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Thoaa too lariia to be entirely included in one expoaure ara filmed beginning in the upper left hand comer. I«ft to right and top to bonom, aa many framea aa required. The following diagrama illuatrata the method: Laa cartaa. planches, tibleaux. ate. pauvent itra fllmte k dee taux de rMuction diff^ants. Loraque le document eat trop grand pour itn reproduit en un seul clichi. il est fllm^ i partir de I'angie supArieur gauche, de gauche i droite. et de haut an baa, an prenant la nombre d'Imagea niceaaaire. Laa diagrammas suivants illuatrent la m^thoda. ita lure. ] 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 S 6 Ni I OS 1178 A SHOET HISTORY 09 NEWFOUNDLAND: ENGLAND'S OLDEST COLONY. • N. / ! Allth SEC \\ SHORT HISTORY OF ]S[BWF0U;N"DLAND: ENGLAND'S OLDEST COLONY. BY THE REV. M. HARVEY, F.R.G.S., Author of Articles, " Newfomtdlffttd" and "Labrador" in th4 Encyclopmdia Britannica ; "Lectures, Literary and Itioi/raphical ;" *' irhere are )Ve, and Whither Tending ? " etc. SECOND EDITION, REVISED AND ENLARGED, Sillitlj (Coloured Pnp. LONDON AND GLASGOW: WILLIAM COLLINS, SONS, & CO., Limited. 1890. /•I # r PREFACE TO THE SECO^^D EDITION. At first sight it might be supitosed that there was little worthy of attention in the history of New found hind. Tlie general ini]iression about it, till lately, has been that it is merely a Ijarren, fog-enveloped island, where a few tliousand fishermen secure a jirecarious existence by catching and curing the fish which abound in its waters. " What," it might be asked, "can there be wortli knowing regarding their achievements? The tale must l)e barren and uninteresting." I submit that this is a great mistake. The story of this colony connects itself with the history of b CHAPTER IV. England takes Possession of Newfoundland, • • - 3& CHAPTER V. Floheries, 45 CHAPTER VI. Whitbourne's Commission, 6] CHAPTER VII. Contemporary Events, 67 CHAPTER VIII. The French in Newfoundland, 62 CHAPTER IX. Condition of the Early Settlers, • - - . - 66 CHAPTER X. Renewed Efforts of the French to Conquer Newfound- land, 74 viii. Coiiteiifs. CHAPTER XT. ^ "Thb Skven Yeaks' War,"' SO CHAPTER XII. Falliser's Act, SO CHAPTER XIII. V Commercial Disasteks, 103 CHAPTER XIV. Important Events, - - .--... i25 CHAPTER XV. Eecent Events, 138 CHAPTER XVI. Education, 143 CHAPTER XVII. How we are Governed, 149 CHAPTER XVIII. CONCLUSIOX, ,. 153 Appendix, jgj 80 89 103 125 138 143 149 153 I 161 HISTORY OF NEWFOUNDLAND. -»••••♦- CHAPTER I. 1001-1498. First Discoverers. THE COMING OP THE NORTHMEN. — DISCOVERY OP THE NEW WORLD. — JOHN CABOT AND HIS SON SEBASTIAN. 1 , A GLANCE at a map of North Americsi sliows us a largo island, somewhat triangular in shape, lying right across the entrance of the Gulf of 8t. Lawrence, to which it afi'ords access at its northern and southern extremities. This is the island of Newfoundland. It occupies an important position, being near the mainland of America, while its most eastern projection is but 1640 miles from the western coast of Ireland. Its south- western extremity is within fifty miles of the Island of Cape Breton, and its northern point approaches within ten miles of the coast of Labrador. It thus forms, as it were, a stepping-stone between the Old World and the New. In regard to magnitude, it ranks tenth among the islands of the globe, its greatest length being 317 miles, its greatest breadth 31 G miles, and its area 42,000 square miles. It is thus one-sixth larger than Ireland, and equal in area to two-thirds that of England and AVales. its coast-line is 2000 miles in extent. 2, It is curious to find that five hundred yeara before the days of Columbus and Cabot, the Northmen, or 10 First Discoverers. [1001- Norsemen^ as the inhabitants of Norway and Sweden were then called, had discovered Newfoundland, and visited and even colonised portions of the neighbouring mainland of America. I'hese Northmen were, in the tenth and eleventh centuries, the greatest mariners of their time, and, like their descendants, the Norwegians, Swedes, and Danes, had a wonderful love for the sea and for maritime adventures. In their frail barks they pushed out into the northern seas, and discovered and colonised Iceland, about the year 870. Fifty or a hun- dred years afterwards they planted colonies on both the eastern and western shores of Greenland. It is not wonderful that, being so near the western coast of Davis Strait, they should have crossed over from Greenland in their numerous voyages; and, once there, it was an easy matter to trace the coast to Labrador, Newfound- land, and farther southward. . ^ 3. Thus there is nothing at all improbable in the story told in the Norse books, called Sagas, regarding the visits of these bold sailors to the coast of North America. The story is told in this way : About the year 1001, one of their ships, when on a voyage from Iceland to Green- land, was driven away far to the south-west by a tem- pest, and at length came in sight of a richly-wooded, level country. The wind abated, and the sailors shaped their course for Greenland. The news of their great discovery fired* the heart of Leif, son of Eric the Red, who had founded the Greenland colony. He at once resolved to set out and explore the new country, of which he had received such a glowing account. He was accompanied on this voyage by Bjorn. 4. The bold adventurers first reached a rocky island, to which they gave the name of Helluland, or the land 1408.] First Discoverers. 11 of naked rocks. This must have been Newfoundland, which lay directly in their course. Soon after, they came in sight of a low country, thickly wooded, which they called, in consequence, Markland. Probably this Avas Nova Scotia. After a few days they arrived at a place where they found the wild vines growing, and called^ it Vinland. Here they spent the winter. Some of the inhabitants of the country came to them in leather boat?, and they traded with them for furs. The Norse Ieg(^ds call these people Skraelings. Probably they wei-e Esquimaux (pronounced Es-ki-mo\ as they are described as being of dwarfish stature and swarthy com- plexion. It is believed that Vinland was the northern part of Rhode Island, where the fox-grape still grows wild. Besides, the story mentions that, at that place, the sun remained nine hours above the horizon on the shortest day. This would indicate the latitude of Rhode Island. The Norsemen returned to Greenland in the spring, and spi-ead enthusiastic accounts of their new dwelling-place, praising the climate and soil, the grapes and salmon. The consequence was, that large parties of the I Northmen set sail for the new country, and there founded a colony. 5i How long this settlement existed is not known; but at length it was abandoned, probably owing to the hostility of the Skraelings. The Norsemen sailed away from Vinland to return no more, and all* traces of their colony disappeared. In course of time their colonies in Greenland were also abandoned. The memory of Helluland and Vinland almost faded away, and were only preserved in the Icelandic and Norwegian Sagas, or story-books, where they have been found in recent times. So far as is known, no European vessel followed 12 First Discoverers. [1001- in the track of the Northmen, or crossed the Atlantic in any other direction, for five hundred yeai-is, till Columbus discovered the New World, far away to the south, at the close of the fifteenth century. 6, There can, however, be no doubt that these North- men were the fii-st white men who saw Newfoundland, and that they were familiar with portions of the north- east coast of America. It is also not improbable that traditions of their discoveries would linger among the I)eople of Iceland for generations. Around their winter firesides, the old Icelanders would tell to English and Spanish sailors, who visited their shores, how their great- grandfatherb had found a vine-growing country, far away to l^e west. Columbus is said to have made a voyage to Iceland, and these legends may have helped to fire his enthusiasm for discovery. Sailors from Bristol traded to Iceland, and may have carried the same tale to the eai's of Cabot, who was to i-e-discover Newfoundland ; and thus his hopes of finding land across the Atlantic, in the north-west, may have been strengthened. 7. At length the day arrived when these achieve- ments of the ])ioneer Norsemen were to be altogether cast into the shade, and when the curtain that had so long shrouded the great continent of America from the eyes of Europeans was to be completely and for ever drawn aside. The fifteenth century was the age of geographical discoveries and maritime adventures. New ideas regarding the world and men's destiny in it began to make way. Suspicions arose in the minds of thoughtful men that the narrow strip of earth, consist- ing of parts of Euro})e, Asia, and Africa — all that was then known — could not be the whole. There was one 1498.] First Discoverers. 13 man who had pondered deeply, for many years, on these secrets of the world. His name was C" ristopher Columbus, a native of Genoa in Italy. He was one of the most skilful and fearless navigators of his day. In his mind at length arose the great thought that, by sailing out into these watery wastes which lay to the west, he would discover land. He by no means hoped to find a great continent, untrodden by the foot of any European; but he thought that by sailing westward he would reach the eastern shores of Asia, and arrive at Cipango and Cathay, as Japan and China were then called. He fancied the globe to be much smaller than it is ; and little suspected that a vast continent and the wide Pacific Ocean lay between him and Eastern Asia. 8. The great thought, dimly seen at first, rose grander and grander, and at length possessed the whole soul of Columbus. After great trials and difficulties, and much opposition, he at length induced Ferdinand and Isabella, sovereigns of Spain, to iutr.ist him with the command of three small ships for purposes of dis- covery The little squadron carried only one hundred and twenty men. On the 3rd of August, 1-192, he sailed from the port of Palos, in Andalusia; and on the 12th of October he landed on an island which he called San Salvador, one of the Bahamas. On that day connec- tion between the two worlds began. A noble deed was done, such as can never be repeated — one that must stand alone in the records of time, encircling the name of the doer with imperishable renown. His discovery may be said to have doubled the habitable globe. Once and for ever the knowledge of a New World was secured for all men. 9. The during achievement of Columbus was soon 14 First Discoverers. [1001- followed , by another, which, though not so brilliant and dazzling, has secured for Cabot a fame second only to that of the discoverer of the New World. We can easily fancy what an ^ect on men's minds the news of Colum- bus's great discovery must have produced, as it flew from nation to nation. All the noble, energetic spirits of Europe longed to explore the wonders of the hew country. Among those who felt this impulse most strongly were John Cabot and his son Sebastian, who JI/fQ then living in the city of Bristol, a seaport on the west coast of Englacd. ■ John Cabot was a native of Venice, who had for some time resided in Bristol, where his children were born, and where he had successfully carried on business as a merchant. He was an intelli- gent, thoughtful man. His son Sebastian was an able navigator ; and both father and son had given much attention to the gi'eat maritime enterprises which then tilled the minds of men. To them the thought presented itself, that by taking a north-west course, instead of the track which had led Columbus to San Salvador, they would reach, by a shorter route, the eastern coasts of Asia. In this way they hoped to open up intercourse with the Cathay and Cipango, of which Marco Polo, the great traveller, had given such glowing accounts. 10. They had no trouble in inducing Henry VII., who then occupied the throne of England, to sanction their enterprise. This monarch was sorely mortified that he had not become the patron of Columbus, and thus shared in the honours and profits of his discoveries. He now readily listened to the bold project of the Cabots, and . "anted them "letters patent," authorising their under* Caking. With the parsimony for which he was noted, he left these men to bear all the expenses of the enterprise, im^ 4 ^^^^x-r^c-^^i-e^ , First Discoverers. » and, in Addition, bargained with them for a fifth part of all the profits. Not much credit is due to the king. The whole honour belongs to the Cabots, who adventured, not only their fortunes, but their lives, for the glory of their adopted country. 11. And so, early in the month of May, 1497, in a small caiuvel called The Matthew^ probably under one hundred tons burthen, these bold navigators sailed from the port of Bristol. Their course lay to the north-west, across the stormy wastes of the North Atlantic, wher since the days of the Northmen, European ship hai never ventured. 12. Unfortunately, very few records of this voyage, from which such important consequences were to flow, have been preserved. But, in fancy, we can follow tlie little vessel as it ploughs its way over the heaving billows of an unknown sea. We can see, in imagination, the resolute commander and his heroic son as they pace the deck, vigilant, hopeful, breathing courage into the hearts of the half-terrified sailors, blessing every breeze that wafts them away from the habitations of civilised men. Onward the little vessel glides, a mere speck upon the waters. On the evening of June 23rd the sun went down on the weary round of waters, and as yet there was no sign of land. Hope began to waver. But as the mist cleared away on the morning of June 24th, the glaid cry of " Land Ho ! " rang out from the mast- head of The Matthew, and a round of hearty cheers from stout English sailors greeted the first sight of the island of Newfoundland. Wo can fancy how glad and thankful these brave men must have felt at the success- ful termination of their perilous voyage. 13. For a long time it was doubtful what part of the «'»«■'■■ ^'^ ^^'•Hftt^'-r'^ *ii^-^^ff* "fiy^rtiri^i .*^ai^ 18 First Discoverers. [1001- m New World was finst seen by Cabot, and named by liim "Prima Vista." Some said it was Cape Bonavista, on the eastern coa&t of Newfoundland. Others declared it was a part of the Labrador coast. Such doubts have lately been set at rest by the discovery of a map, bear- ing the date of 1544, and made by Sebastian Cabot, or under his direction. This map shows that his '' Prima Vista" was near the eastern point of the present island of Cape Breton. After making land here, Cabot appears to have steered in a north-westerly direction, passing round Prince Edward Island ; then north-easterly, till he fell in with the coast of Labrador ; and then home- ward, through the Straits of Belle Isle, round the north of Newfoundland. The main fact, however, is, that on this first voyage he discovered Newfoundland, and was also the discoverer of the continent of America. At this date, only some ol' the West India islands had been discovered by Colum- bus ; and Amerigo Vespucci (pronounced Ah-md-re-go Ve8-poot-che), whose name has been given to the New World, had not made his fii-st voyage across the Atlantic at the period of Cabot's discovery. Thus the honour of discovering continental America belongs of right to Cabot. 14. As there is no mention of John Cabot after this time, it is probable that he did not long survive his first famous voyage. His son, Sebastian, now took his place as a discoverer. In the following year, 1498, he was authorised by King Henry to sail again, with six ships, to the land and islands which he had found. On this second expedition ho sailed along the coast of Labrador to the 60 th degree of north latitude. Deterred by the cold and ice from proceeding farther, he turned south, on ne pany betwe( the sel of Brl rivers J Englai dom, Lond( thougi secreta whose! i498.] First Discoverers. 17 and coasted as far as the 38 th degree, and then returned to England. Thus, by right of discovery, he secured for England a claim to Newfoundland and the neigh- bouring islands, and also to the whole coast of North America, from Hudson's Bay to Florida. He did for England as much as Columbus had done for Spain. 16. On his return from the first voyage, King Henry, with his characteristic stinginess, presented John Cabot with a gratuity of ten pounds. An entry of this shabby transaction has been found in the privy-purse accounts in the following words: — "August 10th, 1497, To Hym that found the New Isle, £10." But the English people appreciated his worth and great services better than their king. They followed him in crowds, wherever he appeared, to pay him honour ; called him " The Great Admiral;" and he could have enlisted as many of them as he pleased for his future voyages. 16. Sebastian Sabot made a third voyage, on which he is said to have sailed as far south as Cuba. For many years he lived in England, honoured and admired for his kind, modest disposition. He was ever urging on new maritime and commercial adventures. In com- pany with others, he was the first to open up a trade between England and Kussia. Alter a time he entered the service of the King of Spain, and was the discoverer of Brazil and the explorer of the Plata and Paraquay rivers. In the reign of Edward VI. he returned to England, and was appointed Chief Pilot of the king- dom, with a pension. He died in his eightieth year in London. It is told of him that, on his dying bed, his thoughts often turned to the sea, whose mysterious secrets he had pondered for threescore years, and over whose billows his adventurous youth had opened a path- B 18 Notes and Explanations. [1498. way. In the fevered wanderings of his mind he spoke of a new and infallible method of finding the longitude which had been divinely revealed to him, but which he was not permitted to disclose to any mortal. 17. It was said of him that ''he gave England a continent — and no one knows his burial place." It may be added, that in all that continent there is not a spot called by his name, with the exception of one small island on the eastern coast of Newfoundland, to which was recently given the name of Cabot's Island. !.i i NOTJES AND EXPLANATIONS IN CHAPTER I. The liortlmieii. — In the ninth and tenth centuries the Norsemen, or Vikings, were the terror of Christendom. From their nigged strong- holds in Norway and Denmark they issued in their light barques, ravag- ing the shores of southern Europe, carrying terror and destruction wherever they went. Theii- skill in the management of their ships was marvellous. The affrighted dwellers on the shore saw them fearlessly oareering over the stormiest seas, with all sails set. No port was siifo from their attacks. Passing up the rivers in their small boats, they assailed the inland towns, burning and slaying. They were heathen of the most ferocious type, without fear or pity. They regarded the sea as their proper domain, and all that was to be found on it as their lawful prey. England felt the weight of their strong arms. They ravaged its cities and planted a powerful kingdom within its boundaries, which required all the skill and courage of the Saxon King Alfred to subdue. In France the Northmen seized and held Normandy, and from this vantage ground, in 1066, they invaded and conquered Saxon England. With all their wild energy and destructiveness, we can now see, on calmly looking back, that this people, mingling with the other nations of Europe, imparted to them many elements of valour, strength, and greatness. The English of to-day have a large mixture of Scandinavian blood in their veins, to which they owe some of their best qualities. Such were the wild sea-rovers, who, before all other pale-faced men, looked on the shores of Newfoundland, and first colonised the American continent. The Norsemen's Sagas. — Saga is a Norse word, and denotes a tale or poem founded on oral tradition, and gradually moulded into a written form. The old Icelandic, Norwegian, and Danish literature has of late years engaged the attention of scholars, and consists largely of Notes and Explanations. 1» tlif'^e half-historical, half-mythical sagaa, some of which have been translated into English. They belong from the ninth to the thirteenth «euturiea. The Royal Society of Northern Antiquarians at Copenhagen has given special attention to this literature. Christopher Colambua. — Bom at Genoa about the year 143d. He was the son of a cloth-weaver. When a youth, he acquired a good knowledge of the Latin language, and of geometry, astronomy, and navigation. At the age of fourteen he went to sea, being drawn to it by an irresistible longing. For twenty years he was either constantly voyaging or making charts. When thirty-flve years of age he came to Portugal, drawn by the fame of its sea-captains and maritime discoveries. Thence he passed to Spain, and obtained the patronage of Ferdinand and Isabella. When he returned after his great discovery, he was received with all the honours of a triumphant conqueror ; and the poor Genoese sailor became the most famous man in all the world. He made three more voyages, in the last of which he discovered, in 1498, the mainland of America, at the mouth of the river Orinoco. Yet he never knew that he had discovered a new continent, and died in the belief that what he had found was the eastern coast of Asia. He soon found the worthless- ness of popularity. Seven years after his discovery he was sent home a prisoner in chains from the land he had found. On his return from his final expedition, broken in health and spirits, his noble patroness, Queen Isabella, was dead, and the ungrateful. Ferdinand received him coldly, refused to restore him his oflfices and property, of which he had been unjustly deprived, and left him to spend his last days in poverty and neglect. He di^ on the 20th of May, 1506, at the age of seventy. His remains were interred first in Valladolid ; afterwards carried to Seville ; then taken across the Atlantic to St. Domingo ; and finally, two hundrsd and fifty years afterwards, to Havana, in the island of Cuba. In the Cathedral o| Havana, on the right hand of the high altar, is an insignificant mural tablet, with a Latin inscription. There is nothing •else to mark the grave of the Discoverer of the New World. But he whose monument is a whole continent needs no inscription on marble to perpetuate his deeds, which are indelibly inscribed on the memory of mankind. Sebastian Cabot. — The memory of Cabot has received a similar unworthy treatment. His maps, charts, and jom-nals, documents of immense value, were never published, and were either lost through •carelessness or wilfully destroyed. Nicholls, in his Memoir of Cabot, who was one of the noblest and bravest men who ever trod an English •deck, says, " The date of his death, like that of his birth, is unknown, and we can only infer that it was in or near London, from the fact that Kichard Eden, his faithful and attached friend, who lived there, was j>resent. Even where his ashes lie is a mystery; and he who gave to I'M m ^ 20 Notes and Explanations. England a continent, and to Spain an empire, lies in some unknown tomb. This man, who surveyed and depicted three thousand miles of a coast which he had discovered ; who gave to Britain, not only the con- tinent, but the untold riches of the deep, in the fisheries of Newfound- land, and the whale fishery of the Arctic Sea ; who, by hia uprightness and fair dealing, raised England's name high among the nations, placed her credit on a solid foundation and made her citizens respected ; who was the father of free trade, and gave us the carrying trade of the world : this man has not a statue in the city that gave him birth, or in the metropolis of the country he so greatly enriched, or a name on the land he discovered. Emphatically the most scientific seaman of his own, or, perhaps, many subsequent ages — one of the gentlest, bravest, best of men— hia actions have been misrepresented, hia discoveries denied, his deeds ascribed to others, and calumny has flung its filth on his memory." The world knows not its prophets ; stones them when living, leaving after ages to build their sepulchres. Amerigo (Vespuooi — or Americus Yespucius, as he is commonly called — ^was bom rx Florence in 1451. Under the auspices of the King of Portugal, he made two voyages to South America, of which he pub- lished accounts, declaring himself the discoverer of the mainland of the Western Continent. Some years afterwards a German geographer pro- posed that the name America should be given to the new land in his honour. By some strange caprice of fortune the proposal found accept- ance, and Columbus's claims to name the land he had discovered were unjustly set aside. Maroo Polo. — Bom at Venice. He visited in 1272 the court of Kublai Khan, the ruler of Chinese Tartary, who intrusted him with mis- sioxuB to China and India. He was the first European who visited China proper. After his many wanderings, he returned home and wrote an account of his travels, which ezcited the greatest interest, and helped to kindle the passion for discovery in the lands he had traversed in the mind of Columbus himself.. " Prima Vista." — Though Cabot's map seemed to indicate the eastern point of Cape Breton laland as the first land he approached — or hia " Prima Vista " — ^yet as Newfoundland is but fifty or sixty miles distant from that point, and was probably seen soon after as the vessel glided along the coast, and as most of the histories of the voyage represent Newfoundland as the first land discovered by Cabot, I have followed the common accoimt in the text, and represented the sailors of The Matthew as greeting the sight' of the island with British cheers. 1 ' . fl The Red Indians. 21 CHAPTER 11. The Red Indians, or Aborigrinal Inhabitants of Newfoundland. THEIR ORIGIN. — MEMBERS OP THE ALGONQUIN FAMILY. — THEIR MODES OP LIFE. — SAD PATE. 1 . When the island of Newfoundland was discovered by Cabot, it was found to be inhabited by a savage tribe of Red Indians, who lived by hunting and fishing. They called themselves Bethucks or Bceothics. Their appeai'ance and modes of life prove that they were a branch of the race of red men who were found spread over the whole continent of North America. At what time this tribe wandered away from the parent stock, and found their way to Newfoundland, is utterly unknown. Most likely they crossed originally fi-om Canada, by the Straits of Belle Isle, or from the neighbouring island of Cape Breton. However this may have been, they were widely spread over the island when the white men arrived. In all probability, for many centuries before, they had been hunt- ing the reindeer and bear, trapping the otter, fox, and beaver, and gliding over the lakes and rivers in their birch canoes. The herds of reindeer, the ptarmigan, wild geese and ducks, the salmon, codfish, and seals, must have given th^^m food in abuadance. The skins of the animals they alaughtei'ed, and the rich furs which were the spoils of the cha83, supplied them with clothing. . They had a method of ])re[>aring these skins for use by smoking them, instead of tanning, as is now the practice. For this wild, roving people it was an evil day when the ^ W^ - ■ n -1 ^ } 22 T}^ Red Indiana. pale-tHoes ap()eared. Then began those contlicts, oruttlties^ and miseries which at length ended in the complete extinc- tion of the race. In the whole of the island not a single i-epreaentative of this once numerous tribe now exists. Only a few i-elics, consisting of their arrow hoads, hatchets, and other stone imidements, have been preserved. Some of these, and also a few bones of the race, are now in the Geological Museum in St. John's, and thoy are nearly all the traces of the Red Indians now left. 2. When Europeans began to explore the continent of America, north and south, they found it occupied by a people very unlike themselves. They named them "Indians,** because they supposed the country to be only the eastern ])art of Asia, or India, as it was then generally called. Finding their mistake afterwards, they called this strange people "American Indians." Thoy presented a great diveraity in appearance and modes of life, and yet there was a family likeness, common to them all, which has led learned men to conclude that they wei*e all descended from the same stock. Their origin is unknown. They were all of the same swarthy and copper colour ; had long, straight, black hair, high cheek bones, long eyes, and scanty beards. The most natural division of them is into two grjat families, one called the Toltecan, and the other the Aniierican. The Toltecan nations include the Mexicans, Peruvians, and Chilians, who were found in a much more advanced state of civilisation than the American division, which comprehended all the Imrbaraus tribes of the New World. 8. It is believed that the whole of the American aborigines numbei'ed in the vicinity of 20,000,000 when the European* arrived. Those tribes who lived along the Atlantic coast of North America occupied both sides of the Alleghany mountains, from the Gulf of Mexico to Canada and New The Red Indiana. n Hrunswiok. Nearly all of theue belonged to two great faiuilies, called the AlgonqninH and the Iroquois. The AlgonquiuK were spread over the space between the river Mississippi and the Atlantic, and as far north as Hudson's Bay. They all spoke dialects of the same language. This great family included such tri^)es as the Ottawas, Ojibways, Ghippewas, Abenaquis, and many more. The Iroquois, called also the "Five Nations" and the "Six Nations," lived to the south of the great lakes of Canada, and compre- hended such tribes as the Mohawks, Hurons, Senecas, and many besides. They also spoke dialects of one language. It is believed that both together numbered a quarter of a million of Indians. 4. The question arises, to which of the two great families did the Indians of Newfoundland belong 1 From an exami- nation of theii' language, learned men are satisfied that they were a branch of the widespread and warlike Algonquins. Ill their habits, appearance, and mode of life they I'esembled the Algonquin tribes who lived in Nova Scotia, Cape Breton, and Canada. 5. Cabot said of them : " The inhabitants of this island use the skins and furs of wild beasts for garments, which tbey hold in as high estimation as we do our finest clothes. In war they use bows and arrows, spears, darts, clubs, and slings." Like the other Indians they shaved their hair, except one lock, called the "scalp lock," which was tied on the top and ornamented with birds' feathers. The women wore their hair long, and had closer fitting garments than the men, and their waists girded. They had an original method of kindling fire by striking together two pieces of iron pyrites, a kind of stone which is very common in the island. Their bows were of sycamore or mountain ash, the strings being of deer's sinews. Their arrows were of well- \f:H if' mi 24 The Red Indians. i'iii! 'II ■r'lil seasoned pine, light, and perfectly straight, the heads, being of stone sharpened to a fine point. They were able to make fish-hooks of bone, and nets out of vegetable fibres. 6. They lived in wigwaras, the frames of which were made of poles and covered with birch-bark or skins, through which was an opening for the smoke to escape. Some of these winter wigwams were large enough to contain eighteen or twenty people; and a dozen or more of them, when placed together, formed an Indian village. It has been found, on examining the remains of some of these wigwams, thab around the fireplaces they dug small hollows in the ground like nests, and lined them with dry moss or the soft branches of trees. In these they sat, and probably slept. The soft, \irarm lining must have added greatly to their comfort in the cold nights of winter. They were able to make vessels out of the rind of spruce trees sufficiently strong to stand the heat of boiling water, and in. these they cooked their meat. 7. Perhaps the most wonderful of all their contrivances were their deer fences. In oi'der to capture the deer during their annual migrations from north to south, they constructed fences along the banks of rivers, such as the Exploits. These were sometimes thirty or forty miles in length. The labour of erecting them and keeping them in repair was very great, and shows that they must have been a numerous tribe to accomplish so much work. Openings were left in these fences at different places for the deer to go through and swim across the rivers. At these spots the Indians were stationed, and with their spears slaughtered the deer, when in the water, out of their canoes. The fences were made by felling trees along the banks without chopping their trunks quite through, and taking care that each tree, as it fell, took the proper direction, and joined on to the laot which had The Red Indians. 25 been cut. Any gaps were tilled by driving in stakes and interweaving branches of trees. They were from eight to ten feet high, so that no deer could overleap them. 8. Their canoes were made of the bark of the white birch, were light, often gracefully shaped, and could be easily paddled, as they drew little water. The whole rind of a birch tree was stripped off without being torn, and then put round a light frame. The edges were sewed together with thongs made of the tough roots of certain trees, and the seams were covered with a kind of pitch, made from the gum of trees, so as to render them water- tight. When injured, the canoe could be easily patched with pieces of bark fastened in the same way. 9. The Indian snow-shoe was made by stretching a network of deer's hide on a light frame, three or four feet long, cu.. '?d and tapering. The network was fastened to the foot by thongs, and the foot was covered only with a light moccasin made of deer skin, On these shoes an Indian could travel forty miles a day, and even run down a deer whose hoofs cut through the crust of the snow. 10. The Indians of Newfoundland, like those of the continent, were tall, well-proportioned, robust, but not equal to Europeans in bodily strength. They had not such strong arms, and could not strike such heavy blows. But they were active, light of foot, and possessed wonderful powers of endurance. Their carriage was giaceful and dignified. So keen weie their perceptions that they could make their way through a trackless forest with ease simply by observing the appearance of the moss and bark upon the trees. Thev had the virtues and vices of savage life. They were devoted to their tribe, faithful to one another, brave, and possessed of a wonderful fortitude ; but in war they were fierce, vindictive, merciless, and cruel to i)risoners. 26 The Red Indiana. They treated their women with cruelty, and made them work like beasts of burden. They had no idea of restraining their animal appetites, and ate voraciously when food was plentiful, without any regard to the future. ^ 11. The early voyagdrs to the shores of the island described them as lively, tractable, and disposed to be friendly with white men. The good understanding, un- happily, did not last long. When the settlers began to spread over the shores of the island they seized on the best fishing stations, and drove away the Indians. Quarrels arose. Doubtless there were faults on both sides. The savages, when opportunity offered, stole the goods of the whites. To them such objects as knives, hatchets, nails, and lines presented a temptation almost irresistible. The rude fishermen and trappers of those days were an immoral, lawless order of men, and punished the thefts of the savages mercilessly. These, again, retaliated fiercely; and thus a state of savage warfare was established, and terrible deeds were done. The red man became the implacable foe of the white man, and the latter regarded the Indians as vermin, to be hunted down and destroyed. That the poor savages were treated with brutal cruelty admits of no doubt. 12. But what could clubs and arrows avail against fire- arms? Gradually the red men were reduced in numbers. They were driven from their fishing-posts on the bays and rivers ; their hunting-grounds were invaded by the furriers. Hunger and disease thinned their ranks. Another tribe of Indians, from Nova Scotia, called Micmacs, attacked them, and had the advantage of knowing the use of fire-arms. Slowly but surely the unhappy tribe wasted away, and at length disappeared from the face of the earth. 13. Before they were quite exterminated the spirit of humanity awoke, and zealous efforts were made to Notes and Explanations. 27 save them from destruction. Proclamations forbidding- any one to injure them, under heavy penalties, were- issued by the British Government. An expedition was- sent to the river Exploits to open friendly communica- tions with them, but ended disastrously. A female called Mary March, from the month in which she was captured by some hunters on Red Indian Lake, was brought to- St. John's in 1819. She was treated with great kind- ness, and sent back to her tribe with presents, but died on the way. Another Indian woman, called in her language Shananditliet, was also taken at a later date. She lived six years in St. John's, and died of consump- tion. She declared she dared not go back to her tribe after having held intercourse with the whites, as they would kill her. When, in 1828, an exploring party was- sent by some benevolent persons to their head-quarters at Red Indian Lake, not a living Bceotliic could be found. Thus the eflforts to atone for past wrongs and cruelties, were too late, and proved fruitless. NOTES AND EXPLANATIONS.— CHAPTER II. The Religion of the Indians.— Little is known of the religious ideas und observances of the red men of Newfoundland. Like the other tribes of North America, they probably believed in the existence of a Supreme Being, whom they called the Great Spirit; and also- ol: un inferior spirit, whose nature was malicious and evil. Their worship Wiis chiefly addressed to the evil spirit with a view of propitiating liim. They thought the Good Spirit needed no prayers to secure his protection and blessing. Their religious observances consisted chiefly of songs and dances, with nmch noise and excitement. They believed that all animals had protecting sj)irit3, and that the winds and the stars had also- spirits. In Longfellow's poem of " Hiawatha," many of their legends and religious ideas and ceremonies have been preserved. In some of tlu'ir graves around Red Indian Lake have been found bows, arrows, und other weapons, and articles of property which had belonged to- tlit^ deceased in their lifetime. This indicated that the Bethuoks. 28 Notes and Explanations. believed they would live again after death, and use these weapons in the happy hunting-grounds of the blest in heaven. All brave warriors and good women were to be happy there for ever, following the same pursuits as on earth. Numbers of the Indians. — Within tlie limits of the United States there are now about 150,000 Indians, who are cared for by the Govern- ment. Only a few of them have adopted habits of civilised life. Altogether, therti are 500,000 Indians in the United States. In the older provinces of Canada there are 30,000 Indians who are in charge of a department of the State. Including British Columbia, the North- west, and Labrador, the Indians and Esquimaux in the whole of the Dominion of Canada number 132,000. In both countries they are diminishing in numbers, and in fifty or a hundred years few will probably remain. Haunts of the Indians. — Tliey appear to have inhabited chiefly the north-eastern, northern, and north-we.stern portions of Newfound- land. Many of their implements and weapons have been dug up on the shores ^f Trinity and Bonavista Bays, at Fogo and Twillingate, and in White Bay. Their head-quarters were in the neighbourhood of Red Indian Lake. When Corinack, the traveller who crossed Newfoundland in 1822, penetrated to Red Indian Lake in 1828, he found numerous ruins of their winter and summer wigwams, their storehouses for smoking and drying venison ; also a large canoe, twenty- two feet in length. He could find no living Indian. In a wooden hut, well protected from wild animals and the weather, he found the bodies of two grown persons laid out on the fioor wrapped in deer- skins. This was one of their modes of burial. In the same place was the body of Mary March in a white coffin. When she died her remains were left in this coffin at the sea-side, and had been conveyed by the members of her tribe to this burying-place. With Cormack's expedition the last hope of finding any of the Red Indians was abandoned. No trace of them has been discovered since his day. Their Intellectual Faculties.— The Bethucks did not advance beyond the savage state. Tliey were not, however, inferior to the Canadian tribes. The whole race of American Indians were greatly inferior to Europeans, and even to Mongolians, in mental powers. In constructive and imitative faculties they were very low ; and to this day, though in contact with white men, they have made little progress. 1497.] Exploration and Settlement. 29 ^. . I CHAPTER III. 1497-1534. Exploration and Settlement of America. I TUB SPANISH, FRENCH, AND ENGLISH. — IMPOUTANCB OP THE NEWi^OUNDLAND FISHERIES. 1. Now that the New World was discovered, and I some idea obtained of its vast extent, the question arose, who were to explore it and take possession of it? The most wonderful tales were told about it. Sailors, and other adventurers who had been there, related stories about rivers which flowed over pebbles of gold, and sands sparkling with precious gems ; of vast forests, and lovely flowers, in lands teeming with fertility. Here was a boundless field for human energy. The wildest hopes of obtaining vast wealth, were kindled ; and all the adventurous spirits of Europe were eager to undertake voyages to the new land. The Spaniards, who were the first discoverers, rushed away in such multitudes upon these expeditions that some large towns in Spain lost half their inhabitants. Portugal and France followed in the same track, and England was not far behind. Immediate gain was the object of every one. Gold was [the grand attraction. 2. All the great nations of Europe thought they had la right to seize and hold whatever portion of the new continent they had disco^ ered or explored. But at first they had no great desire to stay there and keep posses- Ision. They wanted to plunder, or find gold and silver to enrich themselves, then to return to their own country !■'> I ii UM\ 20 Exploration and Settlement. [1497- and enjoy their wealth. Only a few thought of trading with these new countries. They did not wish to settle and make homes for themselves across the Atlantic. Nearly a hundred years elapsed, after Columbus's discovery, before the great idea of colonising America took firm hold of the European mind. 3. The Spaniards eai'ly obtained possession of the West India Islands. The conquest of Mexico by Cortes in 1521, and of Peru by Pizarro, speedily followed. The immense plunder obtained in these countries failed to satiate their thirst for gold, and the Spaniards began to look towards North America. There was at that time an aged •Spanish Warrior, named Ponce de Leon, who, in his youth, had ■distinguished himself ip fighting against the Moors in Spain, He had been a companion of Columbus on his second voyage, and was afterwards a[)pointed Governor of Porto Rico ; but, being displaced, he returned to Spain. Among the strange tales which were told in these credulous times was one about a " Fountain of Youth," which was «aid to exist in this new land. It was believed to have the power of restoring youth, with all its powers, to the happy man who bathed in its ever-flowing waters. He who was fortunate enough to find it obtained the secret •of perpetual youth. Ponce de Leon was an old man, ■^Vv^i^i he resolved to find this wonderful fountain. He wanted also to renew his fortune, as well as his youth, by the riches he hoped to find. And so, in 1512, he sailed westward from Porto Rico ; and on Easter Sun- , Race) ; Cape Ray (Raye), or split cape, from its appearance at sea; Burgeo, La Foile, La Hune, Rose Blanche, and numberless places on tho southern shore. Fermosa, now Fermeuse, the beautiful, and Reu67«s, the rocky, must have been named by the Portuguese. 1600.] Contemporary Events. 57 CHAPTER VII. 1600-1650. Contemporary Events. PROGRESS OF THE NEW ENGLAND COLONIES. — FRENCH COLONI- SATION IN CANADA AND ACADIA. — CONFLICT BETWEEN ENGLAND AND FRANCE IN NORTH AMERICA. 1. We must now pause for a moment, in following the fortunes of Newfoundland, in order to learn what English- men had been doing, during the half century from 1600 to 1650, in planting colonies on the shores of North America, and how the French progressed in colonising Canada and Acadia. This is necessary in order to understand thoroughly the history of Newfoundland. We have already seen how the first permanent English colony was formed at Jamestown, in Virginia, in 1607. At tirst it did not prosper, and several times it was on the point of extinction. At length, however, emigrants of a better sort found their way to Virginia, and the colony began to grow, and sevei'al other towns arose. The early settlers found tobacco in extensive use among the Indians. Wlieu introduced into England it speedily obtained favour. The Virginian settlers soon found the cultivation of it a source of great ])rofit. In eighty years Virginia numbered 50,000 inhabitants. 2, The 21st of December, 1620, was a memorable day in the history of the New World. On that day a little band of 100, called afterwards " the Pilgrim Fathers," landed from the Mayfiower on Plymouth Eock, a granite boulder 58 Contemporary Events. [1600- on the shore of Cape Cod Bay, which is still reverently preserved by their descendants. They had fled from tyranny and persecution in England, first to Holland, and then they determined to seek for a home and freedom amid the great forests of New England. They had terrible hardships and difficulties to encounter, but they bravely surmounted them all. Nine years after, in 1629, five vessels sailed into Salem Harbour with another band of emigrants on board, direct fiom England; and the next year 800 more arrived. These were " Puritans " seeking freedom of worship and safety from persecution. They founded the towns of Salem and Boston, and the new colony was called Massachusetts Bay. Afterwards Plymouth colony united with this one under the name of Massa- chusetts — an Indian word signifying, it is said, " Blue Hills." 3. These were the first of the New England colonies; others s])eedi]y followed. Rhode Island was established in 1636 ; Connecticut in 1638 ; then New Hampshire and Vermont. Twenty -four years after the landing of the "Pilgrims" the Dutch discovered the Hudson river, and built a trading-post on Manhattan Island. They called the whole territory along the river *' New Netlier- lands," and founded a settlement named "New Amsterdam," where now stands the great city of New York. The colony prospered. At length, in 1664, certain English ships of war entered the bay. New Amsterdam surrendered ; the whole colony passed under British rule, and in honour of the Duke of York, afterwards James If., was named New York. The southern portion of the territory was named New Jersey. 4. Thus rapidly was the work of colonisation cai'ried on, while in Newfoundland so many efforts at settlement 1650.] Contemporary Events. 5» proved unsuccessful. Pennsylvania, North and South Carolina, and Georgia were founded at a later date. These- early New England colonists were men of brave hearts- and sti'ong arms, possessed of a free, bold spirit, with ability and determination to manage their own affairs. Tliey caiue of their own free choice to make a home for themselves, and their rise to strength and greatness was^ rapid. One noble purpose these colonists never lost sight of was the education of their children. They knew that- no success could attend their efiorts if their children were allowed to grow up in ignorance. One of their earliest, efforts was to establish everywhere common schools, in which every child should receive a good education. We need not wonder that colonies planted by such men soon attained a robust growth. When, in 1774, the American Revolution began, the thirteen colonies had a population of between two and three millions. It is not wonderful that they won their independence. At that time England had but 6,000,000, Scotland 1,000,000, and Ireland 2,000,000 inhabitants. 5. Meantime, let us see what progress the French were- making in Canada. We have already seen how they were led, by taking part in the Newfoundland fisheries, to take possession of Canada and Acadia. Here they determined to establish a dominion worthy of the great name of France. No expense was spared to promote the- growth of colonies, which would give them a firm hold on these magnificent possessions. Able and wise governors- were appointed ; soldiers for defence were furnished ; food was supplied in seasons of scai'city. In this way the dominion of France gradually extended itself along the St. Lawrence, amid ceaseless and destructive- wars with the native Indians. Quebec and Montreal !l i'i- ! i 60 Contemporary Events. [1600. were founded. From the great lakes the French pushed their discoveries and explorations dovm the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico, and claimed the whole territory drained by it and its tributaries. Soon they came in collision with the New England colonists, who were ex- tending themselves northward, and wanted to secure for themselves the valuable Canadian fur trade. At a later date the two nations also met in the valley of the Ohio, where the French prohibited the English colonists from trading. Bloody and wasteful wars were carried on, and both sides endeavoured to secure the assistance of the Indians. The conflict thus commenced went on for a century and a half, during the greater part of which time England and France were at war. England assisted lier colonies in carrying on war against the French, with the view of expelling them altogether from the American continent. The French fought with great bravery in defence of their possessions, but in vain. Gradually their power was weakened. One after another their strongholds were captured ; and at length their last battle was fought on the Heights of Abraham, in 1759, and Quebec was taken by General Wolfe. This was one of the decisive battles of the world ; and after it the white flag of France no longer waved on the continent of America. 6. It is not difficult to see how the French were driven from Canada. They have never been successful as colonisera In the New World they spent their strength mainly in military adventures, in discoveries, and trading operations. They did little in cultivating the soil and making per- manent homes for themselves. They carried the feudal institutions of old France into the Canadian wilderness, and the land was parcelled out among a few nobles, who oppressed the people. Monopolies of trade were given 1650.] Contemporary Events. 61 to favoured individuals. I'ew Frenchmen emigrated volun- tarily to Canada, and the colony remained feeble and unprogressive. When the New England colonists had grown to be over a million strong, the French in the valley of the St. Lawrence numbered only sixty-five thousand. These could not stand before the sturdy English colonists, backed by the military resources of the mother-country. Great names adorn the history of New France, such as Champlain, De Monts, La Tour, La Salle, Frontenac, Montcalm. These men well sustained the fame of their country, and employed all their genius and bravery in establishing her power. The self-devotion and zeal of the Jesuit fathers, in prosecuting their missions among the Indians, awaken our admiration. But all failed in giving France a permanent hold on Canada. / hA n • 51 «2 The French in Newfoundland. [1655. CHAPTER VIII. ' 1655-1697. The French in Newfoundland. PLACENTIA FOUNDED. FKENCH EFFORTS TO GET POSSESSION OF THE ISLAND. — EXPEDITION OF d'ibERVILLE. TREATY OF RYSWICK. — ITS EFFECT ON NEWFOUNDLAND. 1. The great events referred to in the last chapter were closely connected with the history of Newfoundland, and greatly influenced the fortunes of the colony. In carrying out their plans for founding an empire in the New World, the French statesmen were eager for the oonquest of Newfoundland. The possession of the island they knew would enable them to control the fisheries, and aiso to command the narrow entrance to the St. Law- rence and their possessions in Canada. Hence, they never There was a very sufficient reason for this, which we must now explain. So far as the English were concerned, the fisheries had been carried on hy merchants, shipowners, and traders who resided in the west of England, They sent out their ships and fishing-crews to Newfoundland early in the summer. The fish caught were salted and dried ashore. When winter approached the fishermen took their departure for England, carrying with them whatever portion of the tish had not been previously shipped for foreign markets. (^These English " merchant-adventurera," as they were called, found that it was for their interest to discourage the settle- ment of the country, as they wished to retain its harbours and coves for the use of their own fishing captains and ser- vants while engaged in curing end drying the fish.) They got at length to think that the whole island was their own, and that any one who settled there was an interloper who should be driven away. They actually thought it right to keep an island larger than Ireland in a wilderness condition, iu order that they might use its shores for drying their fish, and enjoy, in their own country, all the riches thus gathered. 3. But, in spite of all their efforts, a few hardy, adven- turous persons began to form little settlements along the shores. The island had strong attractions for them, and they wanted to make homes for themselves, and combine cultivation of the land with fishing. (^ The fishing merchants and shipowners tookjbhe alarm, and went to war with these settlera^determined to root them out, or, at all events, to keep their numbers as small as possible. Being wealthy ■capitalists, they had great influence with the successive English governments of those days, while the poor settlers had none. They were able to porsuade the English states- men and people that the fisheries would be ruined if a . i r 3': i \ . i y t i h < i ill 68 Condition of the Early Settlers. [16S4. rasident population should be allowed to grow up in the island, and the fisheries would no longer be a nursery of seamen for the navy. Further, thay misled the public by representing the island as hopelessly barren, and, in regard to its soil and climate, unfit for human habitation. ) ^'4. lu this way it came about that unjust and injurious laws were enacted by the English government, to prevent the settlement of the island, and to keep it forever in the degraded condition of a stage for drying fish, \rhese laws forbade any one to go to Newfoundland as a settler, and ordained that all fishermen should return to England at the close of each fishing seasonjL Masters of vessels were compelled to give bonds of ''^00, binding them to bring back each year such persons as they took out. \Settlement within six miles of the coast was prohibited under heavy penalties. No one could cultivate or enclose the smallest piece of ground, or even repair a house, without license, which was rarely granted. This oppressive policy was maintained for more than a hundred years. / 5. Notwithstanding these hardships and discouragements, the sturdy settlers held their ground, and slowly but steadily increased in numbers. Between them and their oppressors a bitter antipathy sprang up, and it is not wonderful that it should have been so. There must have been among these settlers a manly, independent spirit. Had there not been among them men possessing much vigour of character and solid worth, they could not have carried on the contest so bi'avely against the fishing capitalists, and at last conquered them, and won their freedojti. The conflict, however, was very trying, and greatly retarded the progress of the colony, entailing terrible sufferings on men who were kept outside the pale of law, and without any civilising influences. Finding their own fishery declining, while that carried on 172«.1 Condition of the Early Settlers. 69 by the settlers was increasing, in 1670 the merchant adven- turers applied to the Lords of Trade and Plantations, and declared that, unless the settlers were removed, the fisheries would be destroyed. These Lords of Trade immediately sent out Sir John Berry, a naval ofl&cer, with orders to drive out the fishermen and burn their dwellings. 6. This barbarous edict was not revoked for six years. Though it was not strictly carried into effect, owing to the Iiumane spirit of Sir John Berry, yet it gave the mercantile monopolists such an advantage that, soon after, they had 270 vessels and 11,000 men engaged in the fisheries. When the decree to burn and drive away was recalled, strict orders were given that no further emigration to the doomed island should be allowed. At length the Lords of Trade relaxed so far as to allow 1000 persons to reside in Newfoundland, as they might be useful in building boats and fishing stages, and taking care of property. The repressive policy reached its height when a certain Major Elford, lieutenant-governor at St. John's, very strongly urged the ministers of the day " to allow no woman to land in the island, and that means should be adopted to remove those who were there." It does not appear that any one tried to carry out this sweep- ing proposal. 7. As years rolled on, though the settlers were increasing in numbers and importance, they were as much as ever at the tender mercies of the merchants. One of the enactments of the notable Star Chamber, in the reign of Charles L, was, that if a person in Newfoundland killed another, or stole the value of forty shillings, the offender was to be sent to England, and, on conviction of either offence, to be hanged. Another law was that the master of the first ship entering a harbour was to be admiral for the season and magistrate of the district, with unlimited power to decide all questions 7b Condition of the Early Settlers. [1634- regarding property and all other disputes. Thus arose government by the Fishing Admirals, perhaps the most absurd and tyrannical pretence at the administration of justice ever put in practice. 8. In 1698, in the reign of William III., this arrange- ment was confirmed and extended in an Act passed by the British Parliament. In this statute, which long obstructed all improvement in the country, it was ordained that the master of a vessel arriving first in a harbour was to be admiral for the season, and was allowed to take as much of the beach as he chose, for his own use. The masters of the second and third vessels ariiving at the same harbour were to be vice-ac|miral and rear-admiral, with similar privileges. No attention was paid to the qualifications of these admirals. The first rude, ignorant skipper who made a short passage, was absolute ruler for the season. Tliey were the servants, of the merchants, and therefore personally interested in questions of pro[)erty that arose. They were the enemies of the poor residents, whom they wanted to trar^nle out. 9. The triumph of the merchants over their fellow- subjects in this lone isle was now as complete as that of a warrior who storms a city. Their servants, the Fishing^ Admirals, took possession of \;he best fishing-stations, drove out the inhabitants from their own houses, gardens, and fishing-grounds; took bribes when determining cases, and carried on, for long years, a system of robbery and oppi'ession. All accounts agree in represei.. tig them as at once knaves, and tyrants, though, no doubt, there were individual exceptions. 10. In vain did the resident people, groaning under the lash of these pett}' tyrants, petition the Lords of Trade, and lay before them their grievances. The merchants were able- to get their petitions thrown aside with contempt. Again. 1729.] Condition of the Early Settlers. 71 and again they asked for the appointment of a governor to regulate the affairs of the island. That, of all others, was measure the merchants and ship-owners dreaded. It a might disturb their pleasant monopoly, and weaken their control over the fisheries. A governor might take the part of the settlers ; and they stoutly resisted his appointment. What they wanted was, as one of their own party expressed it, "that Newfoundland should always be considered as a great English ship, moored near the Banks, during the fishing season, for the convenience of English fishermen." 1 1 , During this hard struggle the lot of these poor fishermen must have been very bitter. It is not wonderful to find that numbers of them, utterly disheartened, escaped to America, and there aided materially in building up the New England fisheries. In their little wooden hamlets, sprinkled along the sea margin, their outlook was dreary enough. They had but a bare subsistence. They had no schools for their children, and no ministers of religion among them. All around were the dense woods, extending to the sea-shore, with a few paths cut through them. Before them was the great ocean, from, which alone they were permitted to draw their means of subsistence. Their treatment was so harsh that if, in these days, the inmates of a prison or a workhouse were to be treated in like fashion, the public woTikl raise a shout of indignation. How could they advance in any of the arts of civilised life ? They still held on, how- ever ; and, conscious that they had right on their side, they courageously resisted their selfish oppressors. The day of delivemnce at last dawned. The British government at length found out that they had been misled and deceived by the representations of interested, selfish men, both in regard to the country and its fisheries. Restrictions on the settle- ment of the island were slowly removed one after another. !, '! 72 Condition of the Early Settlers. [1654- Tlie obnoxious statute of William III. was, however, left unrepealed, and greatly hindered improvements. It was not till less than eighty years ago that the last of these unjust laws was repealed, and people were allowed to possess land and build houses, and take some steps towards self- government. 1 2. The ciiange for the better was brought about by the commodores and captains of the royal ships, which were periodically appointed to this station. They saw the terrible injustice which was inflicted on a patient, inotfensive people. One of them, named Lord Vere Beauclerk, a clear-headed, benevolent nobleman, made such strong representations to the Board of Trade, that they appointed Captain Heniy Osborne to be the first governor of Newfoundland. The merchants protested against the appointment, but in vain. The new governor arrived in 1729. 13. A new era now began. Newfoundland, for the first time, was recognised as a British colony. Though the Fishing Admirals were not abolished till long afterwards, they were now under control, and their power was more limited. The sufferings of the people were not ended, but they were diminished. The naval government of the island, under admirals and captains of the British navy, now began, and was continued for many years. It was far from being the most desirable way of governing a colony ; but it was a great improvement on anything yet enjoyed. The new system at least prepared the way for a local civil government, and finally for political freedom. In 1729, when the first governor arrived, the resident population had grown to be 6000 strong. 14. Whatever may have been the wrongs inflicted on the early settlers, we should clearly understand that no man or body of men, now living, should be held accountable for 1729.] 2^^ote8 and Explanations. 73 what wjv- done in those distant days. The injustice of former ages has happily been rectified. The merchants and ca})itali8t8 of to-day are men of a very different spirit, and are in a very different position from those who once carried on the fisheries from England. They have no connection with old oppressions. Between them and the people of to-day the relations are cordial and friendly. Both pan now unite for the advancement of their common country. Resentments and animosities between the two classes are, happily, things of the past. NOTES AND EXPLANATIONS.— CHAPTER IX. Lords of Trade and Plantations. — This Board was created to take cliarge of the colonies in America, but was of no service to them. In one of his speeches in the House of Oommons, Burke said of it : " This Board is a sort of temperate bed of influence — a sort of gently-ripening hot- liouse — where eight members of Parliament receive salaries of a thousand a year for a given time, in order to mature, at a proper season, a claim to two thousand, grimted for doing less, and on the credit of having toiled so long in the inferior laborious department." " It is a Board which, if not mischievous, is ofpo use at all." This Board issued the inhuman order to Sir John Berry to burn the houses of the residents in Newfoundland and drive out the settlers. In 1676, six years after, John Downing, a resident, by his strong appeals, (succeeded in procuring an order from the king to annul it. Sir Joshua Cliilds, the principal merchant connected with the fisheries in England, was the means of procuring this barbarous edict from the Lords of Trade. He must have realised much wealth from the fisheries, for, when his t, Newfoundland fishermen had no right to fish in these waters. 'On the other hand, Newfoundland denies that any such exclvsive right was given by the treaty, and holds that her people have a right to fish concurrently, or side by side with the French, so long as they do not interrupt their fishing operations. 5. England has never admitted the exclusive right of the French to these fisheries. In order, however, to preserve peace, she has discouraged Newfoundland fisher- men from going on this portion of the coast, leaving the whole question unsettled from generation to generation. The consequences have been most injurious to Newfound- land. Her people have been virtually excluded from the best portion of the island, which has been left in a wilderness state ; and they could neither prosecute the fisheries there, nor settle the lands, nor carry on mining or other industries. 6. In spite of all these difficulties, people began to settle on that portion of the coast where the French had these fishing-privileges. They continued to increase, year after year, and at length numbered nearly nine thousand persons. They were without laws or magistrates ; without 1754.] Efforts to Conquer Newfoundland. 77 roads, schools, or any civilising influences. At last the condition of these outlaws could no longer be overlooked. The British Government, only so lately as 1878, permitted magistrates to be appointed, and custom-houses built. Four years later they allowed the local government to issue grants of land and licences for mining. They also permitted the people to elect two representatives to the House of Assembly. Thus the shadowy claims of the French to control the land were forever set aside. This was a most important step, as it incorporated this region with the rest of the island, and placed it under the juris- diction of the local government, giving the people the rights of citizens. 7. We saw, at the close of last chapter, how the British Government, in 1729, at length appointed a governor of the island in the person of Captain Henry Osborne. This step greatly alarmed the merchants, lest it might interfere with their profitable and uncontrolled dominion over the people and the fisheries. Accordingly, they set themselves vigorously to work to counteract the measure, and to prevent any lawful authority from taking root in the country. They continued to support the tyrannical juris- diction of the detested Fishing Admirals, and refused to recognise the newly ajjpointed authority. 8. Captain Osborne, on his arrival, proceeded to divide the island into districts, and appoint j ustices of the peace, selpcted from the best classes of the people, with constables under them. The Fishing Admirals opposed the exercise of authority by these justices, and declared their appointment was illegal. They told the people the justices were usurpers, and endeavoured to bring them into contempt. 9. Unfortunately, the new system had been introduced by "an order in Council," whereas the Fishing Admirals il 78 Effo7't8 to Conquer NewfouTidland. [i697- olaimed that they had been appointed by an Act of Parliament, and, therefore, had superior authority. The conflict between the two went on for nearly fifty years, the governors sustaining the justices, and the West Country merchants backing the Fishing Admirals. The good efiects of the ajjpointment of a governor were thus greatly impeded. Besides, he only resided in the colony about three or four months in each year, returning to England in October. It was not till 1818 that a resident governoi was appointed. 10. Thus, for another half century, the people had to 49uffer under cruel misrule. It was then, indeed, no longer illegal to settle in the country; but still no permission was yet given to cultivate the soil, and no stage could be erected for handling fish by the residents till their lords and masters from England had been accommodated. Besides, the fishermen were so poor that they had to obtain advances in provisions and clothing, at very high prices, at the beginning of each fishing-season, and at the close to pay for them in fish, the price of which was fixed by the sui)plier. Thus arose the " supplying system," which kept the fishermen constantly in debt and dependence. The adherents of the old system never ceased their attacks on the new, and were constantly petitioning the home ■authorities to have it altered or extinguished. But the British Government were firm in their refusal to withdraw the small measure of civil government granted to the •colony. The right prevailed. Slowly, and step by step, improvements came. The resident population increased in numbers and influence. The Fishing Admirals and their supporters saw it was useless to continue the conflict, and at length they and their claims to authority fell into well-merited contempt, and passed into oblivion. [1697- ct of The years, )untry effects jreatly about ngland (vernoi had to . longer mission Q could 11 their loclated. had to •y high and at ich was jystem," ndence. attacks home But the ithdraw to the by step, ncreased als and ,ue the uthority Lvion. 1754.] Notes and Explanationa. 79 11, The year 1750 witnessed another iini>ortant step in the extension of civil government in the island. Hitherto all criminals had to be sent to England for trial. Witnesses had also to proceed there, at great expense and inconvenience. Justice was often defeated, and great hardships endured. Successive governors had pointed out this evil. At length, in 1750, Captain Drake, the governor, was authorised to establish a court in which all criminal cases could be tried within the bounds of the colony. Those who presided in this court were called "Commis- sioners of Oyer and Terminer." 12. In 1754 the representative of the Baltimore family presented a claim to be put in possession of the province of Avalon, on the strength of the original grant of 1623, to the first Lord Baltimore. The application was rejected by the law officers of the Crown, on the ground that the Baltimore family had not held possession for 130 years, and that later grants had set their claim aside. No more was heard of the matter. NOTES AND EXPLANATIONS.— CHAPTER X. French Claims. — Lord Palmerston's note to Count Sebastian!, the French ambassador, in 1838, on the subject of the French claims to an exclusive fishing right in Newfoundland, may be I'egarded as conclusive. In it he says : " The British Government has never understood the declaration to have had for its object to deprive the British subjects of the right to participate with the French in taking fish at sea off that lish at Labmdor a free fishery, open to all British subjects, the whole of its extensive coast was placed under the care of the Governor of Newfoundland, whose title henceforth was to be " Governor and Commander- in-chief in and over the island of Newfoundland, and of all the coast of Labrador, from the entrance of Hudson's Bay to the river of St. John's, opposite the island of Anticosti." This addition conferred increased importance on the govern- ment of the colony, and led its people, in after years, to prosecute the valuable fisheries at Labrador, where, at the present time, one-third of all the cod-fish export'^d is taken. 7. Another important step in advance was taken in 1764. On the representation of the Board of Trade a collector and controller of customs for Newfoundland was appointed, and the navigation laws were extended to the island, which was now fonnaliy declared to be " one of His Majesty's Plan- tations " or colonies. This was a fatal blow to the old svsteni, by which it was kept merely as a fishing-station for the benefit of a few monopolists. 8. A census was taken at the close of 1763, from which it appeared that the ])opulatiou of the island numbei'ed 13,112. Of tiiese, 7500 were coustnut residents in the islantl, of whom 4705 were Roman Catholics and 2705 were Protestants. I'he cod-fishery was in a thriving condition, 386,274 quintals of cod having been made that year, of which two-thirds were caught and cured by the resident ])0{)ulation, who were gradually getting the upper hand in carrying on the fisheries. Besides, 694 tierces of salmon and 1508 tons of oil were exported ; and 371 vessels carried on the trade with the mother country and. the New England colonies. Tho intercourse with Ireland was at this time 84 " The Seven Years' WarJ [1756. considerable. Numbers of Irish emigrants came out as settlers, and large quantities of fish were sent to Cork, Waterford, and Belfast, the vessels bringing return cargoes of provisions. In 1765 the export of jod was 493,654 quin- tals, being an increase of 145,360 quintals in two years. There was, of course, a corresponding increase in the wealth and general comforts of the people. 9. But, though improvements were thus slowly making way, the social condition of the people was still deplorable. The administration of justice, especially in the outlying settlements, was very defective. The magistrates were often ignorant, incompetent men, who were grossly partial in their decisions, and at times open to bribery. The high charges by employers for advances in food and clothing, at the com- mencement of the fishing season, often left little at the close to enable the poor fishermen to provide necessaries during the long winter. Too often the fishermen found themselves in debt when the season's work was over. Tempted by want, some of these were guilty of acts of violence or theft ; others fled to New England to escape the miseries of their condition. As yet no one could own any portion of the land for purposes of cultivation ; and if any one enclosed a plot of ground it was lawful for any other who chose to take down such fences and enclosures. The stormy ocean alone was free to the people ; and on its uncertain harvests they had to subsist. The wealth won by their toil did not remain in the island, but went to enrich other countries. We must admire the spirit and energy of a people who, amid these hardships and tyrannies, continued to cling to the soil, and bravely pioneered the v ay for happier generations. 10. But at this !'me another bitter and shameful ingredient was added to their social oppressions. IRellgious intolerance and persecution broke out, and for over tliirty 1775.] The Seven Years' War" 85 years continued to exert a baneful influence on society, and to sow the seeds of bitterness and strife. The objects of this intolerance were the adherents of the Roman Catholic faith, ai\d those who subjected them to persecution were the ruling authorities of the colony, who then wielded despotic power. We who live in happier and more enlightened days now look back with sorrow and shame upon these deeds of intolerance, which we see to have been wrong and unjust. The inter- course with Ireland liad led to the settlement in Newfound- land of numbers of Irish, and these were constantly increas- ing. Some of them had fled from the oppression of penal laws in their own land ; but the exiles met the same spirit of intolerance in this distant colony. The successive irovernors appear to have regarded these Irish emigrants with dislike and distrust ; and, in order to discourage their ooniing, and to lessen their numbers, laws were enacted to j)ie\'ent them from enjoying the exercise of their religious worship. Priests could only enter the country in disguise ; and, if discovered when engaged in the administration of the rites of their religion, were liable to be aiTCsted. iVl asters of ships were ordered to carry back such Irish passengers as tht'y brought out at the close of each fishing seuoon. These harsh and unjust regulations continued to be enforced by «nccessive governors. As usual, persecution failed to .iccomplish its object. Emigrants continued to arrive from Ireland in si)ite of the disabilities under which the adherents of Catholicism laboured. Their clergy followed them in disguise, and secretly minis<:ered to their flocks. At length a better spirit prevailed. In 1784 a royal proclamation ended for ever religious persecution. Liberty of conscience was-) granted, and the free exercise of their modes of worship was secured to Iloman Catholics. 11, In judging of these errors of the past, let na remember 86 Notes and Explanations. [1775. that the principles of religious freedom are of very slow growth, and even yet are far from being fully recognised in many Christian countries. When these persecutions were going on in Newfoundland the spirit of intolerance was strong in England, and religious freedom was neither under stood nor practised. The very men who were most conscien- tious in maintaining their own religious views were often the most zealous in putting down all who differed from them. Very few had yet learned to acknowledge the great principle that men have a right to worsliip God according to the way they believe to be best. Some claimed toleration for them- selves, but were unable to discover that people who differed from them ^ere as truly entitled to be tolerated as they themselves were, 12. Our condemnation of these acts of intolerance in the past should be mingled with pity for those who were so blinded as to be guilty of them. Those who now enjoy a clearer light should never lose sight of the great truth that men should be free to hold their own religious views, and to worship in the way which their consciences approve. If this be acted on, harmony, kindness, and mutual good-will among all classes of worshippers will prevail, and sectarian strifes. and persecutions will be unknown. NOTES AND EXPLANATIONS.— CHAPTER XI. William Pitt. — Bom in 1708; died 1778. He was one of the most eminent of English statesmen. He was noted for his brilliant poweis of debate, his eloquence, and tlie keenness of his sarcasm. He entered Parliament before he was twenty-one years ut a^'c, and took the lead against Sir Robert Walpole. He owes his chief fame as a minister to his conduct of the war in which he found his coimtry involved when he was called to the head of affairs. In 1760 lie retired from the House of Conunons — the scene of his glory — and went to the Houho of Lords as Earl of Chatham- He was buried in Wi'stminster Abbi^y, and a monument was »>rect( d tw his menio»"y at the public exj»ouse. His distinguished son, the Right Honour- if Notes and Explanations. 87 able William Pitt, became prime minister in 1783, when but twenty-four years of age ; a post which he held for seventeen years, during a most momentous period in the history of England. He died in 1806, at the age of forty-seven. General Wolfe. — Bom at "Westerham, in Kent, in 1727. He dis- tinguished himself in continental wars. The discerning eye of Pitt selected him for the great enterprise against Quebec. On the night of September 12, 1759, Wolfe, with a detachment of his troops, embarked in boats on tlie St. Lawrence, bound on the desperate enterprise of scaling the Heights of Abraham. The night was clear and calm. Wolfe was in the foremost boat, and as the flotilla dropped down with the tide, his low voice was lieard repeating to his officers the stanzas of " Grey's Elegy in a Country Cliurchyard," which had recently appeared. It may be that a presenti- ment of his own approaching death gave a mournful pathos to his voice as he uttered the touching words, " The paths of glory lead but to the gviive." When he had finished, he added, " Now, gentlemen, I would rather have written thoee lines than take Quebec to-morrow." When the sun rose next morning tlie French saw with astonisliment the Plains of Abraham glittering with arms, and the British gathered in battle array. The gallant Montcalm marched out to meet his foe. Wolfe, inleading on his soldiers, fell mortally wounded. Ere he breathed his last, one of his officers exclaimed, " See, they run ! " " Who run ? " asked Wolfe. ' ' The enemy; they give way everywhere." "Now, God be praised," said the hero ; " I die happy." Montcalm was also fatally wounded. Being told he could not live long, he replied, " So much the better. I shall not live to see the surrender of Quebec." " The victory on tlie Plains of Abraham and the downfall of Quebec,'^ says Parkman, " filled all England with pride and exultation. From north to fouth the hmd blazed with illuminations, and resounded with the ringing of bells, the firing of guns, and the shouts of the multitude. In one village alone all was dark and silent amid the general joy, for there dwelt the mother of Wolfe. The populace, with unwonted delicacy, respected her lonely sorrow, and forbore to obtrude the sound of their rejoicings upon the grief for one who had been through life her pride and solace, and had repaid her love with a tender and constant devotion." Wolfe fell at the early age of thirty-four. His remains wore brought to England, and interred at Greenwich. Parliament voted him a monu- ment in Westminster Abbey. French Capture of St. John's, 1762.— Anspach, in his " History of Newfoundland," nuikes honourablo mention of two mercliants whose public services were essentially useful at this critical time, when the French took St. John's. One of these was Robert Carter, a merchant at Ferryland, who, by his i)rudence and indefatigable exertions, found i v\ 1 1! 88 Notes and Explanations. luoaiis to procure a sufficient supply of provisions and other neoessariert, for the support not only of the garrison at the Isle of Boys, but also of a considerable number of distressed inhabitants, who had retired thither for protection and relief, from the 24tli of Juno to the 9th of October. The other was Charles Garland, then a merchant and justice of the peace in the district of Conception liay. Carb(mear Island was Then deemed a place where a battery could be useful to the port and to tlie neighbouring settlements. Mr. Garland supplied, at his own ex- penye, and for a considerable time, a small detachment which he had obtained from headquarters for that small island, with firewood, pro- visions, and additional pay, until the French took it and destroyed the works and batteries. Mr. Garland also procured a number of se.amen for the, English squadron. His services were honourably acknowledged 1 ly the government, and he was indemnified for his expenses. On l)«ard Lord Colville's flag-ship, the Northumberland, when it i;ame to the relief of St. John's, was Captain Cook, afterwards celebrated for his voyages round the world. He then held the position of •' master" on board thq flag-ship, having entered the navy as a common sailor. Governor Graves had formed a high opinion of Cook, and secured for him the conduct of a naval survey of Newfoundland, on which he spent three years. His charts of the coasts of Newinxndland and Labrador are found wonderfully accurate, even when tlie work is done over again with the improved instruments of the present day. In this arduous service Cook won his first laui'els, and proved himself an able mathema- tician. Sir Hugli Palliser, the governor, had a warm esteem for him. After most distinguished services in explming tlie Southern ocean, and cliarting the Australian coast, ho engaged in an Arctic expedition. In 1779 he was killed in an accidental cxuarrel with the natives of Owhyhee, one of the Sandwich Islands. Labrador. — The greiit peninsula of Labrador is 1100 miles in length, and bUO miles in bre.idth, its area being 420,000 square miles. Only the eastern portion i? under the jurisdiction of Newfoundland, the rest l)eing annexed to tlie Dominion of Canada. The boundary between tlie two is a line drawn duo north and south from Blanc! Sal)lon to Cape Chudleigh. Such is the extraordinary fish wealth of LaV'-ador, that between 20,000 and 2o,000 fishermen visit its shores during the summer months. Its fisheries are now mainly carried on by Newfoundland fi-hermen. In 1881, over 400,000 quintals of cod-fish were taken on Liibi.idor, besides herring and salmon. The Esquimaux of Labrador, among whom Moravian missionaries have long laboured with success, number 1700 ; the Indians of the interior 4000 ; the resident white population on the eastern coast, 2400. On the St. Lawrence coast there is a population of 4400 ; making a total of 12,o00. The climate is very sevex-e, and the country is unfit to be a residence of civilised man. V' 1775.] Falliser's Act: CHAPTER XII. 1775-1814. ' P a 11 i s e p ' s Ac t. 89 AMl'lRIOAy REVOLUTION. — RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ESTABLISHED IX NEWFOUNDLAND. TREATY OP VERSAILLES. SUPREME COURT ESTABLISHED. — WAR WITH FRANCE. GREAT PROSPERITY OP THE FISHERIES — LAND RESTRIC- TIONS LESSKNED — MUTINY DETECTED IN THE GARRISON AT ST. John's. — various improvements. 1. The infant settlements in Newfoundland, now grow- ing into strength and importance, received some recognition and encouragement in 1775. The British Parliament passed an Act which was known in the island as "Palliser'a Act," as it was drawn u{) at the recommendation of Captain Palliser, who had recently held the office of governor. This Act still kept alive the principle of a ship-tishory carried on from England, but introduced some useful regulations. Among other things, it directed all igreements between masters and servants to be made in writing, and that no more than one-half of the wages of the latter should at any time be advanced to them. It also declared that all fish and oil taken and made by the employer should be liable, in the first place, for the pay- ment of the servants' wages. This last provision was especially beneficial, as it secured the payment of the hardly-earned wages of the fishermen at the close of the sf^ason, and ended the disputes long prevalent bet^veen masters and servants on this subject. To insure tho return / i^ 90 Palliser's Act. [1775- of the fiahennen to England, this Act authorised the masters to detain forty shillings out of their wages for paying tiieir passages home. By the same Act a bounty was given to vessels engaged in the Bank fishery. 2, But now a new source of trouble presented itself, which entailed severe sufferings and losses on the whole jiopulation. A war arose between Great Britain and her revolted colonies in North America, in 1775. It did not terminate till 1782, when England acknowledged the in(lej)endence of the United States. The first congress of the revolted colonies j)assed a decree forbidding all exports to British i)ossession8. This blow fell with a})ecial severity upon the inhabitants of Newfoundland, who, for a lengthened period, had been accustomed to obtain their su])plies of food from the New England States. The annual im])ort of such produce amounted, at that time,, to £345, OUO per annum. Gloom and despondency pre- vailed throughout the island, owing to the apprehended K Piirf'it.y ni' provision s. The difiiculty was met by detaching vessels from the fisherv and sending them to Ireland for supplies of food. American privateeis appeared on the coast, and, entering some of the harbours, destroyed much valuable iTNj^erty. British cruisers, however, were sent, which speedily drove off the privateers, capturing and burning a number of them. St. John's was at once put into a state of defence, and a new fort, called Fort Towns- end, was erected to protect the harbour. A detachment of soldiers and a supi)ly of arms arrived from England to aid the j)eo})le in defending themselves. Ships of war were kept constantly cruising around the coast. France declared in favour of the United States, and war was commenced between France and England. Rear-Admiral Montague, who was then Governor of Newfoundland^ 1SI4.] Palliaer's Act. 91 cajttiired the islands of St. Pien-e and Miquelon, which had been ceded to France, and sent nearly two thousand of the French inhabitants home to their own country. 3. At length the unhappy war between England and her colonies ended, in 1782, in the recognition of the independence of the Unite! States. This introduced an imnuidiate change for the better in Newfoundland. Its trade and industries revived. The people were no longer harassed By the attacks of privateers and the dread of invasion. Af ter a time coin inercial intercourse with the Umted States was resumed, and iinportations o f food, b ut onl y in British ships at first, w ere j^ermjtted- 4. In 1782 Vice-Admiral John Campbell was appointed govoinor of the island. JU ie increasin g^importance of its trada-aiuL fisheries had led to the app oin tment oT officers of a hifjher rank than that^of captains and higher commodores to take charije of its government, the first — . " 2 ^ 1 of whom was Kear- Admiral Montague. Governor Camp- l)e]l i)roved to be a man of an enlightened and liberal spirit. To him the people were indebted for terminating the reign of religious intolerance and persecution. He issued an oj'der, in 1781, to all magistrates throughout the island, which ran as follows: "Pursuant to the king's instructions to me, you are to a llow all ))ersons inhabiting this island to inure— ful l liberty of conscience,'"and the fre e--£xe rcis a of all s uch modes o f religious wo ig hip as are not prohibite d by law, pr ovided they b e con tent with a quiet aii d peace- a.l)le_e njoyment of the same, not jn riving offf>nne, or s canda.) to__ govcrnrn eijt^ The year which witnessed this haj^py change brought the Rev. Dr. O'Donnell, a Roman Catholic clergyman, to the island. He at once obtained full liberty to erect a place of worship, to celebrate marriages, and to perform all the rites and ceremonies of his church* IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 1.25 ■16 2.5 Hi Uk 1^ 2.0 1.8 U 11.6 -% V] >^. ^># ^^' ? Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STRCeT WEBSTER, N.Y. M580 (716) 872-4503 •^ \ '5^ \\ 6^ % V <^^ k <^ 4ss I ■ ■ r ' 92 Palliser's Act [1775- He was the first authorised Roman Catholic missionary in the island after it became a [tnrely British possessioa In 1796 he was appointed Vicar-Apostolic and Bishop. 5. Clergymen of the Church of England had been labouring in the island from 1703 j but it was not till 1787 that a bishop was appointed from Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland was attached to his see. Wesleyan Methodism in the island dates from 1765, when a single minister, the Rev. Lawrence Coughlan, planted it ; but it was not till 1786 that three missionaries, arrived to follow up his labours. English dissent was represented as early as 1775 by a single Congregational Church in St. John's. Governor Campbell, in 1782, renewed per- mission for a continuation of its services. Thus, happily, all Christian denominations henceforth enjoyed equal freedom of worship, 6. The war between England and France was terminated l)y the Treaty of Versailles in 1783. ^ This treaty altereil the boundaries of that portion^ the no RRt. nf Nftwfnnnfl. land on wHich the French had rights of ^_fisliing. It was ^agreed that henceforth the French fishingr si commence at Cape St. Johii^_aitiiated__ on the e astern coast of the~~T8tancI7~in ahout 50° of latitude, an d going r ouml to ^T^o rTr^'^^'j aj^fi -T^mOTr-lil^ -wiaa^aiai nnagf.^ sh puld have fOF boundary Cape Ray. This change was beneficial, as it defined accurately the boundaries, about which previously there had been many quarrels. 7. The year 1793 was marked by a beneficial change in the administration of justice, which may be truly said to have constituted a new era in Newfoundland. This was the establishment of a Supreme Court of Judicature, and the appointment of a Chief Justice. After the authority of the " Fishing Admirals " had come to uii mm '. M ;'"'3 1814.] Palliser*8 Act. 93 end the commanders of the king's ships, visiting the island in summer, were commissioned by the government to administer justice. Under the title of ** Surrogates," or deputies of the governor, they held courts in different places and determined causes. During their absence, in winter, Courts of Session, composed of justices of the peace for the several districts, assumed the administration of justice. The Court of Admiralty had been unduly extending its powers, and frequently came into collision witli the other courts, thus causing great confusion and dissatisfaction. The authority of all these courts was brought to an end, in 1793, by the creation of a Supreme Court for the whole isl. .d, '^vviEg full power to try all persons charged with crimes <. id lijisdemeanours, and to determine all suits and complaints of a civil nature. Chief- Justice Reeves was the first president of the Supreme Court. He was a man of high character and great legal ability. He published a History/ of the Government of Newfoundland, in which he faithfully and fearlessly laid bare the causes of the evils which afflicted the country. He showed conclusively that the merchant adventurer.*;, for their own selfish purposes, had been endeavouring to keep all power in their own hands, so as to exclude competition from without or within ', and that their j)olicy had prevented the settlement of the country and the proper administration of justice. Among the benefactors of Newfoundland, Chief-Justice Reeves deserves to hold a, foremost place. He effected many beneficial changes in the administration of justice; but such was the force of old customs that it was not till 1824 that an Act was passed completely abolishing the old Surrogates and Sessions Courts, and appointing two judges to assist the chief- justice. Tho whole island was then divided into three M Pallisers Act. [1775. •districts, in each of which a court was appointed to be held every year. 8. The French Revolution of 1789 must be regarded, in its far-reaching results, as one of the most stupendous events of modern times. The war between France and England, which broke out in 1793, had a most important influence •on the fortunes of Newfoundland. It was anticipated that the French would again try to get possession of the island. Admiral Wallace, the governor, called on the people to aid in protecting their homes against a French invasion. They responded to his call in a most loyal spirit. Volunteers flocked to the national standard, and a corps of 600 men was fok'med, in addition to the Volunteer force. The forts were strengthened, and new batteries made ready for action. In 1796 a French squadron appeared off the harbour of St. John's ; but, finding that a hot reception was prepared for them, they passed on without challenging a shot. They succeeded in burning the defenceless settlement of the Bay of Bulls, and, after this small exploit, disappeared. No hostile force has, since that exciting day, fired the warlike ardour of the inhabitants or threatened the peace of the rising settlements, t,'' - 9. The gigantic struggle between England and France, which did not end till 1814, gave a remarkable impulse to the prosperity of the colony. England was mistress of the seas ', the French could no longer prosecute the fisheries on the Banks or around the shores of the island. The supply I of the fish-markets of Europe fell exclusively into the hands | of the Newfoundland merchants. Fish rose to an unprece- dented price. In 1799, 400 vessels were engaged in the I trade of the country, and about 2000 boats. The export of fish reached 500,000 quintals. The capital invested in the fisheries of cod, salmon, and seals was not less than ■^m [1775. I to be rded, in 13 events England, influence ited that e island. pie to aid n. They olunteera 600 men The forts for action. larbour of J prepared lot. They if the Bay No hostile ,ke ardour the rising id France, impulse to ress of the isheries on :he supply the hands | m unprece- red in the! ?he export invested in It less than 1814.] Palliser^s Act 95 £1,500,000 sterling. The seal-fishery, which had before been prosecuted only on a small scale, now attained large dimensions, and brought in much wealth. In 180 i the number of seals taken was 106,739. Population rapidly increased. In 1804 the resident population was 20,380, while the fishermen who returned to England at the close of the season numbered over 4000. In 1807 the population of St. John's had risen to 5000, and in 1812 to 7075. The war between England and the United States, which began in 1812, removed the competition of American fishermen, and a complete . monopoly of European fish- markets followed. Fish rose to three times its usual price, reaching at length 45*. sterling per quintal. The fisheries, too, were abundant during several years. The wages of the fishermen increased in proportion. Large numbers of emigrants arrived from Ireland. In 1814, 7000 came, and the following year 4000 more. From 1812 to 1816 the population of St. John's neirly doubled. Princely fortunes were made by the capitalists engaged in the fisheries, many of them secaring from 60,000 dols. to 100,000 dols. of profits in a single season. Persons who commenced the business enti .-ely destitute of capital shared in these enormous gains, and accumulated large fortunes in a short period. In 1814, the quantity of fish exported was over 1,200,000 quintal, of the value of more than 12,000,000 dols In 1.815 the export was almost as large. But if the war raised wages, it also immensely increased the price of all the iiecessaries and luxuries of life. Flour was £S per barrel; pork £12 per barrel. The fishermen spent their wages lavishly at the stores of the merchants, never dreaming that the good times were not to last forever, or that a fearful commercial crash, destined to cause much suffering, was at hand. 10. During those years of prosperous fisheries and 1 ■' , .„!.; 96 Paillsers Act. [1775- % r i Mil; % increasing population — from 1796 to 1814 — improvements of various kinds were slowly working their way. But ohe old restrictive system was still maintained in full force, and prevented the people from cultivating the soil, making comfortable homes for themselves, and securing their independence. The vast wealth realised by the fisheries went to enrich other lands. None of it was spent in the improvement of the island or for the promotion of civilisa- tion among its resident population. No other British colony was ever dealt with so harshly. Millions of money were lavished in promoting the settlement of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Canada ; but not only was encourage- ment denied to settlers in Newfoundland, but all grants of land were sternlv refused. 11, Many of the governors who were ai)pointed, and who held office for three or four years each, were enlightened and humane n)en, and quite alive to the evils of the system and the miseries which it caused. But they were naval officers, who resided only a few months each year in the island. Naturally they were inclined to sustain the old order of things, which regarded the country as a fishing- station and a training port for seamen, not as a home for a civilised community. They, therefore, strictly enforced the policy which reserved the shores of the island for the use of the migratory fishermen from England, and denied all applications for land grants. 12. A.S an illustration of the working of the system, two instances may be mentioned. In 1790, Governor Milbanke discovered that a house had been erected in St. John's without permission. He immediately issued orders to the sheriff" to pull it down, declaring that no property in land would be allowed except it were actually employed in connection with the fishery. In 1799 Governor Waldegrave 1814.] Palliser's Act 97 found, on his return from his winter sojourn in England, that a fence and two sheds had been put up during his; absence. He sharply rebuked the sherift' for his laxity, and ordered both erections to be removed. Yet he was an intelligent, humane man, and was the first to institute chaiitable societies for the relief of the poor, with whose deplorable condition he showed much sympathy. He also did what he could to promote education, and he secured the erection of a new church in St. John's. But the governors of those days considered that loyalty to England obliged them to enforce the harsh system, however hardly it pressed on the people. 13. Good influences, however, were at work among the jjeople, who had long been suffering from social disadvantages. In many of the smaller settlements successive generations had hitherto lived and died without education, or almost any religious instruction. It is not wonderful that, among a people so circumstanced, irreligion, immorality, and dis- order should have prevailed more or less. But now a change for the better commenced. Churches had been springing up in various localities, and, in connection with these, secular and Sunday schools were opened for the education of the young. Clergymen, both Protestant and Catholic, left the old country to minister to the spiritual wants of the long-neglected people. Amid hardships and privations of the severest kind, these good men toiled with commendable devotion among their flocks. Under all these beneficial influences a striking change for the better was gradually efiected. 14. A serious alarm was created, in the year 1800, by the discovery of a mutinous plot among the soldiers stationed at St. John's, composing the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, which }'ad been enlisted chiefly from among the populace. fi i: . s 98 Pallisers Act. ri775. k ill liil'iiV The conspirators appear to have had sympathisers and adherents among the more turbuhnt and ignorant of the lower classes, who were prepared to act in concert with the mutineer* Their plan was to desert with their arms, and, being joined with their friends outside, to plunder St. John's, and afterwards escape to the United Statea Had the conspiracy not been detected in time, terrible results would have followed, involving robbery and assassination. The discovery of the plot was made by the Roman Catholic bishop, Dr. O'Donnell, who promptly informed the com- manding officer of the impending peril. Prompt measures were taken. The ringleaders among the soldiers were tried by court-miirtial and executed. The regiment was relieved by another from Halifax,, and the alarm speedily subsided. All classes felt and acknowledged the debt of gratitude due to Bishop O'Donnell for his conduct on this occasion. To mark their sense of his patriotic conduct, the British Government bestowed on him a pension of £50 per annum, an inadequate reward for such an important service. 1 6. During the administration of Governor Sir Erasmus Gower, which commenced in 1804, a very important improvement was effected in St. John's. Previous to this time the principal buildings of the town were huddled into a small space, extending around the margin of the harbour, and at no great distance from high-water mark, there being no permission to erect permanent dwellings elsewhere. Governor Gower succeeded in obtaining the consent of the British Ministry to a new arrangement, by which the grounds near the water were reserved for the purposes of a mercantile port, and the land higher up was sold in small lots for the erection of houses. The improvement of the town dates from this more liberal arrangement. The pro- hibition against building had led to the erection of wooden in 'P-'f! 1814.] Palliser's Act 99 huts in a narrow space, and in snch a way as to present a continual danger from fire. In one place the thoroughfare was not more than six feet wide. All the streets were narrow, unpaved, and unlighted. 16. Thus the old system of prohibiting the erection of houses without a written, permission from the governor at last received its death-blow. Governor Sir John Thomas Duckworth, who arrived in 1810, carried out this great improvement by leasing the ground around the hai-bour for wharves and sites for mercantile premises. At the close of his term of office he reported to the British Government that the resident population had now so largely increased that the fisheries were mainly carried on by them, and that it was vain to attempt lessening their numbers or checking their increase. He recommended that all impediments to the cultivation of the soil should be removed, so that the population might provide for their wants by agriculture as well as fishing. His successor was authorised to carry out these suggestions, but he did so with a very niggardly hand. Small plots of ground, four acres in extent, were granted on «hort leases, and with a rent attached. There were no roads, and yet, under these unfavourable conditions, the applications for land were more numerous than could be met. It is evident that, with such restricted land grants, agriculture could make little progress. The illiberal policy continued still for more than twenty years, and was only elFectually ended when the colony obtained a Legislature and the power of self-government. 17, Governor Duckworth proved to be a ruler possessed of activity and intelligence. He made a voyage to the northern settlements and Labrador, in order to acquaint iiiniself with the condition and wants of the people. He •endeavoured to establish friendly relations with the Red 100 Notes and Explanations. 1814.] Indians of the country, but his efforts unfortunately failed. lie established an hospital in St. John's, which proved to be a great boon to the poorer classes of the city and its suburbs. His memory is still deservedly held in respect. 18. The years 1805 and 1806 witnessed the introduction of two of the great resources of civilisation — a post office and a newspaper. Previously letters were sent by any casual conveyance; now a postmaster was appointed, and merchant vessels carried the mail bags. The first newspaper was the Royal Gazette. It was published by John Ryan, and is still in existence. NOTES AND EXPLANATIONS.— CHAPTER XII. French Fisheries in Newfoundland Waters.— The importance attached by France to these fisheries may be judged from the fact that, in fortifying Louisburg, in Cape Breton, she spent over a million sterUng. "This," said Abbe Raynal, "was not thought too greo^. a sum for the support of the fisheries, for securing the communication between France and Canada, for obtaining a security or retreat to ships in time of war, coming from the Southern islands." In the confusion which followed the French Revolution, bounties were discontinued, and, in consequence, the number of French fishermen engaged in these fisheries fell from 15,000 in 1777 to 3400 in 1793. Subsequently they were abandoned almost entirely tin the return of peace in 1814. At the present time the number of French fishermen engaged in the Newfoundland Bank and Shore fisheries is over 7000 ; and the average value of their catch is £280,000 sterling. Chief-Justice Reeves.- -He deservedly holds a first place among the benefactors of Newfoundland. His able " History " effectually opened the eyes of British statesmen to the evils of the existing system in the island ; and by his personal, judicious efforts, he accomplished much good. Of the Fishing Admirals he said, " They are ever the servants of the merchants. Justice was not to be expected from them; and a poor planter or inhabitant, who was considered little better than a law-breaker in being such, had but a small chance of justice in opposition to any great west-country merchant. They considered that Newfoundland was theirs, and that all the planters were to be spoiled and devoured at their pleasure." Notes and Explanations. 101 Tho term " planter" in Newfoundland mr^nns a sort of middle-man who obtains supplies for the fisheries from the merchant, and employs flsher- men, to whom he distributes these supplies, in the locality where he resides. At the end of the season he sells the fish he has collected to the merchant, and pays the fishermen their wages. At first the merchants and their immediate servants were the only classes of persons engaged in the fislieries. Then a third class was added, called " Bye-boat keepers," who also kept a certain number of servants, and were supplied by the mer- chants, to whom they sold the produce of their voyage. In course of time these became resident " planters." Fires in the woods are very common in Newfoundland, and destroy an immense amount of timber. In the summer of 1812, wnich was unusually hot, Harbour Grace had a narrow escape from destruction by one of these fires, which approached close to the town. The sceae is said to have been one of terrific grandeur, as the flames leaped from thicket to thicket with a roaring noise and huge volumes of smoke. The inhabitants rushed out, and by cutting semi-circular spaces between the town and the blazing woods, with great difficulty arrested the progress of the fire. Colonisation in Newfoundland. — The contrast between the treatment of Newfoundland and that of the neighbouring colonies is very striking. While capital, skill, and labour were directed to the improvement of the other colonies, the adventurers to Newfoundland extracted millions from its resources without expending anything on its internal improvement. If only a portion of the wealth drawn from its fisheries had at an early period been spent in promoting the cultivation of the soil and opening up the interior, its now unoccupied wastes would long since have been covered with a prosperous population. But, while in Newfoundland the most strenuous efforts were made to prevent settlement and cultivation, in Nova Scotia, money was lavished by the British Government in promot- ing colonisation. Burke stated in the House of Commons that Nova Scotia had cost England £700,000. In 1749, the first settlers landed at Chebucto Harbour (now Halifax), and for thair assistance Parliament voted £40,000 sterling. The settlement of Lunenburgh, Nova Scotia, in seven years, cost England £445,584. On roads, canals, mines, and other public works in Canada, millions were expended, while protective duties secured a monopoly for its products in English markets. Contrast with this the harsh treatment of the Newfoundland colonists and the injury done to the fisheries by unwise concessions to the French. New Zealand and New South Wales present a similar contrast in the bountiful encour- agement they received in their infancy. The West-Country Trade with Newfoundland. — The following extracts from an article which appeared in The Western Times, an Exeter newspaper, in 1872, refer to the time when the fisheries were carried on from England : — '* The places nearest to us most engaged in the trade of 102 Notes and Explanations. Newfoundland, towards the end of the last centurj' mid the beginning of the present, were Teignniouth, Shaldon, Torquay, Dartmouth. Many old hands will remember the large concern carried on by the house of Newman, at Dartmouth, from which has sprung the baronet of Mamhead Hou?e ; and also the names of Job, Codner, and Hunt. At Torquay there were tlie Stabbs, Prowses,and others ; at Teignmouth, Warren ; at Shaldon- there were the Rowes, Wilkings, Harveys, and divers others, who owned a considerable fleet of craft employed in fishing ou the Banks, and in. carrying the cured fish to the ports of Spain, Portugal, and the Medi- terranean and Great Britain. It was one of the ways by which the- country-side was relieved of its redundant rustic population. The younj; fellows who had a little pluck in iheui left the mattock and shovel, and betook them to the hook and line. Many Devonshire men spent their lives in going annually to the Newfoundland fishing work, either on the Banks or in large boats along the shore, from Marcli till November. 'I'ho- return of tlie vessels in November was a time of great anxiety to hundreds- of wives and families in South Devon, as well as to the merchant adven- turers concerned therein. To them the year's luck in cod-fishing was- everything, and the arrivals of the returning vessels in this dreary montiv an exciting time. " Employment was given by the Newfoundland trade, in the shipbuilding yards, to rope, sail, and net-makers, and to the raanufacturei-s of all kinds of clothing. The cordage, sail, and net-making was, for the most part, carried off by Bridport. Nor has Exeter been without its interest in New- foundland matters. The manufacture of the hooks uesd in the cod-fishing was carried on here — among the last, by a family in Fore Street, among whom it appears to have been hereditary. Serges, woven in Exeter, were largely exported to the Peninsula by the vessels which carried the cured cod and other fish to the Catholic countries of Spain and Portugal —the fish for food on fast days, the serges to clothe the monks. " The change that has since come may beget a feeling something stronger than surprise ; for not only is the trade, the shipping, and all the local interest vanished, but a generation has arisen that seems to have for- gotten how much cod-fish and seal-skins contributed to raise the condition of several very pretty and flourisluug towns, not to mention the foituue& of private men." n * 1814]. Commercial Disasiera. 103 CHAPTER XIII. 1814-1861. Commercial Disasters. FIRST OF 1816-1817. — PAUPERISM. — FIRST ROADS IN 1825. — REPRESENTATIVE GOViiRNMENT GRANTED — CONDITION OP THE FISHERIES IN 1832. — POLITICAL DISTURBANCES. — CAUSES OF THESE CONFLICTS. — PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS. GREAT FIRE OF 1846. " RFSPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT" GFIANTED IN 1854. FIRST ATLANTIC CABLE IN 1858. VISIT OF THE PRINCE OP WALES IN 18G0. — POLITICAL TROUBLES. 1, We Lave seen how prosperous were the fisheries during the long European wars which followed the French Revolution. The price of tish trebled, and all the fish markets of Europe were supplied from Newfoundland. Neither French nor American fishermen were to be found on the Banks. Great numbers of emigrants were attracted to the island by the high rate of wages, and the population rapidly increased. Immense fortunes were quickly made by the capitalists. The middle classes, too, increased in wealth and numbers. No one dreamed that this artificial and exceptional prosperity could not last, or imagined that the sunshine was soon to be overclouded, and disaster and ruin to descend on the community. In prosperity, no provision was made for the dark days of adversity. 2. The battle of Waterloo, in 1815, brought the great European conflict to a close, and peace was re-established by the Ti-eaty of Paris. By this treaty the French right of fishing on the Banks and shores of the island was restored ,104 Commercial Disasters. [1814- lii to its former footing. Americans were also allowed extended privileges of fishing in British waters. Both French and Americans at once established a system of bounties to encoui'age their own fishermen, and, at the same time, by high duties, prevented the admission of Newfoundland fish into their own markets. The result was a rapid extension of the French and American fisheries. Newfoundland had now to compete, in the fish-consuming coilntries, with Frenchmen and Americans, whose governments paid them a liberal sum for every quintal of fish caught over and above the price for which it sold. The British Government granted no bounties, and thus the Newfoundland fishermen had to compete with the others on very unequal terms. 3. The donsequence of the new condition of things was that the price of fish fell speedily from 45*. to 12*. per quintal. This brought on a commercial crash at the close of 1815, involving a large proportion of the merchants and planters in bankruptcy and ruin. Numbers of the laige mercantile firms became hopelossly involved, and were unable to pay their creditors. Others, who were not insolvent, became so disheartened that they realised what- ever property remained and left the country. Only a few managed to weather the storm, and these were greatly reduced in their means of carrying on business. No less than 900 cases, arising out of extensive failures, came before the civil courts. Losses by bankruptcies amounted to .£1,000,000 sterling. The middle and working classes suffered with the rest. There was little use made of banks in those days, and planters and fishermen were in the habit of leaving their savings during prosperous years in the hands of the merchants for safe keeping. The bankruptcy of the merchants swept away all their hardly-earned savings. It is calculated that the working-classes lost in this way the [18U- 1861.] Commercial Disasters. 105 laige large sum of X400,000, a great part of what they had accumulated in the late prosperous period. 4. These were dark and trying days. Supplies for the fisheries were suddenly cut off or greatly lessened. Multi- tudes were thus deprived of the means of earning their bread. In many instances the wages earned during the summer of 1815 were not paid to the fishermen, owing to the insolvency of their employers. A large population had been attracted by the prosperity of previous years, and these could not now be sustained in the depressed condition of the fisheries. Large numbers were left unemployed, and became dependent on public chari^^y. It was absolutely necessary to remove some of them. At the public expense many of the most destitute were shipped to Ireland. Over 1000 were sent to Halifax. 6. Such was the state of affairs at the close of 1815, and this was but the beginning of disasters. On the 12th of February of the following year, 1816, a tenible fire broke out in St. John's during the night, when a heavy gale was blowing. It was a night of terrors. The flames, fanned by a furious wind, spread with inconceivable rapidity among wooden houses huddled together without any stone or brick partitions or any provision for safety. Hundreds had barely time to escape from their dwellings with scarcely any covering, and stood shivering in the piercing blasts, while all they possessed was perishing before their eyes, and they were left without a shelter. No less than 120 houses were destroyed, and 1500 persons left without a home. The loss of property was estimated at £100,000. 6. The fisheries of 1817 were disastrous failures, and the j)rice of fish was very low. The sufferings of the poor fishermen were terrible, although every effort was made to alleviate their distress. Food riots broke out, and men with 106 Commercial Disasters. [1814- arms in their hands, rendered desperate by starvation, demanded relief from the magistrates, and broke into the- merchants' stores and carried off provisions. Order, however, was soon re-established. The British Parliament sent relief to the distressed colony, and private charity was active. 7. But now arrived what seemed to be the crowning calamity to complete the wretchedness of the people. On the 7th of November, 1817, another destructive fire broke out in St. John's, and in a few hours 13 mercantile establishments, 140 dwelling-houses, besides stores and wharves, were destroyed, and 1100 persons were left without homes. The loss pf property was nearly £500,000 sterling. Many of those involved in the former fire were severe suffei-fers now, and numbers of the most respectable inhabitants lost all their property. The long and dreary winter was before them. They were congratulating them- selve on the fact that one-half of the town was still left to shelter them, when, only a fortnight after, on the 21st of November, the terrible cry of " Fire ! " again startled them from their slumbers. Before the flames could be arrested,. 56 houses, with several stores and wharves, were burned. These fires left 2000 persons houseless, many of whom had lost all they possessed. 8. Scenes ofheartrending distress followed. When news of these calamitous events spread, sympathy was at once awakened, and help speedily arrived. Provisions were despatched from Halifax to save the inhabitants from star- vation. The generous people of Boston loaded a vessel with provisions of various kinds, which proved a most welcome gift. The British Government sent prompt and liberal aid. The governor, the merchants, and the wealthier classes exerted themselves to relieve the wants of the more destitute portion of the people. A number of those who had been [1814- 1861.] Commercial Disasters. lor On left without homes removed to the out-harbours, and soma went to other countries. 9. Though there were a few instances of disorder arising- from the pressure of want and misery, the people, on tlie whole, met their calamities with fortitude and patience. It was not long till the dark hour became brighter, and began to pass away. The seal and cod fisheries of 1818 were unusually successful. All over the commercial world prosperity began to revive. The price of fish in the home and foreign markets rose considerably. The people who- had suffered so sorely took fresh courage, and soon industrial activity was everywhere visible. The inhabitants of St. John's set to work to clear away the blackened ruins, and, phoenix-like, the town soon rose from its ashes. The streets, were widened, precautions against fire were taken, and more substantial dwellings replaced the old wooden structure* which had furnished fuel to former conflagrations. 10. Admiral Pickmore had been govei'nor during those calamitous years. He was the first resident governor — the p)actice formerly being that the governors arrived in July or August, and left for England in October or November. Henceforward they were required to reside in the island. Governor Pickmore died in St. John's in February, 1818, and his remains were sent to England for interment. He was succeeded, in July of the same year, by Sir Charlea Hamilton. 11. St. John's was not the only place which suffered by fire. In 1816 a fire broke out in Carbonear which destroyed sixteen houses and much property. The Methodist Church was one of the buildings consumed in this fire. The Parish Churcli of Harbour Grace, which had recently been enlarged, was burned towards the close of the same year. 1 2. Though the country had begun to recover from these ,1 ' ~~ s ' 108 Commercial Disasters. [1814- I i !';ii' .Hli! i:n ?|1 illl sevei'e blows, yet the effects of those three years of adversity were felt long afterwards, and greatly retarded the progress of the colony. The losses sustained by the w^orking-classes reduced many of them to a state of poverty ; and each winter season, owing to partial failures of the fisheries, numbers became dependent on public charity. Relief of this kind, extended to able-bodied men, had a demoralising effect, destroying their self-respect and self-reliance, and rendering them reckless and improvident. The governing powers in after years found great difficulty in dealing with this constantly recurring pauperism, which became a heavy burden on the I'evenue of the country. Still, it is not to be wondered at that these public calamities should have created a serious aAiount of poverty. Almost universal bankruptcy had deranged business from one end of the island to the other, and an enormous amount of capital had been swept away by fires. But all difficulties were met with spirit and energy, and were eventually overcome. 13. Up to this time the people had no voice in the management of their own affairs. The power of the governors was absolute, and their rule a despotism. They were gene- rally inclined to sustain the old order of things, and, as a rule, were oi)posed to changes and improvements which the altered circumstances of the colony demanded. A desire for self-government now took possession of many minds. In 1821, an agitation was begun for the introduction of such institutions as would confer on the people the power of making their own laws, and, through their chosen represen- tatives, regulating all matters affecting their well-being. Such a desire was a proof of advancing intelligence and If-reliance among the people. At first the British Govern- ment would not listen to the petitions for local self-govern- ment. The supporters of the old despotic system in the 186 col< ten [1814- 1861.] Commercial Disasters. 109 colony were opposed to it ; and it requii'ed an agitation of ten years to secure this right. 14. The administration of justice was greatly improved in 1824 by an Act of the British Parliament, which provided that tha Supreme Court should be held by the Chief- Justice and two assistant judges. The island was divided into three districts, in each of which a Circuit Court was appointed to be held annually by one of the judges, from the decisions of which an appeal to the Supreme Court was permitted. A Court of Civil Jurisdiction was also instituted for Labrador. This arrangement secured for the people the pure administration of justice on the principles of English law — one of the greatest blessings. 16. In 1825, Sir Thomas Cochrane was appointed governor. By his commission it was ordered that a Council should divide with him the responsibility of his government. Before this time governors had been sole rulers, acting on their own discretion. This Council, nominated by the Crown, consisted of the three judges and the commander of the garrison stationed at St. John's. It constituted a decided improvement on the old despotic system, and proved to be the first step towards government by representrttives chosen by the people. 16. Sir Thomas Cochrane proved to be an excellent governor. He made liberal graTits of land, though his leases contained unwise restrictions. He saw the necessity of roads, if agriculture was to make any progress. His government was rendered memorable by the construction of the first roads in the island. It speaks volumes for the injustice with which the colony had been treated, when, not- withstanding all the wealth drawn from its fisheries, two hundred and forty-two years elapsed from its annexation to the British Crown by Sir Humphrey Gilbert till the con- li' r-l:' 110 Commercial Disasters. [1814- IS struction of the first road. One of Governor Cochrane's roads extended to Portugal Cove, nine miles distant from St. John's ; another to Torbay, and another to Waterford Bridge. Along these roads farms were speedily laid off, neat cottages and farmhouses were erected, and cultivation Advanced. A foundation was thus laid for future improve- ments, and people learned by experience the value of roads. olitical superiority of the other, and each sought to gain the controlling power. Religion was unhappily dragged into tho political arena. A licentious press stimulated the strife, and the worst passions were evoked. The peace of social and commercial life was disturbed by the political excitement of the hour. Some outrages, which were perpetrated by the more ignorant and turbulent, added fuel to the flame. Over this period of political and religious contention it is better to draw a veil, and consign the memory of it to oblivion. It produced only evil results, rancour, hatred, and evil passions, and seriously retarded the progress of the country. 22. It should be understood that these contentions were only seriously felt at election seasons, which recurred at intervals of four years ; and that the stormy passions thus evoked quickly subsided, and that the people forgot their differences, and lived in harmony. Apart from these political turmoils the population was orderly, and serious crime was almost unknown. Gradually both parties learned the folly of such proceedings, and the injury they entailed. Each learned to respect better the rights of the other, and to recognise the equality which the constitution established. As kindly feelings prevailed a good under- H 114 Commercial Disasters. [1814- standing was restored, and old strifes were forgotten. In the present day, the love of country is gradually rising above these strifes and contentions, and the people are learning that their true happiness is to be attained by living together peacefully, and labouring together to pro- mote the interests of their common country, and to secure for it a high place among the rising communities of the New World. We can hardly expect that these political and sectarian strifes will disappear all at once. They have, unhappily, re-appeared at intervals since the times we are describing, and always with injurious results. But, as intelligence spreads, and higher feelings are called into play, they, disappear for ever. 23. Notwithstanding these political disturbances, the benefits of self-government were soon felt by the passing of many useful measures in the Legislature. An Act was passed for the erection of lighthouses at various points along the coast. An annual vote of money for the pro- motion of education was adopted. An academy, for the promotion of a higher education, was established in St. John's. In 1834 Sir Thomas Cochrane was succeeded by Captain Prescott as governor. Liberal grants of land were made to hundreds of poor families. The House of Assembly voted £30,000 for roads and bridges. 24. In 1841 Sir John Harvey was appointed governor. He used enlightened and energetic efforts to promote agriculture and the settlement of the country. He founded an agricultural society, which accomplished much good. The Legislature appropriated £40,000 for roads and bridges — a proof of the wonderful revolution people's ideas had undergone since the days when the country was pronounced undt for settlement, and only valuable as a rock on which fish might be dried. To remove all impediments to agri- mm [1814- i. In ISGl.] Commercial Disasters. 115 culture, an Act was passed which secured the sale of all Crown lands at a moderate price to settlers. This proved to be an invaluable boon to the country. Other improve- raents followed. In 1840 a mail sailing packet was a{)pointed to ply fortnightly between St. John's and Halifax ; and in 1844 this was followed by the first steam- packet bearing a mail for Newfoundland. 25. While the country was thus prospering and improv- ing, another terrible calamity from fire, gi-eater by far than any of the preceding visitations, fell upon the capital, inflicting terrible losses, and for a time checked all progress. On the 9th of June, 1846, a fire broke out in the western end of St. John's, which swept everything before it, and before night closed in three-fourths of a 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 which hurled the blazing brands far and wide, and also to the fact that the greater part of the houses were wooden. Even the mercan- tile establishments, built substantially of stone and brick, presented no barrier to the progress of the fierce conflagra- tion, and, with a single exception, they were totally destroyed. Nearly all the public buildings, except Govern- ment House, perished. The Post-office, Savings-bank, Bank of British North America, Custom-house, Police-office, Exchange Buildings, Ordnance Store, and many others were burned to the ground. To add to the terrors of the scene, while the red tongues of flame were leaping from street to street, the huge oil-vats on the side of the harbour took fire. Liquid flames spread over the whole surface of the water, and set fire to a number of vessels. Before the day •closed twelve thousand people were homeless, and property valued at a million pounds sterling was destroyed. i 116 Commercial Disasters. [1814. 26. Still there was no abject dpspair nmong the peopK^ though their condition whs sulKeiently disheartenin;;. Vessels were at once despatched for provisions. Wlien news of the terrible calamity reached England a sum of £5000' was sent for immediate relief, and Parliament voted £25,000 more. To this was added a very large hmiii collected in the churches, under the sanction of a letter from the Queen to the Archbishops of Canterbury an«l York. The neighbouring colonies sent libeml contributions. Cheered by this generous sympathy, the inhabitants at once set to work to rebuild their city. A law was enacted prohibiting wooden houses in the business part of the town, and enforcing increased width of streets. Some years after- wards an abundant supply of water was introduced, so that St. John's is now as secure against fire as any other city of the New World. A recurrence of such a terrible conflagration as that of June 9, 1846, may l»e regarded as impossible. A much handsomer city has arisen on the ruins of the old, having improved sanitary arrangements, an abundant supi)ly of excellent water, and safeguards against fire. 27. Another public calamity was destined to mark the memorable year 184G. On the 19th of September a storm of unexampled severity swept over the island, causing an immense destruction of ship[)ing-houses, fishing-stages and flakes, boats, and bridges, and in many instances engulfing the fruits of the fishermen's toils during the previous summer. These two calamities, in a single year, were a serious drawback to the prosperity of the colony for a long time. 28. Sir Gaspard Le Marchant was appointed governor in 1817. Previous to his arrival, a strong agitation had sprung up in favour of what is known as " Responsible 1801.] Commercial Dlsastera. 117 (jovernment," a lona of which had been already conceded to all the other North American colonies. The object was to attain a more complete power of self-government than the Constitution of 1832 had secured. The appointments to the ])rincipal offices in the colony were still held by the Crown, and were disposed of by the governor and liis Coimcil. Under *' Responsible Government," all such »ppointments were to be at the disposal of the party which commanded a majority in the Legislature. It was thus «in)j)ly government according to the wishes of the people, as expressed in the choice of their representatives, and the executive were made responsible to the House of Assembly. This very reasonable demand was resisted for a time; but at length conceded in 1854. Charles Darling, Esq , Wiis sent out as the successor of Ker B. Hamilton, Esq., to introduce " Responsible Government." 29. The British Government entered into an agreement with the French, in 1857, for the purpose of settling disputed points in connection with the Newfoundland fish- eries. The terms of this Hgreemeut, when made known, were regarded as very unfavourable to the interests of Newfoundland. A storm of opposition arose, and delegates were sent to remonstrate with the British Government. The clauses in the agreement which gave offence were at once withdrawn, and the Secretary of State for the colonies, in a despatch to the governor, gave the assurance that " the consent of the community of Newfoundland is re«;arded by Her Majesty's Government as an essential ])n;liminary to amy modification of their territorial or mari- time rights." This, of course, was a complete guarantee of the j)Ower of the colony to regulate its own affairs, existing treaties being duly respected. 30, " Responsible government " worked well. Education ■ ill was fostered and extended ; more light-houses were erected to protect the mariners around a dangerous coast ; steam communication, both internal and foreign, was improved; a telegraph line was built across the island. An increasing revenue enabled the Legislature to undertake these work». of public utility. 31. The year 1858 was marked by a great and iuiportant. historic event. A sub-marine cable was successfully laid from the Irish coast to the eastern shores of Newfoundland, a distance of 1640 miles. On the 5th of August, 1858, the great enterprise was accomplished ; and the first tele- graphic message between the Old World and the New was flashed' across the island which Cabot had discovered three hundred and sixty-one years before. The fine geo- graphical situation of Newfoundland, reaching out so fa" towards Europe, presented facilities for establishing communication by telegraph betweeft the tvo hemispheres. Soundings previously taken in the Atlantic had proved that between Newfoundland and Ireland there is a great level submarine plain, a thousand miles wide, admirably adapted by the hand of nature for the reception of tlrfe cable which constituted a nerve of communication V)et\veen the two worlds. But for these facilities such communica- tion might have been delayed for many years. 32. In 1860 His Royal Highness the Priuce of Wales visited St. John's on his way to Canada. He met with a most loyal and enthusiastic welcome from all classes of the people. 33. The year 1861 was darkened by political com- motions, in which the old animosities, which had been long dormant, were once more revived. A change of government had taken place, and general elections were held in April, 1861. In a work like the present, designed !■ 1861.] Notes and Explanations. 119 mainly for the use of the young, it would not be profitable or desirable to dwell upon the scenes of tumult and violence which unhappily took place. It is enough to n ition that in Htirbour Main one life was lost, and that in St. John's, during the su])pression of a riot by the military, who were called out, three persons were killed and several wounded. Harbour Grace was also the scene of serious disturbances. The fact that for more than twenty years afterwards no similar scenes occurred at elections, may be hopefully regarded as a proof that a better spirit is prevailing, and that old animosities will gradually be forgotten. were NOTES AND EXPLANATIONS.— CHAPTER XIII. 'Commercial Panic of 1816-17.— The sufEerings of the people during the commercial disasters which followed the close of the French war, in 1815, aggravttbed as they were by three successive conflagrations in St. John's, were terrible. The high wages during the prosperous years had attracted large numbers of emigrants; and these continued to arrive during 1815, when the collapse in the fish trade occurred. Famishing multitudes crowded St. John's in the following winter. Captain Buchan, the officer in charge of the troops, put his men on short rations, and drew from the commissariat stores 500 tierces of fl' ur to be baked into biscuit, which was doled out to the starving applicants. The merchants and wealthier inhabitants did all in their power tq^relieye the wants of the people. Their own stock of provisiops was nearly exhausted, and their purses drained by such constant con- tributions as were called for. The spring of 1817 was dismal in tli© extreme. Enormous ice-flelds around the coast stopped navigation for three months, and the sealing- vessels were so late in getting to sea that they returned with only 37,000 seals — a poor return for their labours. The summer of that year was almost as dismal as the winter had been. The catch of cod-fish was small, and tho price low. Multitudes were unemployed. Then came the terrible fires of November, 1817, and the direst sufferings among the people. From the outports came piteous appeals to the governor for aid to save the lives of the starving inhabi- tants. The winter was one of the severest on record. The harbour of St. John's was frozen to the very entrance, the ice being several feet In tluckness. It was at this critical time that the benevolent people of m T 120 Notes and Bxplanations. Boston, hearing of the dire distress in Newfoundland, raised a liberal subscription, and freighted a vessel with provisions for the relief of the sufferers. Fortunately, this vessel arrived in the middle of January, before the ice had closed navigation. She had on board 174 barrels of flour, 125 bags of meal, 1 1 tierces of rice, 27 barrels and 963 bags of bread. The whole was cousigned to Governor Pickraore, to be distributed among the poor. In acknowledging the timely offering, the governor enid : " I confess myself unable to express in adequate tonus, on behalf of those whose relief has been the object of the humane consideration of the inhabitants of Boston, the feelings which their generous act has excited. Individu- ally I desire to offer my warmest acknowledgments to them, and shall not fail to communicate to His Majesty's govei-nment this spontaneiua act of liberality, which, in its effects, I trust, will tend to increase and cement more firmly the relations of friendship which now so happily subsist between the two nations." The foregoing words were written by Admiral Pickmore only a month befor* his death. He was the first governor who resided in the island during the winter. He was well advanced in years, and the troubles and anxieties of his position during those trying times wore out his strength. He died on the 24th of February, 1818. His remains, after lying for a time in the vault of the church, were placed on board His Majesty's sloop fit/, with every mark of respect from the inhabitants, whose gratitude he had won by his untiring efforts to mitigate their sufferings. This took place on the 10th of March. So intense was the frost, as has been already stated, that, though several hundred men were employed in cutting a passage through the ice in the harbour for the Fl;/ and other vessels which were ready for sea, three weeks were spent before the object was accomplished. The ice was from three to five feet thick, and the distance to cut the channel was about a mile. The I'tj/ reached England in twenty-eight days. The sealing-vessels made their way through these ice-channels, and Boon retuiTied well loaded with seals. An abundant cod-fishery followed, as generally happens after a severe winter, and the products brought much better prices. Hope revived in the breasts of the much-enduring people, and they went to work with renewed energies. The rich resources of the fisheries and their own native pluck and energy were Mich that calamities, however severe, could only prove temporary in their effects. Prosperity began to dawn, and their sufferings were forgotten. It is curious to note the lino of action taken by the merchant- adventurers who still carried on the fishery from England at this critical time. They still retainen tlie shore 1 four years iwning they slopes and n Finmark, 22 inches in third year, ir mode of nrfoundland Is of caplin, season lasts a Labrador, «r feeding- line. Their er near the spawning, -ground, in hence to its te. It is a the locality irth" by a 1 are found ]istinguish- islaud, for CHAPTER XIV. 1861-1884. Important Events. FAILURE OP THE FISHERIES. — DESTITUTION AND SUFPERINd. —EVILS OP PAUPER RELIEF. — FIRST MINE OPENED. — GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. — OCEANIC AND COASTAL STEAM SERVICES. — IMPROVEMENT IN TUB FISHERIES. — FIRST RAILWAY. — DRY DOCK OPENED. 1 , The first nine years of the period 1 8G1-8 1 were marked by unproductive fisheries, which caused widespread destitu- tion and much suffering among the people. Since 1855 a practice had grown up of distributing out of the public funds relief to those who were in want during the winter season. This dangerous system of giving pauper-relief to able-bodied pei-sons soon produced most injurious results. Many speedily learned to rely on this relief, and to look for it as a right each winter season. In consequence, they became indolent and reckless, and made little efibrt to pro- vide for themselves by honest labour and economy. So numerous became the applicants for relief that at length they oeased to feel any shame at being placed on the pauper-list. Ere long nearly a third of the entire revenue was required for the relief of the destitute. The evil had reached snch dimen- sions that the Government found great difiiculty in dealing with it, especially when repeated failures of the fisheries had impoverished large numbers of the fishermen, who had no other means of subsistence. 2. Sir Alexander Bannerman, the governor, when opening the legislative session in 18G0, referred to this 126 Important Events. [1861. ■condition of the working-classes, and urged that " no pains should be spared to give encouragement to agriculture, and to every other source that can give employment to the labouring-classes, to prevent as far as possible their resorting to pauper relief." The revenue of 1861 fell to £81,000, and the public debt, which had been mainly incurred in meeting the necessities of the destitute, now auiountad to £180,000. The governor's speech in 1863 again announced " wide-spread pauperism " in consequence of •the failure of the previous year's fisheries. In 1864 Mr. Anthony Musgrave was appointed governor. He had to tepeat the same sad tale for four successive years in addressings the legislators. No improvement in the fisheries took place, want among the people deepened and extended, and the financial condition of the country became worse and worse. During this period of depression large numbers of >the people emigrated to the United States and Canada, •despairing of their prospects in the colony. 3, The cause of these sufferings was very easily discovered. The great bulk of the people were entirely dependent on the precarious fisheries, and when these gave poor returns they had no other resource on which they could fall back. The population had been steadily increasing. The census of 1857 gave the total population of the island as 124,288. The ■census of 1869 showed that the population had increased to 146,536. Meantime the products of the fisheries had fallen off, and it became evident that a rapidly increasing popu- lation could no longer be sustained by a single industry. The plain remedy lay in opening up other sources of ■employment for the people. The soil and climate were well adapted to the requirements of the farmer ; but the old restrictive system had repressed agi'iculture in former periods, and the want of roads still rendered it impossible to [1861. no pains Iture, and it to the resorting £81,000, 3urred in )unted to 3 again juence of 1864 Mr. !e had to years in 3 fisheriea extended, vorse and imbers of . Canada, iscovered. nt on the irns they 3k. The IS of 1857 88. The jreased to bad fallen ing popu- industry. ources of were well t the old 1 former )ossible to 1884.] Important Events. 127 settle the fertile valleys of the interior. With rich natural resources all around, large numbers of the people were sinking into destitution and misery. To ail discerning minds it became clear that the remedy lay in promoting the cultivation of the soil, and encouraging other industries of a local kind, in which the surplus population might find remunerative employm' nt. 4, It was at this dark period in the history of the colony that a most important discovery was made, which aided largely in bringing about an improved condition of affaira, and in diffusing new spirit and energy among the j>eople. This w^as the discovery of valuable mineral deposits on the shores of Notre Dame Bay, leading to the introduction of mining enterprises. The first copper mine was opened at Tilt Cove in the year i864. The honour of being the ' pioneer in mining belongs to Mr. C. F. Bennett, who for a length of time was almost alone in prosecuting the search for minerals in the island. The honour of being the actual discoverer of the first copper-mine belongs to Mr. Smith Mackay. In 1857, when exploring in the northern part of the island, Mr. Mackay found what proved to be a large deposit of copper ore, at a little fishing hamlet called Tilt Cove. It was not worked effectually by Messrs. Bennett »k Mackay, the proprietors, till 1864. At the close of 1879 this mine had yielded nearly 52,000 tons of ore, valued at more than a million and a half of dollars. In 1875 another copper mine was opened at Bett's Cove, which at the end of 1879 had yielded 125,556 tons of ore, valued at 2,982,836 dollars. The total quantity of ore exported up to the close of 1879 was valued at 4,629,899 dollars, or nearly £1,000,000 sterling. A third mine was opened at Little Bay in 1878, which proved to be more valuable than either of the others. Various other mines have been worked with more or less m 128 ImpoHant Evevts. [1801. II BticccsR, nml mining is now an c.stiblislie|iei'-pt-oducing coun- tries of the world. It is now known tliut there are in Newfoundland over 5000 square miles of mineral lands, in which there can be little doubt rich discoveries await future explorers. 5. The beneficial effects of this new industry were speedily felt. Hundreds received remunerative employment at the mines. Capital was attracted to the countr}'. Large amounts of money were distributed as wages. The working- classes were better provided with the necessaries and comforts of life. A more hopeful and enterprising spirit was awakened 5 and greater confidence in the future of the colony began to be felt. 6, These hopeful views regarding the natural capabilities of the country were greatly strengthened and extended by the results of the geological survey of the island, which was commenced, under the auspices of the Government, in 1864. This survey wns conducted by Mr. Alexander Murray, assisted latterly by Mr. James P. Howley. The work was prosecuted for eighteen years. For the first time the natural resources of the country were examined and reported on by well-qualified scientific men. People learned from the reports of this survey, published yearly, and on authority that could not be questioned, that the interior of Newfound- land contains many fertile valleys, in which thousands of industrious settlers may find homes ; extensive forests of great value ; beds of coal, nmrble, and gypsum, and mineral tracts which the laboura of many generations are not likely to exhaust. Messrs. Murray I' J r \ 134 Notes and Explanations. 1884.] In 1883 Sir Heniy Maxse died in St. John's, after a lengthened illness. Soon after, Sir John H. Glover was reappointed as governor. He arrived in July, 1884, and received a cordial welcome from all classes. NOTES AND EXPLANATIONS.— CHAPTER XIV. St. John's Water-works.— The terrible devastations wrought by fire in the capital at length taught the people the necessity of introducing such a supply of water as would prove a safeguard against the destroyer. After the great fire of 1846 the city was rebuilt on an improved plan, the streets were widened, and fire-breaks provided. "Wooden buildings in the business part of the city were prohibited. It was not, however, till 1860 that the present abundant supply of excellent water was secured. The water is conducted in pipes from Windsor Lake, five miles distant from St. John's, and situated at a height above it of 600 feet. The pressure is thus so great that there is no need of engines, as water from the hydrants can be thrown over the highest buildings. The supply of water is abundant and the consumption unrestricted. Three millions of gallons are run off daily in the city. The water is soft, pure, and excellent for all household purposes. There are efficient volunteer fire brigades. No tire of any considerable extent has occurred since the introduction of the water, and few cities enjoy greater security against fire, notwithstanding that two-thirds of it consist of wooden houses. The water- works were constructed by a joint-stock company, with a capital of 400,000 dols., the interest on which is guaranteed by Government at the rate of 6 per cent., and paid by a rata levied on the consumers. The importance of such a supply of water cannot be overrated, as it has greatly improved the public health and promoted habits of cleanliness among the working-classes, as well as provided a security against fires. The reduction in the rates of fire insurance since the new supply of water covers the water rates. History of the Seal-Fishery. — While the cod-fishery has been p'-ise- cuted for nearly 400 years, the seal-fishery is not more than 80 viara old^ and may be said to date from 1805. Hackluyt, the historian of the early voyagers, tells us that " in 1693 there were on the shores of the island of Ramea, within the Straits of St. Peter, on the back of Newfoundland, chiefly in April, May, and June, multitudes of amphibious, creatures called vaccm marince, or morses, the two large teeth of which (resembling ivory) and their oil were considered as valuable articles of commerce; tJiat Cajitaiu Drake found there a ship belonging to the inhabitants of ■^1 Hi., 1884.] 8, after a lover was .884, and J^otes and Explanations. 135 IV. aght by fire introducing e destroyer, ed plan, the dings in the ^er, till 1860 Bured. The listant from B pressure is he hydrants of water is IS of gallons excellent for igades. No ction of the irithstauding )any, with a Government I consumers, ed, as it has t cleanliness gainst fires, ply of water been prise- iO V jars olil^ of the early lie island of Affoundland, 18 creatures (resembling commerce ; labitants of ■St. Malo almost full freighted with morses; that he also observed several whales of an enormous size, together with great numbers of seals and porpoises, of which they killed several." Up to 1774 this fishery referred to by Hackluyt was prosecuted around the island. The "sea-cow or morse " of those days was the walrus, and was valuable for its oil, skin, and tusks, the latter furnishing the best ivory. These tusks, two in number, hang from the upper jaw, and by them the walrus lifts itself on the ice. Gradually the animal became extinct in those seas, and is now confined to the Arctic regions. A whale-fishery was carried on from 1760 for a number of years in the gulf and river of St. Lawrence, to which the New EngLind people at one time sent from fifty to eighty vesstb annually. A few whales are still taken in Fortune Bay, but the fishery is now unimportant. The first mention of a seal-fishery is by L'Abbe Raynal, who tells us that as early as 1763 some English fishermen used to repair to certain parts of the coast of Newfoundland during winter for the prosecution of the seal fishery. This was an inshore net-fishery, and was carried on upon a small scale, and is still followed along shore in some favourable localities. The fishermen place 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, are caught. The next step in the seal-fishery -vas the shooting of seals from large boats, which left port about the middle of AprU. As late as 1795 the whole catch of seals was under 5000. Soon after, the sealing-boats gave place to small schooners of 30 to 60 tons, carrying twelve to fourteen men each, and not leaving port till after March 21st. Conception Bay led the way in this new industry, and its people showed much energy, and many of them became wealthy in the prosecution of the seal-fishery. In 1807 about fifty of these small schooners were engaged in seal-hunting from various ports. It proved so remunerative that its growth was rapid. In 1805,81,088 seals were taken; in 1815, 126,315; in 1820, 213,679; in 1830, 558,942; in 1840, 631,385 ; in 1844, 685,530 seals, the largest number ever taken in one year. In 1857 there were nearly 400 vessels, of from 80 to 200 tons, engaged in the seal-fishery, their united crews numbering 13,600 men, the total catch of that year being close on half a million seals, worth 1,700,000 dols. The catch of seals has not increased since that date, and occasionally it has fallen low, as in 1882, when only 200,500 seals were taken, and in 1884, when 238,587 were taken. In 1863 the first steamer took part in this fishery. Since then the number of steamers has rapidly increased, and the number of sailing vessels has steadily diminished. The same work is now done by fewer hands, so that fewer men find employment in this industry. It is not unlikely that in a few more years this fishery will bo entirely carried on by powerful steamers. In competition with steamers sailing-vessels have but a poor chance of success. About 8000 to 9000 men are now engaged rir 136 N'otea and Explanations. ' [III / in it. Sailing-vessels are permitted to leave port for the ice-fields on the 1st of March ; steamers cannot leave till the 10th of March. In 1881 there were 24 steamers employed, but their number has since been reducijd. Seven of those sealing-steamers come from Dundee, Scotland, each spring, and take tlieir crew in Newfoundland. When the seal-fishery terminates, these steamers proceed to the Arctic whale-fishery, returning to Dundee in October. The Islands of St. Pierre and Miqnelon.— These little islands, at the mouth of Fortune Bay, as we have learned in the course of this history, were ceded by Great Britain to France as a shelter for her fishermen. They are thus the only existing relics of the once great French empire in America, which stretched from Hudson's Bay to the mouths of the Mississippi, comprising the present British possessions in North America and the great valley of tlie Mississippi, or about one-half of the North American continent. 'Hhe^etir-Je-lis had to withdraw from these regions one after the other, and now it only waves over these insignificant rocky islets. The British Lion has taken all, and left to France only the privilege of fishing on a portion of the coast of Newfoundland, with St. Pierre and Mlquelon for a shelter. To France these islands are of great value. Under the shadow of the tricolour lives here a little world of fishermen, who, amid the perils of a stormy sea, ply their ovocation. From the encompassing waters France derives an important part of her food supply. To their ports Spain sends yearly enormous quantities of salt for preserving the precious gifts of the sea, which are found here in inexhaustible abundance. Thousands of French fishermen repair to these bleak islets, not only to gather the sea liarvest, but to train themselves by battling with the billows, for service in the navy of their country. The group of islets consists of St. Pierre, Gmnde-Miquelon, and Petite-Miquelon, or Langlade. The resident population now amounts to 5000. Since 1783 the Grande and Petite-Miqu ?lon have been united by a sandbank. They are distant 135 miles from Cape Ray and Cape Race, the south-western and south-eastern extremities of Newfoundland. Great Miquelon is not more than three-fourths of a league in length. St. Pierre is niucli smaller, but contains the capital of the same name, and is three times more populous than the former. The governor of the whole group I'esides at St. Pierre. The town is surrounded by low hills. In the fishing season it preht-nts quite an animated appearance, being ci-owdrd with the floating population from France, which greatly exceeds the resident inhabitants. Vegetation on the islands is of the poorest ilescrlption, only a few garden vegetables being grown. The climato resembks that of the ports on the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Dense fogs prevail in summer, and often hang over them for days in succession. St. Pierre is the only good harbour. Fifty or sixty fishing-vessels are often ilds on the In 1881 linco been , Scotland, eal-flshery returning ids, nt the is history, flshennen. empire in hs of the h America the North 5se regions iant rocky only the , with St. Xotes and Explanations. 137 seen lying securely in its waters. The other harbours are unsafe when cei-tain winds blow. More than three-fourths of all the cod-fish consumed in France come from St. Pierre and Miquelon. Official returns show tliat during the five years ending in 1871 the catch of cod here averaged 15,425,086 kilograms. The same returns show that, for tlie five years ending in 1874, tlie average number of vessels employed was 76 ; of boats, 590 ; tlie total tonnage of which was 12,386, and the number of men employed 5335. In 1868 a French Cable Company was formed to lay a submarine cable between Brest and St. PieiTe, and from the latter island to Duxbury. Massachusetts. This cable was successfully laid in 1869, three years after the successful establishment of telegraphic communication between Heart's Content, Newfoundland, and the British Isles, in 1866. Previously* in 1858, a cable had been laid over the same route between Ireland and Newfoundland, but worked only for a short time. ow of the [lerils of a )rs France pain sends IS gifts of rhousands gather the illows, for elon, and r amounts len united and Cape bundland. in length, mo name, lor of the low hills, nee, being ly exceeds 10 poorest 10 climata >ense fogs ision. St. are often 138 Recent Events. [1P84. !; 1 ■■ CHAPTER XV. . y^ 1884-1890. Recent Events. 1. In 1874 the total population was 161,380. On the decennial census being taken in 1884, it was found that the population of Newfoundland and Labrador was 197,589; so that the increase in ten years amounted to 36,209, being at the rate of 22-34 per cent. 2. Of the total population the census showed that 69,616 belonged to the Church of England ; 75,330 to the Roman Catholic Church; 48,943 to the Methodist Church; 1495 to the Presbyterian Church; 768 were Congregationalists ;. and 1414 belonged to other denominations. The total number of families was 32,252. 3. It further appeared that, of the whole population,. 60,419 were engaged in catching and curing fish; 1685 were farmers ; 3628 were mechanics and handicraftsmen. 4. The quantity of cod-fish cured in 1881: was 1,235,279 quintals. The number of acres of cultivated land was 46,996. The population of the city of St. John's was^ 31,142, being an increase of 7252 since 1874. 5. In the great International Fisheries Exhibition in London, in 1883, Newfoundland took a part and was credit- ably represented. 6. Ill August of the same year Prince George, second son of the Prince of Wales, paid a visit to the colony. 7. The year 1884 was marki d by a deficient shore and Labrador fishery, and a successful Bank fishery. The seal- fishery of the year was much below an average. i^if §M 1890.] Recent Events. 13» 8. In October, 1885, Sir John H. Glover died in London* He was first appointed Governor of Newfoundland in 1876, and held the office for five years. On the death of Sir Henry Maxse, in 1884, he was re-appointed governor. He was popular among all classes, and laboured zealously for the promotion of progressive measures. 9. A. dissolution of the Legislature was followed by a general election in the end of October, 1885. The Hon. Robert Thorburn (afterwards Sir Robert Thorburn) became premier, and Sir William Whiteway retired, after having held the office of premier since 1878. 10. The year 1885 is memorable for two storms. One- occurred in June, which swept the coast of Newfoundland and caused great destruction of fishing craft and gear. The other, on the coast of Labrador, was far more severe^ and attended with, most calamitous results. Over 80 vessel* were wrecked, 7 lives were lost, and nearly 2000 personH — men, women, and children — were flung ashore in a destitute condition. 11. A new Post Office, commensurate with the increai— ing requirements of the public service, was commenced in St. John's in May of this year. A portion of the building was set apart as a public museum. The Church of England Cathedral was completed and consecrated in September. 12. In February, 1886, Sir George William Des Voeux was appointed governor of Newfoundland. 13. The most important matter which came before the lili^'-^- ' Legislature during the session of 1886 was a new "Arrange- ment" which had been entered into between the British and French Governments, with a view to the settlement of what is known as the " French Shore Question." The Legislature refused to accept this " Arrangement," on the ground that its provisions would operate injuriously I, 140 Recent Events. [1884. li li to the interests of the colony, and it was consequently abiindoneJ. 14. The Labrador fishery of 188G proved to be a disas- trous failure, and the shore fishery along the eastern coast of the island was very deficient. The consequence was much destitution among a large section of the working- classes. Their sufferings were greatly mitigated by employ- ment furnished on jmblic works of various kinds, and the trying season was tided over without any permanent injury to the general interests of the colony. 15. In June, 1887, Sir G. W. Des Voeux was appointed governor of IIong-Kong. By his removal the colony lost an able And experienced governor. He was succeeded by Henry Arthur Blake, Esq. (afterwards Sir H. A. Blake), who arrived in September, 1887. 16. At the Conference of Colonial Representatives, held in London this year, the honour of precedence was given to Newfoundland, as being the oldest British colony. 17. An Act passed this year for the regulation of the currency rendered it imperative that all accounts should in future be rendered in dollars and cents. The British sovereign was to pass current for 4 dols. 80 cents., and the silver coinage in like proportion. 18. Another Act prohibited the crews of steamers from taking seals before the 12th of March, or after the 20th of April, and also prohibited steamers from proceeding on a second or subsequent trip after the 1st of April. This Act was designed for the protection of the seal fishery. 19. By another Act passed this year the ballot system was introduced in the election of members of the Lejjisla- tive Assembly. The object of this change was to secure personal freedom in the exercise of the elective franchise. The Act was supplemented by other Acts for the prevention lil!!i:.:. 1890.] Recent Events. 141 of coiTupt and illegal practices at elections, and for pro- viding for the trial of controverted elections hy a judge of the Supreme Court. It may be reasonably hoped that the effect of these constitutional improvements will be to secure greater independence, purity, and intelligence in the exercise of the electoral franchise ; while, at the same time, the preservation of the public peace will be promoted. 20. A Bait Act, to regulate the sale and exportation of bait fishes, was passed by the Legislature in 1837, and came into operation on the 2nd of January, 1888. 21. The last ten years were marked by the development of a new industry in the- packing and exportation of lobsters. From a small beginning in 1873, it gradually increased till, in 1888, the annual export reached 3,360,672 lbs., the valun being 385,077 dols. The same period was marked by the restoration of the Bank fishery, in which about 400 vessels and 5000 men are now engaged. 22. On the Gth of March, 188S, a despatch was received by the governor from the Governor-General of Canada, inviting this colony to send a deputation to Ottawa to discuss the question of the admission of Newfoundland into the Federal Union. A courteous reply was given ; but, in the end, it was found to be inexpedient to send a deimtation. 23. An Act passed this year provided for the election of a Municipal Council, under whose control would be placed the sewerage, lighting, cleansing, and all matters connected with the improvement of St. John's. 24. In November, 1888, Sir Henry A. Blake left the colony, having received an imperial appointment elsewhere. During his brief administration he showed an earnest desii'o to promote the best interests of the colony, and his removal was widely regretted. He was succeeded by Sir Terence 142 Recent Events. [1890. m. N. O'Brien, whose commission bore the date of 24th November, 1888. 25. The Placentia Railway was opened in November, 1888. At the International Exhibition, this year, in Barcelona, the colony was well represented. The exhibits attracted much attention, and gained a large number of prizes. 26. The industrial operations of both 1888 and 1889 were, on the whole, successful. The fisheries showed an improvement as compared with previous years ; and agri- culture, mining, and shipbuilding made fair progress. 27. In the Legislative session of 1889 an Act was passed to secure ! the extension of the railway to Hall's Bay. Another Act appointed a Board of Fishery Commissioners, to take charge of all matters connected with the preserva- tion and development of the fisheries. The principle of manhood sufirage in the election of members of the House of Assembly was established by another Act. The voting age was first fixed at twenty-five ; but, in the session ■of 1890, it was altered to twenty-one. Every man, on reaching the age of twenty-one, is now entitled to vote in the election of representatives for the House of Assembly. ..... t 28. On the 6th of November, 1889, the general elections took place. They were everywhere characterised by good order and a careful compliance with the requirements of the new electoral law. 29. The result of the elections was that Sir William Whiteway was again called on as premier to form a government. He assumed ofiice on the 16th December, 1889. . , M ■'/■J ■ <• [1890. of 24th Education. 143 ovember, year, in ) exhibits umber of md 1889 lowed an and agri- [I'BSS. 'as passed ill's Bay. tissioners, preserva- inciple of he House t. The lie session man, on I to vote Souse of elections by good ;ments of William ) form a December, CHAPTER XVI. Education. 1, Too much attention cannot be bestowed on the educa- tion of the youth of any country. It lies at the foundation of all true progress and national greatness. An ignorant people can make no real advances in those arts which beautify and bless existence, and raise them in the scale of being. To neglect the education of the young is to doom them to degradation and suffering. To secure for them a wise and enlightened system of education, which will qualify them for the right discharge of life's duties, and render them intelligent and moral members of the social body, is to confer on them the greatest conceivable benefit. With such an education a people can hardly fail to advance in intelligence, virtue, and happiness — in all that constitutes true greatness. Without it, all attempts to elevate and improve a community will be, to a large extent, fruitless. Those, therefore, who devote their energies to the development of a judicious and compre- hensive plan of education, are engaged in a good and noble work, which will confer lasting benefits on the whole community. 2. For what is education, rightly understood ? The grand aim of education ought to be to develop thoroughly the whole man, physical, intellectual, and moral, and thus to fit human beings for life's work and varied duties. Its importance, therefore, cannot be over-rated. Its interests are deep and abiding. The well-being of a nation depends largely on the character and comprehensiveness of the education imparted to each generation. 144 Education. H 1" i;!; 'i:; k fl '!:■ -'^^^H' 1' ^m ' 4HfM^W 1 3. When we consider tlie disadvantages under which the people of tliis country formerly laboured, as der *^«jd in former chapters, in regard to the means of edu .on, it must be admitted that the educational progress of the last thirty or forty years is of a very gratifying character. Among the great body of the people, the importance of education is now more widely felt, and their interest iii it is deepening and extending. Within the last fifteen or twenty years, a great advance has been made in the quality of the education imparted ; in the qiialifications of the teachers ; in the school books, and in the character and equipment of school buildings. Much, no doubt, remains to be done ; but the advances already made, anr' the enlightened zeal in the cause of education now aw? ed, atibrd sufficient guarantees of future progress. The ai.. .on recently directed to the higher education emphatically points in the same direction. 4. The beginning of common school education dates from 1823, when "The Newfoundland School Society" was founded in London by Samuel Codner, a Newfoundland merchant. Its name was afterwards changed to "Tlie Colonial and Continental Church Society." The schools it planted were maintained mainly by the liberality of the members of the society, aided, at a later date, by a grant from the funds of the colony. It has still twenty schools in operation, attended by 2300 ])uj)ils. Its central school in St. John's is used by Church of England Boards of Education as a training school for their teachers. The society has done much for the cause of education in New- foundland. 5. It was not till 1843 that the local legislature granted the annual sum of j£5100 for the promotion of common school education. In the same year the Legislature made Education. u: i) a ju'ovision for the higher education by founcliug an academy at St. Johu'8. This institution was discontinued in 1850, and in its room three academies were founded on the denominational principle, and a fourth was added at a later date. In these four institutions, which are connected respectively with the different religious denominations, academic education is now conducted, and in making satisfactory progress, 6. The training of pupil teachers is carried out at the academics. After going through a course of education, tlioso teachers pass examinations and receive certificates before they are appointed to take charge of schools. At the academies, two of which now bear the name of colleges, pupils are prepared for <^ho universities. 7. St. John's has lately been made a centre of the London University, so that pupils can he;»* prej)ar»! for and pass the matriculation examinations. Openings are thus pro- vided for the more talented and aspiring of the young to attain distinction and tit themselves for the higher posts of dutv. 8. As a further encouragement to those who aspire after the higher education, " The Newfoimdland Jubilee Scholar- ship " has been founded. The Governor in Council appropriates the annual sum of 480 dols. "for the institution of a scholarship in the London University, to be given and awarded to the student who shall take the highest place among comi)etitors in and from this colony at the matriculation examination holdeu in June and January of any year ; and where there shall be no competition, then such scholarship shall be awarded to the student who shall pass in the first division in such examination : Provided that such student shall be a native of this colony, or shall have resided in it for five years preceding such examination, and h N' lil i r. '„'"«•< 146 Education. i ' iij sfaaJl have studied under masters of the board schools or academies of this colony : and provided that such student shal], for two years thereafter, prosecute his or her studies at some British University. Such scholarship shall be tenable for only two, years by the student winning the same." 9» For many years the Christian Brothers have had in operation an excellent establishment in St. John's, in which between 400 and 500 pupils receive a good education Recently a second school has been opened in the west end of the capital, and St. Bonaventure's College has been placed in charge of tlie Christian Brothers. . 1 0. In ^he elementary schools, the denominational prin- ciple has been carried out, and each religious denomination now receives a grant for education, from the public funds, in proportion to its numbers. Separate Boards of Education in the different districts have charge of the schools. Three superintendents of education are appointed by Government. The Rev. William Bilot, B.D., is at present superintendent of Church of England Schools; James J. Wickham, Esq., of Roman Catholic Schools; and the Rev. George S. Milligan, LL.D., of Methodist Schools. Their annual reports show that these able and zealous educationists are using every effort to improve the schools under their charge, and to raise the standard of education. In recent years, the progress made has been of a very satisfactory character. 1 1 , The following figures will show how education has been expanding during the last eight years : — In 1881, there were in all 416 elementary schools. Of these, 157 belonged to the Church of England, 158 to the Church of Rome, 99 to the Methodist Church, and 2 to the Congregational. Church. The total number of pupils in these schools, in 1.881, was 24,292. Of these, 9163 belonged to the Chm-ch Education. 147 ihdols or I student r studies shall be ning the e had in in which ducation west end bas been nal prin- »mination iic funds, education tj. Three ernment. Lutendent mi, Esq., S. annual mists are ir charge, j^ears, the Lcter. ition has 81, there belonged if Rome, egational . hools, in e .Chui-ch eorge of England, 9014 to the Church of Rome, 5284 to the Methodist Church, and 92 to the Congregational Church. The total number of pupils in the academies and grammar schools was 674. Thus the total number of scholars in common schools and academies was 24,971, or about one in seven of the entire population. 12. The reports of the Superintendent of Education for the year ending December 31st, 1889, showed that there were in all 543 elementary schools. Of these, 197 belonged to the Church of England, 207 to the Roman Catholic Ohurch, 135 to the Methodist Church, and 4 to the Con- gregational Church and others. The total number of pupils in these schools was 31,422. Of these, 11,783 belonged to the Church of England, 11,914 to the Roman Catholic Church, 7640 to the Methodist Church, and 83 to the Congregational Church and others. The total number of pupils in the colleges, academies^ and grammar schools was 969. The total number of pupils in all was 32,391, or one in 6*14 of the entire population. 13. It is thus apparent that education is gradually attain- ing to that place in the regards of the people to which its supreme importance entitles it. We can venture to hope that, ere long, all the elementary schools will be free, and that a law will be passed rendering it imperative on all parents to send their children to school up to a certa'n age, so that none may be allowed to grow up in Ignorance. 14, Now that by law every man, on reaching the age of twenty-one, becomes entitled to vote, by ballot, in the election of members of the House of Assembly, the safety and well-being of the commonwealth require that such a power should not be exercised by an uneducated people. More than ever the thorough education of the whole people am ■ill 148 Education. is now called lor, as their votes are to control the government of the country. 15. It is, no doubt, true that " The crowning fact, Tlie kinglleat act, Of Freedom ia a Freeman's vote." It is, however, equally true that it is all-important that the voters should be men of intelligence and integrity if they are to wisely control and protect the liberties and the life of the countrv. Freedom should be combined with intelli- gence, and then " the kingliest act " — the casting of tin* ballot — will be at once safely and beneficially performed. The call for universal education is emphasised by the boon of universal suffrage. W' How ive are Governed. 149 >vernmeiit CHAPTER XVII. How we are Governed. 1. I.v the year 1832 the boon of a reprosoiitative Government was gi'anted to Newfoundland. The island was divided into nine electoral districts, each of which was to have one or more representatives, according to its ])opulation. The whole number of membei-s was fifteen. The right of voting was conferred on every man who, for one year immediately preceding the day of election, bad occupied a dwelling-house within the island, either as owner or tenant. A Legislative and Executive Council, composed of seven persons, appointed by the Crown, was also created. 2. In 1855, in compliance with the strongly-expressed pointed by the Crown, but his salary of 12,000 dels, a year is paid by the colony ; an Executive Council, chosen by the party commanding a majority in the Legislature, and consisting of seven members; a I^egislative Council of (iftecn members, nominated by the Governor in Council, m ■J I 150 How we are Oovemed. and holding office for life; and a House of Assembly^ at present consisting of thirty-six members, elected every four years by the votes of the people. 4. In the governing body, thus consisting of the governor, representing the Queen, the Legislative Council, and the House of Assembly, is vested collectively the legislative power. They have also exclusive jurisdiction over such mattera as the public debt and property ; raising money on the credit of the colony by loan ; taxation; postal service ; trade, commerce, and fisheries, etc. The general government is also the custodian of the public funds, from which are disbursed the expenses of the public service. 5. TheiiB are now eighteen electoral districts, sending thirty- six members to the House of Assembly, as follows : — Mtiiiibers^ 2 3 1 Bay-de-Verds Bonavista . Burgeo and La Poile Burin . Carbonear . Ferryland . Fogo . Fortune Bay Harbour Gmce Harbour Main Placentia and St. Mary's Port-de-Gmve St. Barbe . St. George . St. John's, East St. John's, West Trinity Twillingate 2 1 2 1 1 3 2 3 1 1 1 3 3 3 3 How we are Governed. 151 6. The members of the House of Assembly are now elected by ballot. All males, on reaching the age of twenty- one, are entitled to vote. 7. The members of both branches of the Legislature are paid Members of the House of Assembly, if resident in St. John's, receive 194 dols. per session; if resident else- where, 291 dols. per session. The members of the Legislative Council receive 120 dols. per Session, the president 240 dols. The Speaker of the House of Assembly receives 1000 dols. ])er session. 8. The governor, who is also commander-in-chief in arid over the colony and its dependencies, has the power, in the Queen's name, to commute the sentence of a court of justice ; to summon, open, prorogue, and on occasions; dissolve the local parliament ; to give or withhold assent to, or reserve for the royal consideration, all bills which have passed both Chambers. 9. The Legislature must meet once a year, and is usually summoned "for the despatch of business" ip the month of February. Thus the colony is now practically self- governing. Its history shows the steady growth of demo- ci-acy, or government by the people. At present the electors, in reality, govern the country, as they choose the membeis of the Assembly, who, by their votes, maintain in office or overthrow the government of the day. Newfoundland, like England, enjoys " Responsible Government ; " that is, each government is responsible to the people, through the members of the Legislature they elect, to carry out their wishes. 10. The Supreme Court was instituted in 1826 by the promulgation of a royal charter. To it and to magistrates belong the correct interpretation and proper enforcement of the laws of the country. The Supreme Court is composed M tfwinm i w wmm^BB SSa 152 How we are Governed. of a chief-justice and two assistant judges. It holds two terms or sessions each year, on the 20th of May and tlie 20th November. Tliere are circuits of the Supreme Court held in the northern and southern districts of the island, at such times and places as may be 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 5000 dols. ; of each assistant judge, 4000 dols. They hold their appointments for life. 11. The Court of Labrador has civil and crimin'al juris- diction over such parts of Labrador as lie within the Government of Newfoundland. It is presided over by a judge, who is nominated by the Governor in Council. His salary is 1154 dols. 12. 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 I'equires. There are two judges, appointed by the Governor in Council. There is also a district court in Harbour Grace, with jurisdiction over the electoral districts of Conception Bay. It is presided over by a judge who is, ex officio, a justice of the peace. There is a sheriff for each judicial district of the island, who is appointed by the Governor in Council. 13. Courts of general and quarter scssions«are held in the island in such places as may be determined by the j>roclamation of the governor. They are presided over hy the stipend iaiy magistrates or justices of the peace. iflil • Conclitsion, 153 CHAPTER XVIII. Conclusion. RSTROSPECT AXD PROSPECT. PROGRESS OF TIIE COLONY. IMPROVEMENTS IN ST. JOHN S. — GENERAL PROSPERITY OF TIIE PEOPLE. — A GREAT FUTURE I-N STORE FOR NEW- FOUNDLAND. 1 , We iiave now brouglit the history of the oldest Britlsii colony down to tlie latest date. We have seen the vicissi- tudes and trials through which it has }iassed ; the mis- government which so long retarded its prosperity ; the adversities from which it ever rose triumphant. In battling with their difficulties we have seen how its people gained in energy, courage, and intelligence, and won their freedom by their activity and patient endurance. A brighter and happier future now opens befoiie them and their children. Their country is advancing in importance and strength — in Jill that constitutes tlie essentials of well-being for a fiee people. They now regard it as a home for t4iemselves and their posterity, which, by industry and wise guidance, may be beautified and developed into greatness, and made a oountiy which will occupy a proud position among surround- ing communities. 2. That Newfoundland has recently made great and substantial progress, esi)ecially during the last twelve years, cannot be denied by any one acquainted with its condition. A glance at its cipital furnishes abundant proof of this. The town of St. John's, which, at the beginning of this century, was a small collection of mean, wooden houses, huddled into a narrow space around the harbour, without If !. wsssssmamm ^n 154 Conclusion. any sanitary arrangements, and continually subject tO' devastations by fire, has grown into a well-built, prosperous city of more than 30,000 inhabitants. It possesses two stately cathedrals, handsome churches, creditable public halls, an athenaeum building, museum, post-oflSce, fishermen's and seamen's home, hotels, clubs, banks, stores of all kinds, mercantile premises, and shops of imposing dimensions, commodious and well-built houses, extensive wharves. Every year witnesses the erection of new and better houses for the accommodation of the increasing population. Under its municipal council sanitary improvements are carried out. Its factories of various kinds, its iron foundries and machine shops, give employment to large numbers, and testify to the healthy growth of native industries. Its supply of excellent water is abundant. Its harbour can boast of what is believed to be the largest dry dock in the world. A railway has been commenced, which, in the course of years, will connect it with all the centres of population throughout the island. A busy, thriving population throng its streets. Its trade is very lavge. Lectures, concerts, and social entertainments of all kinds show that its people are advancing in culture and education. Its charitable and benevolent institutions and societies furnish ample proof that the poor are cared for. Numerous schools and academies show that the interests of education are not overlooked. Many improvements have yet to be introduced ; many reforms are needed ; but that genuine and striking progress has been made, every one must allow. This is a guarantee of greater progress in the future. 3. Other towns throughout the island are sharing, more or less, in tho spirit of progress; and, as they are more brought into connection with the capital, civilising influences will be more felt. Harbour Grace is a handsome town of nearly 8000 inhabitants ; the streets are wide and well laid 4 Conclusion. -| V «> loo out. It is lighted with gas, and has an excellent system of water-works. Carbonear has also obtained an abundant sui)[)ly of good water; and will soon be reached by the railway. In Flacentia, Trinity, Bonavista, Catalina, Twillingate, improvements are steadily making way. 4. Turning to the general condition of the colony, we se& on all hands evidences of progress. The revenue has more than doubled within the last twenty years, and now reaches nearly a million and a quarter dollars annually. As it is derived mainly from duties on importations, the increase of revenue shows an improvement in the condition of the- people and in their means of purchasing the necessaries and luxuries of life. In 1883thetotalvalueof importswas9,131.464 dollars; of exports, 7,996,765 dollars. In 1870 the value of exports was 6,984,543 dollars ; of imports, 6,655,849 dollars. The increase in thirteen years is significant. In 1889 the value of the exports was 6,607,005 dollars. On December 31, 1889, the registered tonnage of the colony was 2106 vessels, of which 31 were steamers, having a ton- nage of 94,292 tons. In the same year 75 new vessels were luiilt in the country, their tonnage being 3016 tons. At the beginning of this century the whole population was^ 20,000 ; now it has reached about 200,000. 5. That the cod-fishery, the staple industry of the country, is not declining, is evident from the fact that, in 1883-84, no less than 1,733,417 quintals of dried cod-fish were exported, so that the catch in 1883 was the largest on j'ecord. In 1889 the volume of trade (imports and exports combined) was in value 12,729,990 dollars. Road-making lias been carried on since 1825, and now over 100,000* dollars annually are spent in making and repairing roads and bridges. There are at present about 727 miles of postal roads, and 1730 miles of district roads, while many more miles are ill ■ r ■.'1: : 1 ■1 I'll. 1 m^a 15G Conclusion. ill course of construction. The tine steamers of the Allan Line make weekly calls at St. John's, and afford speedy means of communication with Britain and America. Local steamers connect the principal outports with the capital. All these indicate an increase in wealth and in the appliances of civilised life. 6. As yet only the frhige around the coast of the island is occupied. The fertile lands, the great forests of the interior, are still untouched. The mineral treasures are barely opened ; the coal-beds are yet undisturbed. When these ai*e turned to account the population of the island will l)e reckoned by millions. Sooner or later this great island is destified to be overspread by a thriving, industrious l)opulation who will utilise its splendid resources. 7. Thus facts warrant us in predicting a great future for Newfoundland. In its treasures of sea and land, of forest and mine, Nature has bestowed on its people a noble heritage. The riches of its encompassing seas are inexhaustible — ** greater than the gold and silver mines of Mexico and Peru." Three centuries have failed to show any diminution in their value, though ever-increasing drafts have been made on those treasures of the deep. The great Banks, GOO miles in length, with their swarming fish-life, are but a day's sail ironi the shores of the island. In its dependency of Labrador the colony has another fishing-ground of incal- culable value. In the summer of 1883 there were taken on Labrador 650,000 quintals of cod-fish, and the total value of its produce that year was 2,592,000 dollai-s. The seal-fishery, prosecuted at a time when no other marine industries are practicable, yields an average of a million of dollars annu- ally. The geographical position of the island for commercial juirposes could not be surpassed ; it is but 1640 miles from the coast of Ireland ; it commands the entrance to the Gulf Conclusion. U7 industrious of St. Lawrence ; its nohle bays stretch their arms inland from 50 to 100 miles; its harbours are among the finest in the world. Before many years have passed a steam-ferry will connect it with the eastern terminus of the Canadian system of railways. Among the wondei-s in store for the future, it is not im])ossible that the shortest and safest travel-route between the Old and New World should yet be found across the island of Newfoundland. 8. The present population of Newfoundland has sprung from two of the greatest and most energetic races of the world -the Saxon and Celtic. In the healthy, invigorating climate of the island the blood has not deteriorated. Its climate is admirably fitted to nurture a people of great physical power and mental energy, who will be able to hold a distinguished place among the English-speaking communities of the New World. To this end they should take care that their educational system shall keep pace with their material prosperity ; that no child shall be allowed to grow up in ignorance; and that due provision be made for the higher education which is needed to promote the intellectual life of the people. Many of the troubles of the past have arisen from differences in race nnd religion among the people. Thence have come, at times, jealousies, antipathies, and injurious contentions. In the better spirit which now prevails, these will gradually disapi)ear. The distinctions of English, Scotch, and Irish, Protestants and Catholics, will merge into the common name of Newfoundlanders, which all will be proud to bear ; and the lovo of a common country will obliterate the differences and rivalries of the past. Then the great rivalry will be as to who can turn to the best advantage the gifts of Providence, and most effectually advance the best interests of a free, united, and happy people. 158 Notes and Explanations. NOTES AND EXPLANATIONS.— CHAPTER XVIII. The People of Newfoundland— Their Physique.— Newfoundlanders are, in their general physique, a powerfully-built, robust, and hanly nwa. They and their fathers have buffeted the billow.s, fouj^ht the terrible ice-floes, and drunk in the health-giving sea breezes. Engaged largely in open-air occupations, and breathing an invigorating atmosphere, a jstrong, energetic race has grown up, who are well fitted for the world's rough work. From the hardy, much-enduring race who have been •developed here, often fighting cold and hunger, drawing tlieir scanty iiubsisteuce mainly from the boisterous seas, fearlessly pui"suing their evocations amid storms and ice-fields, will spring a people who, when duly educated and cultured, luay be expected to play a worthy part in the world of the future. The noblest nations of the earth, past and present, were not nurtured amid the flowers of the south, but in the cold and stern north, where nature had to be conqu»'red by labour and sweat of brow, and where the barren wilderness had to be transformed by hard toil into the waving corn-field. Kingsley, in his " Ode to the North-East Wind," says : — Let the luscious south wind ' • ' • ' Breathe in lovers' siglis, , While the lazy gallants Bask in ladies' eyes. What does he but soften Heart alike and pen ? Tis the hard, gray weather Breeds hard Englishmen, What's the soft south-wester? *Tis the ladies' breeze, Bringing home their true loves Out of all the seas ; But the black north-easter, Through the snow-storm hurlod, Drives our English hearts of o Seaward round the world ! Come as came our fathers, Heralded by thee, Conquering from the eastward, , ; • Lords by land and sea. ' ■ . . '. ., i. Come, and strong within us, Stir the Vikings' blood, wi.. ; - ► .:{'.; Bracing brain and sinew — Blow, tjiou wind of God! . .,.,.;... , .. . ■ I Ifotea and Explanations. 150 Names of Places. — The changes in names of places are curious, and trime mover in the great enterprise which first established telegraphic communication between the Old iiKv::|i: • fJttiiMM a iMiig ii Mia !; A t !iJS r ' 162 Appendix. World and the New. He commenced the work in 1852 by the construction of a telegraph land-line from St. John's to Cape Ray. His project embraced the laying of a cal>le between Cape Ray and Cape Breton on tbi^ one hand, and between Newfoundland and Ireland on the other. Circumstances compelled Mr. Gisborne to transfer his enterprise to Mr. Cyrus Field, who won the high distinction of carrying it to a successful issue. His heroic perseverance in the face of difficulties that would have overwhelmed ordinary men, his wonderful labours in connection with it, and his penetrating insight into its importance to the world, merit the highest admiration. For thirteen long yeais, amid repeated disappointments, he clung to the great ])roject when others pronounced him a dreamer. At length, on the 5th of August, 1858, the cable was landed on the shore of Trinity Bay, Newfoundland, and the fii*st message was transmitted. Disappointment, however, followed, and the first cable became useless. It was not till 1866 that Mr. Field won his final triumjjh, and the world rejoiced over the completion of his great work. The services thus rendered to the cause of civilisation are incalculable. With the name of Mr. Field should be associated that of Mr. Gisborne, as the originator of the great enterprise. Additional cables followed soon after. The followinff figwes show the lengths of the various cables laid across the Atlantic : — Length in Knotf». First Atliuitic cable, 1858 2200 6 cables from Ireland to Newfoundland, average . . . 1870 From Newfoundland to Syc"ney, C.B., via Placentia Bay . . 280 From Newfoundland to Sydney, via St. Pierre .... 300 From France to St. Pierre 2o84 From St. Pierre to Maaga<;hu8ett.i 749 From England to Nova Scotia direct ...... 2510 From Nova Scotia to Massachusetts . .... 600 'm 'i Value of the Fisheries. 163 LAND LINES. There are now about 1800 miles of land-lines of telegraph in Newfoundland. The number of telegraphic stations lis 67. APPENDIX II. Value of the Fisheries. COD-FISHERY. The principal commercial nshes taken from the waters around Newfoundland and Labrador are the cod, the seal, the herring, the salmon, and the lobster. The cod-fishery is by far the most important, its products averaging in value three-fourths of the entire returns of the fisheries. The average annual value of the cod-fisheiy may be stated in round numbers at six millions of dollars. This calcula- tion includes the dried cod-fish exported, the quantity consumed in the colony, and the oil extracted from the fish. The following table shows the quantity of dried cod-fish 'ex[)orted in the years named : — Year. Quintals or Cwts. 1860 . c . . 1,379,804 1861 1,214,326 1862 1,241,830 1863 1,012,322 1864 1,013,037 1865 1,019,081 1866 930,447 1867 1,066,215 1868 1,169,948 1869 1,204,086 1870 1,213,737 1871 1,328,726 ^lllllii m 1C4 Appendix. Year Uuintals or Cwts. \ 1872 . . . . 1,221,156 1873 1,369,205 1871 1,609,724 1875 1,136,235 187G . . . . 1,110,791 1877 . . . . 1,029,064 18^8 1,074,646 187J 1,419,50"! The following table shows the exports of cod-fisli, together with their estimated value, from 1880 to 1889, inclusive : — Year, i^iintals. 1880—1,583,132 1881— 1,463,43;» 1882—1,231,607 ^883— 1,624,037 1884—1,397,637 1885— 1,284,7 >> 1886—1,344,180 1887—1,080,02 \ 1888— 1,175.7'J() 1889-1,076,507 Value— Dollara. 5,006,032 5,853,756 5,542,231 6,496,148 5,324,487 4,061,600 4,200,515 4,295,588 4,938,048 m The quantities consumed in the country are not included in the foregoing returns. At present the annual con- sumption may be estimated at 100,000 quintals or cwts. TUE SEAL FISHERY. The following table shows the number of seals taken in the years named : — Year. JTo. of Seals. 1879 .... 457,855 1880 261,508 1881 408,470 1882 178,812 1883 322,60;} 1884 266,2i)0 1885 238,596 1886 272,656 1887 230,355 1888 286,464 1889 207,084 Value of the Fisheries. 165 The following table shows the quantities of lobsters exported in the years named : — Year. Lb8. 1879 1,168,808 1880 1,124,580 1881 1,299,812 1882 1.26.j,224 1883 862,528 1884 531,236 188.) 824,064 1880 1,454,912 1887 2.097,092 1888 y, 300,672 The value of the lobsters exported in 1888 was 385,077 iluls. HERRING FISHERY. The chief centres of the herring fishery are Labrador, St. Ceorge's Bay, Bay of Islands, Fortune Bay, Placentia Bay. The averiige annual value of the herrings exported and consumed in the country is about 350,000 dels. SALMON FISIIEHY. The salmon fishery has declined of lato years, and its annual value is now under 100,000 dels. The number of persons engaged in Ciitching and curing fish, in 1884, was G0,419. FRENCH COD FISHERIES. The Isles of St. Pierre and Miquolon, on the south coast, ccAed to France by the Treaty of Paris, occupied by the Fi'ench as a fishing station, have nearly 6000 inhabitants. A fleet of over 200 sail of French fishing vessels, from 100 to 400 tons, arrive here every spring from France, and make it their headquarters for the fishing season. The 166 Appendix. following figures show the quantities and value of cod-fish shipped from St. Pierre from 1879 to 1888, inclusive. Year. Quintals. Value— Dollare 1879—398,326 . . . 1,372,003 1880-409,725 1,480,716 1881—374,017 1,142,719 1882-411,986 1,981,759 1883—530 045 . 2,320,038 1884—632,005 . 2,156,568 1885—820,350 . 2,781,744 1886—908,300 1,176,425 1887—764,770 . 2,507,321 1888—594,529 2,081,248 NUMBER OF FISHERMEN. According to the census of 1873 there were 45,845 persons employed in fishing and curing fish. At ]>reseiit that number has increased to about 60,000. In 1874 the number of able-bodied fishermen in the colony was 26,377 ; at present they number about 37^00Ck Agricultural Resources. 167 APPENDIX III. Agricultural Resources. The best answer to the assertion, so often repeated, that the soil of Newfoundland is unfit for cultivation, is that even on the limited and imj)erfect system now pursued, the average annual value of agricultural products is 612,350 dols. ; and the value of the land now under cultivation, together with the cattle, sheep, and horses, is 2,500,000 dols. The geological survey has shown that in the regions near and suiTOunding St. George's Bay, including the Codroy valleys, there are 730 square miles suitable for settlement Bay of Islands, including the valley of the Humber, Deer Lake, and Grand Lake, contains 630 square miles suitable for settlement. These valleys are, for the most part, covered with valuable timber. In the Gander, Gambo, and Terra-Nova valleys there are 1700 square miles available for settlement. The Exploits valley and Red Indian Lake, with the lauds surrounding the estuary of the Exploits, contain 1620 square miles. Thus, in these gi-eat valleys alone, we have 4650 square miles, or 2,976,000 acres, fit for settlement, and capable, when cultivated, of sustaining in comfort a large population. In addition to these large and extensive tracts there are many smaller portions of excellent soil around the heads of the bays, along the margins of the smaller rivers, and on several of the islands. When we add to these the land already under culture around the various settlements, and the wide area in the peninsula of Avalon, which is admirably adapted for cattle and sheep raising, we have 2,000,000 acres more ; or, in all, 5,000,000 acres fitted for agricultural and grazing purposes. What the interior proper may contain is as yet unknown. '•\ ill I:. Si 108 Appendix. FORESTS. The chief varieties of forest timber are white pine, white and black spruce, tamarack or larch, tir, yellow and white birch. In the Gander districts alone there are, accordinij to the geological survey, 850 square miles of pine lands, or, including; some of the neighbouring regions, a total area of 1000 square miles. Mr. Murray pronounces this a splendid lumbering region, where an immense timber trade could be successfully carried on. Groves of jiine are occa- sionally found here in which the average girth of trees is nine feet, and many individual trees reach twelve and even fourteen feet. Other timber regions are the valley of the Exploits, Red Indian Lake, the valley of the Humber, and the valleys around St. George's Bay, and in the Codroy district. The soil in these districts, when cleared, will yield cereal and other crops in abundance. APPENDIX IV. Mineral Resources. So far asf explorations and mining operations have gone, Xewfoundland ranks high among the copper-producing countries of the world. The chief seat of copper-mining is around the shores of Notre Dame Bay. The ore is found in connection with the serpentine rocks, and these rocks are spread over an area of 5000 , uare miles, most of which is yet unexplored. Up to 1 879 the value of copper and nickel Population. 109 ore exported was 4,629,889 tlols., or nearly £1,000,000 sterling. Gold has been found, but as yet only in small (juan- titic& Rich deposits of lead-ore have also been found in several places, especially at Port-a-Port. Gypsum is found in immense developments, and marbles on both eastern and western shores. Roofing-slate is another \aluable material found in abundance. The coal area of St. George's liay is 25 miles wide by 10 in length. A large deposit of iron-ore has lately been discovered close to the coal-beds. Fresh disoveries of coal-seams were made by Mr. Howley, of the Geological Survey, in 1889. La Manche lead mine has been re-opened, and is now worked vigorously. It is on the shore of Placentia Bay. APPENDIX V. Population. The census of 1874 showed that the population of New- foundland and Labrador was 161,374. The numerical strength of the reliijious denominations at that date was as follows : — lloman Catholics, Church of England, Methodists, . Presbyterians, . Congregationalists, Baptists ami others, V.4,317 yU,;5Gl 35,702 1168 461 16.> The census of 1884 showed that the total population was 197,589. Increase in ten years, 36,209 ; 22*43 per cent. 170 Appendix. a^^ The following table shows the numerical strength of the leligious denominations in the vaiious districts in 1884 : — District. 11 6« 2 .S 1 H Other Deiionii- natioiis. St. Barbe, 2,910 1,874 1,699 13 4 Twillingate, . 3,840 1,858 8,220 43 97 Fogo 2,905 1,305 2,041 11 •_> Bonavista, . 8,385 2,979 5,101 14 1 Trinity, 9,492 1.462 6,057 6 i.»3 Bay-de-Veril, 592 2,243 7,263 I Carbonear, . 1,034 2,262 2,897 13 — Harbour Grace, 8,633 3.931 1,968 191 4 Port-de-Grave, 3,338 2,206 2,753 — 400 Harbour Mfeiu, 1,968 6,829 130 2 6 St. John's East, . 5, 131 13,534 2,481 685 362 8t. John's West, . 3,130 10,247 2,034 363 188 Ferryland, . 151 6,318 — 3 — riacentia, 1,543 9,874 363 9 — Burin, .... 1,797 2,697 4,007 1 — Fortune, 5.165 1,612 36 1 103 Burgeo and La Poile, . 5,519 152 1,265 6 2 St. George, 1,893 . 3,315 147 117 1 Tiabrador, 1,974 566 305 17 — Total, 69,000 75,254 48,767 1,495 1,470 The following table shows the distribution of the population along the shores of the island : — South coast, from Cape Ray to Cape Race, . . 33,752 Of which 10,455 are engaged in catching and curing fish. East and North East coast, from Cape Race to Cape John, 147,39& Of which 43,950 are engaged in catching and curing fish. On that part of the coast where the French have treaty rights of fishery, from Cape Ray to Cape John, 11,973- Of which about 3,217 are engaged in the fisheries. Labrador, 4,211 The Public Debt. 171 jth of the 1884 :— 1-3 h ^«l 13 4 43 !•: 11 •> 14 7 6 i,l3 I 13 91 4 .— 40O 2 6 185 362 163 ISS 3 — 9 — 1 — 1 103 6 2 17 1 17 95 — 1,470 Newspapers. Three daily papers are published in St. John's — two bi-weekly and one weekly. In Harbour Grace, one bi-weekly ; in Trinity and Twillingate, one weekly. APPENDIX VI. Table of Imports, Exports, and Revenue. Year. Imports. Exports. Revenue. Dollars. Dollars. Dollars. 1880 6,966,243 5,635,797 985,111 1881 6,883,708 7,818,880 1,046,341 1882 8,350,222 7,001,222 1,129,734 1883 9,131,464 7,058,738 1,262,702 1884 8,075,792 6,567,135 1,209,316. 1886 6,698,500 4,726,608 1,009,222' 1886 6,020,036 4,862,951 1,042,424 1887 5,397,408 5,176,730 1,272,660 1888 7,420,400 6,582,013 1,370,029 1889 6,122,9^5 6,607,500 1,362,893 The Public Debt Year. 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 Debt— Dollars. 1,549,913 2,149,153 2,149,153 2,288,391 3,005,040 3,335,589 4,133,202 The interest on the public debt in 1889 amounted to 202,914 dollars per annum. ■•*ag /"» 172 Appendix. APPENDIX VII. Religious Denominations. CIIUUCII OF ENGLAND. " The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts" first sent a missionary to Newfoundland in 170.'}. In 1787 the first colonial bishopric was created — that of Nova Scotia, to which Newfoundland was attached. It was not, however, till 1827 that Bishop Inglis, of Nova Scotia, was able to visit this portion of his extensive diocese. H(j fo\nid but 9 clergynien and missionaries in the whole i.sland. In 1839 Newfoundland and the Bermudas were erected into a separate diocese, and the Rev. Aubrey S. Spencer was api)ointed bishop of the new See. In 1841 Bishop Spencer was succeeded by Dr. Edward Feild, of Queen's College, Oxford, who continued bishop till his death, in 1876. His successor was Dr. J. B. Kelly,* wlio Avas compelled, by failing health, to resign in 1877. In 1878, he was succeeded by the Rev. Llewellyn Jones, D.D., who is now bishop of the diocese. The diocese is now divided into 8 deaneries, and the number of clergy is 50. The total number of churches in Newfoundland and Labrador is 102. ROMAX CATHOLIC CHURCH. The Roman Catholic Church in Newfoundland was first publicly organised in 1784, by the appointment of l)v. O'Donnell, as Prefect Apostolic, by Pope Pius VI. In 179G Dr. O'Donnell was appointed Vicar Apostolic and Bishop. In 1807 he was succeeded by Dr. Patrick Lambert, who held office till 1817, when Dr. Thomas Scallan was Religious Denominations 17.3 appointed bishop. He died in 1830, and was succeeded by Bishop Fleming, who held office till 1850, when Dr. Mullock was appointed as his successor. He held office till his death, in 1869, and in 1870 the present bishop, the Right Rev. Thomas Joseph Power, was consecrated in Rome by His Eminence Cardinal Cullen. In 1850 Newfoundland m'uh divided into two dioceses, St. John's and Harbour Grace, Dr. Dalton being the first bishop of the latter; and his successors were Rev. Henry Carfagniui, and Dr. Macdonald, who is the present bishop. In the St. John's diocese there are now a cathedral, 20 churches, besides chapels, 29 priests, a college, 13 convents, and a female orj)hanage. In the diocese of Harbour Giace there area cathedral, 14 churches, besides chapels, 1 6 priests, and 5 convents. In the prefecture apostolic of St. George, West Newfoundland, there are 3 churches and 3 priests. WESLLYAX METHODISM. The Rev. Lawrence Cochlan was the first Wesleyan missionary in 1765. In 1814 Newfoundland was constituted u separate district, with a superintendent. In 1840 there Mere 14 ministers and 10 local preachers. At present New- foundland is constituted a separate conference, with a l)resident, and is divided into 3 districts — St. John's, Carbonear, and Bonavista. The total number of ministers is 49 ; of churches, 44. i COXGREGATIOXALISM. Congregationalism dates from 1775. In 1779 the Rev. John Jones was ordained in England to be minister of a church in St. John's. There are now two additional Con- gregational churches — one at Twillingate and one at Rendell Harbour — and two mission stations at Fortune Bay. ill! r » 174 Ap'pendix. I ' PUIiSBYTEHIANiSM. The first Presbyterian church was oi'ganised in 1842, of which the Rev. Donald A. Fraser was minister. A Free Church Presbyterian congregation was formed in 1848, iii St. John's, and a second in Harbour Grace, in 1855. The two congregations in St. John's united in 1877, and built St. Andrew's Church. There is a Presbyterian mission station at Bay of Islands. ABSTRACT OF CENSUS OF 1874. DiSTn.ICTS. Total, 17,811 ll»,763 7,174 7,919 13.055 5,488 7,434 15.677 13,008 15,135 6,419 9,8;-i7 7,678 5,788 5,098 8,654 158,958 o 400 16I,3S0 Church of Eng- land. Roman Catho- lic. Metho- dist. Others. St. John's East 3,985 2 551 1,716 3,415 7,239 939 431) 8,417 6,860 6,989 173 1,351 1,633 4,39! 4,216 3,768 11,200 8,746 5,361 2,002 4,013 2,189 1,775 1,583 2,599 1,956 6,246 8,254 2,689 1,387 125 3,716 1,838 1,088 97 2,501 1,615 2,362 0,220 5,663 3,531 6,172 239 3,351 8 731 991 788 8t. John's West 378 Harbour Main Port-de-Grave i Harbour Grace 188 Carbonear Kay-de-Verds Trinity Bay Bonavista Twillingate and Fogo 8 14 18 18 Feirylaud Placentia 5 Burin Fortune 13 •> Burgeo and La Poile •J6 St. George's and St. Barl)e*.... 179 Total 58,072 1,489 63,841 476 64,317 35,407 295 1,638 Labrador * Total 59,561 .35,702 1 soo *In 18(4, St. Geoi-ge'sand St. Barbe were not !.>epnrate districts, ami, for coin- parison, their population, is also nnitetl in the tattle f(.r 1884. St George's lias a total population of 053.-, of which 33!)3 is Ruinau Catholic, 1878 Church of EiiKland, 147 -Methodists. St. Barbe has a total popiilatioii of 0498, of which 2010 is Church of England, 103'J Methodist, 1872 Roman Catholic. Religious Denominations. 171 in 1842, of r. A Free in 1848, ill 1855. The , and built an mission Hetlio- dist. I Others. 1.838 788 1,088 378 97 2,501 I 1,G15 188 2.362 8 5,220 5,6()3 14 3,531 18 lj,172 18 239 5 {,351 13 8 2 731 '.'<> 991 179 ',407 1,()3S 295 l(i ,702 1,800 iiul, f i>r coin- eoi-yre H lias a lof F /iiRland, )10is Cliuicli V at 0) o S H •— O CO ^ !>• ifS 05 30 00 (N <0 JC t- j< m —t o « o I?) o QO CO ^ © lO lO ift O ^5 CO IM lO O O '.0 9> (NCOi^CO^OiCS ^^^ I ^t -t 00 ""t «5 'M CS (?1 ?C lO -H :/3 ifS CO SO^:(MXiCOOT)QO— iM •^ Ti ec -^ "+ CJ r-i OS o r^ "t O »— 1- S; Oi O IM — 5-1 M C"! !?» -N C^ «5 t^ lO o lO fC O O '^ :d Tjt M :o ■* cc ^* CI 00 CO o 00 o 55 ce" C5ccc;-tJ<-^cc:c — 0500CMC.' St— Ci « ;s i(t O 1^ t— i^ l>> 00 t— I— «0 + CI d -f O l-^'^^CJ -i- ,-H ^ cc "-H «0 n\ Its ci '•^ ^^ ^iH p«H ^iM cc CI OS o cs cc o «rc4 cc'cT'-H -Tcrcc «£ cs'^r-^" lO I— o in o cc cc ^ ;o o « cc Q cs o: — -f CI re >c i.-s cc o ' o Om-* — OSO-i-mCI — CI05:£l--pCI o f^ 50 C< C^* :C FH ■* iC CI -i- -^ -^ 1-- ^ S i o (T) I 30 ■^ I o Its cc -< cc 00 rt OS 00 O + ■(• 00 'JO I:- ^H »-^ iC Its ^ OS-^7t«oci?oC500Tttscs CI cc 'I* ^ :o cc .CI"<* K » „« '^^ o a fl ^- • 0"^ lj oj rt . « . ^ TO o to o 13 • ♦ ' ■A J! ao o •73 o H o cij -3 O orH * gi-d .2W cS" * O cA s.ac* &i5^cs a o j5^-a •^ I"" .^ s •r 0*3 = C - CO ra . 2rH d o u -a a 01 eT (M bl hi 1J H d •p«« ■o a u hi a 2? - ^ *r cot-i .2 - O c ic S U -I" ■5 "5 5?i ^ S i ^ 4>_ ■1-' - ,., • E -»^ hi ji2 ^ s-S fe ^ i 3 <«H — ir * -a - a<»'^ c x" o *:^® u 2^ a S-cl* c o £ « ■ ^1= ssS sg- H ] „ u Sx: i> „ a 5 ""^ '" ZKOSg «J.JS 17))(' ndiv. and it i'h iiouosHiiry for ouch nation to maintain tliroo war ships to cnUHo alon<; tho uoaHt during tlio 1iMliin<; HoaHoii to prosorvo i\u) poaco. Tho insticnrity of titloH to property, and tho constant olforts of thr b^HMich to provocn introthicod by J>riti.sh suhjoots, and about thirty-livo lolistiu" factories liavo hoiMi oroctod ahmi; this part of tiio coast. Tho Fronch havii also connnonctid this industry, and «*roctod on tho shoro a nuinhor of factories. Not only so, hut thoy liavo sot up an exdufn'rn claim to tho loiistor fishery, and have \nwn endeavouring to remove tho factories of tho British from such ])]a<;ea as they wish to occupy. The colonists contend that tho treaties give the French 110 right to occupy tho shoro with such j)orman<'nt erections as lobster factories. Only cod-tlshing was known when tho treaties were made, and tho liberty of "taking and drying fish " was limited to cod, and could not include lobstiMs. In this view tho colonists aro sustained by tho highest legal authorities and by the British Governmout. 1 1 b(x*omes moio and more evident that these antiquated treaties, which are inapjdicable to tho ])resent condition of affairs, must bo revised. From a resident population c.f 4000, when the first treaty was made, the inhabitants now number 200,000. To have their rapidly increasing nnmbers cooi)ed n[> in one half of the island, where they have not sutlicient means of sup[)ort, in order that a handful of migratory tishermen of another nation may dry their fish at a few points along the other half, is such a manifest grievance to the colonists, and such a preposterous absurdity in an economical point of view, that the good sense of the ( 'hrniutlot/lrdl T. is:i Kn<^li8li (lovornmnnf, and pooplo will loiid thorn to Hparo no JtiHt and lioiioiiralilo rilorbH for itH removal. JuHtico to tlio oolotiiHts r(M|iiir(>H Uiat tlioy hIioiiIiI ho tnaHtot'H in thoir own territory, uiid IVrci to dovoloj) its natural rcfHourccm. It li(UM)ni<>H nioro and nioro ovidont that tlio firuHont Htato of alliiirH iH poiilous to tlio pnmcM'vatiou of |)(mo() Ixitwcnn two i^roat nations. Tho disunMlitablo anomaly which (txiHts in a ItritiHh 4. — CuKtomH an;land. 1783. — Treaty of VorHuilles. 1 780. — French U(wol ntion. V'*. -t"ji'|'rcine (Joui't (iHtabliHhed in Newfoundland. ' ISO}/.- -Post OlHce introduccid, Newfoundland. 1805. — Battles of Trafalgar and Austerlitz. 1800. — First nowH|)aper puVdished in Newfoundland. 1812. — Kiij^land and the United States at war. 1815.— liattle of Waterloo. 1815. — Second Treaty of Paris. 1815. — Couunercial disasters in Newfoundland. 1816. — Admiral Pickniore first resident Governor of New- foundland. 181G-17. — Three j,'reat fires in St. John's. 1824. — Supreme (Jourt reorganised in Newfoundland. 1825. — First roads made in Newfoundland. 1832. — Representative government granted to Newfoinid- land. 1837. — Queen Victoria began to reign. 1842-49. — " Amalgamated Assembly" in Newfoundland. 1846. — Great tire in St. John's, Newfoundland. 1847. — Responsible government granted to Canada. 1854. — Resjfonsible government granted to Newfoundland. 188 Appendix. I ^ , I -r 1854. — Russian War. \ ij 1854. — Reciprocity Treaty with United States. 1857. — Indian mutinv. 1858. — First Atlantic Cable landed in Trinity Bay. 1861. — American Civil War commenced; ended 1865. 1865. — ^Termination of the Reciprocity Treaty. 1864. — Canadian confederation carried in Quebec Con- ference. 1864. — First copper mine opened in Newfoundland. 1886. — ^Dominion of Canada proclaimed. 1869. — Newfoundland anti-confederate. 1872.— Vote by ballot in England. 1875. — First Government railway survey in Newfoundland. 1876. — Fishery Commission met in Halifax. 1878.— Treaty of Berlin! 1881. — First sod of Newfoundland Railway turned, Aug. 9. 1883. — Graving dock, St. John's, Newfoundland, commenced. ,.1884. — Railway to Harbour Grace opened. 1884. — Dock, St. John's, opened. 1885. — Great storm on Labrador. 1886. — Placentia Railway commenced. 1887. — Vote by ballot introduced in Newfoundland. 1888 — Municipal Council for St. John's appointed. Pla- centia Railway opened. 1889. — Manhood Suffrage Act passed. Harbour Grace" Roman Catholic Cathedral destroyed by tire. 65. lec Con- undland. , Aug. 9. iimenced. I. id. Pla- r Grace" ire. 4 *k* A TEXT-BOOK OF NEWFOUNDLAND HISTORY (ENGLISH EDITION), OR. A SHORT HISTORY OF NEWFOUNDLAJiD. Bv THE HEY. M. HARVEY. Notices oniie I*i'css. (Atlantic Monthly.) "While this little book necessarily appeals fli'st to Newfoundland iieople, it is so clear and well aiTanged an account of a history which, in its early passages, is identified with the English possession of America, that it will be found of value to all students of our history. The writer is singularly well equipped for his task. {Educational Heview.) This little work, of some 200 pages, is written in the smoothest and most effective manner of any similar text-book which has come to our knowledge. Its author, the Rev. M. Hanrey, is the best known man in Newfoundland. Although we have perused his larger work on New- foundland — a history which reads almost like a romance — we have read over again the abridged story with a pleasure which perhaps was only enhanced by our previous knowledge. The thread of development i.s never lost in the necessary change of scene ; and a bijd's-eye view of tho whole is given, with details sufficient to give colour and life to tho panorama. A series of appendices give most valuable statistical information respecting the Island. Any one who has not time to read the larger history of Newfoundland, can in this volume save the time and obtain the history in a very readable and beautifully digested form. Press Notices. {Montreal Gmette.) No man living, we may fearlessly say, wr.s better qualified to undertake the compilation of such a volume; and we need scarcely add that it bears all the marks of intimate knowledge, and of conscientious and painstaking accuracy. It is written, like all that proceeds from the author's pen, in ■clear and simple language, which is at the same time vigorous and graceful. Though containing not quite 200 pages, it is extremely full in iits conciseness, nothing in the annals of topography being omitted. {Boston Traveller.) We cordially commend Mr. Harvey's little work to all who are desirous of learning the history of this interesting island. With this little volume in hand, the next generation cannot possibly be as ignorant respecting the island as have all that have preceded it. \ {Boston Daily Transcript.) It is the only handbook we know of that gives a clear and well defined idea of Newfoundland — its natural, geographical, and climatic pecu- liarities, the people, the form of government, the social and industrial progress of the country. We wannly recommend Mr. Harvey's excellent little volume. {Qtcebec Chronicle.) In every way the book is full of merit, and ought to become exceedingly popular with the public. It is accurate, reliable, and delightfully written. {Cincinnatti Commercial Gazette.) As clear and complete a little historical work as could be found, ■writing is simple and vigorous, and the arrangement is admirable. The {Halifax Herald.) Mr. Harvey has long been held as the recognised authority on all Tnatters connected with Newfoundland. His wide and extensive know- ledge of the country, his large and careful study of its history, joined to Ilia great ability, combine to give a pre-eminent value to this little work. Press Notices. Works by the Same Author, NEWFOUNDLAND, THE OLDEST BEITISH COLONY. Pkice Eighteen Shillings. LONDON : CHAPMAN & HALL, 1883. {^Fortnightly Review.) This work on Newfoundland is a difflcult task extremely well executed. It is an admirable account of the oldest English colony. (^London Academy,) In no other work is the Newfoundland staple trade treated so fully and so well, and the chapters on the fisheries alone would give the volume a lasting value. It is an admirable book, worthy of soon attaining the 'Secojid edition. {Pall Mall Gazette.) An interesting and well-written book. {London Graphic.) A standard book of reference. {London Spectator.) A most entertaining and useful book, which we hope will find many readers. {St. Jameses Gazette.) A complete and graphic account of the oldest dependency of England. {European Mail.) No more interesting work has ever come under our notice. {The Scotsman.) The book is a piece of solid workmanship. ( The Literary World.) An exceedingly interesting and valuable work. {Atlantic Monthly.) An interesting work by a painstaking student, who sets about ft thorough representation of the country, {New York Herald.) The best account of Newfoundland ever printed. Press Xoticen. WHERE ARE WE, AND WHITHER TENDING? Price, 2/8. * LONDON : TRUBXEll & CO., 1886. ( We»tmin»ter lierietr.) The author, while admittin<^ that the pessimist can readily find a certain justification of his views in the many dnvk and discoumging lucts of human existence, still believes that tliorc are ample grounds for holding human progress to be a gi'and reality. {fiatitrdny Revieic.) Cheerful in tone and popular in style. {London Morning Post.) The author of these lectures is best known as on authority on Newfoundland, where he has long resided ; but his present work shows that he has studied much deeper (luestions than those of the history of his far-off home, and has kept himself posted in the intellectual contro- versies of the diiy. He denies that an acceptance of the Darwinian theory necessitates any doubt of the great truths of Christianity. {Seotsman.) The author discusses with much point and acumen the reality *fcnd worth of human progress. {United Pfenbyterian Magasine.) A fresh, vigorously-written book. {Glasgow Herald.) An eminently readable book. The author displays an acquaintance with ancient and modern history, with literature and philosophy, with science and with statistics, which would be creditable in any man. {Magazine of American Jlititori/.) The author commands a graphic and entertaining style, and, withal, lias cultivated a new field. His appearance in print as a philosopher, discussing the most profound questions of the day, will be a surprise to most of those who know him mei*ely as the historian of Newfoundland. (Overland Monthly.) The I'ictures are able and highly suggestive. {Neto York Churchman.) These lectures are brilliantly written. {Queries.) A work of much interest. The author is a gentleman of ripe scholarly attainments, who has won a wide reputation as a thinker and writer of marked ability. {Quebec Chronicle.) Full of brilliant allusions, poetry, and illustrations drawn from the masters of thought. 5? find a p lacta ids fur .'ity on shows tory of contro- :wiiuau ty*lmd mtance y, with witlml, isoplier, prise to land. jholorly Titer of rom the