case of accidents ; notwithstanding which, they are often out in heavy gales, in which they make, according to the sailors' phrase, " good weather of it ;" and they are scarcely ever shipwrecked. The fisheries have long formed the chief source from which the inhabitants have obtained the means of subsistence, as well as the most valuable branch of commercial importance. The Acadians are those chiefly employed ; they fish in their shallops and boats. Herrings and mackerel, a portion of which they pickle, constitute a great share of their catch ; but the quan- tity so cured is uncertain, a great part being taken away by the traders, and much carried to Halifax, a small portion of which is only considered to be en- tered at the custom-house at Cape Breton. This trade could be carried on to any extent, if the merchants could meet the Americans and French on equal terms at foreign markets. The position of Cape Breton is equal to that of Newfoundland for the cod, and particularly for the herring and mackerel fish- TRADE. 411 juits of in car- id shal- [)urpose 3; they for the part of ssels of ve only hing in cidents ; n heavy ! sailors' scarcely f source le means I branch ire those nd boats. 3y pickle, he quan- ng taken [alifax, a to be en- !nt, if the rench on n of Cape r the cod, :erel fish- eries ; but the business at this place has never been conducted on the systematic plan, which long-estab- lished usage has made peculiar to the latter colony. From fifteen to twenty cargoes of timber have been annually exported for some years, from Sydney, and from harbours within the Bras d'Or, to England. The ships that took out emigrants, brought back cargoes of timber. Some vessels have also been built on the island, but the present low value of shipping will arrest the further progress of this business. Plaster of Paris, or gypsum, was, for many years, exported from the Gut of Canseau to the United States of America; but the Americans are now supplied with that article from the Bay of Fundy. Live cattle, butter, cheese, potatoes, and oats, have become articles of export, for some time past, to Halifax and New- foundland. Coal has also been an article of export to the neighbouring colonies for some years. The vessels belonging to Cape Breton, about 150 in all, are principally shallops and schooners from 30 to 80 tons, and a few vessels that register from 100 to 200 tons. The shallops and schooners are chiefly the property of the Acadian French, who also own probably more than half the fishing boats. The num- ber of the latter may be estimated at 600, exclusive of those used for the double purpose of fishing and passage boats, by the Highland Scotch. If Louisburg had not been demolished, it is very probable that Cape Breton would at this time have been a populous and flourishing colony. To the level- ling of that town and fortress may justly be attributed *'■'/?■' '1;^ m ^1 ■■'St' ■a J \ •felt' I 1k " ^1 1; Hi ^' i I; ■' I' ^^ tl! « It ^ it I! 412 CAPE BRETON. the oblivion which has so long enveloped this valu- able and imjiortant island. To Great Britain, its possession is of the utmost consequence. The naval power of France, it is well known, began to decline from the time they were driven out of the North American fisheries by the conquest of Louisburg ; and the Americans of the United States would consider Cape Breton a boon more valuable to them, as a nation, than any of our West India islands. Did they but once obtain it as a fishing station, and as a position to command the surrounding seas and coasts, their navy would, I fear, in a few years, have sufficient physical strength to cope with any power in Europe, not even except- ing England. Let not the British nation, therefore, lose sight of this colony. It is capable of supporting from one to three hundred thousand. If it were once populously settled, the inhabitants would adhere steadily to certain regular pursuits. The farmers would follow agriculture alone, and the fishermen would, at the same time, find it advantageous to persevere in fishing, as the pursuit in which, by habit and experience, they had acquired the most perfect knowledge. Particular care should, however, be taken to render the inhabitants readily effective as a militia, to defend the colony in the event of its being attack- ed. The farmers would then be prepared to defend their own property, which is probably the cause for which a militia will most bravely fight. The fisher- men may at all times, from the hazardous business they follow, be considered hardy and dauntless seamen. ST PAUl/S ISLAND. 413 3 valii- utmost is well y were by the of the a boon ' of our obtain ►mmand ' would, strength except- lerefore, sporting ere once adhere armers lermen :eous to Dy habit perfect je taken militia, attack- defend ause for e fisher- less they amen. CHAPTER IV. Description of St Paul's Island, and of the Isle of Sable. The extent and surface of St Paul's Island, or rather rock, for it is little more, would be undeserving of notice, were it not the passive sullen cause of pro- bably more serious disasters than any spot of the same size on the face of the globe. It rises, black and steep, out of the principal entrance to the Gulf of St Law- rence, in a direct line between Cape Ray, in New- foundland, and the north cape of Cape Breton, about ten miles distant from the latter. Its length is about a mile and a half, its breadth less than half a mile, and its height nearly 100 yards above the level of the sea, appearing with three hills. The water is very deep close to the rocks ; and it has a steep beechy cove on the north-west, where a boat may sometimes land, and also a cove on the north-east side. Some small spots of a mossy kind, between the rocks, retain water, which oozes again through the crevices of the rocks, and in some places forms small rivulets. As there is tolerable anchorage on both sides of the island, those who are acquainted frequently run un- der the lee of it for shelter. This was practised by the American privateers during the last war. The situation of this island is what renders it so danger- i ■ Hi ^ jji I! f I V ^T Jl .'J s: . ^ II "A. t 'J * > ,« ^ . s ;-5 414 ST Paul's island. ous. When fogs prevail in the spring, and tempestu- ous long dark nights in the fall, many fine ships that we know of, and many more tliat we never heard of, otherwise than by the remnants of their wrecks, have, with their crews, perished on this inhospitable rock. So frequent have shipwrecks been upon this island, that the fishermen of Cheticamp resort to it every spring for the purpose of collecting whatever may be found. The dangerous coast of Cape Breton, between Cape North and Cheticamp, having long been fatal to numberless ships and their crews, many leaving Quebec, and all parts within the gulf, in the fall, from the dread of striking the cliffs of that shore, and keep- ing too far off, have dashed against St Paul's. Eight or nine large ships, with their crews, liave perished on it during the last six or seven years. A few years ago, a transport, with two hundred lives, i)erislied. Many of the bodies, men, women, and children, floated ashore along the coast of Cape Breton. Among the rocks in the water, and on the surface of the island, human bones are thickly scattered. Not less than fourteen large anchors have very lately been counted lying at the bottom of the sea. This number must be small in proportion to those imbed- ded in the sand, or otherwise hid from sight. A good light-house, provided with a great gun, to be used in thick weather, might have prevented most of these wrecks, and saved the lives of the crews and pas- sengers * * There is scarcely a more melancholy catastrophe than that of the ship Jessie, which occurred in 1823. This vessel, with Mr SABLE ISLAND. 415 (mpestu- lips that lieard of, ks, have, ble rock. s island, it every r may be between eeii fatal y leaving fall, from and keep- I's. Eight ! perished few years perished, en, floated le surface scattered, ery lately ea. This )se imbed- t. A good be used in t of these and pas- tlian that of sel, with Mr The legislature of Canada have this year agreed, in conjunction with the other colonies, to erect a light- house on this dread spot, which will, doubtless, be the cause of saving thousands of lives, besides a vast amount of property. The Isle of Sable, long terrible, and often fatal to Donald Mackay, the owner, and some other passengers, and tlie master and crew, twenty-six in number, left the harbour of Three Rivers, in Prince Edward Island ; and as the ship was observed off the coast of Cape Breton, near Cheticamp, during a snow-storm on the 27th of December, it is probable she struck in the night on St Paul's Island. * In the month of May following, (no account having before been received of the vessel,) it was reported that some fishermen had discovered the wreck of a ship, and a number of bodies, on St Paul's Island. On this report, a schooner was dispatched thence from Charlotte Town, the people on hoard of which found the wreck of tl e Jessie, and the bodies of eleven men, who must have perished by the intense cold soon after landing ; the remainder of the crew, it is likely, were either washed overboard by the surf, or lost in attempting to get up the cliiF. The bodies of Mr Mackay and the master were carried to Charlotte Town ; nothing could be more melancholy than their funerals, which were attended by the greatest concourse of people ever known in Charlotte Town to accompany the remains of any person to the mansions of the dead. I had for some years enjoyed the friendship of this gentleman. I was one of the last that parted with him on leaving the island ; and six months afterwards I saw his body laid in the grave. When I say that few men have left the world more regretted by his acquaint- ance, that in his manners he was truly a gentleman, and that he pos- sessed, in an eminent degree, all the kind and good qualities which gain the hearts and the esteem of men, no one who knew him will say that I exaggerate. He was bom in Scotland, served his Ma. jesty for some years, was taken on the coast of France, and de- tained ten years a prisoner in that country. I "^3 m m :ii *| •if M ■;i: ill m m ■U .«' I I: i If IB •• ^ ■•'! v. m ':i? .u 'I i M 416 SABLE ISLAND. American navigators, lies about the usual track of vessels boundto and from Europe to Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the United States. By late careful observations, its east end is in 43" 59' north latitude, and in 59" 42' west longitude ; and the west point in 43" 57' latitude, and in 60" 17' longitude. It is little else than a collection of sand rising in hills, or, as the sailors term them, hummocks. One of these is about a hundred feet high, and said to be increasing in size. There is not a tree nor a shrub larger than a whor- tleberry-bush on the island. It produces a strong natural bent grass, and, in the hollows, abundance of cranberries. Its form is that of a crescent, the hol- low of which is on the north side, and consequently the most dangerous. The north-east reef, or bar, is about a mile and a half wide, and extends twenty- eight miles, over the whole length of which the sea breaks in stormy weather. The north-west reef stretches out eight miles. Both have been dreadfully fatal to ships bound to and from North America. Although the majority of the crews have perished, yet this island has not been quite so destructive of human life as St Paul's. In 1801, the legislature of Nova Scotia, greatly to their honour, passed an act, empowering the governor to make provision for establishing some families on Sable Island, to afford relief to those who escaped from the wrecks, and to prevent plunder. Two years ago, the British go- vernment, on the representation of Sir James Kein2)t, added L.400 a-year to the amount annually granted by Nova Scotia, to support this most humane esta- (i SABLE IST-AND. 417 track of :ia, New ; careful latitude, point in , is little r, as the is about r in size, a whor- [i strong itlance of the hol- equently ar bar, is twenty- i the sea ^est reef readfully A.merica. lerished, uctive of ilature of d an act, sion for to afford s, and to ■itish go- s Kempt, granted ane esta- blishment. During tlie late war, tlie Ajnerican government issued an order, forbidding their armed vessels to intercept or injure vessels bound to or from Sable Island. Since 1802, forty-two ships have been wrecked on it ; probably some others were lost on the reefs without being heard of : the number lost previously must have been very great. The Honourable Michael Wallace of Halifax, who has occasionally, with great satisfaction, administered the government of Nova Scotia, has, since the for- mation of the establishment at Sable Island, gratui- tously directed its management. The superintend- ent, Edward Hodgson, who has been on the island since 1804, was appointed by Mr Wallace ; and, with his family, consisting of four sons and a daugh- ter, and four or five servants, form the members of the establishment. The business of the sujierintend- ent is to use his utmost exertion to save the lives and property of those who may be wrecked. A ves- sel visits the island periodically with provisions, and to bring off those who may be cast on its shores. The goods and materials saved from wrecks are car- ried to Halifax, and sold for the benefit of all con- cerned, retaining the usual salvage. There have been no less than three hundred people on the island at one time, and the stock of provisions kept at the depot, has always proved sufficient. After a storm, the superintendent sends his people to tra- verse the shores in every direction ; and in the event of vessels being carried ashore by the currents, or running on in thick weather, a party travels round VOL. L 2 1) Vv >:* m m Ai Hi': m ns SABLE ISLAND. W ■'"' 'A •'* tlie island weekly. It lias no hai'bonr; but a large lagoon, eighteen miles long, and more than half a mile wide, is formed by a sandy ridge thrown np by the sea. It has been named Lake Wallace. A storm some years ago broke through the sandy ridge, and formed an inlet, which for some time afforded a har- bour for small coasters; but a subsequent storm closed it uj) again, and shut in two small American fishing vessels. There is at present only a mere brook running from it into the sea. Ab(mt the mid- dle of the north side of the lake, stands the house of the superintendent, and the stores for jirovisions, &c., and goods and materials saved from wrecks. On the high hill adjoining, there is a signal-staff made out of the spritsail yard of the French frigate, L'Africane, wrecked in 1822, from which signals are made to vessels in distress. At each end of the lake there is a small house, in which are deposited direc- tions to find the depot, and the means of kindling a fire. Nothing is planted on the island except a few cabbages, which, cultivated with nmch care, have arrived at maturity. The climate, however, is not so severe as that of Nova Scotia. One great cause of shipwreck is the current run- ning to the south-west, between the coast of America and the Gulf Stream, which frequently carries ves- sels much further west than their reckoning. There is always a vast quantity of drift timber ashore on the island. The horrors of a storm on this island are described as truly terrible. The whole island trembles and SABLE ISLAND. 419 it a large in half a »vii up by A storm •idgc, and let! a liar- 'nt storm American y a mere t the mid- 3 house of )rovisions, 11 wrecks. ig-nal-stafT ch frigate, dgnals are >f the lake ited direc- vindling a ept a few are, have •cr, is not rrent run- f America ui'ies ves- ig. There ashore on described iibles and vibrates, as the mighty ocean strikes and breaks along its whole length. The sand is whirled and swept round the liills, the bars shift, and the island seems prepared to separate, and retreat from before the fury of the winds, and tlie thunders of the Atlantic. It appears, however, that although some have con- sidered that the island is decreasing, it in reality gains in one place what it loses in another. The site of the residence of the first superintendent is now three miles out in the sea, and covered with two fathoms water. The storms frequently expose to view luunan skeletons, and pieces of wrecks that have been buried many years. Notwithstanding the unstable and barren nature of this ridge of sandy downs, for it is nothing more, it was thought worthy of settlement by the French before they attempted to plant any part of the con- tinent of America. The Marquis de la Roche landed forty malefactors on it, in 1598, to establish a colony. He then proceeded to the coast of Nova Scotia, but effecting nothing, and, being unable to deliver the wretches left on Sable Island, he returned to France, where he is said to have died soon after of a broken heart. These people would have perished for want of food, had not a number of sheep escaped from a vessel that was wrecked soon after ; and Henry IV. sent a ves- sel to take them off, seven years afterwards, when he was so moved with their haggard appearance, dressed rudely in skins, that he not only pardoned them, but gave each fifty crowns to begin the world with. m t mW' SS4 Hf. "I • ! •»■„■■ t." m m m m i^ 420 SAllLK ISLAND. i. 'I . I 1 v! V m li f i' i^ Bi; 4 .J yj < ui 3 I . 4 2i :•* ■« * "'i ii ^' ^ i 1 \ r The Portuguese sent some cattle to the place, at a very early period, for the relief of those who escaped from wrecks, which increased fast; hut they are said to have heen all killed hy worthless avaricious men, for their hides and tallow. It was again stocked with cattle more than once, which were also destroyed ; and, in consequence, horses were sent tiiere, tlie race of which are still in considerahle numhers (ahout 300) on the island. The young ones are shot for jn'ovisions when required ; but as they are remarkably wild, it is exceedingly difficult to approach within gun-shot of them. The manes of the old ones reach frequently to their knees. Rabbits were also sent to the island, which have multiplied astonishingly fast. Aquatic birds in great numbers frequent the island, and hatch their young on it. Seals of the species Phoca-ursina, resort to the island, principally about the north-east bar, for the purpose of bringing forth their young. Tliey are very large, and are frequently killed by the servants of the superintendent. [ iJ^'l J lace, nt a [) escaped ire said to iiitn, for 'itli cattle ; and, in of which 0) on the ions when ^ild, it is in-shot of juently to lie island, Aquatic and hatch )ca-ursina, north-east iir young, led hy the NOTES TO BOOK V. Note A, page 37G. Of all our treaties with foreign nations, there is none so credit- able to English negotiation as the treaty of Utrecht. This cele- brated treaty was managed and concluded by the more celebrated Lord Bolingbroke ; and, with whatever blemishes either justice or nmlioe may have shaded his character, never did any minister secure more effectually the interests and honour of his country, or at so little cost. The treaty of 1763, which secured Cape Breton, St John's Island, and Canada, to England, was also glorious, in respect to the ter- ritories it added to the British empire ; but tliese ac(|uisitions were previously secured by the power of our naval and military forces. How different will both everlastingly appear in history to the treaty of Paris, (1814,) when our ministers might have dictated any stipulation they pleased, without violating British honour, or inter- national justice ! But let us ask how the ratification of that treaty was managed ? TJie observation made to me by a distinguished American statesman and philosopher, whom I met in Canada, may perhaps supply an answer. We were conversing on the relations of Great Britain with Europe and America, and particularly on the arrangements agreed to by the treaty of Paris. ** Sir," said he, " a treaty is an agreement between two or more nations, with various stipulations, provisoes, and considerations. It is, in fact, a bargain, in which something is, or has been given, a>id something has been, or is received in return. Now, sir, let me ask you. What has your country received as an equivalent for what she has spent for, or given to foreign states ? What did you receive from Franco for the blood and treasure you wasted on her account ? Why did you not at least retain her West India islands, and the Isle of Bour- iy. HI ^ ^■'t. f i 4 [; * ^i ! * .If )' * ■ 'if ill' m ■I ii J!; ■I ^1 j« ^ ) 4. '^^ i ^'i ill il^ 51 422 NOTES. bon ? and wJiy did you give tliem a naval and fishing station worth more than them all, St Pierre, and Miquelon, and the best part of the coast of Newfoundland? For Avliat equivalent did you give Java to Holland ; your ministers could not be ignorant of its im- mense value, at least not if they could endure to listen to the able and satisfactory representations of Sir Stamford Raffles, when they agreed to so impolitic a concession? What did you get from Spain ? What from Portugal, for the expense of defending them ? Could you not have held Cuba, Madeira, and the Western Islands, as plediijes, until tliey redeemed a reasonable portion of the debt due by then) to your country? But your ministers seemed to have forgotten all in the delirium of victory, in the gi(Uly fever created by royal attentions, and they negotiated, not as if the British army occ ij)ied Paris, but as if the legions of France held possession of Loi. ion. In an evil hour you lost every thing by a treaty which your victories and treasures placed within you" f;tar,p. But the genius of Piolingbroke and Chathaia had forsaken, and Canning had not yet acquired influence in your negotiations." Note B, p. 409. The majority of the inhabitants of Cape Breton, particularly in the Bras d'Or settlements, being from the Outer Hebrides, we still discover their habits, manners, and customs, much the same as we find them at the present day among the people of Lewis, Uist, and BaiTa ; and the necessary experience of all these islanders in managing boats, is a great advantage to them on arriving in Cape Breton, where, until they raise crops, they can always secure at least as good a living as they previously enjoyed, by the means of fishing. ? [ 423 ] ition wortli est part of 1 you give ; of its im- to tlie able wlien they a get from ling tlieiu ? 1 Islands, as le debt due ed to have ver created Iritish army ossession of eaty which i. But the 'anning had ticularly in des, we still same as we Lewis, Uist, islanders in ing in Cape rs secure at be means of BOOK VI. CHAPTER I. Remai-ks on Intercolonial ancUTi-ansatlantic Steam Navigation. The mutual advantages which one countrj^ derives from another, increase in vakie and magnitude accord- ing to the increased facility of mutual intercourse and transportation. This fact is so well established by experience, as to become an evident truism ; and, that all important places between which an inter- course by steam navigation is established, derive, in consequence, vast mutual benefits, is also a fact equally evident. When a communication is opened with a country, that will enable us to visit it in a certain given period of time, the intercourse is increased in the same ratio as the certainty of arriving at, or returning from, that country more speedily, is greater than by any previous mode of conveyance. In the same ratio, according to this rule, does the interclianging of the commodities of different coun- tries increase ; consequently, the prosperity of the 'i« s^ I f ■'I > ' •♦I 'Mi 4?. : in ." 'if I*' ? « Hi I ' !' «f I' ^ Hi 424 COLONIAI- AND TRANSATLANTIC inhabitants is advanced, by affording them more plentiful resources, and the political value of such countries equally augmented by increasing gene- ral industry and commerce. For, when the means of receiving intelligence from, and visiting, distant countries, are rendered certain and speedy, mutual transactions and adventurous undertakings are enter- ed into with much greater faith and spirit, than when the intercourse depends on the uncertain length of voyages subject to the direction of winds and cur- rents, and to the duration or frequency of calms. These considerations apply most forcibly to the amazingly vast advantages that would inevitably attend the establishment of a ii?ie of Transatlantic steam-packets, — not only as respects his Majesty's empire in North America, but also as regards the United Kingdom, and particularly as bearing on the great movements of emigration. If we are safe in forming conclusions according to the experience of the last fifteen years, we are also safe in saying, that steam is the power which will supplant all others in the magnitude and rapidity of its operations. Although w may not be quite so sanguine as Mr M'Taggart aoo. naking a voyage by steam from Birmingham, Manchester, and Liver- pool, (with a cargo of cutlery, printed cottons, and crockery,) across the Atlantic, and then up the rivers and lakes of the St Lawrence, and over the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific and China — an undertaking far from being impossible — yet steam is the mighty giant that Great Britain can ^end forth to bring her ST E AIM XAVKIATION. ^25 m more of such ig geiie- le means , distant , mutual ire enter- lan when length of and cur- lahns. y to the nevitably isatlantic Majesty's jards the ig on the ording to are also hich will pidity of quite so a voyage id Liver- ons, and he rivers le Rocky ertaking mighty ning her possessions in America and the West Indies within half the distance, morally speaking, that they now are to Europe. It is this giant that may enable Eng- land to grasp more etFectually the vast resources of lier maritime colonies, — and those of the Canadas, — and, west of the great lakes, those of the regions of Athabasca and Assinboins.* Since the establishment of steam navigation alone the coasts of Great Britain, and l)etween England and the continent, and particularly between England, Scot- land and Ireland, the consecpient advantages are too well known, and too justly appreciated, to bequestioned . If we visit tlie United States, we find all their coasts and rivers navigated by imuunerable steam- vessels. Tliere are more than 300 navigating the IMississippi and the Ohio. The magnificence of the steam-vessels on the Hudson is not surpassed, if equalled, in Europe ; they are, in fact, splendid floating movable hotels. A few years ago, small sloops, l)(it('(in.\\ and canoes, were the only vessels that navigated the St Lawrence between Qnchec and Montreal, and l^ritish manufactnres were usually sold from twenty to forty ])er cent liiglier at the lat- ter than at the former place. At present tliere are eiglit or ten powerful steam-vessels, equal in beauty, swiftness, and magnitude, and superior, in acconnno- dations for passengers, to our steam-ship« in tiiese kingdoms, plying between Quebec and Montreal, and commodities are, in consequence, now purchased at equal prices at both i)laces. It i-f^ not long since the * Note A A. i 4 'M '•■■17 4'^ I 426 COLOXIAL AND TUAXSATI.ANTIC feiTy from Montreal to La Prairie, the usual route to the United Statt^s, was crossed in a wooden canoe. Passengers, horses, and carriaj^es, are at present car- ried over in spacioiis and beautiful steain-boats. The Uttawa, and the lakes of Canadn, are also navi<^ated by steam-vessels. A steam-ship, of about 1200* tons, belonging to the St Lawrence Steam Naviga- tion Company, is nearly ready to navigate the seas between Halifax and Quebec, touching at the points marked in the general map. I'here are two steam- boats belonging to the General ^Mining Company at Pictou ; there is another emi)loye(l at Halifax ; and three at St John's, New Brunswick, — one of wliich goes daily between that city and Fredericton, another crosses to Annapolis, from which stnge-coaches run to Halifax, and a third plies between St John's, St Andrew's, and the United States. All this has been done in a few years ; and as certainly as the popu- lation of our colonies will increase, so will also the number of vessels propelled by steam power. A company Mas formed in London, under an act of Parliament, in 1 825, for the purpose of navigating the Atlantic with steam-packets. In 1826, a great num- ber of the shareholders of that year either withdrew or sold out. The fine steam-ship they purchased was also sold, and bought by the Dutch government, who employed it successfully between Holland and Curac^'oa. ^J'he American and Colonial Steam Navigation Company then obtained an amended act, M'hen they published a prosi)ectus. The following extracts from * This splendid bliip v.'as launglied at Quebec in April last (1631.) 2 il route 1 canoe. ?iit car- s. The vigated 1200* Vaviga- lie seas 3 points I steam - pany at ix ; and f wliitli another lies run )lnrs, St las bsen e popu- ilso the in act of Ling the at iiuin- tlidrew sed was lit, who 'iira(;oa. ligation en they cts from 6t(l831.) STEAM NAVIGATION. 427 it will exhibit their plan, and the state in which the company then stood : — " The directors of the American and Colonial Steam Navigation Company, having now arranged matters with those subscribers who signified their intention of withdrawing, and paid all the claims, beg leave to lay before the persisting part of the company the prospects which enable tliein to propose an extension of their stock, and the resumption of the original objects for which they associated. " Having obtained, by their two acts of Parlia- ment, the right of purchai^iiig vessels, and registering under the British Hag, in the name of the directors, and limiting the responsibility to the extent of tlie subscription — rights which no other association of this kind have obtained, and which, but for the im- portant national benefits expected from it, would not have been granted to this company, and having also the right of i)roceeding as soon as funds for the pur- chase of one ship are obtained, instead of waiting for the subscription of three-fourths of the capital, and without the obligation of a heavy contingent fund, by the want of which powers the operations of the original company were paralysed — the directors con- sider that, without losing any of the advantages which have been universally admitted to attend the undertaking by all person? acquainted with the sub- ject, the company are now placed in a much more favourable situation than before ; and though much expense has occurred ere this has been obtained, it 1 I m m » til 'M m ■\. ■»■, 'A ■ *'!* in m 4 i I 428 i:OLONIAL AND TRANSATLANTIC ■u^ has not been altogether loss, and a portion of it may be fairly considered as having given value in return. " By the amended act of Parliament, the capital of the company is limited to 12,000 shares of L.50 each ; each of the old shares being reckoned for two. « But the company are allowed to proceed, as soon as a payment lias been made into tlie liands of the bankers to the extent of - - L.20,000 ** And as in this sum, credit is given for the whole payment that has been made on the old shares, of which 750 still continue, having paid L.IO each, 7,500 " The sum actually wanted to permit the company to resume operation, is - - - 12,500 " The stock and funds of the company, at present, including the expense of obtaining their acts of Par- liament, as certified by the auditor's statement, 4,715 " By which it would appear that the value of each of the new shares is about L.3, 3s. " It is proposed to raise a subscription for 4500 shares, and to call for a deposit of L.3, 3s., which will more than complete the preliminary fund before mentioned. " The stock of the company will then be held in 6000 shares, being only one half of the number to which the extent of the capital is limited. " The objects of the con^panv' have been explained at large, in a former prospectus ; but to strangers it may be proper briefly to state, xliat the intention is to establish a line of packets, propelled by steam, from the south-west of Ireland to the north-east of Nova Scotia, and thus to connect Europe and Ame- rica, at the nearest points of approximation. t c 3f it may n return, le capital of L.50 [ for two. 18 le le bo It, r- of L.20,000 7,500 12,300 4,715 for 4500 s., which nd before e held in iniber to Kxplained angers it sntion is y steam, li-east of nd Ame- STKAAF NAVKJATIOy. 429 " These points are in the direct line between the great ports of Liverpool and New York, and from them passengers will have a choice either of con- tinued steam navigation, or of proceeding by the mails, &c., on the shortest lines, to their ultimate des- tination. " The information obtained by the directors, as well from America as in Europe, tends uniformly to confirm the practicability of the imdertaking. An eminent engine-maker has even offered to construct the engines, and ask no payment until the voyage shall have been successfully performed. " As the space of ocean to be crossed will be reduced to the smallest possible distance, the vessels less bur- dened with fuel than if they departed from any other point, immediately clear of the coast, and able to use sails whenever the wind suits, there can be no com- petition with them either in s^jeed or safety. There is no doubt of the saving of time. The ordinary passage will be at least one-third less than at pre- sent, and in unfavourable winds, the difference will be still greater. " The effect of this acceleration to the intercoiu'se be- tween the two continents, cannot easily be conjectured ; but it is evident that it will greatly extend the num- ber of passengers. These now amount to about 7000 in the year, at Liverpool alone ; and should an in- crease of one -third of that number only fall into the line of the steam navigation, the income at similar rates of passage, deducting the victualling, will be about L. 60,000 per annum. This would be nearly I m n m •kM m ^ ..,:m !«''( I«, 430 COLONIAL AND TRANSATLANTIC t'y r A 1 00 out, and as many home, per month, which could be conveyed Mith facility by two vessels, exclusive of freight on goods, deck or steerage passengers, &c. " Of the latter class, about 20,000 emigrate annual- ly to America ; and, from the superior speed and certainty, there can be no doubt of many of them preferring the steam navigation, even at an increased rate, as it will be made up to them in the saving of provisions, and earlier occupation when abroad ; say that one-third of these adopt the steam line at L.5 per head, we have an addition of L. 33,000 per annum. " The two vessels above mentioned, would each con- sume about 360 tons of coals per trip, which could be laid in at Val'^ntia and Nova Scotia, at L.l per ton, or even less. The wages, and other clinrgcs on the voyage would be about an equal siun, making per voyage, L.1440, and per annum, L.l 7,280; so that one-fifth of the passengers abovementioned would be sufficient to cover the current expenses, independ- ent of letters, goods, and government employment. " If more vessels are laid on, to insure the regu- larity of the monthly departure, which may hereafter be found necessary, the exi)ense for coals, and work- ing the engine, will not thereby be increased in the above calculation ; and the additional charge for the crew, would be L.lOO per month, or L.l 200 per annum." Nothing further has been since effected, and all the exertions of the intelligent and spirited directors have hitherto been unsuccessful ; yet nothing but STKAM XAVir.ATION. 431 ch could lusive of :s, &c. d aiinual- [)eed and of them increased e saving abroad ; II line at 1,000 per each con- ch conld t L.l per inrgcs on iking per ; so that d would ndepend- (yinent. he regu- hereafter lid work- 'd in the ;e for the 200 per , and all directors liing but the general ignorance which prevails in these king- doms respecting British America and the seas of the Atlantic, could have retarded the progress of a com- pany, incorporated with such privileges, and with such reasonable prospects of success. As to the dangers of the Atlantic, they are far from being so formidable as people generally imagine. It has been my fate to have crossed that ocean several times, at all seasons of the year, and sometimes diu-ing the most tempestuous weather ; and I feel perfectly safe in saying that the sta, in the Irish or English channel, or in the Gulf and River of St Lawrence, or even in Lake Ontario, is n\\\ih more dangerous for steam-ships to navigate during stormy weather, than that of the main ocean. In December 18^.^5, I left the Gulf of St Lawrence on board of a merchant ship ; the weather was so tempestuous that the topsails were close-reefed half the passage ; and in fifteen days we were safely at anchor in the Cove of Cork. I left Cork in January for Liverpool, in a steam-ship, commanded by an experienced officer, who was for some time on board of one of our ships of war on Lake Ontario. We were in the Channel during a very heavy gale, and a more abrupt difficult sea for a shii) to plough through, I never \\'itnessed. Tlie long high swell of the Atlantic, which I had just crossed in such bad weather, was nothing to it ; yet the steam-ship worked over it with amazing ease. The connnander agreed with me in considering it much more dan- gerous than that of the ocean ; and that the sea on I '** ■I . r, ■f V 4 3-'i t m r ;: , or I i) •f ■ r 'bun L'' .y '■' ♦ft &^ , ^'1 Is ' :a7' ^Hii I 'V. i.: % »• V r ifl i *■■ :| ?^ V ■ii it 432 COLONIAI. AXD TRANSATI-A\TU Lake Ontario, or on the St Lawrence, was also more ilifficult for steam-vessels than that of the Atlantic. The commander of one of the steam-packets that ply between Dublin and Liverpool, has crossed the Atlantic more than thirty times. I have gone over with liim several times to Dublin ; and twice, during the winter of 1826, he declared to me that he never witnessed worse weather, nor such an al)rupt dan- gerous sea on the Atlantic, as we then experienced. I believe most naval officers will bear me out in these observations. Masters of merchant ships, few of whom know much either of the arts or sciences, cherish a strong prejudice against steam-vessels ; yet they readily admit that the sea rises more dan- gerously, during tempestuous weather, in the Irish and English Channels, in the German Ocean, and in the Gulf and River of St Lawrence, than it does in the main ocean. Those seas are, however, all safely navigated with steam-ships ; and why not cross the Atlantic also by the power of steam ? It was the intention of the company to establish an intercolonial, as well as a Transatlantic, steam- navigation. It now remains only for them to do the latter. The colonies have already commenced the former ; and if the latter be much longer neglected in England, it will assuredly be undertaken in America. The legislatures of all the North American colo- nies voted certain sums to encourage intercolonial steam navigation. The House of Assembly of Lower Canada voted L.3000 to persons or companies, who 8 STEAM NAVUiATlON. 43.'J 30 more lantic. ets that SL'd the ►ne over , during le never ipt dan- jrienced. I out in lips, few sciences, -vessels ; ore dan- be Irish pan, and 1 it does ever, all why not m ? establish ;, steam- to do the need the leglected aken in [;an colo- colonial 9f Lower lies, who would cause a steam-vessel to ])e regularly navigated between the ports in the St Lawrence and Halifax for four years, 'j'he House of Assembly of Nova Scotia voted L.150() to encourage the same object. 7'he Assembly of New IJrunswick voted L.200 the first year, and L.lOO each, for two succeeding years, provided that the steam-packets should touch at Miramichi ; and the Legislature of Prince Edward Island voted also a sum on similar conditions. There is good reason to believe, that if the Trans- atlantic Steam Company were only once to com- mence effective operations, the colonial legislatures would grant sums in aid of an undertaking which promises such great advantages and benefits. If the postmaster-general were ai)plied to, it is also reason- able to suppose that he would direct contracts to be made for the company's vessels to carry the mails, in preference to their being conveyed by the dan- gerous uncomfortable packets that sail at ])resent between Falmouth and Halifax. The excellent coal which abounds in Cape Breton and Nova Scotia, is not only admirably adapted for the furnaces of steam-engines, but it affords an advantage of which the United States are not possess- ed. This coal has lately been carried, for the use of steam-vessels, to New York and some other places. The following extracts from a report, published at New York, will show how much that article, which the nearest points of om* colonies afford, is appre- ciated by the Americans. " Since the introduction of steam-l>oats, pine- wood vol . I 2 I:. '^ 4. I .■ri K I \ *■(•■ L % 4 %. ^. ..>^. '^*>>»^^T.5' IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) '^ // // >%^^ ^4,y 1.0 I.I 11.25 tty£ 12.5 2.0 1^ 1.8 1.4 II 1.6 ^^^>^ / '/ /A Photographic Sciences Corporation W \ 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 i/.A '^ 434 STEAM NAVIGATION. II til m m has rapidly disappeared from the shores of our navi- gable streams, and the scarcity of this article has necessarily enhanced its value. All who have reflect- ed upon the subject, have long since been satisfied that the time is not far distant when coal must be substituted for wood ; and the question has been asked, what coal can be produced which will ignite sufficiently easy, to produce steam as fast as required? Repeated experiments have been made with the An- thracite coal, but without success. Within the last month, the Sydney coal from Nova Scotia has attract- ed the attention of the navigators of our steam-boats, and the result of their investigations is such as cannot fail to give satisfaction to all who wish to see navigation by steam prosecuted at the present reasonable rates. " The first experiments were made in the small steam-boat used by the Dry Dock Company, in tow- ing vessels to their railway. We were of the num- ber who witnessed the result of this experiment, and were astonished to find that, without any alteration in the furnace which is used for wood, a fire was kindled of this coal with a common lamp, which, in about half an hour, enabled the boat to get under way, and then supplied as much steam as could be used. It was believed by all, even the most san- guine, that, with an ordinary wood furnace, the draught would not be sufficient to generate steam as fast as required, and their astonishment and gratifi- cation at the result may be easily imagined. " In consequence of the first attempt, the agent of '4 STEAM NAVIGATION. 435 )ur navi- ticle has 'e reflect- . satisfied must be has been ill ignite required? 1 the An- n the last as attract- am-boats, 3 such as wish to le present the small ly, in tow- the num- iment, and alteration a fire was , which, in get under s could be most san- rnace, the ;e steam as md gratifi- id. le agent of the Mining Company in this city proposed to Cap- tain Bunker, of the Benjamin Franklin, to take in a supply of coal, and use it, instead of wood, on his trip to Providence and back. He did so, and became so satisfied, not only of its practical usefulness, but of its superiority over wood, that he endeavoured at once to have his furnace altered, for the purpose of using it to more advantage. " The facility with which this coal ignites, and its consequent capabilities of producing steam, having been fairly tested, the next question is, What are the advantages to be gained by introducing it into general use ? We answer, first, the^reat saving in room occu- pied by the fuel ; second, by the saving in the cost of fuel ; third, by the saving in the weight of fuel ; fourth, by the saving in labour in handling the fuel and feeding the furnace ; and fifth, by the absence of sparks and cinders, by which the clothes of passen- gers are destroyed, and the awnings of our boats set on fire. " We give the following as the result of the dif- ferent experiments which have been made :- — " One chaldron of Sydney coal measures 44 cubic feet. " One cord of pine-wood measures 128 cubic feet. " One chaldron of coal will jet as much water into steam in the same space of time, as three cords of pine-wood. Supposing the Benjamin Franklin to require 45 cords of wood per trip to and from Pro- vidence, the space thus occupied by wood is 5760 cubic feet. Fifteen chaldrons of Sydney coal will ■**) ■.A ''■•ft I IV J-; •'■• •^^' i...;;^^ m mi ■ ■■'! ':?.}l' S! "■111 .1' »* i! ^-?4i: i.f}() STEAM NAVKiATION. ])r()i(l.eral)le lecessaiy migrants ;liey che- LurL'cl that all led with le forests guine ('/ , do they the delu- lier food, lad with- ;liat they ire many Itogether agement. portance, consider, ?r he can, comfort- wh ether, means of friends, ir to his to attain to snffer ^atigue of removing with liis family from the j)ort where lie disemharks in America, to the si)ot of gnmnd in the forest on which he m;iy fix for the theatre of his fiitnri •ations ; whether h •ile h If liimse for two or three years to endure many privations to which he had hitherto heen unaccustonied, and to the hard lahour of levelling and Imrning the forest, and raising crops from a soil with natural ohstructions which require nnich industry to remove. If, after making up his mind to all these considerations, he resolves on emigrating, he will not be disappointed in realizing in America any reasonable prospect he may have entertained in Europe. These difficulties are, indeed, such as would often stagger the resolu- tion of most emigrants, if they had not before tliem, in every part of America, examples of men who must have encountered and overcome equally, if not more disheartening hardships, before they attained a state of comfortable affluence. The majority of those who emigrate to America, are driven abroad by the goadings of poverty ; an- other class is formed of adventurous men, who go to seek fortunes in other countries, with the hope of again returning to their own ; a third class is com- posed of men of genius, whose schemes have b- "p frustrated, or whose hopes have been blighted a: home ; and a fourth class includes individuals who are not only discontented with their condition in the land of their forefathers, but displeased also with all public measures : these men are not, probably, com- pelled to emigrate from necessity, but from a spirit A;- .t i .'A , 'ti I • V* :>■ , ■• .« > jit . i? ^ - .-IS g^^ ■•ii ' m 412 KKiNIAUKS UN r,iMI(;U AllON. of (lissntistnction iiiiiural tu tliciii. Of this last un- fortiiiiate '. ' i. . > ':V' i i i Ml; R - ■ ■ •," t: / ^^' , s *»■ '. J ' , ' ■ E( ^' ' I' •-, *■ 1 1 .«,',.. { 1 ■ 'i 111 JlKlNrAHKS OX KMKi RATION. tlu' abseiict' of ivfloctioii, and tlie attt'iidant disrcj^^'inl of fiituro consoqiieiift's, as to the iiR'aiis of supporting' a family, at about the same age that the young men of Knghmd and Scothmd are leaving sehool, and their parents anxiously considering what occupation tliey are to follow, or what trade they are to learn by an apprenticeship of five or seven years, the Irish pea- santry link into i)remature marriages, and thereby multiply the endless evils of poverty. In countries like America, where labour is dear, and the population scanty in in'oportion to the vast extent of land, early marriages are not by any means attended witli the same evils as in Ireland, where the population is superabundant, in as much as there is not sufficient employment for the inhabitants. A great proportion of the pauperism that exists in Great Britain is caused by the seemingly endless influx of Irish beggars. . Were there no mendicants but those born within the parishes of England and Scotland, our feelings would not be harrowed by the famished, half-naked, unfortunate beings that assail us in every town, village, and along every road in both countries.* * We may every day, at the pior-hefids of Liverpool, at Glasgow, and other places, witness the landing of hundreds of ragged, squa- lid objects, (men, women, and children,) from heland. These people come over undw the pretence of looking for employment, and proceed begging on their way through the country. Before leaving Ireland, they are told it is physically impossible that they can be so miserable in England or in Scotland, as in their own country ; that they can beg from one place to another ; tiiat if they are eventually sent back by the parishes, they will be provided for ; and that they can, in spite of all the vigilance of overseers and police ■iHiS, IIKMAKKS ON KMKiUATlON. 445 Tho rt'iiioval of a };ivat j)()rtioii of tlu' rtMluiKlant population of the Ignited Kiiij^dom to our colonics, which lias for sonu' tiinc i'n^a<;'i'(l the attention of the ^overnnient, Jiiay he considered the hest teni[)o- rary expedient to relieve the mother countries iVoin the hurden of pauperism, 'i'hat those who are sent to the colonies will ])e removed from the pressuri" of poverty, I have no douht ; and the conseciuent ell'ect which this measure may have on the Ignited Kin«^- doni, will douhtless depend on the extent to which emigration may he effected. It ai)pears, hoAvever, that some other measure, of at least mighty imjiort- ance, should he i)ursued Hi the same time, with re- spect to Ireland. Infusing, by means of education, such useful knowledge into the minds of the peasan- try, as will gradually introduce habits of thinking .and of orderly industry, is a measure assuredly of primary necessity ; providing, as for as possible, em- ployment for the labouring classes within the king- dom, is also an object of paramount consideration. Another measure of great magnitude, although the policy will be by many denounced, ])ut which would, nevertheless, be of eminent benefit to the country, comprehends — the removal, as speedily as may be officers, return again to England. An Irish pauper, from having either learned the benefit of living on the industry of England by his own experience, or by acquiring previously the rudiments of ingenious begging, is wonderfully eloquent and attfait, in the way of amusing select vestries or police officers, while giving an account of himself. i "r'J 5': 4. ■ V'' k ■ »^ 'I 446 REMARKS ON EMIGRATION. a ill ' (t, m >t it consistent with humanity, of the mud cabins ; the introduction of poor-rates ; the destruction of the whole system of sub-letting ; and, consequently, changing Ireland from a potatoe to a great bread country. In carrying into effect a grand scheme of emigra- tion, for the purpose of disburdening the United King- dom of a poverty-smitten people, it becomes neces- sary to consider the probable consequence of introdu- cing a great mass of hur lan existence of such a de- scription to our colonies. Our North American possessions will require for many years a vast accession of settlers ; but, at the same time, it must be remembered that the men whose labour and energy are wanted, with the pre- sent inhabitants, to cultivate and raise those great countries to the mighty importance of which they are susceptible, should, generally speaking, possess correct principles and industrious habits as well as strong physical qualities.* Apprehensions of distress, and many other evils, being introduced with large bodies of poor emigrants, are very generally entertained in the colonies ; and unless adequate means be provided to carry these * It is notorious, that while the number of criminal oftences have greatly increased during late years in America, few instances of guilt can be traced to the old settlers. -*'*. life of continued poverty is usually so lamentably at variance with virtue, that we must ascribe the more Sequent occurrence of crime in our colonies to the previous indigence of many of the emigrants. IIEMARKS ON EMIGRATION. 447 ins ; the 1 of the iquently, at bread emigra- ed King- is neces- introdu- ich a de- [juire for it, at the the men the pre- )se great ich they , possess 5 well as ler evils, nigrants, ies ; and rv these Fences have nstances of led poverty t we must colonies to people to the place of location, and to support them for a reasonable time afterwards, it would certainly be unjust to inundate the colonies with a pauper popu- lation. In the report of the emigration committee, this subject, as well as most others connected with the question before them, has been fully considered.* Should emigration be conducted at the public ex- pense, it is recommended to provide the emigrant with a year or eighteen months' provisions, axes, and a few other implements. From my own enquiries, and all that I have observed respecting the settlers in each of our American colonies, I am of opinion, that if each family received an axe, two hoes, an auger, a saw, a plane, a cow, seed, and provisions for one year, it is fully as much as government should grant. It is doubtful, if more assistance were given, but that it would lead to abuse ; and with such aid, the man who does not become independent of others for the means of subsistence, deserves (according to an observation made to me by an affluent and worthy old farmer, who settled forty years ago in America not worth a shilling) " to be hanged as a public defaulter." That emigrants sent to the colonies, and located and provided for at the expense of the public, should be bound, after a reasonable period, to repay the money advanced on their account, is probably no more than mere justice ; and, as such, should be * See Colonel Cockbum's Report and Appendix, printed by order of tlie House of Commons, 1828. ■sV i ■I ■'ii ft •St p. 448 IIEMAIIKS ON EMKJIIATION. m **.! received and acknowledged !)y tlieni. Bnt this sti- pnlation, although I formerly thought otherwise, would be highly impolitic. That an industrious settler would be able at the expiration of five, or, at the most, six years, particularly if received in agri- cultural produce, to repay tlie money exj)ended on his account by government, I certainly admit ; but would not the obligation to pay such money be a sort of premium to disregard their allegiance ? for pauper emigrants would not, it is believed, be inclined to repay what they received from the public funds ; but would rather consider such a debt in the same light that they do parish relief in England. The vexation of collecting the money expended in removing emi- grants, would also produce discontent, and probably many evil consequences. As the order and peace of society is indispensably connected with the prosperity of all communities, local regulations, to be strictly adhered to, would be necessary in establishing new settlements ; and from the general character of pauper emigrants, and the nature of the country, it Avould be proper to have them enrolled and trained as a regular militia.* * Several leading men in the colonies liave remarked to nie, that as the Irish emigrants, (as is well known,) after landing in Amerira, rather than proceed at once to the cultivation of a farm, prefer lin- gering behind, and clinging to the towns and old settlements for employment, and, not unfrequently, after they settle on a wood farm, straggle away, it cannot be too strongly im])ressed on those who may have the direction of settling them in America, to send as many as possible of them at once to the remote districts. This, % UKMAllKS ON KMI(;RATI0N. 449 this sti- lierwise, iistrioiis e, or, at in agri- iided on lit ; but be a sort r pauper lined to ids ; but ne b'ght /exation ng* emi- )robably ►ensably lunities, ould be id from md the to have a* mo, that Ainciira, )refer lin- nents for ood farm, hose who ) send as s. This, Whether emigration on the plan formerly recom- mended by the committee of the House of Commons, or as lately proposed in Parliament, be ever carried into effect or not, voluntary emigration, at the ex- pense of the emigrants themselves, will still continue to go on in the usual way ; and as the majority of those wlio leave the United Kingdom for America, will have been brought up to occupations not only different from each other, but unlike those which they wil! probably follow afterwards, it will be of great consequence to prepare themselves in the best possi- ble manner for the new life they are about to com- mence. ^Vith respect to the advantages which our North American possessions present, and the prospects they afford to new settlers, it may be observed that the upper or inland, and the maritime colonies, have each their respective advantages. Canada, however, will likely continue to be the country that will absorb the greatest number of emigrants. But from all I have been able to learn, and from the opinions of the most thinking men of practical experience and local knowledge, I conclude, that from 2 to 500,000 set- tlers might be sent at little more than half the ex- pense, and with equal if not greater advantage to the emigrants, to Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton, and the district of Gaspe. The lower colonies are never subject to however, could only be effected, if emigration at the public expense he carried into operation. vol,. I. 2 r ■■''> ■'I i.r' fcV '■i,'): ) I ".'< :4 t :'H i'f-^ t: 450 KEMAKKS ON EMIGRATION. (? * >V S ( agues, nor lake fevers, while the climate of Upper Canada generates both. The proximity of these countries to plentiful fish- eries is of great benefit to new settlers, who are ena- bled to procure at an easy rate, or with little trouble, what may constitute, for some time, one of the prin- cipal articles of food. Herring, cod, salmon, mack- erel, and many other varieties of fish, abound in the rivers and along the coasts. In Upper Canada, it is true, the lands are equally fertile, and, in some respects, superior to those of the lower provinces ; but the distance to the unoccupied districts, with the consequent expense of carriage and fatigue of travelling, are much greater ; while the inland parts, at the same time, want the benefit of fisheries, and the immediate markets for the produc- tions of the soil, which the maritime colonies possess. The last inconvenient objection will, however, in a great measure, soon disappear, as the canals now cutting to avoid the cataracts and rapids, and the roads which are gradually extending to the remote settlements, will facilitate the carriage of luggage and goods ; and the produce of the soil will also, in con- sequence, find a readier market. The emigrant who directs his course to Upper Canada, a country which has for some years afforded an asylum for some thousands of i)oor settlers, need not apprehend the want of fertile land, nor, after two or three years, the necessaries and many of the conveniencies of life. Yet notwithstanding the vast tracts of unoccupied land, he will, in order to secure I KHMARKS ON EiMIORATION. 451 :)f Upper tiful fish- ) are ena- e trouble, the prin- )n, mack- md in the re equally lose of the noccupied rriage and while the benefit of [le produc- es possess, rever, in a mals now and the le remote ^gage and so, in con- to Upper rs afforded tiers, need nor, after my of the g the vast to secure a desirable farm, have to proceed a great distance into the back country, apart from society, and with- out the conveniencies to be found only in a populous neighbourhood. He must not, however, be discou- raged if he suffers much more, from the time he lands at Quebec or Montreal, until he plants himself and family in the woods, than he experienced in removing to America from the land of his forefathers. Every succeeding year will open more cheering prospects to him ; the emigrants who arrive after him will settle beyond him in the wilderness, and he will soon observe houses, villages, and corn-fields, occupying the place of gloomy and boundless forests.* It has, unfortunately, been the fate of the majority of those who have emigrated to Canada, to encoun- ter severe hardships after landing. It must, at the same time, be mentioned, in justice to the govern- ment of the province, and to the gentlemen of Que- bec and Montreal, that the emigrants have not only received kind and liberal assistance to enable them to proceed to the upper province, but that the great- est care has been taken of the sick poor among them at the hospitals. The districts of land still unoccupied in Lower Canada will accommodate an immense population. On the lands through which the river Saguenay and its streams flow, Scotch Highlanders, from the upper parts of Perth, and the inland parts of Argyle, Inver- ness, Ross, Caithness, and Suthei'landshire, might * Note B. I i'V ,A,.t; I* 452 REMARKS ON EMIGRATION. V'',;4 'ft? [? -^l be located to great individual advantage, and with importance to the political value of Canada. Such people are eminently qualified to colonize thivS district ; and I almost concur in opinion with the Quebec gentleman who says, in a letter to Colonel Cockburn, " that it" (the basin of Saguenay) *' is the arx et domiciUnm imperii of North America, and should be settled with people of military habits." No man can more readily assume steady military habits, if necessa- ry, than those I recommend to this country. Another tract, lying between the rear of the Canadian settle- ments on the south side of the St Lawrence and the province of New Brunswick, is capable of supporting many thousands. This tract should be settled either by the Canadians or Scotch Highlanders, for the pur- pose of forming a barrier of distinct jieople^ near the frontiers of the United States. There are other tracts in Lower Canada worthy of much attention. That lying north of the St LaM^- rence, in the rear of the seigniories, is particularly adapted for Scotch Highlanders, — that is, if this tract be not reserved for the increasing Canadian-French population. Another excellent tract, pointed out by Lord Dalhousie, for Lowland Scotch, lies on the Ottawa, below Hull. As respects New Brunswick — as the soil is, at a short distance from the sea-coast, equal to that of Canada, it is, at the same time, accessible at little more than half the expense ; but, bordering on the United States, great care should be observed in send- ing to it only emigrants of correct, industrious, and. KEMAIJKS ON KJMKJKATION. 453 d with Such istrict ; [Quebec ;kbuin, aiw et ould be nan can [lecessa- \nother ii settle- and the )porting id either the pur- pear the orthy of St Law- ticularly lis tract French out by on the is, at a that of at little on the in send- )us, and, if possible, at the same time of military habits. The capabilities of this valuable, extensive, but little known province, will be observed where the colony is described in the second volume of this work. In Nova Scotia, although there are not now remain- ing extensive tracts of good lands ungranted, yet farmers of frugal and industrious habits, and with some means, are sure to succeed ; and such is the state of society in, and improved condition of, this province, that a man does not feel that he is very far removed from all that he has formerly been accus- tomed to. • Cape Breton, with its eminent advantages for the fisheries, and for grazing, and also, in most parts, for agriculture, is admirably adapted for families from the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, from the Isle of Man, or from Wales. Last year, about 2000 emigrants arrived in this island from the Hebrides, in a state of wretched poverty, and would have suf- fered great miseries, had not several of their relations or acquaintances previously settled in the colony. In Prince Edward Island, families from the inland counties of England, and from the agricultural shires of Scotland, to the number of 10 or 20,000 indivi- duals, would find farms to suit them, on terms fully as liberal as in any of the other colonies where lands are equally well situated ; and in this colony, also, the state of society, and local advantages, are supe- rior. This island has long been considered the most beautiful of our American colonies. It is thriving ' ' ■ » "1- % mi "t '4 i, ■ ii« « I 454 HKMAllKS ON EMUIHATION. rapidly in agricultural improvement ; and, for its ex- tent, will become a productive grain country. The Island of Newfoundland — the lands of which are so imperfectly known in the United Kingdom, and which, like those of Nova Scotia formerly, seem still, according to the generally received opinion, condemned, as if doomed by nature to everlasting barrenness — affords, notwithstanding, situations for an additional population of ten to twelve thousand families. It must, at the same time, be considered, that settlers adapted for Newfoundland, should be men brought up along a sea-coast. Families from the Shetland and Orkney Islands, the Hebrides, the Isle of Man, the shores of Wales, Cornwall, ard the west and south of Ireland, would succeed best.* As to the classes to which British America offers inducements to emigrate, much will depend upon individual character ; but it may, however, be obser- ved, that in consequence of the high price of labour, gentlemen farmers do not generally succeed, and the condition of new countries does not admit of extensive establishments. The settlers who thrive soonest, are men of steady habits, and accustomed to labour. Practical farmers, possessing from L.200 to L.600, may purchase, in any of the colonies, farms with from twenty to thirty acres cleared, which may be cultivated agreeably to the system of husbandry practised in the United Kingdom. The embarrassed circumstances of many of the old settlers, brought * Note C. UKMAUKS ON EMKIKATION. 4i55 •I 5 its ex- which igdom, % seem pinion, lasting ons for oiisaiul lidered, luld be !s from les, the ird the t* I offers 1 upon J obser- labour, md the tensive est, are ur. L.600, IS with nay be bandry rrassed >roiight on by improvidence, or by having engaged in the timber business, will compel them to sell their farms, and commence again on woodlands. Joiners, stone-masons, saddlers, shoemakers, tailors, blacksmiths, cart, mill, and wheelwrights, and (in the seaports) coopers, may always find employment. Brewers may succeed ; but in a few years there will be more encouragement for them. Butchers generally do well. For spinners, weavers, or those engaged in ma- nufactures, there is not the smallest encouragement. Active labouring men and women may always secure employment, kind treatment, and good wages. To gentlemen educated for the professions of law, divinity, or physic, British America offers no flatter- ing prospects. There are already too many lawyers, as they are admitted as attorneys and barristers on serving an apprenticeship of four or five years in the colonies. There are, of the Established Church, not- withstanding the astounding statement made some time ago by Archdeacon Strachan, to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, fully more clergymen, in proportion to the members of the church, than in England. The members of the Kirk of Scotland, as soon as a sufficient number to support a clergyman settle within a reasonable distance of each other, generally send for a miriister to Scotland. Anti- burghers, Baptists, and Methodists, have preachers in every settlement where they have members, or can gain hearers. The Roman Catholic Church is re- spectably established — its clergy well supported ; and no class interferes less with other persuasions than I' % I '^ 1' '. li 450 UKMARKS ON KMlCiHATlUN. they do, or are more peaceable, or better members of socii^ty. Medical gentlemen generally secure a decent liveli- hood, but, with few exceptions, seldom make money. The climate of liritish America is too mhihrious for doctors to make fortunes. Schoolmasters who emigrate, if they have not entered into engagements as to salary before leaving home, will, nine out of ten, have to cultivate the soil for a subsistence, and they generally make indifferent farmers. Young men of education, clerks in mercantile houses, or shopmen, need not expect the least encouragement, unless previously engaged by the merchants or shop- keepers in America. Many young men, however, of persevering minds and industrious habits, have baffled every obstacle, and finally succeeded in esta- blishing themselves in trade. Many of the richest merchants in the colonies were of this description. Farmers or labourers going to America should carry out with them, if their means will admit, as much clothing, bedding, and linen as may be neces- sary for four or five years, some leather, one or two sets of light cart harness, two or three spades or shovels, scythes, sickles, hoes, plough traces, the iron work of a plough and harrow, of the common kind used in Scotland ; the cast machinery for a corn fan, cooking utensils, a few door hinges, and a small assortment of nails. Furniture, or any other kind of wooden work, will only incommode them, as what may be necessary can easily be procured at moderate rates in America. KKiMAKKS ON J'..MIC;UAT10N 457 ^ ^ When an emigrant has fully prepared hiniselt' in other respects, the ohjeet of greatest importance to iiimself t'uid his fnmily, is the manner in which he is to cross the seas to America. It has frequently heen the fate of passengers, par- ticularly of those who have, at all periods of emigra- tion, emharked at ports in Ireland, and in the West- ern Highlands and Islands of Scotland, to have under- gone miseries of the most distressing and loathsome character. Men of broken fortunes, or unprincipled adventu- rers, were generally the persons who have heen en- gaged in the traffic long known by the emiihatic cognomen of the " white slave trade," of transi)orting emigrants to America. They travelled over the country among the labouring classes, allured them by flattering, and commonly false accounts of the New World, to decide on emigrating, and to pay half of the passage money in advance. A ship of the worst class, ill found with materials, and most un- comfortably accommodated, was chartered to proceed to a certain port, where the passengers embarked : crowded closely in the hold, the provisions and water indifferent, and often unwholesome and scanty, in- haling the foul air generated by filth and dirt, typhus fever was almost inevitably produced, and, as is too well known, many of the passengers usually became its victims. An act of Parliament at last subjected the emigrant ships to very proper restrictions as to the number of passengers, and to very necessary regulations as to K ■;«■ [ ■"»,'■ '!■■■ hi % i 'i'' 4W 458 UKMAMKS 0\ KMIOIIATIOX. the quantity and quality of water anil lUovisions. This nt'cussary and just law was conii)laini'd of hy those interested as grievous ; and " the white slave traders," who did not scruple to hreak through its stipulations, were often ingenious enough to evade its penalties. When the restrictions contained in this act were afterwards removed, no language can describe the consequent (ViseuNe, viinenj, and squalid wn'lchedness imported, principally from Ireland, into the colonies. In 18127, the inliabitants of Halifax, in Nova Scotia, who, in the most humane and liberal manner, pro- vided for the relief of the sick emigrants, were doomed to share in the calamity thus introduced ; and, while some hundreds of the passengers died in the hospitals, many of the healthy inhabitants of the town caught the infection, and were carried off by it.* During the summer of the same year, several ves- sels arrived at St John's, Newfoundland, from Ire- land, on board of which men, women, and children, exceeding double the legal number, were crammed. Filth and confined air soon produced disease, and the effects were dreadful. One vessel, under 1 20 tons, had, previously to leaving Ireland with 110 passen- gers, loaded within three feet of the deck with salt. The weather during the passage was such, that, for * By an act of the legislature of Nova Scotia, masters of vessels are obliged to give bonds in tlie amount of L.IO for each passenger, that they will not become, for one year, chargeable to the parish, by reason of poverty, childhood, or age. The legislatures of all the other colonies have since passed similar acts. UKMAUKS ON KAIUiUATlOX. 459 two weeks, tlie lintches were not opened ; and, at this time, two-thirds of the passengers were afllicted with ty])hus and dysentery. On entering the harbour of St John's, the condition of this vessel was probably as appalling as that of any slave sliip that ever left the ccwHt of Guinea. Tlie very salt was iinjjregnated or eovered (»ver to the depth of one to three feet witli loathsome filtii. The dead, the dying, and the sick, presented a scene too shocking for description. Some died before the vessel arrived, others on entering the harbour ; forty men and ten women were tarried to the hospital, and twenty died in all. 13y the act* of the last session of the Imperial Parliament, for regulating the carrying of jinssen- gers, the number of them is limited to three for every four tons that a ship registers, and the quantity and quality of provisions are also regulated ; but, never- theless, it appears that some greedy speculators have, since then, lured emigrants away from Ireland, with- out conforming to the legal stipulations ; and it will require the greatest vigilance to bring men trained to this traffic to answer for their conduct. The colonial governments are, I understand, in future to guard against the landing of passengers who may arrive in a sickly condition. f In arranging for passages to America, it will be * Note D. •|- Irish emigrants have been unaccountably doomed to suffer more than most others. It is well known, that about 2000 Irish were inveigled to Brazil, by tlie oflFer of free passages and lands, by an 'M, I ' Ik ,n '•l! • ;,. III, I y lillil t6() IIKJMAIIKS ON l.MUlilATION. necessary for the emigrant, in order to guard against imposition, to make his enquiries for vessels througli men of established good character, and who may have some knowledge of the owners of ships taking passengers ; the ship, if possible, of a size that admits about six feet height between the decks, and not an old vessel.* Much expense and inconvenience will be saved by embarking in a ship bound to a port nearest to the emigrant's point of destination. The establishment of steam-boats between the most convenient ports in the United Kingdom and agent of the Brazilian government. These poor deluded men, on landing in South America, discovered that the intention of Don Pedro was to make soldiers of them ; and, on refusing to become such, every tenth man was imprisoned. After enduring great misery, either the British ambassador or the British consul, (I am not certain which,) insisted on their being conveyed to Ireland, or to some British colony. Vessels were accordingly chartered for the purpose; the brig Highlander carried from Kiode Janeiro to St John's N. B. 171 men, 31 women, and 14 children, who were landed in a state of wretclied poverty. These people were liberally relieved by the provincial government, and also through the bene- volence of the inhabitants. Another vessel from the same place arrived at Halifax, with about an equal number in a similar miser- able condition, many of whom were sent to the poor-house, or otherwise assisted. Much as the condition of paupers, arriving under such circumstances, is to be deplored, were it not from feel- ings of great benevolence for the suffering individuals, the people of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick might be said to go almost too far in relieving men duped by Don Pedro. A Colonel Cotteril was, I believe, the agent of the Brazilian government in this business. * Rates of passage depend much on circumstances, the place of destination, and the class in which the ship stands. REMAllKS ON EMIGRATION. 401 against through tio may 3 taking b admits not an aved by \ to the een the om and i men, on n of Don o become •ing great !ul, (I am reland, or •ed for tlie iro to St ho were e liberally the bene- ime place lar miser- house, or arriving from feel- le people ;o almost ;1 Cotteril It in this America, would facilitate not only the intercourse with the New W^orld, but also shorten the voyage, and diminish the sufferings of emigrants. On landing in America, after the necessary infor- mation is obtained respecting vacant lands, either at the offices of the commissioners of crown lands, or the emigrant societies, as little time as possible should be spent in the towns or elsewhere, before the settler fixes on the land he is about to occupy. Much of his success may depend on the spot he selects ; but, at the same time, he can almost, in any of the unoc- cupied tracts, fix on the best land he can obtain with- out losing much time, which very seldom answers any very desirable or useful purpose.* There are various ways in which men may always employ themselves after they land in America. The heads of families cannot do better than devote all the time they possibly can to the clearing and preparing their new farms for cultivation. It is often, however, necessary for them to work for j)ro- visions or other assistance among the old settlers ; but prudent men never do so after the first year, except compelled by necessity. Women, and children above two years of age, can find ready employment, particularly during spring and autumn. Young unmarried labouring men ought to save at least half their wages. Food, except in the towns and at public works, is usually provided for labourers by their employers. "t 'J» ■•^ t 1^- i place of * Note E. ifr 462 REMARKS ON EMIGRATION. Children, whose parents are unable to support them, may be provided for by binding them until they become of age, as apprentices to farmers, with whom they generally are brought up as one of the family ; and a cow, a sheep, and some seed, are usu- ally given to them when they leave, to begin with on a farm. In this manner, orphans are generally taken care of. It rarely happens that a man who has a family finds it necessary to bind any of his children to others ; and he who has the most nume- rous oifspring is considered to have the best opportu- nity of prospering, in a country where land is abun- dant, and in which the price of labour is high. A common plan with those who own cleared farms that they do not occiipy, is, to let these farms on the halves ; that is, to stock the farm with horses, horned cattle, sheep, and hogs, provide half the necessary seed, and then give possession to a practical farmer, who will cultivate it and find the labour. After har- vest, the produce, even to that of the dairy, is equally divided between the proprietor and the farmer. Many farmers who dislike commencing at once in the woods, have, by industry and frugality, supported their families very comfortably in this manner for two or three years, besides accumulating sufficient stock and seed to commence on a new farm. Farmers from the inland counties of England, and from Dumfries- shire and Perthshire, have succeeded best in this way.* * The prosperity of a man wlio culiivates land on the shares, as well as the benefit which arises to the propri<'tor, (lepeiKJs (as sue- ,k REMARKS ON EMIGRATION. 46.'i «■ support m until Ts, with 3 of the are usu- ^iii with ;enerally [lan who ly of his st nume- opportu- is abun- gh. •ed farms IS on the s, horned lecessary farmer, fter har- s equally ir. Many le woods, ed their ►r two or itock and ers from )umfries- ; in this e shales, as Is (as sue- To those who are anxious to emigrate, but who have not the means, It is a matter of difficulty to advise how to proceed ; various plans are often adopt- ed. Unmarried men and women who were unable to pay their passages, have frequently bound them- selves for two or three years to those who paid for carrying them to America. Letters from those who have been settled some years in America, to their friends in the mother countries, have long been a pow^erful cause of emi- gration. Money, also, is frequently sent by settlers in America, to enable theii* friends to follow, and by these means more have been induced to emigrate than by all others. The following very prudent plan has long pre- vailed in Scotland, and, having been generally at- tended with success, can scarcely be recommended too much. When a family, or a few families, determine on emigrating, some of the sons or relations that are ces9 in every other branch of industry does) on his own industry and character. A worthy friend of mine, Ewen Cameron, Esq., of Prince Edward Island, owns a remarkably fine farm, within a few miles of Charlotte Town. He let it on the shares for three years, to a John Kennedy, from Perthshire, a plain, honest, indus- trious farmer ; at the expiration of this period, IVFr Cameron was in every respect pleased with Kennedy, and quite satisfied as to the produce of his farm. Kennedy, with his stock, removed to a wood farm, which, in 1828, when last in America, I passed in frcmt of, and I could not help admiring how much land he had reclaimed from the forest, and under excellent tillage. Mr Cameron told me that since Kennedy left, his farm, under the management of the man who succeeded him, produced him nothing. M rt- '4- H 464 REMAllKS ON EMIGRATION. grown up, are sent forward to prepare for the recep- tion of the families who are to follow afterwards. It often occurs that the young men thus sent to Ame- rica have, for two or three years, to earn money, which they remit to pay the passages of their friends. Young Irishmen, also, who have at different times found their way to America, have not unfrequently, by working for three or four years in the towns, or among the settlements, or by employing themselves in the fisheries, accumulated considerable sums of money, which have been forwarded to Ireland, in order to bring after them their parents, brothers, or sisters, and often young women to whom they were previously affianced or attached. This I know to be a very common trait in the character of the Irish peasantry, and no circumstance can illustrate a more powerful force of affectionate attachment. The leading fault of Irish emigrants is their appa- rent indifference about fixing at once on the perma- nent and certain employment which the cultivation of the soil alone can secure to them. Transient la- bour among the old settlers seems more congenial to them than working on a wood farm on their own account. Exceptions, however, there are to this general observation ; and in comparing the condition of the Irish settlers in America with that of the peasantry in Ireland, I may say, without the least fear of being incorrect, that I have beheld more appa- rent wretchedness, and, I would infer, real misery, in one day's travelling in Ireland, than I have witnessed during several years' residence in, and while travel- 6 REMARKS ON liMIGUATION. 465 ; recep- irds. It 3 Ame- moiiey, friends, it times juently, iwns, or mselves sums of land, in thers, or ley were 3W to be he Irisli p a more sir appa- perma- [itivation isient la- genial to leir own to this •ondition It of the |the least ►re appa- iisery, in itnessed le travel- ling through the principal parts of, tlie Britisli em- pire in North America. In remarking generally on the condition of the inhabitants of our American colonies, as respects their means, none, except those engaged immediately or indirectly in commerce, have accumulated fortunes. The majority of the whole population possess consi- derable property in land and cattle ; among the re- mainder, many are poor ; but beggars are scarcely ever seen, unless it be in the towns, where some accidental calamity or natural infirmity brings occa- sionally a destitute individual to solicit charity. Many of the Irish emigrants are frequently observed beg- ging, for a short time after landing. . The old settlers are not always discovered to be the most opulent, notwithstanding the advantages they have had of selecting the best lands. It is truly lamentable to observe the condition of some of those who have long occupied the finest farms, and whose poverty is the visible consequence of unsteadiness, extravagance, and often a silly species of pride that attaches contempt to rural industry. In each of the colonies I know many farmers of this character, who, before the month of May each year, have to purchase grain and potatoes from their more provident neighs hours. It is, hoNvever, most satisfactory to know, that, in every instance, the early settler who has confined his labour to agriculture, and who has managed the fruits of his toil with frugality and judgment, is vol,. I. 2 c; •If ill t "1. V, 4.()() HKMARKS ON F.TMIfiHATION. ibinid to be respectably opulent, to liave brougbt up his family in a creditable manner, and happy with his sons and daughters, commonly married and settled around liim. In a contrary view, we find that those who only considered farming as a secondary employment, and engaged in other pursuits according as their fancy directed, have had poverty an ever- present attendant, with their families scattered in different places, subjected to a jirecarious subsistence, and often leading an irregular and indolent life. As an example of a body of some hundreds of emigrants thriving by steady industry, I know of none who have succeeded better than those sent by the late Earl of Selkirk, in 1802, from the Highlands and Isles of Scotland to Prince Edward Island, where his lordship first began his colonizing experiments, by settling them along the sea-coast, on lands which he purchased in one of the finest districts of that colony. It would have been happy for those he sent to Red River, if they had been equally fortunate ; and however good and honest his lordship's inten- tions were, and I believe them to have been so, he was undoubtedly imprudent in his measures and plans, in respect to the Red River settlem.ent.* , Many instances might also be pointed out in Upper Canada, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Cape Breton, of the prosperity of emigrants who had to encounter all the hardships attached to a wilderness country, without money, or any support but what * Note 1\ H KM AUKS ON EMIGRATION. 4()7 i Drought I happy I'ied and [ind that condary [•cording m ever- tert'd in sistence, life. id reds of know of sent by Mghlands id, wliere eriments, ids which 5 of that c he sent n-tunate ; p's inten- en so, he ures and nt.* in Upper md Cape 10 had to vilderness but what depended on their industry, to carry them through their difficulties. Among other advantages connected with emigra- tion to British America, the constitution of our colonies being a transcript of that of England, will be agreeable to most settlers. By the laws of Eng- land all criminal matters are judged ; and, with the exception of Lower Canada, where civil causes are tried according to the coutume de Parish or old French laws, all matters that involve property are decided agreeably to the English laws, and those passed by the provincial legislatures. There are scarcely any taxes, and very few public burdens. Duties on articles of luxury are trifling, and on necessary articles there are rarely any ; conse- quently, all that is required for supporting a family may be purchased at low rates, fine clothing ex- cepted.* I have particularly to advise new settlers against running in debt to the shopkeepers ; doing so has prevented many hard labouring men from prospering. The low price of spirituous liquors is also a great bane to the success of emigrants; and the facility with which rum can be procured, is the most prolific source of domestic misery and personal depravity that exists in America. Wherever a settlement is formed, and some pro- gress is made in the clearing and cultivation of the soil, it begins gradually to develope the usual features J!f' 4 •it. * Note (i. 468 IlKMARKS ON KMIGUATION. of an American village. First, a saw-mill, a grist- mill, and a blacksmith's shop appear ; then a school- house, and a place of worship ; and, in a little time, the village doctor, and pedlar with his wares, intro- duce themselves. Few habitations can be more rude than those of the first settlers, which are built of logs, and covered with bark or boards, but many in the United King- dom are far less comfortable. The most that an emigrant can do the first year, is to erect his habita- tion, and cut down the trees on as much ground as will be sufficient to plant ten or twelve bushels of potatoes, and to sow three or four bushels of grain. If his means will allow him to carry to the land he commences on, as much provisions as will support himself and family until he raises a crop, he will find it an object of the greatest importance, as it will enable him to overcome the difficulties of his situation, without leaving his farm to labour for others. Much valuable time is wasted in working among the old settlers for provisions ; and if the emigrant should even succeed in getting articles of food on credit, it will long be a drawback on his industry. In the course of five years, an industrious man may expect, and should have, twelve acres under cultivation, one hoi'se, two or three cows, a few sheep and pigs, and sufficient food for himself and family. In ten years, the same man, with perseve- rance and frugality, ought to have from twenty-five to thirty acres under improvement, to possess a pair c fi & g ii a h o: y n t( IIEMAIIKS ON KMIGIIATION. •169 a grist- a school- ;tle time, es, intro- those of 1 covered Qd King- that an s habita- round as iishels of of grain. ! land he L support , he will »ee, as it es of his hour for of horses, a waggon or cart, a sledge and cabriole, five or six cows, a yoke of oxen, sheep, hogs, poultry, &c., and a comfortable house, a good barn, and plenty of food for himself and family. This is no extrava- gant calculation. I could name hundreds who began in a state of abject poverty, who, in the same period, accumulated, by steady industry, fully as nmch as I have stated. On the other hand, I have witnessed the condition of many others, who were settled from five to fifty years in America, who scarcely possessed any of the necessaries of life ; but thelcause I invariably traced to their improvident character and indolent habits. ir if' %i I! k t: M .■I k' "II g among emigrant f food on dustry. ious man •es under s, a few mself and I perseve- i^enty-five ess a pair f •1* 1-. i lii n,' [ 470 ] NOTES TO BOOK VI. Note A A, page 425. The practicability of a most advantageous intercourse across the continent of America, from Canada, was long since dmnonstrated by that very adventurous traveller, Sir Alexander M'Kenaie. Mr M'Taggart, who was an engineer employed at the llediaii Canal, observes, in his very instructive, although very quaintly written book, " but the grand Canadian Canal is not the Rediau Canal, nor the Welland Canal. These are only sections of it, which are to he met with on the grand line between Quebec and the noble summit level of Lake Superior. This famous canal will be finished in a few years, as far as tlie summit level. Steam- boats may go up from Quebec to Lake Superior ere three years from this time ; from thence, with little trouble, they will pass through the Notch of the Rocky Mountains, and be locked down the Columbia to the Pacific Ocean. The route, however, will be better to be kept off the American frontier, which is Columbia, and to go down Cook's River, or the large Salmon River at Nootka Sound. The town of Nootka is likely yet to be as large as Lon- don, and ought to be laid out on an extensive plan, as the trade between it and the Oriental World may become wonderfully great in a short time. Then, when the steam-packet line is established between Quebec and London, as it soon will be, we may come and go between China and Britain in about two months. The names of the stages will be London, Cove of Cork, the Azores, New- foundland, Quebec, Montreal, Kingston, Port Dalhousie, Maitland, Erie, Huron, Superior, Rocky Mountains, Athabasca, Nootka, and Canton. Can this be called a foolish prophecy, or an idle dream ? By no means, it is perfectly practicable. The magnitude of the whole may probably be too much for the niinds of the generality NOTES. 47i uf mankind to grasp ; but wliat uigniries tliat ? Were the work absolutely finiahed, millions would not believe it ! Pagans consi- der the sun in u difforent light from astronomers. The eyes of both are dazzled by his beams, while his real nature is unknown — as far beyond the understanding of man as ho is in miles from the earth, and probably farther." Note a, page 440. 'ill >^ . ?, across the sinonstrated enaie. the lledian ry quaintly the Kediau tions of it, iuebec an({ 8 canal will el. Steam- three years y will pass icked down iver, will be lumbia, and r at Nootka rge as Lon- as the trade erfully great i established ay come and The names zores, New- ie, Maitland, Nootka, and idle dream ? itude of the e generality The best method of illustrating the prosperity of uettlers in America, is by stating instances of individual success. Among th(? settlers in New Brunswick, I had some conversation with an old Highlander, from Sutherlandshire, one of the soldiers of the I'-id regiment, who were disbanded in America after the revolutionary war. This man had settled on the banks of the Nashwaack, and had scarcely ever since been absent from his farm, except occasion- ally with his overplus corn or potatoes to Frederick ton. He re- tained his native language with as much purity as if he had never removed from the vale in winch he was born, by which I immedi ately discovered where he came from ; the tone and accent of the Gaelic varying as much in one shire, or in one of the isles of Scot- land, from the others, as the pronunciation of the inhabitants of the several counties in England does. When I addresseen H|)ont now poH- iikful nnd m retreat, ) nearly u [expression nature, im, among lit of land possessed are consi- farniers ; of birch, fifty, and re fore, as the sons i\v several lave built the faiin live, has )uthouses. His cart, t of Char- some old living on ids, often M'Millan, Sir James Montgomery nnd hi** f'lother, I have frequently had tlie opportu- nity of obxrrving th*' iinlustrious progre«s of an old man of the name of Sinclair. He was upwards of sixty yr-ars when I saw liini lieginning Ih d of li oni''-. His fnniiiy ronsjNte grown-up daughters; one of the latter UNua'.ly spent iliu'c-fourilis of the year at service ; tln'ir means were limited, and they were obliged to live very frugally ; but their industry overcame every , I was charmed with its pretty iniprovenuMits when I rode jiast it four or five years afterwards ; and never did I observe nuire forcibly the effects of well-applied industry. A little farther on, near Sinchiir's farm, a settler, who was for- merly a tenant on ^Iajor-(ieneral Stewart's estate, (Jartb, in Pcrtb- shire, and who went to America, 4'ecommended by tliis luavc* jilH- cer to Sir James INhmtgomery's agent, has also made most exten- sive improvements. In th(» same settlenu'iit, a man of the nnme ef Cairns, whom I observed the first year, with a rope over his shoidder, actually dragging after him the harrow wdiich covered the seed, and who had at one time been in good circumstances in Dumfries- shire, but who arrived penniless in Atnerica, told me, that after surmounting the difficulties of the first two years, he had lived bet- ter, and that he couNidered himself much more independerit, than he ever did in Scotland. Mr Dockendorff", one of the most respect- able farmers in Prince Kdward Island, with whom I have had frequent conversation respecting the condition of the inhabitants of the colonies, removed to it about forty years ago from the United States. He was then unmarried, and commenced clearing the farm which he now occupies, which was at that time covered altogether with trees that indicate a fertile soil. It is now one of the finest farms in North America. His house is large, handsome, and comfortable ; nis barn, stable, •tc, are commodious and w«'ll planned ; his farming implements are ever in the best order; his horses, cattle, sheep, &c., always in ex- cellent condition. He married, soon after he settled, a thrifty and worthy woman ; and his family, whom be has brought up in a man- ner highly creditable, are extolled for regularity of character, and habits of thrift. He has often observed to me, that all the poverty in the colony, and generally in North America, was nothing more nor « li ll K' 'I 474 XOTKS. leas than tlio inevitable ronspquenre of indolenoo, impnuience, and the absence of frugality. 'J'lie poverty of such persons never sur- prised him. Every thing about this most worthy man, bespoke hap- piness and comfort ; plenty, but not useless waste, always appeared at liis table. Respected in the colony, a member of its legislature, and dear to his own family and friends, he more than once told me that he had nothing in this world to wish for that would increase his happiness ; and that he thought no man could be more comfort- able than he was. His strong mind, and good common sense, ena- bled him thus wisely to appreciate his condition ; and if there be an independent and happy man on earth, one circumstanced like my friend Mr DockendorflF must be so. ti !iij^. tV!^ 111! m i i I . " »< III Note B, page 451. Incorporated associations, such as the Canada Company, are the best calculated to bring the capabilities of vast tracts of wilder- ness lands into operation, as well as to obviate a great portion of the ditliculties which new settlers, depending solely on individual exertion, must encounter. There is much praise due to the Ca- nada Company for the facilities which they have aft'orded to emi- grants. The settlers on their lands have, in consequence, expe- rienced mucli less misery than if they had commenced unprotected and unprovided for on wilderness lands, and they have also avoided the delay, vexation, and inconvenience, which attend the obtaining of lands from the Government. Note C, page 454. We find in different parts of America, settlements nearly of distinct people. The gregarious propensity of men speaking the same lan- guage, and of similar liabits, and also the ties of kindred, cause this circumstance. Those who first emigrate from home, describe, in writing to their friends, the cou?itry they settle in ; and I have, all over Ameri'"i, discovered that the resident inhabitants of one place knew scarcely any thing of other parts, even of those in their vicinity. notj:s. 47.> ence, and nivcr sur- pokc liap- appearcd 'gislaturo, e told me 1 increase 3 comfort- Bnse, ena- there be meed like ipany, are of wilder- portion of individual tlie Ga- il to emi- iice, expe- iprotected io avoided obtaining of distinct same Ian- cause tliis escribe, in 1 have, all one place ir vicinity. Wlierever a few families from any particular parish or sliire went, others usually followed. Thus various parts of the Caro- linas attracted swarms of emigrants from the Outer Hebrides, (Lewis, Uist, and Barra,) Sutherland, Argyleshire, and Ross-shire; Inverness-shire sent settlers to Georgia, to Nova Scotia, to Prince Edward Island, and to Cape lireton ; (Jlengary, and some other places in Upper Canada, were first settled by people from Lochaber, Glengary, and Keppocli, in Scotland, who first emigrated to the southern colonies, but were afterwards forced away by the disturb- ances wliich attended the American revolution. This was the visible course of emigration for some time after its commencement ; and though in a more general way, and its dis- tinct movements less observable, the same feelings still direct those who leave their mother land. More than 50,000 left the United Kingdom, for various parts of America, during the year 1830. About 30,000 of this number went to British America ; the rest to the United States. Note D, page 459. The following extract from the late Passengers' act, may be use- ful to emigrants: — « 1. No ship to carry more than three persons for every four tons of its burden ; and to have five feet and a half between plat- form and deck ; two children under fourteen, or three under seven, or one child under one year, and the mother, to be computed as one passenger. <' 2. Ship to be provided with fifty gallons pure water, and at least fifty pounds oatmeal, biscuit, &c., for each passenger. " 3. Ships having the full number of passengers, to carry no stores between decks; may occupy with stores between decks three cubic feet for each passenger less than the full number. " 4. Shipmasters to deliver a list of passengers to the customs at port of sailing, and furnish a similar list at port of landing. ♦« 5. Shipmasters landing passengers anywhere else than agreed upon, liable to a penalty of L.20, to be recovered before any two justices of the peace \ ■ 47() NOTES. ♦< 6. Shipmusters not having the above quantity of water and bi'eOTES. Sliip-carpenters' wages were exorbitant four or five years ago, liaving L.6 to L.8 per month, and provisions, lodgingH, and grog given them besides. In Quebec, St John's, and a few other places, provisions Were not included ; but the dift'erence of wages was made equivalent ; scarcely any of these men, however, had sufticient prudence to save their earnings, and are now much less employed. Joiners, who find their own provisions, receive from Gs. to 7s. per day. Blacksmiths, stone*masons, slioeumkers, and tailors, nre usu- ally paid so much for wliat they do, and the price of their labour is generally very high. Wages of labour, and the prices of articles, vary in America as they do in England ; the foregoing, however, may be considered as the general rates. KND OF VOLUME FIRST. Riil.Mil'Klill : PBFNTED PV BAIJANTYNK A.N'I) (OMPANV, PAfL's HORK, rA.VO.VGATK. ars ago, nd grog ms were livalent ; ! to save ) 79. per nre usu- iubour is erica as Ueied as i