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I NEWFOUNDLAND ••4 "11 IS /ra HISTORY, ITS PRESENT CONDITION, AND ITS PROSPECTS IN THE FUTURE BY JOSEPH IIATTON Author of " To-day in America," " The New Ceylon," "JoumalUtic London," etc. AND ><>,,; ; ■■■■. 4\' '■■■I-; r I •.iVi^lii,. Ill The Rev. M. IIAKYEY A Resident of St. John't, and author of "Acroan Sewfoundland " UianUNTliU FUOM THE ENQUSn EDITION: REVISED, COUUECTEI), AND ENLARGED dUustnitijt! BOSTON PUBLISHED BY DOYLE .t WHITTLE 1 .s .s ;; /-^■/977^ , liUK for tho PRESS or tPOCKWELL uacHiuu* PREFACE TO THE ENGLISH EDITION. The value of a history of the rise ami proiri'ess of Xewfound- laiul depends upon the qualifications wliieli its authors possess for the treatment of the sul)je('t, the trustworthy character of tiie data upon which their treatise is founded, and the literary experience whicii they bring to bear upon the exi)osition of the materials they have tollectcd. As these are the tirst points that seem to challenge criticism, a few words of explanation, as to the character, purposes, and raison d'etre of the present volume, will save time and may prevent misunderstandings. Apart from the many varied sources of knowledge which have been examined in connection with the following pages, 1 would lay particular stress upon the ca})abilities of my collaborator. A scholar and a traveller, he has probably seen more of Newfoundland than any man who has contributed to the literature of its history. A resident in the Island for a quarter of a century, he has coasted round it, exi)lored nmch of it, visited its ports and cities, studied its natural history, mixed in its social, religious, juid political movements, and generally mastered the subject "Newfoundland" in all its bearings. A recognized local authcn-ity on all matters per- taining to the history of the country and its future i)Ossibilities, the Kev. ]M. Ilarvey is known to the leariuul societies of London and also to the jreneral world of letters.^ ' ^^^. Harvey's ('ontril)Utiims to natural history, especially in connection \vitl» the Kio""- tic eephulDjioils, or cultk'-ti^h, which he was the lirst to tll>cover iiiiil desiMihc, excited niucli interest in the scientilic world a few years a^ro. lie is the author of a popular volume o literary sidijeets. lie has written the article " Luhrailor " in the new edition of the riucyclopiiidia Hritunnica," and has in preparation for the same work a descrip- tive essay on Ncwfoundlanti. (iii) IV PREFACE TO THE EXGLTSH EDITION: I, r J i It will, therefore, be hardly ncces.siiry for mo to say that, in the liteniry partnershii) involved in this history of Xewfoundland, the Rev. M. Harvey eontril)uti,'s the largtist share of authorita- tive work. For nivself, I have hroui^ht into the eollaboration a careful revision of facts and opinions, sonic special iuvestii^a- tions of hislorical data, and such editorial skill, as is necessary, for the transformation of unsystematized MS. into the form and shape of a comprehensivi; and methodical record. I have to thank the courteous officials of the IJritish Museum for their assistance in facilitatinj^ my examination of MSS., maps, and oth(!r documents that make up the curious chronicles of the discovery and early ^^fovernmimt of the oldest British colony. London is the centre of stored knowledge. In the production of this volume it has been found important to have one of its authors enijaiied within hail of the British Museum; while the other labored amidst the scenes to be described, a living witness of manv of the facts hereinafter narrated. On his side, by the courtesy of Sir William Whiteway, the Premier of Newfoundland, Mr. Harvey has had full access to the archives of the local governuient ; on mine I have had London as a Library of Keference. It encouraged me greatly, in regard to the necessity and protit of our joint labors, when the first results of my in((uiries about Newfoundland proved to be of a very limited character. I found the Island almost a terra Incorniila to the raaioritv of the })ers<)ns whom I should have supjjosed to be best ac(piainted with it. The latest history was issued in 18();},' and this, though an excellent work in itself, neither dealt with the tisheries, the agriculture, nor the mineral resources of the country ; nor did it attemjit to cover the unoccupied ground of toi)ograi)hy, physical geography, and other features of the Island, necessary to a comprehensive treatment of the subject. I do not offer these remarks as any rcjfleetion u])on an admirable work, but only to emphasize the fact that its scope was limited, and that, even as an historical record, the chroni- cle ended with 1800 ; while to the last decade belongs the Till' " Ili«t(iiy 111' \r\v!'imii(lhmil," liy the Ui'v. ("Iiiirli's IVdloy. Lonilou: JiOnj,'iiiiiii-i, l,s(,;{. I I ( PREFACE TO THE EXGLISlf EDITION. II : L()ii;,'iiiim-<, \\\o>{, importiiiit advmu'c wliiili Xi-wlbuiullniid has made iluriny a present e( )nciIiatory watchfulness over Newfoundland's future intcrest.- Tl u! special grievances of the pt oph th uni(|Ue |)()sition t)f tlu colony, the attenijit to make, it a mere lishinir-station and trainini;-i>round for the Navy, the curious anomalies of tlni local and imperial laws under which the people labored ; all tlu>s(^ subjects are considered and illustrated in the following l)ages. In the active etl'orts that were made, for more than a century, to su[)press the colonization of Newfoundland, coercive laws wer(> supplemented by libels on its climate and ^oil. The English merchants, who used it as a lishing-station, pul)lished I 1 oir. Oil icial ol it al)r()ad as a land given over to sterility anc the Home Government encouraged these reports. \\'li('n, in spite of them, infatuated emigrants found their way thither, thev were forbidden either to build on the land, or to obtain any proprietary rights in the soil. Every sumnuu- the Fishing Ad- mirals took possession of the Island, with in<'ontestable power to use or to (h'stroy any huts, stages, or l)uildings, which the inhabitants might have erected near the coast. In the autunm the lishing-Heets sailed away. On arriving in the English ports VI PREFACE TO THE EXOLTFtlf EDITION: \ i 1 the captiiiiis were jmiiislicd if tlicy did not Iiriiig honu' jiLjiiiii as iiianv men as they I'.ad taken out. Diiriiiir the i)l('asant ila^'s of suinnuT tlic; Fishinjx Admirals and tlicir cnnvs made the countiy a howlinir wilderness. Win- ter fdinid it a solitude and a desolation. Yet, stran_i»'e to say, there were people who elnnir to its inhospitahhi shores. Such Law and Justiee as existed there at all, went away every aulunm. with the migratory merchants and admirals. Thi^ Freedom of License reigned one half the year, tin; Tyranny of Irresponsihility the other. Justiee was held in greater respect, ^ -when Law was absent, thyn when iunorant and interested skip- pers administered it on the qutirterdecks of their eonuuercial ships. Men tlyiiiij^ from troubles at home, unfortunate traders, exiles for conscience' saki;, adventurers to whom settled ed them. As a lii'ld of emigration, mor(> particularly for inyestnieni of labor and money in agricultural jjursiuts, Newfoundland has advantages which are set forth on the authority of practical sia-vevors, mineral and auricultural, in sncccedinu- pa^r^s. 1'here is no doubt us to the excellence of the soil, in the interior, for the cultivation of agricultural jjroducts ; whih; the value of the grazing lands, that are scattered here and there over thousands of acres of fertile valleys, is eipially beyond question. All that is necessary to their develoi)ment is the completion of the rail- way system now in course of construction, which will bring VIU PREFACE TO THE EXGLISIT EDITION. Xt'wfoundlaiul farms nonror, })y several days to the markets of En_irl:»id, than any other e()m[)etin<^ districts of tlic American continent. The mineral prosjjeets of Newfoundland are not behind those of aixriculture. It is already the tifth on the world's list of copper-exportiniT countries. Iloldinjr a foremost ))Iace amoni^ lishin_<^ industries, its coasts ar<^ the theatre of excitiuu: adventmvs beloniring to the jrarnerin;^ of the ocean harv(!st>. Ardent si)ortsmen seek its forests and streams in pursuit of "liii and fur." The ireoloirist is busy amon<>' its hills and valleys. ^lin- ing prospectors are examininir the tracks of the (lovernment suv- veyors. The first locomotives are running from the capital tn the adjacent towns. A tide of emigration is evidently on l!i',' eve of Slotting in upon its shores. No complete survey of its history and condition, its physical geogi'aphy, its fishing and other industries, its mineral r.nd agricultural resourc(>s, its govermnent, its hnvs, manners and customs in the past and present, its ju'ospeets in the future has ever befon* been altein|)ted. The book now presenteil to the readcu' is therefore a cidti\"ition of hitherto unoccupied ground. Th(> result may not be in all rcs})ects satisfactory. l?ut as a ))ione(>r volume it is entitled to friendly cousidcM'ation. ^Vpart from studies made for it u[)on the spot, almost every known work, printed or in mamiscrii)t, relating to Newfoundland has been consulted in the course of its preparation for the press. These have includei)ers and GovermncMit despatches in the archives of the British Mus(>um and Kccord OtKce, journals of the House of Assembly and Customs' returns at St. John's, news- paper records, and private letters. Xo source of possible iii- I'ormation has been overlooked. To gatlu>r the facts thus col- lected into an interesting shapiN and within reasonable comitass. has bi'cn no li^ht task; with which suirir<'stion of excuse for any shortcomings the authors [iresent to the world this new history of Kngland's oldest colony. JOSEril IIATTON. London, Jiinuiiry, 1883. V > !U-k('ts of AnuH-ic:in arc not le world's lost l)liUO f cxcitinj; h:irv(!sts. uitof'tiii »ys. ^liu- lIlKMlt SUV- Ciipital t(> tly on 111'.' A^cy of its sliing iuid )in*cos, its I piist iind fore Ix'cn ■; thcrofoi'o I'sult niJiy volume it lies niiidc ntod or in I'd in thr included ■ archives Is of the I's, nows- )ssil)!e iii- tliii- col- comjiass. xcusc for this new TTON. PREFACE TO THE AMERICAN EDITION. The proposal which has been made, ]>y Messrs. Doylk and WiinTLE, of Boston, Mass., to reprint "Newfoundland — the Oldest British Colony" — has been to me a source of nmch •gratification; and it is with pleasure I accede to their re(|uest, to sanction their enterprise by writin<; a preface, and revisinary, it is specially gratifying to me and my colleague to fuul that, a few months after its appetirance in England, an American edition is projected. In order to rcconnnend that (ix) 1;' 'tl PREFACE TO THE AMERICAN' EDITION. odltion to the attention of the American i)ul)lie, I have carefully revised, not only the descriptive and statistical jjortions, ))ut also the historical section, wltii the view of renderinj^ the volume a reliable book of reference on all matters connected with the country of which it treats. 1 have brought down the various n.'turns and statistics to the latest dates, and I have added an Appendix, in which will l)e found some valuable in- formation not contained in the Enirlish edition. It will be to me a matter of great satisfaction if the present volume should prove instrumental, to any extent, in making known to the peoi)le of the Great Ivcpublic of the West, the condition and ca{)abilitieis of an island which, though so near their shores, is so little known, or rather is so generally mis- known, not only in America, but also among the peoi)le of England. The prejjaration of the book, which involved no small amount of toil, has been to me a labor of love. Should it aid in attracting attention to the splendid natural resources of the country, and thus })romote their develo[)ment, and tend to advance the prosperity and hai)[)iness of irs people, 1 shall !»(' ami)ly rewarded. I can truly say that I have spared no j)ains in securing accuracy in the various statemen s and details which relate to the resources, the trade and industries, and the general condition of the isLmd. My aim has been to present a full and trustworthy account of the country at the present time, and also to trace back historically the causes which have operated to bring about the condition of things which wo now tind to exi^t. Newfoundland is united l)y many ties to the Republic of America. When dire calamity had overtaken its ca[)ital, by tli(> ravages of tire, the people of Boston and other places sent prompt and generous aid, — a deed of kindness wliich is still gratefully remembered. In her dark and sullering days many of her children sought and found a refuge in the United States ; ■W ■•.i\ rREFACK TO TIFF: AMEIUC.iy EDITIOS. XI ? carefully tions, ])ut lerinj^ the connected down the id I have luahlc in- le present in mukin<^ West, the li so near jrally mis- people of v'olved no Should resources and tend le, I shall si)ared no nd details s, and the [)rescnt a sent time, lic'h have which we public of iipital, by aces sent •h is still lys maiiy jd States ; and now. in most of the j^reat cities of America, Newfound- landers arc to be found, many of them occui)yinu; positions of honor and trust, and still chcrishinir kindly remembrances of the sea-iiirt isle in which their early da\'s were spent. The ties of connnercial interest, also, arc constantly extendinjr. At the present time Xewfoundiand im[)orts from tlu^ United Slates pnxhicts of various kinds to the value of $2, 214, ()(•() per amuun, and sends thither annually iishery products valued at $;)()().()()(). ^lorc than tifteen per cent, of the entire volume of her trade is with the United States. Xewfomidland has now entered on a eoiu'se of self-develop- ment, and has at len_irth jj^ot fairly into the j^roove of progress. Her ))rospccts were never so bright and eheeriiiii; as at the ])rescnt hour. She has at length obtaiiu'd the grand lever of all [)rogress, — a railway, which will extend year by yeai", open up the fertile lands for settlement, and [jroduce a material and social revolution which will be conducive to the adxancc- ment of her pe()[)le. ^Mining is rapidly extending and homo industries are nudtii)lying. A consideralih^ rill from the great stream of emigration rushing past her shores to the West will speedily bo direct(Ml to her fertile valU^ys. She is now free and self-governed, and her pt^oph^ feel that their destinies are in thi>ir own hands. \\'hat her political i'uture may be, in the ages to come, it would be vain to conjecture. The duty of the present hour is to turn to account those great natural ad\an- tages which have lain dormant so long, and thus raise the country to a higher level of ))rosperity and social progress. Should this \ ilume hel[) forward such results, in any humble mejisure, the labor bestowed on it will l)e more than recctm- l)cnse(l. For many yeni's I have been endeavoring, tlii'oiigh the medium of the periodical press ol tli<' day, to dispel the false impressions which have been so generally pre\alenl re- gardin."- tho country, and to make it kn(;svn as it is. The Xll PREFACE TO THE AMERICAN EDITIOX. rcsiiltts of niiiny years' study of the country are now collected in the present volume ; and my earnest hope is that it may prove useful, not only in diffusing correct and reliable infor- mation abroad, but also in leading the people of Newfound- land to think more highly of the land of their birth or a(loi)tion, to entertain a tinner contidenec in its future, and to cherish more warmly that patriotic spirit which is the mainspring of all true progress. M. HAllVEY. St. John's, Newfoundland, August 23, 1883. ■1 i. .., > - w collected that it may iablc infor- Newfound- ir birth or future, and hich is the CONTENTS. PART I. — HISTORICAL RECORD. CIIAPTEIl I. PAOB From the Discovehy of tiik Island to the First Attempt at its Settlement. [1497-1583.] 1 CILVrTER II. Eauly Struggles in Teace and War. [I.'583-1697.] • • 19 CHAPTER III. Tyranny by Act of Parliament. [1091-1728.] . 34 CHAPTER IV. The Fishery Rights of France. [1728-1793.] 44 CHAPTER V. "Through the Fire." [1793-1801.]. • • 04 CHAPTER VI. "After Darkness — Dawn " [18C1-1882.] . 9G (xiii) rr li I ■ •} ■ I I I' Hi XIV CONTENTS. PART IL— PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY AND % TOPOGRAPHY. I I CHAPTER I. f PAGE Situation, Mountains, and Rivers Ill ;.: The CHAPTER II. St. John's, the Capital of Newfoundland 124 •■■ CHAPTER III. Rays and Haubous 133 'I 4 CHAPTER IV. 5 The Intekioh 141 CHAPTER V. ;| Geology 150 CHAPTER VI. Climate 158 CHAPTER Vll. The AiioitioiNES 168 CHAPTKR VIII. Manners and Customs 187 CHAPTER IX. ^H The F Animal Kingdom 193 CHAPTER X. Vkoetaulk Kingdom 203 ty CHAPTER XI. Ne« FOINDI-AND AS A Si'OUTINU C»)UNTUY ....... 208 ''a CONTENTS. XV AND PART III. — THE FISHERIES. PAGE . Ill CHAPTER I. The Histokv and Condition of the Codfish iNDustniES FAGS . 218 124 133 141 CIIAl'TER 11, Natuiial HisTonv of the Cod, its Distuihution, Movements, Spawn- ing, AND Mode of Cure 235 CHAPTER III. The Seal Industry 24" 150 CHAPTER IV. Natural History or the Seal • . • . 260 158 CHAPTER V. Salmon . 2GG . 168 . 187 . 193 CHAPTER VI. The Herring and Other Fisheries • • CHAPTER VII. The Fisheries as Affected ijy International Treaties 271 . 27G 205 CHAPTER VIII. Labrador • • . 285 208 I' XVI CONTEXTS. PART IV. — AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES. CHAPTER I. Thk Geographical Sdrvey PAGE CIIAI'TER II. The Couroy Valleys on the Western Coast 308 CHAPTER III. Tub Bay of St. George and the Western Country . 313 V) CHAPTER IV, Notre Dame Bay and the Eastern Districts 323 m \'A\ CHAPTER V. On the Prospects of Land Investments and Emigration PART v. — MINERAL RESOURCES. 333 CHAPTER I. Pioneer Work and Prospects 344 CHAPTER II. Metalliferous Deposits and Coal Areas 348 CONTEXTS. XV 11 PART VI.— POPULATION, GOVERNMENT, ETC. CHAPTER I. PopuLAJioN AND Trade PAOG . 3G0 CHAPTER II. Government . 373 CHAPTER III. Roads, Railways, and Steam Communication 380 CHAPTER IV. Education ., 388 CHAPTER V. « Religious Denominations 31)4 CHAPTER VI. The Post-Otfice, Constabulary, Light-houses, Banks, etc. . , 402 APPENDICES t • • • • . 409 % Ijl I'iil .!:'! LIST OF ILLUSTEATIOiNS. M AiiovK Watekford Bridge — Four Milks from St. John's Skction of the Mapamundi of Sehastian Caiiot, 1544 Sebastian Cahot Jacqi:es Cartieu Sir Humi'iirey Gilbert Keading his Commission Sir Hi mi'hrey Giliiert AViM.cK of the "Delight" Sir Walter Kaleigii .... James I. Heart's Content Harbor and Village liocKv KivER Bridge .... Wigwam Point, Exploits Kiver liivER IIlmber Cnv OF St. John's .... Koman Catholic Cathedral, St. John's Government House, St. John's Entrance to St. John's Harbor I'lacentia ........ Ijett's Cove Harbor, Notre Dame Bay . Conception Bay. Topsail. Great and Little Distance On the "Barrens" Fish-flake. Cod spread out. Boat J anding Coi St. John's Harbor — Fish-curing Seal-Hunter i\uRoRAL Display .... Sealers ax Work .... Li'mberman's Camp in Winter . Copper Mine, Bett's Cove First Excursion Trip on the Newfoundland Railway (xix) . Frontispiece, Bel LE Isi . in . 14 . in . 17 . 21 . lm; . 114 . 117 . 120 . 123 Facing p. 124 . 12!) . i;iO Facing p. WYi . i;i4 . 137 E IN THE . 139 Facing p. 214 . 243 Facing p. 244 Placing p. 2(S Facing p. 2.")4 Facing p. 2.">S . 343 . 340 . 384 ,'>J i y '1' ^>.ov-. cop J yL-'^^.^-^ ^ I^ •i>U BPJoJvn ■50- >i^'-^P / V,v S2 X .^ y" C.Ba-kjSXd/ \y FOUNDLAND ifl f '"^ tnti*^*^^^^ X^\^J^'<^9(>^' caPP '^^^r/cv ^:::^:r^;* ,^' 1^ ^^I^BW — ^ K*". } V, C^ U V- s ■^fc^ " M -I ~y7^- S ) .-^ 7r> ^ /X. ^1 cK'>'^'''r , -^ ^^'^ L At , / ^^■^•, -^>-i^>^' U^c: ^7^ ' I. )V ^^ ( ^^ 3^ ^■iL 51^ ^^ l<»^>^ K«B>«>^« — .1 _|i __ ^_\k ^f^^ / A . .a r v^T'C'-^n.-Sil;-,''?/ ^ •*^' i>^ ^i j*~ >!a .r /-'\. tv^ — ^. ^C^i ^ ''"^:f'i^ f MCjQjVtk ^ 3 I V' .- y !i round of liiilish cheers from the (h'ck hidow, 'l\n> tioht li'ilo pioneer ship, one of the small caravals ol' tluxe days, was manned hy West-Country sailors. Her commander was dohn Cahot. His tu'st oflieer was his worthy son Sehasliiin. At this period Amcrijjo Vespucci, whose name was to i^ive a title to tho New World, had not ycit made his Ijrst voytii^e across lln' Atlantic Tho importance of Cabot's discovery can hardly he overrated. NEWFOUNDLAND. \\ "I I' t It ijfjive to Eniiliind her cl:iim to the sovcrcit impulse of colonization. But for the Cahots, Spain would no douht hav(; niono[)oli/ed discovery in Xorth, as well as South America. It IS wort 11 while nuiuirmg how they w th I'cro led to this trreat achicvi'ment. Tli(^ close of the fifteenth century was marked by the grand- est event of modern times — the discovery of the New World I)V Columbus. The news broke on men's minds with start linjj; cU'ect. The noblest and the most daring spirits of Europe were stirnnl to their depths. The imi)ulse to e.\i)lorc the won- ders and tlu^ mysteries of the land, the outer curtains of which Columbus had just raised, tired thousands of brave hearts. Among those who felt this kindling impulse most keenly wcn^ John Cabot and his son Sebastian. The father was born of Italian parents. Venice was probably his native city. There are those, however, who claim this honor foi- Bristol. At all events, he lived there for many years, and his son Sebastian was born and bri'd in that ancient port.' Of this gi'cat navi- gator, little is known beyond the fact that he was a thoughtful man. Ambition led him far beyond the mere routine of busi- ness. The maritime discoveries of the time engrossed his coiwtant attention. His son Sebastian, who with his father was destined to achieve a fame second only to that of Colum- l)us, inherited his father's predilections, and entered at an early age on a seafaring lil'e. When the news of the famous Si>aniard's great discovery Hew from nation to nsition, tilling all lOurope with wonder, it inspired the ambition of these two men ■with a di'sire to rival his achievements. Pondering the sub- ject deei)ly they came to the conclusion th; t, by taking a north-west course, instea(^ of following the track of the great ' " Wliiit <'(>niiti'_viii:iii ori;,'iiiii!iy wias Jolm (;iil)of ? .\s we liiivc seen, lie only l)ecoines a \\iu'iiuu(.'iti/oii in 1 17(). Win olil .lolm Stow ri^jlit in ciiUinj; liini a (iunocso, or was lie Ml'li'i' :ill nil llM'jli^iuniin, wlio lor snnic si-rvico liiid thin hond/ coiiriTi'iMl u)X)n liini, oven iis Williiini (iolil had ? I'Vir anulit that apivnis to tho ((nilrary, lio liinisi'lf niiuht have lu'iMi hoi'n in Mrisiol; ami not niiMiy yoars sinco wo wi-rc as^ul•^Hl Ihoi'c woi'o >sL'vt'i'aI (IihmI- in llic nmninu'iit-chi-^t of M. Tlionia-*, in this city, of Henry VII. 's roinn, whieli wi'iT iiIIi'^IimI hy sonu'of that name. I'nfortnnali'ly, ami thon^li most (lili;ront soai'i'h has lieen niailc alUT them, it ha-* lu'en hitherlo nn*u<'i)essliil," — '^ Life of ^^elniftthin Vahut" hi/,f, /■', A/c/id//.", Citij Lihraridii, Jtriilnl. i .-;1 iili i DISCOVERY OF THE ISLAXD. 3 of a lartro lupulse of loultt have; Anu'i'ii'a. this <2;r('at tlu; araiid- a'W World ;li .stai'tlinu; of Europe e the wou- s of which ivo hearls. I'cnly wcro IS horii of y. Tiu're )1. At all I Sebastian rival ua\i- thouiihtful 10 of husi- rosst'd his his father of Cohiin- red at an he famous lilliau' all two men the sul)- takiiiu" a the great only Ikm'oiuos iMioc-iO, or was ill U)>OH llilll, liimscir luiLilit 1' wi'ii" several t reiuii, wiiieli (Mil SL'ill'eli lia-l txtian Vuliiit," navigator, which led him to San Salvador, they would di>i'i)ver now lands, and perluqis find a shorter i)a>sage to the Ca.thay of ]\Liri'o Polo, one of the leading objects of maritime adventure in those romantic dav^. When the news of Columbi discov- ery reached England, Henry VIE nmst have been >()rely chagrined to tind that he had missed the proffered honor of Inning his name transmitted to i)osterity, as the patron of the illustrious navigator, whose discovery would have entitled his ^hijesty to be proclaimed, as Spain was, master of a new world bovond the western seas. AVhen, therefore, fTohn ( 'abor and his son proi)osed to the king a voyage of discovery, from the port of Bristol, to regions far north of those which Colinn- bus was then exploring, the English monarch lent a willing ear to the otl'er. The ambitious navigators were speedily i:raiited " letters patent," sanctioning their undertaking. This legal iii>1ruinent, howevtn*, shows that tlu' parsimonious monarch left the whole expenses of the expedition to bi^ borne by the (abots and their Bristol connections.' Ijcing competent to meet >\irh a li(:i\y expenditure is a proof that they wen- not only pos- soM'd of consii'.crable wealth, but wow ready to advcMiture it with ilieir lives for the glory of their a prow ot' their \e— el to the iiorlli-west, and traversinuf seas before unfui' rowed .V !• urojjean keels. N( ever, pernai)s, was a voyage ol
  • cov cr\ , the consecjuences of which were so far-reaching, <'nlered U|iiiii with less pom[) and cinaimstanee. The voyage of ('olum- bus has had thrown around it a glamour of poetry and roi Ilisiory has carefuMv gathered into her uolden uri nance I evel \- niei- ''I'lic sir I'eier 'I'iioiii-.iu MSS. in the Itritish Miwciim iiieiiiinn a tliii.l .(in ( ( aliui ill roiniecliiiii Willi llic tii'st exiieililion. 'J'lie terms of the eiilrvaie ii- full "Aiinii 1 l'.l,"i. Iliiil Kinu' Henry \'1I. l-elter-i I'atent were ynmleil t.i .Inlni ( ^'elli( c, to Lewis, Seliastiiii (ISa il II i.i .1 oliii, mill to tliejr llH.t III ivs llllll lilt, ili'liiiliiS to sail with live slii|i< upon Ilieir own iirnper eo',t luni eliar;ies t( ili'i'iiver, mill (iiul wlialxoever i-les, I'lumirie^:, reijinns, nr provinees of the heathen w hieli helme ihis lim,. imtli |i,.,.ii nnkimwii, to eaiise to set up our ensiL;ii there ami reili tl lein til iiiir Jiirisilieiioii. 'I'hev werii resirieleil to sail Ironi Ihislol ami oiilv to arrive al that vovai^e or \o\'flL;e» for I he Ki poll (" riiie-lit'lhpiirt of the net prolits of while iilliers were |iriiliil)ileil froin ulteinpliliii' «iieh ili-eoveiMes mi fnileilnre iil'tl Mini jiiiiiU, mill tl,,. liinM''s siihjt ets ami olfi to the siiiil .liihn Cal MM'"), leir ships llllll anil Ins sons as we| eeiN were eniMinainleil |i ami a- on sea. ' ^'IVe e;()()i| assblunCl) *,' NE WFO UN D LAND. m W n ''4' (lent connected with the ^reat urlertuking, and eloquent pens have told the thrilling story in every variety of i)ictiires(jue detail. But of the voyage of Cahot, fraught with such vast eonse(juences, we know almost nothing. No diary was kept on l)oard "The Mathew." The records of the enterprise which have come down to us were written long afterwards, and arc of the most meagre and unsatisfactory description, "The English," says Carlyle, " are a dumb people. They can do great acts, hut not describe them. Like the old Komans and some few others, their epic poem is written on the earth's surface : England, her mark." Without Hourish of trumpets, Cabot and his English seamen sailed away into the unknown waste of waters. Of the dillicidties and hardships which they encountered in crossing the Atlantic in much stormier latitudes than those through which Columbus's course lay, we know al)solutely nothing. The connnander gave to the world but little account of what took [)lace beyond the bare results of his voyage. We do not know nmch more of it than may be set forth in the laconic rec- ord that on the 24th day of flune following the de})art.urc from Bristol, the glad cry of "Land hoi " was heard, and that Cabot named the headland which he saw, " Prima Vi^ta." A Bristol nianuscri[)t, which has survived the wrecks of time, chronicles the discovery in tli(> following curt terms: "In the year 141)7. the 24th of .hme, on St. John's Day, was Newfoundland found by lU'istol men, in a ship called "The >[athew." The ancicMit historian doi's not even mention C-abot. Such is fame among contemporaries! A now continent is discovered, and the chronicK'r of the day is careful to record the name of the ship in which the discovery was made, but of the commander, whose genius and courage directed the enterprise, he says nothing. An interesting in([uiry here; presents itself: What part of the New ^VorI(l was first seen by Cabot, and namcMl by him "Prima Vista"? The conunon aci-ount is that it was some part of the island of Newfoundland, most ])r()bably Bonavista, now the northern cape of Trinity Bay, in latitude 48'^ hO' N., the name "Prim;i \'ista" having been afterwards changed to " Bonavista." In conlirmation of this view it is stated that :i!iiJl !•: niSCOVERV OF THE rSLAXD. 5 there is a small rocky i.slot called Baccalieii off this part of tlie coast, and that Cahot, according to Peter Martyr, called the countries adjacent to the lishing-grounds Bticcalaos, from the local al)undance of codtish, fen- which this was said to he the native term. This, however, is now known to have heen a mistake. The aborigines of the continent called codtish apmic, while those of the island named them hohboojorel. JJaccalaos was the name given to it by tiie I5as(jues long afterwards. In the second chapter of "Don (Quixote" the word occurs in the fol- lowing sentences: "That day hap,pene(l to be Friday, ami there was nothing in the house but some iish of that kind which in Castile is called i/hadexo, in Andalusia baccalao, and in some parts curadiUo." "The landlord produced some of his ill-soaked and worse-cooked huccalao." The old r>as(|ue name for dried cod was therefore in g(Mieral use in the days of Cervantes. Anollajr account is that the land seen by Cabot was part of the Labrador coast, and that "the island opposhe to it," mentioned in an inscri[)tion on an old map, was that part of Newfoundland near the northern end of tlu^ Straits of lU'lle Isle. Tlio doubt and diflerence of opinion regarding this point have aris(ui from tin; imperfect character of the contem- ])()rary records. Happily, however, for students of American Iii>t()ry, all doubts on this subject have been removed by the (li-^coverv a few years since of a map made by or under the direction of Sebastian Cabot, and bearing the date of 1 ')4l. 'IMiis valuable chart, as will be seen by the accompanying illustra- tion of a section of it, places the "Prima Vista " near the east- ern i)oint of tlu! pr(!sent island of Cape lireton ; and as the (iut of Canso had not then been discovered, the i>land on the ni;i[) forms a part of the jiresent Xova Scotia. A> Sebastian ('al'di was his father's companion and assistant on this v()\ai:'e. and was famous for his skill in chart-making, this map nnist be considered as the most trustworthy of the earlier charts of the ciKists. It is probable, from a letter of Loren/o Paxpialio, a \ Cnetian merchant then residing in London, which contains the best account extant of Cabot"- Hrst Noyage, that after passing "Prima \'ista," the eastern point of ('ajx; Breton, he steered in a north-westerly di'ection, passecl through Xor- ihiimi)erlan(l Strait, round Prince Edward Island (which is ■I'^ XEM'FOrXDLAXD. \ \n ' i, : f III: i' I.ii.'l down (piitc correctly in tlu' niiq)), siuhtini^ the const near .Mir:ini;iclii, then turned his prow nortli-easterly till he fell in with the Lahrndor coast, i)assini:[ to tlu; north of X(!wfound- land, homeward throuuh the Straits of Belle Isle. In this map, hy Cahot, Xewfounilland is laid down as a grou[) of islands, possihly from impei'fect sii^hts of its hijih lands ob- tained in foii'ii'y weather, which would make it ai)[)car to a Noyau'er a cluster of islands rather than a siiiirle one. 'I'he fact remains, however, that Cabot was the discoverer of the island on his tirst vova<.»e ; and also of the continent of America. On the ;5d of February, 141)8, the kin^*H 1 Mf-Ms. W. r. l?ryaiit ami H. II. (iuy, in lluir cxrolk'iit "History of the United Stall'-; " (lf<7<'), take a iuoi'l' liberal view of tliii entry in the privy-pur-jc expenses of the kiiin' than otiior historians ; and, while we have followed the l)caten traek in this respect, wo are ineiined lo lliink there is nnich ju-tico in llip fipinion that it is probable the entry does not refer to Cabot ; but that " it is quite likely llie ICiiitr sliould have sent (U' f^iven witli bis own hand sncli a leward to a sailor who fimn his faithfnl wiiteh at the masthead wa- the fii>t to erv ' I.iunl hoi ' on the eoa^t of North Amerieu." DISCO VEUV OF THE ISLAXD. ZiiMii (al)<)t, and llicy call liiiu tin- (Jrcat Atliuiral. ^'ast hduor is i)ai(l liiiii, and he dro.-cs in silk ; and these Kn;:li>h run after him like mad people, so that he can enlist as many of iheni as he pleases." There is no ri'eord of John Cabot after this period. It is ])n)lia1)le that he did not long survive his llrst famous voyaufe. His son Seliastian remaiue(l for a numWer of years in Knuland, litit at lenii'th he entered the service of the Kinir of Spain, and wsMw enpiired in maritime discoveries. Explorinir the IMatti and Paraguay rivers, he discovered liraiiil. "When Edward \l. SKBASTIAN CABOT. ascended the throne he returned to England, and Avas ajipointed cliief jiilot of the kingdom. For m.auy ytar> he \va> the life .'111(1 soul of liritish maritime cuteriirise. In company wiih others he llrst opened u^) the trade with l{u»ia. He died in his eiglitielh year, in London, hut no man kiuius where his dust ivpox's, Tho only record we liav(' of his clo>ing hours is hy his friend Ivichard Eden, who tells us thai when hound foi' that cDiiiil ry where there is "no mon^ sea." " the ruling pas-ion "' was ill liis ease ''strong in death."' It would appear from i^den's ii;irrati\-e as if he li.ad loved the sea so well, and jilayed with it> \uld waves so long, that e\en in his last moments the music of 10 yEWFOUXDLAXlK ri;<)rtralt of Sfl>;i>li;ili ( ";il>()t, |,.;i,i,cJ. i'oi- IMwjird VI. by Ilolhciii. It was pulilishcd some \c.ir-- :i.;t) l>v Mi'. Nirliolls, of the liristol LiltraiT, in a trilmtary ln'>.l,iiic ii» Ca'toi. and llic acoouipaiiyiiig eiiirraving Is a i>aili:il re li ()ii(M-i Iiii) ol i( . l"(ii aliii()-i a (ciiii'iv no attempts wci'c made l»y Kuirlislmii'ii lo iiiMdW iij) ilic di-rovciifs of their ooiiiitrvmen in N'eut'ound- liiiic!. 'I'liey did iioi eveii >Iiare in tin; harvests of the local seas. Tliev w-'vv al ihal time eiiiiaired in a lucrative fishery on the coM^t^ of Ic-elaiias(Mie Provinces were enuairt'd in the cod fi-hery, on the banks and along the coasts of Newfoundland. The Ilascjue fishermen gave the nanu; Cape Breton to the east- ern promontory of the island, which afterwards extended to the whole. In \')\1 forty sail of Portuter Tueke a Gentleman of Kent. " Mu-ter Tuekfeikl I' I 12 NEWFOUNDLAND. :l lii,' !!! H% 'I ' 1 1. ''1, 1 vessels oiii})l()yc(l i''. the cod fishery hud increased to four liun- dred, of which only fifty were English, the renuiiuder heinu' Frcncli and rfpunish. V\) to this time no .itte?.upt h "d heen made to colonize Xew- foundland or any of the neighljo'ing lantis. The hardy fisher- men of various nationalities, amonii' whom Eniilishmen were now nuich more numerous than formerly, were in the hahit of frequenting the shores of the i -land during the summer, and usiuii' the harbors and coves for the cure of their fish, returnini: home with the products of their toils on the approach of winter. Kighty-six years had passed away since Cabot's discovery, and \»e now arrive at the year 1;j83, a memorable date in the history of Newfoundland. On the 5th day of August in that year, there were lying in the harbor of Si. John's thirty-six vessels belonging to various nations, Portuguese, S[)anish, French, an, 1 Eniilish, all enii;U)Ved in fishiuii'. -In addition to these there were four English war-shi|)s, Mhich had arrived the day bi'fore. They were the ' Delight," the "Golden Hind," the " Swallow," "Maxtor Thomas IJiits t!ie sou of Sir Williu Buts Iviit of Norfolk wch is yut alivo, (IJS!)) iiiii! from wliosc mouth I wrote must of tliis relatiou. ".Mii.-UT ilanlio " iMa>tir I'.iroii "' Master CarU'r " Mailer \V;i,i:ht " Master llastall Serju. ' Ilastall Brothci- " Ma>ter liidlcv ami tiivcrs others whicli all were iii the Aihiiiral ealleil llie 'I'riiiitie a ghii/ iif 111) Tons wlu'iiii Ma>ter llore liinisell'iiiihaiUeil. " 111 tiie other ship luiiueii the Minion went Masier Armi^ril Wade a very Icanicil Gentleman, Father to Master William V.'ade now clerk of the I'rivic Counsell. " Master Oliver I)awi>eney merehaat of London. " Ma^ti'r Joy afterward' (lenllenian of the Ivinu's Chappell. with divers other nf p)od aeeoiint. Tiie wliuli! nnmlier that went in the al)i.,o two .hips, were ahont 120 persons, wherof 80 were ^lentlemen. they embarked fiom Graves End the Knd of April iri.'iC). In about two months sailing,' they fell in with Cape Breton — from thence tiny sailM N.IC to I'en^ruin island weh is very full (d' Itoekcs and stones and f^reat Itirds while and 'iii'.y eoloiir as bi;f aj Geese, they took some of the iiirds and killeil some BearV. Ihi.Nliiml is in the l-at of 'iii d. Master Olivt'r l)awbenev inform'd Alas Bieh; !li'.kluyt the follow;,'- particulars, that after their arrival in XcwfoiP' Hand and haviti'.' heno tliero certain days at Anchor He saw a boat with t:ava;fes, rowiny: towards them to j;a-^e ujion the ship anil our jjcople. they manned their ships boat in order to have takea ihcni. but they lied lo!i;i Island in tlu' Bay and ("-eapcd our men — they found a tire iiii'l u side of a Bear on a Wooden spit, also a Boot ^;arui>hed on the Calf as it were wilh raw silk. uNo u ^reat W u'm Miiten. whilst they lay there iliey were in ^rreat want of pro\ i«- ion and that there they found small reliefe. more than that '.Iiey had from the Xest ol':iii Usprey (or l^a^Me) that brou^sht liourely to her Yoiin;; ffreal plenty of ilivers Horts of C.-hes. Bui biieh was the famine umuuijst thcT'i that they were forced local raw halu and tho " :i IVlluw killed 1 liiidy wI'Miu li li> lliis ..ii';ili- tlieni — I lie re OlMlion, C(illt;| llii'ui to repel I'i'iA oil their ni-hl lliere iir the I'nlii'icol' ^'il:llill:r lliein St. Ives ill (.',. lii'lNlijill;^- to lllrii ul" thi' \ li.'iihe, at r.ati liiin::er and m liini. till Ihey llaMiiyl of O liciii his iiwii "The I'lv; ■if Ihii iilliiir. Iicces,it_i |1„.|, ou h piii'sf, \ 1. "Kill- IM '','/ "/,/•/„/„,■,./ H. storllN- n !■'' 'k» I'llS." 1 is yet alive, llic 'rriiiitio a or-i otlici' of iv al)out I'JO Jliiil of Apiil llicnrc tliiT It Hinl-1 while OOlllO Itl'ill'l!. i-Ut ]{icii:inl 1 iuiil liuvin;: vui'ds tliuiii I" to llllVl' tllkcll uul II tiro mill vcro Willi raw lllll of pi'lIN i»- ic N'o>l ol'iin iVLTS BOl'tH 111' FIRST ATTEMPT AT SETTLEMEXT. 13 ami th" " S(iuiiTt'l." Earlj on thi ' moriiuiir l)Oixts were lowered ^vnn tlic Eiiirlisli sIiIds. juid the joimiiaiulers and officers went nii liore. Soon u goodly com: jtmy hud assembled on the heach, llicii lined by a few rouirli v, ooden huts, and "flakes" or staires lor drying eod. The rough inmates of these huts gathered round llicconinany that iiad landed from the English ships ; and the •aptaius and officers of the other vessels were there by 8i)ec'".l -1 nnnons. A very curious and motley group was that whith thill stood on the beach of St. John's harbor — swartlu', bronzed sailors and (i>liennen of Spain, Portugal, and France, ill tlie costumes of the sixteenth century. Soon a circle formed round one commanding tigurc — a man of noble presence, wearing the richly slashed and laced doublet, velvet cloak, ti'iiiiU-hose, and gav hat and feather whidi constituted the dress ot gentlemen in the days of (^uecn Elizabeth. This was no other than Sir Iliuriphi'ey C«ill)ert, one of the gallant knights of Devonshire. lie unrolled a jtarchment scroll, and [jrocoeded to read the royal patent authori/lng him to take i)ossession of and I'oot'i. wliicli tlipy soiij,'ht foi on tlio >raiiic; But the rcliet'c oC iicrhs l)oini,'' not MilVic'ioiii to «ati>lio tlioir craviii'^ mipctitrs. wlu'ii in Hie ilc-ierls in scairli of liorhaua'. tlic I'flluw Uilli'il lii-i mate wiiilc liee stoiipcil to lake v\' a root, ami ciittiii','' out pcicos of Iiis jiiiily wl'iui lie luul nuii'lhcrcil, l)roylu(l the Mime om 'he coals aiul frrceilily ilevourcil tlieni. Ii.\ this ..nans tlio company decrcascil, nnil the otlicei'j knew not wliat was liccomc of tlu'iii — llu' reason wherof was at last iliscovcii 1. I'pon wliidi the Captain inaile Votahle Oniliiiii, eiiiilaiiiin;,' lii>w iniieii these (lealin;.''s cill'enileil the Alini^ility ite. Sa:. he evhorteil liirui to repentance and In iht all the Company to I'ray. that it niiL;ht please (lnil ti. Ill their present nii-^e rahlo state, and such was the inin-i le oi (1, that the .sainr iiiulit ilii'ic arrived a FreiKdi ship in that port, well I'urni-ihed with Vittailo, and such was till' I'lilii'ie 111' the Eii^'li>li, thai thi'y hecame niasters of the same, and chaii;;iii;4- ships mid N'ilaliiiuMlii'm, they set saile for lMi;;laiid. they saw ir my Islands of lee and arrived iit tl leiii-e lliev deiiar l.'d t o a castle St. Ives in Cornwall the latter End of October. I lii'.'UU'in;: to Sir .Inhii Liittiel. where M. 'i'homas ISiits and M. Kasiall, and olli(;r (ienile- iiirii 111 ilic' vova^i'e were very friendly intcrtaiu'd: after that they catne to the F.arle of !al!u', 111 iathc d th to Uiistol, so to F/ondon. M. lints was si I) clian'.rcii with liiin-rr and misery that ."^ir William his l''atlier and my Lady his mother did not kimw him. liU they examined a Wart he had iipnii one of his knees, as he told me Itiiliard llal.liiyl nfO\ford himself t^ to v.lioin I rode 'JOO miles to learn the Truth of his Vova:;e Imui his own mouth as bcin-i the onlv man alive that was in this discnvcric. ■fhe 1' leiieli-mi'u eomplaii I'd to K. Ill the Hth in .i few months iiflm' their il'iliii iiiViiir. and the Kim,' heariiiLr Mie yreat disiresso his sulijeets were In. and tin 1 as tlicv di liai 1 tl e I'rench-inen full I'eennipein' ml of iii'i'i'<>ity (here was to ih iuMi pui'^e. vide |ia Till). " Kiliy Ivlward the Ci\\\ fi)r lhi> ijivnt (Viil nfCfptahh Ri'rr'icn ih/ic dinl to /;<• dnnf, iiiihi ii» '"/ mir liiJnvi'l n^■|^l^lllar the water's edire, and the cercMnony was compleie. The gi-ant gave Sir Ilnmphrcv (iilhert jurisdiction ibr two hundred leagues in evi'ry direclion, so that the liniils iiirluded Nova Scotia, New Hrunswii k, part of LMt)rador, as well as the islands of \ewfoiuidl;in(l, Cape Breton, and Priiict^ I'-dward island — ii right royal principality. This Sir Iluniplin-y ( iiHuTt . tlr.'lirst sett lei' in Xcnvfoimdiand, wh;i. with some two huiulreil and lifly followers iVoni Devon- FIRST ATTEMPT AT SETTLEMEXT. 15 sliiic. had an-ivcd with the view of niakiiijj: tho Avostern -wilcU'r- iios a hoiiic for Enirli'^hnicn, was a son of Sir Otho (iilhcrl, o't C'oiui'lou Castk', Torhay. Ills inotht-r was u Chaiiipcnioiin of imiot Xoniiau descent, and " could prol)ahly l)oast of havin;^^ in her veins the l)lo()d of Courtneys, Emperors of Byzant." Sir Oilio had three sons hy tliis lady, John, Ilumphrey, and A(hian, who all proved to he men of superior ahilities. 'i'licv wero all three knighted hy Klizuheth, a distinction which, com- l J SIR HCMPUUET GILBERT. \\\\l iVoni the hands of the irreat queen, marked its recipient as a p'lillcnian and a hrave warrior. Sir Otho die(l, and his widow niai'i'ii'd AVaUer Jvaleigh, a gentleman of ancient Mood, hut impoverished, and at the tinier li\ing at Hayes, a farm in i1h' parish of East Badleigh, Devonshire. To her second hus- haiid the fair Champernoun Itorea son whose fame was destined 'o ie world-wide; and who, in a period more prolilio of great 11. If. and ureat ^.-vcnts than anv before or since, i)lav<'d a ir-'d- laiit part, and was also knighted, as Sir AValti'r Kalcigh, l>y ft ^¥ 1 IG XE WFOUXDLAXD. )l;: I "I : I (^iicen Eliz!il)eth. Not many woiikmi could boast of beiui; the niothor of four such sons. Thus, Sir Humphrey Gilhcnt aiul Sir Walter Raleii«;h were lialf-hrolhcu's. I'ah'iiih was hrouufht up at the fiirnihousc of Hayes, while Gilbert and his two l)rothers lived in Conipton Castle, near TorI)ay, and were trained in the sinii)le and manly yet hii>h-bred ways of En^l" h •.'enllemen. When numi)hrey (Gilbert grew u[) he embraced the profession of arms, and won high distinction in continental and Irish wars. At length, in his matui-e manhood, he and his distin- guished half-brolher. Sir ^^'aitl'r Raleigh, formed the design of (irsl colonizing Newfoundland, and then the neighboring islands and continent. Hence we hnd him on the r)th of Auuust, 15(88, standing on tlu; beach in the harbor of St. John's. Sir Walter llaleigh had embarked on the same expedition, but a contagious disease bi'oke out on board his ship which compelled his return. The enterprise of Sir Huin[)hrey Gilbert was worthy of a heroic and patriotic iKjbieman. It was, nevertheless, doomed to end in disaster and death. In [)rosecuting further ex})lorations one of Sir Humi»hrey"s vessels was wrecked smd the whole crew perished. The little licet had struggled with contrary WUIil man y <^!'.y 1' ventua lly tl Deliii'ht," the larijest vessel, drifted into the breakers on a lee shore and struck u[)on the rocks. She went I'apidly to pieces. Seventeen of the crew got into the long-boat, and, after s(>ven (hiys, lifteen of them ri>ached i)()rt. \\\\\ the captain, ^forris r>rowne, refused to h'ave the ship. " Mounting upon the highest deck," says tli(> ancient chronicler, "he attended innninent death so uiiavoid- alile." The other vessels stood out to sea and saved them- As winter was approaching and provisions getting low. Sii- Humphrey deemed it wis(! to steer for England. He had planleated to l;-o on board tlie selves. arii'cr vesst )rave conu'ades ■I, t U H! 'Golden Hind," he refused to abandon hi- A great stoi'm overtook them near tiic Azores. The "Golden Hind" kept as near the " Sipiirrel" as ))os- sihje, and when in the midst of the tempest the crew saw tlie ■Gallant knight sitting calmly on deck with a book belore him. They lieai'd him cry to his companions, "Cheer up, lads, we l.::f . rnisr ArrKMrr at si:tti.i:mi:xt. arc as near heaven at sea as on land I " When the curtain ol' niirht shrouded tlie litth' l)ark, sht^ and her pd'.ant crew di-a[>- I I J. |H jx'.ircd l)en(>ath the dark hiUows ot" the Allan'.ic. Thus pcr- i-!ic.l ^ir Humphrey (Jilhert, scliolar, s,)hlier, (•()h)ni/,er, [ihi! (;[)l:er; one of the nohh'>t of tho,-e hi'avt; hearts thai .--ouuht It extend the dominion of I'hiLiiand in tiu! Xew ^\'()i•ld. \VUl:( K UV THE " DKLIi.lll'. To Xcwfoundhmd this ,-ad ht:-s \va> irrepiirahh". Had Sir Ihimphi'cv lived to reach h i!;ic, no doulii he and Sir \\ aher rl.-> at coliuiizat ion ; am Kaleiii'li would ha\(> renewed liieir cll'i |iriiliiinu' l>y |)a>t error>, would lia\c seiiled in tlie inland men of ill' I'iu'hl stamj). Sir Iluinphrey (ilHiert's failure was the rcMi 1 of a >uccc>>ii)n ol' uncontrollalile di>a-ler-. I''nll\' a|i- pri'ciatiiiL;' tlic inmicn>e \al;ie ol' llic li>lierie.> of New Innndland, I 18 NE WFO UXDLA XD. \ --ii he soGins to have been thoroughly impressed with the ideu that the right way of prosecuting those fisheries was to colonize the country, and conduct then.i on the s[)()t, wherel)y he would hav»' estahlished a resident population, who wouhl have coni- ])ined h-siiing with the cuUivation of the soil. It was a depart- ure from this policy, and a determination, at the l)ehest of S(!ltish mono})oiists, to maihire, and Maine followed in duo lime its seals of colonization. Let us see, meanwhile, how Fortune dealt with Newfoundland. For twenty-seven years tit'ter the lailure of the Gilbert ex- pedition no fresh attem[)t was made to establish a colony in the i>l;uid. During this intervid tishermen of various uiitionalilies ' lU ' Sfrmon hy Canon Farrar on unveiling the Ralfigh window, prenented to St, Munjnrft'n, \V'.\tiniiiKti-r,hii American dti^inn, May 14, ISS'J. m 20 XE WTO UXDLAXD. ':5 '^^M contimu'd to iVcrjuoiit its slioros, attracted by the finny treasure.- of its surrouMclini; seas. In l').S4 the bold sea-rover, Sir Francis Drake, was desi)atelied with a small squadron to Xew- 1h adventurers in connection with the li-^heri.'s was once more directed to the island. There is a record of one, Kichai'd Stranu'. of A[isham, who, in 15!)H, fitted out two vess(«ls to,- the purpose of takinii' walruses on the south- west coast, where at tl';it time these animals were met with in areal numbers, tliouui) they have long sinci; disappeared. In l.')U7, or exactly the centenary of Cabot's discovery, we find som(> London nicrdiants ..a the I>anks, arrived at the island of Kamea, on the southern shore. Encountering here several Frc :i;'!i and Spanish vessels, tliey fought and took them, and ciirrie I one of them to (Iravesend with a valuabl(> car-jo of ti>h and oil, (Jne of the English vessels was wrecked oil' Cape Uret ;);i. While England was laying the foundations of the New England colonies, France was extending her sovereignty over Canada, together with the sea-bordering countries of Acadia ( Xova Scotia) and Cape Ureton. Newfoundland, lying in the inmuMliat^e track of these French ))ossessi()ns, and being the llrst land usually seen by vessels sailing thither, \('ry early titlracted the attention of the French, who made many attempt- to plant settlemculs on its shores, althouu'h the sovereijxntv of the i>lai'd rightfully bel-Miged to iircat liritain. The French were aeti\('ly engaged in the ])i'osi>eution of th'> fisheries in the neiuhborinu' seas. Tlu'ir sucee-v< in this diroction stiejiffthened their desire to gam possession of Newfoundland. Hence it i • thai in the history of the coiuitry France has always been an i;ni)()rtant factor. Having from time to time held possession of \ arious points of the land, England's persistent rival in these 1 it it udes has uiven names to inanv towns, villaifes, creeks, tnid hailxirs. To this day Newfoundland has n(>t completely ^hakell oil' I-'t'eneh innuenci>, :.s by virtue of ancient treaties they still ei'Joy eeit;;in lishery rii'iits on j)a"t of its shores. French EAR I. V ST lire. CLE '.ACE ASl) WAR •oloiii/atiou ill > o •111 A nicnci l)e lici;- tfiiant-ifi'iicral in (\mahnien in New I'oundland. dohn (iuy, a luei- cliaiit, and afterwards mayor ol" l5ri>tol, pu!ilished in Itinn ji jiamphlet on the {id\ antau'cs which woiilil re-nil to Kni:la;id tVoiii ihe ostal)lislnnent of a colony in the islnnd. 'I'his puMi- calioii made such a dee[) impres-ion on the piiMic mind that a company was formed to carry out the enlerpri>e it suiiu'('>ted. The most illustrious name on tlii' roll was that of Lord liacoti, the apostle of experimental philosophy, of whom Maeaulay >;ivs. "turn wlun'c von N\ill. th<' trophies of his miirhtv intellect ail' In view." The importance i»i' Xewfoundlaiid, as a site for 22 XE WFO UXD L A ND. an English colony, did not escape the Avide-ranacon there were associated in this enterprise the Karl of S()utli;uni)ton (Lord Keei)er), Sir Daniel Doun, Sir Percival A\'illouL''hl)y, and a mimber of other noblemen and gentlemen. 'J'o thi> company James I., by letters })atent dated April, IGK), made a iri'snit of all the part of Xewfoundland which lies be- Iwcen Cape Uonavista in the north and Cape St. Mary. ]Mr. (hiy was appointed irovernor, and with a number of colonists he landed at ]Mos(juito IIarl)or, on the north side of Conception Bay, where he proceeded to erect huts. He behaved with so nmch kindness to the aborigines as to completely gain their conhdcnce. We have no authentic account of the progress of this settlement, begun under such favorable auspices, but it pi'oved unsuccessful from some unexplained cause. Gu}' and a number of the settlers returned to England, the rest remain- ing to settle elsewhere in the New World. Five years afterwards, in U?!.'), Cai)tain Richard Whitbourne, mariner, of Exmouth, Devonshire, received a connnission from the Admiralty of England to proceed to Xewfoundland for the purpose of establishing order among the fishing population and remedying certain abuses Avhich had grown up. Such an aj)- poiiitment clearly indicates that the trade and fisheries had now fallen cl)iefly into the hands of the English, as the Admiralty would not take cognizance of abuses and crimes committed by the subjects of another king. On his arrival in St. .John's. Captain Whitbourne held a Court of Admiralty, and received the coujijlaints of one hundred and seventy masters of English vessels of injuries connnitted in trade and navigation. This furnishes trustworthy evidence of the flourishing state of the r^nglish cod-tishery at this early }>eriod. It was shown that there were upwards of two hundred and fifty English vessels, having a tonnage of fifteen hundred tons, engaged in the fish- eries along the coast. Fixed habitations extended ut intervals along the shore from St. John's to Cape Race. Paths cut through the woods enablered a coi)y to be sent to every iiai'ish in the kinijrdom. The Archbishops of Canterbui-v and York issued a letter reconnnending it, with the view of encour- agiiiir emigration to Newfoundland. Thus two hundred and sixty years ago, Newfoundland was a name on the lips of Kiiglishmen. The island loomed large and important in the eyes of statesmen. AVhitbourne, in his little book, told the people of his day, very truly, that the soil of Newfoundland would grow abundantly " corn, cabbage, carrots, turnips, h.'t- tuee, and such like," when cultivated, and that it yielded spon- . (I ^4% ■■■ 'i I 'l;1 24 XF.WFOf'XnLAXD. titiicouslv " fair stniwlxTi-ics aiid ras|>I)oiTies, and iiianv odicr (IcIicMic hcrrii's," in irrctit aluiiidaiic'e. lie t'urtlicr told thi-iii ol' till' iiiini('iis(! herds ot" deer that roamed over its hills and valleys; ot' hares, heavers, tbxos, otters, hears; of i)lmni) [)ai- tridu'es and wild jici'se and dueks ; hut ahovc all of the " pen- ;iiiin.'" as hiu' as a goose, \vhi«'h, in vast tloeks, covered many of the small islands and weri' met with in larire numher.s as far out as the r>anks. The last reference is to the " <:reat auk," now numliered among' tlu; extinct birds, but in Whitbourni*"s day it abounded in the; Newfoundland waters. For the last eighty N'cars not a sinu'le six'cimcu of the ureat auk has been seen, and there are but a few skeletons of this singular bird in all the- museums of the world. Of the abundance and excellence of the fish Whitbourno ^vr()te in ra{)tur()us terms ; and then, waxing cntiiusiastic, he asks : " What can the world yield to the su>ten- tation of man which is not to bo <;otten here? Desire \u\\ wholesome air, the very tbod of life? It is there. Shall any land [)our in abundant hea[)s of nourishments and necessaries lieforeyou? There you have them. Wluit seas so abounding with (ish? What shores so rei)U!)iished with fresh and sweet waters? How nnu-h is S|)ain, France, Portugal, Italy, and other places l)eh()lding to this noble [)art of the world Wtv tisli and other commodities! Let the Dutch report what sweetni'ss they have sucked from thence by trade. The voices of them are as trumi)ets loud enough to make England fall more in love with such a .sisterland. 1 am loath to weary thee, good rea(Un', in ac<|uainting thee of those* famous, fair, and prolitaI)l(! rivers: and likewise those delightful, large, and inestimaVde woods : and also with those fruitful and enticing hills and delightful \ailcy-. there to hav/k and hunt, where is neither savage peoi)Ie nor ra\- enous beasts to hindi'r their sports." ' The otlicial circulation oi" ' It is ouly iliirinpf recent j-c:irs tliat a laii- tialiy demonstrated the trnlli of Whilhouriie's re|MVt('!l- sii'o you hall any ecssaric^ jouiidini:' id ^wrct aly. and lor lish wcctiU'ss of tlu'Ui in love rcador, rivers : ds : and valley-. nor rav- atii)n of icc'ii innilc; II- Mil)>l:iii- tlic iiiUiirul vein's 11^11. iiiilili' piiio- lllplc, il \v;l- kiiiiwn lliiit • r;i|i;llllo nt' leillLT »L'V- EARLY F^TRUGGLEFi IX PEACl-: AXf) WAR. 2:* Wliitl)oiirne book V made a deep inipres.-^ion on tlie puhlie mi th d>li nid nir ill Kiiirland. and [)i-ohal)ly led to the next attcMiipt at coloni/i the island. A year aftef the departure of Whithourne, in 1(»2.'). by far the most skilfully -organized effort to carry out the- settlement of Xewfonndland was made, under the iruidanee of Sir (icoriic ('aIv(Mt. afterwards Lord Pjaltiniore. He wa.sa Koman v.'atholie "•(■ntleman of Yorkshire, edueated at Oxford, and for manv years a representative of his native county in Parliament. Advanced to the honors of knighthood under Jai ne I., h discharired the duties of one of the Secretaries of State with universal approval. Ilis {capacity for business, his industry and fidelity, are aeknowledired by all tlu; historians of the period. He shared lari^cly the pojjular enthusiasm of his coun- trymen in favor of '' i)lantations" in America, and when Secre- tary of State he obtained il patent conveyinu: to him tlu! lordship of the whole southern peninsula of Xewfoundland, toi^ether with all the islands lying within ten leairues of the eastern shores, as well as the ri^ht of iishini' in the surroundinu' waters, all EiiLilish subj(.'cts having, as before, free liberty of (i>hing. Ueiiig a Koman Catholic, Lord IJaltimoro liad in view to pro- vide an asylum for his co-religionists who were sullerers from the intolerant si>irit of the times. The inuneiise tract thus irranted to him extended from Trinity Bay to Placcmtia, and was named by jiim Avalon, from the ancient name of (llaston- hiuy. where, it is believed, Christianity was first preached in Ihitain. It is curious to find in Xewfoundland a trace of one of the myths of the ^Middle Ages. The tradition ran that Josei)h nf Arimathica took refuge in liritain from the persecution of the •^v\\>, carrying with him the Holy Grail, '' th(^ l places, lit'inu: eiiual to the licst of Lower Can.ula. Mi'. Murray may I)e said to liave discovered tlii-^ (iiie valley, ihroii'^'ii which the railway from St John's to Hall's liay is to |iattlement . ■rulam. The latter name, in course of time, l)ecame corrupted into Ferulam, and then into the modern Fcrryland. At this spot, on the eastern coast of Newfoundland, ai)out forty miles north of Cajjc Kace, Lord Baltimore j)lanted his colony, and built a iiohle mansion, in ■whicii he resided Avith his famil}' durinjjj many years. lie also erected u fort for the i)i-otecti()n of the settleis. The utmost > \'^ JAMES can^ Avas taken in selctiui.;' emiirrants, and in promoting amonj: tlieiii habits of economy and industry. Xo expense was .spared, £J)(),0()0 — a Iarj:e sum in those days — being spent in the settlement. But the high expectations thus awakened were d M)me(l to disappointment. T!io soil around Fcrryland was unfavorable for cultivation, and the setllenient ',vas incessantly ha asscd by the atuu-ks of the French, who had now obtained a fo(»ting at sevi'ral jjoi.its in Newfoundland. Lord BaItimor(>, at length wt'ai'ied out by the.^-e adverse circumstances, '[uittcd the shores of lh(> island, and reluiiieil to I'Jiglaud. lie speedily ()blain<>(l from King Charles a grant which led to the coloniza- tion (>f Maryland, where he founded the cit\- of Haltinujre. The EARLY STRTTGGLES IN PEACE AXD WAR. 27 charter of tills now colony, dniwn up by himself, slio»vod that in wisdom, liberality, and statesmanship he was far ahead of his aire. The Catholic Lord Baltimore was the tirst to establish in Maryland a constitution which embodied the princij)le of com- plete liberty of conscience and the equality of all Christian >('i'ts, together with popular institutions on the broad l)asis of freedom. What is more, the colony actually did adhere strictly to these professed i)rinciples. Soon after the departure of Lord Baltimore, Viscount Falkland, Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, hoi)in_ii: to permanently iiurcase the scanty p^-})ulati<)n of Newfoundland, sent out a miinber of emigrants from that country. At a later date, these \vere so lariTcly reinforced by settlers from Ireland that the Celtic part of the i)o})ulation at this day is not far short of ('(|iiality in numbers with the Saxon jiortion. In 1()38, Sir David Kirke, one of Britain's bravest -ea-captains, arrived in Xi'wfouiidhind, and took nyt his abode at Fcrryhuul, where Lord lialtimore had lived. Sir David was armed with the powers of a Count Palatine over the island, having obtained from Charles I. a grant of the whole. He took with him about one hundred iiu'ii, as the nucleus of a colony. Before leaving his native land, he formed a company to carry on fishing oi)eratious in his lu'wiy-acciuired territory. Several patriotic noblemen person- ally shared in the work and aided him with money. Sir David Kirke had [)rcviously won high honors in the service of his native comitry. At Gaspe Point he had, with a s(|uadron of three ships only, ca[)tured twenty French ves- sels, under the conunand of the renowned De lio<]uemeut. In ii second expedition he made a clean sweej) of all the French settlements in Cana(hi and Acadia, and took (Quebec; yet, through the imbecility of Charles L, who reinstated the Fr neh in tlui positions they had thus hvst, England had to ret'on(|uer Canada at an innnenso exixMiditun^ of blood and tfeasure, and to caj/ture once more! the city of (^iiebei", — this time with the loss of the gallant Wolfe. Kirke's reward for his liraveiT was knighthood and the grant of the whole island of Xewloundland. He governed wisely, and used every eH'ort to promote the colonization of the country. His settlement 'If J 28 NE WFOUXDLAXD. prosporcd greatly. The Civil War, however, broke out iu Kuiilaiid, and Kirkc, beini^ a stanch loyalist, all his })ossossions in N\!\vfoundland wore confiscated by the victoiious Coninion- wealth. By the aici of Claypole, Croniwell's son-in-law, Kirkc eventually got the secjuestration removed, and, returninLj to Ferryland, died there in 1(5.')'), at the age of tifty-six. At this time Newfoundland contained a poi)ul;!tion of three hundred and iifty families, or nearly two thousand inhabitants, distril)uted in liftcen small settlements along the eastern coast. These constituted the resident population ; l)ut, in addition, there was a floating i)opulation of several thousands, who fre- quented the shores during the summer for the sake of tlu; lish- eries, which had now attained large dimensions. As (>arly as 1G2() one hundred and iifty vessels went annually to the island from Devonshire alone ; and the French were even more active than the iMiglish in carrying on the iisheries. AVliile the inex- haustit)le wealth of the adjacent se: s added greatly to the imi)ortaiic(! of the country, in another way it proved to be locally injurious. It retarded for more than a century tlu' settlement of the island, and gave rise to social disorder and llaurant misrule. The fisheries, as far as the Enu'lish were concerned, were carried on l)y merchants, shi[)-owners, and trad- ers residing in the West of England. They sent out their slii[)s and lishing crews early in the sunuuer. The lish cauiiiit were salted and dried ashore. When winter approached the lisher- men rei'mbarked for England, carrying with them the products of tlicir labor. They considered it their interest to discourage the settlement of the country, as they wished to retain the harbors and llsliing-eoves for the use of tholr servants while engagi'd in curing the lish. All settlers on the land were regarded as Iiiterlopers. The most strenuous efforts were made {() keep the resident population within the narrowest [)()ssibli! limits. In this way there sprang up a strong autagonisiu bi'lwcen the merchants and traders resident in England, whose servants were sent out to i)r()secute the sunnner Iisheries, and the few settlers who were striving to cultivate the soil. The struirulc! between these contending interests forms a tlrearv chapter in the history of Xewfoundland. The wealthy mer- EARLY STRUGGLnS IX PEACE AXD }VAJi. 29 (li.ints, having the car of the Homo Govoniinont, were able to scciir*' llio (MUU'tmcnt of unjust and o[)pi'essivo hiws which eircitually provonted the colonization of the island, and pre- x'l'vcd it as a mere station for the cure of tish. Under the plea tliMi the lisherics must be preserved as a nursery of seamen for the IWitish navy, the various successive governments, at the iiisiJLration of the tishing merchants and traders, promulgated liiu -i prohibiting settlement within six miles of the shore, for- l»i(|(iiii!r any one to proceed to the country as a settler, and ordaiiiiiig that all lishermen, at Uu; close of the tishing sea- son, should return to England. Masters of vessels were com- pelled to give ])onds of £100 to bring back such persons as tiny took out, and '"all plantations in Xeu'foundland were to he iliMouraged." This oppressive policy went on for more than a century. Even so late as 17U7, we lind the govciiior lor the time being shar[)ly rebuking a sherilf for having, during hi> aliscnco, permitted a resident to erect a fence, and ordcr- iiii;- certain sheds, designed for the shelter of the inhabitants, to he removed, and prohibiting others to "erect chinmeys to llicli' >lie(ls, or even light lires in them of any kind." \Vith siuli laws in force, the wonder is, not that the; colony did not aihanee. hut that any resident i)o})ulation should have Iieen lou:i(l t(i occupy its shores. Progress, of course, was out of the ijuotion. The ill-used residents could not legally encloso or liU a [lieco of ground, or i'e[)air a house without a license, wliicli was rarely u'rantcnl. They were thus compelled to look to the stormy ocean as the sole source whence they could draw a xanfy subsistence. Yet, in s|)ite of all these dilliciilties and discouragements, the sturdy settlers clung to the soil, cdni- lialcil the "adv(Miturers," as the merchants were called, iiiii'ea-eil in numbers, and eventually obtainetl freedom of sell lenient and a relief fronj oppression. In the teeth of lmiu^t laws, designed to degrade a line island larger than Ireland to a luei'e >tage for the curing of tish, the population increased leiil'ohi in ninety yeai's. Hut if, as in the ca^^eof tli(> neigh- hoiiiig pro\inccs, colonization had been helped and eiieonraged !'i'e:ii the outset, Xewfoundlaiid would to-day l>e in the front \~\uk of British colonies. Only seventy years have (da[)sed I r •iii! I i; ^'' i .{ , ,.Kfl J 'A t^. tfl|i'?!'|' r 30 XEWFOi'XiJLAXD. I iiiiii siiKo the repeal of the oppressive enactments under which the country sutler'.'d, and the progress of the colony in that time has been most satisfactory. Still, the injury inflicted by the unhai)i)y policy referred to, was felt long afterwards, and in many ways. A state of antagonism and embittered feeliuL' between those desirous of permanent settlement, and the fish- ing-merchants who wished to keep the country and the fisher- ies as a profitable monopoly in their own hands, was tliu< fomented duriiig a long time. Misrule, anarchy, and turbu- lence, spread among the peoi)le who were outside the pale of law, and all attempts at civilization were steadily discouraged. From self-interest, those who wished to prevent colonizatioii systematically misrepresented the natural resources of tlio country. They i)roclaimed to the world that it was a barren rock, fit only for fishermen's accommodation in drying their nets and curing their fish. Even to this day such an idea of the country is largely ])revalent, and it is only of late that cor- rect information has been obtained and diifused. The policy of rei)ression and discouragement began in l()l)."), its source being the notorious Star Chamber. To this court the merchants and shi[)-()\vners of the West of England, who wanted to keei) the island as a preserve of their own, addressed a petition, re(]uesting legal enactments to preserve order and repress crime. The Star Chauiber proceeded to legislate, I>ut their enactments were altogether one-sided, being directed to conserve the interests of the merchants and shii)-()wners. Nei- ther till? personal nor the material received the smallest con- sideration. The code by which Xewfoundland was to he governed, among other things, enacted that "if a man k'\\\vd another, or sf.ole to (lie value of fot'hj xhUlln'jx^ the offender wa> to be brought to England, and the matter was to bi; tried by the Earl Marshal, and if ihe fact was proved by two witnesses, lie was to sutler death. No jjcrson was to deface or spoil any stage, cook-room, or other Imilding. The master of the ship tliiit first entered a hai'bor was to be admiral of th(> same for the season. No ))i rson was to steal any li^h, salt, or provisions belonging to \\n\/i.shiii;/-s/iij}s, or rob the nets. The. company wei'c to assemble themsehes on Sundays to hear divine ser- EARLY STRUGGLES IX PEACE AXD WAR. vice. The mayors of Southainpton, Weymouth, and certain other towns were to take cognizance of all otlenccs or crimes coiumitted on the soil of Newfoundland." This last enactnient is a curious specimen of the jurisprudence of those days, and sliows how scanty was the amount of justice meted out to the resident population. In IGOO the same court continued the cuactnients of KSo.'J, and made the following additional [)n)vi- sioii : "That no master or owner of any ship should trans[)()rt any ))ersons to Newfoundland who were not of the ship's coin- l)aiiy, or such as were to plant or settle there." In sujiport of this i)rovision the Lords of the T*rivy Council issued an order to the magistrates of the western ports to take care that no shipmasters carried any but the shi[)'s company to Newfound- laiul, or those engaged in the lisheries. Kepeated cflbrts were made to have a governor ai)[)ointed for the island. Tin; merchants and shi[)-owners vigorously resisted the proposal, and succeeded in preventing any such iip[)oiMlinent. It suited them nuich better to have the control of tli(! iisheries in their own hands without any interference. A li'overnor mi^ht ijossihlv side with the resident i)v i)ulation, ordistiu'l) their pleasant monoMolv. IVtitions from the mer- chants and traders, and eounter-petitions from the settlers, colli iiiiicd to 1)0 sent to the connnittee of trade on this and other subjects, but without any favoi-able result as far as the interests of the resident [jopulation were concerned. At length, in KiiM), the Hoard of Trade; was constituted, and a fresh set of petitions were prt'sented to the new authority. In !in-\ver the settlers were informed that "planters, in a moder- ate number, were at all times convtMiient for the preparation and preservatit)n of boats, stages, and other things lu'cessaiy for the tishery, but that they slundd not exwed one tliiuisand ." Surli was the utmost concession that this IJoard, in their wisdom, were pre[)ared to grant. The exist (Mice of a resident jiopulation to the iwtent of a thousand was to be sanctioned, hut only for the purpose of taking care of boats and lishing- j:e;ir (luring those winter months when the tru(> owners of the island were in England. Another source of trouble to tli(> resident po[)iilation, and one which greatly retarded the prosperity of llu! country, was m .1 NE WFO UXDL A XD. llu 1' fcsenee and continual oncToathincnts of the Fivncli Tlioir i'ul(! at this time oxtondod over Nova Scotia (Acadia), ("a])(! IJrctoii, and Canada, and tlu'ir aniMtious I'onunandant- and liovcrnoi's in America hoastcd " that they would soon hi ahic to drive the Kniilish colonists into the sea."' 'I'he struuu'le helween Knirland and France for dominion III Xoi'th i\merica now conmienced in earnest. It soon Ix-eanic e\ ident that one or oth(!r of the contending powers must he driven froia the New \\'orld. The conquest of Xewfoiuidlaiid had loiiijj l)een a favorite ohject with French statesmen. Not only would the i)()ssossion of that inland hav(! enahled the Fi'ench to control the vahial)le lish"ries, hut if would havo placed ill Iheir hands the key to ihcir t ransatlantii.^ possessions, as it coimnandeil the narrow e::l ranee to Canada, the must \ai'i- ahle of them. In Klo-') the Fi'ench obtained [x'nnission fivi a the Kiiu'lish to dry lish on the shores of Xi^vfoundland on p;;y- ment of a duty of livi' percent, on the produce; and in liliiii they i'oiinded a colony at IMacentia, an admirably chosen si',.' for such a i)urp(>se. 'J'hey tortilied the places with powert'u! works, and they ()ccui)ied other [)ositions aloni;' the southern shori'. ^Vith Ca[)e lU'eton in their [jossession they coinmaiidril both sides of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. In KiT.") Charles II. was induced by Louis XIV. to reliiKpiish the duty of \\\v per cenf., which had been paid hitherto as an acknowlednnient of the IJritish sovenMu'nty. From this date tlu; encroachments of the I''reiich \i\\\w in boldness. Within a few years thev 1 estal)lislu'd their dominion over a territory of two hundrcil miles ill extent, their head-(piarters beiuii" at Placi'iitia. ( )n the accession of ^\'illianl III. to the throne of England hostilities broke out betwei'ii the ri\al nations. In \\'iliiaiirs (U'claration of war a_ii'.".inst th(^ French, Newfoundland holds ;i promineiil place amonu' tlu^ alleui'd causes which li'd to the rupture of [)acifK' relations. The i:'rievance was tersely set Ibrlh in the royal manifesto: "It was not Ioiili" since lln' I'^reiieh look license from the (Joveriior of Xewfoundland In lish upon that coast, and jiaiil a tril)Ule lor such liccn>es as mi acknowledii'ineiit of the sole ri_u"lit of the Crown of KiiiiiaiHl to that island; but of late the encroachments of the French. i;hl EARLY STRUGCI.i:^ IX I'KACi: A XI) WAR. ,".3 mill His Majesty's subjects trading and fishing there, had been iiiKic like the invasions of an enemy tlian becoming friends, will) enjoyed the advantages of that trader ''-dy by permission." Newfoundland now became the scene of military skirmishes, ii;i\al battles, and sieges by land and water. IMie lirst oi)era- lioii was an attack on Placentia, hy an English squadron, under ( (imniodore Will iams, in 1(11)2. The French were stronu" in iiiiiui)ers and fortitications, and the attack was unsucees>ful. Foul- years later, in li)l)4, the Chevalier Xesmond was ordered, with a fleet of ten ships, to join the liocheford sfjuadron to indcc 'd to Newfoundhuul. They were instructed to drivi^ the Kiiizlish out of the island ; and, having accom})lished this part of I heir })rogrannne, they were to sail for Boston and destroy it, tiiirether with the nc^iuhboring settlenientr N esmond ari'ivec t i'liicentia. From thence he made a descent on the harbor 1111(1 town of St. Joh n s. II e was I'epu Ise.l, an( I instead of g(/iiig on to Boston he ri'turned to France A more determined ell'oit at c()n(iucst wa s niai le lat er m th sMiiic year. I he new e.\[)edition was under the command ot lli.'rville and Brouillan, the former beiriii' at the head of a CaiKidian lorce. The garrison of St. .b)hn's was W(>ak in iiuiiilicrs, and, in want of military stores, could only make a t'lchle resistance i ea[)itubiting on easy terms, the troops were ,>lii|i|)rd to Fngland. The fort and town were burned to the yiiimitl, and the victors next proceeded to destroy all the other adjacent English settlements; Carbonear iHid Bonavista alone proved too strong for them. The I-lnglish Government .11 once connnenced dispositions for dislodging the invaders; Imii l)i'tbre anything was attemjjted, the treaty of Kyswiek was signed, in lt)S>7. This treaty proved most unfortuiuite for N'W toundland. It revived in the islaixl the- sam(> state of ilivision between France and England which had existed at tlif b(>i.d lining of the war. The enemy I'etiri'd from St. John's 1111(1 the other seltlenufuts which they had forcibly ()ccn[)ied. Tlit'ir claims upon Flacentia and all the other positions on n iln' south-west coast were, however, eontirined. The liritisli iiili;iltitants of Xewfoundland were, therefore, once more left e|i( n to French attacks should hostilities be again renewed hct \V('( n the e rival pov.'ers. -I i m H -'5^ 34 XEWI'UJCMJLAXD. !■ CHAPTER III. :i TYHANNY BY ACT OF PARLIAMENT. [1097-1728.] A ff()V(>rninent of skippers — A colony rojrardcHl as a ship — Tho British Minis- try advised to exclude women from the Island — The baneful Act of William III. — Tlio first .sea-captain arrivinf^ at the fisheries to be idmiral — Tin- population I'leri'ases, in spite of unjust laws and venal judj^es — Interposi- tion «)f coimnaiiders of the l{on the notable eiuictmcnts of the iStar Chamber in the reign of Charles I., by which il was ordained tlutt if a jjcrson in Newfoundland killed anotlur, or stole to the value of forty siiiilings, the oHendtu' was to lie sent to JMigland, and, on conviction of cither oU'ence, \v, In', iumired. ivnother memorable enactment of this arbitrary tri- TVRASXr BV ACT OF PAR LI AM EXT. 3') ImiKil wtis that ♦he master of the tirst ship eiiterini; a harlxu- was to l)e admiral therein for the fishing season, and ha\ c ju- dicial i)o\vers over the di^ "iet. Groaning imder the rule ot" these ehance-api)()inted, ignorant shippers, who decided all (|iU!.-5tions regarding, in'ojjerty, and all other dispntes, without any ■esj' isihility, and often for their own })rivate benelit, the iiihal)itants [)etiti()ned the Home Government for the ai)i)oin!- iiu'ut of a governor and civil magistrates. The ship-owners a]i(l merchants had, however, sntlieient influence to pre\'eiit the passing of a measure which would have been a recognition eft' island as a colony and a direct encouragement ' **lers. lUiiuled hy self-interest and a short-sighted police -"iie men .strenuously endeavored to keep the country in th *a^( /." an luircclaimed wilderness; while the delusion (f .vi'\cii many years after the i)eriod we are discussing, strongly recoiuniended to the ministers of the day, "to allow no woman lu land in the island, and that means should be adopted to ■! ' m '4 If.,- ' !■ 36 NE WFOUNDLASD. remove those lliut were there." This was, indeed, going to the root of the matter. Xo more eireetual method of averting c()h)nization eould liave catered into the fertile brain of the most rigid ohstruetionist. h\ 1()1»8 the Hrilisli Parliament turned its attention to New- foundland and its tisheries. The result was the passing of -Vets 10 and 11 W'illituu III., c. 25. This statute, memorahio in the annals of the colony, was entitled, "An Aet to cneour- au'e the trade to Newfoundland." It miu'ht, with hetter show of reason, have been entitled, ''An Aet \o discourage Coloni- zation." All its provisions were directcnl to the maintenance of the island as a tishing-station. The banel'ul eileets of tlii> statute of AVilliam 111. were felt for nearly a century. It con- stituted the charter of the monoi)olists, on the authority of which they resisted every attempt to introduce any measure calculated to secure the rights and liberties of a resident pop- ulation, or to grant them the same privileges as were enjoyed by other Ih'itish colonists. Every imi)r()vement had to be fought out in the teeth of this statute ; every successive amelio- ration in the condition of the peojjle was bitterly op})osed as ])eing inconsistent with the principles of this op[)ressivc law. We have seen that, prcxious to this time, the country "was ruled by a set of regulations which rested on the (juestionable authority of orders in Council from the Star Chamber. The effect of the statute of AVilliam was to give the force of law to these tyrannical reguhitions, under which the resident po])- ulalion had sutlered so long, and to embody in an Act of Parliament (the I'arliament of the Kevolution) nearly tiio whole of the old barbarous code. No wonder that the monopo- lists, j-ear after year, were loud in their praises of a statute -vhieh secured for them complete ascendency over the resident po]ndation, who had no choice but to submit to their hard fate. Tlu! provisions of this Act seem to us almost incredible in the i)resent day. The lishino; admirals of Star Chamber orieiii were reinstated, and with almost unlimited jjowers. Nt;t only Avas it enacted that the master of the first ship arriving at \\w tisheries from I'higland should be admiral of the harbor in which ho cast anchor, but the masters of the second and thii'*l TVRAXXr BY ACT OF PARLIAM EXT. 37 following vessels were to l)e vice-aduiii-al and rear-admiral, tin' fir-t having the privilege of reserving to himself so imu-h of the Iieaeh us he recjuired for his own use. The arrangement \v;is evidently based on the })rineii)le of ignoring a resident iiopulation, and providing merely lor the lishermen who amm- allv migrated from England. Each antmnn. at the elose of the ti>hery, the admirals, and all under their inmiediate eharge, disa[)peared. The inhabitants were lel't without even the >em- l)lanee of law or ord<-r to i)ass the winter as lu'st they could. As a elass, these mastei's of ti-idng-vessels Avere rude and ignorant men, utterly unlitled to be tlu' judges in matteis so vitallv alleeting a large and im[)ortant trade. ^Moreover, a^ s('r\anls of the nu'rehants, they were themselves personally iiitticsted in the (jueslions which arose regarding })roperty. They were elosely indentilied with the capitalists Avho carried on the fisheries from England, and were, for this and other reasons, utterly uncjualitied to (li>pense justii-e between their (•uii)loyers and the [)eo[)lc! born or resident in the country. IiKliiiries, instituted afterwards, have shown what kind of iustiee was meted out to the poor inhabitants, who wen; re- L^ardcd as interlo[)ers by these rough sea-captains. Under their rule the most frightful al)u>es were [)erpetrated, and the nui>l tyrannical practices were universal. The i)owers with wliirh they were endowed enal)led theni to drive the inliahi- laiits from their houses and lishini>-u-roimds and garden.-, t ma ke room for themselves and their friemh Jn ll o leU' evi's the highest misdemeanor a resident could be guilty of wa> the cultivation of a jjortion of the soil. They had no hesitation in levelling the house of any resident, or appropriating it for "the use of the lishery," which iiK-ant for their own use. In a representation addressed to the Home Government in 17L"), liy a num])er of residents, the following language is u>i'd : "The admirals prove geiusrally the greati'st knaves, and do iiiti>t prejudice!, bemg generally |urewfotuidland was theirs, and that all the planters were to be sjioiled at their pleasure," The same authority shows that the inhabitants were entirely at the mercy of tlu; merchants and adventurers; that these .vero tlu; importei-s of all articles of domestic necessity, as a!>o such as were needed for the prose- cution of the fishery, and that they sold their u'oods on their own terms on credit to the planters, well knowini; that the products of the tlsherv would reimbui'se them, ^^'hen any dillictdty arose al)out the payment of debts, it was not unusual for the ajrents of the merchants to seize Avhatever tish they could lay hands on, leavintr the unfortunate tishermen without wau'cs or any means of snjjport, "salt [n'ovisions and craft "' be- inir, according to existin<*' reiiulations, iiayable before^ waLres, The Hshini^ admirals were not only overbearinir, they were \enal. Their judicial decisions were occasionally iiilluenced bv 2ifts. 1'he inhabitants were, by the express terms of the Act. ))rohiI»ited from takinjj: ui) any bi'ach or jdace until all the ships arrivinj^ from Enijfland were i)rovided for. If any stai;e, cook- r.K)ni, or beach had been taken possession of, they had to <|uit it forthwith for the use of the miuratory tishermen. The li^^lit in which the unfortunate residents were reirarded 1)y the mo- no])olists may b(> gathered from tin; cool reply of the latter to an invitation addressed to them by the F)oard of Trade to com- nuuiicato their views reiiardiuir what could be done for the TVIlAXXr Br ACT OF PAIILIAMENT. 30 |"iir!ln'r;inco of the tishory. Tlicy siii:ir^'>t*'i(h'nt ))o))uIation wei'c wholly dis- |i(Mi>cd with. To .secure this happy result they proi)osed, with disinterested l)enevolence, that the existinii s(>ttlers (nhout ihicc thousand men, hesid(!s tlniir wiv(>s and children) .-liduld lie eiicourau'ed to emi;/ratc to Xova Scotia, where inhahitants uci-e wan ted. Ndtwithstandiiiii' these ()i)prc.ssive an 1 a t'o ilu.ttrativc; of the siniiulai- attractiveness of the inland from jonist'.s point of view. The heiirht of prosperity Xewfouud- laiid miurht have achieved under the fosterinir care of a wise and :;('iiei'ous novermnent may lt(^ ea.-ily imaiiiued. Amon;^ the earlv settlers who fouu'ht and ultimately won the hattle against enormous and cruel odds there must have l>een many men of lirrat siu'or of eliaracter and solid worth. We have jjroof of this in the fact that, tindinur there was no redness of their wroniis to b(^ expecteil fiom the home authorities, the inlial)i- tants of St. John's oi-ii'ani/ed a local parliament, composed of till' moi'e intelliirent and intluential of thcii' numhi'r, includinii- the eonnnanders of merchant-shi[)s and souk; of the merciiants. Ill this assembly, after lonir debiitiis, continued throuixh several se>sions, sundry laws and icixulations wei'e j)asscd " Ibr the better discii)line and u'ood onh'r of the peo[)le, and for coi-rect- iiiL;' iriviiularitie.s committed contrary to uood laws. Fift ecu ariii h's were tinally a(h)pte(l liy this voluntary assembly, which iiiii>l iiave proved V(.'ry servic-eai)le m })reservmi^ order under (U Doubtl ess. too. tl us the mi>''de of thc! lishinu" admirals. aiicmi)t . ' local self-government \vas the; germ of that refoi'in- atory movement which afterwards increased in volume, and liiially gave io the island a settled government and just laws. In the eonnnodores and coimnanders of the royal slii[>' \'^')n) ]i('riodicaIly visited the island, the op|)resseervers of the disorder anil injustice which prevaile i. I roni tiiiK! to lime they made representations on the .subjci;! to tlu; \ ,A ' ' ii n ill 40 NE WFO UNDLA ND. m. •w'i" ill ■■('i Imporiiil !iiilhoritio.<, and urijod the nocGssitv of a \\(\\s swstcin of irovci'iiMKMit. The inonopolisls, however, liaviii<»' the oar of the Uoai'd of Trade, jjossesscd siillicieiit iiilliienee to eouiiteraet the etl'orts of the naval eoninianders. Thijy, too, i)referrod coni- ])laints to this Bojird ; hut all theh' jjctitions had reterenet^ to tlieii' own interests, takini:" no aeeount of tlus inha))itants. They eoinplained that New Knijland men were allowed to import run» anitants on the hai'Ifors, to the (h'triment of the; ships from i'^iii'land, should he checked; and they siiu"<>'eslcd that the lishinn" admirals "should have i)ower to inlli"t corporal punish- mei\t on all piM'sons profaniuu' the Lord's Day, and all counnon (h'unkiu'ds, swearers, and h'wd })ersons ; and that a sutlicient nuniher of ministers should he sent and \)\\\(\ for hy Eni:lantains and admirals ot" (he Ih'itish navy, which was continued tor many years. This wa> not only a social Ihxmi, hut it was virtually a recounilion of Newfoundland as a colony of the British I'mpire. The chanu'e did m-i, it is true, for a lerip ot' (lid ihey intention o-()\-enior This aro^ fcrred on iiccordiii,^ ((I n()\('i' with oth adininisli i>land. contra IT the po\*"e tains of iiidini;" ai ot' war a statute. All Mllic exeeuilil (•ll'eel> o1 pai'iily/e Bel'or( ti'(iul>les |iel'iod, ceaseles! W.' havi I'rench TYRAXXr DV ACT OF PARLIAMENT. 41 striK'tcd to enfoire its provisions ; l)ut tiu; new torni of uon imm- iiiciit j)rove(l to 1)0 a jrreat imi)rovt'Uient on that of the li>liiiiLr ii(huirnls. Altli()ii;:Ii these odicials were not !ilK)li>lic(l, ili.ir (;[)cT!itioiis were under soniethinii' like eontrol. In the iipjtoinl- iiit'ut of a governor the germ ts on the country, and so jierliiiacioii^Iy (lid they op))os(! all ellorts tor its colonization, that the good intentions of the Ilonu' (io\ I'l'nment in the appointment ol" a ii(i\('rn()r were for a Ion;>: period rendered almost nugatory. This ai'ose [)artly from the limited character of the powers ton- teired on the lii'st i^ovcrnor and his suece-sor- 1 lis conmu->ion, iU'coi'ding to Keeve.s, gave him authority to admiiuster the oaths to government ollieials, and to appoint Justices of the ])eace, with other necessary olhcers and ministers, for the belter administration of justice ainl keeping the [x-ace and (piiet of tlu' i>lanon. All olIiiH'i's, civil and military, were to aid and assi.-t him in executing this connni>si()n. \\'e shall see presently the e\il o cireeis of leaving the lishing admirals with unabatetl powi'r t jiaialy/e the action of the governors. liefore closing this chapter we nuist revei't brielly to the troubles through which Newfoundland had to pass during this pei'lod, owing to the encroachments of the I-'reneh \\\\{\ their t of the: hous(>s. C'arl)onear alone was again able to resi ■ the l-'rench, !ind for several years this was the only town on the island where the Hag of England was not hauled down. Xcwfoundhmd for a time was lost to the; Uritish l'jn[)ire. Jn the glories of our inilitary and naval triumphs in other part.- of the world the loss was easily forgotli'ii. At length Louis XI\^, who in the greater conllicts of the; time had seen his lerritorii's il'raduallv diminished and his slroiiLrholds llvinu' hostile banners. w as glad to accept terms of peace Tl le W( ll-known Treat V of I'treclil was concluded in 17!.'). Certain of its provisions mark a gi'cal era in the history of Newfoundland. 'J'he whole conn- try, with the adjacenl islands, was declared to be the possession of (Jrciit Ih'ilain. I'lacentia and all other [)laees wiMe ordere secured in the privilege of tishing, concurrently with the Knglisli, alonuf more than half the coast, and also [jcnnittcd to use th<.' slion^ of this portion of the island, so far as it w;is needed t'or the prosecution of theiv tisheries. This unfortunate concession led to endless disj)utes. The I'^reneh j)crsistently contended that the provisions of the treaty gave them, not ii concurrent, but an exclusive right of fishing on this i)art of the coa>l, and also that the use of the shore; for fishery purposes forbade the settlement of this region by IJritish sulijects. J>olh these interpretations were rei)udiated by f!ie peo|)le of Xew- ibiMidiand, and W(U'e never admitted as Ix'ing correct Ijy tl 10 J niiierin! authoritie N( esertheless, successive Knu'lisli (Jov- siii.a 01 cniincnts left tlu; matter itiidecin that, j)raetieally, the inhabitants of Newfoundland lia\(' been excluded from half their own territory, which is still, to a great extent, a mere wilderness; and that a poiailation of tters." without any title to their possessions, and living itside the pale of law, was allowed to grow u[) tluM-e without iiiiy civilizing Inlluences. 'i'his was a standing grievance gen- eration after geiKU'atlon ; and so slow has \\w\\ tlie iiian-h of civiJi/afion in these latitudes, that "the S(|iiatter" has only been brought Avithin Ihe pale of law and order during the [)asl few years. It was not until the year 1878 that a inagistrate was appointed, with the eoiunrrenee of the home aulhoiities, to ha\(> jui'isdictioii in the forlorn district Just described; and it \vas ouly as late as 1881 that the locsil government was em- powered to issue grants of land and mining licenses for this anie locality. 44 XEWrOLWDLAXD. CHAPTER IV. THE FISIIEUY RIGHTS OF FRANCE. [1728-17!);5.] Fifty yoars of agitiition — Tlie pionoors hold their grround — Establislnnciit of a (,'<)urt of OycT and Tormiiier — Warlike oiierationa ajj;ainst the Freiu'h in Niirtli America — F.nd of the Seven Years' War — Social disorders and reli;^ious persecution — ISritisli and French concurrent rij^hts of lisliinfi — 'i'lie condition of Labrador — The war between Kn^fland and America ami its inlliieiue on Newfoumlland — 'i'iie peace of 1782 — Chiet" Justice Reeves — Disputes over the Treaty of Versailles — Laudgrant- ;i:id mining licenses. Till: history of Xcwi'oundliiiul during the next tiCty years presents a series of ooiisttint coullicts 1)et\veen the new order of thiii^rs introduced l)_v the a[)i)()intmeiit of ji governor, toii'ether with the rtidiuuMits of u h)"al elvil ^ioverninent on the one si(U', !Uid tile old r/'jiine on the other. For man}'' years tlie go\cni- ors foinid tlieinselvcs ahiiost powerless to intrtxhieo any amelio- rtitioiis, owing to the notorious sttitiito of William HI., Mhieli Wiis still in force, and the determination of the numopolists and the lishini!; admirals not to reeoirni/e the newly-cretiled tmthor- ity, or to ahate the exercise of their arbitrary powers. The a])i)ointment of a governor and jiistiees of the peace tdarmed the monopolists, whose most sti-emious efforts were now directed to prevent any hiwl'id ii-ithority from taking root in the island. The conllict i>otween i!t"se opposing forces lasted for mor(^ thiin half ti century. ll;ip[)il\', the IJi'itish government . were now lirm in tlu>ir determination not to withdraw the small nieasin-e of civil governm 'nt which had been granted to the colony, though the adhe;; i.ls of the old syst(Mn never ceased il "ir hostile representations regartling it, and (heir jjetitions to tin' home aiul.orities to have it altered or extinguished. Slowly the liglii jire\ai..'il : step Ity step improvements came. Mean- tiiut ihe sill:' ring [)eo[)le had to suller on, mul"r ti cruel and THE FISHERY RIGHTS OF FRANCE. 45 fliiiri'imt misrule. Life was Iriid and bittor for the poor "toil- ers ofthi^ sea,'' struiriiliiii; to oi^tain a t'ooiiuu' in the now land. Hxisliii'j: on suH'eranco, tbrhiddon io cultiviui; thosoil, jn'ovcntcd (•\«Mi iVom erecting a staj^ci f(»i' imndlin;!, tlu^ir lish, until their loi'ds and masters i'roni Enixland had l)(>en aceonunodatcd, ihey were ohllired to mortuau'c their industry I'or lidvances of the necessaries of life, and bend their hacks to a hui'den o'' debt. Still tjiese sturdy pioneers held their ground and Increased in nuinl)er;-.. At the close of each tisliini; season, some who had (•■imeout from iMiirlMiid were sure to remain behind, in spite of the utmost vigilance of ihe captains of the tisliinir-vesstds. How the women vv'ere smuggled into the country remains a mystery, '{'he veiy liardshi[)s of a Newfoundland career had i)<)ssil)l\- at- tractions for some of these early colonists. There was a spice of .idventure in the work of the tini<\ and none of the restraints of ci\ nidation. Th(> senses of freedom, the rich treasures from the encomi)assing seas from which occasionally vast j)ri/.es were drawn, the bracing climate, even the dangers which they had constantly to confront in their avocations, followed by the sea- son of idleness and rough enjoyment in winter when their toils were ended, were romantic attractions in Ihe eyes of many a hardy rly of i population. This was the work of one season. At its cIom' tlio governor relurned to England to sp(>nd the winter. — a \ utiee which was followed till the y(>ar IHLS by these naval authorities, who \i^'\\- ci'ally arrived in July or August, and left in the latter (ind of ( )i'lober. The presence of a governor only during two or three, nionlhs ammally wan a serious drawback to Ihe [iroper working ol" the now system. The magistrates, who were! in many in- stances iirnorant men, and all of them ncnv to -i eh duti(>.s as ■I' ]'-- :\^ 40 NEWFOCXDLAXD. they li'ul uiKli'rtak(!n, woro foimd to l)c ol)cdieiit to tli(5 orders irivcii thc'iu only so loiii; us a sii[)erioi' w;is Jit hund. It wis hXm) speedily Ibiiiid that tlie eai)tiiuis of the fishing ships, the lishing M(hnirals, and th(> trachu's were fieively opi)osed to the exereise of authority ))y the justiees whom they regarded as usurpers of theii' own olliees. They used their utmost elforls lo liring (he magistrates into eontempt, and to impress the [)eoph' with the itU'a that their a})})ointment was illegal. Tlie justices of St. .Folm's presented a memorial to the governor, eomplaining that they wei'i! o])stru('ted in their duty hy the fishing admirals, who, taking ujjou them the whole i)ower and authority of the justiees, e\('U disputed the governor's authority in ajjpoiuting them. In this eonlliet, Avhieh went on for years, the West-Country merehants and eajjtains sui)i)ortcd the lishing aihnirah. and the governor st(;od hy tlu; justiees. A fatal mistake had Iteen niad(^ I»y th(i introduction of the lunv system, through "an Order of the King in Council," instead of oI)taining for it the sanction of an Act of J'aiTiament, The lishing admirals pointed to the statute of William as thi^ source of their authoi'ity ; whereas they alleged the justiees were merely the creation of an Oivh-rin Council. The home authorities being appealed to hy hoth l)arlies, the law-olUcers of the Crown were called on lor a decision. The opinion of the attorney-general of the day was tiiat the whole authority granted io the admirals was restrained to seeing the rules and orders contained in the statute, ooncern- i.ig the regulation of the lisheries, duly executed; whereas the authority of the justii^es extended only to l)reaeh(\s ofthe pence ; 's given hy the ision conierred Si) thai thei'o was no interference with the power Act lo (he admirals, hy those which the conuui.- on th(( justiees. Thus there was assigned to each a separate s[)here of action. The dillicu'.ty was to detine the I)()unds of eai'h jurisdiction. 'I'he eohtest went on l\)r a long period. At length the monopolists and the admirals became convinced that the limited civil government granted to the inhabitants would not be Avilhdrawn, and tluMr clamor and opposition in a great measuri' ceased. I'l'om this time henceforth the lishing ad- miials gradually gave \\\> the contest, and eventually their claims of authority fell into well-merited contempt. THE FISHERY UIGHTS OF FRANCE. 47 The year IToO 'witiios.sccl another impoi-tant stej) in \\w ex- tension of eivil govennnent. Various governors Imd repre- sented to tlie Uoard of Trade the great ineonvenienee resuhing from sending over to England for trial all persons ehargei! with having eonunitted eai)ital iVlonies. 'M n sueli eases, ieeves, tl le \s says itnesses wen; glatl to keep out of I lie \va\'. 'i"he felon was sent to England, without any person to prove liis guilt; a great e\;[)en- might l)t' tried within the hounds of the eolony. ^Vith what a s[)aring hand this measure of jus- t dealt out Ited fi lee was dealt out may he estmiaied tron. :uy restrieHons at- tached to the exereise of it. The govcrhor was prohil»ited from holding \iu)\\\ than one Couil of Oyer and Terminer in a year. a!\d that only when he was n'sident in the island : and from exeeuting any sentenee till rei)ort of it was made to tlii> king. Further the i)o\ver of trying or pardoning treason was not entrusted to the governor, or any eourt a[)pointed l»y him. Notwithstanding these restrietions the eourt was regarded as a great advance, and it [)r()ved u valuabh; l>oon. 'JMie lii'stofu scries of important reforms, it inauguraled a new era of eivil piogress, — a progress which eanio slowly hut surely. In 1754: J^ord Baltimore [)resented a claim to he put in possession of the southern })ortion of the island, known as tlu; province of Avalon, together with all thiM'oyal jurisdictions nnd prerogatives belonging to it, as secured by the ovigiual grant of 1(!2.'5. The claim was disallowed by the law-oliicei> of the Crown, on the ground that there had been no actual possession of the [)n)vince by the r)altiinor(> family since! Ki.'iS, nnd that --ubsetpient h^gislation was inconsistent with the claim now set lip. The somewhat ridiculous demands of Lord jjallimore, iliiis disposed (»f, were never renewe(l. . I ^1 Hi ♦a 48 KE WFO CXDLAXD. Diiriiiii- tlii!sc years war had been raixini;- hetwccn Eniilaud and Franco, and at Icnutli the tide rollc*! near Xewtbundland. The connnandini; iTcnius of l*itt disccriKMl tjic vast importanccM)!' slrikinii'a hlowat the powcrot'tlic French in. North America. The I'anions ex[)editi()n ol" 17.')H auainst Lonishnri*', then (he capital of (ape lirelon, and a stronir fortress hehl \)\ France, was com- pletely snccessfid, and the island was yielded to England. In as second in connnand, and ureatly this operation \Volf( \v di>tin!iiiished himself for skill and conrau'e. In the following; year, an expedition for llui confjnest of Canada was oriranized, and the Mipreme connnand u'iven to ^Volf(^ There is no hriiiiiter page in the military aimals of Fniiland than that which rccoi'ds the captnre of (^nel»ec and the heroic death of the Knirlisli gen(!ral. Tin; power of France in the New World wa.s now entirely broken. The wliole of North America passed into thi^ jjossossion of the Urilish Crown. Thonu'h the connly miles south of St. flolnfs. Thence, by a march overland, the enemy surprised and overpowerecl the garrison. 'I'hey then proceeded to strengthen the fortifications ot'the eity, and to secure themselves in their iiosscssions. The go\('rnor was absent during this victorious advcMiture of the French. On his leturn v()yag(^ to the island he was met by a sloop, carrying information of what had ha[)|)ened. l»y this slo(»|) he sent despatche- to the coinmaiuh'r at I lalifax. Lord Colville, who immediately sailed with a strong naval force to St. .lohn's, and blockaded the harbor wlier(> tlu; French tlect lay. .M(>antinie, tiie governor. Captain Craves, laiuled at Placeiilia, and ))ut the fortifications there in a proper condition of detence. Lord Cohille was spiH'dily joined by Colonel \niherst, at the head of eight huniired men, most of them rilK FISHER y RIGHTS OF FRAXCE. 49 lliiililand cr. Tl 10 so galliuit li'()()i)s were laixlcil at Toi-Ikiv, 'y .-(•veil iiiik's norlh of St. Jolm's, and liad to lii:lit \\\v'w wi (lir;)iii:!i a very riiufLrod ooimtry in order to assail the Frciioli garrison wlio liold tho oai)ital. liiit nothing; could willistaiul llio ardor of tho Iliuhlaudoiv. Siii'ial Hill, which overlooks and eoininaiids tho city, was ean'iee. ^\•!lie!l dro\ e off the Knulish shii)s. I'^ivoi'cd liy a four, the French jiut to sea and esca|)ehould lie con\ cyetl to !•' ranee. 'I'lu; Froni'li wci'c tiuis for ilie last tiiuo sunnnarily ex|ielied from Newfoundland. The same year which saw tin; French ]h)\\\ triuni|)hant and dcreatiMJ at St. John's, inauLiurated iieu'otiations tor ueaco he; ween the tw(j (ii'cat Powers, and on Fi'l)ruary ]ii, 17(i;>, the Seven Voar.s' ^^'ar came to an end with tho famous Treaty of Paris, An o] )i)0i1 unity was now ofForcd for tonninatinii: the li-hi>rv jjrivileires conoodod to the French, on a portion of the \ew- foimdland coast, h\ tin; Treaty of Utroeht ; ))ut, luifortunately, instead of .securinu- the island to(Jroat P>ritain, free from anv nse of its shores by the French, the Treaty of Paris contirnH'd and I'xleiKh'd the riiihts of the French i^'ranted b_^- formor treaties. Tho islands of St. Pierre anr ti>hennen, on condition Ijiat no fortilieutions wore to 1»c (Tceted. and that only a uuard of jifty men, for police purposes, siiowld be maintained there. Tliis jiorix'tnated nmch of the old nii>eliief, and stronuthened the hold of tho Freinhonthe i>land, hi connection with tlu'ir ti>heries. It is worth recordinir here that on board one of the \-essel> (jf Loi'd Colville's tloi't, when it came to reca[)ture Xewtbundland iVoni the French, was the afterwards famous ('aptain .lames Cook, who was destined to become one ot' FuLdand's L:reatest ■-ailors. II(> had entered the na\y as a common sailor, and had, at lliis time, risen to be master of the " Xorthumiierland." Cap- tain (iraves, then uovernor of Xewt'oiindland, formed a liinh o[)iiii,in of (\)ok, and seciiied for him the conduct of a na\al 50 XEWFOUXDLAND. sufvcv of X('\vf(niM(ll;iii(l. This apjjointiuont was conliniicd in 17(!4, iiiKlcr Governor Sir Iliiirh Pallisor. As inariiu nu'vo^-or of Xcwfouiidland and Lal)rador Captain Cook siXMit three years in inaUini:^ charts of the coasts and the surroundinir seas, The-^c charts arc found to ho marvellously accurate, even when the work is done over auain with the improved instrmnents of the present day In tl ns anUious service Cook won his iirst laurels, and proved himself an able mathematician. He lel"t Xewfonndland in 17(!7 to take charire of an expedition to the South Seas. His subset(uent career as a courageous and skilful nrivigator and exi)lorer is well known. J>y the treaty of ITf'i.*] (Ireat IJritain acquired a totality of empire in North America extending from Hudson's Bay to the mouths of the Mississipj)i. In order to establish a free fishery, open to British subjects, upon the coast of Labrador, the whole of that coast, from the Kiver St. .lohn's to Hudson's Straits, was [)laced under the care of the governor of Xewfonndland, whose title henceforth was to Ix^ " Governor and Commander- in-Chi(d" in and over the island of Xewfoundhmd, in Xoilh Ameiica, and of all the coast of Labrador, from the entrance of lliulson's Straits to the River St. John's." This addition conferred increased importance on the government of the colony. A census was taken at the close of the year 17nr», from which it ai)[)eared that the total popidation of the island was l.'),112. ( )f thes(j, 7, .■)()() were persions who resided permanently in th(^ i-land, and l,7'J5 of them were Roman Catholics, most of whom had emigrated thither from Ireland. The increase in the resident population, in spite of all discoin'agements, was very marked. TIk^ cod-lishery Avas in a thriving condition, 38n made in that year, of whii'h two-thirds had been caught and cured by the resident inhabitants of the ishnid. liesides, (!!) t tierces of saluuju and 1 ,r)'.)(S lous of train-oil were exi)orted. Four hundred sail of \essels carried on the trad(> with the; mother-country and British America. The intm-coursis with Ireland at this time was considerable, and large (juantities of tisli were sent to Bel- fast, Cork, and "W'att'rford. A whale and walrus lishery was THE FISHERY RIGHTS OF FRAXCE. 51 tan-ieJ on iii the Gulf of St. Luwrence, and upon the coast of Labrador. AVhile the resident population was thus inereasiiii;, the eivil ;_f{)\c'rnuient reeei\'ed some very important additions ealculated to slremrthen the eoloiiy. In ITiU, on the representation of the Uoard of 'J'rade, a collector and controller of the customs of Newfoundland was appointed; and in the foUowiiiir year the na\ illation laws were extended to the i.^land, and it was now formally declared to be one of His Majesty's " i)lantations," or colonies. This was a fatal blow to the old system, by which it was kept merely as a tishiuir-station, for the use of the li^hery n]()no[)olists. Those interested in sustaininir tin; old order of allairs made a stout rt-sistance to this innovation, (juestioninij; its legality on the and 11 AVilliam III., which made it a free ti.shery. Petitions and memorials were poured in by the m< ichants auainst tlu' pay- ment of custom-house duties ; but the Home (iovernment was firm, and their clamor had no elfect, thouuh it was kei)t n() for many years. The establishment of a custom-house and the enforcement of the navitration laws proved to be two important pillars added to the civil ir'overumcnt of the island. The social condition of the resident [)0[)ulation at this j)eriod, thouji'h somewhat modilied for the better by late enactnicnt>. was still deploral)le, and calculated to retard settlement in the country. The administration of justice, esi)ecially in the out- lying' places, was characterized by irross partiality, the resident mauistrates l)eini>", in many cases, incompistent men, and too often oi)eu to bribery. The lishermen obi lined advance^ in sup[)lies of necessary articles of food and clothinij; at the com- mencement of each lishing' s«'ason, the charges being so high that at the close little remained of their wagi's to carry tin ni through the winter. Another source of demoralization was that employei's freely supplied their own servants with intoxi- cating li(]uors at a high i)rice, taking care to reimburse them- selvi's out of their wages for these articles, as well as for neglect of duty which mkIi i)ractices rendered extremely fre- <|uent. When accounts were balanced between masters and U, <, 'U I i I If ,(( ■I **lf||!|r! IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) // v^ J ^^ 1.0 I.I 1.25 |20 1^ .5 2.2 ■- III III! 1.8 1.4 1.6 V2 e /a °^^ ^?. > :> A '/ /(^ Photographic Sciences Corporation 33 WEST MAIN STRUT WEBSTCR,N.Y. 14580 (716) 873-4S03 ^ \\ V ;\ <^ ^^ ^.. 'ij.^ ^ 6 Ill i' Si 1/^:'. ')2 NE WFO VXD LAND. sorvants, at the close of the fishing season, the latter too often found themselves in debt to the former. lieing without em- |)h)Vin(!nt, and utterly destitute, many took advantage of trad- ing vess(ds flora New P^nsfland, to leave the island for the con- tinent of America; whilst those who remained were often tcmjitcd 1)y want to commit thefts or acts of violence, or ()l)lig('(l, if they could find masters, to hire themselves on any terms for the ensuing season, in order to obtain the means of sul)sistence. It was a common practice at this time to attach or stop the servants' wages in their masters' hands, at any time dui'ing the fishing season, for debts contracted to the publicans, or for balances claimed by their former employers. To these social disorders was added the Ititter ingredient of religious persecution, directed against those who held the Roman Catholic faith, and who now formed a very considerable proportion of the po[)ul ition. The intercourse with Ireland had led to the settlement in Xcwfoundland of numbers of Irish, who had lied from the ippression ol" the penal laws. To tlu; shame and disgrace of I'rotestantism these exiles arrived in Newfoundland only to I'lnd that tlu; spirit of })ersocution was rami^ant even in that distant colony. All govermnent officials, l)efore being installed, were obliged to sign a declaration in which they abjured the distinctive tenets of Catholicism. In IT")."*, (lovernor Darrell, finding that numbers of peoi)le still continue'i to arrive from Ireland, issued a proclamation com- manding all masters of v<\ssels, who brought out Irish passen- jKM's. to cai'ry them back at the close of th(5 fishiui": season. A s))ecial tax was levied on Koman Catholics, and the celebration of tlu^ mass was mad(> a penal offence. A few disguised priests had come out in fishing-vessels to minister in secret among their co-religionists; but, owing to flu; strict surveil- lance of the local government, they had no fixe(l abode, and could not safcdy remain. The s(>verity which l\oman Catholic-- experienced at the hands of the authorities will best be under- stood by a reference to some of the |(>gal records of the jieriod. A court was held at Harbor Main, S(>ptember 25, 17.'),'), .-it which an order was issued to the miigistrat»>s, connnanding that a ('(M'tain individual who had permitted a Koman Catholic w«. THE FISHERY RIGHTS OF FRANCE. 53 priest to celebrate muss in one of liis " liish-roonis or storc- liouscs, he l)"ing present himselt', wliich is eonlniry to liiw, Jind apiiust our sovertMgn lord the King, should he lined in the sum of £50, and that the lish-rooni in which mass was said should he demolished, and that the owner should sars following the Treaty of Paris, in 1 7(53, were marked by a decided increase in the jn'oducts of the Newfoundland fisheries, which, in ITt!'), amounted to 41)3, (!54 ((uintals, being an incr(>ase in two years of 14r),3(!r) (piintals of codtish. In 17()4, NewfouiKiIand was fortunate enough to have a})pointed to the governorship. Captain, bettor known as Sir Hugh Palliser, who presided over its affairs for four ^cars. A nian of capacity and conscientiousness, ho devoted himself earnestly to a study of the tisheries and the condition of the inhabitants. IIo soon recognized \\w sufferings to which the resid(Mit population were sul)jected, and his humanity led him patiently to investigate the causes and to devist; remedies for them. His first care w;is to regulate the relations which existed l)etween Hritish and French subjects, who had a concurrent right of Hshing in the waters of the sanu; coast, tho sovereignty of which belonge(l to Britain. While he secured tho French in tho exercise of ail the rights and privileges ac(]uired by tho Treaties of Utreclit and Paris, and orden^d that they were to bo allowed to pros- ecute tho fishery, within the limits assigned fluMU, without molestation, he also clearly recognized that within these limit's THE FISHER Y RIGHTS OF FRAXCE. 55 they had no sui)oi'iority ovor British tishcrmon, jukI no oxchisivo rii:ht whatever, lie suceo.sst'iillv rcirulatcd the suhnon lisherv, which sul).s(!(jnGntIy increased greatly in extent and vahie. The condition of Labrador also engaired his attention. A miniher of Kurojx'ans had taken np tlieir aliode in a i)art of this territory, and hy wantoidy injuring had alienated the unlives; MJiilc at tlu; same time nuich confusion had arisen iVom some Canadians who claimed to have vested rights over certain tracts of land, lie personally surveyed the district, ;uid l>y various wise measures he greatly modified thes«; local troubles, and received tlu; thaidvs of the merchants and their iiL^cnts on the coast of Labrador. So many, however, were the ditliculties and dis[)utes arising from the former connection of the country' with Canada, tiiat, in 177.'5, it was deemed advis- iibie to restore Labrador to the jurisdiction of that provim-e. Previous to this step, (lovernor Palliscr, who took a warm iiittu'est in the P^scpiimaux of Labnidor, issued a })assport to four of the brethren of the Unitas Fratrum, or ^loravians, who wished to establish missions among these savages, with a view to their <'onversion to Christianity. All His Majesty's subjects \\v\\\ connnanded to render every aid and friendly assistance to these excellent men, whose labors have been attended with a iireat amount of Christian good amongst the Escjuimaux of Labrador. (iovernor Palliser's interest in Newfoundland did not termi- nate with the expiration of his term of oftiee. lie was succeeded by the Honorable Captain John Byron, who in his turn was I'ollowed by Commodore Mullineaux, afterwards Lord Shuldham. r>iil on Palliser's return to England he was called ui)ou to aid in drawing \\\) an Act, now loudly called for, to remedy some of the more crying evils of tlu; old system. This new Act was passed by the British rarliament in 1775. It is (nititled Stat- ute L3 GeoruoIlL, c. M. In the ishmd it is known as Pal- User's Act. Its design was not to abolish tlu^ (obnoxious Statute 10 and 11 "William HI., but to remedy some of its defects, and enforce its provisions under special penalties. It still aimed at kee})ing alive the principle of a ship-lishery, car- ried on from Enjjland. In order to secure the return of the fl II m i 11 I 4 '.I I, 'It.. I if 56 XE WFO UXDLAND. itlii I i fisliennoii to luiglaiid, it cmpowcrocl the masters to clolain forty shillinirs out of their wair^'s for ])aviiiir their passa<;c home. It forhach; masters to sillier seamen to take up more tlian half their waii'es in artieles of supi)ly, and obliged them to i)ay the other half in eash or good bills on England or Ireland. It gave the (ishermen a lien on the fish and oil for their wages, and provided bounties for the eneouragement of industry in the taking of lish. These were undoubtedly great im[)rovem('nts, and heljjed to terminate the contentions between mast(>rs and servants, seeurinu; to the latter their wau^es at the close of the fishing season. The records of this iM>riod show that the resident population Avent on steadilv auirmentin<'. In addition to the natural in- crease, Ireland continued to send emigrants to Xewfoundland in considerable numbers, notwithstanding the disal)ilities under which the adherents of Catholicism still labored. Ilai'sh iTgu- lations against the Irish were enforced by successive governors. One of thes(^ was that not more than two Roman Catluilic men should dwell in one house during the winter, except such a< had Protestant masters; and another that all Roman Catholic chil- dren, born in the country, should be bai)tized according to law. These stringent regulations, however, failed to deter Irish emi- gration from the old country. Xot ouly men, and women under the i)rotection of their husbands, but even Avomen by themselves arrived at St. John's every sununer. In si)ite of these new-comers, it nnist be noted that whatever improvements had hitherto taken place, the country was still regarded by the govermnent in the light of a mere Fishery. There was as yet no legal i)rovision for the acquisition of prop- erty' in the soil. Only the tenii)orary use of portions of lln' fchori' for fishery i)uri)oses was allowed. \o one could lawfully own any portion of the land for the jmrposes of cullivalioii. It was, neverthcK'ss, found to be allogeth(>r impractii'able lo try and stoj) some of the settlers from enclosing plots of groiuid for irardens or pasture. Xot a few favored individuals I'Ncntuallv succeeded in obtaining a riM'ognition of their right of [)rop(>rt\', in such enclosures, from the governoi's. After a time, a con- llicl arose between these so-called private rights and those of THE FISHERY RIGHTS OF FRANCE. 57 ihc mastoi's of Hsliiiig-vcssels in rci^ard to their rospoi'tivc hoiiiuliirios. The result was uu order I'roiu Governor Palliser, (li.-^allowiiig an}' titles to land, and deelaring that '' no (it)vernor or other pcr.-on having l)een empowered to pareel out antl divide lands, or to i)ass patents or grants for lands in this eountry, the whole must l)e deemed, aceording to the Fishing Aet, a publie coinmon, and free to all persons to eut wood for the uses of the fishery, for fuel, ete., or to turn cattle upon, or to eut grass." Further, it was ordered that " if any person hereinafter shall presume to fence or to enclose any lands, contrary to this onUu', all persons are at liberty to take down such fences or enclosur's." A new source of trouble now presentcnl itself, entailing severe sntlerings upon thi; whole i)()i)uIation in connection with the war I)('t\veen Great P>ritain and her revolted colonies in Xorth America. This war which, raging for seven years, terminated ill 17S2 with England's recognition of the indei)endenee of the Fuited States, was seriouslv detrimental to the interest of New- foimdiand. The first Congress passeil a decree, on the ath of S('[)teml)er, 1774, forbidding all exports to the British posses- sions. This blow fell with sjjecial severity upon the resid(mt inhabitants of Newfoundland, as well as on those who carried on the fishery from England, as for a lengthened period ihey had been accustomed to ol)tain their necessary supplies from the New Eni^land States. A sudden arrest of this commercial in- tcrcourse threatened the colony with absolute famine. To meet the dillieulty vessels were at once detached from the fishery and sent to Ireland, in ballast, to procure provisions, (floom and despondency prevailed throughout the island, coui)ledf()r a time with scarcity and want. American privateers appeared off the coasts, and, entering the harbors, destroyed a great deal of viiliiabU' pro[)erty. They wer(! eventually held in cheek l)y the English cruisers, which cai)tured or burnt not a few of them; hut the war, nevertheless, infiicted great hardshi[) and inconven- ience upon Xewfoundland. To add to the trials of the people, in 177.") one of the most severe storms ever known in those lati- tudes swept over the island. Ihuub'eds of rishing-l)oats wtu'c; tk'stroycd, mauy great ships went l)y the board, and not fewer ^i bflii HI^HIt life r 1 li 1 ^■H \ P 58 NE WFO UNDLAXD. \ \ than three hundred men perished. The sea suddenly rose twenty feet above its usual level, causini^ immense destruction on land, as well as in the harbors. To this distress, arising from natural causes, were addiid sulferings from the want of sup- plies which had been cut olf by the war. The attention of successive governors was mainly taken up in providing for the safety of the capital, and the protection of the country generally. In this they wore loyally aided and supported by the great majority of the people. At various points which were specially cx^)0sed, they constructed batteries, mounted guns and manned them. The defences of St. Joini's were greatly strengthened. A now fort, called Fort Towns- hend, was erected on a height commanding the harbor from its north-western side. The garrison consisted of 459 regular sol- diers and 200 volunteers, and 1,500 stand of arms were sent out from England, and distributed in the various harbors, so as to enal)lo the people to defend themselves. Ships of war were kept constantly cruising around the coast. When, in 1778, France Joined the United States, and agreed to support thom in their struggle for independence, IJoar-Admiral Montague, then governor of Newfoundland, captured the islands of St. Pierre and Mi(|uelon, and sent 1,932 of the French inhabitants homo to their native country. The unhappy war between England and her North American colonies terminated in the jmaco of 17H2, and the acknowlinlg- ment of the independence of the United States. This inti'o- duced a change for the better in Newfoundland. Its trade and industries revived. The pojjulation were no longer harassed by privateers and the dread of invasion. Vice-Admiral John Cami)bell was appointed governor. lie proved to be a man of an enlightened and of a liberal spirit. To him the people wore indel)ted for terminating religious intolerance and persecution. In 1784 he issued an order, addressed to the magistrates throughout the island, which left no room for doubt or cavil. " Pursuant to the king's instructions to me," ran this manifesto, "you ari' to allow all persons inhabiting this island to have full liberty of conscience, and the free exercise of all such modes of religious worship as are not prohibited by law, provided they bo THE FISHERY" RIGHTS OF FRAXCE. 59 (•( )iil>iil with a quiet and peaceable eujoyDieiit of the same, not i^iviiiu' otl'ence or scandal to Government." The year which >,i\\ this happy change brought the Rev. Dr. O'Donnell, a K()iii:iii Catholic clergyman, to the islainl, with full liberty to pcrfonn all the rites and ceremonies of his church. For a iiiiMilicr of years he was the only Prefect Apostolic, that is, a l)ricst exercising episc()[)al jurisdiction, in Newfoundland ; and it W!is not till 17J)() that Dr. O'Donnell was consecrated Vicar Apostolic of the island and IVishop of Thyatira in j^ffibiiM. He was the first regular authorized Uoman Catholic missioner in the isliuid after it l)ecanie a purely British settlement. In 17 Kear-Admiral Elliot was appointed governor of the ishnid, and in the same year His Koyal Highness Prince ^Villiinn Henry, afterwards King ^Villiam IV., visited New- foiindlaiid in His Mnjesty's ship "Pegasus," of which he was c!ipt;iiii. and which lay for sonic time in theharI)or of Placentia. The expenses of the civil govcrnnii.':it of the island at this time were very moderate, amounting to no more than £1,11 that an Act was |i:i>sc(l comi>letely abolishing the old anomalous Surrogate and Sessions Courts, and ai)pointing two judges to assist the Cliief Justice. The island was then divided into three dis- tricts, in each of which a court was appointed to l)e held every ycai'. I'x'fore })assing on from this period it is important to recall tiic fact that the Treaty of A'ersailles, concluded in ITS,'}, cllcclfd an imi)ortant change in the boundaries of that i)ortion of the coast of Xewfoundland on which the French [)()ssessed ccrlaiii Hshery privileges by virtue of the treaty of Utrecht. All the stipulations of the latter agreement were c()ntirme(l with one exce})tion, namely, that the King of France; renounced the right of lishing from Capo IJonavista to Cape St. John, granted him by the Treaty of Utrecht, so as to prevent quarrels \vhich had hitherto arisen between the two nations of France and England ; and agreed that henceforth the French fishery should conimence at the said Cajjc St. John, situat(>d on the eastern coast of Xewfoundland, in about lifty d(>grees of north latitude, and going round to the north, and down the western c()a>t of Newfoundland, should have f'or bouiidary the [)Iacc called Cape Kav, situated in forty-seven deurees fifteen minutes of noith latitude. By the sanu^ tr(>aty permission wa^ given to the citi- zens of ihe Ignited States to tish on the coasts of Xewfound- land, on the former footing; but they were allowed to euro and dry oidy " in the unsettled bays, harbors, and cre(dvs of Xovii Scotia, the Magdalen Islands, and Labrador." So far as X'ew- I I 62 KE WFO UXDLAND. ■\ ti foiindlaiid was concerned, the Treaty of Versailles, by clearly deHninj; the limits within which the French were to exercLso their privileges, removed a source of contention arising from uiK'ortaiiity of boundaries, and ended the incessant quarrol> which had heen going on regarding this point. Unfortunately, however, the ambiguity of the language used in another part of the treaty gave rise to even more serious misunderstandings, which continue to this very hour, and have been the source of constant contentions between the French and Newfoundlanders. The stii)ulation referred to ran as follows : "And that the tislur- men of the two nations may not give cause for daily (juarrels, His Britannic Majesty was pleased to engage that he would take the most positive measures for preventing his suhjects from interrupting in any manner, by their competition, the lisli- ing of the French during the temporary exercise thereof, wliidi is granted to them upon the coasts of the Island of Newfouiul- land, and that he would for that i)uri)Ose cause the permanent settlements which should be formed there to be removed, and that he would give orders that the French fishermen should not bo inconnnoded in the cutiing of wood necessary for the reptiir of their scatlblds, huts, and tishing-boats." This is the celebrated section of the Treaty of Versailles over which volumes of dii)lomatic correspondence have I)eoii written, and countless Itattles fought without any satisfactory result. The French hold that, from the i)hrascology employed, the treaty gave them an extension of their former privileges, by securing to them an exclusive right over the coasts and waters in (juestlon. But neither by any British government, nor by any government or legislature in Newfoundland, Ins this claim been allowed. The Crown law-ofiicers of Eiigliuid, Avhen the matter was referred to them, declared as their intei- pretation of the language of the treaty, "that if there l)e room in these districts for the fishermen of both nations to ti^li, without interfering with each other, this country is not l)oun(l to [)revent her sul)jeets fishing there." The French have clung to their treaty riirhts with deathlike pertinacity. Knland is conccih'd to the (lovernment of Newfoundland; the ])ower of niakiiii;" land "laiits and issuiiii; niinini'' licenses is accorded, and represent a- tioii of the inhahitants in the local Parliament is secured, the French tishery rii^hts being, of course, strictly recoufiii/ed. It now remains for diplomacy to close, in an e■ ii r :i A M mm G4 NEWFOi'yDLAXD. CHAPTER V. " TIIKOUGII THE FIRE." [17!):5-I8ni.] 'J'lie last French attack on the Ishunl — Ncwfoiiinllanilers not alloweil to !U'qiiiro land or Imilil liouscs — Stranijo cxaniplcs of tlio ri^nir of the law of Wil- liam III. — Iirfiii.;i'i.'s from Ireland — !Ioniaii (^atliolic (Usabilities — Mutiny of the lioyal Newfonntllanil Hesriment — A landmark of Improvement — IIousi-s hiiilt witiioul Imperial ])ermission — The first newspa|)er — 'I'lie Ijcd inilians — A traiiical t'.N[)edition — (iovernor Diickworth'B enlijjlitened udiiiin- istration — 'Flu rise of St. John's — A period of inflation — The Treaty of I'aris —The i^reat liri' of ISUJ — l'roi)osals of depopulation — Agitation for local Leij;islalive i)o\vor — Iv\i)ansion of popular ideas — liepreseiilative (io\ crnment conferred on the Island in is;}2 — Hostility between the two ('iiaml)ers — IJelijiious and political rancor — The fire of 1840 — Twelve thousanil people homeless — The propost'd Anglo-French Convention of 1857 — Uiot and tumult — Peace and progress. H*'^',-: \:4 'Vwv. FriMich Ivcvoliition ciilininntiiiti' in a doeltiration of war al ICno-laiid, made the year IT!))) one of cspooial iiu[)()r- tanco to Newfoundland. Preparations were again active in an.ieipation of a descent upon the island. Adniind AVailacc, the newly-a[)p()inted o()vernor, insiintaincd the small force inider his conunand at .St . John's in the highest state of etiici(>nc\'. The forts were strengthened, the batteries made read}' for action. A'ohinteers lUxjUed to the national standard. A spirit of lovallv manifested Itself on tdl hands. In addition to the formation of a voliuitvernor was authorized to raise ii \e\\- foimdland corjjs of six luuidred men, a step whicli was atlended with great success. In Septend>er, ITiMi, a French s(|uadr()n api)eared olf the harl)or of St. John's. The fort ilicat ions wcic manned, the giuniers iit their jjosts awaited the exi)ccted assaull, the llritish Hag Hew deliantly over the town. More than once in its previous history St. John's had j)rovcd to the French a dillicull nut to crack. On this last occasion of their hostile sur- ''THROUGH THE FIIiE." 65 vi'V of the place they passed on without even challcniiinu' a shot. The settlement at Bay of Bulls, a short distance south ot" the capital, however, felt the power of the enemy. Thoy burnt the defenceless place and plundered the vessels that lay !it anchor off the coast. Satisfied with this small exploit, tlu' s(juadron put to sea and disappeared. Notwithstandinii; tl'.c uiirantic strujjgle hetween mother country and France, that ui'ut on for many years after this incidejit, Newfoundland was Kit at peace ever afterwards. No other force hostile to Enuland litis since these excitinj^ days fired the warlike ardor of the isle, or threatened the rei)ose of its rising settlements. Admiral Waldegrave became goveriuu' in ITDil. He proved to he a very humane and enlightened ruler. Finding niany of tin; p(>ople in very poor circumstances he organized a i)lan for relieving their wants by means of a voluntaiy annual sub- scription among the wealthier inhal)itants. There was a turbu- lent spirit as well as nmch undeserved poverty in the island, the result of a lax government, which was more particularly wcjik during the wi"ter months. An order was therefore ob- tained for the Chief Justice to winter in the island. \\"\\h the ii'o\ criior, this high functionary was in the habit of s))i>nding the winter in England. The times were everywhere troul)lous, iiiid the gov(;rnor felt the necessity of vigilance on the part of civil power in the proper administration of justice and the })res- t'l'VMtion of order. At the same time he showed a keen sym- l):ithy for the local lishernien, whoso condition was at this time \vvy deplorable. In one of his despatches he speaks of the conduct of the merchants at Burin, who had comi)laine(l to him of the emigr.ition of some of the inhabitants to Nova Scotia, in terms which demonstrate only too clearly the social state of the people. "One point seems clear," lie says, "and this is, that unless these poor wretches emigrate they must starve ; for how can it be otherwise while the meri'hant has the i[)ower of scltiing Ills own price on the sui)i)lies issued to tlu; lishermcn, and on i!ie tish which these })eoi)le catch for him? Thus we sei' a set "f unfortunate beini>;s worked like slaves and hoziu'ding their lives, when at the expiration (if tluur term (howc^ver successful their exertions) they lind themselves not only without gain, < ill 66 NEWFOUNDLAND. ■ \ but so deeply indebted as forces them to einigrute, or drive them to despair." He further relates how the merchants \\\- fused to allow a tax of sixpence per gallon on rum, to help to defray administrative expenses; and he describes them as " ()i)posed to every measure of Government which a governor may think proper to propose for the general benetit of the island." It seems strange that it did not occur to the governors that the right way to relieve the tishermen from their poverty and serfdom, was to encourage the resident population to cultivate the soil, as a means of adding to their comforts, and securing their inde[)endence. It must be rememl)ered, however, that the governors were naval men, who were inclined naturally to sustain the old theory, that the island was to bo preserved as a fishing-station and training-port for seamen, not as a home for a civili/(Hl conuuunity. Even under Waldegrave all grants of land were sternly refused. The shores were declared to be for the use of the migratory fishermen who came from England, and no local appropriations could therefore bo allowed. This policy, enforced by law, and cordially approved by the nun- chant class, was carried out by successive naval governors, with the sternest quarter-deck discipline. Two instances may l)o quoted by way of illustration. In 1790 Governor Milbanke discovered that a certain Alexander Long had, wiHiout \)vv- mission, erected a house. He immediately wrote to the magis- trate declaring that " it must and shall come down." In vain did the builder plead that " it was only a covering for his potato cellar." The shar[)-eyed governor surveyed the structure, and found, he declares, that " it had a complete chimney, if not two, and lodging for at least six or eight dieters " ; so that it was clearly intended for a human. habitation, and must bo pulled down hy the sherilf. To remove all doubt upon the matter, he announced, in the same letter, that if in future any buildinii" should 1)0 erected, except for the salting and curing of fish, "it must unavoidaI)ly 1)0 taken down and removed." Ho added: " It may not bo amiss at the same time to inform you I am also directed not to allow any possession as private [jroperty to he taken of, or any right of private property whatever to be ac- 'THROUGH THE FIRE: 67 knowledged in, any land whatever, which is not actually employed in the fisheiy, in terms of the afore-mentioned Act, 10 and 11 William III., whether possessed by pretended grants from former governors, or from any other (no matter what) unwarrantable pretences. The shcritl' will have directions about the removal of the house al)ove-mentioned, which you will no doubt assist him in executing." No less rigorous was Admiral AValdegrave, who was governor for three years ending 1799. lie had issued orders to the slicriir prohibiting any erections during his absence in the winter. Finding on his return that a Mrs. Gill had audaciously erected a fence, on the plea that she had received a grant from a former L'ovcrnor of a piece of ground, and that two other individuals Imd built "sheds," he sharply rebuked the shcrift*, and ordered tli(! sheds to be taken down ; and at the same time he prohibited thinuieys, or even the lighting of fires in sheds, and threatened the shcrift" with dismissal if such deeds were repeated. When about to take his departure, ho put on record, for the benefit of his successor, that he had made no promise of any grant of land, save one to the officer commanding the troops, which was not to be held by any other person. These restrictions pressed so hardly on the people, now con- siderably increased in numbers, that even the merchants began at last to see that it would be for their advantage to have a resi- dent population, instead of bringing out fishermen from Uritain cMuli year. They petitioned Oovernor Waldegravc for a relaxa- tion of the rule requiring the departure of all fishermen at the ond of each season. They even went so far as to suggest that, in some cases, the enclosure of portions of unoccupied land might 1)0 permitted with advantage. ''"he governor did not i'es[)ond to their representations. It is evident, however, tiiat new ideas were fermenting in the minds of men, when sucii swooping changes and daring innovations were advocatiMl by the conservative class. The memory of Governor Waldegravc, in s[)ilo of his eccentricities, was long deservedly respected. The first to institute charitable societies, he fostered education, •md secured the erection of a new church in St. John's. Not- withstanding the conflict raging between England and France, ' < ai*,.:j 'if' rif, ?^ f ' '■* *■ ! ■ . 1; ^" (|li|! \'^S ;:l|] 68 iVZ: WFO UXDLAND. Now'foundliind wont on increasing in population and wealth. All competitors in the fisheries were swei)t from the seas. The fish-markets of Europe were exclusively in the hands of ihe nKU'chants of this country, so that fish rose to an unprecedented price*. When Governor Waldeufravc took his departure, in 171)1), there were four hundred vessels engaged in the trade of the country, and ahout two thousand boats. The export of codfish reached half a million of ((uintals. The capital invest(>d in the fishery of cod, salmon, and seals M'as not less than a mil- lion and a half [jounds sterling. This degree of prosperity was reached, although settlement was prohibited, and those who re- mained in winter were chiefly persons connected with the trade of the country, or those who were too poor to make the amuial vovaije home. The vast wealth reali/j <1 ])y the fisheries all went to enrich other lands. None of it was spent in the improvement of Newfoundland, or in the promotion of civiliza- tion among the residcMit j)opulation. When the social disadvantages under which the population was gradually forming are taken into account, it is not wonder- ful that disorder, inunorality, and crime should have prevailed more or less. Indeed, all things considered, the wonder is to find such a degree of order and respect for law, and for the rules of morality, among a people for Avhom so little was done in the way of education and religious instruction. In many of the smaller and more remote settlements, successive generations lived and died without education or religious teaching of any kind. The lives of the people Avere rc^ndered hard and often miserable for the express puri)ose of driving them away. The governors of those; day considered that loyalty to England rendered it imperative on th(>m to depopulate Newfoundland. In the face of all these severe discouragements the settler-^ held their ground, increased in numbers, and improved their social condition. However slow their progress, that they advanced at all fui'nishes abundant jjroof that among these hardy pioneers there weu men of the right sfami) for building up a new community, men of moral worth and force of char- acter, who saw, in the midst of their rough surroundings, tluit here was a spot which might one day be made into a desiral>le ''THROUGH THE FIRE." G9 home for themselves ami their eliildren. No doubt, along witli this robust element there was a baser intermixture of people fi'oni the old land — spendthrifts and criminals tlying from the conseciuences of their misdeeds to a country where they were safe from the arm of the law. Debt, Avant, and opi)ressioii (hove many to emigrate in those troubled times. They carried with them tlie eml)ittered memories of (heir wrongs. Many from Ireland, es[)ecially after the troubles of \1\)^, found a rol'uge among their kindred or countrymen on the shores of Xcwfoundhmd. Tlio Saxon strength of the s(!ttl»!ments was sujiplied from England, numbers of those who came out to prosecute the fishery remaining l)chind at the close of each ti>hing season. Tiio advancing prosperity of the colony, and the increased value of the iishcry products, tended to attract other classes of emigrants. As population increased the attention of the churches was drawn to the s[)iritual destitution of the people. The Church of ilnghuid, acting tlu'ough tiie Society for the Propagation of the (ii)spt'l, endeavored to i)rovide for the wants of her scat- tered chihlren. Clergymen left the old country, and labored taitlifully in St. John's, Harbor Grace, Trinity, and other pliiees. As early as 178i) Wesleyan Methodism Avas intro- duced, and gradually attained a vigorous growth, lieligious tohuation being proclaimed, many [)riests of the Church of lionu! ajjpcared in the island. They toiled with connnendable devotion among their Hocks, loyally battling with hardships and privations. Secular and Sunday schools wert! ojxMicd for the ediu-ation of the 3'oung, in connection with tlu; diU'crent ( luireli(>s. These intluences gradually ellected a change lor the heller among this long-neglcclcd pe()[)lc. Such was the condition of things when, in the year IS'K), u serious alarm was created by the discovery of a nuitinous plot among the soldiers stationed in St. .b>hn's, composing the Ivoval Xewfoundland Regiment, Mhich had been enlisted i-hiclly tVoiu among the populace. The conspirators ap[)ear to have liad symi)alhi/(M-s and adherents among the more turbulent and i^iiiorant of th(> lowi'r (dasses, who were i)repared to act in con- eert with the nmtineers. It was believed that a secret society fl I '■f. • II '.\ -i'ri 1; iu H l! i ■ , i 70 NE WFO UXDLAND. I hi,A. 'I i ij n •f i was at the root of the mischief. The phin of the mutineers was to desert with their arms, and, l)eing joined by their friends outside, to phmder St. John's, and afterwards escai)e to the United States. Had the eonsi)iracy not heen detected in time, serious results must have followed, involvini>" robbery and assassination, not alone in St. John's, but throughout the island, wherever disali'ection spread. The discovery of the i)lot was made by the Koman Catholic ])ishop. Dr. O'Donnell, who in-omi)tly informed the conmianding officer, Major-General Skerret, of the imiicnding peril. This loyal prelate had already exerted his inlluence among his own tlock to counteract the evil inlluences that had been at work, and to prevent an outl)reak. The connnanding officer acted with great prompti- tude and decision in dealing with the soldiers, some of whom were tried by court-martial and executed. The regiment was relieved by another from Halifax, and the alarm si)eedily sub- sided. All classes felt an 1 acknowledged the debt of gratitude due to liishoi) O'Donnell for his conduct on this occasion. During the whohi time of his residence in Newfoundland this excellent man labored to advance the best interests of tin; pe()i)le, to promote harmony and kindly feeling between Prot- estants and Catholics, and to counteract sectarian animosities. To mark their sense of his i)atriotic services the British tJov- ermnent bestow I on liisho}) O'Donnell a pension of £50 \^v\' annum — a more numilicent gift than that bestowed by Janios on " him that found the island," it is true, but inadequate as a reward for distinguished service, and hardly worthy of the dig- nity of a British (iovernment. Admiral (landiier was api)ointed governor in 1802. At this date the population of St. John's was 3,420 of whom 1,1. Hi were Protestants and 2,2iSl Catholics. Governor Gamhici; enthiared himscdf to the colony through his benevolent oflbrts to anudiorate the condition of the peoi)le, by the introduction of sjinitary arrangenumts in St. John's, and the promotion of chari- table institutions for therelief of the poor. Ho worked hard to increase the number of the clergy, and the establishment of chai'itv schools. During his administration, for the first time one oi the native Indians was brought to St. John's. This Ava.'? ''THROUGH THE FIRE." 7i an Indian woman who had been captured by a fisliennan. She is described as having been of a copper color, with bhick eyes, and hair like that of a European. After spending a winter in St. John's, and being treated with great kindness, she was sent back to her tribe in charge of her captor, with conciliatory picsents of various kinds ; but nothing more was heard of her. It aj)pears from a i)roclamation issued in 17()[> that great cruel- tics had l)een i)ractised on the aborigines by the rude tishcrnicn of those days, who often destroyed them without provocation or excuse. A proclamation denounced these barbarities, and threatened heavy [)enalties on any who shoidd b(! guilty of such crimes. Strenuous etlbrts were made aftcu'wards to open com- nuuiioations with the natives, but without result. It is significant, regarding the system which still prevailed. Id liiid that on his reuirn to England Ciovernor Gambler had to ask indemnity for granting a lease of eighty acres of waste ground for i)asturage for sheej) and cattle for the conveniiMice of the peoi)le of St. John's. He was succeeded in 1804 by Sir Krasnuis Gower, during whose adminstration a most important work was carried out. lie found that the waterside i)rcmises in the harbor of St. John's, designated ships' lishing- rooms, to the distance of two hundriid yards from high-water mark, were nominally reserved for Hshery i)urposes, but that the principal huildings of the town had literally been huddled into this s|)ace ; there being no permission to erect permanent houses elsmvlnn'o. He succeeded in obtaining the consent of the British ministry to a n(nv arrangement, by which the ground contiguous to the \\at('r was reserved for the purposes of a mercantile jjort, and (he land higher u}) was sold in small lots for the erection of houses. A new road was laid down i)arall(d with tlu> hai-bor, at a -15 were returncij as Protestants, and H,0;)') as lioman Catholics. The (juantily of cudiish taken was ()0!>,(!8-l: quintals. The seal-tishery had now attained considerable dimensions, 1()(),7leiiee. The liberty of the press was rather restricted in those days. The i)ublisher was bound, under heavy penalties, to sul)- niil, prior to i)ublicati()n, the contents of each number of his I'iiper to the magistrates in the Court of Sessions, and " not to in>ert ill the said i)a|)er any matter which in their opinion, or in t! pinion of the governor, may tend to disturl) the peace of ili- Majesty's subjects." With such a curb to wear it is likely li I h 1 I ; t ' ■J ' kl 74 NE WFO UNDLAXD. ■ ! S i;^'- f'f I; I that "The lloyal Gazette" proved a very mild and haiiiilcss journal. It was the preeursor, however, of a lonj; array of newspapers, whieh appeared in due time and claimed and exercised sutficient " freedom of the press." Another hopeful symptom was the formation of the Benevolent Irish Society, its object being to relieve the wants and distresses of Irishnun. In due time the other nationalities represented in the i)()i)ulati()n followed with the St. George's Society, the St. Andrew's So- ciety, and the British Society, all existing to-day, well manageil and useful institutions. Admiral Ilolloway was the next governor. lie arrived in 1807, and one of his first acts was to tighten the reins on "Tlie Royal Gazette," one of the conditions on which he permitted its publication being, that nothing should appear in its coUuiiiis "indicating anything inflannuatory against the Government of Great Britain or its dei)endencies ; and never to give or sutler any oj)inion to be given upon the polic}' of other nations, but to confine the paper solely for what was to the benefit of com- merce, and the inhabitants of this Government and others trad- ing with it." Some of the most noteworthy events during the administration of Governor Ilolloway were the reannexation of Labrador to the Government of Newfoundland in 180i>, and the permanent establishment of the judicial system which had already been in operation for some years, and which had been found to work well. When, in 1810, Sir John Thomas Duckworth became governor, his commission api)ointed him Governor and Com- mander-in-chief over the Island of Newfoundland and the islands adjacent, including the Islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon, and all the coast of Lal)rador, from the river St. John's to Hudson's Straits, the Island of Anticosti, and others adjacent. Gov- ernor Duckworth i)roved to bo a ruler possessed of activity and intelligence. In order to make himself acquainted with the condition and wants of the people, ho made a voyage, whieh extended to the principal northern settlements and also to Labrador. When in the latter region, ho addressed a procla- mation to the Micmacs, Esquimaux, and others, assuring theiu of the protection of the king, and his readiness to redress llicii' \ 1 ''THROUGH THE FIRE." t.) grievances, and do them any service in his power. He further exhort (mI them to live peaceal)ly together, and avoid all causes of \ iolcnce and bloodshed. He took a great interest in the Red Indians of Xewfoundland, and sent a i)arty under Lieutenant lUuhan, li.N., to open communications with a tribe on the river E.\[)l()its. The expedition had a tragical termination. liuciian nut with the Indians after a march of one hundred and thirty miles into the interior. Having succeeded in calming their fears, he induced four of them to return with him to his camp ill order to receive presents, leaving two marines with the tribe as hostages and pledges of good intentions. On returning with the })rcsents to the Indian cami) he found the bodies of the two marines lying on the ground, pierced with arrows and headless. Their treacherous murderers had tied. During Governor Duckworth's administration a he spital was (U'cctcd for the benefit of the laboriniir chisses in times of sickness, partly by voluntary subscri^jtions among the wealthy classes, which the working people aided by a voluntary assess- ment of one penny in the pound on each servant's wages, and a shilling annually from each seaman coming into the port. It is needless to say that the hospital, which has since been enlarged from time to time, has proved an inestimable boon to the poor of the city and its sul)urbs. Governor Duckworth was also in- strumental in carrying out the great improvement already referred to — the leasini; of the ground around the harbor for wharves and sites for mercantile premises. During his admin- istration in 1812, the United States declared war against Great lUitain, and the governor met with a ready response to his a|)i)eal to form a volunteer force for the protection of the is. and. Old forts were repaired and guns and ammunition supplied ; l)ut happily no enemy appeared, the powerful squadron then cruising in the surrounding waters, rendering any attack hopeless. In the report which Governor Duckworth presented to the Imperial authorities on the close of his term of office, ho faith- fully pointed out the fact that the circumstances of the colony had now conii)lotely changed, rendering an alteration in the administration of the laws imperative. The resident popula- 1 ; mi 76 NEWFOUNDLAND. i j \ i.r % tion, ho stated, had increased so largely that the fisheries avcio mainly carried on by theiu, and it was now vain to attcni[)t lessening their numbers or checking the increase. He therefore suggested that the antiijuated statutes should be abrogated ; that the ships' fishing-rooms reserved for the use of fishing-ves- sels from England, should now be thrown open to the inhabi- tants ; and that all impediments to the cultivation of the soil should bo removed, so that the increasing nura])ors of the l)oi)ulation might provide for their wants l)y agricultural |)iu- suits, as well as by the fisheries. Like several of his i)redece.s- sors, ho had to complain of the conduct of the merchants, wlio strongly opposed a duty of sixpence per gallon which he imposed on rum, and one shilling and sixpence on o\\\v.v spirits. On this subject he saitl : "The merchants of St, John's have formed themsolves into a society, and are making continual etlbrts for the acfpiisition of a power which ought not, in my opinion, to be vested in them." These honest and enlightened representations were not with- out their efi'ect. When the next Governor, Sir Richard Kcsats, was appointed, in 18K}, he was authorized to make grants of small portions of land to industrious persons. The traces of the old policy which doomed the island to perpetual sterility, did not, however, soon disappear; and the infiuence of t lie merchant class was lon-j; felt in retardino; the cultivation of the soil l)y absurd restrictions, promi)ted by a fear that the people would bo drawn olf from the fishing industries, the source of their own wealth. From the earliest period their traditional policy had been to represent to the i)aront Government that the severity of the climate and the sterility of the soil proseuted insurmountable ol)stacles to cultivation. Even in these prest'iit days similar re^)resentation3 have been re[)eatod, to the injury of the country. So strong was the feeling against Newfound- land at the date referred to, that permission to cultivate iho soil, for which the peo[)le had long been begging, was at lii'^t granted reluctantly, and accom})anied with such restrictions, that it was impossible for agriculture to make any groat advances. There were no roads, nor any prospect of any being constructed ; and only small plots of ground, four acres ; 1 ''THROUGH THE FIRE." 77 ill oxtent, were granted on leases of twenty or thirty years, and siihjcct to a quit-rent of from two shillings and -ixpence per iicn; to ten and even twenty sliillings per annum. Despite these unfavorable conditions, the number of ai>|)licati()ns for land was greater than could l)c met. In contrast to this hard iis:ig(! was the policy pursued, at the very same time, b}- tiic British Government, in promoting the settlement of the neigli- hoiing provinces of Nova Scotiti, New Brunswick, and Canada. Millions of money were lavished by Government in promoting the settlement of these colonies. Largo grants of land were oH'oicd free of charge ; settlers were advertised for ; their ex- jxTisos were paid; means were ))rovided for their subsistence till the land made returns; hundreds of miles of road were constructed; canals were made, and harbors were improved and fortified. On the other hand, not only was there no help given to Newfoundland, but a heavy rent was charged for small imtches of land, let on short leases. Kvery improvement was accomplished by the hard toil ot the poor settlers themselves, not only without assistance, but in opposition to the wretched policy of the Government. Theii lal)or rendered the lands valu- ahlc. and in return they were obliged to pay a rent, and were liahlo to be dispossessed of the sod reclaimed by their industry, at the termination of their leases, which could only be renewed on })ayment of a heavy fine. I'his cruelly obstructive policy was continued for many years, notwithstanding the representa- tions of successive governors, and was only effectually ended when the colony obtained a legislature and the privilege of local self-government. Governor Keats, in one of his de- spatches, told the parent Government that St. John's had now grown into a large commercial town of ten thousand inhal)i- taiits ; that the operations of the fanner and gardener were greatly needed, and ,vere extending in s[)ite of all restraints; that a thousand acres around the town were under cultivation, and many more enclosed, and that crops of hay, potatoes, and vegetables of all kinds were raised. " The environs of the town," he added, "the natural beauties of which are very strik- ing, present to view several neat, well-cultivated, and produc- tive little farms." ■Ira iU;, 78 NE WFO UXDLAND. i , ■f t 1 ; , 1 Another delusion that had long possessed the minds of British ntiitcsnien received at this time a complete extinction. The old theory, on which the preservation of the island as a fishing-station had been urged, was that these fisheries were an invaluable nursery for British seamen. Now it was discovered that, in the case of ships of war visiting the island, the deser- tions of the seamen were more numerous than at any other phicc ; and at the same time the immun^y from impressment was a temptation to men in the United Kingdom, who dn-aded such a n^casurc, to transfer themselves to Newfoundland, whore they were safe. Thus, so far from being a nursery for men to take service in the royal navy, the island was discovered to he a refuge for those who were unwilling to serve. While these changes were slowly working their way, and thtisc improvements taking root, Newfoundland was enjoying a period of unexampled prosperity. During the long wars which followed the French Revolution, the Newfoundland merchants were relieved — first from the competition of the French, and then from that of the Americans. One after another the Con- tinental markets opened to them a complete monopoly. The fishing-seasons, too, were generally favorable. ^vi the samo time fish rose to three times its usual price, reaching at Icnirtii fortj'-fivc shillings per quintal. The wages of the fishermen mcreased, and, in consequence, large numbers of emigrants, •nany of them from Ireland, sought a home in Newfoundhuid. In 1814 seven thousand arrived, and in the following year, when a crash was inq'.ending, there came four thousand more. From 1812 to 181() St. John's doubled its [)opulation, tliouan there was not a proportionate increase of houses for the accom- modation of the new inhabitants. Princely fortunes were made l)y the capitalists engaged in the fisheries, some of them secur- ing from £20,000 to £40,000 profits in a year. The value of the exports rose to £2,1)00,000 per am)um. But if wages were high the necessaries of life reached an enormous price. Fh)ur was £8 per barrel, and pork £12 per barrel. The fishermen spent their earnings lavishly at the stores of the merchants, never dreaming that the good times were near their close. Of all the great accumulation of capital at this time no part went to the ''THROUGH Tin: fire:' 79 pcnnanont improvement of the country. When the eapitiiHsts had realized tlieir fortunes tiiey retired to enjoy them in otlicr lands, and the country was no richer than before. Ivo cllbrt was made to open up roads or extend airriculturo. Everybody was striving to make money out of the fisheries. A lar;j;e popu- lation had accunujluted in a few years, and these were wholly dependent on an industry which now enjoyed an exceptional and artificial i)rosperity. All these circumstances ])repared tLo way for the collapse which followed the termination of the war, and for two or three years of disaster and sutfering through which the colony had now to pass. The treaty of Paris, 1S14, which ended the long European oontlict, followed by a treaty of peace with America, brought to an abrupt tei-mination the abnormal prosperity which had at- tended the prosecution of the Newfoundland lisheries. \\y one of the provisions of that treaty, the French right of tishery on the hanks of Newfoundland and on the coast of the island was re- placed upon the footing on which it stood in 17I>2. Even iixreater privilcg(!s of tishing in British waters were conceded to the Americans. Thoroughly impressed with the importance of the fisheries, both the French and Americans at once established a system of bounties for their encouragenient, and at tlu; same time secured to their own tishermen a monoi)oly of their markets, by a prohibitory duty on the import of I'oreign fish. Tlie result was a rapid development of the French and Ameri- can lisheries on the Banks, and on the part of the coast conceded to them. Those who had been reaping rich harvests year after year now found themselves com[)eting, on une(|ual terms, with foreigners who were sustained by bounties, and whos<^ products met theirs in all tish-consiuning coimtries. No provision had been made in prospect of such a change during the prosperous years which })receded it. The crash came at the close of 1(S15, liiinging ruin and bankrui)tcy to a large proportion of the mer- chants and planters. Tiie price of fish fell from forty-five to twelve shillings per (juintal. Numbers of large mercantile tirms became hoi)elessly involved. Others realized whatever property remained and retired from the country. Only a few managed to weather the storm. The system of credit on which ;»; w> ft I? 80 NEWFOUNDLAND. l)iisinoss was condiictod added to the disaster. Xo less than nine hundred cases arising out of extensive failures came Ix'fore the civil courts. It was estimated that bills to the value of a million ])ouiids sterling were returned jjrotested in the disastrous years of 181 '), 1lic exi)ense many of the most destitute were shipped to Ireland, and over a thonsMiid Merc sent to Halifax. Had the policy of colonization been fol- lowed in i)receding years, and a jjortion of the vast ])rotits realized from the tisheries spent on the encouragement of agii- cidture, the disasters woidd have been greatly mitigated. The bitt(>r fruits of the old i-eslrictive system were now to l)e gathered, and the innocent had to sutler with the guilty. One calamity now followed close on another. In FebruaiT, IHK), a terrible lire broke out in St. John's, which destroyed one hundred and twenty houses and left fifteen hundred per- sons without a liome. The loss of i)roi)erty was estimated at £100,000. The distress occasioned by this disaster was wwz- mented by the inch'ment season in which it occurred. The lislu'ry of the following sununer was very poor, and the \n'wv of tish low. 'The spring s<>al-tishei'y of 1S17 was a failure, ami the sununer one of the gloomiest ever known, as regarded iho ''THROUGH THE FIRE." 81 hu.sino.ss of the country. In XovoinluM' of the .same year canio what .st'oined to bo the crowning calauiitios of the c()h)ny. On the 7th of that month another ttn-rihle tire in St. John's .swept away one hundred and thirt}' liouse.s, l)esiiiu'>s portion of the city sj)ared by the former conflagrations, and seemed to comi)Iete the? misery of {lit inhabitants. Scenes of licai't-rending distress followed. Two thousand persons were lit't without a home, many of them having lost all they jios- s('>>(m1. An appeal for heli) met with a liberal res})onse. Pro- \i>i()iis were desi)alched from Halifax to save the inhabitants fioiu starvation. The people of Boston loaded a vessel with a liirgc cargo of food of various kinds, — an act of generosity which is still gratefully remembered in Newfoundland. The JUitish (iovernmeiit sent prompt and liberal aid. The governor, the nieirliants, and the wealthier classes exerted themselves to the utmost to relieve; the wants of the; inhabitants. Though there were some disturbances caused by want and misery during this trying season, yet, on the whole, tiie people met theii' < alam- ilies with fortitude and [)atience. It was not long liefore the dark hoiu" ])assed away. The year 1. St. John's was speedily rebuilt on an im|irove(l id precautions were taken to |)revent a rcein'reiiee of |il;ni, ai Inv he streets wer(^ widened, and so lid an( I substantial hiiildiiigs replaced the crou(le(l wooden erections whii'li had I'uniished fuel to former conllagrations. Admiral I'ickmore had been governoi' during these ( ajaiiii- toiis years. He was the lirst resident governor; the practice I'uiiiieily heing that the governors arrivecl in duly or Aiigu-t, •'imlleri for JMiglaiid in ( )etober or November, lleneeforward I'ley were re(|uii'e<| lo resid(> constantly in the island, (iov- ^:V m i|f||k|| 82 NEWFOUNDLAND. criior Pickinorc died in St. John's, in February, 1818, and his remains were sent to England. lie was suecceded, in July of the same y(nir, hy Sir Cliarles Hamilton. Durini^ the darkest year of this i)eri()d of distress the nier- ehants ai)plied for aid to the liritish (lovernment ; and throu^^h their earnest solicitations a select conunitt(;e of the House of C/ommons was a[)pointed to "inquire into the state of trade in Newfoundland and into the situation of that settlement." Tlu^ connnitte(! met in June, 1817. The merchants projwsed two modes by which aid miiiht be jriven. One Avas th(i grantini>- of a bounty, to enal)le tiiem to eomi)ete with the French and Americans, who were sustained by bounties; the other was \\n\ transi)ortation of the priiicii)al i)art of the inhabitants, now numbcrini^ 70,000, to thc^ neii>'hborin_u- colonies of Nova Scotia, New Urunswiclv, or Canada. I'rue to their traditions, the merchants attributed the present de[)ressed state of the fisher- ies mainly to the increase of the [>o[)ulation and the settlement of the country. This was not tiie first time they had projjosed the dei)ortalion of the inhabitants. In 1(!70, "the m(>rchants, owners, and mast(n"s of shi[)s, and the inhabitants of the west- ern part of the kiuiidom, adventurers to Newfoundland, peti- tioned thi' kinu' (Charles II.) that the resident inhabilants and their families, then amountini;^ to 3,171, should he renio\('d to Jamaica, St. Christopher, or some other of Ills ^Majesty's plantations." Now, in 1817, the population bein^- 70,00(1, tliey actually proposed their removal as the means of their own relief. Their traditional attachment to tlieir old monopoly blinded them to all othc r considerations. The coin- miltt'c of the House of Connnons, naturally enouyh, in(|uii'eil whi'lher, as the tisheries were insutli* lent for their suppoil . a portion of the inlial>itants could not find profitable' occupatimi in the cultivation of the soil. The repiv made bv wilnos after witness was that the auricultural improvenuMit of New- foundland was utterly impracticable, and only one; UK'rciianl urmedy for the i)(»\- erty of the people. The result was that no ellbrt was made lo open tlu! country for aijricultural settlements, and thinus were left to riu'hl themsehcs as best they could. It is satisfactory, ''TIIROUOII THE FIRE." 83 lu)\vever, to find that the merchants failed to obtain bounties — the thing they were really aiming at. At the very time that they were thus trying to dej)oi)ulate the country, the; local aulhoritie.s in ^Massachusetts were giving a bounty I'or each Newfoundland fisherman brought into the State. How utterly unfounded were their representations regarding the sterility of the soil and the severity of the climate appears from the fact tliMt eighteen years afterwards, in 183G, notwithstanding the restrictions on the cultivation of the soil, the census gave the value of the annual produce at £1()1.2;)4 for the land then under cultivation. In the census of 184.') tlu; estimated value of land in cultivation and of agricultural stock is given at £(!77,()40. In fa(!t, wherever ortlinary skill and industry have hi'fu exercised in the clearaiuie and cultivation of the soil, it has never failed to repay the labor expended on it. The agricul- tiu'al i)oi:ulations of Newfoundland are more comfoi'table and iii(li'j)eiident than those exclusively engaged in the fisheries. Though the colony had l)egun to recover iVom the severe hlows inllieted on its prosperity by the events rel'erred to. yet the ellects of those three years of adversitv were felt long afterwards. The heavy losses sustained ))y the working clashes iiii[)()verished large numbers of them, and the precarious re- turns of the fisheries kept them in a state of pov(!rty. Dur- ing each winter season many were dependent on charity. The evil, however, did not fiul to spread, until many had fallen into a state of chronic pauperism, needing relief every recur- ring winter. The recklessness and imi)rovidenee, general cd liy d('i)('ndencc on pul)lie charity among this class, proved to he one of the greatest dillii'ullies that the goxcrning powei-s had to contend with. It is not woiulerful, however, thai such a condition of things should exist, when we remember how an ai'liiicial [)rosi)erity had attracted emigrants in large numliei's, and that a sudden collapse plunged the country into almost universal bankruptcy, disarranging its cuitire business from onii end of the island to the othc'r. This was followed, as we have ah'eady seen, by destructive fires, which di^vastated the capi- 1 il. The i)auperisra created by these calanntics was h)ng a li avy burden on the resources of the country. It is impossi- 1 I i i ■i :;.:, 1 - 'it 1 ^HflH 1 Ill ; ,., ■ 84 XE WFO UXDLAND. h hlc indeed to withhold our admiration at the fortitude and patience with which such severe sufFerings were borne hy iIk; people, and at the energy and spirit they disphiyed in .sur- mounting the difficulties they had to encounter. The grievances which still pressed on the colonists, and the imperfect administration of the laws, began at length to sug- gest to them the necessity of seeking for the acquisition of institutions for the self-government of the country. An agitation for local legislative power was commenced in LSiM, but it took more than ten years to wring from the British Government the concession of a representative government. The reply to petitions from the inhabitants was that the colony was not yet ripe for it ; that the revenue was insufficient ; that trouble and disorder were likely to arise by the outcouK^ of the changes that Avere asked for. The supporters of the old des- potic s^'stem, as a matter of course, were on the side of the Knglisji ministers ; and i' was only when the pressure of i)ul)- lic oi)inion l)ecanie overw'.iclming that the much-needed legisla- tive power was granted 'o the colony. The year 1824 ',vitncssc>d the introduction of a very important measure for th.; l)etter administration of justice in the island, {\\(y d(>f'cts of tl;c existin<>' int^onu'ruous svstem being verviireat. Disorderly i)ract'c(>s had crei)t into the courts, and loud coni- [daints of the decisions of the surrogates especially wen^ made To remedy this an Act was passed l)y the r)ritish Parliament providing that the Supreme Court should bo held by the chief jiidire and two assistant-judges, and that the colony should he divided into three districts, in each of which a Circuit Coiiit should l)e held annually by one of the three judges, an appe.il from the decisions of which was ]iermitted to the Supreme Court. The same act gave the governor power to institute a -Court of Civil Jurisdiction on the coast of Labrador. Tiiis act with llic royal charter issued in consequence of it, has formed the bjisis of an excellent system of jurisprudence in the colony, ami secured for the peoi)le the greatest of blessings — the pure admin- istration of justice, on the princii)les of Hnglish law. The connnission given to Sir Thomas Cochrane as governor. iu 1S25, ordered that a Council should divide Avith him lln' ''THROUGH THE FIRE." S5 rt'spon.sil)ility of his govcrnmont, former governors having heeii autocrats, acting on their own discretion. This Council, nomi- nated by the Crown, consisted of the Chief fFusticc, the two assist- ant-judges, and the commander of the troops stationed in St. John's. It may be regarded as tlic lirst step towards a repre- sentative government. Sir Tliomas Cochrane proved to he nn energetic governor, deeply interested in promoting imjjrove- nicnts, and specially anxious to encourage the cultivation of the soil. He was much more liberal in making grants of land than his i)redecessors, though even his leases were still clogged with unwise restrictions. IIo saw the necessity of roads, if agricul- ture was to make progress, and his Govermncnt was rendered for- ever memorable by the construction of the Hrst roads ever made in the island. One of these extended to Portugal Cove, nine miles distant from the capital ; another to Torbay ; and another to Waterford Bridge. Along these highways settlements and cultivation crept steadily, and neat farm-houses were erected. A foundation was thus laid for future improvements. Ui) to this date, though the country had been inhabited for centuries, the construction of roads had never been attempted, as it was con- sidered that for fishing-stations the sea furnished sufficient means of intercommunnication, and the settlement of the country was not contemplated. Governor Cochrane also connncneed and conii)leted the erection of a new Govermnent House, on such a grand scale that it cost the British Government £30,000. The ideas of the people began to expand, and the desire for represent- ative institutions now extended to all classes. Public meetings w ere held ; })etitions to the Im[)erial Parliament poured in, and at length the pressure became irresistible. In 1832 the great boon of representative government was conferred on Newfound- land. The island was divided into nine electoral districts, each of which was to have one or more representatives, according to the jiopidation ; and every man twenty-one years of age, wlnt had occupied a dwelling-house for one year innnediiitely preced- ing the day of election, was entitled to a vote. The first local legislature wasoi)ened, with all duo pomp and ceremony, by the governor, on the lirst day of the year 1833, which marked a new- era in the history of the colony. The people had now obtained <■ ! i ,. ■'' ''\ •' i 'ii -'lil jiii^l 86 NE WFOUXDLAND. tlio power of regulating their own affairs, expending the revenuo, making all internal arrangements, and enaeting laws. Their destiny was in their own hands, and such a power, once eoii- ferred, eould never be permanently withdrawn. It was certain ultimately to secure responsible government, with all its rights and })rivileges. Sixteen years had now elapsed since the troubles and losses of 1810-17 had brought down the fortunes of the colony. These dark days were now forgotten. Trade was once more in a llourisliin18,7')7. No less than 888 British vessels, carrying l(l."),.')70 tons, and 20 Spanish and American vessels, carrying 2,979 tons, Avcre emplo\^ed in tiie trade. The spring seal-tishery had now attained large dimensions, and employed nearly 3,000 men from the })ort of St. John's alone, and 125 vessels. Conception \\i\\ sent out 218 ships, manned l)y 4,894 men; and many other out- harbors sentlar2;e contingents to this lucrative thouijh dangerous industry. The })opulation of the island was now about 75,0()D. and that of St. John's 15,000. The years which followed the introduction of rei)resentative government Avere anything ]>ut halcyon davs. Political conflicts arose, a.id were carried on with miu'h virulence for man}'- years. In the hetit of party passion men forgot the ordinary courtesies and amenities of life. Kan- cor, hatred, and all the selfish passions had full swing, and the press teemed with fierce and unscrupulous manifestoes. Unhap- l)ily. religious animosities mingled in the strife, and added tlic bitterest in<>Tedient to the contest. From the very first the legislative machinery was found to 'x' defective, as there was no arrangement for securing a harmoni- ous cooperation between the two Chambers. The House of Assembly was composed of representatives of the people, who naturally supported popular rights, and claimed to exercise the same functions as those of the British House of Commons. The Council Avas composed of nominees of the Crown, selected ex- clusively from the merchant class, who (>xercised all executivi' fiuictions, and lujid the principal offices of emolument anion;:' ''THROUGH THE FIIlEr .S7 Ihoinsolves. The House of Asseml)ly, in which the; executive was nol represented, found themselves to ])ossess powers of (ItliatiniT, passing measures, and voting moneys; l)ut the Coun- cil coidd throw out all their measurers, and were irresponsible to the ])eople. Assembly and Coimeil were at once found to be in aulJigonism, the one })assingbillj, the other swamping them : so that the new Constitution was out of gear from the lirsl. Har- monious uctiou under such an arrangement was almost ini})ossi- l)!c. 'i'o these elements of discord were now unhai)pily added ani- mosities arising from religious and sectarian divisions, which ushered in a dark and troubled i)eriod in the history of th(> colonv. When the religious element is allowed to Uiinufle in political strife it is sure to take a rancorous form, and bring countless evils in its train. The po})ulation at this time was com[)oscd of one- half Protestants and the other Roman Catholics, the latter being Irish or of Irish descent. Hitherto they had lived in harmony and mutual good-will. The Catholics had at one time been harshly persecuted, but ])erfect freedom of worship) had been con- ceded in 1784, and in 1829 they were tinally relieved of all civil disabilities. The introduction of representative government in'()V(>d to be the api)le of discord among the churches. Old jealousies and distrusts were revived. The memory of ancient wrongs and grievances awoke. Each sect dreadt'd tlu; political nseeiidency of the other, and strove to gain the controlling j)ower. I'rotestants and Catholics were arrayed against one another in the political arena. The press stimulated the strife by violent and vituperative attacks on individuals. The worst i)assions Were evoked. Politics destroyed even the peace of social and lomniercial life. In two instancies outrages of a revolting char- :i( ter were peri)etrated, which added fuel to the ilame. \'iol(Mit scenes at elections were conunon, and po))ular connnotions had to l»e held in check by the trooi)s. The agitation extended all over the country, and continued, though in a mitigated form, lor some years. Over this period of political and religious van- <()r it is best to draw a veil, and to consign the memory of it to olilivion. It produced only evil results, which retarded the ini- piovementof the col )ny, and wasted energie>» which should have U\ w '■ s, ir^iU. 88 NEWFOUNDLAND. h 1)0011 (lovotod to tho social interests of the poojtle. Happily the strifo lias loiii; since ondod, and hoth parties have learned the bitter hut wholesome lesson that there is no i^ood, and may he much harm, in hrin-zing purely religious questions into political conllicts. Th(! height to which the political fever ran will ])e understood wIkmi it is seen that even the Chi(!f flustice became involved in party conllicts. Chief Justice lioulto'" was charged before tlu; Privy Council by the House of Assembly with l)eing a politicjd pariisan, a corrupter of justice, and a magistrate who endangcM'cd the Constitution and peace of the connnunity. The Privy Council actjuitted him of these charges, but recoinmendcul his removal for having indiscreetly permitted himself " so much to partici[)at(! in the strong feelings which appeared unfortunately to have intluenced the ditrerent parties in the colony." Notwithstanding tho antagonism between the House of Assembly and tho Council, tho benefits of self-government soon became a[)parent in the [)assing of many exceedingly useful measures such as wore impossible under the old rejlme. Acts wore passed for the erection of light-houses at various points; along the coast. An Education Pill sanctioned an annual vote of money for the promotion of education. Poards were appoint(>(l to carry out its provisions in each district. Another measure provided for the establishment of an academy in St. John's for tho promotion of higher education. Sir Thomas Cochrane was succeeded, in 1834, by Cai)taiii Prescott as governor. He made liberal grants of land to hundreds of poor families, and encouraged agriculture so ellect- ually that during his term of office large quantities of land were reclaimed from the wilderness. The House of Assembly api)ropriated £.'JO,0;)l) for roads and bridges, and whercvir these roads were opened [)ersons were soon found to settle upon the adjacent lands. In 1841 Sir John Harvey assumed the government. Having resided \o\vz iu the nei^ local soil and climate not inferior to those of Xova Scotia, Xeu' Uriniswick, or Canada. He used the most strenuous ellorts to improve and extend agriculture and promote the settlement of the country. He founded an ai^ricultural society, and opentMl its proceedings with a .speech which went far to dispel existing prejudices. In his speech before tlu; legislature, after having resided a year in the country, he said : " Uoth as respects climate and agricultural capabilities N(;wfoundlaiid, in many respects, nectl not shriid< from a c()mi)arison with the most favored prov- inces of British North America. Its sunnners, though short, enjoy an extraordinary degree of vegetative power, which only requires to l)e didy taken advantage of; its winters an^ neither unusually long nor severe ; and its autumnal seasons are as open and tine as those of any of the surrounding colonies. In point of rich natural grasses no part of British Xorth America produces greater abundance. Xewfoundland, in fact, appears to me to 1)0 calculated to become essentially a rich grazing country, and its varied agricultural resources appear only to re(]uire roads and settlements to Ibrcethem into highly remunerative develoj)ment." He also urged the construction of highways into the fertile belts of the interior, in order to promote settlement. In response to his recommendation the legislature voted £40,000 for roads and bridges, a proof of the wonderful n^volution men's ideas had undergone in reorhood of the cai)ital and around other populous settlements. A most important measure was passed during his govermnent, by Avhich it was enacted that all ("rown lands should be sold by auction at a moderate upset price, in lots of not more than a hundred acres, and the j)roceeds iip[)iied to the internal imi)rovement of the island. This was one of the greatest boons yet obtained for the settlement of the ciilony. In consequence of the discord which still })revailed ]»etween the two Chambers, the Imperial Parliament, in 1842, passed an "Act for Amendinj; the Constitution of Newfoundland." The .iiiicndment consisted in the abolition of the Council as a distii>ct Inanch of the legislature, and in authorizing its members to sit :' I \\ U !| !.. !i 90 XEWFOUXDLAXD. '« and vote in the House ot'Asseiiil)ly, where tlicy constituted two- fiftlis of the whole. Thus wiis tbnned what was known sis "The Anialirainate inijjortance should l»(j attaehcd to these political commotions, that it was chiefly at the period ot' each ((uadreiuiial election that scenes of confusion took place, and that the stormy passions then (!nL'"en(h'red suhsidcl as (jiiickly as they arose. There was no tendency manifotcd to serious crime or chronic social disorder among either of the two o])i)osinir parties. -Sir llichard Homiycastle, in his excellent and iin[)artial work on the colony, tells us that "scarcely any- thiuir worth nientioninii: in the wav of riot or l)reach of the peace has ever occurred at any of these elections, excepting once, at Carhonear, in 1840, althouijh, at the last election in the capital it was deemed recjulsito to keep the ti'oops on the alert." . . . "The Irish are an excitable race, which they themselves (h) not atfect to deny ; they are easily led, l>ut difficult to drive. IJut the irood (pialities of the Irish peasant abroad an; very prominent." . . . " A more peaceabK;, resi)eetable, loyal, or a kinder-hearted race than the Newfoundland English and Iii>li, whether emiirrant or native-born, I never met with; all tliey want, now that temperance has so beneficially operated iii-oii them, is education, agriculture, roads, and the qu* ^t which ;i firm, decided, and impartial Government jjromises to have in store for them." When it is remembered that, at this time, half th(^ l)()l)ulation were Irish or of Irish descent, among whom it might be expected memories of old-world strifes, wrongs, and oppressions would be rife ; and that the other half were I'rot- estant and of English descent, accustomed for years to hold the ascendency, and headed by the wealthy mercantocracy. who were not inclined to give up their time-honored claim to ndo, it would not have been wonderful to find, in such a society, atrocities and crimes abounding in a country where the arm of the law was felt but feebly. "So far was this from being the ease,'" says Sir Richard Boimycastle, "there has not been a case of ca[)ital punishment for years ; the people are very orderly and respectful to their superiors ; temperance has *' THROUGH THE FIRE:' 91 enrolled under its banners the givater proportion, and hoiise- hnakiiiir and serious crimes arc actually unknown ; and it is universally admitted that there is no country in the civilized uoild, whei'c "greater simplicity of manners or less crime exists, than in Xewfoundland." The foreiroinf; statement in regard to the pea'-eahle character of the people is as true to-day as when it was made hy Boiiny- tast le forty years ago. Now that the memory of the political conliicts of bygone years is fading away, \\\v jjeople seen) to liavi' learned this great lesson, that the country unist not be froverned in the interests of a class or party, but for the benelit of the whole ; that ofliees of trust and emolument must bo 0(|ii;dly open to all, without regard to religious or other distinctions; and that the ascendency of any one section, ^vlicther denominational, mercantile, or national, to sway the (lostinics of the country, cannot be tolerated. Th(! baneful cH'ccts of religious animosities in the past lead all intelligent and patriotic men to resist their introduction into future political contests. lender the progressive governnient of Sir John TIarvey the colony advanced greatly. Agricult ure made considerable st rides, and the staple industry of the tisheries also extended. Postal conununication was improved. In IS K) a mail sailing-packet was a[)pointed to ply fortnightly between St. John's and Haiilax ; and in 1844 this was followed by the tirst steam-packet bcarinir a mail for Newfoundland. It was in 1840, the last year of Sir John Harvey's adminis- tration, that St. John's passed through perhaps the most terrible trial to which it had yet been subjected. On the 9th of June a tire broke out in the western end of the city, which swe|)t every- thing before it, and, before night closed in, three-fourths of this Wealthy and populous city were a smoking mass of ruins. The rapidity of the terrible conflagration was owing in part to a high wind which prevailed at the time, and whit-h hurle(l the l)la/.ing brands far and wide, and also to the fact that the greater part of the houses wore wooden. Even the mercantile estal)lish- nuMits, built substantially of stone and brick, presented no inipodimcnt to the progress of the fierce contlagi'ation, and with \{ -^ '^ - 92 NEWFOUNDLAND. JMU i-i a siiiiflo exception, they were tottilly destroyed. Xearly all the })iil)lic huilding.s, except Government House, perished. TIk' Post-Ollice, Savini^s-liiinlv, ]>ank of British North Anicrica, Custoin-IIouse, Poiice-Otliee, Exchange Builuinus, Onhiaiue Store, and several otliers were Imrnt to the ground. To add to the terrors of the scene, wiiile the red tongues of flame were lea[)ing from street to street, the huge oil-vats on the sidi- of the harbor took fire. Liquid llames spread ovei* the wiioli' surface of the water and set iiro to a numhcr of vessels. T^'foro the day closed twelve tiiousand people Avero homeless, uiul property valued at a million pounds sterling was destroyed. 8iili there Avas no abject (Uni)air among the people, ^'('s^('l-, \\-ero at once despatched for provisions. When news of ilic terrible calamity reached England a sum of £5,000 was sent lor innnediate relief, and Parliament voted £25,000 more. To this was added a very hirge sum collected in the churches, under the sanction of a letter from the Queen to the Archl)ishops of Canterbury and York. The neighboring colonies sent lil»er;il contributions. Cheered by this generous syini)athy, the iiiJi.ihi- tants at once set to work to rebuild their city. A law was enacted prohibiting wooden houses in thel)usiness part of the town, aiid enforcing increased width of the streets. Some \ ears afterward^ n abundant sui)i'.ly of Avater was introduced, so that now St. .jv'im's is as secure again>t tiro as any other city of the New AVoi'i. A recurrence of such a terrible contlagration as that of Jii,»e 0, 184(!, may be regarded as impossible. Yv't anotiier calamity Avas destined to mark that meniorahlc v'W. On the IDth September Ji storm of unexampled .-"verily s'. ept over tlu^ island, causing an immense destruction of >Im;> \ Mig, houses, fishing stages and flakes, fences and bridges, ami ciiaulling in many instances the fruits of the fishermen's toils '.u;;ing the i)revious sunnner. These two calamities in a single yeas Avere a disastrous drawback to the prosperity of the colony for a long time. In 1847 Sir Gaspard Ic INIarchaut Avas appointed goNcrnor. Previous to his arrival a strong agitation had s[)rung up, ha\ inu; for its object the attainnuMit of a more complcto po'^/er of scli- govcinmcnt than the Constitution of 18Ji2 had secured. The ''THROUGH THE FIRE:' 03 a[)i)()intnients to the principal offices in the colony were still held by the Crown. The demand now made was fo/ what h known a.s "Responsible Government," under which ail such appointments were to be at tlie disposal of the i^arty which secured a majority in the legislature. This boon of en now iiiu'(|uiv()eally refused by the colony, they will, of course, fall ^k :i I u ;1| III ( (l 'H it: m !■'!'' >■'. 94 NE WFO UXDLAND. to the ground ; and you are authorized to give such assuraiico as you may think proper, that the consent of the community of Newfoundland is regarded hy Her Majesty's Government as the essential [jreliminary to any modification of their territorial or maritime riglits." This, of course, put an end to all doul)t regarding the power of the colony to regulate its own affairs in all time to come; su])ject, of course, to the rights secured to tlui French l^y treaty, in connection with the fisheries on the coast. The three years following were fairly prosperous ; the fisheries "Were productive ; the poi)ulation increased ; the revenue was in such a condition that the legislature was enabled to undertake works of public utility. The light-houses on the coast were increased in numbers; steam connnunication was impiovcd, both internal and foreign; education was fostered; and a telegrai)h line was extended across ihc island. Kesi)!)iisihlc govermniMit worked well, and introduced many needed imi)rovc- ments. The erection of a telegrai)h line connecting the island with the coiilinent of America suggested the bolder projed of laying down a submarine cable from the eastern shores of Newfoundland to the Irish coast, a distance of 1,()4() miles. On the r)th of August, 18.">s, is always hazardous, and can only be justified in extreme cases. The nu'mory of these unhap])y events has gradually I'aded away. To-day a nobler and mon^ patriotic spirit auimalcs political action, which is now chiefly directed towards the: ileM'lopment of (he best inter(>sts of the coimnmiity at large. Tliere is every reason to hope and believe that religious animos- ity and [xu'secution are dead in Ww oldest Jiritish colony. , »,, » • ^ ■k 96 NEWFOUNDLAND. \m\\-'':.l!i. t, CHAPTER VI. " AFTER DAKKNESS — DAWN." [1801-1882.] Demoralizing systems of pauper relief — Proposed confederatiDn of Newfi.ninl- liind and Canada — Important diseovery of copper ore — Geological miiviv of the island — Mr. Alexander Murray's reports — Inijjortant revelatidiH — Opposition and defeat of the projected union with CaTiada — Kstalili>liiii([U of steam eoniniunication witli England — I)eveloi)inent of mineral and agri- cultural resources — Proposed railway — Sir John (ih)ver on the possihilities of the ciiiintry — CJovernnient charter granted to the Xewfoundland IJailwuy Company — Turning of the first sod and construction of the first part of the first railway in ISSl — Prosi)erous condition of the colony — Final settle- ment of the French fishery ijuestion — New railway prcjects, with ptr- spoctive jilans of incroaseil rai)idity of transit hetweon the Old World ami the New — New fields for emigration — A country one-sixth larger tli;iii Ireland, witli a population less than two liundred thousand. UxpiiODC.TiVE iisherios ttiul a wido-.'^proiKl dost it ut ion niiirkod the iir.st eight years of the decade endiiio: in 1870. A system had to dis- eriminale hetwiHMi tiit^ ai)i)lieanls for relief. So general was the distriliiition of relii^f that ti great mtijority of tin; industrial [lopulaliou soon learned to disregard the stigma of i)au|)eri-iti, They claimed pul)lie assistance as a ))rivate right. This >.'\)\\- dilion of things was a result of tlui old fatal policy of reprcssiiiu' eoloniziition, and failing to tiU'ord facilities for the peoph; to >d that there had l)een no actual dicline in tiie cod-lisherie (he average from 1nient of agriculture, as ti means of repressing pau])erism. The soil and climate were pi'onounced to be well ada[)ted to the recpiire nenls of the f i I 98 NE WFO UNDLAND. Iff; % I fanner. The want of roads, liowcver, prevented any iinir-di- ate efforts to settle the fine vallevs of the inierior. Xo one :is yet dreamed of a railway as the means of opening up the eoun- try and settling a po})ulation in the interior. In 1eds ; and innnense mineral tracts, which the l;il)(>is of many generations were not likely to exhaust. His .survey showed that on the west coast there were 1,320 s(]uarc miles of fertile lands, admirably adapted for settlement ; and in till' valleys of the lv\[)l()its, (rambo, Terra Nova, and Gander, iiol k'ss than .'5,320 s(|uare miles, e(|ually fitted for agricultural (ilicrations or cattle-raising, nmch of these regions lieiug covered with splendid forests — in all nearly thre(! million iicrcs of fertile land. lie further found that the island i)resents large developments of "(^luibec group," which is the gn-at metalliferous formation of North America, and therefore might be expected to be found rich in minends — a i)rediction which has been amply verified. It is nuu-h to the credit of successive governments that the geological survey has been continuc.'d since 1804, and is still going on. The knowledge of the coinitry obtained through this agency has been gradn dly (liU'uscd by dillerent writers, and made known in other lands. Il can l)e no longer doubted that Newfi)undland now presents a I '*. m , i 1!^ ' ' ' i , ' .'l \i 1 J: \ ' k 5^ J: ■ " ! ^ ' ■'■ i (f i i 100 XEWFOUXDLAND. proinifsinu: field for mining enterprises; and that it contains (Miouirh of fertile land to sustain in comfort a population of several millions. The year 18(iU hrouiiht a turn in the tide of affairs, in tli»,' shape of abundant fisheries, the first for many years wliich could ])c called successful. ^Nlany of the i)eoi)le had hccn (levoting themselves more to the cultivation of the soil, and the harvest this year was irood. In 1808 the irovernment had iit length grappled with the system of al)le-l)odic1. The knowledge of the great natural resources of the country which had now been dilfused, together with the necessity of providing new means of employment for the increasing l)oj)ulation, had secured the attention of thoughtful men, who saw that, for any further progress, the construction of a railway, to open up the country to industrial enterprise, had now Itecome a necessity. For some time the idea had been fermenting in the public mind, but in a country where the l)e()[)le were but little accustomed to entertain great national projects, the majority, especially of those whose capital was invested in the fisheries, shrank from the proposal as visionary ami beyond the means of the colony. Still the (juestion pressed lor a solution : " What are we to do with our increasing poimlation who cannot find sustenance from the emi)loyment I'luiiished by the precarious fisheries?" At length, in 187'), the government resolved on a movement designed to secure the introduction of a trunk-line of railway. Their ideas were enihodied in the folloAving passage from the governor's speech ill oiicniiig tlu! session of the legislature: "The period appears {ft :,; 'f 102 NEWFOUNDLAND. iiiiiH to have arrived when a question which has for some time engaged piil)lic discussion, viz., the construction of a railway across the island to St. George's Bay, shoukl receive a practical solution. Independently of the benefits to flow from openini; up the great resources of the interior of Xewfoundland to the industry of its people, there is the well-founded expectation that this line of railway would attract to our shores the mail and passenger traffic of the Atlantic, for which this island would atlbrd the safest and most expeditious route between the Eastern and Western hemispheres ; and thus would bo secured those vast commercial advantages which our geographical position manifestly entitles us to connnand. As a preliminary to this ol)ject a proposition will be submitted to you for a thorough surve}^ to ascertain the most eligible lino, and with a view to the further incpiiry whether the colony does not possess within itself the means of inducing capitalists to undertake this great enterprise of progress." The result of this proi)()sal was that the legislature voted the sum of money required for a preliminary survey of the line of railway, which was completed in the summer of 1875, under the direction of Mr. Sandford Fleming, C.E., an eminiMit engineer who was at the head of the railways of Canada. Mr. Fleming had, some years })reviously, published a pamphlet in favor of a railway from St. John's to St. George's Bay, with a view of esta])lishing over this lino the shortest route l)etweeu America and Europe. The survey showed that a favoral)lc line could readily bo obtained, presenting no serious engineer- ing difficulties. On reviewing the operations of the previous year at tiio opening of the legislative session of 1870, the governor announced that the fisheries had been but })artially successful, but that enhanced prices had rendered them moderately remunerative. "The cultivation of the soil," he said, "had met with an extraordinary degree of success." . . . " JNIining jiur- suits," he declared, " have acquired an importance rapidly on the increase." A largo number of mining licenses and grants had been issued within the year, and Tilt Covo and Bett's Cove mines were worked with great success. The governnunt ''AFTER DARKNESS— DA WX." 103 hroiiirlit in a meii.surc to revive tlie eod Hsluny on the (Ireat IJiuiUs, hy bounties to he continued for tive years. This ellbrt proved higlily successful. The fishery commission in connection with the Treaty of "Wasliington met in Halifax in the summer of ISK), the Hon. \\. V. Whiteway heing the dek'gate from Newfoundland. The commission awarded tive and a-half millions ot dollars a^ com- pcDs.'i'lon for fisheries rights extended to the United States hy the Treaty of Washington. Of this sum XcwfoumllaLd received one million dollars. In 187() .Sir flohn Hawley Glover was appointed governor, iiiid when oi)ening the legi.dature in \>^11 he said that "mining (Mttcrprise was advancing M'ilh rapid strides, and that the ])r<)duction of coi)per ore would soon take rank as a staple resource of the colony." The revenue was found to he over the estimate, but the cod-fishery had been below that of any recent year. During the session of 1878 the Hon. AV. V. AVhiteway, })rcinier, who had taken the lead in introducing the first measure in connection with the railway survey, moved a scries of resolutions offering a subsidy of $120,000 and a lib- eral grant of Crown lands to any comi)any that would con- struct and Avork a lino of railway between St. .John's and St. (icorge's Bay. The proposal was cordially agreed to l)y the legislature. Arrangements w'cre made for advertising this oiler, but the British (xovernmcnt refused to sanction the line, on the ground that its terminus would bo on the so-called " French shore." The concession of ai)pointing magistrates and establishing legal institutions and custom-houses on the western coast had been made in 1877 ; but the impel "al author- iti(N considered that as n(>gotiati()ns with the French regarding this coast were then in })rogress, their sanction of a railway must be left in abeyance for the present. After waiting two 3'ears it was found that the difliculties referred to had not been removed, and that the necessity for opening the country by a railway was every day becoming more urgent. Sir John Glover made a journey across the island from Hall's Bay to Bay of Islands in the autumn of I I ■!• A • 1 ■ Nil' 'I tij' ' rr, ' •■ i' ' ii * .'1 ' { I i t 104 NE WFO UyOLAXD. iliPI 1^*7'S, and iilso visiti.'d the mining region. In his s|)('t'(Ii on opening the legishituro the following yeiir he said: "My visit foivihly impressed me with the rieh agricnltund resonrees of tliis jxn'tion of the island and the value of the forest lands — ])rovisi()ns of natnre destined soon to attract and reward iar«fe nnmhers of industrions settlers. The long level tract of country, from South- West Arm, in Notre Dame Bay, to Ilumher Sound, atlbrds such facilities for the construction of a main highway that this great work might be accomplished at a very moderate outlay." At lengrh, in the session of 1880, the Hon. W. V. White- way, premier, moved that, as the ditficulties in the way of a line to St. George's Bay had not been removed, the colony should now, out of its own revenues, proceed to construct a railway of about three hundred and forty miles in length, from St. John's to Hall's Bay, the centre of the mining region, with branches to Harbor Grace and Brigus. Such a line would open some of the most fertile lands in the valleys of the GamI)o, the Gander, and the Exploits, and would reach the mining region, and allbrd vast facilities for carrying on mining enter[)rises ; it would also unite populous districts with the capital. The premier pointed out that there was a continued recurrence of pauperism in certain districts, when the tluctu- atinij tisheries failed, and that it was necessary to draw the peo{)le more to the cultivation of the soil ; and that the present time was propitious, as there was now virtually no public debt, and the financial position of the colony was highly favoral)le. The question was referred to a joint committee, composed of members of both branches of the legislature, whose report was highly favorable to the construction of the railway referred to. It dwelt on the increasing numbers of the population, and the constant recurrence of destitution with every failure of the tish- eries, which were precarious and sho\Yed no tendency to ex- pansion. The great mineral wealth of the country, as now ascertained beyond a doubt, and "the vast stretches of agricult- ural land" which the railway would open were referred to. as well as the excellent local markets for agricultural produce, while the facilities for raising and exporting cattle were also ' 'A FT Eli DARKNESS — DA WX. " 105 insisted iijioii. To dovclop theso rich resources, tlio com- mittee considered a railway indispensable, and recoinniendcd tiiat a million pounds sterling; should be borrowed on the credit of the colony, in annual sums of half a million dollars, and the work at once commenced. The legislature adopted the report, and authorized the re(juired loan. An enirineer-in-chief was selected, and the survey of the line from St. John's to Harbor (irace was comi)l(;ted in the autumn of 18.S0. The legislative session of 1881 })roved to be a very important one. The sunnner fishery of the })revious year had not been successful, and the usual amount of sull'ering and privation had followed in certain districts. The revenue had fallen somewhat lu'low the estiniiited amount. The competition of the i)ro(hict.s of the Xorwegiaii tisheries in several foreign markets had told unfavorably in regard to the exports of Xewfoundland. In opening the legislature the governor announc I that the govern- ment had received oilers for constructing thi; line of railway for which [)rovision had been made during lust session, and that this proposal would be submitted to the House of Assembly and the Council at an early date. When the matter was introduced l)y the i)reniier he moved for a joint connnittee of the Legishitivc Council and the House of Assembly to consider these proposals, which resulted in the ratification of a ijrovisional contract. A charter was granted incorporating the shareholders under the title of "The Newfoundland Railway Com[)any." The leading features of the contract were that the conqKiny bound themselves to construct "a substantial, reliable, and efficient road, subject to approval by a government ins[)ector," in accordance with certain specifications which were named in the agreement, and to complete it within the period of five years ; also to e acticahlc, in quantities of one niilo aIo»ig the linu 1)\' cii^hi miles in dei)th, provision being made *\d of tliirty-riv(> y('ars. The iMh of August, 1H81, was an important da\- for X^'w- foundland. It saw the first sod of the railwa}' turned,. The colony now entered ui)on a ncsw era of industrial enterj/rix'. The utilization of the great natural resources of this Hue island was connnenced in earnv;.;t. The fertih^ lands of the interior have now the prospect of l)eing settled and culti\'ated. 'I'lic loi'ests, hitlKvrto allowed to rot or to be destroyed by lire, v ill )>(^ added to the resource's of civilization. Vast mineral l.nwU will be explored and made to yield their treasures. Th- rail- way work that promises to enrich Newfoundland can hardly I'lil t.) j)r()\(' remunerative to those wdio hav(> embarked their ca[)ital in tlie undertaking. So energ(Mically did the Xewf. mdland ix.-'ilway Coinpaiiv jirosecaUe their labors, that :it the clos(> of 1 of half a million (hilars wi'r(> i)urchase(l and |i;iitly transported to tln' island. liarge contracts for (aitting sleepers Mere taken, and thus remunerati\e labor was provided diu'in;,' the winter. Tho wages rocoivcd by the working populalinn ''AFTER DARKNESS— dawn: 107 jidilcd frreatly to their connbrts, while the trad i ni; cliisics shared the bciu'tits. When the legislriure met on the Kith of Feltrr.iiry, 1882, Sir F. 1). Carter, who acted as adminisstrator of'tlu> o-ovornment in llic ahsei ee of Sir Henry ^Nlaxse, the governor, announced in llic opening speech that the k'ading in(histries of the country had (huMug the previous year been i)rosecuted successfully on ill!' whole, and that "mining showed a considcrai)ly enlarged I'xport of coi)pcr ore, and prospects of a further develoi/'.'ient in tlic innnediate future." lie referred to the railway as prouress- iug satisfactorily in construction, conferring im[)()rtant benefits on lln' iK'oplo, and causing a " hirge numetary expenditure in the country/' This "great work," he said, "is an cnteri)rise which, in the increase of conunercial and social conununication, iiiid the devehjpment of om* agricuhural and mineral resources, contains the elements of solid and lasting prosperity for New- foundland." The revenue was found to l)o in a very flourishing condition, Minoiniting to $l,00;>,8()li, ])eing the largest ever received. This I'urnisiied the best proof of the generally })rosperous con- dition of the colony. The sj)eech, however, contained aiirUher announcement, second in importani'c only to that regarding the niihvay. The administrator informed the legislature that the imperial authorities had at length authorized the local govern- mciil to make land grants, and issue mining licenses on that part of the coast on which the FrtMich have (ishery pi-ivilegcp. This was the boon for which the colony had been pleading in vain for many years. Its importance to tlui people of Xew- loumlland can hardly bo overrated. It is a virtual sctthMuent ol' the vex(!d " French Shore Question," and a removal of a serious Mild lonir-standinii sxrievance. It opens the half of the island \vh'' h had hitherto been closed to the peoi)le, to settlement and industrial enterprise. It enfranchises the poi>ulati(/n of this pai'l of the island, who an; ie futun; to have two repi'escMitatives in the; local legislature, and removes all restrictions on the exercise of territorial rights. The administi'ator very justly connected this concession with the name of Sir William White- way, to whoso able and persevcriiig representations the country I -I 111 U 1 It \.r- ^^^ i SI 1 ■. ■ "1 1 1 ' ■;■■ iff ' m m '■* « 108 NE WFO UNDLAND. is liirgoly indeljtcd for a settlement of this vexed quest ioii. "The coincidence," said the administrator, "of the improved conditions to which I have adverted with tlie inauguration of the Newfoundland railway, marks an era of progress wiiich is a meet sul)ject of congratulation to the country." Two other important events marked the legislative session of 1.SX2. The first was an application to the legislature for a charter of incorporation of a company under the title of " The American and European Short Line Railway Company." The objects of the company are described in the following tonus: "You are already aware, from communications jilaced Ijoforc your Government, that it is the purpose of our company to construct a line of railway from a point or points on the cast or south-eastern coasts of Newfoundland through and across the said island, to a point or points on the west coast of Newibuiid- land, and from the western terminus to connect by steain-feny with the railway to be constructed to a point at or near Capo North, in the island of Cape Breton; thence by said railway to the Strait of Canso ; thence along the north shore of Xova Scotia to a junction with the Intercolonial Railway, by which line Ave make connections with the railways communicating with Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Montreal, Chicago, St. Louis, and San Francisco. It l)eing our purpose to construct without delay the necessary links to complete this proposed trunk-line, Avhen this lino is completed, passengers may take cars at New York or ^loutreal, and run through to tho east coast of New- foundland. From the east shore of Newfoundland the company will estal)lish a fast despatch line of steamships, to sail between that point and the west coast of England or Ireland, there con- necting with fast exi)ress trains to London and all European cities, thus forming a great international trunk-line acros the island of Newfoundland that will absorb and facilitate the tians- portation of the mails of the governments of America, Europe, and Asia, as well as provide the shortest, speediest, and safest I'outo An* i)assenger traffic. The line, when completed, will bring Newfoundland into dally connmnilcation with the giviit centres of trade and civilization of Europe and America. The average time saved by this route between London and New ''AFTER DARKNESS — DAWN." 109 York will be not less than two days to the traveller over any other existing line or possible route l)etween the two great connneroial centres. The f.hort ocean voyage, the great saving in time, together with the superior comforts and safety of this lino, will soon make it the most popular route for tirst-class trans- Atlantic travel ; and will also attract a very large part of tho emigration that now goes direct to New York and other Unit(Ml States ana Canadian ports. Thus will the great tides of (MuiL^ration, flowing to the United States and Canada , be liiru't'ly diverted across your territory ; and m.'iny emigrants will tind homes in the rich fertile valleys of your island. The pro- l)osed line will pass through parts of your territory very rich ;m mineral and agricultural lands, capable of supporting a large population ; and when this line is open to travel, the Great Valley of the Exploits, St. George's Bay, the Gjinder River, and the Codroy will soon be busy with the hum of agricultural, mining, and mechanical industry, where all is now a silent, t(Mi- iuitlcss, and comparatively unknown wilderness. The railroad we propose will be, in every respect, a flrst-class road, and the iM|uipnient of the highest standard of excellence." The great cnter[)rise which is defined in the foregoing extract i-j not oidy of colonial, but of imperial and international impor- tance. In Newfoundland it has met with an enthusiastic approv- iii. The charter sought for has been granted ; and, no doubt, in due time the colony will render substantial aid to a project whieli would benefit the island more than any other country. Tile legislature of Nova Scotia has also warmly a[)[)roved of the cnterp-rise, and promised assistance. That this will be the groat tiiivel-route of the future between the Old ^Vorld and the New cini seareely admit of a doubt, for it has been marked out by tile hand of Nature. The second proposal that came l)eforo the legislature was for a cliarter to incorjiorate a c()in[)any 1(5 construct a dry or jri'.'ivinii dock in St. John's harbor. The dock is to be of such ioii,< that it canacconnnodatc the largest oceanic^ steamers, hi'ing .six hundred feet i i length, one hundred feet in breadth, mill Iwenty-six feet in depth. The government have agreed to give a subsidy of $IK),G00 per annum for forty-five y(>ars, thus I , ■i I ^ [• » JIL ■vvntery Intervals arc I)ri(]ged by steam-terries, the shortest and safest liMii-il Ix'tween Europe and America will he seciuvd. Had it not been for the facilities atforded hy the splendid geo;i'raj)hical situation of the island for experiments in leiiiilli- ened submarine t(dei>:rai)hy, it is doubtful whether tele<,nMpliic communit-ation between the two worlds woidd have been established to this day. The short distance between Xtnvfouud- land and Ireland and the great levid submarine plaiu, a thousand miles in width, between the two countries, suggested the trial, and literally paved the way to success. In anotluH" respect Xaturc seems to have marked out the island as a centre of eonnnercial activity. A glance at the map shows that its coasts are pierced by numerous magnificent bays, running, in some instanc(!s, eighty or ninety miles inland, and throwing out numerous smaller arms in all directi(ms. Thus the ocean ])enetrates the land deeply, bi-inging with it that sea- harvest which is reaped without the i)reliminary labors of l)lou<;hinij!' and sowins:. The same watery hiirhways, reacliini; inland in all directions, allbrd unrivalled facilities for the transport of the jjroducts of the fisheries, the riches of the niiiio and the forest, and the agricultural productions which will yet be deri\'i>d from its hitherto untenanted i)lains. In those noltlo bays, inoreover, arc some of the tincst harbors in the world, with countless coves and creeks, where the fishermen's craft lind safe and easy shelter. To such an extent are tlu; shores indented tlitit, though the island is al)out a thousand miles round, measuring from luadland to headland, were its hnys circunuiavigati'd, the ()[)eration would more than double that extent of mileage. In fact, it would l)e difficult to lind 'uiy- where an e(|ual land-area presenting such an extent of frontage to the sea. According to the latest and most accurate surveys, New- foundland is situated between the i)arallels of X^'P 'M\' .')()" mikI 51° .'Jl>' north latitude, and between tlu^ meridians of WV -'57' and aO^ 2-t' 50" west longitude. Its greatest length. iVoin Ca[)e Kay (the south-western exti-emity of the island) to Capo Norman (the fartliest northern land) is 317 miles; and the SITUATION, MOUXTAIXS, AXD RIVERS. 113 ♦Toatcst brcjidth, from Ca})c Spear (the most easterly jjoint) to (':4)e Aniiuille (the most westerly) is ,")1() miles. Tiie total :inM is estimated by Mr. ^Murray, of the (ieoloiiieal Survey, at 42,000 square miles. The size of a oountr} counts for a uooil (leal, and in the loni^ run heeomesa measure of i)olitical power. AVe obtain the l)i'st idea of the size of the island l>v eompar..ii>' it with other countries. Ireland contains ?\2J)\)0 scjuare miles; >() tliat Newfoundland is more than oni'-sixth larger than that country. It also contains 12,000 sipiare miles more than Scotland. It is three times as large as Holland, and twice as Inigc as Denmark. Taking for comparison two of the ncigh- horiiig |)rovinccs of ]>ritish America, we lind that it istwice the size of Xova Scotia, and one-third larger than Xe.v Drunswick. AiiiDiig the islands of the; globe it ranks tenth in regard to size. Its figure approaches an equilateral triangle, having a wide southern ])ase between Cape Kace and Cape liay, and a narnav iipcx towards the north. Two large peninsulas i)roiect iVonx tln' main body of the island. One of these [joints northerly ;iii(l is loni>; and narrow; it is called Petit Xord by the French. Tlic other is the great peninsula of Avalon, [jointing south-east, and almost severed from the [jrincijjal [)ortion of the island by the two ba.ys of Placentia and Trinity, on o[)[)()site sidc.> of the inland, the connection i)eing a narrow isthmus, in one; [dace but llnvc miles in width. The Avalon [)cninsula is I'urther (li\ idcd tiy the two noble bays of St. Mary's and C()nce[)tion. On its eii^tcrn side is situated St. John's, the capital ; and on the iiort'icrn shore of Conce[)tion r)ay. Harbor (jnice, the second town of the island. Owing to its exten>ive frontage on the Atlantic, its many fine harbors, and its [)roximity to tin- be.-l 'i-Iiing-grounds, Avalon is the most thickly-[)o[)ulated and by far the most connnercially im[)ortant [)art of the island. ^\'ithin !i degree of its shores is tlu^ureatest spbmarine island of the globe — the Crand i'ank of Xewfoundland, which cxlcnds for a length of six hundred miles, with a bri^adth of two hundred miles. The great bi-ccding-ground of the cod, these submarine hills and \allcys arc alivt; with inexhaustible >lor(>s of this noble lish. Around tlu' shores of Avalon are count less smaller submarine elevations, where colonies of cod t\ \ ! ' V { .■ »•■ v~'\ m 114 XE WFOUXDLAND. aro located, and whcro H.sliiiiji^ has been carried on for centm-ics without any diminution of the supply. Hence, thouirh the j^oil of Avalon is as a Avhole poor, and in many i)laces liarren, the gr(>at i)r<)poi-li()n of the population is clustered round its shores, but they look mainly to the (><'ean as the source of their subsist- ence. The various harbors of this peninsula present also the most favora))lc points from which to carry on the seal-lishery in the s}.>rinavk frowninijf dill's ; miles on miles of rocky walls, from two to three hundred feet in height, with l)ut If lite heart's content UARUOR and Vll.LAUE. iS* little verdure crowning the'r summits ; bold promontcn-ics and headlands, sculptured into grim and fantastic forms by the blows of Atlantic billows ; sha])es massive and awe-inspu'ing in their stern grandeur. Such is the general picture th;. , meets the eye of the voN'ager at almost all piirts of the island. '!'iie iron-bound shores present no pebl)ly bc^ichch on which tli<" waves break in softened nnisie. The island is d(>fcndc(l ly rocky ramjjarts, dark and lofty, repelling the wat(MT battalions that rush u])on them uiubr pressure of the tempest. Such is the seaward asp(>ct. Slu)ul(i the traveller, leaving the oast, sail up one of the fiords whu'h m intervals cleave the iMckv walls, he will ere K)ng, if the season be sunnner, tind hinisclt amid scenes of rare beauty. The shores aro dotted with ilark- »■••.. f SITUATION, MOUNTAINS, AND RIVERS. 115 irrocn forests that sweep down to the water's iH\^j[i\ Vordtuit islands of all shapes and sizes stud the hosoni of the estuary. l)usy boats dance iiero and there on the l)rii»-ht waters. Fishinnerally covered with fine; timl)er. and [(resenting every fuility for agriculture and grazing purposes. On |)roceeding further inland the interior proper is readied, and, like that of Ireland, is found to consist of an elevated undulating l)lateau, traversed here and there by ranges of low hills, the surface being diversilied by valleys, woods, lakes, ponds, and inarslu-'s. Of the interior itself hardly anything is yet known, as it has been examined oidy at a lew points, and has been crossed, in 1822, from east to west only by a single tiaveller, who described nmch of it as a savanna country, having countless lakes and lakelets, with brooks, woods, and vast green undulat- ing i)lains. These sj'vannas are comi)osed of line, black, (oiupact peat-mould, formed by the growth and decay of mosses, and sustain countless herds of reindeer. All the great liin-ranges traversing the country take a north-eastei'ly and soutii- westerly direction, and all tlu; other great pliysical features, such as the bays, lakes, rivers, and valleys, have a .similar trend. No doubt u'lacial action has been the ca(i>e of this i)e(^uliar conformation. The higlu'st land is found along the western and southern shores. The course of the piincii)al rivers shows that there is a gradual slope thence, easterly and northerly. It is along the valleys traversed by the various I'vers tl-.at the greatest extent of fertile lands, and the heavy furost-growlhs are found, and these valleys are destined to bo J )M M ») 11(5 NEWFOUNDLAXD. ■r the scnls of ji liu'ir*' agricultural ijopulatiou, when rcudeicd accossihlc hy road and rail. Tlio principal mountain ranirc is called the Long KaiiLic, which extends :ilong the western side ot' the island for neailv its entire length, having peaks more tlian two thousand feet in height. It connnences at Capo IJay, runs north-east till it I'eaches the head of St. George's liay, then turns n()rth-ea>t again, and tei'niinates, after a course of two hundred inile<, in th<' Petit Xord, or great northern peninsula. Outside of the Long K'ange, hut i)arallel to it, and nearer the coast, is the ( 'ape Anguille Range, rumiing froni Ca})e Anguille to the highlands of St. (ieorge'.s Ha}', with summits nineteen hundred feet high, and th(> lilo-mi-dons, extending along the south coast of tln' Ilumher Arm, liay of Islands, and occasionally reaching a height of two thousand and eighty-live feet. These two ranges are of (juitc; a dillerent geological age from the Long Range, and [)resent set)arate and independent features. Another range stretches across the country hetweeu Fortune liay and Notre Dame r)ay, and is known as Middle IJanw, ]51ack River Itange I'uns from RIacentia liay to Clode Sound, in ljona\i>ta r>ay. The Avalon district is very hilly, tin re l)eing two remarkable ranges, each about thirty miles long. One of the>e connnences at Renews, tifty miles south of St. flohn's. and terminates at llolyrood. in Conception liay, having at cacii end a rounded hill called tlu; Ihitterpot. The other begins at St. Mai'v's l>ay and terminates at Chapcd Arm, Trinity Ray. Some of the sunnnits in this I'ange reach the height of one thou-aml live hun(lrehai'pl\- peaked sunnnits, bearing the local name of Tolts, which >p;iiig abrui)tly here and there out of the great central i»;:>teau, and -eive as landmarks. Some? of the mon; conspiiaious ofthesn Tolts arc Sjjread I'^aglePeak, south of C,'ha[)el Arm, Trinity liay ; Rowdcr Horn Hill, l)ay of liulls Arm, in 'i'rinity R.ay ; llodge.-< Hill, mi the Exploits (two Ihou-and feet high) ; Mount Peyton (sixteen hundred and seventy feet), west end of (landiu' Lake: nml Lobster House, near Hind's Rond. Compared with the size of the island, Xewfoundland has few H siTVATinx, MorxTAiXFi, AXD niviins. u: larirc rivers ; hut tlu> "Wiiut of these is amply eoiuix'iisalecl Inr hy the miiucrous l):iys which penetrate the interior in all dii-edions. One v'ause of the seareity of hir^ro streams is tlio liroken hilly {■liMraeler of many })()rtions of the country. Down the small valleys lh)\v the streams from the i)on(l, or set of ponds, in their nciijfhhorhood, forming numerous brooks, which thus liiid the ucan'-t course to the sea. It is a mistake, however, not un- common, to suppose that the island is destitute of large rivers. UOtKV lUVEi; liUIDl.K. luicky River takes its rise in Ilodge M'ati'r, a huge lake in the ))eninsida of Axaion. Aftt'r a course of about twenty miles, ill which it receives a numlter of triltutai'ics. it ihlls into the Coliiict arm of St. Mary's r»ay. The road between Salmonier iiiid I'lai'cntia crosses Ivocky Kivei' near its month, nine miles ti'DUi the former i)lai'e, by a bridge in the midst of scenery, tm- surpassed for l)icture^-(jueness in tht; whol<> of Xewl'oundland. On i\'ai-hing tlu^ sunnnit ol" a lull on this road, (i\ crlooking the valley through which Ivocky liner llows, the traveller oblams * ' *: f I I ! 118 NEWFOUXDLAXD. I lit. ji l)t'!iutiful view of the Salmoiiier and ("oliiiet arms of St. Clary's liay. 'V\w road then winds down thnniiih thick woods, with their ovcrhanLrinsr ])ranehes, \r,\>{ ,>s beneath the bridge, and forms anotlu'r splendid c'ascaan(l sijuare miles. It is a mile wide at its mouth, and gradually narrows to an average of half a mile, which it nuuntaiiis for ten miles. The tirst ten miles is studded with islands, one of them, Thwart Island, l)eing nine miles in length. Fourteen miles from \\\(\ mouth arc IJishop's Falls, a succession of cascades, the total height being about twenty feet. The scenery here is greatly admired. Some twenty miles higher up the river the Grand Falls are met with, presenting one of the finest ;md most })ictures(pu; scenes in Xewfoundland. Cai)tain Kennedy, of II. M.S. "Druid," describes a visit he made to the (Jrand Falls in the following terms: " AVe found ourselves at length directly above the Fall, and a glorious sight met our view. I must conl'ess that we were i)repare(l for a disappointment after many of like nature in this and other countries, but the scene now bef(U-(! us fully answered, if it did not exceed, oiu* expi'cta- tions. Looking ui)wards, to the right hand was a mass of foaming eddying torrent, with l)lack rocks interspersed. Abreast of us, the stream was divided by a thickly-wooded islet, whereon many sea-gulls had built their nests. The parent birds ilew round with loud and discordant screams, adding, in the roar of the waterfall, to t!ie weirdness of the scene. Below this islet the waters met, and wedged in l»y SITUATION, MOrXTAiXS, AXD RIVERS. Ill) prcc-ipitoiis rocks on either side, plmiired in a suec-ossion of (•:i-r;i(l('s into tlie soetliini^ caldron beneath. Seatini; ourselves JK'-ide th<; Fall we contemplated this tine siixht, not a living soul to intci'fcM'e with us. Possibly with the completion of the railway w(! shall have a station at Exploits River and a hotel at the (Jrand Falls ; but for the present let us rest content that we have seen, without (picstion, the tinest picture in Xewfound- laiid, untouched by the hand of man. A very tine view must he ()l)tained from al)ovc the Falls and also from l)elow ; but the liiniled time at our disposal prevented our doing more than renting f )r a short half-hour on the spray-covered rocks, and taking a sketch of the scene before^ starting on our wearisome walk back. The whole height of tlu' Fails is given at one hundred and forty-five feet ; of this a Li-ood deal is broken water. I shotdd estimate tin? largest Fall at not mon; than lifty feet, and perhai)s as many yards across the gorge; but the bcautv of the Fall is not so nuich in its heiu^ht as in th(> immense IkkIv of water comi)ressed into tlu; space, and in the genc/al wildness of the place." The railway now under construction from St. John's to Hall's Bay will traverse part of the noble valley of Exploits, and there can bo no doubt that its splendid scenery will [n'ovc attractive to tourists and sportsmen, as it is one of the finest salmon streams in the island. At one point the railway will come close to the Grand Falls. The banks of the river are clothed with lofty pine, vogether with birch, i)o))Iar, aspen, etc., at intervals. The soil is fertile, and cajjable of yielding croi)s of all kinds, including oats, barley, and wh(!at. " The Exi)l()its River," says Mr. Murray, of the Geological Survey, " rises in the extreme south-western angle of the island, and within twelve mil(!s of the southern coast, near La Poile, Mild, flowing in a north-easterly direCi "on, terminates in the Jiay ol" Exploits, Notre Dame P>ay, the distance from the sources to the (uitlet measurinur nearlv two hundred miles in an air line. The u[)[)er waters How in two minor branches, tin; lOxploits proper and the ^''ictoria l)ranch, of about e(jual size, l>oth of which emi)ty into Rc(» Indian Lake, which itself is thirty-six miles long, with an average width of about two miles, and very cl''e[), whence flows the main stream for seventy-two miles to »' f ! > 1 ^ i< ' jf \ '\ '(t. I ' ^; > 120 XEWFOLWDLAXn. it ■ '^'^v: the .-■.(<;i. Till! iioriii'il sui'liuH) oi' lu'd Iiidiaii Laki; is four luuuli'cd Mild sixtv-ciiilit I'cct ahovo the tsoa, and its total aica is sixt_\-iiiiie s(iuai'e miles. Tliei'e are iiimiei'ous trihiitaries totlii.> jTi'.'i ri\('r, some of wliieli miulit with justice ))(> teniKvi risers themselves; and the whole ars ;i (h'ained by the Iv\})loits \'allev is iiothiiiii' under three thousand sijuare miles."' Tli(» next laru'est ri\ cr is the Ilnmher, falling' into the llunilier arm ot'tlie Wax of I>iands, on the western coast, after drainliiii- i\n art-a of two thousand s<|uare miles. The main hraneh of the Iluiiiher rises ahout twenty miles inland from lionne Uay, ainl pfler a eireuitou.s course tails into Deer Lake. The other .'*%■ vim^^^s '■ '■' :-^<^^ '-^•^'.'■^y ^'^■'^^ Y? ^m.WAM i'ol.NT, EXI'LOITS lUVEll. hraneh rises north of Sandy Lak(>, and flows through it into (Irand Lake; thence l>y Junction Pr'-ok it joins the main brani .1, six miles alio\i! Deer Lake. From tiiis lake, \\iiieh is sixteen mi'"s long, the Iluniher Hows majeslicall}' into the Hay of Inlands. The scenery of (he llnml»er is among the gramb'-t in the i>land. At, certain |)oints in its coiir>e jieipemhe'ilnr rot e\('iy hue, are toiiiid, and in the Ijlo-mi-don Hill- a copper mine has l)een recently opened. Till' (lander is the third ol'the large ri\-ers of the island, a id drains an area of two thousand ti\e hundred scpiare milc^, lull- ing into (Jander Uay. 'ts principal Itranch ri>e> near I'.'iy D'Espoir, on tlu" sonihern coast, and running north-easteily SITUATIOX, MOUXTAIXS, J.XD IlfVFRS. 121 fulls into the Groat Gander Lake. TIk^ otlior, aficr a \rvy iiicaiulering course, falls into the same lake, wIumu-c the iiiiilcd stivani runs easterly for thirty-one miles into (ran(h'r li.iy. Giui'ler Lake has an area of forty-four s(|uare niih^s, uiid is lliir'y- ihree and one-half miles long. These are the; three m;i.in arteries; hut there ar(> luuncrous >iu;iiler streams, most of them rising at right angles io ihe oi)iu-e of the larger streams, which have comparatively short courses, and rush in turbulent torrents lo the sea. Tlie (i.uiiho is a small stream llowing from Ganiho l*ond, and ha\ing some splendid pine tiiuher growing on its hi.i '.xs. Terra \o\a IJiver is a eonsiderahle stream, noted for its rapids, f;illing into Boiiavista Bay. Colinet Ltiver f;dls into St. Mary's IJay. The Codroy liiver rises in the Long Range iNloimtains, and Hows threiigh a valK'y containing the linest land in the island. Ouv- of the most remarkable! of the physical features of the i>laiiil is its innnense number of lakes and ponds. They are so imiiiL'.rous that, were the island ma[)pe(l out in detail, more than oiie-lhird of the whole suriact; wouM probably be rejjie^ented l)y water. They are found in every jjossibh; position: in tla; mountain gorges ; in the depressions between the low hills ; ju the valleys; and freiiuently in hollows near the t()i)s oj' tin- hJLihest i'minences.- They are of all sizes, from tiny jjooIs and lakelets to sheets of water n(>arly sixty miles in length. I''rom the lops (»f somi! of the highest hills from sixty to one hundred and lil'lv i)onds and lakes have be(Mi countecl. Thev I'orm a \erv l)eainil'ul feature in th(\ landscape, in many disti'icts, as the (>yc niiiLies from tlu; hill-lop over an expanse of country having these hrij^lil gems, overhung with thick woods, dotting its surface. Xeaily all of them are wi'll stoi'ketl with trout. There can b(> little doubt that these lakes and lakelets are relics of the ( ila( ial Aire, and have been se()o()e(l out by glaciiu's when the island Was uiuk'r ail ice-mantle, two or three thousand feet thick, as (ii'eenland now is, and down its mountain gorges, hug(» glaciers Were throwing oil' myriads of icebergs into Ihe encompassing seas. The largest lake in the islnnd is (irand Lak(>, lifly-six miles ill leugtl.s with an area of one luuidred and ninety-two square 1 H ;: I fH"^-.[f 'In ■ r- J iiiiii; 122 ^^E WFO UNDLAND. miles. Its surface is but fifty feet Jibovo the sea level, ^vhilc. iit it- deepest ijoi'tiou, the bottom is more than three Imiuhcd feet Ix'low thsentiiig a gentle rise. The scimery in summer, when tlio trees are clad in " living green," or still more in autunm, wlicii the leaves are russet, orange, and gold, is magnificent. 'I'lo island is covenul with valuable timber, but what the characti'i' of its soil ma}' be is yet unknown. It is a favorite resort of"lli(> reindeer in sunnuer, and the shores of the l:\ko oppositi; to it })resent the b(>st ground for decn-stalking in the island, as the deer >wim across when settinti" out on their southern mii>'ratioiu and collei't in herds on the "barrens" near the lake. The next largest lake is Red Indian Lake, through wliicli the IJix'cr I^xploits Hows. It is thirty-seven miles long and iVoai hall'-a-mile to three miles wide, Avith an area of sixty-four s(iiiMr(' miles. Around its shores are inrests of llnc^ timber, indicative of a fertile soil. (Jreat (rander Lake is thirty-tlu'cc^ mih's in len;.!tli. with an avera^'e width of two miles, and t-overs an areii of forty-fotu' s(|uar(> miles. Its banks, and that of (he (laiulcr Iiiver which Hows through it, pri.-'ut innnens(> (i-acts of the finest agrit'ultural and timber lands in the island. Deer Lake, tliiough which the Ilumber Hows, is l.ui ten feet above the high- tide le\(d, and has an area of twenty-four stjuare miles. Tin' hiMil aroiuid it is fertile in the high(>st degree. Sandy Lake ^'ictol'ia, Hind's, 'i'erra Xova, and Cieorge IV. lakes range next in si/e. As yet the shores of these great lak(>s, the valleys through I : H 1 a ■ ! SITUATIOX, MOUNTAIXS, AND RIVERS. \-2?^ which these noble stroiims How, are absolute solitudes, without a .-single human inhal)itant. The niaguiticont pino forests are left to rot, or perish by tire. The soil is fertile enoujzh to sus- tiiiii many thousands of })eoi)le in comfort, but it is as yet uiitouciied by [)lougli or s[)ade. The " forests primeval " show no clearings won by human industry. All is prifuitive wilder- ness. It may seem sur[)risin<; that such should be the case in an island only tive days' st(!amiiig distance from (Ireat Britain, and with thousands of emigrants passing these shores every day to seek ii home in the far west of America. But it nmst be remembered that until recently th(> very existence of Xew- foundland's fertih; lands and valuable ibrests was unknown. Xow that th(! great revolutionist, ihe railway, is about to render her solitudes accessible, a portion of the great stream of emigration will ere leng be diverte site (if tlic city — Till' Narrows — CliaractiT of the local htiildin^^s — •Tlic new (lock — Water siiiijily — I'rotcctioii against fire — CliurclK'S and cliaitls — (jovLM'miK'iU olKcos ami hanks — I'cjiuilation and its religious dcnoiiiiiia- tions. ■>\ All travellors who visit St. John's admire the strikini; nml |)icturos(|uc approach to the harl)or, and the fine view on ci 111' ni<>' Us waters. I n a lolt V iron-houna coas t, \vl lose tjrun rock- iVown (U'liaucc on the hillows of {\\(\ Atlantic, llierc snddeiilv presents itself to the V()_\au'<'r a narrow o[)enin« \\\ 11 10 roelvv wa !1, as II 1>y some convulsioii of natm-e, the rani])art had )eeii rent astnider, and llie sea had riialied in. liills from live to >i\ hundred t'cel hiuh guard this o|)enin:n' t>" each side, and, as ilic> vi>ss(d jilides throuu'h, the traveller loois.s u[), not without a feel- ing of awe, at the great elills of (hirk-rcid sandstone piled in hroken masses on a foundation of gray slate-roek. On his ri;^iit he sees an almost })er[)endi(ad:n" preei[)ie(\ thr(H' Inuuhvfl ['vv\ in height, ahove which rises, with almost e(]ual st(>epni\ss, tlu^ crest of Signal Hill, live hundred and twenty feet ahove the 1(\. I of the sea, on which stands th(> " iiloek House," for signalling vessels as they ap[)roach tlu^ harhor. On the left hand lli- hill rises still higher I>y a hundred feet, pielures(|ue, lugged. mid hroken. h'rom its hase a rocky [)romontoiy juts out, i'o'ining the entrance of th(> Nari'ows on one side, on tlu suuunil et' which is Fort Amhei'st Lighthouse, where is hetird tlu> hoar-e Atlantic, as the waves break on tiie I'oek-; roar of tin- rest le l)enealli. It is a scene which for gran(h)ur and j.uhlimity i.- not surpassed along the entire American coast. Formiu'Iy hatterie-, tu'ined with lormidahle gnus, rose on(> over the other amid tln' clefts ot' these rocks : hut years au'o the garrison wtis withtreets run, and the city is rapidl}' extending itself in all direc- tions beyond. The facilities for drainage are all that coiiM be :th of the citv, and these ;iiii wi 111' mteivsected by a numl)er ot cross-street f Th rcn'ine tollow the siimosities of the harbor, so that th(\v \\\\\ irregular Mild winding. On the south side the hills s})ring so abru[)tly from the water that only a snllicit-nt site for a range of ware- llOll^c and oil factories could b scoonec d out . I- rom lie le waters of the harbor the city presents a viuy pictures(|i aplu'arance, climbing the slope of the hill, which is crowneil by the Ivomau Catholic cathe(lral, a n()l)le structure, which over- looks the whole. There is ample sjiace in every direction for cNiiausion. Already, on the smnmits overlooking the business jiart of the city, houses of a superior description are erected; nil 1 these will ere long grow into crescents and squares, and »iiii the fashiona])lo (juarters. AVater street, the principal Mi 12G KE WFO UXDLA XD. Nw ii! business street, presents u very sul)stiintial though not h.'ind- some Jippearuuee, the houses l)eing of stone or briek. Shops, stones, luul mercantile counting-houses occu[)y the ground-lloors, \vhii(! the merchants and shopkeepers live in the U])per stories. The lish stores and other warehouses and the whai'ves inojcct from behind, on the side next the h.rljor. ]\Iany of the .-^hojjs p'.f'sent a very handso'.'^ ap; "aM c. In other })art> of the city tiie hous ■ ire '.y-.- i-M- mo.t part built of wood, and many of them are din;, v .•;" 1 .. > imonphux'. Of late years, however, taste has l)een devei>;]iing .;, ? houses have Ikhmi liuilt of a superior description. Gradutdly the wooden building> will l)e re[)laced by houses built on the best models. Increasing wealth and the growth of the middle class will lead to greater regard for appearances. j\Iorc attention will be given to the condition of the streets and sidewalks, now too nuich negleeied ; to the proper lighting and cleansing of the city; and a corpora- tion, the want of which is now felt severely, will take ehaige of all urban matters, and carry out improvements of all kind-. In due \\\\\(\ St. John's will l)e transformed into a hand-uiue city, for the magnihcent site it occupies admits of the introduction of the l)est improvements of modern times. As it is, biir>ines> engi'osses the thoughts of all ; and i)erhaps there are few towns of equal si/e in which so nmch business is transacted and money made in the course of a year. Already the want of more harlior accommodation is felt, and it will soon l)e found necessary to deei)en and extend the Iiar'nir at its western extremity, so as to admit of an increa.-e of wharfage. The want of a graving-dock is at length to be >np- plied. Last session th(! legislature granted a charter to a eoni- [)any who have contracted to Ituild a dry-dock of -ueh dimensions as to be able to receive the largest steamers alloiit. The length of its tloor is to be six hundred feet, (he width iit top one hundred feet, at bottom eighty-three feet, and the depth twenty-six feet. Such a dock will be equal to aiiylhing on this side the Athmtic. The cost is estimated at a milliDii dollars. This great pul»lic work will give an innnense in)pid-c to tiu> business of the port. There are now a fleet of thirty steamers and a lariie number of sailing vessels connected with ST. JOHN'S, THE CAPITAL OF XEWFOUXDLAXD. 127 the port oi" St. John's, tlio l)ulk oi tliem engtirc'd in the seal- tishciy. 'i loir owners will luive the groat iulvuntage of getting ilic re[)airs done on t^'3 N))ot. St. John's 11 - far ont in the Atlantic, p ar th- track of all the great trans-Atlantic lines of jtcaniers .md when the dock is coni[)leied, the jjort will hcconie ■he jii'eat harbor of refn re f' / any that meet with accidents or hoconie from any cause disabled. Hence this dock, capable (»f atcounnodating the largest steamers, is reall5'" of international iini)or<^ancc. On the security of the colony the necessary funds liuve been already obtained, and the work is now well under way. St. John's enjoys t.-3 iiumensc advantage of j^osscssing an abundant supply of the purest water. The terrible tir(!s which devastated the city again and again taught an inipr<>ssive les- son in regard to the importance of a good supply of water as a security against such calamities, to say nothing of sanitary considerations. The cost of the water-works, eoiniiienee(l in 1(S()(), was considerable ; l)ut the saving etfectcd in tlie reduc- tion of insurance rates, ))y the introduction of the water sii})- l)ly, more than covered the city taxation for the payment of the interest on the investment ; while, at the sanu; time, the imblic licallh has been improved, and habits of cleanliness promoted aniouii; the workinix-classes. St. John's is rarelv visited witli cpidenjics, and is one of the healthiest cities on the American side of the Atlantic. The supply of water is obtained from AVindsor Lake, four and a half miles distant from the city, and standing at a height aliovt! it of live hundred feet. Tlu' pressiu'c is thus so great tliat water from the hydrants ean be thrown over the highe-t huildings. In case of fire there is no need of engines, the hose being at once attached to the hydrants, whence water in abun- dance can be poured on tin' eonllagration. The area of the lake is over two square miles, and, wert' it neei'ssary, the flow of a stream which runs out of it could be arrested, and a su[)- ply of water (Mpial to the consumi)tion of a city two or three times as })opul()us as St. John's could l»i' obtaine(l. As it is the supply is abundant, and the consiunption unrestricted. Turco millions of gallons are rim otf dailv in the citv. The water is soft, pure, and excellent for all household purposes. • 12.S XE WFO UXDL A XD. The lake. litis a shingly bottom, i'.nd no mud. Tlicni are in tlic city forty street-fountains, and nearly two thousand scrvicc- pijies. Water from a scvcn-ciirhlh nozzle ean he thrown from a hydrant to a distanee of one hundred and iifty fc^et aloiiLr the street, and to a height of fifty feet against a wall. The lire brigade consists of one IhukU'cmI and ten men, all volunteers. \() fire of any considerable extent has occurnMl since the intro- duction of tlu; water, and few cities enjoy greater securitv against tire, notwithstanding that two-thirds of it consist of woodcMi houses. The water-works have been constructed bv ;i joint-stock company, with a capital of $400,000, the interest on which is guaranteed by government at the rate of five per cent. T!ie water-rates are iixcd so as to metit the interest on tlu; capi- tal stock of the company, togetlusr with the working ex})eiises. The amount of revenue collected annually is $;}3,(!00. The annual working expenses amount to $0,340. Three rates are collected to meet interest and expenses : the lirst, cii freehoM pr()[)erty, for protection against lire ; second, on the o"cui)i('r, which is the consumption rate ; and third on vessels entering the port, five cents per ton once a year, and also twenty cent> per Ion on all coal landed in the town. The rate is moderate. A house, the rent of which is $1()0 per annum, will pa}' as water rate al)out $1S, and others in pro[)ortion. The poorer classes are sup[)lied at public fountains without charge, 'flic business of the water comi)any is conducted by three directors, Avho an; api)ointed by government. The churches in the city arc the Ivoman Catholic Cathedral ; St. Patrick's Church; Church of England Cathedral: St. Thomas and St. Mary's Churches, belonging to the Cliurch of England : Gower Street, George Street, and Cochrane Street (Wesleyan) ; St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church; and the Con- gregational ('liurcli. The most conspicuous building is the Roman Catholic Cathe- dral, occupying a commanding site on the summit of the hill on which the city is built. It is richly ornamented with statu- ary and paintings, and over the gateway and near tlu^ entrance aic some line piectvs of sculpture. The catlunlral is built in the loi'm of a Latin cross, the entire length beiiii; two hundie I ST. JOirX'S, THE CAPITAL OF XEWFOUXDLAXn. 129 iunl tliirty-.scvt'ii fret, and the Icnirth of ti'ansepts ono Imndrcd ;iii;}. .3f*"''-v G0VERN3IENT nOUSK. Anioiiii: llie |)ul)lic luiildinus, (Jovernmcnt House and the Colonial Jiuildinji, or ParlianuMit House, arc the most inipdr- t:inl. Both arc situated on the ],)lateau stretching inland I'idiii the termination of the sloi)ing dtxdivity on which the ni.iiii portion of the city stands. (Government House is a plain. sul)stantial, and spacious building, Avithout any architect iiial pretensions; hut in regai"d and ten feet in length, and cigliiy- eight in breadth, and was erected at a cost of $100,000. Tin' white limestone, of which it is huilt, was imjiortcd from Cork. It has a stone portico, supported by six massive pillars, thirty 'im^ ST. JOHN'S, THE CAPITAL OF XEWFOUXDLAXD. \M tVet liiirli, of the Ionic order, ri's(MnI)liiiir stronirly tlic front of the liritish Museum on u small seale. The foun(hit ion-stone was hiid, in 1847, hy Sir (Jasjiard Le ]Marehant. who was then (iovernor, and it was tirst occupied by the h'h Iloyles, Chief Justice. It was completed and opened in 1S77, the total cost havinu' been $5S,()00. It is owned by a joint-stock company, and is >o well manaijed as to pav a fair dividend to the shareholders. The building comprises a public hall, handsome and well-jiro- jjortioned, in which concerts, lectures, and public meetiniis of all kinds take place, capable of aceonuuodating a thousand liersons ; a reading-room and library, rented by the Athenieiun Literary Institute — the former sui)plied with the leading news- ))ai)('rs and periodicals of liritain and America, and the latter containing live thousand volumes of well-selected books. The Savings-ljank, the oflice of the Surveyor-General, the (Jeologi- cal Survey office, the ofhee of the Cohniial Railway Engineer, are also in the same building. The Athcmeum building is a credit to the city in its ap})earance, external and internal, and serves important purposes of public utility. St. l*atrick's Ilall, lately comideted and oi)ened, is still larger than the Atheuieum Hall, and is a building of noble proportions, .-uh>tantial, handsome in appearance, and admirably arrange(l. The hall occupies the cntii second story, and on the groiuid- ilotu" are the spacious school loonis of the Christian Brother^. in which about four hundred children are receiving an education. The Union and Connuercial Banks are both tine ornamental Iitiildings, and iidmiral)ly adajjted to the j)urposes for which Mich institutions arc designed. The Court-IIouse, Police-Otlice, and Post-Otlicc are under the same roof, and little can b(> said ill connuendation of this buildiiiir. An Act has l)een ]»assed iiulliorizing the erection of a new Bost-Ollice, which is greatly 132 J^'E WFO UNDLAND. m nocdod. Ill addition to the foregoing buildings there ar(^ convents, acadernies, and scliools. The Penitentiary, a solid granite building, and the })ublie hospital, are on the outskirts of the city. Both these institutions are creditably managed, and will compare favorably with those of any of the neighboring colonies. The Lunatic Asylum is a handsome building of brick and stone, possessing a })icturesque and bciiutiful site, about three miles froi-i the city. It is also well arranged and under excellent management. St. John's liMs of late years made respectable progress in manufactures. It has three iron foundries, two well-apjiolnfcd machine shops, a large boot and shoe factory, an extensive furniture factory, two tol)acco factories, soap and candle woiks, u woollen factory, and a tannery. A factory for the manufacture of ropes, twine, nets, seines, etc., is also in course of erection. Now tliut a railway and u dock are going forward, a grcut impulse; will be given to manufacturing industry of all kinds. Since 18156 St. John's has doubled its population, which is now estimated at 30,000, or :i sixth of the entire i)oi)ulati()n of me colony. The last census, taken in 1874, gave the popula- tion of tlie city [)roper as 23,890. The religious denominations of the city then stood as follows : — Roman Catholics Church of E?igland Wesley an Methodists . Prchbyterians Congrcgationalists 15,719 4,r).53 2,3(50 715 437 There were 3,907 inhabited houses, and 4,570 fan\ilies. The city is in latitude 47'^ 33' 33" N., and 52° 45' 10" of west longitude. It is 10° 52' east of Halifax, and stands on the most eastern portion of the .\merican land. Cape Spear, live miles south of St. John's, alone projecting a little farthci towards the Old World. It is a thousand miles nearer England than New York, and but sixteen hundred and forty miles from the Irish coast. avo oli.l s of uiid iviii^ >rkk bout ndcr ^s in intod iisivo orks, c< uro •tion. ;inds. ic'h i-^ on ol' [tula- lions I)" of lis on icar. I'liior jland IV' mi jiii ^1! 11 ! ! I :V* i M ■¥ BAYS AND HARBORS. 1.38 CHAPTER m. BAYS AND HARBORS. St. John's — The Narrows — Round about the isliind — Placentia Bay — Burin and St. Pierre — Fortune Bay — The Ponjiuiii Islands — Cape Ray — On the hanks of Bay St. George — Discovery of lead and other minerals — Marhle lieds in the Humber — The Straits of Belle Isle — The Bay of Notre Dame and Bett's Cove — " The beautiful Conception Bay." The harbor on which St. Johu'.s, the oapiral, is built, is situated in (he centre of the Avalon penin.sula, and is spacious and well sheltered. Leaving the capital for a rapid excursion round the island, in order to form some idea of the bays and harl)()rs, let us turn southward. At the distance of twenty miles from St. John's we pa.ss Bay of Bulls (a corrui)tion, })rol)ably, of the French Bii>/ de Bois, Bay of the Woods), a tine harbor and an impor- tant tishing-station ; and twenty miles farther Ferryland comes ill sight — one of the oldest settlements in the island, founded by Lord Baltimore in 1()23. Here are some ancient ruins and the remains of fortifications. Sixty miles south from St. John's tlic, well-known Cape Race is reached — the south-east point of the island, where the land trends to the westward. The const hevv! i)resents a grim, repulsive aspect, and is associat^'d with many a tale of shipwreck and disaster. St. Shotts, twciity-tivo miles fartlier, is the most dreaded and fatal spot on these shores, where many a gallant ship has met her doom, and many a mariner has gone down "unknellcd, uncotlined, fuid unknown." Tiie cause of nnmy of thesis marine disasters is the indraught of the great bays, and the irregular current and undertow cmised by two tidal waves which are here eonlluent. St. Mary's, the tirst of the great bays, now opens, being twenty'- w r- n. l.'^4 XEWForxnr.AXD. Ml'' five nnlcs wide !it llio nioutli, aiul ninnlni!; tliidy-tivc miles iiiliiiul. Tlio !^i)l(MHli(l iirins of this buy, Salinonior and CoHik t, reach still farther into the laud : and lioro aro soino, of th(> liiu -t >ahn()n tisheries in the country: Avhilc their heavily-tinilicnd shores, Avilh a fertile soil, present most inviting locations for «ttl (>nie'-s. 'repassey, hetwecu exc.'.:< Cai)0 Pi.-o and St. ">rary's i- 111! ♦ Ii'mIhv, and has a pnxhi tive lisliery. St. Mm witli a ic; I alio; ;)f seven hundred, has an e\ten>ive >-Ii"ri (Ki-lislierv, iUiil 1 -o uiewiint of a larmiuu' disti'ict A f! [)a - laru;* • . ih M:uv .p;-'r th<' Itav of riaceulia. ''i<' i-l;;im. It is lil'tv-tive Ulih-s wide ;it th e I'M- 1 1 BAYS AXD HARBORS. 135 IraiH'c, jiiul 1ms a depth of ninety mik'^. Tts fislierios t)t" t-od. Iiciriiiir, :uit. It was Innii' hehl by the Freneh, iind was foun(h'e sea extend inhind several miles heyond the town, fiildinii" jrreatly to the beauty and interest of llu; scenery. It lias a ))o[)ulation of upwards of a thousand. Ihnin, in tin; same hay, occupied hy two thousand three hundred })eople, is situateil on oiu; of the linest landlocked liail)ors in the island. It has (!\ti'nsive lishei'ies, and a lar2"e trade with St. I'ieri'e. Next in position is Fortmie r>ay. which i^ altout twenty-live miles \viay for hait. At Lonir liiiilior, in I'ST-S, some rs'ewfoundlanders interfered with the ii|icrations of a number of American Hshernjen, who were, as ihcy believed, violatinir tiu' local laws in retiard to the time and mode of taking" Iwrrinu'. '!'his petty stpiabltk; was maL;nilie(l into an JMlernational dilKealty. After lenuMhene(l diplomatic coi'res[)()ndoneo, the British (iovei'ument ay^reed to pay £ir).00il as <'omj)ensation for dainau'cs allen'cd to have been sustaine([ by tlic Americans. At the entrance; of Fortune Uay arc; the i wo inlands (»f St. Pierre and Miipielon, ceded by ti'caty to 1*' ranee lor ih(! shelter of their lishernuMi : and now the onlv relics of the \ast possessions onc(; held by France; in North America. I'^oi'tmu; Uay has s(>veral pictures(pie arms, the laru'cst of wiiicli arc I'ay l)"l'>i)oir, ilermitau'i; Iiay, and Connaiirre Hay. i'^rom l''ortiin<' Hay then; is a strai^dit line of coa>t called the " west- ern shore," which is upwards of (ine hundrcil miles in Icuiith. a.hl terminates at Cape Kay. It is indented wiih mnnltcrs of .^niall bays and harbors, the laru'cst beinu' La Folic and Kose lilanclu^ Hays. 'I'here are also numerous clusters of i>lands, >uch as the Fcmi'uin Islands, so calle(l from the multitude of l)irds of that nam*; which wi-re formci'h' seen there, and ihe A: I I ' t ! 'I i\ fi. J (I ' M m •;-rO : IP' - I ■' \ : wamiWWii 13() NE WFO UXDLAND. Burgeo Isliinds, from tlic l:irrivileires secured t(> them here by the treaties of Utrecht, N'ersaille nd Paris. The coast included in ti lese treaties cixtends from Cajx' Ray around the western and nortli- ei'u shores, and termiiuites at Cape John, on the north-east coa^t. It includes the best ])art of the island in regard to M>il, ii; 1(111- climate, timber, coal, marble, and gypsum l>eds. The eiiei of these, treaties, though tlu'y conferred no territorial rights on the b'lench, was virtually to i)revent st^ttlement, as no titles to lands or minerals were granted. Last year these restrict were removed by the British (lovernnu'nt, and now the xi- called Fri'iu'h Shore is as open to settlement as any otlur l)ortion of the island. rl\- 1 )s Fnun Ca[)e Kay to Cape .Vnguille the coast is singula "wild and ui\liospilablc, varied oi\ly l)y Little Harbor, whiel live miles from tlu^ former. The (Jreat and I^ittle Codroy rivers discharge their waters between these two i)oints. They (low through a valley which redeenis t!»e barren ajjpearance nf the shore. It is forty or til'ty miles in length, and for fertility of soil could scarcely \w surpassed. Bay St. (Jeorge, on tlie banks of which two thousand nine hundred persons arc> settli'd, comes next in our survey. It is a noble bay, som<; forty mile-; wide at the mouth, and str(>tehing far inland, with a good harlior at its lu>ad. Around its shores art^ some of the nio-t fi'rtile valKys in tlit» island, but aluK^st without a human iiihalii- tant. Fine forests of timber, and a coal-field of laryfe. extent el' await the hand of industry and enterprise. Lead and otli minerals have been iound here, and also in the piuiinsula ft l'ort-u-l*ort, which extends to the north-west of St. (ieorgeV BAl'S AXD HARDORS. VM IIarl)or, and is joined to the niainlaiid hy a narrow istlinuis called the Gravels. On this side of the island the climate is much superior to that of tiie southern and eastern shores. Fogs arc unknown, and the elfect of easterly winds unfelt. Ijay of Islands (population tifteen hundred) is next met with, having three magnilicent arms running twenty miles inland, one \.-^3Hf?^ IlKTT'S < OVK UAllllOIt, NOTIIK DAME HAY. lit" which receives the lliunhi'r river, the second largest strcaiu in liic island. It i> tlu^ seat of a winter hcrriiig-ti>hery of great \.ilnc, and a place lor the exportation cil" lumber. lv\ten>iv(! iicirhlc l»c(ls arc loinid at the m(»iith of the Ilui.ilicr. As the iiaiuc indicatc>. tlii> hay contains muucrous i>land>. I'xinnc I'MVj t'arthci' north, has two long arm-, connnimicatinu'' with ?f'!N 1'^ i i m i'i. 138 NE WFO VXD LA XD. lakes at some (li>tMiie'C from the coast, by means of their resj)cc- tivo livers. Other hays on this coast ai"o Inii'oniachoix \\\{\\ divided into two arms, in which arc Ilawke's Ilarhor and Port Saunch'rs; St. John's l>ay, which receives tlic waters of Ca^ioi- liiscr, the si/e of wliich is consideraMc for lifteen niiles inland. Alonu' tile Straits of I>ell(! Ishi tlie coast is uniformly strai^^ht, and at some })oints is l)ut niiu; miles distant from the opposite coast of Lahi'ador. Cajx^ Xorman is the nortli-west ])oint of tln^ island, having; on tluj (>ast Pistolet l>:iy. Cajie Banid, with (^uirpon Harbor and Island, is the north-eastern point of Xew- foundiand. Hare Bay is a dee[) and wide ii'uif, reachiny' up more than two-thirds of the whole l)i'eadth of this part of the island, which is veiy narrow, and branchinu' out into arms and l)ays. which are sheltercid by lofty hills. Tlu^ French have numci'ous iishinir I'stablishments on this part of \\w coast. Passinu" (.'aiiai^niti(.eiit l>ay of Xotro Dame now opens up l)efore the ua/e of th(> voyawr aIon<>: the coast. It is more than tiftv mile-; in width at its mouth, and with its numerous arms it rearjics seventy or eighty miles inland. Its shores arc^ now famous as the i^reat copper- 'carinu n^i'Mon. Here are situated Tilt C'ove. wlu're the tirst C(ett"s Cove ^line, the most productive yi>t discovered ; and l^itth; liay ^liiic, which was conunonced in 1H7S, and ap[)ears to bo one of the finest c()[)per mines in llu; world. The whole coast here, for miles iidand, is covered with mining grants and licenses, and mineral indications are met over an extent of country forty or fifty miles in length. Notre Dame Uay contains numerous ishmds, the most iinpdi'- tant being Twillingate Island, whore there is a population of thi'ce thousand engaged in fishing; and Fogo, with a [)oi)ulation of eight hundri'd ; llerring-Xeidi, New AVorld Island, with :t popul.ttioii of one thousand. Coming south, the next lai'go I)ay that claims attention i- IJonavisia, extending from Cai)o Freels to Cape UonaNi-lii, ha\ ing numerous groups of islands, ai'ius, and inh^fs, and pi'i'- sentinu' some of th*^ fines scenerv in the island. The land in many fel'tilc (listric oldc-t of thi tci'U h teen t 77.1 j-.s- Axn /fAnnons. v:,9 iiKiiiy of llu'so isliuids iiiul around llic lu'iid of \\\v hay is v(>ry irrlilc. 'Flu; town of' Ijoiiavista is hcautirully situated in a tViiih' (listi'ict, and lias a population of three thou>anlu'ry, and a poi)ulation of six- teen hundred. Tlic whole population of the hay nuuil)ors thir- teen thousand. COM l:i'TI .N llAY. Catalina is a harhor of refui^e at tho ontranco of Trinity Pia}', a niaii'nitieent sheet of water runniiiLi^up se\'enty or eiLrht_\' miles inland. The town of Trinity lies at the base of Rider's Hill, on niic of th(^ tinest harhoivs in the world. On the south side of tlii> li;iy isihe well-ivnown iiarhor of Heart's ('ontent, where the Atlanlic e:ihles ai'e landed. A ])opnlation of llft(H.'n thousand i> rhi>iefed around the shores ot' Ti'inity l>ay. iJaiidoni Sound and Island, from the fertility of the .soil, will Vet \tv the ii'arden of Newfoundland. I • hi i ! iii'i * ^1 II m ( ■■ ■I . \ 140 XE WFO UXDLA ND. AVe now arrive at the last of the great estuaries, the Itcautil'iil Conreption Bay, the most populous and conimercially inii)ortaiit of all the seats of populuti(ju, containing foity-one tiiousaiul inhabitants, and many thriving towns, villages, and settlements. Harbor Grace, on its northern shore, is the second town in the island, with a fine harbor, a pojjulation of eight thousand, and an extensive trade. Carbonear is a thriving town, with a i)()])u- lation of five thousand. Other towns and villages are Spaniards Bay, Bay Koljerts, Cupids, Port-de-Grave, and Brigus, near which gold has recently been found. Passing Cape St. Francis, at the entrance of Conception Bay, we once more reach .St. Jolni's, twenty miles farther south, after having made a round of tiic island. THE IXTERIOR. 141 CHAPTER IV. THE INTERIOR. TliL' harvest of the sea — Tlie Goofjraphical Survey — Vast tracts if country still unexplored — An adventurous traveller — First iinpressionis of u new coun- try — Cormack's description of the new-found country — Extinction of the aboriginal Indians — Abundance of game — IJeaver and venison — A paradise for tlie sportsman — A vast gracing country — A friendly Mountaineer — Tho island crossed from east to west. The scats of population, it will be noticed, are all situated on the various bays and harbors, and the whole of the inhal)itants are sprinkled round the sea margin. There are no seitlcmcnts in the interior or at any distance from the sea-coast. Along the roads coimecting the ditfercnt settlements are farm-houses and cottages at intervals, and a small portion of tho soil is cleared and cultivated. On the harvest of the sea, however, tho great bulk of the people are dependent for their subsistence. The sea is their bountiful mother, by whom they are clothed and fed. It is also the grave of many of their kindred. Tales of wreck and disaster form no small part of the fishermen's talk around the winter's hearth. The geological survey has now been going on for seventeen years, so that Newfoundland is no longer the terra incognita it once was. Largo sections of it have been carefully explored I'V !?cientitic men, and the information they have aocumiil.it (mI, And which was long neglected l)eeause buried in their reports, has now been to some extent popularized and dilfused. The survey has been conducted along the line of ill tlu' great rivers and lakes, and many of the smaller; around the shores of the bays, and among some of the island groups. Special attention has Iteun given to the extent of land suital)le for cultivation, and to ihc mineral and forest wealth of the country. Invaluable addi- tions to our knowledge of tho island have been made by the ■■ 1 , .(, 1 \ , 1 1 ' i "'■ } , I I' •<> "!i l»i ,i imm m l:ri! IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) A 1.0 I.I 1.25 ■ 43 110 1^ m m 1^ 1^ ^ us. 12.0 1.8 U llllii.6 V] V] ■^> > :> ^^ c? ^;. / /A Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. 14580 (716) 872-4S03 ■ I'- 142 NEWFOUNDLAND. geological survey, and the iiif'onnatiou thus gathered is tlioi-- oughly Irustwoi'thy. Still it is true that a vast rxtent of the interior, at a distaiito from the shores, and from the great lakes and rivers, is yet unexplored; and what this may contain of good soil or of mineral treasure has yet to l)c determined. ]Much is known, hut far more is still unknown. An adventurous traveller, Mr. Cormack,a Scotchman, crossed the island in 1S22 (accompanied by a single Micmac Indian) from the head of Trinity Bay in the cast, to St. George's Bay in the west. He was a man of ahility and education. The narrative of his journey throws nuicli lii;lit on the condition of the interior proper. According to lijs account the lirst portion of his journey lay through dcnso forests of i)in{!, spruce, l)irch, and larch, and proved lo he a uniform ascent, till at length he rejiched the sunnnit of :in elevated ridge, which served as a harrier Uetween the sea and the interior. From this summit the vast and mysterious interior, on which the eyes of a white man had never heforc ijazed, broke on the vi(!\v of the traveller in all its mairniticence. He describes the sight as grand and almost overi)()\veiing. Far as the eye could reach a vast basin spread out in a suc- cession of green plains, marbled with woods and lakes of every form and extent. It must have been a rapturous momiMit for the traveller, more than enough to repay him for all his toils and dangers, when his eyes tirst wandered over this expanse, untrodden by tlu' foot of man, now for the tirst time disclosed in its beauty and sublimity to an appreciative observer, it carried the mind biick to the ages when primeval man look j)ossession of his fair heritag(! and gazed with wonder and worship on the green earth and its glorious canopy of liulit and blue. How diU'erent from the picture which Ignorance and Prejudice had so long been i)ainting for us, on platform-;, in despatches, and in newspapers 1 Instead of imi)assal»lo morasses, grim rocks, stunted woods, scowling deserts, a scene of striking beauty and mysterious grandeur met the eye. 'llio soft breezes came laden with the scent of the wild llowers. The great plain Avas alive with a vast variety of birds and beasts, whose movements gave animation to the landscape, and Tin: IXTERIOR. 1 \:. whoso tiiinonoss showed how innocent they were of the desiurns of man tlu? hunter. North and south, in unihdatinir beds, stretched the vast savannas, hd;es, brooks, and skh-tin;Lr woods, oiviuir varietv to the scene. Here and there, for niori' than ten niiU's, a yenow-en, like a vast net-work, seainin;; the surface in all directions. The courajie of the adventurous traveller rose, and a passionate lonjjjin<; to |)euetrate till" unknown land took possession of him. "A new world." he wrote, " seeme(I to invite us onward, or rather we claimed the dominion and were imi)atient to take i)ossession. Fancy carried us swiftly across the Island. Obstacles of all kinds were dispelled and desi)ised. It was manifest on every hand tlial this was the season of the year when the earth here oilers licr stores of productions. Land-berries were ripenini>", irame- hirds were ilediriuii-, and beasts were emerging to prey on each other. Everything animate and inanimate secm(>d to lie our own. There was no will but ours. Thoughts of the aborigines (lid not alt(U" (»ur determination to meet them, as well as everything living that might i)resent its(df in a country yet uiitrod(U'n and before unseen by civilized man. I now adopted, as well for self-[)reservation as for the sake of accomplishing the object of my excursion, the self-dei)eudent mode of life of the Indian, both in s[)irit and action." Descending from this mountainous belt which encircles the const, Cormack entered this open interior, which he found to he level plains or savannas, composed of tine black compact l)eal-moidd, fornu'd by the growth and decay of mosses, and covered for the most part with wiry grass. He descrilx's these savannas as being in reality " magniticent natural deer-parks, iidorni'd bv woods and water. The trees hen; sometimes yrow t(» a considerable size, particularly the larch; birch is also fonunoii. The deer-paths are countless, trending from paik to park through the intervening woods, in lines as established and di'ep-l)eatcn as cattle-paths on an old grazing farm. It is iini)ossihle to (h^scribe the grandeur and richness of the scenery, which will probably long remain undefuced by the hand of If.- f! ^ ii • 1 HI 1 I II 1 j ^ ■ 1 ' li 1 1 ' T f [ t i 1 .. '1 ; 1 M 111 i 1 144 NEWFOUNDLAND. man." Not a trace of the Red Indians was found on the whole route. The ahorighials are long since extinct. It took the traveller a month to cross this savanna country, which was about one hundred and fifty miles in breadth, the length being miknown. The progress was slow, as, in order to examine the country, he did not follow a direct course, while to find game, and to get round the extremities of woods and lakes, he had frequently to adopt a circuitous course. There Avas no deficiency of game — deer, beaver, geese, ducks, and trout from the ponds and brooks constituted their food. Wild berries in great variety were in prodigal abundance. ( or- mack says that for the first ten days after the stock of bread lie carried was exhausted, ho felt a longing for it, but after that did not miss it. The venison he found excellent, the fat upon the haunches being oiten two inches in thickness. He had no trouble in supplying himself with deer's flesh. "The leading stag of a herd," .says C'ormack, "is generally the fattest. He is as tall as a horse, ajid must sometimes be shot at full speed, sometimes by suri)rise. The ball having })ierced hiui he bounds, gallops, canters, falters, stands, tosses his antlers, his sinewy limbs (juiver, unwillingly bend, and he stretches out his graceful corpse. Should the ball have passed through his heart he falls at once, probabl}'^ balanced on all-fours. There is regret as well as triumph in taking possession of the noble vancjuished." Beavers were found in great abundance, also black ducks, the finest of table-birds. So unsophisticated were the trout from their being unacquainted with man that they took the artificial fly merely by holding out the line in the liainl without a rod. " No country in the world," says the traveller, "can afford finer sport than the interior of this island in the midst of Augu.st and September. The beasts of the chase are of a large chiss, and the cover for all game excellent." Here is a new and boundless hunting-ground for sportsmen when the railway has pierced these solitudes and rendered this savannii country, with its abun(huice of game, accessible. The countless deer-paths proved that the whole of tin? interior is amply stocked with caribou, which migrate to the north-west in spring, returning to the south on the approach of THE INTERIOR. U5 winter. No such herds of reindeer fire to be met with in any part of continental America. It is not uncommon to meet with specimens weigliing six and even seven hundred pounds. Were these reindeer utilized, as in Norway and Laphuid, vast benefits might be realized. They arc easily tamed when young, and could be conducted from pasture to pasture, by (jualitied herdsmen. There can be no doubt that this savanna soil could be reclaimed by drainage and tilling, so as to yield green crops, — a process which has been carried out in Scotland and other countries. A vast grazing country, it may be safely predicted, will one day be found wliere now these deer solitudes extend. The climate is far superior to that of th(^ regions along the eastern shores. Fogs are rare, and the summer warmth is delightful. During the two months he spent ia the interior, Cormack mentions that there were l)ut eight rainy days, four foggy, and forty-one bright days. The prevailing wands were westerly; frosts did not set in till the second week of October. When near the centre of the island, one hundred and twenty miles inland from the head of Trinity liay, and after crossing about ninety miles of the savanna country, Cormack and his Indian were fortunate enough to meet, in those solitudes, with a mountaineer Indian, from Labrador, who was out on a hunting excursion. The mountaiwcer, who was accompanied by his wife only, had erected his wigwam on a small island in a lak(>, nine miles in length, called by the Indians Crooked Lake, but which Cormack named Jameson Lake, after Professor Jameson, of Kdinburgh. Observing, to his great delight, a slender white I'ohnnn of smoke on this island, an indication of hiunan beings, Cormack tired his gun, and prescMitly another gun was heard in reply. "Soon afterwards," .says Cormack, "to my great delight , tliere appeared among some woody islets in front, which pre- ebided the view of the other side of the lake, a small canoe with a man seated in the stern, paddling softly toward us, with nil air of serenity and indei)endence possessed oidy by the Indian. Altera brotherly salutation with me, and the two Indians kissing each other, the hunter proved to l>c unable to speak English or French. Thoy, however, soon understood one another, for the f ■■ i Ik; ' :i I ! : ( 140 XE WFO UNDLA Nl). tt slriiiiL'iT, iilthoiiirli !i inountaiiioor from Labrador, could spcnk a littlo of tlio Micniac laniruaire, his wifii bciiiir a Micmac. This was his second year iti Newfoundland, his only companion hcinir his wife. He invited us over with him in his canoe, to rest :i day at his camp (where, he said, he had plenty of venisonj wjiich was readily airreed to on my part. "The island on which the mountaineer'.s camp Avas lay aliout three miles distant. The varvinir scenerv, as we i)a(l(ll(kins sewed toirother and stretched on it. nearly of the usual form of canoes, with a bar or beam across the middle, and one on each end to strenirthen it. The skin covering, llc-li side out, was fastened or laced to the gunwales, with thongs of the same material. Owing to decay and wear, it re(juires to be renewed once in from six to twelve weeks. It is in those tciii- })()rary barks that the Indians of Newfoundland of the ])rcs(iit (lay navigate the lakes and rivers of the interior. They an' easily carried, owing to their lightness, across the ])ortages, from one water to another, and, when damaged, easily repiiind. "His wiijwam was situated in the centre of a wooded islet. ;it which we arrived before sunset. The apj)roach from the land- ing-place was by a mossy carpeted avemu\ formed b}- the ti'ees having been cut down in that direction for tirewood. The sight of a tire not of our own kitidling, of which we were to i)artake. ser, the host the chase could furnish, was soon set Ix'fore us on sheets of hirch-rind. Thev told me ' to make their cami) mv own, and use evervthini; in it as such.' Kindness so elegantly tendiuvd 1)}' these })eoj)le of Nature, in their solitude, conmienced to soften those feelings which had heen fortilied airainst receiviuir anv comfort except tiiat of my own administering. The excellence of the venison and of young beavers could not he surpassed. A cake of hard deer's fat, with scraps of suet toasted brown intermixed, was eaten with the meat ; soup was the drink. Our hostess, after supi)(M*, sang several Indian songs at my recjuest. They were plaintive and sung in a high key. The song of a female, and her contentment in this remote and secluded spot, exhil)itcd the wonderful diversity there is in human natiu'c. My Indian enter- tained them incessantly until nearly daylight with stories aI)out what he had seen in St. John's. Our toils wen; for the time for- gotten. The mountaineer had occui)ied his camp for about two weeks : deer being very plentiful all around the lake. His larder, which was a kind of shed erected on the rock}' shore for the sake of. I free circulation of air, was, in reality, a well-stocked Itutcher's stall containing parts of some half-dozen fat deer, also the car- casses of beavers, of otters, of nuisk-rats, and of mai'tens, all methodically laid out. His j)roperty consisted of two guns and ainmunition, an axe, some good (adinary utensils of iron and till. I»laidcets, an apartment of dried a-coast. consisting of those of he.iver, otter, marten, nmsk-rat and deer — the last dried and tlie hair otf ; also a stock of dried venison in bundles. Animal llesh of every kind, in steaks, without salt, smoke-dried on the tire for forty-eight hours, becomes nearly as light and ])orta- ld us from his cunoo on the south shore of the lake, and we took W 'A I i 148 NE WFO UXDLAXD. our departure for the west coast along the south side. Truly could this man proclaim : " I'm monarch of all I survey; My right there is none to dispute ; From the centre all round to the sea I'm lord of the fowl and tiie brute." One more feature of the interior, as described ])y Connack, deserves notice. After nearly a month's travel over the savanna country, the traveller reached a hilly ridge to the westward, which he named Jameson's INIountains. This ridge proved to be a serpentine dei)oslt, including a variety of rocks, all lying in nearly vertical strata alternating. " The mincralogical a[)- pearances," sa^'s Corniack, " were altogether so singular that I rc-olvcd to stop a day or two to examine them. All the highest parts of the ridge were formed of this metalline rock. and were extremely sterile. The other rocks were noble ser- pentine, var^'ing in color from a black-green to a yellow, and from translucent to semi-transparent, in strata nearly a yard wide ; steatite, or soapstone ; verde antique ; diallage ; and various other magnesian rocks. Sterile red earthy patches, entirelv destitute of veijetation, were here and there on inul adjacent to the ridge ; and on these lay heaps of loose iVair- ments of asbestos, roekwood, rockhorn, and stones, light in the hand, resembling burnt clay, cum multis (diis, the whole having the appearance of heaps ot rubbish from a pottery, l»ut evidently detached from adjacent strata and veins. I could not divest myself of the feeling that we were in the vicinity of an' extinct volcano." This range is about twelve hundred feet above the Icvid of the sea. The serpentine deposits of which they are formed separate the low slate country, covered with savannas, tlironi;h which the granitic rocks occasionally peep in the east, iVoni a high granitic country that appears in the west. This spread of seri)entine, which Cormack describes, is highly important. because it is in this formation that copper ore is found in tiii- island, and wherever it comes to the surface copper ore may he looked for with a probability of success. This seri)entiiie, TUE INTERIOR. 149 therefore, in the centre of the island, which occurs again in Ray of Ishinds and Bonne Bay, may on examination l)e found metalliferous; and corroborates the opinion that the serpontine rocks from Notre Dame Bay run across the island, coming to the surface at intervals, the strike being south-westerly. After crossing the granitic country at the west the daring traveller with great difficulty, and amid many i)erils and hanl- ?.hips, reached St. George's Bay, both he and the Indian Ix'ing in the last stage of exhaustion. Ilis l)old achievement of crossing the island from east to west at its broadest part, with only his gun to depend on, has never been repeated since. To him we are indebted for all we know refjardinj? the central interior. His journey from Trinity Bay to St. George's Bay occupied a little over two months. Ills success, he says, was in pail owing to the smallncss of his party. "Many together could not so easily have sustained themselves. The toil and privations were such that hired men or followers of any class would not have endured them." TT «(. .K; i l'» :m 'if'.,: i! ^ 150 NE WFO UNDLAND. CHAPTER V GKOLOGV. JukoH, L()f,'an, and Murray — Ei;ihti>oii years of survoyin^ — Coal (K'ii()>:its — "Till' CiiK'bi'c uroup" — TIk- firi'at nncu'iit rook sy.stcms ri'iircsviitcil in Nc'wfoitiiiUand — More than half the islivml foiinil to l)e Laurentiaii, ami \\w liiirhest series of rocks carboniferous — (Jeolo^^ical deinonstrations of tin- caiiatity of the country to sustain a large population. TiiK lato J. B. Jiikos, wlio was for many years at the head of the Irish j^cological survey, was the first scientist who \v;i> enii)h)ye(l to exainiiu; the f;coh)<;ic'al structure of the islaml. AVhen a yoinig man he s|)ent the year 1840 in ex[)h)riiiir tjie coimtry, havinii l»een eniraired l>y tlu; jrovernment lor ihat })ur[)ose. In sin'h a short time, and havinuj jxreat disadvanlauis to contend with, he could accomplish hut little. His work. however, was far from heiuir fruitle; He puhlished, in two volui ne tU account of hi.> CXI ilorat ions, w .hich luiililv interest inic in many respects, and thouirh the result of a short and superficial siu'vey. and its information imperfect and fre(|ucMtly erroneous, it can still he read with pleasm-e and profit. Mr. Jukes's work had the elTcct of drawing attention to ihe islaml, and proved to be the prclimintu-y ste[) to a thorough geological survev at a later date. In the year 1S(;4 the govermnent of Newfoundland took up the suhjcct of a survc}' of the island, and opened a correspoiul- ence with Sir William Logan, who had been long engaged on the li'eoiouical survev of Canada. The result was the appuiiil- ment of Mr. Alexander Murray, C.M.(f., F.G.S., to take charge of tlu> im|)ortant work. He had been for twcntv vcar> a colleague of Sir William Logan in the Canadian survey, and was stronuly reconunench'd by him as an able and experienced geologist. The result has amply justified the high opinion Sir William had formed of his qualifications. Mr. Murray has now GEOLOGY. \')\ jjpent eighteen years in the work, aided, during the hist ye are mainly indebted tor that reliabU; information regarding the agrieuhural and mineral resourees, and the forest wealth of tin; island which has entirely reyolutioni/ed peojjle's views on these points, and is now leading to enterprise and the application of eajjital with a view to tlu; colonization of the country and the deyelop- uient of its great natui'al capabilities, Mr. Murray's reports liiive been colh^ctcd and reprinted in a handsome volume,' and those who wish to obtain accurate information regarding the geology of the island and its character as a lield for colonization, will lind iu this I)ook the results of patient scientitic observations extending over many years. AVe are indebted to his work for the t'oUowing sketch of the geology of the island. For ol)yious reasons minute scientitic details are avoided, and only the general outlines are indicated. .V geological survey is something more than a purely scientitic study of the various formations of a country. It has a [)racti('al Itearing, and is (h'signe(l to throw light on its economics, jukI to determine whether beneath its surface mineral treasures, coal, marble, gypsum, or otluir materials of vahu; may be searched for with a probability of success, and in what (juarters. Jt al^o takes co*> desc-eiuliiii; order of the different .scries tluit have l)een vcc'oiiiiized : — Carhoiiiferoiiti : Coal measures. Millstone grit. Carboniferous limestone, Gypsum, Conglomerate. Devonian : Gaspe sandstones, etc. Middle Silurian: Clinton. Medina. Loicer Silurian: (Trenton group.) Hudson River. Utica. Trenton. Bird's-eye and Black llivjcr. (Quebec group.) Serpentines, Chlorite slates, Diorites, etc. Sillery sandstone. Levis. Calciforous. Potsdam. Primordial. Iluronian: lluronian. Laurentian: Upper and Lower Laurentian. The Laurentian system has an immense spread in the island. It constitutes the principal mountain ranges, coming to the surface through the more recent deposits, on the axes of anticlinal limes, or brought up l)y great dislocations, mo.st of i : j: i w lo4 NEWFOUNDLAND. wliifh trend nearly pariillcl with each other in ji general hcaiim of ahout N.X.E. and S.S.AV. The Lanrentian gneiss of the :i a Lonjj^ llange, on the western .side of tlu^ island, extend- nearly straight eonrse from ('ai)e Kay to the head-waters of ih,- (astor on the gn^at northern peninsnla. On the sonth-wot extremity of the island these roeUs oeenjn' the eoast i'rom ( aiu" Ivay to La Poile. They are largely exhibited on the (iraiid Lake, miming in a ^[)ur from the Long Range, between it jiiid the Ked Indian Lake, and hearing for the sonth-easteni ^Ikuc-; of Hall's liay. IMie eentral [jorlion of the northern |)eii;ii-iila is Lanrentian, whieh also s[)reads over a wide ex})anse of eouni in- between Grand Lake and the Ilumber and l<]x[)loils Rivers. mihI shows itself on the coas*^ between Canada Uay and AN'hitc IViy. Another range of Lanrentian eomes np in the distriet of I'l rry- land, and shows itself oeeasionallv on the eoast betw-ca Ilolyrood and Manntjl'.- River in C"onee[)tion Bay. Thu> more than half of the island is Lanrentian. Three-fonrths of the peninsnla of Avalon are Iluroiiiaii (e(piivalent to the Cambria!, of Kiiglish geologists), a fonniition whieh does not extend west of l'\)rtnne Uay. The Ilnmiiiaii here consists of a set of slates with conglomerate baii(l>, diorites, (]nart/ites, and alternating grt-en and reddish hard silieions and clay slates, snrmonn'.ed by a great mass of tli bedded green and re(l sandstones, the lattiu" passing int moderately coarse conglomerate, uitli many jjebbles ol' v^^A jas[)er at the top. Thes(> are tlu^ " Lower Slates"' and " Si;:iial Hill sandstones" of .Inkes. The\ oeenpy bv far the mcatci portion of the whole peninsnla of Avalon. "The town (tt'St. John's, and in fact nearly all the settlements between Foi'tiiiic ]5ay on the sonth and lionaN ista Hay on the east, are bnilt ujioii this formation." Signal Hill, overlooking the harbor of Si. John's, is capped with the sandstone of the llnronian formation, which is largtdy nsed for building purposes. Veins of wliite (juart/ are abundant, and in many instances ar(> impregnated with ores of eop[)er, lead, or iron; but, with th(> (>xcei)lioii of the lead ore, these ha\e not hitluM'to given nmch [)romise of economic importance. Still it is (juitc; jjossible e\- o a that a more extended research may lind deposits of minerals of great \aliu) GEOLOGY. 155 ill these rocks. The whole Iluronian system is not loss than ten thousiuid foot thick, juid has heiMi cut thromjli by (Icnuda- tion to the Laurentian tloor upon which it has been l)i'i'^. The rocks of the Primordial Silurian a^re are spread unconlormaMy own" the urea th us urounti 1 d. )\vn. These evidences of (IcMudation and reconstruction an; very clear in Conce[>ti(tn l>ay, where the rocks of the iiitcrmediarv svstem have ix'cn uround down to the Laurentian ;j:neiss, and sulise(|uently the suhniariiu; Viilley thus formed has been tilled up with a new set of sedi- ments, the remains of which are still to be found skirt inj; the shores of the bay and forminii: the islands in its midst. Kei^ardinji^ the spread of rocks of the Silurian age the most extensive is on the })eninsula of Cape St. Mary's, on tlie west side, and around the head of Trinity Bay. These; bidonii' to the Piiniordiai Silurian grou[). The same rocks eomc; out on some of the headlands of Conception Hay and form the islands of that bay. The lower Silurian rocks have a lari^e development, and it is in these that the nu^tallic ores (x'cur which seem destinetl to render the island a great mining centre, 'i'his formation is largely devi!lo[)e(l on the western side of the ishmd, the; great northern peninsula, the i)eninsula of Port-a-1'ort, and other regions. 'J'he Lauzon division of the (^luibcn; group, wliich is the true metallilerous /.cwv of North .Anierlea, has an ;:nmenso sjiread in the island. Mr. llowh'V, assistant geologist, says of this formation : " It comes in at Ululf Head, on the east side of I'ort-a-1'ort l)ay,an(l has a considerable extent between tiiere and the I lumber Arm, Bay of I.--l;uids. TIk? entire western oast from this b; ly to its \\i )rthern limit, the whole of the MDi'tli coast and the casteu'ii coast of tiie northern poninsala. as l';u' south as Canada Bay, is occupied by tiie sami; series, ihc! L;ui/.on elivision Ixiing well dis[)layeil in many parls of their distribution, espo^'ially lu'ar Ilonne Biy, Pisiolet Bay, and at the lu'ad of Hare Bay. A small portion of tlu; series i-omes in oil the west side of White Bay, in Bay \'ert, around the shores (if Xotrc; Dame Bay, and in many of the islands of that bay; the Laiizou division, in partie'ular, is very largely displayed lit re. Rocks having all the characteristics of this latter division Were reco^fuized on the (iande • Lake in iirreat volume, and .1 156 NE WFOUXDLAND. agiii.i on the head of the Bay East River; ai)d there is reason to believe they occupy the most of the intervening country hetween these two latter localities. The Lauzon division of the Quebec group, consisting of serpentine rocks associated uith dolomites, diorites, etc., is well known throughout Xoitli America to be usually more or less metalliferous, and in this res[)ect the Xewfoundland rocks are no exception, but, on the contrary, give evidence of being rich in metallic onis. Ileiicc it is only reasonable to infer the pro1)ability that many parts of the island are destined to become important mining centres." The middle Silurian division of rocks is also widely spread ; and the most fertile belts of land and the most valuable forests are nearly all situated on the country occupied by this formation. The great valley of tin; Exploits and Victoria Rivers, the valley of the Gander, the country around Gander Lake, and several smaller tracts, belong to the Middle Silurian formation. The carboniferous series, in which the coal-beds are to ho found, occuj)ies a large area on the western side of the island, in the neighborhood of St. George's Bay and Grand Lake. Tluu'e is a section of the carboniferous strata between Cape Anguille and the Little Codroy River of about three thousiuid feet in thickness ; but it belongs to the lower and middle i)urt of the series, and contains no workable seams of coal. \\\\i higher measures, containing several workable coal-seams, whose extent is not yet determined, occupy all the country on the south-east side of St. George's Bay, between the Long Range Mountains and the sea, "extending in its line of strike from the mouths of the Codroy Rivers to Flat Bay." This is the true coal area of the island, and the results of explorations here will be described in the chapter on the mineral resouires of the island. On the north side of St. George's Bay there are two smaller troughs of the Carboniferous rocks. A mui-h wider spread of the same series occurs along the valley of the lluniher River, around the shores of Deer Lake, the eastern half of Grand Lake, and as far as Sandy Lake. "Coal," says Mr. Howley, " is known to exist at several places in this seri(>s ; and seams apparently of workable thickness, judging from t!io ifi GEOLOGY. 157 outcrops, occur on the ^Middle Burachois, and Kol)ins()n's Brooks, in St. George's Bay. It may also he reasonaI)Iy ex- pected in some parts of the Ilunihor River trough. The best land and the tinest part of the country will be found supported bv the rocks of the Carboniferous aw." It will thus l)c seen, from the geological record, that the highest series of rocks in the island is the Carboniferous, and tiiat this is contined to the western side ; while the middle, eastern, and southern portions are occupied by Silurian, Iluronian, and Laurentian formations. On this point Mr. ^lurray remarks : " It would appear that while the ancient Laurentian continent was long submerged on the eastern side of the island, on which the intermediate system was deposited, it was not until towards the Primordial, or perhaps the Potsdam epoch, that it began to subside on the western side ; and these subsidences must have continued, with many intermediate oscillations and interruptions, until a comparatively late date in the CarI)oniferous era." The geological structure of Xowfoundland, as shown in the foregoing brief sketch, presents us with a country admirably adapted to sustain a large population engaged in a great variety of pursuits. The encompassing seas contain the largest and best fishing-banks in the world, abounding in cod, herring, etc. ; in the rivers and estuaries salmon and herring fisheries are carried on with success. These fisheries an; now the principal means of su[)port for the present popula- tion of Newfoundland, amounting to about 185,000. Hut the character of the island, geologically, shows that it is fitted to sustain a very largo agricidtural population ; that many thousands might bo employed in lumbering and ship-building; and that its undeveloped mineral wealth is such that a vast number will probably one day be employed in working its mines. In connection with the geology of the country it may be nu'Mlion(>d that a great dislocation, or fault, has been found, ruiuiiug in nearly a straight lino from near Capo Kay to White Bay. t' • \- H " !" !i 'I :l •! 158 NE WFO UN D LAND. CHAPTER VI. CLIMATE. Poiiiilar fictions —The Gulf Stream and tht- Arctic current — Fuss almost unknown in the interior — Compared with Canada and the United States — Mete<)roloi,'ieal observations — Averajje temperature and rainfall — ■• A silver thaw" — The robustness of tiie people quoted by authorities in favnr of till' climate. Ei!I!Om:oi:s idoiis rcixtirdi'isx tho cUmate of NcwfoiindlMiid liavc IxHMi (initc as prevalent as the delusions in reference to its soil. These mistakes are not dilleidt to siceount foi . The climate of the lianks of Newfoundland, a himdred miles distant from the shore, and of the southern and south-eastern seal)()anl whieli are all'eeted by the .sea fogs, litis been tid\en by voyji<>ei's or etisuid visitors sis indicative of tlu; climate of the wiiolc island. Ilenco it has been concluded thiit the coimtrv is eiweloped in almost perpetutil fojjs in smnmer ; tuid, on tlu' other hiuid, tin impression litis i^rown up tluit it is iriven over to intense cold tmd a sucetvssion of snow-storms in wint er, The Arctic current, rushiiiijf out of Dtivis Straits, washes the etislern shores of Newfoundltind, and in sprin' in its southerly course the waiiu waters of the (lulf Strciim the Arctic current mi.xes with the ated river m tl le ocefin tint I tl lus enormous masse vai)or are ti'c'iierated. This is the cause of the fojxs whicli in summer fre(|uently overhanir the btinks where this "meetinir et' the Witters" oct irs. When southerly, or south-eiisterly wiiids ])low, the fouf is rolled in on the southern tind south-eastern shoi'es of the island, cov(>rinu" the bays, creeks, tind hetidlainls with ii thick curtain of vapor. Tho fog seldom penelnites far CLIMATE. 159 iiilaiul. Ilenco the saj'ing of the fislionnon that " the land cats up tlio fog." While the coasts arc sjiroudcd in vapor the sun i-; shiniiii; brightly inland, and the atni()s[)hcre is dry and halmy. It not unfrc(iuently happens that at St. John's a darU uall of fog is visible a few miles out at sea while sunshine and genial weather prevail on shore, and during southerly wiiiay is comparatively clear. The fogs are thus but })artial in their iiitlueucc, being confined to the southern and south-eastern shores and bays. On the western shore, after (^ii)e Ray is passed, fogs are almost unknown. The same holds good of the northern and north-eastern coasts, as far south as IJonavista l);iy. In his journey across the interior Cormack exi)erienced hut four foggy and drizzly days during two months ; forty-one were briij^ht and onlv eii::ht rainy davs. ]\Ir. Ilowlev, assistant geologist, says : "I myself s})ent four months during the i)ast season in the interior without experiencing a genuine foggy (lay, until reaching within twenty miles of the southern side ot" tlu! island. Durinjj^ the entire months of Julv and August the weather in the interior was delightful, while fogs pnjvailed at the same time along the southern shore." It must also be remembered that it is only during a portion of the year, and when certain winds blow, that the fogs engen- dorcd on the Bank are wafted shorewards. During three-fourths of the year the westerly winds carry the vajxu's across the Atlantic, and the British Isles get the benefit of their moisture. In winter there is little fog on the banks, as the Arctic current then is stronger, and j)ushes the Gulf Stream more to the south; while in sununer tlu> latter si)roads its warm waters nearer the shores of tlu; island, aiul thus creates the huge vohunes of vapor which often envelop both sea aiul shore. Howevi'r uni)leasant and gloomy these fogs may be, it nmst he remembered that they are not prejudicial to health. Taken as a whole the climate of the island is more temperate and more favorable to health than that of the neighltoi'lng continent. The fierce summer heats of Canada and the United • 1M 1 ft^^ !| 1 : ! 1 , .i] "Sffr f" i >f ^ ' 1 11. 1 :!' 1 i ■ i Itljfl ( • ^ 'iiit> 160 NE WFO UNDLAND. States, and the intense cold of their winters, are unknown in Newfoundland. It is but rarely, and then only for a few hours, that the thermometer sinks below zero in winter ; while the sununer range rarely exceeds eighty degrees, and for the ni()>t part does not rise above sev^enty. Like all insular climates, that of Newfoundland is variable, and subject to sudden cluuiircs. The Arctic current exerts an unfavorable influence along the eastern coast; but as a compensation, it brings with it the enormous wealth of cod and seals which has rendered the fisheries the most productive in the world. Only in cold water are cod and seals at home and abundant. The Gulf Stream, which creates the fogs, modifies the cold ; and, if it darkens tlu; skies, it paints the cheeks of the people with the ros} hues ot" health. The salubrity of the climate is evidenced l)y the robust, healthy appearance of the people. Their clothing in winter does not require to be mroh warmer than that Avorn in Britain at the same season of the year. Open fireplaces arc sufficient to warm the houses, and free exercise in the open air is attainable at ail seasons. The following extracts from a table showing the averai^i; uf certain meteorological quantities for a period of eight years, from 1857 to 18G4 inclusive, will furnish reliable data regarding the climate. The observations were taken by Mr. E. 'SI. J. Delar.y, C.E., at St. John's: — Year. 1857 . 1858 . 1859 . 18G0 . 1861 . 1862 . 1863 . 1864 . Average mean temperature for eight years, 41*2 degrees. Average height of barometer for eight years, 29*37 inches. The average maximum height of the thermometer for the eight years was 83 degrees ; the minimum, 7 degrees. The Mean temperature for year. Menu liciulit of baroiiulcr for viar. 42 degrees . . 29-31 inches. 41 . 29-5 44 . 29-79 41 . 20-60 • <( 40 . 29-40 41 . 20-50 44 . 29-60 37 . 29-40 i ' f h CLIMATE. IGl avorage number of days on which rain foil durinij tho cii^ht years was 105-07. Tho highest range of the thernionieter was on July 27, 1857, when it reached 8!J degrees ; the lowest was on February 11, 1858, when it marked 2 degrees. The observations taken in 1879 trave the followinir results : — Mean temperature for year . Absolute maximum temperature . Absolute minimum temperature . Highest temperature, August 3d . Lowest temperature, December 22d ^lean height of barometer for year 40-2 degrees. 61-1 '" 21-4 82-0 " 4-0 29-908 inches. As to the rainfall, the following observations will show the average depth of rain, in inches and tenths, during the years named : — Year. 1875 1876 1877 1878 Di'ptl) in incbrri mid toiiths. 30-()l 48-46 • • • • • aO/'Ol 46-47 The latter two, for 1877 and 1878, include depth of rain and melted snow. During the eight years, from 1857 to 1.S64, the average rainfiill was 63-52 inches. ' In the " Tables of Aqueous Precipitation for Series of Years," collected by the Smithsonian Institution, United States, and pul)lished in 1872, the average fall of rain for Newfoundland is reckoned at 58-30 inches. In order to compare St. John's with Toronto, Canada, in regard to temperature, the following records will be serviceable : — Toronto. Year. 1875 .... 1876 .... 1877 .... 1878 .... 1879 .... Average temperature in Toronto for thirty-nine years, 44-12 degrees. Mean tompora- turo of your. 40-77 degrees. 43-98 ft 46-10 (t 47-09 n 44-16 ff I '■:t ' 1 il >l ji' I! 11 ■ HI 162 XE WFO UNDLAND. In the foregoing returns it should Ije i-emembercd that tlic ol)scrvjitions in Xcwfoundhind were taken at St. John's, which is the point in the peninsula of Avalon which stretches farthest eastward, and is, therefore, most exposed to the chilling intln- ence of the Arctic current. The climate of St. John's, there- fore, is an unfair standard by which to measure that of tiie wiioie island. At the heads of the hays, in the interior, and on the western coast, the climate is much warmer than at St. John's. Tlie following comparative table, for 1874, will fur- nish a fair basis on which an estimate may be founded : — St. George's Bay, Newfoundland Windsor, Nova Scotia . Toronto ... Winnipeg, Manitoba Mean fpmpcra- turu per yeur. T.owost ti'mpcralnrc. 43-8 degrees. 15 deL'iccs. 42-7 44-3 30-8 15 7-5 4-3 The rainfall of each place is, when compared, favorable to Newfoundland : — Total (liiys of rain in four months. St. George's Bay Toronto ..... WiiHiipeg ..... Truro, N.S. 34 47 52 68 Thus, in the American sense of the w'ord, Newfoundland is by no means a cold country; but it partakes of the gciunil character of the North American climate, and is therefore nuuh colder than in the same latitude of the Old World. Its latitude corresponds to that of France, but its climate is very dill'ercnt. Winter sets in, as a rale, in the beginning of December, tnid lasts till the end of March or middle of April. The frost is occasionally broken by southerly winds and bright warm d;iys, and much of the snow is melted. Then it returns, and fresh falls of snow are experienced. The frost rarely penetrates the ground to a greater depth than a few inches, whereas in Canada it has l)een known to go down three feet. During winter there are often heavy gales of wind, which, however, do not extend CLIMATE. 163 far out to sea. The cold is, of course, felt more intensely in consequence of these gales. Snow-storms are not uncommon ; and when the icy particles are hurled on the wings of a tierce north-wester it is safest to keep within doors. Such storms, however, do not often occur, nor, as a rule, do they last long. Winter is the season of social enjoyments of all kinds, and is tar from being unpleasant. Nothing can be mor3 exhilarating than the bracing air of a tine winter' day, with the hard crisp snow underfoot and a bright sun overhead. The musical tinkle of the sleigh-l)ells when driving over the frozen snow, and the purity of the atmosi)here add to the charms of the scene. In fact, winter is regarded as the most enjoyable part of the year. The snow preserves the ground from the influence of the frost, and when in April it melts, the tields soon become tit for the o[)crations of the farmer. It is true the spring is late, and often " Wiutcr lingering chills the lap of May." But once vegetation sets in it progresses with marvellous rapid- ity, and crops grow and ripen much quicker than in the Eastern hemisphere. The autumn is usually very fine, and is prolonged often till Noveml)er. The frosts of winter, too, aid the opera- tions of the husbandman, and help to pulverize the soil. Thus there is nothing in the climate of the country to interfere with agriculture. The destructive tornadoes that often spr* iiavoc in certain portions of the American continent are unknown in Newfoundland. Thunder-storms, too, are very rare, and when they occur seldom prove injurious. A curious phenomenon, called in Newfoundland "the silver thaw," is often witnessed in winter, though seldom seen in Canada. When rain falls with a low state of the thermometer near the earth, it is congealed as it descends, and thusareguhir deposition of ice takes place on the branches and the smallest twigs of trees and shrubs. The la^^er of ice goes on increasing till it attains a thickness of half an inch or more. A magical tiansformation is wrought. The trees are hung with glittering jewels, even the smallest twigs being loaded, and the branches bent to the earth. When the sun shines a scene of dreamlike 1 , 1J ;J. *.|, \i 1()4 NE WFO UNDLA XD. splendor is prcspiitcd. Each tree has the appearance of airreat chandelier of cr^'stal, the play of the sunbeams on myriads ot prisms producing a dazzling effect. The weight of the icy jewellery often breaks the thickest l)ranches. Sometimes the wind rises suddenly and speedily unloads the jewelled trees. Another phenomenon witnessed in perfection in Newfoundland is the aurora borealis. At certain seasons the play of the northern lights presents occasionally one of the grandest sights in the world. The whole heavens are lighted up with the brilliant disj)la3', and flame-curtains of all hues seem to wave over the vast concave. The auroral phenomena are finer here than even in the Arctic regions. It may be desirable to cite the opinions of a few intelligent persons who, from experience, have been enaUed to form an ojjinion of the character of the climate. That famous ancient mariner, Richard Whitbourne, Avho spent many years in voyag- ing to the country, and also made it his residence for a lenL'th of time, about K!!'), was an enthusiastic admirer of the island. In his l)ook, alter many encomiums on the country and its pro- ductions, he savs : "What receive we from the hands of our owne country which in most bounteous manner wo have not had or may have at hers? Naj^ what can the world yield to the sustentation of man which is not in her to bee gotten? Desire you wholesome ayro (the very food of life) ? It is there. Shall any land powere in abundant heaps of nourishments and necessaries before you? There you have them. What seas so abounding with fish? What shores so replenished with fresh and sweet Avaters? The wants of other kingdoms are not felt heero ; and those provisions Avhich other countries want are from them sup[)lied. How much is Spain, France, Portugal, Italy and other places, beholding to this noble part of the world for fish and other commodities (it is to be admired). Let the Dutch report what sweetness they have suckt from thence hy trade thither, in buying fish and other commodities from our nation, and (all)eit all the rest should be dumbc) the voyces of them are as trumphets, lowd enough to make England fall more and more in love Avith such a Sister-land. " I am loth to weary thee (good reader) in ac(]uainting thee CLIMATE. 165 thus to those famous fairc and protitable Rivers, and likewise to those delightful large and inestimable Woods, and also with those fruitful and enticing Hills and delightful Vallies — there to hunt and hawke, where is neither savage people nor ravtmous beasts to hinder their sports. They are such, that in so small a piece of pai)er as now my love salutes thee with I cannot fuU}^ set them down as they deserve ; and therefore I doe intreat thee with judgment, with patience, and with true desire for the bene- fit of thy dread Sovereign and Country, to reade over this dis- course which (I trust) may encourage thee to further so hopeful a Plantation as it api)eareth to be, and also I trust give thee auii)le satisfaction and just cause to answere opposers, if any out of ignorance or any other sinester respect should seek to hinder so honourable and worthy designs." Sir Richard Bonnycastle, who spent some years in the country, in his interesting work on Newfoundland (1e- where, for skulls or other bones : but, so far, not a fraunicnt li.is been foimd. A l"ew of their arrow iind spear heads aiul ,>t(ine implements of various kinds hiive been dui; uj> in various places ; but only a solitary skull remains to tell us what wasilie conliiiuration of "the dome of thouuht " in which beat the brain Nil THE ABORIGINES. 109 of a Bethuk. Even this relic was in dan";erof bcinjjconsijrned to the dust-bin through carelessness, wh<^n the present writer rescued it, and placed it in the local museum. It has been since photographed, and formed, together with stone imple- ments, the subject of a paper by Mr. Lloyd, which was nvid before the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain anr. Dr. Morton se[)aratcs tlicm l)i'(»adly into two great families : tlu; ToIt(!can nations — ('nil»rac- ing Mexicans and Peruvians — and the barbarous ti-ibes, including tlu^ whole remaining inhabitants of the continent. The barbarous tribes have been arranged into live groups : First, Iro(|uois ; second, Algonkin and Apalachian : third, l)acota; fourth, Shoshonoos ; lifth, Oregouians. The question \^ \M \ \ \ • . u. ' i,i I I r:'i 170 NE WFO UNDLAND. is to which of these groups did the red men of Newfoundhind l)elong. Some writers have regarded them as being Esciuiniaux, and others as Micmacs ; but for neither opinion is there any foundation. The Esquimaux are looked upon by some reeent ethnol(>gists as the "■ survivals " of the Cave Men of Europe. If tliis theory be correct, then the Cave Men were gradually driven farther and farther north by new arrivals in Europe, until tlicy were pressed within the Arctic regions. But when the Bethuics are compai'ed with them there are no points of resemblaix-e. Tiiey arc also (juite distinct from the Micmacs, another tribe of rod men. Latham, one of the highest authorities in ethnology, re- gards the Bcthuks of Xewfoundland as a branch of tlie great Algoiilcin tribe of North American Indians. In his "Varieties of Man" ho says that all doubts on this subject have ])eenset at rest by" a hitherto unpubliMied l)etluik Vocabulary, with which I have been kindly furnished l)y my friend, Dr. King, of the Ethnological Society. This niMrked them a separate section of the Algonkins, and such I believe them to have been." The evidences we are about to furnish seem to point to the same conclusion. Thus we may safely classify them as a branch of the wide-spread and warlike Algonkins, whose area embraced the whole of Canada, Xova Scotia, Cape Breton, New Brunswick, Labrador, and part of Hudson's Bay Territory, together with a large portion of the United States. In fact this tribe were distributed east and west, from the Rocky ^Mountains to Newfoundland, and north and south, from Labrador to the Carolinas. The Bethuks came of a good stock of red men, and if they were unable to retain a footing in Newfoundland 1)efore the advancing tread of civiii/u- tion, they have only anticii)ated a little the inevitable doom which awaits their race in continental America. At what time the Bethuks found their way to Newfoundliind from the shores of Canada or Labrador is, of course, utterly unknown. When Cabot discovered the island, in 141)7, he found them in possession. Xo doubt for many centuries pre- viously th(>y had been lishing in its creeks, harbors, and bays, hunting the caribou over its plains, and erecting their wigwams THE ABORIGINES. 171 by the pli\cid waters of its inland lakes. At this day there are few better hunting-grounds than those of Newfoundland ; and what must they iiave been liefore the coming of " the pale- faces," with their destructive fire-arms ! One can fancy that the island, with its abundance of wild creatures of all kinds, and its shores and countless lakes swarming with fish, must have been the very paradise of the red men. Unmolested, they [)ui>ued the game over a country having an area of forty-two thousand square miles. Countless herds of the finest reindeer I)()unded over the savannas of the interior, in their annual migrations ; and who more skilled than the red men in entrap- ping and slaying the lordly stag, in capturing the beaver, with \v!iich the ponds were lavishly stocked, or in bringing down the plump i)tarmigan, of which vast flocks were everywhere to l)e met with? We can hardly doubt that when "monarchs of all they surveyed," and with all the resources of the island at their conmiand, the Bethuks revelled in a savage luxury, feasting on venison, and clothing themselves in the rich furs which were the spoils of the chase. The early historical notices of the red men of Newfoundland are very brief, but serve to give us some idea of their appear- ance and hal)its as they presented themselves to the early voyagers. The earliest reference met with is in " llakluyt," ^ whore there is an account of the discovery of Newfoundland by Cabot. Of the aI)origines, Cabot is reported to have said : " The inhabitants of this island use the skins and furs of wild h(>asts for garments, which they hold in as high estimation as we do our finest clothes. In war they use bows and arrows, spears, darts, clubs, and slings." In "Kerr's Travels" it is stated thai (\ibot, on his second voyage, brought away three of the aborigines, and took them to England. "In the fourteenth year of the king (Ilemy \T1.) tlu'ce men were brought from Newfoundland, who were clothed in th(> skins of bensts. did eat raw llesh, and sjjoke a language which HO mim could understMnd ; their demeanor being more liU(! that of brute beasts thim men. They were kept by the king for some considerable time, and I saw two of them about » Vol. iii., p. 27. w m ! * I ii^i ' ! Ill . 1 1' ^'- ^. mmm I ^KUtMka^B^^ V^ ^ ^ 172 iV^£: ir/'O UNDLAND. two years aftcrward.s, in the Palace of Westminster, ha1)it('(l like Englishmen, and not to be distinguished from Englishmen until I was told who they were." It may be doubted whether this account is correct in iill respects, as Cabot does not appear to have had much to do with Newfoundland after its discovery. The red men referred to may have been natives of Cape Breton or Prince Edward Island. Jacques Carticr, in 1433, described the aborigines of New- foundland as " of indifferent good stature and bigness, but wild and unruly. They wear their hair tied on the top like a wreath of hay, and put a wooden pin in it, or any other such thing instead of a nail, and with them they bind certain birds' feathers. They are well clothed with beasts' skins, as well the men as the women ; but the women go somewhat straighter and closer in their garments than the men do, with their waists girded." Hayes, who was second in command to Sir Humphrey Gilbert, about 1583, and whose narrative has been preserved in the Ilakluyt Collection, says : "The savages arc altogether harmless." Captain Richard AVhitbourne, 1G22, gives much fuller ac- counts in his interesting book on Newfoundland. He tells us that "the natural inhal)itants of the country, as they are hut few in number, so are they something rude and savage people, having neither knowledge of God nor living under any kind of civil g()»/ernment. In their habits, customs, and manners, they resemble Indians on the continent." Ho further describes them as ingenious and tractable, full of quick and lively apprehension ; willinij to assist the tishermen in curing lish for a small hire. He shows that " in their habits they resemble the Canadian Indians, as they constructed canoes with the bark of bireh-tre(>s, whii'h they sew very artilieially and close together, and ovei- lay every seam with turpentine." He also tells us that they were able to "sew the rinds of spruce-trees, round and deep in proi)ortion, like a brass-kettle, to boil their meat in"; and on one occasion he says three of his men surprised a party of them enjoying themselves in a sumptuous manner. "They were feasting, having the canoes by them, and had three pots made THE ABORIGIXES. 173 of rinds of trees, standing each of thorn on three stems, hoilinjj, with fowls in each (/ them, every fowl as l)ig as a pigeon, and some as big as a duck. They had also many such pots so fowled, and fashioned like the leather l)uokets that are used for quenching fires, and were full of the 3'olks of eggs that they had taken and boiled hard, and so dried small, whic'.i the savages used in their broth : they had great store of the skins of deer, bettners, bears, seals, otters, and divers other tine skins, which were well-dressed ; as also great store of several goots of flesh dried ; and l)y shooting oflf' a musket towards them, they all ran away naked, without any ap[)arel, but only their hats on their heads, which were made of sealskins, in fashion like our hats." We are greatly indebted to this (piaint old skipper of the days of Queen Elizabeth for preserving these details, and thus supplying the only picture wc have of the domestic life of this extinct tribe. They evidently knew how to appreciate the good things around them, and had very fair ideas of cookery. The friendly relations which at first existed l)etween the white and red men in Newfoundland, did not continue long. The savage people began speedily to exhibit a tendency to annex the white man's goods whenever oi)i)ortunity offered. Such objects as knives, hatchets, nails, lines, or sails, pre- sented a temptation which to them was almost irresistil)le. Their petty thefts were regarded by their invaders as crimes of the darkest dye, quite sufiicient to justify the unsparing use of the stroni; arm for their extermination. The rude hunters, trappers, and fishermen in the more distant settlements in the north of the island were rough men outside the control of law, and but little disposed to try conciliation or kindness on a tribe of savages whose presence in the country was felt to be an aimoyanco. That they treated the i)oor IVthuks with lirutal cruelty admits of no doubt. In fact, for a long period they regarded the red men as vermin to be hunted down and de- stroyed. We can hardly doubt that such treatment provoked the red man to deeds of fierce retaliation, and that at length " war to the knife " l)ecame the rule between the two races. The savages, at first mild and tractable and disposed to maintain J i 174 NE WFO UNDLAND. I 'I Hi Ifl friendly relations, became at length the fierce and imijlaeahle foes of the white man, and sternly refused all overtures for peaceable intercourse when at length such otl'ers were made by a humane government. Deeds of wrong and cruelty were per- petrated by the invader, and followed by retaliation on the part of the savages. In such a conflict the weak must go to the wall. Bows, arrows, and cluljs could avail little against the fire-arms of the white man. Gradually their numbers Avere thinned; they were driven from their best hunting-grounds. AVar, famine, and disease thinned their ranks. To-dav not a single, representative of the Red Indians of Newfoundland is known to be in existence. Their haunts in the interior have been explored in the hope of discovering some remnants of the ill-fated race, but in vain. Only a few graves and the mouldering remains of their huts and deer-fences have been found. Their camp-fires have been extinguished for- ever, and the record of their fate fills another dark i)ago in the white man's progress in the New World. Some be- lieve that a small band of them escaped and took refuge in the *vilds of Labrador ; but of this there is no proof. It may )e regarded as quite certain that in Newfoundland not a sing'e individual of the race now exists. They arc gone " Like the clouJ-rack of a tempest, Like the withered leaves of autumn." AVe must further take into account that the white men were not the only enemies of the doomed al)origincs. The Micmacs in- vaded their territory from Cape Breton and Nova Scotia, and, having learned the use of fire-arms, carried on a deadly war against the unhappy Bethuks. Assailed on the one hand by the wiiile settlers, and on the other by the Micmacs, it is not wonderful that the unhappy tril)e were slowly but surely exterminated. Through the reprcsentjitions of various humane individuals, the British Government were at length aroused to take measiu'cs to arrest the barbarities of the settlers ; but owing to the scat- tered nature of the settlements, and the lawless habits of the early trappers and fishermen their eflbrts had little elleel. The earliest official notice of the aborigines is in the form t I THE ABORIGIXES. 175 of a proclamation by the governor. Bearing the date 17G0, it seems to have been repeated on the accession of each new governor. The document sets forth that His Majesty had been informed that his subjects in Xewfoundhmd "do treat the savages with the greatest inhumanity, and fre- quently destroy them without the least provocation or re- morse. In order, therefore, to put a stop to sucli inhuman barbarity, and that the perpetration of such atrocious crimes might be brought to due punishment, Ilis Majesty enjoined and required all his subjects to live in amity and brotherly kindness with the native savages," and further enjoined all magistrates to "apprehend persons guilty of murdering the native Indians, and send them to England for trial." Not content with such proclamations the Government en- gaged in various zealous efforts to establish friendly relations with the Bethuks. A reward was offered for the capture of a Red Indian, and, in 1804, a female was taken by a fisherman and brought to St. John's, where she was kindly treated and sent back to her tribe loaded with presents. A strong suspicion was entertained that the presents aroused the cupidity of tlie man who was intrusted with the duty of conveying her back to her own people, and that the wretch murdered her and took pos- session of the property. In 1801 Lieutenant Buchan, of the Royal Navy, was sent to the River Exploits, with orders to winter there, and open a communication with the Indians. He succeeded in finding a party of them ; and, taking two of their number as hostages, and leaving two marines with them as a pledge of good faith, ho returned to his depot for presents. During his al)sence the fears of the red men were aroused, lest, from his delay in re- turning, he might be bringing up reinforcements with a view to capture them. They murdered the hostages and fled to the interior. In 1819 another female was taken by a party of tninpers on Red Indian Lake. Her husband and another Indian were with her, and, having offered resistance, were both relentlessly shot. The woman was brought to St. John's, and was named Mary March, from the month in which she was taken. She was treated with great kindness and sent back to 4 :! i i I Hi I 176 NEWFOUNDLAND. S ^ ay, Mil arm of Xotre Dame Bay, across the extremitlivs of Xew IJay, r.;i(lii'er Bay, Seal Bay, etc. On the fourth day after their de- parture, at the Oast (Mid of P>aday, at a portairc known by llic name of the Indian path, they found traces made by the Ked I'.nlians, evidently in the spring or summer of the preceding yciu'. They olisorved ji "canoc-rcst" on which the daubs of red ochro and fibrous roots of trees used to fasten or tie it toLfctiier, appeared fresh. Fragments of their skiu-dresses, a speiir-sliaft eight feet in length and r(^cently made, ochred i)arts of old canoes, and a few otln'r obj(U'ts, were found si-attered iibout. The remains of eight or ten mamateeks, or winter wig- wams, each iitted to contain from ten to twenty persons, were also seen close together. Besides these there were tlu; remains of summer wigwams. The winter wigwams were conical, the t'niiiies made of poles covered with skins or birch-bark. One (litlerence between the Bethuk wigwam and those of other In- dians was that in most of tlu; former there were small hollows, like nests, dug in the earth around the firej)lace, (wie for each person to sit in. "These hollows," says Cormack, "are gener- ally so close together, and also so close to the tiroplaee and to the sides of the wigwams, that I think it probable these people ha\e been accustomed to sleep in a sitting i)osture." In addi- tion, each winter wigwam had close to it a small square-mouthed or oblong pit, dug into the earth about four feet, to preserve their stores. Some of these pits were lined with birch-rind. Cormack also found in this Indian village the remains of a va- por bath, which, it seems, was used chietly by those who were sull'erino: fron. rheumatic affections. Their method of making a vii[)or bath was the same as that practised by iiuiny other >aviige tribes. Large stones were, first of all, made very hot ill the open air by burn-ing a (piantity of wood around them. After this process the ashes were carefull}' removed, and a hem- ispherical framework, closely covered with skias to exclude the external air, was fixed over the stones. The patient then iri'[)t in under the skins, taking with him a birch-rind bucket of water, and a small bark dish to dip it out. By thus pouring water on the hot stones he could raise the steam at pleasure. I! ! I • ' i\ 11! I : i\ H 178 NE WFO UXBLAXD. Failing tO jrot any further intelligence regarding the Red In- dians at Hall's Bay, Connack decided on jn'oceeding to Kcd [n- dian Lake, h()|)ing that at that noted rendezvous Ik; shoidd at lii-t Hnd the ohjeet of his search. After a march of ten days over a marshy country, during which no traces of the red men were seen, ho chtained a glimpse of this si)lendid sheet of water, more than thirty-five miles in hmgth and five to six in hreadth. From the hills at the northern end of the lake he looked ddwii on its waters with feelings of admiration. But no canoe could be discovered moving on its placid surface ; no human soiuids W(M"e heard ; no smoke from wigwams mounted into the aiv. Silence, deei) as death, reigned around. Cormack and his party were the first Europeans who had seen Ked Indian Lal^c in an um'ro/.en state, only one or two parties having preceded them in the depth of winter by way of the Exi)loits River. The view was solemn and majestic. " AVe approache(l tlic lake," sa3's Cormack, "with hope and caution; but found, to our mortification, that the IJed Indians had deserted it for some years i)ast. My party had been so excited, so sanguine, and >o determined to obtain an interview of some kind with these peo- ple, that, on discovering from appearances everywhere around us that the Red Indians, the terror of the Europeans as well as the other Indian inhal)itants of Xewfoundland, no longer exi-ted, the si)irits of one and all were deei)ly affected. The old moun- taineer was particularly overcome." The party, he tells us, si)ent several "melancholy" days wanderin<2; around the borders of the east end of the lake. Everywhere they met with indications that this had long l»een the head-cjuarters cf the tribe in the days when they eiiioycil peace and security. On several places by the margin of tlic lake they found small clusters of winter and summer wigwam- in ruins; also a wooden buildiuiz, constructed for drvini:' iiiul smoking venison, still perfect ; and a small log-house, i)rol)al)ly a storehouse, in a dila[)idated condition. Among the bushes on the beach they lighted on the wreck of a larger handsome, birch canoe, twenty-two feet in length, and evidently l)ut little used. The probal)ility is, that, after being wrecked it had hei'ii 1 II THE ABORIGiyES. 171) cast up by the waves, the people who were in it luiviii-^ per- ished. The most interesting objects met with were the rejjositories for their dead, — one trait of the Bethuks havinj^ been great re.si)cct for the remains of tlieir ch'parted. It ap[)ears, from Corniack's account, that there were anicjng them four modes of disposing of the dead, according to the rank and character of tiie })er>ons ontoml>ed. One of the burying-piaces met with "rcseml)hMl a hut ten feet by eight or nine and four or live feet high in the centre, floored with square poles, the roof covered with rinds of trees, and in every way well secured against the weather in- side and the intrusions of wild beasts."' On entering this structure their curiosity was raised to the highest i)itch. They found the bodies of two grown i)ersons laid out at full length on the floor, wrapped round with deer- skins. But what most astonished them was the; discovery of a white deal cofiin containing a skeleton neatly shrouded in white muslin. "This was the cofiin of Mary March, which had been carried by some members of her tribe from the sea-coast to this solitude. In the building were also found two small wooden images of a man and a woman, sujjposed to represent husband and wife, and a small doll, which perhaps rei)resented their child." Several small models of their canoes, two models of boats, an iron axe, a bow, a quiver of arrows, were placed l)y the side of JNIary ^March's husl)and, and two tire-stones (nodules of iron pyrites, from which they produce Hre l)y striking them together) lay at his head. There were also various kinds of culinary utensils, neatly made of birch-rind, and ornanuuited." TliL! second mode of sepulture observed here was similar to that of the Western Indians of the sources of the Mississippi. Th(! body of the dec(!ased had l)een wrapped in birch-rind, and with his })roi)erty, placed on a sort of scallold. al)()ut four feet and a half from the ground. The scatlbld was foruird of lour posts, a])out seven feet high, fixed per[)endicularly in the ground, to sustain a kind of crib, Ave feet and a half in length I'V four in breadth, with a floor made of sumUI souared beams laid close together horizontally, and on which the body and property rested. 1 i ^' il ' 1' •m *:. i !• I ;:' |;:| 1 1 ' I ^K M .*■? IHO NE WFO UXDLAXD. n-'.i. A third modo was, whon the body was l)ent toi^otlicr, wrapped ill l»irch-riiid, aiwl was onclosod in a kind of l>()x, on the irrouiid. llio 1)()X was inado of f^mall squarod posts, laid on (•.•kIi other liorii^ontaily, and notched at tho corners, to make theiii meet dose. It was a1)0iit four feet by three and two and a h;ilf feet dee{), and well lined with birch-rind, to exclude tlic weather. The body lay on tho riirht side. A fourth and more common nuxlc of buryinir, was to wiap the body in birch-rind, and cover it over with si heap of stone<. on the surface of tlic^ ground, in some retired spot. Sometimes the body, thus wrapped up, was put a foot or two under the sur- face, and the spot covered with stones. In one place, where tho ground was sandy and soft, the graves were found deeper, and no stones were placed over them. (\)rmack's party returned by way of the River Exploits, which Hows from Ked Indian Lake, this part of its course beini: about seventy miles. Cormack savs, " Down this noble river the steady perseverance and intrepidity of my Indians cairicil me on rafts in four weri.' made of sycamore or mountain-ash, and were the and a half feel in length, having strings of deer's sinews. The arrows were made of well-seasoned pine (white), or sycamore, and Were li^ht and i)erfectlv straight. Their intercourse with the whites su|)[)lied them with scra[)s of iron, out of whii-Ji they made a two-edged lance, about six inches long, for the ai'row- liead. This was let into a eleft on the top of the slia!"t and -ecured there by a thread of deer's sinew. T'he stock wa> al»oui three feet in length, and was feathered by the (juill of the goose or of the bald-headed eagle. Their deer-fences were made l>y telling the trees along the ridge of th(\ river's bank wilhoui tli()|)])ing the trunks (piite asunder, taking care thai they fell parallel with the river, each tree having been guided si; a^ to t'oineide with and fall upon the last. Gai)s were filled u[) by dri\ ing in stakes and interweaving the branches and limbs of •| I % I! m M 182 NE WFO UNDLAND. other trees. They were raised to the height of six, oiirht. or even ten feet, as tlie place requirc-d, and were not to Ik- forced or leaped l,y the largest deer. Their wigwams were conical, the Imisc being i)roportioned to the nund)er of the faniil}', wiioso beds foi-nied a circle of nest-like hollows around the tircplacc. The frame of the wigwam was composed of poles and covered with birch-rind, which was overlaid, sheet upon sheet, in the manner of tiles, and secured in its place by outside; ])()les. This ])erfectly sheltered the whole ai)artment except the tire- place, over which was left an opening to carry off' the smoke. The central tire, spreading its heat on all sides, made the ii[)art- ment quite warm. Vv'here materials and labor were })l('ntit'ul one of these wiiiwams could be conn)lcted in an hour, and vet so durable were they that they have l)een found standing after a la[)se of thirty years on Ked Indian Lake. Besides wigwams, they had square habitations, one side of which was made of trees well scpiared and ])laced horizontally one on the other, the seams lu'ing calkcl with moss. The other three sides were made of upright st ids, the seams being stuffed with deer- skins. The beams and rafters were neatly executed, the roof being in the form of a low pyramid. According to Mr. Lloyd the liethuk canoe was peculiar to these Indians. "The })rinciple on which it is constructed," he says, "is perhaps nowhere (>lsc to be met with. It has, in a way, no bottom at all, the side beginning at the very keel and tVom thence rumnng uj) in a straight line to the edge or gun- wale. A transverse section of it at any part whatever niahcs an acute angle, only tliat it is not shari)cned to r perfect angul.i'' point, but is somewhat rounded to take in tJie slight rod wliidi serves by way of a keel. The rod is thickest in the middle (being in that part about the sizi; of the handle of a coinnuMi hatchet ), tai)ering each way and ti'rminating with the slender curved extremities of \\\k\ canoe." "The peeuliiir shai)e of their canoes may be owing, as suggested to me by Mr^ .John Lvans, Pn^sidcnt of the (leological Society, to an adaptation of lorni to circumstances ; the greater hcMght of the gunwale, and the curv- i»ig up of the ends of the canoe, as compared with tlu> ordinary birch-bark canoe of Canada, would render it less liable to shi[i a THE ADORIGIXES. 183 r^cw, while its Y-shaped section would iucreiisc its capability as a sailing-craft in moderate 'weather. The fact of paddles, arrow-heads, and other articles having been found on thi' Funk Islands, more than thirty miles from the mainland, a])i)ears to show that the Indians could travel a considerable distance out to sea in tlu'ir canoes." Tile implements and utensils found in various parts t)f the island consist clii*'!!/ of mortar-shajjcd vessels, spear and arrow heads, gouges, and rude :ixes. They are all fashioiie(' tVoni stones of various degre(!s of hardness. In l a diseo\<'ryof Indian stone implements was made on Long Island, IMacentiti Iliy, at sonu! eighteen inrl:* s underneath the surface, there having bci-n a growth of stoii timber over the spot where they were found. 'JMiey consisted of arrow and spear heads, gouges, t(»niahawlt.iu which \r> tiie growth of many generations, and which can only be got rid of by degrees. W inter is the season for enjoyment among the fishermen. Among them, too,, with all their toils and privations, life vimli- cates its right to gladness and relaxation. The season for "lirc- sid(! enjoyments, h()me-l)orn happiness," is welcomed. 'V\wy have their simple social pleasures of various kinds, limitod in range, but satisfying to those whose aspirations do not take a loftv lliiiht. Dancinu' is a favorite winter anuisement ainun^' the tishermen and their families ; and to tluHuusic of the lidtU". or, in its al)sence the flute or fife, they will dance vigorously tor hours. \\'etldings are, of course, occasions of much festivity. Tea meetings, tem[)erance solv^es, readings with music, have multiplied of late years in the larger villages and settlements. Ne\vs})ai)ers, periodicals, and books arc linding their way to these distant and lonely "dwellers by the sea," and stirring in- tellectual life amonui: them. When intercourse with the capital is ficilitated by railways a wider range of thought and syni|)a- thy will be developed. As it is there is perhaps as much genu- ine ha[)piness among those people as among any similar nunilter who toil for their daily bread. Nature has wonderful compen- sations; an^l in the health, vigor, freedom, and capability of enjoying siini)le pleasures which the Newfoundlanders possess, they lia\e much to console them for the absence of those excit- ing and artifit'ial enjoyuKMits in which more advanced communi- ties lind their chief happiness. ANIMAL KINGDOM. 193 CHAPTER IX. ANIMAL KINGDOM. The caribou, wolf, and black bear —The "Wolf Killing Act" —The bearer — "Newfoundland dog" — The seal tribe — Eagles, hawks, and pigeons — The American bittern — The great auk — The gigantic cophalopod, or devil- fish. A:\io\G the well-known wild animals indigenous to New- foundland are the caribou or reindeer, of which an account will l)e given in the chapter on "Newfoundland as a Sport- ing Country," and the wolf, of which there are considerable numbers in the interior, though they are rarely seen by the Bottlers. Captain Kennedy, in his " Sporting Notes," gives it as his opinion that the wolves are far less numerous than is generally supposed. They are very destructive to the caribou. The black bear is frequently met with. It feeds on the wild berries and roots in summer, and passes the winter in a state of torpor. The seal-hunters occasionally encounter the white or polar bear on the ice otT the coast, and sometimes it has been known to land. The fox is found in considerable numbers and varieties, as the black, silver, gray, and red fox. The skin of the black fox is worth £15 sterling; that of the silver fox, £8; the gray fox, £1 10s.; the red fox, which is the commonest, o:dy 8s. The skin of a bear is valued at from £2 iK) £3; that of a deer at 155., and that of a wolf at £1. By the "Wolf-Killing Act" a reward of twelve dollars is offered for every wolf-skin ; but .^o cunning are these animals, that it is exceedingly difficult lo trap or shoot them, and the reward is seldom obtained. The beaver is still numerous in the lakes of the interior ; the ^kin is worth 16s. A good trapper will kill thirty or forty beavers in a week, and average two a day all the season. r*' 1 4 » \ i 'r ! Ul— UUBABSikifarfMi 194 XE 'VFOUNDLAND. 'il \U ; i ! • '1 iw. \ < Tli(> otter is less niuuerous ; the skin is valued at £1 .s.s. TluTc is hut one speeies known liere — the LiUra Canadoish — Mliiva Seotia and let loose in the neighhorhood of the eapital. They have thriven and multiplied ra})idly, and in many places furnish an imjxjrtant item of food for lumhermen in the winter. They are called "rahhits," hut improperly so, as they never l)uiT()w, and have all the hahits of the hare. Ther(^ are few fine specimens of the world-renowned "Newfoundland dog" to he met with now in the island from which it derived its name. The eonnnon dogs arc a wretched mongnd race, cowardly, thievish, and addicted to sheei)-kill- ing. liy starvation, neglect, and Ijad treatment the race has degenerated so that few traits of the original remain. The Newfoundland dog thrives l)ettor elsewhere, though there arc still some superior specimens to he met with in the country. The origin of this line hreed is lost in ohscurity. It is douhtful whether the ahorigines possessed the dog at all ; and it is highly imi)rohal)le that the Newfoundland dog is indigenous. Some ha})i)y crossing of hreeds in;iy have produced it here. The old settlers say that the ancient geiuiine hreed consisted of a dog ahout twenty-six inches high, with hlaek ticked hody, gray nuizzle, and gray or white stockinged legs, with dew-claws heliind. These weio l)rohahly the progenitors of the present Newfoundland dog, whose life-saving cai)acitics in cases of threatened drowning, especially with those who live near the sea or great rivers, are valuahle. Judicious treatment has greatly improved the l)reed. Landscer, as is well known, has immortalized one of tiiem in his celehrated picture, entitled "A Distinguished Memher of the Humane Society," and the hreed to which he helonged, is known as the "Landseer Newfoundland.'' ANIMAL KIXGD03I. 195 Their color is white with black patches, curly coats, noble heads and powerful tVanies. The favorite Xe\vt\)un(lland dog at i)resent is entirely black, of large size, from twenty-six to thirty inches in height, remarkable for his majestic a})pcar- ance. It is now generally admitted that there are two dis- tinct types of the Newfoundland dog, one consideral)ly larger than the other, and reckoned as the true breed ; the other JK'iiig named the Labrador, or St. John's, or Lesser Xewfoundland. The latter is chiefly found in Labrador, and specimens are also to be met with in Newfoundland. Within the last four or five years the celel)r.ited Leonbcrg dog has l)een introduced into Newfoundland, and thrives remarkably well. The first specimens were brought by Ilerr T. A. Verkruzen, u G(!rman naturalist, who visited the island for the jjurpose of collecting mollusca. He brought with him three carefully select d pupi)ies from Essig's estab- lishment in Leonberg, Wurtemburg, of this renowned breed, now so much sought after by the gentry and nobility of Europe. The Leonberg is the result of a skilful crossing of the St. Bernard with the Newfoundland dog and the wolf dog of the Pyrenees, the result being the largest and handsomest long-haired dog now in existence, and distin- guished for sagacity, strength, and faithfulness. Som(! of tile finest well-trained specimens of the breed are sold in Euroi)e as high as £50 and £100. They possess some of the highest moral qualities of the noble races whose blood blends in their veins. At the leading dog shows of the world they have carried otf the highest prizes. They grow to the height of thirty-three to thirty-six inches, and are over one hundred pounds in weight. The breed is multi- plying in the island, and iw much esteemed and sought after. In time they will perhaps supersede the present degenerate breed of the Newfoundland. Their colors are white with black spots, wolf gray, and black. The last have often a double or split nose. Of the seal tribe there are four species, — the harbor or bay seal, the harp, the hooded seal, and the square flipper. These will be described in the chapter on the seal-fishery. The wal- JMi \ ji'^! ■ 1 i'' r ■ mm ^- ;1:'' m , 1- • i i' B - 1 \ ■ '■ m 1 * I. 196 XFM'FOUNDI.AXD. I ( ■ 1 1 \ 1 I ru8, or moi>c, is often met Avith hy the sellers. The cctaeea, or whale tribe, are repre^iented '^y the fin-backed whale, which lives on caplin, lance, etc., the sh;i.[;-nosed whale, and the pike-headed species; the great Greenland 'whale is very rarely, if ever, seen nowadays. The delphinic.ie are repre- sented by the species called by the fishermen black-fish, or pot- heads ; the body is bluish black, the head round and !>Iunt, and the blow-hole very la<'ge ; they yield from thirty to a hundred gallons of oil. Another variety is called putiing-pig and her- ring-hog by the fishermen. The porpoise is common around the shores, and specimens of the grampus are seen occasion- ally. The birds of Newfoundland are far too numerous to be named in this brief and imperfect sketch, and only a few of the more important can be enumerated. Mr. Henry Keeks, F.L.S., an English naturalist of note, spent two years on the Avcstern coast of the isltuid, studying it ■; ornithology, and j)ublishcd the result of his observations in the " Zcologist." He <^nu''ierates two hundred species of birds, juul of course there are many more. A Swedish naturalist, on a visit to the island, estimated that there were five hundred species of l)irds. Nearly all the birds are migratory. The bald or white-headed eagle is common, and is called l)y the fisheriiien "the grepe. ' Of ha\v!:s, the most inii)ortant varieties are the American ospi-ey or fish-hawk, the pigeon, the sparrow, the Grceidand falcon, and the American goshawk. Of owls, there are the snowy owl, the great horned owl, the long-eared and short-eared owls, ami the hawk-owl. Of woodpeckers, there are the hairy, the downy, and the yellow-headed three-toed W()()(li)eckers. The American cliim- ncy .swallow is rare, an*! the American night-hawk is a sunnucr migant. The belted kinglisher is connnon. There are six six'cies of lly-catchcrs, an. I the sjune number of thrushes. Of the lat- ter, the migratory trush or American robin — called the black- bh'd or robin in Newfoundland — is the earliest sonyster. and even when the ground is still cevered with snow is heard pour- ing forth its sonorous notes. The warblers are in great variety ; and tiiere are five varieties of swallows, four of which are rare. ANIMAL KINGDOM. 107 summer migrants. The finches inchido iie American })ine gros- beak, ^hz American cross-bill, the snc -bunting, the snow-bird, and tiie chipping-sparrow. The AKiorican raven and the blue and 'anada jay are common. Tn the chapter on " Sporting " reference will be made to the grouse or ptarmigan of the island, erroneously called "par- tridge." This game-bird is the willow grouse (Latjopus albns) ; but there is another kind called the rock [jtarmigan {Laijopus vapestriH), 'M\ Alpine spocies, inhabiting only the In'glie^t and barest mountain ridges, and called the " mountain partridge." The Canadian grouse, or spruce partridge, is sometimes seen as a rare visitor on the western side of the island. Mr. Keeks met with some specimens. The American bittern, the Ameri- can golden [)lover, and other varieties, and a great mnnber of dttferent species of sandpipers and curlews are abundant. The Canada goose and the Breut goose are regular summer visitants. Of ducks there are the black, the pintail, the green-winged teal, the gray, and the American golden-eye. The harlecjuin duck is called "h)rds and ladies," and the long-tailed duck " hounds," from their fancied resemblance to the cry of a pack of hounds in full chase. The eider duck uvA the red-breasted merganser ai j tolerably common. The locai name of the latter is " shell duck." The stormy petrel, gulls in great variety, gannets, cormorants, and the loon, or great northern diver, are common. 1'he great auk was once found in myriads around the shores, but is now extinct everywhere, not a speciinen having been fou.id for the last fifty years. The little auk, the puffin, the common gu'.llemot, called locally the " murr and turr," and the razor-billed auk are al)undant. The great auk was a v<'ry r'Mnarkable bird, and deserves more than a passing mention. It r.uist now be reckoned, like the dodo, among l4je things that have been, though in the sixteenth and seventeenth c»Mituries it was to i)e seeii in multitudes on the low rocky islands on the ciisd'rn coast of the island, and iunnense fiocks of them were encountered by the mariners of those days as far out as the r>;iidla- tive in the Southern. The causes of its extermination arc not dinicult to discover. Its short wings and peculiar conformation rendered it helpless on the land ; while its flesh and feathers were so valuable as to invite the rapacity of man. There were few suitable breeding-places, and when these were invaded it could not fly elsewhere, and had no choice but to die. In the "struggle for existence," to which nature subjects all her ani- mated productions, such a bird as the great auk nmst perish early. It must have been a curious sight, two hundred years ago, to see these wild, lonely islands, their coasts literally swarming with these strange birds, as they waddled slowly about in an erect position, with their broad webbed feet and short wings, resembling the llip])ers of a s.>al. They were the connecting link bctweiMi the tish and l)ird, partaking of the nature of both. The "Knglish Pilot " for 1774 thus refers to them: " Tlu-y never go beyond the banks, as others do, for they are always on it or within it, several of them together, 'i'liey an; large fowls, about the size of a irooso, a coal-black head and Iiack, AJVn/AL KINGDOM. 199 with ;i white spot under one of their eyes, which nature has ordered to be under their rii^ht eye, — an extraordinary mark. These birds never fly, for their wings iire very short, and most like the fins of a fish, having nolliing upon them but a sort of down and short feathers." Not only were the crews of the fishing vessels of those days in the habit of consuming vast lan(l will be described in the chapter on "The Fisheries," the cod, salmon, and herring being tlie most valuable. The mackerel, once abundant, have been extremely scarce lor many 3'(>!U's. Halibut, turbot, ])lalee, sole, etc., are not taken in such (luantitics as to render them of value. Eels are plentiful in li'.kcs, rivers, and salt water. Sturgeons are rarely taken. Ijobstcrs are most abundant, and now constitute a valuable article of ex[)ort. Oysters are not found around the shores ; crabs arc plentiful. A few other species ari> met with, such as the pii)e- lisji, frog-fish, bellows-fish, sculi)ins, lance, cat -fish, and lump- fi>h. Sharks are not unconnnon. A specimen of the basUing- shark was brought ashore a few years ago at Topsail, in Concep- tion Bay, measuring thirty feet in length. The dog-tlsh, a kind of small shark, hat(Ml by the fishermen, as it often takes the fisl; tVom tluMr nets and hooks, isal)undant. The fox-shark, or threshv'r, is only seen occasionally. The absence of vc;UOinous reptiles of all kinds, and also of i\' ,1 fi I <■ 1 i' I I < '} i I r . f'i: 'i i 200 NE WFO UXDLAXD. \\\ frogs and toads, is rcmarkal)le. Several animals common on the continent of America are also wanting, such as the h nx, the skunk, porcupine, mink, and squirrel. Of the moUuscous animals the principal representative is llio connnon squid, a ccplialo[)()d al)out five or six inches in Icnutli, which vi.sits the coast in immense shoals in August and Sci)t('iii- ber, and supplies a valuable bait for the fishermen. It pos- sesses- ten arms radiating from the head, a small horny beak, iiiul an ink-bag, from which at pleasure it ejects a black fluid, tluis darkening the water so as to elude its foes. It moves cithor backwards or forwards through the water with great raj)irms the longest of which measured each twentv-four feet, and be.' ween their outspread extremities were fifty-two fed. The 1)ody was between seven and eight feet in length. The circumstances under Avhich the discovery was first made weic ;is follows: On the 2Gtli of October, 1873, two fishermen of Portugal Cove were out in a «niall boat off the eastern end of Belle Isle, in Conception Bay. Observing something lloat- ing iai the water, they rowed u[) to it and one of them stnuk it with his boat-hook. Instantly the mass showed that it wiis animated by putting itself in motion. A huge betdc reiired itself from among the folds and struck the l)oat, and a p;iir of large eyes glared at them ferociously. The men, as may he imagined, were petrified with fear; but before i\\iiy had time to escape two c{)ri)se-like arms shot out from around the head and flung themselves across the boat. Had those slimy miius, with their powerful suckers, once attached themselves to llie boat, it would speedily have been drsiwu under the walei- and its occupants would have been brought within reach of the ANIMAL KINGDOM. 201 monster's powerful beak. One of the iT>i^r«. however, had the presence of mind to seize a small hatchet, that fortunately lay in t!ie bottom of the boat, and with a couple of blows he sev- ered the arms as they lay over the gunwale of ihc l)()at. The creature uttered no cr}' of pain ; but at once moved off from the l)oat and ejected an enormous quantity of inky fluid, Avhich darkened the water for two or three hundred yards. The men saw no more of it, and having dragged the amputated arms into the bor^t speedily made for the shore. The shorter and thicker of the two arms was thrown carelessly aside and de- stroyed, but was described as six feet in length and ten or twelve inches in circumference. The longer arm was broujrht to St. John's by the fisherman, and ^Ir. Harvey was fortunate enough to secure it. After being photographed it was placed in the Geological Museum, where it now is. On measuren^ent the fragment was found to be nineteen feet in length, not more than three and a half inches in circumference ; of a palish pink color, exceedingly strong and tough. The fif'herman estimated that more than ten feet of this arm M'cre left attached to the body, so that its entire length must have been thirty feet. Towards the extremity it broadened out like an oar and then tapered to a fine, tongue-like point. This part was thickly cov- ered with suckers, having horny, teethed edges, the largest of them over an inch in diameter, the smallest not larger tluni a s})lit pea. Their number was estimated at one hundred and eighty. All these suckers, acting together, would establish such a grasp on an object as it would be impossible to escape from. The fisher- men described the body of the monster as being of imnionso size ; but, under the influence of terror, their account would l)o greatly exaggerated. Subse(iuent discoveries of perfect speci- mens, however, render it co'tain that the body nuist have l)con over ten feet in length, and showed that this was one of th(> two long tentacles ; the other eight arms being shorter and tliicker. Only a fortnight after this c/ent a perfect specimen was taken in a net at Logic Bay, three miles from St. .John's. Mr. Harvey had iigain the good fortune to hear of the capture and to ol)tain possession of the animal. Ho had it measured and photographed, and described it minutely in various newspapers fii it ' K i I « 1 I, I 202 NEWFOUXDLAND. 11 S|^::i: ! , and periodicals. An engraving, copied from the phol()giii[)h, and a dcscri[)tlon appeared in the London "Field," and the accounts made the rounds of the press in Britain and America. Everywhere the discovery was regarded by naturalists as of great i/nportance, as it was the iirst perfect si)ecimen of a creature hitherto regarded as fabulous. The mode of its capture was curious. During the hauling in of a herring-net the creature got somehow enlangled in the folds, and became powerless. It struggled desperately, \\w\ before three men could drag it into tiie l>oat they were ol)!igc(l to kill it 1)3' cutting o(f the head. It proved to be a gigantic cuttle-fish or calamary ; and is called by the tislu. men a " hig sijuid.' The two long arms or tentacles were found to measmc each twenty-four feet, and to be three inches in circumfereiKc ; tlu^ eight shorter arms were each six feet in length, and, at the .point of junction with the central mttss, were ten inches in cir- cumference. The longer arms broadened at the extremities, and were there covered with suckers as in the Conce[)ti()n IJiiy specimen. The shorter arms had their under sides coveicd through the entire length with a double row of suckers, jiiul each taper(>d to a fine })oint. The total number of suckers was estimated at eleven hundred. The ten arms radiated fi'om a central mass two and a half feet in diameter, in the midtlle of which was a strong horny beak, shai)ed j)recisely like that of a parrot, and in size larger than a man's clenched fist. The eyes Avere destroyed, but the eye-socket measured foiu" inches in diann ter. The body Avas between seven and eight feet in length, and five feet in circumference. The tail was fin-shaped, and about two feet acr()<' dilferent organs l)eing ligmvd in ex- cellent engravings, and a restoration of the creature being also given. To his admirable accoimt those who wish for a lull descri[)tion of the now famous devil-fish must be refcired. M ANIMAL KINGDOM. 203 The details are highly interesting, and prove, once more, that "fact is often stranger than fiction. " Professor Ven'iii has distinguished two species of the giant cephalopods : one he named Arvhitentliiii Ilarveiji, " as a well- merited compliment to the Rev. M. Harvey, who has done so much to bring these remarkable specimens into notice ; the other he called Architenthis monachus." In the Popular Sci- ence Review," for April, 1874, there appeared a highly inter- esting article, by W. Saville Kent, F.L.S., on these gigantic cuttles, in which the writer proposed to name the species Mega- hteuthis Harveyi, " in recognition of the great service to science rendered through Mr. Harvey's steps taken to prsserve these val- uable specimens." Mr. Frank Buckland, in his " Logbook of a Fisherman and Geologist," has a paper on the sul)ject ; he also constructed a wooden model of the devil-fish for his museum. Since 1873 several specimens of this creature have come ashore, generally after heavy storms. The largest heard of was one cast ashore in Thimble Tickle, Notre Dame Bay, the bod}'^ of which was reported, on good authority, to have been twenty feet in length, the tentacles forty feet. Another was found at Three Arms, Notre Dame Bay, with a body of tiftccn feet long. A perfect specimen was ob'tained at Catalina, in 1877, nine feet two inches in length of body; circumference of body, seven feet ; tentacles, thirty feet ; short arms, eleven feet. This specimen is now in the New York Aquarium. In 1881 another specimen with a body eleven feet in length was obtained at Portugal Cove. It is now in AVorth's Museum, New York. All these instances prove that in the seas around Newfoundland these gigantic cephalopods are al)undant. They seldom approach the shore, so that the doj)t}is of the ocean in certain places may contain shoals of them. ^Ir. Saville Kent says, in the article previously referred to : " Summing \\\^ the whole, we are forced to admit that this group of cei)hal()i)()dous mollusks contains representatives of enormous dimensions dis- tributed in the seas throujrhout the '•■lobe, and embracini' in all jn'obability many distinct genera and si)ecies. Such is the for- midable size of these giant calamarics that they vie even with the cetacea in magnitude, and in this respect yield to no other ani- •■ t ' * ;!: r 204 NEWFOUNDLAND. :; I' I Jr;-- n ; t I!!! mals now existing. It further appears obvious that the numer- ous tales and traditions, that have been current from tlie earliest times, concerning the existence of colossal species of this race, though in some instances unscrupulously exaggerated, had, in all probability, in the main a background-work of fact, and can be no longer passed over as the mere fabrications of a disordered mind, as we have hitherto been inclined to accept them." Professor Verrill says : " The pen of our Architenthls Ilarveyi seems to resemble that of the ancient genus Tendopsis, found fossil in the Jurassic formations, and contemporaneous withiu>i hu^e marine saurians. ichthyosaurus and plesioi-anrus, etc., tli^ soa-serpent of those ancient seas. May t}i;'re not also be huge marine saurians still living in the North Atlantic, in company with the giant squids, but not yet known to naturalists? Such a belief seems quite reasonable when we consider 'low many species of g^eat marine animals, both among cephalopoda and cetaceans, are still known only from single specimens, or f^ven mere fragments generally obtained only by chance." Should thi i eminent naturalist's opinion be well founded, then our Newfoundland devil-fish may prove to be first cousin to tlie sea-serpent, and perhaps may introduce one day this relative who has tantalized and eluded the grasp of so many mariners, and may yet prove to be no more a myth than the devil-tish which has now an acknowledged place in the halls of science. Ilerr T. A. Verkruzon, the German naturalist, already' men- tioned in these pages as the introducer of the Leonberg dog, spenrS a portion of two summers in dredging and collecting mollusca around the shores of the island. He also visited the Banks, in a fishing-vessel, for fhe same purpose. The rcsu't was a collection of the mollusca of Newfoundland of great value to science, by an able and accomplished ^rsaturalist, who is a master in conchology. Ho very kindly presented to the Geo- logical Museum of St. John's a collection embracing specunons of ninety-two diilerent species of mollusca, which he had collected and identified. Ho also print,ed a small pani[)hlct containing a complete list of his discoveries. His coil'^ction cost him much time, hibor, and ixioney, and his is the only account of tho mollusca of Newfoundland yet published. K' VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 205 CHAPTER X. VEGETABLE KINGDOM. Forest trees — Evergreens — The Labrador tea-plant — Wild berries — Flowering plants and ferns — Wild flowers and vegetables. In the chapter on " Forest Timber " an account will be given of the more valual)le trees of the country, and the extent of the forest growths. It will be there shown that in th'i valleys of the interior are magnificent forests, of great extent, of pine, spruce, l)irch, juniper, larch, etc., furnishing ample materials for a largo limber trade, as well as for ship-building purposes. The white pine is often found from seventy to eighty feet in height, and over three feet in diameter. The spruces and larches are of the best quality for ship-building purposes, while the yellow birch is l)ronounced equal in durability to the English oak. The lattci;, especially on the western side of the island, frequently attains a great size ])oth in girth and height. The oak, beech, maple, chestnut, and walnut are not found in Newfoundland. kind of dwarf maple is found in the interior. The American mountain-ash grows to a largo size, and is very abundant ; the aspen and the balsam poplar thrive well, and the willow fi'mily is well represented and attains a large size. The recum- bent or ground juniper and the recumbent Canadian yew are })lc'ntiful. The alders attain but a stunted growth. The English hawthorn has been introduced and thrives well, but is not extensively cidtivated. The evergi'cecns are in considerable variety. The most re- markable is the Labrador tea-plant, growing in swanii>s to the height of three feet, the leaves of which are used by Indians and hunters in place of tea. The ground laurel is a low runn'ng shmb, with leaves nearly two inches in length, on long stalks, rough, leathery, and shining. Its white fragrant flowers grow 20G NE WFO UNDLAND. fit the ends of the branches. There is a great variety of rc- cuniWcnt trailing evergreens. The Kalmia family abounds ju the swampy grounds, its beautiful clusters of red and pale rose- colored flowers ])eing very agreeal)le to the eye. One of the most characteristic features of the country is the innnense variety and abundance of berry-bearing plants. Thc-e cov(M' every swani}) and open rocky tract, and furnish exccllrni fruit for preserves. Over many thousands of uncultivated acres they carjx't the soil. The i)rincipal varieties are the hurllc- l)erry — called in the vernacular "hurts" — the whortleberry in sevei-al kinds, the cranlierry, and i)artridgeberry. The Buhus, (Jliinaaemoru!^, known locally as the bake-apple berry, l)i'l()iii>s to the same genus as the 1)lackl)erry and raspberry, and is the finest of it.s class. The wild strawberry and raspberry are most al)undant. iiiid make a delicious preserve. The maidenhair, or capillairc, i> a little trailing })lant l)elonging to the heath family. Tt bears a litll(! fruit, white, and like an ant's (^g^^-, which contains so huh li saeeharine matter as to be lusciously sweet when made into a jam or preserve. Berry-picking is (juite an industry at a cer- tain season, and might be indefinitely expanded. Of the wild cherries the choke-cherry is most abundant, and often forms an ornamental tree in gardens. The fruit is i)en- dulous and grape-like, the flowers of a yellowish-white color. There is also ii kind of a wild prickly g()ose])erry. The flowering plants and ferns are in such variet}' tlia* a small volume would be re(iuired for their description. Henry Keeks, F.L.S., F.Z.S., in a paper read before the Linneuu Society, in 18(59, enumerated three hundred and seventy-one species of tlowering plants and ferns, besides varieties, in New- foundland, and he oidy visited the we tern side of the islainl. He says, of these, six, besides Calluna vuh/ari.H and Jinlra- cJihiiii Liiiian'a, are new to the flora of North America, while three of them, to which I have provisionally given names, ap- pear not to have been previously described. He emnneraled iifteen siiecies of ferns in this pai)er, and thirty-eight s[)ecies of Gnnnfiiecv, or grasses. Of the wikl flowers, the tribe of lilies are developed \n great heauty and magnificence. The iris dota every marsh with VEGETABLE KIXGDOJf. 207 its rich blue flowers, tiiul the l)hie-eyecl grass assists the rich display. The dog's tooth, he;irt's-ease, lily of the valley, Solo- mon's seal, Jacob's ladder, coluinbine, wild lupine, bcll-llowers, etc., ar(! abujidant. The pitcher plant is one ol" the most r«;- niai'kable productions of the swampy grounds. Its leaves are tubular, or pitcher-shai)ed, and tilled with al)out a wine-glassful of pure water. The flower is purple, large, and handsonu', shaped like a lady's saddle, and surrounded with a number of pitchers, the lids of which e.\[)and or shut, according to the necessities of the plant. The pitchers are lined with inverted hairs, bending downward, j)erniitting insects to enter readily enough, but preventing their escajjc. The pitcher j)lant is one of the carnivorous order, and digests the flies which enter its leaves. The grasses arc very rich and abundant, some magniflcent specimens being found. The red and white natural clover is tbund in great abundance ; also, near the sea, the vetch grows in vast (juantities. All the connnon English flowers thrive well in sheltered gardens, even the dahlia flourishing with a little care in winter. Perennials do better than annuals. (iarden vegetables of all kinds grow exceedingly well, and are of excellent quality. The })otatoes produced in the island are unsurpassed elsewhere. Cucumbers, vegetable marrows, mel- ons, cab])ages, cauliflowers, broccoli, beans, parsnips, carrots, l)eas, etc., grow luxuriantly. The garden strawberry, rasp- berry, gooseberry, are as good as in any other country. On llu' eastern side of the island the soil and climate are not favor- !ilil(! to the growth of pc^ars, a^jples, jjlums, etc., though th(;sc arc! grown and ripened occasionally. In the sJieltered valleys of the interior there is no reason why ap[)les, cherries, jiears, damsons, andother kindred fruits, should not be grown success- fully as they arc in the valleys of Nova Scotia. I I ; II I I ) ji . i^ H nr^^fT- in ' 1 f • \ 1 «: !!>■ ' !• 1 ^' .' , , ': ''. '■ ■ '■'" [;■ ■ 1 r, P ' j.l ■■ 208 JVr ITFO UNDLAND. CHAPTER XI. NEWFOUNDLAND AS A SPORTING COUNTRY. Fishing and shooting — The willow grouse, or ptarmigan — Opening of the season — The wild goose and black duck — Door-stalking — Caribou shooting — Lord Dunravcn on exploration and sport — The moose and the caribou. In many respects Newfoundland may be regarded its the very paradise of sportsmen. Its countless lakes and ponds abound with trout of the finest description, and are the abodes of the wild goose, the wild duck, and other fresh-water fowl. The willow grouse or ptarmigan, the rock ptarmigan, the ciulcw, the plover, the snipe, are found, in the pro[)er season, all over the island, on the great "barrens," or in the marshy grounds, in innnense numbers. The sea-pigeons and guillemots, or " murrs " and " turrs " as they are called in the vernaciilar, are seen all around the shores and islands. The large Arctic hare, and the American hare, called a " rabbit" by the natives, are to ])e met with — especially the latter — in abundance. Above all, the noblo caribou or reindeer, in vast herds, traverse the island in periodical migrations from north to south, and furnish the highest prizes for the sportsman. Finer salmon streams than those of Xewfoundland naturally are, could be found nowhere ; but by want of due protection they have unfortunately degenerated. Still the enthusiastic angler can find, in many places, excellent sport, and speedily fill his l)asket. For more adventiu'ous sportsmen there arc the bear and the wolf, though both are scarce and difficult to find. The beaver and the otter prcisent attractions to some, and can bo found by the lonely lakes of the interior. AVhen the country is rendered more accessible b3'^ railroads, the island will, in the autumn months, attract sportsmen and tourists from other lands in increasing numbers. NEWFOUXDLAXD AS A SPORTTXG COUXTRY. 209 The Hncst sport, perhaps, is the ptaniiiiran shoot iiiLT. wliieh heiiiiis on the 1st of Se[)teinl)i'r. These line birds, ealied erro- neously " [):irtri(lgo" I)y th(! iuhal)it!Uits, are the willow ufrouso {L'Kjopus alhus). They are quite ecjual to the Seoteh irrouse, and reseinhle tlieni .so elosely that it is ditlieuit to make out any sj)eeitic dilFerenee between the red irrouse, goreock or mooreoek ot" Seothuul and those of Newfoundland. As a table l)ird they are unsurpassed in richness and (hdieaey of flavor. A Itraee of them weighs, in season, thr(!e to three and a half pounds. In ScptcMuber, after feeding on th(; wild berries, they are in exeel- lent eondition. In eertain localities, and es[)ecially at some dis- tance from the settlements, they are in great al)undanc(>. To a sportsman there can be nothing more enjoyable than a day's l)tarmigan shooting over tlie breezy " barrens " inline autumn W(>ather. The air is thcMi cool and bracing. The sciMiery is vai-ied and charming. The surface of the country is dotted with bright lakelets on which float the white and yellow M'ater-lilies ; the low rounded hills are covered to the sunnnits with the dark green spruce; ''the barrens," or open spaces clear of wood, where the i*;amo is to be souixht, ar(> clad in the sober ])rown of autunm ; the scent of the wild flowers is delicious, and near the coast glimpses of the restless Atlantic are obtained from the higher grounds away in the far distance. In summer the plumage of the ptarmigan is brownish ash-gray in color, mottled and barred with dusky sjjots. This color, when the frost sets in, gradually disai)pears as in the Ali)ine hare ; and at length, when the snow falls it is almost i)uro white. These remarkable changes effected, as in the northern hare, without loss of substance, tit it a(lmiral)ly for its situation, as tli(^ sportsman, if he has not a dog used to game, may almost walk over the l)ird, with nit putting it up, when the snow is on the ground. The ptarmigan is feathered and haired down tlu^ legs and between the toes, and may be distinguished at a considerable distance, l)y the red about the eye. These tin(> birds are found all over the island, and it is no uncommon thing lor a sports. iian to bag, in a day, from a dozen to twenty brace. In addition to the ptarmigan, the sportsman meets with the wild goose, which l)reeds in the most secluded ponds, and brings i F 210 NEWFOUiVDLAyD. III \ . ft 1 ? ' 1 ■ . • ■ ; ih its young ones down tho brooks at the latter end of June and beginning of July. They arc then full-grown. The black duck is also found in fresh-water during summer. Its plumage is a dark sombre brown ; it is a1)undant in some ^ ^ces, but difficult to approach. Of all tal)le-l)irds the black duck is considered the finest. The curlew, in their southern migi'ation, arrive from Labrador late in autunm, and after feeding there on the wild berries they are almost balls of fat, and in flavor very deli-ious. The wild goose of Newfoundland is a remarkably fine bird, easily domesticated, but does not breed when tamed. It is about the size of a conmiou goose, l)ut with a more swan-like form, and has a black ring round its neck. It is a variety of Anser cana- densis. While neiti.er reptile noi nny noxious creature whatever is known to exist in Newfoundland, Nature has bountifully stocked the island with noble herds of caribou, or reindeer, finer Ib-m those of which Norway and Lapland can boast, specimens of which are found ,it times to weigh over six hundred poinids. The vast number t)f deer-paths which, like a net-work, seam the surface of the interior in all directions, show that the number of deer nuist be enornious. Their migrations are as regular as the seasons between the south-eastern and n-jith- western portions of the island. The winter months are passed in the south, where "browse" is plentiful, and the snow is not so deep as to prevent them reachiiiL"" the Iichen^ anud the lower grounds. In .March, when tho sun becomes more i)owerful, so that the snow is soft- ened by its rays, j)ermitting them to scrape it off and reach the herbage l)eneath, the reindeer turn their faces towards the n(;rth- west and begin their spring migration. They do not movi' in large bodies, for in that case they could not graze freely; but in herds of from twenty to two hundred each, Avhich are con- nected b}^ stniggicrs or piipiets, tho animals *rolIowing one another in sinir' ' tile a few vard^ or feet a])art. The whole surface of the country is now alive with deer, .is herd follows herd m rapid succession, each led by a noble slug as tall as a horse, and all bending their course in paiallcl lines towards the hills of the west and north-west. II<'re they arrive from the middle lo the end of April, and amid the rocky barri'us NEWFOUNDLAND AS 1 SPORTING COUNTRY. 211 and mountains, where their favorite mossy food most abounds, they browse till October. In May or June they bring forth their young in these solitudes, wjiere they meet with a pro- fusion of mountain herbage, and where, as compared with the lowlando, they are free from the persecution of flies. So soon, however, as the frosts of October l)egin to nip the vegetation, they turn towards the south and repeat their long march in the same manner, pursuing the same paths as when on their north- ern migration. Thus, for unknown periods, have these innu- meral)le herds ])een movin"' alono; the same route, unless when interrupted by the Indians or 'he irregularities of the seasons. Their movements are generally in parallel lines, unless where the narrow necks of land separating lakes, or the running waters or straits uniting them, or intervening chains of hills, cause them to concentrate on one point. It was at such points that the Red Indians were accustomed to wait for the deer and slaughter them in great numbers. They also constructed deer- fences along river-courses, with openings or passes at intervals for the deer to reach the ri; er and swim across. Here, when in the water, they were killed, or struck down at the narrower parts of the fence by those who were on the watch. September and October arc the months for deer-stalking in Newfoundland. Some knowledge of the country and the as- sistance of Micmac guides are requisite. There are favorite hunting-grounds known to the initiated, where this exciting sport can be enjoyed in perfection. One of the best of these is on the "Barrens," overlooking Grand Lake, op[)osite the north- ern end of the great island. From this island the deer cross in large numbers, when setting out on their t-outhern migration, and collect in herds on the hills over the lake. The " White Hills," in the neighborhood of Hall's Bay, is another favorite stalkinff-jiround. Inland, from various settlein(Mi(s on the southern shore, late in the autunm the deer can be hunted with nuu'h success. The best account of caribou-shooting in Newfoundland is to I'o found in " Sporting Notes in Newfoundland," by Captain Kcmiedy, of II.M.S. "Druid." The substance of this little pamphlet, which is written with much s})irit and with all the 'ri\ * : ir^ ffij ■ ^l' 212 A^^" WFO UNDLAND. enthusiasm of the genuine sportsman, appeared in the "Field" newspai)er at various times. Captain Kennedy says of th^^ Newfoundland deer: "In general appearance the caribou some- what resemhh's a gigantic goat ; the body is heavier and more chimsy than that of the red deer, the legs shorter and stouter, feet broader, head more cow-like, eyes smaller, ears shorter, and nostrils larger. The skin is l)rown in sunnner, brown and •white in autumn, and white in winter. It is extremely tliick- and beautifull}' sol'l, being covered Avitli thick wool underneatli and long whil(; or mottled hairs over all. This gives it a soft, springy touch, unlike the wiry hair of the red deer. The antlers of the caribou stag are palmated, sweei)ing backwards, and of magnificent proportions, the brow antlers meeting over the nose, like a i)air of hands clasped in the attitude of prayer. In all resjjects the animal is admirably provided to resist the in- clement climates he is destined to inhabit. Ilis short, strong legs carry him over ground such as no horse could travcise, and his bi'oad foot i)revents him from sinking deep into the snow. A popular delusion is that the palmated horns of the caribou are given him to scrape away the snow to reach the lichen u[)()n which he feeds. I am certain that it is nothing of the kind, and I can prove it. The horns are supplied solely for the pur[)ose of iighting. The deer turns up the snow with his nose, which is covered with hard skin for the purpose. lint the proof that the horns are not intended or used for scra[)ing tlio snow is that ^vhen the snow is on the ground the deer have not got any horns. The stags shed their horns in November, after tlu; rutting season, and they attain their full growtii in August. In Septcmiber they arc clear of the velvet, and all ready fcu' action, and well they use; tluMU. During the ruttinLr season, Avhich commences about the third week in September, and lasts a fortnight, tei-ril>le battles take place, and it is raic to find a full-grown stag whose antlers are not battered abont the brow-antlers especially, and the animal himself often badly WH)unded about the neck and forelegs. On these occasions the deer generally kneel down and butt each other. In defendini^ themselves against wolves theiy use their fondegs with g" femali! caribiui ;( 1 NEWFOUNDLAND AH A SPORTING COUNTRY. 213 carries antlers, but not always. Slio hriu^s forth her young In iNIay, Avhcn two years old, retainuH^' her liorns till then. Barren deer shed their liorns in winter. A fuU-izrown earihou hind is aboui the size of a red deer staij ; and a full-nrown stai;: i" his prime, say from six to ten years old, will weigh 500 lbs. clear, against say twenty stone of a red deer stag." Ca[)tain Kennedy docs not think well of rod-tishiiig for salmon, owing to the fact that many of the l)est salmon rivers have l)een ruined by barring, sweeping with nets, tra[)s, weirs, or mill-dams. 8ea-trout tishing, he says, is excellent, if at the right si)ot at the right time. Still he describes some s[)lendid fishing excursions, which he enjoyed on several occasions. Lord Dunraven has given an interesting account of a brief hunting; excursion in the island, in "The >iineteenth Century"' 'or flanuary, 1881. He says, "Xewfoundland is not nuich ^■isited 1)y Englishmen. I know not why, for it is the nearest and most accessible of all their colonies, and it oilers a good field for exploration and for sport. The interior of a great part of the island, all the northern [)art of it, in fact, is almost un- known. The variet}' of game is not great ; there are no moose or small deer, and I)ears are, strange to say, very scarce ; but caribou arc plentiful, and the Newfoundland stags are finer by far than anv to be found in auv portion of the contincMit of North America. The caribou or reindeer are wtting scarce, as they are also in every other accessible [)lace. Constant travel across the island interferes with their annual migration from north ^o south and from south to north. They are no longer to be seen crossing Sandy I'ond in vast herds in the s[)ring and fall, but no doubt they anj still [)retty i)lentit'ul in some renioli; parts of the country. The shores of Xewfoundland are indented with numerous aid t,'xc(>lleiit harbors; the interior is full of lakes, and is traversed by many streams navigable for canoes. Fur is pretty plentiful, wild fowl and grouse abundant, and the creeks and rivers are full of salmon and trout." In " Forest Life in Acadic;," C.ajitain Campbell Hardy, Iv. A., ill a s[)ecial chapter on Newfoundland, says: "I know of no country so near Fngland which oilers the same amount of inducement to the explorer, naturalist, or sportsman as Now 11 ift 'If ':i' I ] . i ifil 2U NE WFO UNDLAND. foic 1.1 land. To one who combines the advantages of a good prac'ticaJ, knowledge of geology with the love of sport the interior of this great island, much of which is quite unknown, may indeed prove a field of valuable and remunerative discovery, for its mineral resources, now under the examination of a Government geological survey, are unquestionably of vast importance, and quite undeveloped. As a field for s})ort, likewise, Newfoundland is but little known. Some half-dozen or yo of regular visitors from the continent, one or two resident sportsmen, and the same number from England, comprise the list of those who have encamped in its vast solitudes in quest of its princij)al large game — the caribou — which is scattered more or less abundantly over an area of some twenty-ti\c thousand scjuare miles of unbroken wilderness," Ca[)tain Hardy, in a description of moose-calling, says : " Few white hunters have succeeded in obtainini; the amount of skill ro(|uisite in palming off this strange deceit upon an animal so cautiou.*- and possessing such exquisite senses as the moose. It is a gift of the Indian, whose soft, well-modulated voice can imitate the calls of nearly every denizen of the forest." The following notes on their method of stalking the moose are as graphic as they are interesting : — " September is the first month for moose-calling, the season lasting for some six weeks. I have seen one brought up as late as the 23d of October. " The moose is now in his prime ; the great i>almated horns, which have been growing rapidly during the sunnner, are firm as rock, and the hitherto protecting covering of velvet-like skin has shrivelled up and disappeared by rubbing against stuinjjs and branches, leaving the tines smooth, sharp, and ready for the combat. " The bracing frosty air of the autumnal nights makes IIk^ moose a great rambler, and in a short time districts, which before would only give evidence of his presence by an occasioniil track, now show countless impressions in the swamps, by the sides of lakes, and on the mossy bogs. He has found his voice too, and, whore moose are numerous, the hitherto silent woods ki m |i i ii 11 f i ! ' ■ < : 1 i i - , 1 r 1 1 iii .'' < ' Ij) '"';\ NEWFOUNDLAND AS A SPORTING COUNTRY. 215 resound with the plaintive call of the cow, the grunting response of her mate, and the crashings of dead trees, as the horns are rapidly drawn across them to overawe an approaching rival. "This call of the cow-moose is imitated l»y the Indian hunter through a trumpet made of birch bark rolled up in the form of a cone, about two feet in length ; and the deceit is generally attempted by moonlight, or in the early morning in the twilight preceding sunrise — seldom after. Secreting himself behind a sheltering clump of J)ushes or rocks, on the edge of the forest ])arren, on some favorable night in September or October, when the moon is near its full, and not a breath of wind stirs the foliage, the hunter utters the plaintive call to allure the monarch of the forest to his destruction. The startling and strange sound reverberates through the country, and as its echoes die away, and everything resumes the wonderful silence of the woods on a calm frosty night in the fall, he drops his birchen trumpet in the bushes, and assumes the attitude of intense listening. Perhaps there is no response ; when, after an interval of al)out fifteen minutes, he ascends a small tree, so as to give greater ra!ige to the sound, and again sends his wild call pealing through the woods. Presently a low grunt, (juickly repeated, comes from over some distant hill, and snaj)pings of branches, and falling trees, attest the approach of the bull ; perhaps there is a pause — not a sound to be heard for some moments. The hunter, now doubly careful, knowing that his voice is criticised by the exquisite ear of the bull, kneels down, and, thrusting the mouth of his ' call ' into the bushes close to the ground, gives vent to a lower and more plaintive sound, intend(!d to convey the idea of impatience and rc[)r<)ach. It has probably the desired effect; an answer is given, the snappings of branches are resumed, and presently the moose stalks into the middle of the moonlit barren, or skirts its sides in the direction of the sound. A few paces farther — a tlasii and report from behind the little clump of concealing bushes, and the great carcass sinks into the laurels and mosses which (•ar[)et the plains. " In regard to the caribou, Captain Hardy says : "It is only to be approached by the sportsman with the assistance of a (I v.; ' t tt i|l r•^ II;: t r||i-J h ' 210 NE WFOUNDLAND. regular Indian hunter. In old times the Indians posse.sH^cd and practised the art of calling tiie buck in Sei)tenil)er, as they now do the bull-moose, the call-note being u short hoarse bellow ; this art, however, is lost, and at the present day the animal is shot by stali>:ing, or 'creeping' as it is locally termed ; that is, advancinir slealthily iuid in the footsteps of tlu, Indian, l)earing , mi", Uu hopele-.sness > f success should souiid, ,'- "h! or ;-;m !it :;ivo A' amiug of api)roaching danger. As witli the n- losi 'i- ; iter faculty seems to impress the caril)ou most Avith a i.'elin;L. *" alarm, Avhich is evinced at an almost incredil)le distance from the ol)ject and fully accounted for, as a general fact, l)y the size of the nasal cavity, and the developnujnt of the cartilage of the septum. As the caribou generally travels and feeds do/.n wind, tlie wonderful tact of the Indian is indispensable in a forest country, where the game cannot be sighted from a . 1 confess that, like many other young hunters, or like the conceited blundering settlers, who are for- ever cruising through the woods, and doing little elst; (save b}' a chance shot) than scaring the country, 1 once fondly hoped to be able to master the art, and to hunt on my own account. FilU'cn years' cxp<'ricnce has undeceived me, and compels me to acknowledge the superiority of the red man in all matters relating to the art of 'venerie' in the American wood- lands. "When brought up to the game in the forest, there is, also, NEWFOUXDLAND AS A SPORTING COUNTRY. 217 omo difficrlty in ro-lizing tho presence of the cai'i1)()u. At .ill times of the yoiir its color is so similar to the p»'r\.i(lin<^ lucs of the woods, that the animui, when in repose, is exceed- higly Jifficult of detection ; in winter, cs})ocially when standing amongst the snow-dapi)!e(l stems of mixed spruce and hiich wood •, th^} are so hard to see, and tiie'r light gray hue renders the judging of distance and aim so uncertain, that many escape the hunter's ])ullet at distances, and under circumstances which should otherwise admit of no excuse for a miss." »;• %•> ' 'II '•J m 1,1 1 PART III. THE FISHEEIES i: H: ' I ii CHAPTER I. THE HISTORY AND CONDITION OF THE CODFISH INDUSTRIES. Export comparisons — The earliest fishermen on the Newf r undland coasts — Tlie West of England men — Driving out settlers — Th' rivalry of France and England — French and American fishing enterprises .supported by Ixjunties — Statistical records of population — The rise nnd progress of tiie cod- fishery — The Groat Banks — Want of organization and scientific observa- tion — Number of persons engaged in the staple trade — Value of the fisheries to France and England — The American catcii of codfish on the Banks — Newfoundland and the Dominion of Canada — European cod-pro- ducing countries — The "catcii" in Norway — Newfoundland compared with the principal sea-fisheries of the world. The fisheries of Newfoundland constitute the grand .«itai)le industry of the country. The trade of the colony dci)eii(ls mainly on the exportation of fish and oil. In one departnuMit of industry Newfoundland is in advance of all other countries. Her cod-fisheries are the most extensive the world has ever seen. If, for the purpose of comparison, we take the five years from 1871 to 187.'), the average annual export of codfish from Newfoundland during this period was 1,333,009 quintals, of 11211). weight. During the same years the average export of codfish from the Dominion of Canada was 785,42.5 quintals ; and that of Norway, 7.31,382 quintals. The cod are taken on the shores of the island, on the Banks, and along the coast of Labrador. The Bank fishery is now chiefly i)rosecuted by the French and Americans, Newfoundlanders occupying themselves mainly with the shore and Lal)rador fishery. The aggregate (218) ! 1! THE CODFISH INDUSTRIES. 219 annutil catch of cod at present hy the three nationalities in the North American waters, is estimated at 3,700,000 quintals. The number of codfish captured to make up this weight of dried fish, allowing forty fish for a quintal, would reach 150,000,000. Thus prolific in cod are the enc()mi)assing seas of the island. The value of 3,700,000 quintals, at $4, would be $14,800,000. The cod-fishery has been prosecuted during the last three hundred and seventy-eight years ; but, notwithstanding the enormous drafts every year, the fishing-grounds show no signs of exhaustion, and, to all appearance, the supply of cod is as abundant as ever. Very soon after Cabot's discovery of the island, and his report of the abundance of cod in the waters, the Basques, the most enterprising fishermen of those days, began to fish on the coast. The island was discovered in 1497, and in 1504, according to Pcre Fournier, these Basques Avere busy drawing cod from the waters, and had given the name Baccalaos, or Codlands, to Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and Cape Breton, the countries adjacent to the fishing-grounds. Thus, though discovered by English navigators, other nation- alities w^ere the first to profit by the riches of those seas ; and for a long period the fishermen of the Basque provinces, of Normandy and Brittany, were alone engaged in the cod-fishery on these coasts.^ The English at that time were mainly occupied with a lucrative fis!iery on the coasts of Iceland, much nearer home. In Purchas' " His Pilgrims," a letter is given which Avas written by John Rut, master of an English ship, from the harbor of St. John's, to King Henry VHI. It bears the date of August 3, 1527. Among other things the writer informed His Majesty that he found in the harbor of St. John's eleven ships from Normandy, one from Breton, and two from Portugal, all engaged in fishing. It was not long, how- ever, before the English fishermen discovered the value of those fisheries, for, in 1540, vessels from London, Bristol, Bideford, and Barnstaple were engaged in fishing on the Banks of Newfoundland. In proof of this, Ilakluyt gives an extract ' In the name " Port-uux-Basqucs," a fine harbor near Cape Ray, these Basque fisher- men have left a relic of themselves in NewfoundlanJ. ! i i:i 220 NE WFO UNDLA XD. from an Act passed iii the reign of Edward VI. "against the exaction of money, or any other thing, by any otHcor, for license to traffic in Irehind or Xewfonndhmd," In l')78, some new light is thrown on the conditic^n of the fisheries, as Ilakluyt gives a letter written to him by M. Antonie Parkliurst, gentle- man, containing a report on Newfoundland, in which the writer says that Kngland had then fifty shijjs engaged in the fishery, but that Franco and Spain had each a hundred and fifty, and Portugal fifty vessels. When Sir IIum[)hrey Gilbert took possession of the island, in 1583, he found thirty-six ships in the harl>or of St. John's engaged in fishing, of which sixteen ■were English. In IGIO the Comi)any of Planters of Newfound- land, comi)osed of the Earl of Northampton, Lord Bacon, and many others, made an unsuccessful attempt at a settlement in the island. Even at that early period, as we have already seen, Lord Bacon, from his knowledge of the value of its fislujries, declared that " it contained richer treasures than the mines of Mexico and Peru." English merchants and fishermen, chiefly from the west of England, had by this time established stations all along the eastern coast ; but the fishery was migratory, the fishermen returning to England at the close of each season. In 101.") Captain \Vhill)ourne was sent out by the Admiralty to establish order along the coast, and he found one hundred and seventy English vessels engaged in fishing. The numl)ers rapidly increased, for in 1()2() Devonshin; alone sent one hundred and fifty vessels to the fishery, and England had begun to monoi)- olize the fish trade of Spain and Italy. At the same date three hundred and fifty families had, in spite of every discouragement, settled in the various harbors of the island. The Frencii, too, had greatly extended their fishing operations, and rivalled the English in their successful pursuit of the cod. So eager were they to share in this lucrative industry, that, in 1635, the French agreed to pay a duty of five per cent, on the produce for permission to dry fish in Newfoundland; and, in KJiiO, tliey founded a colony in Plaisance or Placentia Bay. The impor- tance of the fishery was further evidenced in 1663, when, in order to encourage it, an Act Avas passed exempting it from THE CODFISH LVD VS TRIES. 221 tax or toll. Then followed the long and niclaiiclioly stniimlo of ninety years, already described in the historical part of this vohnne, between the merchant adv(,'nturers, who obtained charters from successive British governments, and the resident p()l)nlation, which, notwithstanding stern })rohibitory laws, continued to increase. During the whole period society was in a wretched state, owing to the oppressive laws prohibiting settlement. Matters came to a crisis in 1(>7(), when, through the intluencc of Sir Joshua Child, of London, and one of the )n'inci[)al menhants connected with the tisheries in England, — a man who had early distinguished himself as a ■writer of no mean imi)ort, — a decree was issued, bearing the signature of Charles II., for rooting out the entire settlement in Xewfoundland ; and the execution of this barbarous edict was intrusted to Sir John Berry, who was connnissioned to proceed to Newfoundland and burn down every dwelling found standing upon the island and drive the inhabitants out. Through rej)re- sentations made to the king by John Downing, and the hesitancy on the part of Sir John Berry to execute the connnand. His Majesty allowed the houses to stand ; but still the most severe measures continued to be enacted to prevent permanent settle- ment in the island. Both pjugland and France were now fully aware of the vast importance of the island and its fisheries, and each struggled hard to retain a hold upon both, more especially as it was felt to be the key to open or close access to Canada. The treaty of Ryswick, in 1G98, restored all the possessions of each i)owerin the island, but that of Utrecht, in 1713, transferred the sover- eignty of Newfoundland and the adjacent islands to (Jrcat Britain. The 'rench, however, obtained l)y the same treaty certain fishing [^, ivileges, to which they have tenaciously clung ever since, and which have prove\' « 222 NEWFOUNDLAND. II ; 11 I ■'i?||iiii:j;-:s fi.shin*^ or carrying fish was two hundrod and fifty-two ; and the numl)er of bouts three hundred and ninety-seven. The French were still more active in the fisheries, as in 1721 they had four hundred ships emplo^'ed ; and rivalled the English in supplying the Mediterranean and Spanish markets. They sustained the in- dustry by a system of high bounties. Both nations regarded the Newfoundland fisheries as highly important in a national point of view, as they proved to be the best training school for a liardy, courageous race of seamen, and thus to l)oth nations they were nurseries for sui)plying their navies with sailors. In the case of England there can be no question that these New- foundland fisheries were the first nurseries for that fearless race of ccamen who won lier early maritime supremacy and made her the world's great trader. On this point Mr. McGregor, in his valuable work on "British America," says : "Newfoundland, » 'though occupying no distinguished place in the history of the New World, has notwithstanding, at least for two centuries and a half after its discovery by Cabot in 1497, been of more mighty importance to Great Britain than any other colony ; and it is doubtful if the British Empire could have risen to its great and superior rank among the nations of the earth, if any other power had held the })osscssion of Newfoundland ; its fisheries having ever since its coumiencement furnished our navy Avith a great l)roportion of its hardy and brave sailors." Whatever may be thought of the national policy pursued in granting to the French, and aft'H'wards to the Americans, such cr'tensive privileges in conn<;cti()n Avith the Newfoundland fish- cries, it is evident that these concessions placed the colonists at a great disadvantage. Both French and Americans sustained their fisheries by large bounties, Avhile Newfoundland fishermen had to comi)ete Avith them, in their own waters, without any such assistance. The concessions to the French had the practical result of closing one half tlie island against settlement and tiiC cultivation of the soil, and thus greatly retarded the growth of the population, it is not wonderful, therefore, lo find that the Bank fishing, in which fornu'rly many hundred fishing-vessels from the shores of Newfoundland took u part, has long been abandoned to the French and Americans. In 1815 there wero THE CODFISH IXDUSTRTES. 223 four huiKlred British vessels engaged in the Bank fishery ; in 184/3 it became praetlcally extinct. An attempt has been made of late, with encouraging results, to restore this tishery ; but only time will tell the issue of the effort. The Newfoundland fisheries have long been carried on only along the shores of the island, and on the coasts of Labrador. With such energy and success have these indus^^vies been pursued under all disadvan- tages, arising from French and American ))Ounties, that at pres- ent their annual value, all fishery products included, may be estimated at from six to eight million of dollars ; and they con- stitute the main source from which a population of 1 HO, 000 derive their sup})ort. Thev do not, however, exi)and with the increasing population ; and iicnce, to provide for the future, the long dormant resources of the island are at length about to bo turned to account. Having thus sketched the history of the Newfoundland iish- eries, we subjoin the following statistics of the cod-lishery, in order to show its growth from the earliest periods and its con- dition at the [)resent time. The earliest record is for 1G9G, and is us follows : — Residents ....... 203 Fishermen 2,028 Total population . . . . . 2,321 Number of boats . . . . . 431 Number of quintals of cod caught in the har- bors occupied by tin*- British . . . 220,700 J The following is iui abstract of the trade and population two years later, in 1()D8 : — Number of planters ..... 284 Number of then* children .... M)'2 Number of iheir servants .... 1,8',)4 Niunber of boats owned by them . . 3!)7 (Quintals of fish made by them . . . 101,ir)2 i\uml)cr of slii^js iishing and carrying fish . 2')2 Their toimago ...... 21,318 t;.' I; kt 224 XEWFOUXDLAND. It: J V ■ I Xuiulx.'r of sciiniGU ('ini)loyc(l . . . 4,244 Qiiintiil.s offish caught by ships . . . 114,770 (^uinhils of (ish purchased by merchants . 157,848 (Quintals of lish carried to marlvct . . 2()5,1I)8 The returns for tlie following sixteen 3'ear.s seem to indicate a decline in the cod-tishery, the average exjjortation for the iirst three years of that period 1)eing 154,370 (piintals, and for the last three 102,3<;3 ((uintals. A remarkable increase in the catch offish took place in 17ii;;, and in the following years the progress was fully sustained, as the foUowin"; statistics sliow : — Year. 17G3 17G4 17(35 1785 1787 1788 1700 17; 1 2 17!»5 1800 1805 1810 \S\.\ ISl 1 1815 1820 1825 Qulnt:ilH exported. Ye.ir. 34S,2')4 1835 470,1 l.s 1845 4!);^(;5i 1850 5i)l,27(; 1854 7;52,015 1800 '.lis,!)70 180;'. (;4I),0!)2 18V0 552,200 1872 500,000 1873 3.s2,O0O 1874 025,511) 1875 884,474 187(; 8 ill, 3 00 I.S77 !)47,7(;2 1.S78 1,080,200 1871) 1)01,159 1880 !I73,4(;4 18S1 Qiiint;ils export eil. 712,5s,S i,ooo,2;;3 1,080.1.S2 771.117 1,37!). NO I 1.0 12. 321 i,ii;i,5;;5 1,221,150 i,;;oit,2o5 1,001), 72 I i,i30,2;;5 l,30l,OiiS l,O2!i.O0 1 1,07!. oh; 1,;').S7.770 1,41'.). 505 i,5s3,i;;2 In connection Milli the foregoing returns tbe population of the island at various periods nmst be taken into account. Tlie statistics given altoNc include the (juantitles of cod taken by the wliole nundier ot fishermen, both those who vajue in ti-li- ing vesst4s and ictnrnetl to lOngland at tlie end of tin; sea>()ii. and thost" resident in the country. As the poi)ulati )n increax'd THE CODFISH INDUSTRIES. 225 the Hshiug industries fell more and more into the liands of those who resided in the Island, and at lenutii {!ie niiniatory fishery ceased entirely. In 17().'5 the resident population was 13,112; in 171)2, 1"),2.J3 ; in 17Si), 1!),1()(;; in 1X2.'), r);),71i:\2, tJU,008; in l.S,"):), 122, OaS; in hS()!), 140, ."jnO; in 1.S7-4, 1G1,410; ill 1882, estimated i)oi)uhiti(m lSo,00(). Naturally we should expect to find as the i)o[)ulation j^rew, and more persons were emi)loye(l in the fisheries, the quantities of fish cauiiht would increase in i)roportion. Uut the fore_:j^oin^ statistics prove that this has not been tlu; case. In l.S,"),"), with a p()pulati(Mi of 122,038, the ([uantity of cod taken am(>-.inted to 1,107,388; in 1880, with a population of nerrly 183,000, the quantity of cod taken was l,tll),.>0'>. For thirty years the catch has occasionally fallen l)elow !i million (piintals, hut only a million during two or three years has it •••reatly exceeded •juintals. \\\ 1874, an excej)tional year, it rose 1o 1,001), 724 quintals, which were the hi\ wx y iiureasmg mil heeii reached? Are there; fewer cod in the wati'r tlia.i formerly, owing to the heavy drafts mad(! on the })rolifu race by the nbers of fishermen? There can be no doubt that iheri; are localities which show signs of exhaustion, ( ith(>r from over-llshing or other causes, such as tlu; destriu-tion of the food of till! cod. Some of the bays, notably Conceplion Hay, where cod were onc(! al»undant, are now comparatively iniprodu(tiv(» li^liing-grounds. lUit this exhaustion is confined to .'i limited area ; and the iUon; extensive; fishing-banks along shore, and the (ireat JJanks far out at sea, show no ^-igns of depletion. Tlic (Jreat IJaidis, six hundred miles in length and two hundred in bceadth, the home and breeding-grounds of the cod, have been fished for three centuries and a half without >howiiig any sym[)toms ,)f a falling olf in the (luantities takea. TIk' enor- mous fecundity of the cod forbids tlm idea of exhaustion; and the (^uantiticfi) takeu by muii uro infinitesimal when cumparod li 1' ;l 220 NE WFO UNDLA AT). ''W i ' ' I with the dcstnu'tion caused ])y their natural enemies. The Fishery Commissioners of Enghmd, after an exhaustive in(i(iiry into the matter, deehire that there is no falling ott' in the supply of Hsli around the shores of Great Britain, notwithstandinu;' the inimense and increasing drafts on them ; and in conse(|uence, hav(! recomm(!nd(!d the removal of all restrictions on \ho fish- ing industries. It is difficult to see why the Xowfoundland fisheries should ever fall into a state of depletion, when other British waters, with far heavier drafts, are as prolific as ever. The stationary condition of the Newfoundland cod-fishery is not caused by ;i falling oil' in the quantity of cod in the waters, but is largely owing to the imperfect and anii(|uated methods of taking them which still obtain. Science has not been called in to aid tliis important industry as has been the case in Nor- way. Newfoundland has no fishery bureau. Improvements are very slowly introduced. The hook-and-linc is depended on far too extensively. Fishing from small punts with the baited hook, close in-shore, is the method followed hy l;ii'g(> numbers of the poorer class of fishermen. The mei'chants show no spirit or energy in piocuring information regarding what other countries are doing, or by inducing fishermen to use improved fishing-gear. The preservation of bait by ice is only attempted on a small scale, the aid of the telegraph and the thermometer has not yet been ol)taiaed. Above all, the vicious " ^"lM'b'''^i? system," by which advances in food and clothing, at high prices, are m;:de t ) the fishermen at the commencement of each season, is destructive to the industrious efforts of tlio-^c who are thus n ^ver out of debt, and often on the brink of Imiu- ine ; and tends to undermine their self-respect and honoty. Were there a well-organized fishery bureau, under the guidance of a skilletl scientist and [mctical nje.., and were the imin-ove- ments of the other fishing countries introduced h(>re, and the supplying system euvlaile'. or iibolished, the cod-fisjiery, us w- U M>t the other tisheries, by the a[)plication of skill and caj)!- ' (I. mi;_;Iit be indeliuitely increased. Under the present sys- tem it is not likely to make further advances. There have been ><)vv iiiiprovciner.ts, but much j-emains to be done. New- ion, idlauder.s have every nai.ural advantage in inexhauslihle THE CODFISH INDUSTRIES. 221 supplies of cod either clo; e to their doors or on the Banks, a day's sail from their shores, or on the Labrador coast, at no great distance. To the inhabitants of warm countries the dried cod furnishes a palatable article of food, and many of them regard it as indis})ensable. Catholic countries alone sj)end annually about half a million sterling in the purchase of cod taken in North American seas. So far from declining in value, the price of Newfoundland cod has advanced from tifty to seventy-five per cent, within the last fifteen years. While there is a difficulty often in finding a market for English manu- factured goods, the demand for codfish never fails ; and, as railways extend in Brazil, in Spain, in the Z>Iediierranean coun- tries, so as to permit its conveyance to the interiors, the demand increases. Thus it is evident that a cod-producing country possesses in this industry a source of prosperity which can never fail, and which the fluctuations of trade, or the caprices of fashion, cannot nmch affect. The extraordinary fecundity of the cod secures the fisheries against exhaustion. The cod-fishery of Newfoundland is the grand stai>le mdus- try, all the other fisheries — of the seal, salmon, herring, etc., — amounting in the aggregate in v ilue to but one-fifth of the whole. Four-fii'ths of the entire returns of the fisheries arise from the cod-fishery. In proof of this we may take the latest complete returns, those for the year ending July 31, 1881. The prodi- s of the cod-fishery exported that year, inclusive of La' ador, were as follows : — 1,583,123 quintals dried cod, at $3.20 l,r)16 *' green <« 4,127 tuns cod oil, at IIHO 144 " rcffinod cod-livor oil, at $180 1,040 l)!irrels cod-roes, at $3 43 packages of tongues and sound, at $1 300 barrels cods'-heads, at $1 . Total value of exports of the cod fishery . Amount cairied forward .... $r. •'•;o,020 1,516 445,710 25.022 3.120 43 300 $5,542,42,035 km !!i il I 228 NEWFOUNDLAND. AmoHiit hrowjld forvdvil .... $5,542,035 To this must be added tlie local consuniptioiA of codfish, at the rate of \\ quintals per head, or 270,00 quintals a $3.20" .... 8G4,000 Total value of cod-fishery in 1881 . . . $0,400, 035 The value of the other fisheries — of the seal, salmon, herrinjl, etc. — for 1881 was $1,429,871. The value of the whole exports of the island, copper ore included, for the 3'ear 1881 was $7,048,574. It is interesting to note the number of persons employed in taking this quantity of codfish. The latest census, that of 1874, showed that out of a population of 101,441) there were 20,377 able-bodied fishermen in the colony, 45,845 persons engtiged in catching and curing fish, 1,197 vessels of a tonnage of 01,551, 8,902 fishing-rooms in actual use, and 18,011 boats employed in the shore-fisiiery. At the present date there arc about 53,000 persons engaged in catching and curing fish out of a population of 180,000. The same men are emi)loyed in the seal and herring fisheries as in the cod-fishing, the se:d fishery o<.'curring in si)ring before the cod make their appeiu- ance, and the herring in the autimin and winter. We siiall now endeavor to estimate the extent and value of the French and American Newfoundland cod-fisheries. For some three hundred and fifty years France has carried on a cod-fishery on the Banks of Xewtoundland, and also alonir the western and northern chores of the island. Each year a fieet arrives at 8t. Pierre, in April, from Franco. After purchasing a supply of bait, for which they arc dependent on the Newfound- land fishermen, who realize al)out $100,000 per annum by its sale, they ])ro«"eed to the Hanks and ll.o stations along shore. Each vessel makes three trips front St. Pierre to the Banks. The jn'oduce of the first two V()va one-half. After "fattd Waterloo,*' the French, in order to "estoro their naval power and create sailors, gave immense bounties lO those who enirajjed in the Newfoundland fisheries, amounting to about $70 per man. Being sustained by such bounties the Newfoundland fishermen could not com- pete on the Banks with the French, the outfit for this lishcry being very ex[)ensive. The result was that the British Bank fishery declined rapidly, so that, in 1845, it was completely extinct. Once it employed 400 vessels. As a commercial speculation the French Bank fishery is not successful, and. were it not for the bounties, it would l)e abandoned. It is well known that the French fishermen pui'sue these foreign fishm'ies liirgel}' for the bounties they enjoy, the fish being, in many instances, a secondary consideration. There are no availa1)le statistics, as far as we are aware, to show what is the American catch of codfish on the Banks. Formerly a large number of American fishing-vessels used to frecjuont the Laltrador coast, l)ut at present very few are THE CODFISH IXDCS TRIES. 231 seen there, mid American Hshcrmen contine their etl'orls mainly to the Banks when in pnrsnit of eod. Aeeordin;^ to the Annual Report of the chief of the Bureau of Statistics, etc., the amount of dried codfish received into the Customs' Districts of tiie United States during; 1874 wt.s 850,732 quinttds, vahied at $P).!50 and 1807. In the former year the tonnaire of the United States em})lo3'ed in the cod-tisiiery was 13(5,(554 ; in 18(57 it was 3(>,70(). The decline has been most rapid since 18(53. Whether this iishery has rallied since 18G7 we have no statistics to determine. The following tal)le shows the comparative value of the cold-water sea-lislicries of the United State's, the Dominion of Canada, and Xewfouiidiand. The returns include not only cod, but all fish, such as mackerel and herring, taken in the waters around the coasts : — I 1, Year. 1870 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 187(5 United Statco. $5,313,0(57 11,428,410 0,52(5,047 8,348,185 0.522,553 10,747,570 0,756,083 Dominion of Canada. Niwfnnii'llanil. .$7,000,000 8,000,000 0,570,11(5 10,754,088 11,G81,8SG 10.347,88(5 11,010,451 $7,2(;(».208 M,os(;.osi 0,054,528 8,138.005 8.511.710 7,845.328 7,0.S7,877 From this tal)le it appears that the combined catch of the Dominion of Canada and Ni'wfoundland is nearly doulde in value the mean animal yield of the sea-ti.->heries of the Unitcid Stat(>s. The greater part of the latter arc carried on in waters oir liritish-American coast-lines. Of Kuropean cod-})roducing countries by far the most im- portant is Norway. It is the great rival of Ni^vfoundlMnd in the cod markets of the world, and its competition is very keeji, especially in recent years, during which the Norwegians have w •:S i- 232 NE WFO UNDLAND. made groat advances, !)>' the aid of science, in the modes of caplui-ini,'' and curing; cod. The follo\vin«r tahle exhibits the comparative condition of the \or\ver;-i,s(io 18(11-1805 Xorwriy. Cod exporti'd. QiiiiitulH. 537,t:)0 CO.'), 73 7 (;g(;,()7(; 751,382 Ncufiiiimllanil. Cod fxportcd. Quintulx. 080, 33('. 1»53,8."),S 1.220,i:>4 1,050,551 That the cod-tishery of Xorway, though Ihictuating (hiiiii^^ certain periods, is increasing in value, is evident from the report of ^I. Friele, ])resented at the Paris Exposition of 1878. In that rei)ort the returns are given as follows: — Yoars. 1873 1874 1875 1870 1877 Cod. 49,500,000 47,500,000 53,000,000 38,000,000 Valuo. $4,240,000 4,000,000 4,300,000 3,000.000 70,000,000 (about) 0,030,000 IKiii The yield in Xorway in 1877 of 70,000,000 codfish must l)e regarded us exceptional, being by far the most abundant on record. If we allow tifty codfish to a quintal, then the Xorway catch in 1877 was 1,400,000 quintals. The last two years have witnessed a failure in these fisheries, which has had the efi'ect of enhancing the price of Xewfoundland codfish, the catch in Xewfoundland hv'wvj: at the same time above an average. In 1N77 there were employed in the Lollbden cod-fisheiy — Avhich is the principal one — 21,287 men and 4,507 boats. The average gain of each fisherman was $120 during the season, which lasts from the beginning of February to the middle of April, being a winli'r fishery. Finmark is the sunnner cod fisherv of Xorwav. •lit THE CODFISH INDUSTRIES. 2;5;5 Altliough the Xewibundliind cod-tislicry does not show miy marked advanec in the (luantities taken (hwin^ the last thiity years, the inerease in the market vahie of dried codlish has been enhaneed to the extent of from fifty to .seventy-h\ c |)er eent., so that there has heen a steady progress in the value of tlic produets. The foHowing table shows the progress of the value of the whole j>roduets of the Newfoundland ti>heries during eaeh group of iive years, from l'Sr)2 to l.S7(), inelusive, the main inerease arising from the ^od fishery : — Grdiij) of Five Years. l.s:)2-l.S")G lsr,7_l,sG2 18(57-1871 1872-18 7G Avernifr Valur (if f^xport.-^ f]-iini Ncwfiiuiiillaml. $5, IOC), 129 (5,];'»2,;i!l2 G,()8(),i4r) 7,011,407 7,847, ()()1 The following arc the values of the exports of Xewfoundhnid for the years named : — Yi'ars. 1877 . 1 8 < 8 . > . . . 187i' . . . . . 1880 1881 Average for the last five years $7,025,441 6,51)1,807 7, 1(58, 1)24 7,i;51,0!ir) 7,(;48,r)74 7,233, 1(18 Tlic }ear ending Jnly 31, 18s2, proved to be one of unusual prosi)erit}'. Owi)ig to the failure of the Norwegian eod-ti>heries the [)rice of dry eod was eon-iderably enhanced in the foreign markets. The (juantity exitorted was 1,4(53,431) fjuintals, liio l)rlee paid to fishermen being four dollars per quintal. 'Jhough the seal fishery of 1882 proved to l)e one of the least prnductive on record, owing to the heavy masses of ice whieii blockaded the coast and arrested the movements of vessels, yet otluu- things combined to swell the returns. The value of the exports of ■) •< ; Hi ,11 IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) /, 1.0 I.I -1^ 12.5 1^ 12.0 i.8 !J5 U 1.6 «l 6" » ^^ ^ % >^ '-^ '/ Photographic Sciences Corporation 33 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 873-4S03 234 NEWFOUNDLAND. 1 '»i 111 v\ I ilit' hW> 1882 amounted to $8,228,291, exceeding those of 1881 l>y $579,720, and fhose of 1880 by $1,097,196. From the foregoing statements it is evident that the cod- fishery of NewfoundUmd is greater than that of any other cod- producing country in the world, the Norway fishery being next in value. The average value of the Newfoundland products of the cod-fishery may now be reckoned at $5,500,000 per annum ; and adding to this the value of the local consumption, we must place the entire annual value at $6,3(54,000. It may be interesting to compare the principal sea-fisheries of the world in regard to their respective value. The following table may be regarded as presenting a fairly correct estimate of the annual value : — \m British European sea-fisheries British American sea-fisheries United States ... Franco . . . . . Norway . . . . . Russia (European sea-fisheries) llussia (Asiatic fisheries) . Netherlands . . . , Total Value. $34,090,000 20,193,596 13,030,821 12,166,666 6,250,219 2,425,156 10,896,625 1,635,725 [ f . r NATURAL HISTORY OF THE COD. 235 CHAPTER II. NATURAL HISTORY OF THE COD, ITS DISTRIBUTION, MOVE- MENTS, SPAWNING, AND MODE OF CURE. Cold-water seas and the Arctic current — Nature's laws of ooiiii)ensation — Food of the cod — The Labrador current — An old theory exploded — A submarine plateau — The fishinir season — Caplin and squids — Process of curing the cod — Operators at work — Cod-liver oil — Fishing tackle and methods of taking the cod. Of the three leading kinds of commercial food-fishes — the cod, the herring, and the mackerel — the cod has the widest range. On the east coast of America, it is found, from the Polar regions on the north to Cape Ilatteras on the south, being most abundant on the coast of Labrador and Newfoundland, and on i\\v. Great Banks lying to the south and west. On the western coast of America, in the North Pacific Ocean, its boundary runs from Northern China, at Chusan, northward along the west coast of Japan and the Kurilo Islands to the southern extremity of Kamtschatka, and across to the Aleutian Islands, by Kodiak, Sitka, and the islands of the west coast of North America to San Francisco. In the Old World the cod has an extensive geographical range, being most abimdant in the neighborhood of the Loflbden Islands, Norway, Finmark, Iceland, the Faroe and British Islands. Its northernmost limit is in general seventy-five degrees north latilude, and the soulli- crnmost, in the Atlantic, thirty degrees north latitude. It is thus found on the coasts of both continents, and on the lino where the Arctic and North Atlantic Oceans meet. This may be called the domain of the Gadldv, which naturalists tell us embrace nine genera and fody-one species. Cold-water seas are essential to the life of the connnercial food-lishes. In the tropical seas, or even in the warm waters of the Gulf Stream, they could not exist, any more than the Arctic I 236 NE WFO UNDLAND. m. ! ':i -i \]\' !.,1 I 1 , ; M ' i 1 . . 1 hjiro could thrive in the Torrid Zone. The Arctic current which washes the coasts of Lal)rador, Newfoundland, Canada, and part of the United States, chilling the atmosphere, l)earinn' on its bosom huge ice-argosies, is the source of the vast fish wealth which has been drawn on for ages, and which promises to continue for ages to come. Wanting this cold ''river in the ocean," the cod, seals, herrings, mackerel, halibut, hake, etc. which now crowd the northern seas, would be entirely al)S(Mit. The great fishing interests are thus as dependent on the Arctic current, as the farming interests on the rain and sunshine which ripen the crops. Here is an illustration of Nature's great law of compensation. While the bleak shores of these northern regions are almost tenantless wildernesses, the cncompassin"' seas are swarming with vast varieties of marine life. The Arctic current rushes down from the Spitzbergen seas, laden with ice-fields and icebergs, sweeps round Cape Farewell, the southern point of Greenland, Hows north as far as Ca|)c York, and being here dellected westward, it mingles with the ice-laden river coming from the Arctic regions through Davis Strait. It now fiows south, and, receiving a fresh accession of streny-th from Hudson's Strait, it rushes along Labrador and the Newfoundland shores, till it encounters the warm waters of the (Julf Stream moving eastward. Here it is divided into two parts, one wedging itself between the Gidf Stream and the coast, the other shooting underneath the warm waters of this second river of the ocean. From Labrador southward it is usually called the Labrador current ; and the area which it occu[)i(>s on the coasts of North America is the great feeding and spawning ground of Ihe connnercial deep-sea fishes. It is not altogether owing to its temperature that the J^abrailor current is favorabU; to the develoi)ment of the connnercial lishes, though that is essential to their growth. This cold current brings with it the food on which these fishes thrive, and the supply is one that can never fail. So far from being nnt'a\(ir- able to the jirodnetion of life, the Arctic seas and the great rivers which they send forth are swarming with minute tonus of life, constituting, in the words of Professor Hind, "in many places a living mass, a vast ocean of living slime; and the all- NATURAL UISTORY OF THE COD. 237 porvuding life which exists there alTorcls the true sohition of the problem which has so often presented itself to those engaged in the great fisheries — where the food conies from which gives sustenance to the countless millions of tish which swarm on the coasts of Labrador and Newfoundland, and in Dominion and United States waters, or wherever the Arctic current exerts an active inlluenee." In the Arctic seas the waters are character- ized by a variety of colors, and it is found that if a fine insect net be towed after a ship it becomes covered with a film of green in green water, and with a film of brown in brown water. These films are of organic origin. "It is," says Hind, "a living slime, and where it al)ounds there also are to be found swarms of minute crustaceans, which feed on the slime, and in their turn become the food of larger animals." Dr. Brown has shown that the presence of this slime spread over a hundred thousand square miles provides food for myriads of birds that freciuent the Arctic seas in summer, and also furnishes suste- nance to the larger marine animals, up to the giant whale. This " slime of the ocean " api)ears to be most abundant in the coldest water, and especially in the neighborhood of ice. The ice-laden current from Baffin's Bay and the Spitzbergen seas carries m3'riads of icebergs which ground in countless numbers on the coast of Lal)rador, and " render possible there the existence of all these forms of marine life, from the diatom to the minute crustacean, from the miiuite crustacean to tb.e crab and pniwn, together with molluscous animals and starfish in vast profusion, which contribute to the support of the great schools of cod which also find their home there." Thus, then, the great battalions of icebergs carry with them the slime-food on which minute crustaceans live; and these in their turn furnish food for the herring which swarm on the (Jreat Banks, where this food is abundant, and the herring, with nmltil tides of other forms, are devoured by the cod. When the cod is assimilated by man this great circle of Xatun; is c'()mi)l(!te. There is a vast area on the shores of North America occupied l)y the Lal)rador current, and constituting the home of the cod and other commercial fishes. By far the greatest area of this cold water subtends the coasts of the British American prov- :l :l I 'y I I ! \ I II i 238 NE WFO UNDLAND. r ''' if';'- ill iiii: inces, within the hundred-fathom line of soundings. It is com- puted that while the cold-water area subtending the coast of the United States is about 45,000 square miles, that subtending British American shores is 200,000 square miles. The following table, given by Professor Hind, shows the comparative extent of coast-line washed by the cold current : — United States, north of Cape Hatteras Newfoundland . • . . Labrador, as far as Nain New Brunswick .... Nova Scotia .... Quebec ..... Miles. 1,070 2,000 360 545 1,170 1,1G4 ; « Thus while British America has a coast-line of 5,239 miles of fishing ground, the United States has but 1,070 miles. Hence the superior value of British North American fisheries. There is another important consideration. The homes of the deep-sea commercial fishes are in the vicinity of the coasts washed by the cold-water seas, and these are the great store- houses of the commercial fish supplies, and the real and only main-stay of the deep-sea fishery industries of both British America and the United States. The old theory regarding the extended migrations of the cod and herring to the Arctic or other distant regions and back is now entirely exploded. These fish are now known to be local in their habits, and to be confined to a limited area. They are governed in their movements by the presence or absence of food, the spawning instinct, and the temperature of the water. Their general movements are in schools, from the deep to the shal- lower and warmer waters of the coast, for spawning, or in search of food, returning by the same route in a direct line to their habitat. The law which governs fish life is that they re- turn to the place of their birth for reproductive purposes. Her.ce all round the coasts there are at different places what may bo called colonies of fish, differing from each other, and each having a range of movement from the deep to the shal- lowoi' waters, and vice versd. To the spot where the young first ^!i( NATURAL niSTORY OF THE COD. 2P.9 issued from the ovum they return when mature to repeat the story of their birth. Further, in passing from the spawning grounds to the deeper waters where they spend the winter, the cod and other fish follow a definite line of migration, and that generally the shortest and most direct route. ]Most of the schools around the NewfoundLnd coast are believed to winter at no great distance from the shore. Thus the cod taken along any stretch of coast-line is really indigenous to the adjacent sea area. The eminent naturalist. Professor Sars, has proved that the cod drops its spawn free into the sea at a considerable distance from the bottom. The spawn docs not sink, l)ut goes through all its stages of development, swimming free in the sea, quite near the surface. The eggs arc transparent, and have a sijccific gravity so near that of sea- water that they float near the surface, and are hatched in about sixteen da3's. The male fish, in spawning, swims deeper than the female, and the milt, l)cing of less s[)ecific gravity than the sea-water, floats upon the surface as soon as it is poured out. The young cod in its first year grows to be about a foot in length. When six months old it goes off from its birthplace into deeper water. It is not repro- ductive till its fourth year. The remarkable submarine plains at some distance from the shores of Newfoundland, where the finest codfish are taken, and where they are most abundant, are not, as was long believed, masses of sand, borne thither by the Gulf Stream and the River St. Lawrence. They form a rocky submarine plateau, whose eastern and southern borders descend steeply to a great depth. The Great Bank extends over fully nine degrees of latitude from north to south ; from west to east it covers in some places five degrees. The depth of water varies from fifty to three hundred and sixty feet. Beyond the Grand Bank to the eastward lies the Outer or False Bank, upon which the sea is from six hundred to nine hundred feet in dei)th. To the west there are several smaller banks. At the west end of the Great Bank soundings have shown a depth of nine thousand feet. The depth around the bank is from ten thousand to fifteen thousand feet. The water on the bank is not warmer than that 1 i { • < i' 240 NEWFOUNDLAND. surrounding it at a depth of three hundred to .six tliousand leet, namely, .'51I-2 to 42-8. The tishinir-grounds do not extend over the whole hank, hut have an extent ofahout two hundred niiles in h'ngth and sixty-seven miles in hreadth. For nearly four hundred years this "cod meadow" has been fished by large fleets of various nations, without showing any decrease in ])ro- ductiveness. The cod taken on the Banks is larger and finer in quality than the fish taJvcn along the shores of the island or on Labrador. An average of thirty Bank cod, when dried, makes a quintal. The price is higher than that of shore-fish. It is a prevalent opinion among fishermen, and until recently was also held by naturalists, that the cod taken in deep water, on banks and reefs, at a considerable distance from as well as close to the land, is a ditlcrent species from the cod taken in coastal waters. The researches of Sars into the natural history of the cod have explod(!d that opinion, and proved that the shore and Bank cod are really the same species. The Bank cod is merely the mature full-grown cod that has reached its fourth year or ui)- wards, its habits at that age leading it to prefer the Banks to the shore as feeding-grounds. The two-year-old and three- year-old cod remain on the shore all the year, passing to and from the shallower water. When four years old their rei)ro- ductive instincts arc developed, and after spawning they retire far from the coast, and are found on the submarine slopes and valleys of the Great Banks. On the Labiador coast and on Finmark great numbers of small cod are taken, from eighteen to twenty-two inches in length ; and these are prol)ably schools in their second or third year, which in a season or two, when mature, will change their mode of existence, and become Bank fish. The cod begins to appear on the coasts of Newfoundland each year about Juno 1st, being drawn there mainly by the great master instinct which pervades all animated existences. Local variations in the time of arrival, amounting to days and even weeks, occur ; and these are dependent on tem})era- lure, which determines the movement towards the land of the various forms of marine life on which the cod feeds. On the a'i- NATURAL II I STORY OF THE COD. 211 .SMiiH! c-iiiso thu tiiuo of sj)!i\vninn; dcpcMids. I'l-ofi-sxn- Hind, I'roin !i series of ean.'ful ol)servations on the nioveiueiits of tli(^ cod, 1ms deduced Ihc followini; l.'iw : " Over an area exlentlinj:^ iiorllierly from Conception Bay for seven lunulred miles, ilio cod ai)i)roacli the shore about one weelc later for cNcry de,t:ree of latitude we advance to the north." In Notri^ Dame Wixy and Southern Labrador they appear aI)out Junt; 20th, ami on North- ern Labrador from tlu! 2()tli to the 2Sth July. h\ Auiiiist and September cod-tishing is go in i;' on sinudtaneousl^ "throughout a Icniith of coast-lint^ extending from latitude 47^ \W to latitude 58^ oO% or more than seven hundred miles in one continuous line. Hence it ai)[)ear.s that the migrations of the schools of this lish are merely from deep-water winter feeding-grounds to the nearest coast, and from the coast lo the nearest deep-water feeding-grounds again. The coast migrations during the sum- mer months ajjpear to be of e(jually limited extent, and schools of cod fre(juenting any particular coast may Ix; said to l)e in- di<>enous to it.'' The lishiuij; season on tlu! Newfoundland coast lasts about one hundred and forty three days; on Southern LaI)rador, eighty-seven days; and on Northern Labrador, tifty- two days. The arrival of the cod on the coast, about ih(> 1st of , Tune, is heraldet masses, the greedy cod follows behind, feasting on the rich l)aiii|iu't, devouring its prey in myriads. U'h" caplin furnishes ijie best bait for the lishernu'n ; aiul the capl..i school-titne is his richest harvest season. Vessels engaged in tishing on the; Hank- run in to the harbors at intervals for fresh supi)lies of caplin a> Itait, which is preserved i' ice. Some idea of the innn(>nse shoals of caplin that till the l)ays may be f(;rmed from the fact, that a man standing on shore with a castinj'-net will often till a cart I 242 NE WFO UNDLAND. \\rl^ i'j with tlieiu in an hour. AVith .small .seines a couple of men can lill a small l)()at in an hour or two. Thousands of cartloads of caplin ait' purchased hy farmers, who mix them with earth and l)o^, and thus form a most fcrtilizini; compost. Jf any means could he devised to cure them like sardines, which they resemhlc, caplin would become of considerable conunercial value, as they have a very dedicate flavor when fresh. In a calm moonlight night in June, when Hsh are pU'utiful, smd the waters all alive with marine forms, the silvery sides of the cod may be s(!(>n flashing in the moon-beams, as the fish leap out of the water, and dash ui)on their i)rey, th(! little caplin flying in all directions, and in evident terror often flinging tluMuselves on the bi'ach. The world of waters, it would seem, is no more free from terror, pain, torture, and death, than the land. Sur- rounded by ravenous foes, watching for their assaults, flying for dear life, fishes, it may bo easily conceived, form a part of "the ereation that groanelh and travaileth in pain." No sooner do the cajjlin retire from the coast than a new school appi'ars, which also su[)ply food for the cod, and valua- 1)le bait for the fisherman. These are the squids, or small cuttle-lish. The usual time for the a^jpoarancc of the sijuids is about the first of August. They also remain for six or seven weeks, and are followed by the herring in the end of September and ')ctol}cr. AVithout these bait-fishes the fishermen could do little in capturing the cod. In order to form an idea of the process of curing, we shall take a Newfoundland codfish, at the time when it is drawn from the water, and follow it throuuh the different stayes till It reaches the exporting nierchant's store. ^\'hen the fisherman's boat, laden with the day's catch, reaches his " stage " — a rough covered platform, projecting over i\\(\ water, and supported on poles — the fish are flung one by one from the boat to the floor of the stage, with an instrument resembling a small pitchfork, and called a " pew." The cod is now sei/A'd by the " cut-throat, " armed with a sharp and pointed knife, with one stroke of which he severs the attachment between the gill-covering and the bell}', and, inserting the knife in the nir thus made, slits the abdomen to the vent. He then t>l NATURAL HISTORY OF THE COD. 243 makes a cut on cither side of the head at the base of the skull, and passes it to the "header. " This operator first extracts the liver, which is dropped into a vessel l)y his side, to be convei-ted into cod-liver oil. He then wrenches off the head, removes the ■ ;%--v c- * ' - 11'" ■ .■ ■ • >?.-.'^a;^^«';^ jr!;.i-i..,vf.- M? BTAQB AND BOAT — FISH-FLAKB. viscera, which arc throAvn into a vessel to be preserved along Avith the head for the farmer, who mixinj; them with bo*: and earth thus forms a fertili/inij manure. The tonirues and sounds, or air-bladders, are also taken out, and, when pickled, make an excellent article of food. The fish now passes to the i -, J 2U NEWFOUyDLAND. Vi'\ mm W : 'i h ■ \ ''spliltiM", " who [)l;ice.s it on its back, sind, holding it open with hi.s left iiinul, takes a si)litting-knif(' in his right, and cuts ah)ng the U'ft si(hi of the hackliono to the base of the tail. 'V\\v WAx now lies oi)en on the table, and with a sharp strokt; of his knife, the "s[)litter" severs the baekl>one at a short CD O en I I o c z CD i fit, pit: m m in'' !fii f w I. !^ iff m:i ^'^ Ik i ■ Mi: 1' 1 ' ? n '^ 'h. ■:/ if : LililH ilii NATURAL HISTORY OF THE COD. 245 foiiiullaiul, whatever maybe done elsewhere. This refined i-od- liver oil is usually sold for al)()ut a dollar per fridlou in the ••^land. In \k^>>\ it was worth a luuKlred and eiirhty dollars )ier tun. Common eod oil is used for tannery and other i)ur})oses, and is "worth a hundred and eij^ht dollars per tun. The eod is the most useful of all fish. \o j)art is valueless. The head is sometimes cooked and eaten. ^lore frequently, in Newfoundland, it is alon^ij with the intestines eonverted into manure. The offal an roe is (>\-p(U't(^(l to France, and used as "round bait in the sardine; fisherv. The tonijfues and sounds arc u delicate article of food. The Xorweui:ins ixive the h(>ad, with marine plants, to their cows, for the purpose of increasini^ their milk ; while the Icelanders use the vertebra', bones, and ribs, for a similar pur[)ose. The appai'atus used by the Xewfoundland fishermen are the hook-and-line, the seiiu>, the cod-net or aill-net, the cod-tra}), and the l)ultow. Tlu; simi)lest and least expensive inod(! of li^hiniL!: is the hook-and-line, or hand-line. The best l»ait is the caplin. Too larj^o a proportion of the Xewfoundland lishe.tnen depend on this hand-line fishini;, from small punts near the sh()r(>. It is least expensive, ])ut also least renumerative ; and poverty, in a vast numl)er of instances, forbids the us(> of the iiui)roved methods, which, however, are jiradually extendinir. A\'hen very fat, the cod does not bite readily, and the hook-and- line men do best when the fish is thin and towards tlu; end of the season. When spawninii', the cod does not take the bait well ; and it is then that the seines, nets, and traps are s|)(«cially serviceable. The nets and seines are suspended in the water from floats of cork or wo( I. The Xorweuians now us(! almost exclusively hollow ulass lloats, covered with kn(»ttcd tari'ed cord as a protection. They are found to be a ;,n'eat improve- ment on the old buoys. Ihdtows are used extensively on the ({rcat Uanks, and also very larji'cly round the slioi'i's and at the entrances of the bays. The bidtow is simply a set-line mode of fishinu', and is called in some places a "trawl-line." It is 246 NE WFO UXDLAXD. r I a vast improvement on the hand-line, as several hundreds of hooks are baited, and each is attached to a fine line of hemp or cotton. These short lines are suspended at intci'vals on a long line carrying over one hundred hooks, which are dropped from the boats and secured hy buoys and anchors, and left all night and taken up in the morning. On the Banks many miles arc covered by these bultows, which are secured by suitable moor- ings to prevent their being carried away by the strong currents which usually prevail on the Banks. They are overhauled each day and the fish taken ofi". r The countries to which the Newfoundland cod is exported ;ire Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Italy, the AVest Indies, the United States, and Great Britain. Brazil and Spain are the colony's best customers. 1. hiil! THE SEAL INDUSTRY. 247 , CHAPTER III. THE SEAL INDUSTRY. Ancient methods of taking seals — Perils and hardships of the hunters — The be- ginning of the season — Steamers and sailing-vessels — Battling with the ice — Impressive scenes — The Aurora Borealis — IIow a,8caling-shi[) is fitted — The hunters at work — How the seals are killed and packed for port — Con- verting the seal for market — Oil and leather. Next to the cod-fishcrjs the most vahtablc of the Newfound- land fisheries is that of the seal. While the cod-tishery has been prosecuted for three hundred and eighty years, the seal fishery is not more than eighty years old. Until the l)egiiuiing of the present century tiie attention of the people was absorbed in the capture of cod. L'Abbe llaynall tells us that as early as 1763 some English fishermen used to repair to certain parts of the island during winter, for the prosecution of the seal-fishery. This was entirely an in-shore net-fisherj^ and must have l)een carried on upon a small scale. TIic fishermen phiced their nets between the shore and the islands or rocks lying at a short distance from it, and the seals, in passing these narrow places, were caught. In the "Scots Magazine" for March, 1704, it is stated that a valuable whale-fishery had also been discovered and prosecuted during the i)receding three years in the Gidf and Kiver of St. Lawrence. The New England people sent from fifty to eighty vessels to tiike part in this tishery, which app(!ars to htivo been very vtiluable. In Fortune Bay whales continued to be liiken for many years, and are still captured; but this fishery is now unimportant. Up to 1774 vessels went to the seas around the island in pursuit of tlie Wiilrus — morse, or sea-horse, as it is indifi'erently ntuned. In the retiu-ns of the admirals who commanded on the sttition, we find entries of sea-cow oil, skins, and teeth, each year from 17(57 to 1774, after 218 NE WFO UXDLAXD. i-.' ill ;i lii, ' wliirli tliey do not occur. The value nuigcs IVoui £1,000 to £2,300 per annum. The walruses luivc long since disappeaix'd. A \van(l(;rcr is still, however, cccasionally captured l>y the seal-hunters. Another mode of killing; seals was by shootinij from largo boats, which sailed about the middle of April. At that time of year the " wheli)ing ice " had passed many weeks, and the young seals having taken to the water, only a few str.ig- glers came within range. As late as 17'J5 the whole catch of seals only amounted to 4,900 per annum. A great stej) in ad- vance was made when the sealing-boats gave place to small schooners of from thirty to Hfty tons, cairying twelve or four- te(>n men, the outfit of each vessel costing ul)out £7.'). 'Ihey did not at first leave port till after ^larch 2ist, to avoid the equinoctial gales, or "St. ]*atrick's brush," as it was called, and were often too late for the young seals, though they met plenty of ice. Soon, however, they learned to start somewhat earlier. In 1807 there were only about fifty vessels from all the [)orts in the island, of from thirty to sixty tons, engaged in the seal-fishery. This industry, however, proved so renumer- ative that its growth was very rapid. In 1805, 81,088 seals were taken; in 1815, 120,;U5 ; in 1820, 213,(571); in 1822, 30(),9.S2; in 1830, 558,942; in 1840, 031,385; in 1.S42, 344,083 ; and in 1844, 685,530 seals, the largest number ever taken in one year. In 1857 there were nearly four hundred vessels, of from eighty to two hundred tons' burden, engaged in the seal-fishery, their united crev/s mnnbering 13,()00 men, the total catch of seals that year being close on half a million, worth $1,700,000. Since that date the catch of seals has not increased, and has varied greatly from year to year. In 18G0 it amounted to 444,202 seals; in 1802, 2(58, 42(); in 1871, 537,01)4; in 1872, 278,372; in 1873, 52(5,000; in 1874, 398,33(5; in 1877, 451,(578; in 1880, 223,795; in 1881, 447,903) ; and in 1882, about 200,500 seals, being the smallest number on record since 1818. The cause of this last failure was the continuous blockade; of th<> coasts and bays by heavy ic(!, impeding the movcmenis of lh(> vessels. The average amuuU value at present of the seal-fishery is altout $1,100,000, 1 1 I ' I SF.AL HUNTER. P,i«l. ?H, !:*> m f!' ,'■ . I ' i « THE SEAL INDUSTRY. 240 bciiiir ahoiit an oJuhtli part of tlu^ (Mitiro exports. Tlu' imniher of iiH'ii tMijpIoyod is from JS,0()() to 10,000. 1'lms, hoiriiuiiiii^ with a few nets, tlicrc followed the sealiiiu- ])()ats and the little sehooniTs, eafiyinu" eaeh a do/en men, nnlil the industry was prosecuted with vessels of 200 or 2")0 Ions, and crews of forty or fifty men. At lenirth all-con(iuerinu' .steam entered the iield, and in IHIJ.'I the first steamer look part in tills lishery. Since then the mnnher of steamei's has rajiidly incicased, and the number of sailing-vessels has still more rapidly diminished. The day is not very distant when this industry will l)e carried on sohdy l»y powerful steamers. In 1MI(! there were 177 sailing-vessels and live steamers; in 1^*71 there were 201 sealing-vessels and thirteen steamers ; their united crows numbering !>,71)1 men. In 1^7;) there were eighteen steamers, and at present there ar(! al)out twenty-live, some of them of 500 tons" burden. They are strongly built, to stand the pressiu'o of ice and cleave their way through the ice- fields, being stoutly timbered, sheathed with iron-wood, and having ii'on-plated stems. IMiey carry from l^O to ;!00 men. Of late years, six of the tine Dundee steamers that ibrnierly took l)art in theGrecmland seal-lishery, now comparativ(^ly exhausted, ]ia\e come out each season to Newfoundland, shipped crews there, and engaged in the fishery. They are among the linest of the sealing-lleet. There is always great excitement connected with the seal- fishery. The perils and hardships to be encounterc(l, the skill and courage recjuired in battling with the ice-giants, and the })(>ssil»le rich prizes to be won, throw a romantic interest around this adventure. Not the scal-huntcrs alone, but the whole pop- ulation, from tlu' richest to the poorest, taki' a deep intercut in the lorlunes of the hunt. It is like an army going out to do l)attle for those who remain at home. In this ca>e the enemies to bi' encountered are the icebergs, the t(!mpe>t, and the hlind- ing snow-storm. A steamer will sometimes go out and return in two or three weeks, laden to the gunwale, occasionally bringing home as many as thirty to forty thousand seals, each worth two and a half or three, dollars. The successful hunters are welcomed with thundering cheers, like returning compicrors, I* 250 NE WFO UXDL A ND. luil'!'^' aii in wliieh "The Ancient Mariner" found himself i.s fully real i/x'd : — " And now tliero came both mist and snow, Anil it ^frt'W womlrous colil; And icL', niiisi-iiiuli, caniu lli);itinj^ by, As "ri'on as cnKTald. " And tlirouj,'li the drifts tlie snowy clifta Did send a dismal sheen : Nor shapes of men, nor beasts we ken — The ice was all between. " The ice was here, the ice was there, The ice was all around; It cracked and jjrowled, and roared and howled. Like noises in a sw<)nnd." I: When a stcM'ni arises amid these icy solitudes the scene is irnind and awful li(>yond all jiowers of description. The un])roken swell of the Atlantic rollinir in hu^ijo continuous ridL'"es, heaves the pavement of ice on its niiirhty folds, and al- ternately lifts up the vessels as playthinm up in its deep hollows. .Si)ce(lily, by the upheaving of the waves, the ice-tield, many hundreds of s(|uare miles in area, is broken up into countless Hoes, or smaller pieces. The whole mass oikmis and expands; and then the broken fra■>■. wo may form some faint concei)tion of the hlow delivered hy such a hody when set in motion l)y the tempest. 8coresI)y calculates one at ten thousand millions of tons. .Such are the scenes amid which the seal-hunters have to gather in ''the precious things of th(> deep." Considering all the perils, it is sur[)rising how few fatal disasters occur. During the seal hunt of 1872 one hundred men perished, tiftv of these liavini:- li'one down in a single vessel calK'tl the "Huntsman," on the coast of Ljihrador. In the same year, two steamcn's, the "Bloodhound" and "Ketriever," were crushed hy the ice and sank, hut their crews, nunil)ering nearly four hundred men, managed to reach Dattle Harbor, on Labrador, over the ice, after enduring great hardshijis. Another steamer, called the " Monticello." also sank, in consequence of injuries received from the ice, but her crew were all saved. Hai)i)ily these terrible storms are not frequent. For the most part the sea is at rest, and then the ice-iields ])rescnt a strange beaut}' of their own, which has a wonderful fascina- tion. JJeneath the mild light of the moon, and in contrast with the tleej)er blue of the sky, ice scenery is always most inq)res- sive. \\'hen the sim is shining brightly it is t )o dazzling, antl its monotonv is wearisome. The moon, the stars, and the llickerinii; aurora are needed to reveal all iis beautv. During the calm that follows the storm, the eveninirs amid the ice-lields are often verv IdvcIn' Tl w. dry bracmg atmosphere sen Is tl le bh^od dancing through tlu; veins. The clouds h;ive cleared away, unlblding a lo\ely sky, studded with stars, through which a brilliant moon sails in calm radiancy. The ice, by tho pinions of the storm, has been opened in all directions, and the seal-hunters tind themselves sailing gently through calm water, 254 NE WFO UNDLAND. amid mimerous fairy islets of ^littenng ice, with shiniuir pin- nacles and fantastic forms floating calmly around. Frequcnths in such nights the auroral display is magnificent. An innncnsc curtain of light is spread over the sky, having a border of the richest and most vivid colors, waving its folds like the canopy of an innnense tent when agitated hy the wind ; grecni, blue, and red hues are seen coloring the aurora. Occasionall}' the whole sky is Hushed with intense crimson, which, when reflected from the snow, gives it a hlood-red hue. Then vast flame-cur- tains seem to open and close with inconceivable rapidity, and radiations of purple, pink, green, and orange sport about the heavens, swelling like waves upon a mysterious shore. Flashes of light in (juick succession dart from side to side, the sky being one moment dark and the next lighted up with fitful gleams. Long converging i)encils of light of various colors range themselves round a blank sj>ace near the zenith, and form a corona, and then suddenly vanish, leaving the upper sky un- occupied. Such is c O 33 " The bdrcalis race, Tliat flit ire you can mark their place." <: .! We shall now look into the cquii)nient of a sealing steamer, and then in imagination accompany her to the ice-fields, in order to form some idea of the hunt. In the last week of February the roads leadinir from the various outi)orts to St. Johns begin to be enlivened by the appearance of the sealers, or, as they are called in the vernacular, "silcrs," their enter[)rise being designatcKl "swile huntin'." Each of theiu carries a bundle of spare clothing over his shoulder, swinging at the extremity of a pole six or seven feet in length, which is called a "gaff," Jmd which serves as a bat or iclub to strike the seal on the nose, where it is most vulnerable. The same weai)on serves as an ice-pole in leaping from " pan" to "pan," and is also used for dragging the skin and fat of the seal over the fields and hummocks of ice to th<^ side of the vessel. To answer these various purposes -the "gaff" is armed with an iron hook at one end and bound with iron. Some of the men, lii c o 33 > O (/I ■a r > THE SEAL INDUSTRY. 255 in addition, caivy a long seuling-gun on their shoulders. These are the "l)o\v" or "after gunners," who are marksmen, to slioot old !?eal.s, or others that cannot be reached l)y the "gatl"." The outtit of the sealers is of the simplest (lescrii)tion. Sealskin boots reachiu": to the knee, havini>; a thick leather soh* well naiUnl, to enable them to walk over the ice, protect the feet ; coarse canvas jackets, often showing the industry of a wife or mother in the numl)er of patches which adorn them, an; worn over warm woollen shirts and other inner clothing ; Kv;alskin caps and tweed or moleskin trousers, with thick woollen mits, com[)lete the costume, which is more ])ictures<|ue than hand- some. In the forecastle, or other parts of each ship, rough berths are constructed. The sealers have to furnish themselves with a straw mattress and blanketing. The men are })acke(l like herrings in a barrel, and as a rule they never undress during the voyage. In the rare event of i)utting on a chian shirt it goes over its predecessor, without removing the l;ittci', a method which safes lime and trouble, and is, besidv's, con- ducive to warmth. The owner of the vessel supplies the j)rovi'si()ns. In sailing-vessels half the jjroeeeds of the voyage are divided as wages among the men, but in steamers only a third is thus dislril)uted. The cajjlain gets a certain muuber of cents ])er seal. The food of the men is none of the daintiest, and no one who is at all squeamish aliout what lu; "eats, drinks, and asoids" ne«ul aitem[)t to go "swih> huntin'." The tliet consists of bi>cuil, pork, butter, and tea sweetened with molasses. On three days of the week dinner consists of pork and "diil!'," tiie latter item consisting of Hour and water with a little fatty suit- stance intermi.xed "to lighten it." When boiled it is alino>t as hard as a cannon-ball. On the other four days of the week all the meals consist of tea, sweetened with molasses, and biscuit. 8uch is the rough fare on which these hardy fellows go through their trying and laborious work. When, howescr, they fall in with seals, their diet is improvi'd. They cook the heart, liver, nippers, and other [)arts. and feast on them '/'/ llhlhiui, and generally come ashore in excellent condition, though the odor ■.i\ ■i 250 NE WFO UXDLAKD. ■<\ i I ' , • '■ ' '' ' ] I! ) I ,; \ ■if ;'l rii ill j !|!'' that attends tlicin docs not snirgost the ".spicy hreozos which i)lo\v soft from Ci'^doiTs Isle." When out on the ice, it is ;i eomnion i)i'actice to strini^ upon their l)elts a dozen or two of seals" kidneys, and eat theni raw, as a|)potito prompts. The hearts of seals are treated in the same way. The usi* of fresh seal meat in this fashion is hiirhly conducive to h(;alth, and the hest |)reventive of scurvy. Very little sickness occurs anioni;" the men while leadinir this rouLdi life. 'I'hey are often out for eiirhl or ten weeks without seeimi' land, and eiuhirinn" the harde>t toils. When seals ai'e taken in lart^'c (|uantities, tho hold of the vessel is lirst tilled, and then the men willini:ly sui'icnder llieir berths, which are jjacked full of "white-coats." In fact, every nook and coi'uei' is crammecl with the i)recious fat : and the sealers sleep where they can — in barrels on deck, on a layiM' of seals, or in the coal-hunks. It is marvtdlous to see men, after einht or ten weeks of such a lif(>, leap asluuo Ix'arty and viti'orous. Their outer ;j,arments are polished with seal fat and the Mood of their victims, and it is advisalilc to keep to windward of them till they have })r(«t'ured a ehani:(> of clothini:'. The experiences of u sealing" voyaue are various, heinii- iii- iucncec I l)v the ever-shiftiuLr condition of the ic(> and tl iC (U- rection of the winds. The u'rand aim of the sealers is to reach that portion of tiie ice which is the '' whelpiuLi'-u'rounds " of the seaU, while yet the younu^ ai'e in theii' plump oleairinous hahy- hood. 'ITic position of thi^ icy-cradle is utterly uncertain, lieini^ dependent on the movements of the ice and the force of winds and waves. It has to he sou!j:hl^ for amid vast ice-lields. At times, in endea\'orinii' to ])Ush her way throuuh, t he ve>sel is cau.ulit in the heavy ice; and then the ice-saws are called into re(|nisition to cut an openinu' to the nearest "lead" kA' clear water, tlial she may work herwaynorth. lint the' heavy Ai'ctic ice may close in under the 'pressiu'e of a nor'-easter. and then n(» amount of steam-powei' can drive her throui^ii. IIowliuLi' niulit closes in : hei'us and Hoes are crashinu' all around, and momen- tarily threateninu' her with de^truction : the wind roars through the shrouds, drivin;.:' on its winirs the arrowy sleet and snow, sharp as needles, which only men ot' iron can stand. Thus lij'. THE SEAL INDUSTRY. 257 IC 1 IIO 1 ht, 1 M- -iil \\', US locked ill the embrace of the floe the luckless vessel is drifted helplessly hundreds of miles, till a favorable wind loosens the icy prison walls. It is no uncommon occurrence for a hundred vessels to be thus beset by heavy ice through which no j)assago can bo forced. Some are " nii)ped," some crushed to atoms, and the men have to escape for their lives over the ice. Others are carried into the great northern bji.ys, or borne in the heavy "pack" up and down on the ocean for weeks, returning to port " clean," that is, without a single seal. There are seasons when the boldest and most skilful captains fail. At other times, by a turn of good fortune, a vessel " strikes the seals " a day or two after leaving port, and iinds herself in the middle of a "seal patch" sufficient to load the "Great Eastern." The whole ico for miles around is covered thick with the young " white-coats," and in a fortnight from the time of the departure, she returns to port loaded to the gunwale, her very decks being piled with the skins and fat of the seals. When approaching such an El Dorado as this, the excitement on board may be imagined, as the welcome whimpering of the young harp seals is heaid. Their cry has a remarkable resem- blance to the sobbing or whining of an infant in pain, which is redoubled as the destroyers api)roach. Young hunters who now ply theii gall's for the tirst time are often almost overcome by these baby lamentations. Com[)assion, however, is soon gulped down. The vcissel is " laid to," the men eagerly bound on the ice, and the work of destruction begins. A blow on the nose from the galf stuns or kills the young seal. Instantly the sculping-knife is at work, the skin with the fat adhering is detached with amazing rajjidity from the carcass, which is h^ft on the ice still quivering with life, while the fat and skin alone are curried otf. This i)rocoss is called "Bculi)ing," a corru[)tion no doubt of scalping. In skinning, a cut is made through the fat to the flesh, a thickness of about three inches, from the throiit to the tail. The I^'gs, or "lliiipers," and also the head are then drawn from the inside, and the skin is laid out Hat and entire, with the layer of fat adhering to it; and in this state the skin is called the "pelt," or "sculp." It is generally about three feet long and two and a half feet wide, and weighs from 258 NE y^FO UNDLAND. V', 11. ! I ; I < ! V' thirty-five to fifty pounds. The hunter nicks two holes along the edge of each side of tiic skin, and then hiys thcni one over the other, passing the rope througli the nose of each pelt, and then lacing it through the side holes in such a manner that, when pulled tight, it draws them in a compact bundle. Fasten- ing the "gaff" in this liundle, he puts the ro})e over his shoulder and hauls it over the ice to the shi[). Five or six pelts are reckoned a heavy load to drag over rough or brokcm ice, some- times for one or two miles. If the ice is loose and open the hunter has to leap from pan to i)an. Fancy two or three hundred men on a field of ice carryiuL' on this nuu'derous work, their persons smeared with sanguinary evidence of the wholesale slauirhtei ; the ice stained whh jrore and covered with the skinless carcasses of the slain ; " the shiver- ing seals' low moans" filling the air like the sohhiuirs of infants in distress; the nmrderers every minute smiting fresh victims, or dragging th<' oleaginous j)rizes to the vessel's side ! Then what a pictuie the vessel })resents as the pelts are i)eing })ilc(l on deck to cool ])revious to stowage below ! One after another the liunters arrvive with their loads, and snatch a hasty nioment to drink a bowl of tea and eat a piece of biscuit and butter. The poor mother seals, now cul)less, are seen popping their heads up in the small lakes of water and holes among the ice, anxiously looking for their young. So soon as the sailing-vessel reaches port with her fat cargo, the skinners go to work and separate the skins and fat. The former are at once salted and stored for export to England, to be converted into boots and shoes, harness, portmanteaus, etc. The old method of manufacturing vhc fat was to throw it into huge wooden vats, in which the pressure of its own weight nnd the heat of the sun extracted the oil, which was drawn otf and barrelh'd for exportation. This was a tedious process. Tjjit- terly steam has been em[)loyed to (juicken the extraction of the oil. l\y means of steam-driven niacliinery, i\w fat is now ra})idly cut uj), by revolving knives, into minute pieces, then ••round liner in a sort of giyantic sausajr^'-machine ; jii'terwards steamed in a tank, which rai)i(lly (extracts the oil ; and Hnaliy, befon^ being ))arrelled, it is exposed for a time in glass-covered .•8l! 5 O 4 ' ', J ,i ;' t. II .' ) ii" ' l\v ir .. ;!!f^il; -I Ul u *l w THE SEAL INDUSTRY. tanks fo the action J^i^ZlZ — - of manufacturing wj'ich f ' T^""' ^^U^ process the w , pjotc. in . ^.s,ry::r^ ^i-^^ r . ^i^«a.greeab]o smell of tJ,o 'm' '"^ *^^^ ^^^^^^^ Process of tho finer kinds of .„apf '' '^ '*'^<' "^"^ in the manu&^tulJe r-. 1 260 NE WT UNDLA ND. CHAPTER IV. NATURAL HISTORY OF THE SEAL. Motlicrs and cubs — Miitornal instinct — Toacliinij the youiiif to swim — The liood seal and the liarp — Tlie "dot?" seal umlrr attack — Mii^rations of the harjis and hoods — Localities wliere Ihry are found — On the nuirch — Danixcr of extermination — Statistics of the take of seals since 1800 !■ y I;::.*' i ''^.■ii!■nji 1 ' '■ \^ '.■ The mateniiil instinct appears to ho poouliarly stronir in the female seal, and the tenderness with ■which the mothers watch over their ollspring is most toiichini;. When tiie yoimu' seals are cradled on the iec the mothers remain in the neijihhorhood, ; over in order that tlu-y may reach the water. On retiu'ninu- from a tishinijf excursion, extendiuij;' over tifty or a lumdred miles, each mother seal mana<>es to tind the hole by which she took her departures tind to discover her own snow-white eul>, which she proceeds to fondle and suckle. This is certainly one of the most remarkid)le achievements of animal instinct. The youuij; "white-coats " an^ scattered in myriads over the ice-field. I)ur- \\vx the absence of the mothers the field of ice has shifted ils position, jH'ihaps many miles, beinir borne on the current. Yet each molher-seal is tdtle lo find her own hole, and lo pick out h.er own cid), from the immense herd, with imerrinu' accuracy. It is (|uite touchiiiii; to witness their siujns of distress and irrief when they retiu'n and find only a pool of blood and a skinless carcass, instead of their whimpcrini^ little ones. The seal brinii's forth but one cub at a birth, and that but onc(^ a vear. When born the voun«j are covered \>ith a thick whitish fiu". At six weeks old they Ix'uin to "dip," or take to the water ; juid it re(]uircs as many trials to enable u youn^ weal NATURAL mSTORl' OF THE SEAL. 261 (MU K'h hor slu' the )unji )ur- \ il8 cut. out icy. Lirict" uU'ss Init lliioU ke to to swim properly, as in the ease of a younir hird h'arnin_<>; to fly. Just as the eaiile "stirs up her youuir," and eneourai»es iheni to use their winiis, so it is said the mother seals tumlde their haliies into the water, and jrivc them swimmiuir-lessons. When they are in daui>'er i'rom " rat'tiu*;"' iee, or tVairments of iloes dashed ahout by the wind, and likely to crush them, the self-sacriHciuji' adeetiou of the mothers leads them to brave all dantrers, and they arc seen heli)inii: their youuff to places of safety in the un- hrokeii ice, sometimes clasj)inhery, or so reduce the numbers of the seals as to render the adventure unrenmnera- tivc. On the other side it may be argued that the " catch " of seals is not greater now than before the employment of steamers. For more than sixty years the seals that frequent these coasts stood an annual draft of from a <];uarter to half a n)illi()n without showing any sensible diminution of numbers or symp- toms of exhaustion. The draft is not greater since the int'-o- duction of steamers. AVhy, then, should any apprehensions be entertained? The real danger lies in the lU'actice, which has greatly increased since steamers have been used, of making two and even three trips to the ice-ticlds, the second and third being in pursuit of the old breeding seals, which are sometimes slaughtered in large numl)ers, after the heavy draft on the young. To destroy the mature breeding seals in this way is greatly to be deprecated, and is certainly " killing the goose that lays the golden egg." If continued, it will in all proba- bility seriously diminish the number of seals, and i 'he end may lead to an extermination of the species. Ere Icng, it may be hoped, a law will be passed prohibiting the destruction of old seals. Were this done, the tishery might be preserved for an indefinite period. At a time when all other northern coun- tries are idle and locked in icy fetters, here is an industry that can be plied by the fishermen of Newfoundland, and by whicii, in a couple of months, a million (and at times even a million and a half) of dollars are won. It is over early in INIay, so that it does not interfere with the sunmier cod-fishery nor with the cultivation of the soil. This, of course, greatly enhancea its value. NATURAL JIISTORY OF THE SEAL. 2G5 Table showing the Xu.MnER of Seals taken in thi-: Yeaus named. Year. 1805 1810 1815 1817 1818 1819 1820 1821 1822 1823 1824 1825 1826 1829 1830 1831 1832 1833 1835 1836 1837 1838 1839 1840 1841 1842 1843 1844 1845 No. of Seals, 81,088 118,080 126,315 49,048 145,072 280,817 213,679 227,193 306,9X2 230,410 202,091 295,352 292,007 357,523 558,i»42 6,S6,836 508,407 360,155 384,321 351,620 375,361 437,501 631,3.S5 417,115 344,683 651,370 685,530 352,702 Yiar. 1846 1847 1848 1S49 1850 1851 1S52 1853 1854 1855 1N56 1.S57 1S58 1859 1860 1861 1862 1869 1871 1872 1874 1876 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 No. of Seals. 265,169 436,831 521,604 306,072 442,392 511,630 534,378 521,780 39.S,873 293,083 361,317 496,113 507,624 329,125 444,202 375,282 268,426 359,821 537,094 278,372 398,366 500,000 451,678 409,658 457,855 223,793 447,903 200,500 I i-^'4 r I '!;:■ 266 NE WFO UNDLAND. i'lr: 1: \ i t: '■ ! , ;i chapti:r v. SALMON. Occasional abundaiipc of fish at St. Jolin's — Want of efficient regulations for proti'otinff the fisheries — ('oniinander Knowlos reconiinends active measures on the part of the government — The law of the salmon — Sugjjestions for im])r()ving the fisheries — Local Ir.'.vs and proclamations — Otlser " game fish." The export of preserved salmon from Newfoundland docs not constitute a lar<;e or important it(!m. The averaj^e value of the picivlcd and fresh salmon exi)ortcd during the last ten years has been about $106,000 })er amunn. The cliief mode of curing the salmon, until very recently, was salting; and the catch has not varied greatly for many years, though of hite there has been a tendency to increase. In 1842 the export was 4,715 tierces ; in 186S), 7,0;]J); in 1871, a,i)77; in 1880, 6,7(')r) ; in 1881, 3,689. Within the last eight or nine years the method of TM-'v-erving it, alter being cookecl, in hermetically sealed tins, aiiv' also exporting it iVcsli in ice or in refrigerators, has been introdui'cd, and has proved successful. Of tinned salmon 34.r),S4 lbs. were exi^rted in 1880, and 20,000 lbs. in 1881. 'I'hc (|uality of the Xewfoundland salmon is excellent. The '»« s( judges indi'inl admit that no tiuer (|uality is jn'oduccl else- v.uere. It is captured for the most part in nets, in the eovco, l.'ys, and at tlu^ mouths of the rivers. The season for taking s'lhnon is brief, not exci'cding six or seven weeks, and com- meiK ing generally in th.c last week of May. It is frecpu'utly so l)len(ii"d in St. .^ohn's during this short season, that it often sells fo\' ibur or live ctMits \)v\' poimd, so that all classes feast on this delicious lish. At the same time it is sellin<>' in I^ondon and New Wn'k for one-and-sixpcnc(> or two shillings sterling per l)oand. There are no liner salmon rivers than thot ;• of New- foundland. How comes it, then, that this source of wealth is m SALMON. 267 so imperfectly turned to account? AVhy arc tlie ^'ountlcss brooks and streams that fall into the sea, around two thousand miles of coast, now for the most part valueless? The answer is that the proper preservation of the salmon hns been neglected, and human ignorance and the greed of immediate gain have wasted and destroyed Avhat might at this moment be a source of national wealth. "Barring" the rivers and brooks with nets at the time wiien the tish are ascending to s[)awn ; constructing weirs, traps, and dams; sweeping the pools Avith seine nets ; and night-spearing, have been carried on for long periods by ignorant an(^ riH'kless })er- sons, till, at present, in many rivers the salmon are almost exterminated and only grilse of four or live pounds weight arc found in the streams. In vain have laws been passed prohibit- ing these destructive practices; in such a thinly populated counlry they could not be eHectually enforced, especially in the more distant localities. The cajjtains of the men-of-war engaged in the jirotection of the fisheries are active iv> re))ressing these rumous practices ; they destroy any nets or weirs whi that on the (iander River ran from live hundred to a thou- sand tiei'ces. Now, the annual catch on the former I'arely exceeds Iwelvc lierc(>s, of both Narietic^, all told ; or in \\\v ( Jandcr, over fourteen or lifleen tierces. Thus, whiK' in Canada and other pi-()grcssing countries, where ellorts are being made not oidy to conserve what there is, but to propagate nioi'e such tish, l)y tlu; intHKluclion .)f spawn from all parts of tiie world, Xewfound- land, witu the linest salmon waters in the woild, will, unless 1 i ■1 • 1 1 ( !':;■ J i ! ■'■ I, !' • ' I li; (., i 2G8 NE WFO UNDLAND. some strinqont mean;? are taken for their protection, in a few years he left without a fish." Connnander Knowles, "who was engaged in the protection of the fisheries in 1878, says : " I cannot conclude my report without again referring to the state of the sahnon-tishery on this coast, hoth in the rivers and In the bays and creeks of the Island, which through the cui)ldlty, selfishness, and 1 may add igno- rance, on the part of the tishermcn, is slowly, l)ut very surely, hecoming exterminated. In the bays, fleets of nets are some- times laid d')wn, sometimes twenty and forty, and even fifty, at a time, and every inlet stopped ; and if the fish should, by any chance, be able to escape the first barriers, the rivers are so ol»structed by weirs, traps, chains, and nets, the latter fre- quently stretched right across, and at close intervals, that it is a wonder that the fishery has not long since come to aii end. Some of the river obstructions are generally removed before the anticipated arrival of a man-of-war, only to be replaced when she leaves the neighborhood : and I would strongly recommend that some active measures should ])e at once taken b}-^ the Gov- ernment to stop this dei)iorable state of alfairs before the salmon fisheries of N(!wfouiidland become a thing o " the past. " It is the law of salmon, as of all fish life, that the mature salmon return to the })la('e ot their birth in order to perform the grandest act of their nature — the peri)etuation of the s})ecics. The "i)rocreant crad'e"of the salmon is the head-waters of some river or brook, often many miles from th(> ocean. When at from one to two years of ajje, the [.;irr, the young of the salm- on, change into smolt, they i vperience an irresistible longing to visit the ocean, and, ])i-()mpted by instinct, the}' start for the far-off sea, braving all the dangers of the journey. Very wonderful it is to find a fish b»)rn in the solitudes of some mountain stream, when only two years of age, drawn ivTesistihIy lo the sea, as if fascinated by tlu! nuisic of " many-voiced " ocean, heard at the distance of hundreds of miles. Its foes are nu- merous — the from ;::•.! "oracioiis piki^ in the river, the porpoise, seal, coaUish, and other greedy monsters, at the mouth of the stream await its coming. Should it escape these, the young salmon finds in the salt-water the nutriment it has been longing SALMON. 269 few for, and for thv'^, months it grows rapidly. Then it seeks once more the pluv^c (.f its birth, as if drawn hy honie-h)niriiii;s, and never maiios a mistake, never enters the wrong stream, l)iit mierringly ascends the river it deseended. It is now a , the island would become one of the finest salmon-i)roducing countries in the world ; ajid, under proper restrictions, a very considerabU; rental might be drawn by leasing the rivers. Three rivers in Scotland — tlu^ Tweed, the Tay, and k?pey — yield a "ental of £")(), 000 sterling per annum from their salmon alone. IIow nuuh then might Iio drawn from the hundreds of salmon streams falling into the bays of an island having a coast-line of two thousand miles ! The value of the salmon taken in New IJrunswick is estimated at £1(10,000 st(M'ling per annum. At the mouth of the St. John Rivi-r, New lirunswiek, 40,000 salmon are taken anmially, a large i)()rtion of which an; sent fresh to the Tnited States, and command rennmerative prices. In every case proper ])r()tection is found to increase the (luantily of salmon taken. I<""r()m Xewfoundland a most hicralive busint-ss in the exportation of fresh salmon to England and \\w l/nited States might be '' n "', • J I ; I 270 NE WFO UNDLAND. :| m n ,:',.( ^^ f 1 1^' I* VM established, were an end put to the existing barbarous practices and thi! rivers re-stocivcd. Salmon-fishing in the rivers of Newfoundland, in the present condition of allairs, cannot be recommended. Only grilse, four or tive pounds in weight, and sea-trout are to be found up the rivers. A large salmon is hardly ever taken in the river waters. In his "Sporting Notes in Newfoundland," Captain Kennedy, who has had a largo experience, tells us that "salmon- fishing with the fly is disappointing in Newfoundland, and must be so until steps are taken to protect this noble fish. Notwith- standing local laws and proclamations the rivers of this country are disgracefully abused by nets set across their mouths, and in the pools, traps, weirs, and dams, till the wretched fish are almost exterminated. The result is that all the large breeding: fish are captured, and only a few grilse escape. They occasionally rise to the fly, and good sport may sometimes be had. But the best sport is with the sea-trout, which arrive on the coast about the 20th July, and take the rivers in tliousands. Excellent sport may be ol)tainted from these game fish, which run from one pound to four pounds or even larger. Very heavy river trout are also to be caught in any of the streams around the coast." At present the chief salmon fisheries are in Bonavista Bay, Gander Bay, Bay of Exploits, and White Bay. It is believed by many that the salmon taken in these localities are not indigenous, but are on their way to their native rivers in Labra- dor or elsewhere. In their migrations thoy follow the shores of the island, and are taken in nets in fiivorable places. If they belonged to the rivers of the island, it is a.'gucd, some of them would make their way up tins rivers occasionally to spawn ; but they are never taken there, always in the sea. This matter, however, must be regarded as unsettled at present, as also the question whence come the grilse of four and five pounds, wliich alone are taken in the rivers? More careful investigation will be needed to settle these points. THE HERRING AND OTHER FISHERIES. 271 CHAPTER VI. THE HERRING AND OTHER FISHERIES. Movements of the herring — Bait for cod — Frozon fish exi)()rto(l to America — The Labrador herring and the Shore herring — Chief seats of tiie fishery — Statistics of the average catch — Exports and annual value — Mackerel, halibut, liaddock, and lobsters. The Newfoundland Ilerrinij Fishery has not received that attention which its value and importance demand. That it admits of indefinite expansion no one acquainted with the subject will deny. In fact, if it were [)rosecute(l with skill and energy, its value need not fall far ])ehind the cod-tishery. Aloni^ the coast of Labrador, in Bonne Bay, and Bay of Islands, on the Gulf Coast of Newfoundland, in Fortune Bay, and many other localities, herrings may be said to swarm in coimlless millions, though not every year to the same extent or in tho same place. Herring are taken at various points around the island at all seasons of the year. They are capricious in their movements, and will sometimes abandon a certain long-fre- quented part of the seaboard for a munber of years, and return again altera longer or shorter [)erio(l. Their moveuKMits prove that they ar(^ a local or home lish, their migrations, like those of tilt rod, being from deep to shallow water, and rh-e verm. Naturalists now regard as mythical those long migra- tions of the herring to th<> i*olar regions and back, wliii-h used to J)e currently belie\('d. Their movements are limited in area on the Newfoundland coast, where they appear at certain seasons and retire diu'iiig tlie remainder of tho year into deeper waters Avithin the sixty- fathom line of soundings. \'^ast numbers of them winter on the ledges and banks of the Atlantic coast; but, as at \\\\y of Islands and Bonne Bay, some schools return, after a short m M !,' Ki ;■ I >'' ' ■ i' ! i. ■ i ! .272 NE WFO UNDLAND. interval, in Xovcmbcr, and Avinter in the deep-water liays. In Fortuni^ Bay, also, this is the case, and tlie e an extensive winter fishery is carried on. The schools wiiich appear in April and early in May spawn in those months, and are comparatively valueless as articles of food, l)ut of irreat value as l)ait for cod and other fishes. It is this school from which tlu; fishermen of Newfoundland obtain their earliest supplies of bait, and which they sell as ])ait to the French in enormous quantities, at St. Pierre and ]\Iiquelon, for use b}-^ their Bank fishing-vessels. Jjy the ai)plication of ice these early herrirgs might be preserved in abundance, as bait. During the winter the herring are taken in Fortune liay in gill-nets, and are exported to the American markets in a frozen state. At that season they are in excellent condition. The fall herring is the mavlvetal)lo fish ; and it is then they are taken on the Labrador coast, where they appear early in September. There are two varieties of herring taken on the shores of the island, — the Bank (called also the Labrador) herring, and the Shore herring. They are ])r()bably the same species, ditfering only in age, the Bank being the full-grown fish, and measuring on an average thirteen and a half inches, while the Shore is eleven inches long. The herring does not reach maturity till th(^ third year, but it spawns in its second year, and at that j)eriod is known as the Digby herring in the Bay of Fundy. The Shore herring si)awns in September and October, and comes on the shore in April. The spawning time of the Bank or Lal)rador herring varies according to locality. On the Labrador coast it api)ears to be in the autunm. The chief seats of the herring fishery are Fortune Bay, St. (rcorge's Bay, Bay of Islands, Bonne Bay, and the whole coast of Laltrador. Fortune liay is the centre of productive winter herring-fish- ery. According to the most reliable accounts the herring strike the shore about the tirst week in December, and take up their quarters in the deep arm about the first of January, where theyi nain under the ice until about the 20th of March. From the latter date till the 20th of Api'il they are usually abundant and f|uite near the shore ; they then go into deej) water and ,( I THE HERRING AND OTHER FISHERIES. 27;i rcinaiu there till the 5th or 10th of May, when they make theii a[)pearance in every cove and harbor for the i)Uii)o>ay of Islands winter tishery is the most valuable next to that of Lal)rador. The lish are the Bank or Labrador herring, and of the finest (juality. They are taken chietiy in Ilumbcr Sound, and even up tlu; Ilumbcr liiver to a considerable distance'. The nets used are two and three-quarters and three inch mesh. The lishery connnences in October and ends in May, broken only when the ice is forming and breaking up. When the Bay is frozen the herrings are taken in nets, Avliich are [)ut down in holes and drains cut through the ice. Two men will often take from two to eight barrels per day. In liS(i4, when the total [)opulation was only 118 families, the catch for the season was 30,500 barrels. "Were this si)lendid lisliciy pr()[)erly worked it might be increased tenfold. In l(S(i(S, 50,000 barrels were exported from the Bay of Islands ; and in 1S70, ()0,000, —value $120,000. The herring arcM-x- j)orted uiainly to Canadti and the United States, where they sell for $1: or $5 j)er barrel. The method of cure, though inii)r<)Ved of late, is still im})erfect. Bonne Bay ha^ a similar lisiiery on a smaller scale. On the coast of Laltrador is the largest and most valuable herring-lishery carried on by Xcwfoundlandisrs. The herring are taken h"r(; in September and the early part of October, and are considered the richest, and tinest in regard to quality. The catch varies greatly, but the average does not i *:' 274 NEWFOUNDLAND. :' i i;. f;* Mi fall far short of from 00,000 to 70,000 barrels. Only a portion is exported, the local consiunption hy the fishermen being considerable. It is ditiicult to estimate correctly the (piantity of herring taken annually on the coasts of the island and on Labrador, inasmuch as the exports show only a portion of the whole, and do not exhibit what is sold as bait or cured for home consumi)tion. The last census (taken in 1874) gave the following enumeration of the number of barrels of herring taken in that year : — liarrt'U. Herring cured in the Electoral districts . . . 75,207 »* "on the French shore (St. George's Bay, Bay of Ishinds, Bonne Bay) . . 93,825 " "on Labrador 1(5,000 Total cured 185,122 Add to the above the numl)er sold to the French as bait 70,000 Sold to the Ameriuans ...... 1(),000 Total number of barrels of herring caught . . 271,122 The exports for the year 1874 show that 189,956 barrels of pickled herring were exported, and 8,300 of frozen herring, making a total of 198,250, and leaving 73,126 barrels for home consumption. The value of the herring exported from Newfoundland may be gathered from the following returns made in the years named : — Year. 1869 . 1871 . 1874 . 1877 . 1878 . 1880 . 1881 . Value of iKMiinsj , exporti'd. $242,804 449,838 578,l(i8 538,736 200,296 229,100 269,556 Total in seven years $2,508,498 THE nERRIXG AND OTHER FISHERIES. •275 This Avoiild give as the average annual value of the exijoitccl herring, in those years, $358,359. The value of the herring sold to the French and Americans as bait ma}' be safely estimated at not less than $150,000 per annum. Allowing 73,000 1)arrels for home consumption, at $3 per barrel, the value would be $219,000. AVo have, therefore, us the total value of the annual catch of herring, $727,359. Professor Hind estimates that the aggregate number of barrels of herring caught in the Dominion of Canada and New- foundland waters annually exceeds 800,000 barrels; and that, allowing for the quantity used for manure, the quantity used for bait and destroyed by barring, the quantity of this ti>h drawn each year from British American waters is fairly repre- sented by 1,000,000 barrels. The vast importance, therefore, of this fishery is evident, not only in regard to its intrinsic value, but as one on which other fisheries are dependent for their very existence. In Newfound- land it m^y be described as being yet in its infancy. There is consi'lerable improvement witliin the last few years in the process of curing, which, however, is still rude, insufBcient, and in many instances so grossly careless that large quantities are annually spoiled and fit only for manuring land. Of other kinds of fish taken in Newfoundland waters the quantities are insignificant. Fifty years ago mackerel were abunuardianship of law, or any of tlie ordinary appliances of civilization. Their numbers at length reached from eight to ten thousand, and their condition became a source of great anxiety to the local Government. Both branches of tlu? local lei^islature, first in 1807, and again in 1874, memorialized the Home Government, and emphatically protested against the restriction on issuing land grants, and pra3Mng for permission to make such grants for agricultural, mining, and other purjjoses. All efforts proved fruitless till 1881, when Sir William Whiteway, premier of the Government, was despatched as a deputy to London. Ilis powerful rep- resentation of the flagrant injustice inflicted on the colony, and of the serious dangers of any longer delaying a settlement of the vexed question, at length prevailed. The imperial authorities decided on withdrawing the restric- tion on the issue of land grants, and permitting the local Government to exercise territorial rights by making grants of land for agricultural, mining, or other purposes. This was welcomed by the colony, which had patiently borne the wrong so long in order that it might be peacefully settled, as a great iii ■; FISHERIES AFFECTED BY TREATIES. 279 and iniportiiiit boon, inasmuch as it permitted tlu? .sottlomont of this roj^iou and tlio utilization of its luie natural resources. At th(^ same tinu^ the ini|)erial authorities sanctioned an Act providiiii^ for th(! rej)rescntation of tlic residents of this re^j^iou in the local parliament. Magistrates liave l)(!en appointed, and diu! arrangements made for tlu; administration of justice. Thus one great branch of the "French Shore (piestion" has been satisfactorily disposed of. 'J'here now remains the question of concurrent or exclusive right to tiie tisherles to be decided. The whole region is now an integral part of Xewfoundland, and the government ans em[)owered to exercise territorial jurisdiction over the whole, subject, of course, to existing treaty rights. The boon granted in iM'Sl might as well have been conceded lifty 3'ears befon;, as the same reasons for the concession existed at tlie earlier date. The people of Xewfoundlantl maintain that the French claim to the exclusive right of tishery is not warranted l)y the terms of the treaties ; and they claim as their right that they shall not be molested in lishing on any part where they do not actually interrupt the French l)y their competition, and that there shall be no interference with their buildings or enclosures which do not actually interfere with the fishing privileges of the French. They are willing that a joint Naval Commission should be appointed to settle all dis[)uted points, when the concurrent right is admitted I>y the French. Such is the position of the colony on this imi)ortant (juestion. There ought to be no great difPicuU}' in settling it, as the valu(» of the shores of Newfoundland to the French, as fishing stations, is every year becoming less. It is the liank fishery which is the main consideration with the French. On the shores of New- foundland the animal catch of the French does not exceed a huudi'cd thousand (juintals. The French, however, still main- tain that the proper inter[)retation of flu; treaties gives them an exclusive right to the fisheries, and the Uritish as emi)halically repudiate siu-h claims. Negotiations between the two nations on these disputed points are now in progress. In regard to the justice of the claim i)ut forward by the col- ony to a concurrent right to the fisheries, it was never better I: {•'•; K,t 2S0 NE WFO TTNDLA ND. expressed than in Lord Palmerston's nolo of July 10, l.S.'^S, in reply to Count Sehastiani's comniunie.ition, in wiiieh he urired the liritish Governinenl to disavow the < l.iim of the liritish suhjeel.-i to a riuht of fishery on the eoasts in (juestion, coneur- rent wilh the rights of tiie su])jeets of Franeo. After \ seareh- inii' I'cview of the treaties hearing upon the suhjeet, and the eoiisti'uetion plaeed ui)()n them previously, Lord Puhnersjeets of the right to ))artici{)at(! with the Fronoh in taking fish at sea, off that sliore, i)rovided thoy did so \.ithout inter!'\ii)tinglhe French cod-lishery ; and, althouuh in accordance with the true s})ii-it (-f the 'I'reaty and Declaration of 1/83, prohibitory prcelamations have been from 1im(> to time issued, on occasions v,hen il has been found that British subjects, Avhil(\ fishing within the limits in (juestion, hav(^ caused interruption to the French fishery, yet in non(^ of the pdldic documents of tlu! British Government, — neither in llu^ Act of Parliame'.it of 1788, passed for tlu^ express purpose of carrying th(^ Treaty of 1788 into cHect ; nor in any sultsc(|ucnt Act of ParliaPi<;nt relating to the Niiwfoundland fish- ery ; nor in any of the instructions issued by the Admiralty and the Colonial Office; nor in any procL-unation whicli has come under my view, issu<'xtends from Gape Kay to the Ramean Islands ; on the western and northern coasts of Newfoundland, from the said Cape Bay to the (^uirpon Islands, on the shores of the Magdalen Islands" — also on Labrador; also that: "The vVmerican fishermen shall have liberty forever to dry and cure fish in any of the unsettled bays, harl)ors, and creeks of the southern ])art of the coast of New- foundland here above d(>scribed, and of the coast of Labrador " — such right to terminate when any portions become settled. Further, the United States in this article agreed to "renounce FISiIERIhS AFFECTED DT TP.EATIES. 283 any liberty heretofore enjoyed or claimed by the inh'ibitants thereof to take, dry, or cure fish on or Avithin three marine miles of any of the coasts, bays, creeks, or harliors of His r>ritannic IMujesty's dojuinions in America," and were only to enter such bays or har])ors for shelter or to obtain wood or water. Fresh disputes arose in connection with this convention, which, in 1852, became rather serious. The chief point of contdition was whether the three-miles limit Avas to be meas- ured from headland to headland at the mouths of bays, so as to exclude American fishermen from fishing in l)ays, or whether, f:.>ll()\ving the sinuosities of the bays, it was to bo measured from their shores. The Americans strenuously contended for the latter interpretation, the British law-otiicers sustained the former interpretation. To end these disputes what is called the Keciprocity Tr(>aty was agreed to in 1854. iiy the terms o'i this agreement the entire sea fishery was thrown open to American.--, as well as certain rights to land and cure their fish. The Americans in turn gave British subjects reciprocal privi- leii'cs on their eastern coasts and islands adjacent. This treaty vas to renii.in in force "for ten years from the date at which it came into operation, and further until the expiration of twelve nu)nths after each of the Iliuh Contracting: Parties shall i>ivo notice to the other of its wish to terminate the same." The lieciprocity Treaty was terminated in 1800, at the instance of the American Government. Interim arrangements were adopted which gave rise to further unpleasant comijlications, and in 1871 the Treaty of Washington was concluded. It dealt Avith th(; complications arising out of the "Alabama claims," and also with the lishery rights of both nations. It thnnv oi)en the fisheries to Americans in almost the i)recise terms of the Keciprocity Treaty, and provided that "the inhabitants of the United States shall have, in connnon with the subjcjcts of her Britaimic Majesty, the liberty, for the term of years nuMitioned in Article ;5I5 of this treaty, to take fish of any kind, except shell-lish, on the sea-coasts and shores, and in the bays, harbors, and civ-ek-' of thci l*rovinces. The Americans aureed to yjivo reci[)rocal privileges in their waters to British lisheniien. Further, it was agreed that commissioners should determiuo !!*! 3-' l^! i' ( I ! 1 I ' .1 , 'J i Ifl' -284 NEWFO UNDLAND. the respective value of the fishery privileges thus gi'antcd. "When these commissioners met in Halifax, five and a half millions of dollars were awarded to the Dominion and New- foundland as compensation for the concessions made by them to the Americans, in throwing open to them fisheries of greater value than those conceded by the United States to British fishermen. Of this sum Newfoundland received a million dol- lars. The recent "Fortune Bay Troubles" show that disputes arc not yet ended in connection with the fisheries. The Americans proclaim their dissatisfaction with the provisions of the Treat}'' of AVasLiington, and their intention of terminating it at the expiration of twelve years from the date at which it came into operation. Should this be done, a fresh arrangement will become necessary. , \ I LABRADOR. 2«5 CHAPTER VIII. LABRADOR. The Fisheries — Soundaries — History of Labrador — Climate — Population — Belle Isle — The legend of the Isle of Demons — Picturesque scenery — Immense cod fishint^-grounds — Esquimaux and Indians — Berry-bearing plants — Mineral products. In connection with the fisheries of Newfoundland it is neces- sary to give some account of Labrador, the great dependency of the colony, whose fisheries are now mainly carried on by Newfoundland fishermen. Since 1809 it has been in part under the jurisdiction of the island. To Newfoundland the value of the Labrador fisheries is very great. More than a fourth of the entire export of the fishery products of the island is taken on the coast of Labrador. Had it not been for the new and extensive field for fishing industries presented on this shore, it is difficult to see how the population of Newfoundland could have subsisted, after they were driven from the Bank Fishery by the competition of French and Americans, who were sustained by large bounties. The average annual catch of Newfoundland fishermen, who spend (he sum- mer on Labrador, is from 350,000 to 400,000 quintals of cod- fish, 50,000 to 70,000 barrels of herring, and from 300 to 500 tierces of salmon. Besides, Canadian, Nova Scotian, and American fishermen frequent this coast in sunnncr. The usual practice with the Newfoundland fishermen is to i)roceed to Lal)rador about the end of June and remain till (lie first or second week of Octol)er. In many instances they take their families with them, in order to aid in handling the fish ; and when there they reside ashore in (emijorary huts. It is in carrying on this fishery that the most serious loss of life occurs. The bleak coast is frecpiently swept by storms, even in summer ; '\ I! Mif :' ■ !?! I w .):' H. Hi, b if ■ i 286 NE WFO UNDLAND. and in returning lute in Octol)er in small, overcrowded, and sometimes overladen vessels, fatal disasters are too frequent. The dimensions of the great [)eninsula of Labrador are enor- mous. The coast-line, from the Straits of Belie Isle, which scparat(!s Newfoundland from Labrador, to Cape AVolstenhohne, is 1,100 miles in length. The greatest breadth is GOO miles, and the area a])out 420,000 square miles, being equal to the area of the British Isles, France, and Austria combined. It extends from 41)^ X. latitude to G.'^^, and lies between the 5r)th and 79th meridians. It is bounded on the east by the Atlantic ; on the north and west by Hudson's Strait and Hudson's T^ay ; while its south-western l)oundary is the Bersiamits, ]Mistassini, and Rupert's Rivers. Only the eastern portion of this immense tei*ritory is under the jurisdiction of Newfoundland ; the remainder is now annexed to tlie Dominion of Canada. The boundaries between Newfoundland and Canadian Labrador arc thus defined in the " Letters- Patent constituting the office of Governor and Com- mander-in-Chief of the Island of Newfoundland " : " We have thought tit to constitute order and declare that there shall be a Governor and Connnander-in-Chief (hereinafter called our said Governor) in and over our Island of Newfoundland, and the islands adjacent, and all the coast of Labrador, from the cntnmcc of Hudson's Straits to a line to be drawn due north and south from Anse Sal)lon on the said coast to the fifty-second des arising out of grants made to a number of persons under the rule of the French. In 1809 it was again transferred to the jurisdiction of Newfoundland, under which it has remained ever since. A Court of Civil Jurisdiction, on the coast of Labrador, was insti- tuted in 1824. A special court of civil and criminal jurisdic- tion, called "The Court of Labrador," and presided over l)y one judge, appointed by the Governor in Council, secured the administration of justice. The Customs' duties levied on goods landed on La))rador are the same as in Newfoundland. The Hudson's Bay Com})any had formerly the exclusive right of trading with the Indians of that part of Labrador which had rivers flowing into the inlet from which the conqjany took its name and which is designated East ]Main. In 1870, howciver, the Company surrendered all their rights of goA crnmcnt, i)rop- crty, etc., in the whole of British North America; .md these have been transferred to the Dominion of Canada, the Company ])eing still at liberty to carry on their trade without hindrance, or any exceptional tax. Canada has thus jurisdiction over all the region of Lal)rador which does not belong to Newfoundland. I \ i ! I ' • i 'I m 'I i I i '. f If:): I !■ ', I, \ni 11! .288 NEWFOUND LAXD. The northern Sagas relate that al)out the year 1000, Eric the lied and Lief his son, whom IIunil)oldt calls "the discoverer of the New AVovld," passed this way and saw the land which a pre- vious navigator, Biorn, had i^i^an fourteen years l)efore, sMid named "Ileiluland," that is, a land of slate, or naked rocks — a name which was also given hy these Norsemen to Newfoundland. The modern discoverer of Lal)rador, how(!ver, whatever may l)e thought of the accoimt given in the Sagas, was undouhtedly John Cahot, in 14t)7, the same daie at whicli he discovered Newfoundland. In the historical portion of this volume it has been shown that t'.tc map, which was made hy Sebastian Calio't, or under his direction, removed all doubt as to his "Prima Vista," and Droved that it was near the easiern point of the present island of Cape J^reton. Continuing his course thence, in a north-'.vestcu'Iy direction, he fell i-i \sM\ the Labrador coast, and then, idtering his course easterly, he passed along the north coast of Newfoundland, aiid so homeward, through the Straits of l)ell(^ Isle. The Basques, who were among the most daring of early mari^^ime adventurers, were soon employed in fishing on t! Gulf ,;hore of Labrador. Tradition has it that a Bascjue whaler named La Bradore, from the Kingdom of Navarre, p(Mie- tvarcid as far as Labrador Bay (now called Bradore Bay), and gave his name to that locality, and as this bay was, in process of tinjci, much frequented by Basque fishermen, the whoU; coast received tli(^ name of its first visitor. After the Basques came the Bretons, who founded the town of Brest, in Bradore Bay, about ir)20. This wa ; about three miles from Blanc .Sablon Harbor, and at one time cont."ined ui^wards oi 1,000 residents. Th'- ruins and tcn'races of this old towi are still visible on this iron-))ound coast. The French and Enulish were the next visit- ors in piu'suit of fish. Althoiigh detached from Arctic lands, and notwithstanding that nuich af it lies between the same parallels of latitude as Great Bi'itain, the climate of Labrador i.- rigorous in ti)C extrenu". The snow lies from September till June. In winter the whole coast in blockaded by ice-fields drifting from Bailin's Bay and other outlets of the Arctic Oecan ; while in sunnner the glittering icebergs, i-tranded or floating, imj)art a LABRADOR. 289 stern l)t'jiuty to the storn-beaten shores. Perhaps no eountry on the faee of the ghjbo is less attraetive as a permanent resi tixed population consists of white inhabitants, who live in widely scattered settlements, on the Atlantic and St. Lawrence coasts, and at the posts of the Hudson's liay Company. The northern coast is thinly peoi)led by wandering Ksipiimaux, among whom the Moravian missionaries have been laboring for more than a century with marked success. Nomadic tribes of m n ii.l ; ■ M Mi " !' i- '■■' ^ ' % H c air, on the toj>s. and al)oiit the masts, a ffreat chiinor of men's voiees, eonfused and inarticuhite, .such as you may liear from a crowd at a fair or market-place; whereupon they knew that the Isle of Demons was not far off." There is a curious leirt'iid connected with Belle Isle, namely, that here Kol)ervai, in ir)42, put on shore from his fleet the Lady Mariruerite, niece of the Vicei'oy of New France, and her lovcir, with whose conduct he had l)cen scandalized on the voyaire. The unhappy, but now ])enitent, pair were assaulted by the demons, l)ut fiuarded by bunds of saints. The lover died first, then the nurse and diild, and the Lady ]\[arguerito was left alone in the terrible wilder- ness. The smoke of a fire, at which she cooked her food, at length attracted the attention of some fishermen, who ventured to land on the haunted spot and rescue the lady after two years' residence among the demons. liattle Harbor, near the entrance of the Straits of Belle Isle, is the first i)oint on tlic Labrador coast touched at by voyagers. '' It is a sheltered roadstead between Battle Island and Great Caribou Island, about half a mile in length and quite narrow." Baffle Harbor is an important fishing centre, and is nuich re- sorted to by fishermen during the season. Near Battle Island, the easternmost land of the Labrador coast, the water is of great depth, and the place is noted for a remarkal)le ground- swell, Avhich at times rolls in from the eastward info St. Lewis' Sound. Admiral IJay field describes it in the following terms : "I <'crtainly never, in any jnirt of the world, saw a heavier sea thiui that which at times rolls in from the eastward in St. Lewis' Sound, even as far up as the entrance of the inlet, round the Kiver Islands and up the bays of the main to the westward of them. I never saw anything more grand and wildly beautiful than the tremendous swell which often comes in without wind, rolling slowly, but irresistibly, in from the sea, as if moved by some unseen power, rearing itself up like a wall of water as it approaches the craggy sides of the islands, moving on faster and faster as it nears the shore, until at last it bursts with fury over islets thirty feet high, or sends up sheets of foam and spray, sparkling in the sunbeams, tifty feet up the sides of the preci- LABRADOR. '2[):] V ill t'le f nu'ii's 11' from t'W tllilt l(\U('ll(l u ir)42, ' of the i(liu-t lie )Ut IIO'.V (lod by 1(1 child, wildor- food. at rontiirod '() years' die Isle, oyairers. d Great narrow." iiiich re- ?. Island, :er is of ground- ;. Lewis' g terms : I heavier rd in St. ct, round svestward beautiful lut wind, noved by water as on faster tvith fury ud spray, the preci- pices. I can compare the roar of the surf in a calm night to nothing less than the Falls of Niagara." Leaving Battle Harbor, the voyager has now in sight the rugged coast of Labrador, deeply indented Avith bays and in- lets, and having many line harbors. The scenery now bi'coines grand and impressive. The great headlands, lilvc sentinel giants, tower ov(.'r the waters, sometimes grim and bare, while other.- are covered with the dark green of dwarf-spruce, or the paler ijreen of mosses and shrubs. Then come monotonous miles of rocky precipices, up whose sides charge the watery battalions, urged irom Ix'hind by the mighty swing of the Atlantic, and evermore thing back in spray and foam. The most striking natural scenery heii' are the rocks at the entrance of Chateau Bay, which has within it the nol)le tiord of Temple Bay. Chateau gets its name from the rock forma- tions at the mouth of this deep and narrow bay. ]\Ir. llallock says: "This castle is a most remarkable [)ile of basaltic rocks rising in vertical columns from an insulated bed of granite. Its height from the level of the ocean is upwards of two lumdri'd feet. It is composed of regular live-sided prisms, and on all sides the ground is strewn with single blocks and clusters that have l)ecome detached and fallen from their [)laces. It seems like some grim fortress of the feudal ages, from whose embra- sures big-mouthed cannons were ready to belch forth tlanie and smoke. On the very verge of the parapet a cross stood out in bold relief in the gleaming moonlight, like a sentinel ujjou his watch tower." Chateau was once a place of eousidciable importance. "When the unfortunate Acadians were driven iVoiu tlu'ir homes, a numljer (jf them took refuge on this l)leak shore and fortitied the post. The remains of these fortifications are still visible, consisting of butteries, maga/ines, etc. ; but ihey are almost completely overgrown by thickets. "In 170.'}, a British garrison was located at Chateau, in order to protect the fisheries ; but the place was captured in 177'-!ng ileet, un(l(;r tiio connnand of Jacques Cartier, assembled here." Having passed St. Fnincis liarl)or, Cai)c St. Michael, Battcau Har])or, and Indinn Tickle, Sandwich Bay is reached, nine rniles wide at ihe entrance and fifty-four in depth. Further noi'th, Hamilton Inlet, or Esquimaux Bay, opens, — the largest ])y far of the numerou.-.i inlets that indent this coast. The entrance is in lat. 54° 23' N., long. 57° 25', and 250 miles north of the Straits of Belle Isle. This great inlet is thirty miles ^\\<^'^ at the mouth, l)ut at Port Rigolettc, a post of the Hudson's Bay Comjiany, fifty miles from the sea, it narrows to a mile m width. On both sides of these narrows hills iower to the height of 1,000 feet, wooded with spruce from base to sunnnit. At the termination of this channel the inlet again expands and forms Lalcc ^Iclville, a salt-water lake, thirty miles in length and twenty in breadth. After narrowing again it forms another lake seven miles wide and twenty long, and at its extremity the head vX the inlet is reached, one hundred and fifty niiles from tl'.e sea. The scenery arou'id the shores of Hamilton Inlet is wild and rugged, but above liigolette l»ecomos very fine. Along the south shore of M"lvill(! Lake are the weird and woiderful volcanic peaks of the ^Mealy ^Nloimtains, 1,500 feet in height. This mountain range is first visil)le one hundred miles to the south of Hamilton Inlet, I'linniug nearly parallel to the <>oast, iuid, after skirting Lake ]Mi>lville, it strikes i)Oi'ili-westerly and is lost in the hilly regions of the interior. At Rigolettc two grcjit arms stretch from the ink't — the one south-cnst run- ning about forty miles, and tlu^ other having a course nearl}'' parallel with the mal.' bay and a length of sixty miles. Pro- fessor Hind estimate's tin? surface covered ]>y water, including the -inns of the iidet, il 1,700 square miles. It is studded with islands of all sizes, which, in fogg.y weather, render the naviga- tion perilous. "'J'he only level ground of any extent neai- the bay reaches from the head of it to the foot of tlu; Mealy Mountains. It is diJiicult to i'onc( 've anything more beautiful than tin; tints that their sunnnit s assume when touched by the rays of the I f LALRADOR. 29; hiivinij tiurty setting sun, long after he has dit^Jippeared from the eye, while every little ravine and ine(juality in their surface is chiselled out against the clear cold sky with wonderful vividness and pre- cision.'" ^ ^lOt many tourists will care to })rocced further north, along the coast of Labrador, than Hamilton Inlet. The southern i)()rtion of the coast, as far northas SandwichBay, has been occupied as a fish- ing-ground for more than a century ; and during the last thirty years increasing numbers of fishermen have extended their op- erations as far north as Cape Harrison, or Webeck. In recent years a considerable number rl' Newfoundland cod-lisliers lia\'0 ventured still farther north, as far as Cape.Mugford ; and the probability is that Cape Chu(Heigh, at the entrance of Hudson's kStrait, will be reached by these hardy, adventurous tishermen before many years linve elapsed, as the fish wealth of Northern L;d)rador is reported to be amazing. A succession of narrow but dee[) liords, s(Mne of them extending fifty miles into the inlerior, indents this northern coast. Fine growths of timber arc found at the heads of many of these fiords tit for the construction of fishing craft and all ordinary building [)in'poses. The soil and climate, too, are favorable for the growth of potatoes and other vegetables. According to the re[)ort of I'rofcs.sor Hind, who visited this i)art of the coast a i'ew years ago, " It is fringed with a vast multitude of islands, forming a continuous archip(>lago fi'om Cape Aillik to Ca[)e Mugford, avei"aging twenty miles in depth seawards. Outside these islands, and about lifteen miles Hcaward from them, are numerous banks and slioals, wliicli form the sunnner feeding-groimds of large cod ; and a secontl range of banks, outside; the shoals, which are i)robal)ly their winter feedinu-irrounds." This islaud-studded aica, e\clusi\e of the banks and shoals, from ('ape Hai'rison to Cape; Mugford, Professor Hind estimated at .5,^00 s(juar(! miles, fiu-nishing a boat lishinii'-irround for cod nearly as lai'i>'(! as the combined area of the laiglish and Frenini cm the coast of Newfoundland. This inunense eod-lishing ground has, as yc't, hardly beiMi touched. Professor Hind estimates thc! total area ?#'•'' 1 lliml's " Lttln'iiilor. 'i":l n.^ !l(l II, '■ sP J r 29() A'i: JF/'O UNDLAND. of tliG boat-fislioiy on North and South Lal)ra(Ior at 7,100 s(juaro miles. The sea; while the women are skilful in making gai'inents from skins." It is estimated that the Ls(|uimaux of Labrador num!)cr about 1,700 souls, scattered along AOO miles of coast. For more than a century the Moi'avian missionaries have been laboring among these Hs(|uiinaux, and with such success that nearly all of them have been reel; imed from heathenism of tho worst description and brought under Christian training. Tho ])ractice of jjolygamy has ceast>d among tlicm. and they have become to a large extent jx'aceful and industrious, and arc weane(l from the wiuidering lif'e to which they W(!re addict{>(l, livinii' around the mission stations in winter, and at tln^ fishin'' posts in sumuKM-. The missionaries trade with them, and export LABRADOR. 297 the products of their hihor.s, giving them necessaries and com- forts in exchange. Once a year a missionary ship arrives huk'n with provisions and stores of all kinds, and carries a return cargo of furs, tish, oil, etc. The brethren have four stations, — IIoi)edale, Xain, Okkak, and Ilehron. At each station there is a church, store, dwelling-house for the missionaries, and workshops for the native tradesmen. In addition to instrut-ling them in the truths of Christianity, the missionaries seek to teach them those industrial arts which may contribute to their com- fort, and form habits of steady ai)plication. In seasons of fam- ine food is freel}' distributed from the mission stores. About twenty missionaries are resident on this savage coast. The hardships they have to endure may l)e estimated from the fact that the mean annual temperature at Nain is 22^ r)2', and at Okkak 27° ^2'. The thermometer marks 75° occasionally in sunnner, v>hile si)iriis freeze in the intense cold of winter. The white inhabitants of the Atlantic coast of Lal)rad()r arc in widely scattered settlements south of Cai)e Harrison. ^lany of them are British sailors or tlu'ir descendants, who prei"er a rude, lonely, semi-barbarous life to the restraints of civilization. Salmon and cod iishing are their main occupations, and the products of their industries are exchanged with traders on the si)ot for suchconnnoditics as they re(|uire. The winter is spent in trapi)ing fur-bearing animals. At the various mercaulile establishments along the coast a number of book-keepers, clerks, servants, and others aro resident. The last census taken I'V the Government of Newfoundland, in 1874, giv(>s the resident po[)ulat;()n iVom l^lanc Sablon to Cajie llai'rison as 2,41(1. Of these l,4s:» belong to the Church of Kngland ; ITC to the Church of Ivonie ; 28') ar(> Wesleyans ; 'M) are Ti-esby- terians ; and 12() b(>l()ng to other denominalions. There aro nine places of w()rslii[) : four of the Clmi'ch of Kngland. three of the Church of Ivome, and two of the W'esieyan Church. During the tishing-season a steanu'r carrying mails and passen- gers plies fortuightl}' on the coast, conneeling wTlh the New- foundland coastal mail-steamer at Batth^ IIarl)cr. On the St. Lawrence coast of I^abrador, from Port Neufto I)Ianc Sablon, there is a considerable po[)ulation, numbering in - \ ' '' M ! < 'I fir ill ^^1 i I,! 1 ' ft } ']■ f. ill In I 298 iyiiF ir/'O UNDLAND. all ubouf, -^,400. These are inuinly of Canadian or Acadian origin, and live chiefly by fishing and hunting. Many of them speak both French and English. Of the >vho]e number 3,800 are Roman Catholics, and 570 are Protestants. The Indians of the interior, both the ]\Iontagnais and Nas(|uapees, speak dialects of the Creo language. Their num- bers are estimated at 4,000, but they are slowly disap})earing. Game, on which they depend, is becoming scarcer every year, owing largely to destructive fires which have swe[)t over vast areas, destroying forests, berry-bearing shrubs, mosses and lichens, and converting whole districts into hopeless deserts strewed with naked boulders, where no animal life can exist. Some of the Xas(]uapee tribe are still heathen, but the iNIontag- nais are nearly all nominally Roman Catholics. The zealous Jesuit missionaries of early times extended their labors from Canada to Labrador, and these have Ijeen specially successful among the ]Montagnais. Of late years they have been resmncd, and are now systematically carried on. The Indians hunt over the interior, and at certain seasons visit the coast in order to exchange the products of the chase for clothing, ammunition, and other necessaries. One of the [)rincii)al features of vegetable life in Labrador is the berry-bearing plants, which in certain districts arc found in great variety and abundance. These are chielly partridge- berries, bakeapple berries, raspl)errles, cranberries, hurtle- berries, wild currants, and wild g()osel)erries. jNIosscs of every hue, wild flowers of the most (U'licale colors, ferns and tall wild grasses in inunense variety, help to I)eautify the scene during the brief sunnner. At the luvuls of tlu; tior Is forest- o-rowlhs of eonsid(!ral)le si/e are found sullicicnt for fuel and building i)m-poses. The trees are chn-fly larch, bhu-k, while, and red spruce, birch, aspen, silver fir, willow, cherry, and mountain-ash. ^Vmong the wild animals enunun-ated are reindeer in large numbers, bhuk and whitt; bears, foxes, martens, l^-nxes, otters, minks, beavers, musk-rats, hares, and rabbits. Among tin; birds are eagles, owls, ravens, hawks, falcons, ptarmigan, spruce i)artri(lges, ciu'lew, gray plovers, san(lpi})ers and other waders, geese, ducks, gulls, divers, swallows, snipe, and pigeons. ff LABRADOR. 299 divers, The winter in Labrador, to those accustomed to 't, is far from unpleasant. It is ahiiost one continued stretch of cold, dry, l)racing weather, broken at times hy fierce snow-storms. Thirty, and even forty degrees below zero, is not an unconnnon state of the atmosphere ; but when the thermometer ranges so low there is generally a dead calm, so that the temperature is not specially disagreeable. Of the rivers of Labrador those falling into the Gulf of St. Lawrence are the Moisie (two hundred and fifty miles in length), the Mingan, the Ounanemo, and the St. Augustine. Rupert's Kiver, East INIain, and Great a ul Little Whale liivers fall into Hudson's Bay. The Eagle, the West, and East Kivcrs — all fine salmon rivers — fall into Sandwich '^ay. The largest river in the peninsula is the Ashwanapi or Hamilton Kiver, discharging its waters into Hamilton Inlet, being nearly a mile and a half wide at its mouth. The valley through which this great river flows is in many places well wooded, and patcV.3s of fertile land arc found at intervals on its banks. The Nasquapee or North-west Kiver and the Kenamou also fall into Hamilton Inlet. Between Hamilton Inlet and the Gulf of ot. Lawrence there is a canoe route, the distance being traversed in fifteen days. George's Kiver, Whale Kiver, and South River, or Koksoak, fall into Ungava Bay. The Laurentian formation constitutes the great framework of the peninsula, and Lower Silurian beds, principally Potsdam, rest on the Laurentian at various points of the coast. Copper ore has been found at dillerent places along the coast, and gold in small quantities has also been discovered. Labradorite, a beautiful felspar, is found in great masses on Labrador and elsewhere. It is celebrated for its beautiful lustre. Its sur- face, when seen at particular angles of vision, is freciuenfly distinguished by an ox(iuisilo play of colors, charming the eye with changing lustre, and reflecting the most lovely grays, the most delicate blues, and the softest golden yellows. There are mountain ranges in Labrador largely cojuposed of this felspnr. According to Dana, the i-nunent Ainei-icau geologist, it is colorless to grayish and smoky brown, and usually with beautiful internal reflections. Its composition is silica, 53 ; m V-F ' « 4ii I 300 NE WFO UXDLAND. I- If; U ?' aluminii, 30.1 ; lime, 12.3 ; soda, 4.5. lliitio of protoxyd bases, aluiuiiia, and silica, 1 : 1 :: I3. Labradorite and anorthito diller from other felspars in containing proportional)ly less of silica, and being decomposable easily by acids. It is mauufact- ured into cups, vases, and other ornaments. The main value of Laljrador lies in its fisheries. These are of innnense and steadily increasing value. The following returns will show the present value of those fisheries. Exports from Labrador for tne year ending July 31, 1880 : — NEWFOUNDLAND HOUSES. Dried codlish ..... 393,430 qtls. Green do. Sealskins Seal oil . Cod oil . Other oil Blul)l)er Pickled Salmon Pickled herring Pickled trout Pickled mackerel . Dried caplin . 144 " 1,01)G. 50 tuns, 76 " 1 " 17 " 592 tievces. 16,970 brls. 14 " 459 '* 58 " If? EXPOliTS BY LABUADOll HOUSES NOT CONNECTED WITH NEW- FOUNDLAND, FOR YEAlt EXDLNG JULY 1, 1880. Dried codHsh .... 14,000 qtls. Sealskins ..... 110. Seal oil .... . 14 tuns. Cod oil ..... 55 " Refuse 2 '< iJlubbcr 15 " Pickled salmon .... 400 tierces. Salmon in tins .... 30,000 lbs. I'ickled herring .... 700 brls. Pickled trout .... 40 " Pickled mackerel . . . 200 " Dried caplin .... 160 '* LABRADOR. 301 EXPORTS BY TRADERS ON LABRADOR COAST FOR YEAR ENDING JULY 1, 1880 (estlmated quantities). Dried codfish . . . . 520 qtls. Cod oil ..... 14 tuns. Pickled salmon .... 757 tierces. Pickled herrinjr .... 2,012 brls. e Pickled mackerel 30 The forecfoing statement shows that in that j'car the total export of dried codfish was 407,002 quintals, value at three dollars per quintal $1,223,880; the export of herring 20,282 barrels, value at three and a half dollars per barrel, $70,987 ; the export of salmon 1,749 tierces, value $34,980. For the year ending 31st July, 1881, the exports of the three great staples were as follows ; — Dried codfish Pickled herring Pickled salmon 419,997 qtls. 33,330 l)rls. 957 tierces. It must be remembered that the foregoing figures represent only the exports of the fishery products, and do not show the quantities consumed by the fishermen while employed, or afterwards during the winter at their own homes, which must be very considerable. Besides, about a fourth of the whole catch is sent to Newfoundland for shipmcMit, and the Canadian and American fishermen who frequent those shores carry away Avith them the ])roducts of their labors, which are estimated to ])e al)out a ninth of the entire quantities taken. Al)()ut one hundred Canadian and Nova Scotia vessels are annually engiiged in the Labrador fisheries. The number of American fishing- vessels visiting Labrador has declined of late years, and is now comi)aratively insignificant. The Americans mainly devote themselves now to the Bank fishery. AVhen the (piantities dis- posed of in the way described are added to the direct exports, the aggregate will be increased by more than one-half. Altog(;ther, from 1,000 to 1,200 fishing-vessels are employed each year on ! {: 302 NEWFOUNDLAND. '#lli!' the Atlantic coast of Labrador, carrying more than 30,000 fishermen. These valuable fisheries are each year falling more aiid more into the hands of Newfoundland fishermen. Canadians and Americans, coming fronx great distances, cannot compete Avith those who are l)ut three c" ft nr days' sail from tlie coast of Labrador. Formerly ;'er • re -i large numb r of Jersey houses at Labiuuor, hvi co.;;. ^hree of these now remain. The English mercantile t tal -'-;!?:>,, ts have all withdrawn. It has been computed by comp* ^t authorities that when the quantities of fish of all kinds taken on the Atlantic and St. Lawrence shores of Labrador, by the Esquimaux, by New- foundlanders, Canadians, and Americans, are estimated, the aggregate values will not fall short cf a million pounds sterling per annum. The total population of Labrador is about 12,527, and is distributed as follows : — On the St. Lawrence Coast, from Port Neuf to Blanc Sablon .... 4,411 On the Atlantic Coast — White Population . . . . 2,416 Esquimaux ..... 1,700 Indians of the Interior .... 4,000 Total . 12,527 :l'i PART IV. AGRICULTUEAL EESOURCES. CHAPTER I. THE GEOGRAPHICAL SURVEY. Difficulties of the past — The vagiirics of Governor Milbanke — Vahie of t .i hind now under cuiuvation — Now discoveries of fertile belts- Lands suitable for settlement — Two million nine hundred and seventy-six ' ■ ■: ?^ii.i acres awaiting cultivation. Up to a comparatively recent period the belief was almost miiversal that Newfoundland was a " howling wilderness," its interior a region of swamps, bogs, and rocks, and its climate such as to forbid the idea of attempting the cultivation of the soil. It is not difficult to account for these unfounded and erroneous impressions. It has been already shown tliiit for nearly one hundred and fifty years the laws enacted and enforced in the colony prohi])ited the occupation or cultivation of land under heavy penalties, and even the erection of houses, except such as were necessary for carrying on the fisheries. In vain did the resident inhabitants apply for permission to enclose and cultivate even small patches of land. The rigiit to do so was sternly refused. The island was to be preserved as a station for the use of a small body of merchants who carried on a migratory fishery. To prevent the increase of inhabitants, stringent orders were given to successive governors not to make any grants of land, and to reduce tiie number of those who were already settled there, by withholding whatever might serve to encourage them to remain in the island. As Mr. William Knox forcibly expressed it, in his evidence before a (803) ii|i' 30-4 XE WFO UXDLAXn. H'' ML !)l :!IF M :''J I- ii t . m 'lilt*' mi Piirliiiinoiitaiy Comniittee, in 171)3: "The Island of Xew- fouiidhmd had been considered in all former times as a great English slii]), moored near the Banks diirinir the fishing-season for the eonvonienee of the English fishermen. The governor was considered as the ship's captain, and all those concerned in the lishery hnsiness as his crew, and suhject to naval disci- ]>line." The treatment of the settlers was graphically described ])y Lord North in the following terms : " Whatever they loved to have roasted, the Governor was to give them raw, and whatever they wished to have raw, lu; was to give it to them roasted." (lovernor Mill)anke, in one of his despatches which is still extant, expressed his astonishment how any governor could imagines himself vested with power to grant land to i)ers(nis in Newfoundland in the face of existing statutes, and (h^clared that the possession of any land "ought to subject the holders to imprisonment or banishment from the country.'' Another cause which retarded agriculture in Newfoundland was th(! delusion so systematically and perscvcrlngly proi)a- gated l)y interested persons, that the soil of the island was liopi'Iessly barren, and that all attempts at agricultural im[)rovement nuist prove failures. The mercantile inono})olists were most sedulous in impressing this belief on the English peoph' and on successive English (jovernments, simi)ly Ix^causo they wanted to keep the country as a comfortal)le "preserve" for their own advantage. Eor a long period they were success- ful in duping the world on this subject, imtil it l)ecame at length a settled belief that this large island, with a healthy climate, and situated in a temperate latitude, presented insurmountable obstacles to agriculture. The people themselves, cooped u}) chii'lly around the shores of the ixMiinsula of Avalon, where the soil is poorest, knowing nothing of the interior, and being dcpendi'ut on the fisheries, at length ])ecame persuaded that there was no soil to cultivate, and that the whole island was of the same character as the rock}' mai'gin of the sea. As years rolled on this notion regarding the barrenness of the soil has been entirely dissipated. Experience proved that whei'cver judicious industry was ex[)ended on the soil it yielded excellent returns; and at tlie present moment those who have 1,L '"^'iHr it THE GEOGRAPHICAL SURVEY. .305 ukUiiihI propa- .11(1 was cultural opolists 'Liiiilisli x'causo serve " leee.ss- lenirtli iiuale, iiess of 'd that yieldecl lo liave bestowed most attention on agriculture arc tlic most prosjjcrous and independent portion of the working-classes. To the state- ment tJiat tlie soil of Xewfoundland is unfavorahle to agriculture, it is sutKcient to reply that the value of the land now under culti- vation, together with the; cattle, sheep, and horses, etc., wliich it sustains, is not less than two millions and a half of dollars, and the annual produce is $(512, 350. This is the result of the limited ed'ort made by the pi'ojjle in this direction around the various settlements on the shore, where the soil is jjoorest, and the harsh winds blowing over the ocean are most felt. What may not be accomplished, when the fertile bi'lts of the interior, having a much finer climate, are ix'ojjled and cultivated I iMcn now, however, enough has been done to })rove that the soil of the island, so far from being intractable ami l)arren, yields, on cultivation, rich and abundant crops in great variety. The farther settlement has extended inland, especially around the luiuls of the dillerent bays, where noble stretches of the liiiest land exist, the more evident become the capabilities of the soil to sustain an agricultural poi)ulation. The geological survey, as it advanced year after year, an: a detailed account of the several fertile l»i'its of the island wc propose to })resent a general outline of the extent of the aiiricultural resources, as ascertained bv the geo- logical survey. A very careful survey was made of tin; western coast, for a considerable distance inland, by Mr. Murray and his assistant. Their reports state, as the result, that the regions near and surrounding St. George's Bay, including the Codroy Valle^-s and Port-a-Port, contain seven hundred and thirty square miles, more or less suitable for settlement, "the most * -I 1:1 !if -^•if i!ii 306 NE WFO UNDLAND. h \h ) V favored tract Ix-ing the coal-nipasurod districts, where the surface is often tiat or jrently undulating over a great many acres." Bay of Islands, including the valley of the Iluniher, Deer Lake, and Grand Lake country, contains six hundred square miles suita1)le for settlement, — being a total of thirteen hundred and thirty s(iuarc miles in this single district of land •fectly able of b .'laimed and converted into fairly amieu and conv( productive grazing and arable land." " These valleys," says the report, "are, for the most part, M'ell wooded, producing, in many instances, large pines, juniper, or tamarack (the latter a species of larch), tine yellow birch, and other valuable timl)er. In the valley of the Ilumber this is especially the case, Mherc a large area of country appears to be provided with all the necessary material for ship-building in a remarkable degree." Passing now to the eastern coast wo come to the Gander country. On the Gander river and lake, Avith the tributaries, and including the Gambo and Terra Nova valleys, together with the tracts at the heads of. the ba^'s, there are, according to Mr. ^Murray, seventeen hundred square miles availal)le for settle- ment. The Exi)loits Valley and Red Indian Lake, together with the lands surrounding the estuary of the Exploits, contain sixteen hundred and twenty scpiare miles. Thus, we have a total, in these great valleys alone, of 4,G50 square miles, or 2,970,000 acres, tit for settlement, and capa])le, when cultivated, of sustaining a very large population in comfort. The foregoing comprise only the most extensive tracts of fertile land at present known, but in addition there are many smaller portions of excellent soil around the heads of all the bays, aloni; the margins of the smaller rivers, and on several of the islands, such as llandom Island, in Trinity Bay, which, united, constitute a large area. The Salmonier arm and river may I)e named as a district where there is a very considerable extent of good soil, but little of which is yet under cultivation. The peninsula of St. Mary's, the north side of Smith's Sound, in Trinity Bay, Goose Bay, in Bonavista Baj--, are also fertile districts, each capable of sustiiining a considerable agricultural population. AVlien you add to these the land already under culture around the various settlements, and the extensive tracts here the at many Ilmnhor, luiiuli'ccl ' thirteen ;t of land nto fairly vs," says ucinir, in I latter a e timber. , Avliere a !i all the deijree." Gander ibutaries, ther with ig to Mr. or settle- together >, eontain 6 have a miles, or iltivated, tracts of ire many the l)ays, ■al of the I, united, r may be extent of jn. The >ound, in so fertile L'ieultnral \y under [vc tracts THE GEOGRAPHICAL SURVEY. 307 of land throughout the whole ])eninsida of Avalon, which are admirably adapted for cattle and sheei) raising, the area of the whole can scarcely be under 2,000,000 acres. Thus we have- close on 5,000,000 acres well titted for agricultural and grazing purposes. The savanna country of the interior, described by Cormack, which in all probal)iIily will one day be converted into cattle tracts or sheep walks, is not included in the fore- going estimate. It is proI)ably about one hundred and twenty miles in length and ninety miles in breadth. Having thus given a general outline of the agricultural dis- tricts and their extent, we projxjse now to take each in turn, and furnish a more detailed account of their capa- bilities, beginning with the Codroy valleys on the western coast. "i i . t4 . I'l^ il'', ;i!li; !*; 308 NE WFO UNDLA ND. •:'! if i::li CHAPTER II. THE CODROY' VALLEi' OX THE WESTERN COAST. A wt'll-wooded country — AVild grass — Grazinj^ laiuls — A viiitrr in Cdilroy Villa — Experiences of local fanning — Huihling-stonc and minerals — Euiigrants going West — A fertile oasis en route hitherto unknown. The Great Codroy River falls into the sea in latitii(l(» 47° m' 14", lonaitiido 59° liV T):)" l)et\veen lifteen and ti'wWvw niiU'.s nortli of Capo Ray, and about six miles .south-easterly from Cape Aiiijiiiile. Tiien; is a narrow irnt Ix'tween tlu; sea an( 1 tl le expansive shallow e.s ■■tuary of this river. Banks of sand and gravel, whieli arc eontiniially shift ini:', render the entrance difficult and danirerous even for small craft; and in some i)laees there arc only eight or ten feet of water. Inside this gut there is an excellent harhor sheltered from all winds. On tlu>, coast, four miles south froin the outlet of the (ireat Codroy River, is Ijai'kin Point, immediately south of which the waters of the Little Cod?'')y river are poin'(Ml into the sea. The tine valley, which is drained by these two streams, is boimded on the south-east by the Ca[)e Ray momit-dns, rising in some places to a height of two thousand .eet, and on llu^ northern side by the Cape Anguille range, whox* highest elcv;.- tions I'cach one thousand three himdred fetst, and arc "ri, of the former, may, from the examination made, l)e estimate(l to contain an area eipial to seventy thousand acres. The whole of that s[)ace consists of a rich loam, cajjable of the jiighest degree of cultivation, and lit for the production of any descrii)ti()n of croj). Limestone is readily obtained, and can with little troubh; be madc^ to contribute to the sui)i)ort of the land where it is so abundantly found. Timl)er of the most serviceable description covers, for the most [)art, the tract here referred to. Hirch-trces, meas- uring from live to seven feet in cii-cuinfiu'ence, wert^ found within a (juarter of a mile of the shore, whik; others, of a larger growth, may be readily jji-ocured at a short distances from it. Among the bin-h iU'e mingled spruce and tir of all sizes, suitable either for the erection of houses or the const rui'tion of Ncsstds. From information obtainc^d at Codroy, little doubt exi-^ts that I'oal may be procured, and that without nnich dilliculty, toward the eastern end of the river. Lying to the northwai'il of the valuable tract of land above referred to, is found a range of hilly ground, admirably ada|)ted for grazing, its natural prodiu'tions consisting of herbage, which early in the summer attains a height of betvveen two ami tln'e(> feet." . . . "In closiiiir the remarks on this river, it is doiny; no more than I i\ Hit !.*!' ; mm \ , '1 s ii! 310 NE WFO VXD LA ND. ::l! justic.) to say that it would be difficult to imagine a more l)cautiful or picturesque scene than the whole presents ; and whether with reference to the soil around it, to its fisheries, or to its L'cogi-aphical situation, forming as it does part of the Northern Head, and therefore commanding the entrance to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, a more desirable and important place for a settlement could scarcely be found." An intelligent farmer from Prince Ivlward Island was ship- wrecked, a few^'ears ago, at Codroy Ish nd, and was compelled to pass the winter in Codroy Valley. On his return home, he published in a newspaper an account of his experience, from which the following is an extract: "You may judge of the richness of these Codroy lands by the fact, that at the homestead where I passed the wmter, a farm of not more than fifteen acres of roughly-cultivated land supported a stock of twenty head of cattle and thirt3'-iive sheep, wholly uj)on haj-. Along the 'intervals' I passed over rich fields where clover had been grown luxuriantly for more than thirty years, without manure, and with no sign of decay or loss to the soil. Even the neighboring uplands seem equally inexhaustil)le in fertility, giving no sign of wearing out, though they have been cropped, year after year, without manm'e, since they were settled. Indeed, the manure-heaps are considered an encumbrance by the farmers there. Observing largo and imsightly h(!ai)s of stable manure, which had bcjen accumulating foi' thirty years, as 1 was told, I asked one of the farmers why he did not tiu'n the manure to account, lie replied that their hay-fields had no need ol" maiuu-e, and as for their potato lands, any manure on them would choke the potatoes with clover. Indeed, these uplands arc so rich that there seems no doubt that they are of volcanic origin." The Ut. l\ev. Thomas Sears, who has lived for many years in this district, says: "As you iisk in particular for the Codroy l\iver, suffice it hero to say, that the range of good land along its banks is sufficiently broad for all purposes of forming good farms. The 'iiiterval' is from a mile to two miles wi!irs for the of good poses of e to two ,cos et)ni- [)osed of excellent land. The length of the valley is about forty miles altogether. There arc of course some marshes, as in all countries, and some plots of stony ground, but nothing to impede fanning operations on an extensive scale. In the ' interval,' and even the major part of the <:ood u})land, there arc scarcely any stones. The wood is abundant and of excellent quality. The l)irch, which is plentiful, is an excellent article of fuel, besides its well-known use for ship-l)uilding." Regarding minerals and other economical materials of the Codroy valleys, Mr. Murray sa^'s : " The coal rocks were; per- ceived to 1)0 distributed along the base of the Capo Kay mountains wherever visited, from Trevaia Brook to the ui)per forks of the Great Codroy. Near the junction of the coal measures with the gneiss, on the Great Codroy River, some bands of a very ferruginous character were observed. These bands are of a reddish-brown color, are hard, brittle, and with conchoidal fracture, the In'oken surface pnv.enting occasionally a metallic lustre." .... " Some beautiful specimens of mag- netic iron were procured from the noighlorhood of the Cairn Mountain, near Flat Brook, which, judging from the (juantity distributed over the ground, is probably derived from a large and imi)ortant mass in the neighborhood."' .... "Gypsum," ]Mr. ^Murray adds, "abounds in the lower part of the carbo- niferous system, and is largely developed on the coa^t neai" Codroy and in Bay St. George. Tlui vast masses which coujo out in the clill's between Codroy Island and the Cireat Codroy River can hardly fail to prove, some day, of great value and imi)ortance." .... "Admirable building-stone is found on Codroy Island, in the section between the (ireat and Little Codroy Rivers, and on the Great Codroy Riv(!r. Some of the sandstone beds of the coal formation on the Great Codroy River would produce good scythe-stones." Limestone beds, he also describes as "occurring op the coaf't near Codroy, and thence cropping out at intervals near the right bank of the Great Codroy." A traveller from Cape Breton who recently visited this region says: "Tlie land is scarcely suqjassiid by any of the Lower Provinces for its fertility. We travelled about twenty- ' '«: \nm m !!.^ re- gion, with the viowofroportingon itscapabiliticf. lie estimatcMl that it was capable of supporting in comfort from one to two hundred thousand inhal)itants. " The soil," he said, "is deep and rich, tmd when the trees and stumps are I'omoved from it lo further obstacles e.xi^t to prevent the land being at oncebroi it under the plough; while the husbandman has at hand lime no and gyi)sinn sullicicnt for the most extensive farming operalnais, and in addition to which help, a most valuable manure miv be collected idmost to any extent." He ctdculiited that the ox{H,'n8e ofclcaringground lu'rc woidd not exceed forty shillings j r acre. Mr. Murray has estimated that the extent of land in St. George's Bay, available t'or settlement, is two lunulrcd and twenly-tivo s(iuare miles, or one hundred and forty-two thou- sand (!ight hundred s(iuare ac-res. In addition to this he sa^'s : "On the north shore of the bay there is a considerable area of tin(^ agricultural country, e(iual to nineteen thousand tw" 1 un- dred scjuaro acres." . . . . " The present settlement of thia fino ! ■ I, *^ 'i > 1 '1 i4 314 NE WFO UNDLAND. region is limited to some strai^gling fiirms along the eotist, on either side of the l)ay, on which excellent crops of grass, potatoes, and turnips are raised. Winter wheat has 1)een suc- cessfully grown on the north side of the bay. The valleys around the l)ay are for the most part well wooded, producing in many instances huge pines, juniper or tamarack, tine yellow l)irch, and other valuable linih<;r." .... "North-eastward from the terminating point of the Cape Anguille Mountains, tlie M'hole country l)etween the coast and the Long Kange is of a flat or undulatory character, densely covered with forest trees, except in such parts as have ))een swept by tire, or occasional tracts of marsh. The trees of this forest consist of white and yellow birch, spruce and balsam fir, poplar, and tamarack or larch." .... " Much of the timber of this great plateau is very large. Trees of 3'ellow and white birch are frequently met with, and particularly on the river flats, having a diameter of three feet and even more, many of which are tall and straight, resemlding the hard-wood forests of Canada; spruces, balsams, poplars, and tamaracks also reach a maximum size, and seem to be of excellent quality." . . . . " All these streams take their rise among the l)arreu wastes of the Long Kanire Moun- tains, but the lower reaches of each, for distances varying from twelve to twenty miUss, flow through richlj^-wooded and fertile valleys, intersecting the plateau just described. These valleys, and nmch of the higher lands, now primeval wilderness, ai)pear to be nearly in every resi)ect well adapted for agricultural settlement. By deducting the tract occupied by the Angu.ille range of hills, amounting to two hundred and fiti^>'-six s(|uare miles, which is too high and steep for ordinary tillage, although well suited as runs for sheep or cattle, the remainder of the block, viz., five hundred and sixty s<|uare miles, is cer- tainly to a large extent reclaimabh' ; and there can be l)ut little doubt that the construction of roads, which must necessarily be the consequence of occupation, together with the clearing of the forest, will lead to mineral discoveries of vast importance to the colony." .... "Tracts of considerable extent upon the coast, and nearly all the valleys of the principal streams, bear a soil of the most fertile description, which is even already shown by m TJlli BAY OF ST. GEORGE. 315 the few and rudely cultivated spots here and there, where the produee in grass, green crops, and even cereals, are all first- ehibs both in quantity and quality. And this in a country where tiiere is no evidence of a plough, a harrow, or a wheeled vehicle of any kind whatever !".... " Large tracts of extremely line land extend up the valleys for many miles. The richness of the soil at this part of the coast is proI)al)ly due to the calcareous material derived from the adjacent mountains, together with the disintegration of the trappean rocks, of which the sul)soil is composed." So far back as 1840 the late iNIr. Jukes, the distinguished geologist, visited St. George's Bay and was much inqjressed with the beauty of its scenery and its agricultural ca[)abilities. lie described the country as "gently undulating, witli a fine short turf, not unlike some English landscapes." From a rising ground, at a spot where he landed, he saw " a tract of low, undulating land, covered with a rich sea of w ./;!. stretch- ing away into the interior for fifteen or twenty i.il-s, backed by a range of blue hills in the horizon, that rose; toward the south-west, while toward the north-east they died away and coalesced with the hills at the head of the bay." The rich- looking valley, with its bright waters winding away into the woods, he describes as " completing a most lovely and most English picture." Mo:iseigneur Sears, wId h:i> l.ibored incessantly for the good and improvement of this n^gion and its people, says of St. George's Bay: "As the soil here is surpassingly productive, especially in the gro^vth of various grasses, I believe there is no country in our latitude to surpass it for grazing sheep or cattle. Of course the land will have to be cleared befort; tlu're is much facilit}'- for grazing, although in many places near the salt-water there are large tracts already yielding grass. I find that all over Cape St. George, and the sea-coast in general, wherever the trees are removed, either by tire, wind, or other tauses, a spontaneous growth of grass sin'ings up. The grass is good for grazing ; and even when protected yields a good crop of hay." Monseigneur Sears gives an instance of a settler on a river run- niu"- into the bay, who, having cleared one square mile of land, i ■ - '.■ I •< h! iii'' (I, , 310 NE WFO UXDLAND. raised on this (juaiitlt}', the followinir year, two hundriHl and forty tons of excellent hay. The river on which this settler is located is lifteen miles in length, and the land is e(jually good through its entire extoHt. In the more favored localities he says there arc meadows giving hay for the last nineteen years, without getting a particle of nKuunx-, and the nineteenth crop is better than the tirst. "To m}' own knowledge," he says, "there arc plains on cither side of the Day of St. George, some thirty or forty miles long, and in some places tiftcen or twenty miles wid(!, ti-averscd by rivers, and (juitc as fertile as the one I have described. The hay is so good that it sold at St. Pierre for £8 per ton. The wood is a])undant and of excellent quality, csi)ccially the ))irch for fuel and shii)-building. There is another tree lierc called the l)alm-tree. It grows so luxuri- antly on the ' Long interval ' tracts of the river margins that, viewed from a distance, this tine-looking tree reminds one of the oak forests of the Old AVorld, ()rthemai)le groves of the neighboring cnionies. Tlie timber is very light, something like that of the aspen, and is as soft to cut as the cedar. For inside work it combines the gloss or i)()lish of hard-wood with the facility of being worked or dressed peculiar to pine. It covers hundreds of acres, anu /rows to a size of three or four feet in diameter." One more tv'-«timony regarding this region may l)e referred to, — that of John Bell, M.A., IM.l)., of Montreal, who visit<'d tlu! west coast, and described it intlu; "Canadian Naturalist " for 1S7<). lie says: "Along the river fhits, in the valleys and on 'the barrens,' when these ai-e drained and the country is a little more cleared, there will l)c room for thousands of farms, and the hills will allbi'd walks for immense flocks of sheep, and j)asture for countless herds of cattle, the surplus of all which will find a ready market at the ports and fishing-stations, at th(^ lumbering, mamifacturing, and mining establishments which ere long will make this old and neglected colony one vast scene of active and profitable industry. The climat« of the island is favorable to the dcveloi»ment of its agricultural resources of every kind. Instead of the cold, f'-^^^y atmosphere, which is generally supposed to hang over the island, quite the reverse is the case. The air is clear and Avarm, aiid the temperature dur- THE BAY OF ST. GEORGE. 317 ijig the year reiuarkiibly e(|iuil)le, the mercury in winter seldom fulliu'r below zero of Fahrenheit's scale, or in sunnncr risinjjr above eighty degrees : while the mean temperature of the ycwv is about forty-four degrees. 1 never saw liner weather than dur- ing the two months 1 was on the island. It is only on tin; south-west corner that fogs prevail to any extent, from the proximity of that i)art to the Gulf Stream." In addition to its agricultural capal)ilities. Bay St. George has valuable fisheries near, and to these the attention of the inhabitants is largely directed. Herrings are abuntlant. Kvcry man takes as many as he thinks he can cure. AI>out thirty th(jusand barrels are exported annually. Cod, .-almon, and smelt are also taken. St. George's Bay is further noticeable as containing on its shores the most extensive and promising coal-tield, which Mr. Jukes estimated to be twenty-iive miles wide and ten miles in length. He found a seam of excellent Cannel coal here, three feet in thickness at the outcrop. A^'e reserve further aicoinit of this coal-tield for the chapter on the mineral wi>alth of the island. ]Ma<>netic iron has been found near Cairn ^lounlain, in St. George's Bay. North of St. George's Bay extends the small peninsula of Port-a-Bort, between it and the Bay of Islands. Tlu.' few settlers here live chielly by farming, the land being in inany places well-wooded and good for agricultural jjurposi's. The settlements are at West Point, Isthmus Cove, Kast Bay, and Fox Island. The inhabitants have a considerable number of cattle and sheep, and employ themselves during the winter months in making staves and herring-barrels, which tluy dispose of to traders going \o the Bay of Ishuids, where there is a large herriuix lisherv. The best harbor is that of Piccadilh'. The peninsula is but very inii)erf(,'ctly known. The mineral indica- tions are of the most })romising character. The ores of lead and coi)per have been met with in such (juantities and positions as to warrant the ex[)ectation of the district being one day a mining centre. A lead mine was oi)encd here a number of years since, under the most favorable aus[)ices, l)ut had to be discontinued, as the im[)erial authorities — inlluenceil I)y the Jif !t ^ I :!| ft! m -t^ii 1 '3': & 318 NEWFOUXDLAND. \l- i protests of the French, mIio considered their fishery privileijes iiiv!i(l(Ml — prohibited the further working of this industry. This state of thinu's has now ceased to exist, and niiuina- i:rants can jiow be issued anywhere by tlie local government of the ishnid. About tifty miles from the north head of St. George's Hay, the Bay of Islands opens, being fifteen miles wide at its en- trance, where it is studded with lofty Islands. This line region, only second in imi)ortance to Buy St. George, in regard to its agricultural cai)a])ilities, its fisheries, and its mineral and limber wealth, contains as yet but few inhabitants, who are scattered along the banks of the IIuml)er Sound and IJiver. The bay is spacious and easy of access, its depth being about fifteen miles, and the anchoraer their height anil abruptness gradually level down until, on the banks of this nobh; river, they do not rise iiigher than three hundred feet, while they present to the eye a rich clothing of the most varied foliage, that goes down to the water's edge. This, however, does not hold good on the first or lower course of the river, which passes through a narrow gorge nearly three miles in length, having on each side lofty crags, which in some ))laces shoot u}) perpendicularly from the water's edge to the height of a thousand feet. In flowing through this gorge the river is in some places pent up to less than a chain in width, the current being deei) and strong. Three miles from the mouth of the river a slight rapid is mc^t, which is easily passed at high spring- tides. Al)0ve this ra})id the llumber opens out wide, flowing through a beautiful and [)icturesque valley, from three to seven miles in width, with fine flat land on either side. "Within a THE BAY OF ST. GEORGE. 311) mile of the lowor end of Deer Lake, wlilch is twelve miles frdin the month of the river, a second rapid is met, considerably stronirer than the first, over which a boat can be readily taken l)y trackinir, and whi' h presents but a sliujht impediment to the safe transit of rafts of timber from the lake to the sound. The rise from the sea to the level of Deer Lake, Mr. Murray found to be onl}' ten feet. Deer Lake, through which the Ilumber flows, is fifteen miles in Icnirth and three in bri-adth. Around it. espceiall}' to the eastward and northward, is a line ex[)anso of Hat rollinof country, reachinir away in the former direction* towards (irand Lake. "The land surrounding Deer Lake," says the surveyor-general already (juoted, "is of the most fei'tilo desciiption, bearing on its surface pines measuring from three to four feet in diameter, Avith l)irch of hardl}' inferior dimen- sions, and ))oth these kinds existing in great quantities, and Avith such water-power within reach as would seem to invite the establishment of saw-mills, and at the s; ue time to insure success to such an enteri)rise."' The Kiver Ilumber is aI)out one hundred and fourteen miles in lenii'th, and flows through a beautiful and fertile tract of country, which ere long, by the extension of the railway system, will be populated, its valleys waving with the yellow harvest and its hills covered with browsing herds. The diflicidties presented by the rapids already referred to could easily l)0 removed were the country settled ; and if this were done, vessels of consid- erable size and small steamers could reach Deer Lake. All who have visited the Iluujber di> let speak highly of its resources. The soil is dee^) and fertile, and cai)able of yielding excellent crops of all kinds. Limestone can be easily procured, and to any extent, for agricultural purposes. Tiie surveyor- general says: "From the resour-r-; which this part of our island ])Ossesses in its lierring, salmon, and cod-fishery, coui)led Avith the great extent of land wi,: 'h only re(]uires the ordinary care of the agriculturist to insure a [•r()lital)le return, it may not l»c extravagant to say that from a hundred thousand to two hundred thousand persons could be readily located there, who would be i)Iai'ed in such circumstances and surrounded with such resources as would gutu-antec to the sober and industrious :. T^^' n I ! iijlii 5 9 M IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) .^ ^;j V /A Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 \ ;\ \ V ^y. •^^ & ^ l<^^ w z I 15 I 320 NE WFO UNDLAXD. % 1" settlor a comfortal)le maintenance." Mr. Murray estimates the extent of land more or le'^s available for settlements on the route through which he passed at two hundred and fifty thou- sand square acres. " Thousands of square miles," he remarked in his report, " have been laid out in townships, and alieady partially settled, in Canada, either for the purpose of lumbering or farming, on the northern shores of Lake Huron and many parts of the Lower Provinces, far inferior in most respects to this region of Newfoundland, which, there can scarcely be a doubt, is capable of supporting a very large population." In this valley of the IIum])er many thousands might find employ- ment in agriculture, while those living on the lower reaches of the river and on the banks of the Sound could combine fishing, lumbering, and ship-building with farming. In the fine country around Deer Lake there is but a single settler — a courageous farmer from Capo Breton, who with his family ventured into this solitude a few years ago. The present ■writer, when on an excursion to Grand Lake, in 1878, met this lonely pioneer, whose nearest neighbors were some twenty or thirty miles ofi'. lie descril)ed the country around Deer Lake as superior to any he had seen in Nova Scotia or Cape Breton. The extent of good land he estimated at thirty-three miles in length, and with a breadth varying from three to five miles, all of it perfectly level. The soil is a deep sandy loam, and, for the growth of root-cr()i)s, cannot bo surpassed. lie had grown potatoes which weighed each three pounds ; parsnips and carrots twenty-two inches in length ; and beans and peas one third larger than the same kinds grown in Nova Scotia. He had raised a small (juantity of wheat as an experiment, and found it (piite eipial to Canadian wheat. Clover and buckwheat also grew luxuriantly, and he found the soil specially favor- able to the growth of llax. He thought the soil would suit fruit-trees. The "interval" land along the river made excellent meadow y:round. Ilav could be cut here from the natural grasses. The timl)er, he said, was large — chiefly pine, spruce, birch, and lir. The Humber district contains some of the finest timber in the island, which will be more minutely referred to when the THE BAY OF ST. GEORGE. 321 forests come to be noticed. Coal beds are 1)erK'ved to exist in the neij^hborhood of (irand Lake. Marbles of all kinds occur at various parts of the Bay of Islands. More details of these are given in another part of this volume, and also of tin; s})lendid lierring-tishery of the l)ay, which is one of the tinest to be met with, the (juality of the herring being ecjual to those taken on the coast of Lal)rador. .North of the Bay of Islands another fine bay opens, named r)Oinie Bay. It has not been surveyed, and is but very im[)er- fectly known. Casual visitors report a large extent of good land es[)ecially suital)le for grazing purposes. Those who have attempted to cultivate the soil si)eak highly of its fertility. Tlien^ is here a lino herring-tishery, and on that, with salmon and cod, the inhabitants chietiv subsist. Of the climate of Western Newfoundland the surveyor- iXcneral savs : "To i)ersons visitinij: the western shores of Newfoundland, after having been accjiuiinted with the eastern and southern, the diHerence of climate between tlie>e two j)laces and the dill'erent ell'ects produced on the weather by the winds become at once most ai)parent. The southern shore is fve(juently enveloped in fog, and the eastern, though not subject to that visitation to an eijual extent, yet does the easterly wind alnu)st always bring to the eastern shore cold and disagreeable M'eather. On the western shore fog is rarely seen, and the climate is an ameliorated one." In regard to the mt)re northern bays little is yet known; but casual visitors concur in declaring that at the heads of all tlu'se bays there are large; stretches of good land, well adapted for settlement, and jjossessing natui'al advantages of great value. The foreffoinj; evidence adduced reirardiniif ^V(■^tern New- foimdland shows that here is one of the most desirable iields for emigration that can well be imagin«'d, but which being unknown is iH'gloeted. In Codroy, Bay St. (Jeorge, Port-a-Port , and Bay of Islands, together with the Ilumber district, there aic 8')1,2(M) acres of land such as we have described, iiwaiting the axe, the plough, and th(> s))ade. Tlie climate is favorable to health and industrial occupations. The character of the tlistrict m m 322 NEWFOUXDLAXD. I i is such that u variety of occupations can I)o followed l»y the settlers — farininjj^, hunhering, niinini;, shii)-l»uil(lin_ii;, li>hiii^-, etc. 'I'he projected Great American and European Short Lino Railway wi'll oi)en up the whole district, and i)lacc it in conununicatiou with the outside world, sccurinjjr ii market for the various products of industry. There is nothing, how(>ver, to prevent settlement proceeding at present in advance of tiu; raiiwav, i\\K: dilliculties heini; far fv'wer than tliose encountereil by settlers who face the prairi liston intently tor tho faintest sonnd. The silence wasiil)s()liit(>, and had a peculiar and dcprcssiiiir inthience on tho foelinjrs. To relieve this sonihre mood I tried to picture the 'jrood time coniinir,' when the ;h Victoria Lake, a niagniticent sheet of water, sixteen miles lonjx, with a breadth of tliree-quartcrs of a mile. The character of the country through which these streams flow is varied. South of King George IV. Lake and V^ictoria Lake "the country is one vast desolation of bare rock" with marshes interspersed. On the left bank of the Victoria there arc areas of well-tim- bered land, averaging five miles in width, and rich ""interval" land between Lloyd's Pond and lied Indian Lake. Sixteen miles up the Victoria River " the country greatly improves, and a large tract, well wooded, generally level and covered by a good soil, prevails nearly up to Victoria Lake. This level and rcclaimable land seems to extend to the eastward, with a few interruptions, to the Great liattling Brook." The country south of Hodge's Hill and on the southern side of the Exploits "presents an unbroken dense forest, in a series of gentle undulations, as far as the eye can reach. The country between the Victoria and the head of Red Indian Lake is well timbered throughout." Rich in agricultural capabilities as is the yet unpeopled valley of the Exploits, it is greatly surpassed by the valley of the Gander, which, when settled and cultivated, will undoubtedly bo the garden of Newfoundland. It may truly be said to have been discovered in 1874, when ]Mr. Murray surveyed a })ortion of it, from the sea to the head of the Gander Lake, his exami- nation being completed by Mr. Howley, his assistant, in 18 7G, who explored the upper reaches of the river. The total length of the main river is one hundred miles ; but another branch of it, called the South-west River, also empties into the Gander Lake, and is eighty miles in length. The area drained is nearly three thousand square miles. Altogether there are in this great expanse of country, including th.^ s\hole of the Gander River and Lake, and the neighboring Gumbo and Terra Nova valleys, no less than seventeen hundred square miles available for settlement. This, as we shall see presently, is the finest lumbering country in the island. Gander River is approached from the sea ut Sir Charles tM w 330 NEWFOUNDLAND. ILimiltoii's Sound, by tlio groat inlet of (Jandor Bay, tho head of which is in hititude 41P 17' N., and lon.iritudo r)4° 20' \V. From this jioint to the lake the river is thirty miles in lenjrth. I'he (lander Lake is thirtv-thiee miles in lenijth, with an area of forty-four miles. Jn the (leejjest part tifty-seven fathoms of line failed to strike tin* bottom. The main braneh of the river extends above the lake for a distance of sixty miles. Thus the lake interseets the finest part of the district, having one outlet by the river to Xotre Dame Bay, on whose shores are our ei)pi>i'r-inines. This river, with a small outlay, eould be made navi;:able for boats of u good si/c, and down it timber eouUl readily be floated were some present obstructions removed. Lumb(>r and produce would here find u water-way to th(> sea, and a ready market in the rapidly advancing mining district. The railway now in course of construction from St. John's to Hall's B.iy will traverse this si)lendid valley, and unlock its natural treasures and render it accessible. The eastern |)ortion of tlie lake stretches away in serpentine form towards Bonavista Bay. its extremity being separated from that bay l)y onl}' nine niilc-^ of a very level country, over which a road or tram-way could easily be constructed. Thus the valley has two outlets totlu> sea, and w^ill have railway oonununicat ion in one direction with the mining region, in the other with the capital and the principal towns. It is difficult to imagine a district more favoral)ly situated for a farming and luml)ering population. Along the valley drained by the South-west liiver, eighty miles in length, the soil and timber are reported to be excellent. l*iue logs, eighty feet in length, have been cut around the mouth of this river, and floated down the lake to the sea. In regard to the character of the soil, Mr. ]Murraysays: "Of this great expanse of country a very large proportion, particularly eastward I'roni the main river, is of rich and fertile soil, a.sami)ly testified to by its indigenous produce, which, to a great extent, consists of pine aiul si)ruce of a sui)erior size and description, intermingled with balsam fir, white birch, and poi)lar, the ground often being thickly matted over by an underbrush of ground hendock. It is greatly to be regretted, however, that chielly, if not altogether, from the careless use of fire on the part of trap- NOTRE DAME HAY. 3;]i ])ors wlio fVo(|Uont those regions, great daiuage has been (hmo to those iiohle forests," . . . . " Were the region opened up tor setth'rs a very hirge proportion of the tiniher might still he utilized, as we found upon trial upon several trees, that they were still sound and solid thoujjh dead." . . . . " With the almost um-ivalled eapahilities the country [)ossesses for grass-growing, breeding and rearing of stock can hardly fail to become one of the great future industries of tlu; province. The total rise on the river to the level of the Great Lake has already been shown to be about seventy-tive feet ; and, as a gn^at part of the natural course is still and moderately deep water, the imi)ediments to the n:ivi<;ation of vessels drawing: from Hve to six feet miirht be easily overcome by the construction of five or six locks." Mr. Ilowley, assistant-geologist, Aviio completed the survey of the fiandcrHiver above the lake, says in his report :" Within the immense region drained by the Gander and Gambo rivers, there is a vast area of country capable of being easily reclaimed and converted from its present state of wilderness into agricult- ural settlements." . . . " The country lying al)ove the great lake and forming the valleys of the two rivers presents everywhere a gently undulating surface, rising to a moderate height in its more elevated parts, and sloping gradually and with beautiful regu- larity down to the rivers' banks on either side. For a distance of thirty miles above the lake, and at the least two miles on the western side of the main and eastern side; of the south-west rivers, the country is of this character, giving a block of thirty miles long by ten miles wide, or an area of three hundred s(iuare miles, covered with a rich deep yellow sandy loam. Nearly ever}' acre of these three hundred scjuare miles is well adapted for agricultural puri)oses, while the whole is, or was at one time, densely tun])ercd with magnificent pine, spruce, fir, and white birch. The islands or intervals in the river, especially near their outlets, are })erfectly level, and covered with exceedingly rich and deep alluvial soil. ^lany of these flats are of consider- able extent, and for the most part they sup[)ort a large growth of timber, while a luxuriant crop of wild grass fiourishes round the banks and on the lower levels. Much of the country sur- rounding the Great Lake is also well adapted for settlement, m 332 A'^" WFO UNDLAXD. It Vi and the advantages of having a frontage on this future great highway will still more enhance its value." . . . "The country itself is magnificent. I have never seen such an extent of level land in any other part of Newfoundland. It is not to say level in the general sense. It is composed of low rounded ridges and wide sloping country, all densely timbered. There is not a hill anywhere near the river from which a good view can be obtained." . . . . " That the soil here, over a very great area, is of excel- lent quality and capable of yielding rich harvests I cannot doubt. Taking everything into consideration, I do not think that a more promising country or one more easy of access could i)c found in British America." .... "In all my travels al)out the island I have nowhere seen anj'thing like the quantity of i)ine timber to be met with here ; and, although the soil on the west- ern side of the island is richer in some places, this country, takii.g all its advantages into consideration, oilers more imme- diate inducement to settlers." In addition to its agricultural and lumbering capabilities the Gandei country gives abundant promise of being a mining region. The rocks of the serpentine group, having all the characteristics of the copper-bearing formation in Notre Dame Bay, are extensively developed in the Gander district, not only on the north and north-east of the lake, but also on the main river above the lak(!, where thoj^ occupy an immense area. "It is only rcason.ible to suppose," says Mr. Howley, "that the ores of copper and nickel will be found to exist here also." Of the Gambo River INIr. Ilowley says : " The timber on the Gambo, especially in the valley of the Triton River, is ver}' line. I'ine is abundant, and though not generally so large as that of the Gander, is of excellent quality. The white birch, spruce, and fir along the banks of the river arc remarkably fine, indeed I have seldom seen finer in any part of the island. The land available for general agi'iculture in the valley of the Gambo is not extensive, being chiefly confined to the alluvial fiats on cither side of the river. These, however, are frequently richly hixuriant, as testified l)y the indigenous vegetation, especially in the valley of Triton River, where they are generally upwards of a mile in width, extending from the outlet into the upper ponds and to the forks." LAND INVESTMENTS AND EMIGRATION. 333 re great country of level ly U^vcl gcs and ot a hill aiiied." ' excel- tlouht. that a mid I)c •out the »t" i)iiie e we.sf- )uiitry, imnie- CIIAPTER V. ON THE PROSPECTS OF LAND INVESTMENTS AND EMIGRATION. Autlioritiitivo oi)inions and reports — Newfoundhind compared with the most favored provinces of Nortii America — Summers and winters — Ncwfound- hind as a grazing country — Vegetable productions — The district of St. John's — Fisli as a fertilizer — Wheat, barley, and hops — Report of the Joint Committee of the Council and House of Assembly — The peninsula of Avalon — The present conciition of agriculture — Customs' returns — Markets for farm produce — Forest timber, pine and si)ruce — Area of forest lands — The lumbering regions. Ix 1842 Sir John ILirvey was appointed Governor of the island. lie was a man of nuieh intelligence and energy, and he had an extensive knowledi^e of the soil of the neiuhhorinj!: colonies of Canada, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island, lie became an enthusiastic advocate for the agricultural improvement of New^')undland, and never ceased to urge its importance. He showed that the country must be opened up by roads as an indisi)ensable step to the cidtivation of the soil. Nothing was known in his day of the tine districts and valleys described in the preceding pages. He was only ac(|uainted with the poorest portion of the island around \\\i^ eastern shores and bays, and yet, addressing tlu; Legislature, he referred to the sul)iect in the following terms :" And here I will not deny myself the satisfaction of recording this pul)lic declaration of my conviction, derived from such observation and information as a residence in the island for ui)wards of a year has enabled me to aci^uire, that, both as regards climate and agiicidtural capabilities, Newfoimdland in many respects need not shrink from a comi)arison with tin; most favored prov- inces of North America. Its sunnners, though short, enjoy an extrao "dinary degree of vegetative power, which only I ?VJf(t it ^ 'm 334 NE WFO UNDLAND. requires to be duly taken advantage of; its winters are neither unusually long nor severe, and its autunnial seasons arc as open and fine as those of any of the surrounding colonies. In point of rich natural grasses, no part of British North America [jro- duces greater ahundance. Newfoundland, in fact, appears to nie to be calculated to become essentially a rich grazing coun- try ; and its varied agricultural resources appear onl}' to re(iuire roads and settlements to force them into highly rennuierative development." After referring to the entire absence of roads in his day, he said: "So long as this unexampled state of things, more especially as respects the roads, is sutlered to continue, this colony nmst remain — what it would ai)pear to have been designed to keep it — little be^'ond a tishing-station. Emigration to it, l>eyond the number of laborers recjuired for the j)rosecution of that single pursuit, cannot be expected, no other encouragement being held out. But by opening up its interior by means of good roads and communications, upon lines carcfidly surveyed and carried through lands — and it is known that such are to be found — capable of repaying the labor of the settler, and therefore holding out inducement to that class of emigrants, you will, as I have elsewhere said, dis- cover treasures which, though they may not offer in the iirst instance, rewards so tempting, and so innnediately available, as those of the surrounding deep, are, nevertheless, (juite as essential to the prosi)erity of your island home as are the lish- eries themselves."' These utterances of Sir John Ilarvev have proved to l)o [)rophetie. The existence of " the treasures" he "^ refers to is now placed beyond all (juestion. Sir Richard Bonnycastle, a military ofHcer of distinction who spent some years in the island, and has written one of the best l)()oks on the country, was strongly imi)ressed with its agricultural resources. His work bears the date of 1(S42, and in it he earnestly advocates colonization and agricultural devel- opment, lie speaks of Newfoundland as "possessing a cliniale of extraordinary salubrity," and predicted that if opened up for settlement, it would " take its rank amongst the more nourishing colonies of the neighboring continent." He enumerates among the vegetable productions which he saw growing and thriving LAND INVESTMENTS AND EMIGRATION. .335 admirably, cucuml)er8, melons, cabbages, cauliHoweis, broicoli, beet, parsnips, carrots, peas, potatoes. "The ganlcii si raw- berry and raspberry of every variety thrive without more than the usual care." .... "Potatoes, oats, turnips, and all the necessary vegetables, can readily be reared, even on the very worst portion of such a wilderness as that of the littoral. Here one hundred thousand acres are stated to be under culti- vation." .... "The very worst jjortion of the soil is that in the neighborhood of St. John's, and yet here, in all directions, the })lough speeds and the ancient forest has vanished." His description of the soil in the neighborhood of St. dohifs is perfectly correct. It is among the poorest in the island, and yet in every direction for miles around the city are well-culti- vated and productive farms, comfortable homesteads, and a numerous agricultural poi)ulation. Oats and barley of the best (juality arc grown, and even wheat has been tiied with success. If, then, such are the results of cultivation in tiio least [)romising portion of the country, where the harsh wind' from the east are felt, and the etfect of the cold Arctic current is most felt, what may we not expect when the dee}) soil of the sheltered valleys and of the warmer interior and of the west coast are brought under cultivation? "The district of St. John's," says Bonnyeastle, "is esi)ecially well adapted for a grazing country, and the imported and home-raised cattle look as plump and as sleek as those of any other i)art o( the world where they are carefully attended to ; and I have seen cows at some of the farms which would not discredit the dairies of Devon." It may be mentioned hero that a large portion of the manure used by the farmers is a compost made by mixing eods'-heads and lish otFal of all kinds with eailh and peat. After standing for a year a fertilizing comi)ound, eijual to guano, is thus produced. The Right Kev. Dr. Mullock, Koman Catholic Bishop of St. John's, a gentleman of high cultiu'e and intelligence, and one who took a deep interest in the improvement of the country, delivered two lectures on Newfoundland, in 18(50, in which ho spoke in high terms of the natural capabilities of the island, 336 NE WFO UNDLAXD. especially of its agricultural and mineral resources. Of the former he said: "All garden vegetables — cabliages, carrots, turnips, salads, etc. — are brought to the highest perfection, and the climate appears specially adapted to impail succulency to them. The potato, you all know, before the rot, was of the finest quality. It has now nearly recovered." .... " Wheat will ripen very well. I have never seen finer barley than the growth of Newfoundland ; and all persons who have bought, as I have done, Newfoundland oats, at nearly double the price of the husky grain imi)orted here, will find that they have gained by the purchase. IIo})s are most luxuriant, and so are strawl)erries, currants, gooseberries, cherries, and many other species of fruit." .... ".My estimate, then, of the agricultural i'apal)ilit'.es of Newfoundland, com])aring it with what 1 have seen in the north of Europe, is, that if we had a large agricultural population, we could support them in com- fort." It must be remembered that the foregoing was written previous to the discoveries of the geological surve3\ Sir Stephen Hill, who was governor in 187;}, says in one of his h I I': I iii I.AXD IXVESTMEXTS AND EMIGRATION: S37 prosecuted to a valuiible extent, is yet suseeptihle of very enlarjfed development. Vast strotelies of agricultural land, extending from Trinity Bay, north, along the heads of Bona- vista Bay, Gander Hay, and Exploits liiver, as well as on the west coast, need only the employment of Avell-direeted lal)()r to convert them into means of indei)entlent support for thousands of the i)opulation." .... "The in(juiry is further sug- gested whether this colony should not become an exporter of live stock; and we have little dillicultv in ailirniini; this posi- lion. For grazing i)urposcs, we have large tracts tliat we helieve cannot be surpassed in Britisli North America; and when we regard our proximity to England, and the all-imi)()rtant consideration of a short voyage; for live stock, Ihc; advantages we [)ossess in this coimection are too manifest to be the subject of (piestion or argument." The last authority wc; shall ([uote is Mr. W. Fraser Kae, who visited the island in 1880, and has recorded his views in an excellent and trustworthy work, '"Newfoundland to Manitoba." \\i\ formed u very favorable opinion of the island, and, from its great natund resources, he antici})ates for it a career of pros- perity, now that the railway has at last been introduced to aid in the development of its agri(!ultura.l and mineral resources. Of the former he says: "That the soil and climate of Newfoundland are really good is a statenu'nt which may be read with scepticism. The' common opinion is unfavorable to both, and this opinion is based upon ex[)erienee gained near the coast." .... "Not till a few years aenient to settle in the interior, is sullicient to account for this stagnation. The Customs' returns for 1880 show that in that year the total value of agricultural produce imported into Newfound- land was no less than $2,825,411. If we suppose this amount of produce raised in the country, which, were the island opened up to any extent, would be tlic case, then nearly three millions of dollars annually, which now are sent out of the country to pa}' the agriculturists of other i)laces, would J)e retained and spent among Newfoundland farmers, to the great benetit of the home i)opulation. If the encouragement of homo manufactures is proper, then as farms are food factories, every facility should be given for the extension of this industry, l)y providing rail- ways for the transport of farm produce to market. It is evi- dent, froni these returns, that for the produce of the farm and dairy and the raising of stock, there will be, for years to come, a remunerative market in the island itself, apart altogether fin)m exportation. The total annual value of the produce of the land now under cultivation has been estimated by .Sir AVilliam Whiteway at $012,350. The value of the cultivated land, at the rate of $80 per acre, together with horses, cattle, sheep, etc., in 1855, "was estimated at $3,i)57,O0i). It may be doubted, however, whether this estimate is not too high. ^Mthough from time to time tires have destroyed large sec- tions of the heavily-timbered districts, yet the forest wealth still remaining and yet unutilized is inuuense. These forests are found chielly in the valleys of the great rivers already »',']:i Ji 340 NEWFOUNDLAND. described, and aloni^ the l)anks of their tril)iit!irie.s ; also in the country around St. George's Bay and I'ort-a-Port. The varie- ties of the indigenous forest timbers are white pine, white and black spruce, tamarack or larch, tir, yellow and white birch. ()uc(! the country is fairly opened up by railways a great timber trade will be created. The yellow birch, which abounds larre saw-mills could be erected. On both sides of the lake iisclf water-power for driving machinery could be obtained in many places. Besides the river, an outlet could be found at Freshwater Bay, in Bonavista Bay, which is separated from the hdvc by a level tract only nine miles in length. Mr. Murray reports as follows of this region: "Except where partially deiuided by tire the Avhole valley of the river, the shores over the lake, and the banks of the tributaries are all densely clad by forest, among the most conspicuous trees of which are pines, to all external appearance of the finest descrip- tion. Upon the south-west arm, and at various parts of the lake, groves of pine may be seen where the average girth of the trees is not much, if anvthinu', less than nine feet, and where many individual trees will reach to eleven, twelve, and even fourteen feet. On al)()ut one acre of surface I measured fifteen or twenty trees, the diameters of which varied from two and a half to four and a half feet; and these, moreover, Avere straight, tall, and sound, with stems running up symmetrically for up- wards of fifty feet Avithout knot or branch." He estimated that there was here " an area of not less than five hundred square miles worthy of being laid out as timber limits, where an inunense tim1)er trade might be carried on successfully." . . . ''Were the tracts surrounding the head-waters of the Gambo and the south-west branch to be taken into account, I have little doubt the area would 1)0 extended to a thousand square m LAND INVESTMENTS AND EMIGRATION. ail miles." In another jjIjico he said : " On the supposition that tlie average amount of timber tit to be converted into hnnbcr is 20,000 feet per acre, it follows that 4G0,800 acres will contain nine billion two hundred and sixteen million feet of more or less merchantable [U'oduce, ecjual to ninety-two millions one hundred and sixty thousand feet amnially for one hundred years, and yielding timber to the value of $1,^48,300 per annum." .... The establishmen*^ of the lumber trade in these regions, how- ever, would only be a preliminary movement towards Ihc ultimate j)ermanent settlement of the land. The soil over an enormous area is rich and fertile, the surface level or gently undulating. The country is capable of raising all or most of the cereal crops in ample a1)undance. ]\Ir. Ilowley says, in his rejjort on the same region : " From careful exann'nation of the forests at many diU'erent j)oints, and particularly as regards the limits of av:;ilable pine, I feel myself in a position to furnish the following estimate of the area sup- porting that timber with tolerable contidence : — Square niik'H. Area of pine lands on the lower valley of the Gander River and north side of the lake . 200 Valleys of the ]Main and south-west rivers al)ove the lake ....... 300 Country along the south side of the lake, and across to Freshwater Hay . . . 200 Valley of the Ganibo and Tritcy xiiver with their tributaries . . . . . . . l')0 Total .S")0 "I conceive it probable that still further investigation may bring the total area up to one thousand s(|uare miles. ^Nlost, if not all, the pine hei'c referred to is of the white variety, Plnus strohus, probably the most valuable s^iecies for the manufacture of lumber." Fires have swept over many portions of this district, but "the pine, though scorchetl, does not appear other- wise to be much injured so long as it remains standing." Though not nearly equal to the Gander country in forest $'»:■ M' :: ll ik f .342 XEWFOUXDLAXD. i i wc.'illli, the v.'illcv of the Tvxploits contains a very larixo fniantil y (i)' pine and oilier valuahle tinilier. Near the month of llic river a steam saw-mill has been sneeessfniy at work for many years, and no ditlienify is oxjx'rieneed in i)r()enrinir a larjre snpply of material. r.et ween the ( ■ rand Fall s an( 1 Hi ulirer lirook av: Mr. Mnrray. "at many parts, on hoth si(h's of the main river, pine was ohserved to tlonrish Inxnriantly, much of which ap- ])eared to he o\' excellent (jnalily, heini:' often of fair diameter, straiiiht, and tall. These reaches also display a tine growth of other varieties of timhei', and at some parts, especially ahont the foi-ks of the Sandy lirook, white birch often attains a very l.irtre size." About Ked Indian Lake there is a sui)erb j^rowth of pine and spruce of " lame si/c, straiti'ht, and tall." '' AN'ith a splendid river, al)undant timber, and a fertile soil, this region is marked out for a prosperous settlement." "The southern side of the Exploits ))resents an unbroki'U deus(! t'orest. in a series of irentle undulalions, far asthe(\ye can reach." " From the A'ictoi'ia IJiver to the head of the Ked Indian Lake, the country is well timliercd throuuhout." Another richly-wooded district is the valley of the Iliwiiliei'. where for many years himl)erini)nit«'. l)iiu', hinii, .111(1 lir. ( )ii most of the smaller slreaiiis there are also •jfroves of pine and varions other tri-es, while the >aine holds jrood nx'anlinur the heads of manv of the lta\s. Ji is thns ■TrT^?CVf7;»()i"- tion of creation containinir de[)osits of valuable minerals ; those who persisted in searching for them were regarded as vision- aries. To-day, however, Newfoundland stands sixth among the copper-producing countries of the globe. The tirst mine was opened in l.S(U ; and though at tirst mining was prosecuted in a languid way, productive returns quickened o})erat ions : new deposits were speedily discovered and worked, and at the end of 187!> the Customs' returns showed that copper and nickel ore to the value of a million pounds sterling had been exported. Mining villages sprang up, having a considerable population, where formerly a few detached huts of lishermen had stood. A small licet of vessels was employed in convey- ing the ore to Swansea. A rush to secure mineral lands took place, and the shores of Xotrc Dame Bay, where the ore was found, were caojorlv covered with minin<; licences atid mining land grants. Six or seven mines were soon in operation, and great heaps of ore accumulated at ditierent points awaiting (344) m riOXEEIi WORK A\D PROSPECTS. r.i:, shipment. Si)eculution ran high, and an e-vtent of comiliy forty to fifty miles in length and tivo or six miles in l»ie;i(lth was taken ui) 1)y speenlators. Even men who tbrnicrly rd'nscMl to believe in anything l)ut codfish and seals in connection wilh the country were now found among the most eager copper- hunters. The work still goes on steadily, but tin; <(>pper fever has abated to some extent, and now sober ca|)italists are at work develo[)ing mineral resource's which the bi'st jmlgi's pronounce to be of vast extent and great value. (Jcologi^ls inform us that the area of mineral lands exceeds tive thousand square miles. The serpentine; rovks in which the ore is found are spread over this great s[)acc, and wherever these occur a search may be made with some probaI)ility of success. ]Mr. C. F. Bennett was the pioneer of mining entei'pi-isc in Newfoundland. For some time he stood in a minority of one as a believer in the existence of minerals in the island. To Mr. Smith MacKay, however, beloiurs the honor of discovering the first considerable deposit of coi)[)er ore. This enterprising and intelligent explorer, when making a tour in the northern })art of the island, in lb.")?, arrived at a little ti>hing-hamiet, called Tilt Cove, containing ten or a dozen huts, llis ex- perienced eye soon detected in one of the dill's signs of copper ore. It was not, however, till 18()4 that, in conjunction with Mr. Beimett, he connuenced mining oi)erations here, which have gone on, with more or less activity, ever since, upon the de()osit then discovered, and which, as yet, shows no si^n of exhaustion. At the end of IHTO Tilt Cove iMine had yielded close on 50,000 tons of eo[)per ore, valued at $l,.")7:i,l ") I, and nickel ore worth $;32,740. Tilt Cove Mine, however, was completely eclipsed by lirtt's Cove Mine, a dozen miles farther south, which was opcneil in 1875. It was secured by Mr. Francis Ellershausen, a gentle- man of great energy and sagacity, who had sptsedily a thousand miners at work here; and in the second year took from it 20,000 tons of ore, and in the third year more tiian d()ul)l(' that quantity. In 1879 the total quantity of ore exi)()rted by Mr. Ellershausen amounted to 125,;j5<> tons, valued al :!>2,1)82,'S;U). In this return, however, was included some ore from a new ' ♦; : i 'ffe ,« ! H. .1 1^! I ii il* I <\ 111 -I 340 XEWFOUXDLAXD. mine, !it Lidli' Day, opened in isT.s. The liLst-nnnud iniin' has tlivown tlu; others eonipletel}' into the shade, and may Ix' rei;iirde(l as one of tlie most vahiablo eo[)})er mines in iho woi-Jd, The retniMis tVom Little Bay ^linc show an avernirc yieUl of •>(),{)()() tons j)ei' annum. Other mines have been ()i)eni'd and worki'd with mon; or less sueeess nt Seal ]>ay, Ivoherts Arm, Colchester in .S.\V. Arm of Green liay, Hall's J>ay, and Xaked ^lan. It is remarkable that the ore in these mines is not in veins, hut in hui;e sheets or hunches of "reater or smaller dimensions. COPl'EK MINIi, liETT'd COVK. One of these was reached in Bett's Cove mine sixty feet in dejjth. Tiu^ strata are nuich corruiruted, and the masses of ore are found to he <»"reatest towards the a>a's of tin; corru^'ations, while strings .'ind leads often run in the course of the small faults and cracks. Operations at l)elt's Cove were carri<'d on in ii thorough manner. An iron tramway connected th(» mouth of the mine with the liarl)or : a lini; wharf eiuihty feet in length M'as built for the acconmiodation of shi[)[)inji" ; and smelting PIONEER WORK AXD PR OS PEC TS. 347 <' the ser- pentine appears there is always a i)ossibility that this ore-bear- ing chloritic slate; may be found, so that the serpentine Ix'comes a guide to prospectors, ^^'here no serpentine i*;. it is vain to look for ore, but there are vast develo[)ments of serpentine without any indications of ore. ^fr. Murray says in a recent report: "The ores of coi)per, usually suli)hurets, are found dis- seminated, or in layers, with iron pyrites in the chlorite slates and dioritic beds, but tlu' more solid and valuable ones are con- centrated in the folds and dislocations, particularly in the niag- nesian portion, by which the formation has been allecti'd. The ores are also of freijueiit occurrence in white : "The Quebec Groiq) is of considerable economic interest, inasmuch as it is the great metal- liferous formation of North America. To it belongs the gold METALLIFEROUS DEPOSITS, ETC. 349 which is found along the Appalachian Chain from Canada to Georgia, together with lead, zinc, copper, silver, col^alt, nickel, chrome, and titanium. I have long since called attention to the constant association of the latter metals, particularly chrome and nickel, with the ophiolites, and other magnesian ji'ocks of this series, while they are wanting in similar rocks of the Laurentian age. TJie immense deposits of coi)per ore in East Tennessee, and the similar ores in Lower Canada, both of which are inl)eds sub- ordinate to the stratification, l)elong to this group. The lead, copper, zinc, cobalt, and nickel of Missouri and the copper of Lake Superior, also occur in rocks of the same age, which api)ears to be preeminently the metalliferous period." In a paper contributed to " The Journal of the Society of Arts "Mr. Murray says: "I may l)roadly state that the ore de[)osits of Tilt Cove occur under conditions strikingly similar to those known in Eastern Canada, and to characterize rocks of contemi)oraneous origin. The metallic material is arranged in isolated, irregularly sha[)cd masses, tiu'ough a set of strata con- formini'' with beds above and below, of a calcareo-ma<>nesium (juality, and that these beds are succeeded on the north i»y a great l)()(ly t)f seri)entine. As far as I have hitherto seen, and from all the information I have been able to gather, the copper will, in this country, most frequently be found to occur in a similar manner — that is to say, in beds rather than in regular veins or lodes. I think it right to call particular attention to tiie facts of this case, and to express a strong ojjinion, for the benelit of atlventurers or explorers, that the immediate neighborhood of the seri)entine rocks, wherever they maybe found to exist, will be the most probable jjosition for their labors to bo crowned with success. These seri)entines, besides being associated with many valuable metallic substances, frecjuently all'ord a beautiful va- riety of marble, which in many cases might of itself prove of coTisiderable im[)ortance, added to which may be enumerated the fre(iuent occurrence of soap-stone, asbestos, and talc. Chromic iron is frecjuently associated with the serpentine, and may l)robably be discovered in some parts in workable ((iianlities." Thus then science, conlirmed by actual experiment, [joints to Xewfoundlaud us one of the great copper-bearing regions of tho m n 350 NE WFO UNDLAND. % I illl ^V i s\'- 'i !:i world. It holds u wide development of that metalliferous zone "whieh ill other Xorth American eountries has yielded ahundanct,' of valual)lc mineral. The question arises : " What is tin; extent of the seri)entine rocks in the island?" Mr. Murray's /jfeoloLiJcal mai)enal)les us to answer that c^uestion. Connnenciiiir ;it ('ape Xornian, the extreme northerly point of th(( i.-land, \ve liiid ser- pent ine developments of considerable exti'ut from Pistolet IJny to Hare Bay, while another si)read extends along the coa>t lo Canada Ua}'. At Cape 8t. John l)e_<;ins the jxreat seri)eiitinc dcveloi)ment in which are situated all the existinu' mines. The whole shores of the Great Bay of Notre Dame, togetherwidi its cluster of islands, are of the ser])entine formation. This hdt may be estimated at a length of forty nules, the breadth bfJDg yet undetermined, without taking tlu? islands into account. The greatest s[)read of the ser[)entine rocks is in the (landcr country, where as yet they are unexplored. Kound the shores of l>onne liay and Bay of Islands there are also large (lcvel()|)- ments of serpentine. Indeed, there are strong grounds for be- lieving that tlie serpentine formation runs across the whole island ; and as the interior is yet unexplored, it may come to the surface in many places far iidand. It nmst be remembered, too, that these remarks apply to the i)rospects of copjjcr mining alone ; and that in other })arts of the island* lead and other ores are found, and give promise of very encouraging develoi)ments. ^Ir. dames P. Howley, gives the following trustworthy esti- mate of the areas of the serpentine series in Newfoimdland : — Between Hare and Pistolet Bays North from Bonne Bay . South from Hare Bay South from iionne Bay . South i'roni Bay of Islands Surrounding Notre Dame Bay Gander Lake and Kiver country Bay d'Est Kiver . Total .... Square niilcB. 2;30 ;}5(.) 175 150 182 1,400 :.\810 aoo , :»,ou7 METALTAFEROUS DEPOSITS, ETC. 3:)1 Tlic foroiroinir ("ilciilalion, ^vlli(•Il is made by one thovouiihly !ic(iiiaint('(l with the coimtrv, sliows how iwlonsivo arc the min- eral lands of the island, re<|uii'ini; many years for their thorouiih cxi)lonition and development. In the most extensive of the.-e areas — the (lander River country — no prospector has yet tried his fortune. Tlu; irreat success of niininu', especially at l>ett"s Cove and Little Hay, shows what possioijities exist in connection with the prosecution of this industry, which is yet in its infancy. The discovery of fresh de^josits is constantly takinj^ place ; and the next ten or twenty years will witn(>ss, in all probaltility, a wonderful exi)ansion of mininj^ enteri)rise. It woidd seem that only capital and skill are neethnl to insure success. There is no man whose; opinion on the mineral n^soui-cen of the country' is more worthy of respect than that of Mr. ^Murray, — a careful and cautious o])server, and one of the most skilli'd had traversed a region between liittle Bay and Hall's I>ay, where his party had seen so nuu'h copi)cr that they were fairly surfeited. He said that before coming here he had men^ly heard that there were some copper mines ; l)ut when he came he felt astounded at what had METALLIFEROUS DEPOSITS, ETC. 353 'ITo been done in copper-mining in the short space of five years. He found that already Newfoundland stood sixth in the roll of the copper-producing countries of the world, and that (hiring the last five years copper ore had been extracted to the value of four million dollars, and about one million dollars had )>c'on spent on mining plant alone. He expressed his admira- tion of Little Bay jNIine, which was yielding two thousand tons of ore monthly. Looking to the future, ho had every reason to believe that Newfoundland was destined to become one of the greatest copper-mining countries in the world, and he believed that this industry alone would yet raise it to a very high place. He expressed himself as delighted with the ])eautiful scenery of the island, and impressed with the immense natural advantages presented in these grand bays and arms of the sea, which penetrate so far inland, and enabled ships of any size to load ore or other products near the spot where they were raised. He predicted a great and prosperous future for the island when its natural riches were turned to account." Copper is by no means the only ore found in the country. In the lower geological formations, which are largely represented, the existence of ores of various kinds, and of other valuable economic materials, has been ascertained. ^lagnetic iron oie has been found, though not yet in large masses, in the Laurentian ; the presence of the precious metal is indicated in the Cambrian ; while lead ore has been found in workable (jutuitities in the Huronian and Lower Silurian. Coal has been found in pretty extensive beds in the Carboniferous. Thus, while the great beds of serpentine hold the cojjper treas ires, present indications Avarrant the belief that the Huronian rocks contain the precious metals, and especially that extensive and valuable deposits of lead are to be found. The whole island, therefore, may be fairly regarded as more or less metalliferous, while on the western coast the coal areas have yet to be turned to account. ^Ir. Murray has repeatedly expressed in his reports his belief that the equivalents of the auriferous rocks of Nova Scotia are developed in Newfoundland. Mr. Selwyn, director of the Geological Survey of Canada, is of opinion that the gold- ,!^'t' 354 NE WF UNDLA ND. I ^ it^i bearing rocks of Nova Scotia are the representatives of the Cambrian and lowest members of the Silurian system. It was not till 1)S made near Brigus, Conception Bay, which induced Mr. Murray to visit the locality. lie tested one spot Avith the following results, as described in his report : "By the first blast from two to three cubic feet of rock was removed, all of which was carefully broken up, washed, and examined; which opei-atioii finally resulted in the display of ten or twelve distinct 'sights' of gold. In one fragment, about live pounds' weight, laigcly charged with dark-green chlorite, the gold shows itself in three places distinctly, while many small specks arc percept il»Ie liy means of a good lens. The fracture of a fragment of milky white and translucent quartz, which was broken off the larg(^ I")iece, revealed two patches of gold, both of which togc'ther, if removed from the matrix, would probably produce about one pennyweight of the metal ; whilst several small masses or nuggets were found adhering to the small broken fragments of quartz at the bottom of the pail in which the /ock was Avashed, the largest of which contained about ten or twelve grains of gold." . . . . " That a large area of the countrj' in the regions referred to is auriferous there can scarcely be a doubt, although nothing short of actual mining and practical experience can possibly prove what the value of the produce may be. or Avhether the prospects of ol)taining a renuraerative return for the necessary outla}'' are favorable or otherwise." His report concludes in the following words : " The indications of gold in this country then are certainly sufficiently favoralde to merit a fair trial. And there are good reasons to hope and expect that ample capital applied to skilled and judicious labor may be found remunerative to future adventurers ; while a new industry will be added to give employment to the laboring population of the island, and possibly bring this despised and but little- known colony into more prominence and consideration abroad than it hitherto has enjoyed." "Whatever the future may determine regarding gold, there is no doubt that the island is rich in lead ore. This ore is not con- METALLIFEROUS DEPOSITS, ETC. 355 fined to any one formation, the i)rescncc of that metal having been observed a.s low as the Laurentian and as high as the Coal measures. Lead was first discovered at La Blanche, near the north-eastern extremity of Plaeentia Bay, where workings were carried on for several j'cars. The vein which was worked her<' is from three to six feet, and is chiefly of calc spar. The ore is distributed irregularly through the whole thickness of the vein, and sometimes in pockets. Professor Shephard, of America, who examine;! it, placed it on a par with some of the most valuable lead deposits of the New AVorld, and estimated that the part of the vein he examined " would yield .30,000 cubic feet of solid galena, giving a product of upwards of thirteen millions of pounds." An English mining cngmeer said of it : "The (piality of the ore is very line, and commands the highest price in the English market. It will produce about H2 per cent, of metallic lead. It also contains some silver." This mine, however, has not proved a success, notwithstanding its promising appearance. It has never, however, been worked by men having either skill or capital. In 1875 a rich deposit of lead ore was found at Port-a-Port, on the western shore, and was worked for a short time with very promising results; but, on the protest of the French, the Imi)erial authorities ordered the work to be stopped. Now that the French Shore diflSculty is settled, as far as the territorial rights are concerned, it is likely this mine will soon be reopened. Magnetic iron ore has been found at Cairn Mountain, in St. George's Bay. ]Mr. Murray anticipates, from various indica- tions, that its existence will l)o discovered alonj; the ranijre of the Laurentian Hills. Gypsun; is found in immense devolopments. IMr. Murray says : " This mineral gypsum is perhaps distril)iitcd more pro- fusely and in greater voUune in the carboniferous country of the lirst area than in any part of the American continent of the same extent." There are enormous developments of gypsum at Codroy and around St. George's Bay. Marbles too, of almost every shade of color, have been produced from various parts of the coast, on both the eastern and western shores ; *•■ i II i|!| ! il Jm' 356 NE WFO UNDLAND. ' X I fill' I % ^-i a « while granite of the finest quality, building stones, Avhetstonos, and limestones are in ample profusion. Another material which the island can supply in abundance is roofing-slate. The best slate quarries yet opened arc in Smith's Sound, and Random Island, Trinity Bay. The de- velopment here is very extensive, sufficient to supply half the continent of America, if duly worked ; and the quality i^ declared ..y good authority to be equal to the best Welsh slate. Ml'. Murray says of them: "Judging of the quality of the specimens which were brought from Smith's Sound, and the thickness of strata attributed to their place in the formation, together with ther pi'oximity to the sea, these slates, when fully developed, can hardly fail to prove of very considerable com- mercial importance." In the rocks of the carboniferous age, which cover extensive areas on the west coast, it is now placed beyond all douljt that there arc large workable seams of coal. Mr. Jukes paid a visit forty years ago to St. George's Bay. On the south side of the bay, near Cral)b's River, and about eight miles from the coast, he found a seam of coal three feet in thickness, of excel- lent quality, l)eing cannel-coal. As the top was wanting, he concluded that it belonged to a still thicker bed. He says in his report : " There is no doubt of there being more beds in this vicinity, and of the probability of all the centre of this low district being occupied by a productive coal field. Up the Codroy River, in a similar parallel, beds equally valuable are reported to exist." From fair data Mr. Jukes calculated the extent of this small portion of the coal basin of Newfound- land at about twenty-five miles wide by ten in length. i\Ir ^lurray has laid down the position of an outcrop upon his map, in order to show where workable seams Avere likely to occur in St. Geoi'ge's Bay, and he calculates that the plan of one seam, there drawn as three feet in thickness, and occu- pying an area of thirty-eight square miles, contains 54,720,000 chaldrons of coal, or 1,425,000 chaldrons per square mile. A very considerable portion of this he believes will be found within workable depth ; and this is but one of the many seams that may yet be found in the area between Cape Anguille and METALLIFEROUS DEPOSITS, ETC .*].'> 7 i- the head of St. George's Bay. The whole carboniferous area of the western coast occupies three distinct areas, which Mr. Murra}' designates the "St. George's Trough, the Port-a-Port Trough, and the inhind Trough of Ilumber River and (J rami Lake." "The latter trough," he says, "in its western outrrop strikes inland from the lower end of Deer Lake towards AcU'i^'s Pond, and then along the left bank of the river towards the western shores of White Bay. The eastern outcrop runs along the edge of the upper end of Deer Lake towards the Grand Lake. If the workable beds of Cape Breton exist at all in tht central trough of Newfoundland, the country where they may be expected to be found will be the region l)etween the IIinnl)er Kiver and Sandy Lake, where there is ample room to bring in a sufficient accumulation of thickness." Mr. Jukes gives it as his o{)inion that " it is highly probable that coal may be found over the whole or greater part of it." Thus then, in addition to its other resources, Newfouiulland contains, beyond all doubt, valuable and extensive coal-tields, which are yet untouched. The projected Short Line Kailway will traverse the coal-region, and when it is constructed these treasures will not long remain undeveloped. The laws which regulate the sale or leasing of Crown lands, for agricultural purposes and mining, are very liberal, and well calculated to promote the settlement of the country and the development of its mineral resources. A license may be obtained for the occupation of ungrantod lands, for agricultural purposes, of not less than two hundred and fifty acres, or more than one thousand acres, subject to the condition that the licensee shall, within five years, settle upon the land at least one family for every two hundred and fifty acres ; and within that period, cause to be cleared and culti- vated, at least five acres for every hundred acres so licensed, and continue the same under cultivation, and continue the said families thereon, or others in lieu thereof, for a period of ten years from the expiration of the said five years. Upon the performance of which the licensee shall be entitled to a grant in fee of the said land. The governor in council may issue free licenses of occupation .1^ ' ill ' -Si 'I i ri ill Wl' >M I ■1=1 m m 358 A'Z: TFFO UXDLAXD. in qutintitios not exceeding fifty acres, for a term not exceedinj^ five years, of any ungrantcd lands, to any persons desirous of permanently settling on and cultivating the same ; and to every person desirous of erecting a saw-mill upon any such land a similar license for two hundred acres. Grants in fee of such lands will bo given to the occupiers at the end of five years if they have cultivated two acres, and also grants in fee to such as shall have erected a saw-mill and worked it for three years. An exclusive right to search for minerals for a period not exceeding two years, over a space not exceeding three sijuare miles, can be obtained l)y any British sul)ject ; and the person obtaining the same has a right to a lease for eleven years of all the mines and minerals in one square mile of the said land (if applied for within the said tM'o years), and fifty acres of unoccupied surface land. When mining leases are obtained for a term of eleven years, for the minerals contained in one scjuare mile tUo lessee is l)ound to expend, within five years from the date of such lease, the sum of ten thousand dollars ; and within six years from the expiration of the first five years, the further sum often thousand dollars, otherwise the lease is forfeited and reverts to the Crown. The foregoing conditions being complied with a grant in a fee is given, gold being reserved. The fee for mining licenses over three square miles is twent^'-fivc dollars, for mining leases f"*^" dollars, and for subsequent grants in fee twenty-five doUavs. Gold is reserved in all such licenses. The following are memoranda, relating to minerals, drawn up by Alexander ]Murray, C.M.G., F.G.S., and published in a paper which appeared in "Nature" in 1881. (I METALLIFEROUS DEPOSITS, ETC. 359 MEMORANDA : SHOWING TJIE QUANTITIES ANU VALLE OK COI'PER AND NICKEL OUEH EXPORTED FROM THE ISLAND OF NEWFOUNDLAND IN THE UNDERMENTIONED YEARS. Yeors. Torts cleared from. Copper. Nickel. TonB. Pullum. Uemarkb, etc. 18.U ) TOIIH. t(. \ St John's.. C27i 22,980 Chiefly from Iluronina 1M(;4 j ruck. 1H7.'. I to \ (< 544i 19,179 I'lirtiv from opmlnirs lu fsotre L)aiiiu buy. 1871) J Total 1,172 42,1.'.9 Value of Nickel ore. Dollars. 180!) Union Mine, Tilt Cove 5,9:58 30 190.010 7,200 1870 (1 4,218 88 134,970 8,800 1871 J',),H8'.i, (,r nearly £1,- Total . . . 123,5504 i 2,982,830 OOO.OUO Hterlini,'. m t . t !■' ,.' J ' h 'i » ■ Ij 'il ■^% PART VI. POPULATICN", GOYERNMEE'T, ETC. CHAI^ER I. POPULATION AND TRADE. Statistics of 1G54 — Gradual increase of population — Religious denominations — Celtic and Saxon — Exports and imports — Ciiarges on revenue and tlie Customs' returns. The earliest estimate of the resident population of the island was made in 1G54, when it was ascertained that about throe hundred and fifty families were settled in the different harbors. Allowing an averag«) of five persons to each family, the total population was then one thousand seven hundred and fifty. In 1()80 the connnanders of the convoy frigates, on duty in connection with the fisheries, collected statistics ^rthe population, of which the following is an abstract : — 212 Planters (of whom 99 wjre married). 251 Children. 1,(!95 Men-servants. 23 Women-servants. 454 Head of cattle. 25 Horses. 3(51 Hoats. 19G Stages. 67,340 Quintals dried fish annually. 595 Hogsheads of train-oil. (300) POPULATION AND TRADE. 361 '.(!• The foregoing refers to the resident popuhition of the ishuul, and shows that their number iu 1680 was two thousand two hundred and eighty. At the same time the statistics show th!»t the western mer- chants had 97 ships, of the burden of 9,305 tons, 793 l)oats, 133 stages, and 3,922 men engaged in the fishing-i)()its. Besides these, they had 99 ships, of 8,123 tons, mounting 115 guns, and navigated by 1,157 seamen, and employed in tarry- ing the produce of the tii>hcries to Europe, the Vt'cst Indies, and South America. Their annual take was 133,910 quintals of dried fish and 1,053 hogshei.ds of train-oil. The following abstract shows the population and trade of the island in 1698 : — !ii 1^^ i Number of planters . . . . 284 " their children . . . 462 ** their servants . . . 1,894 ** boats owned bv them . . 397 Quintals of fish made by them . . 101,152 Number of ships fishing and carrying fish, 252 Their tonnage ..... 24,316 Number of seamen employed . . . 4.244 Quintals of fish caught by ships . . 114,770 *' purchased by merchants . 157,848 «* carried to market . . 265,198 The resident population according to this abstract was, in 1698, two thousand six hundred and forty. We have no further record of the population till 17(i3, when, according to Sir Richard Boimycastle, the resident population amounted to 7,000; and 7,1.1'? besides were engaged in tishing on the shores, or fur-hunting in the interior, while four hundred sail of vessels carried on the trade of the island. In 1780 the resident population reached 8,000, and in 1785, 10,000. In 1804 the population had increased to 20,380 ; in 1825 it reached 55,719. In 1827 a census was taken, and the population was found to be 59,571. In 1832 it reached 60,0(^8; in 1836, 75,094; in 1845, 9b, 703. ' \^ '■■^ 1 i' I '6(i2 NEWFOUNDLAXD. The census of i857 gave the total population of the island, the French Shore and Labrador included, as 124,288. The census of 1^(59 showed that the population liad increased to 14(),r).'5(J ; while thiit of 1874, the latest yet taken, gave the total popuhition as 101,374. Supposing the population to have increased during the last eight years in the same ratio as during the j)revions live years, from 1869-1874, the population in 1882 was 185,114. In 1780, St. John's, the capital, contained a population of 1,00.'); in 1801, it reached 3,420; in 1809, 5,000; in 1812. 7,075 ; in 1835, 15,000. At the present date, 1883, the poi)u- lation of the capital is about 30,000. The rate of increase of the entire popuhition during the twelve years between 1845 and 1857 was 25 per cent. ; between 1857 and 18(59 — twelve years — the rate of increase was 18^ per cent. During the five years from 18G9 to 1874 the rate of increase was 10 per cent, in that period. It was not till 1845 that the different religious denominations were distinguished in the census returns. i i! ' The census of 1845 gave (( Protestnnt. Roman Cntholic. 49,505 41), 983 1857 " 67,743 57,214 1869 " 85,496 61,040 1874 «' 97,057 64,317 The cenfjus of 1874 was the last taken. rho following table gives in detail the numerical strength of the dillerent denominations at the various periods : — Church of Rome . Church of England Wesleyans Presbyterians Congregationalists . licmaindcr unknown. 1845. 46,983 34,294 14,239 578 394 POPULATION AND TRADE. 1857. 363 Church of Rome Clmrch of England Wesleyans Prcs))ytorians Conirregationalists . Baptists and others Church of Rome Church of England Wesloyans Prcs])3'tGrians Congrcfj:ationalists , Baptists Church of Rome . Church of England A\'csloyans Prosbyterians Connrcgationalists Baptists and others On the following page is given a table showing the distribu- tion of the population of the island in the several electoral districts, as ti;ken from the census for the years mentioned, and the religious denomination to which they belong. As the last census was taken in the year 1874, this table is brought down to that year. During the i)ast ten years the; p<)i)ul:ilion of tiic dirt'erent electoral districts has been more or less allected by either removals to the capital or to the mining setlienients ; so that while the next census will show an increase ;)f popula- tion in some districts, there will certainly be a falling oil' in otliers : — 57,214 44,285 20,229 838 347 . 44 1809. 61,040 55,184 28,990 974 338 10 1874. 64,317 59,561 35,702 1,168 461 165 •^^'■l M Miiiii>iN-: aiM NEWFOUNDLAND, W t DUlrlctii. St. Jolin'H, V.Mi anil Wost . . isr.7 ..i8(;;> ..1M7» llurbor Grace 1 857 IHC'.t 1874 llurbor Main |.S.'>7 ISC.'t 1874 I'ort-ilo-Gravo 1857 18(;'.) 1874 Carbonoar 1857 18(il» 1874 Buy-ilo-Verils 1857 18»;!» 1874 Trinity 18:)7 ISd!) 1874 Bonavista 1 8,'>7 i8(;',» 1874 Twillingiito iiml Fogo 18,"i7 ISC)!! 1874 Forrjlanil !.*7>7 KHC'J 1S74 riaeontiaaml St. Mary's ..1857 ..Ksc.;) ..1874 Burin 1857 18(iy 1874 Fortune Bay 1857 18t;!) 1874 Burgoo and La I'oilo 1857 1800 • •••••18i*r Froneh Shore 1857 oOi) 1874 Labrador 1857 ISdO 1874 Rkcapitdlatiox. 1827 1857 ISil'.t 1874 □ o 3 3 t' p. o !!(>,47r. 28,850 J«1,57C. IO.OCm 12.740 l:t,055 5,;t8t; (5.51*2 7,174 (;.48'.» 7,5I1(> 7,'.n;> r>,2;i.t r),(i:;:5 5.488 (;,2'.'i 7,057 7,4;t4 io,7;iti 1H.8I7 15,(177 8,8 "lO ii,.5(;o lii.oos <.),717 i;?,oi;7 i5.L'i;» 5,2'J8 5.!t'.tl (;,4i'.> 8,;?:!4 8.7i)t 1),857 5,5-Jl) (;,7;ii 7,771) ;!,4!t;5 fi,L';!;! 5,788 8,545 i;,ll!) 6,0<.»8 V.887 8,(151 2.47!> 2,4 1() f.!>.571 1H),;U)4 i4(;,5;i() lGl,44t) a. r).(;.55 r..7;i4 (!,487 5.4'.iO (•),8L'2 7.2;!!) I, Kilt 1,442 1,71(; 2 72(i ;i!224 :J,415 701 8!t5 !)2'.) 440 4(;!) 4; lit (1,0 Hi 7,428 8,417 5,714 7.02'.> (i,8i;o (i,2:i2 (i,8l(! 7,014 127 172 17.1 itCC. 1.174 i,:i5i i,;?5(i 1 ,a'.to i,7:'.;i 2,787 ;?,',», !5 4,;i!»i a. 172 4,12a 4,21(i 2,(i!)8 a, 745 i,8()a l,48'.l 21.!)00 20,007 20,'.t4(; a.a'.io 4,1.5a 4.(Ma 4,15a 4,it82 n.ac.i i.<;a7 1 .!t00 2,002 2,5S2 2,a(;8 2,18!> 1 ,58a 1,7a I 1,775 1,2.5a 1 ,a84 1,58a 2,o;!0 2,420 2,5'.>;» 1,442 i,'.)t;i 1 .'.)('> i 5,0!)a 5,817 0,2 l(i 7,i5(; 7,a'.)o 8,254 2,:i54 2,54(i 2,(!'.>2 G47 1.2iH) l,a87 8'.) 142 125 2,4(((i 3,7a() 48a 47(". Is 1,882 2,140 2,'.t2(; 1.112 1.5SS I.e. 1 5 71 ll.H 1(7 2. 1 I 2 2. .".'.17 2, .50! 1,S5;» 2,:'.(;7 2,.".(;2 4,i',il 4.857 5,220 a,4i;o 4,'.»85 n.c.ca 1.0s:', 2,o;t4 a,,5ai 2,n:',(; 4,2a5 0,217 8 1 212 2 lit 2;;'.» ],HIO 2.7S1» a,a4i» ao (> !» 282 84a 7a 1 18(i 1)1) i 105 2i)5 « v i u c-5 *■- ^ » u rj t* 0^ l.():i!» !Mi'.l 1 ( ."> 177 ISH 14 15 I 1 a I 20 II L'a 17 18 7 25 18 1 II 1;! '.) ('. ,5 2;) II 20 a7 17!) 28 15G No denominational data. 42,oa8 55,184 5!), 544 55,a0I) 61,040 G4,348 20,148 28,!)'JO 35,745 1,209 l,a22 1,812 VOVULATION AND TRADE. ;{G5 S - 3 *^ '( a. id J a « l,n;!!i !h;:i 7.1 177 •> II l.'J ,s '.»l 1 L'O CD < .S,1 20 i;;t II ,s:; L';! :>j 17 111 l.s ::(; 7 ;i,') 2.1 17 18 8 1 1 1 ■> i;i II i!) i:t 10 It <\) 1) lit .1 (U 2;» (} •> f) I <2 .) i;? 11 ti 2(1 . (i ;!7 J 171) .1 28 o LIG dm a. 8 1,209 1,;!22 5 1,812 I( is woHliy of rciunrk fli:if, tli ; tho numhor of f<;mal(!s 77,71)1. TIk; mnnlxu' of males l)(^tw(!en hO and 70 years of a;^e was 0,708 ; of fcimahjs l)etw(!(Mi TjO and 70, 0,08,'); of males from 70 ui)wards, 1,000; of females same afjjo, l.l.'5r); mimlxT of man-iod niahis, 24,402; of married females, 24,;580. Of the total i)opulation of 101,;)74, 15:5,021 wore horn in Newfoundland. TIk; numher of a;^ed and infirm paupers was 1,14(5; of deaf and dumb, 8.'}; of blind, 107 ; of lunatics, 137; of idiots, 100. Of Indian.s (Micmucs) there were 151. The number of churches l)(!lon;'in^ to the Church of En^^land was lO.'J ; to tho Chiu'ch of Rome, 77; to the Wesleyans, 00; to others, 4. There wore 4 bishops; 120 cler<;ymeu or min- isters; 30 lawyers; 41 doctors; r)81) meirhants or traders; 1,004 farmers; 2,171 mechanics; 4.5,845 persons enga<^ed in catching and curing fish ; 20,377 able-bodied seamen engaged as tishermcn ; 18,935 children attending school ; 20,758 children not attending school; 24,050 inhabited houses by 20,010 families. The same census sliowed that there were 8,089 men on board 1,197 vessels that were engaged in the sea and other fisheries. Tho number cf acres of land under cultivation was 30,339 ; tho ■ ( I ■! .•[' 366 NE WFO UNDLAND. I I i is! ', i" lli'*< ' fP'! H, 1 ^■ 1 ' 1' number of head of cattle was 6,665 ; of mileh cows, 7,273 ; of horses, 4,057 of sheep, 28, V66; of swine, 22,955. The present population of the island is composed mainly of two elements, the Celtic, or Irish, and the Saxon, or English. The Koman Catholic portion of the population arc the descend- ants of Irish emigrants ; the Protestant portion are the de- scendants of English settlers, chiefly from the south-western counties of England. There arc besides a small number of Scotch. REVENUE, FINANCIAL CONDITION OF THE COLONY, TRADE, EXPORTS, IMPORTS, SHIPPING. The following table shows the revenue and the value of the exports and imports from 1870 to 1882, inclusive : — Years. 1870 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 Revenue. $831,423 749,981 812,752 801,412 841,588 830,219 855,228 872,913 839,640 962,921 897,474 1,003,803 1,119,385 Exports values. $6,984,543 8,154,206 7,166,443 7,700,799 8,569,960 8,214,768 8,168,540 7,625,441 6,594,807 7,168,924 7,131,095 7,648,574 8,228,291 Imports values. $6,655,849 6,039,227 6,716,068 6,766,603 7,354,689 7,058,372 7,205,907 7,363,634 6,868,723 7,261,002 6,966,243 6,863,708 M The revenue is chiefly derived from duties levied on imports. These duties are partly ad valorem and partly specific, but only to a very slight extent difTercntial, the tarilf being designed for revenue purposes only, not for protection. There are no direct taxes of any kind, and no city or town corporation. Even the ca[)ital is not incorporated. All expenses for making and re- pairing roads, streets, bridges, breakwaters, public wharves, etc., are defrayed out of the general revenue, the Board of rOPVLATION AND TRADE. 3(>7 "Works having charge of this depai'tmcnt. The provision for the poor, for ihe maintenance of a police force, and, indeed, for the whole Civil Service, is also charffcablo on the jreneral reve- nne. Thc^'?*' capita taxation in 1882 was only $4.(*4 })er head of a population of 185,308. When the ahsenee of municipal taxation is taken into account it will he seen that the j)coplo of Newfoundland are the most lightly taxed of all the inhabitants of the British colonies. Out of a total revenue of $1,003,803 in 1881, no less than $910,938 were derived from Customs' duties ; $11,038 from Crown lands ; $1 7,400 from postal revenue ; and $29,730 from interest on the Halifax Fishery Award. The prosperity of the colony may l)e inferred from the steady advance of the revenue without any additional taxation, till in 1881 it reached over one million dollars, and is now quite adequate to meet all the demands of the public service. With- in the last twenty years the revenue has more than doubled. In 1800 the revenue amounted to $534,432 ; in 1801, to $300,- 172 ; in 1802, to $407,710 ; in 1881, to $1,003,803 ; in 1882, it amounted to $1,119,385. The tinancial position of the colony is exceptionally good. The consolidated and debenture de])t of the colony on the 31st December, 1881, was $1,351,008. The amount per capKa, with a ])opulation of 185,000, is thus a little over seven dollars. In Canada the public debt w^as a few years ago $29 per head, and is now considerably more. In Victoria it is $104 per head ; in New Zealand, $279 ; in South Australia, $170 ; in New South Wiiies, $73 ; in the Cape of Good IIo[)e, $48 ; in Newfound- liind, $7. This, however, is not all. This small public debt is nomhial, not real. Of the whole sum of $1,351,008, the Savings-Bank, which is a Government institution, holds $593,304. An Act was passed by the Legislature in 1879, entitled, "An Act to ])rovide for the payment of the public debt of this colony," by which it was enacted that "the profits of the Newfoundland Sav- injrs-Bank now existing, and the profits of the said Bank, as they shall arise from time to time, together with the sum of $8,051 now held by the said Bank ;is a sinking-fund, and all interest accruing thereon, shall be constituted a sinking-fund for the T'^B 'fl 1 ■! ■ ' B i; 1 ■i i i 1 I' ; ' ;|j 1 ,11 I: ^ ^i^ H y » '■ 368 NEWFOUNDLAND. li(luidation of the public debt of this colony ; and that such fund be applied in the first instance towards the payment of all debentures of the colony which are or may be held I)}' the snid N(>wfouudland Savings-Bank." The effect of this Act in re- ducing the public debt will be that in twentj-one years from 187!), oven supposing there should bo no increase in the i)ros(Mit amount of deposits and profits, the debentures held by the liank will l)e paid off". So much of the funded debt being thus provided for, there remains only $757,704. But as an offset against this amount the colony has now placed to its credit, at four per cent., $741,814, being a portion of the Halifax Fisjicry Award of one million dollars. This almost covers the remain- der of the public debt. Virtually, therefore, the colony is in the unicjue and enviable position of being free from public del>t, the whole of the existing debt being provided for. Such being the financial position of Newfoundland, with an increasing rev- enue and without debt, it is in a most favorable condition for undertaking public works of general utility ; and should it bo found necessary at any time to contract a loan for such pur- ])()ses, with such unquestionable security to offer, money can he borrowed on the most favorable terms. How small an amount it has been found necessary to borrow of late may be judged of by the fact that during the last eight years the public del)t has been increased but thirty-six cents per head of the population, — a searcely appreciable amount. The sound condition of the I'evcnue is apparent from facts already stated. In the thirty years which have elapsed since 1852 it has risen from $335,700 to over a million dollars. The following statement shows the estimated charges on the revenue Ibr the year 1882 : — ffl'*i: liiiil llelief of the poor and the institutions connected th(>rewith ....... Steam and mail service subsidies l*ostal service ....... Ti>legrai)li extension, maintenance, and interest . Education ....... lloads and bridges ...... $142,350 00 140,7(50 00 29,000 00 10,853 84 91,800 00 108,000 00 li' ill POPULATION AND TRADE. 3()[) riihlic works (special votes) .... Miiiristeriiil and })olicG department . . . Interest on public debt ..... Interest on railway loan ..... (ieolo^ical and land survey . . . Court-house and gaol supplies .... Ferries ........ Pensions ........ liCirislative contingencies ..... Judicial, civil, and revenue department Ship-building (in aid of) ..... In aid of lighthouses, repairs and maintenance . "Western herrini; fisheries in-otection . In aid of cleansing St. John's streets . In aid of gas companies, St. John's and Plarbor Repairs of public buildings .... Printing, postage, telegraphs, and shipwrecked crews ........ For sundry other sources ..... To defray exi)enses for general election, 1882 To defray exi)cnses for vaccination For encouragement of home industries Railway subsidy and contingent expenses . $20,000 00 (;."), 71) 7 00 (;r.,ooo 00 4,700 00 5,500 00 9,000 00 2,931 00 15,889 01 31,000 00 128,395 00 10,000 00 8,000 00 2,500 00 4,000 00 2,900 00 7,540 00 3,650 00 17,522 00 7,000 00 3,000 00 1,500 00 20,000 00 The following extracts from the Customs' tariff will show the nature of the duties levied on imports : — Agricultural implements Apples, per barrel Bacon, hams, tongues, etc., per cwt. P)utter, per cwt. .... Candles ..... Cheese, per cwt. Coal brought into St. John's, per ton Confectionery, per cwt. Eggs ...... Flour, per barrel Free. .30 $2.00. 1.20. 20 j)er cent. $1.50. .25. $3.50. Free. .20. \' . f * ! '. <:> t 1 1 ,'Sii' 370 NEWFOUNDLAND. Fresh incut and poultry . 5 per cent. Horses, each .... . $2.30. Indian meal, per barrel . .15. Lumber, per thousand feet . . $1.00. Manufactures of wood , 20 per cent. Oats, barley, rice . 8 per cent. Oxen, cows .... . 5 per cent. Oatmeal, per ])arrel . .20. Pig iron ..... . Free Pork, per barrel of 200 lb. . $1.00. Keady-made clothes . . . . 20 per cent. Steam-engines, boilers, etc. Free. Tobacco, manufactured, per lb. . .12. Goods, wares, merchandise not other- wise enumerated . . 13 percent. Brandy, per gallon . $1.20 Gin " ... 1.00 Whiskey " . . . . 1.00 Rum " . . . . .75 Wines — Champagne, per gallon . 2.00 " Port, Madeira " 1.50 •* Spanish red, claret, per gal. . • .33 " Rhenish " .60 The exports of Newfoundland, with the exception of coi)pcr ore, are fish products of various kinds. The following tal>lc shows the gradual progress in the values of the exports during each group of five years, from 1852 to 1881 : — Average vnlue of oxportg. 1852-185G 1857-1862 1862-1867 1867-1871 1872-1876 1877-1881 Group of five vears. $5,166,i2'J 6,132,392 6,080,445 7,011,407 7,847,661 7,159,522 m While the foregoing table shows an actual advance in the value of exports since 1852, yet, when the increase of popula- POPULATION AND TRADE. 371 tion is taken into account, there appears an actual decline in i\xQ per capita value of the exports, and also of the hnports, as the following comparative statement sufficiently shows : — Year. I80O Value of exports per head. . $47 82 Value of Importi per head $44 52 1870 49 69 45 42 1874 53 56 45 57 1879 39 90 40 74 1880 37 33 38 33 These figures indicate a gradually decreasing average in the earnings and incomes of the people, showing that the tisiierios, hitherto the chief reliance, are inadequate to meet the wants of a growing population, and that other industries, especially agriculture, are essential. The table of exports and imports shows that for the years 1879 and 1880 the average annual volume of the trade of New- foundland amounted in value to $14,077,971. The Customs' returns for 1881 show the value of the exports for that year to the difi^erent countries named, as follows : — Value of export* Value of Imports Country. thereto. therefrom. The United Kingdom . $2,255,764 $2,396,424 Brazil . 2,120,773 Portugal 1,183,235 47,210 Spain . 629,469 152,638 United States 309,680 1,931,741 Italy 207,284 Hamburg 48,480 1,744 Spanish West Indies 47,491 68,387 Sicily . 15,710 9,920 British West Indies 340,124 259,688 Dominion of Canada 386,833 1,956,524 Gibraltar 163,834 The total exports and imports for 1881 are grouped as follows : — I i^l ; *[ f i \u. h i 372 NEWFOUNDLAND. Country. United Kingdom r»ritish Colonics Foroign Countries . Value ofRxporU tluTL'lO. $2, 25;'), 7 (14 905,010 4,f)!)3,()yi Value of ImporU tlicnfroiii. $2,3!)(),424 2,234,077 2,233,207 $7,755,3(50 $().M(;3,708 [ The l)cst customers for the fish products of the countrv. next to the I'^nited Kingdom, arc Brazil, Portugal, Spain. British West Indies, Canada, and the United States. Of the Mhole vohnne of trade, about 17 per cent, is witli Canada, and a1)out 15 per cent, with the United States. The following comparative statement will be found interesting as showing the trade of the colony forty years ago, and aflbrd- ing data for comi)aring that period with the present, in regard to Ihe revenue imports and exports : — COMPAHATIVE STATEMKNT OF TIIK QUAXTITr AN'I> VAMK OP TIIF. RTAI'I.; AKTICLKS OF PROUHCE EXI'OKTKU IN THE FOLLOWING YEAKS. \l" if m Vcar.s. \ 1 i Pried nsli. Oils. Seal Sliiiis. Salmon. ll<'rriiii,v, Ijuintiil.'j. Uuiiuns. Xu. 'l'icrc:cs. liarnlrt. f 1840 !il5,7!)5 3.200,583 031,385 3,:'.90 14.080 1841 l,()(t'.>,725 2,073,574 417.115 3,(;42 9,!I05 1842 1,007.980 2,202,031 344.083 4.715 13,839 1843 i)3(l.202 3,111,312 051,370 4.058 9,049 .• 1844 852,1(12 3,005,808 085,530 3,753 13.410 1845 ; 1,00().3:!3 2,2 111, 301 352,202 3,545 20.903 = 1847 i 837.!»73 2.224,233 430.831 4,917 9,908 2 1848 !»20,3(;(; 2,010.820 521,004 3,822 13.872 c 184!) 1 1,175.107 2,282,4!)(> 300.072 5.911 11.471 1850 1.08(»,182 2,030,800 440,828 4,000 19.550 1851 1,017.074 2,744,910 511,030 4,025 30,259 1852 '.»73,731 2,931,707 534,378 3,473 42,710 f 1840 £570.215 £305,197 £39,408 £12,939 £9.0;;0 1811 005,014 200.832 29.901 12,302 O.JtOl 1842 501,9,50 233.313 23,200 13,078 7,119 ls43 532,194 335.975 40.497 12,210 4.570 1844 1 482,480 315,090 39.048 11,945 0.065 o 1845 1 530,9!)0 243,040 40,123 12,794 11,234 rt 1847 ! 489,940 229,172 40,280 9.782 5.111 > 1848 491,924 3.50.579 58,420 0,597 7,044 1849 588.728 213,742 33,780 10.815 5,071 1850 532,909 309,928 06,350 9.200 9,779 1851 493,014 319,977 70,590 12,024 18,201 J 852 403,741 303,607 76,790 10,252 14.411 POPULATION AND TRADE. 37.] i .! COMPARATIVE STATEMENT OF THE COLONIAL REVENUE ANI» EXI'ENUITUUE I.N THE FOLLOWING YEARS. 1850 1851 1852 £59,381 10 2.o90 16 11 5,142 8 £74,205 4 2,4(17 lf< a,722 11 1 8 5 £62.300 11 H 2,7Ml ;i Kroin otlit'r sfiiir<'0<* .■.•••■••■■ 19,241 11 6 Totals £06,915 3 11 £71,807 1 5 £80,;!95 14 2 £84 323 6 2 Kviu'TKHtiiro .............. £75,770 5 I £90,409 H 10 VALUE OF IMPORTS AND EXPORTS IN THE FOLLOWING YEARS. Imiiorts Exports 1848 £709,628 887,581 1849 £770.190 876,567 1850 £807,316 975,770 1851 £943,191 959,751 1852 £795.758 905.772 ! M SHIPPING. Ou December 31, 1881, the registered tonnage of the coU)iiy was 1,895 vessels, having a tonnage of 81),G55 tons. Of these, 1,8G0 were saiUng-vessels, and 29 were steamers. In addition, GO vessels were engaged in the foreign carrying trade, which, though owned in Newfoundland, were registered in Britain. The following table shows the increase in the tonnar ^Nlidnc Port-de-Gravo Bay de Vcrds Trinity . . . . P)()na vista Twillingate and Fogo Ferrylaud Placentia alid St. Mary's Burin ... Fortune Bay . Burgeo and La Poile Members. 3 '» o 2 1 2 1 1 3 3 3 2 3 2 1 1 The qualification of persons to be elected to serve as nienibers of the House of Assembly is a net annuid income, arising (Vom any source whatever, of $-180, or the possession of [)r()perty, GOVERNMENT. 377 clear of all incumbrances, exceeding $2,400. They must have rc?ji(led in the island for two years previous to each election, be over twenty-one years of age, and be British subjects or law- full}' naturalized. The mcml)ers of the House of Assembly are elected by a household suflragc. All persons who, either as owners or tenants, have occupied a dwelling-house for two years next l)efore the day of election, are entitled to vote. In addition to the electoral districts enumerated already, there arc two ot'.iers, on the western coast, Avhich in l"uture will be entitled to elect each a representative to the Asseml)ly. The Act enfranchising the so-called " French Shore" having at length received the royal assent, the House of Assembly now consists of thirty-three members. The members of both branches of the Legislat.irc are \)[\n\. Members of the House of Assembly, if resideni in St. .lohn's, receive $11)4 per session; if resident els jwhere, 82!>1 per session. The members of the Legislative (Jouncil receive 8120 per session ; the President, $240. The S])caker of the House of Assembly receives $1,000 })er session. The Legislature is usually sunmioned to me(!t "for the desi)atch of business" about the beginning of Februaiy, and the session genoraliy lasts till the end of A[)ril. The Governor receives a salary of $12,000 per ainuun, i)aid by the colony ; his private secretary, $924 ; his orderly, $;)00 ; keeper of the lodge, $277 ; and light and fuel are provided for Government House. The salaries of the Colonitd Secretary, the Attornej'-Gencial, the Keceiver-General, and tlu; Surveyor-GentTul are each $2,400 per annum. The ChairnMUi of the Board of Works receives $2,000 per annum ; the Financial Secrelary, $1,^5S4 ; the Auditor of Public Accounts, $1,000; Solicitor-General, $1,200. The legislative contingencies average $27,000 per annmn. The Supreme Court was instituted in 182() by the pronnilga- tion of a Royal Charter. It is composed of a Chief Justice and two Assistant Judges, appointed by the Crown. Tlu^ Chief Justice has " rank and precedence al)ove and beyond all i)ersuns I '1 ■ 'ii. 'i m if -m 378 NE WFO UNDLAND. ■,:,„;! t IP. within the colony tind its dependencies, excepting the govcnior or acting governor for the time being, and excepting al! such persons as by hiw or usage take place in England licforo the Chief Justice of the ICing's Bench." The Chief Justice niiiy accept the otiice of Administrator of the Government of the Colony, and also of Judge of the Vice-Admiralty Court, with the emoluments and fees belonging to each office. The .Sui)riMne Court holds two terms or sessions each year, in St. John's ; one of them commences on the 20th of May, and the other on the 20th of November. There is a Chief Clerk and Kegistrar of the Supreme Court. There are circuits of the Supreme Court held in the northern and southern districts of the island, at such times and places as may bo fixed by the proclamation of the Governor. These are presided over by the Chief Justice, or one of the Assistant Judges, in rotation. The salary of the Chief Justice is $5,000; of each of the Assistant Judges, $4,000. They hold their appointments for life. The Court of Labrador has civil and criminal jurisdiction over such parts of Labrador as lie within the Government of Newfoundland. It is presided over by one Judge, who is noaii- nated by the Governor in Council. His salary is $1,154. The Central District Court is a Court of Record, held in St. John's, for the said district, for the adjudication of civil causes, and sits whenever business requires. There are two Judges, appointed by the Governor in Council ; the salary of each is $2,000. They may jointly or severally hold such Court, or when business requires, may sit separately. There is also a District Court in Harbor Grace, with jurisdiction over the elec- toral district of Conception Bay. It is presided over by one Judge, who is ex officio a Justice of the Peace. There is a Sherilf for each judicial district of the Island, who is appointed by the Governor in Council. Conrts of General and Quarter Sessions are held in the island, at such places as may be determined by the proclamation of the Governor. They are presided over by Stipendiary Magistrates or Justices of the Peace. '' The Law Society of Newfoundland " is constituted by statute, and is under the inspection of the Judges of the Supreme OC VERNMENT. 379 Court for the time bein<^ "No person ic admitted by the Supreme Court to practise as an attorney unless upon actual service of five years with some practising attorney of the island ; or, if a regular graduate of jmy colledge in Her Majesty's Dominions of four years, or who, having been entered on the books of 'The Law Society' as a studeiit-at-law, shall have been subsequently called to the Bar in England, Scotland, or Ireland, or any of Her Majesty's Colonies." Any pei*son who has been called to the Bar in England, Scotland, or Ireland, or any of the Colonies, upon producing evidence thereof, and undergoing a satisfactory examination, may be called by the Law Society to the degree of barrister. 1! ,..,! : 'i fU 380 NE WFO UNDLANn. !■■: ; ! CHAPTER m. ROADS, RAILWAYS, AND STEAM COMMUNICATION. The first highway — Postal roads and mail routes — Preliminary survey for the first railroad — Suhsidy of money and hinds offered l)y Government for ccin- struetionof tlie road — Progress of th , work — Turning of the first sod, and running of the first locomotive. Owing to the mistaken policy pursued by the British Govern- ment, in connection with Newfoundhmd, as detailed in our historical sketch, it was not till the year 1825, or fifty-cii^ht yciu-s ago, that the lirst road was constructed in the island. The cult i\ a- tion of the soil was not regarded as a legitimate pursuit in Newfoundland, so that the idea of making roads to reach and open u[) good lands for settlement and cidtivation was not en- tertained. At length a better era dawned, and the first step in progress was taken by Sir Thomas Cochrane, governor, who in 182,') constructed a good road, nine miles in length, from St. John's to Portugal Cove, on the shore of Conception Wax. Ol)l)osito the village of Portugal Cove, on the northern side of the l)ay, was the second largest settlement in the island, Ilarhor Grace, the centre of a considerable population. By establishing regular l)oats to cross this bay, a route was csta])Iished hy which nearly half the po})ulation then living in the country \vere provided with a rough means of intercommunication. A lond to Torhay, a village north of St. John's, and another along a beautiful valley through which Hows a small stream falling into St. flolm's harbor, to a spot now called Waterford Bridge, speedily foUovod. Then the more distant settlements began to connect lliemselves with each other by roads, and finally w ith the cai)ital. In several directions roads radiating from St. John's were constructed, along wiiich farms and neat farm- houses were soon visible. One of these roads extended first to ROADS, RAILWAYS, ETC. 381 Topsail, on Conception Bay, thence to Ilolyrood at the head of the bay, and onward to Sahnonier, St. Mary's, and Placentia. It is eighty miles in length to Placentia, and the St. ^Mary's l)ranch is twei.'ty-t'.vo miles additional. Road-making has liecn carried on over since, and of late about $100,000 per annum have been devoted to making and repairing roads and bridges. At the present time there are aoout seven hundred and twenty- seven miles of postal roads, and one thousand seven hundred and thirty miles of district roads. The Great Northern iNIail route, when completed, will l)e one hundred and thirty-seven miles in length ; and one thousand two hundred miles arc in process of making. The Allan Line of steamers call at St. John's on their outAvard and homeward voyages between Liverpool and Halifax. Thus the colony has fortnightly communication with Great Britain and America. During three months of winter these steamers run from Liverpool to Halifax without calling at St. John's, the connection during this time being kept up fortnightly by a mail- stcamor, plying l)ctwecn St. John's and Halifax. A subsidy of $()!), 120 per annum is paid by the colony to the Allan Company for these services. In addition two local steamers ply between St. John's and the settlements north and south, carrying passen- gers, mails, and goods. In the summer season the steamer plying northward connects with the Labrador steamer at Battle Harbor. Another mail-steamer plies on Conception Bay. The amount of subsidies for local steam service is $52,300 per annum, and for both oceanic and local steam services $121,420 per annum. The tirststep towards the construction of a railway was taken in 1875, when a preliminary survey of a line from St. John's to St. George's Bay, distance about two hundred and sixtv miles, was made, under the direction of Mr. Sandford Fleming, who was then engineer-in-chief of Canadian railways. In a valuable paper which he published some years previously, he had pointod out that the shortest and safest travel-route hetween America and England was across Newfoundland. He suggested a fast line of steamers from Valencia, Ireland, to St. John's, New- foundland, carrying only mails, passengers, and light ex[)ress i\. \v i r.; '■[(■■« !.'l H \. m m J 382 NEWFOUNDLAND. Vm matter. Thence a railway to St. George's Bay, and another line of .steamers between that point and Shippegan in the Bay of Chaleurs, New Brunswick, where connection with Canadian and American railways could be established. By this route ho calculated that the ocean passage would not exceed four days, and that passengers and mails from London would reach New York in seven days. The Government of Newfoundhind obtained from the Legislature a money grant for a preliminary survey of a railway from St. John's to St. George's Bay, being the land portion o** this route. This survey was made in 1^75, and the result showed that there were no serious enffineerinir difficulties in the way, and that the line could be constructed at a moderate cost. Two ye;tr« elapsed before any further steps were taken. At length, in 1378, the Hon. W. V. Whitoway, Premier (now Sir William V. Whiteway), undertook to grapple with the matter in earnest. With the concurrence of the Government, of which he was leader, he introduced a series of resolutions, which wcie warmly received and accepted by the Legislature. Among other things it was resolved that an annual subsidy of $120,000 per annum and liberal grants of Crown lands along the line should be given to any company which should construct and continue in operation a line of railway across Newfoundland, connecting by steamers with Britain on the one hand, and with the Intercolonial and Canadian lines on the other, across the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Steps were immediately taken by the Newfoundland Government to have this proposal advertised in England and elsew'iere. But an unexpected difficulty arose. The Imperiiil Government declined to sanction the undertaking, on the grojnd that the terminus on the wesi^'n side of the island, at St. George's Bay, would be on that part of the coast on which the French had fishery rights secured by treaty, and that negotiations in regard to those rights were then in progress. Thus the hopes of the colof^y wer.; blighted in r'jgard to this project. The Government w'aitcd patiently two years, in expectation that diplomacy would remo\ e the difficulty, but without result. Sir Williani Whiteway and the Goverunicut then resolved to take the matter up in another form. Instead ROADS, RAILWAYS, ETC. 383 of constructing a line across the island, which wouhl he a link in the chain of" connnunication l)etwecn the Old and New Worlds, they proposed to l)uild a mirrow-j^auge railway suited to local requirements, and such as would be within the means of the colony. The resolutions which Sir William Whiteway sub- mitted to the House of Assembly proposed the construction of a narrow-gauge railway from St. John's to Hall's Bay, the centre of the mining region, with branches to Harbor Grace juid Briirus, the total Icniirth of which would be about three hundred and forty miles. Such a line, Sir William pointed out, would open up for settlement the most fertile agricultural and the best timl)er lands in the island more especiall}^ the great valleys of the Gander and Exploits. It would place the mining region in connection with the capital, and thus impart a great impetus lo mining industry by increasi: g facilities for its prosecution ; and it would also traverse and open up a large extent of mineral lands which there was every reason to believe was of great value, and which was as yet unexplored. His proposal was that the colony itself should undertake the work, and he showed that the tinances of the country were in such a healthy condition as to warrant the enterprise. A joint conmiittcc of Ijoth branches of the Legislature was appointed to consider the proposal, and their report was strongly in favor of the construction of the railway. The report dwelt on the necessi<^' which existed for opening up new industries for the cmplo^ \^ of the increasing population, for whose support the tisheries were now utterly inadecjuate. It referred to the immense mineral wealth of the country, which only required capital for its development ; to the vast extent of fertile lands which the geological survey of the iteland had made known; to the large imijortations of agri- cultural produce and live stock, all of which could be raised in the country ; to the advantages the island possessed as a grazing country, and to the facilities of exporting live-stock to England ; and to the benefits that would flow from the rcnuuierative emi)loyment furnished to the i)eople by the construction of a railway. It concluded by reconnnending the passing of an Act authorizing a loan of the amount required to construct the line, within the limits of o.o million pounds sterling, and in 1 1 ''■ i '" f '1 '. k I '! ■I , » ! t 11 : 384 NE M'FO UXDLA XD. sums not oxcccdini^ half ;i luillioii of dollars in nny one ^car. This rcjjort was adopted hy tho Lcirislaturc l)y an ovcruhchu- inijf majority of hoth l)i'anch('s. IJailway connnissioncrs wcro uppointi'd, and (Miifiiiecrs wvvv. cniployccl in tho smiuncr and autunm of isso in makinjjf a survey of tlu! tirst hundi-cd milrs. Ac'cordiiiir to this {UTanjromont then, tho colony, throuLrh the Gov(U'nment, was to construct the proposed line of rail- way, the necessary funds to 1)0 raised hy a loan on the credit of the cohniy. When, however, the Legislature met in Fel)ruary, 1881, two oilers came before it, one from a (ana- ■ sjrf''* ■ , -^M^' •■ - ^^■^:;^^v^^l^'- nnsT EXCURSION tbip on tue Newfoundland railway. m dian, and another from an American syndicate — to build and operate the proposed lino of railway. This at once raised the question whethe>' the railway should be ciirried out throuirh a contract with a company instead of b}' the Government itself. There were weiirhty objections of a i)olitical character to the work being ])laced under the control of Government, and it was considered that tho construction of the line woidd be more economically carried out by contract. The Legislature, there- i'or*', proceeded to formally consider the two pro^-ositions. The result was that the proposal of the American syndicate lii ROADS, RAILWAYS, ETC. ;]8;j was .'icccpted by an ovcnvheliiiing majority in the House of AsseiuMy. The leading features of the contract entered into Ix-lwecn the colony and thid company are as follows : — " Steel rails of the best quality to ])C used ; the lino of rail- way to run from St. John's to Hall's Bay, with l)raiu'hes to Ih'igus and Harl)or Grace; the distance estimated at three hundred and forty miles. "A money subsidy of $180,000 per annum, to be paid half- yi'arly by the Government, for thirt^'-tive years, conditional on tlu! eflicient maintenance and operation of the road, the pro- portions of this subsidy to attach while the road is in course of construction, and as each five miles are comi)leted and approved ; land grants of five thousand acres per mile of good land are secured to the company in alternate blocks along the line in quantities of one mile along the line, and eight miles in depth ; and if not o])tainable alon re- mainder of the line northward under survey. Including outlay for lal)or, purchase of rails and sleepers for future use, rolling stock, construction of wharf and waterside premises on the harbor, the company had expended over a million dollai-s on the enterprise in July, 1882. In July, 18s;}, forty-five miles were completed and in running order, and it is ho})ed that before the close of 1883 one hundred miles will be comi)leted, and Harbor Grace, the second town in the island, will be reached. When the Legislature met in February, 1882, an api)lication came before it for a " Charter of Incorporation for the Great American and European Short-line Railway Company." The ril I d'^^ 1'! f^ 386 NE WFO UNDLA ND. I m object of this company is to carry out the project ali(\'uly referred to, of niakinjj the great travel-route between Anjcrica and Europe across Xewfoundhuid. Their i)hin, however, is a vast improvement on that of Mr. Sandford Fleming. '^\\i'y propose to construct a first-class railway, standard gauge, from the eastern coast of Xewfoundland to a i)oint in the neigh- borhood of Ca[)e liiiy ; thence a st(!am-f('rry is to carry mails and passengers to a point nciir Caix; North, in Cape Breton, a distance of fifty-six miles ; from which i)oint a raihvav is to he built to the Strait of Canso. This being crossed, the railway system of Canada and the United States is reached, and trav- ellers can proceed to all quarters. A line of the swiftcist steamers is to ply between a port on the west coast of Ireland and the Xewfoundland port at the eastern terminus of the railway. The company calculate on shortening the tiuu; of travel between London and Xcnv York by two days. They claim that "the short ocean })assage, the great saving in time, together with the superior comforts and safety of this line, will soon make it the most popular route for first-class traus- Atlantic travel, and will also attract a very large part of the emigration that now goes direct to Xew York and other United States and Canadian ports." A select committee of the House of Assembly was appointed to consider and report on his application. Their report was highly favorable. In it the committee said : " The value of our geograi)hical position in the direct line of travel between Europe and America receives in this scheme its due recognition, and the importance of this fact can hardly be exaggerated. When the project is realized this island will occupy a })roud place in the economy of trans- Atlantic travel, for the advan- tages of the short sea route will assert themselves, and will become permanently accepted. The voyage between the Irish coast and this island is free from all unseen dangers, and no steamer running between these limits has ever met with serious disaster. The distance of sea voyage is but one thousand six hundred and forty miles, and experience shows that the approach to the X'^ewfoundland coast is rarely affected by the presence of fog, despite the popular theory in this respect. ROADS, RAILWAYS, ETC. 387 On the score of safety no other trans- Atlantic route presents equal attractions, and it is matter of record that the losses of ships and life by stranding on Atlantic voyages have, in almost every instance, taken place to the westward of this island." The report further enlarges on the immense benefits such a line of railway would confer on Newfoundland, as it would complete (he line now under construction, unite the eastern and western coasts, open up the fertile lands and mineral treasures of the latter, and promote its settlement, lead to a very large mone- tary expenditure among the people, and bring the island into daily communication with the great centres of trade and civili- zation of Europe and America. The charter asked for was readily granted by the Legislature. A land-grant of five thousand acres per mile along I he line, in alternate blocks, and an exclusive right of way for forty years, were secured to the company ])y the charter. The iniportation, free of duty, of all materials for the construction and main- tenance of the line, was also permitted. The project is sup- ported by a large number of wealthy and intelligent capitalists. Developing, as is proposed, what is claimed to be the shorte-t and safest route between the two hemispheres, its establishment is only a question of time. i \' 3J'8 NE WFO UNDLAXD. CHAPTER IV. 1: i i 'll EDUCATION. Tiisc and proi^rcss of edncational movements — Legislative cnactmpnt> — Denominational appointments — Government grants — The Colonial ami (Jonlinental Cliurch Society. It was not till the year 1843 that the Legislature took any action in connection with the promotion of education in llio colony. Previous to that date all educational efforts proceeded from religious bodies or individuals, and, l)eing thus dependent on mere desultory and unorganized labors , education was in a low condition, and in the wideljv^cattered settlements many of the young had grow?i up ignorant of the very rudimcMits of knowledge. Taking into account the disadvantages under which the peo[)le hibored in regard to education, it nuist be ad- niilted that the educational progress made during the last thirty-nine years is of a very gratifying character. The inter- est in education is deepening and extending, and its importance is more fully realized among the great body of the people. A very ii'Hn-al provision is made for it by the Legislature, and gradually impiovoments Lave been introduced. No doubt ver}'' much yet remains to be done ; but the advances already made, and the enlightened zeal in the cause of education now awakened allVn'd sufficient guiu'antees of future i)rogress. In 1H43 the initiatory step was taken by a Legislative Act gnniting a sum of £5,100 annually for the promotion of educii- tion, one-half the amount being api)ropriated in sui)i/ort of Protestant and one-half in support of Roman Catholic schools. Educational districts were defined, and a Uoard api)ointed for each. Where the majority of the {)opulation were Protc.stnnts, the schools were to be under a Protestant Board ; wlu'rc! Catho- lics preponderate, the schools were to be under a Catholic EDUCATION. 389 Board. An effort was also made to provide for the higher education by voting £3,000 for the erection of an academy in St. John's, witli sahiries for three teacliers. From a variety of causes this academy, in which all denominations were to receive an united education, proved an entire failure. After a trial of six years it was broken up ; and in 1850 three academies were founded on the denominational principle, one Roman Catholic, a second Church of England, and a third in which Wesleyans, Presbyterians, and Congregationalists were united. At a later date the Wesleyans obtained a separate academy for themselves, so that no^" academic education is conducted in four distinct establishments in St. John's. This may seem a waste of power, but in the present state of denominational feeling separate edu- cation is perhaps unavoidable. Denominational zeal ptsrhaps furnishes a stimulus to educational etlbrts which would oth(;r\vise be wanting. In the elemcMtary schools the denominational princi[)le has also been carried out, and each religious denomi- nation now receives a grant for education from the public finuls in j)r()poiaou to its numbers. Separate Boards of education in the different districts have charge of the schools. Three inspectors arc appointed by Government, one for Roman Cath- olic schools, one for Church of England schools, and one for Wesleyan schools. The gentlemen who hold these appoint- ments are zealous and able educationists, and are using every effort to advance the cause of education. Their annual rei)orts show a decided progress in recent years, and the system ap[)ears to be working well. Instead of a Normal School an arrangement is in ojjeralion for the training of pupil t.'aciiers in the academies. After going through a certain course of education tiiese pu})il teachers have to undergo examinations, are graded according to their merits, and on passing receive cerlilicutes, without which they are not eligible to be api)ointed to take chargt; of schools. This, in duo time, will elevate the standard of education, and incom- petent teachers will gradually disapptnu'. Xo doultt normal schools will he the next step. The drawback under a denonii- nalional system such as this is that the salaries of teaclKjrs are lower than they would bo were there an united system of edu- ,! jI! i! K 1 , i m\ I i 390 NEWFOUNDLAND. ^\l cation in operation, More money, too, is required for the erection of school-houses. Denominati nal lines are drawn more deeply l)y the education of the young in separate schools. The state of religious feeling, however, does not at preseut admit of an united education, whatever the future may l)riiig about ; and the denominational system is working to the satis- faction of those interested. A brief account of the present condition of education will be interesting, and will show the progress already made. The total amount of the annual legislative grant for element- ary schools and academies for the whole of Newfoundland and Lal)rador is $93,952. Taking the population as given in the last census of 1874 at 161,000, this would be a ])€r capita amount of 58 cents for the entire population for academic and elementary education. w iti The Elementary Education Grant is . For Pupil Teacher.s .... For the Encouragement of Teachers . For Inspecvion ..... JL Otili •••••• $70,311 4,0G1 2,000 4,000 $80,372 This gives {xper capita grant of 49 cents for elementary edu- cation. The four academies and two grammar schools receive $9,880 per annum, or 6 cents per capita of the entire pojjuhi- tion. The education grant is divided among the different religious denominations in proportion to their numbers, as follows: — Church of England . Church of Rome Meiliodists . . . . Pr(>sl)}'terians . . . . Congregationalists . Harbor Grace Grammar School . $32,144 35,571 20,350 898 214 924 The amount distributed among teachers of elementary schools EDUCATIOX. 301 as salaries is $55,418 per annum. The teachers of academies receive as salaiies $10,588. Denominationally the salaries arc distributed as follows : — Salaries of Elementary Schools. Church of England $2i,8?iO Roman Catholic Methodists Congregationalists Total Salaries of Academies. Church of England .... Roman Catholics .... INIethodists ..... General Protestants .... Carbonear Methodist Granmiar School Harbor Grace Grammar School . 16,083 14,230 285 $55,418 $3,115 1,1 (iO 3,400 1,100 (iOO 1,213 The total number of elementary schools in 1881 was 410. Of these 157 belonged to the Church of England, 158 to the Roman Catholics, i)D to the Metiiodists, and 2 to the C-oiigre- trationalists. There are 4 academies and 2 grammar scliools. The total niHiiber of pupils in the elementary schools in 1881 was 24,202. Of these 0,1 (13 belonged to the Church of England, 0,014 to the Cliureh of Rome, 5,284 to the :\lethodist Church, and 02 to the Congregational Church. The total number of pupils in the academics and granunar schools in 1881 was 074. Thus the total number of scholars is 24,071. The total number of pupil teachers in 1881 was 84. Since the denominational })rincii>le was fully carried out, in the subdivision of the education grant, the increase of schools has been 50, the incrcas(' of teachers, 80 ; the amount spent in erecting school-houses and teachers' houses, $100,005. The jici' capita cost of the education of scholars is $3.01, exclusive of fees. ., f ili' 392 NE WFO UNDLAND. II I Tlie salaries of teachers under the Methodist Boards are as follows : — INIale. 1st Grade 2d Grade 3(1 (Jrado ]Ma.\iiiiuin Miiiinumi $300 250 180 400 100 Female. 1st Grade 2d Grade 3d Grade ^luxiimun Miuiinuin 8200 ISO ICO ICO No return of salaries is given under Church of Enghniil and lloniaii Catholic Boards. 1'he census of 1874 showed that there "were then 18,I»3.') childi-en attending school. This gave an attendance* at school of al)()ut one in eight of the })opulation. Estiuialiug tlio })oi)ulation in 1882 at 18o,000, then, the number attending school being 24,971, the attendance is about one in sewn of the i)oi)ulation. Tl\ere is, therefore, an increase of attcndaiic;^ at scliool during the last eight years in pro})oi'ti()n to jjopu- hition. As the colony is increasing in })opulation and wcalili, educational imi)rovenients will no doul)t keep pace with (he material prosperity. The great desideratum at present is a more i)crfect training for the teachers, and an increase of their salaries. In connection with the cause of education in Newfoundland •rratel'ul acknowledi>inent is due to "The Colonial and Conti- nental Cluu'ch Society," by whose instrumentality schools have l)een maintained in the island for more than half a century, and most valuable educational work has been done, especially at a tim(» when the need of the poor inhal)itants was ooivst. These schools have been mr.intained mainly by the liberality of th(> meml)ers of the Society, their etl'orts having been acknowledged and aided by an amuial grant tVom the funds of the colony. In fact, the beginning of couunou school educalion in the island may be said to date from 1823, when "The Newfoundland School Society" was founded in London by Saunud Codner, a Newfoundland merchant. It began by opening schools in St. John's, Harbor Grace, Trinity, and E DUCAT I ox. 393 other i)laces ; and under the supervi./ion of the teachers at these princi|)al places branch schools were opened in the smaller .settlements. The society afterwards extended its oi)erations to other parts of British North America, and in 1851 it united with the "Colonial Church Society," taking the new name of "The Colonial Church and School Society." The amalga- mation seems to have led to a rapid growth of means and extension of operations. Having established a large number of chaplaincies on the continent of Europe for the benelit of English travellers and residents, its name was auain chani^ed, in 18G1, to "The Colonial and Continental Church Society.'' It is worth remembering that this important missionary society, with a present annual incoi c of over £40,000, l)egan with the formation of the Newfoundland School Society in liS23. Since the Legislature undertook the work of public education, the position in the island of this old Society has become less prominent. At the present time it has twenty schools in operation, and, taking the average of the last live years, the number of scholars attending them is 2,2i)5, and the average expenditure on their account about £2,0(>v/. The Legislature aids the Society' in its educational work in the island by a grant of £o00 sterling, taken out of the Church of England share of the education grant, the remainder of the expenditure being furnished from the funds of the Society, and also in i)art from subscriptions in Newfoundland and from a [)ortion of the school fees. The Central Schools in St. »John*s are used by the Church of England Boards of Education as a traininij^ school for their teachers, male and female, nearly twenty teachers being sent out every year. Honorable mention is also due to the Christian Brothers, who have in operation a school in St. John's attended by 350 pupils. Their school-rooms are the (inest and best arranged and e(juii)ped in the island, and the character (>f the instruction imparted l)y them is deservedly spoken of in the highest terms. They are doing au excellent educational work in St. John's. if 394 NE WFO UNDLAND. ^ CHAPTER V. RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. Protestant and Roman Catholic scttlori — The Church of Eni,'lan(l — The early missionaries and the first hishopri-; — Wesleyan Methodism- and Congrega- tionalism — Progress of Presbyteriivnism. The census of 1874 showed that there were at tliat date 97,057 Protestants, and G4,317 lloman Catholics. Of the Protestants 59,561 belonged to the Church of England ; the Wesloyans luunbered 35,702; the Prcsl)ytcrians, l,lt)-iKi l(; ^100 per annum. It is not wonderful that under i^ucii discouri.-iii^T circumstances the progi'css of the Church of England in the colony should have been very slow. In 1787 the first colonial bish()i)ric was created, that of Nova Scotia, "'with ecclesiastical jurisdiction over the provinces of Upper and Lower Canada, New Brunswick, and the Isli.nd of Newfoundland." It was not till 1827 that Bishop Inglis, of Nova Scotia, was able to visit this portion of his ' niuciise diocese. He found l)ut nine clerjivmen and missionaries in (lie Avhole island. There were six hundred connnunieants and twenty-three school-masters. At length, in 1831), Newfoundland was erected into a separate diocese, including the Bernmdas, and the Rev. Aubrey 8. Spencer, archdeacon of Bernuida, was consecrated to the new see. He found but eight clergymen in the Island, and the church in a very disorganized and dispirited condition. Throu":h his zealous labors a \xvQ\\t chanlishment of a convent of Franciscans in Placentia. When, in 1713, Newfoundland was placed entirely under the jurisdiction of England, and the French retired, all ecclesiastical records were taken to France. Unhappily the reign of religious intolerance connnenced soon after, and con- tinued for more than sixty years. For an account of the per- secutions endured by Koman Catholics in those days reference is made to the historical portion of this work. The disabilities M'l 1 .. ! ' 398 NE WFO UNDLAND. Ji m H! of Roman Catholics came to an end in 1784, when liberty of conscience and the free exercise of their religion were granted to all the inhabitants of the island. In that year the Ivonian Catholic Church in Newfoundland was publicly organized i)y the appointment of Dr. O'Donnell as Prefect Ai)Ostolic, by Pope Pius VI. In 1796, the population having increased, and episcoi^al superintendence being needed, Dr. O'Donnell wa^ appointed Vicar Apostolic and Bishop. Under his superintend- ence numerous churches were built, and the ministrations of religion carried out in localities where previously they were un- known. Bishop O'Donnell retired from office in consequence of age and infirmity in 1807, and died in Waterford in I'SU, in his seventy-fourth year. lie was succeeded by Bishop Lam- bert, who held office till 1817, when Dr. Thomas Scalhin was appointed bishop. He died in 1830, and was succeeded by Bishop Fleming, who held office till 1850. In 1847 Newfound- land was erected into a diocese, and Dr. Mullock became coadjutor bishop, and in 1850 he succeeded Bishop riemiug. The cathedral, which was commenced by Bishop Fleming in 1841, was consecrated September 9, 1855. "With the adja- cent episcopal residence, convents, and college, it cost over £120,000. In 1856 Newfoundland was divided into two dioceses — St. John's, comprising the southern part of the island from Bay of Islands to Spaniard's Bay ; and Harbor Grace, all the northern portion, and Labrador. These l)ouu- daries have since been altered to a slight extent. Dr. Daltou was the first bishop of Harbor Grace, and the Rt. Rev. Henry Carfagnini the second. By a decree of 17th September, 1871, the western portion of the island was erected into a prefecture apostolic. Dr. Mullock died in 1869, and in 1870 the present bishop, the Rt. Rev. Thomas Joseph Power, was consecrated in Rome by His Eminence Cardinal CuUen. In the diocese of St. John's there are now a cathedral, twenty-six churches, besides a number of chapels, twenty-nine priests, a college, thirteen convents, and a female orphanage. In the diocese of Harbor Grace, of which Dr. McDonald is now bishop, there are a cathedral, fourteen churches, besides a number of chapels, sixteen priests, and five convents. In the \ it REL IGIO US DENOMINA TIONS. 399 prefecture apostolic of St. George's, West Newfoundlaiul, of which the Very Ilev. ^lonseigneur Sears is prefect apostolic, there are three churches and three priests. Wesleyau Methodism presents an honorable record in New- foundland, and has been characterized by zeal, activity, and usefulness. It dates from 170.'), when the Kev. Lawrence Coughlan, a travelling preacher in connection with the Kev. John Wesley, was ordained by the Bishop of London, at the request of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, that he might be qualified for the office of a missionary in Newfoundland. At that time the state of relig- ion and morality, among a people who had been long neglected and left almost without religious instruction and education, is described as deplorable. Immorality of the worst descri})tion abounded, and religious worship was maintained in but a few localities. Mr. Coughlan's labors were mainly in Harbor Grace, Carbonear, and other places in Conception Bay, He encoun- tered a great amount of opposition and bitter persecution, especially from some of the wealthier classes, till at last he was cited to appear before the Governor, who declared in his favor, and appointed him a justice of the peace. This ended the persecution, and he continued to labor quietly and with marked success. Three churches were built, and in these he ministered, till failing health compelled him to return to Eng- land, where he published a book, dedicated to the Countess of Huntingdon, in which he gave an account of his work in Newfoundland. In 1786 three missionaries were sent to the colony by the Wesleyan organization, to prosecute Mr. Cough- lan's work. Ten years later there was but one Wesleyan missionary in the island, and in 1806 two missionaries and 508 members. The work went on and extended as the population increased. In 1814 Newfoundland was constituted a separate district with a superintendent. In 1829 there were twelve missionaries and 1,147 members. In 1840 there were laboring in the island fourteen ministers and ten local i)reachers ; there were 2,733 members, and 15,000 adherents. Sunday and day schools were conducted in connection with the missions. The census of 1857 gave the number of Wesleyans in the l! I * I' I I ^^^ w 400 NEWFOUNDLAND. I I I island as 20,229 ; ministers seventeen, and thurches thirty- seven. The census of 1874 states the niunhcr of Wesleyans as 35,702, and the number of churches as forty-two. At present Newfoundland is constituted a separate Conference, with a president, and is divided into three districts — St. John's, Carhonear, and Bonavista. The total number of ministers is forty-nine, and of churches forty-four. Congregationalism in Newfoundland dates from the year 1775, when a church was formed under the Rev. John Jones. He had been originally a soldier in the artillery stationed in St. John's, and, having been led to engage in religious work, his ministrations proved so acceptal)le that on his discharge from his regiment he was ordained in England to be niini>t('r of the church in St. John's, which had been })lantod under his auspices. His labors extended over twenty-one years. He died in 1800. The single church thus organized has maintained itself ever since, and has always sustained a high character lor usefulness and zealous Christian work. Its ministn-s and members have liberally aided other denominations, and shared in efforts to advance the best interests of the community. There are now, in addition to the church in St. John's, a congregational church at Twillingate, another at Rendell Ihu'I)or, Trinity Bay, and two mission stations at Fortune Bay. The census of 1874 gives the numl)er of Congregational ists in the island as 4G1. Of late years they have taken an active part in education in proportion to theii numbers, having in operation five elementary schools, with an average attendance of 207, and expending $884 per annum in the support of these schools. The first Presbyterian church was organized in 1842. Pre- viously the Presbyterian residents of St. John's had worshipi)cd with the members of other Christian churches, but they then formed themselves into a distinct body, and erected a church Avhich was opened for public worship on December 3, 1843. Their first minister was the Rev. Donald A. Fraser, a man of considerable gifts and attainments, whose labors were cut short by death in 1845. The congregation numbered about live hundred persons, some of the most intelligent, influeutitd, and wealthy residents being members. The causes which had led RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS. 401 to the disruption of the Estal)lisheti Church of Scothuul at length produced a division among thciu ; and the portion sympathizing with the Free Church of Scotland separated in 1848, and erected a second Presl)3'terian churcb, which was opened for worship in 1850. In 1855 a third Presbyterian church was erected in Harbor Grace. In 1870 both the Presbyterian churches in St. John's were destroyed by tire. The two congregations being now under the same ecclesiastical jurisdiction, namely, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, resolved on union, which was effected in 1877. On the 18tli of June, 1878, the corner-stone of St. Andrew's church was laid. It is a handsome structure, and was completed at a cost of $40,000, and opened for worship on the 30th of November, 1871). In addition to the foregoing, there is a Presbyterian church and mission station at Little Bay Mine, also a mission church at Bay of Islands. The total number of Presbyterians, according to the census of 1874, is 1,168. i P'l I 1' 1,1 m El M." ,r 402 NE WFO UXDLAND. CHAPTER VI. i THE POST-OFFICE, COXSTABULAllY, LIGHT-HOUSES, BANKS, ETC. The mail service — Cost of tlie postal department — Tho police force — Thirty- two light-houses and beacons — The light dues — Bank statistics. Postal communication between St. John's, Britain, and Amoricti i.s maintained by the AlUin Line of steamers wliich loach at St. John's fortnightly, on their outward and homeward voyages between Halifax and Liverpool. During three winter months these steamers omit calling at St. John's, and run direct l)ctween Liverpool and Halifax. A fortnightly steamer during those months runs between St. John's and Halifax, carrying passengers and mails. There is thus fortnightly mail com- munication throughout the year with Britain and America. Local i)ostal connnunication between St. John's and the various towns, villages, and settlements is maintained by coastal steamers, wagons, boats, and messengers. During riinnmer comnumication is maintained between St. John's and the principal northern ports by a fortnightly mail-steamer, which connects, during part of the season, witii the Labrador mail-steamer at Battle Harbor. In winter there is an overland mail monthly, Another coastal steamer runs fortnightly bt"- tween St. John's and the southern and west( rn ports during the year. A steamer plies on Conception Bay during nine months of the year. In the post-othce, St. John's, the etatf consists of the post- master-general, four clerks, an assistant clerk, and mail agent ft)r Labrador, two assortt rs, and two letter-carriers. There is also a superintendent of the money-order office. There arv throughout the island twenty-six i-ostmasters and ninety-two way ollicers. The aimual cost of the postal department is $"28,8;)4. THE rOST-OFFICE, COXSTABULARY, ETC. A0:\ The constubuliiiy consists at present of one jjreneral superin- tendent, one sul)-insi)eetor, four head-eonstahles, twelve ser- geants, ninety constables, and six cavahy, including a mounted sergeant. The force is organized, equipped, and disciplined in every respect similar to the Koyal Irish Constabulary ; and, properly speaking, it is a military as well as a civil force, being thoroughly drilled in the use of anns, etc. This force was first organized after the withdrawal of the military in 1871, hy the late general-superintendent, Mr. Foley, selected by the Home Government, avIio died when the force was only in its infancy. The present general-superintendent, Mr. Carty, who was also selected by the Home Government, and succeeded Mr. Foley in 1873, has carried out the organiza- tion so successfully that, at the i)resent moment, the Newfound- land Constabuhuy is a s})lendid body of men, and considered far sui)erior to any other forces in any of her Majesty's colonies, and second only in efficiency, zeal, and intelligence to the Royal Irish Constabularv. The constal)les arc drilled and instructed in their various police duties at Fort Townsend, which is thehcad-(juarters ; and the best and most efficient men are always scdected for the out- harbor stations, which number at present thirty-foiu'. The force is increasing in numbers from year to year, an(,l the greatest confidence is placed in their zeal and efficiency by the inhabitants of the colony in general, so much so that almost every settlement in the colony is loudly demanding thcii- services. The permanent force at St. John's consists of fifty men ; and on all i)ublic occasions a guard of honor is furnislied from the force of cavalry and infantry. The annual cost of the magisterial and police department is $(U,7()2. The coast of Newfoundland is now well lighted, and every year witnesses an increase of light-houses and other valuable' means of securing the safety of its large seafaring po[)ulation. At present there are thirty-two light-houses and beacons, and four fog signals at the most dangerous points around the ■chores. ii'i ^ . I 404 NE WFO UXDLAND. Diiriiii:^ the last oiiiht yoars the Govorninont have eroctcd no less tliun sevonteoii liufht-honses and fog alarms, with otiicr appliaiK'os for pvcscrviiiir the lives and property of the people, at a cost of $t at Ca})e St. Francis; and at Cape Spear a compressed air trump(!t. These are soundecl day and night during the continuance of thick weather or sntnv- btorms. A 32-[)()un(ler gun is placed at Fort Amiierst, and discliarged every hour during dayliglit when the cape is en- veloped in fog. To sustain the light-house and alarm system light dues arc collected to the extent of one; siiilling per ton on all vessel- entering any i)ort or harlx-r of the colony, except coasting, sealing, or tishing vessels, l)ut not to bo levied more than once a year. Sealing and coasting vessels pay sixpence per ton on registered vesscds of forty tons and upwards ; vessels under forty tons pay rit'teen sliillings per ton. No greater siun than £2.') can be levied in any year on any steamer or vessel enterinLT any port of thi> colony; and no steamer l)lying between Euroiie and any port of North America and entering any ])ort of liie colony, as a port of call, is liable to pay any liglit dues or any port charges excel )t i)ilotage. The amount of light dues collected in 1881 was $31, ''SO. A sum of $ t(),UO() per amuuu is reipiired to sustain the system. There are three banks, all in St. John's — the Savings-lJank, the rni(m Bank, and the Commerci;d Bank. They are all well- manaued and successful institutions. The Savings-Bank is a Government estal)lishmen(, and it i- eMact<'d l)v statute that ''the u'cneral revenue of the colnnv i- THE POST-OFFICE, COXSTADULAR V, ETC. 40') litible for all moneys dopositcd in the Itank, and all interests payable thereon." This ^ives absolute security to dc^positors. Bcinj^ thus a colonial institution, tiie (Jovernor-in-Council appoints the cashier and eiirht irovcrnors. live of whom are selected from the members of the House of Assembly, and three from the Le<:islative Council. Three directors are amuially elected by these its in the Savings-Bank was $1,1.'U, ")()."). The profits of the year amounted to $17,;}01. The reserve fund at the end of the year amounted to $l01,l)lib liy an Act of the Legislatun; this is now constituted a sinking-fund for the li(i',n(lation of th" public debt of tlui colony, the annual profits of the Saving.--l>ank ])eing added to it from year to year. In the; tirst instance, this fund will be ai)j)lied to the })ayment of all debentures of the colony held by the Savings-Iiank, amounting to $51)5,84!), or nearly half of the entire i)ublic di'l)t. 'i'his will be clearecl oil' in about sixteen years. The Savings-lJank has a branch in Harbor (iracc. On the ;Ust December, 1880, the amount of deposits in the Savings-r)ank was §1,211>,787. On the iUst December, issl, the (h.'[)osits amounted to $l.21ll,l()2, being an increa.>e of $71,874 on those of the pre\ioiis year. The profits of the year were $115, 21:5. The profits of 18.S0 were $li), ()()(). The Union Bank of Newfoundland i> one of llu! most pros- perous banking institutions now in existence It was establi>hed in 1854. During the lirst eighteen years it paid an average dividend and bonus of eleven and a half per cent. j)er aninnn. The reserve fund was then so large that the direcloi-s derlaicd a special bonus of jit'ty per cent., whi<'h was taken by the share- holders in paid-up shares. On this increased cai)ital the divi- !liU. 400 NEWFOUNDLAXD. dencls and bonuses have of late years been twenty per cent, per annum, or to original sharcliolders equivalent to twenty-seven per cent, on their investment. The original $200 share now sells for $800. Last session the bank o])tained an amendment of its charter enabling it to increase its capital and note circulation. The Commercial Bank is also a very prosperous institution. It was estaljlished in 1 )57. Its original $200 share now sells for $.320. In dividends and l)onusos its rate of interest now averages twelve per cent, per annum. Its ca[)ital is £00, 000. Both banks have been conducted with great skill and prudence. Neither engages in any speculative business, all transactions being of the safe and solid order. The following newspapers are published in St. John's : — The Royal Gazette — weekly. The Patriot — weekly. The Times — bi-.veekly. The Newfoundlander — bi-weekly. The Advocate — bi-weekly. The Evening Telegram — daily. The Evening Mercur}' — daily. ¥ In addition there are two papers published elsewhere : — The Harbor Grace Standard — weekly. The Twillingate Sun — weekly. The prospectus of a new paper — "Our Country" — has been issued. :• cent, per 3iity- seven share now inendinent and note nstitution. now sells erest now £50,000. prudence, ansactions i*' tfii I's: APPENDICES re: -has been APPENDICES. AITEXDIX I. PRE-CABOTIAN DISCOVERY OF NEWFOUNDLAND. It is uow geuerall}' udraitted by the highest authorities that, iiefuly five hundred ^"^ars before the time of Columbus, the ScandiiKiviaiis knew aud visited the coast of America. The investigations of the Royal Society of Northern Antiquarians, at Copenhagen, among Danish, Norwegian, aud Icelandi in, i.uscripts, the results of which were published in 1837, leave littt- aoubt on this point. As early as 8G1 the Norwegians discovered Iceland, and twelve years later took possession of the island and formed permanent settlements. These enterprising sailors followed up their discoveries from Iceland, aud, about the close of the ninth century, Gnnbiorn discovered Greenland, where, in 985, Eric the Red, another Icelander, founded two colonies. From Greenland some of their ships, l)eing driven a,way westward by contrary winds, reached an island wliicli they named Estotiland, and a country which they called Drogio. The news of this discovery fired the heart of Lief, son of Eric the Red, who, about the year lOUO, set out to exi)lore the nc!w country. The countries which the.se bold navigators discovered thi'V named Great and Little Ilelluland (Slateland), which are believed to have boon Labrador and Newfoundland ; Markland or AVoodlaud, wliich was proljably Nova Scotia or Lower Canada ; and Vinland, so named fro;n the wild grapes growing there, Avhich uas been laiil down as the northern part of Rhoile Island, where the wild grapes are still abun- dant. For the same reason, the early English settlers nanu'd part of the coastland Martha's Vineyard. Remains of a Scandinavian stoi»c building ha*»beeu discovered near Newport, Rhodt; Island. The Icelandic Sagas which narrate these diseoveries nvr. now re- garded by scholars as genuine historic documents. 'I'hey mention particularly Thorliuu Karl.'ifoue, as the great leader who, from 10U7 (409) ■■J ;,i !.. ■i t 410 NEWFOUNDLAND. to 1010, was engaged in exploration, and who, a year later, sailed from leeliind to America. A later aecoiint reitresents NewfouiulUiud as having been visited by two Icelandic missionaries, Odall)rand and Tiiorwald llelgason, in 1285. These accounts render it certain that, centuries before Columbus and Cabot, the Scandinavians visited America ; a fact, however, which was not knowu to these great navigators. APPENDIX ir. LIST OF GOVERNORS OF NEWFOUNDLAND. 1721). Captain Osborne, R.N. 1781. Captain Clinton. 1 734. Captain Lord Viscount Muskery 17;}7. Captain Vanburgh. 1740. Captain Lord G. Graham. 1741. Captain lion. J. Byng. 1744. Captain Sir C. Harvey. 1740. Captain Lord Rodway. 1750. Captain Drake. 175.3. Captain llonfoy. 1755. Captain Dorril. 1757. Captain Edwards. 17G0. Captain Webb. 17G1. Captain Grov'es. 17G4. Captain Palliser. 17G9. Captain Hon. J. Byron. 1772. Commodore Molyneux. 1775. Commodore Duff. 1776. Admiral INIontague. 1770. Admiral Edwards. 1782. Atlmiral Campbell. i78(;. Admiral Elliot. 178'J. Admiral Bilbauke. 17'J4. Admiral Sir J. Wallace. 1797. Admiral Waldegrave. 18('0. Admiral Pole. 1802. Admiral Gambier. 1804. Admiral Sir E. Gowcr. APPENDIX. 411 1807. Admiral IloUoway. I.SIO. Adiniriil Sir J. Duckworth. ISl.']. Admiral Sir J. Keats. 1«16. Admiral Pickmore. 181.S, Admiral Sir C. Hamilton. \>^'2'>. Captain Sir T. Cochrane. 1H;34. Captain Prescott. 1841. Major-General Sir J. Harvey. 1847. Licntenant-Colonel Sir J. G. Le Marchant. 18o2. Ker Raillie Hamilton. l«o;j. C. H. Darling. 18r»7. Sir Alexander Bannerman, 18G4. Anthony INIusgrave. 18(j9. Colonel Sir Stephen J. Hill, K.C.M.G., C.B. 1876. Sir John H. Glover, G.C.M.G. 1881. Sir Henry Fitzhardinge Maxso, K.C.M.G. APPENDIX III. The following is a statement of the Newfoundland Fisheries, on an average of the years named : taken from the returns of the Admirals who commanded on that station : — n Average of Years. 1699-1701 1714-16 . 1749-51 . 1764-74 . 17S4-92 . a ^ Si i? ^ X CJ m a: O = tt J U, So a.^ 2 . ■/. a , = ■53 p. a . "o-at ?T- -1^ <4M - 2 c S'-^ land. Durinif the summer, large nunilx'is of Newfoundland fishermen resort to the Atlantie coast of Labrador, returning in Oetober of ca(.'li year. Their operations now extend as far north as Cape Mugford on that coast. The extent of coast as far north as Nam is i5()0 miles. '. I Jit Present Value of the K'ewfuuuillaud Fisheries. Tin; con-FisHF.nT. The principal commercial fishes taken from the waters around Newfoundland and Labrador are the Cod, the Seal, the Herring, the Salmon, and the Lobster. The (jiiuntities of other fish taken are too small to render them of ocMiiUiercial importance. The Cod-Fishery is by far tlie most important, its products averag- ing in value three-fourths of the entire returns of the tislieries. Statement showing the Values of the Cud-Fishery Products for the years uanied. Year. 1880 1881 1882 Viiluo of Coil-Kishcry rroducts ICxiiiil-ti'U. . .'Si:.,;i0!»,4s-t 5.542.570 5,!)78,<)(i8 $1G,830,728 1,272,000 Fish consumed iu till' ( 'dloiiy. !s40S,000 384,000 480,000 $1,272,000 Total value in tlirce years . .SlS.]i)2,72S, or £;),771,402 Sfj. Average annual value of the products of the Cod-Fishery for the last three years, §0,034,242, or £1,257,134 stg. iu ArVENDIX. 413 Tlic folli)\vin;^ table shows tlio viiTuo tif the Corlflsh taki'ii tiy tho Frciu-li on tliat jiiivtiou of the Newfoundl.ind coast over wliieh their fishing privileges extend, and is exclusive of their Bank Fisheriis : — Year. 1880 . 18S1 . 1882 . Average annual value Vftliio. 8250,920 ;i42.r.88 244.800 .S27!),4;i0, or £r)S,2ir, stg. Tho products of the Cod-Fishery above referred to include the Dried ('odfi>h ex])orted, the common Cod ' >il, the refined Cod-Liver Oil. the roes I'Xported for hait in tlie Sardine-Fishery, and the dregs. The Cod Oil is chiefly exported to liritain, wliere it is found peculi irly valiiai)le in dri'ssing leather. Tiie refined Cod-Liver Oil is used for medicinal jjurposes. The following table shows the quantities and value of these products, respectively, for the years named : — Dried Codfish Cod Oil Kefined Cod-Liver Oil 1880. Qimntltic'B. 1,41!),.J03 qntls. 4,483 tuns. 172 " Vnlue. $4,82G,;517 448,300 30,i)C0 Dried Codfish Cod Oil Eefined Cod-Liver Oil Dried Cv>Jfish Cod Oil Ketined Cod-Liver Oil 1,583,132 qntls. 4,127 tuns. 144 " 18N2. 1,403,139 qntls. 4,254 tuns. 147 " $5 ;(;,022 i 15,710 25,920 $5,853,750 493,404 28,224 y SEAL FISHERY. The Seals are taken by llie crews of steamers and sailing-vessels on the ice- fields ofl" the north-cast coast of the Island and in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, during the months of March and April. Tlic following table shows tlie number of Seals taken and their value, in the years named : — Year 1877 1878 1881 XiimlxT of SealH. 451.078 409,058 447,903 Value. .«il,110.;!00 1,100,508 957,700 1,309,239 $3,080,088, or £641,810 stg. Average number of Seals taken in three years, 430,413. Average annual value of Seals taken in three years, $1,020,890, or £213,937 stg. ^f^t. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) // {^/ /. L/j •^ 1.0 I.I 11.25 |^|28 |2.5 ■ 50 "^^ MSB 1^ 11112.2 lU 1^ III 2.0 1.8 1.4 IIIIII.6 ^l '/ % Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 873-4503 414 NE WFO UNDLAND. The products of the Seal Fishery include the skins and oil. Tho t'omicr :ux' exported in a salted state to Britain, where they are tanned or used by furriers. The Seal Oil, extracted by steam process, is sent to Britain, where it is larjiely used in coal mines, for illumination ; also in light-houses. It is also used in the manufacture of the finer kinds of soap. The following table shows their respective quantities and values in the years named : — XH77. ValiiP. Seal Skins . . . 451,078 S3G1,342 Seal Oil Seal Skins Seal Oil Seal Skins Seal Oil 6,081 tuns. 1878. 409,058 5,!)02 tuns. 1881. 447,90.1 4,773 tuns. 751,044 .S:.'8r,,70O 719,040 $403,112 553,008 niCUUIXG FISIIKUY. The chief centres of the Iltrrini^-Fishery are Labrador, Bonne Bay, Bay of Islands, St. George's Bay, and Fortune Bay. Table showing the value of Herrings exported in the years named : — Year. 1880 1881 1882 Vnluo of Ilerriugg K.xportcd. . .$220,940 2(;!i,5,->(; 2l'8,l28 Average annual value of Herrings exported in three years Average annual value of Herring taken by New- foundliind fishermen and sold to the French and Americans as bait or for food . Average annual value of Herrings consumed in tlie colony ....... ■S724,030 e2il,543 100,000 240,000 Average annual value of tlio Herring-Fishery, .'5581,543, or £121,155 stg. SALMON FISIIKUY. Table showing the value of Salmon exported in tlie years named : — Year. 1880 1881 1882 Valuo of Salmon Kx ported. $138,904 80,348 124,204 Average annual valuo in three years $343,516 $114,505, or £23,855 stg. APPEXDIS. 415 J5 stg. LOBSTER FISHEKY. Table showing the value of Lobsters exporteil in the years named : — Year. 1880 1881 1882 Value of Lobeters exported. Quantities, lbs. . $95,712 1,124,580 . 111,408 1,34C),240 . 105,432 1,2(!5,224 $312,552 3,730,044 Average anrual value of Lobsters exported in three years, $104,184, or £21,705 stg. Average quantity taken in three years, 1,245,348 lbs. Estimated annual value of all other fish taken, $40,000. Cod-Fishery . Seal-Fishery . Herring-Fishery Salmon-Fishery Lobster-Fishery All other Fish RECAPITULATION. Average annual value. , Sfi,034,242 . 1,026,896 681,543 114,505 104,184 40,000 Total average value annually of the Fisheries $7,901,370, or £1,646,118 stg. COUNTRIES TO WHICH THE FISH ARE EXPORTED. The countries to which the bulk of the dried Codfisli is exfjorted are the United Kingdom, Brazil, Portugal, Spain, the United States, Italy, Spanisli and British West Indies, and tiie Dominion of Canada. The products of the Seal- Fisliery are sent almost exclusively to the United Kingdom. Lobsters are exported to Britain and Herrings cliiefly to Canada and the United States. EXPORTS. The following table shows the total value of the Exports of the Colony for the years named : — Year. 1880 1881 1882 Value. $7, 13 1,095 Average value of Exports for three years 7,648.574 •8,228,291 $7,669,320, or £1,597,775 stg. In the foregoing Exports are included quantities of Copper Ore exported, the value of which was as follows : — Year. Value of Copper Ore. 1880 $510, '.100 1881 596,068 5 stg. 1882 Average annual value of Copper Ore exported in the three years 382,020 $490,329, or £103,402 stg. ^ M ill 41G NE WFO UXDLAND. SHIPPING. The registered tonnage of the colony at present is 1,895 vessels, having a tonnage of 89,0.55 tons, of these 1,800 are sailing-vessels and 29 are steamers. In addition, 00 vessels were engaged in 1882 in the foreign carrying trade, wliicli, tliough owned in Newfoundland, were registered in Britain. The number of sailing-vessels entered at the various ports in 1882 was 1.300; their tonnage 100,887 tons; their crews numbered 7,840. The number of sail- ing-vessels cleared at the various ports in 1882 was 1,107; their toumigo 14;?, 720; their crews numbered 7,200. The number of steamers entered at the various ports in 1882 was 101 ; their toiuiagi! l.")(),107; their crews numbered 0,758. The number of steamers cleared at the various ports in 1882 was 170; their tonnage 147,784; their crews numbered 0,508. NUMBEil OF FISHERMEN. According to the census of 1874 there were 45.845 persons employed in fish- ing and curing fish. In 1883 there are about 52.550 thus employed, allowing for the increase of jjopulation. The numt)er of able-bodied fishermen in the colony in 1874 WHS 2r,:i77; there are now about ;'0,2;)8. A bounty of three dollars i)er ton is granted to all vessels over fifteen tons built in the colony. Fishermen have a first lien on the products of each season's fishing operations for wages or shares. The following table shows the extent and value of the French Fisheries on the Banks and on the coast of Newfoundland in the years named : — Yoar. Men. No. of VcbbcIs. Tonnage. 1S78 7,858 181 30,350 1879 7,168 177 27,805 QntlH. (if CiKlfiHh taken. Value. 321,411 £285,07:^ stg. 3G9,C28 279,097 " ArPENDIX V. THE NEW GR.VVING-DOCK, ST. JOHN'S HARBOR. DuuiN'f the last session of the Legislature — that of 1883 — an Aft was passed making some important changes in the construction of the new graving-dock. The Act of 1882. providing for the con- struction of a dock, was abrogated, and a new Act, to secure the construction of a lirst-chiss Simpson's Jmi)roved Dry Dock, was passed. Two commissioners had been appointed to examine and report on the American System of Dry Docks. The evidence collected by them appeared to establish conclusively the superiority of Simpson's Improved Wooden Docks over those built of stone, in the cold climate of North America. These wooden docks cost from APPEXDLV. 417 33 to 50 per cent, less than stone clocks, and can be constructed in oue-third or one-fourth the time required for the erection of the latter. As regards eflicioncy and durability, the wooden docks are found to i)resent important advantages over the stone docks, in greater accessil)ility, better facilities for storing and repairing vessels, better distril)ution of light and air, and in the greater safety and comfort afforded the workmen in freezing weather, while the only paits subject to decay are those above the tide-water, which can be renewed at a small cost. A lengthened trial of the .Simpson Wooden Docks, in the United States, appeared, on the evidence supplied by the highest authorities, to have established their superiority over stone structures. Influenced by these considerations, the Government and Legislature of Newfoundland laid aside the first project for the erection of a stone dock, which would have required at least seven or eight years lor its construction, and entered into a contract with Messrs. J. E. Shnpson and Sons, of New York, for the construction of one of their Improved Wooden Docks, of the same dimensions as the projected stone dock of 1882. The extreme length of this dock is to be GOO feet ; the extreme breadth 132 feet 4 inches; the draught of water 25 feet over gate sill, at high water. This will be suflicient to admit the largest ocean stcjimer afloat except the "■ Great Eastern." The dock is to be com- pleted, with all piers, appliances, etc., and handed over to Goveni- meiit in working order, within two years from the commencement of the work. The site is provided by Government at River Head', the western end of the harbor. The [)rice to be paid to the contractors is 0550,000. When com- pleteil the dock is to be leased to the contractors at $15,000 per annum. The interest on the outlay will be $24,000 i)er annum ; so that only $0,000 per annum will have to be paid out of the public funds for the first ten years, after which, in all proljaliility, the revenue derived from the dock will pay the whole interest. The work was commenced in May, 1883, and has l)een carried on with such energy that it is expected it will be completed l>y the close of 1884. «l n 418 XEWFOl'XDLAXD. APPENDIX VI. [On Tuesday morning, the Gth December, 1867, the " Queen of Swansea," having on board mail and passengers for the mining set- tlement at Tilt Cove, Notre Dame Hay, N.f., sailed from St. Joint's. As night closed in a terrilic gale arose, and the bravo little vessel, after hoins of combat with wind and waves, was driven one hundred and sixty miles to sea. After seven days of the most terrible hardship the vessel was east upon the rocks on Gull Island, near Ca|)e St. .Tohn, the northern headland of Notre Dame Bay. All the crew ami passengers landed safely on this desolate and barren island. Three of the crew and one of the passengers returned to the vessel to procure food. While on board the vessel drifted to sea, and tlie men were never heard of after. After days of untold sutfer- ing from hunger, thirst, and cold, the awful alternative was at last resorted to — of drawing lots to see who should be sacrificed as food. The lot fell to one of the unfortunate ladies, — there were two among the passengers, — when her brother, wlio was one of the party, in- stantly offered himself in her stead. The note-book of this brav(! and gallant young man, containing an account of this terril)le moment, has been unfcntunately lost from among the papers. Dr. F. Dowsloy, who had been appointed to the medical staff at Tilt Cove mine, and who was among the passengers, and, consequently, perished with the rest, tells in the following letters the sufferings endured by him and his unfortunate associates until death mercifully released them. A most singular Incident in this terrible tragedy is the means by whicii the discovery of the remains were found. In April of the following spring, while a man and boy were gunning in the direction of the island, their attention was attracted to the peculiar movements of a bird which kept flying from the island toward thera, and then back again to the island. At last, coming within gun-shot, the man fired, when the bird flew toward the island and fell. On landing to secure it, what must have been their horror to find beside it the skdetons of two human beings ! Near 1)y, covered by n piece of old canvas, locked in each other's arms, probal)ly for the sake of the temporary warmth t'.nis afforded, were found the frozen bodies of the reuiaindi'r of the party. On further search the following letters, written by Dr. Dowsley and Capt. Owens, in their note-books, were also found. A monument has been erected on the island to tlieir memory.] APPEND I A'. 419 [first letter.] Gull Island, off Cape John, Tuesday, Dec. 17, '07. Mv Dakling Makoauet : — As you are aware, we left St. .lolin's oil Tuesday inornin niin., and long. 55 deg. 11 niin. \V.,oi' thereabouts, on the 12th Deccnil)er, 18G7. Consisting on board, alto- gether, seven Ikuk's of the cicw and the master, wliioh was eight in number of the ship's company, and six passengers and a pilot, — two of the passengers being females ; altogether on board, fifteen souls. The cai)tain and mate and seven men and two females land on the Gull Island by means of a rope at six o'clock A.M., on the 12th December, 1867, just as we stood, neither bread, nor eatables, nor clothes. Boatswain, pilot, and one of the ship's crew went away with the ship, and a married man,' who was one of the passengers. All these four perished with the ship. This is written on the island after landing, by me, (Signed) JOHN OWENS, Master of the ^'■Queen." ' Power, Mullowney's step-brotlier. (Sigued) L. N. G. I, Capo W.,ur d, alto- ight in — two 1 souls. on tlie 10 12th OS, nor t iiwny t'niiors. isltind S, Queen." INDEX INDEX. PAGE *' Across Newfoundland with the Governor" .... .".24 Ajjrieiiltiiral Development, Ob- stacles to 804 Agricultural Resources . . 305 Sir John Harvey on the . 334 Agricultural Returns . . . 338 Amalgamated Assembly, The . 90 American Fisheries, The . . 228 American Fishing Privileges, under the Treaty of Paris . 79 American and European Short Line Railway Company . . 103 Amusements, Winter . . . 192 Animals, Indigenous . . . 193 Anser Canadensis . . . 210 Auriferous Quartz, Discovery of . 349 Auroral Phenomena . . . Ifi4 Avalon .... 25, 20, 113 Baccalaos 5 Baccalieu 5 Bacon, Lord, Letters Patent to and others 21 Bait-fishes 241 Balm Tree, The . . . .312 Baltimore, Lord — Letters-Patent from James I. 25 Claim of .... 47 Bank Weather . . . . IGG Banking Institutions . . . 404 "Banks," The . . . .239 Bannerman, Sir Alexander, Polit- ical Troubles under . . .94 •' Barrens," The . . . 208, 316 Basaltic Rocks of Labrador . 293 TAGB Bay de Bois {see Bay of Bulls). Bay of Islands . . . 137, 318 Ik'auclerk, Lord Vere, Ropri'scn- tations of, to the Board of Trade, 40 Benevolent Institutions . . 74 Berry-bearing Plants — Of Newfoundland . . 200 Of Labrador . . . .298 Bethuks, The . . . .170 Ethnology of . . .171 Efforts to Civilize . . .170 Traces of a Vanished Nation . 178 Peculiarities and Customs . 181 Personal Appearance . .183 Bett's Cove Mine .... 345 Bishopric, The first Cohmial . 39C BoEothic (see Bethuks). Bueothick Society, A . .176 Bonavista . . . . 4, 138 Blo-mi-don Hills, The . . .318 Bonnycastle, Sir Richard — On the Colonists . . .90 t)n the Climate . . . 105 On the Agricultural Re- sources .... :'i34 Boulton, Chief Justice, Charges against 88 Buchan, Lieutenant, Expedition of 75, 175 Bulls, Bay of ... . l.;3 French Attack on the Settle- ment of . . . -05 Burgeo Islands .... 130 Burin 135 Burving-places and Modes of Burial of the Native Tribes . 179 (425) 420 IXDEX. PAOB Cul'ot, Jolin — First Arrival off Newfound- land .... . 4 l'r(ilial)lu C(Jurso of his Voyuf^e . Lc'ttcrs-Patont frum Ilonry vn . 7 (Irattiity from the King . . 8 Cabot, Sol)astian — Socond Voyage . G Third Voyage . 8 His Death . . 9 His Only Monninent . 10 CabotM, Tile — Letters-Patent from Henry vir . 3 Departure from Bristol . , 3 Calvert, Sir George (see Balti- more, Lord). Camphell, Vice-Admiral John 58 Canoe, Bethiik 181 A Native 14G Caplin, Tlie .... 241 Carl)onear .... 42, 140 Caribou (see Keindccr)'. Cartier, Jacijues . 11 Catalina .... 13!) Ceplialojjoils, The Giant 203 Cliristian Brotliers, The 3!}3 Ciiurch of Enniand, The, Progress of • 390 Climate of tlie Interior. , 145 Coal, Worlvable Seams of , 3.>(j Coal and Mineral Indications in the Codroy Valley . , 311 ( oaltii'ld, A Promising . , 317 Coi'lirane, Sir Thomas, Energy of. 85 Cod, Tlie — Its Haunts 235 Its Food 237 General Habits 238 Mode of Curing 242 Various Uses 245 Mode of Capture . 245 Cod-Fisliery, Tlie — First Established . , 11 First Admiralty Jurisdiction over .... . 22 Government Legislation, 2!), 31 PAOB Cod-Fishery, The — ( Continued. ) French Claims . . .43 Condition in 17G3 . . .50 Growtli of . . . 54, r>9 Statistics of, in 1790 . . (JS Progress of . . . . 7,^ Government Bounty . . Ki.i Breeding Grounds of tlie Cod, 1 1;{ E.xports of Codfish . . ^'27 History of . . . . 228 General Statistics . . 2;'0-234 Present Condition and Pros- pects 233 Value of the Fishery . . 234 Value and Statistics of the French Fisheries . . 234 Value of the American Fisheries .... 234 Comparison with Norway and other Fisher' js . . . 232 Labrador Fishery . . . 29G Cod-liver Oil .... 244 Colinet 134 Colonial and Continental Church Society, The . . . .392 Colonization, First Attempt at, by the English . . . .12 Colonization, French efforts at, 20, 32 Colville, Lord, Blockade of the French Fleet by ... 49 Commercial Disasters . . .79 Conception Bay .... 140 Congregationalism in Newfound- land 400 Constitution, Amendment of the, 89 Convention between the English and French Governments . . 93 Cook, Captain James — Naval Survey by . . . 130 Eclipse of the Sun observed by 13G Copiier, First Discovery pf . . 315 Copper and Nickel Ores exported, (Quantities and Values of . . ;'r>9 Copper Mines .... 138 Coiiper-mining Industry, The Future of the .... 353 Cormack, Mr. — Journey Across the Island . 142 IXDEX. 427 FAOB CJorriiack. Mr. — (Continued. ) Mi'itini,' with a Labrador Iiilian .... 145 roitirciil, (lasjiard, Discoveries of, 11 (fourts of Law .... 377 Custoin-IIoiisL', Establishment of a . . . . . .51 Customs' Tariff . . . . 3GG Cuttll'-fisll — Mr. Harvey's Discovery of a New Species of . . . 200 Capture of a . . . . 200 Darliiifj, Governor, Despatch from tile Secretary of State for the Cok)nies to . . . .93 Darrell's, Governor, Proclamation atrainst tlie Irish . . . 52 Deer-t'ences 174 Docks, Proposed Construction of, lOD D()i;s 104 Drake. Sir Francis . . .20 Duekwortli, Sir John Thomas, Activity and Intelligence of . 74 Dunravi'U, Lord, on Sport in Newfoundland . . . .213 Education 15111, .Vn . . . 88 Education (irants .... 388 Educational Statistics . . . 391 Electoral Districts . . . 37G E.\ploits Hivcr . . . .118 Captain Kennedy's Descrip- tion of the Grand Falls .118 Tlie Valley of the . . . 320 Exports. Statistics of . . • . 3(i(i Falkland, Viscount ... 27 Fed 1. r.ishop .... 39(i Ferry laml . . . 2(1, 133 Fertility of tli" Codroy Lands . :'.10 I'V'ndam (s-i l\rryhind). Financial Position . . . ."iflrt Fire-stones ..... 17!) Fish, Price of, in 1814-lG . 78, 79 Fisliery Higlits, J)isputc8 G3 341 135 Gamhier, Admiral, Efforts to Ameliorate the Condition of the People by . Game ..... Gander Uiver Garden Vegetables Geographical Position of New foundland .... Geological Si-, v'ey — The Earliest, by Mr. J. B Jukes .... By Mr. Murray George III., Act of Gilbert, Sir Humphrey — Letters Patent from Queen Elizabeth . . . . Annexation of the Island by . lleturn and Loss of his Ex- pedition .... Glover, S'r .John Ilawley (iold (iovernment, Civil, Cost of . Governor, The First . (lowir. Sir Erasuuis, Important Improvements under Graviiig Dock at St. John's, Subsidy for .... (irazing Country, .V Vast Great Auk, Tiie . . . 2i, 70 111 ;i29 207 112 150 150 GO 13 14 ii; 1(J3 353 59 40 71 I'.'G 115 197 428 INDEX. PAGE Great Codroy Kivcr, The Valley of the ;308 Guy, Jolin, Tlie Estahlishmeiit of a Colony Advocated by . .21 Gyi)siiin obit Ilukluyt MSS. . . ... 11 Hamilton, Sir Charles . . .82 Ilaibor Grace .... 140 Hardy, Captain Campbell, on iSewfoundland .... 21.'J Ilart's, Arctic and American . 208 Ilarviy, Sir John, Efforts of, to l)roniote the Settlement of the Country . . .88 On tlie Prospects of Emigra- tion 334 Horrinir, The — As Bait for Cod . . .272 Spawning-time . . . 272 Herring Fishery, Tlie . . . 272 Stuiistics . . . .274 lis lnii)ortance . . . 27.") Hill, Sir Stephen John . . .100 HoUoway, Admiral — I'nss Censorship under . . 74 lie-annexation of Labrador . 74 Hospital Tax, A Voluntary . . 75 Housi-liuilding, Difficulties in the w.iy of m House of Commons, Select Com- mittee of the . . . .82 Howley, Mr., on the Coal Seams . loG llumlier District, The . . . 318 Hunting-Grounds, Favorite . . 211 Hunting the Caribou . . . 215 Imports Indian Camp, An . Inni'its . Irish Immigration . 3(jr, . 140 . 2'j(; 50, 78 Jameson Lake .... 145 Jameson's ^Mountains . . . 148 Judicature — E^tiiblisliment of a Supreme Court of . . . 41,00 Act of 1824 . . . 01,84 Ju'.us, J. IJ., Exploration by . 150 Keats, Sir Richard, Commercial Progress under .... 70 Kirke, Sir David . . . .27 Grant from Charles I. . . l'7 Labrador . . . 55, 71, L'.s.'j Its Discovery b}- Cahot . . 'Jss A Voyage from St. John's . i",i(j The Isles of Demons . . L';>1 Chateau Hay .... l",J3 Its Fisheries .... 2',»C Population .... 'I'M Vegetable and Animal Life . 21I.S liivers 2;i'J Exports . . . . ;lo0 Labrailor Fisheries, Value of t4ie. to Newfoundland . . . L'S." Labradorite 21i;t Laynpiis alius .... i!()',) Land Grants, The First . . 7ij Land Licenses .... ;!.")7 Language, Vocabulary of ]Mary .March's 184 Law Society of Newfoundland, The Lead Leake's, Captain, Expei against the French . Legislature, Payments to the Lc Marchant, Sir Gaspard . Leoiil)vi'g Dog, The Light Dues .... Light-houses. Lobsters .... Logan, Sir William, on :Mineral Wealth of the Islan Long Harbor, I)isturl)ances at Loiiishurg, Expedition against ;\Iackerel .... Magnetic Iron Ore Mails, The .... Marl)le lieds March, Mary Hurial-placc of M((ire;;or, ;\Ir., on Newfound- land as a Nursery for Seamen, 2-'2 Milbanki', (iovt'rnor, an!.' . l.'U',) . 7<> . o37 y ". 181 1, . ;i78 ion 42 :177 !»2 11)5 40t 4 on llt'J 48 ■J,.> '.\')'> ^1, 402 ;',(;, ViS , 17.". , 17'J ul- i'l>, '>')2 hv PAGE Minerals, Right of Search for .'ioS Minoviil Wealth . 104, 155, 157, 317 Mincralounoal Characteristics oT tlie Interior .... 151! Mininj^ Prospects . . . 152, 'M2 ^Missionary Labors . . . ;5'.I5 Moliusea, Ilerr T. A. Vorkruzen's Collection of, in the Geological Museum of St. John's . .204 Montaigne, Kear-Ailniiral, Cajit- tire of tlie islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon by . . 58 Moose-enlling .... 214 Mountain Ranges . . . .110 Mnlloek. Ut. Piev. Dr., on the Climate IOC Murray, Alexander — (teograiiiiical Survey of Newfoundhind by . . 151 On tiie Mining Regions of Newfoundland . 351, 353, 355 Native Indian, Capture of a . Native Races, The Karly Historical Notices Government Protection of Newfoundland Dog, The Newfoundlanders, The, of Present Day Nert'siiaper, The First . Newspapers . Notri' Dame, Ray of Nova Scotia, Pishop of 70, the 187, 138, 175 lO!) 171 175 194 188 73 400 324 03 O'Donnell, Bishop, Pension to . 70 Ornithology 209 Osborne, Caj.tain Henry — Apjiointinent as Governor . 40 Administrative Ability . . 45 Oyer and Terminer, Appoint- ment of Commissioners of . 47 Palliser, Sir Hugh . . . 54 Order of .... 55 Palliser'.s Act .... 55 Palmerston, Lord, on the French Privileges 280 Paris, Treaty of . . 49, 54, 79 Pasqualio, Lorenzo, Letter of, concerning Cabot Physical Features Pickmore, Admiral Pill IIS strolms .... Placentia — Hesieged , . . . Ray of Planters I'lanters of Newfoundland, Con\- jiany of .... . Police Force, Tlie Political and Religious Dissen- sions .... Population — In the Seventeenth tury . Limitation of Resident Depopulation proposed In 17(;3 . Social Condition In 1785 . Distress of In ISO! . In 181i; . Statistics of . Distribution of . . . Postal Arraiigeiui'nts, The First . Postal De])artnient, The Presbyterian Ciiurches . Prescott, Cajitain .... Prima Vista {sec Ronavista). Prince Regent, Memorial from the Merchants of St. Jolin's to tiie Ptarmigan Public Debt PAliE a 133 81 341 33 135 190 220 403 80, 90 Cen- . 28 . 31 . 35 . 50 . 50 . 03 57, 83 . 72 . 78 223, 3(;5 . 304 73 402 401 88 209 307 Quebec Group, The 153, 15G Race, Cape 1.03 Railwaj' Construction . . . 381 Railw.iyHnterprise Projected, 108, 109 (iovernnii'Mt Sui)sidy to . . 105 Railway Loan, A . . , . 105 Rainfall 101 Raleigh, Sir Walter ... 10 Letters Patent from Queen Elizabeth . . . .19 430 INDEX. PACE Kociprocity Treaty, The . . 283 Eeeves, Clucf Justice — On the Condition of the Country under the Fish- inp-Admirals . . .38 On the Civil Government of the Ishind . . . .47 Appointment of . . .CO Reindeer 210 Description of, by Captain Kennedy . . . .211 TJelic, A Solitary . . . . 1C8 Kelifjioiis Freedom . . .09 IJelitjious Intolerance . . 53, C(> Kelif,M()us Statistics . .391, 394 Kepresentative Government . 85, 279 Kesident Governor, The First . 81 l{es])()nsible Government . 93 Kcvenue . . 97, 100, 107, 3(;G Cluirpes on, for 1882 . . SflS Rivers 118 Roads, The First . . . 85, 380 Rock Systems .... 153 Laurentian .... 153 Iluronian .... 154 Silurian 155 Carboniferous . . . 15G Roman Catholics, Severity towards, 52 Cathedrals and Churches . 398 . 74 Regiment, . 09 . 11, 219 . 34 Royal Gazette, The Royal Newfoundland Mutiny in the Rut, Jolin, Letter of Ryswick, Treaty of St. George's Bay . . . 142, 340 A Settler's Experience of . 320 St. John's — Besieged . . . 33, 48 Population of . . 72, 132 Improvements under Sir Eras- mus Gower . . . .72 Destruction by Fire 80,81,91 Visit of II.R.II. the Prince ofW.les .... 94 Tlu' Harbor . . . 124, l.^'} Tlie City . . . .125 Dock Construction . . .120 Source of Water Supply , 127 PAGE St. John's — (Continued.) The Cathedrals . . 128, 129 Government House . . 130 The Athena}um . . .131 Banks 131 Geographical Position . . 133 St. Mary's Bay . . . .133 St. Shotts l;',3 Salmon, Tiie — The Exports .... 200 Its Growth . . . .208 Salmon Fisheries .... 200 Salmon Fishery, The — Reckless Conduct of . . 207 Future of ... . 209 Salmonier 118 SMvings Bank, The . . . 404 Scenery of Grand Lake . 325, 320 Seal, The — "White-coats" . . 251, Varieties of the Seal Migratory Habits . Tabular Statement of tlie K umber taken Seal Fishery, Tiie — Modes of Capture . Growth of the Fishery, and Statistics ... The Huntinj; Season Equipment of a Sealini. Steamer Experiences of a Voyage "Sculping" . Seal Oil and Refuse Prospects of the Fishery Sea Trout .... Sears, Rt. Rev. Monscigneur on the Codroy Valleys Serpentine Rocks, Area of the Shanandithet. Shield, The, of Society . Shipping .... Sliooting Season, The . Silver Thaw, The . Slate Slime, A Living . Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, The 095, 399 21 ;i 201 2(i3 205 247 248 250 252 257 259 204 270 310 350 170 1>S9 301 209 103 35(i INDEX. 431 PAGE PAOE Star Chamber, The Policy of the, 30,84 Versailles, Treaty of, French Steam Communication . . . 1381 Privileges under the . G2 Stewart, Professor, on tlie Min- Verulam {see Ferryland). eral Deposits .... 352 Vespucci, Amerigo 1 Stone Implements .... 183 Vicar Apostolic, The First . 59, 398 Strang, Kichard . . . .20 Sport 20!) Waldegrave, Admiral, Humane Squatters 43 l{ule of 05 Supreme Court, The . . . 377 Wallace, Admiral, Defensive " Swile lluntin'". . . . 25:> Measures of .... 04 Washington, Treaty of . 284 Tax on Homan Catholics . . 52 Wesleyan Methodism, The Prog- Taxation 307 ress of .... . 399 Taxes on Spirits . . . . 7G Western Newfoundland, Climate Telegriiphie Communication with of 321 the 01(1 U^orld .... 94 Whitbourne, Captain Kichard 22 Temperature IGO "A Discourse and Discovery Thomson, Sir Peter, MSS. . . 3 of Newfoundland " 23 Tilt Cove Mine .... 311) On the Produce of the Island, 104 Timber . . . 320, 328, 332 Whiteway, Sir W. V. — Timber Lands, xVrea of the . . 31() Motion by, in the Legislature, Trade Statistics . . 8(1, 3G1, SGO for Construction of a Hail- way 104 Union with Canada, Proposed . 100 Virtual Settlement of the United States, Treaties between " French Shore Question " Great Hritain and the, in llegard by ... . 107, 279 to the Fisheries . . . .282 Wigwam, A Bcth.uk 177 United States, Influence of War An Indian .... 14i; of Independence of the, uj)on William III., Statute of 30 the Interests of Newfoundland . 57 (.)rder in Council of 40 Utrecht, Treaty of . . .42 William Henry, Prince (afterwards King William IV.), Visit of . 59 Vajior Bath, A Primitive . . 177 Women, Fxclusion of, from New- Vegetable Productions . . 207, 320 foundland 35 Venerie 21G Working-Classes, The . 191